CHAPTER 10
The instant he kissed her, a strange, new sensation flooded throughout both of them. Revan fell into it, reveling in it, drinking it in. Her hands came up in a lightening-fast movement, twining into Anakin's hair and pushing him against her lips with more intensity.
Anakin experienced it differently. It was heady, almost intoxicating, and he had a sudden, strange desire to press himself against her, to feel her warmth…
They fell apart only when they were gasping for breath. Anakin felt weak, as though he had touched a power greater than any he had ever imagined. "Damn, why does the Council ban this?"
"I thought we already agreed on that. They're old coots with 'sabers up their asses."
"Listen, Revan. If we're going to take this...whatever this is to the next level, I need to be completely honest with you."
Revan leaned forward, interested. She had sensed the slight corruption within his soul, the kind that came from doing something Dark, and wanted to know more.
"About six months ago, I returned to my home, Tattooine. I found out my mother had been sold to someone, who had freed her and made her his wife. Sand People came, and they took her. They took her to their camp where they beat her, and, for all I know, raped her. When I found out, I went to look for her. I…I found her. She died in my arms. She died right here, and there was nothing I could do to stop it."
"Ani…" Revan tried, in an attempt to calm him down.
"No. I…I need to do this. I lost control, when she died. I attacked the Sand People."
"Ani, anyone would have done the-"
"Not just their men. Their women, and their children, too. I even slaughtered their livestock!" He laughed bitterly. "But the worst part is that it felt good. It felt…"
"Right?"
"How…how did you know?"
"Former Dark Lord, here."
"Oh. Right."
"Anakin, I understand. See, I don't really believe in all that propaganda the Council spews out at us."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, they always tell us to be detached from our emotions, never to feel anything, right?"
"Yeah…"
"But just now, when you kissed me…I'd be lying if I said it felt bad."
Anakin smirked.
"I just feel like, all this Dark Side stuff, it's because they've never felt anything. I mean, could you ever see Master Yoda in love?"
They both shuddered at the idea of love poetry in Yoda's broken speech.
"I think they fear it because it gives us power. When you were avenging your mother, weren't you strong enough to take on the entire camp? If our emotions can give us that much power, power that we can use for the good of the Republic, don't we have the right, no, the responsibility to use that power? I mean, I wouldn't want to Fall, but if we temper power from emotions with morality, wouldn't that be amazing?"
The more Anakin thought about what she had said, the more it made sense. "Yeah…you're right. Emotions don't have to be evil, but they can give you so much power…"
Sensing a near victory, Revan continued, "If we weren't held back by the Code, I bet we could use the powers of our emotions to find ways to end this war… or to heal the sick, so if you ever came across someone in the same state as your mother…"
"I could heal them." Anakin's eyes lit up. "Well, I've broken the Code before, what's one more time?" He smiled.
Revan grinned back. "So we'll learn to use the power of our emotions together, then,…partner?"
Anakin bowed. "Yes, my dear Revan, we shall."