Review Responses:
Rvbfan424: "Looks great keep it up." Thank you! Glad you are enjoying it so far.
JourneyRocks13: "Nice to have you back to writing. I'm looking forward to further updates" Thank you! I took a two-year-long break to focus on myself but, now I'm back and here to stay, hopefully.
JimmyHall24: "Love it." Thank you! I hope that's a continuing trend.
Commissar Admiral Kordoshky: "Carth's acting is in character, maybe a bit more on his internal thought (little bit though he's a side character) Everything *is* rather abrupt so take the time to write out the scenario. *I* know how the snubfighter location looks like, but not everyone can remember. It's worth describing a location and imagining it in your own imagination and words, you can always toy slightly with the location and tweak it to suit your needs (You are a writer after all) Character *are* in-character but, I haven't really seen interactions beyond pre-set dialogue so we'll just have to wait and see! Improvements upon two years ago I am sure! :) Imagine what you would do if one of your friends claimed the mantle of emperor from an invading empire right before your eyes. How would you feel? How do think the people int hat story feel? Food for thought :) Keep at it you! The commissar shoot people who do not finish their stories! :( (;D)" Wow, thank you very much for the feedback! Having read this, I am aware that I have forgotten some basic description. Having played KotOR recently, I forgot to describe basic areas. This has all been noted for the future and changed.
phhsdj: "I like the beginning so far we will see how good this get bot so far so good" Thank you! Glad you decided to check it out!
Gydius: "Really nice work so far, glad to have someone do a story on KOTOR 1. With SW:TOR out, the potential is amasing for the continuation. The only small con i have is the romance with Revan and Bastila, while I love the pairing you somehow made it somehow childish via writing style. More like romance in children than in 2 most powerfull Sith Lords. Getting a beta reader could help you. But it's a far cry from a problem, just a personal opinion will be following now and in the future none the less." Thank you! I understand what you're saying. Hopefully, my very quick rewrite will help to address the problem.
Revan's companions returned with their new uniforms and upgraded weapons. Bastila displayed her double-bladed blood-coloured lightsaber and Juhani, her single-bladed flame-coloured. Having received upgrades like Revan's personal lightsabers, such as Heart of the Guardian, Mantle of the Force, Solari and Upari crystals, their weapons were some of best lightsabers out there. T3-M4 accessed the Star Forge's systems and rewrote the security codes. Preserving the security of the Empire was paramount now. Plenty of high-ranking officials would be suspect now that Malak had been replaced. Their loyalties would need to be tested before they could retain their positions. For now, only a few Officers on the Star Forge could be trusted. T3 passed the codes to Revan, Bastila and Admiral Karath who dispersed them throughout the loyal Officers, who coordinated the defence from the Command Centre. After the Strikefighter returned to The Admirable, the Republic's offensive grew massively but still could not break through. Several Cruisers turned and retreated while the rest held what little ground they had and faced annihilation. The Sith had won but at a terrible cost. Several Sith Battlecruisers and many high-ranking Officers and Sith Masters were dead, due to Revan overthrowing Malak and the Republic's surprise attack.
Bastila pranced up to the walkway above the central platform. The husks of the tortured and murdered Jedi still floated in their tanks. Her new robes were like that of the Jedi on Dantooine. The tighter, wraparound cloth coloured all black fitted her figure nicely. Juhani's robes matched her own, as did all the Sith below the rank of Master. Sith Master's and Revan appeared to be the only ones prepared for colder weather. Revan had made sure that the mess Malak had left him was on its way to being cleaned up. The fighting across the Empire had stopped, with everyone either swearing loyalty or behind bars awaiting judgment. Bastila had no idea what he would do with them, she was just happy she wasn't one of them. She sauntered over to where Revan stood, facing the battle. "Who designed these? They're very tight and padded." Lady Bastila commented and smirked. Revan gave a smile and raised his eyebrow.
"At least it'll keep you warm and protected." Revan joked. The Viewing Platform gave a spectacular view of the field of debris caused by the battle. The dark grey and black hull of the Sith Battlecruisers littered the area filled with the orange and white ruins of the Republic Cruisers. The Viewing Platform's massive window attempted to encompass the scope of the battle.
Debris began raining down on Rakata Prime which gave Revan cause for concern. The One, a Rakatan, still had his tribe on Rakata Prime and, was still waiting for Revan to return, as he had promised. A promise he planned to renege on, at least temporarily. The Rakata used to be Force-sensitives a long time ago, and with their predilection towards violence, they could become valuable allies in the war, if necessary.
"Admiral, did you get to Dantooine in your conquest with Lord Malak?" Lord Revan inquired, adding a slight sarcastic twinge to 'Lord'. As much as he respected and loved his friend, he was no Dark Lord of the Sith.
"Yes, my Lord, but we could not defeat The Republic Third Fleet protecting the planet." Admiral Karath reported. Revan sighed, Bastila smirked, and Canderous outright laughed. Revan knew the Republic was no pushover but, the Third Fleet was inexperienced, never transferred to the frontlines. Dantooine was deemed a valuable target that required a full fleet presence.
"I tire of these games - now I want answers! On what planet is the Jedi Academy at which you were trained?"
"Alderaan. It's on Alderaan."
"Alderaan is nothing but a planet of artisan and philosophers! There is no training academy there! You must think this is a game. Very well. This is the price of your resistance."
"Ahhhh!"
"Enough! You see what happens when you try to defy me? This first question was a test. Obviously, Malak knew the Academy was on Dantooine, and it has since been destroyed by our fleet! Dantooine is an empty graveyard now. Nothing remains but a smoking ruin and the charred remains of your former Masters!"
"No, you're lying. It isn't true."
"It doesn't matter whether you believe me or not. The fact remains that the Jedi on Dantooine have been eradicated, along with any hope of someone coming to rescue you!"
"Don't try to move too quickly, you might not be fully recovered yet. Admiral Karath had his guards continue to torture you even after you passed out."
"They tortured all of us, though you got the worst of it by far. Saul wanted them to make us suffer. He's become some sort of sadistic monster."
"The dark side has perverted him, Carth. Once you start down the tainted path, it leads you ever further into the depths of evil. I fear he is forever lost."
"We should focus on gaining our strength. Jolee may be here soon."
"Yes, hmm, I suppose you are correct. One light in our darkness, however, is that Admiral Karath appeared to be lying about Dantooine. I have not felt a disturbance in the Force. I suspect it was simply deceit, intent on draining us of our hope and breaking us. I am glad to see we all stood against such a tactic."
"In that case, ready a fleet to take Dantooine, Admiral." Lord Revan ordered.
"Lord Malak had one ready and waiting," Admiral Karath revealed, leaving out the sarcastic addition that Revan had used. Purely by force of habit, of course. No loyalty or love for that man remained. He led Lord Revan to a display terminal that revealed the interior of the Star Forge. It showed a fleet of generous size, 25 ships, with an imposing Flagship. "Intimidator-Class. 10 Turbolaser Towers, 5 Quadlaser Towers, 3 Point-Defence Batteries, 5 Ion Cannons, a Tractor Beam Generator, 3 Main Hangars, 7 Side Hangars and a Flagship called 'The Return'." the Admiral listed. This is the most advanced class of ship constructed by the Star Forge, befitting the new Lord of the Sith.
"Intimidator-Class?" Canderous questioned.
"Purely a Star Forge design, far superior to the Interdictor -Class Cruisers or the Centurion -Class Battlecruisers we use as frontline ships now. The Intimidator-Class is a Destroyer." Admiral Karath informed, with a hint of annoyance. He would never hide his disgust over the Mandalorian being given such privilege in The Empire. His hatred of the savages wouldn't become a professional problem, however. Besides the slight slip-up, both men were smart enough to avoid each other unless necessary.
"That is extremely impressive." Lady Bastila gasped quietly. Having surrounded herself with Republic ships, this level of technology was still astounding her.
"This is the Star Forge," Admiral Karath smiled.
"What is the Flagship's capability?" Lord Revan queried.
"15 Turbolaser Towers, 10 Quadlaser Towers, 5 Point-Defence Batteries, 10 Ion Cannons, 2 Tractor Beam Generators and the rest is the same," Admiral Karath answered. Seemingly impressed, Lord Revan nodded.
"How soon can it be ready?" Lord Revan asked.
"It is ready now, my Lord. Enter your security code to activate and deploy it whenever you are ready, my Lord." Admiral Karath briefed. Lord Revan entered his newly rewritten code, and the Star Forge's Main Hangar Doors opened revealing the fleet to space. A series of tractor beams pulled the ships towards the Docking Ports, allowing the crews to board them.
"I want your best staff on those ships, Admiral." Lord Revan ordered. Admiral Karath bowed and hurried away. T3 input the command to begin the construction of more baseline Cruisers and Battlecruisers, on Revan's order, and the group made its way back to the Ebon Hawk. Even with all the damage from the battle, the Star Forge was still a formidable station and could do without a commander for now. Revan had no idea who was the superior officer after himself, and Admiral Karath, left the station but, he assumed they would sort it out between themselves.
The crew returned to their usual places on the Ebon Hawk. Juhani went to meditate in the Storage Compartment, Canderous tampered with his repeater in the Swoop Hold, Bastila went to the cockpit, Zaalbar took his defensive spot in the Main Hold, HK and T3 roamed the Hawk in patrol mode and Mission went to the Female Starboard Dormitory to pack everyone's things. Revan went to the Male Port Dormitory to meditate.
The Ebon Hawk departed for 'The Return' and would arrive in an hour, due to the activation and deployment process. About half an hour after they left, Bastila entered the Port Dormitory. Revan and Bastila were involved in an 'intimate relationship' before her capture, but Bastila had not mentioned it since their reunion, not that she had had much chance. Revan had tried to use their telepathic bond several times but consistently failed. Even proposing Revan's return to power seemed to be more about seizing power and the opportunity presented to her, rather than being by Revan's side. She had changed since she was captured, grown colder.
"Revan?" Bastila summoned him from his meditation. He stood and approached with a smile.
"Yes, my lady?" Revan teased. For a moment, it seemed as if nothing had changed. It was as if they were hurtling towards a piece of the Star Map, hidden in some forgotten, dangerous place and Bastila had just stepped in to check in on him. His usual teasing attempts to make her come out of her shell, to make her become a person again were ignored by her Jedi training. She had returned to the familiar, if only for a moment.
"Shut up. I want to talk about us," Bastila backed him into a corner and stretched out her arms to block him in. The familiar had fallen away, the brash and brazen woman that replaced her taking over. The woman Malak had made her.
"A bit forward, Bastila?" he smirked. Quietly, he was disappointed. As he had thought before, turning Bastila into this arrogant carapace was a waste of her abilities, hiding her passion which can be honed into devotion and deviousness, just as Juhani's passion can push her vengeful and inspirational interior.
"I think I liked you more than I wanted to admit, Revan. When I said no before, I was a Jedi and bound by their 'honourable' Jedi Code but now, freed from its narrow views, I may say yes," she explained.
"Well, how can I say no to such a beautiful and passionate woman?" Revan teased further.
"You can't," Bastila whispered. Revan leant in and kissed her and an eruption of passion and love, which did not occur before, littered the room as the two wicked lovers fused together. When they separated, gasping for breath, they both looked into each other's eyes. "That was something." Bastila gasped in awe and smirked.
"Yes, it was," Revan added. "Will you be booking a daily appointment?"
"If that is the norm…, hourly." Bastila smiled, moving her outstretched arms back.
"I'll have to check the schedule." Revan whispered, inching back closer to her.
"Guys, get ready to move out! We're almost there!" Mission's enthusiastic voice rang throughout the Hawk and the various crew members prepared to transfer over. Bastila took a step back.
"I might come back for more, later." Bastila teased with a wink as she quickly left the Dormitory, leaving Revan quietly joyful.
The Ebon Hawk landed in a Hangar Bay of The Return, and the crew began proceeding to the Main Bridge. As they disembarked the Ebon Hawk with bags under their arms and over their shoulders, they all gave their own private goodbyes. The vessel was their home for almost a year, and now, they were moving out. Many memories, both good and evil, were housed here and now, they were going.
The Return had received lots of new personnel. Tens of Sith, hundreds of soldiers and lots of innovative technology. The Main Bridge was impressively large, more significant than any other. It held the same shape as an Interdictor-Class but larger and with more crammed into it. More stations, more personnel, more equipment which, combined, made it the best ship produced. Admiral Karath greeted the group as they entered the vast and open room.
"Welcome to The Return," Admiral Karath introduced. All the staff stood at attention almost immediately and, with a dismissive wave from Lord Revan, they returned to their preparations.
"Thank you, Admiral," Lord Revan nodded. The Intimidator-Class was a surprising meld of Rakatan and Sith design. A sphere housed the Main Bridge Revan currently stood on, with two long isosceles-shaped triangular arms stretching to a point, making the entire ship around 1000 meters long. The spherical bridge sat roughly a third of the way down the ships hull, with the engines behind it and, all the armaments extending in front of it. The sides of the ship housed the Hangar Bays and, like the Interdictor-Class, the ship has space where the hull is not connected. The Intimidator-Class has a triangular-shaped gap between the two arms, allowing the hangars to have two entrances.
"Now, our quarters are at the back of the Main Bridge with the entrance to the left of the elevator and a small briefing room with an entrance to the right of the elevator; one room for each of us." Admiral Karath explained.
"Thank you, Admiral," Lord Revan repeated before walking to the front of the bridge. Mission, Juhani, Zaalbar and Canderous began passing their things over to a few Protocol droids who dropped off their stuff inside their quarters. HK and Bastila stayed either side of Revan.
"Well, we have a large battle ahead, and we should prepare ourselves. Canderous, I want you to assist the training of the soldiers here in any way you can. You are hereby a Colonel of the Grand Sith Army. HK and Zaalbar, I would always like you to stay with me as my personal security. Juhani and Mission, do what you can to train for the battle ahead. Lady Bastila, remain here," Lord Revan instructed. The group affirmed his orders and carried them out. Only Grand Admiral Karath, Bastila, HK, T3, Zaalbar and Revan stayed. "Attention all hands, this is Lord Revan. By now, most of you will know our target: Dantooine. A Jedi Enclave hides there, in and amongst civilians, a classic tactic for them. It is our job to drive them out, root and stem. We must succeed because the hypocrisy of the Jedi cannot be allowed to stand the test of time any longer. I know I can count on each and every one of you to help me with that goal. So, batten down the hatches, prime the engines and man your stations. The end of the Republic starts here! Operators, set a course for Dantooine and bring the fleet." Lord Revan commanded. The Bridge Ops nodded, and the fleet sped into hyperspace with The Return at the head.
"Yes, Sir!" rang throughout the ship.