Chapter 4: Abyss

Ebon Hawk II, 1 ABY

Hyperspace

Xur sat in the cockpit of his ship, and in his hand he held the Sith Holocron, observing and occasionally flipping it up in the air. However, every time he simply played with it, he felt a searing anger from it, almost as if it hated when he did it. Its ominous red glow shown in the darkened cockpit and through the window was the blue void of hyperspace.

It was almost as if it was mocking him, knowing that he could never open it at this rate. He needed a meditative area to summon enough dark side energy to reveal the holocron's contents. Bored, he propped up his feet on the dash and sat back, still observing the holocron.

The cockpit door slid open behind him. "Still nothing?" a female voice asked, which he automatically knew the owner.

Xur sighed. "No, not yet. I can't say I've been trying too hard though." Ahsoka took the seat next to him and sat back, folding her arms as she looked at him. "The more I think about it, the more I wonder if I even want to find out what it holds."

The togruta understood exactly where he was coming from. If she had found that 5 years ago, she would never dare to open it. However, these were desperate times, and she knew that the key to destroying the Sith had to be in there. "If you're ever going to defeat Vader, we have to open that holocron."

Xur's eyes darted around until he realized it. She doesn't know. He thought to himself. She didn't know that he wasn't meant to defeat Vader…she was. At least, that's what Scourge told him. However, judging by their last two duels, it seemed very true.

He sighed, placing the red object on the dash. "I'm guessing the Jedi Temple on Lothal didn't tell you one small detail did they?" Ahsoka gave him a confused look, shaking her head. Xur popped up his eyebrows for a second before shifting in his seat. "Does Darth Vitiate ring any bells?"

The togruta looked towards the ceiling, delving into her memories. "I'm guessing by the Darth that he's a Sith, but no that name doesn't seem familiar."

Xur scoffed. "It's not a Sith the Jedi would tell us about. He's legendary to any Sith of today. He lived for thousands of years, mastering the art of immortality. He was the one who turned Revan Sith and turned him towards the Republic."

Ahsoka crossed her arms. "You must have some memories of him then…right?" she asked.

Xur nodded with wide eyes. "Absolutley. He was Revan's worst enemy, and he swore that one day he would return to destroy the Sith Lord. However, Revan failed to destroy him, and Vitiate imprisoned him for over 300 years." Xur expected another question, but Ahsoka kept listening intently. "Then, 300 years later, a little Jedi known as the Hero of Tython comes along and frees Revan. There she learns of Darth Vitiate and plots to destroy him."

Xur could sense that Ahsoka could almost see where he was going, so he decided to wrap it up. "After all the Jedi he had slain, controlled, or simply cast aside…this one was able to finally end his immortal life." She looked towards the floor of the ship and then back up at him with wide eyes. Xur finished. "What I'm trying to say is that I am Revan Reborn…and you…are the Hero of Tython."

Ahsoka was beyond words. "B-but…how? Y-you're power is far beyond mine and I-,"

"No Ahsoka," he stopped her. "You are still yet to discover your potential. At that point, your power may surpass mine." The conversation then came to a long pause. Ahsoka had no idea what to say. It made so little sense, but then again, it did. She was apprentice to the Chosen One, which would then become no accident. The Force prepared her for what would come. It was destiny…and Xur wasn't the one to do it alone.

She couldn't believe it, but she knew it was true. She then grabbed the holocron from the dash. "We need to open this," she said, observing it.

Xur laughed. "You know Ahsoka that you can't open that. One must be a Sith, or at least think like one."

Ahsoka shook her head. "I can do it."

"No!" Xur shouted, reaching for the holocron. Ahsoka reared back, stunned by his sudden jump. Realizing what he had done, he calmed himself down, but still reached for the holocron. "Ahsoka, no…I don't want to risk losing you again."

The togruta narrowed her eyes. "Lose me? What, you don't trust me? You said it yourself that one should master both sides!"

"Not you! Not when you're supposed to be a Jedi!" Xur tried to reason with her, but to no avail.

Frustrated and fed up, Ahsoka tossed the holocron into Xur's lap. "Fine! Take it!" she yelled as she got up for the cockpit door. Xur just watched her in disbelief as it opened, but she stopped just before. He could see her tense up and her head tails quiver a bit. The togruta's head then drooped downwards and he heard her sigh heavily.

"I'm sorry," she said.

Xur looked down at the holocron and then back up to her. "Me too….for everything. For letting you go, for being so caught up in a game that destroys the people around you, for putting revenge above anything else, and most of all…for being stupid enough to think I could actually defeat Vader."

It was then that Ahsoka turned with a look of dismay. "No Xur, you're doing what is best for the galaxy…I know that. You're destined to bring balance to the Force when Anakin could not." She then kneeled down and placed her hands on his hand and the holocron. "Open this holocron and gain the knowledge we need. I'll be right here."

Xur met her eyes and nodded. Her blue stare filled him with more confidence than he would ever need. It was soft and comforting, but at the same time was filled with fiery determination.

She released the holocron but kept one hand on his shoulder. Xur took the holocron in both hands and closed his eyes. He concentrated on the holocron and filled his mind with dark thoughts, reciting the Sith Creed in his mind. Suddenly, his mind was flooded with memories, and he struggled to hold his focus, grunting.

Ahsoka placed her free hand on his other shoulder. "Xur, focus on my voice, listen to me," she said. Through all of the cluttered thoughts, he mentally latched onto Ahsoka, and he was able to pull through. His mind was now quiet, and he opened his eyes. The holocron was suspended in the air and began to open up with a dark, red glow.

"Revan," a female voice spoke. "My apprentice."

"Traya," Xur gasped. "This is Darth Traya's holocron!" Ahsoka looked down, confused at what was happening. How could Xur know?

"Indeed. But you are not Revan now are you? No…it's been far too long by now," the voice spoke again.

Xur stammered. "N-no I am not Revan. But, I am one of his descendants," he clarified. The holocron was still suspended, but now crackling with energy.

"Yes…you are the one who is destined to bring balance to the Force when the Chosen One could not. Yes…yes I know who you are. What is it that you seek from me?" the voice continued.

"Knowledge. I need to know how to defeat Sidious and topple the Empire," Xur responded, but had no idea what answer he would receive.

"Defeat? Not defeat…you must destroy him! Your armies wait at his gates, but he is ready…more than you know. You are going to need more than just your fleet to destroy what you loathe. Go to Alzoc III, and you will understand…" the voice finished before the holocron closed itself back up and dropped back into his hand.

Xur shut his eyes, exhausted. He then felt the warm embrace of Ahsoka around him, and he returned with his own.

"I think I know where to head next," Ahsoka said.

"Oh do you now? I think I like where we are now," he joked.

Ahsoka laughed. "Shut up Supreme Commander. I don't take orders from you."

"Come on now, just this one?" Xur pleaded.

Ahsoka rolled her eyes and smirked. "Maybe…I'm feeling obedient today."

Xur felt her inching closer as she sat in his lap, arms wrapped around his neck. He laughed. "Did I ever tell you that you're really good at joking around?"

Ahsoka narrowed her eyes. "Who said I was joking?" she replied with a smile. She began to lean in closer and Xur shut his eyes for the inevitable.

"Am I…interrupting something?" Kanan spoke from the open cockpit door.

Ahsoka pulled away and Xur threw his arms up in the air. "Uh no of course not, Ahsoka and I were just talking to each other with our lips almost touching," he said sarcastically. The togruta tried to hold in her laugh as she got up from Xur's lap and blushed madly.

Kanan laughed. "Well I'm sorry to ruin the fun, but I need to return to the Ghost. Hera's getting a little anxious for me to return."

"Sure thing hotshot. Tell the crew I said hi," Xur approved. Kanan nodded and then made his way out, shutting the door behind him. Ahsoka and Xur were alone once again, but didn't utter a word. Xur broke the silence. "I'll umm…set a course for Alzoc III once Kanan is away."

Ahsoka nodded and silently exited the room. As Xur worked at the controls, he couldn't help but have a smile on his face.

Alzoc III, 1 ABY

Entering Atmosphere

The ship rocked as Xur slid on some heavy gloves. They had to be entering the atmosphere of Alzoc III by now, judging by the rough shaking of his ship. Once they had exited hyperspace, he had placed the ship on autopilot and auto-land, which was state of the art technology for their time.

The Zabrak had changed his wardrobe, exchanging Revan's gear for much heavier snow gear. It was definitely thick, but it still fit around his body pretty well, allowing him to keep his physique. He kept the headpiece that became his mask however, since it would fare much better than any goggles.

Pulling over his furry hood, he exited his private room and entered the main hall, which led to the loading ramp at the end. As soon as he felt the ship level out and begin its slow descent, Ahsoka exited her room. She had also outfitted herself in snow gear that was similar to Xur's, keeping her slim physique visible. She wore orange goggles that covered her eyes and nose, while a large hood went over her horns. The only thing visible from her body was her headtails.

The ship stumbled as it landed, and the engines powered down. Ahsoka chuckled. "I guess that's our cue."

Xur shivered as he activated his mask. "I hate the cold so much."

Ahsoka smiled and nudged him towards the loading ramp. "Oh come on! I'm pretty sure Revan was fine with it," She then pressed a button on the side, which lowered it down. A cold chill filled the area as it opened, causing Xur to shiver violently.

"T-trust me," he said, arms around himself. "He d-didn't have a choice." Almost feeling pity, Ahsoka hugged him, trying to warm him up. He shook his head. "W-whatever's here b-better be worth it."

"Judging by the fact that a Sith holocron told us to go here, I think everything's on the table," she answered as the loading ramp stopped, unveiling the white snow and howling wind of Alzoc III.

Xur shrugged, and Ahsoka let him go. "I think I'll be able to manage," he said, making his way down the ramp. The togruta laughed as she went back into the ship to grab two backpacks.

She lifted them up in the air. "Xur! I think you'll need one of these!" she called and threw one down to him.

He caught it with an oof. "Right! Of course," he waved off with a chuckle, throwing it onto his back. They were lucky, since Alzoc III was known for blizzards that could bury anyone who dared to traverse it. The worst thing they would have to deal with at this point would be falling off a cliff, or freezing to death.

Ahsoka caught up to him as the ship closed back up and powered down. Ahead of them was a white blur, but held tall, snow-filled mountains in the distance. The togruta paced alongside Xur as they made their way up a small ridge. "Do you have any idea where we're going?" she asked.

Xur picked up the pace a bit to reach the top of the ridge, Ahsoka close behind. Once she caught up, he had the Sith holocron in his hand. "I'm hoping that this will point us in the right direction. Right now I can feel it pulling towards the base of the mountain," he pointed. "We'll have to get there before a blizzard sets in or we'll have to set up camp."

The togruta nodded and walked alongside him across the snowy landscape. It was definitely a walk, and in the snow it was going to be much more demanding than normal. She could tell that the mountain base was about 10 miles from where they were, which would take them five to six hours to cover if they kept their pace without stopping.

So they did, over short hills, sudden ridges, and even a menacing cliff, they covered 9 miles in six hours. However, as Xur had feared, the sun began to set and so did a blizzard. They were forced to stop and wait out the night and cover the next mile tomorrow.

At the base of a hill, Xur drew his saber and began to carve a hole into the side. They needed shelter, and fast. Ahsoka helped along, melting snow until they reached the rocky mountain itself. The snow then dispersed, and a cave was revealed. Relieved, Xur and Ahsoka entered the small, rocky cave where the howling wind was brought down to a more quiet roar.

Xur collapsed to his knees, exhausted. "I can't believe we actually made it that far," he said, panting. Ahsoka, able to stay on her feet, set down her backpack on the rocky floor.

"Come on now, it wasn't that hard," she said with a smile as she knelt down next to him. Xur shook his head.

"Speak for yourself. I'm about dead now," Xur replied, rolling onto his back. As Ahsoka lay down next to him, he looked out the cave entrance to see a wall of white, and an immense blizzard that blew by. His ankles cracked as he moved both feet around, his leg muscles whining from the walk he had just taken. With all of the clothes he had brought, he was still freezing.

No matter what happened however, Ahsoka wasn't affected by anything. Her spirit and determination was with them the entire voyage. It was truly unbelievable.

Snow smacked into his face, and his hands were quick to wipe it off. Ahsoka couldn't hold in a giggle as he shook his head violently. "Everything alright?" she asked.

Xur groaned. "What was that for?!"

Ahsoka pushed him in the shoulder. "You're such a wimp," she teased.

Xur wiped the last bits of melted snow off of his face. "Give me a break. You know how much I hate the cold," he replied.

Ahsoka laughed. "I know that's what makes it fun!" Xur shook his head and laid back, annoyed. The togruta followed him down but laid her head on his shoulder. She sighed. "Oh Xur, one day you'll be able to see the bright side of things."

"All I see is cold and wet misery," Xur replied, pulling the holocron from his belt and holding it out in front of him. "We're only here for one reason, and I want to do it as fast as possible."

"Aww…I'm cold, wet and alone. Someone please save me," Ahsoka mimicked him.

Xur shook his head. "You know you're lucky you're as beautiful as you are, otherwise."

"Otherwise what?" Ahsoka's tone changed.

"Otherwise I would've done something about you already," he replied.

"Not a chance," Ahsoka laughed. "I'd have you wish you were born a protocol droid."

Xur finally laughed. "I love you so damn much." The togruta then turned onto her stomach and he was able to see her face.

"Me too," she replied before they kissed.

Byss, 1 ABY

Imperial Spire

Emperor Palpatine sat in his throne, the throne he had held for nearly two galactic decades. His Empire, once unmatched and the unquestionable ruler of the galaxy was in peril. For the first time in his life…he truly had his back against the wall. What he had foreseen was now becoming true. Eon would soon be at his doorstep.

Even he wasn't his only adversary. His original plan to corrupt Skywalker's apprentice backfired completely, and now she had become more powerful than ever before.

They were absolutely unbreakable. Eon was incorruptible, and Tano had defeated his apprentice twice before. Vader, the one who was meant to be the most powerful Sith to ever live, had fallen before her.

Now with their clone army, Palpatine had little he could do to send them back. However, there was still hope. The blockade of Coruscant was surly impenetrable, and judging by the Battle of Anaxes, the Revanite fleet was in dire need of additional ships. The blockade of Kuat was holding strong, which meant that the Revanites had no secure planet to produce capital-sized ships.

He chuckled at the idea of the Revanite forces being overrun at Coruscant, and his Empire taking back every parsec of territory that had been taken from them. It would be glorious…truly glorious.

But yet, as he delved into the dark corners of the Force to gain foresight, he still felt insecure. He wanted to see the Revanites in ashes, and Eon's severed head at his feet, but the Force saw it differently. He felt a never ending turmoil that would destroy much of what either side had built. And as he searched for any clues through the Force of what he was experiencing…he could only find one word, spelled out in blood:

Endgame.

Once again this chapter was later than usual. School came to an end so I've been a bit busy getting myself settled in here. I am happy to return with another long chapter and hope to receive more feedback as I go along! If you enjoyed please follow/fav and leave a review! Thanks for reading!