I do not own any of this
All characters, vessels, etc. belong to LucasArts and Bioware.
Hope you enjoy the story.
Part I: Memories Unbound
Reflection on Lehon
One week after the Battle of the Rakata System…
Revan sighed as he inserted the last crystal into his lightsaber. Behind him, Bastila shifted in her sleep. The faint smell of perfume still hung around her wavy hair. They had been at a celebration party commemorating the brave souls lost in the Battle of the Rakata System. The entire crew had spent the night partying and the Ebon Hawk was now on a course to the Lehon system for a nice and relaxing holiday.
Yuthura said that the dark side left a taint, yet Revan did not believe that was the case for him. Over the past few weeks, his dreams were plagued by hazy memories.
The faces of those who he had killed during his time as Dark Lord. They jeered at him, challenging him to face them. Jedi who he had led to doom wailed for him to save them. The faces of the Mandalorians he killed roared at him and called for blood.
Now, a hazy fog obscured those. Walking through it, Revan came upon a clearing in the fog. In it, a Jedi Knight was battling a hooded Sith Lord. She looked young and wielded a blue blade. Then, the Sith Lord struck her down. Turning to Revan, his voice was magnified tenfold, "You are our Master. Lead us to victory."
Lightsabers flashed, several of them the Jedi colors of emerald and turquoise, but they were overpowered by the engulfing blood red blades. A sea of glowing red rods, illuminating a burning Temple, its occupants slaughtered. And the last Jedi Knight, with a shocked expression on his face, fell backward, a smoking hole in his chest from the Sith Lord who had led the invasion. There were bodies. Jedi. All dead…
"NO!" he roared, sitting upright. Beside him, Bastila jumped from the bed in fright, impulsively activating her lightsaber. Seeing the former Dark Lord panting, she smiled and deactivated her weapon.
"Another nightmare?" she asked quietly, giving him a quick kiss. Revan nodded.
"More and more of my memories are coming back. I don't know what I did as a Sith, but it seems to be haunting me. All those I killed are haunting me. The future is haunting me."
Bastila gave a small chuckle. "The future? I can believe your memories are bothering you, but the future could be a sign of mental instability." She ducked as Revan tossed his pillow at her. Laughing, she shook her head with annoyance mixed with mirth. Revan had accidently unleashed a Force Wave when he had woken up, knocking over furniture and leaving the room a mess.
Over the ship's intercom, Mission's clear voice chirped out a message. "It's 0700 hours! Time to get up!...I SAID GET UP ALREADY! We're entering the Lehon System. Keeper Orsaa has sent us coordinates. Now, I want this ship to be shipshape when we land. HK, please clean yourself up. I-HEY! ZAALBAR! Get away from there! #&*%$*&#*%#! Put me down you furball!"
"Go back to bed Mission!" Canderous roared from his cot in the garage. He had taken to sleeping in the hangar, saying he preferred the solitude, though Revan suspected his just wanted to have weapons close at hand in case of an attack.
"Some of us are trying to sleep!" Juhani roared from the crew quarters, her thick Cathar accent revealing her ire.
"Geez! Some people have no sense of-YOW! Teethree, when I get my hands on you…"
"Some of us are trying to sleep" Revan said calmly into the intercom "Still, it is time to get up. We should have a few days of relaxation before we meet with the Elders. However, Mission is right. The ship does need some work. Teethree, I want you and HK to patch up any scorchmarks on the hull. Carth and Canderous, could you guys polish your best armor? Mission can prepare the ceremonial robes, and clean them by hand since you seem to have so much energy. The rest of you, load up with supplies."
The sun was peeking from behind the calm blue see on Lehon. Birds flew off is a scuffle as the Dynamic-class freighter landed on the beach. Waves lapped against the back landing legs of the Ebon Hawk.
"Hey, you actually landed without anyone getting a concussion this time Carth, nice job -HEY!"
"Shut up Mission."
The landing ramp of the Ebon Hawk lowered. Revan stepped out into the bright sunlight. Shielding his eyes until they adjusted to the glare from the sun, he took in the beautiful landscape.
"Trask would have loved to have seen this" he murmured "So would have Kebla. So would have Janine, Marn, Gadon Thek, and everyone else." He was filled with guilt and remorse, ashamed that all those who had helped him out of simple compassion had paid the price dearly. None had ever been recognized and that made him sad.
As the others descended from the ship, Revan walked off. "Let him be" Bastila motioned to them "He has a lot on his mind."
They set to work repairing the Ebon Hawk. Mission took great fun in sending Canderous another blaster to polish once he thought he was done. HK found himself magnetized to the hull, courtesy of Teethree, who Bastila would have sworn had giggled.
Carth and Zaalbar had taken out the Dejarik board and were playing on the beach. Juhani was meditating, and Jolee had gone off into the jungle to gather medical supplies as well as food.
As the sun set, Bastila found Revan sitting on the beachhead where the Rakata of the One used to live. There, Revan had carved out a large stone block out of the cliff face and used the Force to etch the images and names of the companions he had lost. Above all these, he had carved a small statue of a man in a Republic soldier's uniform, standing with his blaster at the ready.
"Trask, I know we only knew each other for a short time" Revan breathed "But I want you to know, I will always remember you. The Republic will always remember you. The Jedi will always remember you. The galaxy will always remember you."
Walking up to Revan, Bastila put her arms around her lover's shoulders. "Had Trask been here to see this, he would have been very proud." Bastila murmured as she kissed Revan's head. "I picked him as your bunkmate because he was the first person you met on the Endar Spire after you were reprogrammed. But you were right. I will make sure that his name lives on in history forever." Together, they walked back to the landing site, where a festival had already begun.
A figure, almost invisible in the fading light, smiled at Revan as he walked away. Too bad I couldn't come with you on your journeys, Trask whispered I know now that it was my destiny to sacrifice myself so you could save the galaxy. But Revan, thanks to you, I am finally at peace… With that, he slowly faded away.
As he walked back with Bastila, Revan smiled. So am I old friend, so am I…
On the other hand, "peace", as in sleep, did not come easily for Revan. He laid shirt-less under the warm blanket he and Bastila were sharing, staring at the stars above. Revan was not in any hurry to sleep though. His fragmented memories pieced themselves together faster when he did, and his nights were filled with dark nightmares and the horrible grinning skulls of those he had killed.
The fire had died down to glowing embers, and Mission and Zaalbar lay snoring beside it. Careful not to wake Bastila, Revan stood up and walked to the glowing embers. Sitting on a foldable chair, he began poking the embers with a metal pole. The sound of snapping twigs at the forest edge immediately sent his senses on high alert. Tip-toeing to a table, he retrieved his tunic shirt and utility belt. Unclipping one of the lightsabers hooked onto the belt, he cautiously walked to the source of the sound.
Upon nearing the forest edge, he noticed the faint glow of a glowlamb and the familiar presence of Jolee Bindo in the Force. The old Padawan was sitting in a clearing not too far from the edge of the forest, his rumbled Padawan robes covered in mud, leaves, and twigs. He stared up at the sky, as if searching for something.
"Got something on your mind?" Jolee asked, not even turning his head. Revan walked into the clearing and sat beside Jolee. Jolee resumed his silent vigil, this time with Revan.
"You fought against Exar Kun" Revan said after a while "Ulic Qel-Droma fell to the dark side after infiltrating the Krath, yet he was redeemed." He paused for a moment "The galaxy never really forgave him though."
Jolee was silent for a moment. Picking up two blades of grass, he began threading them together. "The wars against Freedon Nadd, the Krath, Ulic, and Exar Kun were a dark time. Nobody trusted anyone entirely. Ulic wasn't evil. He didn't start out evil, but he just was seduced by the dark side like so many others." He added several more blade of grass to his weaving.
"I was evil, yet I didn't start out that way." Revan murmured, remembering a time long, long, ago. He remember a young Padawan and his master, Arren Kae, Kreia, and so many others. "I wasn't like Ulic, seduced by the greater Sith. I instigated the civil war, causing the deaths of millions."
"Remember I told you about my friend, Nomi Sunrider?" Jolee continued. Revan nodded. "Her daughter Vima was one of the Masters to train the Jedi Exile during the Mandalorian Wars." He remembered. Jolee nodded, not in agreement, but as a nod to his friend's legacy. "Nomi fell in love with Ulic during the Great Sith Wars. She formed a bond with him. Despite all her love for him, the minute he killed Cay, she all but lost her love for him. It was like she loved him like a dead lover. She cut Ulic off from the Force permanently without hesitation, and she paid for her actions dearly." He turned his head towards Revan. "Not once in my friendship with Nomi did she stop grieving over Ulic. Even though he redeemed himself, she still felt unimaginable guilt. His death on Rhen Var did little to aid that guilt."
"Nomi was a changed woman after the wars" he continued, threading several more blades of grass into his creation. A green trident-like form was taking shape. "The loss of Andur, Ulic, and all the other Jedi affected her deeply. Even as Grand Master did she still spend hours on end staring into empty space, mourning Andur and Ulic."
"Don't think that I didn't see a pattern in your questions" Jolee noted "You're troubled by something. You shouldn't be. The Dark Lord of the Sith is vanquished and only Milo Antelos remains."
Revan stood up. Pacing back and forth, words began rolling unchecked from his mouth. "Ulic had a bond with Nomi. I have a bond with Bastila. He was seduced by the dark side of the Force, so was I. Nomi had to heave all of her love for Ulic aside and do the worst thing that could ever happen to him. Would Bastila have the courage to do that?"
"That's not what's bothering you." Jolee said. Revan gritted his teeth.
"Fine" he said finally "My memories are coming back. Every night, I see the faces of those I killed in my dreams. It's like a punishment for all I have done to the galaxy. And now, I keep on dreaming of an even greater threat. It's driving me mad!"
Jolee smiled. Standing up, he pressed his finished creation into Revan's hand and said kindly, "You're the Prodigal Knight. Constant paranoia is what makes you unique, as well as having the tendency to drive old men crazy sometimes." With that, the two friends walked back to camp.
Bastila awoke to the feeling of the blanket shifting over her. She sensed Revan getting under the thick quilt. What was he doing up at this hour? she thought drowsily. But her eyes closed again and she drifted off into the dark oblivion of sleep.
She was awakened a few hours later by alarming noises coming from her lover. Calling a sheet over to her with the Force, she wrapped her naked body in it and stood up. Revan was thrashing around in his sleep, making odd grunting noises. What was terrifying was that although he was in a deep sleep, his eyes were wide open and a shade of yellow. Suddenly, he began screeching at the top of his lungs.
A loud roar signaled the giant Wookie's awakening. While Mission leaped up, Zaalbar had already lifted Revan like a small toy in his strong arms and was carrying him toward the Ebon Hawk.
HK-47 and T3-M4 sped down the ramp, Teethree screeching his own scream in panic and fear for his master. [Statement: My audio receptors had picked up human noises identified as sounds of distress. Shocked Statement: It is my master! Oh, what have the meatbags done to you?]
Zaalbar groaned in helplessness as he carried Revan up the boarding ramp and into the ship. Jolee was waiting in the medical bay, preparing a hypo needle at the lab station. Zaalbar set Revan down on the bed. As he and Mission restrained Revan, Jolee injected his arm with the hypo. Revan stopped screaming, much to everyone's relief, shuddered, and drifted into unconsciousness.
Breathing heavily, Jolee turned to Bastila, who was standing in the door. "Miss Shan, I would put on some clothes if I were you" he suggested, nodding at the sheet wrapper around her.
"Of course" Bastila murmured, staring at Revan before turning around and disappearing behind a corner. Her mind raced. Revan had complained of bad dreams but they had always stayed in his mind, and dreams certainly did not turn one's eyes yellow, the color of a Sith.
Carth stood in the Ebon Hawk's communications room. Activating the console, he sighed. Turning to the small droid behind him, he said, "Ready when you are." T3 gave a blirp in response and activated his holo-transmitter. The 3-D image flickered, and then formed into the form of Admiral Dodonna. "Carth, I was just about to comm you." Dodonna said, her face a mask of grave concern.
"We were about to do the same thing Admiral." Carth replied.
"The Jedi Council here on Coruscant have told me they are receiving…how do I put this…tremors, in the Force. I assume that the Prodigal Knight has been experiencing something as well?" A nod from Carth was all she needed to know. Admiral Dodonna knew when not to intrude upon something that was no business of hers. Carth immediately began explaining the last few days' events.
"We're leaving." Carth said bluntly to the assembled crew.
"What?" Mission exclaimed "I was going to get a nice tan, maybe make some friends with the locals, check out those cool blades they-HEY!" Zaalbar cuffed her over the head.
"There is a time and a place" he said "Carth is serious. This has something to do with my life-debt master."
"The Jedi on Coruscant are experiencing things. Revan's not the only one. Our orders are to return to Coruscant as soon as possible, no exceptions." Carth sighed. The crew grumbled and headed back to their duties.
Walking into the cockpit, Carth found Revan strapped into one of the two seats behind the pilot's chair, still shaken from the previous night's events. Bastila was already seated in the co-pilot's chair and Jolee was seated in the navigator's chair. "I've plotted a course to Coruscant" Bastila informed Carth as he sat down "We should be there in an hour or so."
The freighter Ebon Hawk emitted a loud hum as it lifted off Rakata Prime and disappeared into the void of hyperspace. As the ion trail began to drift apart, a black battle cruiser, almost invisible against the stars, jumped into hyperspace, beginning a dangerous game of cat and mouse.
"We've got something strange here!" Mission said frantically from the seat next to Revan. She was observing their trajectory when she began noticing something odd. "Take us out of hyperspace!" Carth ordered.
The Ebon Hawk slowed to realspace in the Outer Rim, still traveling towards Coruscant, but with sublight engines. "We're in the Auril Sector." Bastila commented as the crew unbuckled. The cockpit crew gathered around Mission. "I've been monitoring our energy field as we travel through hyperspace. I noticed something odd, which the scanners identified as nothing. Our energy field is releasing energy that's traveling outword almost infinitively, unless it hits something, like a planet's magnetic field, where it disappears after bouncing off the upper atmosphere. While we were in hyperspace, I noticed that the energy output was being disrupted at a specific point."
"The scanners aren't picking up anything." Jolee noted.
"Could be an asteroid…" Carth suggested.
"…or a ship." Revan murmured, staring out the cockpit window. There, illuminated against the bright glow of the thousands of Expansion Region suns, was a jet-black battle frigate. Revan could make out a bridge tower and several long-range heavy turbolaser batteries. Resembling a U laid flat with a command bridge jutting out of the middle and the sides shaped like one long pincer, it looked for all the world like some creature of the night.
"Battle stations!" Carth roared, sending the ship spinning as laser blasts began exploding all around the ship. Several loud roars from the main hold indicated Zaalbar thrown off his feet. Revan winced. Soon, there would be a very loud crash of Wookie hitting durasteel…
Juhani gritted her teeth as a pipe burst near her head, releasing a burst of steam and an ear-splitting whistle. Using his magnetic treds, T3-M4 whistled as he patched the pipe. Suddenly the ship was rocked by a loud explosion that had detonated close to their hull. Teethree screeched as he was pulled from the floor and sent tumbling like a rubber ball all over the ship.
[Amused Statement: Master, several squadrons of Sith fighters had launched from the battle frigate. Shall I and the poor excuse for a Mandalorian deal with them?]
"I BEG YOUR PARDON!" Revan winced as Canderous' outraged statement sent his headset into sound overload as feedback began emitting from the ear piece.
Bastila waited for the sound to stop, and then began relaying a distress signal. "Republic Outpost R-6 Epsilon-9456. This is Jedi Padawan Bastila Shan aboard the Dynamic-class light freighter Ebon Hawk on an important mission to Coruscant. We are under attack by possible Sith battle fleet. We are outnumbered and outgunned. Request immediate assistance. Republic Outpost R-6 Epsilon…"
Canderous winced as a Sith fighter exploded close to the turret he was manning and sent feedback into his headset. Wincing, he managed to score two direct hits on a Sith fighter's fuselage while clipping the port wing off another. Resembling misshapen birds-of-prey, the Sith fighters continued to swarm the Ebon Hawk. Had the Ebon Hawk not had its stolen improved hull armor and military-grade deflector shield generators, the ship would have been blown to pieces long ago.
Canderous had fought in hopeless battles before. He had fought at Malachor V and the First Battle of Althir. However, he had defeated the Althiri forces with a fleet a tenth of their size, but at least he had some capitals ships, not the turbolaser turret of a light freighter.
Revan let the Force guide him as he fired the two duel turbolaser emplacements on the port and starboard wingtips. "We're being pummeled on all sides!" Carth roared.
"What's that?" Mission asked anxiously, pointing to a flashing light on the console.
Gritting his teeth, Carth executed a full U-turn, sending everyone flying. "Our shields are failing. Too much energy input." He roared. Suddenly, the shaking stopped.
[Bleep boop whirl dooooo] T3-M4 reported to Revan over their private comlink.
"So the Sith fighters have returned to the frigate" Revan mused. Carth turned to him. "I don't like this. The only reason that those fighters would retreat would either be because they're preparing for a bombardment of the area with their turbolasers, or…" The ship shook for a second "…oh sithspit."
"They've caught us in a tractor beam!" Mission said in alarm. Carth cursed and activated the ship wide intercom. "All hands, prepare for boarding, I repeat, prepare for boarding."