Star Wars: Sith's War
Part I: Betrayal
Chapter 1
The scorching heat burned Revan's back mercilessly, as the seventeen-year-old heaved the broken protocol droid onto his body and started trudging back home. Stupid droid, he thought bitterly, nobody asked you to leave! He held its head in one hand, and the other arm supported the body greatly, trembling all the while from exhaustion and frustration. His home was not far from where he was now, considering how slowly his droid always moved, but he had wanted to take the landspeeder in order not to waste time. His father, however, refused. Revan had been told not to be lazy and use his own two feet to retrieve the droid, much to his dislike.
He squinted and looked ahead, and sighed. He held onto the droid's body more tightly and started to walk in big steps, ready to demand that he was to be excused from all other chores for the rest of the day for this back-breaking assignment and to work on the droid. More than anything, Revan had enjoyed being a small-time mechanic, whether at home or at Anchorhead or even Mos Eisley, doing freelance fixing of droids and other items for the traveling merchants, traders and even smugglers.
It felt like a good way to kill time, and it was the only source of income for him and his father, a family of two. His father had his legs amputated after a terrible speeder accident in the Dune Sea, and he would have died if Revan had not been there to fend off the Sand People attacking and raiding him. From that day on, Revan had taken up the only job he could do well to support his disabled father.
Suddenly, a series of blaster shots could be heard, coming from the direction of Revan's home. He dropped the droid's body and head and sprinted at full speed without hesitation, knowing that his father would be defenseless against anything that may be attacking. He quickly reached into the landspeeder parked just outside his home and pulled out a vibroblade. Without waiting any longer, Revan burst into his home and looked around wildly for any trace of his father or his attackers.
"Dad!" he called out, running into every single room. It wasn't long after that he encountered them in the garage—Mandalorians. He gripped the vibroblade and approached them cautiously from behind, as they were tying his father to a chair.
"You scum. You've owed the Hutt some money for a while now, and you thought you could stay quiet and get away with it, huh?" One of the Mandalorians punched Revan's father strongly on the stomach, causing the man to groan out in pain.
"Revan, no, run!" his father yelled, upon seeing Revan with a vibroblade in his hand. "They're lying, I never borrowed any money—" The same Mandalorian silenced Revan's father by dealing another blow to the his stomach again, and turned around, chuckling.
"Leave my father alone," Revan growled, glaring angrily at the intruders. "He never borrowed anything."
"It doesn't matter now," replied the Mandalorian that had punched his father. He raised his blaster and pointed it at his father's head. "You came too late, kid. I won't be sorry." Revan ran forward to strike at the Mandalorian, but it was too late. A second before his blade had made contact with the Mandalorian's head, a shot had been fired. The Mandalorian collapsed to the ground, dead, leaving two more standing behind Revan's dead father. Rage burned within Revan as he advanced towards the other two Mandalorians, preparing to attack, but one of them had already pointed a blaster to his head.
"Stupid move," the Mandalorian muttered, "Looks like this is the end for you."
"HK-47, now!" Revan yelled, slicing the Mandalorian's wrist off. The droid at the far end of the garage activated, and lunged towards the other Mandalorian and broke his neck, killing him. Revan grabbed the last Mandalorian by the collar and brought him closer. "That was my father you three killed. And now, you'll pay for it."
"No, no, wait! I'll… I'll pay you instead… p-please!" begged the Mandalorian, but Revan did not bother listening to his weak pleas. He ran his vibroblade through the Mandalorian's chest, and with a cry of pain, the Mandalorian fell silent and collapsed onto the ground as Revan released his grip, dead.
The anger suddenly disappeared, replaced by an overwhelming amount of sadness and sorrow as Revan turned around to look at his dead father, the only relative he ever knew and loved for as long as he could remember. He closed his father's eyes and bent down to hug his father for the longest moment of his life—longer than any other form of physical contact he had given his father, as though it would make up for the lost time he had never wanted to spend with him, as though it would bring him back to life.
"Master Revan," HK said, "I suggest we dispose of the Mandalorian bodies and bury your father as quickly as possible."
But Revan did not seem to hear HK speaking. All he could feel now was not pain, sadness or even anger, but regret. Regret for not appreciating what his father had done to him, to train him to be a stronger person than any other person his age, to raise him to be the best that he could even though they were poor and for not taking the landspeeder to retrieve the fallen droid even though his father had objected. If he had used the landspeeder, he would have come home faster… he would have been able to defend his father from the Mandalorians… his father would have been able to live…
"Master Revan?" said HK-47, his tone growing louder and louder by the second, as though trying to get his master's attention desperately. "A young woman and a Twi'lek is outside, waiting for you."
"Why me?" growled Revan.
"Since your father has passed away, you have, quite obviously, assumed the position of head of the household…" H2 said, and gestured towards the stairs. "As I said before, Master, they are awaiting…"
Revan scowled, and reluctantly walked up the stairs and headed out of the homestead. As H2 had said, a young girl—probably around his age—and a Twi'lek stood outside patiently.
"Who are you?" he asked, before the Twi'lek could even say anything.
"I'm Zhar Lestin from the Jedi Enclave situated on Dantooine," the Twi'lek said.
Revan raised his eyebrows. "What are a Jedi and his trainee doing all the way out here on the Outer Rim?"
"We came here on behalf of the Jedi Council to investigate a series of raids and attacks by some Mandalorian warriors around the Anchorhead Settlement. We have tracked the last team to this location, but apparently we have lost them," Zhar said, "Quite unfortunate, really."
"I killed the Mandalorians, and their dead bodies are in my garage, if you'd like to see them. You could take them too, if you want, for a few credits," Revan said, letting his fury get the better of him.
This time, it was the girl that spoke up rather irritably. "You can't talk to Master Zhar like that. Didn't your father ever teach you anything?" At the very mention of his father, Revan glared angrily at the girl.
"Now, now, Bastila," Zhar said warningly, "Now is not the time to get into a meaningless argument."
"My father is dead, because of those Mandalorians!" Revan yelled at her uncontrollably. Bastila seemed to be taken aback and even regretful at what she had said, but she did not say anything further.
"Now, young man, I should thank you for getting rid of the Mandalorians for me, but what was your father's name, if I may ask?" Zhar enquired, with a hint of concern and curiosity.
"Why do you want to know?" Revan countered, wishing that the two would stop reminding him that his father was already dead.
Zhar smiled reassuringly. "For no evil purposes, I promise you that," he replied.
Revan folded his arms and grimaced. "His name was Gavin."
For a long moment, there was an uncanny silence as Revan watched Zhar's expression turn into one of surprise and shock. "What is it?" he asked, "Speak up!"
"Gavin…" Zhar repeated. "Gavin was… if I am not mistaken… once a Jedi Knight, a few decades ago."
"My father was a Jedi Knight?" Revan asked, incredulous. "Is this some kind of cheap scam, Jedi? Because it certainly isn't working." Bastila looked outraged as she took another step forward and folded her arms.
"We Jedi do not cheat anyone! We're peacekeepers, if you are that misinformed," she said angrily. A smirk played across Revan's face as he circled her slowly.
"Peacekeeper indeed, Bastila," he said dryly, "You're trying to pick a fight with me, aren't you?"
Bastila looked scandalized. "Why are you just so impossibly infuriating? I've never met anyone like you and it is bad luck that I did today!"
Zhar shook his head and sighed. "Enough," he said sternly. "Are you… Revan?"
The smirk slid off his face as Revan stopped moving and looked at Zhar with a perplexed expression. "How did you know my name?" he asked. "Do you mean that my father really was a Jedi Knight?"
"No normal farmer would keep a vibroblade… that's for sure," Zhar said. "I will not intrude upon your peace and home any longer, young Revan. But take the time to look deeper into things. I am giving you a choice today, Revan: to stay on Tatooine or to return to the Jedi Enclave with me and Bastila."
"Why should I go to the Jedi with you two?" Revan asked, his insolence stepping in once more.
"It is hard to say…" Zhar said. "But do keep it in mind. Bastila and I will be waiting in the Anchorhead Cantina tomorrow, and we will leave by sundown. It is your choice, however. Well, farewell, Revan… I hope to see you again tomorrow." Without another word, he and Bastila walked toward their speeder bikes and once they had mounted their vehicles, they sped off, leaving a very confused Revan standing at the same spot where they had left him.
He walked in slowly and glanced at his father's room. Surely it would not hurt to search for some evidence to clear his doubts about what Zhar Lestin had told him about his father? Revan scratched his head and gave in to his curiosity, and stepped into his father's room, a place where he had not been allowed to go in when his father was still alive. Slowly, Revan searched through his father's belongings, and finally, after a long while of searching, stumbled upon a black metal box, which was surprisingly heavy, despite its size.
Revan unlocked it and, his heart pounding furiously, opened it and found a Holocron, with two long objects wrapped in a brown cloth. He took out the Holocron and activated it, and to his surprise, found a series of entries by his father.
Vrook, Dorak and Zhar have been gone for quite a while now, ever since they parted for the crystal cave. I'm not sure if I should go and check, but their absence is awfully uneasy. Perhaps I should go consult Master Vandar…
Another entry had stated:
Finally, I have attained the rank of Jedi Knight, along with Vrook, Dorak and Zhar. I just can't believe it. I have finally become the person I have always dreamed of! I am sure that we four brothers will succeed as Jedi… I will not let Master Vandar down!
After reading through an alarmingly large amount of entries, Revan found one that was certainly shocking beyond belief.
Today will be the day I leave the Order. However much I don't want to… I must. Zhar had told me that falling to Shay was not a wise choice, but I can't help it. I have promised her a happy and quiet life with her… anywhere away from the Jedi Order! I want to give her the happiness and freedom from the chains that hold her back from what she wants more than anything else… I wish I could apologize to Master Vandar and even Vrook, Dorak and Zhar… but I cannot waste anymore time. For love, I guess, everyone should pay a price…
"Shay," Revan murmured. Was that his mother's name? It probably was. Revan had never known his mother, because his father had told him that she had died while giving birth to him. He remembered, for a period of time, he had gone into depression and had blamed himself for the loss of his mother, but his father had told him otherwise. He only knows his mother for the wonderful woman she is… for her pure heart and kindness, and determination to do anything for the one she loved. His father had always told Revan stories about his mother, and he grew up knowing his mother through his father's experiences. It was as good as knowing his mother if she were still alive.
However, he still couldn't believe that his parents were both Jedi Knights. Zhar had definitely known the both of them. That was probably why his expression had changed when Revan had told him his father's name…
He set the Holocron down on the bed and looked down at the objects still wrapped in a brown cloth. Revan unraveled the cloth, and to his surprise, discovered that there were two lightsabers, probably each belonging to his father and mother.
Revan attached the two lightsabers to his belt, and stood up to keep the Holocron safe within his room—the only few things that could keep his parents close to his heart forever, and made a decision.
"Do you really expect this Revan to come?" Bastila demanded, sitting across Zhar.
The Twi'lek smiled and nodded. "I know he will, if he had discovered his father's past," he replied. "Besides, it is not sundown yet."
Bastila folded her arms. "Well, I dislike him," she said. "He annoys me to no end!"
Zhar chuckled and shook his head. "His attitude may be insufferable at times, but if he truly is Gavin's son, he will be exactly like the man I once partnered with as a Jedi Knight," he told Bastila, memories already flowing through his mind like a movie on replay. "I remember when I first met Gavin… he was exactly the way Revan is now, believe it or not. But, he proved to be an excellent student in the end. I'm sure Revan isn't capable of driving you to a premature death, Bastila."
"That may be, but I honestly cannot stand him and his witty remarks," Bastila said, refusing to believe that Revan could be as any good as his father was.
"Well, well, looks like I've got a great welcoming committee!" Revan exclaimed from behind Bastila, causing her to spill her drink on top of a Jawa's head as it was passing by. She stood up and turned around, looking absolutely agitated.
"Can you not be a nuisance at all the wrong times of the day?" Bastila said angrily. "If I were not a Jedi…"
"What would you do, Miss Jedi Knight?" Revan countered with a grin.
Bastila opened her mouth to say something, but decided against it and sat down without a word, fuming.
"You've decided to follow us, have you?" Zhar said delightedly. "Splendid… I believe we can leave now!"
Revan smirked. "One condition," he said.
For a moment, Zhar looked worried. "What is it, Revan?"
"You can't bunk me in with Bastila here," he said amusedly upon seeing Bastila turn a deep shade of angry red and turning to glare at him yet again, "because I'll probably kill her faster than she can say 'Force'."
