I.
"It's a Dark Jedi!"
The black robed warrior ignited his two bladed lightsabre with a snap-hiss! Kate levelled her twin blasters at him but Trask darted forwards.
"For the Republic!" he shouted, blasting the door locking mechanism with his pistol. The doors thunked closed as the Sith swung his blade. The muffled screams coming from the other side of the door turned Kate's stomach to ice water. She had known Trask Ulgo for less than ten minutes, ever since he had woken her to tell her the Endar Spire was under attack.
He gave his life for me, she thought.
II.
The light stung Kate's eyes as she opened them. She was in what looked like an apartment, with the pilot – Carth something – she had escaped the Endar Spire with.
"Where am I?" said Kate.
Carth explained that they were on the Sith controlled world of Taris and how Bastila was the key to the Republic war effort. With some apprehension Kate agreed to help.
"Let's go, beautiful."
"I'm sorry, what?"
"Let's go beautiful. Or is there another name you'd like me to call you?"
"My name's Kate."
"Rhymes with date."
"Dream on flyboy."
"Ouch. I think you hurt my feelings."
III.
"One prototype swoop engine accelerator, as requested."
Gadon Thek gave a look of cool appraisal.
"Well done. Getting that can't have been easy."
"So if Kate wins this swoop race tomorrow we win Bastila's freedom." said Carth.
"That would seem to be the plan." said Kate.
She turned to Mission and Zaalbar.
"Guys, thank you. We'd never have made it this far if you hadn't…"
"Hey no problem! We're the ones who should be thanking you. Without you Big Z would have been a slave forever!"
"I too am grateful." said Zaalbar.
"Tomorrow you race." said Gadon.
"You must win."
IV.
"I saw you in the swoop race and thought; anyone crazy enough to race like that is probably crazy enough to sneak inside the Sith base and steal the departure codes."
"And we should help you because…?"
"I can provide the fastest ship this side of the galaxy. Get me the codes and I'll get you right to it."
"I don't sense any deception." said Bastila.
"This may prove useful."
"Just go to Janice Nall. Tell her Canderous sent you and she'll give you the droid. Then you can get the codes."
"See you soon."
The women left the cantina.
V.
"Don't let them take the ship!"
Kate dived to the ground, blasters blazing. The orbital bombardment and the chaos of the firefight almost deafened and blinded her but she kept pushing forward. Canderous and Zaalbar laid down enough covering fire for Kate and the others to board the ship. Once on board Carth gunned the engines into life and took off.
"Let's get out of here!"
The Ebon Hawk surged through the clouds, through the upper atmosphere and into the vastness of space.
"Plot a course for Dantooine." said Bastila.
"We can rest and regroup there."
Kate sighed in relief.
VI.
"The Council has determined that you and Bastila must find the other Star Maps. Then you may have a chance of finding the Star Forge and stopping Malak."
Kate looked down at her robes. In less than three months she had gone from being a scout on a Republic warship to a fully-fledged Jedi tasked with saving the galaxy.
"Am I…" Kate cleared her throat.
"Am I to do this alone?"
"No. Those who aided you on Taris will come, as will Bastila and Juhani."
Kate turned to Carth.
"Looks like you're stuck with me for a while longer, flyboy."
VII.
The Star Map illuminated the dingy cave. Its light cast disturbing shadows.
"It is beautiful." said Juhani.
"Query: Shall I destroy it, master?"
"No, HK." said Kate.
"This Star Map is an artefact of the dark side." said Bastila.
"Its presence must have drawn the krayt dragon here."
"Speaking of the dark side…"
Kate ignited her twin sabers. A mob of bounty hunters blocked the entrance to the cave.
"Nobody gets away from Calo Nord." said their leader.
Kate sent a wave of Force energy at her opponents which knocked them off their feet. The battle was over before long.
VIII.
"Hey."
"Hey gorgeous. Missing me?"
Kate laughed in spite of herself. "You are too much."
"You're welcome. You seem like someone I can be myself with. I've had…issues…trusting people but I feel I can trust you with my life."
"What kind of issues?"
"Our fleet commander…betrayed me. He bombed my homeworld into nothing and I lost…I lost my wife and son."
"I'm so sorry."
"I've fought Saul for years and if I catch up to him he will regret what he did. He will regret it."
Carth breathed out heavily. Kate held his hand in hers and squeezed it.
"Thanks."
IX.
"Thank you for liberating my people."
Kate looked around. A few hours ago Czerka slavers with guns had patrolled every walkway. Now the Wookiees were free, thanks to her and Jolee and the others. Kate gave a big grin.
"Don't mention it."
"You did good kid." said Jolee.
"Things might just come right after all."
Before Kate could ask what Jolee meant Carth, Juhani, Canderous and Zaalbar came up the walkway.
"We've found the Star Map!" said Carth.
Kate pumped both her fists and Carth grabbed her and swung her round. After a while they stopped. Both of them blushed.
X.
Kate felt the blood drain from her face. In front of her, with two other Dark Jedi, was the Sith that had killed Trask.
"At last my search is over. I thought someone else had killed you and deprived me of the pleasure. Well…"
The Sith ignited his lightsabre. The red glare brought into relief his twisted features.
"…I can make up for that."
The fight was long and brutal. By the end Kate was gasping for breath, sweat pouring off her. Carth enfolded her in his arms.
"Stay with me beautiful. Only one more Star Map left."
Kate nodded.
XI.
"YOU FILLED OUR LIVES WITH LIES!"
Kate cowered away from Carth, who was angrier and more upset than she'd ever seen anyone.
"I thought you were a genuinely good person…and now THIS!"
"What's going on?" said Mission.
"Kate is Darth Revan. The Jedi mind wiped her and tried to use her memories to find the Star Forge."
"You're Revan?! This is…this is big. Do you remember being Revan?"
"No." whispered Kate.
"What did you…"
"I said NO!" Kate yelled.
"I wish this wasn't true Carth. But you're going to have to trust me if we want to save Bastila."
"…We'll see."
XII.
"Back again? So tell me Father, where's this "proof"?"
"Look at this datapad. Your friend Selene?"
Dustil took the datapad. His eyes widened and he retched.
"That's all that was left." said Carth.
Dustil looked at his father.
"I…I'm sorry. I believe you."
"Well there's the son I remember."
"I need to warn my friends here. Find me on Telos when this is over."
Dustil left. There was an awkward silence. At last Carth said "Thank you."
"I'm not Revan anymore Carth. You have to believe me."
Carth turned away. Then he said "Soon you'll have to choose."
"I know."
XIII.
The Headmaster of the Sith Academy fell over dead. Kate and Yuthura faced eachother.
"I wish it didn't have to be like this." said Yuthura.
"It still doesn't. Leave this place. Come back to the light."
"But can I? How can I go back, knowing how far I've come down the dark path?"
Kate hesitated. Then she said "I was the Sith Lord, and they let me live."
Yuthura started. "You?"
"The Sith Lord." Kate finished.
"Anyone can be redeemed Yuthura. It is never too late."
"I…must think on this. You are free to leave."
Kate strode towards the exit.
XIV.
Kate found Carth in the cockpit. He ignored her as she sat down in the co-pilot's chair. A long, uncomfortable silence passed and then Kate said "How are you?"
"Not too bad."
The pilot's voice was gentler than it had been for some days. Kate was unsure if she should continue when Carth said "I don't hate you."
Kate said nothing.
"I wanted to hate you. I wanted to hold you responsible for everything that's happened but I can't. I…I care about you too much to do that."
Hope flowered within Kate.
"I…I care about you too."
Carth almost smiled.
XV.
"How can we be sure we can trust you, Revan?"
The three Elder Rakata regarded Revan warily.
"You claimed to be our ally before. You told us you would destroy the Star Forge before. Yet you and your apprentice abused our trust, unleashing horrors unimaginable on the galaxy. Why should we trust you?"
Kate did not know what to say. The she felt Carth's warm hand embrace her own.
"This woman is not Revan. She is not the Sith Lord. I've travelled with her and I've seen her help and rescue people time and time again. You must help her."
XVI.
Bastila stood alone, waiting. Kate, Jolee and Juhani ignited their lightsabers and walked towards her.
"Revan. I knew you'd come for me. Malak underestimated your power. A mistake I will not make."
"There's still hope, Bastila." said Kate.
"Come back with us."
"Oh no Revan. It is you who must come with me. Together we could rule the galaxy. Reclaim your mantle of Dark Lord and conquer the stars!"
"I…I…"
"Don't do this kid." said Jolee.
"I won't." said Kate.
"What?" said Bastila.
"That person is dead. I will never join the dark side again."
Bastila ran to her ship.
XVII.
Kate walked along the beach, Juhani and Jolee with her. Carth and the others were waiting by the Ebon Hawk.
"You did it!" said Carth.
"You overcame the dark side! I knew you could do it. Kate. I…I love you."
Kate's face was a massive grin.
"I love you too." she said.
Carth wrapped his arms around Kate and kissed her on the lips. Kate wrapped her arms around his shoulders and head.
"Get a room you guys!" said Mission.
"I'm old, and I've lived enough to know that you should take love where you can find it." said Jolee.
XVIII.
"How can you defeat me? You are a weak and pathetic servant of the light. On the Star Forge I cannot be beaten."
"Bastila, the bond of love I share with Carth gives me a strength greater than anything of the dark side. Feel what I feel, and you will know this is true."
Bastila reached out. She saw Kate's memories of her and Carth, the laughter and smiles they shared, the things they'd told each-other. She broke the connection with a gasp.
"Come back to the light. Relinquish the darkness."
Bastila and Kate held each-other. Kate kissed Bastila's forehead.
XIX.
"Impossible! I cannot be beaten! I am the Dark Lord of the Sith!"
"I'm sorry Alek. I'm sorry it had to end this way."
"So am I. We…we meant something to each-other once."
"The dark side would not let us be together."
Tears were flowing from Kate's eyes.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Alek."
"Perhaps we will meet in another life. Now as the darkness takes me, I am nothing."
"No you weren't Alek." said Kate.
"You were not nothing."
As the battle raged outside in space Kate shouldered her friend's body and carried it, carefully, to the escape pod.
XX.
"We Jedi now have another story to weave into the history of our Order. The redemption of Revan, the Prodigal Knight."
Kate waved to the mass of people outside the Rakatan temple. Carth kissed her and the roar got even louder.
"Way to save the galaxy, beautiful."
"Are you ever going to stop calling me that?"
"You'll have to cut off my tongue to make me!"
Kate raised an eyebrow and Carth burst out laughing. When he had finished he went down to one knee.
"Kate Raven, will you marry me?"
Kate kissed Carth.
"Yes I will."
Carth grinned.