Author's Note: Apologies for the delay. Here we go with our penultimate chapter in The Last Trial of Revan. Hope you've enjoyed it. Play whatever emotional or epic Star Wars you like for this chapter, it helped me write it out and I hope it'll make reading it more enjoyable!


The Ebon Hawk lay at the base of the Valley of the Dark Lords. The once-proud ship was ruined, its shields burned out and the hull dented and cracked. A column of smoke rose from the remains of the freighter's engines.

Towards the back of the vessel a panel shuddered twice before a violet lightsaber blade burst through the metal surface. After cutting in a circular pattern the blade disappeared and the metal piece flew outwards. From out of the wrecked ship staggered Revan.

The Jedi fell to his knees, his head ringing. He pulled off his mask and gasped for air only to cough as he took in a cloud of smoke. Revan's eyes began to water and he closed them as he continued to cough. After a second he opened his eyes again to examine himself for injuries. Aside from the fresh burns and bruises suffered from his fight with the Emperor, Revan could feel that two of his ribs were broken.

Revan slowed his breathing and bowed his head. Focusing on the shattered bones the Jedi gathered the Force to heal him. The wound began to repair itself even as Revan doubled over in pain. He felt his rib reconnecting and the flesh around them reforming and did his best to ignore the pain.

When it was over Revan allowed himself to relax for a moment. When he was ready the tired Jedi stood up and surveyed the wreckage of the Ebon Hawk. His heart ached of the sight of his beloved ship destroyed, its outline illuminated by the sun beginning to set on the horizon.

Revan searched around the ship, trying to sense each of his companions. He breathed a sigh of relief when he picked up signs of life. He noticed his own comlink was still functional and switched it on. "This is Revan… Can anyone hear me?" There was a burst of static from the other end but no reply. "Carth, come in! This is Revan." He waited for an answer, holding his breath.

Finally he heard a faint sound but not from the comlink. There was a voice coming from the cockpit of the Ebon Hawk. Revan hurried to the cockpit and ripped away the canopy with the Force. Carth Onasi was sitting on the floor, bandaging a wound on his arm and pointing a blaster straight at him. Carth blinked before letting his blaster arm down with a sigh. "Well, you certainly gave me a scare."

Revan rested against the outside and almost laughed in relief. "That makes two of us. Is everyone else okay?" Carth grimaced and said, "Sort of. Everyone's alive, if that's what you're asking, but nobody's in any shape to fight or make a getaway." Fearful of what his friend meant Revan opened his mind and scanned the ship.

He could see the sickbay being cleared and several wounded crewmembers lying unconscious. Bao-Dur, Mira and Zaalbar. The rest were either attending their wounds or nursing their own. And Canderous Ordo was attempting to send a distress signal to the any Republic patrols in range.

"They're still kicking Revan. But he isn't." Revan opened his eyes again and looked at Carth, who was gesturing behind him. Revan stepped into the cockpit and around the Republic soldier.

HK-47 was sprawled across the floor in pieces.

"Oh no…" Revan picked up the assassin droid's limp form. HK-47's left arm was gone and his left leg crushed. The droid's left optic was shattered. "How bad is it really?" he asked, afraid of what he might hear.

Carth shook his head. "Well, I checked his head. HK's body is wrecked but his memory banks and his personality are probably intact." Revan shook his head. 'Probably' wasn't good enough. "Did you try to reactivate him?" he asked worriedly.

"Well, it's not like I've gotten much of a chance. I almost bled out here." He gestured to his leg, which Revan just noticed was almost entirely stained red. "And I don't have the tools in here to help him."

A suggestion came into the back of Revan's mind and he felt a twinge of regret. "I think I do," he muttered. Before Carth could ask what Revan drew upon his fear for Bastila and the others, and his anger at the Emperor for having hurt them. His hand glowed with energy, and Revan fired the burst of Force-lightning into HK-47.

For several seconds the droid sparked and sizzled, but remained still.

And then to Revan's joy HK-47 bolted upwards and warbled incoherently. His voice's pitch went up and down until Revan could understand him at last. "Alarm: Why can't I see out of my left optic? And why can I not sense my legs? This is not acceptable! I…" He swiveled his head to look at Revan. "Ecstatic: Master! You cannot imagine how happy I am to see you in one piece."

He hesitated and looked outside, where Revan had tossed the cockpit. "Regretful observation: Though I cannot say the same for our vessel. She was a fine ship, if not somewhat crude and outdated."

Revan nodded sadly. "She was all of those things. But we all loved her." His sadness was interrupted by a dull rumbling sound behind him. Revan looked back outside and his mouth fell open while Carth asked, "Revan, does it rain much on Korriban?"

Heavy storm clouds were rolling in above the canyon, and no sooner had Carth finished than Revan heard a faint drip on the roof of the Ebon Hawk. "Not usually," he said absentmindedly and watched the clouds gather until the sun was obscured and a heavy torrent of rain began to shower the valley. A flash of lightning illuminated the ship and everything around it briefly before another loud roll of thunder.

Behind him Revan heard Carth shout over the rain, "What now?" He started out at the rain just a second longer before he hoisted Carth over his shoulder. "The Ebon Hawk isn't in flying shape anymore," Revan stated while lifting HK-47 from the floor. "But she can hold out against a bit of rain."

Carth hobbled along with him until Revan opened the door to the rest of the ship. To his relief another member of the crew was just approaching. "Meetra," he rasped and looked over the Exile. Meetra's face was dirty and her cloak was removed to accommodate the sling holding her left arm.

Revan held out Carth to her right and ordered, "Get him to the sickbay and see what else can be done for his leg. And make sure HK doesn't do strain himself."

The Exile brushed her disheveled hair out of her face and took Carth gently. "I'll get the other droids to work on him." HK-47 was set down gently against the wall and protested, "Declaration: Hand me a blaster and I'm still just as effective, Master. No need to fret over a slight dismemberment."

"You're an inspiration to us all," Revan joked and clapped HK-47 on his remaining arm.

He rose up slowly and turned back to the cockpit, a creeping doubt starting to gnaw at him. Revan barely heard Meetra when she asked him, "What's wrong?" His hand traveled to his belt almost by instinct and he felt his lightsaber there.

Not answering her question Revan instead replied, "Where is Bastila?" His companion barely managed to say, "With Canderous, in the main hold…" before he made for the door. Without saying a word Revan strode into the cockpit and activated the doors.

"Revan!"

His stomach clenched. Revan gazed over his shoulder to see Bastila staggering towards him with a fearful look. "Wait!" Revan wanted nothing more than to go to her and hold her just one more time, but another crash of lightning caused him to tear his eyes away from his wife.

With a clench of his fist Revan pulled the door to the cockpit shut and his face hardened. The Prodigal Knight donned his mask once more before leaping out of the Ebon Hawk into the storm. The cockpit imploded, crushed by Revan's power and sealing the door behind him.

Across the Valley of the Dark Lords, a black dot had appeared and was slowly growing larger.


"Revan!"

Bastila screamed her husband's name again and tried vainly to open the door. But it wouldn't budge. "No," she wailed. Stepping back she probed the door with her mind. There were several tons of wreckage on the other side. And they were all too weak or injured to move it. "Why is he doing this?" Bastila's voice was small and hollow. Meetra pulled her away from the door and said, "He's trying to protect us."

"From what?" Bastila asked frantically. "The Emperor is dead." She looked around at Meetra and Carth Onasi. "Isn't he?" Meetra's eyes grew unfocused before returning to Bastila.

And they were filled with fear.


Revan's lightsaber sizzled as drops of rain evaporated on its white-hot blade. He remained motionless as a statue, staring at the figure ahead.

The black outline of the Emperor stood a mere fifteen feet away from Revan and the Ebon Hawk. The Sith Lord had somehow survived the collapse of his temple and was now bearing down on Revan. Revan no longer felt a cold aura emanating from Vitiate, but instead an intense burning sensation.

The storm was his doing, summoned by his fury against Revan.

Above them a crash of thunder illuminated Vitiate's now scarred and deformed armor. There was a crack in his ancient mask and Revan felt his stomach churn at the visage behind it. A single eye, not fiery yellow but instead a pitch black with a blood-red glow where the pupils should have been.

"I told you," Vitiate finally growled. "None of you will leave this place." He raised a hand and the ground around him and Revan trembled. Loose rubble and shattered rock began to levitate off the ground before flying towards the Ebon Hawk as deadly projectiles.

Revan moved his weapon in a flourish, deflecting or shattering the rocks before they could reach his ship. When the assault was done he glared back at Vitiate. "Enough games. Fight me, if you still can!" The Emperor leaned his head back as if amused.

"You are still willing to fight me? Years ago you confronted me, so sure of your triumph. But you and Malak were easy to control. To mold to my will. Even now, after all you have sacrificed, you stand no chance against me." Revan ignored the urge to attack him just for insulting the memory of his friend Alek.

"The fact that I'm standing here now proves you wrong. You won't win, Vitiate. Now shut up and fight me."

A lightsaber flew from his belt into the Emperor's grip. "I have already won, Revan. But very well, I will indulge you one last time." The colorless blade of Vitiate's lightsaber flared to life and illuminated his terrifying visage. "Know that I will provide an exquisite ending for your friends…"

His eye narrowed. "And your wife. Then your Jedi Order will fall, and your precious Republic with it. You have failed."

Revan's knuckled cracked as his grip on his own weapon tightened. "Prove it."

The two circled each other like wolves ready to rip each other apart. Then finally Vitiate dashed forward and brought his lightsaber up in a deadly arc. Revan sidestepped the vicious strike and met Vitiate's blade with his own as the Emperor slashed to his right.

Clouds of steam evaporated in the air as the two sabers clashed back and forth in the rain, neither combatant holding anything back. Revan and Vitiate hammered at each other with their full strength and the ground beneath them began to crack from the force of their blows.

Revan switched between Forms IV and VII rapidly, flipping over a slash that would have cut him in two before stabbing at Vitiate's head in mid-air. His enemy deflected Revan's thrust with a telekinetic barrier but skidded back several feet. As Revan landed back on his feet he opened his hand, a nimbus of lightning beginning to spark around his fingers.

Thinking quickly Revan spread his arms and sent a shockwave across the ground. A cascade of loose rocks and mud were sent into the air catching Vitiate off guard. His lightning attack was scattered. Revan pressed the attack without hesitating, charging the Emperor head on.

His blade moved in a flurry and Vitiate met each strike expertly. But he was slowly being forced backwards, away from the ship. Revan knew that as long as Vitiate was occupied with him, he could not attack the other survivors. He doubled the power of his attacks and battered hard against Vitiate's defense. Revan slashed to his right and then left in quick succession, the second blow being halted close enough to singe the Emperor's shoulder.

Vitiate forced his lightsaber away and attempted a vertical strike which Revan avoided by inches. Seeing an opening he knocked the dark lord's lightsaber to the side. With his enemy's torso left exposed Revan brought his arm forward in a powerful thrust. But Vitiate caught his wrist and his attack was halted. Vitiate's grip was like a vice and Revan grunted painfully when the Sith began to crush his gauntlet. He was trying to force him to drop his weapon.

But Revan's gauntlet held up long enough for him to retaliate. Pulling his arm back he brought his knee under Vitiate's chin. With a grunt he released Revan. The Jedi's leapt into the air and he brutally kicked the side of the Emperor's armored skull.

Vitiate tumbled to the ground. His lightsaber fell to the ground while Revan landed nimbly, his heart racing. Vitiate was finally vulnerable, and his weapon was lost. This was Revan's chance to end it, he thought, as he raised his lightsaber and moved in for the kill.

"Enough!"

The Emperor bellowed and Revan felt an invisible force strike him in the chest. He flew backwards but recovered quickly enough to block a bolt of Force-lightning with his lightsaber. Vitiate had risen to his feet again and had forgotten his weapon, unleashing a barrage of Dark Side energy.

The area around them was enveloped in a hurricane of lightning. "Die!" Vitiate roared furiously and fired a massive blast that Revan only barely avoided. Leaping onto a rocky outcrop jutting from the ground several feet away from the Ebon Hawk he spotted a large rock hurtling towards him. Revan sliced it in two and tossed it at the Emperor.

It was blown into pieces in front of Vitiate, and as the rubble streaked past the Emperor Revan could see his arm pointed straight at him.

A powerful grip seized Revan and he was lifted off his feet. He struggled but to no avail. His gut lurched and Revan saw the ground rush up to meet him. The Jedi felt the breath knocked out of his lungs before he was thrown into the hull of the Ebon Hawk. The ship was dented by the impact and Revan was again knocked senseless.

"I told you," he heard over the ringing in his ears, "I have already won." Revan looked up to see Vitiate retrieving his weapon once again as he approached while holding Revan in place.


"I won't let it end like this!"

Bastila attempted to force the door open with her bare hands but failed. She was now almost weeping in frustration as Meetra tried to hold her back. "Let me go," she yelled. "How can you just sit here and let him die out there?"

"Because this isn't what he would want," Meetra pleaded. "We'll only get ourselves killed." Carth scoffed nearby. "Like that's ever stopped us before. Bastila's right. We have to do something." Bastila leaned against the door to the cockpit and glared back at Meetra, who looked at the door and back at her with hesitant expression.

"Well if you won't do anything to help, I will."

She again tried to call on the Force and pry the door open. It budged slightly but through the crack the exhausted Jedi saw the wreckage that Revan had placed in her way. Bastila wasn't strong enough to move it all on her own.

Stepping back Bastila reached for her lightsaber. Igniting it she pointed the blue blade straight at the door, ready to slice through it all if she had to. But a flash of green stopped halted her own just before she could reach it. Bastila looked at Meetra angrily but stopped when she saw her friend's changed demeanor.

"Let me," the Exile said bluntly. "Take time to recover your strength. I'm sure you'll need it."


Revan strained against his hold vainly, panic beginning to set in. He was the only thing standing between his crew and certain death. The Emperor's one exposed eye was narrowed, glinting with sadistic glee as he drew closer to Revan.

"There is no escape."

With all the effort he could muster Revan craned his head back to look at the cascading lighting still circling the ship. Just as before with Meetra, Revan considered channeling Vitiate's own attack and using it against him. But he hesitated, knowing that without her help he would only wound himself further.

But what choice did he have? If he didn't stop Vitiate now, no one would.

Revan opened his hand and let the gathered Force energy course into him like a conduit. A searing pain ran through his arm and Revan projected the bolt of lightning into Vitiate's chest. He was dropped back to the ground for a moment as Vitiate reeled from the impact.

Revan knew that it wouldn't be enough to keep him down for long however, and summoned his strength for one last attack.

The exhausted Jedi Knight drew himself into a crouch as Vitiate faced him once again before flying at him head on. His enemy met him in mid-air and their lightsabers were both lost as they collided and crashed to the ground.

Forgetting his weapon Revan struck at Vitiate's head twice before punching him square in the gut. He drew his hand back for another blow but was seized by the neck. The Emperor brought his head down and butted his head. Despite their masks protecting them Revan was dazed, and the two rolled over each other until Vitiate was on top.

Revan was caught in a tangle of Force-lightning as the Emperor bore down on him. "You waste your energy," Vitiate growled. "Better to die sooner than later. Give in!" His words only enraged Revan further and the trapped Jedi grabbed him by the sides of the head. Vitiate's lightning ensnared them both and they both yelled in pain before Revan kicked him off.

Feeling himself growing wearier Revan reached for his lightsaber but groaned when he saw it lying in pieces in the mud. Vitiate rose to his feet unsteadily nearby, for the first time seeming winded. His armor was now mangled beyond recognition and he was caked in mud and rain. He looked almost bestial, far from the regal and imposing ruler he was before.

"Fool," he snarled. "This ends now."

Before he could attack again a metallic groan from the ship caused them both to freeze. After a second Revan's senses flared up and he let himself fall back onto the ground. A piece of the Ebon Hawk broke away and streaked above Revan and Vitiate. It clipped the Sith ruler across the back, and he wavered in place.

Then as Revan watched, a blue lightsaber whirl through the air and sliced through Vitiate's left arm.

He collapsed with a roar and Revan spotted the thrower. Bastila stood in a hole cut through the hull of the Ebon Hawk, with Meetra Surik beside her. "Take it!" she shouted and instinctively Revan seized her lightsaber from out of the air as it flew towards him.

The Emperor's voice grew to a fever pitch and Revan saw the scattered debris and rocks around them levitate once again. In a wordless scream Vitiate unleashed a shockwave that scattered the rain around them and nearly deafened Revan. He saw the ship jolt before rising from the ground, lightning coursing along its surface.

"No!"

Revan watched in horror as the Emperor brought the surrounding Force-storm, which had still not subsided, and let it gather around his body. He looked through the cascade of energy at Bastila, who gazed back fearfully. He slowly began to understand what Vitiate was doing. In perhaps seconds the Sith would send his full power at the Ebon Hawk, and the ship would be totally destroyed.

Everything seemed to slow down around them and Revan continued to stare at his wife. He knew he wouldn't reach her in time to save her. She and the others were trapped. And in perhaps seconds they would be dead.

Revan's eyes fell to the lightsaber in his grasp and then to Vitiate. He took a deep, ragged breath and realized what he had to do. The only thing he could do. In his mind Revan heard Bastila's voice whispering.

Don't…

His eyes burned and a tear rolled down Revan's cheek. It's the only way.

Revan... Bastila's face fell. I love you.

And I love you. With all my heart.

Revan rose to his full height and marched towards Vitiate. The enraged Sith Lord had lost any composure, lashing out at everything around him. The closer Revan grew the more intense the lightning grew. He felt his skin burning beneath his robes and armor, and his legs began to weaken under him.

Vitiate raised his remaining arm and a torrent of Dark Side energies caused the ground around him to begin disintegrating. Revan yelled from the strain of moving forward and spread his arms, throwing off his burning cloak.

With the last of his strength Revan opened himself to the full power of the storm. As the Dark Side threatened to engulf him, he focused on his love for Bastila, Meetra and the rest of his crew.

The Light and Dark Side of the Force met inside him and Revan felt an overwhelming surge of power unlike anything he had ever known before. Propelled forward Revan flew towards Vitiate and seized him by the neck.

And he plunged Bastila's lightsaber into Vitiate's heart.

An unearthly scream echoed across the valley as the Emperor reared back, impaled. Revan looked down into Vitiate's exposed eye as they crumpled to the ground. The black orb was bugging almost out of its socket, the red glow inside fading. It then glowed white hot, and Vitiate's body began to ignite.

Revan allowed the Emperor's corpse to fall, then turned his gaze to Bastila.

Their eyes met just before he was engulfed in a blast of blue fire.


Bastila's eyes screwed shut as a powerful explosion blew her back into the ship. Even through her closed eyelids she could see a bright electric blue and the deafening roar of the caused her to cover her ears.

Across the valley loose rocks were shaken from the canyon wall, with the luminous blast released by the Emperor's death echoing for miles around. The Ebon Hawk was rocked in place but was unharmed.

The sound of the explosion died down finally, and Bastila looked back outside. The area around the ship was blackened and strewn with rubble, with the ground melted and shattered into shards of glass. Above them the rain had stopped, but the clouds remained. But her eyes were quickly drawn to the epicenter of the explosion.

Darth Vitiate was gone. There was no trace left of his armor, his robes or his lightsaber. Even his presence, so strong in the Dark Side, was gone. Bastila took in a sigh of relief.

The Sith Emperor was dead.

But then she saw the crumpled figure lying on the ground and her relief gave way to shock. She gasped and rushed out of the Ebon Hawk. Bastila almost tripped over several times before she reached Revan, her breath growing ragged and her body beginning to tremble. He was lying facedown in the crater marking the site of the Emperor's death.

Bastila knelt next to him and began to fight back tears as she rolled him over. The Jedi Knight's mask was half-melted and still hot to the touch as she gently removed it. "Oh, Revan…" she sobbed.

Revan's face was marked where his heated mask had burned his skin. But his expression was relaxed, peaceful. Bastila could not sense any life left in her husband and tears blurred her vision.

Behind her the other crewmembers of the Ebon Hawk emerged and gathered around them, those who had been injured having somehow regained consciousness. The droids T3-M4, 3C-FD and GO-T0 whirred nearby while the Wookie Zaalbar was carried HK-47 on his back.

Brianna and Visas Marr stood at the head of the Force-sensitive members and Meetra Surik rushed to Bastila's side. "No," she muttered and pulled back Revan's hood. Her face grew red and Meetra looked at Bastila as if pleading for some sign, some reassurance that Revan was still alive.

But Bastila's silence said everything.

Her friend stared at her tearfully before pulling Bastila in for a hug, both starting to weep openly now before cradling Revan's body.

Above them the sky began to grow dark. The clouds were parting, and if any of the crew looked up they would have seen stars glowing faintly in the night sky as if they were candles lit in a vigil for the Prodigal Knight.


Author's Note: If I got a little carried away waxing all poetic at the end there, sorry. Just wanted to get across the drama.

Even when starting this story I knew that to defeat Darth Vitiate, Revan would likely die. The ending of Revan's story in Legends was perhaps one of the most unsatisfying and frustrating storylines in Star Wars to me. His sacrifice should have impact, be meaningful. And what is more meaningful than Revan giving his life to save the lives of the heroes who stood by him through thick and then, not to mention his beloved wife Bastila? Revan is a hero, and if he dies he deserves a hero's death.

Stay tuned for an epilogue for our surviving heroes, and the conclusion to Revan, Bastila and Meetra's stories.