Knights of the Old Republic III: Revenge of the Sith - Part VIII - Revenge of the Sith
First, let me deeply appologize for not keeping with this fic. I had a bout of writer's block and it seemed like the ideas I wanted weren't coming to me. So I am so very sorry for not updating in months. On a very good spot though, I recently bought a laptop in which this story is also on, so I can work on it while I'm at work. Secondly,I'd like to thank all of you who are still reading this. lol I made up some titles and I am happy to announce this will be a 12 part story. Yay! For you all, anyway. But we're coming up to the confrontations here, so hold on to your seats, swoop fans! As always, big ups to all those helpful people and sites - , www.gamebanshee.com, StarShadow, and Darth Michael. And of course those people who thought up the concept of Star Wars in the first place, hee hee.
DISCLAIMER - you all know the drill. This is a story of fiction, based on fictional characters within the Star Wars universe. Creations are based on characters created by Bioware, Obsidian entertainment, and Lucas Arts. No money is being made of this venue.
REVENGE OF THE SITH PART VIII - REVENGE OF THE SITH
The golden age of the Sith had been one of glory, bloodshed, and betrayal. Their leaders were skilled in both the dark side and that of alchemy -- the ability to use magic in order to change anything, or anyone, they wanted. They used these skills to make the Republic tremble and quake under their short rule.
But they were thwarted, and like anything that becomes unglued, their empire fell. Their squabbling and their killing of one another placed the Sith Empire into the logs of history.
Until they came across a few young men who would help them reach the top once more...
The trees of Kashyyyk were silent as a group of people and Wookies stood around a large bond fire. The home planet of the towering creatures had gone through a massive cleansing since the last time any humans had been on its surface. After the departure of Revan and his crew, the high chieftain Freyyr had ensured that the venomous creatures known as the Czerka Corporation were driven completely off the planet. When Zaalbar - the chieftain's son - returned, they continued to make sure that Kashyyyk was put back in its proper place of beauty and splendor.
Not many humans were allowed on the planet, much less in their ceremonial place of the Shadowlands, but when Zaalbar, now chief of the Wookies, was contacted by his long time friend Mission Vao, he knew something was wrong. When he heard the news that the elder human known as Jolee was dead, he immediately told the young Twi'lek to bring him back to the place he had called home for so long. And that's where they stood, around a funeral pyre in honor of the former Jedi Master and friend. When Bastila and Revan had returned to the Ebon Hawk with a dead Jolee between them, there had been outbursts of sorrow and anger.
For Revan, the reality of the situation hit the hardest for him. As he stood and watched the fire burn, he hardly noticed that everyone had left to be alone with their own thoughts. He was lost in his own sorrow, tempered by the fact that he needed to clear his head about their next move. His anger had not dissipated, but had rather enveloped him. He felt calm, but calculated; he knew what would need to be done and he held no pretense that he would need to be brutal about it. Ellis Yoly no longer existed to him; he was replaced with the man known now as Darth Trayun and the dark lord was now his enemy, not his friend.
As Revan gathered his anger, he turned away for the lodging that Zaalbar had wonderfully provided for them, never noticing that the body of Jolee Bindo had faded from the fire.
The room was sunny and bright, which was a stark contrast to the sky outside the Necrosis. The ship sat within the Corellian sector, near the trade route, while keeping a close eye on the planet Corellia. Ellis and Brianna sat in their quarters, finishing up a large breakfast. The couple grinned at each other, both still feeling the effects of being a new couple and the joys that brought with it. Atton walked in, stopping at the table and waiting for his presence to be noted. He watched as the newly married couple smiled at each other, with Brianna bending over and giving a brief, but deep kiss before she walked into their bedroom, Ellis watching her with a loving gaze.
'What can I help you with, Atton?' he asked.
'Thought you'd might like to know about some of our recon,' replied the marauder. At his master's nod, he continued with, 'I sent scouts to the city of Kor Vella, you know the big tourist place. While news that Revan may be this new dark lord, people are pretty unassuming. I think it'll be easy for the planet to fall.'
Ellis nodded again. 'I'm sure you're right,' he said. 'Our masters want us to continue stabilizing their former planets. I got word that Dxun is now in their hands; the Mandalorians have all but abandoned the tomb of Freedon Nadd. Our followers are being instructed as we speak.'
'And us?'
The dark lord grinned at his apprentice. 'Yes, Darth Casus,' he replied. 'You will be under the tutelage of Freedon Nadd. He was once a great Sith lord; said to be the first true non-species Sith lord to rise. He had the planet of Onderon in his palm.'
'What do we do now that Onderon is back in the hands of the Queen?' the apprentice asked.
'We'll come to that when we get to it,' Ellis took a drink from his glass. 'I think our masters have plans for that planet, but I am unaware of what those would be.'
'Have you heard from them lately?'
'They are gathering forces right now,' the dark lord replied. 'We will be attacking the Republic very soon.'
It had only been a few weeks since the defeat of the Mandalorians at his hands; a few weeks since he told the Republic that he, Malak, and a few of the fleet ships were going to track down any errant Mandalorian warriors that had survived. While that in itself was a lie, it was true where they were going -- beyond the Outer Rim and into the Unknown Regions. Revan had found many artifacts within the Academy he'd discovered on Malachor, among them, a Sith holocron that told of the rise of the Sith Empire and some of their planets.
This was the first place he wanted to investigate.
Now he and Malak stood on the surface of a dark planet, just having come through a massive forest of dark trees and creatures. The two Jedi found it easy to get past the creatures, but the trees -- which seemed to hinder any effort they had at getting clear -- proved to be even tougher. But now, the two of them stood before an immense and ominous gray structure that loomed before them. 'Revan,' Malak asked timidly. 'What is this place?'
The two walked towards the building, the heavy feeling of the dark side hitting them harder the longer they stayed. 'I don't know,' whispered the other Jedi. 'But I have the feeling we have much to learn here...'
Pain. Lots of it.
He had never felt such an intense feeling of pain before. He lay, writhing on the ground, only a few inches from his friend Malak, who was also in the same predicament he found himself in. He turned a painful head towards the figures that stood over them, the ones that had caused this unbearable torture. 'Why have you come, young Jedi?' asked one figure. 'We normally don't see your type around here.'
'How did you find us, young one?' asked another.
'I...I...' Revan stumbled, grimacing from his discomfort. 'Mal...Malachor...'
'Malachor?' asked the first. 'As in Malachor V?' At the young Malak's grunt, the figures stared down at the young men. 'Interesting. I sense the dark side in you both. Is this why you are here? To learn more about the power you could possess? Then, let us help you, young sirs.'
Suddenly, the pain that had ripped through their bodies eased into something akin to relief. The two looked up at the figures. 'Tell me, young lords,' the first figure asked. 'Do you know of the Star Maps?'
Revan awoke in a sweat, his breathing labored. He sat up in bed, his mind a flurry of activity and warring with the sleepiness of his body. The images were coming faster and more frequently than before and they all did nothing but disturb him. If he guessed correctly, he and Malak had come in contact with the true species and they had told the two Jedi about the Star Maps. They had been behind the Mandalorians and then he had fallen into the same trap and had taken Malak, Ellis, most of the Jedi Order, and half the Republic Fleet with him. That thought alone troubled him greatly.
'Revan?'
He hung his head when he felt Bastila stir next to him, sighing as she sat up and placed her head on his shoulder. 'The nightmares?' she asked, softly.
Closing his eyes, he listened to the soothing sounds of the wildlife that nestled on Kashyyyk, noticing that even with the noises and Bastila beside him, he was anything but relaxed and soothed. 'It's been a set up, Bastila,' he whispered. 'This whole time, the True Sith have been waiting and watching, waiting for their time to come. They thought they had succeeded with the Mandalorians and then I just helped them along.'
'You didn't know what would happen,' she insisted.
'No Bas,' he gulped. 'I did. I've met with the True Sith. Malak and I did. They told us about the Star Maps and I found the planets.'
'But did you know what they were planning?' she asked. When he didn't reply, she turned his head to face her. She could feel the guilt, but she could still feel the overwhelming surge of anger. She had been shocked to see the way his manner had changed. She couldn't imagine what he had gone through watching Jolee's death; it was painful enough feeling it as she tried to meditate. She would never forget the set of his eyes when he looked at her, the way they had gone from the brown she loved to the gray that had terrorized the galaxy years ago.
'I know you feel as though you have to right the wrongs of your past,' she whispered. 'But you can't drown yourself in the guilt. Or the anger.' She looked at him seriously, causing a small blush to appear on his face.
'I just think it's too much,' he sighed. 'I never...I didn't mean for any of this to happen, not like this.'
'The important thing is that we try to stop this threat.' Bastila said. 'That's what is important.'
The former Jedi knight and master smiled at his new bride. Even in the darkest times, she could still elicit a smile and a feeling of love from him. If there was ever a time he thought he had done something good, it was having Bastila in his life. 'No darling,' he said, his voice dropping in that unmistakable trace of desire. 'You are what's important, to me.' He kissed her lightly on the cheek, making a trail to her neck and then to her lips, stopping only an inch from them. 'And I think it's high time I remind you of that.'
'Oh yes,' she purred. 'High time indeed.'
There was a planet, a dark planet, that sat unnoticed and unknown with the Outer Rim, just a short distance from Korriban. It was a planet without moisture, though the land was tropical with flat grasslands, but there were such lightening storms that frightened even the creatures that managed to survive. This planet, this darkened orb, had been around for centuries and in that time, only a few people knew it even existed. The orb itself was cloudy, murky clouds that swirled in the atmosphere, and rocky mountains that glowed with an illuminating hue. Any traveler that stumbled upon the planet would never really see it -- it was masked within the dark side, hidden from everyone, including the Republic and the Jedi.
The Sith Empire had fled here, or at least those that still lived and breathed fled here. They had watched their empire crumble; an empire that had nearly conquered the galaxy before infighting destroyed the entire populace. What even many more didn't realize was that the true species of Sith never truly died out -- they watched; and waited. They waited for those who felt as they to wave their flag and do their bidding; waiting for the one person they knew would be their savior. Many had come and many had tried, but only two managed to come closer than they ever thought possible.
It was on this planet, this planet known as Thule, that those surviving Sith beings waited until the time was right. Many of them were specters now, embracing their dark halves in order to sustain their powers though they were dead. They had the means of alchemy along with their dark side powers to prolong life; preserve it. When Naga Sadow and Ludo Kressh finally met their ends in the Great Hyperspace War, it was here the remnants fled to; here they planned to build again. It had taken over a millennium, but finally they had found the one -- the one they believed would bring them back to their rightful place in the galaxy. And it seemed fitting -- to end as they had begun -- with a disgruntled Jedi leading them.
On this planet of Thule, the True Sith had waited and watched. They had used their influence with a Mandalorian who had been foolish to crash there. They had broken him quickly and he had sworn his alliance just as fast. They learned about his people; how they were warriors -- proud, brave -- and how they looked for a challenge. They had challenged him; told him of a great battle yet to be had against the Republic. Some of them had foreseen it -- had foreseen the first coming of the one -- and they wanted to bring him to them. So the Mandalorian had left and had told his people and they had left to conquer, bringing about the appearance of him -- of the one. And with him, they sat their hopes, that he would bring them back to their glory.
But as they say, the future is always in motion. It was an expression they had never before thought of, never before heeded until it was too late. It was only when they had gotten wind of what the one planned -- from his apprentice of all people -- that they knew they may be lost. But their work had been done -- the Jedi Order was in ruins; the Republic crumbling before their eyes. Even if the one was going to betray them, the blocks were in place.
They had no need for him anymore.
He had set the groundwork and it all fell into place when the second coming of the one transpired. Their new warriors hunted and destroyed the rest of the Jedi; those that weren't killed soon met their end on Katarr -- a plan worthy of one of the lords themselves. They had seen it; seen this young Jedi -- his struggles, his passions -- they knew he couldn't rid the anger in his heart, no matter how hard he may have tried. And to their great surprise, he managed to gather others to him, leeching from them what he needed. The Republic wouldn't be able to stand much more.
And that's why they were assembled here -- that's why they made their weapons and creatures -- because the time had come to reclaim their empire. Their plans were perfect and their leader also perfect. With the first Sith'ari coming once again under the thumb of the defunct Jedi, they thought hope lost, but they could feel his rage...his rage could be felt this far into the galaxy, as it always could. Even if their current leader failed, they knew it was only a matter of time before Revan would be with them once more. And if not?
Well, he would be dead.
This meeting was reminiscent of the old empire. Their former lords were assembled, even those that resided elsewhere. They were ready. Their beasts and their ships were ready. Their powers were ready. They would take their places once again and this time, the Republic would pay dearly for their transgressions.
The crisp night air of Kashyyyk was a far cry to the rather humid air Carth knew of Telos. Though he had been on the planet before, it had been years since he, Bastila, and Revan had landed here looking for the second Star Map after finding the first on Dantooine. Standing here, remembering that year when they had all met each other gave him a pang in his heart when he thought about the cantankerous ex-Jed they had met in the Shadowlands here. He was a decorated officer and had seen his share of death, but this one -- Jolee's death -- seemed to put him in such a mood tonight.
He couldn't help but think back to when the war with those Shadow Sith had started and he seemed to always be in a constant state of fear regarding Bastila and Dustil. If he had never met Revan or Bastila; if Dustil had never been touched by the Force, he supposed he wouldn't have cared about the bounty or the fact that there seemed to be killings left and right. But life wasn't like that for him. He did know Revan -- his best friend was somewhere in the Outer Rim and Unknown Regions; he did know Bastila -- he told Revan he would watch over her; Dustil was touched by the Force...all those things and then some made Carth Onasi the most jittery person during that time.
And now, everyone he loved was in one place; a seemingly easy place to get to them. He didn't know what happened on that planet they had left, only that Revan and Bastila had returned with a dead Jolee between them. Revan's eyes were strange, a mix of color Carth had never seen before, and he was quiet, pensive. The set of his jaw told the crew to leave him alone, that whatever happened, Bastila would take care of it, but even the former Jedi princess seemed to be shell-shocked. Carth hadn't seen her so worked up since she had heard about her mother's illness back on Kashyyyk the first time. The seasoned pilot didn't know what to think, only that things would probably get worse before they would get better.
The forest of the trees seemed so vast, making an odd parallel for his feelings of the night. He stood on one of the platforms overlooking the treetops, his thoughts heavy at what could or would happen at that moment. He didn't know how he knew she was there, but even before her arm went around his waist, Carth's mind and body was instantly at ease. He continued to stare out, his arm lifting to gather around her shoulders and pulling her closer to him. She laid her head on his shoulder, arms wrapped around his waist, and snuggled against his chest. The pilot was thankful for her presence and there didn't need to be any words for him to tell her so.
She knew.
It was hard to stay focused on so many horrible things when he had something very right in his arms at the moment. She may not have known him very well, but Lynsel knew the crew of the Ebon Hawk had lost a friend this night. She was the only one who, though affected by the death, wasn't close to the former Jedi as everyone else. She hadn't spent a year traveling with the old man or a few months training under him. She had known him for about a week or two, not enough to feel anything but deep remorse that these people had to lose someone. They let the T3 droid pilot the ship, as no one wanted to do anything but grasp the loss they had suffered.
She had found Carth in one of the med bays, just standing and looking around. She hadn't said anything, just touched his back before hugging him from behind. It was nice, not having to tell him she was sorry for what happened; not having him talk about it. She never had that with Robert. Any time she had a setback, she had to virtually replay an entire event before he would even understand that she was upset about it and the cure he thought worked every time was taking her to bed. She liked that she didn't have to say things to Carth; somehow, he just knew.
They stayed there like that, as the time passed, eyes closed and listening to the sounds of the Wookie planet. They said nothing as they pulled from one another, Carth dropping a kiss on her forehead, before taking her hand and walking her to the quarters she was sharing with Mission -- at least Carth hoped Mission was still staying there -- and giving her a kiss goodnight before retiring to his own quarters.
The crew spent a few days on Kashyyyk, catching up with Zaalbar and learning about what had happened after the group had parted ways on Coruscant. They learned there was quite some blood shed when it came to ridding the planet of the Czerka employees. Those that didn't want any part of the feud that was taking place quickly went off world to escape, leaving those that were still somewhat loyal to Chunndar to fight the combined efforts of the Wookies under Freyyr and Zaalbar. The fact that the Wookies and their planet won the fight was testament to their desire to free themselves from slavers. It was very commendable and something the Republic thought as well. In fact, Zaalbar had already been approached by a representative once before.
One Robert Belyn, Jr.
While that name seemed hardly a surprise, Revan wasn't taking any chances and after some goodbyes from their friends, the crew took off for the planet of Onderon, where they rendezvous with Canderous and the remaining Mandalorians. The Queen had graciously cleared an area for them after the True Sith had come, fully backed by a menacing and dangerous Freedon Nadd. The news that Dustil and Lynsel brought back, that the mission had failed and Nadd's spirit had once again risen, had surprised everyone but Revan, who seemed to sink even lower into his own despair. Once the crew had retired to the ship for departure, the former Jedi knight and master retreated to his now shared room with Bastila.
Upon landing on the planet, one of the Queen's aides greeted them in an excited hurry, quickly ushering them to the palace and to the Queen's audience. Talia greeted the group, her manner a bit abrupt, but she quickly apologized. 'I'm sorry, Revan,' she sighed. 'But things are not well. You have of course heard about Dxun?' To that, Revan nodded mutely. 'It gets worse,' she continued. 'With the occupation of Dxun, it seems there have been a few incidences on other Sith planets as well.'
'What sort of incidences?' Bastila asked, warily.
'Perhaps we should take this in my personal quarters.' The queen announced. 'I'm sure you'd like to see your comrades as well.'
The group nodded, following the queen as she went through a door near the back of the throne room. Dustil was happy to note that the queen's quarters were a far better cry than her digs of squalor from before. It was larger than her former hideout and decorated more to fit that of a member of the royal family. Her curtains and bed sheets were silk, the finest brought in from Coruscant, and her floors nicely tiled in a design of the royal seal. There was a modest living area that had been converted in a small command center. There were data pads littered on the small couch and a medium sized galactic map that was stationed in a nearby corner.
'I was quite worried, you see,' she began, pointing to the map. 'When I heard about Dxun, that I sent some of my troops to the known worlds of the Sith.' When some of the group gave her looks, she gave them a cheeky smile. 'You may not know this, but I am a descendant of Freedon Nadd himself. Or to be more correct, the granddaughter of the corrupted king and queen of Onderon before me. Anyway, knowing about the dark side myself, I decided to send some of my soldiers out, as I said. I sent some to Yavin's fourth moon and that of Korriban.'
'And what did you find?' Revan asked.
'Followers,' she whispered. 'Out of eight men all together, only two returned. And only one of them survived his injuries.'
'What happened to them?' Mission wondered, in silent awe.
'Unspeakable things, I'm sure.' Revan commented. 'So it continues.'
'Revan,' the queen replied, walking up to the former dark lord. 'I know you have knowledge that surpasses my own in dealing with these...these beings and I can see from your eyes that this is something you have pondered over. What exactly is going on?'
'I think...' the man began, clearing his throat as he did so. 'I think it would be wise if Canderous and his clan stay on Onderon. I have a feeling that you will be in need of their services.'
That was all Revan would say on the matter, instead opting to find Canderous before they departed. They found him and Visas in their own personal quarters, provided by the queen. The former Jedi and Sith pulled his friend to the side, the two talking in hushed tones, before Canderous clapped a burly hand on Revan's shoulder, nodding his head solemnly. Revan then nodded and smiled to Visas, who bowed smartly to the man. 'We need to go,' was his statement and he lead the crew back to the Hawk, ignoring questions that came from all around him. It wasn't until Carth had lifted off and told T3 to take the controls that the former pilot became quite annoyed with the silent treatment.
'Damn it, Revan!' he exclaimed. 'Where the hell are we going?'
'We're going to Coruscant.'
'Why?' asked Lynsel.
'I think the Senate has the right to know what they are up against,' he shrugged.
'Revan,' Dustil began. 'What exactly do you mean?'
Revan held up a hand to the younger man and faced his father. 'Did you find what I told you?' he asked.
The admiral looked uneasy as he nodded his head slowly. 'T3 said there had been some tampering with the nav-computer,' he responded. 'That might explain why Trayun found you on Ord Mandell.'
'HK.' The former lord smirked.
'I never did trust that droid,' Bastila sneered from beside him.
'You were pretty thorough, Rev,' Carth continued. 'You covered your tracks pretty well. I had to get T3 to mimic you in order to get to stuff that was hard to access. But I did come up with a galactic map of...of the Sith Empire.'
Revan nodded. 'I forgot I had that,' he mumbled. 'That's gonna be important.' He looked around him at the confused looks on their faces. 'This isn't going to be an isolated incident,' he continued. 'Them being on the Sith worlds. It wasn't a coincidence for us to be on Khar Delba; the Sith have a rhyme and reason. This is only the beginning.'
And it was as Revan suspected. The True Sith were building, getting ready to launch their attack when the Republic was unaware. They used the information Lord Trayun gave them, as he made his appearance before their operatives within the Senate. He told them he didn't want any blood shed, he only wanted a more peaceful galaxy. It was ironic in a way -- here he was, the self-proclaimed enemy of Revan -- and he was using the same tactic the former lord had used to garner support in his early days of being the leader of the Sith. He used to be so proud when people said he was like Revan, then he became enraged by the comparisons. And now, he was using his own charisma to gain support within the Senate and to cast doubt on Revan.
After all, Revan had known this was coming. He had always known.
She had never been to this Sith planet, but she never missed an opportunity to revel in the power of the dark side. She of course knew of the planet - she had easy access to the Jedi Archives while in the Academy and the Temple -- but she wasn't prepared for the heavy, confining feeling she felt when her ship landed on the grassy terrain. It was certainly a contrasted planet -- being both tropical and arid, but it was beautiful in its own way, she guessed, with the lightening raining down in spurts throughout. She had been told she had rather odd tastes, but then again all of her species was unique in their habits and dispositions. They were after all, the most regal of the alien species.
That's why she knew her place was within the Sith and especially this true species. They -- like herself -- were regal and they knew that their rightful place was that of kings and queens; not lurking on some backwater planets. She knew when word got out, there would be a backlash. People would wonder how something like this could happen. She was a former Jedi master; how could she be with the Sith? But that was the problem with the galaxy -- they could never see what was right in front of them. Take the Jedi Order, for example. She had been under their noses for years and they hadn't suspected a thing. In fact, she had been the main proponent of getting rid of that insufferable Revan. She couldn't believe that the other masters - her contemporaries -- had actually gone with her suggestion on wiping the former master's mind.
All but that Vandar; and his suspicions were only peaked when she had mentioned the way of riding the young man of his true self. She believed that he knew, at least the power they would use, was a dark sided power. Whether he knew what kind of dark power, she didn't know, but it didn't matter. The plan had been successful; at least until Revan began meddling in affairs that were not his business. She didn't know how he knew of the Sith, but she didn't like it. However, her masters thought it played into their plans, so she was not one to mince words as a follower.
But for now, she had another mission, one far more important than that of Revan's recovering memory. It was the reason she ventured here from the planet of Ossus, just after her pleasant way of riding that bumbling Kumar. When the masters had acquisitioned her for this assignment, she was more than happy to rid the galaxy of troublesome Jedi and she was very thorough. She didn't care if the old man could barely feel the Force; the point was that he could. She made sure to track down any Jedi that could hinder the plan as it stood.
And now, she stood before her masters, telling them the details of how she had tracked this last remaining Jedi. 'You have done well, Master Dee,' replied one image. 'But I think you are mistaken. Your kill was not the last of the Jedi.'
Veroba Dee hung her head, knowing she had erred with her arrogance. That was one thing that separated her from the Jedi -- she admitted her wrongs. 'I am sorry, Master,' she apologized. 'I did not mean to be so arrogant in my proclamation.'
The Sith masters all chuckled. 'There is still some Jedi in you, Veroba,' replied one ghostly image. 'Still, you have not erred in the way you think.'
'Certainly, you did not know of these 'Lost Jedi'.'
'Lost Jedi?' she questioned. 'What, exactly, are those?'
Again, the masters laughed. 'These were to be the individuals who were to defeat us.'
'But you, Master Veroba, will of course take care of that for us.'
Veroba nodded. 'Of course,' she whispered. 'You'll forgive my ignorance when I ask how you were able to know about these 'Lost Jedi'.
'We have seen it,' replied one. At the incredulous look Veroba gave them, a second spirit chuckled. 'Do you not think that the Sith can also see into future events?'
'Of course not, Master,' she said, hurriedly. 'I've just never been one to believe in such things.'
'That's a wise view point, Master Dee,' said another. 'However, sometimes the ability to see into the future helps us; especially if we want to change or hurry that future along.'
'These Jedi are ones who would've been found by our current associate, Darth Trayun,' replied a second in command. 'In fact, he is the reason his apprentices are with him and not against us. The former exile has...a unique ability that we are quite fortunate to be in possession of. Unfortunately, not all of his companions saw the light, so to speak.'
'There are still those that were close to the exile that are touched by the Force,' replied another spirit. 'They were the key at rebuilding a future Jedi Academy.'
'Which we can not let happen,' the former Jedi master interrupted.
'Exactly.'
'We have located two on the former Jedi planet of Dantooine,' a spirit continued. 'They are both faint traces within the Force, but once attuned, they may become problematic.'
'We've also traced the former apprentice of Darth Nihilus to Freedon Nadd's world of Onderon,' another supplied. 'We will be sending some of Darth Trayun's troops to try and unseat the current queen. We will take care of her there.'
'For now, Veroba,' the first spirit replied. 'You are to dispose of the forgotten Jedi on Dantooine and then return to us. We are only just starting and we will need you and your skills.'
Veroba bowed in compliance and made her way out of their chambers and back to her ship. Lost Jedi, she thought. She had never heard of these beings and clearly, it sounded as though they had never been to the Academy. But it seemed strange that they were both on the former planet where the Academy had once been. She was thoughtful as she plotted her course, wondering who exactly these Jedi were.
But she would enjoy 'disposing' of them.
Brianna hadn't seen the Sith holocron since Atton and Ellis had brought it aboard. She knew Ellis was only looking out for her wellbeing, especially with her recent news to him, but she was feeling left out. Oh, she knew it was silly to be feeling that way -- she was a warrior after all -- but it reminded her terribly of her time with her half-sisters on Telos, of Atris, and that only made her think of the horrible way they died; of the way Atris had forced her to kill her family. Or at least people she thought were her family.
She shook her head out of those thoughts. She had a new family now -- Ellis -- and that was truly all she needed. But she couldn't help the curiosity that went through her when she thought about that holocron, especially when Atton seemed so attached to it. Most times she would see him leave from the room, his eyes turned from a light brown to a sickly yellow, his skin more pale than usual. He had this look that nearly screamed for her to stay away from him, though he wasn't a threat. But what was in that holocron that could make him look like that?
She had rose early that morning, leaving a still slumbering Ellis in their bed, and then padding out of the room and down the hall. The holocron was kept close by to their quarters, but far enough away in order not to cause any damage. This was something Ellis had insisted on, as he knew more about artifacts of the dark side than any of them. She had just barely stepped through the door, when she felt the overwhelming power of the dark side. While she had certainly used the dark side in battle, Atton had led their group through the temple of Freedon Nadd and he had been the one to stand over the heavy patch of power.
It was overpowering; she backed out of the room and out into the hallway, trying to catch her breath and calm herself.
'What do you think you're doing?'
The question startled her already shaken nerves to the point she actually gasped. 'Atton!' she exclaimed, once she had caught her breath and seen who the person attached to the question was.
'Thought you'd take a peak at all the fun, huh?' he sneered. 'Feeling left out, are we?'
Brianna's look was of pure ice. 'Perhaps you're merely jealous of the fact that Ellis enjoys spending time with me.'
The former scoundrel chuckled. 'You're pretty funny, know that?' he asked.
'I do try,' she retorted. 'But you must admit, that little box you have in there is quite interesting, with the way it seems to be joined at your hip.'
Atton walked over to her, leaning in closer than the young handmaiden ever wanted him to be. 'Listen Princess,' he said, quietly. 'Let's not mince words here, huh? You don't like me and I don't like you, but we both like our teacher and friend, Mr. Yoly, so I'm going to give you some advice. You have no idea what's about to happen and for that, I think you're rather slow or lucky, however you look at it, but I can tell you this. The next few days are going to determine whether you can hang with the big boys or not.'
The young woman just quirked an eyebrow.
'Don't think I don't know about your wavering loyalty.' That statement made her heart stop, but try as she might, Atton still saw the shock that ran across her face. 'If I can sense the good in you, then so can our masters. I may not like you, but Ellis likes you and he's done more for me than anyone, so I'm kinda loyal.'
'You were never loyal to anyone but yourself,' the woman countered.
'After the wars,' he stated. 'After Revan, after Malachor, after everything...but before...' he shook his head clear. That was the last thing he wanted to discuss, especially with her. 'The point being,' he continued. 'Is that you need to decided what side you're gonna play on. Things are going to happen, like I said, and I truly doubt these Sith will just let you go around helping people. My suggestion to you is to stay low until everything blows over or you get rid of those doubts you're having.'
The scoundrel backed away from her, sending her one last look before he turned and started to walk away. 'Atton,' the sound of her calling him stopped him for a moment. 'What exactly is going to happen?'
'In short,' the apprentice replied. 'There's going to be another war and this time, there's no way the Republic will win.'
With those words, Atton headed into the room Brianna had vacated, leaving the young woman standing against the wall, shocked. Why she was shocked, she didn't know. Wasn't this what they were striving for? The end of the Jedi? Of the Republic? Brianna knew this was her calling now, but she also knew that it was wrong and anything else thrown at the Republic would surely be its downfall.
She couldn't let that happen.
Checking to make sure she was alone, she hurried to the command center and hoped to get a secure line.
To say that the Senate was surprised that Revan, the prodigal knight, wanted an audience with them was an understatement. To say pandemonium reigned would be more appropriate. It of course was more than pleasing to Kodis Basil and Robert Belyn; they worried about their activities of late. The senior Belyn was growing more and more suspicious of their sudden departures and of odd calls that came in to their offices. But it was necessary -- the two were only looking out for the Republic and Master Trayun had assure them that the Republic would be rebuilt, once the old ideologies fell and new ones built up. That, and the fact that Lord Trayun hated Revan as much as Belyn did helped.
It was the early morning hours when consoles began beeping, calling an urgent meeting of the Senate. The Supreme Chancellor was already awake, being unable to sleep with the current problems over his head. People on Coruscant cried for justice, not caring who the new Sith Lord was, just that something be done about him. The murders of four members of the Galactic Senate did not sit well with the rest of the Republic and they wanted justice for their murders. So when sometime in the night his console began beeping, the Chancellor almost took out his custom blaster he kept under his pillow and put out the blasted noise. Instead, he rose from bed and was intent on cursing at the person who dared wake him.
It was Revan and he was insistent that a gathering of the Senate happen later in the day. No other explanation than that, only to say, 'There are many things that need to be discussed.'
And now, a little past the sunrise, the Chancellor, his senior aide, and Basil were meeting Revan and his crew as they entered the Senate building. 'Revan,' the Chancellor greeted, shaking the former knight's hand. 'Was this truly necessary?'
'Yes sir.'
'And why, pray tell,' Basil began. 'Did you wake us before the rising sun? Surely not for another casual chat.'
'No,' the knight replied. 'I'm here to turn myself in.'
Senator Chandran Holis was a soft spoken human from the planet of Alderaan who had never been to a Senate meeting before. That was because his predecessor had been one of the unfortunate members killed by the Sith after the Senate party a few weeks ago. In fact, this was his very first official meeting. He had been an aid to Jackson Polls when he had been nominated to take his place at this most urgent meeting. Now as he sat in the area designated for his planet, he had to admit he was awed.
There were so many people, species really, that littered the entire chambers and there was excited talk all around. Chandran had no idea why they had been called, but he could tell some were excited, others curious, others downright annoyed at being woken at the crack of dawn. When the Supreme Chancellor came in, there was quiet as the meeting was called to order. There reigned silence as the Chancellor gave his apologizes for the early morning wake up, but something of importance had come to his attention and he would be turning over the floor to the person who held that information.
There were murmurs around before that person came forward. He was of average height, his build possibly muscular, but definitely fit. He had short black hair and a matching black goatee; the most surprising thing was he was dressed in the robes of a Jedi, blue ones to be exact, with black military pants that were hidden under the robe. Chandran hadn't seen too many Jedi around and from the looks of it, neither had the other senators. The young man looked around at his audience before clearing his throat. 'All of you wonder who I am; though you may not remember my face, you do know me. I was the pride of the Jedi; I led the Republic against the Mandalorians and triumphed; and then I led the Sith against you. Then I returned and defeated the Sith for you.' He paused, watching as many a face lit in recognition. 'Oh yes,' he sighed. 'You know me very well.'
Chandran had to admit the silence that had been before this bombshell was lovely. Immediately after the last word, protests began; some praising him, some condemning him. Through it all, Chandran could only make out one word.
Revan.
The same Revan who had been a master of the Jedi, who had single handedly stood up for the Republic when the Order wouldn't and led half of them into battle with the Mandalorians. The same Revan who had returned as Dark Lord of the Sith and proceeded to try and conquer the galaxy. The same Revan who seemingly returned to fight against the Sith and former apprentice, Darth Malak. Revan, in the flesh. Chandran was pretty awe-struck and he certainly counted his blessings that he was there that day, even when his appointment had come through a death. The Chancellor called for order then, trying to quiet the outpour of voices. The prodigal knight again cleared his throat.
'I am here today because there is information that needs to be known by the Senate,' he began. 'Information that I thought...I thought I could keep and try to combat myself, but I see now, that was a...happy delusion. I don't know how much you know about the Mandalorian War or even my part in the Jedi Civil War; however, that is the reason why I am here, as well as to warn you.'
'How do we know you're not just placating us?' shouted one senator.
'You've done it before!' cried another.
'Please!' The Chancellor again called for order, then nodded to the knight to continue.
'Many years ago, there was a species called the Sith,' he stated. 'Who made their home on the planet Korriban. When the Jedi Order had their first rift, something known as the one hundred year war, the dark Jedi fled to that planet, eventually mating with the species there. It was the Sith that managed to get a hold on the galaxy, until infighting caused them to split and eventually they killed each other off. But...not all of the Sith were killed.
'When I went up against the Mandalorians, I learned all I could about them, about their habits, their species. Few people know that I trained to be the chronicler of the archives one day, so researching was nothing new to me. However, that research led me to a planet; a planet that the Mandalorians feared to tread and that was Malachor V. When I defeated them there, I was already on the dark side or at least, I was falling very fast. I went to the planet and discovered it was once a part of the Ancient Sith empire and there were still artifacts there, one being an Academy. It was here I learned of the Star Maps that would eventually bring about the Star Forge that I and later Malak would use to try and defeat the Republic.'
'What does all of this matter?' Belyn asked. 'Your personal history has nothing to do with these proceedings. We -- the Chancellor and myself -- were under the impression that you were turning yourself in.'
'Let him speak,' proclaimed one voice. It must've been a new person, as the room began looking to see who had spoken.
'I am here because the Senate has repeatedly asked about my activities after our return from the Star Forge battle,' Revan supplied. 'In short, I was hunting down these remnants of the True Sith. And I have found them.'
Again, the chambers were in an uproar over this. Most protested that the Sith had died out or had been killed by either their own followers or the Republic. And again, the Chancellor held for calm. 'And just how do you know this, Revan?' he asked.
'Because I have seen them,' came the reply. 'I have seen them and I know that they are planning on attacking the Republic. And that's not all,' he continued, when that statement also caused a ruckus. 'I know of this Lord Trayun and he will be the one who leads them to us.'
It seemed as though Chandran was getting his first taste of politics. Here was not only a former war hero, but a hero turned villain, who was apparently warning the Senate they would be attacked if action wasn't taken. This time, the noise was deafening, as people tried to talk over one another and even the Chancellor couldn't bring to order. Only the command of a 'stop' was enough to get the senate to settle down. 'He speaks the truth,' replied that same voice as before, this time a body became attached to it. It was a small bothan, also wearing the robes of a Jedi -- these were brown and tan though -- and he hovered slightly below Revan.
Apparently, Revan either didn't know this being would speak up or he was surprised as the rest of them when he did, as his eyes were round and he stammered for a coherent thought.
'Master Revan speaks the truth,' he replied again. 'The True Sith have once again arisen and they have gone to great lengths to ensure the Republic has been severely weakened.'
'Why should we help you?' Basil asked, smoothly. 'When the Republic called for aid, the Jedi were quite happy to let us fend for ourselves. In fact, the Jedi only got involved when Revan, their prodigal knight, was the one causing havoc.'
'That's right,' Belyn piped up. 'And what did Revan say? The dark Jedi from their history mated with these Sith. Isn't that always the way? The Sith are nothing but disgruntled Jedi and it's always down to us, the Republic, to save ourselves with their own infighting!'
The Senate floor bursts into yays and nays on the matter. 'The Republic is weakened because of them, because of him,' the senior aide continued, pointing a finger at Revan. 'It may have been Malak who nearly destroyed us, but he was Revan's apprentice! And he admitted it was him who found the information on the Star Maps...'
'And I've gone back and destroyed them!' Revan protested. 'I've made sure no one will ever use them!'
'That's what he says,' Basil commented.
'But do we know?' Belyn finished. 'He told us that he was tracking errant Mandalorians, when he was really searching for those maps. The Jedi say he's on a mission for them, but really he's searching for these True Sith. How do we know he's not Lord Trayun?'
Again, the floor went crazy and again, the Chancellor called for order. 'You've brought up something that does not please us, Revan,' he sighed. 'My son and Kodis are correct; you have lied to us in the past. How do we know you don't lie now? We barely had enough men to cover the invasion on Telos a few years ago and now you tell us to prepare for war? With what resources, Revan? You yourself took nearly the entire fleet when you fled Malachor and those that were still here suffered a horrible toll when fighting against you during the Jedi Civil War. So no, Revan. The Senate, nor the Republic, will aid you in this fight. Not this time.'
Chandran watched as Revan nodded quickly, his eyes refusing to show the anger in them. 'For the good of the galaxy, Revan,' the Chancellor continued, softly. 'I do hope you win this battle as well.'
And that was it. The meeting was adjourned, the senators and their parties left their podiums; the Chancellor and his entourage left their podium, leaving the new senator from Alderaan watching as the bothan floated over to Revan, speaking softly, until they both left as well, leaving Chandran alone. He blew out a breath, before falling back in his chair. It had been eventful, to say the least.
Years from now, he would think back to this day as the start of a highly interesting career.
Bastila was more than a little surprised and elated walking into the main hold of the Hawk and finding Master Dorril Sevadjian standing there. 'Master Dorril!' she exclaimed. 'I thought...'
The bothan nodded, smiling warmly at the young woman. 'I was lucky to be detained during the business on Katarr,' he replied. 'It was heartbreaking to lose so many, especially now.' The former master had told Revan it was imperative to speak to him and his crew if they were to continue on their current mission. 'I have much to say,' he continued. 'I am glad Revan was able to find so many that are loyal to him. As you know, the mission you are undertaking is one of great importance, for it will decide the entire fate of the Republic and the galaxy as we know it.'
The small being began to pace, his hands behind his back, as he continued his speech. 'There are many things Revan has told you, I'm sure,' he began, to many nods. 'There are some things he may not know or things he may not wish to share.' The bothan shot Revan a look, one that caused the former knight to cast his eyes elsewhere. 'I'm sure Revan has told you about Ellis Yoly, the current dark lord of the Sith, who you may know as Darth Trayun. What I think you don't know, as well as what Revan does not know, is about the companions of this exile.
'Before the destruction of Katarr and the consequent disbandment of the Jedi Order, I contacted Masters Vrook and Kavar. The masters tried to keep in contact when the start of the Shadow Sith began, but as you are aware, it was nearly impossible. From what I gathered, because of the Mandalorian and the Jedi wars, there were students left within the Academy that went without masters. There were also those who were touched by the Force, but unable to be courted by the Order. These people are known as the Lost Jedi; and I am under the impression that several were in the company of the exile on this ship.'
The crew looked at the small master in slight confusion. There were other Jedi that were unknown? 'But where are they?' Carth asked, clearly unable to understand this piece of news. 'I mean, where did they go?'
'Like the other Jedi, scattered throughout the galaxy and planets,' the small master replied. 'The destruction of the Jedi Academy left many of us in a lurch and we had to temporarily relocate to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. Some of our Order, like Master Bindo, thought the Order not effectively doing their jobs, so they left. That in turn made some of the students leave as well.'
'Why?' Lynsel asked. 'I mean, I know the Republic feels a certain way, but I would think...'
The master sighed, bowing his head. 'There have been...some problems within the Order,' he replied, causing Carth to smirk and a muttered, 'No! Really?' from Revan.
Behave.
Whether the former master heard the comment or chose to ignore it were unknown as he continued. 'There was some...concern with Master Vandar's vision.' He said. 'We had always thought it was about the Mandalorian War, but now...some of us, including Vandar, wondered if perhaps these were visions of what is about to happen now. If that is the case, then the galaxy may be in trouble.'
Revan nodded, solemnly, not wanting to be the one to say 'I told you so' though he thought it in his mind, much to Bastila's annoyance. 'These 'Lost Jedi',' he began. 'Do we know who they are?'
Dorril shook his head. 'I can only tell you where some of them are,' he said. 'I can sense the Force on Dantooine and somewhere on Onderon, but beyond that...' He let his sentence trail off. 'The problem is I'm afraid the dark side clouds everything in this matter.'
'Do you think it's possible the True Sith also know about these 'Lost Jedi'?' Dustil asked.
'I have a feeling these True Sith know more than we do,' Bastila replied.
'I fear Bastila may be correct in that assumption,' Dorril sighed. 'I have more news; Kumar is dead.'
Only Dustil and Revan reacted to this news, as everyone else had no idea to who he was referring. Dorril, seeing this, explained, 'He was one of the Order that returned after Exar Kun and Ulic Qel-Droma distrupted the Cron Cluster near Ossus. He was stationed in what used to be the Great Jedi Library. It seems to me these Shadow Sith have risen again.'
'That means the Sith know of these Lost Jedi,' Revan said, groaning when he realized how. 'Of course they would know. Damn it, Ellis!'
'You think he told them?' Mission asked.
'He had to,' Revan sneered. He could feel the contempt raging through him. How dare Ellis try to turn the galaxy upside down and to his whim? He had no idea of the power of the dark side! None at all...
'Revan,' the small master replied, looking the former Jedi in the eye. He could feel the swirl of emotions within the younger man and they were dangerously close to the dark side. 'You must calm your mind if you wish to find peace with this. Do not let your anger cloud your judgments.'
'Spoken like a true Jedi,' the former knight said, sarcastically. 'But I hardly think the Sith are going to want to sit down and talk about the problems we're having with them.'
'Revan!'
Dorril held his hand up. 'He has a right to his opinions, Bastila,' he replied. 'Those which I see have not changed since he was a member of the Order. But that is not what's important now. A high importance is finding these Lost Jedi.'
'You said you could sense some of them on Dantooine?' Carth asked, to which the small master nodded. 'I have an operative stationed there. He's a bit of an historian on Jedi. He might know something.'
'T3,' Bastila asked. 'Didn't you arrive on Telos with a member of your crew?'
The little droid beeped an affirmative.
'That must mean he's left Telos then,' Carth murmured. He looked at Bastila. 'We never did check on him.'
'I wonder why he went to Dantooine.' The young woman wondered.
'I guess we'll find out,' Revan replied. 'T3, set a course for Dantooine. Master?'
Dorril shook his head. 'I will stay here,' he answered. 'Things are not what they seem on Coruscant.'
'You sense it too, then?'
The master nodded. 'Something is not right.'
The former Jedi master bide them good travels before making his way off the ship and back to where ever he used as a hideaway, while the crew made their way off-world and headed for the former Jedi planet of Dantooine. Lynsel and Carth sat within the cockpit, discussing what they had heard. 'Who exactly do you have on Dantooine?' she asked.
'When Bastila and I were looking for Revan,' he began. 'I had an operative on that planet. Like I said, he likes to study the Jedi, that's why I asked him if he ever ran into a Jedi to alert me. Instead of meeting Revan, he ran into our exile.'
'You think he'll know the people we're looking for?'
'If anyone would, it would be him.'
The planet of Dantooine had seen its share of turmoil. Once known as the planet of the Jedi, it had been those Jedi that had brought hardships upon the planet. The idea that the Jedi Academy was virtually unpenitrible was easily dismantled by Malak and his Sith forces during the Jedi Civil War. While some of the artifacts and even Jedi themselves were able to escape, it did nothing to secure the planet of Dantooine itself. For centuries, the Academy and the presence of Jedi had kept the planet safe from unsavory characters, but with the Academy in ruins, all it did was serve to bring about the worse the galaxy could spare.
It started slowly -- it wasn't an instantaneous thing -- when the Jedi on Dantooine began to disappear. It wasn't a large group, hence why an alarm didn't go up, but soon Jedi were disappearing left and right with no explanation. It all came to a head one day when the Jedi Temple -- also thought to be indestructible -- was blasted into the ground. Two of the most important buildings in Jedi history, in the history of the Republic, blown asunder by the Sith. That's when the real trouble began, especially on Dantooine. With the Sith making such a statement, the Jedi that remained on Dantooine fled to hiding places, leaving the doorway open to mercenaries, the Exchange, and even the Sith.
The people of Dantooine, mostly farmers at this point, were scared off their land by these invaders or had their equipment stolen or worse, had their families harassed or killed. And of course, with the 'Shadow Sith' - as they were called - began hunting Jedi, along with the Exchange's bounty, it left the planet and its citizens in a lurch. It also brought about a sense of disillusionment from those that settled on Dantooine; their mindset was that the Jedi had brought about the near destruction of their planet, not to mention the utter chaos they had brought upon the galaxy itself.
Though there were those that thought the Jedi had done good things -- and still did -- there weren't enough to sustain the planet as a whole.
One of these believers in the Jedi was a young Zabrak male who was forced to flee his planet of Iridonia when the Mandalorians had come. His anger at being forced to flee his home was the guiding force when he decided to join the Republic as a technician. It was there, if by coincidence, that the Zabrak met a young knight of the Jedi Order. The Jedi was impressed with the work the young Zabrak had done on fixing one of the transports that the Jedi lead the young alien to the commander of it all -- Revan. The whole reason the Jedi were even involved in the war was due to Revan's influence; to say this master of the Jedi was a bit revered was an understatement and the fact that the young Zabrak was being brought before him was awe inspiring.
That had led to an event the young Zabrak and that of the rest of the Republic would remember forever. This talented Zabrak was the main force in creating something called the mass shadow generator -- a technical mystery only known to the inventor - that quickly put an end to the Mandalorian War by killing the Mandalorians on the surface and in the air on Malachor V. Unfortunately, at least where this Zabrak was concerned, it also killed a large amount of Republic soliders and Jedi alike that were battling in the air and on the surface. It was something that would haunt this young former Republic lieutinent.
But for the years following Malachor, the young Zabrak found himself on the planet of Telos, trying to help with the rebuilding. He felt he owed it to the galaxy for his role in killing so many people. He often wondered if he would've ended up as his friend, the young Jedi general who left the Republic to parts unknown until his return only a year ago. Would he have cut himself away from everything until being called back into service? Isn't that what he did do? Upon seeing his friend again on the surface of Telos, he was reminded of the time on Malachor and he could see that his young friend also was still haunted by those events, perhaps to the point that he was slipping further and further into the dark side.
It also didn't help that the old crone Kreia had his ear.
He hadn't wanted to return, to that place, but when the crone had fled, the Ebon Hawk had seen its way to the dark, cracked planet. The young Zabrak hoped his remote would be able to take care of the consoles that would activate the mass shadow generator that would hopefully destroy the planet for good. Of course, the young Zabrak never anticipated that his former commanding officer, his friend, would send troops after him to find him, though he never expected to be released either. Perhaps his friend hadn't succumbed at all or perhaps there was enough good left in him to keep his friend from death.
Whatever the reason, he knew sooner or later his former commander would see the light. He was sure Brianna would help him, even if she was falling to the dark side herself. And he knew that sooner or later, he himself would be called on again to help the galaxy.
For Bao-Dur was just that kind of optimist.
Though it had been years since various members of the Ebon Hawk crew had set foot on the planet of Dantooine, the experience was eye-opening. For Revan, he had last been on the planet during his search and destroy mission with the Star Maps. He remembered how flying over the devastation that had once been the great Jedi Academy and something akin to regret and sadness had then washed over him. He had pushed it to the back of his mind, as he was on a mission, but he would never forget the shell of a building that had once been the place where he had trained twice in his life.
Now the building held a man who would perhaps know more than he realized and who might know whose life was in danger. While they traveled, he did his best to remember all those students of the academy when he had been there, to no avail. He could only remember those names that had an immediate impact -- that of Ellis and Bastila; the faces of the younger students just seemed to blend in to him. The sudden thought occurred -- was this person even a student at the time? Dorril had said he could only sense the Force on the planet, but what if there were more people that he just couldn't see? Did these Lost Jedi just leave their various planets for other realms of the galaxy?
By the time they had landed, Revan's brain was full to burst with all the questions he had concerning everything. He, Carth, and Bastila made their way through the grasslands to the former academy, which now just stood barren in its location. Seeing it up close tore at Revan, that sense of sadness rearing itself back again. They had gotten the clearance to land, directly speaking to the administrator in the compound of Khoonda in order to let them pass safely. Carth had asked if the admin leader had known about Mical, with Terena Adere answering that he was usually found within the dangerous former academy of the Jedi. Both Carth and Bastila urged the former knight to change his Jedi appearance with his robes, but being stubborn, he refused, saying what they were doing was much bigger than a few narrow minded farmers.
The shift in attitude was disconcerting to both the pilot and the knight's wife, who weren't used to this seemingly abrupt new Revan. Since the death of Jolee, he withdrew into himself more and Bastila had noted he spent an unhealthy amount of time within the cargo hold near one of the footlockers. His excuse was he was meditating, but he always had that look that told her he was lying. His best friend was just as worried, telling his worries to his co-pilot Lynsel Belyn. 'I don't know what it is,' he whispered the day they flew through the galaxy from Coruscant. 'But it's got me worried; very worried. Bastila says he's spending a lot of time within in the cargo hold, just staring into one of the footlockers. I don't think he took Jolee's death well.'
'None of you did,' she answered. 'He meant something to you all and knowing what happened...'
She didn't need to say anything after that. The crew had grieved in their own way, mostly seeking comfort in each other, though Revan seemed to be a part of that for the few days afterwards. After their meeting with Master Dorril, his entire scope shifted. For Revan, there was only one thing that needed to be done and that was utterly stop Ellis and the True Sith at what ever cost was deemed necessary. He could feel his emotions wanting to over take him, but as before, he kept himself calm and collected. He knew from his past what happened when his emotions took a hold of him at the wrong moments and he wouldn't make that mistake again.
But for now, their task was finding this Mical and wondering if he knew of these Lost Jedi.
The former knight could only follow his friends as they led him to the hidden door which they had entered a few months ago. Going through the winding of the enclave, the trio was met with the nasty beasts known as laigreks -- spider like creatures that roamed in the backlands of Dantooine and having made a home within the temple. It was Bastila who took the guess as to where the young officer might be, showing them to what used to be the library, now only inhabited by the young blond male she and Carth had spoken to within Khoonda.
'Of all the places I would find you in,' Carth began teasingly, causing Mical to look up from whatever datapad he was reading. 'An abandoned school of the Jedi isn't right at the top of the list.'
'Admiral!' he exclaimed, putting the pad down and extending a hand. 'I certainly didn't expect to see you on the planet again.' He nodded and bowed slightly to greet Bastila. 'Ms. Shan, a pleasure seeing you again as well.' The clearing of a throat cause the young man to see who the other two had brought with them. 'Hello.'
'Mical, this is...'
'Revan,' the blond replied, his eyes widening in slight shock upon seeing the man. 'I remember you from...' He stopped himself, clearing his throat nervously, before putting a hand for him to shake as well. 'From the holovids and...various readings, of course.'
'Of course,' Revan replied, with a smirk. 'I hear you're somewhat of a historian, Mical. I like research too.'
'I know,' Mical responded, before quickly adding. 'I've...'
'Read aobut it, yes.'
'Mical,' Carth began. 'I hate to trouble you, but I'm wondering if you could help us out again. You see, we're looking for another Jedi. I think two to be exact, but we don't know where they are.'
'Well, I can tell you that I'm the only one who seems to brave coming in here,' the blond said. 'With the laigreks and all. Truthfully, even after everything, there's still an air of distrust with the people of Dantooine, especially those who have lived here most of their lives.' As he talked, Revan looked at the man intensely. He had heard Bastila ask him mentally if he could sense the Force in the man, which of course he did, but it wasn't just that.
'I know you,' he blurted, causing everyone to look at him.
'Of course you do,' Carth quipped. 'We introduced you about three minutes ago.'
'I think you're mistaken, Master Jedi,' the blond responded, abet hurridly. 'I've been told I have one of those faces.' Turning quickly to the admiral, the man asked, 'May I ask why you're looking for Jedi again, sir?'
'I can answer that,' Revan stated, continuing to stare at the man and making him increasingly uncomfortable. 'We're trying to stop the True Sith and with that, hopefully stop assassains that may be trying to murder those that are Force sensitive.'
'The True Sith?'
Revan nodded. 'The species known as the Sith and from where the name of the organization takes itself,' he continued. 'They are currently being led by a Darth Trayun, other wise known as Ellis Yoly.' At the mention of Ellis' name, Mical seem to pale and whither; his shoulders slumped and he suddenly didn't know what to say.
'Master Yoly is leading the Sith?' he asked in disbelief. 'I knew when I saw him, he looked...I thought he might be, but...'
'So you know Ellis Yoly,' Bastila replied, the question being more of a statement than anything else.
'You didn't tell me you suspected he was on the dark side,' Carth reprimanded. 'Nor did you tell me you can actually tell when someone's on the dark side in the first place.'
It looked as though the blond would protest, instead he sighed and motioned them to sit at a nearby table. 'Perhaps I should explain,' he began, watching as Carth and Bastila took seats, while Revan was content to stand behind his wife's chair. 'First of all, I am sorry, Admiral. I know this was something I probably should have mentioned, but I...I never thought I would find myself in this position.' He looked to the three of them before continuing. 'I do not know if you are aware of how fragile the Republic is at the moment. Its influence is stretched thin, and it grows weaker with time. The Jedi Civil War brought much suffering to the galaxy, and the forces that you and Malak amassed against us seemed limitless. Many worlds were destroyed, trade routes disrupted, and the Republic fleet was almost decimated.'
Revan hung his head; he had known some of the atrocities he and the Sith had done. He had seen them in his mind, the images coming in spurts, but clear enough to know what he had been apart of. However, he hadn't encountered anyone who had made an impact like this Mical. Most just blamed him for everything; it seemed Mical truly did take a scholarly outlook on things.
'How did you ever find your way here to Dantooine?' Bastila asked.
The young man ducked his head, fighting to hide a blush. 'I was looking for some trace of the Jedi,' he stated, lifting his head to look at the three. 'I had heard mention that one of the Jedi Masters, Master Vrook, had been sighted here; I wanted to speak to him. The other reason was the ruins of the Jedi Enclave... and once I arrived, I felt it was necessary to stay, to protect what was left.' He looked around the empty room of the chamber, a hint of sadness on his face. 'Much had been taken from the Enclave, both by raiders... and others,' he continued. 'I wished to preserve what I could. Many artifacts were taken from the Enclave, but these thefts... they had to have been done by someone who knew the Enclave well. I suspect the Jedi themselves took the holocrons and records, but I do not know why.'
'You've spent a lot of time on this,' Revan commented, watching the young man blush again and smiling. 'You're one of the few who don't outwardly hate me or the Jedi as a whole.'
Mical chuckled. 'Hate?' he asked. 'No, I do not hate them. They only raise questions without answers. Jedi are not supposed to be like the rest of us. They are supposed to see a higher purpose in all things. And they are supposed to train students responsibly and well, so mistakes of the past are not repeated. Yet all I saw was ignorance and arrogance, and what those seeds created in the Republic. It is difficult to follow the Jedi Code, when so few others have.'
He looked at Bastila, then Revan. 'But you know this. It is difficult sometimes for the Jedi to see such things, since much of it is rooted in human nature, and the Jedi are often removed from events of daily life, insulated.'
The Jedi were quiet, each lost in their own thoughts. 'Well,' Carth began. 'That explains why you're here, other than my asking you to stay. It doesn't explain how you know Darth Trayun.'
The young blond sighed, before again looking at Bastila and Revan. 'If I look familiar, it is because we have met before, at this Enclave, many years ago.' He began. 'As on Coruscant with the Jedi Temple, Force Sensitive children are taken to Dantooine as well, though it is done rarely, and only with those they believe are destined to become Jedi Knights - it is the secret nature of the place. However, if you are not chosen by a master when you have come of age... then the path of the Jedi is denied you.'
Taking a breath, he said, 'I met you on Dantooine, long ago, briefly.'
'Then you were here on the planet,' Bastila replied. 'And you were one of those that left with Revan.'
'No,' came the reply, however it wasn't from Mical, but Revan himself. 'He didn't come with us, but he wanted to.'
Mical gave a small nod. 'I was given a choice,' he continued. 'Or rather, I made a choice. Master Vrook wanted to train me, as I was without a master. However, I had seen one of the Jedi Knights and I thought he showed much promise. He taught us the ways of the Force, how to hear it sing within others, within the life around Dantooine. He was...different from Master Vrook.
'It is difficult to explain the difference between him and Master Vrook, but I think it is because he was knowledgeable, but not a leader, not a mentor.'
'He was different,' Revan muttered. 'We could all feel it.'
Mical nodded. 'And I knew that if I were to have a Master, I would want it to be him. And then he went to war.' He looked at Revan, as though trying to make him understand. 'Many Jedi went to war, and the Jedi Masters proclaimed that you -- and he - were Jedi no longer. Atris, the mistress of the archives, was first among them. I knew at that moment, that if Ellis Yoly would no longer be a Jedi, then he must be correct. I realized I did not want to be a Jedi - instead, I wished to follow your path -- his path. And in any event, there was no one to train me, even if I wished it. They all went to war, as I grew past the age of acceptance.'
Carth looked at the man in front of him, having the same feeling he did when he learned that Revan was Revan and that Bastila had fallen to the dark side. 'So you turned away from the Jedi,' he asked, incredulously. 'The Force - because of him?'
'It is possible to forget the Force, you know,' Mical stated. 'If you not have felt it strongly enough, then there is little to miss. But I never felt the Force as strongly as I did when I was here, when I was considered apprentice to Ellis Yoly. And so I decided to serve the Republic - study the Jedi teachings, gather them, perhaps. It was important to me to understand the Jedi now that they were gone. I felt some part of them should be preserved, so that your lessons would not be lost.'
The young man looked off, as though in thought. 'But if Master Yoly is with the Sith,' he whispered. 'Truly fallen...'
'It gets worse,' Revan said. 'If what you say is true, then you are one of those that the Sith seek and wish to kill.'
'Because of my connection to the Force.'
'I knew I recognized you,' Bastila said. 'The first time we came; you seemed so familiar and I could feel the Force about you, but I couldn't place whether or not we knew of one another.'
'When you saw Ellis,' Revan asked. 'Did he know? About you, I mean.'
'I can't say,' Mical replied. 'I wanted to say more to him, but I didn't feel it was my place. When the mercenaries began to rise against our administrator, I had hoped Master Yoly would do what was right -- which he did -- despite my concerns, so I...all I could do was watch him leave with his crew. I do remember the people he was with though -- a young woman with white hair and an elder woman, with a dark cloak around her. She was blind and missing a hand.'
'Kreia...' Revan whispered.
'After that, I couldn't tell you what happened,' the younger man continued. 'Though I think I may know of someone who might. He's one of the new technicians here, working on strengthening our defenses with the Jedi gone. We've talked and I know that he was a member of the exile's crew. He's a Zabrak and goes by the name is Bao-Dur.'
'Bao-Dur!?' Revan exclaimed.
'Do you know him?' Mical asked.
'Of course I know him!' Revan replied, tersely. Once again, it came back to him. It was too coincidental to not be the way of the Force. Perhaps this was his punishment -- his former friend the leader of the Sith and by a strange act of randomness, his former master, his former crewmate, and his former soldier all aboard his former ship. It was all coming back to him and he knew it. 'Where is he?'
'He has his quarters within Khoonda itself,' Mical replied, slightly taken aback by Revan's tone. 'I'm sure the administrator will be able to tell you where he's gone.'
Mical graciously showed them to the administrative services within the Khoonda building, where finding Bao-Dur was much easier than they thought -- the Zabrak was waiting for them. 'I had a feeling I'd see you again,' the former war tech replied, grinning at the group.
'I wish it was a much happier circumstance, Bao,' Revan said, a deep sadness in his voice. He couldn't keep his eyes from glancing at the metallic arm the alien now sported, the former Jedi and dark Sith curious as how he had managed to get that.
'A slight...souvenior from Malachor,' the techie said, seeing the way Revan stared at his arm.
'Too many to count,' came the retort.
'Indeed.'
Revan and his group managed to quickly tell the two men the story -- how one of the Jedi masters had contacted them and said an agent of the Sith was looking for the two of them. 'I can't believe the General would do something like this,' Bao whispered, his normally calm voice traced with sorrow.
'Do not waste your sympathy on the likes of him,' Revan snarled. 'He isn't worth it. He's gone too far.'
'So what do we do next, Rev?' Carth asked, giving the younger man a stern look. He didn't like how his mind seemed so preoccupied on revenge as of late, something he could definitely relate from his past.
'We make some space on the Hawk,' the younger man replied. 'That's the only thing we can do. I'd feel better knowing that of all of us are together. And we stand a better chance against who ever the Sith has after the two of you.'
'Revan, either way we're going to have the face the Sith at some point,' Bastila replied, knowingly. 'Is it such a good idea to keep us all together?'
'And would you rather I separate us to make it that easier for Ellis and his minions to find us?' Revan retorted. 'I'm sick of running, Bas. Like you said, we do need to face the Sith and as of my meeting with the Senate, we are tackling them alone.'
'You never told us that, Revan,' Carth growled. 'You never said that we wouldn't be getting help. You really don't think we can do this by ourselves do you?'
'We found the Star Forge by ourselves, didn't we?' the former Jedi asked. 'Even when Malak was after us, had us tortured, and turned us to the dark side, we still found him.'
'Thank you for reminding us,' Bastila muttered.
'Unlike you, darling, I don't pretend that my fall never happened.'
Enough, Revan.
Touched a nerve?
Keep it up and it'll be the only thing you touch involving me.
Revan's smirk was devoid of laughter, but bordered on a harshness Carth had never seen before. 'Let's just get back to the ship,' he said. 'Then we can figure out what to do then.'
It was time.
The preparations had been made, the creatures enforced, the magic pulsating and ready to go. The commanders of this army -- the dead spirits -- mapped out their attack and knew which planets would fall first. Their spies within the Senate let them know the politicians of Coruscant -- and the Republic as a whole -- would do nothing against them. Their operatives made a convincing case as to whether the Republic should trust Revan again after his initial lie to them. As far as they were concerned, Revan was setting them up for something.
Which suited them fine.
They would plan, of course. So far, they had taken the worlds of Korriban and Yavin back into their folds, as well as the moon of Dxun of Onderon and that of Dathomir. Their servant did them justice, taking their planets back for them, leaving the Republic virtually in the middle of their emerging empire. And now the time had come to begin the attack. Darth Trayun's association with the Exchange led the true species to conquer those worlds as well. They had already set up a command center within the bowls of Nar Shaddaa, having the planet easily fall into their hands. And with their shadow assassins on Corelia...
But this mission...this was where they got rid of all their problems would be taken care. They had foreseen it -- a betrayal and a battle that would launch their armies within the known Republic. And then, the galaxy would be theirs once more.
Revan wasn't alarmed when he found himself within the bowels of what used to be the Traynus Core, nor was he surprised to see the woman he had summoned here. The area was aglow in red, with billowy smokes of white that glimmered at its edge and she sat in the middle of it. He walked over to her, standing over her, looking down on her with anger and pity.
'Do not pity me, Revan,' came her reply, as though she knew what thoughts went on in his head.
'Why?' he asked, a small trace of sadness in his voice. 'I thought...'
'That you were my favorite?' she answered, callously. 'While it is true I had affection for you, Revan, you know as I the Force is a blight on the galaxy.'
'So you felt the need to destroy not only it, but the galaxy in the process?' Revan huffed. 'As well as the lives of those who use it?'
'I did not.' She murmured. 'I only knew that I wanted an end to the Force; to the entity that had the Jedi Order under its grasp; the pull which had destroyed so many lives; what destroyed me; and what destroyed you.'
This gave Revan pause. He had known that his master was teetering on the brink of darkness, but he had never understood her reasoning. 'To say that the Force is the cause of all this...' he whispered.
'You and I both know the Force can do many things, Revan,' she replied. 'The Force has power that some wish to yield and others hoped to destroy. I thought the Force to be a problem -- I still do in fact -- for the Order and the Sith to rely on it so heavily. I have no regrets on teaching you or Ellis how to go about using your minds and your thoughts instead of using the Force. It's a crutch, an abomination.'
'For all your thoughts on the Force,' Revan commented. 'It didn't stop you from using it against the Jedi.'
'Or the Sith,' the old woman replied. She stood up and faced him, her eyes still the milky white they had been years earlier. 'Despite my actions, my apprentice,' she continued. 'I still hold to my ideals, though perhaps...not my methods.'
'You succeeded in destroying the Jedi Order and you crippled the Sith,' the young man said. 'No one could seriously blame you if your apprentice chose to slip to the dark side.'
'Don't think I can't hear the tone in your voice,' she retorted. 'If I remember correctly, you also managed to led your apprentice down the path to the dark side. Do not condemn me for actions you also took'
'I'm not proud of them.'
'Believe it or not, Revan, nor am I,' Kreia replied. 'But as the state of the galaxy falls into peril, there is nothing to be done. I have seen it.'
'Do you have so little faith in me, Master?'
'I have all the faith in the galaxy place with you, apprentice,' she countered. 'It is the Republic and the Jedi that I hold no such hopes.'
They stood in silence for a time, neither saying anything or rather, they waited for the other to say something. 'If you want to know what I see, all you need to do is ask.'
'Why?' came the retort. 'When I too can see into future events.'
'Be careful with your confidence, Revan,' she replied. 'Some may view it as arrogance.'
'In all truthfulness, I worry about the state of things,' he continued.
'I...may have given you an uphill battle to fight.'
Revan nodded. 'Yes, you have,' he whispered. 'And this time, I don't know if there's a way for me to stop this.'
'You will do things the way you have always done them, my pupil,' came the reply. 'With determination and some luck.'
The young man grinned. 'Luck of the Force, Master?'
'There is no luck, Revan.'
'Only the Force,' he concluded. 'And we know how that will play out.'
'There is time, if you wish to know,' she said. 'Time to...stop all that we have done.'
'I hope so.'
The plan was set in place.
The True Sith masters had given their next assignments to the three Sith Lords -- both Brianna and Atton were off on reconnaissance missions to the planets of Rhen Var and Honoghr, respectively, while Ellis headed to the underground stronghold of Nar Shaddaa and to Vogga the Hutt. Separating the three seemed to be a part of a bigger plan, though the lords and lady were not aware of this. The ultimate plan, of course, was to test these three individuals -- too see which one of them would be at the front helm of the new empire.
The other two, if they failed, would be dealt with; hopefully by the fully trained Dark Lord.
Rhen Var was a cold and isolated planet, set not far from the former Jedi planet of Ossus, within the Tion Cluster. Rumors had it that after the Great Sith War -- notably after the attack of Ossus by Exar Kun and Ulic Qel-Droma -- the remaining Jedi had fled here, burring some of their artifacts within the icy snow and glaciers that covered the entire planet. There were also rumors of a hidden civilization, but those could never be proven.
This was the planet that Brianna Yoly now found herself on, as a reconnaissance mission for the True Sith. She knew very little of the planet; the knowledge that Ellis had given her, that the once great Ulic had fled here in terror and cowardice and had died the death of a coward. Despite this, she was sent here to scan the planet, more importantly the resting place of Ulic. The masters had told her that the former Jedi Knight and Sith Lord had wielded a great lightsaber and they wanted it; they also had word that he may also have some of Exar Kun's belongings. So with a kiss goodbye to her husband, Brianna charted a light freighter with two Sith assassins accompanying her.
The planet was as described -- cold, icy -- covered in deep layers of snow. Putting on a heavy parka over her armor, Brianna led her company through the hash winds toward the coordinates of where they thought Ulic's tomb to be. Stopping only a few feet from their ship, Brianna advised the group to split up in order to cover more ground. 'That may not be a good idea, Lady Salus,' replied one. 'This climate is harsh and the planet has been known to have extreme blizzards.'
'That's what we have the com-links for,' she said, haughtingly. 'It does us no good to stay together when we don't know for sure where the tomb may be. Besides, I think the masters have plans on turning Ulic back to the dark side. In fact, he would be a perfect addition.'
'No doubt, my lady,' said the other assassin. 'But I have to agree with Mace; it's far too dangerous for us to let you go alone.'
The young Echani rarely saw her anger rise, but in this case it did. Ever since her conversation with Atton, she had questioned what her exact role in all of this was. Primarily, it seemed to be keeping Ellis afloat and supporting him, but she could tell by the eyes of their crew and even Atton, that her presence was not wanted. Could the others see in her what Atton could? That they thought her weak for her lack of malice or they saw her as meddlesome woman, who had stolen the heart of their leader? Again, the dark side that now swirled in her cried out in disgust. How dare they question her...her! She was their master and despite what they may think of her, she was a warrior and one that was on the dark side and knew the power there.
Extending her hand, Brianna sent bolts of Force Lightening into both of her 'body guards', knocking them to the icy ground. She listened to their screams of pain before she stopped, lowering her arm to her side. 'I am your lady and master,' she said, her voice as harsh and cold as the wind around them. 'If you should ever question me again, I promise you will beg for death once I am through. Now I gave you orders to split up and so help me, if you disobey me again, I will kill you where you stand and leave your bodies on this forsaken planet.' With those words, Lady Salus walked towards the coordinates she held in front of her.
After she had walked for some time, assured that she was far from where she had left the assassins, Brianna stopped, taking deep breaths to calm herself. She had never been so angry and the dark side had fed into that. She squirmed, remembering how she relished in hearing those men scream out in pain, loving the feeling of having so much power at her fingertips. She wrapped her arms around her body, shivering not because of the cold, but of her actions. The anger and glee she had felt frightened her, more so than usual. Up until then, she had never punished one of her minions; any misbehavior on their parts were quickly dealt with by Ellis and recently, by Atton. Even though she knew of the brutality that the young marauder had caused when he had formerly been under Revan, she still couldn't believe some of the hatred she could sense from him, as though it dripped from his body. And it truly did terrify her.
Shaking her head and taking another breath, the young woman continued her trek, keeping her head down in order to avoid the wind that hit her face. She didn't know how long she had been walking, but she could see the sky darken above her. Looking around her, all she could see was the wind whipping about her and miles of snow covered ground. It was only on her second swept with her eyes, she was able to make out some sort of dwelling in the hills before her. Breathing a sigh of relief for at least finding a shelter, she headed towards the mountain structure. It was an uphill climb that was difficult as it seemed the wind had picked up quite rapidly. The entrance was actually an ice cave and it took all Brianna had not to groan out loud. Of course she would find shelter within an ice cave. Upon entering it, of course, she could see it was anything but. It truly looked as though this was built out of rock, when the planet had been tropical and full of vegetation. The structure of course had stalactites and large stalagmites rock around it, but it still seemed warm compared to what the outside beheld. Looking around her, Brianna slowly pulled down her hood, noticing that her feet walked upon hard ground and not that of crunch of snow and ice. She wondered if this was the remains of the ancient city, said to have been buried after the atmospheric cataclysm.
It seemed fairly large and she wondered how far this cavern went. She was reminded of the cave on Korriban when they had visited the planet. She remembered Ellis telling her of a secret tomb -- the one belonging to Sith Lord Ludo Kresh -- and how he had been rendered weak and could not enter. She had asked him, then how did he know the tomb had belonged to the ancient lord, and he had just stared at her.
'Because I've been through it.'
It had puzzled her only for a moment, before she realized that he was nearly lost to her. He explained that he had not been within the dark side and he had to wait, despite returning again near the end of their journey and still could not enter. He blamed his saving of Dantooine; how he should have let Azul take the planet, as it held nothing for him there. But she had seen through his bitterness and his hate of his former life. She knew he was troubled and she wondered if their plans for the Republic were straining him. Only a few nights before their departure, she had woken up to his screams of terror and had to immediately calm him down. Later, he told her he had relived something, but it was nothing he wanted to discuss. Sometimes she wondered if he still relieved his days during the Mandalorian War; his days under Revan.
The young woman reached for her com-link; however thinking back on her two 'protectors', she quickly put it away. If there was trouble, she felt she would be able to sense it and there fore, would be able to protect herself. She continued through the entrance, looking around her and guarding against anything unseen that could possibly attack her. She used the Force to sense any life that may be around and to her relief, found nothing suspicious. Coming to a slight fork, she chose to go left, just on the feeling that she should. Going down this path, she could see that the cavern had gotten cooler and that while the ground was still mostly dirt, the walls seemed to get that icy glow. As she suspected, the further within the dwelling, the cooler it got, but not to the temperature that it must be outside. She blew out a sigh, watching as the cooler air drifted from her mouth. She nearly turned back around, but something caught her eye.
Straight ahead of her were what looked like two statues, both made of ice. The young warrior had never seen anything like this, so she couldn't help but step towards them. They weren't huge, but they were certainly taller than she. They seemed very life like -- two men standing proudly, each dressed within the traditional garb of the Jedi and both with lightsabers by their sides. Brianna didn't know who the two were, but she couldn't help but be enthralled by their features. Even in ice, these two beings seemed alive, full of vigor, despite being made of ice.
'Impressive, aren't they?'
The voice so startled Brianna, she didn't have time to think. With the quickness of a maralas, she spun around to face the mysterious voice; she had her lightsaber out in front of her, her stance in the position for defending herself, her mind already thinking of the dark sided powers she would use. However, the sight she saw surprised her. Before her stood a man, who wore the robes of a Jedi, and had brown hair that fell slightly into his eyes. He was smiling at her, perhaps at the mere notion that she was on the verge of attacking him; he found that rather amusing. 'You have nothing to fear, young one,' he replied, taking a few steps towards her. Brianna made no motion to move out of her defense, but she did let her eyes widen as the man came closer.
'I made these,' he whispered. 'I and my young apprentice made these, to honor those before us. I wonder how many we could have made if we had not been disturbed here.' He looked at her, his head cocked to one side. 'What is your name, child?'
The young woman went to open her mouth, prepared to give her title and rank among the Sith, but for some reason, she didn't. 'Brianna,' she said, slowly. 'But I am no longer a child.'
The man again smiled, nodding in accord with her. 'I apologize then, Brianna,' he replied. 'Was it knowledge that brought you to my cave? To learn about the Jedi?'
'No,' she said. 'I'm here to...' She stopped abruptly, taking a step away from him. 'Why should I even tell you? You've yet to even tell me your name.'
'Must I?' he asked. He again tilted his head to look at her. 'But you already know who I am, though I sense some confusion within you.'
'There is no confusion where I am concerned.'
'Indeed.' He walked around her once more before coming to stand between the two statues. 'These are Arca Jeth and Andur Sunrider,' he said. 'They were once great Jedi, Jedi who should be honored for their work. Master Jeth was my master.' The man hung his head. 'He died in my arms and from then, I had felt responsible for his death. I...made foolish choices, which led to foolish mistakes, which of course led to disastrous consequences.'
Brianna gulped, unsure as to why this man...this...form...was telling her this, but the way he looked at her frightened her. 'Why tell me this?' she asked, trying her best to keep her voice level. 'I have no need for Jedi philosophy. I don't even care in the Jedi.'
'Really?' the man asked, a true look of puzzlement on his features. 'That is surprising, seeing as you have a link to them; to us.' At her incredulous look, the man laughed, asking, 'Do you think because I am dead I can not sense the Force about you?' He raised an eyebrow at her, drawing his eyes to her abdomen and then back to her face. 'And it is very strong...very strong indeed.' Brianna deactivated her lightsaber and stood normally. 'And what were your plans, young Brianna?' he asked, his eyes borrowing into hers. 'I sense the swirl of the dark side within you, though you still possess the light.'
'I'm supposed to temp you to the dark side again,' she said, shyly. 'My...masters wish it.' That seemed to open the floodgates for the young woman, as she began to tell the man everything, from her time with the second Ebon Hawk crew to the here and now, where she was the dark lady of the Sith. The man stood, awed by the events that had taken place since he had been dead and terrified at what seemed to be happening now. He listened to her story, how the True Sith -- the Sith he had once defeated and then joined -- had once again reemerged from their exile. He had known about these True Sith; he had studied them while under the Krath's, learning about their ancestors, as well as meeting Marka Ragnos, who had proclaimed him the apprentice to Exar Kun. But he hadn't gotten through much of their history or their whereabouts after the defeat of Naga Sadow.
After listening, the man looked at the young woman in front of him. Her emotions swirled around her, both dark and light battling, but the light clearly having the advantage. He was reminded of himself, some time ago, when he had gone with the Kraths with the intention of good, only to be sucked into the dark side. He felt that she could be; would be stronger than he was, but he could tell she was worried for this Darth Trayun, the man she called husband. 'Do you want to be a Sith, Brianna?' he asked, quietly. 'Do you feel the hatred and the malice that the Sith do? Does your heart ache to butcher the weak and to manipulate the powerful? If the answer is no to any of these, I suggest you leave before they become yes.'
'But how?' she asked. 'Ellis...I worry for him. He's...he's falling harder and faster than I thought he could, than I though anyone could.'
'These enemies you speak of,' he began. 'I know they are your foes, but sometimes redemption lies within those you have once shunned.'
The young woman nodded. 'Revan...' she whispered. 'I'm not sure how I feel about him though. He murdered my father, as well as countless others. But yet...he was returned to the light. I...I don't think he wants to hurt Ellis. I think he wants to help him.'
'Then perhaps he is the one you need to speak with.'
'But again, how?' she asked, starting to pace within their confines. 'I know our followers question me; look upon me with contempt. I know thinks that I am weak because I can not pour all of my hate into my fighting. Even when around Ellis, I...I mirror him, though I may not want to cause harm.'
'Your man sounds...interesting,' the spirit murmured.
'He's not bad, he's not,' she whispered, intently. 'He's just...' She struggled to find the words to describe what exactly she thought Ellis was. No one could understand what she saw in him, she was sure. This spirit wouldn't understand how she saw the man that was her husband. That the Ellis, the Darth Trayun, he portrayed was different from the Ellis that she had fallen in love with and married; that Ellis was the one who had been a Jedi Knight once, who had gone to do what the Jedi Council refused to do, who had saved people from the Mandalorians that ravaged their worlds...
'You need not explain it to me, Brianna,' the spirit said. 'I understand. I was like this young man of yours; I was a Jedi Knight and I had saved those who needed it. Sometimes...traumatic things happen that force us one way or another. Perhaps it is the Force that guides us, our actions sometimes. However, I do not believe your young man is lost to the powers of the dark side, though it sounds as though his struggle back to the light will be difficult. You must find this Revan, Brianna, find him and tell him your suspicious; your concerns. If he is, was a friend to your husband, he will know how to lead him through the darkness.' He smiled at her.
'And you, young Brianna,' he stated. 'You will be his greatest strength. I'm glad to see the Jedi have changed that rule.' Seeing her blush and turn away, he chuckled. 'Ah, I see. You are not exactly Jedi, are you? But you, Brianna, are not a Sith either.'
'I could get caught,' she whispered.
'But would it be worth it?' he asked, solemnly. 'Would you rather millions of people die instead of sending a call for help?'
Brianna swallowed deeply. She knew what she had to do, had known all along really, but was it too late? Was she too far in to really make a difference? And what about Revan? Would he still be willing to help, even after everything they had led him through? She was sure she knew of the outcome to what constituted in a betrayal - a betrayal of the Sith, of Ellis -- but it was the chance she had to take. Revan would know where their hidden planet and hopefully, he would have the Republic with him. She only hoped that the former dark lord could return her husband to the man she knew still existed. Nodding to herself, she made to leave, but then stopped and turned to face the spirit.
'You are far more powerful than I, Master Jedi,' she said, bowing slightly. 'I'm glad to have this chat with you, despite my reasons for coming.'
'You don't need to thank me, Brianna,' he said. 'I am bonded here; this is where I died, but also where I was fully redeemed for my actions.' He looked at her, before saying, 'The path you face is a hard, Brianna, know that. Sometimes things must get worse before they get better. However, I have seen the good in you and I believe that it will guide you through this time. It is imperative that the Sith do not control the Republic and that they must be stopped. You are the catalyst, Brianna. It is your choice on how you choose to go about it.'
Again, the young Echani nodded before heading out the way she came. She quickly sent word on her com-link, notifying her charges that she had found nothing and was going back to the ship. She hoped to beat them both back and being able to hopefully send a message to Revan and the Ebon Hawk. Even if she had to track down members of her former crew, she would, if it meant to save the Republic from certain destruction.
In the dwelling on the side of an ice covered mountain, Ulic Qel-Droma watched a young woman rush out to her transport in hopes to warn those that the Sith were coming. He could sense the goodness in her, that he hadn't lied about, but he didn't reveal all he knew. He knew the secret that she carried within her and knew, if only for that, she would do anything to protect herself and her loved ones. He had been surprised when she had told him that she wanted to turn him to the dark side; something that was incredibly bold by her masters. He wondered if they had gotten others to their cause; that thought alone made him shiver. He didn't want to think of the resources that the Sith could have come up with.
He hadn't told her he had seen the destruction that would come next, but he at least told her what he could and should tell her. He hadn't lied when he said that things would get worse before they would get better, but they would get better. In time of course, but the future wasn't set either. He could sense the dark side grew within the galaxy and he hoped the young woman would be able to find the strength to endure.
The planet of Honoghr was a sacred planet, as far as though who lived on it were concerned. It was the home planet of the Noghri, a primitive humanoid species. They were vicious creatures, skilled in hand to hand combat because of the stealth they possessed. Though small creatures, they had fangs and claws and an acute sense of smell. In the time of the Rakata Infinite Empire, these small creatures were slaves; however they evolved to hold their masters in awed reverence. A temple, left the days of the Rakata Empire, still stood on the surface of the planet and this was where Atton Rand now stood.
Atton's task had been two fold -- find the Noghri, the most brutal he could, and turn them to the Sith uprising and to kill all those that were opposed to the idea. So far, plan one of his job was done. It was almost as if the clan, the Norose, were expecting him; perhaps they were, as they willingly listened to HK translate what it was that Atton wanted and what they would get out of it. The marauder wasn't entirely comfortable at having the homicidal droid accompany him on this trip, but with the droid's capability at languages, the former assassin had to admit having him along was a good thing.
It was also fortunate that the more aggressive Noghri just happened to be stationed within the sacred Rakata temple that had been built thousands of years ago when the empire had enslaved the planet. One of their Sith masters had told him about the Rakata -- how they had also had a hold on the Sith planet of Ziost and how it was their technology behind the Star Forge that Revan and Malak had once again brought forth during the Jedi Civil War. Atton remembered those days, his days as an assassin for Revan. He had just a hatred of Jedi then and it was only brought back when he joined forces with Ellis. He didn't need to be a Jedi to see what the Jedi were -- cowards, not muscle and all talk. Philosophy this and Jedi Code that. Even thinking about the Jedi made his blood boil. Well, no more. Their masters had told them of these 'Lost Jedi'; somehow it didn't surprise him, but all he wanted to do was take every last one of them and put his lightsabers through their hearts.
It was power that coursed through him, he could feel it. Freedon Nadd had been teaching him, honing on his skills at avoiding Jedi and then killing them. The more he learned, the more he wanted the Order to still be around, just to get the practice in. At this point, it wouldn't matter. They were quickly gaining allies that would no doubt help in the destruction of the Republic and a new Republic would be formed, one where the strong were powerful and the weak died. That's how the galaxy worked; survival of the fittest and something Atton had been doing all his life.
The Chief of the Norose had wanted the two of them to do a favor, a service if you will. The group had been slowly gathering wayward members, those that were disillusioned and wanting for power and battle. The Norose were a separate tribe from the rest of the planet and somehow, the others wanted peace, either away from the Republic or with the Republic. They were weak, as the Chief replied and they threw back everything in the face of their honor, of their culture, and of their pride. In short, the Chief wanted these people taken care of. If a droid could smile, it was certainly the way HK had looked knowing he could go on a virtual killing spree.
'Gleeful Exclamation: It has been too long since I have engaged in the killing of a worthy meatbag.'
'I know what you mean,' Atton replied, the two of them coming to a short hill that overlooked a smaller village. The Chief had given precise directions on getting to the nearest village and who they would need to kill. Of course, by some unspoken agreement, both assassins thought killing everything in sight would be in the long run. Below them, several Noghri walked about, unknowing the chaos that would befall them. The children played their little games, the women -- who Atton taught were as equally as ugly as the men -- talked about various topics. The two were surprised when they spotted what looked like an elder Rakata talking to a small child that was seemed to be a cross between the two species.
'Suggestion: The art of surprise would greatly increase the changes of these destitute individuals being slaughtered by our hand. Malicious proclamation: I am of course ready when you are.'
'Just back me up,' Atton whispered, his body shimmering away as he used the Force to cloak himself. From what he knew of the Noghri, they were not Force sensitive, so they wouldn't sense him coming. The Rakata on the other hand, might. Creeping along the hill until he was on the ground level, he stalked his prey. The elder seemed content to just stand outside of his hut, admiring the day that the Gods had brought them. He had come to the planet much by accident; he had belonged to the clan of the One -- the one who had been bested and killed by the Jedi known as Revan. He had managed to escape the slaughter that had happened in the wake of the One's death and he quickly made his way off-world. He had never told anyone of his clan, but he had retained some of his intelligence before the warlike mindset had fully grabbed him. When he had landed on this planet, he had hoped to start what he had on his, this time peacefulness.
When he had arrived, he hadn't been aware these primitives had still worshipped the Rakata and the empire they once had, but he was met by an intense fandom. But unfortunately, just like his world of Rakata Prime, the tribes were split and he had to constantly battle invaders from the Norose clan. Sometimes his people would disappear, just like on his other planet, a very harsh reminder of his former life. If he could only make the Chief of the Norose understand, perhaps he wouldn't be so against joining the Republic. His thoughts were silenced, however, when his head went flying from his shoulders, a clean cut by the humming of a red lightsaber.
There was pandemonium and death quickly followed. Those that had seen it with their own eyes still didn't understand as they were cut down. A man had suddenly appeared behind their self appointed leader and dispatched his head from his body with one of his glowing sticks, then had used the other to cut down the child that had stood in shock at what he seen, slicing the boy right down the middle. The tribesmen and women tried to run, but were cut down by a hail of bullets that accompanied the man dressed in black. Those that tried to fight back were horribly stopped in the attempt. The sounds that carried were that of screaming, crying, and the sounds of bodies hitting the ground. When it was over, the man in black grinned at the red metal body that walked calmly over the hill towards him.
One being, a small girl, still lived, though she was rapidly losing her battle. She could see the man's eyes -- cold, maniacal, and yellow in color. She, like the boy who had been stuck down, was part Rakata and Noghri, however she could feel the Force, however much of it was left in her. And apparently, the man could feel it flow through her as well. He walked over to her, looking down at the eyes that were slowing clouding over. She didn't know how nor would she ever learn the secret of how she managed to stay alive for so long, but she could see the man just looking at her. She asked with her eyes, pleaded that he spare her, let her live with her injuries.
Just when she thought the man understood, would let her go, she was looking through the barrel of a small blaster. She heard a click and knew no more.
If the added number of people onboard the Ebon Hawk was supposed to cause problems, it seemed as no one really paid that much attention. Mical and Bao had been welcomed aboard, if not in a very subdued way. The Jedi historian was given a tour of the ship made famous more times over than any other ship in the galaxy. Bao found himself at home within the garage and working on giving little T3 a full scan with upgrades. As much as Revan loved tinkering with things, especially with the droids and the computer systems; but lately he hadn't been himself, not since they had left Khar Delba. While everyone was just as worried about the former knight, it was his wife that saw him sinking into despair. Since their argument within Khoonda, Bastila hadn't been able to speak to Revan. He seemed to be avoiding her, though he was truly avoiding all of the crew. He spent most of his time within the cargo hold, sitting in front of one of the foot lockers.
It was silly, really, the way her husband seemed to be hiding away from everyone. Not for the first time, Bastila wondered if maybe Revan was slipping to the dark side again and while she knew in her heart she could possibly bring him back -- the way he did with her -- she did have the small fear that she wouldn't be able to do; that he was much stronger than she was. Steeling herself for what she knew to be a fight, she made her way to the cargo hold. She wasn't surprised to see him -- sitting cross legged in front of one of the footlockers they kept supplies in. She leaned a shoulder against the door jam and just watched him, watched him for any signs of...well, what she didn't know, but signs of something.
However, he didn't stir or move, just sat there. Upon closer inspection, she could he was holding something, like a sword and he just kept turning it over and over in his hands. She knew that he had been just a good judge of a weapon, before and after his fall. The masters had commented that Revan was a master when it came to crafting lightsabers, even when he had returned as Jayden Korr, his skills at building a lightsaber hadn't left him and he still took precision in every one that he made. The same was true for any weapon; he would spend his time looking at one thing or another, examining it, seeing how it worked and making one of his own. So Bastila wasn't surprised to see him examining this new weapon; she was however slightly disturbed to note he hadn't noticed her presence yet, even if they hadn't been speaking to one another.
'Is that toy more entertaining than me?' she quipped, causing him to turn around quickly and look at her.
'Bastila!'
'You thought I was someone else?' she asked, taking a few steps into the room. The fact that he quickly put the sword away, locking the footlocker along with it, didn't escape her notice. 'And what kind of treasures are you hiding in there?'
Revan opened his mouth several times, trying to tell her something, but in the end he settled for, 'Just...just a mementos. Nothing important, I'm afraid.'
'As am I,' she mumbled. She looked at him, seeing his slight confusion written all over his face. 'You've been hiding away in here for weeks,' she continued, placing a hand on his arm. 'I've been terribly worried about you; everyone has.'
The young man's shoulders seemed to slump and he looked down at the ground for a few minutes. 'Jolee's death hurt us too, my love,' Bastila whispered, bridging the gap between them. 'But you can't lose yourself within the pain of it all. How are we supposed to stop this menace if you are not yourself? We need you, Revan. I need you.'
Revan let out a huge sigh, the pain he had been feeling for the last few weeks seemingly rolling off his shoulders. He knew he had been pushing people away, especially Bastila and Carth, but he couldn't help. He couldn't shake the feeling this was his fault; his fault for leading Ellis into the Sith and then falling to it himself. He hadn't dared told Bastila his dreams, his memories of his former life. They were gruesome and horrifying and sometimes he had to stop himself from screaming out loud at the frightening scenes that played out in his mind. The last few weeks had been so hard for him -- trying to grip with Jolee's murder and then the fact that had somehow betrayed him didn't sit well with him either.
He was about to say something, when he felt a presence in the room with them. Though it was faint, he was suddenly alert. Removing one lightsaber and igniting it, he looked around, watching for the slightest movement. Bastila watched him in amused silence, raising one slim eyebrow as she did. 'Looking for something?' she asked.
'Don't you feel it?' he whispered. 'There's someone in here with us. They're faint, but I can still sense them. Faint, but powerful.'
'That's what I think too.'
Turning a backward glance at her, he asked, 'Aren't you going to do something? How do we know assassins haven't boarded the ship? They could be stealthed.' He looked at her for a moment, before he muttered, 'Wait a minute...' He stared at her, his face scrunched up in confusion.
'You truly do look like a gizka like that,' she joked.
'It's coming from you,' he mumbled, shaking his head and taking tentative steps towards her. 'Bastila?'
Bastila Shan wasn't the type of woman to cry. She truly never got over emotional, even when she was a child