From Across the Galaxies
Chapter I: Transported
A fierce explosion rocked the ground violently as a set of permacrete detonators went off. Debris ripped through the air and a thick cloud of black smoke whipped by the assembled legion of Sith that had gathered. Each primed his or her prototype blaster rifle as their leader stepped towards the blast sight. The Sith Lord known as Darth Revan assessed the structural integrity of the door his men had created in the ground floor of Coruscant's capital building. Through the visor of his faceless mask, he saw through the smoke that still obscured his soldiers' vision. The new entry would hold for quite some time before it collapsed in on itself. His demolition's expert had done good work. The Sith would have more than enough time to enter and make their escape.
Gesticulating with his right hand, the Dark Lord of the Sith signaled to his golden armored soldiers to move forward. The three dozen men and women in his legion jogged forward. Their leader stayed behind for several seconds, allowing the troops to act as blaster fodder for the building's security forces. He cast a glance back at his apprentice, who waited patiently behind him for her orders. He jerked his head at the door, indicating that she should lead the others onward. A smirk crossed her dark lips and the young Sith Lady walked passed her lord and master with paced strides.
The Dark Lord followed the young woman into the basement level of the capital. "You two," she said with a fierce gesture at the two nearest soldiers. "This entry is our lifeline. Defend it until reinforcements arrive."
"Yes ma'am," they replied in sync as their hands snapped off speedy salutes. The Dark Lady turned to the remaining troops and indicated that they should head for the lifts. Two identical elevators stood next to each other on the far end of the room. The Sith would have to go up in segments due to the limited amount of space. "I want six of you in each lift," she barked at the soldiers around her. "They'll have sealed the upper levels. Go as high as you can and hold that position. Radio your coordinates back to me once you are secure."
That being said, six soldiers poured into each of the lifts and vanished from sight as the door closed. Bastila Shan turned to her remaining men and women and pointed at a nearby stairwell. "The Republic soldiers will be expecting us to come through those elevators. We'll swarm them from the stairs and keep going. Don't expect help from the men we just sent up."
The cold attitude with which the Sith Lady had sent her men to die sent a shiver down the spine of every golden armored man and woman in the room. There were no misconceptions about their status within this war. They were expendable to Darth Revan and his apprentice. There also didn't appear to be any time to ponder this development. The Dark Lord's apprentice had already issued orders to begin marching up the staircase. The soldiers quickly marched towards the staircase and began their ascent into the heart of the Republic's capital building.
Revan followed behind his apprentice, who trailed lazily behind the nearly two dozen remaining soldiers. The Dark Lord of the Sith frowned beneath his armored mask. Logic dictated that he had nothing to worry about. The Sith invasion of Coruscant had gone better than his strategists and advisors could have possibly predicted. The scouts he had sent to infiltrate the political buildings - the capital building, the senate hall, and the high courthouses – had done remarkable work. Months of subtle observation and careful espionage had provided Revan with all of the information he needed to disable the majority of the planet's defenses. The orbital cannons had been deactivated, allowing the Star Forge manufactured snub fighters and dreadnaughts to enter the atmosphere uninhibited. The planet wide bombardment had leveled most of the critical Republic military structures immediately thereafter. In short, the Sith were well ahead of their opponents this day.
Still, it all seemed too simple. Despite superior numbers, technology, and weaponry, the invasion shouldn't have been met with so little resistance. There were hundreds of Hyperspace corridors between Rakata Prime and Coruscant where the Republic or any number of private military groups could have intercepted their path. There had been no sign of a single vessel during their journey. Normally such a simple victory wouldn't have bothered a soldier so much but Revan was no ordinary soldier. A veteran of both the Mandalorian Wars and the Jedi Civil War, the Sith Lord had gained a sense of self awareness and combat prowess that few would ever develop in their lifetimes. He knew when something was too good to be true. This was too good to be true.
Moreover, Revan had something that not many other generals on the field of battle possessed. The Force pounded strongly through him. Nearly all sentient beings in the galaxy possessed some measure of Force energy but few had the mental fortitude to properly manipulate it. Among those few, Revan stood apart in a class of his own. At the age of seven, he had been capable of using his powers to disarm a Jedi Knight of her lightsaber and use it to kill his own father. Only a handful of individuals in the galaxy would have been able to catch one trained in the Force so off guard at such an early age. Even fewer would have been able to use the weapon without accidentally lopping off and appendage in the process. Revan's mastery of the Force had kept him alive that day. It had kept him alive when everyone else around him died in agony in the heat of war. His connection to the universal energy field manifested as his closest friend and most dedicated ally. He trusted it implicitly. Therefore, when the Force told him that something seemed amiss, he knew that something had to be amiss.
"Lady Shan," he said as he stopped ascending the stairs and came to a halt.
Bastila ceased her climb as well and turned back to face him. "Yes, my lord?" she asked as she moved back down so that she stood only one stair ahead of him. Due to the short height difference between them, this put the couple at about eye level. Her golden eyes looked through the mask he wore and she could tell that something had caught his attention. "What's wrong, love?" she asked, breaking the harsh exterior they wore in the midst of battle.
Revan frowned at her lack of concern for protocol. "You shall address me as 'Lord Revan' or 'my lord' when we are not in private, am I clear?" he rebuked her roughly.
With a sigh, she nodded. "Forgive me, Lord Revan," she said as she straightened up and assumed a more formal posture, positioning both hands behind her back. "How may I serve you?"
"What do you sense, Bastila?" he inquired with a bemused smile which remained hidden beneath his visor.
"The battle is going well, my lord. Today is the day when the Republic falls."
This response bothered her master. It contained military gusto and a patriotic sense of fulfillment that he thought only natural for one on the winning side of any war. Bastila saw that she hade made a terrible error right away. There didn't appear to be any outward change in his demeanor or body language but the aura around him shifted ever so slightly. Those sensitive enough to note the switch were smart enough to fear it. Bastila quivered slightly at her mistake.
"Forgive me, Revan. What have I done?"
"There is a Jedi here," he stated as he turned the information over in his own mind. He couldn't be sure that this assessment was correct. The Great Jedi Purge that had commenced as soon as he had reassumed control of the Sith Empire had wiped out thousands of the old order. The fact that one had come out of hiding to challenge him during such a moment of weakness for the Republic seemed unlikely. Yet the familiar feeling of a tempered and controlled Force aura could not be ignored. In fact, something else seemed to be with the Jedi aura; something more familiar to him.
"The Jedi are gone," she scoffed arrogantly.
"There's one upstairs," he contradicted, becoming more sure of the fact with each word spoken. "You would do well to expand your senses, Bastila.
Bastila scowled deeply as she turned her head upwards. It took her only a moment before her somewhat weaker senses picked up on what his already had pinpointed. A crooked smile creased across her lips. Beneath his mask, Revan smirked at her. She finally had locked onto the target
Revan began climbing the stairs once again. The soldiers were now several flights ahead of the two Sith Lords. Bastila quickly moved to follow.
On the top floor of the burning capital building, Admiral Carth Onasi paced anxiously through the chancellor's personal office. The Republic's highest politician sat at his desk nervously. His hands visibly trembled and each explosion caused him to jump in fright. The old man could not bear to glance out with windows. The city around his office was on fire. Nearly every multiple story building within eyesight had been leveled by the bombardment. The sight sent the deepest feelings of failure down his spine.
The politician looked up at the admiral. Carth's had been anxious ever since they had put this plan into place. Having been a witness to the bombardment of Telos and a survivor of the destruction of Taris, the seasoned soldier was no stranger to planet wide chaos. Strategically, sacrificing Coruscant to the Sith while the bulk of the Republic armada struck at the Star Forge and Rakata Prime. The Sith had no idea of their true intent. The military had accidently leaked information on Korriban and other Sith strongholds in order to throw them off. All of their primary forces would be dedicated to protecting worlds that were in no danger. Once the Star Forge was under Republic jurisdiction, they could turn the tide of the war and make up for the damage done during the first assault on the Star Forge. Still, Carth didn't like it. Letting billions of people die seemed a little bit too high of a cost for what they would gain. Winning the war mattered but at what price would it stop being worth it?
The admiral cast a cold glance across the room to the Jedi who had orchestrated the entire affair. Mina Takhisis crossed the room and took a seat on the chancellor's desk. The pale woman cast a glance down at wizened politician and gave him a comforting smile. "Don't worry, Chancellor," she cooed sweetly. "I can protect you."
These words seemed to reassure him somewhat, though not enough to stop the uncontrollable shaking that he tried to hide. The ground suddenly shook around them and a loud crash could be heard below. Another explosion had gone off, indicating that the Sith were drawing nearer to their location. Hopefully the Republic forces between the ground floor and the chancellor's office had thinned the heard but Mina knew that there would be no stopping them. They were lead by Revan. If Mina still knew Revan at all, she knew that it would take more than one building's security forces to take him down. It would practically require an army to even slow him in his tracks. He would reach the chancellor's office. And soon.
Still, the wait seemed like an eternity. Mina had been patient. It had been nearly seven years since the last time she had seen Revan. He had left her behind, broken and alone. The last time they had spoken he had called her a shell and weak. So quickly he had forgotten her role in the Battle of Malachor V. So soon had he looked over her sacrifice and cast her off. She hadn't been worth bringing along to chase after the True Sith. She would have been a hindrance and a danger to the mission. Those words had broken her heart. It didn't matter anymore though. He had come back to her after all these years. Now it was time for her to repay him for all he had done. With her powers restored and enhanced beyond her wildest fantasies, Revan would regret leaving her behind.
Another explosion wracked the building and the door blew off of its hinges. The former Jedi hopped off of the desk and to her feet as a series of golden Sith troopers marched into the room. They raised their rifles and took aim at her. None fired a single shot. They waited for their lord and master to enter the room with his apprentice. Mina eyed the pair thoughtfully for a moment before she started towards the center of the room. With a dramatic flourish of her arm, the exiled Jedi Knight bowed to the two Sith Lords.
"Welcome, Lord Revan and Lady Bastila. On behalf of the Chancellor of the Galactic Republic and the Galactic Senate, welcome to Coruscant."
"Who are you?" Bastila sneered at the slightly older woman as she sized up their opposition.
"Capture them," Revan ordered, ignoring the conversation about to develop. He indicated three soldiers and pointed to the three people in the room. The golden armored soldiers quickly moved to comply. Mina and Carth both reacted violently. Mina grabbed her assailant by the wrist and twisted his arm around. With a sharp kick to the back of the knee, he collapsed, leaving him completely at her mercy. Gathering the Force about her, the former Jedi grabbed the Sith soldier by the neck, sending jolts of electricity charging through his body. He gargled a scream of pain as his flesh began to melt and adhere to the armor he wore. When Mina released him from her grip, the sizzling husk fell to the ground, dead.
Mina glanced back and saw that Carth had successfully killed his captor, as well as that of the chancellor. Her amber colored eyes flicked back to Revan, who eyed her beneath the visor. "Your powers were lost," he commented. The subtlest hint of interest crept into his voice as he spoke, though the mere fact that he would make such a statement betrayed his emotions. Revan was curious.
"They're back," she returned evenly. "No thanks to you."
"I saved your life," he stated with a voice that denoted no emotion whatsoever. "You should have disappeared."
"I did," she countered. Unlike Revan, she hid none of the feelings that coursed through her. Anger led the horde of feelings she directed towards her old friend. "I came back for you."
Mina reached into the folds of her robes and withdrew a long cylindrical shaped weapon that ran about nine inches in length. The metal of the shell had no distinct markings or etchings. It seemed to be a plain silver device with only a single button along the shaft. The former Jedi depressed this button with her thumb and the blade of her newly fashioned lightsaber sprang forth. Its silvery blade poured from the shaft in a beam of potent energy. Mina flourished the weapon and dropped into an offensive stance.
Bastila chuckled at the display. The Sith soldiers made no move, though all of them began to mentally prepare themselves to fend off any mental attacks the Jedi may try to force upon them. Revan's mind had already begun to assess the situation. The large office that they stood in was circular in shape. Furniture and people filled the room, which would make it difficult to remain mobile if a fight were to break out. He needed to clear some space. "Bastila, kill Carth and the Chancellor. Men, return to the city and aid in the attack."
"Milord?" the Sith captain nearest him asked incredulously.
"Go!" he barked in agitation.
"Yes sir!"
The men and women saluted their superior before marching off to comply with orders. Bastila turned her gaze towards the targets she had just been given. With a sinister snicker, the Sith Apprentice grabbed the saberstaff hanging at the small of her back and activated it, causing two crimson blades to spring froth from ends. Mina flicked a glance at Bastila, wondering just for a moment whether or not she should engage the Sith Apprentice. She quickly discarded the notion. Her only concern had to be Revan. She had a mission to fulfill and, more importantly, vengeance to serve.
"Run Chancellor!" Carth ordered as he turned to the politician.
The fleet admiral vaulted over the man's desk and urged him towards the door. The two ran for it but Bastila, like a wildcat stalking its prey, pounced on them. Using the power of the Force within her, she cleared the room in a single jump. Carth pulled his blaster and opened fire at the deranged woman who had once been his friend and commanding officer. She deflected each blaster bolt with her weapon and kept on them. The chancellor left the room, leaving Carth to stall.
The soldier fired wildly at the Sith Lady, trying desperately to hit some weakness in her form. No such weakness could be found, however, and upon landing beside him, Bastila sliced through the soldier with her lightsaber. The blade passed through his torso and ripped up to the neckline, destroying everything in between. The admiral didn't feel a thing. His brain quickly unleashed a flood of endorphins to nullify the agony of the mortal wound. Within moments, he would be dead. His body collapsed to the floor and Bastila moved on. A game of cat and mouse with the chancellor sounded like fun to her.
With Carth taken care of and the others clear of his way, Revan directed his attention towards Mina. "How did you get your powers back?" he inquired as he ignited his own lightsaber. The blood red blade sprang forth with the usual snap-hiss. Falling into his personalized Juyo stance, he began picking out flaws in hers. Her hands were an inch and a half apart on the shaft of her weapon, making it easier to throw off her control of the blade. She stood with her left leg unprotected. A single attack to the right shoulder would leave the left leg vulnerable to attack. Her hands held the blade at an angle that would not adapt well to his second lightsaber, should be choose to use it. More importantly, her stance suggested the use of a more aggressive Ataru form, which would be unable to penetrate the defenses of his personal style. If his calculations were correct, he could end the conflict within sixteen minutes.
Mina struck first. She closed the distance between them and made a pass for his shoulder. Revan compensated by shifting his weight to his opposite leg. The blade missed him entirely and he swung his in a horizontal arc that would cut through his rib cage. The former Jedi Knight ducked to avoid the crimson weapon and punched upward at his chest. The thick armor absorbed all of the damage of the attack but the force of the blow caused the Sith Lord to stumble. Mina pressed her advantage and feigned two strikes; the first went for his wrist while the second went for the head. Both attacks met his blade and were deflected. The third strike, the intended killer, went for his hip bone. During the Battle of Dxun, he had sustained an injury to that area. Enough damage to the hip would cripple him for certain.
Still, Revan knew Mina's plan from the moment she thought of it and he side stepped quickly. Their blades clashed repeatedly as each child of the Force attempted to outdo the other. Mina leapt away from Revan, landing on the chancellor's desk. With her mind, she whipped several stray bits of furniture at the Dark Lord, which he deftly cleaved in twain with his lightsaber. Gathering the energy of the Force in her offhand, the former Jedi sent tendrils of azure electricity ripping towards the Sith Lord. Revan held his weapon up at a horizontal angle. Most of the lightning hit the blade, dissipating against the energy channeled by the focusing crystal. The rest of it scorched the surface of the Dark Lord's armor.
Revan flung a handful of Force energy at the woman, causing her to break off the lightning strike and dodge. She rolled off the desk and took cover behind a nearby sofa. Channeling her mental energy, Mina punched the furniture peace, causing it to slide across the surface of the floor, scraping the wood as it went. Revan cut the couch in half and used his mind to redirect the pieces to go passed him, rather than into him. Mina stood up and flung her lightsaber at her old superior officer, using her newly recovered powers to guide the weapon towards its target. The Sith Lord reached out with a gloved hand and attempted to snatch the shaft out of the air. It was at that moment, however, when Mina used her mind to flick the saber upwards. It evaded Revan's hand and moved in for the kill. The silver blade lurched forward, plunging towards Revan's heart. The Lord of the Sith knocked the weapon off course with his own lightsaber, causing it to clip his shoulder instead. The blade melted through the black reinforced pad guarding his should and burned the flesh covering his bone.
Revan grunted and inwardly cursed himself for allowing the attack to connect. The blade still hovered near him. Mina sent her will through the Force, causing it to come down at him. The Sith Lord screamed his will into the ethers around him, forcing the blade to stop midflight. His muscles tensed as he pushed himself into the air and sent energy out in all directions, repelling everything near him. The silver lightsaber deactivated and hit the floor. Mina dove for her fallen weapon, though Revan was too quick for her. He reached out through the Force and plucked the shell from the floor. Her weapon flew to his hand and he activated it.
Mina swore loudly just before Revan lowered both blades on her. She looked up at him with disdain. Her amber eyes focused on the silvery pointed tip of her own saber. They flicked up at his faceless mask and a wave of fear came over her. He had proven himself the more powerful of the two in terms of Force potency. Any mental attack she attempted would be suppressed within mere moments. Without a weapon, she had no chance.
"I surrender," she said helplessly as she held both hands up helplessly.
"On your feet," he said callously.
Mina slowly complied. He backed away just enough to allow her room to stand. Both hands remained raised as she got to her feet. "Harbinger was right about you," she said breathlessly as she ran one of her hands through her blond hair. "You are special, Revan."
Revan didn't respond. He had her now. It was time to kill her and move onto conquering the rest of the galaxy. Still, the Force told him that something was amiss again and personal knowledge of Mina told him that she would never surrender so easily. She still had a card to play and she felt very confident in herself it feigning loss factored into the plan.
"Do you know what a Conduit is, Revan?"
"I assume you mean beyond something used to channel something to something else," he guessed.
"That's right," she confirmed. "Take a look."
Mina jumped out of striking range and back over to the chancellor's desk. She quickly opened a drawer and retrieved a small remote, which she pointed at the center of the room. Pressing the button, she activated a hidden compartment in the floor. The carpet slid back about ten feet in all directions and the sound of hydraulics filled the room. Revan hurled Mina's lightsaber at her in an attempt to kill her quickly but to no avail. She ducked and the lightsaber crashed through the window behind her. It plummeted hundreds of stories, down to the surface of Coruscant, where it would go unnoticed amidst the rest of the Sith forces conquest of the core planet.
A large device slowly rose from the floor of the chancellor's office. Revan's visor quickly began to analyze what looked like a model space ship resting upon a slab of rock. The center of the device featured a circular ring, which spun quickly as the hydraulics pushed it upward. Revan's scanner's quickly assessed massive power fluctuations coming from the strange object and he wondered briefly if this was the Conduit of which Mina had spoken.
Mina ran towards the Conduit and placed a hand on the device. It glowed violently and began to pulsate with white light at her mere touch. "Come with me, Revan!" she called out as she extended her hand towards him. "There's a whole galaxy waiting for us!"
"I already have a galaxy," he muttered to himself.
Mina saw that her old friend refused to move and sighed. Her extended hand curled into the form of a fist and she pulled her arm back with all of her might. Revan, caught off guard by the attack, lurched forward and stumbled into the spinning Conduit. The second he touched it as well, the violent light became even brighter. The entire room was engulfed in a shimmering aura of white light and a strange pulling sensation pulled against his body. Everything became very loud. He could barely hear the sounds of the room over the noise that the strange device had started to produce. Faintly, in the distance, he could hear Mina calling out to him. The words were unintelligible, however, and he gave up on trying to understand them.
Suddenly, the energy that had begun to engulf them shot upwards and the chancellor's room was left empty. The Conduit's rings spun slower until they finally died down to a halt. Silence filled the room.
Revan and Mina were gone.