Darkness. Light. What was the difference?
Jedi. Sith. Two flawed orders bent to their respective codes to inflict their disadvantageous edicts towards the galaxy.
Peace. Passion. Hate. Forgiveness. Death. The Force.
Revan. Malak. Two powerful fates – two powerful destinies, only one will decide the fate of the universe.
Bastila. Wake up.
Bastila groans softly. Her head felt a sudden rush of relief, the pain in her legs rescinded as her consciousness brings control over her senses. Her eyes slowly drag open, a vibrant campfire greeting her view. She was laying on her side, beneath a small cave-in in one of Dantooine's hills. She sits up from her sleeping position and places both her hands on the ground behind her back. Her eyes look to her calf, the bleeding had stopped and the works of someone cleaning the wound was evident. She turns her head around, looking down on one side where her vision meets a dirt wall shrouded in darkness. Once more she turns to the opposite direction, the opening of the cave illustrating the night sky. Next to the entrance of the cave stood a man, leaning on his shoulder with his arms folded – looking to the outskirts of Dantooine's plains.
Bastila shakes her head before recalling recent events. Her eyes widen and her fear spikes. Before Bastila could scramble up and stand to her feet, the man standing next to the entrance spoke.
"Finally awake? Good." The shadow turned, his cape flowing closely behind him. Bastila frantically sits up and stands to her feet, her arms raised and prepared to fight. Her eyes narrowed as the man came closer and closer to the campfire, the orange flames igniting the figure into view.
"Eager to fight, Jedi?" Revan says with his hands folded behind his back, "I expected the Order to train their Padawan's better."
Bastila scoffed at his statement, "I am no mere Padawan, Sith! To prepare for combat towards one as vile as you? I can make an exception to put aside my restraint."
Revan did not respond, instead he slowly circles around the campfire towards Bastila, causing her in turn to move around the fire and keeping her gaze concentrated on the Sith Lord.
"I'm aware of that fact. I can sense it. Such resentment. And I'm also aware that you are no mere Padawan. Upon our encounter aboard my flagship, I realised your capacity within the Force – moreover, your Battle Meditation. But when I rescued you from your encounter with the Kath hounds, I inspected you further. You are Bastila Shan. The Jedi who can utilise Battle Meditation more effectively than any other Force-sensitive before you. Stories float around the Outer-Rim quickly."
"I think I would've rather been consumed by the hounds than be your captive Revan."
The Revanchist stops in his tracks and tilts his head, "Are you in chains? Am I restricting your path to escape from my 'captivity'? By all means, leave – run. But we both know you won't."
"And what makes you say that?"
"Because the infamous Darth Revan stands before you. If you run. You may never find me again."
This was true in a way. Bastila knows that she was no match and in no position to challenge Revan in combat, she could easily make a run for it, maybe – just maybe she would stumble across a means to travel to the Jedi Enclave and inform them of events. There, the Jedi could reform their efforts to capture Revan. Yet on the other hand, Revan could easily find the means to leave the planet – causing the Jedi to invest countless resources to hunt him when those resources could better serve the Republic's war effort against the still reigning Sith Empire. Bastila's raised hands begin to descend; yet her stance remained defensive.
"Rest assured Jedi. I have no intention of killing you." Revan says as he begins to approach the Padawan. Bastila remained vigilant as he approached her. He stops just infront of her, as if he was waiting for something. Shortly after, her stomach growls – yearning for food. Bastila swore that Revan snickered underneath that mask. The Sith turned and pointed towards the campfire, a thick piece of meat skewered over the camp dripped with succulent juices, causing the flames to sizzle as they dripped.
"Sit. Eat." Revan invited Bastila. She turned to the meat before looking back at Revan. She turned to the food, then back at Revan once more. Her stomach growled again, finally convincing her to sit just infront of the fire while Revan displaced the hanging skewer and passed it over to the hungry Padawan.
"A gift from one of the Kath hound's who attacked you." Revan says as he paced across the cave, "I trust their meat will provide you enough satisfact-" He turned to face Bastila and paused as she was greedily munching on the cooked steak. Her teeth dug into the tender flesh and ripped it from the core, gulping it down with fast efficiency. Revan couldn't help but grin.
Bastila nearly picked off the entire chunk of meat off the stick. Her eyes trace back to the Sith Lord – as if they were craving for more. Revan notices this and understands. Carefully the Sith Lord paces back to the entrance, through the shadows where the fire's touch could not lay, Bastila sees the distinct silhouette of Revan drag a dismembered Kath hound from the shadows, his other hand igniting his lightsaber and slicing an entire leg off the abdomen of the beast. His blade retracts back into the hilt and Revan hangs it over his belt as he took the sheered leg and snaps his fingers for Bastila to provide the skewer.
"It took me a while to skin the beast." He says as he cleaves a thick piece of meat off the leg and stabs it with the stick before positioning it over the racks and hangs it just over the fire. "It will take time to cook."
Revan sits to the side of the fire, Bastila was situated across him yet slightly to the left – where the fires would not obstruct each other from view. The Padawan shakes her head at how easily she had succumbed to basic instinct, leaving herself vulnerable and open to attack from Revan. If he had decided to dispatch of her, he would have done so quickly with a swing of his lightsaber while she was munching on meat like a fool. It was a good thing he had kept his word, and though she may seem resilient and stubborn, in heart she was relieved that the Sith Lord found her.
"Why did you spare me?" Bastila asked with a softer tone of voice, the fire in her throat tempered by sustenance.
Revan turns his head to face the woman. He takes a drastic pause before answering the woman's question, "…We must come to a compromise. As of now, I believe we can work fruitfully to find some sort of settlement on this planet."
"No Revan. Why did you spare me?"
He slowly turns his head to face Bastila, her eyes stared him down through his visor. Revan smiled.
"You figured it out?" Revan asks as he turns the stick and allows other parts of the meat to cook.
"Answer me." Bastila hastens with impatience.
"You're quick to allow your emotions guide your tone and actions Bastila. Yet you supress them just as well." Revan said calmly, continuing to twist the stick.
Bastila said nothing after that, only waiting for Revan to answer her question. He took his time with the Jedi, he remained silent for a time, focusing on the fire and stirring the meat, which lingered on the stick. A few moments passed and Revan finally spoke.
"I saved you onboard my flagship out of necessity, Bastila. Do not twist your facts to my saving you out of mercy. Your wounds were healed by me – out of necessity. A power such as yours cannot fall, the Jedi waste your potential – and the Sith will seek to eradicate you or enslave you, that will not happen because of necessity. I saved you from those Kath hounds out of necessity." Revan's tone escalated after he exclaimed those final words. It was as if Revan had made an effort to bring his point out and understood. Bastila would have believed Revan had his tone not give him away. She still did not know why he had spared her onboard his flagship, or why he didn't leave her to be ripped apart by starved Kath hounds – and maybe he wasn't exaggerating about the whole notion of necessity, but she knew there was another reason she was still alive, she knew that the Darth Revan was lying to her.
The Dark Lord skips the skewer from the rack and offered it to the hungry Jedi. Bastila takes the stick, nodding to him – an aside method of saying 'Thank you' before eating, with more composure this time. In her mind, Bastila pondered what to do next at this point in time. With her lightsaber gone, she could not hope to match Revan with the Force – he had demonstrated such power before, hence fighting him was not an option. In her heart she also wished to learn more about him. Bastila's entire knowledge on Revan was birthed from rumours, stories of heroism during the Mandalorian Wars and ultimately the spouts of distaste from the Jedi Council. Bastila sensed something more in the Dark Lord, but she could never be too careful around him.
"You are wondering what we do at this point." Revan says as he continued to stare into the sparking fire. Bastila's eyes widen and turn to face him, placing the finished skewer aside.
"How did you know what I was thinking?"
Revan turned, Bastila's body reflecting in the visor of his mask. "I didn't."
He stands and folds his hands behind his back. "I can sense your emotions however, the fluctuations of fear, question…" He turned to look over his shoulder, eying Bastila through his mask, "…Hope."
He concluded as he slowly walked towards the entrance of the cave and stopped just short of it, staying obscured from the moonlight and hidden within the shadows where the fire's light did not touch.
"There are several things you could do. The first being the fundamental thing you can do at this point in time. Assisting me to find some sort of settlement on this planet so that we may collect our bearings."
Bastila arched an eyebrow, Dantooine's refugee settlements are not known to be amongst this sector or any sector at all. In fact, the planet had not seen a fully established settlement in a long time. In fact the only thing that even resembled a settlement that was known on Dantooine was…
"Even the Jedi Enclave?" Bastila asked.
Revan turns, "Ah, now we move to the things you could do."
The Sith leans on the wall of the cave and folds his arms, "No doubt you have thought about turning me in to the Jedi Order, 'answer for all my crimes' and what not. Am I correct?"
Bastila did not answer.
"You need not respond, I have sensed your intentions anyway."
The Padawan grew pouty, even blushing slightly. Revan could read her easily like an open book. There was nothing she could hide from him no matter how hard she tried.
"You can go to the Jedi Order, alert them of my presence here on Dantooine. But that will not solve the threat at hand, will it?"
"You are the Dark Lord of the Sith. You are more of a threat than any before you."
Revan shakes his head, "You are mistaken Bastila. Divert your narrowed vision from what's infront of you – to the galaxy in the long term. My…former apprentice, Malak – is now the ultimate threat to the galaxy."
"He follows your teachings and your goals. Why would you regard him as a threat?"
"Again Bastila, you do not understand. Malak is not me. He is fuelled by hatred untempered, logic driven by revenge and pride. I aimed to open the eyes of the Jedi Order, to open the eyes of the Republic of their hypocrisies, their ineffective philosophies that would have doomed the galaxy. Malak aims to eradicate the Republic and the Jedi Order completely. Set the galaxy ablaze and from the ashes issue an Empire under his banner. Through this Empire – chaos, destruction and death. I did not fight for those craven goals."
Bastila sits, listening to him and drawing this information, converting her perspective to a different light. She may not agree with him in regards to his actions, the Jedi Code has been infused within her for far too long for her opinion to change on that fact, yet she realised the overall impact Revan had contributed to the Mandalorian Wars.
"I doubt the Enclave will make any significant contribution to battling Malak and his forces, and the Republic is slowly crumbling from both the pressure of the Sith armada and pompous bureaucrats corrupted by the greed in their hearts. In all essence Bastila, I am the true threat, yes, the true threat to Malak's influence within the galaxy."
Revan sighs as he became tired from constant talk, "Do what you will with the Enclave Bastila. Alert them of my presence, send hunting parties after me, come after me yourself if you want – it does not matter to me. In the end I will fight Malak alone, he is toying with a power that must not be left in his unreasonable grasp."
"Enough." Bastila exclaims, surprising Revan as he turned his head to face her. She was standing, arms crossed and eyes narrowed. The fires sparked, the silence hung within the air for several moments, an uneasy presence sensed by both Revan and Bastila – was it a distortion within the Force? Or simply the tension between the two opposites.
"You will not fight Malak alone. Against my better judgement – I truly believe you may be the only one who can amount any resistance against Malak."
"You are suggesting to travel with me Jedi?"
Bastila nods.
"You are suggesting to betray the teachings of your Order and travel alongside the one whom you tried to detain. To stand beside Darth Revan, to follow Darth Revan like many 'fallen' Jedi Knights before you. What would your precious Council think of that?"
Bastila clenches her fist, "I am a Jedi, first and foremost. The Order has taught me many things, things my parents have not. While I stand by the Council and the Order, I know your power, sensed it, experienced it. The Republic cannot withstand the Sith armada and the Jedi cannot amount to Malak's power – especially when he was trained by one such as you. I simply must trust my instincts and take your word for it Revan. You were a Jedi Knight, so the stories recorded – I believe there is still good in you, room for redemption. Your path to the dark can be rectified."
Darth Revan scoffed, "Dark, light, good, evil. I once thought the same as you, Padawan. But believe me Bastila – there are many Jedi who share my views, those who were simply afraid to follow me to the Mandalorian Wars but believed in my cause. Hmph, had you been under the tutelage of my former Master, perhaps she would have taught you the same as I."
"Your Master?" Bastila asked.
Revan nods, "I've had many Jedi Masters who instructed me prior to the Mandalorian Wars. But there was always one Master whom I truly respected, whom I truly took her teachings to heart. Listen close Jedi, perhaps you may learn something about the Force – the true meaning of the Force."
Bastila couldn't help but be intrigued to this Sith Lord. Against all better judgement, against all better instincts within her core trying to resist this man – she wanted nothing more than to learn. Revan walks back to the fireplace with Bastila sitting back down. In turn, Revan sits across her with the fire once more separating them. He holds out both his hands and speaks.
"The Dark Side." His right hand sparked with Force Lightning, channelling throughout his fingertips and tracing the lines of his gloves. Bastila winced as the purple entanglements sparked – she was not accustomed to this sudden demonstration of forbidden Force techniques.
"The Light Side." His left hand held a force presence, which illuminated within his palm. As Bastila looked on into his left hand she felt a sudden calm and peace in which she had tried to experience ever since she had been experiencing conflicting emotions with the Council and her position within the Order. Her emotions controlled and tempered…all in accordance with the Jedi Code.
"Two sides of the same card. No doubt the Order has stressed the avoidance of the Dark Side entirely, explaining how many Sith Lords try to possess and bend the Force and the Dark Side to their will, only to have it corrupt them in the end. There is some truth to this, but the exaggeration is unprecedented."
Slowly, Revan closes his hands and meets both his palms infront of him. A surge of Force energy erupted as his hands met, creating a fizzing effect, which took Bastila back slightly.
"Yet in the end – they are both wills of the Force which are meant to be explored, not obsessed over. Many do not understand this subtle difference. Good. Evil. You characterise the Force when it is not something that is meant to be split. The Force is a living entity; it surrounds us in all living things – no matter how meagre. The Force is…"
"Alive…" Bastila interrupts with widened eyes, quickly coming to understand Revan's philosophy – yet her acceptance was still in question.
Revan smiles when she said that word. It reminded him of his favoured Jedi Master. Even Malak, his most cherished and only friend as well as apprentice – always argued and ignored his teachings especially in regards to the Force. Malak was obsessed with the potential of the Dark Side. Revan was a fool to ignore the growing shadow and ambition within Malak's heart, a mistake he will rectify soon enough.
"You are a quick study Bastila. Tell me, when you landed on Dantooine, isolated and alone. Did something…draw you?"
"Yes. A soft whisper, calling me towards something. Or someone."
Revan tilts his head slightly, "Are you aware of Force bonds?"
Bastila hesitantly nods her head, "I have read theories within the Jedi archives, though nothing of its exact nature."
Revan sits still, watching Bastila through the visor of his mask. The Jedi feels a shiver crawl along her spine. Suddenly, Revan's voice rings inside her mind.
"Bastila."
Her eyes widen and she quickly turns her head around, to the sides and evens glancing up at the ceiling.
"Look forward."
She does as the voice says. Revan sits, his head slightly tilted – silent and still.
"This, is the potential of Force bonds. A range of powers shared between two Force sensitives. I did not think that a bond would be created after I used the Force to seal your wounds both on my flagship and those on your leg…"
Bastila's eyes look down to her injured leg, her fingers moving through the rips of her robes and meeting the healed flesh.
"Such bonds often form through time. We are both strong in the Force, yet I did not believe a bond could be formed so quickly and to this extent. To broadcast my thoughts and words to you without even saying a physical word… even luring each other to our destinations."
Bastila opens her mouth to respond but Revan immediately holds a hand up to stop her.
"No Bastila. Speak. Speak to me…through the Force."
Bastila sighs as she closes her eyes and concentrates. She did not even know where to begin, this was an area within the Force where she had never explored. She clenched her eyes shut, the hands on her knees quickly balling into clenched fists.
In Revan's mind, he could only hear the faint whispers and grunts of frustration coming from Bastila's inner core. A few moments passed and Bastila finally gave up. Her eyes opened and she pants softly.
Revan chuckles and finally spoke with his physical voice, "No matter, as I said – Force bonds can be tempered over time. As time goes by – perhaps you may learn many strengths which come with this bond."
Bastila sits quietly and furrows her brow as she thinks to herself, "Of all the people to be bonded with through the Force. It had to be him. Revan…a Dark Lord of the Sith."
The man smiles behind his mask, "Indeed. You are bonded with the Dark Lord of the Sith. Had I left you onboard my flagship then perhaps you would not be sitting where you are this night. With enough concentration…or emotion in your case. Our thoughts travel to those who we are bonded with Bastila."
Bastila sat there, sheepish. Great, now he was literally inside her head and now he can literally read her inside and out.
"In future, perhaps I can teach you more than just philosophy. Make you better than what the Council makes you out to be." Revan says as he stands up and brushes the dirt off his robes. Bastila didn't respond, instead she turns her head away from the Sith and tries not to meet her eyes with the visor of his mask.
"Of course. Should my teachings offend your dedication to the Jedi code and the Order, then I will not force you. I cannot waste time bickering and arguing on what's 'right' and 'wrong' when the stakes are far too high with Malak assuming my position as head of the Sith Empire." Revan turns and heads towards the entrance of the cave.
"You should rest, Jedi. We must find a way off this planet if we have any hope of stopping Malak. I will keep watch should any uninvited visitors decide to snuff us out."
The Sith Lord paces forward then stops, he flips his cape to the side – revealing his lightsaber hanging from his belt and he removes it, throwing it towards the Jedi and landing right next to her.
"Assurance...incase you are hellbent on distrusting me. I will want that back come the morning." Revan concluded as he escapes the fire's touch and his silhouette situates itself next to the cave's entrance and simply leans against the wall with arms crossed.
Bastila picks up his lightsaber, observing the weapon carefully before she became tired. She had become uncharacteristically drowsy and needed to sleep. She sleeps on her side with Revan's lightsaber in one hand and rests her head on the other. She made sure to sleep on the side to which she can keep an eye on Revan. Her grey eyes stared at the hooded figure for several minutes before fatigue begins to close them. It wasn't because she didn't trust him…well she didn't, but not completely. She felt something within him, which she didn't expect within a Sith Lord and the things he taught her tonight amounted to more than her entire education within the Jedi Order. In turn, she knew that he felt something in her – he whispered it onboard his flagship afterall. She didn't know what to do at this point.
She was dedicated to the Jedi Order and the Council. But she wanted to learn more, wanted to do more where the Council would restrict her from performing. Revan was a gateway to such a path. She didn't like a moment of this, but for now this mutual ground that was established tonight was the best that could be mustered for now. Malak needed to be stopped; they both agreed on that much at least. It was an uneasy relationship, especially when it is solely dependant on each other's word alone.
Bastila's mind needed to rest. Her eyes needed to rest. Her breathing lowered to a slower pace. Her heartbeat echoed throughout her body. Blackness greets her as she descends to sleep.
