*deep beneath the seas of Manaan, in the research facility on the Racart Rift...*

Revan, Carth, and Jolee crept cautiously down the hall in silence. All three were tense and strained their ears to catch any sound. However, they could hear nothing, save the slight groaning of the facility being pressed down upon by sea water; and an occasional dripping sound where the ceiling leaked. Otherwise, an eerie silence engulfed them.

Revan shivered as she recalled the crazed twi'lek they'd met, just before entering the station. His eyes had been wide and bloodshot, his pupils, dilated. His face had been twisted into an immense expression of fear and hysteria. He'd fitfully explained how the selkath had gone insane, turning on their allies and devouring their flesh while their victims still lived. He'd laughed cynically at them when they decided to enter the premises anyway.

"If you want to go, then go," he'd sneered "But you'll end up a meal, just like every body else."

She could imagine the shocking scene that had taken place when the selkath fell to insanity. The images twisted her stomach and made her consciousness reel. They hadn't come across any selkath yet, but they had come across a few mangled corpses with bites torn from their necks and limbs. Their mutilation and smell of decay had nearly caused her to vomit. She'd adapted to the horror of it all, enough not to gag, but it still made her sick.

Revan shuddered again, for a different reason this time. She trembled, even quaked, beneath the hot and abhorrent glare of Carth's dark eyes upon her back. She'd unfortunately caught his attention with her first quiver. Now, she wished he would look away, even though she knew she deserved the misery it brought her.

At a different place, in a different time, they'd been friends once. They had trusted each other. But, that had been when she was just a talented woman named Luminessa. Now that they both knew who she really was, it had all fallen apart.

Revan wondered if Carth knew how much pain his eyes inflicted, or if he even cared.

She might have prefered to have left him on board the Ebon Hawk, or, at least in Ahto city on the surface. However, he had insisted on coming so that he could keep an eye on her. She no longer possesed the strength to speak to him, let alone refuse. So Revan had said nothing and hadn't prevented Carth from following, a decision with a price.

She supposed she should be grateful. She couldn't say what, but she knew something had happened to Carth recently. Whatever it might have been, it had made his stares less intense. Revan realized she should be ashamed, as well. She deserved never ending pain and torment. It was wrong of her to be thankful that she was receiving less than she should.

Still, Revan was correct in her assumption that something had happened to her spiteful, Republic pilot. Only, it had been more than one event.

The first occurrence that had taken place, was a visitation from the spirit of his wife, Morganna. She'd come on the night after the revelation of Luminessa's true identity. Moganna had come to explain to him that Revan was not the enemy that he thought she was. She told him that he needed to forgive and let go. She said that it hadn't been Revan's fault that she had died, that there were circumstances he wasn't aware of. She told him many things. Things that didn't make sense, but she promised him they would in the near future. Then, she had told him something he'd never forget.

"I was surprised at first."

"What are you talking about?"

"The galaxy's greatest threat, is also it's only hope."

She had left him then. She had left him to cry in agony until he had no more tears to cry. He'd then forced himself to get a grip, anger and pain surging through his blood. He'd left the cockpit and made his way towards the women's dorm, unsure of what he intended to do once there. On his way, he heard Jolee talking to Juhani and paused.

"I'm surprised myself." He heard Jolee say.

Carth couldn't help but continue to listen in.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I'm simply amazed to see what Revan is really like."

"I still don't understand what you mean."

"Let me explain. Revan has no real memory of her former self. Therefore, her former identity has had no way of influencing her behavior. That means she has had to act on pure instinct. In other words, we've seen who she really is deep down inside. All the words she's said and the actions she's committed up until now, are displays of her true nature. It is amazing just how noble she really is."

"I think I understand what you're saying. You mustn't forget, she was a hero, one of the greatest, before she was a villain. And she was just as great a jedi as she had ever been a sith."

"You speak truth, of course. Sadly, even she does not realize this. I fear for her..."

It was at that point that Carth had moved on, his mind jumbled and confused. He wasn't sure what to think. However, he couldn't let that deter him. Moments later he'd entered the women's dorm. Revan was lying upon the floor with her back to him. Apparently, she'd fallen asleep while meditating.

He just stood and simply stared, still confused as ever. He'd remained staring for what had felt like an eternity. Then slowly, quietly, he removed his blastor pistol from its holster. He'd held it up and looked at it. He was half tempted to put it up against his head and squeeze the trigger. Yet, he'd turned it on her instead. He'd slightly trembled as he pointed the weapon at the back of her left shoulder. His finger had put pressure on the trigger, but did not pull it.

Again, he'd remained like that for what seemed forever, trying to organize his thoughts and stop the torrent of confusion. Finally, feeling too exhausted, too unsure, he lowered the pistol and replaced it in its holster. He'd been watching her that whole time. She had made little fuss in her sleep, which had seemed unusual considering she almost never slept peacefully. He'd turned to walk away and return to the pilots seat where he could rest his mind and then figure things out.

He had been stopped suddenly when he heard Revan whimper his name. He'd turned to face her, assuming that she'd woken and seen him. Carth had been taken aback when he'd found she was still sleeping. She'd writhed and whimpered again, calling out for Bastila. At that point she had rolled onto her back and Carth had seen tears streaming from her eyes.

What in the force is she dreaming about?

He'd thought, watching as she had continued to struggle. Moments later she'd gone still. She'd whimpered twice more, and then had fallen silent. He'd left her there.

It was the night after, that the nightmares had begun. There were three of them.

In one, Revan would come to him as he sat in the pilot's chair. She would attempt to beg forgiveness. He'd lose his temper and threaten her. When she would continue to plead with him, he'd violently shove her against the wall and let her sink in the corner. Then he would grab his pistol and point it between her eyes. She'd flash a sad, understanding smile and a tear would slip down her cheek. Then her eyes would close and his finger would begin to squeeze the trigger.

In another, she would come to find him in the galley. She'd always look terrible as though she'd ceased to eat, drink or sleep. She would quote his desire for revenge on her and Malak, then try to persuade him to take her life. He would refuse and tell her to do it herself. She would explain that she'd tried, then tempt him again. When he would continue to refuse, she'd leave. Moments later he'd hear a blastor shot and go running. He'd find her in the cargo hold, face up, eyes empty, and mind bleeding.

In the third, he would watch as she defended him and the others with her life; fighting to stop Malak from destroying everything. The Dark Lord would bellow out her crimes one by one, wearing her down. Eventually she would no longer be able to withstand him, becoming too weak to fight. She'd stumble and Malak would spear her through the middle.

At the end of every dream he would recall the promise he'd made to protect her, and how eager he'd been to make and keep it. He would then recall how quick he was to revoke that vow. However, the worst aspect about them, was that he always ended up feeling nearly the same as he had when he'd watched his wife die.

The final considerable event, was that they'd gone back to Dantooine. She'd walked its ruins alone and returned smelling of smoke and despair. From that point on she was different.

Revan didn't speak any unnecessary words to anyone; she barely ever ate or drank anything; she nearly ceased to sleep altogether; and she began to avoid everyone. To add to that, her features became emotionless. Carth couldn't tell if she'd died inside, and therefore ceased to feel anything; or if her emotions were such a violent storm she was unable to express them. Even her actions expressed nothing. She breathed, fought, and moved as though she were utterly numb. On rare occasions she would glance his way as though she wished to speak, or shiver as though some painful memory had stabbed itself into her mind.

Carth sighed and took his eyes off of Revan's back. He had slightly hoped that she would look his way with that desirous expression, but she had not. Truth be told, he felt sympathy for her. Even though he tried with all his might not to. He hated to admit it, but seeing her like this made him sad.

He'd started falling in love with Luminessa, and though he now knew that she was really Revan, those feelings were hard to completely destroy. He knew he had to find a way to kill them, however. She would get no mercy from him. Revan had caused the destruction of Telos. If she hadn't fallen to the dark side, Malak wouldn't have either.

He had thought that she would've been stronger. More capable of withstanding the pain. She had been so strong before. Now she was slowly breaking, and he knew it. He knew she deserved to suffer, or did she?

Is what Morganna told me true? Is she really not to blame? Are there circumstances that I actually don't know about? He thought.

He supposed he'd never know. Even Revan couldn't know for sure. She'd lost all her memories.

Carth couldn't help wondering who she really was and if she was really so terrible. He decided he should stop thinking about it all for the time being. There was just too much going on, and too much confusion. Besides, he'd been pondering for so long that his mind was exhausted. He let his mind go blank and tried to ignore the nagging of those thoughts as they tugged at his consciousness; begging for him to continue to think on them.