A/N: This is a completely AU story set in the future of the real world. If this future does happen, I am going to say that I called it all the way back in 2014. To set the stage I'll just tell you a couple of things about the world, that wouldn't fit into the story itself. In this universe World War III has broken out between the Allies and the Reformed Axis Powers. Things are going to shit. But, it's a good ways into the future. Before the war broke out, humanity was on the brink of establishing a moon colony, and has made considerable advances in medical science and in implants to improve human beings. Revan is 20.5 at the start, and Bastila is 18, almost 19. Also, while the characters may be similar to those in Beyond the Light and the Dark, this is in no way related to Beyond the Light and the Dark. The similarities are only because that is how I see the characters from KotOR. As for any differences from the ages of the characters in KotOR, they are intentional. As, I had never played KotOR II to the point where you meet Atris, I initially thought she was about the Exile's age, or a bit younger. I did not realize she was much older. And, I have found that I prefer having her younger than the Exile. Please do not get on my case about that as this is an AU fic. As the creator of this AU fanfic I reserve the right to change the ages of whoever I please.
Also, to those of you who are reading Beyond the Light and the Dark, do not worry, this will only be a minor delay. I was just playing some minecraft and listening to some music, and one of the songs inspired me to write this. It will remain a one-shot unless at an undetermined point in the future I feel an urge to write more in this setting.
Without further ado, I give you the story.
-=0=-
Revan sighed as she looked at the letter in her hands. It was short and simple. It said, "Revan Tremaine, you have been drafted into the United States Military to fight the Reformed Axis Powers. You are to report to the base nearest to you in three days time."
As she looked at it, she heard someone knock on the door. Her father, John, said, "Revan, get the door!"
"Yes, Father." she sighed as she walked over to it. She opened it, and saw Bastila standing there. Seeing the younger woman brought a bittersweet smile to Revan's face. "Hey, Bas." she said, her sorrow clear in her voice.
"What's wrong, Rev?"
"I don't want to talk about it." she replied.
"Rev, what's wrong?" Bastila asked again, looking at her friend with concern.
"I'll tell you in my room." Revan replied, "Come on in."
As Bastila followed her in, she saw the draft notice on the table. "Did your father get drafted, Rev?"
Revan did not respond, but continued to lead Bastila to her room. Inside, she said, "He didn't. I did."
"Can't you find a way out?" Bastila asked.
"I'm sure there's some way, but it wouldn't be right."
"Revan, you could die! What do you think that would do to your family? To me?"
Revan pulled Bastila into a hug, and said, "I'll be fine, Bas."
"You don't know that! Fighting in a war is dangerous!"
"Bas, I know I'll come back fine because you'll be here. I will come back to you, Babe, I promise. If I have to kill every last one of those Axis motherfuckers with a toothpick and a wet napkin, I'll make it back in one piece."
"If that one piece is a casket that isn't much of a comfort, Rev." Bastila said.
"Hey, I didn't try to get drafted. I actively avoided doing anything that would make me a likely candidate. I don't want to fight in this war. But, it's my duty."
"Rev, I'm scared that I'll lose you." Bastila said, burying her face in the crook of Revan's neck.
"You won't, Bas." Revan promised, "I promise. I'll make sure that nothing happens to me."
"How can you be so calm?"
"I'm not exactly thrilled about this either, Bas. But, there's no point in being upset about it. There's nothing we can do to make so I'm not drafted."
"We could flee the country." Bastila said.
Revan laughed, and said, "You always say the funniest things, Bas."
"I wasn't joking, Rev. If we go to Canada, they have no right to draft you."
Revan ran a hand through Bastila's hair, and said, "Yes, but they could send me back here for trying to avoid the draft."
Bastila sighed, and said, "I suppose you're right."
Revan said, "Yeah. I know this sucks. But, we'll be fine. According to Baldy and Meetra the army's not too bad."
"Didn't Baldy sign up for the army without being drafted?"
"Yeah, much to his family's dismay." Revan replied. "Apparently in the army they were calling him Squint because they couldn't figure out how to pronounce his last name."
"Does anyone know how to?" Bastila asked, smiling slightly.
Revan kissed her, and said, "I do. It's pronounced way too long."
Bastila laughed, and said, "Maybe you should try and find work in one of the factories here instead of going to war. That's one of the ways to get out."
"I tried. They weren't interested in hiring me. They said something about not wanting anyone who wouldn't make each item as if the lives of their loved ones were on the line with it."
Bastila said, "So, they want a bunch of worried housewives and househusbands to work in the factories while their spouses are out fighting?"
"Yeah. I've always thought that you'd want someone who was calm making weapons. Not someone who's worrying about their family."
"That would seem reasonable." Bastila said, pulling Revan even closer. "How long until you have to report to the base?"
"Three days." Revan said, running a hand through Bastila's hair.
"Have you told your parents?"
"Not yet." Revan replied, looking Bastila in the eye. "You're more important."
Bastila smiled at Revan, and said, "I'm glad that you think so."
"I always have. And, I always will. There is nothing that can stop me from making it back to you, Bas. I meant it when I said I'd kill every last one of them if it meant getting to come back to you. I'd fight them all with my bare hands, while running on shattered legs if I had to. Then had to fight through the entirety of our forces."
Bastila said, "Be careful, Rev."
"I will. I'm not going to go out of my way searching out danger. But, I'm not going to run from my duty either."
"I know." Bastila said. "Come on, you should tell your parents."
Revan laughed, and said, "I haven't even told them about us yet. They might want to know about that before I tell them I have to go off to war."
Bastila swatted at Revan's face, but there was no force behind the blow. "I thought you agreed to tell them!" she said, in mock-offense. "I told mine."
Revan laughed, and said, "I know. I just wanted them to get a chance to meet you, before telling them we're together."
Bastila sighed, and said, "I suppose I should be grateful you haven't told anyone, instead of telling everyone like you wanted to at first."
Revan kissed Bastila softly as she took her hand and said, "I still want to tell anything that has any level of sentience, but I'm keeping it under wraps for you."
"Thank you, Rev." Bastila said. "And, it isn't that I don't care for you enough to deal with other people's hatred. It's just... it's nice this way."
"I know, Bas." Revan said, "Even if you didn't care for me that much, I wouldn't mind too much. I'd just be too overjoyed that you care about me enough for us to be in a relationship to care. And, I think that I could work my charms on you to get you there."
Bastila laughed, and said, "I think you could. But, it may have been a slow conversion."
"It would be worth the wait." Revan replied, as they walked into the living room where John was sitting beside Miranda, Revan's mother, watching some TV.
They both turned their heads as they saw the two young women enter, and didn't even look the slightest bit surprised when they saw them holding hands. Revan said, "Mom, Dad. I, uh, have been keeping something secret from you guys for a while now. I didn't want to disappoint you guys. And, I know how much you wanted grandkids. But, well, Bastila and I are in a relationship. I would have told you earlier, but I wanted you to have a chance to meet her first. To get to know her. So you'd hopefully understand why I care for her so much."
John smiled, and said, "So long as you're happy, we are. We'd rather have you happy with Bastila and have no grandchildren, than have you miserable and with some guy."
Revan sighed with relief, and said, "Thank goodness. But, there's something that just came up earlier today."
"What?" Miranda asked, concern clear in her voice and eyes.
"I've been drafted. I'm supposed to report to the closest military base in three days."
John sighed, and said, "I see. It's going to be dangerous out there. Are you sure you're ready for it? I have some contacts which can give you a new identity and send you up north until the war is over."
Revan shook her head, and said, "I'm not going to dodge my duty."
John nodded, and said, "Okay. You be careful out there, Revan. You promise us that."
"I will, Dad. I promise."
"Good. Now, let's enjoy the time we have left together, instead of dwelling on what we can't change."
"Sounds good." Revan said.
-=0=-
Revan spent the three days before she had to report with her family and her friends. For three days they all forgot the war that was waging on the other side of the Ocean. They talked, they laughed, and they enjoyed each other's company as if it were their last day alive. As if afterwards they would never see each other again.
The night before Revan was to report to the military base for training, Bastila came over to her house. They spent the night sleeping in each other's arms. Simply enjoying the presence of the other. When they woke early in the morning Bastila requested to drive Revan to the base. So that they could spend a few more minutes together.
Revan instantly agreed to it, following her into the car. As they drove to the base, they talked about everything. From their time at different schools. To laughing about how they had met at a high-school video game tournament. They had been opponent's in the finals. Revan's teammate in the match had been Meetra, while Bastila's had been Alek, AKA Baldy.
When Bastila parked the car in front of the base, she whispered, "I love you." to Revan, who replied,
"I love you too." Before kissing her one last time. "I'll see you again when my tour of duty's over. Or, if the war ends before that, probably then."
They stayed there, no more words passing between them for a few more minutes. Then, Revan got out of the car, and walked towards the recruitment building. Bastila stayed there in the car, watching her love's retreating form until it disappeared into the building. She then started the car, and returned it to its home.
-=0=-
Revan spoke shortly with the recruiter, and was then told where she would be shipped for training. But, her mind was not on it. Instead, she was elated. Bastila loved her. She felt like she could run a marathon through a minefield, where the mines were thirty kiloton nuclear weapons.
The next day, after her blue hair had been cut down to the regulation length, she stood in line with another thirty individuals. All stood in stoic silence as the drill sergeant shouted a plethora of insults at them. The time he spoke did not matter to Revan. She waited with patience as he continued to assault them with words.
During the months of training, Revan never complained once. Never showed any sign of weakness. The only thoughts on her mind were surviving the training and the war, then returning to Bastila. While the others grew angry, bitter, and violent, Revan and a man Carth remained calm. At peace.
They spoke on many nights. He told her of his wife and son, how he was fighting to make the world a safe place for them.
Revan, in turn, told him about Bastila. And how she would go to any lengths necessary to return to her. She also told him of her parents, and how she used to have a pet dog named Urz, but the canine had unfortunately passed away a couple of years ago due to a strange illness.
At the end of the basic training, Carth and Revan were selected to be placed into special forces training. They endured the more difficult training as well. During it, they became strong friends. And, Carth told her that if they were all alive after the war to bring Bastila over to his house in Texas so they could meet Morgana and Dustil. Maybe reminisce a bit and tell a couple of war stories. Revan had simply laughed, and said that she would have to check with Bastila.
Following their graduation from the training they were put in the same team under Lieutenant Commander William Veras. For the next two years they would serve under him, weakening the enemy from behind their lines.
-=0=-
As Revan trained to become a soldier, Bastila spent all of her free time checking the news about the war. Hoping that it would be brought to an end before Revan would have to fight at all. She would occasionally receive letters from Revan, always good. Telling her that the training was progressing and that nothing was going wrong.
She kept every last one of those letters in pristine condition. She would reply to the best of her ability, but she was eventually told to quit sending them by Revan's drill sergeant as they might make an unnecessary distraction.
Following the drill sergeant's word with Bastila, Revan's letters quit arriving. After a year and a half of no news from Revan, Bastila returned to living her life as she had before Revan left. She spoke with friends, worked hard, and enjoying life. But, every night before she went to bed, she whispered a small prayer for Revan to be safe, despite not being particularly religious.
-=0=-
It was Revan's third year in the special forces, the Reformed Axis Powers were almost crushed. Their last hope lay with a small facility deep in the heart of Siberia. Revan's unit went in, and set charges to destroy the facility, but on their way out they were discovered and had to fight their way back to extraction.
It seemed that even though their cover had been blown they would escape unharmed when tragedy struck. Revan was running down the path, when she collapsed to the ground, blood spurting from her abdomen. Behind them was a single enemy sniper. As he lined up a second shot, Carth threw his last grenade, and it ended the sniper's life.
They dragged the injured woman into the extraction VTOL jet, and as Veras shouted for them to be taken to the nearest Allied hospital, Revan said to Carth, "If I don't make it, tell Bas and my parents I'm sorry."
"You're going to make it." he promised, as he opened a first aid kit and began dressing Revan's wound so she wouldn't lose any more blood than she already had.
Revan weakly grabbed his shoulder, and said, "If I don't make it, tell them I'm sorry, Carth. Promise me."
He looked her in the eye, and said, "But you're going to make it."
"If I don't. Promise me. Please. I need to know that they'll hear from someone other than an officer who doesn't care about it. Who's had to tell so many grieving families that someone isn't coming home that it isn't hard for them anymore."
Carth sighed, and said, "If you don't make it, I'll tell them."
"Thank you, Carth."
"No problem, Revan." he replied, "Don't fall asleep. Fight it for as long as you can. If you go under, your chances of survival worsen."
"Got it." Revan said, "Damn this hurts."
"I bet it does." Carth replied, as he finished dressing the wound.
-=0=-
Bastila was visiting Revan's parents for the first time in two months when a man knocked on the door. After a moment, he stepped into the house, and said, "Mrs. Tremaine. Mr. Tremaine. Ms. Bastila. I have some bad news."
"Who are you?" Bastila asked.
"My name's Carth Onasi. I am- was- one of Revan's squadmates. In our last mission Revan got shot in the abdomen. The round went in one side and exited the other. In the time it took us to get her to evac and then to dress the wound she lost a lot of blood. Things don't look good for her. The hospital closest to where we were operating wasn't good enough, so we had to ship her back stateside. She's still alive, but she's comatose.
"Also, after she was shot... she asked me... to say... she's sorry. In case... she doesn't make it." Carth said, fighting back tears.
"Where's the hospital?" John asked.
"I have instructions to drive you there if you want to see her."
"Then quit talking and take us there!" Bastila said.
"This way." Carth replied.
-=0=-
The drive to the hospital was a quiet one. Bastila sat in the front passenger's seat, gnawing on her fingernails, while John simply held Miranda in his arms. When they arrived, Carth led them up to the room where Revan was.
As they stepped in, they saw a man standing over her, eyes closed. He was wearing a military uniform, and said, "She's gone."
"But, there's still a heartbeat." Bastila said, glancing at the machine.
"She may be physically alive, but, there is no sign of mental activity of any kind." The man replied. "We cannot afford to allocate resources to a lost cause. I have been sent here to inform the friends and family that Lieutenant Tremaine is a lost cause. And, to pull the plug."
"You can't do that!" Bastila protested, "She got shot fighting in your war that she was only fighting because you drafted her! You have an obligation to her that if you can keep her alive you will!"
"That isn't how it works." John said. "How long does she have once she is pulled off life support?"
"With the treatment she has been given her body will survive another twenty-four hours once she is off life support." the man replied.
"I'll pay to keep her on it." Bastila said.
"It isn't a matter of money, Ms..."
"Shan." Bastila growled.
"Ms. Shan, it is a matter of resources. What would be put in her is just needed elsewhere. To save the lives of other good men and woman. I'm sorry, but it's just not an option to leave her on life support."
"Fine." Bastila sighed.
-=0=-
An hour after the plug was pulled, John and Miranda left the room. Not wishing to simply stare at the dying body of their daughter. Bastila sat by the bed, crying. She said, "Rev, you promised you'd make it back. That it would take more than being at the epicenter of a tactical nuclear strike to keep you away from me. Please, I need you to wake up. Make them realize you aren't a lost cause. Revan, PLEASE! I need you. I can't think of living without you.
"You've always been so stubborn that when you broke your arm you didn't even show any sign that it hurt. Why can't you just wake up!"
A man with dark skin stepped into the room, and said, "Yelling at a body where there is no mind won't bring it back. You'll only bring yourself more pain by staying here."
"I can't leave her." Bastila said, tears pouring freely from her eyes.
The man nodded, and said, "I know how hard it is to lose the one you love. But, you're only making it more painful."
"I can't leave her. I won't." Bastila growled.
"Fair enough. You have determination, but that won't bring back the dead."
"She can be saved!" Bastila shouted.
"If you insist." The man replied, "Once her body is no more... let me know. Just ask for Doctor Bindo."
Bastila nodded, and continued to cry. After a while she looked at Revan's face. As her body lay there in a coma, she looked at peace. As if nothing would disturb her. Bastila ran a hand along the cheek of what had once been the woman she loved. The tears continued to flow, as she listened to what had once been Revan's steady breathing begin to become more erratic.
She continued to caress Revan's cheek for a while longer, when she felt a hand on her wrist. "Rev?" she asked as she saw the body's hand grabbing her wrist.
"Yes." she said, her voice raspy as if she hadn't had a drink in a week. "I'm so sorry, Bas. I promised you I'd come back in one piece. And that wouldn't be a coffin."
"They said you were brain dead. That there was no mental activity."
Revan nodded, and said, "They would say that. Bastards. I'm severely wounded. I can't survive this. Especially since they took me off life support."
"I can hook you back up." Bastila said, moving to reconnect the machines.
"That'd be treason." Revan said, shaking her head. "Just let me go. Move on."
"How could you ever ask me to do that?"
"Because, I'm going to die." Revan said.
"Revan, you've always been stubborn. Whenever anything hit you, you didn't let it bring you down. Why now?"
"Because... I don't want to be a burden. I don't want to hurt you."
"The only way you could hurt me is by letting yourself die!" Bastila said. "We can get you hooked back up. We can save your life." as she hit the button on the side of Revan's button to call in a doctor. A moment later, Doctor Bindo entered, and asked,
"What's going on? Has she passed on?"
Revan coughed, and said, "Not quite, Jolee. What got you in a civilian hospital?"
"You, Revan." He replied. "Well, looks like stubbornness really does help."
"What are you talking about?" Bastila asked.
"Well," Jolee said as he hooked Revan back up to the life support. "her mind was almost entirely gone. Command figured it was just a matter of time before she went full brain-dead. I suggested to perform an experiment."
"So, I owe you my life, Doc?" Revan asked.
"Not quite. The experiment required someone who you trust and care for a lot. And, wouldn't give up regardless of how bleak things get."
"Are you really saying I was saved by the power of love?" Revan asked, her voice derisive.
Jolee handed her a glass of water, and said, "Far from it. More of a modern medical science miracle. You're familiar with your implants?"
"Yeah." Revan said, as she drank the water he'd given her. "What about 'em?"
"They keep a sort of backup for your brain." Jolee said, "Constantly updating it, but if your brain activity drops below a minimum level, it uses the backup before that."
"But it requires a specific code." Revan added. "Voice recognition. I had Bastila set as the voice to recognize."
"Exactly. But, the use of the restore point takes some time. That and the fact that it wouldn't have picked up her voice initially are why it took so long. I came when we noticed a spike in brain wave activity. I thought it was her waking up, but it wasn't."
"So, the pulling her off life support was to..?"
"Get you upset to a point where you would get to a volume which would definitely be loud enough to activate the restore."
"But, you also had to use a specific set of words."
"What were they?"
"That you need me." Revan said, "How long until I recover fully, doc?"
"With your advanced implants, I'll give you a week before full recovery." Jolee said, "I'll leave you two alone now that Revan is taken care of. Oh, and Revan, I was told to inform you that if you survive and want to, you can leave the military."
"Tell the higher ups that leaving sounds good. After nearly dying, I'd rather not risk it again."
"Fair enough. I'll tell them." Jolee replied as he left the room.
Once he was gone, Revan said, "Hey, Bas, I know this is kinda sudden. But, since it looks like I'm not actually going to die... could I ask you something?"
"Anything." Bastila replied.
"Will you marry me?"
Bastila laughed, and said, "You're right. That is sudden."
"Hey, if you'd rather wait to answer, feel free."
"No. I'm just surprised that you'd even need to ask. Of course I'll marry you." Bastila said, as she kissed Revan. A moment later the older woman blushed, and said, "I don't have a ring for you. I guess I'll have to get one."
Bastila laughed, and said, "You won't have to get one, Rev."
"I'd feel bad if I didn't." Revan replied.
-=0=-
After Revan was released from the hospital, she was greeted by the rest of the team. The news had just come in, the last of the Axis forces had surrendered, and the war was over. They asked if she wanted to join them in celebrating over a few beers, but she rejected, saying that she wanted to spend some time with Bastila.
After her date with Bastila, Revan returned home for the first time in four years. She smiled as she looked around, and saw her parents sitting on the couch in the living room. They smiled and motioned for her to join them, but she shook her head, and returned to her room.
Over the next few months, Revan re-accustomed herself to life outside the military, just as the rest of the world began to push itself down the long road to recovery. Seven months later, she and Bastila got married in a small private ceremony attended by their closest friends.
A year after the honeymoon they took Carth up on his offer to come over to his house for some barbequed meat, some beers, and to just hang out with him and his family. Eighteen months after that, they were able to announce to their friends and family that they were going to have a child together. When asked how, Revan explained that it was due to a new medical process.
Nine months following that, their son was born. And though raising him proved to be a challenge at times, especially when he was bringing several girls home at once. Revan simply laughed it off and told him to be careful.
However, even in times of peace there is tragedy, and so it was that they learned Alek had drunk himself to death. He was found dead of alcohol poisoning behind a bar. Everyone attended the funeral, including Meetra and her wife Atris. When Revan teased Meetra about going for a younger woman, Meetra simply said that Revan had made it look fun.
And, though there is much more that could be said about the lives of Revan, Bastila, and the others who lived in their times, they are for another time and another place. As is the case with the world, technology continued to advance, society continued to evolve, and the people in them continued to live how they always will.
THE END.
-=0=-
A/N: Two A/N's what madness is this?! Anyways, this one is just to say thank you so very much for reading this short fic. It was just a little pet project. As for the glazing over of a lot of stuff that could have made their own in-depth story, I did so because the Revan/Bastila stuff was what I wanted to focus on. As well as a bit of stuff showing friendship between Carth and Revan. Because, well, Revan does have friends other than Bastila.
Lastly, please leave a review on this. I greatly appreciate those. Also, favorite this if you liked it. And, if you really liked this and want more stuff like it, but goes into more detail, check out my other fanfics. (Except for Prime Effect, it's another one-shot.) You can just click my profile name and scroll past the lines and lines of text to find the other stories. Or, you can just search for Beyond the Light and the Dark for my KotOR fic that is more in-depth and detailed(Though I have been told that Chapter 1 does summarize a bit too much. It gets MUCH better quickly though.), Mass Effect Meus Mundus for my first Mass Effect fic, and my first fanfic ever. So, please don't give me too hard a time about the inconsistencies. I am aware of them, and have plans to eventually rewrite it with them closed. It's gone through a lot of changes in its time, and when I inevitably give it a full rewrite I'll fix the inconsistencies. As, it started out as something that was incredibly simple, and has grown into a complex AU story. (Not too complex though.)
Mass Effect the Crucible Effect is my other ME fanfic, and it is fairly in depth, but not with any inconsistencies. Just a bit weird in the first chapter. It gets better afterwords. I promise. I have... difficulties with first chapters. But afterwards things get good.
Anyways, until next time(Assuming I haven't alienated you with these massive A/N's, don't worry, it's not usually this long.)