Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Bliss is a strange thing; humans do not understand it but know when they are feeling it. It comes at times of great happiness, of pleasure or joy. To feel the presence of something or someone important that grants you a feeling of peace whenever they are near. They make you feel whole, like nothing could go wrong and everything is perfect. Is that Bliss?

Is that what so many people strive for, this feeling of bliss? Of being whole, wanted perhaps needed by others. Or is it more personal than that? Was to experience bliss simply something of pleasure? Perhaps no one knows the answer so they can't answer, or perhaps everyone knows the answer but simply cannot find the words to describe it.

Was bliss what she was feeling now? Bastila could only wonder, as she lay asleep in the early hours of dawn. To know Revan was back with her, back in her life where he belonged, this was her idea of bliss. To have the man who she loved, who had saved her from death, from darkness and from herself right here with her, this was bliss.

Bastila shifted in her sleep as the rain, which had continued all through the night, continued to pound against the roof. It had provided something of a lullaby for the couple the night before, and had allowed Bastila to finally have her first untroubled sleep since Revan had left. The rain continued and Bastila snuggled into her pillow content to sleep longer into the day.

As she finished getting comfortable, she felt a familiar set of lips caress her neck. Bastila smiled as the lips continued to kiss down the right side of neck and then up to her back. She cooed slightly as the kisses trailed down her spine until finally leaving her skin at her lower back. She groaned slightly as she felt Revan's warmth leave the bed and she tried to fall back to sleep failing miserably. As she lay, feigning sleep, hoping it would get Revan to lie back down next to her, she heard a distinctive sound from the window and found herself enchanted by it.

It was humming: Revan's humming. Revan had a hypnotising voice, whether he spoke or hummed. Revan continued to do so for a few minutes, his melody blending in with the rainfall, to add to the hypnotic power of his voice. The soft tune of the humming continued to awaken Bastila's senses, and her blue-grey eyes fluttered open and she turned her head on the pillow to see Revan, sitting on the window frame, his left leg dangling over the edge, his right foot propped on the frame and his soft tone continued to enchant the world around them as Bastila watched him with a smile.

Bastila propped her head on her arms as she gazed at Revan, who continued his soft morning habit as the rain continued to fall. Revan's jet-black hair fluttered slightly in the wind as a breeze blew gently through the window and he remained where he was finishing his tune softly. Bastila actually giggled slightly as he opened his eyes with a smile and turned his beautiful cyan eyes to her and they twinkled slightly. "Morning…" she breathed as Revan remained where he was, his eyes never leaving her face.

"Morning…" he returned with a playful tone. She grinned slightly and his head turned away as she got up and slipped a robe on. She came up next to him and brushed her hand through his hair.

"Anyone ever tell you, you could be a singer with that voice of yours?" she said as she ran her fingers through the strands of his hair. Revan closed his eyes for a second with a smile and then met her gaze with his own, mischief sparkling within them.

"Only you princess" he replied. Rolling her eyes in mock annoyance, Bastila shook her head and kissed him, her other hand brushing against his cheek. They broke apart and Bastila was grinning again.

"Saviour…"She giggled again slightly and kissed him on the cheek, before gliding away into the shower room. Revan chuckled slightly and looked back out at the rain.

He had not failed to notice how Bastila seemed to be more herself when it was just him and her together. When they were with others, she was careful not to over show her affection for him, only calling him by her nickname for him: Saviour. While everyone else thought this meant that he saved the Republic, between him and Bastila, it meant something else: the fact he had saved her from the dark side. Revan closed his eyes as the painful memory of battling Bastila on the Star Forge played through his mind.

Shaking his head, the former Dark Lord got to his feet and began to move towards the remainder of his clothes, a form-fitting white long-sleeved shirt and a black waistcoat with leather gloves. His two lightsabers having been returned to him by Kazel lay next to his clothes.

Suddenly something happened, something bad. Revan suddenly clutched his chest and fell to his knees. A hot powerful searing pain had just torn through his body. It was like a flame through wood, burning through his nerves like hell-fire, setting every-single nerve-ending ablaze. Revan struggled to breath the pain was so strong.

Revan coughed and some of his own blood splashed onto the floor. He looked at it in horror and then realised what it was that was causing him such agony. It was a disturbance in the force, but this one had been so strong it was actually causing him near crippling pain, which meant it was close by. Revan convulsed again and more blood hit the floor. Revan was still struggling to breath, he couldn't feel anyone else respond in the way he was.

"Bastila!!" he cried from his position, slumping slightly, still clutching his heart. The door from the shower room literally flew open and Bastila, now fully dressed, emerged from the room. In horror, she shot to his side as he coughed again, but the pain began to slowly die down, definitely slower than he would have liked.

"Revan?" Bastila murmured. Revan was finally able to catch his breath as Bastila sent a soothing pulse of force energy over him. "Revan what is it?" she asked as he slowly sat back on the floor. Revan rubbed his forehead as the pain began to ebb a little quicker with her help.

"I just felt a disturbance in the force." He replied, he winced, as the pain seemed to increase in irritation at his revelation. "Like some terrible darkness as it slowly, strangled the light into nothingness". Bastila frowned troubled.

"I didn't feel anything," She stated, reaching through the force and feeling nothing. "Are you sure?" he nodded, realising being more in tune with the force here, he would naturally be able to feel things she would not.

"I'm more attuned to the force here…that's probably why…" she nodded and supported him as he leaned forward slightly, still in obvious pain.

"What was it?" she inquired.

"I don't know…" Revan answered truthfully and his eyes slowly turned to her. "But whatever it is…it's not good." Revan groaned again and Bastila helped him up and into a chair, as Revan continued to feel some strange darkness in the air.

A man walked through the dark corridors of a sacred temple. He was dressed in completely black armour, with a red cape billowing behind him. He walked through the numerous passages, many guards posted around him as he continued his journey. Presently he reached a large double door and stopped for a brief second, as if debating whether or not to enter. Taking a deep breath, he pushed the doors open and entered a throne room.

The room literally swam with the dark side, occasional ripples of energy fluctuated through the air as he approached the throne at the end of the room. However the figure he sought was not seated on the throne, rather he was standing looking out of the window, his large powerful and scaly hands clasped behind his back, as his vine-like tail whipped through the air. The figure was around 6 feet 8 inches tall and was very powerfully built, even more so than most of the True Sith and he was dressed in a lavish dark red tunic, with golden shoulder pads. He simply stood calmly as his tremendous dark power caused the air to become thick with energy.

The man reached the foot of the stairs leading to the throne and knelt down, one hand on his heart. "Greetings…Grand Sire…" The Sith turned his head slightly, and his glowing red eyes took in the view of the man and he leered before turning back to the window.

"Commander Arkham…how did your battle go?" His voice was very deep and powerful, with a sense of unnatural strength underlining every word. The man gulped slightly as he gave his answer.

"We were driven back your honour, their strength was true great." The Sith listened carefully as the man continued the story. "We had the advantage of numbers but there were unforeseen obstacles" the Grand Sire turned and looked at the man.

"Obstacles?" he inquired calmly. Arkham nodded.

"Yes…the outsiders. They wielded those energy swords that the heathen have and killed over two thirds of my men, including some of the Leviathan troops" The Grand Sire nodded and sat on the throne.

"I see…it is no matter…" The Commander frowned and the Sith smiled. "I always have another plan, another option. Our friends have already made it to the town the outsiders stayed at previously." The Commander nodded.

"My lord…forgive me, but do you believe that two people can truly match them." The Grand Sire frowned. He was rarely questioned and those who did often had good reason.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"The outsiders, Revan has joined them and there are two others who may now pose a threat" The Commander took out a small hologram and began playing the images of the battle in the village just the day before. The Grand Sire saw an image of Kazel blasting a soldier with force lightning and then watched as Kazel began to slaughter half the soldiers who confronted him.

"I see, yes he could become a nuisance." He muttered. "And the other?"

The hologram began to show footage of Falcan cutting his way through numerous warriors before playing back him defeating a leviathan troop. The Grand Sire smiled evilly and nodded.

"I see, the Exile and Falcan." He muttered. "Yes even from here I was able to rip their identities from Revan's mind." He chuckled evilly. "It is no matter, the Exile will be of no hindrance and Falcan of little concern."

"But my lord…this Falcan, he was an assassin" Arkham blurted out. "In less then two minutes, he took down twenty of my men and he stood up to the Leviathan troops like they were nothing." The Grand Sires' smile grew more evil by the second.

"Do not worry Commander, I know of Falcan's past and he is nothing more than a thorn in our side that will soon be taken care of." Arkham frowned. "Now Commander go back to your troops and prepare them for departure, and do not concern yourself with Revan and his friends, they are no longer your problem" Arkham bowed his head and got to his feet as the Grand Sire began to laugh with sadistic pleasure.

Kazel circled round as Falcan kept his pace the same as Kazel's. They circled each other as Brianna, Ishale and a number of trainee's watched with interest. The rain had stopped falling by this point and the sun was shining through the treetops.

Kazel suddenly rushed forward, towards Falcan. Falcan caught the fist aimed at his head, and replied with a backhand that in turn was caught. Spinning, Falcan dropped attempting to kick Kazel's legs out only for the Exile to leap over the attack. Landing, he turned and aimed a spin kick at the former assassin who ducked under it and replied with an axe-kick, which was caught. Using his strength, Kazel hurled Falcan onto the floor. Spinning onto his back, Falcan kicked out Kazel's feet and they two now lay on their backs.

Both kipped up onto their feet and began aiming blows at each from all angles. Kicks, chops, punches, knees and forearms thrown at blinding speed, speed those watching could not follow. Kazel aimed two kicks at Falcan right side, one lower and the other higher. Falcan blocked both blows with one arm, and then leaned back to avoid an outer crescent kick with the same leg. He used both hands to slap down a follow kick, and caught his opponents left arm.

Kazel ducked Falcan's follow up hook punch and caught his other hand only to be kicked in the stomach. He rolled under a powerful spin kick and caught Falcan's other leg as it came round and aimed a straight punch at his face, which was caught. Grunting he jumped up and kicked Falcan in the chest, back-flipping onto his feet and landed both men standing opposite each other. Both men smirked and straightened up finishing the training session.

As they exited the ring, Bastila approached walking towards Falcan. Falcan noticed and inclined his head to her. "Revan needs to see you Falcan" Falcan raised an eyebrow at her words.

"What'd I do?" he asked in mock worry, earning a couple of sniggers from Kazel, Brianna and Ishale.

"It's not what you have done, but what he needs you to do" Falcan immediately got her meaning and nodded, all playfulness gone from his voice when he next spoke.

"Got it." With that Falcan moved past Bastila and headed towards her hut as she joined the others. Bastila turned to Kazel with a troubled look.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Have you felt anything in the force? A disturbance?" she replied. Kazel shook his head.

"No" She turned to Brianna.

"Have you?"

"No, why? What has happened?" She asked. Bastila frowned and looked back at Falcan who was climbing onto the walkway.

"Revan just felt an extreme disturbance in the force. It was powerful enough to force him to cough up some blood and to force him to his knees" Kazel and Brianna looked at each other as Ishale looked at Bastila with worry.

"Is he all right?" she inquired. The former Jedi nodded.

"Yes he's fine but I feel something strange now. Revan felt something and now I think I can feel it too" They all fell into silence as the forest began to chime around them.

Falcan entered Revan and Bastila's hut and saw the former dark lord looking out the window, his arms folded. Falcan's mind flashed back to the time on the bridge before his final mission and he smirked slightly. Revan was fully dressed now, his lightsabers attached to his waist in their trademark X fashion.

"Are you all right?" Revan turned to see Falcan behind him and nodded.

"Yes, but I felt something strange coming from the town outside the forest." Falcan waited patiently as Revan paused. "I think something has happened…"

Let me guess…" Revan turned back to his friend, who was smiling knowingly. "You want me to check it out." Revan smiled, Falcan knew him too well and nodded.

"Yes…take Canderous with you. Go to the town and see if anything is wrong" Falcan nodded and turned to leave. "Falcan" He stopped his back to Revan. "Watch your back." Falcan chuckled slightly and gave that signature response that Raven had come to expect.

"Since when have I ever disappointed you?" And with that Falcan left the hut, leaving Revan to his thoughts as he gazed out over the forest, troubled thoughts running through his mind.

Presently Falcan and Canderous were walking through the forest, ducking under branches and stepping over roots as they headed down the path towards the town. Both alert yet still having a casual conversation.

"If you ask me, Revan's just being a bit paranoid" Mandalore stated as they carefully navigated through the forest. Falcan chuckled.

"What's make you say that?" he called back.

"Well he's just escaped from the reptiles right?" Reptiles referring to the True Sith, "so he's bound to be on edge, maybe he's finally letting the power get to his head" Canderous chuckled as Falcan joined in.

"No if he did that we'd all be dead"

"Apart from the princess," The mandalorian pointed out.

"Yeah apart from the princess" Falcan replied and both began laughing again. However the laughter died down as they came out into a clearing just before the town and immediately both men became business like.

The two looked over the town and automatically something struck them as not right. Canderous clicked his rifle's safety off as Falcan looked over the town with troubled eyes. The roads they could see from where they were standing were empty. Not a soul was walking, or even moving in the town. The only movement was the dust being blown up by the wind, which glided across the area in front of the two.

"Not even a stray dog to greet us…" Falcan muttered, his eyes scanned over the town and his body switched to alert mode, as did his senses.

"The smell of death is ripe in the air…" Canderous replied as his armour's sensors picked up nothing from the village. "Can you smell it?"

"This whole place reeks of it" Falcan answered taking a step forward. "Canderous, the house we stayed in…" The mandalorian nodded.

"I'll go check it out" Canderous suddenly seemed to slowly vanish as his stealth generator activated and presently Falcan could've sworn Canderous was no longer in existence. Turning back round, Falcan entered the town.

The alleyways, marketplaces and generally every road he walked down were desolate. Not a person, no essence of life made itself known, no voices, no footsteps, just the wind howling through the air. Falcan stopped and looked round the buildings, walls, market stands everything.

Images flashed through his mind as he took in the view of all the structures around. No plasma scoring, no rubble and no any other indications of battle. Had the Sith attacked in force, the roads would be littered with bodies and would be flooded with the blood of innocence. No the images that flashed through his mind suggested the more subtle approach, perhaps more the artful way in a twisted manner. The kills in silence, the state of being something that did not exist: either assassins or a mass weapon used.

As he thought his communicator beeped. "Yes Canderous?" he asked as he lifted the device to his mouth.

"I'm in the house you stayed, the woman, Myleena she's dead" Falcan closed his eyes painfully. "But there's a problem"

"What?" he asked, keeping a trained eye on his surroundings.

"There is no indication of what killed her. No bruises, no wounds, nothing. Whoever or whatever did this is a trained killer" Falcan nodded.

"All right Canderous get back to the village and report to Revan, I'll follow as soon as I'm finished here".

"Got it" The communicator beeped and Falcan continued to move through the town silently still with no signs of life.

It was like death itself had decided to pay the town a visit. It was like it had come to take people to their afterlives early. Myleena was one of them, much to Falcan's regret. What could have done this? Falcan would learn soon enough.

Walking down another back alley, Falcan spotted the body of a young man in the courtyard. Keeping in the shadows, he moved up for a closer look and observed his surroundings. Nothing, not a sound, it was like the entire inhabitants of the town had just migrated in mass to a new home…or the afterlife. Emerging from the shadows, Falcan knelt down by the body.

There was no bruising, or any entry wound, blade or blaster-bolt would have left such a wound. The man seemed oddly at peace, almost as though he had seen it coming, his eyes closed as if he were sleeping. Falcan sighed and shook his head regretfully, whoever had killed him was after the outsiders: Bastila, himself, Kazel and Brianna. He looked around at the courtyard and again noted that there was no plasma scoring and looked around at the ground.

That was when he noticed it; something on the man's right cheek that was turned towards the dirt. Frowning Falcan reach forward towards the body's face and turned it so he could see the man's cheek. In a twisted yet artful way, a line had been cut into the man's flesh in the form of a single letter: S.

Falcan's eyes narrowed instantly and he looked round once more as his mind became much more alarmed and his senses reached out trying to find any who might try and take his life. Sensing and seeing nothing, Falcan's eyes closed.

Now he knew what had caused the death of the entire town. The people who had left no sign but a carving in the man's flesh, a crude symbol of their work. Only one group of people could have possibly committed such an act of mass-murder without drawing attention to themselves.

Falcan's eyes opened slowly and when they did, they were gleaming in a similar manner as they had done when he was working for Revan and the Sith. This collection of people had been his allies, his friends and his family until the incident at the temple and the death of his beloved Juno. From his mouth, only two words were uttered, like some distant memory that he had repressed and had now been reawakened, when in truth he could never forget the four individuals who had been his family.

"Shadow Walkers…."

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