Malak Rising

I awake to the sound of klaxons and the ship rocking hard under fire. I feel a little dizzy as I sit on my bunk, trying to remember where in the galaxy I am and what I am doing there. I have no time to give it much consideration as the door to the room slides open, revealing a young and desperate looking ensign.

'The Endar Spire is under attack!' he shouts, stating the obvious, 'we've been ambushed!'

'Slow down, what in the name of the Force is going on? And who are you?'

'I'm Trask Ulgo, Ensign with the Republic Fleet,' he salutes.

'Alright Trask,' I continue calmly as I get up, realizing I'm in my underwear and looking for the trunk where my belongings are locked, 'Who's attacking us?'

'The Mandalorians sir! A whole fleet of them! It's as if they were waiting for us! They're launching boarding parties as we speak. They're probably trying to kill or capture Bastila!'

I swiftly turn around, lightsaber in hand.

'Bastila's in danger? Alright, lead the way. Just wait a second for me to get dressed.'

I hastily put on my Jedi robes. I don't look my best but it shall have to do and Mandalorians are not really interested in how well you're dressed, they only want to see you dead.

No sooner have we stepped into the corridor that an authoritative male voice booms on our Com-links

'This is Carth Onasi. The Mandalorians are trying to force their way to the bridge! All hands to the bridge! I repeat, all hands to the bridge!'

'We need to hurry,' remarks Trask, as he leads me through the corridors of the ship.

After turning around a corner, I get my first glimpse of a Mandalorian. I freeze for a split second, awed and a little afraid by the tall and fully-armoured warrior staring back at me and wielding a massive vibroblade. At his feet lies a dead Republic crewman, hacked by a mighty sword blow. He charges us, bellowing an angry warcry.

'For Clan Ordo!' he shouts

My combat reflexes kick in instantly and I dodge the blow, swirling around the surprised Mandalorian. In one smooth move I activate my blade and send his head flying across the corridor. Trask looks at me with amazement, probably witnessing a Jedi fighting for the first time.

We fight our way to the bridge, only to find it under siege. The Mandalorians have managed to blow open the door and are trying to reach the cadre of Jedi the Republic soldiers are defending with their lives.

The Mandalorians are so focussed on the enemy in front of them, that they do not hear Trask and me coming from behind. I launched myself at them, flying from one to the next, killing one with each blow, like wheat at the harvest, and leaving a trail of bodies behind me. Seeing me, the battered Jedi and Republic soldiers fight with renewed vigour.

Moments later I find myself in front of Bastila, panting but smiling impishly at her.

'In the nick of time,' I comment, pointing at the dead Mandalorians.

'As always Revan,' she smiles shyly back. I think she might even be blushing.

I like her a lot, maybe even too much. Ever since Malak left for the war, she's been my closest friend. We complete each other quite well. She's brash and wilful and I am cool and collected. She gives me some of her inner fire and I quench it a bit.

'Good work Master Jedi,' an officer in his late thirties with stray hair falling across his face, tells me with a hard stare, 'but we're not done yet.'

'You are correct. Commander Onasi, I presume?'

I offer him my hand and he shakes it, albeit reluctantly.

'What's the situation?' My attention is focussed back on the business at hand.

'We have soldiers holed up in the engineering section, defending it. We need to help them. If they are overwhelmed the Mandalorians could very well blow the whole ship. As for the situation of the rest of the Fleet it's too damn confusing. All I can say is that they're slaughtering us. It's as if they knew exactly where and when to strike to hurt us the most.'

'Time to work your magic Bastila, and the Force knows we need it right now.' I turn to Commander Onasi, 'Establish a perimeter around the bridge. I'll lead a strike team to relieve your men trapped in the engineering section.'

Commander Onasi gives me a dozen men, including Trask Ulgo, and we set off toward the rear of the ship.

---

As Carth had said, it was not a battle, it was a slaughter. The Mandalorians caught us unaware as we rested at high anchor in orbit around Taris. A good quarter of the fleet is destroyed and another quarter is badly damaged. But most importantly the Sojourn was lost with all hands, including Admiral Dodonna and Master Kavar.

Thankfully, the timely arrival of Malak and his flotilla allowed us to recover and drive back the Mandalorians, but only at a terrible cost. The Jedi have finally come into the war in full force, not just the few that followed Malak, but we have not even started fighting that we have lost many of our numbers, including the Order's Weaponmaster, the very man who was supposed to lead us.

When the Republic pleaded us to join the war, many, including myself, were willing to join the fight, to uphold the ideals of the Republic and the Jedi, to defend the innocents against the senseless slaughter. But the Council ruled against it, saying we should not go, telling us something dark and sinister lurked in the Unknown Regions, a threat far more dangerous than the Mandalorians.

I remember sitting in my room in the Enclave of Dantooine, trying to come to terms with this decision. I came very close to leaving, to joining the fight, as Malak did. I could have, maybe I should have. Somehow, I know I could have made a difference, but I realise that again it's my ego speaking.

I made a decision three years ago against going to war with the Mandalorians. It was not an easy one to make. In the end what swayed me was not the threat the Jedi Masters spoke of, I believe each should be treated in their own time, but I feared the Jedi would lose themselves in this war against an enemy who knew no fear, no mercy and no remorse. But in the following years, the war has taken a turn for the worse and the Core Worlds are now threatened with invasion. The Republic has called all its reserves and begged the Jedi to intervene. The Jedi Council grudgingly accepted and sent Master Kavar to lead us.

Looking at Malak as he strides into the briefing room of his flagship with Admiral Saul Karath in tow, I know I have been correct in my decision. He is still the same giant of a man I once knew, still bald with tattoos covering his head, but I notice the changes. The most obvious one is that he no longer wears the customary robes of the Jedi, but instead a tight red suit and a black cloak. But the most important one is his gaze, it's hard, calculating and unforgiving, the stare of a man who has seen horrors and probably made terrible choices. I remark something else in his gaze, which I cannot identify but which gives me a chill.

'I'm afraid I must confirm the death of both Master Kavar and Admiral Forn Dodonna,' begins Malak and a murmur of grief and anger sweep across the room. 'The rescue teams sent on their ship have recently recovered both bodies. From what I understand, the Mandalorians planted a bomb near the reactor core of their vessel and blew it up from the inside. We were lucky to find their badly burnt corpses, which have not been easy to identify.'

The room has fallen silent, people mourning the passing of their leaders, but I also sense an undercurrent of anger. People will want revenge.

'I shall not let this go unpunished,' Malak proclaims, 'Now that the Jedi have finally joined us en masse, it is time to make the Mandalorians pay. We shall hunt them down to the end of the stars and crush them all, once and for all. We shall be merciless; we shall fight to the bitter end, until the galaxy is rid of them, until the Republic is safe once more. Are you with me?'

As one all Republic commanders present in the room rise and confirm their allegiance to Malak with a cheer. The Jedi rise in turn, including myself, but more reluctantly. We all feel a bit awkward, we all sense the strong emotions swirling in the room and emanating from Malak himself.

'Why did the Masters not come with us?' I ponder. We would certainly have needed their patience and leadership.

As we slowly leave the room after the briefing, Malak calls to me.

'Revan, come and walk with me.'

I whisper Bastila to return to the Endar Spire and go meet my friend.

'You haven't changed a bit. Glad you could finally join us,' Malak tells me with a condescending smirk as we walk down an empty corridor.

'What was this talk of revenge Malak?'

The tall Jedi sighs

'What do you think is going on here? We finally receive much needed reinforcements and the help of the Jedi, only for the Mandalorians to almost crush that hope in a single strike! They leave two great leaders dead in their wake. Someone had to step in, so I did. You haven't seen the Mandalorians fight Revan! They're nothing but bloodthirsty animals without honour,' Malak's voice feels with rightful anger as he says so, 'We shall not be safe until they're all dead.'

'I'm sorry Malak, but what you describe is not the Jedi way, and you know it!'

'To hell with the Jedi way!' shouts the giant angrily, 'where do you think you are? There is a war going on! We have to fight with every option in our arsenal to defeat those beasts, every option you hear me! Anything else will only lead to defeat and slavery! This is not the place and time for your high-minded Jedi ideals! Go crawl back to the Masters on Coruscant if you can't handle this war! Where are they even now, your precious Masters? Now shut up and make yourself useful if you intend to stay.'

Malak dismisses me with an angry wave of the hand.

'Malak, you're losing yourself in this war. You have to realise this.'

'I am not. I am discovering my true self, unlocking my true potential. And you would have too if you had gone to war with us back then. But you were too cowardly!'

'I understood what would happen to us if we went to war! Look at you, where is the idealistic Guardian I once knew?'

'Long dead, good riddance with him. He couldn't handle the war, I can! By the way, you'll transfer to this ship from the Endar Spire. I'll need you and Bastila to help me win this war.'

'I'll do as you ask Malak, but that does not mean I approve. I want to win, but there are proper ways to do it.'

'This discussion is over. Come back when you have some backbone Revan. I once admired you, but you're nothing more than a snivelling coward, hiding in the robes of the Jedi Council. Get out of my sight and let me lead this war. But remember, I need Bastila and her Battle Meditation abilities.'

---

I pace up and down the length of my quarters, trying to forget the past few weeks, but I cannot. Those images would forever be burnt in my mind, the horrors I have witnessed, the screams of the dying, the odour of ozone and burnt flesh, the unbearable heat and the warcries of the Mandalorians. Dxun has been a hellhole for every one of us.

Bastila gets up and gently takes my hand, trying to calm me. But she cannot understand, she was safe on a ship, using her Battle Meditation to give us the edge we direly needed to win. She did not witness our troops being torn to shreds by minefields and the deadly crossfire of Mandalorian gun emplacements. She did not take part in the bloody assault of the fortress' defences, nor did she fight in the bloody close quarter combat that erupted as soon as the walls were breached. The Mandalorians almost fought us to a standstill, channelling our greater number into gullets where their superior skill made up for the inferiority in numbers.

Only the Jedi managed to break that deadlock. I remember running the gauntlet of the enemy guns, seeing fellow Jedi riddled with blaster fire collapsing silently to the ground. I recall the exaltation and the fury that took me when we finally reached the Mandalorians. It was a slaughter; we massacred them without mercy or second thought. After almost three days of non-stop fighting, we were exhausted but driven by our desire to make those bastards pay for all our friends and comrades now dead in that forlorn jungle. It was a great victory, so Malak had said.

When it was all over, I realised I had been right all along. The war was changing us, all of us, Jedi or non-Jedi. We were losing all thought of mercy, of pity. We were driven only by victory, at any cost. The only thing that mattered to most of us was that the Mandalorians were dead, many did not even shed a tear for the countless soldiers and Jedi now dead in that senseless frontal assault.

As those dark thoughts swirled in my mind and I walked groggily through the ruins the mightiest Mandalorian stronghold in known space, I came across a like-minded soul. Irana Dral was her name. She was a Jedi and a General in the Republic army. She had joined the war along with the first wave of Jedi, about the same time as Malak did. My former friend values her opinion, even if he seems to often disagree with her. As we stood on top of the ruins of the Mandalorian citadel on Dxun, we talked, for what seemed ages. She confirmed the impression I had since the beginning and that had grown even stronger with Dxun. Something was very wrong in the way this war was fought.

So I decided to gather friends and allies to discuss what can be done about this. I chose them carefully, not knowing who I could trust anymore. Finally I settled on Carth Onasi, the Echani General Yusanis and his wife, who is also one of my mentors, Arren Kae, Bastila and Irana. I realise how few we are as we are all gathered in my apartments.

'I believe we can all agree that something is not right,' I begin, still staring out at the stars, 'Irana can talk about it better than any of us, especially among the Jedi, but so can Carth I believe. We are seeing it happening all around us.'

'Indeed,' the Telosian comments, after taking a sip of his Tarisian Ale, 'more and more soldiers are loyal to Malak and to him alone, rather than to the Republic. I have heard many say that the Senate is far away and does nothing to help them, leaving them to fight the Mandalorians alone. They argue that Malak is the one leading them, giving them victories and hope. It is my assessment that many would follow him to hell and back.'

'It is a very dangerous situation,' remarks Yusanis with a frown, 'when soldiers on the field feel more loyalty toward their commanding officer than toward their leaders. Everything rests in the hands of that commander. It is necessary to instil loyalty and pride in your troops, but the talks I have heard sometimes border on sedition.'

'And let's not even talk about the Jedi,' adds Irana, 'their mood and behaviour is altering. And since they are often seen as models for the common soldiers, these changes are spreading. Many of the Jedi who joined the war with Malak are prone to anger and other outbursts of emotions.'

'The Masters who have come later, with the second wave, can do little,' notes Arren, 'the Jedi who joined with Malak have little respect for them. They argue the time for lessons is long past and that defeating the Mandalorians at any cost is what matters today.'

'We all know that while the Jedi Council sanctioned the Order going to war to assist the Republic, many of the Masters disagree with this policy,' concludes Bastila, reminding us all of how little guidance we have.

'Kavar was supposed to lead us and keep us on the right track. His death was a tragedy and allowed Malak to step in. In his wake, his belief of victory at any cost has spread like brushfire,' concludes Irana.

'But his daring moves have won us many victories,' remarks Carth.

'You cannot even imagine the cost, Commander Onasi,' retorts Irana with a sad smile, 'Revan and I were on the surface of Dxun. The frontal assault was a needless slaughter. There were different ways to defeat them.'

'Maybe so, but Malak has scored a great victory on Dxun. He managed to take a major Mandalorian stronghold and did it in the way the Mandalorians fight. This was a great blow to their morale. We have them on a back footing and the string of victories we have won afterwards proves it.'

'And with each victory our numbers are thinned down and the survivors are hardened, their heart becoming as dry as a rock,' I note thoughtfully. 'Sometimes I wonder if that was not his intention all along.'

'What are you talking about?' asks Carth, a little puzzled.

'I hope I am wrong, but I get more and more the impression that Malak has ulterior motives in the way he leads this war. Victory is not his only concern.'

'If what you say is true, then dark days are ahead of us,' concludes Bastila sombrely.

---

The command room of Malak's flagship is full to the brim with Jedi and officers. It is the first time since Dxun that so many of us are gathered in one place. I know the rumours. Malak supposedly came with a masterful plan to crush the Mandalorians once and for all.

But I am more concerned by the mood in the chamber. I see the hard stares, the clenched jaws of many Jedi and officers. They are determined to see the Mandalorians destroyed at any cost. I avoid them and they do likewise. The rift between the majority following Malak unquestioningly and those few who feel the changes but can do nothing to stop it is growing. If nothing is done, it will destroy us. I just know it.

Malak strides into the room followed by Saul Karath and several Jedi clad in black, his elite personal guard. He walks down a flight of stairs to the massive holographic display standing in the middle of the room.

'The moment of victory is at hand,' he begins with a predatory smile. 'We have lured the Mandalorians right where we want them.'

He activates the holographic display, on which a large dark planet appears.

'This is Malachor V, where the Mandalorians will fall and our future open before us. My plan is twofold. We shall lure the Mandalorians into orbit, with part of our fleet acting as bait. And when they are where we want them, I shall fall on their rear with my own fleet and we shall smash them between the hammer and the anvil. I must warn you this battle shall not be easy. Once the Mandalorians realise we have them trapped, they will fight like caged beasts. But I know of a way to crush them definitely.'

Malak pauses for effect.

'I shall seek out and kill Mandalore. With their leader dead, the Mandalorians will lose the will to fight and victory will be ours.'

Karath steps forward.

'The fleet will now split in two. General Dral will command the group in orbit around Malachor and Malak the flanking force. Instructions have been updated into your datapads. Review them carefully. If you have any question or inquiry, direct them to me.'

I read my instructions. I am to stay on board Malak's flagship as an advisor. I will be utterly useless in this position. I have earned my rank of General too! I should have a command of my own, instead of remaining behind!

I get up and walk toward Karath, in quiet discussion with another officer. Malak has already left the room. He is more and more aloof. I have not talked to him in weeks, not that I would have much to tell that I did not already.

I am only a few steps from Karath, who has still not seen me, when I sense someone tugging my robe. I turn around, coming face to face with Irana.

'Follow me,' she says in a hushed tone.

We leave the conference room and walk a bit until we reach an observation gallery.

'What is it Irana?' I ask, curious.

'You should read this,' she hands me her datapad.

I skim through lists of names and ships, recognising many. There are also Jedi names attached to each vessel.

'This is my fleet. You notice anything strange?'

I read aloud.

'General Yusanis, Arren Kae, Commander Onasi,' the list goes on, only people who have doubted the wisdom of Malak's plans. 'What's the meaning of this?'

'You remember how you said there was something afoot, something dark and sinister. Well here it is. The force in orbit around Malachor is only made up of people whose loyalty to Malak is in question. That could mean nothing, if not for the second part of my orders.'

Irana takes back her datapad and punches a code, before handing it back to me. Those are special secret orders for her alone.

'Ready Mass Shadow Generator for activation,' I read aloud. 'What's that?'

'A weapon of such destructive power you could not even imagine it. I cannot go into the details, but anything caught in it will be instantly crushed. To be honest we do not know exactly what it will do, we never tested it. One of the engineers under my command, an Iridonian called Bao-Dur, designed it.'

'And Malak intends to use it?'

'It does seem like it, doesn't it?'

Suddenly I understand what Irana was driving at.

'The Generator is on your ship right? You'll be in the middle of the battle...'

I dare not finish the sentence. The implications are simply frightening.

'If I activate it, I would probably wipe out the whole Mandalorian fleet, but most of the vessels under my command too.'

'A perfect way to kill two birds with one stone,' I remark grimly.

---

I look out at the battle unfolding in the distance from the observation deck on which Bastila and I have been assigned. From this far, I can hardly determine how the battle is going, but from the explosions I can imagine it must be a fierce one. I wonder what I am supposed to be doing here. There is little to no chance any Mandalorian would could to attack Bastila while she is in trance. I could have been more useful with a ship or a fighter squadron of my own.

Malak's decision and what Irana showed me make me wonder about my former friend's intentions. If he actually plans something sinister, like I believe he does, why not send me to die with the rest?

Bastila puts her hand on my shoulder. I turn around and smile at her weakly and sadly.

'What's the matter Revan? You have been gloomy for days. Is there something you want to tell me?'

I have not told anyone about what I have come to suspect. I am too afraid someone could overhear us or be one of Malak's agents.

'Nothing really, just the tension of the coming battle I guess. You should get prepared. I believe we'll be going in very soon.'

She nods and gives me her special smile, the one meant only for me. She kneels on the cold metal floor of the observation deck and enters a meditation trance, preparing her mind for the strain of Battle Meditation.

I retreat to a corner of the room, not wishing to disturb her with my presence. After a few minutes, an officer enters. He tells me Malak requests my presence on the command deck. I leave Bastila to her meditation and follow the young lieutenant.

The command deck is a hive of activity. Crewmen are moving back and forth and officers are barking orders. From what I overhear, it seems that the fleet is about to enter the battle. Malak stands with his back to me, gazing at the battle in the distance. Without turning back, he beckons to me.

'Revan, I am glad you could join me,' I can see his reflection in the glace. He smiles and his eyes, that have taken a yellow undertone in the past weeks, seem to shine with barely contained anger, 'this day shall herald a new beginning for the galaxy.'

I say nothing, curious as to what he wants with me.

'I know your doubts Revan. You have seen the Republic and the Jedi for what they are, as I did.'

'And what do you believe I have seen?'

'That they are weak and afraid, unable to comprehend the true nature of the Force and the way the galaxy works. They are shackled by antiquated perceptions and ideals.'

He turns around.

'I shall herald a new era for the Republic and the Jedi! You have a place in that new order Revan! You know, as well as I do, that the Republic is crumbling under the corruption that is ripe in the Senate.'

I have indeed seen things, which have made me doubt the government of the Republic, senators hoarding resources and troops to protect their own worlds at the expense of the security of the whole Republic, bickering and petty rivalries, the constant bureaucratic red tape...

'And what if I have?' I ask, curious of where Malak is going, but guessing with horror what he means.

'The Republic needs strong and new leadership. I shall bring it! And you can have a place in that new galaxy. You can stand by my right. Don't waste your potential Revan. The old ways are dying; you know it as well as I do. It is time for those gifted with the Force to take charge.'

It is as I had feared. Malak has lost his mind. This is the Dark Side speaking through him, I realise shocked. I can hardly believe what I am hearing. The noble man I once knew, I once proudly called my friend, is dead, replaced by a monster bent on domination and conquest.

I try as best as I can to keep my calm, to make my face and feelings unreadable as I try to find a way to escape this trap.

'What about Bastila?' I ask him, sounding as if I am interested.

I can see Malak's eyes gleam at the mention of her name. So this is what he was interested in all along, Bastila and her Battle Meditation. I was just a means to this end. If he could sway me, he would gain her. And then he would probably dispose of me.

'Can you convince her to join us my friend?'

'I can give it a try,' he reply with a neutral voice.

'Excellent,' Malak laughs, but it is not the hearty laugh of the man I once knew, it is twisted and evil. 'she will be a powerful asset to our new order Revan! Go now, there is much we have to talk about, once this battle is over.'

I bow, knowing instinctively Malak expects it and turn away. I walk back, trying to keep my calm for as long as I am on the bridge. But as soon as the doors have closed behind me, I run to the observation port.

I find Bastila already in deep trance. There is no time for a gentle awakening, so I shake her out of her meditation.

'Revan,' she asks groggily, 'what's the matter?'

'We have to get out of here! Malak has turned to the Dark Side! We must warn the fleet in orbit around Malachor V before it's too late.'

'Why? What is going to happen?' She seems to barely register what I say.

'Irana has developed a terrifying weapon and Malak is going to use it, wiping out both those unloyal to him and the Mandalorians in one blow. We must go and warn them!' My voice shakes with the urgency of the moment

Bastila gets up with difficulty, still weakened by the harsh manner in which I pulled her from her meditation. I take her by the hand and we head for the hangars as fast as we can, trying not to draw too much attention to ourselves. After a few minutes, we have almost reached our destination.

'We're almost there,' I tell Bastila.

Suddenly she is hurled across the room, hits a bulkhead hard and collapses to the floor, unmoving.

'Leaving so soon?' a voice I know only too well booms behind me.

Malak walks out of the shadows, his lightsaber in hand.

'I cannot allow you to activate the Mass Shadow Generator!' I shout.

'So I see Dral has been talking too much. Damn that woman, she has always been too righteous for her own good. But in the situation I have placed her; she'll have no choice but to activate it!'

'Why Malak?'

'Why you ask? Are you blind? The Republic is collapsing, the Sith Empire is on the rise! No longer will the Jedi Masters hold us back!'

'The Sith?'

I have heard about them, but I thought they had been destroyed during the war against Exar Kun, decades ago.

'Yes, the Sith! You seem surprised, the Sith are not a race or a nation, they are a philosophy. They have a true understanding of the Force!'

'I will never allow you to destroy everything I have sworn to protect and safeguard!' I declare, unclipping my sword from my belt.

'You think you have what it takes to defeat the Dark Lord of the Sith?' Malak gloats, 'You are weak and pathetic Revan. You could have been more powerful than in your wildest dreams. But you had to choose the path that will forever hold you back.'

'No more talking, my 'old friend,' your reign of terror shall end before it even starts!'

I activate by blade, which glows an eerie purple and charge Malak. He switches on his own sabre and parries. His sword glows the colour of fresh blood.

We trade blows for a few seconds taking the measure of each other. Malak was always a great swordsman, probably better than me, even back in our younger days. But today he seems like an unstoppable juggernaut. I am hard pressed to parry or dodge his furious attacks.

Without warning, blue lightning shoots from his left hand. I manage to deflect most of it with my blade, but what little passes through almost overwhelms me with pain. I barely roll out of the way, as Malak tries to finish me off.

'Give up now, Revan, and I'll grant you a quick death!'

'A Jedi would never surrender to a follower of the Dark Side,' I reply, panting.

'Good, I would have been disappointed if you had deprived me of the pleasure of tearing you apart,' Malak taunts me.

I know I cannot win in a straight fight. He is much too powerful. But I do not have to use brute force to defeat him. I grin.

Malak resumes his merciless attacks and my arms grow numb from parrying his mighty blows. Finally I give in and Malak's blade is about to hack me in two. At the last possible moment, I spin out of the way and under Malak's guard. Before the massive Jedi can bring back his sword to parry, I twist my blade across his face, ruining it.

Malak takes two steps back and drops his lightsabre, his hands going to his face. He falls on his knees, screaming in pain and anger.

I stand over him for what seems an eternity, deciding what I should do. I have him at my mercy; maybe I should kill him once and for all. I shake my head disapprovingly. I am starting to sound just like him, as ruthless and unforgiving. Jedi do not believe in executing their prisoners. There has to be a way to end this madness.

But my reflections are cut short by the sound of heavy boots coming in my direction. Someone must have heard the battle or Malak's scream and is coming to investigate. And there seems to be quite a few people. I give one last glance at Malak, still prone on the floor, nursing his destroyed jaw. He looks back at me with such anger, such hate that it seems to physically slam into me.

I grab Bastila, who is slowly regaining consciousness and we run for the hangar. I commandeer an assault shuttle and flee the ship.

---

I do not know how long I have before Malak is recovered and gives orders to hunt us down. There is not time to waste if I want to save the Republic fleet from certain destruction. I hear Bastila steering in the seat behind me.

'What happened?' she asks groggily.

'Malak sent you flying into a bulkhead and knocked you out. We fought and I left him wounded. I could do nothing more, people were coming to his aid, so I left him there. We have to find a way to warn the fleet.'

Bastila moves to the co-pilot's seat beside me and starts looking at the buttons in front of her.

'I found the Com,' she says with a wry smile.

'Alright, try to raise the Endar Spire or the Endeavour. Those are Carth's and Irana's ships. The Endeavour would be best since the Mass Shadow Generator is on board that ship.'

As Bastila tries her best to contact our friends, I push the shuttle at her maximum. Slowly the battle draws closer and I can start to determine the pattern of the fighting. My heart sinks as I understand the Mandalorians are slowly but surely winning. There are many more than Malak told us. It seems my former friend does not need to give Irana the order to activate the weapon; she'll do it by herself to save what she can from her fleet.

Suddenly the shuttle rocks hard and klaxons blare. We have been hit by something. I take a quick look at the sensors and see a trio of fighters coming in hard on us with murderous intent.

'I can't reach them! Every channel is full of chatter and screams. I guess this ship does not have access to the command channels.'

'We don't have any choice, we must reach them in person,' I say as the ship rocks again, 'Can you man the dorsal gun turret and take care of our unwelcome guests?'

Bastila simply nods and walks out. As soon as she is strapped in the turret, I begin evasive actions. The first few shots were fired from too far, but now the fighters are close enough to be really dangerous.

I plunge into the chaos of the battle with the fighters on my tail, dodging the debris of destroyed warships and trying to make my way to the heart of the Republic formation. Ironically enough, the fighters pursuing us are destroyed by the Mandalorians, who in turn begin to chase us. I bank hard to starboard to avoid a volley of proton torpedoes, which impacts harmlessly on the shield of a warship. I then plunge between two cruisers exchanging point blank fire. My Jedi reflexes allow me to avoid the turbolaser volleys but the Mandalorians are not so lucky.

'The Endar Spire!' I yell more to myself than anyone else.

The cruiser, supported by two heavy frigates, is engaging a larger Mandalorian destroyer at close range. Swarms of fighters are zipping back and forth.

'Unidentified shuttle, this is the Endar Spire,' a tensed voice booms in the Com, 'identify yourself or be destroyed.'

'This is Jedi Knight Revan, patch me through to Commander Onasi! This is of the utmost importance!'

'I repeat,' says the voice after a second's hesitation, 'identify yourself or you will be destroyed.'

'By the Force! Stop your nonsense! I have information of the utmost importance for the Commander!'

'Wait a second,' the person on the other end seems to be speaking to someone else.

'I'm sorry but the Commander is not available,' says a voice I instantly recognise. 'Now identify yourself, this is our last...'

'Trask! Trask Ulgo! It's Revan! You remember me?'

'General Revan?' the young man asks with amazement, 'What are you doing here?'

'No time to explain, allow me to land.'

'Of course, General, the bay is open.'

Moments later, Bastila and I are led by Trask to the bridge of the Endar Spire. Carth stands in the middle of the room, still as a statue, a rock in the middle of the storm. He slowly turns to face us and a thin smile appears on his face.

'What are you doing? Shouldn't you be with Malak? And where is he? We're being slaughtered here.'

I lean forward grimly, so that no one else will hear.

'Malak will not help you. He's turned to the Dark Side. He is going to sacrifice this whole fleet, full of people he deems not loyal to him and then move in to finish off the Mandalorians.'

Carth stares at me without blinking, his jaw clenched.

'It all makes sense now! The bastard! The old bastard!' the Telosian seems to be speaking to himself. 'Saul Karath approached me a few weeks ago, telling me I should look out for myself and telling me changes were on their way, great changes. He offered me a place in a new galaxy!'

'He was trying to recruit you into Malak's army,' I reply sadly.

'It did not make sense at the time! We argued and we were both very angry. Now it's all too clear.'

'There is no time to think about Karath's betrayal. Can you raise the Endeavour from here?'

'I should be able to.'

'Hurry then if we do not act fast, Irana is going to make one big mistake that will kill us all.'

---

After several unsuccessful attempts and suspicious officers, we are finally in contact with Irana. The woman looks tired, her face grim, yet she retains her air of dignity and authority I have always seen. She is calm, but appears resigned to a terrible decision. I know we have reached her just on time.

'Whatever you do, don't active the Generator just yet!' I tell her with urgency.

'It's too late for that Revan, Bao-Dur has activated it. It is charging to full capacity and will activate in a few minutes.'

'What's the blast radius?'

'Unknown, but probably quite large.'

'Can you stop it now?'

'No, I don't. Once it's activated the energy buildup must be released by an explosion.'

'You realise that you'll probably kill us all with that thing.'

'I know,' she says on the verge of tears, 'but I don't have much choice! Malak tells me he is too busy with unexpected Mandalorian reinforcements to arrive in time. He says Mandalore is with them.'

'It's probably a lie. You remember our doubts? Well Malak has fallen to the Dark Side. He wants to kill both the Mandalorians and us in one blow. And the Generator is the key to his plan.'

'I know that,' Irana replies grimly, 'but I don't have much choice. I won't allow the Mandalorians to escape! Not when I have the means to finish them! The Endeavour will be untouched by the explosion. We'll probably survive. If I can kill those bastards I will.'

My mind races to find a solution.

'Alright, but I won't allow you to take the rest of the Fleet with you in your mad bid for victory. I don't approve of it and I won't let them die for nothing.'

'What do you propose Revan?'

'Simple, the Endeavour and a few escorts drive for the heart of the Mandalorian formation while the rest of the fleet retreats as fast as possible. This way, we destroy the Mandalorians and still manage to save as many men as possible.'

'Who would come with me?'

'I think I can provide help with that General Dral,' says the Echani Yusanis appearing on the holographic display, 'Commander Onasi took the liberty of contacting me. Arren and I don't want to be left out of your plan to save what we can of the Republic fleet. My battle group will provide cover for the Endeavour.'

I could cry. Three of my closest friends are going to die, all because of Malak. I silently swear that if my former friend survives this battle I shall make him pay. I shall know no rest until his madness is at an end.

Arren Kae contacts me on a private channel.

'Yes Master?' I ask her, trying to keep tears from my eyes.

'Do not be sad Revan, it is the will of the Force. I would have it no other way. I'll die fighting for the ideals of the Jedi Order, even after it rejected me. But there is one last thing I would ask of you my friend.'

'Anything you want.'

'Take good care of my daughter Brianna. Train her in the ways of the Force. I never dared go against the wishes of the Council when they banished me. But I believe I should have, do it for me. Promise me, Revan.'

'I will train your daughter in the ways of the Force, Arren. I only wish you could do it yourself.'

The Jedi Master smiles sadly.

'That would not have been wise. May the Force be with you Revan,' she seems about to turn off the transmission, but thinks better of it. 'One more thing, tell her how you feel, tell Bastila.'

'May the Force be with you Master,' I reply.

I remain for a long moment staring at the blank screen, tears welling up in my eyes. Today I have lost a mentor and a friend. I shall honour her memory. But the time for mourning is not now. I turn back to the holographic image of Irana. Her face is serene and at peace.

'Revan, it has been a pleasure to meet you and fight alongside you. May the Force be with you, my friend.'

'May the Force be with you Irana,' I bow to her, 'I shall tell the Masters of your courageous deeds.'

Irana cuts off the communication. I move to the tactical display and see that the Endeavour and the ships under Yusanis' command are moving in formation and plunging into the Mandalorian fleet. Carth has not remained inactive while I said my goodbyes.

'This is Commander Onasi. General Dral has handed me command,' he announces to the officers of the fleet. 'She is going to use a special weapon to obliterate those bastards. Malak is unable to help us, we are on our own. So you are going to pull back in fighting order and move as far away from the Endeavour as you can. We don't know the blast radius of that weapon, nor its exact effects. May the Force be with you. See you all on the other side.'

Carth then orders the Endar Spire to come about and punch his way through the cordon of Mandalorian warships. The rest of the Fleet follows as fast as it can.

---

I watch with morbid fascination the Endeavour and her escorts disappear into the mass of Mandalorian vessels, firing all their guns and leaving a trail of debris and hulks behind them. The crews of those few lonely vessels seem possessed. I turn around, looking for Bastila and see her kneeling in a corner of the bridge, away from all the activity. She is helping the others with her Battle Meditation, giving us the time we need to escape the trap of Malachor.

One by one, the escort ships are destroyed. My heart skips a beat when the symbol of Yusanis' ship blinks out of existence. I feel a single tear rolling down my cheek at the thought of the gallant warrior and his wife, my mentor and friend.

Carth touches my shoulder and I almost jump.

'Let's hope we are far enough. The Mandalorians are hard on our tail.'

My eyes are fixed on the symbol of the Endeavour, surrounded by half a dozen Mandalorian cruisers.

'Give them hell,' I whisper.

'Massive energy spike from the heart of the Mandalorian fleet, Sir!' announces an officer.

Moments later the ship rocks and I collapse to the floor. It is as if my body weights tons. The Endar Spire cracks and moans, and I fear it will break in two under the massive gravitational pull of the Mass Shadow Generator.

When gravity returns to normal, Carth is the first on his feet.

'Damage report,' he orders, 'and give me a view of Malachor V proper.'

'The Spire is mostly intact sir,' an officer announces, 'apart from damage already sustained in battle. But it's almost a miracle we survived a gravitational pull of this magnitude. The Mandalorians were not so lucky.'

A view of Malachor V, or more precisely what remains of it, appears on the screen. The planet seems to have been shredded to its core by the weapon. A massive field of debris of ships and chunks of rock surround it. There is no trace of the Mandalorian fleet, but several of our own vessels did not make it far enough and have been smashed.

'Any trace of the Endeavour?' I ask.

'None sir, it was already badly crippled when the Mass Shadow Generator activated. I doubt it survived something of that magnitude.'

I sigh and collapse on a chair, closing my eyes to keep the tears from flowing. I sense a reassuring presence and feel gentle hands resting on my shoulders. Bastila is trying to comfort me, but she needs it as much as I do.

'What about the rest of the fleet?' Carth asks, still assessing the damage.

'Roughly half the ships made it out of the blast radius sir. The rest was lost in the battle or in the activation of the Generator.'

'Any sign of Malak's fleet?' I inquire.

'None sir.'

Carth turns to me.

'Where to now?'

'Telos first, the fleet is in dire needs of repairs. But I'll head for Coruscant. The Masters must be warned of Malak's betrayal.' I lean toward Carth, 'Keep it all under wraps, as much as you can. No need to cause more havoc.'

---

We travelled back to Coruscant on the fastest shuttle Carth could provide us. Only Bastila and I returned. The surviving Jedi would be needed with the fleet in case Malak decided to attack. I dread the meeting with the Jedi High Council. We went to war with their grudging approval and the results were worse than anything we could have foreseen. Now as I stand before the Council's Chamber in the Temple of Coruscant, I wonder what I shall tell them.

Bastila takes my hand into her own, with a smile of reassurance. There is no need for words between us. I have been thinking about what Arren told me. I have not dared tell Bastila yet, but she knows. I can see it in her eyes.

One of the Jedi standing guard finally opens the door and invite us inside. I walk into the Chamber in the centre of which stands a massive stone. The Masters are seating on low armchairs, their faces hidden under their hood in sign of mourning. Only Nomi Sunrider, the head of the High Council has her hood pulled down. Her silvery hair flows graciously on her shoulders and she gives me a kind and reassuring smile.

'Tell us what has happened Revan, your messages from Telos were quite disturbing.'

I recount the story from the beginning, the trap at Taris and my suspicions that Malak gave the coordinates of the fleet to the Mandalorians, the senseless slaughter of Dxun and the betrayal at Malachor V.

'This is as we feared then,' Master Sunrider comments sadly, 'this is why we argued against going to war.'

'Why didn't you come to lead us?' I ask, barely controlling my anger at the Council.

'Kavar volunteered to lead the Republic and Jedi forces. None of us have any experience in military matters,' remarks a woman from under her white hood, giving me a hard stare. 'And even if we allowed Jedi to go to war, we still counselled against it. The true threat had yet to reveal itself.'

'Now it has, don't you think?' I remark sarcastically.

'It is difficult to say. We need to think on this,' replies the image of a diminutive Master, who I know to be Vanndar.

'You are dismissed Revan. The Council will discuss this most pressing matter.'

Bastila and I bow and we turn around, leaving the Masters to their deliberations. As I walk out of the Chamber, I come face to face with someone I know very well.

'Master,' I recognize the old woman instantly.

'Hush Revan, do not say my name out loud,' the old woman replies with a smirk, 'it would be better if you were not seen in my company.'

'Why? I have no shame about you being seen with one of my mentors.'

Bastila gives me a puzzled look and the old woman gently smiles at her.

'The famous Bastila Shan, a pleasure to meet you. Anyway, Revan, the Council is waiting for me. It would be better if I did not make them wait.'

'Can I see you after your meeting?'

The old woman lowers her head sadly.

'I do not believe that will be possible Revan.'

'But Master, I have so many questions. I do not understand...'

'Understanding is not required among Jedi, only obedience to the Code. You must trust your feelings. Do what you believe you must, what you think you should do. As long as you do this, you cannot be wrong. Now I must go. We will probably never meet again Revan. But I am proud of you.'

The old woman turns away from me and enters the Council Chamber without looking back.

'Who was she?' Bastila asks me.

'One of my mentors,' is my cryptic answer. I shall respect her wishes.

She is right. Action is what is required now, not fence-sitting and discussion. Malak is a threat to the Republic and must be stopped before he ravages the whole Republic.

'We're heading back for Telos, Bastila. There is nothing for us here.'

'But the Jedi Masters...'

'They are not going to act fast enough. We need to make ready. If we don't, there will be more senseless bloodshed, like the Mandalorian War.'

---

It seems ages have passed since I last came to Taris. The Endar Spire is at anchor in high orbit over what looks like a placid world. Clouds hide the surface. But I know what it's like down there.

Four months have passed since the battle of Malachor V and Malak's disappearance. The Senate has fed lies to the public, pretending Malak has gone hunting down for the last Mandalorians in the Unknown Regions. But that deception has come to an end. Taris has paid the price for the Republic's and the Order's short-sightedness.

The Jedi High Council has neither sanctioned nor reprimanded my return to the Fleet following my audience. I have a hard time fathoming their intentions. But to be honest, I no longer really care. I follow the advice of my old mentor; I do what I believe is necessary to keep the Republic safe, even if that means going against the wishes of the Council.

I would like to follow her and Arren's advice on something else, but I dare not for now. Bastila and I have grown very close since we joined the war, too close to be proper for Jedi. It seems it does not really matter to either of us, as long as we keep our feelings unexpressed. I just wonder how long I can keep that masquerade. I love her, I will not deny it. I think I am just afraid of her reaction should I actually tell her.

My thoughts return to the martyr world below us. Malak bombed the world into submission. In fact he bombed Taris until there was not a single building left standing. He ravaged the great cities of tall skyscrapers with a rain of fire. The death toll is probably in the millions, if not more.

'They've finished decoding it,' Carth tells me.

We head for the conference room. Bastila is already there, waiting for us. Carth activates the holographic display.

Malak's face appears. He is pale and his tattoos have taken sickly colours. You can see purple veins under his skin and his yellow eyes glow malevolently. The lower part of his face is hidden behind a mask of silvery metal.

'I am Darth Malak,' my former friend begins with a booming yet metallic voice I still recognize, 'Dark Lord of the Sith and ruler of the Sith Empire. Let the destruction of the pathetic world of Taris be a warning to all those who would dare oppose me. The Republic and the Jedi cannot protect you. They are weak and afraid. Their time is passed. A new age has dawned, the age of the Sith! All are welcome to join us, to benefit from our strength and our protection. Those who dare oppose us will be crushed as mercilessly as this world. We are the future. Do not cling to a decaying and agonising past. The Sith shall bring peace and security to this galaxy.'

The transmission ends with martial music and hundreds of voices shouting 'Hail Malak!'

'We'll stop him,' I vow. 'His reign of terror will be ended, once and for all.'