Lesser of Two Evils
Awakening and Purpose
Disclaimer: I am not taking any material from any EU fanon other than KOTOR I and II.
Star Wars does not belong to me. I only own my OCs.
4 ABY
'Awaken.'
Her thoughts swirled, as she opened her eyes to a blinding light. Recoiling a little, she couldn't help but notice that her bones felt rather stiff, and that her muscles seemed tight, as if she hadn't used them for a long time. She wiggled her shoulders to loosen herself, and inwardly smiled when she imagined Atton laughing at her for this. She must've looked ridiculous.
Who's Atton?
She would've thought about it a little more, but was interrupted by a male voice. "Ah! She's awake! Lucy, lay off the light!"
The light stopped shining, replacing itself with black spots, and two faces. Two humans, a little girl, and an older man. Perhaps her father, judging from how similar their facial features looked. The woman could see him break into a bright smile. Calling for the girl, who produced something that looked like a scanner, the man took it and hovered it over her body.
She tried to find her voice, wondering what he was doing, but it only came out as a hoarse whisper.
"Calm down, lady," the man's voice soothed. "I'm just running a few tests, to make sure everything's okay."
Her breathing relaxed then, but she was still cautious, and even more than that, wondering where in the Force she was. As her vision cleared, she looked around the room. It looked like a med-bay, what with all the medical droids and the Bacta tank at the corner, but at the same time, it wasn't. The walls looked worn, and it looked a tad darker than the usual med-bay she was used to. Though, it did look relatively professional, which meant that these two were probably doctors in their own right.
Suddenly, she felt a warm energy—The Force—flowing throughout her body, relaxing her muscles and bones. A blue light shone from her form, as the pair of doctors looked in awe. When it stopped, she felt herself moving perfectly, and nothing seemed out of place as she stretched.
"Laila," she blurted out, as she gathered her thoughts.
Laila. Her name. Laila Roux. She held her head in pain as her memories came back abruptly, and she remembered who she was – what she was. She remembered Atton, T3-M4, Visas, and the others in her old crew. She recalled her skills, and her identity. The betrayal. Her death. She remembered everything.
She was Laila Roux, the Exile.
At least, that was what she once was. For one, she knew it was probably centuries, if not millennia, since her death, which meant she was probably already forgotten. It made her a little relieved.
However, it didn't stop Laila from being absolutely flummoxed at being brought back by the Force. She couldn't help but wonder what the game was this time, because if there was one thing she absolutely did not want, it was to be made a plaything by the Force again.
Not that she could oppose it, though, much to her annoyance, which did not go unnoticed. Turning her head, Laila noticed the two doctors that helped her, and they were clearly confused, and in awe.
"Go to your room, Lucy. I need to talk with her, alone," the man said, his voice firm.
Lucy knew when to oppose her father – and it was not now. She gingerly stood up and left, closing the door softly, as he folded his arms. His cold gaze seemed to pierce into Laila's soul, as she sat up with a matching glare of her own.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"Laila Roux, and why the caution? I am a Jedi." Laila chose to leave her brief stint with the Sith out, knowing that it wouldn't be wise to mention that now.
The doctor noticeably flinched, but his gaze seemed colder. "Are you going to mean us harm? Did the Emperor send you?"
The Jedi tried to probe for his intentions, and to her small surprise, found his mind guarded with extremely mundane thoughts, including the combinations of some medicinal recipes she couldn't understand. His expression hardened even more, as she sighed.
"No, I do not," Laila said lowly, her voice calm. "And I know no Emperor."
It wasn't a lie – she didn't really know who the Sith Emperor was, though it was rumoured that Revan had found him.
The doctor nodded, and extended his hand, "My name is Frey. I hail from Coruscant. And you are?"
"I already told you my name," Laila murmured.
"No, you haven't told me who you are. Who exactly are you?" Frey asked, his posture noticeably even more relaxed.
"And why should I tell you?"
"Because you are going to need my help." Frey smiled. "You clearly know nothing of this galaxy we live in – judging from your ignorance about the Emperor, and it looks like you do not know the danger you are in. Your kind are hunted."
Laila ran her fingers through her dark hair, knowing that there weren't many options available to her. She was at the doctor's mercy, and it looked like he was well-trained to resist the Force's mind trick, which probably meant that he had other surprises. It wasn't a risk she was prepared to take. Laila knew first-hand how deadly anti-Force User soldiers could be.
"I was a general in the Mandalorian wars…"
The Jedi left out her darker past, only concentrating on her life as a Jedi, and the Mandalorian Wars. To Frey's credit, he never interrupted, leaning forward as he listened intently at the mysterious woman.
The doctor couldn't help but wonder from which wormhole she fell into. To his knowledge, the Mandalorian Wars occurred more than four millennia ago, and to say nothing of her apparent affiliation with the notorious Darth Revan, a famed Sith Lord. Frey didn't know what to make of all this.
"The Force must have sent me back here, for whatever reason. It's not like I wanted to be here anyway," Laila shrugged.
'I'm too old for this.'
Frey sighed. He knew that she wasn't telling him everything – experience with young people told him that – but did not press. He studied her unreadable expression, wondering how to deal with this latest problem. The doctor had to keep it very discreet, recognizing the threat that her presence posed. The Emperor's forces showed no mercy to those who helped the Jedi, let alone powerful ones like this girl. At least, she implied that she was.
"For now, you will stay here – you need rest," Frey leaned forward as he continued. "If you should leave, do not display any affiliations you have with the Force. Listen carefully to what I say. In your long absence, the galaxy has indeed changed…"
Laila listened intently, and inwardly laughed when she found out about the demise of Jedi Order at the hands of no more than two Sith. It was laughable how the Jedi never did learn their lessons about complacency and arrogance from their past wars with the Sith – most of which they won only by luck, or the Force directly intervening to keep balance.
Though, it was rather interesting to note how the Emperor was able to consolidate his power for over a decade, which was again displaying the incompetence of the Council. Surely, with their affinity with the Force, they would have sensed the darkness within the Senate as the Emperor grew in political strength?
Laila continued to listen intently, and raised an eyebrow as Frey ended his story.
"You will need to rest here, for now," the doctor told. "While the Force has indeed healed you to an extent, you are not in top condition, yet. I believe you will know what to do. Do not use your abilities while you are here. I have no intention for the Emperor's forces to kill me, or my daughter."
Laila agreed. She could still feel the stiffness that restricted her movements slightly. She grimaced at her average affinity with the Force. If she had half the Force ability of Master Kavar, she would have already been fully healed. Perhaps waking up after millennia had a hand in it. She didn't know.
The Jedi sighed. For all that happened, she still couldn't quite believe that four millennia had went past since her lifetime.
"Where is my lightsaber?" Laila thought out loud.
Frey reached into his pocket, bringing out a familiar tube, with a deep engraving around the grey hilt. It was Sith language, and she instinctive recognized it. Her name, Rayne. With a shiver, Laila shook off the thought. Her name was Laila, not Rayne. Images started to run through her head, as darker memories started to take over, and a familiar feeling of burning – No!
She was no longer that woman. She was Laila.
With a quivering hand, Laila tried to reach out to her lightsaber, before Frey pulled it back.
"You swear not to harm me, or my daughter?" Frey narrowed his eyes.
"I swear on the Force. Satisfied?" Laila was growing even more annoyed at the doctor's mistrust.
Frey nodded, before leaving the room, the silent air ever so unnerving her. The world had changed so much. Never before had the Sith achieved such complete victory, even in her lifetime when many mighty Sith lived. Who was the Emperor? The Jedi and the Republic were fools, but they were not weak. To be conquered, and destroyed so thoroughly, it was something even Darth Revan and Exar Kun at the height of their strength could not do.
She observed her weapon, wondering what her purpose was in this world. It wasn't like Laila had the strength to defeat someone powerful enough to completely conquer the Republic.
Why then, did the Force guide her here?
Sighing, she decided to sleep on her thoughts. Healing, and the talk had taken a lot out of her.
xXx
That night, she had a dream. It was the familiar setting, a thin layer of sand covering over charred skeletons, and the massive tombs towering over the ground. She recognized the tombs of Tulak Hord, and Marka Ragnos. They looked weathered, but not by time.
The Valley of the Dark Lords.
Laila wondered why she came here, only to find herself weighed down by heavy black robes, and a long red lightsaber clasped in her hand. Much to her horror, she found herself walking on her own, to a limp figure, almost burned beyond recognition, but still alive. He was muttering in a hoarse voice, but nothing that could be deciphered.
His eyes, an intense black, clouded in crimson madness stared at her, with a familiar grin plastered on his mutilated face. The Dark Side was consuming him, and she knew it. It was no use saving him now.
Yet, her chest hurt?
"Goodbye, Laila," a mocking whisper that sent chills down her spine. "Know that the Force will not protect you from me."
Instantly, her head felt like it was exploding, and she felt herself screaming in pain. She continued to scream, her voice becoming hoarse from the effort, as she felt something ripping inside of her. She knew that man, she knew him... It was painful…
Right then, as it finally seemed to let go, she woke up, beads of sweat still running down her brow. Laila wiped her sweat off her forehead, and closed her eyes.
Even after four millennia, the nightmares didn't stop.
"Atton…"
xXx
A week later…
Time had passed by like a flash. It was slow, and took a week, but Laila could now feel her old strength return. At least, physically. Her Force powers remained crippled. Her wound from that battle never did heal, and would probably never will. Atton's ghost still haunted her, but she made a promise not let her weakness control her this time.
She stared at herself in the mirror. Laila's sleeveless black shirt was tight, showing her curves, and she wore long, dark pants tucked into a pair of black boots. Fastening her lightsaber into its holster, Laila traced the burn scars on her shoulder, as she thought about that last battle in her lifetime. Pushing that thought away, Laila recalled what she did during the week.
Helped by Lucy and Frey, Laila had worked hard to condition herself physically, and using an old training tool – a sparring hologram programmed by HK-47 – to shake off some of her rust in duelling. She shook her head as she remembered Lucy's rather unhealthy fascination with the hologram's foul language each time he was beaten down by Laila. It worked wonders, in the sense that she regained her old skills.
However, her strength in the Force was still crippled. It wasn't like she had a problem with it – the Force was never her strength. Be it as a Sith, or Jedi, Laila's strength was always in her duelling. In her lifetime, she was unmatched, and was even compared to Tulak Hord himself, which was probably an exaggeration, though his Holocron had told otherwise. Nonetheless, it unnerved her.
Laila wondered if she still had Tulak Hord's Holocron with her – and grimaced when she could not find it. It was that Holocron that had guided her in her short foray into the Dark Side, with the remnant of the Sith Lord passing on to her his knowledge, which included his duelling technique. Not to mention it was a gift from Revan, who had fought for its possession and won.
Letting out a sigh, she turned around, and found herself facing Lucy, the little blonde child who had wormed her way into the Jedi's heart. Laila managed a smile, though she did feel rather bad for the child. After all, this was the day she was leaving, and Lucy somehow had the idea that Laila was her "big sister". Her smile became more tiring to maintain, as she looked at the wide eyes of the child.
Swallowing, Laila went into the other room, where she found Frey looking at her with a rather sad smile. He knew it was time for her to leave.
He was smiling much more in the previous couple of days, especially after the news came out that the Rebels had managed to deal a decisive victory over the Empire in the Battle of Endor, helped by a new Jedi named Luke Skywalker. It was followed by a swift capture of Coruscant by the famed Admiral Ackbar. With the Emperor dead, and Coruscant captured, the Empire was broken. The only thing that remained was for the Rebels to consolidate their power in the galaxy, to which Laila had said would take time. Not that Frey had cared, though.
"So, you are leaving now?" Frey asked, setting down papers on his desk.
"Yes."
"Lucy will miss you, you know?" Frey took off his glasses, staring at Laila. "Nevertheless, take care of yourself out there. The Empire being defeated will mean that you must be more careful. After the Emperor's regime, many now hate the Force – and you are an unknown. I would advise you to leave to Coruscant, where you can negotiate with the New Republic leaders."
Laila nodded her head solemnly, before silently leaving – before Frey stopped her.
"I think you forgot something," Frey said, holding out a folded black cloak. "I found this by your bed."
Laila took it, and felt the familiar weight, which reminded her of that night in Korriban. She tried to return it to Frey, who shook his head.
"It's not mine to keep," Frey told, before adding. "Running away from your past will not do anything, Dark Lord."
"Who are you?" Laila glared, her sapphire-blue eyes almost glowing.
"I'm just an old doctor," Frey smiled. "Until we meet again, Laila. Lucy and I will look forward to it. The hangar is about two miles north."
Reluctantly, Laila took the heavy cloak. Then, she nodded, and left by the door, silently as possible, as she waved a goodbye to Lucy from the distance. There was a certain excitement as she walked – this was the first time she was allowed to be outside ever since awakening that day.
She walked on the grass, and wondered if she was in Dxun, with all the trees, and the cries, and growls of the beasts in the distance. More than that, she wondered about the identity of Frey, who was clearly more than he was. The sound of a distant thunder could be heard, as large, grey clouds hovered above her.
Sighing, she pulled the dark cloak over her, and felt the familiar weight on her shoulders. Memories started to flood her mind, but she managed to suppress it and regain her concentration by thinking about Pazaak combinations – something a friend had taught her to do, long ago. She couldn't remember who. More accurately, she didn't want to remember.
Finally, after some time, she found herself in front of the hangar. Punching in the passcode, Laila entered the hangar and plunged into the cockpit of the ship housed inside. Strapping herself in, Laila reached out with the Force and studied the controls.
In another day, she would have marvelled at the newer model of the Navicomputer, not to mention the quicker, and smoother programming which allowed for quicker and less risky Hyperspace jumps. Also, she observed the leaner design of the controls, and the newly installed auto-pilot, which also had its own automated evasive manoeuvres, and radars. It wasn't built for fighting, judging from the lack of weaponry, but the defensive options available more than made up for it.
She certainly knew that Atton would have absolutely went mental for this ship.
Gritting her teeth at the sudden onrushing of memories, Laila quickly started the launch procedure, which was thankfully no different than it was in her time. As she entered space, she quickly set the destination towards Coruscant in the navicomputer, and sat back as the ship entered hyperspace, reminiscing on her past.
xXx
Coruscant
"Welcome to Coruscant," Han Solo said. "The capital of the Empire."
"The Republic," Luke Skywalker, the hero of the Republic, corrected, earning a sighed "Whatever" from Han.
"Tell me again why we are even here?" Han grumbled, knowing that this ride was requested at extremely short notice.
Chewbacca also voiced his displeasure, earning a sheepish smile from Luke, who knew that all Han wanted to do was to settle down quietly with Leia away from further war, though he knew that it probably wouldn't happen.
Luke was no different. He knew that currently, the galaxy's political state was extremely unstable, with many vying for power. While he had wanted to help the Rebellion consolidate the Senate and rebuild the Republic, he had his own duties.
With Yoda officially bestowing upon him the title of Grandmaster of the Jedi, Luke had a responsibility to rebuild the Order, bring back balance to the Force, and renew the strength of the Light. Obi-Wan had charged him with this duty, and advised him to let the Rebellion consolidate its power around Coruscant.
Luke's role in the war was effectively over, and Ackbar had already discharged him towards Coruscant to perform his task. After his blunder at Bespin, Luke wasn't about to dismiss Obi-Wan's advice again – he would believe in his friends to rebuild the New Republic on their own.
Touching down on the Temple ruins, Han said, with a wink, "There you go, kid. The only free ride I'll ever give you."
Luke smiled, and quickly jumped off his seat to leave the Falcon. He was about to leave, but not before being pulled into an embrace by Han.
"It's been a pleasure," Han smiled. "I'll see you soon. Be careful out there – especially now that the Empire has fallen, Coruscant might be a little dangerous. See you soon, kid."
The Wookiee beside him roared his farewell, as Luke broke into a sad smile – he'd miss these two, for sure. However, he controlled his emotions, as he waved his farewell and jumped off the Falcon. The young man almost did shed a tear as he watched the Falcon disappear into the sky, but shook his head, and calmed himself.
Luke wandered around the massive ruins, marvelling as he imagined the splendour that the temple must've had in its full glory. However, something was wrong. It was a warm day outside, but the place was dark and cold, making Luke shiver involuntarily. The Dark Side was strong in the air, and it was completely silent, as if completely sealed in. It smelled stagnant, tainted by the small tinge of blood.
Eyeing the familiar burn marks on the walls still standing, he concluded that it must have been personally destroyed by the Emperor's powers himself, which unnerved Luke. Yoda wasn't joking when he mentioned not to underestimate the Emperor's strength in the Dark Side.
He remembered his last conversation with Obi-Wan, the night before his trip to Coruscant, as he wondered what to do in this massive place.
xXx
"You want me to stop fighting?" Luke had asked Obi-Wan, who was standing by him.
"Yes, Luke. It's time for you to rebuild the Order. Go to the Jedi Temple at Coruscant," Obi-Wan had said, though his face was unnaturally grim. "There, you will find a mentor that will allow you to do your duty."
"But the war hasn't ended yet! There's been –"
"Calm down, Luke. Believe in your friends. They are not incompetent, and will see this out," Obi-Wan reassured. "Remember Bespin?"
That very question struck any argument Luke could've had down. After all, His friends did manage to escape Bespin on their own, without his help. Biting his lip, Luke thought about Obi-Wan's advice.
After a pause, Obi-Wan added, "The Emperor may have been defeated, but this is just a beginning. You must prepare yourself. Anakin has completed his chapter – it's time for you to start yours. Also, I would certainly say that you need more training."
In that, Luke couldn't help but agree. He was thoroughly defeated by the Emperor with barely any effort, and the only reason he was alive was because of his father's betrayal.
"But I thought the Jedi are dead?" Luke pointed out. "Who is this Mentor, and where can I find him?"
"You can find him in the Jedi Temple at Coruscant," Obi-Wan said, his face tightening. "The Force will guide you."
Luke nodded in agreement, as Obi-Wan smiled.
"You have made me very proud, Luke Skywalker. I thought that Anakin would never be redeemed… but somehow you managed it," Obi-Wan said.
A pause.
"May the Force be with you," With that, Obi-Wan disappeared.
xXx
Following Obi-Wan's advice, Luke let himself go to the Force, and let it guide him towards his destination. He heard a whisper – whispers – and through the ruins, he followed them. He wondered if the Emperor had left the ruins as a symbol of his victory over the Jedi, but put it straight into the back of his mind, as he continued his walk deep into the temple.
After some time walking through the ruins, the whispers grew louder, and he found a place, the only place untainted by the Dark Side. It was warmer, and he could see a ray of sunlight through the ceiling. He could see what was probably once a large, beautiful garden, and a place of peace and tranquillity, with glistening streams and a roaring waterfall. A place of beauty, and the Light.
Now however, it was burned to the ground, with very few trees left standing, and they were all dead. Shallow murky water lay in the streams unmoving, with a sickening smell of burning. Luke couldn't help but feel deep sadness at the state of the Temple, but ignored it – it would all be rebuilt someday, and to do that, he had a duty to fulfill.
Continuing to follow the whispers, Luke found a presence – presumably his mentor, and swallowed. He wondered what his mentor would be like, as he jumped across a stream. Suddenly, the whispers stopped, and Luke entered a little hut to reveal an imposing figure facing him.
At least, that was what he thought as he studied the person staring at him. She was a woman, clearly, judging from her soft facial features. She wore a large, black cloak, with her hood pulled back, similar to the Emperor's. Except, that it was slightly tighter, and it parted at the middle, revealing a black shirt, and a chain necklace holding a pendant shaped like the crescent moon.
Her long, dark hair ran down her back, and she possessed a pair of piercing, deep sapphire eyes, which seemed to pierce through Luke's very soul. Luke tried to match her stare with his own, earning a small chuckle from her. Looking down in near-embarrassment, he noticed the lightsaber strapped into her belt, confirming his suspicions.
"Who are you?" The cloaked woman asked, tilting her head, giving Luke a better view of her face, which was rather beautiful.
However, he didn't miss the sheer authority she had laced into her voice, and straightened his shoulders.
"I'm Luke Skywalker, and I'm looking for a mentor," Luke said. "It appears you are the one."
"And what makes you think so?" She folded her arms, her eyebrow raised.
"The Force willed it to be so," Luke chose his words carefully. "It led me to you."
She then did something Luke didn't expect. Instead of acknowledging him as her apprentice, she started to sigh and grumble, before murmuring things he couldn't hear. The woman seemed to regather herself, as she studied Luke.
"So that's why I was brought back…" She sighed, disappointment clear in her voice. "To train a little brat."
xXx
A/N: So this is a little experimental WIP I thought of a year ago, after completing the KOTOR II game.
Part of the reason why I created this was because I absolutely hated how the Exile's story ended in SWTOR, and that Revan book. I do not want to see my uber-awesome character that I built get deus-exed by a Sith loser who happened to have a dream. Anyway, I was also curious at how Luke essentially became the King of Uber in terms of strength in the EUs. Again, I didn't like it. He basically just made himself god-like. So.. yeah. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed. :)
Appendices
Tulak Hord: One of the greatest lightsaber duellists of his era.
Marka Ragnos: An immensely powerful ancient Sith Lord.
Valley of the Dark Lords: A place containing giant tombs of the Sith Lords in Korriban.
Do read and review!