Wow, so I am the absolute worst y'all. I've been gone for so long but I did not abandon this story. I actually had a bad case of writers block for chapter eight which left me unmotivated to post. Then life was hitting me hard and I got really caught up in work. I'm so sorry to keep you hanging.
I'm in the process of switching jobs and have newfound energy to write again. Hopefully you all still remember what's been happening. If not, there's luckily not too many chapters for you to reread to get back into it.
Again, I can't apologize enough. I am determined to finish this story. I have notes and plans all the way up to TLJ so I know where we're going and what's going to happen. Just be patient and excuse me if life makes me take another hiatus.
Thanks for understanding and hope you all enjoy!
"We're dropping out of hyperspace in T-minus thirty seconds," Poe's voice pulled me from my meditation. Currently, we were cruising in an old model Rebellion issued U-Wing. Our arrival would've been a little too obvious in the X-Wings and they were one man ships. Poe left BB-8 back on the base since we were going to Nar Shaddaa and he was afraid the droid might get stolen.
I took up the seat next to Poe as our ship surged out of hyperspace. Straight ahead was our destination as Snap and Jessika appeared to our left and right respectively.
"Hey Poe, you guys land first and then we'll land on the other side of the city. Contact us once you both are ready to head home," Snap radioed in.
"Roger that. Keep a line open for us," Poe nodded before taking off his headset. Pushing down the steering controls, we made our decent to Nar Shaddaa. "You nervous?" Poe turned to look at me.
"No," I shook my head. "I feel kind of excited. This guy can help us find Master Luke."
"You know, us flying like this, it reminds me of our days back on Yavin," Poe maneuvered around departing ships. I looked at him confused. I had no memory of us flying like this. "I first learned how to fly when I was six. When you were about five, I was already nine. You were so jealous I got to fly my mom's ship so you wouldn't stop begging me to show you. I couldn't resist a chance to show off my new skills. You had the same wide-eyed expression that day as you do now," he smiled, reminiscing. I couldn't help but smile too, trying to imagine it. I also didn't realize the age gap between Poe and I. We naturally gravitated towards each other since our parents were friends and there weren't many other kids near us back on Yavin 4. I always looked up to Poe and even had a crush on him. A few nights I had dreams/memories of the two of us. He was handsome when we were teenagers back home but he was even more handsome now. It didn't help he was such a genuine guy and made me feel at home since we were reunited. I could definitely feel myself forming a crush on him once more but there was no way he saw me more than an old friend. My heart also tugged when I thought about love and romance. A sadness would wash over me that I couldn't understand. It didn't matter anyways, we were in the middle of a war and romance was a luxury none of us currently had.
"Part of me remembers my love of adventure and seeing new places. I don't think I've ever been to Nar Shaddaa," I shrugged, scanning the horizon. The gloomy looking planet held a dark city consisting of many levels. Many compared it to Coruscant. As we searched for an empty platform, I would catch glimpses of neon lights from the inner city.
"I've never been here either but I've never heard good things about it," Poe finally found a platform for us to land on. "It's a smuggler's moon and I've heard of the large refugee section that many people get trapped into." Poe landed the ship with ease and shut everything off when he was sure we were parked. I got up to find my jacket and body holster for my blaster. I wish I had a lightsaber but I had no materials to make a new one. My blaster hung snuggly against my right side. The jacket hid it well and no one would be able to tell. Poe had one as well so we both would be ready for anything. "Ready?" Poe's hand hovered over the door controls.
"Definitely," I nodded, grabbing the mission datapad. He opened the side door and we both exited the ship. Searching through the file, I looked for the location we could find Yora while Poe locked everything back up. "The file said he frequents a bar known as 'The Slag Pit.' Says it's a known bounty hunter's bar," I told Poe as we hurried into the city.
"Heh, I guess hiding in plain sight is his cup of tea," Poe chuckled. We suddenly entered into the main city platforms and there were crowds of people coming and going. "Stay close to me alright?" Poe looked down at me. I nodded, letting him lead the way. He pushed forward into the moving crowds and fell in line with them. I kept a hold on the back of his jacket so we wouldn't get separated.
"Do you know where this bar is at? I thought you said you had never been here before," I raised my voice so he could hear me.
"I'm just going with the flow," he admitted. "It's not even night yet so most bars are pretty empty and quiet."
"We should still ask and get some idea of where we need to go," he couldn't see the expression on my face. Nar Shaddaa was a big place, did he really think we'd just stumble upon our target location? Poe looked over people's heads, scanning our surroundings. "Come on," he reached back for my hand and pulled me towards the right. I expressed a string of apologies as I cut off people as we pushed our way out of the crowd. We stopped in front of what appeared to be an antique type of store. "We can ask in here, away from prying ears," Poe motioned towards the store with his head as he opened the door for me.
Walking inside, I had to waved a hand, trying to waft away the strong smells of spices that hit me. There was a dim haze that hung throughout the almost claustrophobic store. There was also no one in sight; no customers; no workers. The room felt as though there was much energy flowing through it. I wondered if Poe could feel it too.
"Hello? Is there anyone here?" I broke the eerie silence. I walked further into the store towards the payment counter. Poe's hand was resting inside his jacket, most likely over his blaster. "Hello?" I called out once more. Suddenly, a large stack of books to my left crashed to the floor as voice cried out. Out of instinct, I stepped forward, holding out my arms to catch whatever it was. To my surprise, it was a Drall. "Are you alright?"
"Unhand me!" the creature jumped from my arms. Startled, I stepped backwards bumping into Poe.
"Sorry to intrude. My friend and I just needed some directions and saw your store was open," Poe watched the small Drall climb up onto the counter. The Drall was wearing a worn-out but colorful vest and a pair of round lense glasses.
"Where are you trying to go?" he ignored us as he organized a pile of papers by his register.
"We're trying to meet an old friend at 'The Slag Pit.' Could you point us in the right direction?" I asked, stepping towards the counter.
"You should think about getting a new friend if this one wants to meet you at a place like that," the Drall shook his head, still not looking at us.
"We might not look like much but we can handle ourselves," Poe chuckled as he looked over the knick-knacks.
"Don't touch that!" the Drall yelled as Poe reached for one of the glass figurines. Poe held his hands up, stepping away from the shelf.
"Please just point us in the right direction and we'll get out of your way," I promised. The curtain doorway behind the counter blew open and a tall Ithorian entered. It was dressed in similar patterns and fabrics as the Drall.
"Oh, customers," a feminine voice speaking Basic came from the Ithorian. She probably learned it out of convenience since Ithorians rarely spoke Basic. "Has Crete been giving you a hard time? My name is Treya. What can I help you with?" she asked.
"Hi, I'm Elia. My friend and I are just trying to…." I started to explain when I felt a wave flow through me. There was pulsating feeling of the Force coming from behind me. Spinning around, I tried to locate the source.
"Elia?" Poe's voice was faint on my ears as I focused in on another sound. I knew everyone was watching me, most likely confused, but whatever this feeling was, it was calling to me.
'Shan…' a deep, disembodied voice sighed as my hand reached for a sealed up cabinet. Electrical currents flowed straight into me. Gasping, I stepped back, turning to the Ithorian and Drall.
"Did you hear that?" I pointed back to the cabinet. "What is in there?"
"I didn't hear anything," Poe looked over me, concern written all over his face. The Drall ignored me but Treya kept her eyes on me, almost like she was studying me.
"You heard it call to you?" She asked, walking around the corner towards me. Poe reached into his jacket but I held out my hand, motioning for him to stop. "I thought your features looked familiar…"
"You know me?" I was growing frustrated by how confused I felt. Had I known her before I lost my memory?
"Tell me, what do you feel behind here?" She walked past me, placing her hand on the cabinet. Closing my eyes, I reached out with the Force, trying to connect with whatever was affecting me. A sharp pain pulsated in my temples as I doubled over in pain.
FLASH.
"Who I am is not important; my message is," before me stood a tall, muscular man draped in a black cloak. His face was covered by an Ancient Mandalorian mask.
FLASH.
I was suddenly transported onto a ridge overlooking a battlefield. The land was scorched from blaster fire and explosions. My eyes went wide at the sight of other force users wielding lightsabers. One in particular had a purple blade.
FLASH.
"Is that what he was? Or was he always true to himself, no matter what personality he wore? And there is something that the Council may never understand. That perhaps Revan never fell. The difference between a fall and a sacrifice is sometimes difficult, but I feel that Revan understood that difference, more than anyone knew. The galaxy would have fallen if Revan had not gone to war. Perhaps he became the dark lord out of necessity, to prevent a greater evil," an older woman was sitting, legs crossed, before a woman around my age. Revan? Why did that name seem so familiar?
FLASH.
Two figures stood before me, hands intertwined. It looked to be as though it were a marriage ceremony. I had never see the woman before but she was beautiful with her long, dark hair and blue eyes. I noticed she had a double-bladed lightsaber on her hip. As I studied the man, I just knew it was the same man with the mask from before. He wasn't wearing it now so I could see his dark hair and brown eyes. Hanging from his hip was the same hilt as the purple lightsaber user from before.
FLASH.
I now stood in a open space that resembled what one would call a void. In the distant stood a pillar. Upon closer inspection, the same lightsaber was resting there. A wind blew through as I reached for it.
"Savior. Conqueror. Hero. Villain," a voice surrounded me. "You are all things, Revan...and yet you are nothing. In the end, you belong to neither the light nor the darkness. You will forever stand alone…" the voice faded away as I took hold of the saber.
FLASH.
"Revan!" I cried out, suddenly back in the antique store. Somehow, I was sitting on the floor with Poe kneeling beside me.
"Hey, shh, breathe Elia," Poe was holding my arm and rubbing my back. I definitely felt out of breath like I had just ran a marathon. Sweat dripped down my temple as Poe helped me back onto my feet. The Ithorian just stood there, studying me, the whole time.
"Who is Revan?" I asked her. She unlocked the cabinet before she turned to speak to me.
"An influential figure in both the Mandalorian Wars and the Jedi Civil War, the man known as 'Revan' was Jedi, Sith and general across his long career. As a charismatic young Jedi Knight, Revan ignored the Jedi Council's orders to remain neutral in the Mandalorian Wars and led many Jedi, including his friend Malak, into battle. While pursuing the remnants of the beaten Mandalorian fleet, Revan encountered the Sith Emperor on Dromund Kaas and–also alongside Malak–fell to the dark side. Becoming Darth Revan, he led his followers in a war to conquer the Republic and re-establish a Sith Order, until he was betrayed and nearly killed by Malak. As a result of his injuries, Revan lost his memory and was given a new identity by Bastila Shan and the Jedi Council. The reborn Revan fought against his old followers, defeating Malak and redeeming himself," She finally pulled out the object that had been calling to me. My eyes went wide as I took in the lightsaber from my visions.
'Shan…' it spoke to me once more. She held it out for me. Someone else shared my name.
"Bastila Shan was Revan's wife, wasn't she?" I asked, reaching for it cautiously. She only nodded as I finally grabbed the saber. A gasp escaped my lips as the Force flowed through me. Then I saw Revan once more, this time leaving behind Bastila. He would never return to her. I saw she was with child. She ended up giving the child her surname since Revan no longer went by his given name. I ignited the saber and the room illuminated in a peaceful purple glow.
"Wow.." Poe breathed out a sigh as he took in the sight. I studied it for another minute before I shut it back off.
"Revan is my ancestor…" I felt a sense of understanding for Revan and what he stood for. He wanted what was best for people even if he had to make some questionable choices. It was similar feelings I had felt when I was back at the temple training. Memories of my lightsaber were coming back to me. It was also purple. Master Luke had always said it was such a rare occurrence.
"It called to you...my ancestors had told me stories of Revan when I grew up. I don't remember how but this had ended up in my possessions decades ago….now I can see why," Treya nodded to me. I tried to hand it back to her. "Keep it. It was meant for you." The moment was broken when there was a loud banging coming from the front door. At some point, Crete must've locked it and pulled down the shade.
"Open up. There's been reports of suspicious activity for inside this shop," a distorted voice yelled. Poe and I gave each other a panicked look.
"That's the First Order," Poe whispered, pulling out his blaster. "I was hoping we wouldn't run into them."
"Crete, take these two out the back. I will take care of these troopers," Treya gently pushed Poe and I towards the back of the store. The Drall was suddenly in front of us, waving us towards the back door. I quickly turned once more to Treya.
"Thank you," I sincerely meant it.
"May we meet again child," she nodded before pulling the curtain shut behind us. This time I grabbed Poe's hand as we escaped into the night.
