Knights of the Old Republic III: Revenge of the Sith - Part IX: Confrontation

Hey everyone! As promised, here is the next part in my little series. I have to give a warm and big thank you to all of you readers who are still reading this. Thank you for the thoughts, comments, and reviews. You guys are truly the best and I'm glad that I can entertain you. I enjoy writing, especially for an audience as great as you guys (and gals!) So thank you very much for your continued patronage.

I went back and discovered some things I hinted at, as well as getting feedback from people about things I may have stated wrongly (though that had not been the intention) Think of this part and the coming parts as the 'tying of everything together'. As the title states, there are going to be confrontations that lead up into - hopefully - a big conclusion that you probably won't see coming! Or rather, that's the hope anyways! lol

Again, I want to thank all my reviewers, especially Princeps, Barachiel, Slave 1, Bastila Skywalker, Darth Mike, and Pillsburry. You guys are the best cause you are the most persistent readers (that review), you spur me on, you beta (and give ideas), and most importantly, point out things that I have either forgotten or completely missed. Thank you! I also want to thank one of my co-workers for giving me the idea for one of the scenes. Also, a big thanks to the main sites that I get my info from, including - game banshee, wikicities, the SW timeline...thanks again.

The confrontation between the factions of the Jedi and the Sith had been going on for centuries, dating back to the day errant Jedi had been cast out of the Order and stumbled upon the planet of the true species of Sith. It had been the same when those prestigious Jedi had fallen and then returned as leaders for their enemies. It was a hard lesson that the Republic learned from and the Jedi ignored.

But in the light of the events of the Mandalorian War, the Jedi Civil War, and the battles that raged with the so called 'shadow Sith', the Republic will decide if they can afford another confrontation with the Sith and if the last of the Jedi can handle confrontations of their own.

---

The skies of the galaxy were quiet and peaceful at times. It was any wonder why people enjoyed flying through space to their next destination. However, there were also times when though the skies may be peaceful, the air of the galaxy was anything but calm. That was how things were now, as the ship known as the Ebon Hawk zipped through space. While the darkness of the sky and the sparkle of the stars shone brightly, the feeling within the ship was that of unease.

The small ship had just managed to escape a Sith ambush on the planet of Thule and though they had managed to capture the dark lord, Darth Trayun, they had also had an injury of their own. Young Dustil Onasi seemed to have been greatly injured, as though he had walked through not only a dozen mines, but had been attacked by several grenades as well. The injury was substantial enough to warrant the ship to dock at a planet where the best care could be given. For that, the choice was Coruscant.

That in itself fit perfectly with Revan's plans. He was fully intending on delivering Ellis to the Supreme Chancellor and the Senate himself and no amount of persuasion was going to stop him. Currently, the former Sith lord was held in the room that Juhani had occupied on the first outing of the Hawk and where Ellis had found the HK-47 on the second. With the door shut, it felt like a prison; an enclosed space with only a small window. Revan couldn't deny the man medical treatment for his injuries, but Ellis wasn't going to get the same kind that Dustil would. Revan had no intention of helping his former friend.

It was actually Carth's humble suggestion that he contact his ship, the Sojourn, as to avoid the planet of Coruscant or at least to only stay on the planet for the shortest time frame. It was decided, as the decorated admiral put in a call to his ship, to meet them at a coordinated site, where the Ebon Hawk could be hidden away from any prying eyes out there. It only took about an hour for the large interdictor ship to find the small freighter and bring it aboard. While Dustil was rushed to the med bay, the crew took the time to learn more about the attacks they had heard of.

The holonews was abuzz with word that the worlds of Onderon and Corelia had been attacked. While Corelia was fairly unscathed, there was word of an occupation in the city of Kor Vella. The worst news was that of Onderon, as it seemed no word was coming from the planet. Revan and Bastila both had tried getting in contact with either the queen or that of Canderous Ordo, with no luck and they each feared the worst. Added to that was the news that came from Dantooine and Ossus. Both worlds having being attacked and razed, just as Brianna Kae mentioned they would be and just as the crew had felt in those early morning hours.

Though he didn't say it, Bastila could tell this was testing her husband to the breaking point. And it wasn't just Revan she worried about; Carth hadn't said more than two words since he came around after they had all gotten back on the Hawk. The young woman didn't think his son's injuries were all that plagued him, but she was hard pressed to find anything else. And when her hope that Lynsel would be able to find the underlining problem, she was as shocked as the Intel agent when Carth wouldn't talk to her either, just saying that he would be in his quarters.

The Sojourn crew wasn't sure what to make of things either; they had been so used to seeing their commander in such good spirits and never as distant as he seemed to be. They didn't know what was going on, but they could tell by these new arrivals that things were not good. But they were professionals and they eagerly showed the Hawk crew to quarters within the ship.

Revan and Bastila lingered a bit, in order to check on their prisoner. Darth Trayun obviously did not like being within an enclosed space, especially one that had been used to house his droid. But that wasn't what had Darth Trayun in a mood -- it was the fact that he had been captured by Revan; bested by Revan, and that man had been spreading lies about his wife. Brianna would never betray him, never. 'Come to gloat, Revan?' he asked, once his prison doors had opened and he stared into the face of his former commanding officer.

'I've come to check on you,' the former Jedi replied. 'I have to make sure you're in good shape for your execution.'

'My execution?'

'What? You think I'm just going to just let you hang out in my ship?' came the retort. 'I'm going to turn you in, of course. You need to answer for your crimes, Ellis.'

'That's rich, coming from you,' The dark lord said. 'And how many times have you answered for your crimes?'

'This is a different situation.'

'Sure it is,' Ellis taunted. 'Completely different because you're Revan the almighty and I'm just a little no name Sith Lord who just happened to have decimated the entire Jedi Order. But everyone does that, I'm sure.'

'How can you be so satisfied with the outcome?' Bastila asked, her eyes slightly widened at the statement.

'Do you really think I wouldn't want to see every last Jedi in this galaxy dead?' the young lord answered with a sneer.

'Enough, Ellis,' the former Jedi commanded. 'I'm sure Admiral Onasi has a nice cell for you to sit in while we make our way to Coruscant. Once the Supreme Chancellor and the Senate have you and then hear what your lovely apprentice Brianna has said...'

'Stop lying about her!' the young man exclaimed. 'She would never betray me, never!'

'Oh really?' Revan huffed, taking a step towards his prisoner. 'Perhaps you'd like to see the holo she sent to me, just before your troops took her into custody.' At that, the Sith Lord's eyes grew big.

'You're lying,' he whispered.

'Follow me,' Revan said. 'And you'll see for yourself.' He turned from the younger man and headed for the communications room, where he went to work on replaying the message that Brianna had sent. And all the bravado and arrogance that had claimed the young dark sided leader simply evaporated; his shoulders slumped as he watched his apprentice tell Revan about her fears for him and the grimace and anger that crossed his face when he heard the bodyguards attack her. 'Believe me now?'

Ellis shook his head slowly, more in disbelief than actual disagreement. 'I can't go with you,' he whispered. 'I have to save her.'

To the young man's surprise, Revan actually laughed at that. 'It's noble that you want to save your friend,' he chuckled. 'But I don't think you understand what's going on here. Nothing you can say or do is going to make me change my mind. I'm going to be rid of you once and for all.' With that, the former Jedi turned and began walking towards the exit of the ship, a slightly stunned Bastila following him. Ellis too was shocked. Where was the overly compassionate Revan he had heard about since the man's redemption? Surely he would help...he had to.

'Revan, I'm not going anywhere with you,' he pleaded. 'I have to find Brianna. I have to...'

'She's a lost cause,' the man responded, turning swiftly to face his old friend. 'You heard what happened at the end of that message. In all likelihood, she was dead before they left her shuttle.'

'She's not dead!' the Sith Lord exclaimed. 'I would know! I would know if they...'

'Were the masters this whiny when you killed them?' Revan asked, earning a look from his wife, which he conveniently ignored. 'For someone with all that bravado, certainly you'd want to die for your cause. You had no problems killing all those people on Honoghr or Ossus or even Dantooine. Why should I spare you to go looking for your apprentice, who is probably as dead as those worlds are now?'

Just as he went to turn again, something that Ellis said stopped Revan.

'She's with child,' the younger man choked out. 'My child, our child. We were married a few months ago, as we were coming upon Korriban. That's why I know she isn't dead. They aren't dead. I would know.' He gave a glance at Bastila before continuing with, 'I would think you'd understand.'

Revan said not a word, his mind and body whirling with emotions. He was so set on turning Ellis in, removing an obstacle from getting to the True Sith species that had now made their presence known -- the thing he feared they would do. It had been Ellis who gave them that opening, the in to the galaxy and he wouldn't be a savior if he continued to harbor the wanted man on his ship. On the other hand, this Brianna Kae -- correction Yoly -- was not only the wife of this criminal, but was carrying their child. And Ellis knew if in the same situation, Revan would do anything to save Bastila and their daughter, who was still growing within Bastila's womb.

'If I ever had your friendship,' Ellis continued, this time his voice taking on a pleading tone. 'If it ever meant anything to you at all...'

At this, Revan chuckled, before turning around to face his 'friend'. 'Who are you to speak of friendship?' he asked, bitterly, once again surprising those that surrounded him. 'No more games, Ellis. I have played my last game with you and now, I'm the one in control. You ask me to help you, so I ask you to help me.' He walked up to his former friend, noticing the man was slightly taller than he. 'I'll stay your visit with the Senate and I shall help you find your wife, but in return, you will help me destroy the Sith.'

Ellis' eyes widened at the suggestion and he began shaking his head. Revan easily countered the argument. 'Oh yes, you will help in that endeavor,' he seethed. 'Because if you don't, I will make sure you never see your wife and child again. If they are indeed alive, as you claim, I will make sure that they never have contact with you or you with them. We're going to start playing by my rules, Ellis and that's the condition I have set. I know you will not refuse it.'

As deeply enraged as he was, the young lord knew Revan was right. Despite being the former dark lord of the Sith, Revan still had ties to the Republic -- most notably that of Admiral Onasi -- and if he commanded it, Ellis would never see Brianna or their child. Though it pained him to admit it, there was no way he could refuse, especially if it meant getting Brianna back. Revan seemed to have seen the emotions that passed across the young man's face and he apparently saw the resignation within it, for he nodded and said, 'Good.'

He turned around once more, again heading to the path that would lead to the Hawk's exit, but he stopped again, this time to look over his shoulder at Ellis. 'While you are a guest here on my ship, you are to behave accordingly. If I hear or discover you have upset or attacked my crew by any means, I will kill you. And believe me when I say that no one will miss the sight of you. Other than your wife, of course. Assuming that she lives.'

'She's not dead,' came the whispered retort.

'So you say.' Revan then took his leave along with Bastila, who gave the young man a look of sadness before she left. The Sith Lord continued to stand within the main hold before going back to his make shift prison. Once the door had shut and he knew that he was effectively locked in, is when he fell to his knees and sobbed.

---

Carth Onasi wasn't one to believe in dreams or what they could mean, but he knew where he was before the realness of it hit him. He'd had dreams like this before, where he had woken to find himself in his old house, the one on Telos before it had been bombed. He had them on a regular basis after that, dreaming it was another day for him and that he was coming home for good now. And it always ended up as the same -- the bombing started and he was again thrust back to the day he held his dying wife in his arms. As the years went by, they weren't so bad. He could talk to her, tell her things about his life and she would counsel him, as she always had.

He now stood in the kitchen, a place he immediately felt safe in. He remembered coming home and finding Morgana baking cookies for Dustil; he'd sneak behind her, but she always knew he was there. Then he'd kiss her, long and hard, apologies and promises all in one. The former pilot made his way through the house, noticing that nothing had changed; it was still as he remembered.

His journey took him to the bedroom, where more than one memory took place. All of those birthdays and anniversaries always ended up here and he couldn't help but smile at those thoughts. 'Even in a dream, your mind is in the gutter.' He turned to see her in the doorway, walking to him. 'We had some good times in here,' she said, glancing at the bed with a smile.

'Yeah, we did.'

She turned to look at him, studying his face. 'I'm glad you and Dustil could be friends again.'

He nodded. 'Me too,' he whispered. 'It was...difficult in the beginning and then the whole 'shadow Sith' thing...' he trailed off, running a hand through his hair. 'I'm worried about him, Ana. He...he didn't look so good when he came off the ship.'

'He'll be fine,' she reassured. 'He's an Onasi and we're made of strong stuff. We're also stubborn as rancors.'

He laughed and so did she. 'I miss you so much.' He spurted. 'Sometimes...sometimes, I don't know how I made it through everything.'

'I know it was hard,' she said. 'But you did it. Just like Dustil will make it through this. He's got people who will care for him, especially a little blue Twi'lek.' She grinned at him, while he chuckled.

'I never would have thought the two of them together,' he said. 'They did not get along at first, that's for sure. But...I've seen how Mission is right now. She's worried sick.'

'So are you.'

'Yeah.'

'But you haven't seen him.'

'No.'

'Why?'

Carth shook his head. 'I don't know,' he mumbled. 'I'm...I'm really confused. About a lot of things.' He sighed. 'I saw something...someone that looked like you, but it wasn't and now I'm...I don't know.' He chuckled again. 'I'm not making sense.'

'You never did,' she joked, earning a look from him. 'Let's start at the beginning, shall we? First, what's her name?'

'I'm sorry?'

'The name of the woman you've fallen in love with.'

'Who said anything about...'

'Fine,' she huffed. 'Leave it to me to fill in the blanks. Her name is Lynsel and she's an intelligence officer with the Republic. She's been married once, to a good for nothing politician -' Here Carth laughed. '- and she came aboard your ship as a spy for those Senate types. However, she's learning pretty quickly things don't always work out like they're supposed to.' Carth nodded, solemnly, remembering how that day would be his last in the Republic Fleet, just to have it blown up in his face and it instead marked the day he would lose his wife and son.

'I know you miss me, Carth,' she said, placing a hand on his bearded cheek. 'But you deserve to be happy and this woman obviously makes you happy. You have to let me go, sweetie, in order for you to be truly happy with her.' She gave him a small smile, saying, 'I like her, you know. She knows how to put up with you and I can see you make her happy too.'

'I wanna be happy.'

'I know you do,' she whispered. 'And you will be; with her. Our time together has passed, but it doesn't mean I'll forget you nor will you forget me. It just means we have to move on now.'

'I still love you,' he choked, feeling hot tears on his cheeks.

'And you always will,' she said. 'Just like I will always love you, but you love someone else now. And don't try to deny it. You know you do.' He only nodded. She looked away for moment before turning back to him. 'I have to go now.'

'Will I see you again?'

'Whenever you need me,' she said. She leaned over and kissed him lightly on the lips. 'I'll visit Dustil too.'

'He can see you?'

'He always has.'

'How can I see you then?'

She blushed. 'If I told you that Revan was in the right area, you wouldn't believe me.' She turned and headed for the door, but turned to look at him. 'I love you, Carth, despite how things may have been at the end.'

'I never meant to hurt you,' he sniffed. 'Or Dustil.'

'I know,' she said. 'Don't make the same mistakes with her. There are some things that are more important than duty. She knows that too. Or at least, she's learning.'

He nodded. He watched her smile one last time before she walked through the doorway. He knew he wouldn't see her, but it didn't stop him from walking out into the hall and searching for her. He felt himself smile...

Carth opened his eyes and looked around. He was sitting in his chair behind his desk, his feet propped up. He had expected to feel that tightness he felt whenever he had a dream about his wife, but he found that he felt...lighter somehow. There was some sadness that he wouldn't see her again, but it was rather faint and not at all like the other times she had come to him. Pushing himself upright, he thought about what she had told him and suddenly, he wanted to see Lynsel. He wanted to tell her everything - about his life, his career, his marriage, the mistakes he had made...ultimately, he wanted to tell her how he felt, that she made him want to feel again, that she brightened his day when he did see her, how he thought about her and sometimes not in the most platonic of ways.

He was knocked from his thoughts when his console began beeping. 'Yes?'

'Carth?' Speak of the devil...

'Hey,' he said, his voice still fraught with sleep.

'Are you all right?' came her concerned question.

'Yeah,' he said. 'Yeah, I'm...are you outside? Of the door I mean?'

'Standing right here.'

'Hold on and I'll let you in,' he said, rushing from his seat and quickly getting to the door. Once he opened it and saw her, he wished he had tidied up a bit, made himself look more presentable, but when he saw her, he could only smile. 'I wanted to see you,' he blurted, smiling a bit more when he noticed her cheeks redden.

'I wanted to see you, too,' she whispered. 'I've...I've been a little worried.'

He took a few steps to the side, saying, 'Come in and we'll talk. There...there're some things I want to tell you.'

---

The planet of Coruscant had always been a busy place, a large hub of activity. The way the city seemed to thrive on the activity of many was energizing to some, though it intimated others. After the events of the Chancellor's Ball, there had been a tension that hadn't been felt on Coruscant for quite some time, not since Revan and Malak had returned as leaders of the Sith. However, even with news that several other worlds had been mysteriously attacked, it did little to stop the hustle and bustle of the planet.

The one thing that Senator Kodis Basil enjoyed about being on Coruscant was the many structures and areas that could be seen and discovered. His planet of Geonosis wasn't like Coruscant; it was more like Tatooine with its desert atmosphere, yet it held none of the society that the latter planets held. The insectoid was a busy man, but in this time of uncertainty, he felt it was his duty to enjoy the walks of life that he may not get a chance to have again. The occupation of Sith troops in Kor Vella, along with the attack on Dantooine, Onderon, and Ossus had put the Senate in a difficult situation. Many of them remembered when Revan had made his presence known again within their chambers and as before, many of them felt that this was just another ploy by the former Sith lord.

The large creature made his way down the crowd streets, nodding to his citizens and stopping to answer questions if asked. Most were the same thing -- was this threat real, to which the Geonosian replied that this was just defunct members of the Sith trying to start something. He told them not to worry and that things were well in hand. He praised the Supreme Chancellor for the efforts he made -- immediately contacting the governments of all the planets involved and that he was prepared to aid in any relief efforts. That seemed to pacify his charges, so he continued towards the heart of the city.

The problem with the hustle and bustle of life in Coruscant -- or rather the formation of the planet -- was the fact that natural resources were scant at best. While the city was spectacular, certainly at sunset as well as at night, it left little room for things like parks and streams. However, the planet was not without its own beauty and certain things could be altered or even made to give a sense of wonder as well. There were little places of course, those places where one could sit and think for a bit before jumping back into the thick of things, so to speak. It was one of these places that Basil now headed for.

It was in a little alcove on the path between the Senate building and that of the former housing of the Jedi Temple. While the building still stood from the attack from a few years ago, the eery quiet that seemed to pour from those former halls was unnerving. Sometimes, Basil didn't want to meet anywhere near there; unfortunately, this was the only area that was away from prying eyes. He was rather early, but he knew his companion would also be early, so he did nothing to quicken his pace any. The area wasn't much -- a small fountain that was center to a few benches, but it met the needs of what they wanted. And sure enough, as Basil walked towards the area, he could see his contact from a distance.

He made a show of aching bones and old age as he sat down next to the younger man as he made his way through a data pad. 'It's beautiful weather, is it not?' he asked, making small talk as a few people walked by them. The man next to him didn't answer, only continued to read, as though not hearing anything that Basil was telling him. 'When you get to be my age,' the insectoid continued. 'You wish for days like this, where it's bright and energetic. That's where all the excitement is.'

Again, the man made no mention to address his companion, opting to replace the pad he was reading with another one he had laying next to him. The two men sat in compatible silence, watching as people passed them by until the activity around them began to slow as people hurried off to their other business. 'Good show you put on, Kodis,' the younger man mumbled. 'Over did it a bit, don't you think?'

'I was under the assumption that this meeting would need to be in secret,' the Geonosian huffed, moving his neck to the side and cracking it. 'This of course makes me wonder why we are having it outside in the open.'

'Because,' the young man said, again switching out his data pad for another. 'The Senate building has ears, as you know. This way, no one of course suspects anything. I have it on good authority that people are beginning to become suspicious of our activities together. While we can easily account for some of these things as work related, others are getting...jumpy, shall we say? Some of our allies feel that our...benefactors don't go around destroying planets.'

'So what is the course of action, would you suggest?'

'For now, nothing,' the young man replied. 'While I don't know of the plans this new dark lord has, I do know he has yet to check in with us. That worries me. I don't like to feel as though I have no idea what to do and I certainly can't make it to Supreme Chancellor if the public thinks me as weak or unknowing of things that are happening.'

'Quite right, Robert,' Basil commented. 'What do we do about these attacks?'

'It seems to me that this lord has gotten a bit cocky,' Robert said. 'Corelia is smack dab in the Core Worlds; the news that there's a Sith occupation is quite disturbing and will cause panic. You've seen so yourself. Dantooine...well...no one but the mercenaries and the settlers care about that planet; the same is true with Ossus. Onderon is the biggest hurdle to overcome. However, not many people know that the Queen was once again in power. We'll use that to our advantage.'

'You have a plan?'

Robert nodded, a small smile on his face. 'Corelia is the only world we need to concern ourselves with,' he began. 'I will simply tell my father to allow us to go to the planet to learn more about this 'occupation'. We will simply then make sure that whatever troops are there are not causing too much of a nuisance of themselves. We then return here and tell the press that the occupation is over and it was only a few errant remnants of Revan's Sith, who were no match for our Republic soldiers. That will ease the public's mind.'

'And for the other planets?'

'For Dantooine, no one will care,' Robert continued. 'It's a place of the Jedi and you know how people feel about them. We will simply offer aid to those settlers, as well as better shelter, and they will forget their time there. It's a ravaged world; the same is true for Ossus. They are places of the Jedi and in time, they will be forgotten. As for Onderon, it'll be easy to say that an overzealous Vaklu has allowed the Sith on top his planet and that they are doing what Talia and the Republic couldn't...make the planet prosperous.'

'Onderon is central to the fuel shortage on Telos,' Basil interrupted. 'After the destruction of Peragus II by that Jedi last year, the planet is the focus of everyone for a restoration project.'

'I am aware, Kodis,' said Robert. 'I've heard talk that Revan is trying to strike a new deal, in order to get Telos from under Czerka control. I'm sure it's a personal favor to Adm. Onasi.'

'None the less, it's being done.'

'Yes,' the young man sighed. 'But it might do us some good. Contact Jana Lorso upon our return; perhaps we can make a deal that will leave Telos and its people happy, while ensuring that Czerka is rewarded for their...diligence.'

Basil nodded. 'It's a fair plan, I believe,' he stated. 'The only worry we now face is that of where our dark lord is. You say you haven't heard word from him?'

'Not in a few days,' Robert replied, shaking his head. 'It could mean he's...keeping low...however, he seems the organized sort. And he and his people have been keeping us informed on things. Perhaps I'll give another day before looking into where he may have gone.'

'A last concern before you go, Robert.'

'Yes?'

'What are your thoughts on Revan and his people?'

The young man took a deep breath before turning towards the senator. 'They are trouble,' he said. 'Make no mistake about that. I've heard how Revan was when he was a Jedi Knight and Master. He showed no respect for his vaulted council; do you honestly think he would show us any? No, no. Revan and his crew are more trouble than they are worth. And if our dark lord has found his way into their clutches, then we are doomed. I believe more than anything if we left Revan in charge, there would be anarchy and we certainly don't want that.'

'No, we don't.'

'I'm fearful, Kodis,' the young man said, standing and retrieving his things. 'I fear we must get in contact with our...friends. The lack in communication is slight, but just enough to have me on edge, especially if what you say is true. I need to return. I'll call you if need be.' With that, the young man hurried off to his office, obviously thinking about their discussion. The Geonosian wasn't as worried as his counterpart, but he did think they would need to clear things up before their next plan.

The complete and utter take over of Geonosis.

---

Mission Vao had gone through a lot of things in her life. She couldn't remember anything about her parents and she had been abandoned on the planet of Taris by her brother at a very tender age. She managed to survive on her own for a few years, but it was hard. She had nothing but the skills she had learned from Griff -- which were more like hacking and hawking more than anything else -- and that was it. And then she had run into Zaalbar being roughed up by the Vulkars gang.

They had been fine -- she the talker, he the muscle -- and again, she found her life changing when she was approached by Carth Onasi and Jayden Korr. She hadn't known she would be helping the two recover a lost Jedi, nor did she know she would go on an adventure that would definitely change her life. After she and Big Z had left Coruscant, they had both gone back to his home planet to straighten out the situation with Czerka. Arriving there, they had found the planet in slight disarray and some random fighting from those employees that didn't enjoy being chucked out of their jobs. But thankfully, the Wookies prevailed and soon Czerka would become a distant memory. They got started on turning the Czerka facilities into their own communications hub, so that they could contact anyone if they so choose.

But after that -- after the clean up and the rebuilding -- there was nothing for her on Kashyyyk, so she decided to do something else. This was the first time since meeting Zaalbar that Mission was by herself, so she decided that she needed to do something of worth.

Or something.

So she took one of the freighters that Czerka had left behind and headed off to Nar Shaddaa. Why she choose the Hutt-runned planet she didn't know, but something told her to go there. Of course, she had lived in the Lower City for years on Taris, but it was on Nar Shaddaa that she felt the true dregs of society. When she arrived, the Exchange and Serroco hadn't moved all the refugees into their own sector, but it would only be another year before that would happen. But in the meantime, she again would need to make it on her own. It was just pure luck that she landed in the presence of Sundjask 'Sunny' Ishim while playing pazaak one night in the local cantina. And it wasn't anything extraordinary other than the fact that she beat him and he had known she had been cheating.

He hadn't been mad; if anything he was slightly impressed. He had told her of his 'side' business -- that he was trying to help the refugees -- and she had immediately jumped at the chance to help those that needed it. What surprised her were how many kids that had been sold to the Exchange in order to pay off debts. Of course the parents were heartbroken, but really, what could they do? If not slavery, there was always torture or death. The experience may have hardened her a little when it came to dealing with people like that, especially when she began to learn more about her own species.

She had come into contact with a young Twi'lek girl like herself, who had been sold into slavery with the Exchange when her family couldn't pay off their debts. It didn't matter though, as the thugs had still killed her father and brother. The girl had only just gotten away, telling Mission how their species was little more than entertainment for the group. It had angered Mission and made her think about her friends, especially Juhani, who had known a life like that before meeting Revan. After that, Mission didn't think about trying to help these people; she just did.

And now, after everything that had happened so far, Mission Vao once again saw her life changed. Once again, she had run into Carth, Bastila, and Revan and once more, she had willingly helped her friends. Then she had met the man that now occupied her thoughts. She sat within the large medical facility that the Sojourn offered onboard, but more importantly, she sat by the bedside of one Dustil Onasi. His wounds hadn't been terribly serious -- a few hours within the kolto tank -- but he needed rest and recuperation. That didn't stop Mission from spending most of her time by his bed, so he could at least see a friendly face when he woke up.

She wasn't sure when her feelings for the former Sith student began changing from hostile to what she felt now, but all she knew was when she saw him being carried onboard the Hawk and then off to the med unit on the Sojourn, her breath caught in her throat. The thought that he could...well...die, disturbed her deeply and she had immediately stationed herself next to the bed when the docs were done with him. He had woken only a few times, but just enough for her to feel calm that he was still breathing, though whenever he dozed again she could feel the worry coming back. She had never before felt like this; it was scary and exciting all at the same time. She wondered what it all meant and was thinking of who she could ask that could keep this to themselves....when she felt him stirring in front of her.

The first thing Dustil felt was the beginning of a slight headache and the fact that his muscles seemed stiff. The second thing he felt was a hand holding his. At first, he thought it was his mother. He had seen her again and they had talked, just like they used to. He hadn't seen her since Thule, though he was dismayed that it hadn't been her that he had seen; which explained where he was. Opening his eyes slowly, the dimness of the room confused him at first. This was the afterlife? But he felt the hand squeeze his and he turned to find Mission staring down at him.

He managed a small smile for her, remembering the conversation he had with his mother. Despite everything he had tried, Dustil Onasi had fallen fast for the young Twi'lek and seeing her here made it all the easier to keep falling. 'Hey Little Blue,' he croaked, smiling wider as she giggled. He had taken to calling her that because he was taller and could reach things she couldn't. At first, she had been annoyed, but slowly it seemed a rather sweet endearment.

'Hey yourself,' she whispered. 'Are you thirsty?' At his nod, Mission reached over to get a cup of fresh water. The young man struggled a bit in his bed before finally setting himself up against the wall behind his head. He took the cup gratefully, taking several cool drinks before handing it back. For someone who had been quite injured, Dustil felt pretty good. Looking at Mission though, she didn't look so well. There were some slight bags under her eyes, as though she hadn't gotten any sleep and he wonder if she had even eaten at all.

'I'm glad you're okay,' came her timid response. She was looking down at the hands folded in her lap, doing her best to avoid Dustil's eyes. While he had been asleep, it was easy to be girly and cry up a storm, but now that he was awake, all those fears that she had lost him returned and she just felt like running to her quarters to sob. 'We were all worried, you know? Cause you looked so bad and we weren't sure if you were okay, and then they brought you here and then...'

'Mish,' Dustil called, another smile on his face. She always rambled when she was nervous. He moved over slightly, leaving enough room for her. 'Come here.' The young woman obeyed, keeping her head down until she was next to him. Once his arms went around her shoulders, she snuggled against his neck, sniffing a few times. The Jedi placed a kiss on her crown. 'Ah, Mish,' he soothed. 'I'm okay. I'm here and I'm all right.'

'I was really scared,' came the watery reply.

'I'm sorry,' he whispered. 'I didn't mean to make everyone worried or even scared.' He held her tighter, his fingers stroking the lekku that caressed his neck and jaw. She was quiet, to the point that he thought she may have fallen asleep. However, when she spoke, her soft reply stated she was clearly still awake

'I really like you, Dusty.'

The young man smiled. 'I really like you, too,' he whispered. 'I like you a lot, though I never intended to like you so much.' Mission raised her head, her face a mask of confusion. Dustil swallowed; he hadn't meant to say that, but now that it was out, he wanted to tell her. 'There was this girl...' he started, before shaking his head. He would need to tell the story from the beginning. That was only fair.

'On Telos?' she questioned.

'After...I met her afterwards, when...' He had her attention now, so he couldn't back out even if he wanted. Taking a breath, he said, 'The day Telos was attacked, I was at a friend's house. We were trying to build a speeder...'

---

The planet of Onderon had a dark history, that was true, and that dark history went hand in hand with the Sith Empire. To date, Onderon had been involved in at least six wars, an usual high volume for one planet. In the present, Onderon's port of Iziz was now looking as it did during the days of the Mandalorian War. The only people out were the strange beings that walked the streets, along with the influx of Sith troopers and assassins. They still combed the city looking for Queen Talia and her people and weren't having such luck. If it seemed their leaders worried, they didn't. The strange beings discussed amongst themselves before vanishing in thin air. Those that had seen it were awed and stunned by these people whom they had never seen before.

The Sith soldiers were much more brutal than those of Vaklu's troops. If you were caught on the street, you were tortured and killed. No one went out anymore. All communications in and out of Iziz were halted altogether. While it suited the needs of the Sith and those that commanded them, it did not sit well for those that fought them.

In the Merchant Quarter, more precisely the home of one Dhagon Ghent, the mood inside was somber. The doctor himself couldn't even get out to try and help people, even if he wanted. Topside, things were bad; the Sith still hunted Talia, making her an enemy of the state and he had overheard some of the troops say the Sith Lord that had been buried on Dxun would be claiming Onderon once again. Ghent didn't have to be brilliant to figure out what that meant for the people of the planet. Unfortunately, there were other problems within his secret hold.

Downside, within the cavern that had once held Queen Talia when Vaklu had taken over, once again served as not only a hiding place for her majesty, but to a handful of Mandalorian clansmen. It made for some cramped quarters, but the men of Clan Ordo had gone through worse and as long as they survived to gut every one of the Sith soldiers above them, it was more than worth it. Their leader, Mandalore, sat near the back, grimacing as the initial sting of a med pack went into his arm. He had been pretty banged up, like the rest of his men, when the Sith assassins appeared out of nowhere bringing with them soldiers who had obviously been waiting for the moment when they could take Onderon for themselves.

Despite any pain he may be in, Canderous Ordo watched with pride as Visas Marr -- his woman -- fought the Sith like a woman possessed. She had ignited her lightsaber and cut down as many Sith as he and his men put together. If he wasn't already in love with her, he would be. If there had been any doubt as to whether or not she would make a suitable Mandalorian wife, they were squashed then and there. And even now, as she checked on some of his men injuries, he knew what to be right in his heart. Like any true leader, he insisted his men be looked at first. Dhagon had been kind enough to look over injuries, including Visas' even when she protested.

'Check her too, Doc,' he said, holding his injured left arm.

'I...I am fine,' she replied, taking slow and calming breaths. The Force felt depleted within her and she knew she had very little health left.

'I know you are,' he whispered. Placing his hand on her arm, he said, 'For me.'

It certainly wasn't a secret now, about him and Visas, but as far as Canderous was concerned if his men had a problem with her, they had a problem with him. But -- and this was only to himself -- he admitted hearing praise from his trusted men, those of Kelbourn, Bralor, Zuka, and Kex, meant a lot to him. They approved of Visas and they seemed to get along together as well. And that's what he needed -- men who would take direction, who would take action. The Ordo Clan was strongly aligned with the Queen and they would do whatever to ensure she was back in power.

But for now, he would be babied.

'How's your arm?'

He moved his shoulder around and shrugged, wincing as he felt a shot of pain lance upwards. 'Little stiff,' he replied. 'I can still kick some ass, even without it.'

'I'd like to keep you whole, if possible,' came the retort.

'You just want the good bits.'

She chuckled, leaning over to kiss his ear. 'Every bit of you is good, Canderous.'

The Mandalorian wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her to him. 'All right then?' he asked, his hand cupping her cheek lightly. It still surprised him how gentle he could be with her. Mandalorians were not known for their gentle style, but something about her made him want to be tender with her, just as she was with him. It still struck him, even now, how the two of them had come together like this.

'Yes, cyare,' Visas whispered, a small smile forming on her face. Since coming back from Freedon Nadd's tomb to now, Canderous had been nearly obsessed with her well being. She had been overcome after leaving Dxun and their recent battle put a slight strain on her muscles and the use of the Force. By all rights, she should be resting, but she couldn't rest knowing that Canderous was hurt and had not been seen by the doctor.

'Zuka is working on rigging up an alternate form of communication,' she stated. 'We must get word to Revan about our situation.'

'If anyone can do it, it's Zuka,' Canderous replied. 'We also need to make plans from the inside as well. We're sitting ducks while the Sith are out there looking for us.'

'I agree,' the young woman said. 'However, how do we do that? Those assassins are just like before; stalking us until they are upon without our knowledge. And I doubt we have enough stealth field generator belts to go around.'

'We're not giving up, that's for sure.'

'I'm not suggesting that at all.'

The Mandalorian sighed. 'I know you aren't,' he whispered. 'This is bantha spit! The Sith are out there and we are holed up in here.'

'We have to wait and see if Zuka comes up with anything,' she soothed, running a hand through his hair. 'Then we can contact reinforcements. I have a feeling we will be needing them.'

---

It had only been two days, but Atton was worried. Very worried. He hadn't heard back from either Ellis or Brianna since they had parted the Necrosis for their own missions. He had heard the rumors that Ellis had been taken by Revan and his crew and possibly turned over to the Republic Senate. To say the atmosphere on the Necrosis wasn't the least bit jumpy was an understatement. The crew wasn't sure of what they were hearing. It was hearsay -- their lord couldn't have possibly been taken by Revan, however they all knew that Revan had been a formidable opponent. But how their dark lord lived, they didn't know, but they knew that Lord Trayun wouldn't betray them.

Their True Sith masters however, didn't seem to be too concerned. Perhaps that's why Atton felt uneasy. Two of their dark lords had suddenly disappeared; especially when the master -- Darth Trayun was one of them. It shouldn't be anything if the apprentices go missing, but the man in charge? How could the masters not see this to be problematic? It was later in the night, that first night that Atton felt something was very wrong, that the masters had summoned him to their conference room. They praised him for his work on Honoghr and how he should feel proud to serve the Sith. He immediately asked about Ellis and Brianna. He was surprised when they chuckled slightly.

'Lord Casus,' replied one master. 'I'm sure you have heard the rumors that Lord Trayun has been captured by the Republic.' To this, Atton nodded. 'We are afraid to say that this is indeed true. Trayun has been captured by Revan and I'm sure he is either being interrogated or tortured for the information he holds. As much as we don't want to think him a lost cause, the Jedi have ways to combat our...operatives. We of course, hope that Lord Trayun will escape his predicament, but we can't sit and ponder if that will happen or not.'

'Shouldn't we send someone to rescue him?' the marauder asked. 'I mean...he is...he's Darth Trayun.'

'We do have plans to reunite Trayun with our fold,' replied another. 'But these plans will take time and we can not allow what advantages we have slip by. We must continue with taking the Republic and then we are able to rescue Lord Trayun.'

'For now, my student,' commanded Freedon Nadd. 'We have a task for you. The Sith Empire is regaining our former glory. We have taken the moon of Dxun and the planets of Onderon and Corellia; we have taken back our former planets of glory, like Yavin 4 and Korriban; we have rebuilt our armies and have recreated our former war beasts and ships; we can easily take the Republic if we so wish.'

'Easy Master Nadd,' replied Exar Kun. 'We can not be hasty in these endeavors. That has been our downfall before, as Lord Trayun loves to point out. I believe we may have some opposition, if Revan has anything to say about it.'

'So what do we do?'

'We have a very special mission for you, Lord Casus,' one master said. 'We need you to be a leader for our troops. With their lord and master gone, they will need someone to rally them.'

'But...I'm...I'm not...' Atton stumbled. 'I'm not a leader like El...Lord Trayun. I don't think the troops could learn anything from me.'

'Oh but Lord Casus, they have!' exclaimed another master. 'They look up to you. You are the idealization of what the Sith should be.'

'I'm afraid that Lord Trayun may have lost sight of that.'

'You're mission is two-fold, actually,' replied Kun. 'We...have something that needs to be kept an eye on as well.'

'A spy, to be exact,' said Nadd. 'We need to make sure that they are kept relatively safe.'

'Yeah,' Atton muttered. 'Yeah, I can do that.'

'The prisoner is within a holding cell,' one master said. 'You'll find her at the far most point of the ship, starboard part. Look on them, make sure they are treated well. We have plans for them.'

Atton nodded slowly, bowing to his master, and contemplating about what they had said. He had no experience at leading anyone. He was a foot soldier; he followed orders, he didn't give them. He was good at torture and things like that. Maybe that's why the masters had given him the task of looking on the prisoner. But if it was one captive, why did the masters keep saying they? Well, he would find out, as he headed towards the starboard section of the ship. They had designated this area specifically for prisoners that they may capture during this war and it was Atton's mission to make sure those Republic scum and any Jedi left were to suffer the consequences.

He could feel himself getting anxious; the feeling he always got before he killed a Jedi. He didn't think he could ever get the bug back, that thrill of watching an uptight Jedi frak be reduced to one of his torture techniques. He hadn't lied to Ellis back on the Ebon Hawk; he had been good at it. What he hadn't said was that he enjoyed it too. He enjoyed being above those arrogant, self-serving Jedi, who thought they knew better than anyone else; thought they were so right about everything. His footsteps led him to a door where two Sith soldiers stood. He was in the mood to torture someone. The soldiers immediately straightened upon seeing him, nodding as they stepped from the door. They obvious knew why he was there; he could tell by the smiles on their faces.

Opening the door, however, he never expected to see what he did when he entered. The room was moderate, the size of one of the crew's quarters. There was a lone holding cell and in it, the last person Atton ever expected to see.

Sitting in the holding cell was none other than Lady Salus, Brianna Kae.

---

Lynsel had been quite surprised when Carth had let her in to his quarters. She had been terribly worried about him, ever since he had awoken and learned about Dustil's injuries. She knew that wasn't the only thing on his mind, it seems, but she just couldn't get him to open up to her. So she watched as he withdrew into himself and hoped he would turn to her -- or someone else -- to talk to. However, she had been completely miserable without talking to him; she at least needed to make sure he ate dinner or something, anything that would give her the ability to at least speak to him.

So to have his door immediately opened to her - with him dressed down without his flight jacket and just a plain white shirt, his hair ruffled - she wondered if she had inadvertently woken him from a dream. She had shocked herself into admitting how worried she was, more importantly blushing when he smiled at her. Now, she was in his quarters, being lead to a small couch that was pushed near the wall cattycorner to his desk. He asked if she wanted anything and then apologized for not having anything. And there was that giggle again and then he looked at her, like the night after the ball, right before he kissed her.

'You wanted to talk to me?' she asked, not knowing what this look could mean for her, for them.

Carth nodded.

'You seem like you're far away,' she whispered. 'Is something wrong?'

'Oh!' he sputtered, realizing he had staring at her like a love-sick puppy. 'No, it's...it's nothing. Sorry.' He chuckled, before taking a seat next to her.

'Doesn't seem like nothing,' she countered.

He again smiled at her, shaking his head. He sighed, finding the carpet very interesting. 'You know my wife died a few years ago,' he began, to which she nodded. It had been common knowledge those days after Revan and Malak had returned from the Unknown Regions at the head of the Sith. She had heard rumors that the death of his family had driven him mad with insanity and that it had cost him an early promotion to Admiral. 'In the past, I... I've just been trying to remember what she looked like. It shouldn't be so difficult. I can remember things about her... things she did. The way she smiled, what her hair smelled like, our last fight... just not her face. I try to hold it in my head but it's gone.'

He looked at her sheepishly. 'Is... that strange?' he asked, looking away from her, shaking his head. 'Maybe I shouldn't be talking to you about this.'

Lynsel could feel sympathy for this man, this man who had what he wanted only to lose it all in foul swoop. She had debated with herself for months on this journey with the growing feelings she had for Carth. She wasn't sure when her feelings of professionalism began to turn, but she had known the night of the ball that she was more than a little interested in Carth Onasi. Scooting closer to him, she laid her hand on his back, trying her best to soothe him. 'It's not strange, Carth,' she whispered. 'You remember the important things.'

'When we...when we were on Thule,' he started. 'I saw her again. It wasn't really her; it was an imposter.'

'How could they have possibly...'

Carth shook his head. 'I don't know, but even when I thought it couldn't be, it was impossible, some part of me hoped it was her. Hoped I could make up for the things I did, the things I said...but I knew it wasn't real.' He sighed again, closing his eyes against the emotions he felt. Lynsel just watched him, wondering if that was all this was for him -- a second chance at a life he had lost, in a relationship he had failed in. It made her feel uncomfortable; was that the reasoning behind her own attraction?

'But you know what?' he asked, turning his head to look at her.

'What?'

'I realized that...that I was still holding on to the past,' he stated. 'When I watched Saul Karath die, I thought I'd be free; that the revenge I had planned out for three and a half years would...I don't know -- take away all the guilt I felt at not protecting my family. But it didn't. It didn't go away at all. I still felt like a world class ass for never being home, for never being around while my son grew up. Killing Saul, watching him die on the bridge of the Leviathan did nothing to relieve the ache I still felt. It wasn't until I met Dustil on Telos, until we reconnected, really reconnected, that I started...started feeling as though...as though things were passing me by.

'Bastila used to tell me that all the women onboard had crushes on me, thought I was attractive and all that. But I couldn't understand why. I mean...' he shrugged.

'Oh please,' she teased, pushing his shoulder lightly. 'Like you aren't aware of how incredibly sexy you are.' After she said it, she looked away, hoping he couldn't see the blush that tinted her cheeks.

Carth smiled at her, finding everything about her attractive and sexy. Unfortunately for her, he did notice the blush and it brought a host of images to his mind, particularly whether or not she blushed all over. 'I didn't think I could ever look at another woman the way I looked at my wife,' he continued, this time holding eye contact with her. 'I didn't think I'd ever fall in love again; I thought it was impossible. But...but I was living in the past. And I didn't want to let go of the past, didn't want to let go of her face, of everything we had.'

'So...so what happened?' Lynsel whispered. Everything he said reminded her so much of how she felt after the divorce, when she felt she wasn't worthy enough for anyone, that her career came first and she was over him and all men. And then of course, she meets Carth.

'I met you.' He was gazing at her, hoping she understood what he meant. 'I met you and I couldn't live in the past anymore and for the first time in years, I didn't want to. You gave me a future. I want to give you a future, too... with me. I think I could love you, if you give me the chance.'

He looked so unsure, nervous that perhaps she didn't feel the same. Her face softened as she looked at him; he was everything Robert wasn't and everything she needed now. It scared her, but she felt more alive than she ever had being the wife of a senator. Placing a hand on his cheek, she said, 'I think I could love you too.'

Carth let out a shaky breath, one he didn't realize he had been holding. He chuckled, nuzzling her hand. 'I'm...I'm glad,' he said. 'Really glad.' He closed his eyes, smiling to himself. He hadn't believed he could be happy again. He thought it couldn't be possible, but here was this beautiful woman who worried about him, trusted him, fought beside him...was currently kissing him...

Well...that was a definite bonus for sure.

---

Mical knew he probably shouldn't have bothered, but he couldn't help it. His curiosity had always won out, no matter the situation. Upon learning that his once future master had turned to the dark side and then was now taking up residence within one of the storage units on the Ebon Hawk, he had to see it. Maybe it was closure -- to know that his life as a pseudo-Jedi was truly over -- or perhaps it was mild questioning on why his supposed master would turn. What ever the reasons, Mical found himself aboard the Hawk while it sat within the docking bay of the Sojourn.

He wasn't sure what he thought would greet him as he walked through the main hold, reaching the open storage compartment. He supposed he thought he would see Ellis Yoly as a figurine for the Sith, a hideous monster devoid of all things that made a person truly human, truly aware of their actions, but what he found was not what he expected.

He expected a hulking figure, driven mad by his thirst for power.

What he found was a young man sitting on the hard floor, seemingly meditating.

Ellis -- this Darth Trayun -- sat cross-legged, hands in his lap, and if not for his ragged breathing, Mical would have worried that the man was dead. When he looked up, Mical could easily see the traces of the dark side in his haggard face, the tell-tale lines that marred the smoothness that had once been there; his eyes looked haunted and if the Republic officer didn't know any better, he would say the dark lord had been crying.

'Do I know you?' he asked, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.

Mical nodded slightly, bending so that he was at the Sith lord's level. 'We attended the Jedi Academy together; on Dantooine.' If it was possible, Ellis' eyes narrowed even further. 'Unfortunately, you were slightly older than I, so we never officially met exactly. I'm Mical.' The young historian shot his hand out in greeting, but his companion just stared at it before looking back up at him.

'Did Revan send you?' he asked.

Mical shook his head. 'No,' he said. 'I'm here on my own choice.'

'Why?'

'I...' The man stuttered, not sure what his answer should be. He couldn't out right admit it was curiosity that drew him here, but he couldn't think of anything that was remotely correct on assumption.

'Did you come here to brag?' the Sith lord asked. 'Come to see for yourself what a Sith looks like? Don't think I can't sense what you're thinking. You may have felt the Force, but you are no where at my level. Admit it, this is just some freak show to you, isn't it?'

Mical shook his head. He didn't want him thinking that! Especially when deep down, that's what it felt like he was doing.

'Did you want me to demonstrate, Mical?' Ellis sneered. 'Do you wonder what it must feel like to be tortured by the darker side of the Force? Or did you come looking for guidance on how to rid yourself of the shackles and chains the Republic has you in?'

'That's enough, General.'

Both men turned to find Bao-Dur standing at their side. Ellis gave a low chuckle. 'Well, the gang's all here, aren't they?' he muttered. 'I wonder who Revan will dig up next. Malak? Arren Kae? It's just one big happy Mandalorian War party. Let's head off to Dxun and kill some, shall we?' He chuckled again, before his face went slack and his eyes held a pained expression. It quickly passed, leaving a melancholy expression on his face. He lowered his head, whispering, 'Please, leave me.' Without a word, the Iridonian signaled for the historian to follow him, leaving the dark lord alone in his chambers.

Mical followed the young techie to the garage, where the alien turned and faced him. 'I hope you weren't making some spectacle of him,' he chastised.

The historian quickly shook his head. 'No,' he stated. 'It wasn't like that at all. I just...I just...' he let out a sigh. 'I'm not really sure exactly what I intended to do. Maybe I just wanted to see him, talk to him...'

'You know him then?'

Mical nodded. 'As I told him, we attended the Jedi Academy together,' he said. 'However, he was a few years older than I and when he went to fight in the Mandalorian War, I decided to leave the academy.'

'That takes some guts,' Bao replied. 'I didn't think most could easily turn away from the Force. You see what it's done to him.'

'It's quite easy to leave the Force behind you when you've never felt it so strongly.'

The two men stood in silence, each contemplating what had been said and that of the young man that sat within the storage compartment. 'Do you plan on learning it?' Bao asked.

'I suppose with the Sith coming after us, it should be something we should both consider.'

---

The next morning saw most of the Ebon Hawk within the meeting room aboard the Sojourn. Revan had called them all together in order to discuss what their next move was and what they would be doing with their captive. Revan had been thinking about that all night long. He was torn at what he should truly do with Ellis -- the Jedi in him begged for redemption, as the Jedi had given him, while the Sith within him cried for revenge at everything his former friend had done. He remembered the rage he had felt when he faced Malak, the man who had once been his best friend and had taken on the appearance of a man who had tried to kill him. It was only at the end that Revan had seen the error of their ways, that the dark side had clouded their minds.

Of course, it was only after things had settled some what, that he saw the true error.

The bright spot in all of this was the fact that his visions seemed to be coming true with Bastila's announcement. Of course, that only further thoughts to Ellis and the fact that his own wife was expecting and was now in the hands of the Sith. While Bastila obviously disapproved of his methods, Revan had at some point decided he would take his frustrations over the Sith out on his former friend. He had made a series of snide comments to the dark lord, taunting him with the fact that while his own wife stood by his side, Ellis' had the definite possibility of being dead. He knew it was crass, but for some reason, he got a strange satisfaction from watching Ellis' face darken and cloud over. He enjoyed making the young man miserable by keeping him locked up within the storage compartment and he certainly enjoyed lording over the fact that he, Revan, held all the cards, especially knowing that Ellis' fate and that of his family were in his hands.

While he had told everyone this would be a planning session, Revan had absolutely no plan what so ever. With the knowledge that the Republic forces were refusing to help, Revan basically had little or no military back up this time around. He knew he could call on Zaalbar and the wookies if needed or even Queen Talia, but the way things were on Onderon, he would have to rule Talia and her troops as no shows. He needed any and all information that Ellis would give and he knew that would be hard in the process.

He waited until everyone had arrived and sat before he launched into a shaky overview of his confrontation with Ellis. 'So, are we turning him over or what?' Mission asked.

Revan shook his head and sighed. 'We can't,' he stated. 'At least not yet. We need him to find the True Sith.'

'And then what?' asked Mical. 'What do we do once we find the true species?'

Again, Revan sighed. 'That's where we run into trouble,' he admitted. 'I went to see the Senate a bit ago and the Supreme Chancellor flat out told me that the Republic wouldn't aid us in this fight. While that's bad in its own way, the fact that Onderon and Queen Talia have been attacked and are presumably under Sith control, we've lost a good portion of support. I know Zaalbar would help us, but I'm afraid the wookies wouldn't be enough.'

'So what do we do then?' asked Carth. 'Surely you don't think that the seven of us can take on the entire Sith?'

'If this had been a few years ago,' he began. 'I would say that we could do it. After all, we had defeated the Sith then. But now...believe me, Carth, if there was a way...' Revan sighed for a third time, before taking a deep breath. 'This all lies with Ellis. He's the key to finding them and maybe even helping us defeat them.'

'But why?' Mission asked. 'Why would he help us? And how could we trust him after everything he's done?'

The look in Revan's eyes was a hard one and the group could see it instantly. 'He has no choice,' he stated. 'If anything, he has more to lose than us. And as to trusting him, he's aware of the price if he dares turns on me, on us. He'll help us before we help him.' The ominous tone in his voice startled some of the group, but it seemed that it was just a brief lapse for Revan. He immediately began pacing, something of a nervous habit he had always had. 'The first thing we need to do is get in contact with Canderous and the others on Onderon.'

'I've got some people working on that now, Rev,' Carth replied. 'We're trying every frequency we can think of in order to get in contact over there. We can't lose Onderon, especially not after we freed it from Vaklu's grasp.'

'Revan,' Lynsel spoke up, the first time she had spoken since the meeting had begun. 'Why didn't the Supreme Chancellor want to support you?'

'There was opposition to what I had to say.'

'Started by whom?' she asked. He didn't respond, nor did he look at her, even as she tried to catch his attention. 'It was Robert, wasn't it? He was the opposition.' Revan only nodded. Lynsel set her jaw, nodding to herself. 'There's something going on in the Senate.'

'When isn't there something going on in the Senate?' Bao joked.

'I think...' she continued, slowly. 'I think the Senate, or at least some members of the Senate, are working with the True Sith.' She knew her statement was cause for surprise, but it needed to be said, even if they did think it unbelievable.

'Why do you say that?' Revan asked, giving her a neutral look.

'I don't have any evidence,' she stated. 'I just...sometimes when giving my reports, I felt as though I wasn't being let on to everything; as though they were keeping things from me. And when we were on Coruscant the first time, Robert was there, along with some other members I had never met and who had never once been involved with Intelligence or anything. Call it a sixth sense or womanly intuition, I don't know, but something's going on.'

Revan continued staring at her until he nodded, slowly. 'I need you to learn how to block the Force,' he said. He then looked at Mical and Bao in turn. 'That goes for the two of you as well. These beings are nothing like the Sith as we know it and we can't be caught unawares. Their power could tear the universe in half or destroy it in the blink of an eye.'

'Can they make illusions?' Carth blurted.

'Yes.' The former Jedi gave his friend a look. 'How do you know this? Unless...'

'I didn't think it was real,' Carth was muttering. 'I thought maybe it was me or there was something that caused Dustil and I to see her...'

'How would they ever...' Revan trailed off as he looked at Lynsel.

The young Intel officer closed her eyes. She didn't want to be right... 'Our files,' she groaned. 'They're sealed within the Fleet offices and no one has access. No one, except...'

'The Galactic Senate,' Revan finished. 'The Senate has been infiltrated by the Sith.'

---

Ellis didn't like being held in this prison of his, but he knew he had no choice. He knew he would do anything if it meant he could get Brianna and their baby returned safely. But it didn't mean he had to like this plan of Revan's. Oh, he knew this was his former mentor's way of getting back of him; why else would he make those comments that they were dead? They weren't dead; he would know and he could feel that they still lived and breathed. Unfortunately, that knowledge did nothing to deter the building anxiety and restlessness that he felt on being aboard the Ebon Hawk, while the crew pranced around aboard the Sojourn.

He couldn't believe what Revan was suggesting -- him, betray the Sith the way Malak had betrayed Revan? He couldn't be serious, but Ellis knew from his past time with the former Jedi and Sith that he was indeed quite serious. It was madness, that's all Ellis knew, but he wondered if maybe there was a way to make this turn the way he wanted. Perhaps he could pretend to be on Revan's side and then turn on him, just the way Malak did, but this time he would kill Revan. And he would find Brianna and then they would finish what they had started -- they would rule the galaxy.

He stood pondering all of this when he felt the presence of the Force coming towards him. He watched as Bastila Shan entered from the garage and into the main hold. She must have felt his eyes on her, for she paused in her journey towards the starboard dorms. She gave a nod to him before continuing on her way. She was only stopped when Ellis asked her a question.

'How does it feel? Knowing you've killed thousands of Republic soldiers?'

The question caused her once again to pause before she turned around to face him. 'It's not as pleasant as you make it sound,' she retorted.

'Is Revan really worth it to give up the power you could have had?' he asked. 'The dark side hasn't left you, Bastila; Revan doesn't make a point of hiding away from it, either should you.'

'You don't have to do this, you know,' she said, taking a few steps towards him. 'The dark side isn't as powerful as you think.'

Ellis smirked. 'It seems to have gotten me where I need to be.'

'Has it?' she questioned, looking him in the eye. 'I seem to recall your wife and unborn child are no where to be found.'

The dark lord's face hardened, the smirk he had previously worn now turning into a sneer. 'You don't possibly think I'll let Revan live,' he said, his voice low and sending a frightening chill through Bastila.

'I think perhaps you need to rethink your position...'

He cut her off with a short laugh. 'Even after tasting the dark side, you dare try to preach your Jedi swivel to me?' he asked. 'How could you even go back to them after all they've done? These were the same people who left us to die to the Mandalorians.'

'The masters only felt if they had more time...'

'There was no time!' he exclaimed. 'People were dying! Whole planets were destroyed just waiting for the Jedi masters and their precious Order to do something.' He took a step towards her, trying to intimidate the Jedi. 'You can lie to the others, Bastila, but you can't really lie to me,' he breathed. 'I'm sure Malak's torture wasn't all that pleasant and I heard you didn't waste any time tasting the power that could have been yours. You even tried to seduce Revan back. Frankly, I'm quite impressed.'

Bastila took a series of breaths. She never enjoyed talking about that time she was with the Sith, especially knowing that she fell so easily. And maybe it wasn't just that; perhaps it was the fact that she hadn't looked at the Jedi Order in the same way. She questioned herself for a long time afterwards, about what she wanted and who she was. 'That time is over now,' she whispered. 'I've always regretted what I did and I still feel guilt at my actions during the war.'

'Which war?' he asked, smugly. 'The one that you didn't serve in or the one you were forced to?'

Bastila looked at him, before smirking. 'Would it surprise you if I said both?'

The young man blinked, shock clearly written on his face. 'Yes,' he replied. 'Yes, it would.'

'I know you and Revan have...a history together,' she began, ignoring the huff Ellis sounded. 'But he's more hurt that you would continue down this path, especially knowing what you have at stake.'

'How dare he be hurt?' the young lord muttered. 'It was he who led us down this path in the first place. And you need not concern yourself with my affairs, Bastila Shan. I only help you in order to get Brianna back and then I'll kill you.'

'Has the dark side consumed you so fully?'

'The only thing that consumes me is getting my wife back,' he sneered. 'And killing your husband.'

'That's two things.' She retorted.

'Then I'd better make a list,' he said. 'Try to stay off it.' With that, he returned to his make shift prison, positioning himself on the floor in a meditative pose. Bastila looked down at him and was slightly surprised to feel pity mixed in with anger. She didn't fully remember Ellis Yoly, but she did remember him as a young and bright Jedi who was apart of those that followed Revan. She knew how he had been exiled for going to war and at the time, she had backed the masters on their decision. But now, after everything, she once again questioned the Order and the role of the Jedi who were left.

Which wasn't many.

She left the dark lord to his devices, instead heading back the way she came, leaving the Ebon Hawk and stepping upon the floor of the Sojourn.

---

He couldn't believe what he was seeing and even when he confirmed what he saw was indeed Lady Salus, he still couldn't believe it.

As expected, Atton was left alone with her -- the assumption that he would 'take care' of her leaving her guards as giddy school girls -- but he could do no more than stare at her. 'Come to gloat?' she asked, impatiently. The marauder only shook his head and asked the only question he could.

'What're you doing here?'

'Isn't it obvious?' she asked, spreading her arms to show her containment. 'I'm viewed as a traitor, so I have to spend my days locked up as one.'

'A traitor?' he questioned, again shaking his head. 'What...?'

'I contacted Revan,' she spoke. 'I told him of our plans.'

'Why did you do that?'

'Really Atton,' she sneered. 'I thought you had a small amount of intelligence.'

'You know what, sister,' he retorted. 'Maybe I should just let you rot in that little prison of yours. Or better yet, perhaps I should show you what made me so good at what I did for Revan.' He stared her down and was surprised to see her staring right back at him with a defiant look. However, underneath her bravado he could sense her fear; fear for what he would do her, what would happen to her child...it was that thought alone that stayed any remark he planned on making. He didn't know what this feeling was that he was having, but it felt...well...odd. It was the same feeling he felt when he had met Ellis on Peragus, the feeling he got when he began to tell his story of being a part of Revan's Sith troops.

If he didn't know any better, he would think that what he was feeling was sympathy.

Knowing what he was feeling was completely different from what he needed to do. However, he knew it needed to be done. 'What did you do?' he asked.

Brianna seemed to sag within her cell. 'I didn't want anything to happen to him,' she whispered. 'I had hoped...hoped that we could get through this without...well, getting to this.' She looked at him, small tears in her eyes. 'The True Sith are not our allies, Atton. We've been wrong; and they have used our misguided thoughts to their advantage.'

'How do you know this?' he inquired.

She gave a small smile. 'As a prisoner,' she stated. 'I'm pretty much left alone or I'm completely ignored. Sometimes, I can use that to my advantage. And I've overheard that the True Sith have been using us to get into the Republic, to get Revan out of the way; to get us out of the way.'

He gave a look that clearly said he doubted what she was telling him. He thought over his conversation with their masters, remembering how they had known Brianna had been in their custody. He suddenly had a terrible thought -- did they know that she was with child? They certainly had the powers to find out; or perhaps they already knew. 'Are they treating you okay?' he asked. 'I mean, are they giving you what you need for you and...' He inclined his head to indicate her abdomen.

She gave a one shoulder shrug. 'It's better than nothing.'

He shook his head. 'I'll...I'll find a way to get you some better food,' he said. 'And we'll think of a way out of this.' He gave her a small smile, one in which she returned. Brianna was completely surprised by his attitude. They had never really gotten along, and when they did it was only for the sake of Ellis, but here he was trying to help her.

'Atton,' she began, knowing it must be the hormones she was experiencing. 'I know we've never really gotten on, but...thank you. Thank you for doing this for me; for us.'

The marauder nodded. He didn't want to appear soft, but the sentiment was nice. He certainly didn't hate their little warrior princess -- in fact, he greatly respected her -- but he couldn't himself be caught like that. He would help her, but he had to make sure that no one knew what he had planned, especially not their True Sith masters.

Then they were all doomed.

---

After his confrontation with Bastila, Ellis wasn't surprised when he was summoned by Revan to join them within the conference room of the Sojourn. The young man had expected this after all and as far as he was concerned, this fit into his plans perfectly. He was escorted of course by some of Admiral Onasi's men to the room and again, the dark lord wasn't surprised to see the entire crew sitting there waiting for him. 'I'm sorry I couldn't get all prettied up for my interrogation,' Ellis smirked, as he was lead into the room and stood to face his enemies. 'But I just don't have an adequate dressing room for my stay.'

Revan raised an eyebrow at him, before nodding that the guard could leave. The two officers seemed rather hesitant, but Revan assured them with, 'He won't do anything, will you, Ellis?'

'No,' the younger man replied, a smile grin on his face. That only caused the two officers to look with uncertainty at each other, but they did as they were told and headed out of the room. 'So why have I been summoned by the great Revan?'

'Can the sarcasm, Ellis,' Revan huffed. He grew tired of their animosity and he wanted to end it here and now. 'You know exactly why I've requested your presence.'

'Requested?' Ellis chuckled. 'Yes, I suppose being escorted by two armed guards could be seen as a friendly invite.'

'Enough,' the former Jedi commanded. 'I need to know where the Sith are and I need to know how to stop them.'

The dark lord laughed. 'What makes you think you can stop them?' he asked. 'They have everything they need to defeat you and to take the Republic. A large amount of thanks goes to our operatives within the Senate itself.'

'So it's true then?' Lynsel asked. 'The Senate has been infiltrated by the Sith.'

'Just as true as the Sith have been working inside the Jedi,' Ellis smirked. He turned to look at Revan. 'You don't stand a chance.'

'You have just as much to lose as I,' the former Jedi countered. 'Or have you forgotten that your masters hold your wife and child hostage?'

'You lie!' Ellis exclaimed. 'They are not prisoners as I am and I know my masters would never harm them.'

'So sure are you about that?'

'They would never betray me,' the young man seethed. 'Not like you and Malak did.'

'We did not betray you,' Revan started, but was quickly cut off by Ellis.

'You sent me back to the Jedi!' he cried. 'Knowing that punishment awaited me, awaited us!'

'Damn it, Ellis!' Revan retorted. 'Do you not remember what happened after Malachor!? I thought you were dying! You couldn't stop screaming and to look at you, someone would think you had just gone through the stomach of a rancor. We sent you back to get help! Malak and I had no idea that the Jedi Council would be waiting for us and I certainly had no idea that they would exile you. We knew it was a possibility, of course, but we didn't think any of this would happen.'

'Is that why you left?' Ellis asked, a slight trace of anger still in his voice. 'To right the wrongs of your past? Is that why you destroyed the Star Maps and your outpost on Yavin 4?'

Revan sighed. 'Something like that,' he whispered. 'But I never destroyed that outpost on Yavin.'

'Sure you did,' Ellis chuckled. 'I've seen the ruins.'

Revan shook his head. 'No, Ellis,' he said. 'I inadvertently stumbled upon a ritual conducted by the True Sith. I barely made it out alive.' Revan watched as the young man's face showed a look of confusion. 'When did you go to Yavin?' he asked.

'While I was trying to find you,' he whispered. 'We stood at the ruins of your outpost. If you say it was intact when you were on the moon...' He shook his head. The conclusion he was coming up with did not make sense.

'Ellis,' Revan asked, looking at the younger man. He made a hard swallow, knowing the answer to the question before he even asked it. 'Did you explore the temples on Yavin's moon?' Ellis made a small nod and Revan closed his eyes. By the Force, did that mean...? 'Have you been approached by the spirit of Exar Kun?' The question caused the others to stir, as though that thought alone wasn't nearly as bad as what Revan was going to say next. Ellis didn't answer, but the way his face drained of color was all the answer Revan needed.

'Oh frak,' he murmured. 'You're being possessed by him. You were possessed by him when we met on Yavin.' Revan began to pace, the realization of everything hitting him full force. 'They've been clever,' he muttered. 'They've been so very clever and we have done nothing but ensure them victory. This has been as I knew it was going to be; a deliberate plan by the ancient species of Sith and we have both willingly walked in to it.'

Ellis was as shocked as everyone else. Surely the True Sith had not done what Revan was saying they did. This was not a plan, at least not on the large scale Revan made it out to be. 'That's what they were doing,' the former Jedi continued. 'That's what I had interrupted. They were bringing back the spirit of Exar Kun, just as they did for Freedon Nadd. I'm sure they discovered that your wife was contacting me or someone else to delay your plans and she was taken too.'

Ellis shook his head. 'That's not true,' he whispered. 'That's impossible.'

Revan spun to face his former colleague and friend. 'Search your feelings, Ellis,' he said. 'You know it to be true. The Sith have set us both up, to give them the opportunity to rule again and we have lead them straight to the Republic.'

The silence of the room seemed to stretch, with everyone digesting what the banter between Revan and Ellis had revealed. The sudden beeping of the comm. caused everyone to jump in surprise, with Carth quickly going over to answer it. 'I thought I said we weren't to be disturbed,' he hissed.

'I know and I'm sorry, Admiral,' replied an ensign on the other end. 'But I thought you'd want to know that the Supreme Chancellor has secured an emergency comm. line. He says it's extremely urgent.'

'The Supreme Chancellor?' Bastila asked. 'What do you suppose he wants?'

'Patch him through, Ensign.'

The young officer nodded and began to display the holo from the Supreme Chancellor. The image of Robert Belyn, Sr. was displayed for everyone to see within the room. 'Admiral Onasi,' the Chancellor greeted. 'I was hoping to ask if you knew the whereabouts of Revan and Lynsel, but I'm glad to see that you all are together.'

'You'll forgive me, Chancellor, if we seem a little surprised by your transmission,' Revan started. 'But we didn't think you wanted to have anything to do with me.'

'Something rather unfortunate on my part, Revan,' the Chancellor began, sadness easily heard in his voice. 'There have been...developments within the Senate that I thought deserved your immediate attention.'

'Such as?'

'As of 1300 hours today, reports came in that the True Sith species, as you call them, have made a siege on the planet of Geonosis,' he stated. 'Shortly after these reports came in, there was an attempt on my life. As you can see, the assassin wasn't a very good one. However, I was shocked to discover the assassin was one of our senators and that he was acting on orders...' Here, the elder man's voice began to tremble. 'On orders from my own son.'

'Bob, no!' Lynsel breathed.

The Chancellor nodded. 'I was also informed that Kodis Basil is the one responsible for the siege on Geonosis,' he continued. 'My attempted killer, though a horrible assassin, does make for a good informant. Our forces have been able to round up all those that sided with the Sith; however, I am sadly disappointed at how many of them there are.'

'Chancellor, I have more bad news for you,' Revan replied. 'I have just come to the realization that this has been one large trap that I, my friends, former colleagues, and the Republic itself have fallen head first into. The True Sith have been planning this for ages now, with the true destruction taking place during the Mandalorian War and only getting worse with the wars that followed.'

The group saw the Chancellor emit a deep sigh. 'As you and your companions know, Revan,' he began. 'The Republic is on shaky ground at best. The wars have left us with barely enough resources to handle every day tasks, let alone another war. I was hesitant before at letting the Republic aid you in this fight, but I feel we no longer have a choice. The Senate has now virtually fallen, with several key planets already occupied by Sith troops. Despite the odds against us, we cannot let the Republic nor the galaxy fall into Sith hands.' The Chancellor looked hard at Revan.

'Whatever the resources you need, the Republic will supply them.'

Revan nodded. 'Thank you, Chancellor,' he said. 'I suggest you begin immobilizing troops. I plan on finishing this once and for all.' The Chancellor nodded as well, closing the transmission and leaving the group once again by themselves. Revan turned to face Ellis once more, this time seeing the realization and the defeat in his former friend's posture. 'Ellis...'

'Ziost,' whispered the young man. 'They've built an underground base and have been establishing a military armada.' The dark lord looked up. 'If what you say is true,' he said. 'This plan has been in the works since before the Mandalorian War.'

Revan nodded, slowly. Placing a hand on the younger man's shoulder, he whispered, 'I still need you, Ellis. Your wife and child still need you. We need you to help end this.'

'I...I...I'll need a comm.,' he said. 'I need to contact my ship, more importantly Lord Casus. I need to know who's still loyal to me.'

'Can you trust this Casus?' asked Carth.

Ellis nodded. 'He's about the only person I trust right now.'

'How do we know you won't alert him to what our plans are?' Mission asked.

'He won't,' Revan piped in. Looking at the defeated Lord Trayun, he added, 'He knows what's at stake.'

---

The planet of Ziost was a dark and cold world. In its heyday, it had been a pennicle for the Sith empire, where they ruled from afar as they began to take over the Republic and the galaxy as a whole. However after the defeat of Naga Sadow, the Republic discovered the planet and made sure that no one would ever walk its surface again, changing it into a frozen ball within the sky.

This did not deter the true and ancient species of Sith. As their empire lay in ruins and largely forgotten, those that remained planned. They were able to resurrect their deceased lords and make their way to the planet of Ziost. It took them years, but they were able to break through the icy depths and begin their hidden base. It was to be undetected; the planet was forgotten; it was covered in ice. It made things that much easier. The Republic was more concerned with building themselves back up, they would give little thought to the Sith right now and they certainly weren't expecting the kind of beings the True Sith were.

They had been blessed with the gift of magic, in which they used in their everyday life. It was only when the outcasted Jedi came to their planet of Korriban did they learn of the Force. They blended their two gifts together, creating many creatures, most of them grotesque creations of nature.

But that had been the golden age for them until it all came crashing down. It was now the time for their empire to return anew. Those Sith that had managed to flee to Thule had used their Force infused magic to stay themselves from death; they even managed to bring their ancestors back as well. Their numbers had been few when they fled, but now their military would be able to combat that of the Republic forces, especially now. It had been easy to recruit, especially when their current puppet had amassed troops of nearly a thousand. It had been easy to corrupt them further, coming to those Sith that they felt had true potential.

The masters had foreseen another vision, one that was cloudy, but had given them hope once more. They had seen the capture of their Sith'ari, Darth Trayun, but they also saw his betrayal of Revan. But they kept their thoughts amongst themselves, for fear of their vision going bad. They had once foreseen Revan as their Sith'ari, as well as his capture, but their vision had ended in his ruling the Sith, not trying to destroy them. This had been another of their mistakes, one they hoped to rid themselves of once Darth Trayun was returned to them and once he fulfilled his destiny. If their visions were true, then Darth Trayun would become their king and they would need to make sure that nothing occupied his mind other than ruling the Sith.

And the masters hoped that Darth Casus, apprentice to Trayun, would see that done.

---

The journey to the dark planet of Ziost began by planning an attack. Revan had immediately taken charge of the situation -- as the others expected him to do -- and began to plan out an offense. With the Supreme Chancellor now firmly behind Revan and the crew of the Ebon Hawk, it made the operation much more manageable. Revan, along with Mission, was able to enlist the help of the wookies lead by Chief Zaalbar. They finally had a break when they received a broken transmission from Onderon, stating that everyone was banged up, but otherwise unharmed. The former Jedi advised them to stay out of harm's way and that they would soon be getting help.

To his surprise, and that of everyone else, Ellis offered to resend the lockdown the planet was under. While the order had been given by his True Sith masters, it was Ellis' troops that were stationed there. He used the holo within the communication hub -- closely watched by both Carth and Dustil -- and contacted his representative on the planet. While the order to retreat was an odd one, the Sith officer did as he was told and the planet of Onderon was free once again.

Ellis was also able to get in contact with his apprentice, Darth Casus, though the conversation was short due to the other man's proximity to their True Sith masters. He confirmed Ellis' fears, that the True Sith did indeed have Brianna and were holding her prisoner. This was a crushing blow to the young lord, making everything that Revan said as being true. 'They deceived everyone, Ellis,' Revan replied, patting the young man's shoulder. 'That was their plan all along; to divide and conquer.'

'And I walked right in,' Ellis whispered. 'This is my fault.'

Revan shook his head. 'It's not,' he said, noticing the look of surprise on the Sith lord's face. 'Not entirely. This scheme has been going on for years, I'm sure. We were just two more pawns in the mix. No more, no less.' He had gathered the crew together within the main hold, wanting to finalize the plans they had or would make. He now stood before them, looking at their faces and trying to remember them as much as possible.

There was Mission, whom he always thought of as a younger sister. They had always been close and though it took some time for the hurt Mission had felt at his departure, they had still spent their time together. That is, when she wasn't with Dustil Onasi.

That very young man stood next to her, the relation to Carth very clear, though some of his features could only be from his mother. He had come a long way from the angst filled young man Revan had first met within the halls of the Jedi Temple. He was far more confident and shaping up to be a fine Jedi, if there would ever be such a thing in the future.

Next Revan turned to the two men they had picked up on Dantooine, Bao-Dur and Mical. He remembered Bao-Dur from the Mandalorian War as the man who had built the mass shadow generator. At the time it had been a technical invention masterpiece; now it was just a horrible invention of death and destruction. But Revan didn't blame the Iridonian for that; it had been his decision to have it built and his decision to have it used. As always, the deaths and destruction rested solely with Revan. Looking back at the men, he had been pleasant to have on the ship -- Bao was another mechanical tinkerer and his help alone kept the Hawk in prime shape as they made their long trip towards Ziost.

Mical had not only been a reference post for the Jedi and the basic history of the Republic, but he was an excellent healer, something that greatly benefitted them if their Jedi were to ever be cut down. Revan found him to be exuberant on certain things, but the man's heart seemed to be in the right place and the former Jedi wished this man could've aided the Jedi Order when it was needed.

His gaze then turned to Lynsel Belyn, the Special Intelligence officer sent by the Republic to gather evidence that Revan was trying to regain his throne of Sith Lord. She too had come a long way from the suspicious woman to the one she was now. He was still impressed by her intelligence and more so by her humor, something he attributed to the man standing next to her.

His eyes locked on Carth and he still couldn't believe how far this journey of theirs had gone. He remembered first meeting the pilot, running through the Endar Spire and listening to his com-link for more instructions. He remembered running around the planet of Taris with the man, looking for a elusive Jedi who had been captured by a rival swoop gang. He remembered the tension they had once they had fled from the Leviathan and how they had drunk themselves silly later that night. Carth was probably the closest person to a brother he had since Malak and the thought was both a comfort and an ache. He and Carth had nearly been through everything together and it had taken some years for either of them to get over their past; Revan was glad to see his friend able to find what he needed.

And that brought him to Bastila, his wife, his friend...his everything as far as he was concerned. Their relationship had not been an easy one, but somehow fate or the Force had shown them they were meant to be. He couldn't count the number of times he pined for her while he tracked down his life before he was Jayden Korr, knowing he couldn't be with her at the time. He knew the bond they shared felt so strained for her, but he had never told her how much it hurt for him to feel her slip away from him. He didn't receive visions a lot, but he cherished those that showed their life together, their children.

In the months that they had known she was expecting, Revan couldn't stop gazing at her, touching her, placing a hand on her stomach...he was awed by her, charmed by her, and he couldn't imagine how he had gone through life without her. And he refused to let anything happen to her. He hadn't told her, but his plans didn't include her coming, but rather staying onboard and using her Battle Meditation. He'd be damned if the Sith took her like they had taken Ellis' wife.

And finally his gaze rested on the man that had started this journey, or rather, had continued on the path that he himself had started. Ellis, like the others, had changed too. Instead of the arrogant persona that Revan had seen on Yavin and again on Thule, the dark lord seemed to have withered under the weight of the knowledge from the last few days. His face still showed signs of his dark sided habits, but his shoulders were slumped in a signal of defeat. And his eyes still held a haunted look to them, the same look he had seen when they had awoken him after Malachor V. Revan had known this young man since his early teens and he had known then that Ellis Yoly would be important and would be the center of something important.

He just didn't know what that big something was until now.

These were the people that had helped him, had stood by him, or had challenged him. They would be facing enemies that, though small, had every advantage of using magic backed by the Force. They only had so many Jedi and who knew how many of the Sith still were loyal to Ellis. These were odds that they might not overcome; this was a situation where Revan might not see these people again. The loss of Jolee Bindo had hurt him more than he could even admit and the loss of any of the others might be too much. However, this was the beginning of a war and Revan knew how to fight a war; he knew that loss came with war, as did defeat and triumph and if he could, he'd make sure they wouldn't lose anyone on their side.

'The plan, for now,' he started. 'Is to meet up with the Republic troops, the wookies, and Queen Talia's group on Coruscant. Then we make our way to Ziost. I wish I could really prepare you for what we'll face, but...I really can't. I have no idea what sort of arsenal they have, especially knowing they can rely on the use of magic and alchemy. We'll talk more once everyone is together. For now,' he sighed. 'For now, just take a break. Enjoy the last moments of peace and quiet.'

There was some nervous chuckling, but everyone did file off to do their own thing. Ellis continued to stand, his posture indicating he was still adjusting to everything. Revan nodded to Bastila to continue on to their quarters, as he would meet her, and he walked over to where the young lord stood. 'You never said how many troops we'd be expecting,' he said.

'Very few, I'm afraid,' the young man muttered. 'You've put my apprentice in a very bad place and I'm afraid suspicion now falls on him as well.'

'Is he in danger?'

'Not anything immediate,' came the answer. 'As far as some are concerned, he's trying to get people together to come rescue me from the big, bad Republic. Though I'm afraid the masters may know the true reason.'

'I need you, Ellis,' Revan replied, putting a hand on his shoulder. 'I need my friend back; the friend that helped me, us, the Republic win the war. I need Gen. Ellis Yoly back. I need him to help me.'

'I told you I would,' the young man muttered.

'I need to believe you,' the former Jedi said. 'I need to know that you and your troops won't turn on us once we've hit Ziost.'

Ellis shook his head. 'You needn't worry about that,' he said. 'I don't know if I'll even make it.'

Revan patted the young man on the shoulder. 'The path to redemption is never easy, Ellis,' he murmured. 'Above all, you must actually want to be redeemed. After that, all that's left is whether you want to do the right thing or the wrong thing. There's no more Jedi to tell you, us, what to do anymore, just like the Sith are really no more than broken men following the past of century old ghosts.'

He walked past, headed for the cockpit to check on T3, when he stopped and looked over his shoulder at the young man. 'Just know we confront the True Sith soon,' he said. 'And I will stop at nothing to ensure that the life of the Republic and that of my friends are not tainted by their presence any longer. And I don't care who I have to go through to do it.' With that, he continued on his journey, leaving one of the last Sith Lords thinking of his fate.