Sleheyron: Yuthura

Sleheyron is a star map location that never made it into KotOR due to time constraints. Cut content always bugs me; it's like missing a page or a chapter in a story. 'What happened?' You don't get to know. :-P I hate it! But at the same time, I love it, because imaginations go crazy wondering.

I'd like to thank my lovely beta, Moonmythology, without whom, this would be nothing more than an incoherent mess. Thank you!

Victoria stood over Master Uthar's lifeless body. Releasing a breath, she deactivated her lightsaber. Victoria watched Yuthura suspiciously when she realized that the Twi'lek had not done the same. Victoria squared herself in subtle challenge. 'Yuthura...' She didn't need to ask, she already knew what the Sith was doing.

Yuthura wore a grim expression. 'Sorry...'

In the blink of an eye, Yuthura was on her target. Victoria just barely managed to draw her saber in time to block. The sabers clashed violently, pushing both women back a few feet. They recovered instantly and met sabers once more. Both women were already thoroughly exhausted from their recent battle with Uthar, Victoria lightly more so as she'd been struggling in the tomb all day.

Victoria ducked, just escaping beheading by mere inches. Her long braid wasn't so lucky. The Jedi spun on the floor, swinging her saber low. Yuthura leaped up and over, landing behind her foe. Before Yuthura could turn, Victoria was off the ground. With a glance over her shoulder, the Jedi ran into the darkness of the tomb, Yuthura fast on her heels.

'Frang!' the Twi'lek cursed. She looked both ways where the path forked. She'd lost visual contact with her pray some time ago and had been continuing her pursuit by sound. Now, however, the footsteps had ceased. 'Where'd you go?!' The twi'lek focused her senses. Down the hall to the left, she heard the just barely audible sound of crumbling rock. Yuthura grinned evilly. 'Gothcha.'

The ambient dark energy within the tomb was distorting their force senses. At the moment neither combatant could sense the other's presence. As a result, they had to rely on conventional senses. Within the darkness of the tomb, the only sense they could rely on was sound.

Victoria could hear Yuthura's approach. It would only be a matter of time before her hunter was upon her. The Jedi silently cursed the tomb's brittle walls, and the limited capabilities of her sound-dampening stealth unit for betraying her location.

A red light down the narrow hall caught Victoria's eye. Yuthura was using the light from her saber to see. Victoria braced herself against the parallel walls and climbed higher, as quietly as she could, until her head just toughed the high ceiling. With any luck, Yuthura wouldn't bother to look up when she passed below.

Yuthura abruptly stopped, looking about suspiciously. She could just barely sense her quarry, but couldn't quite get a fix on her location. She lifted her saber and peered into the darkness. A small could of falling dust disturbed her saber's glow. Yuthura jerked her head upwards and was quickly stomped in the face by Victoria's size six boot.

The Twi'lek was immediately was sent sprawled on the cold stone floor as Victoria landed crouching a foot behind. Temporarily dazed the writhing Twi'lek clutched her face and swore. She quickly recovered and sprang to her feet, thin streams of blood flowing from her nose and mouth.

'Damn you...!' She hissed when she saw her saber in her enemy's hand. Victoria was absently tossing it up and down in her off hand.

Victoria stared back. 'It doesn't have to be this way.'

The Twi'lek reached into her cargo pouch. 'This is the only way!' Yuthura threw the stun grenade with all her might. It connected with the Jedi right behind the eyes, pushing her off balance. It then bounced onto the floor and detonated.

A loud 'bang' and a blinding flash of light filled the halls and rendered Victoria senseless. Yuthura on the other hand, had shut her eyes and covered her eyes and therefore didn't suffer the same handicap. Before Victoria knew what was happening, she was on her back, Yuthura's boot crushing her ribs. Neither saber was left in Victoria's hands.

The Jedi could just barely make out the red image of the Sith above her. Her lips were moving, but Victoria was having trouble hearing the Twi'leks words over the persistent ringing in her ears. Yuthura lifted her saber, ready to finish the job. Victoria squeezed her eyes shut.

Red lightsabers flashed as they met. Victoria was now wielding the Sith saber she had recovered earlier. Yuthura struck again at the Jedi trapped beneath her. It was all Victoria could do to defend herself. Yuthura lifted her boot and violently stomped on Victoria's chest., knocking the air out of her lungs. Yuthura laughed and lifted again, giving the winded Jedi a chance to roll out.

Victoria swept on leg across the floor, bringing Yuthura crashing down. As Yuthura fell, she blindly swung her saber and took a piece of Victoria's arm. Victoria winced. Fortunately, it was just a shallow cut. She didn't have the time to think about it though.

Yuthura snarled from where she sat and lifted one gauntleted hand. In an instant, Victoria was engulfed in white lightning. She gritted her teeth and tried to take it, but in the end, the dark technique proved to much to tolerate. Victoria fell to her knees and released a loud agonized scream. A distant howl sounded from somewhere deep within the ruins.

'While I do like you... truly... I'm afraid I'm not the type to share power with anyone.' Yuthura explained as she stood. 'For what it's worth, I... I did tell you there was no such thing as friends among the Sith, didn't I?'

'S-Si-ith...' Victoria stammered, waves of livid electricity coursing through her body. 'You... D-don't... don't need the Sith.'

Yuthura blinked at her dying foe, but did not relent in her attack.

'I-it's not... not to late...' The Jedi continued. 'Can lea-leave... You aren't achieving your goal this way. Look you're not even happy...' Yuthura's electricity was loosing its potency somewhat. Either Yuthura's body was becoming weak with fatigue, or Victoria had struck a chord.

'Why? Why would I-?'

A rumbling from down the hall caught both women's attentions. Rocks and dust were shaken loose as the rumbling, the footfalls, grew in intensity. Yuthura swore and canceled her attack on Victoria when the monstrous terentatek came into view. The injured Victoria stood shakily and tried to steady herself.

Yuthura blocked the terentatek's initial strike. The impact with the beast's massive claws nearly knocked the saber right out of her hand. The beast howled for his sliced paw but did not back down. Yuthura glanced quickly at the Jedi and without another word, bolted down the narrow hall. With Yuthura gone, the beast turned its attention on Victoria.

With one mighty swipe, it threw the woman several feet down the hall. She bounced once and came to a halt on her stomach. The beast didn't give her a moment to recover. It quickly stomped after her. It lifted one massive claw and prepared to finish his fallen prey.

Victoria rolled over, just as the clawed hand crashed into the floor, cracking the stone where her head had been. She lifted her hand and squeezed. The monster reared back and retreated several paces, clutching his windpipe. It gasped desperately as some invisible hand robbed him of his breath. Victoria limped away, following after Yuthura.

Victoria stumbled down the hall towards a large open room. The wavering warm light spilling from the doorway suggested that the room had been lit with fire. Yuthura was definitely inside. Victoria heard the terentatek growl and knew that it had escaped her force choke. Caught between a rock and a hard place, Victoria continued forward.

The Jedi spun and lifted her saber high as she walked though the doorway. Yuthura growled angrily when she saw her ambush hadn't worked.

They continued to exchange blows as the rumbling footsteps returned. At first they ignored the monster, more interested in fighting each other. It swiped one mighty clawed hand in a wide arch.

Yuthura yelped as the claws sliced her back. As the twi'lek doubled over in pain, the Jedi leaped over her, lunging at the beast. She swung her saber, leaving large gashes in the monster's face, pushing it back.

Victoria spun and blocked another nearly fatal blow from Yuthura. Yuthura kept her blade on her enemies and pushed forward. Victoria watched as her own light saber was forced dangerously close to her face. The beast roared and charged the combatants, forcing them to separate. They leaped backwards, allowing the beast to charge right between them. Not missing a beat, Yuthura lunged forward and again began a series of violent blows against the Jedi. The terentatek turned and again threw itself at the women.

As Yuthura brought her blade down, and Victoria prepared to block, one massive paw, with claws like steak knives, moved to take the oblivious Jedi's head. Before she knew what she was doing, the twi'lek switched target midair. The monster howled and nursed one bloody stump. It snared and prepared for another offensive.

It never got the chance. Before its smoking and charred body hit the ground, the women had canceled their force lightning strikes and had refocused on each other.

Deep within the tomb of Naga Sadow, the warriors continued their duel. Currently, Yuthura had her opponent of the defensive. The Sith's quick, violent blows prevented the preoccupied Jedi from making any attacks on her own. One particularly powerful strike, pushed Victoria back a step, knocking her saber hand away. Seeing her chance, Yuthura raised her weapon high, prepared to bisect her opponent right down the middle. For this split second, her body was undefended. Victoria kicked, with all the strength she could muster, hitting Yuthura right between the ribs and sending her backward. As she fell, she lost her grip on her saber, which Victoria caught midair as she spun.

With a sickening crack, the Twi'lek's skull met hard stone. She forced her eyes open to see to long red blades, resting centimeters away from either side of her neck. The blades crossed and eventually ended the hands of her enemy. Crimson light shone in the human's stony eyes, as the fire burning nearby did frightful things to the dancing shadows on her face. Yuthura knew she was finished.

'I yield. You're... too much for me,' She admitted. 'Gather your hatred and strike me down.'

Victoria deactivated both sabers, and lifted her boot off Yuthura's chest. 'No.'

'Mercy... has no place among the Sith. You must-'

'It was never my true intention to join the ranks of the Sith. Yuthura, I suspect it wasn't really yours either.'

'What do you-'

'You said you wanted power. The power to help people, the slaves you left behind on Sleheyron. Sure now you have power, but the Sith don't lend their power to helping.'

'The Jedi wouldn't-'

'Sucks to the Jedi!' Victoria spat. Yuthura stared wide-eyed in shock. 'Forget them, and forget the dark side. Neither of them really seems to suit you anyway.'

'Can... can I do that, really? Turn away from the dark side? Is that even possible?'

Victoria shrugged. 'Why not? I know a few who did.'

'Who?'

Victoria thought about Juhani, then about Mekel, , and Dustil, students from the Academy. 'Me,' She finally decided to confess. 'I... well. I used to be Revan, believe it or not.' It was the first time Victoria had admitted it out loud.

Yuthura looked at her incredulously. 'Pull the other one.' Yuthura knew that Revan was alive. For years the galaxy had believed Revan to be dead, defeated at the hands of Malak. Recently, the Sith were surprised by Malak's offer of a substantial reward to whosoever should manage to capture the former Dark Lord. So Revan was alive somewhere. Here, in this Jedi. Yuthura couldn't believe it. Yet the more she thought about it, the more it made sense.

'I'm not proud of it, but it's the truth,' Victoria turned away. 'I wouldn't say it if it wasn't.'

Slowly, Yuthura nodded. 'I... knew there was something different about you.' Victoria watched from the corner of her eye as Yuthura rose. 'Revan. Huh. Who would have thought you of all people... But... but you're not the Dark Lord anymore, are you?'

Victoria gave a slight smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. 'No, I'm not.'

Yuthura stepped forward. 'So...you weren't here to join the Sith. Why are you here?'

'For the Star Map, nothing more.'

'That's it?'

'Yes.'

'Why?'

'I... I'm not actually sure exactly. I just know that these maps are the key to finding the Star Forge.' Victoria chose to change rout. 'I'm on a mission, you see, to stop Malak.'

'So finding these Star Maps... this Star Forge, whatever that is, will help you accomplish this end?'

'Somehow. Hopefully.'

Yuthura looked around. 'You would speak of hope in this of all places.'

'So what happens now, Yuthura?'

'You're not going to kill me?'

'No.'

'Then, go. I will not stop you.'

'Will you leave the Sith?'

'I-I don't know.'

Victoria nodded solemnly and turned away. Slowly, she limped towards the exit. Just as she reached the doorway, Yuthura called to her.

'Where are you going?'

'Sleheyron.' Victoria turned to face the twi'lek. 'For the next Star Map.' Silence filled the chamber. Victoria remembered Yuthura telling her about her life before the Sith. She'd once been a slave to a cruel Hutt master on Sleheyron. She escaped but vowed to return one day to aid the slaves she'd left behind. This far, she hasn't been able to reach this goal. She never could. Not as a Sith. Finally, Victoria spoke. 'Come with me.'

'What?' Wide-eyed Yuthura was surprised by the invitation.

'Leave the Sith. Come with me to Sleheyron.'

Yuthura reflected on the faces of those she'd left behind. One red-skinned Twi'lek, Ak'ki stood out. Yuthura had always intended to help them. To her dismay she could not as a Jedi, not even as a Sith. Now, she was finally being offered the opportunity, by none other that Revan herself, to go back and free her people. For the first time in what seemed like years, Yuthura smiled a wide and genuine smile. It alone illuminated the room. Slowly, Yuthura Ban nodded. 'Let's go then, to Sleheyron.'

I'm going off to Army BCT in a few days. So I don't know when I'll be able to access a computer again. Hopefully I can add the next chapter before I leave.