Chapter 3: The Birth of Hope

Location: The Wellspring

26.5 ABY...


Slabs of rock floated in the sickly green sky, indistinguishable from the wisps of dark clouds. The landscape was barren and lifeless, appearing as if it had been scorched black by fire. Shards of red crystal protruded from the ground, serving as the only other colour in the realm.

"So this is what Hell looks like," Revan said, traversing a trail that was suspended over an endless drop.

He had been dragged into the depths of the Force, finding himself trapped in a place unlike any other. There were some cultures believed there was a place where life originated, an unseen realm where the unborn waited for their birth. This was indeed that place, with numerous motes of light slowly ascending towards the heavens.

"How long have I wandered this hellscape?" he wondered, walking across the landscape, "Years? Decades? Centuries?"

Turning his dark eyes skyward, he could sense through the Force that the galaxy was in turmoil. Sentient beings were dying by the thousands, as if something terrible had brought war to the galaxy. Glancing down at his left arm, he found that the limb had been devoured just below his elbow. There was something about the realm that was corrosive to his spirit, likely because he was a living soul and did not belong there. It had taken a monumental effort to preserve his essence, but he could feel that his strength was nearly depleted. As he continued traversing the bleak landscape, Revan came across a unborn soul that was partially hidden amongst the rocks. It struck him as odd that the soul appeared reluctant to leave the Wellspring, though he supposed he couldn't blame it. With the massive amounts of death he was sensing, anyone would've rightly been afraid. Dropping into a squat, the former Dark Lord could clearly see that the soul was quivering in fear. It was a bright soul, which he perceived to mean that he or she would have a connection to the Force. With only his right arm remaining, he reached forward, allowing his hand to hover over top of it. An orb immediately formed around it, instinctively protecting the soul that had yet to be born. Rising to his feet, the soul was drawn into Revan's open palm where it floated in place, it's quivering resuming. The moment he made physical contact, he found a single image burning itself into his mind. The image was that of a young boy with hair of pale red-gold, tracing lines in the sand. This is what the boy would look like, though he couldn't imagine every he saw would play out.

"Hello, little one," he greeted, causing the quivering to suddenly halt.

The image changed and he saw an older boy, kneeling by a river course, rubbing a smooth, round stone between his fingers and smiling. The same boy, perhaps ten-years-old, wrestling with a young Wookiee. The scene shifted once more, to a blonde-haired man holding the boy, watching the glowing lines of traffic move through the sky of some strange world-like Coruscant, but not Coruscant. None of the images seemed to include the boy's mother, which rightly caused him some concern. His thoughts turned to Vaner, and how he had been forced to grow-up without his father's presence. He sensed there was another presence viewing the same images, and a voice filled his mind.

"Ben?" the voice croaked.

Would this be the little one's name, or did it happen to belong to someone that the boy's father knew? Whatever the case might've been, he sensed the presence of the boy's mother trying to draw strength. He could tell that she was gravely ill, and perhaps that was the reason why she wasn't present in those visions. The trembling of the boy's soul resumed, as if he was terrified of the prospect of being born.

"I know the galaxy is a scary place right now, but you mustn't allow it to keep you here."

At the same time he was conversing with the boy's soul, he was also forging a Force Bond with him. He felt disgusted for doing so, but time was the enemy here and he was running out of options. The boy's fate would be forever altered because of this, and that did not sit well with him.

"You must go now, little one. There are those waiting for you to arrive."

Seemingly encouraged by his words, the soul drifted from his open palm, heading towards the sky.

"May the Force go with you, little brother. I place what little hope I have left with you," he declared.

Watching as the soul vanished, Revan was once more alone prompting him to continue on his walk. There was little else he could do, and though the waiting was the worst, he had done it enough already.

"I suppose if those doesn't pan out I can always through myself over the side," he stated grimly, taking a cautious look over the side.