AN: This is the first entry of Into the Force. It is a collection of musings in Revan's Holocron. Since these are journal entries their structure is fluid as thought. Every paragraph is a new entry. Some entries may flow right into each other as though Revan was in the middle of a thought then had to put his Holocron down. This serves mainly as a prologue to whet the appetite. The first few chapters will focus on Revan. Later I will bring in characters mainly Sith. The first one I think will be Bane. Some of these entries are directed right at Bane. These will be utilized in later chapters.
-Several Journal entries in Darth Revan's holocron, left on Lehon, found by Darth Bane.-
"I'm getting closer to the heart of it, the Heart of the Force. I have nearly achieved it once when I was submersed in the energies of the Star Forge. Unfortunately the Forge is too corrupted by the Dark Side. The Force is of both light and dark. I realized this many months ago after Malak's unfortunate incident during our rather heated debate. We were discussing the Force philosophically: I had begun to express my doubts about the power of the Dark Side I began to realize its limitations. Malak however enjoys the Dark Side and the teachings of the Sith far too much."
"My training of my new Sith gives them the knowledge and desire to further their connection to the Dark Side, however I have presented kernels of alternate philosophy: namely the Dark Side is just one aspect of the Force the conquering aspect of it, necessary in this time of war. The Republic has stagnated, it is inefficient and corrupt. They could not defend themselves against the Mandalorians. They outnumbered the warrior people by five to one but it is with only my Revanchists did they succeed in driving them back. Back to Malachor and the trap, back to the death of Mandalore by my hand."
"Malachor changed something in me. When I stepped foot on the planet I understood why it was taboo to the Mandos. The weight of the Dark Side nearly crushed me, but my will would not be vanquished by this Dark Planet. In order to survive I fed on the Dark energies. I gave myself to the Dark Side. I found remnants of a Sith Academy. The old Sith, driven away after the great Hyperspace War. Inside the walls I discovered something. Not a device or a machine but instead a relic giving off waves of powerful Dark Side energy, waves almost visible in the air. I could feel something: it was drawing me in calling me toward it. I picked it up and I received a vision, a vision of home. Not my home, but something that felt like home. Before I could investigate further my General called ahead and told me her trap was in place. We discussed each other s mutual discomfort on the world. Before too long my fleet, comprised of those whose loyalty to me was questionable, would corner our adversary's and I could infiltrate Mandalore's flagship and take his head. Then she would order the destruction of Malachor V. Every ship caught in its wake crashed, destroyed. Every Mandalorian ship, every Republic ship, every Jedi ship. I knew those most disloyal to me. They never knew what hit them."
"After the heat of battle, after the mass shadow device worked its horror, we followed the retreating Mandalorians into the Unknown. I kept Mandalore's helmet, I stripped them of their weapons, their armor, and their Basilisks. Their Basilisks I ordered destroyed. I must admit, the Basilisks are truly amazing death machines and for that they must not be in the hands of those I considered enemies. Not being a fool I realized that some Mandalorians would disobey, regarding the Basilisks as I would a pet kath hound."
"After disarming the Mandalorians I thought back to the beacon. It showed me another beacon on another world, one I recognized from my studies on Coruscant. I discovered this world during one of my "unauthorized" study sessions. This world was Korriban. I realized that this was a map! A map of ancient Sith space. I ordered the fleet to return to friendly space and stay, in hiding. There were secrets Malak and I needed to discover. We followed the beacon to Korriban once there we found the beacons twin. It showed us to another world, Ziost and Ziost showed another world and that world another world and so on until we happened on a planet with a scorched sky. A sky forever caught in lightning. This world was dark and thriving. Dromund Kaas. We landed in the space port just outside of Kaas City. Many recognized the lightsaber at our hilts and gave us deference. This was a Sith World. My face was hidden behind my mask; Malak's bald tattooed head was exposed. The people here were wary of us and the Sith were suspicious. We requested an audience with their ruler, the Emperor. No Sith dared refuse me. I thought it was because they could sense my power. Looking back though, I realized that the Emperor could feel my power and commanded it himself. This was not flattery for he would torture us and invade our minds send us back to the Republic. However, Malachor would not destroy me and this emperor would not bend me so easily. I would fight it, not defeating the emperor's command but twist turn his command to acquire the star Forge for the True Sith into a desire to Conquer both Empires the Republic and the Sith. I did not realize this at the time and I he would make me forget his face, until my mandate was complete."
"Malak and I returned to Known space where we raced as fast as we could to Dantooine, the location of the first Star Map. When we learned we would need to return to Korriban we were mildly amused, Malak and I. We traveled to Manaan, Kashyyyk, and Tatooine before going back. I felt that it would be fitting. When learned the location we traveled to the planet where we crashed. The planet this holocron is on. This Unknown World. We encountered the native species the Rakata. They spoke a language extremely alien. I went into the minds of the Elders and ripped it out of their heads. Painful for all involved. I led them to believe that I would destroy the Forge. They believed me. Malak and I entered into the Temple to begin our conquest. We took the transport located on the roof of the Temple of the Ancients and we began the trip to the Star Forge. No Rakata came with us. We made sure of that. Once inside the docking bay, I could sense Malak's excitement as I'm sure he sensed mine. We could feel the raw Dark Side power emanating from this Construct of Metal. No life was aboard this Station and yet The force was more powerful here than most inhabited worlds I've been on. Much to the horror of those planet side, I'm sure, we powered the Forge up. It obeyed our command of the force. It obeyed the Dark Side."
"Soon after using the Forge however I realized that ite was almost sentient. It ignited the Dark Side within me into a raging inferno. It amplified my connection to it. In effect all the most evil parts of me were magnified. I killed for the pleasure of it, I tortured because it brought a smile to my face. I had forgotten why I found the Forge in the first place. It wasn't until I restarted the academy on Korriban did I feel the Forge's influence drain away. I was Darth Revan again. And I remembered a shadow of a threat in the back of my mind. That was why I found the Forge. I then realized I needed to use it only to create the war machines necessary to strategically win without crushing my opponent. I needed the Republic to submit to my Empire for its own protection. I needed the Republic to survive and be strong. This was when I decided to find the Heart of the Force. The very core of it. I was convinced that such a thing existed. The Force is an energy field that ties all living things together. I surmised that since everything is connected there must be a place where everything merged. Thinking in terms of machines, if the Force is an energy field where is its projector. I tried at first to find it where I felt the Force most strongly. The Star Forge. This was ill fated and I felt the Dark Side take me even more. That was the day I cut Malak's mouth off. While Malak was in intensive care I decided to find the one place where the Dark and Light are perfectly balanced because there are no Jedi no Sith just people, humans and otherwise. I determined that any world with a Star Map was off limits. Coruscant is the location of the Jedi Council so that was off. Nar Shadaa is full of people but crushed under the weight of its corruption and suffering. Taris was similar. I couldn t think of any place. Then it hit me. Ambria desolate as it is powerful in the force. I had heard of a Jedi Master who sought to cleanse the Dark Side from this world but succeeded only in containing it in Lake Natth. There is a canyon powerful in the Light. I can think of no better place then right between them. I ventured there and found what I was looking for. I could see the Force here as clearly as one can see an ocean. There were lights coming from the Canyon and Shadows from Natth. Where they converged was where I meditated. There is where I found the heart of the Force."
"I saw everything, felt everything, knew everything. Past Present Future. I saw when Malak would betray me. I saw what Bastilla would do to save me. I saw the Jedi s attempt to violate my mind. I saw the journey to the star forge. My second one. I saw those who I would call friend. I saw my Hunter Killer droid. A Republic soldier, a Cathar Jedi, an old man strong in the force and belonging to neither side. He does not have my connection to the force but I would put money on him in most any fight. I saw a Twi'lek and a Wookie, an astromech but what caught my eye the most was a Mandalorian. Odd that I Revan, destroyer of Mandalore, would inspire loyalty from a Mandalorian. A loyalty that would allow for an alliance between him, a Cathar, and a Republic soldier. I followed the path of this Mandalorian and the my own path to see where they would converge. We would have many interesting conversations while I, allegedly, forgot who I really am. But the thing that caught my eye the most was his description of an asteroid that spewed molten rock. I followed that train of thought to the memory to the event itself. What I saw and did not see alarmed me more than anything. I saw Canderous and his troops but not this asteroid. I saw the effects of it but not it. They followed not-it until they reached the end of the galaxy. Extra-galactic. Invader. Blind. To. The. Force. It was a scout! I whisked my mind through the future seeing everything but mostly seeing the end of my galaxy and the force. I could not see these invaders, these Forceless abominations. I looked at the events preceding this invasion. I saw that the Sith had conquered. Not mine. Perhaps yours? I saw Weapons capable of total destruction, complete annihilation of entire star systems. In Sith history, one proficient in Sith Sorcery performed this same action, but that star was already unstable. These machines were ready to be used by regular beings. These would be required if we are to survive. I also saw one with extreme military cunning. I would daresay he reminds me of myself if I wasn't touched by the Force. A Chiss Admiral. He could prove great in this conflict."
"I should be there when the time comes. As such I have made contact with cloners. Immortality through the Dark Side is all but impossible. There are precious few rituals. These have been sequestered away by the Sith of old. Prakith holds the knowledge I seek, the knowledge of essence transference. Clones will ensure I have a body. It is possible to take a shell with consciousness already inside, but that is too risky if I happen upon a mind stronger than my own. I am not too arrogant to think my will is the strongest in the galaxy. There are those whose connection to the Force is not orthodox. With enough time they can build their will to conquer the will of even a Sith Lord."
"My time draws to an end Darth Bane. There is a threat I must face. Lord Vitiate, the Sith Emperor on Dromund Kaas. He is as large a threat to the Galaxy as these invaders. He seeks to devour the Force. His hunger is strong. I go to stop him from destroying the Republic. He will defeat me and I will be captured and held in stasis. During that time I will influence him and eventually he will be destroyed. Then I will take my consciousness to my clones. In Andeddu's holocron on Prakith I have left exact instructions as to how you will survive Bane. You will meet me and we will come back to this world, Rakata Prime. Here we will start building our might to counteract this abomination. It is the destiny of the Sith to rule Bane, but remember an Emperor without an Empire is an emperor of nothing."
"I have a few warnings for you Bane. Kas'im is coming and he is proficient with two blades. At the moment you are not strong enough to best him in that form. Destroy this temple and you will destroy him. Githany will be Kaan's emissary on Ambria she will poison you first with the rock worrt. This will mask synox. Do not let this be your downfall. The healer Caleb can heal you if you cannot drive the toxins from your body. Do not kill him or his daughter for any reason. He is an asset. I would like a sample of his DNA sent to my contact on Kamino. It is a Rakata droid reprogrammed to serve me send Caleb's DNA to this droid. Qordis has a tome that gives you the location of a tomb on Dxun. Inside is a holocron. This will give you power but I am interested in the creatures within the tomb. Capture one and send it to my droid. These things are incredibly painful when allowed to bond but they do give a tremendous advantage to the host. Let a couple attach themselves to you. You will have need of them in the future. Caleb's use will become apparent to you if it hasn't by the time you have the obelisks. Lastly in your final fight against your apprentice, you will die. Send your consciousness my way and you will be reborn. Take what I have taught you, use it well, pass it on and these abominations will be crushed."