KOTOR Version 2-Chapter 2-The Adventure begins

At 0700, Revan and Bastila were standing in the shipyard, watching as the Endar Spire was being prepared by the ground crews. They watched as the commanding officer, Commander Carth Onasi, made checks and made sure everything was ready to go when they lifted off. From what Revan read about him, Commander Onasi was an accomplished fighter pilot, and a superb marksman with a blaster pistol; so good, in fact, that he could dual wield his pistols without sacrificing accuracy with either. He was also a brilliant tactician and an extremely capable leader. All in all, Onasi was the epitome of what a Republic solider should be.

If there wasn't one major thing. During the Mandalorian Wars, Onasi had a wife and son. However, during the beginning of the 'Jedi Civil War', as the non-combatants were calling it, Admiral Saul Karath, commander of the Leviathan, the first Interdictor class ship ever built, was the one who was commanding the fleet that bombed Onasi's home world by orders of Darth Malak. Malak had Admiral Karath bomb this world as a test of loyalty to the Sith, and to ensure that all of his ties to the Republic were severed.

Now, up to that point, Commander Onasi had two reasons to fight; to serve the Republic and to protect his family. But by bombing Telos, Admiral Karath took away Commander Onasi's desire to protect his family and replaced it with a desire for revenge. And Commander Onasi developed trust issues. Onasi figured that if Karath, his mentor, the man he looked up to most could betray him, anyone could. And this made Onasi a bitter man. Though he could command troops and coordinate strategies effectively, he would never let anyone close again.

Another person whose life I destroyed. Revan thought and he and Bastila walked over to him. All because of my mistakes, this hotshot pilot's life was destroyed. Just one of the many things I have to atone for. Revan had known OF Commander Onasi at the start of the Mandalorian Wars. Everyone did. He was a great pilot, and a decorated solider. He was well known among the Core Worlds for his exploits. From the day he got his commission to Ensign before the start of the Mandalorian Wars to today, he advanced many ranks, to his current rank of Commander.

'Hello, Commander Onasi.' Bastila said, speaking up first.

'Bastila,' Carth said. 'I trust you're doing well.'

'As well as can be, considering the situation,' Bastila said. 'I trust the preparations for the Jedi in my party have been made?'

Bastila and Carth continued to converse about the needs of the Jedi and the needs of Carth's troops, while Revan examined the Endar Spire. Though he knew he had been on Republic ships such as this one during his time in the Mandalorian Wars, because of what happened on the Onslaught, his flagship as a Sith Lord, he didn't remember it. Revan got closer to the ship, wanting to examine it from the inside, but was stopped by a Republic solider. 'This area is for authorized personnel only,' the solider said to Revan.

'But I am authorized personnel. I'll be part of the crew in two hours. My name's Jake Katarn, and I'm a member of Bastila's group,' Revan said.

'Be that as it may, Mr. Katarn, you are not authorized to be in this area for another hour. So please, move along,' the solider said.

Revan could have easily have used the Force to 'influence' the solider to let him by, but he decided against it. Doing so would blow his cover, after all. If he was going to play the role of a spacer, he couldn't use the Force for such trivial things. Revan figured he'd be okay, unless he was forced into a combat situation. He was concerned that once combat instincts kicked in, he would start using the Force instinctually. But he pushed that thought out of his mind, and returned to Bastila's side, hearing them finish their conversation.

'Oh, Commander, this is Jake Katarn, a member of my party. He is the scout I told you about.' Bastila said, introducing Revan to Carth.

'Pleased to meet you Commander.' Revan said, extending his hand.

Carth shook hands with Revan, but said nothing. There was something familiar about this spacer, but he couldn't quite place it. Carth had read Katarn's records, of course, and knew what this spacer was capable of. He was an accomplished mechanic and slicer, an accomplished linguist, and a diplomat. He was also skilled in many forms of martial arts and sword fighting styles. This man was extremely skilled, and with the intimate knowledge of the systems they were headed to, Carth wondered why the Republic hadn't hired him earlier. But something felt wrong, and Carth hoped he figured it out before it bit him in the ass.

The trip to Taris was uneventful. Revan would play Pazaak with the crew, practice with his blaster and his sword, or meditate with Bastila. He would roam the ship, checking out the engine room, the escape pods, and other important things on the Endar Spire, making sure they were in good condition. But the boredom of the trip only lasted until the Endar Spire came out of hyperspace, right into a battle above Taris. The Endar Spire came out of hyperspace in just enough time to see the last remaining Republic ship was destroyed. The Endar Spire was attacked almost immediately.

Revan was violently shaken from his sleep. He had been drinking with some of the crewmembers the night before, and though he wasn't hung over, he still didn't feel very good. Revan used the Force to fill his body with energy, and stood up from his bed. At that moment, someone burst through the door.

'We've been ambushed by a Sith battle fleet! The Endar Spire is under attack! Hurry up - we don't have much time!' said the solider. He was young, barely twenty, with a solid build. Most notable was his hair. Though in the standard 'high and tight' haircut that most in the military sport, his hair was completely white.

'Who are you?' Revan asked. 'What's going on?'

'I'm Trask Ulgo, ensign with the Republic Fleet. I'm your bunk mate here on the Endar Spire. We work opposite shifts; I guess that's why you haven't seen me before. Now hurry up, we have to find Bastila! We have to make sure she makes it off the ship alive!'

Boy, this kid's long winded. Revan thought, as he quickly grabbed his things from his foot locker. Revan dressed quickly, grabbing his blaster and vibrosword. He holstered the blaster, and drew the sword from its sheath.

'You're using a vibrosword? Are you crazy?' Trask exclaimed.

'A little. Now, come on. We need to get to the bridge if we're going to find Bastila!' Revan said.

Revan called out to Bastila through their bond, and though she didn't answer directly, she sent a wave of relief through the bond. Both were glad that the other was still alive.

Hold on Bas' I'm coming! Revan shot through the bond before opening the door. He got halfway through the hallway before getting a message from his comm unit.

'This is Commander Onasi - the Sith are threatening to overrun our position! We can't hold out long against their firepower! All hands to the bridge!'

'That was Commander Onasi, contacting us on our portable communicators. He's one of the Republic's best pilots! He's seen more combat than the rest of the Endar Spire's crew put together. If he says things are bad, you better believe it. We have to get to the bridge to help defend Bastila!' Trask shouted. The young solider had obviously never been in a real battle before, and Revan had a feeling he would never get the chance again. They hurried through the next door just in time to see a Republic solider die from a hail of blaster fire from Sith troopers down the hall.

'These Sith must be the advance boarding party! For the Republic!' The young solider yelled out. But before Trask could get a shot off, Revan had run across the room and had already cut one of the Sith in two. The other turned to face Revan in just enough time to see Revan's foot shattering his knee. The Sith fell to the ground, and Revan plunged his sword through the Sith's heart. Revan wiped the blood off his blade, and motioned for Trask to follow him.

Trask was stunned. He had never seen anyone move like that before. Who is this guy? How is he able to fight like this? Is he able to use the Force, like the Jedi? So many questions filled Trask's head, and no time to ask them.

Revan and Trask blasted their way onto the bridge, but they only thing they found was a platoon of Sith troops. Revan dispatched them quickly, and Trask picked off the soldiers Revan missed.

'Looks like Bastila's got to the escape pods. We'd better get there too,' Revan said, wiping the blood off his sword.

'You've got that right. The Sith want Bastila alive, but once she's gone, there's nothing to stop them from blasting the Endar Spire into galactic space dust!' Trask shouted. He ran toward the door, and Revan followed.

So they ran as fast as they could around the bridge, until Revan stopped in his tracks. He felt a dark presence behind the next door, and he knew his premonition about Trask would come true. Before he could warn him, however, Trask barreled into the room, and, noticing the door struggling to stay closed, decided to investigate.

'There's something behind here.' Trask said, opening the door. 'Damn - another Dark Jedi! I'll try to hold him off, you get to the escape pods! Go!'

But it wasn't just another Dark Jedi. It was a face Revan recognized from Dantooine, so many years ago. It was Bandon, an impulsive Padawan that Revan met before he left for the Mandalorian Wars. And now, Bandon had fallen to the Dark Side. Trying to warn Trask again, Revan saw the door close behind Trask, and jammed on him, trapping Trask there. As Revan opened the only other possible exit, he heard a scream, followed by a thud. Trask Ulgo was dead, sacrificing himself so Revan could get away. Revan promised himself he wouldn't waste that sacrifice and began running toward the escape pods.

Carth Onasi had been watching the attempt of Jake Katarn and Trask to get to the escape pods since getting Bastila off the Endar Spire. Trask was fighting as expected for someone who had never been in combat. This idealistic young man was doing all he could to get to the escape pods, and sacrificed his life for another, fighting a battle he could never win against a Dark Jedi. Carth was dreading the message he would have to send to Trask's family.

However, most of Carth's attention was on Jake Katarn. The way Jake fought was familiar, but he couldn't quite place it. His fighting style was strange. It was a mixture of Echani, the Mandalorian styles and the style taught to the Republic recruits. And he moved with inhuman speed. Which is why there was no surprise when he saw him escape the Dark Jedi.

'This is Commander Onasi on your personal communicator. I'm tracking your position through the Endar Spire's life support systems,' Carth shouted into the comm. 'Bastila's escape pod is away - you're the last surviving crew member of the Endar Spire! I can't wait for you much longer; you have to get to the escape pods!'

'I'm on my way,' Revan said over the comm. Good. Revan thought. Though Revan didn't like the fact that he and Commander Onasi were the last crew members of the Endar Spire, he was glad Bastila was okay. But he had to hurry if he was going to make it off the ship in time. He ran, quickly dispatching every Sith he saw, until he reached a room swarmed with Sith. Knowing he couldn't handle the battle without it, Revan opened himself to the Force. Reaching out to the Force, Revan flung the Sith troops, and sped up his movements to take down each Sith in a one-on-one situation before they could regroup. Before the Sith had a chance to breathe, Revan had taken then all down.

Carth was amazed at what happened in that room. But, before he could process what he saw, Jake burst through the door.

'You made it just in time! There's only one active escape pod left. Come on, we can hide out on the planet below!' Carth yelled. 'We don't have much time.'

So, Revan and Carth entered the escape pod and locked it down, but before Revan had a chance to buckle himself in, the escape pod had blasted off. Revan was knocked around inside of the pod, and when the Endar Spire exploded, Revan was knocked around so violently that he hit his head, and was knocked out.

Carth looked at the unconscious body of Jake Katarn as he did his best to pilot the escape pod. Don't you die on me. Carth thought. You fought too hard on the Endar Spire to die on me now! But Carth couldn't worry about Jake now. With where the escape pod was going to crash, he would have to worry about his survival first before he could think of anyone else.

The landing was a rough one. Carth escaped with minor injuries, but Jake was not so lucky. In addition to his head injury, Jake had not been buckled upon impact. Carth didn't know how bad Jake's injuries were, but if Jake was to survive, Carth needed to get him out of that escape pod and some medical attention. Carth carefully assessed Jake's situation. He had not been impaled, but he still looked pretty bad. When Carth did a quick go-over, and he discovered there were no broken bones, he was extremely relieved. Good, Carth thought, I can move him. Carth quickly scooped up Jake, and exited the escape pod, hoping to find a place to hide. He saw an apartment complex not far from the crash site, and decided to head there.

Revan, on the other hand, was having problems of his own. He was having nightmares, memories of his days after just after leaving Taris, and the atrocities committed from his orders. The memories disturbed him, but no more than the last one. The last one was a vision of when Bastila captured him. Bastila was doing battle with a Dark Jedi on the bridge of his flagship; the Onslaught. Bastila ferociously attacked the Dark Jedi with her single hilt, yellow bladed lightsaber. She overwhelmed the Dark Jedi, and struck him down.

And that's when the vision ended, and Revan finally woke up.

Revan awoke in a strange place. He scanned the area, and realized he was in an apartment. He saw his sheathed vibrosword and his blaster sitting on the floor next to him. Revan quickly put his weapons back on, and decided to explore the apartment. The apartment was basically one large room in addition to a refresher and a small kitchen. There was a large work bench up against the wall near the windows. Revan walked over to the windows, to get his bearings, and to see where in Taris he was at.

Revan had barely been looking out the window for a minute before he heard the door open. Revan instinctively put his hand on his blaster, but when he saw who had entered, Revan relaxed. The person who walked in was Commander Carth Onasi, who was the only other survivor of the Endar Spire, other than Bastila and himself.

'Good to see you up, instead of thrashing around in your sleep. You must have been having one hell of a nightmare. I was wondering if you were ever going to wake up.' Commander Onasi said.

'Commander Onasi, right? How'd we get here?' Revan said.

'First off, you're not in the military. Second, we're not on the Endar Spire any more, so it's just Carth.' Carth said, setting down his backpack on the table.

'All right, Carth, where are we? How'd we get here?' Revan asked again.

'Well, you've been slipping in and out of consciousness for a couple of days now, so I imagine you're pretty confused about things. Try not to worry. We're safe... at least for the moment.' Carth said, rummaging through his bag. He pulled out a couple of ration bars and tossed one to Revan. Revan caught it in midair as Carth continued to talk.

'We're in an abandoned apartment on the planet of Taris. You were banged up pretty bad when our escape pod crashed, but luckily I wasn't seriously hurt. I was able to drag you away from our crash site in all the confusion, and I stumbled onto this abandoned apartment. By the time the Sith arrived on the scene we were long gone.' Carth said.

'I guess I owe you my life. Thanks.' Revan said. He took a bite out of his ration bar, and Carth spoke up again.

'You don't have to thank me. I've never left someone behind before, and I'm not about to start now.' Carth said as he continued to unpack his bag. He pulled out some med packs, a few blaster cartridges, and a few grenades. 'Besides, I'm going to need your help. Taris is under Sith control. Their fleet is orbiting the planet, they've declared martial law and they've imposed a planet-wide quarantine. But I've been in worse spots.'

'So have I.' Revan said, finishing his ration bar. 'Look, Carth, if we're going to be working together, there's a few things I need you to know.'

'Such as?' Carth said, sitting down at the table. He had just taken a bite of his ration bar when Revan spoke up again.

'I'm sure you saw me fight on the security cameras. Well, let me quell your suspicions. No, I'm not just some scout hired by the Jedi Order as a bodyguard and translator for Bastila. I'm a Jedi Knight, and I'm incognito.'

'I figured as much.' Carth said. 'With the way you threw those Sith around, I would have been surprised if you weren't a Jedi. But why are you incognito?'

Here we go. Revan thought. It's time to tell the truth. 'Because my name isn't Jake Katarn. It's Revan.'

Carth jumped out of his seat, knocking his chair to the floor in the process. 'Revan!' Carth shouted. 'You don't mean...'

'Yes. That Revan. Former Dark Lord of the Sith Revan.' Revan said.

Carth pulled out his left blaster and aimed it at Revan's head, and almost instantaneously, Revan telekinetically pulled the blasters out of both Carth's hand and holster.

'Now, before you go and shoot me, there are a few things you should know.' Revan said, holding Carth's blasters.

'And why would I want to know, after what you've done! Why should I listen to what you have to say!' Carth shouted at Revan.

Revan sighed. He knew Carth was upset, and rightfully so, but right now, Revan needed Carth's cooperation. 'Because you need my help to get off Taris, and I need your help to find Bastila.'

Carth knew Revan was right, but Revan was the last person he wanted to hear that from.

'All right, but I've got some questions first. How are you still alive? What's your agenda?' He shouted at Revan, in an accusatory tone.

Revan sighed. 'All right, we'll start from the beginning.' Revan sat down, still holding Carth's blasters. 'You already know of how Malak 'killed' me, right?'

Carth nodded.

'Well, the only different thing is Malak didn't kill me as thoroughly as he thought.' Revan said, with a sly smile on his face.

'Thanks for stating the obvious, Revan. Mind explaining how you survived that?' Carth said acidly.

'It was Bastila who saved me. When she was leaving the bridge of my ship, she felt a tremor in the Force. That tremor was my life force.' Revan grinned slightly. 'I've always been stubborn, and in regards to dying, I was no different. The Force would have to take me kicking and screaming before I ever go willingly.'

Carth only stared at Revan icily. He must be strong willed to be able to resist my charisma. Revan thought. He smiled inwardly at the prospect of finally finding someone who was not only his intellectual equal, but someone who wouldn't stand in awe of him as well. Revan had met very few, even among the Corusant Jedi Council, who could resist his natural charisma with practice, and here was Carth Onasi, a solider for the Republic, was doing it without even trying.

'Anyway,' Revan said, getting back on topic. 'Using the Force, Bastila reached inside of me, grabbing a hold of that last strand of life I had. She used her own strength to strengthen my life force. From there she took me to Dantooine, so I could be healed, both physically and mentally.'

'What do you mean 'mentally'?' Carth asked.

'I suffered brain damage when Malak attacked my ship. Because of his attack, I've lost the past six years of my life. Everything from when I left Taris six years ago to when I awoke on Dantooine a few weeks ago is gone.' Revan said.

'So you're telling me that you don't remember anything you did as the Dark Lord? Somehow I find that hard to believe.' Carth said in an indignant tone.

'Believe it or not, that's the truth. The only things I know about my reign as the Dark Lord were told to me by Bastila.' Revan said. And a few strange dreams I had, but I'm not about to tell him that until he can handle it.

Carth sat down across from Revan. 'All right, so I know how you're still alive. So what's your agenda? Are you here to get revenge on Malak, or is it far more sinister?' Carth shot icily at Revan.

Revan took his hands off Carth's blasters, though he held them in the air telekinetically, and dug in one of his pockets. He pulled out a circular object, made out of cheap metal.

'Do you know what this is Carth?' Revan said, holding the object between his thumb and index finger. Carth shook his head. 'It's called a 'coin'. I got it on a primitive world that was just joining the Republic. It was used as currency until they went to credits.'

Revan dropped the coin into his hand, allowing Carth to see it easily. 'As you can see, this coin has two sides, two possible choices.'

Carth was naturally confused. 'What are you getting at?' he asked Revan.

'Imagine this coin represents my choices six years ago. On one side, I obey the council, and do not join in the Mandalorian Wars. The Republic loses, and hundreds of trillions die. The Mandalorians take Corusant, and the Jedi end up fighting anyway.' Revan said, showing the 'tails' side of the coin. Revan flips the coin over, to show the 'heads' side. 'On the other side, I join the Mandalorian Wars, saving trillions of lives, but in the process, I fall to the Dark Side. I leave the Republic, and a few years later, I return as the Dark Lord of the Sith, and begin my conquest of the Republic. And through my actions, hundreds of trillions die. Either way, many people die. The game is rigged.'

'So there's no way to stop the death and destruction? Is that what you're getting at?!' Carth said, sneering at Revan.

'That's not what I'm saying at all.' Revan said, flipping his coin, allowing it to land on the table. It lands on the 'tails' side, the side that signified Revan obeying the Jedi Council. 'Suppose you toss a coin enough times,' Revan said, picking up the coin and tossing it again. This time it landed on the 'heads' side, signifying Revan defied the Jedi Council. 'Suppose one day,' Revan tossed the coin one more time. 'it lands on its edge.' The coin strikes the table one more time, this time, as Revan predicted, landed on its edge. 'There's always a third option, and I intend to find it.'

'And what's this 'third option' of yours anyway? Do you plan of saving the Republic without falling to the Dark Side, saving the lives of billions of Republic soldiers in the process?' Carth asked Revan. Revan only nodded. 'How do you plan on achieving that anyway?'

'That's where your choice comes into play,' Revan said, floating Carth's blasters across the table. He set them down gently on the table before speaking again. 'You could shoot me, taking your righteous revenge on me for my actions during the 'Jedi Civil War'. Or you could let me live, and allow me to find that third option.'

Carth picked up his blasters and holstered them. 'You said yourself that there's always a third option. So what's mine?' Carth asked.

'Your third option is an offer. But it will require a lot of work on both our parts. Do you want to hear it?' Revan asked. Carth nodded, wondering what Revan's offer would be. He didn't have to wait long before finding out.

'I offer you my life. If you determine that I'm a big enough threat to the Republic to deserve death, I give you permission to put that blaster up to my head and pull the trigger. I won't stop you.' Revan said.

Carth stared at Revan for a moment. What this man was offering was more than he expected out of the former Dark Lord of the Sith. To think that he, a simple Republic solider, had any power over any Force user, not to mention one this powerful, was something he never thought he'd have.

'All right,' Carth said, standing up. 'I accept your offer. And if what you say is true, if you really don't remember the last six years, I can't judge you on your past actions. But don't give me a reason to make good on your offer, because I'll be watching you like a Farlus Hawk!'

'That's all I'm asking Carth. Well, that and your help to find Bastila, but I think that's implied in what I asked.' Revan said, with a slight chuckle. Revan stood up, and cracked his knuckles. 'Well, if we're going to get off this planet, we shouldn't waste any more time. We need to find Bastila before it's too late.'

Carth didn't know what to make of this situation. Here was Revan, the greatest evil the galaxy has ever known, and he had just given him the right to judge him. What did Revan hope to accomplish with that? Revan deserved a blaster bolt to the head, of that Carth was sure, but something stayed his hand. If Revan was telling the truth, if he really didn't remember what he did as the Dark Lord, then Revan was technically an innocent man. And Carth would not, no, could not kill an innocent man. Carth would have to judge Revan on his actions on Taris. And when they found Bastila, she would have a lot to answer for.

Carth stood up. 'Well, we aren't going to find Bastila by sitting around here all day, so let's get moving.' He said. He saw Revan smile slightly. What that meant, however, was open to interpretation.

'Then let's roll out. I have a feeling that Bastila's in some trouble that she can't get out of on her own.' Revan said. And at that moment, he and Carth exited the apartment.

And went right into hostile situation. Right outside the door, was a Sith solider, with two war droids threatening two Duros.

'Okay you alien scum, everybody get up against the wall! This is a raid!' The Sith solider said, his blaster rifle aimed right in the face of the Duros on the right.

'There was a patrol here just yesterday, and they found nothing! Why do you Sith keep bothering us?' The Duros said in his own language.

The Sith solider didn't respond well to being talked back to. He raised his blaster at the Duro, and pulled the trigger. The moment the blaster bolt hit the Duros' face, it exploded. Chunks of flesh, bone, and brain tissue splattered around them. The Sith solider leveled his blaster rifle at the other Duro before speaking again.

'That's how we Sith deal with smart-mouth aliens! Now the rest of you get up against the wall before I lose my temper again!' The Sith solider said.

Revan could not abide by what he saw, and immediately drew his vibrosword and began advancing on the Sith troops. He rammed his vibrosword through the chest of one of the war droids, causing it to spark and finally, die. Revan tore the sword out through the droid's side, and as the droid dropped to the ground, glared at the Sith solider.

'Humans hiding out with aliens? They're Republic fugitives! Attack!' The Sith solider said, raising his blaster rifle. But it did him no good. Just as quickly as he took out the droid, he took out the solider as well. Revan spun around, and decapitated the solider as Carth picked off the droid.

'Poor Ixgil. He should never have talked back to that Sith. Thankfully you were here to step in and help us, human.' The other Duro said. 'This isn't the first time the Sith have come in here to cause trouble for us, but hopefully it will be the last.'

'Glad we could help.' Revan said as he wiped the blood off his vibrosword.

'Don't worry about the bodies. I will move them so it looks like they were killed elsewhere.' The Duro said. 'That should throw the Sith off the track. With any luck, they won't be bothering us again for a while.'

'I appreciate that. Thanks.' Revan said, sheathing his sword. He motioned Carth to follow, and headed for the turbolift that led to the exit.

As Carth followed Revan, many thoughts went through his head. He didn't know how to react to Revan's actions. Was Revan trying to gain Carth's trust, or would he have acted that way if he had been alone? Why did he care? He shouldn't care whether Revan wanted him to trust him, even though trust was something that was impossible, but he did. And that bothered him. It bothered him as much as having to travel with Revan bothered him. Carth needed to be on his guard, and he would not take his eyes off Revan for one minute.