Marik Sor was born on Remis IV. Well, technically he was born on an Oberon-class cargo hauler, the Space Clipper, to a loving mother and a distant father. His mother had been an engineer and his father a communication officer on the bridge crew. While in orbit around Remis IV, his mother and father had stolen away on a shuttle to the surface and started a new life for themselves. They had lived modestly, and young Marik lived like many of the young boys in the coastal town his parents had settled in. He played ball in the streets, swam the ocean outside of town, and for a few years he was in a "gang". Little more than a loose collection of child pranksters, the most serious crime they had ever committed was stealing fish from a local merchant. A crime that had cost Marik's parents and the parents of his fellow thieves a grand-total of fifteen credits.
In primary school, Marik's stunted criminal record had gone into over-drive. The gangs of trouble-makers were now violent thieves, rapists and arsonists. At fourteen Marik committed his first assault. Sixteen, his first rape. Two weeks later, Marik would shoot and kill the girl's older brother outside a cantina. Sentenced to thirty years in prison by a local arbiter in a brown robe, life looked to soon be over for Marik Sor.
And then the Sith came. They came in a wave of fire and destruction. Drop-pods, landers and assault craft filled the night sky. Remis IV had a standing army of two-hundred thousand, and a small airforce of ten star-fighters and one tactical bomber loving called Big Hank. The entirety of the defense force was slaughtered to a man in just less than one hour. With all serious resistant destroyed, the Sith set about raiding and stealing everything of value. Space craft, food-stuffs, weapons, raw minerals, anything that could be of use to the crusading Sith. On the last day, the Sith had assaulted the single prison Remis IV had. The guards had been shot, and the warden had been crucified on the front gate. The prisoners, however, had been shuffled at gun-point into massive shuttles bound for orbit. As the last ship left Remis IV surface, gun batteries and lance-cannons on the Sith warships had blasted the planet into oblivion.
Saved from a life behind bars, Marik and his fellow criminals had jumped at the offer to fight for the Sith as terror-enforcers and strong-arm men. They had trained him, and given him a suit of shining silver armor. The helmet he wore inspired fear in everyone he met, and his blaster-rifle rarely went a single day without being fired. The Sith had even given him a vibro-knife for when he was feeling creative. Marik had participated in the Ebon City massacre and had been in the boarding party that took the Republic's flagship, the Alexandria, in three bloody hours. It was a beautiful career of rape, murder and destruction. He wasn't paid well, but he was allowed to keep whatever he could take from the field. Spare credits, clothing, jewelry and even people. Marik had a nice group of slaves to pleasure him, including Twi'lek twins and the daughter of a Republic admiral. The son of two starship operators had finally found his calling.
His skills at terrorizing had not gone unnoticed, and Marik had been transferred to a border world. They called in Manaan, but to him it was just another smelly fish world. He was a guard, and an enforcer. Marik most enjoyed collecting dues from those who couldn't pay it, usually taking it from daughters or wives as trade. Life was good, until the day the Embassy was breached.
Everything had happened so fast. Marik was on duty in the control room, eyeing one of the younger mechanics as she repaired a broken protocol droid. She was new, a replacement from one of the local unions and she looked delicious. Then the door had exploded, and there was a flash of blue and yellow. Blaster raised, Marik fired wildly into the smoke. A flash of red, and someone screamed. He smiled.
A figure charged through the haze, holding blue light in her hands. She was beautiful, with striking features, soft-brown hair and hazel eyes. She wore a suit of armor similar to a Republic Ranger, and it showed off her ample breasts. Such a waste to have to kill her; she looked like she would be a minx in bed. Marik fired, expecting to drop the bitch with his first shot. Somehow the beauty had dodged, gliding past the lasers with ease. He fired again, and this time she reflected the shots with her glowing blue blade. The woman raised her hand and Marik was hurled into the wall. Something broke in his chest and he tasted blood in his mouth. Just as he stumbled to his feet, pain flared in his stomach. The woman stood over him, a look of disgust on her features. Her blue energy blade was lodged hilt deep in his chest. Marik's eyes glassed over behind his helm and as death took him, a single tear rolled down his cheek.
Bastila wrenched her lightsaber from the Sith trooper's stomach and turned back to the battle proper. Or, the massacre, if she was honest. Misson's skill with explosives was truly impressive. A few well placed impact-charges and an entire blast-door had been reduced to powder and slag. Bastila walked through the smoke back towards her companions. Alex dispatched the last of the Sith, an officer of some sort, with a quick strike to the neck. Young Mission and T3-M4 were already at the computer terminals, searching for any usable information. A groan of pain drew Bastila's attention to a young woman on the floor. She writhed in pain, and Bastila saw the unmistakable hole of a blaster wound in her back. Bastila knelt by the woman and turned her over.
"Please, help me." The woman managed through gritted teeth, "That bastard trooper shot me in the back."
"Alexander, over here!" Bastila yelled at her partner. He was at her side in an instant, and produced a medi-pack from his belt.
"Hold still." Alex told her and injected her with a pain-suppressant. He then rolled her on her back and tore the fabric around her wound away. "Oh, this is nothing. Clean wound, already cauterized. You'll be up and about in no time." He began to dress the wound with antibiotics and synthetic flesh.
"Life as a Sith isn't what you thought it would be, huh?" He asked kindly. The woman grunted in pain before answering.
"I'm not a Sith." She said, "I'm a Union worker from the docks. The Sith only rent this place. The ahhh, easy! The Manaan Government still owns it, and we keep it in repair. I, frecking-hell that hurts, I was asked to come out and repair some argh, some malfunctioning droids."
"Oh, you mean this one?" Mission asked sheepishly. The Twi'lek had blasted the droid in question with her ion-blaster and was now searching through the remains for scraps and parts. The young mechanic sighed angrily.
"I spent two hours on that!" She managed, "Couldn't find a damn thing wrong with it."
"If it makes you feel better, it was in perfect working order." Mission said casually and held up a single part, "Just needed a new power-cell."
"Oh…son of a bitch…" The woman growled under her breath. Alex chuckled lightly and pressed the last bandage to the mechanic's back.
"There, that should keep for a few days." Alex stood, "Still, get it checked by a doctor."
"I…you're letting me go?" The mechanic stood slowly with the help of a computer console nearby.
"You said you weren't a Sith, right?" Bastila asked her. The woman nodded. Bastila glanced at Alexander who shrugged and nodded, "Then I see no reason to end your life. Cliché as it sounds; you were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time."
"I'm…I'm grateful. Thank you." The woman pulled something from her tool-belt, "Here, take this. It's a master key-card for the complex. I'm not going to need it. I'm off this planet just as soon as I can pack."
"Try Coruscant. They always need more mechanics there." Alex said and took the offered card. The woman nodded.
"That sounds like a good idea to me." She said. Suddenly the entire room was bathed in red light and an alarm claxon started to blare.
"Well that didn't take long." Mission joked and stretched her arms. Alex retrieved an expensive looking pistol from the dead Sith officer and offered it and the medi-pack to the mechanic.
"Take these and get out of here." He said firmly but not unkindly, "You don't want to be here when the Sith send reinforcements." The woman hesitated but snatched the item from the Jedi's hands.
"Thanks." She said, "For everything. I won't forget this...?"
"Alexander." He smiled politely.
"Nasha." The mechanic replied, "Thank you again Alexander." With that she hobbled out of the command room and down the hall. Alex gave Bastila an amused look and nodded to where the mechanic had just been.
"That balance out my earlier actions?" He asked jokingly. Bastila sighed and rolled her eyes.
"I'm not talking about this with you." She said and walked to Mission and the computer the Twi'lek was playing with. Mission pulled up pic-feed of an entrance hallway and gulped.
"Uh, guys…the Sith are coming." She said and pointed at the screen. Bastila and Alex glanced at the feed. It showed an entire Sith tactical squad, and two thick armed lumbering assault droids. But it was the figure in black robes that drew the Jedis' attention.
"Another fallen Jedi." Bastila sighed sadly, "How can there be so many?"
"I'll deal with him." Alex put a hand on her shoulder, "You, Mission and little M4 can deal with the rest."
"Gee, thanks." Mission groaned, "We get ten armored troopers and assault droids, and you get to play swords with a single bad-guy. How very noble of you."
"You want to fight that Sith?" Alex asked menacingly, "Cause you can have my lightsaber if you want."
"No! No sir, it's okay." Mission held up her hand and glanced back at the screen, "A few assault droids should be fun. Yeah, fun! No problem."
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Laser fire tore through the hallway, impacting against the walls and blockades without thought. The two assault droids strode forward, each arm ending in high-caliber laser cannons and shoulder mounts boasting rotating Gatling blasters. Their fire chewed up the corner wall Mission stood behind and the Twi'lek held her ion blaster tighter. At the other side of the interchange, Bastila and Alex stood calm and controlled. Each held their lightsaber in one hand, and a flash grenade in the other.
Mission, for her part in the coming battle, held an ion grenade in her hand. At her feet, T3-M4 was similarly armed with his back mounted grenade launcher primed.
"Go!" Alex yelled and hurled his primed grenade down the hall. Bastila, T3-M4 and Misson followed a second later. The two Jedi used their Force powers to carry their grenades over the advancing assault droids and into the Sith troopers beyond. Mission aimed her grenade to come to a halt just in front of the assault droid. For the most part, she succeeded. The grenades went off one after the other in quick succession.
Then the two Jedi were charging down the hallway. Bastila threw one of the assault droids to the side casually and made for the Sith troopers. Alex ran next to her, and winked at her.
I bet I'll be done before you. He said into her mind. Bastila smiled at the challenge.
Fine, loser buys diner. She responded. Alex chuckled and surged past the dazed troopers. As he passed, he casually drew his blaster and shot one of the troopers in the face. Bastila shook her head and set about ending the Sith.
Mission ran up to one of the downed assault droids, the one Bastila hadn't thrown aside and ripped open the back of its head. Circuits and wires greeted her and she sighed angrily. She pulled the laser cutter from her belt and severed the remote-control circuits from the droid. At her feet, T3-M4 was taking carefully aimed shots at the Sith troopers with twin laser blasters. Mission shook her head and concentrated. She had seconds before the droid restarted. Mission pulled out a small datapad and hard-wired it into the droid's central processor. She then uploaded images of her, Bastila, Alexander and T3-M4 into the assault droid's 'friendly' list, and she erased all the others. Satisfied, she unhooked her datapad and resealed the assault droid's head-casing. The red light in the center of the droid's "face" lit up a second later. It stared at Mission for a long, awkward moment.
"Friendly." Its monotone voice called out, and without another word it turned on its heel and scanned the conflict. "Targets acquired. Terminate." The assault droid marched towards the Sith, its blasters spitting incandescent beams of death.
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Bastila ducked under a clumsy vibroblade swing and slashed her attacker across the stomach, severing his spinal cord in the process. The Sith died instantly, and she used the Force to push his remains into the remaining troopers. Over half of the squad was dead, and it had been less than two minutes since she had thrown her grenade. One trooper tried to stand, but Bastila plunged her lightsaber through the top of his skull and into his brain. She pulled it out, spun on her heel and used the second blade of her lightsaber to cut the head from another trooper.
"Die, Jedi!" Someone yelled behind her. She spun and saw a Sith trooper carrying a bulky blaster cannon. The ammo feed of the tank-busting gun spiraled around the Sith and connected to a back-mounted energy pack. Hundreds of laser beams suddenly tore into the Sith. The silver armored trooper danced in sickening, jerky movements as his body was riddled with fire. Several rounds impacted on the energy-pack, and it exploded in a flash of violet energy. Bastila glanced down the hallway and saw the assault droid Mission was suppose to hack advancing on the Sith. Bastila was impressed; the teen worked fast.
The last three Sith troopers were falling back, firing wildly down the hall as they did. Bastila reignited her lightsaber, determined to work off some of the alien emotions of the day.
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The instant his lightsaber collided with the Sith's red blade, Alexander knew the Sith was doomed. He was too young, too inexperience and far too emotionally driven to ever win. The Sith attacked like a berserker, striking and slashing with wild abandon. Alex could see the drive in the Sith's eyes, the bloodlust and hatred. Alex blocked each blow with easy and danced around his opponent, further infuriating the Sith. The kid, Alex couldn't bring himself to acknowledge the Sith as a man, lashed out with the Force, but he was inexperienced. What should have thrown Alexander across the room was little more than a breeze that stepped him back a little. Alex swatted the Sith's lightsaber away and sliced away a good portion of his hand in the process. The Sith screamed in pain and lunged at the Jedi.
Alex held out his lightsaber and let the Sith impale himself to the hilt. The anger in the Sith's eyes faded as death took him. Sighing sadly, Alex let the Sith fall to the floor and reached out with the Force to find his companions. Bastila was a few meters down the hall, engaging the remaining Sith garrison. From the sounds of battle, Alex guessed the reprogrammed assault droid was with her. He decided to collect Mission and T3-M4 and help his partner.
Then he heard something that stopped his heart.
"Terminate"
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"Terminate." The words struck Mission and filled her with ice. She spun quickly and collided with hard metal. She was knocked from her feet and hit the wall with a thud. The assault droid Bastila had tossed away stood on damaged legs and looked down at the Twi'lek.
The droid's forked feet stomped down on the head of a dead Sith, crushing it in a spray of brain and blood. Mission put a hand to her forehead and tried to clear her eyes. She could only see blurry shapes and soft colors. Over the din of the battle, she head stomping and the ground shook slightly. Something loomed over her with one single red eye glowing like Hell itself. The droid raised blaster cannon and aimed it down at the prone teen.
"Terminate." It's cold, emotionless voice echoed in her head and Mission was paralyzed with fear. Yellow light suddenly erupted from the droid's chest. The assault droid's red eye flickered and died and the metal body went limp. Alex emerged from behind the massive droid and kicked the droid off his lightsaber. Mission looked up at him dumbly.
"You really thought I'd let you have all the fun?" He asked and held out his hand to her. Mission laughed and let herself be helped to her feet.
"I was starting to wonder…" She replied. Alex smiled at this. He then tilted Mission's head to one side and touched a sore spot. Blue blood glistened on his fingers.
"Here," Alex pulled out a can of synthetic flesh and handed it to Mission, "That should do you. It's just a graze."
"Do you just go around, handing out medical supplies to every woman you meet?" Mission asked playfully. Alex grinned at her.
"Maybe, what's it to you?" He asked. Mission giggled.
"I think it's adorable." She leaned in closer and whispered, "And I'm not the only one who's noticed."
Alexander, I need support! Bastila suddenly yelled in his mind.
"Come on." Alex said and took off in a run. Mission and T3-M4 followed on his heels. They passed a group of slain Sith troopers and found Bastila kneeling behind a piece of rubble blasted from the ceiling. She looked over at Alexander when he arrived.
"Sith heavy troopers and several fallen Jedi." She said over the roar of laser fire. Alex peaked up from cover and saw a dozen blood red armored troopers at the end of the hall. The reprogrammed assault droid lay in a heap of smoking parts mid way between the Sith and Jedi. He noticed the thick cabling of a power conduit at the end of the hall and a plan formed in his mind.
"Mission, if we get you to a computer terminal, could you overload the conduit at the end of the hall?" He asked. The Twi'lek stole a glance down the hall and ducked back behind cover when dozens of laser beams impacted the wall next to her.
"I'm sure I can." She asked, "With that tech's master key card, absolutely."
"Right, Bastila take Mission and find her a computer." Alex said. Bastila snapped a look at him.
"What?" She demanded, "You'd send me away from the fight?"
"I need you to look after Mission." He hissed, "What if she runs into a Jedi?" Bastila nodded and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.
"We won't be long." She promised and leapt from cover. Alex stood up and lashed out with the Force to halt the laser fire aimed at him and his companions. Bastila and Mission disappeared through another door and he ducked back behind cover. T3-M4 rolled over loyally and beeped at him.
"Hey little guy, still got that flame-thrower?" The droid beeped back and blackened nozzle popped out of its head. A small flame ignited and Alex smiled.
"Good. I have a plan."
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"Are you're sure you'll find a computer in this room?" Bastila asked, standing guard over the crouching Twi'lek. Mission cut the mainwire from the control pad she spliced open and smiled.
"Of course I am." She said, "I studied the Embassy's layout before the Sith attacked." The door swung open a second later.
"Halt!" A hard voice called to them. Bastila turned and saw five humanoid war droids standing with raised blaster rifles.
"Uh…hi." Mission said and waved. Bastila pushed her to one side as the droids opened fire. Bastila deflected the shots with her lightsaber and gripped one of the droids with the Force.
"Error…Error…" The robot called out before Bastila crushed it completely with her power. A second later, Mission was on her feet and fired a charged ion blast at one of the droids. The shot took it in the arm, burning through metal and wiring and sending electrical sparks flying across its steel body. Smoked poured from the droid's eye sockets and it fell to the ground.
Bastila leapt at the remaining droids and easily sliced the head from one with her lightsaber. With her return stroke, her severed the arm of another droid and then buried her lightsaber in its chest. Mission dispatched the last droid with an aim shot to its head. Bastila took a moment to catch her breath and glared over at the teen.
"Studied the layout, huh?" She asked with a slow grin. Mission shrugged as she entered the room.
"Ok, so I'm not as good a student as you." She said then motioned to a computer on the far side of the room, "See, told you! Computer." Bastila nodded absently and motioned for Mission to get started. The Twi'lek ran over eagerly to the machine and began the processing of splicing into it.
A large object at the end of the room drew Bastila's attention. It resembled a satellite, one you might find hovering above any civilized world in the Republic. It smelled of salt and fish and rust had started to form on several sections of its plating. The numbers "0-4" were marked out in black ink on its side.
"Hey Mission, the Republic lost a survey probe right?" Bastla asked, crouching to study the object.
"Yeah?"
"Does this look like a survey probe to you?" She asked. Mission looked up from the terminal and nodded.
"Best probe I've ever seen." Bastla snorted a laugh and noticed a keypad on the probes side. She pressed the largest button there and the pad turned green. A second later, a small disk rolled out of a slit just next to the pad. Bastila took the disk and pocketed it.
"Guess we have what Roland's wants." She said and walked over to Mission. The Twi'lek pulled up a security camera of the hallway Alex was still in. The Sith were advancing slowly, saturating Alex's cover with fire.
"Quick, overload that power conduit!" Bastila said with more force than she meant to. Mission typed in the command.
Stand by. Bastila whispered in Alex's mind.
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Stand by
Alex nodded despite the fact no one could see him. He looked at T3-M4.
"Do it!" The astro-droid activated its advanced shields and rolled out from cover. It raised the flamer-thrower and fired. But instead of targeting the Sith, it bathed the ceiling with burning chemicals. A second later alarms blared and fire-suppressants sprinklers dropped from the ceiling and sprayed the hallway with cool water. Alex leapt from cover and picked up the small droid as if it were a pet. He leapt through a open door and landed in a adjacent hallway.
The power conduit exploded in a brilliant display of electricity and energy. The Sith closest to it were evaporated instantly. Thin, lanky strands of lightning leapt at the Sith, and found ample purchase in their wet armor. The men screamed as the died, their skin cooked in their armor. The Sith Jedi lasted a few moments longer, their Force shields holding off the electricity for a time. But they too soon fell to the power of the overloaded conduit.
Alex let out a long sigh and put the droid back on the ground.
"You okay?" He asked. T3-M4 beeped happily and he petted it, "Good to hear." He looked up and saw Mission and Bastila jogging towards him.
"Are you hurt?" Bastila asked, concern plain on her face.
"I'm fine." He replied and looked over at Mission, "Good job you." Mission beamed with pride at the praise and she held her head a little higher.
"Let's keep going." Bastila said, "Won't be long before more Sith send more."
"The sooner we're out of this place, the better." Mission whispered, "This place gives me the creeps." They made their way carefully through the slain Sith troopers and Jedi. Bastila tried not to gag from the smell of cooked human meat and was grateful when they had put enough rooms between them and the hallway so the smell faded away.
Alex stopped at a unmarked door and motioned for Mission to open it. When the door slid open, Alex stepped inside followed by T3-M4. Bastila however decided to search a second room to save time.
"Found a datapad of some sort." Alex called out to them, "I think…" He trailed off and Bastila reached out with the Force.
Everything okay?
This is it, Bastila. This datapad has the entire Sith operation plans for Manaan and the Selkath youths.
Good, keep it.
The blast doors before Bastila swooshed open and she nearly dropped her lightsaber. Mission gasped and her hand shot to her mouth to keep from screaming. The room smelled of blood and discarded meat. Tools of torture lined the walls, and several steal tables were placed around the room. Blue, green and red blood stained the room like some sort of macabre circus. A pair of bodies lay on the floor, discarded and bleeding.
"Oh, Force no." Bastila breathed and ran to the fallen Selkath. She kneeled by the first one and cradled his head in her lap. His body was burned beyond treatment and blood coated his face. He opened a single eye, the other swollen shut.
"Tell….hurrr…tell Shasa…tell her…Sith…" The Selkath held out something and pressed it into the Jedi's palm. A heartbeat passed and the Selkath died in her arms. Bastila closed his eye and looked at the token in her hand. It was a simple thing, a depiction of some aquatic god cut from cuttlefish bone. It was on a leather string to allow it to be worn as a necklace. Bastila stood and turned to her companions. She shook her head sadly and walked past them without saying anything. Alex looked down at the dead Selkath with barely controlled anger. He turned to Mission and she took an involuntary step backwards.
"Can you find me the training rooms?" He asked, his voice low, "It's time to end this."
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The blast doors slid open effortlessly. Mission smiled and pocketed the master keycard with a nod. Alex and Bastila held their lightsabers at their sides as they entered the room. A dozen Selkath youth practiced their sword word with training blades. A single black armored Sith Jedi stood watch over them, his massive arms crossed and his eyes blazing red. He turned to the Jedi and held up one hand. Bastila saw it was a expensive robot replacement arm, fashioned to resemble a muscled human arm. Instantly the Selkath stopped and turned towards the Jedi.
"Two Jedi?" The lead Sith's voice was harsh and he laughed, "I'm almost insulted. The Republic don't think much of the Sith, do they? Oh well, if they send children to fight me, I will fill graves with misguided youths."
"We are more than a match for you, bastard." Alex growled at the Sith. The man laughed and drew two twin lightsabers from his belt.
"Hold, Master!" One of the Selkath called out, "Let us deal with these intruders." The Sith turned to the youths and smiled.
"Why not?" He bowed mockingly at the Jedi and stepped aside. The Selkath quickly formed an even line and as one, activated their lightsabers.
"You are Shasa, of clan Otkar?" Alex asked the Selkath who spoke out earlier, "Daughter of Shaelas?" A look approaching surprise crossed the Selkath's face.
"You…you know me?" She asked, glancing around nervously
"Your father sent me." Alex said calmly, "I'm here to rescue you."
"Rescue me?" Shasa laughed, or at least did the Selkath version of laughter, "I choose to be with the Sith freely."
"Why would you do that, my child?" Bastila asked.
"The Sith have offered us power." Shasa replied, "With the Sith's help, Manaan will become a power to be feared."
"The Sith are murders!" Alex countered, "They will kill you the instant you are no longer of use."
"You speak as if we are prisoners, but we are not. Our friend Galsa wanted to leave and the Sith returned him to his parents in Atho City."
"Did Galsa wear a necklace carved from fish bone?" Bastila asked. The Selkath youths glanced at each other.
"He…he did." Shasa said, "It was a gift. I gave it to him."
"Then I'm sorry." Bastila pulled the necklace from her belt, "He wasn't returned to his parents. He was tortured and died in agony." Bastila held out the necklace and Shasa took it with trembling hands. She studied the blood covered icon and let it fall to the ground. Her looked over at the Sith.
"Master?" Her voice was laced with sorrow and betrayal.
"I, um…"
"The Sith will kill you all!" Bastila yelled at the Selkath, "They are liars and will use you to do horrible things."
"Don't listen to these lies, my children!" the Sith master roared, "The Republic wish to enslave your people and take the resources of your beautiful planet. The Sith offer you so much power."
"Power?" Alex asked darkly, "You think you're powerful?"
"The Sith are strength incarnate." The Sith thumped his chest plate, "We are power given form."
"Fine, fight me."
"What?" Bastila glanced at him but he gave her his small wink. She nodded slowly.
"You want a duel?" The Sith chuckled.
"Yes. You and me, no others. The strongest will win." Alex grinned, "Unless you're afraid." The humor fell from the Sith's face and he drew his duel lightsabers and activated them.
"I recant my former order." The Sith said, "Students, stand aside. This Jedi is mine!" Alex stepped forward and activated his yellow blade lightsaber.
A moment passed as the two combatants studied each other. Without warning, the Sith leapt at Alexander and slashed his blades it parallel arcs. Alex ducked under the blades and stabbed his lghtsaber at the Sith's exposed chest. The Sith managed to dodge to the side at the last moment and slashed at Alex's back. The Jedi rolled under the saber swing and brought his lightsaber up to deflect a flurry of blows. Alex hammered his fist into the Sith's face and followed through with a knee to his chest. The Sith staggered back and swung blindly at the Jedi. Alex danced back and brought his lightsaber down on the Sith's bionic arm. The silver hand fell to the ground, the lightsaber still in its grip.
The Sith roared in anger and lashed out with his stunted robot arm. Alex stepped to the side but the Sith followed his attack with a swing from his remaining lightsaber. The blade cut just across his chest. The energized blade tore through his armor and scorched his flesh. Alex hissed in pain.
Bastila grimaced and felt the sympathetic pain through the bond. She wanted to go help him, but she knew that would ruin any chance of saving the Selkath youths.
"Die, Jedi!" the Sith yelled and lunged at him. Alex caught the man's arm in his hand and cut it off at the shoulder. The Sith roared but his screams ended as Alex cut the man's head off. A dreadful silence filled the room as the massive frame of the Sith Master fell to the ground. Alex sighed and looked at the shaken Selkath.
"The Sith are powerful, they strong and ruthless." He said carefully, "But true power doesn't come from a blade, or a blaster." He tossed his lightsaber to the floor, "True power comes from knowing when not to strike, from showing mercy."
"The Sith were never planning on letting you join their ranks." Bastila stepped in, striding forward and handing the youths the datapad Alex had retrieved, "You were going to be used to enslave your entire race." The Selkath, Shasa, took the datapad and skimmed through its contents.
"No…not possible." She stammered and handed the pad to the other Selkath, "How could we have been so blind?"
"It's okay." Alex said calmly, "Your parents are worried about you. Drop your blades and return to them."
"And if some of you still want to master the Force, we can have Jedi recruiters come here." Bastila said and quickly added, "The Jedi have no desire in taking Manaan from the Selkath. They will teach you to control your powers and make the Galaxy a better place."
"That's sounds nice." Shasa said, "Come on, let's get out of here. I miss my father."
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As the door to the Republic Embassy ground open, Bastila immediately noticed a change in the air. The constant smell of fish died away and she took a deep breath of clean, filtered air. It was refreshing and she breathed in several more times with a smile on her face. No sooner had the party stepped inside that the door closed behind them, and the ebon skinned man Alexander had spoken with approached.
"Did you manage to get our probes datapad from the Sith Embassy?" He asked desperately. Bastila pulled the compact disk from her belt and handed it to the man.
"Here, this is all there was." Roland inserted the disk into a reader and skimmed the contents.
"Yes, yes, it's all here, and it doesn't appear to be tampered with." He sighed, "I don't think the Sith copied the information."
"Now, about what you owe me?" Alex stepped forward. Roland looked at him and Bastila sensed the man was hesitant.
"I did promise you…" He turned from them, "Come with me."
"Wait here." Alex told Mission. The Twi'lek crossed her arms and stuck out her tongue. Bastila followed her partner and carefully took his hand. Alex smiled at her pleasantly as they followed Roland into his office.
"As you know, we are at war with the Sith Empire, and honestly, we're doing very badly." Roland said once the door to his office closed. He pulled up a list of casualty figures on a wide screen, and Bastila was shocked to see the Republic had lost almost double what the Sith had.
"Manaan is a boarder world, and the sole producer of Kolto." Roland went on to say, "You have to understand, we need as much as we can get. There was no other option."
"What did you do?" Alex eyed the man.
"Look at it from our point of view." He sighed, "The damn Selkath and their neutrality treat the Sith and Republic equally, including in terms of Kolto exports."
"You're stealing kolto, aren't you?" Bastila's eyes narrowed, "You broke the neutrality treaty."
"It's not stealing." Roland argued, "We made a deal with some of the more level-headed Selkath."
"You mean you paid them off." Alex sneered.
"We did what we had to do, for the Republic." Roland pressed a series of keys and a holographic map of a station appeared on the screen, "We recently began construction of an underground facility to harvest kolto at the source. We also hope to be able to create it artificially one day."
"But something happened?"
"Our mining teams were completely projects here." He called up a section of ocean floor almost a kilometer from the station proper, "Grid section Gamma-Eight. They reported uncovering something, an obstruction. The described it as some sort of device, a projector I think. It could possible that map you're looking for."
"The minning team?" Bastila asked, "What happened to them? Where are they?" Roland hesitated before answering.
"We received this transmission approximately twenty nine minutes after uncovering the artifact." Roland pressed a button and static washed from speakers in the screen. After a moment, a woman's voice spoke.
"Mayday, mayday! Republic Embassy, this is Hrakert Station one, do you read me?" A second of static wash, "Oh God, someone please respond! Please, they're coming!" A sound, like pounding metal could be heard in the background. A screech and then the woman screamed.
"NOO! Stay away! Aaaaa" The recording stopped abruptly, but not before Bastila heard the unmistakable sound of flesh tearing.
"We've had no contact since then." Roland said and pulled up a list of names, "We sent several squads of Marines down to investigate, but we lost contact soon after."
"We're going down there, aren't we?" Bastila asked Alexander. He smiled playfully.
"Looks like." He turned back to Roland, "How are we getting to the ocean floor?"
"There's a submarine waiting for you in hanger three." Roland said, "It will take you to the ocean floor."
"Let's get this over with." Bastila sighed. Alex nodded and without another word, the two Jedi left Roland's office. Mission and T3-M4 were waiting just outside.
"What are we doing now?" She asked cheerfully. Alex put a hand on her shoulder.
"Mission, have you ever wanted to see the ocean floor?" He asked with a smile.
"Um, no, not really." She replied awkwardly.
"Well then I have some bad news for you."
000000
The wonders of the ocean captivated Bastila in a way she never imagined. As soon as the Republic submarine dipped under the surface, the whole compartment was bathed in a deep blue light. She stared out a window into the endless ocean with awe. A school of bright orange fish swam by and suddenly, as one changed directions and swam away.
Even more wonders swam in the ocean. Here, a creature of pale red jelly in the shape of a mushroom kicked its way through the clear water. There a black and white striped fish with wide eyes swam directly up the window. Bastila put her hand to the cool glass and for an instant, she felt the creature's simply mind through the Force. A moment later the fish was gone. Sighing, Bastila looked around the cabin. It was small, and it was the color of unpainted metal.
Mission Vao lay curled up on a bench, her hands under her head as she slept. Below her, T3-M4 sat, unmoving. Alexander was at the controls, making sure they didn't run afoul of any hungry leviathans.
The deep, echoing rumble of a large ocean creature sounded in the deep and Bastila saw the enormous shadow of something in the distance. At first she was worried but Alexander took her hand in his. She looked over at her partner, his skin colored deep blue by the water. He smiled at her. Bastila leaned back into his embrace and together, the two Jedi stared out into the endless ocean. Bastila sighed happily and closed her eyes as Alexander's warmth took its toll on her weary body.
00000
Pyres of the dead stained the sky black, and Bastila gagged at the unmistakable stench of burning flesh. People cried out for mercy but only the hard hiss of laser fire answered them. Bastila looked around, she was in the destroyed ruins of some city. Buildings lay broken and molten and the sky was an unhealthy grey. She noticed over a hundred Republic troopers standing around in loose formations. The troopers wore ragged, battle-scarred armor and each had a haunted look in their eyes. Amongst the standing troopers kneeled hundreds of men, women and children in dirty torn clothing. There were no uniforms or battle-plates amongst them; just everyday civilians clothes ravaged by war and hardships. Children cried and parents offered them sweet words. Men called out, demanding freedom and the more desperate women offered themselves in exchange for mercy.
Striding into the camp were figures in black armor, dented and worn from battle. Bastila recognized them immediately. Revan, and Malak. But something was wrong. Their faces were twisted in sneers of disgust and hatred. Revan bore a bloody wound over his right eye, the same wound that would scar up and decorate his face in the years to come.
"How many?" Revan asked a Republic lieutenant. The woman turned to face the Jedi, and motioned to the kneeling figures.
"Four hundred, maybe more." She replied curtly, "I've sent squads into the ruins to flush more out. They won't escape."
"See that they don't" Revan replied darkly and the woman smiled in amusement.
"I'd never dream of it." She said and Revan chuckled.
"Revan!" A voice echoed over the entire camp. Bastila, Revan and Malak each spun around and saw several armored figures emerging from the smoking ruins of the city. Their leader was a woman Bastila knew of well. Jedi Master Aliza Nexeszh wore her full Master robes and carried a gold plated lightsaber in her hand. She was as beautiful as all the stories said she was. Her hair was long and dark, and her face was slightly thinner and longer than a normal Balosar, but it only added to her looks. She studied the two Jedi with a mixture of anger and horror. At her side, two more Jedi, a human and a Keshiri looked on, aghast. Behind the Jedi, a platoon of fresh Republic Marines stood with hands clutching loaded laser blasters. Bastila could immediately sense the tension in the air.
"Master." Revan nodded politely.
"By the Force, what are you doing here?" Aliza demanded, her normal elegant tone swallowed in her anger.
"Punishing the guilty." Revan snapped back, "Restoring order."
"This is not order, Revan!" Aliza countered, "This is murder! Order your warriors to stand down. My Republic Marines will take over from here."
"Stand down?" Revan yelled, and his boots crunched the broken street as he walked over to her, "Are they not the enemy?"
"Not anymore. They are prisoners now, but soon they will be free people and part of the greater Republic." Aliza replied calmly, "Have you forgotten the Jedi's purpose in sending you out here?"
"To conquer." Revan said darkly.
"No." Aliza said and placed an white gloved hand on his shoulder guard, "We are liberators, not destroyers Revan. We bring the light of civilization, not death. We must rule with benevolence if the Mandelorians are ever to recognize the Republic's authority in the Galaxy."
"These people fought against us, murdered millions and destroyed whole worlds. At Hell's Pass the Mandelorians murdered tens of thousands of civilians. The paradise world Balmor is now a lifeless void thanks to the Mandelorians. Mothers will never see their sons again because of these Mandelorians. Now they must pay for those crimes." Revan said and shrugged off her hand, "Obedience to the Republic can only be achieved through fear of punishment, you know that as well as anyone Master. Kill those that resisted and the others will learn that to oppose us is to die."
Aliza sighed and took Revan by the hand to pull him away from the heated stares their conversation was attracting. Bastila followed them like a hawk, her mind racing with dread and fear. This was not Alexander. This could not possibly be the same person she knew held her even as she slept.
"You are wrong, but we should speak of this. In private." Aliza soothed, "This war has hurt you, I can see that now. You have suffered so much to bring us victory, but now it is time for mercy. Return with me to Coruscant. We can mediate, and speak in my chambers, just like old times."
"No!" Revan snarled, and pulled away from her, "You think the Mandelorians will bend the knee meekly to us because we show compassion? Mercy is for the weak and foolish. It will only breed corruption and eventual betrayal. Fear of reprisals will keep these people in check, not benevolence."
"And the hatred in those you leave alive will pass from one generation to another, until this world is engulfed in a war, the cause of which none of those fighting will remember. It will never end, can't you see that?" Aliza argued and put a hand lovingly on his arm, "Hate only breeds hate and the Republic cannot exist on such bloody foundations."
"All empires are forged in blood." Revan snapped back, "To pretend otherwise is naive. The rule of law cannot be maintained by the blind hope that human nature is inherently good. Haven't we seen enough to know ultimately the mass of the Galaxy must be forced into compliance?"
"I cannot believe I am hearing this!" Aliza exclaimed, "This is not what I taught you when you were my Padawan. I taught you mercy, compassion and forgiveness. The Jedi code, Revan! Remember the Jedi code! You were the perfect student, loving and attentive. What has gotten into you?"
"Nothing that has not always been there, Master." Revan replied and strode away from his former teacher. He approached the crying, kneeling prisoners and hauled a young boy up by the front of his shirt. The boy's mother cried out and reached for her son. A trooper knocked her to the ground with the butt of his rifle. Bastila gasped and looked back at Revan. His eyes were cold and merciless. Where before his blue eyes were like warm oceans, now they were pillars of ice.
Revan pulled a rifle out of the blackened hands of a dead trooper and thrust the heavy gun into the boys trembling hands. Revan leaned down and with a grin said, "Go ahead. Kill me."
The terrified boy shook his head, the oversized weapon in his hands trembling as if his limbs were gripped in a seizure. The boy's mother whimpered and tried to crawl to her child, but was stopped by the hard boot of a trooper to the back of her skull.
"No?" Revan asked in amusement, "Why not?" The boy tried to speak, but so awed by the Jedi's terrifying proximity that his words were unintelligible. A new smell filled the air and Bastila noticed the boy had wet his pants. Revan noticed and his smile only grew.
"Are you afraid you will be killed?" the boy nodded and tears stared to pour down his face. Revan nodded and brushed a tear from the boy's face. He stood and turned to the encampment, "No one harms this child. No matter what happens, he is not to be punished." Revan walked back to Aliza with his arms stretched out to either side and presenting his back as a target.
No sooner had he turned from the boy then the gun had been raised and aimed. Bastila screamed in defiance and the world slowed. She could see the boy's face set in anger, tears pouring from his red-rimmed eyes. Aliza was calling out in alarm, but Revan's features were calm and a smiled played on his lips. The boy's mother was on her knees, trying to get to her son. In the second it took the boy to pull the trigger, Revan rounded on him and a red lightsaber flashed in his hand. The laser beam was deflected and impacted harmlessly against a ruined building. Revan took a single step towards the boy and in one clean swing, took the boy's head from his shoulder. Bastila dropped to her knees, tears spilling down her face. The boy's mother screamed in anguish and the hard hiss of blaster shot silenced her forever. Blood fountained slowly like a ruptured water pipe and the boy's headless body swayed for a moment before dropping slowly to his knees and pitching onto his chest.
"You see?" Revan breathed, turning to Aliza with his face illuminated by the hellish glow of his lightsaber. The Balosar stood aghast, her mouth opening and closing in stunned silence.
"You…you just murdered a child." She managed, tears of rage stinging her eyes, "You just murdered a child! What in the Force's name were you trying to prove?"
"That any chance the Mandeloiran's gets they will choose the path of decent. When he thought he would be killed, he dared not shoot. But the moment he believed himself free from consequences, well, he acted." Revan smiled and deactivated his lightsaber. Bastila glared at him with burning hatred, and were this real life and not a memory, she was sure her look would have killed him.
"That was an act of evil, Revan." Aliza whispered and Revan turned away from her before she could continue, but Aliza followed him and took his arm. "Your warriors will lay down arms and withdraw, Revan. That is an order, not a request." She activated her golden lightsaber and glared hard at him.
"And you, Revan Sedire, are under arrest." Bastila could see the sorrow in the Balosar's eyes as she spoke, "You will be taken from here and made to account for your barbarous methods of war. The Jedi will not have you tarnish our name with you mindless revenge. Your way is not the way of the Republic."
Revan closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. He stood motionless for several long moments before opening his eyes. He whispered.
"I think you may be right."
His lightsaber leapt to life and he spun to strike at his former master. Aliza blocked the attack and instantly the camp was filled with shouts and gunfire. Malak advanced on the two Jedi in Aliza's guard, and the Republic troopers gunned down the troopers the Jedi Master had brought with her.
Aliza and Revan struggled against each other, but it was obvious Revan had more upper body strength. He slammed his knee into Aliza's side and she stumbled to the ground, her lightsaber falling from her grip. Revan advanced on her, his lightsaber held out; ready to deliver the killing blow.
"What happened to you?" Aliza whispered. Revan stopped and looked down at her.
"I saw past the lies of the Jedi." He said darkly. Aliza shook her head and tears stained the ground beneath her.
"Please, don't do this. Don't go down this road." She begged, "You were always my best student. You had so much compassion and mercy. You…you were the only padawan I truly connected with. The things we shared in the silent watches of the night. The secrets, hopes and dreams. Things I have never told another soul. Don't turn from all that. Don't turn from us…from me." A look of regret entered Revan's eyes and they glistened. For an instant, Bastila saw the man she knew returning.
"I'm sorry." He whispered, "I really did love you." Revan raised his lightsaber high above his head and Bastila screamed for him to stop. Aliza closed her eyes and smiled as Revan drove his lightsaber into her chest, through her robes and out her back.
"…forgive…your...Self…" Aliza wheezed as blood leaked from her lips. Her head fell to one side and she died. Revan pulled his lightsaber from her body and turned to Malak. His companion had both of Aliza's Jedi guards on their knees, hands behind their heads.
Bastila kneeled by Aliza's body and cried. The hatred, and anger in his eyes; how could she ever care about this man? Memory or not, he was a war-criminal and a monster. Her eyes hardened and she glared death at the phantoms around her.
"So, are you as blind as Master Nexeszh was?" Revan asked as he walked over, "Or will you prove useful?"
"Malak, please!" The Keshiri Jedi suddenly exclaimed. Malak shook his head.
"Answer the question Ma'lira." Malak said darkly, "Are you with us or the Jedi?"
"I will never betray the Jedi!" The human Jedi spat defiantly. Revan nodded to Malak and he sliced the Jedi's head from his shoulders. As her companion dropped dead, Ma'lira gulped back tears.
"Please, Malak. I love you." She said, "Don't do this."
"If you really love me, you'll take my hand." He said, offering her his black armored gauntlet, "Imagine in 'Lira. No more hiding, no more Jedi. We can have that home you always wanted. We can live together, just the two of us."
"…the two of us?" She repeated and her eyes flickered with doubt, "You…and me?"
"The Jedi stole you from your parents, and trained you to fight and kill." Malak said, "They forced you to live a life of loneliness and anguish and for what? What have the Jedi offered you? Death on the battlefield? I'm offering you life. Take it." The Keshiri nodded her head dumbly and took Malak's offered hand. He smiled happily and pulled her into an embrace.
Revan turned to the hard-face female lieutenant and looked at the still kneeling Mandelorians, "Get rid of these…monsters."
"Make ready!" she called out. Around the camp, hundreds of ex-Republic troopers raised blasters and aimed them at crying families and civilians.
"FIRE!"
Bastila opened her eyes.
