The word came: we move NOW.
Bastila knelt in her temporary quarters. She was used to such sparse surroundings, and not having a personal stake in where she was. Her life as a Jedi had taught her that such things were not going to be a part of her life, and it would do no good to reflect on that now. But even in a room with just bare fixtures, attempting to meditate was proving hard to accomplish. Something was distracting her; she just couldn't pinpoint the source. Maybe a tremor in the Force? She had come so far, but was still so young. There was a hint of impatience that she did note. Why stuck here on Dantooine, when so many were needed against the Sith revolt of Revan and Malak?
A knock at the door ended her meditation for good. She opened the door, and Master Vrook was standing there, as subdued as always. "Bastila, I have something very important to ask you."
"Of course, Master. I would not deny you any request."
Vrook had a passing look of sadness, then replied, "Dear child, this is not lightly asked, and it is a great sacrifice for you. We have a window of opportunity, and we need your help. You know of our struggles to counter Revan and Malak. We still don't know where they are getting such firepower, and there seems no end to their reinforcements. Between the casualties of the war and the defections of the weak, we cannot last for too long. But we have been able to track the location of the Sith Lords."
Bastila brightened with intensity at this news. "We must strike now. Where is our fleet?"
"Easy, child. This is a rare chance. The Sith fleet is split right now, and Revan and Malak have just two capital ships and a contingent of fighters with them as they are apparently regrouping. However, their main fleet is close enough that if they have any warning, we will face their full fury. We don't have the forces to gather to do a head-on strike."
Bastila could not imagine what option they would have now. "So master, what can we do? What can I do?"
Vrook sighed, an unusual reaction for a Council member. "It fell to the Council to decide that such a risky gambit like this may be our best hope, although the odds are against it. We are going to send a strike team on one or two small freighters, modified ships to survive some pounding from the capital ships. We then follow with some of our smaller, faster capital ships to engage the Sith to distract them from our true goal – the direct removal of Revan and Malak on their own ships!"
Such audacity surprised her. " And where do I fit in, Master?"
"You, dear, young Padawan, are the key. Your Battle Meditation has been proven already, but now we must test it with this strike. We need you to distract the Sith long enough for us to infiltrate their capital ship, storm the bridge, and face Revan and Malak."
Bastila was momentarily stunned. Was this the same Jedi council who held back in the Mandalorian Wars? She realized the situation was different, and drastic action was definitely needed. Her faith in the Council returned; she knew their wisdom was beyond question.
"When do we go?"
"We have our fastest transport waiting for you now, Padawan. Be careful Bastila! This is a great challenge, even with your special gift, and you will be face to face with the heart of the Dark side of the Force. Remember the Jedi code and your training. It will guide you when all is a storm of confusion, and focus is far from you. Go now, and may the Force be with you."
The strike force flew through hyperspace. Jedi warriors and special Republic commandos sat quietly in the cramped compartments. Freighters like these were the greatest combination of speed and room, and so two of these ships had been quickly upgraded with enough armor to keep them together until they could board the Sith vessels. The Jedi were naturally more at peace. Most meditated in the Force. The soldiers were generally agitated, but trying to focus on the battle ahead.
One young and quick-minded soldier started speculating. "Boy, if only we could somehow be transported onto those ships without storming the hull. If we could just… beam over there someway, we'd surely surprise those Kath hounds then!"
One of theofficers spoke quietly but sharply, "Shut up! We all need to keep on the task ahead. And this ship needs to be extra quiet. We can't disrupt the meditation of the Jedi."
The soldier, contrite, tried to hide under his helmet.
Bastila sat quietly near the front of the hold, eyes closed. She did not notice the novice soldier's musings. The stench of perspiration mingling on the cold steel of the bulkheads, adding to the discomfort of the soldiers, did nothing to penetrate her concentration. Her training was serving her well. She quietly focused on the impending conflict. One thing she did sense was the rising fear in the troops and even some of the Jedi. This was a distraction, as she knew she could not feed off of it, but she deflected it as well. She could sense the rapidly approaching ships, and the effect the crews had on the Force.
Reaching out with the Force, she began to cloud the minds of the weak-minded. Many would have no clue what was happening until the Jedi strike team was upon them. Pressing deeper, she started to sweat herself, beads forming on her forehead. She could now sense the evil from the crew, but most of all from the two Sith Lords who awaited them. They would not be bent by her Battle Meditation, but perhaps their senses would be blunted enough to give them an extra few seconds of surprise. The Force was sapping the will of the Sith, while simultaneously emboldening the Republic forces.
Until the ships pulled out of hyperspace.
As the streaks of starlight pulled back to points as the craft slowed, the enemy became visible. One of the pilots cursed. "Sith spawn! These aren't just any capital ships! The Defiance and the Leviathan! The two flagships of their fleet."
The other pilot responded, "I've got a bad feeling about this."
Some of the weaker Republic soldiers' fear resurfaced, losing the benefit of Bastila's meditation. Even though her eyes were still closed, she was using the Force to visualize the capital ships and fighters, and dragging down their will and senses. Formations of fighters were breaking up. Officers scanning sensors did not notice the new signals rapidly approaching. So far everything was going as planned.
The Republic freighters had come out behind a small moon of the system, and was now circling the far side and using the gravity for a slingshot right up to the Sith hull. An innovative docking tube would use concussion force to blow a hole into the hull, and immediately seal it to allow the troops access to the ships. Sensors were able to detect a relative deficiency in the Defiance armor, near the left stabilizer wing. The freighters arced on their approach vector toward the massive vessel.
The senior Jedi, led by Master Wan-le, tried to discern where the Sith Lords were located. Bastila's Battle Meditation was giving them enough cover, so now they could risk reaching out and revealing themselves in the process. The Defiance was the traditional flagship, but the trap had to catch both of the Sith to truly be a death blow in this war.
Laser bolts began to chase the freighters as they drew near. They had been spotted! Wan-le knew that Revan and Malak had sensed their presence; it would not be easy from here. However, their efforts had paid off – the Sith Lords did seem to be on the Defiance. A second prong would still hit the Leviathan, but his ship with Bastila would now target the main flagship.
The two freighters danced through the bolts, dodging most of the volley due to the Battle Meditation effect on the gunners. A few found their mark though, and the ships bucked from the impact. Troops without handholds were thrown on the others, and a little blood began to add to the sweat.
Bastila's freighter pulled up to the Defiance, now too close for the guns to hit, and the concussion blast shook the small ship as the shockwave partially reflected off of the larger ship. They were in! The shock troopers were the first to pour in. The passage had been momentarily cleared of Sith. Bodies littered the deck from the force of the hull breach. Smoke from the debris clouded the view, until blaster fire illuminated the advancing enemy.
As the Jedi prepared to disembark, the two Republic capital ships screamed out from hyperspace. The Defiance rocked from fire, as the officers struggled to mount an effective counter. Bastila was trembling from her effort. She was desperately trying to keep her meditation long enough for the strike team to get in place. She had used her power in other battles, but the confusion was hard to overcome. She had been in much more isolated, protected positions before. The presence of two Sith Lords did not make the task any easier.
Bolts of energy passed back and forth through the lower deck as the Republic forces pushed back the defenders. The Sith were noticeably off their mark, and their command of the situation was tenuous. Still, the fight was fierce, and the commandos were taking losses they could not replace as easily as the Sith could.
Bastila and a contingent of Jedi remained behind in the freighter. Although occasional fighter fire hit them, apparently no enemy pilot wanted to blow a hole in their master's flagship. Suddenly, Wan-le appeared back in the hold.
"We've got trouble. The other freighter took a hit to its docking platform; they can't cause a diversionary attack on the Leviathan. There's more resistance here as well, so we will need everyone to make the bridge."
Bastila broke out of her trance. She had done all she could. Now she was ready to join the battle. Despite her Jedi training, she felt a flicker of excitement to be bringing the battle to those who had hurt so many. As she stepped out of the docking tube, she regained her composure, and joined with him.
Wan-le and Bastila hurried down the access hall to the main passage for the deck. Groaning Sith and Republic forces lay among the dead, but the mission took priority over everything. The smoke thickened as they neared the battle lines. The acrid haze burned her throat, and caused a momentary coughing fit.
Her thoughts raced ahead to the potential battle with Revan and Malak. She wanted desperately to stop the evil and suffering they were spreading like a virus, but she knew she could not give in to anger. Wan-le sensed her thoughts. "Keep your focus here, Padawan. If we do not make it to the bridge, your anticipation will be for naught anyway."
The sound of fury from energy bolts and lightsabers drew near. They rounded a corner, and saw numerous soldiers and Jedi pressing the cause. Bastila moved to engage, but Wan-le held her back. "Come, I sense we can use this side passage to bypass this bottleneck." With that, the two Jedi focused the Force to speed them forward, and the battle became a blur they left behind. They came to an access port, and deftly removed the hatch and began their climb, hoping to reach the bridge level.
The duo reached the end of the narrow access tunnel. With a flick of his wrist, the Master Jedi had ignited his lightsaber and blew the hatch off of its hinges. Wan-le leapt out of the shaft with a burst, hoping to surprise anyone waiting above. Bastila moved to the edge, ready to proceed as well, when she heard a shout from above. She peeked out, only to see Wan-le in a pitched battle with three Dark Jedi and two Sith battle droids. Even with his surprise entrance, he had already taken a serious wound to his left shoulder, and he was unable to parry and strike with his normal expertise. She prepared to come to his side, but he spoke to her through the Force.
"Go Padawan! There are reinforcements for the Sith coming down the passageway. I will hold them off. You must make it to the bridge! Don't argue, now move!"
Bastila gave one of the droids a push with the Force, knocking it down as a barrier to the coming forces, and fled the other way. She sensed the intensity with which Wan-le fought. She knew he was sacrificing himself for her and the mission. As she ran further, she shuddered when she could no longer sense him through the Force. She sharpened her resolve to see this to the end, and continued her sprint.
A doorway loomed ahead. Two frightened Sith troopers saw the approaching Jedi, and frantically moved to try and close the door. The metal doors began to slid together, but Bastila gave a mighty swing with her saber, and the right side cleanly sliced away, impaling the nearest soldier. The other man tried to level his blaster at her, only to find his arm severed from her upswing. He tumbled down as she continued, not wasting time with such a lesser foe.
The access shaft they had used had placed Bastila in between the main defense force and the stairs to the main bridge level. They had just missed a large contingent of forces moving to intercept the Republic attack, so she again had freedom to press her speed. She quickly came to a patrol of Sith. Blaster fire ricocheted around her, as her skillful blade knocked any bolt near her. She closed the distance and pushed them back. The soldiers could not stand to the fury of a Jedi, and fell to each side as powerful strokes of yellow light made quick work of their armor, and the flesh beneath it.
The stairs were in sight, but now she found herself confronted with three Dark Jedi, searing red lightsabers ready to confront her. She moved forward cautiously now, reaching out with the Force to sense any weakness in them. Two were actively resisting her, but the youngest was not. She found herself flying into a nearby control panel. Sparks flew as she crumpled to the ground.
Just then two more Jedi came running from a side hallway. Bastila engaged the two opponents with a controlled power. The Sith slashed with fury and anger, but were sloppy in their attacks. She was able to parry one strike, then another. As the other Jedi raced up, Bastila blocked a simultaneous attack from the two, and her right foot jumped up to meet the jawbone of her closest adversary. His head snapped back with a sickening crunch, and he staggered back from the blow. Her comrades had now closed, and made short work of the final Sith, a wrenching scream following the cleaving of his torso from his legs.
The three Jedi turned as more Sith fell upon them. Bastila ducked, but an elbow slammed the side of her head. She tumbled down, but managed to use her momentum to flip back up, countering with a Force push that knocked her opponent down as well. Her lightsaber flew swiftly from her hand as the Sith, struggling to rise, could not defend the fatal blow to his head. Strength suddenly entered Bastila's weary body. One of the Jedi was healing their group to continue the fight. Her move had left her unopposed to the stairs, so she turned and ran up the stairs to the main bridge.
She found the blast doors closed as she reached the top. Plunging her lightsaber into the junction of the doors, she slowly worked it deeper. Molten slag from the reinforced armor poured down, unable to protect against such focused energy in her blade. Waiting for a moment for the doors to melt, she felt a strong presence of evil beyond her barrier. Revan! Malak! Who was awaiting her? The Dark Side felt like a smothering weight over her, but she would not bow to fear or intimidation.
The weight of the armor above the weakened area was too much to be supported now. The top of the blast doors crushed down through the molten metal, as Bastila hopped back to avoid being hit. The smoke from the smoldering metal began to clear. She was at the bridge at last. She could see out to the battle in space. Laser fire flew back and forth incessantly between the two Sith vessels and the Republic strike force. Blaster fire shot out of the bridge toward her, as the soldiers tried in vain to hit the unknown assailants. Bastila not only deflected them, but also found just the angles to turn the energy bolts back on the hapless troop, who fell one by one.
As the last smoke was vented, she saw a trio of Dark Jedi blocking her path. And beyond them, near the helm, was a great swath of black robes. Darth Revan! But where was his apprentice, Malak? Bastila swore bitterly under her breath. If Malak was on the Leviathan, they missed their chance to hit both Sith Lords. She abruptly brought her focus to bear on the warriors ahead of her. She could not worry about lost opportunities. There was still a chance here, to remove one scourge from the galaxy.
Bastila moved carefully, leading with a defensive position to block both lightsaber attacks and giving room to counter any Force moves made by the Dark Lord. He seemed content to let his subordinates take her out, or wear her down in the process. She circled slowly, her yellow lightsaber reflecting off of the steely determination in her eyes.
With a rush, two of the Sith came at her high and low. Bastila countered with a duck and parry. As the first two engaged her, the third tried to flank her. Before he could finish his maneuver, she sent a piece of debris flying to meet him; only his reflexive jump backwards saved him from a crushing blow. She was ready for the flurry from her other two adversaries, as yellow and red bounced off of each other in a cacophony of sound and light.
Bastila spun and parried. She gritted in determination, but she could not push forward. It took all of her ability to hold them off. She found herself giving ground as she continued to defend herself from the awesome energy attacking her. One of the Sith stumbled on a body – with a flash she managed a powerful kick to his abdomen, sending him sprawling. She moved to block the next blow, but she was out of position! The blade came sailing down…
BZZZT! Sparks flew as one of the Jedi she had left behind rushed in to defend the critical blow. His lightsaber was inches from her face. He threw off the red blade and pushed the Dark Jedi back. His companion followed right behind, engaging the recovering Sith on the floor. Bastila felt a surge in her body, and began striking her opponent's lightsaber again and again, pushing her back. Bastila kept up the onslaught, deftly dodging any counterattack while pressing her foe back. The Sith warrior hissed at Bastila, but her eyes betrayed her fear in losing this battle for her master. Finally she was able to deflect her weapon, and Bastila's lightsaber found its mark. The fallen Jedi grunted as her body slid off the energy beam and hit the ground.
She brought her lightsaber back to a ready stance. Before her stood Darth Revan, Lord of the Sith. Her eyes narrowed even more as she measured her nemesis. She could not read his face, as his mask obscured any mark of the humanity that was once there. His bright red lightsaber ignited with a flash, preparing to make a last stand. Bastila thought of the evil he had done, and deep in her soul felt that justice would be done here and now. She heard the screams of the other two Sith as they met a similar fate, and felt the encouraging presence and strength of her comrades joining her. She knew this would be their greatest challenge, and every ounce of strength was needed.
For just a moment, her eye caught something out of the viewport behind Revan. The Leviathan and the Republic fleet were battling to a stalemate, but the Sith vessel was making an unusual maneuver. It didn't seem to face the Republic at all. Her focus snapped back to the confrontation ahead of them. "You cannot win Revan," she heard herself say. A Padawan, facing down the Sith Lord! The Force strengthened her from within, as her muscles began to contract for the first strike…
That never came.
Without warning, laser cannon fire from the Leviathan rained down on the Defiance. Malak was there, setting up to take out the Jedi and his "master". The bridge exploded around them, as the massive energy beams ripped through the hull of the Defiance. Bastila saw Revan thrown to the command deck like a stuffed Wookie doll as she flew in the air herself. She and her Jedi companions ricocheted off each other and tumbled to the floor as well. In a daze, she did not see the Leviathan escape to hyperspace after the brutal attack on the Defiance.
The flagship began to list from the loss of helm control. Explosions echoed throughout the ship as frayed systems overloaded one after another. Bastila willed herself off of the floor, every fiber of her being screaming in pain and exhaustion from the physical and mental strain she had endured. She reached out with the Force, trying to sense the Jedi at her side. Nothing. She then turned toward Revan. The Dark Lord was on his back, his robes tattered, his battle masked dented. Blood ran down the side of the hood. Bastila heaved a sigh of relief. At least one Sith had been vanquished.
Or had he? Bastila tried to sharpen her sensation, although the alarms from the ship seemed to be ringing from inside her head. There was yet a flicker of something! This powerful man of evil would not release his grip on life! She groped for her saber, to finish what Malak had started.
Then, almost by instinct, as if the Force was willing her, she reached out with her mind. She touched the spark of Revan's soul, just before slipping into oblivion. Before she even realized what she was doing, she had mentally grabbed a hold of that last grasp, and became Revan's lifeline. As footsteps grew louder running toward her, shouts of "where is she" and "what happened to Revan" could be heard. She trembled at the tension of holding his life from the abyss. "Just hang on," she thought, as she tried vainly to cling to consciousness herself. "By the Force, I don't know why, but don't let go."