Knights of the Old Republic 3: The Final Chapters

Chapter 21: Dromund Kaas

Hello everyone, I'm back with chapter 21 as promised. At last, we have reached the point I'm sure everyone was so eager to see. Enjoy and don't forget to review. Can't improve without knowing mistakes.

Days passed. The crew of the Ebon Hawk growing more uneasy by the hour. Soon they would finally arrive at Dromund Kaas, the apparent location of Revan and worse, the true Sith main world.

Meetra called forth one final meeting in the center of the hawk. "Everyone. In ten minutes, we'll be arriving at Dromund Kaas. I'm not going to sugar-coat it, it's going to be dangerous. We'll be heavily outnumbered. The Sith may have numbers, but we have something they do not: loyalty. They betray each other any chance possible. When we land, everyone stay close and do NOT go wondering no matter what. Disobey me and you'll be locked on the ship. Questions?"

Canderous raised his hand. "My people are standing by. When do they move in?"

"The second we're clear, I'll give the signal," Meetra instructed, observing the hesitant looks some of her team gave. "I know this isn't something anyone improves of, myself included, but this has to end here. The Sith have destroyed countless lives, too many to count. This has to end now."

Carth was the first to speak up. "We understand. We won't let another world get destroyed."

"Agreed," Mission said. "Taris was my home until the Sith destroyed it. We'll stop them."

The intercom broke everyone from their conversation, Atton's voice ringing out all over the ship. "We're almost at Dromund Kaas. Pack your blasters, grab your grenades and shoot first, ask questions later."

"Roger that," Carth responded as he entered a code into the table. "Admiral Dodonna, do you copy?"

His old friend appeared via a hologram a few seconds later. "We copy, Admiral Onasi. The Republic has rendezvous with the mandalorian fleet. We await for your signal. Are you certain this team-up is wise?"

Before Carth could respond, Canderous stepped forward to defend her statement against his kind. "I am Mandalore, leader of the Clan Ordo. My warriors are strong-willed and loyal to the end. If you feel scared, that's too bad. Like it or not, we're working together."

Dodonna raised an eyebrow, but nodded in agreement. "Very well. We have another transmission coming in. Putting in though now."

A second hologram appeared where a mandalorian dressed in yellow armor appeared. "Mandalore, we are in position and awaiting battle. It will be good to taste some blood."

"Have some patience, Bralor," Canderous assured, secretly hiding a smirk under his helmet. "You will get your thrill for battle soon enough. Await further instructions from Surik."

With no further instructions to relay, both soldiers ended their transmission, sitting tight until it was time to attack.

More to say on the matter, Meetra continued. "This is the plan: once we land, only a couple of us are going in first to avoid attracting attention. Once we scout the area, the rest of us will gather and attack. Everyone, strap yourselves in. It's time."

The Ebon Hawk entered the atmosphere and slowly descended towards the ground. Dromund Kaas was not exactly a pleasant eye to view. The whole sky was filled with electricity, lighting sparking in every direction. Most of the planet was covered in jungles and swamps. Amongst all that was a city deep in the center, no doubt the Sith's stronghold.

Slowly, the ship landed in an open area big enough for the Hawk to land in while also a good distance away from the city. The second they landed, everyone gathered their things and prepared to make haste.

"Atton, Visas and I will scout ahead for a better view," Meetra announced. "The rest of you STAY here. Keep your comlinks open. We'll be back before long."

There were no protests as the three exited the Ebon Hawk, stepping outside their comfort zone into the Sith world. With a small step on the ground, Meetra felt a wave of negative energy hit her in face, almost causing her to step back in shock.

"This feeling…" Meetra whispered. "I've sensed the dark side before, but this...It's presence is stronger than one I've ever felt before."

"The dark side has a strong influence of this world," Visas added. "We must not allow it's presne to gain leverage over us."

"Agreed," Meetra nodded. "Come, let's get going."

He couldn't remember the last time he felt a glimpse of hope. Then again, being locked away for five years with constant torture and drugs would drive anyone insane. Since his capture, he remained hopeful that one day someone would come. That was a long time ago. No one was coming.

That was until he felt something, a small sense he had not recognized for a long time. It was barely detectable, yet it felt strong. Was his mind playing tricks on him or had help finally arrived?

"Awake now, I see?"

He looked up, a mixture of hatred and regret took over as his captor marched in. Darth Nyriss, the Sith he was forced to see every day since his capture.

"You." he growled with exhaustion.

"Welcome back," Nyriss greeted, a grin raising across her mouth. "Revan. I trust you are ready to talk now?"

Pain left him exhausted, battered, broken and on the verge of passing yet. Despite all this traits, Revan remained strong and faced his captor with confidence. "I...I...I have nothing to say to you, Sith."

Nyriss sighed as she raised one hand. "You never learn. Very well. Time for another lesson."

Without hesitation, Nyriss unleashed a ball of force lightning, engulfing Revan as he collpaosed, great agony palazed him while he cried out with roars of pain. This was a punishment he was forced to endure every day, yet no matter how painful, it never became more tolerable.

After a full minute of torture, Nyriss ceased as Revan collapsed, using his knees and hands just to keep himself up. As smoke emitted from his body, he leaned his head up to face her. "Is that all you got? My grandmother can cause more damage."

"You may keep up your defiance and your jokes, but know that you will break as they all do," Nyriss warned, placing one foot against Revan's back, forcing him to the ground fully. "I sense the hatred within you, the anger. The taint of the dark side flows within you. Tell me Revan, do you really believe you will leave this place unscathed?"

Though grunting with pain and forced to endure her foot, Revan replied without fear. "I do, and the first thing I plan to do is crush your throat with my own hands."

His response was met with Nyriss lifting him from the ground with the force, followed with slamming him to the ceiling. To conclude, she dropped him back to the ground. "Why are you here, Revan? What purpose called you here?"

His bones felt shattered, yet Revan stood one more time, holding one arm over his torso. "It makes no differences whenever I live or die. The galaxy believes I am dead. With my final days, know I will never bow down to you."

Nyriss could not avoid laughing in amusement. "You are indeed strong, Revan. You may have had the potential to be the strongest of us all. Now look at you: pathetic, weak and broken. I intend to break your will."

With one final barrage of force lighting, Nyriss tortured Revan further until he finally passed out from his injuries. Satisfied until he recovered, Nyriss retreated outside his cell, the electric gate closing behind her. She turned to leave elsewhere, but froze upon hearing a familiar voice.

"I assume you have made no progress?"

Nyriss faced her ally with annoyance. "He is indeed strong. Fear not, for I will push him to his limits as much as I can. As much as it pains me to hold back, I cannot afford to risk killing him. Now go about your duties, Scourge."

Scourge watched as she marched away, crossing his arms with a look of annoyance. "What a fool. She will never break him."

Scouting this planet without gaining attention was quite difficult for the team of three. Sticking to the woods, they proceeded slowly, keeping their guard up at every possible second. By now, they had entered a cave. The darkness within forced them to use their lightsabers as torches.

"This place is giving me the creeps," Atton admitted as they continued their journey. "If anything comes out of the dark, I'm done."

"This world is...Difficult," Visas spoke up. "This is no place for Jedi."

"No offensive, but would you stop narrating everything?" Atton requested, growing annoyed with her constant 'words of wisdom'. "I feel like I'm watching some cheap documantary."

Before Visas could respond, Meetra held up her hand, signalling them to stop. The three came to a halt in the middle of cave, acting as the light in the darkness. There was a moment of tension as Meetra remained still, her lightsaber raised.

Atton remained just as careful, his instincts telling him something was wrong. "I have a bad feeling about this."

With swift speed, she raised her weapon and deflected a blaster bolt aimed at her head. From multiple directions, blaster fire shot their way, forcing the three force wilders on the defensive. Through the shadows, each shot fired brightened up the cave for a brief second, revealing their attacks as no other than Sith soldiers.

Standing their guard, they proceeded to deflect the blaster bolts back towards their enemies until finally, the fire ceased. Through the little light they had, they confirmed their victory against the Sith soldiers.

"We were lucky they weren't dark Jedi," Atton admitted. "Better hope we didn't trigger an alarm."

"Impressive work, Jedi."

Startled, the three swiftly spun, lightsabers ignited as a new face joined them in the cave. Emerging from the darkness, they watched as a Sith species approached them, donning a black robe. As he stepped into the light, he removed his hood, revealing a red face with small tentacles hanging from his face.

"Identity yourself," Visas demanded, her lightsaber held firm in hand. "For you are outmatched."

Scourge chuckled as he took one final step to see all three of them. "Be at ease. I know you are here to rescue Revan, Meetra Surik. Tell Atton and Visas to stand down."

Atton raised an eyebrow in confusion as he used his free hand to aim his blaster. "How do you-"

"It's okay," Meetra assured as she gently pushed his weapon down. Facing the new face, she took a few steps forward, standing only a few feet away from him. "I'm impressed you figured all that out. For a Sith."

"As much as I would enjoy bathing in the credit, I did not," Scourge admitted. "Revan told me someone was coming for him. He is my prisoner."

"Then I order you to set him free," Meetra requested, her hand held firm o her lightsaber. "I suggest you choose your answer very carefully."

"As much as I would like to, it is impossible," Scourge admitted. "There is a whole army surrounding the city, not to mention an entire fleet resting on Dromund Ixin. We would be slaughtered in seconds."

His information was valuable, but not good enough for Meetra to trust. "Who exactly are you and why are you telling me all this?"

"I am Lord Scourge," he introduced. "I am Revan's prison guard and high ranking member of the new Sith order. I spoke with Revan, he told me of a vision. In this vision, six of us working together against a common foe: the emperor, Lord Vitiate. He is planning an attack against the Republic and any remaining Jedi, wiping them permanently from the galaxy. Revan seeks to stop him and I intend to help."

Growing some courage, Atton stepped forward into their conversation. "Hang on a minute, you're a Sith. You're planning to overthrow your own emperor?"

"Good point," Meetra agreed. "Care to explain?"

"The emperor is a fool," Scourge admitted without hesitation. "He will lead us into conflict that will lead to our extinction. I intend to prevent that."

As he finished, Visas stepped forward with more questions. "You speak of an alliance with Revan, yet you have him as your captive for many years."

"I was unaware of his purpose out here," Scourge answered, but now he was growing tired of this interrogation. "Listen to me. Have you heard of Nathema? That was the emperor's home world. He gave himself power through rituals, devouring the entire planet. He is insane, twisted and a fool. I took an oath to stop him one day."

His words appeared true, but Meetra still had doubts. "What assurance do I have that all this isn't a trap?"

"You tell me," Scourge countered. "You Jedi sense emotions. What do you feel?"

For a brief moment, Meetra closed her eyes and reached out through the force. To her surprise, she did not detect any deception, but rather a peaceful mind. "You seem...Calm."

"Because what I tell you is the truth," Scourge explained. "Now listen to me, Revan remains safe for now, but I cannot free him on my own. I need your help."

Meetra needed to decide. They had an entire army at their disposes ready to go, yet this was a chance they could get inside quicker with the element of surprise. With a hesitant sigh, she accepted his offer. "Very well, I will help. But if you even think about-"

"Save your threats to the emperor," Scourge interrupted, though he was quite calm about it. "To defeat him, the dark council and others, we will need perfect teamwork."

Atton leaned over to whisper into her ear. "Meetra, I don't know about this. I got a bad feeling and you know we always get into trouble when we do."

"It will be fine, Atton," Meetra reassured. "Scourge. You will accompany us back to our ship where we will discuss our plan."

"As you wish," Scourge agreed, though he did not have much say in the matter. "Lead on, Jedi."

Upon returning to the ship, everyone was not happy when Meetra returned with a new guest, a Sith to make matters worse. As they gathered in the center of the ship, everyone had their eyes locked upon Scourge in fear he would try something.

"Everyone, I know this is unusual, but this may the opening we were looking for," Meetra tried to calm everyone's worries. "It will be fine."

Her words did nothing to calm them. Everyone's hands were on their weapons, preparing to strike with incredible speed. Even a trained Sith would be no match for everyone present.

"I understand your concerns," Scourge assured, one hand moving to his lightsaber. In lighting speed, everyone had their weapons pointed as he lifted the hilt. "If it makes you feel better, here."

Hoping to build trust (or at the very least, calm them) Scourge tossed his lightsaber to Meetra, who caught it with ease.

"Happy now?" Scourge questioned as they lowered their weapons.

"We don't have time for this," Mission told everyone, gathering their attention. "Let's just hear him out. Revan was a dark lord once, and now we're here to save him."

While some had doubts, Mission had brought up a fair point. Remaining on their guard, the group relaxed as Scourge briefed them. A hologram of Dodonna and Bralor joined them from the briefing.

"Revan is being held in the sub level of the citadel," Scourge begun. "It is the center of the city and where the emperor resides. Revan is under the watchful eye of Darth Nyriss, a member of the dark council. She is very dangerous. Even if all of us fought together, Nyriss' army would destroy us in seconds. These are not just soldiers, they are trained strong in the dark side of the force, taught to show no mercy or hesitation. This is where you come into play, Meetra."

Now it was time for finish planing their attack. Meetra stepped forward, all eyes drawn towards her. "We can't defeat the army, but we can lure them. This is my plan: pay attention to the hologram. This is Dromund Kaas and this is Dromund Ixin. According to Scourge's intel, they have an entire fleet at standby at Ixin."

"At least forty cruisers, each holding twenty star fighters," Scourge added for more detail. "More fighters are positioned on the planet as well. They will be there in less than a minute."

Meetra continued as she made gestures to the hologram of the planet. "Then Dodonna and the Republic fleet will attack from the left side. The fleet will arrive and engage them expecting an attack. But what they don't know is the mandalorians are fighting alongside. Once the Sith are focused on fighting the Republic, Bralor and the mandalorians will join the fight from the right. The Sith will be surprised and no doubt they will call for more soldiers from the planet to join the fight from below."

Once she took a break to allow the others to study their plan, Bralor was the first to speak. "Strategic plan, Jedi. No doubt comes from experience."

"Your plan is brilliant, Master Jedi," Dodonna agreed, but required further detail. "However even if all attention is focused on us, the Sith will not be foolish enough to leave the citadel unguarded."

"That's where we come in, Admiral," Carth spoke up. Changing the hologram in the form of the citadel, he continued with the plan. "With lesser forces, the citadel will be weaker, but still strong enough to keep all of us out. Most of us are going to attack from the front of the city. With attack from both the ground and the air, the Sith won't expect a sneak attack as well. That's when Meetra steps in."

To conclude the plan, Meetra finished with the description. "Scourge and I will take a couple of us to sneak in through unguarded areas. We will rescue Revan, defeat Nyriss, the council and then we will take down the emperor. Once we're in the clear, we have to bombardment the fleet and the planet. No Sith can leave her alive."

This seemed like a solid plan, except for one flaw: Scourge.

"And what about him?" Atton inquired unsubtle.

"I understand the true evil of the Sith now," Scourge assured the group. "It is a fate I never want to experience again. Once this is over, I will surrender myself to you, Jedi in hopes of redemption. If Revan can be redeemed, so can I."

His answer was suspicious, but no force wielder present sensed any deception from him. Satisfied, they turned to Meetra for their next move.

"Everyone, this fight is going to be tough and I'm afraid there will be heavy losses," Meetra confessed. "On both sides."

No one would deny their fear, but their will to finish this once and for all broke through their worries.

"If it means ending this once and for all, it is a sacrifice we will make," Dodonna assured.

"We live for the glory of battle," Bralor added. "It will be an honour participate in the battle that destroys the Sith."

"We're with you, Meetra," Carth said speaking for the crew. "To the end. Let's put an end to this."

Meetra nodded, her eyes focused towards her team, her friends who remained loyal to her no matter what. They travelled here under their own will, risking their very lives to protect the galaxy. A former Jedi, a scoundrel, a mechanic, a admiral, a mandalore, a handmaiden, a miraluka, a cathar, a twi'leks, droids, soldiers and a Sith for that matter, fighting together one final time.

Without another words, she gave the order: "Admiral Dodonna. Begin your attack."

"At once, Master Jedi," Dodonna nodded as she turned to her crew. "All Republic cruisers, jump to the coordinates that have been set"

Together as one, the Republic ships made a quick jump into hyperspace from their resting position. Reaching Dromund in a matter of seconds, the fleet stayed in formation as they prepared to defend themselves against the incoming fleet.

"We are in position," Dodonna informed.

A warning signal emitted from a control panel of a crew member's map. "Admiral! We have incoming ships coming from the North West!"

A second officer spoke up. "Five more coming from North East!

In a matter of seconds, the Sith fleet appeared from hyperspace, heading directly towards them. Unwillingly to give the Sith any breathing space, Dodonna gave the order: "All Republic ships, engage!"

The fleets from both sides engaged, huge cannon fire spreading through space like fireworks. The battle had begun in space. To the Republic's surprise, the Sith's cruisers were far more advanced than they had predicated. It was clear from the start they were outmatched.

In only a couple of moments, the Republic had already lost one of their cruisers, watching as it drifted through the battle before exploding, spreading debris in separate directions. Realizing it wouldn't be long until they were overwhelmed.

Dodonna watched the battle unfold before them as she opened the transmission to their hidden allies. "Mandalorian fleet! Begin your attack."

In a matter of seconds, the familiar mandalorian ships emerged from hyperspace, positioning themselves alongside their new allies. Without hesitation, the ships joined in the battle, focusing all fire power on the fleet.

Within the flagship, Bralor stood at the front of the bridge, watching as the glory of battle unfolded, filling his desires with satisfaction. He raised in fist in triumph, releasing a war cry. "For MANDALORE!"

From the planet surface, the crew of the Ebon Hawk stood outside, watching the blaster fire above travelling through multiple directions. Even from this distance amongst the darkness, the battle could be seen clear as day.

"It looks like Dodonna and Bralor have done their part," Carth stated as he turned his attention towards the citadel, watching as the armies below scattered throughout the city. "We got company."

Meetra stepped forward in front of the others, addressing her team one final time. "This is it. This is everything we've fought to get to, every step has been towards this moment. Today we bring an end to the Sith order, restore order to the galaxy."

Her small speech with met with positive feedback.

Canderous was the first to step forward. "What is it you need us to do?"

Meetra inhaled a deep breath, hesitating to tell them their roles in this battle to come. "Atton, Visas, Scourge, T3 and I will sneak in and save Revan. We'll make our way back and fly away, then allow the fleet to finish the job off. As for the rest of you, what I am about to ask is dangerous. I need you all to hold the position outside the citadel and divert all attention for the guards. Your numbers will give the impression that you are the main force attacking. I'm sorry to ask this of you all."

There was a brief silence from the team, driving Meetra's nerves on the edge. Carth was the first to step forward, standing tall towards the former exile. "We followed you every step of the way and we don't intend to abandon you now. We owe you a great debt for everything you done for us and I think it's time for us to repay the favour. Right guys?"

Mission joined him in agreement. "We're with you to the end."

Juhani, Bao-Dur, Canderous and HK-47 were the next to speak up.

"We will not fail you."

"We're with you, general."

"It will be an honour."

"Agreement: yes master."

Meetra had to avoid raising her smile as she and Carth shook hands firmly. "Thank you. You better look after yourselves."

"The same goes for you, too," Carth agreed. "Now get going and bring Revan home."

Without another word, Meetra turned and ran elsewhere, accompanied with Scourge, Atton, Visas and T3. Their small team disappeared out of sight before long, leaving the remaining crew to get ready to fight. Needless to say, none of them were looking forward to fighting, but there was no turning back.

The remaining team stepped forward towards the road that took them towards the citadel. Armies of Sith poured through the streets like ants, their attention focused on the Ebon Hawk team. Dark Jedi mixed with Sith soldiers charged towards them, their weapons at the ready. The time to fight was now. Carth, Canderous, HK and Mission took up positions with their blasters. Bao-Dur, Brianna, Mical and Juhani ignited their lightsabers and stood at the front, preparing to fight the endless waves of enemies coming towards them.

Juhani stepped forward, her lightsaber raised above her head as she stood fearlessly towards their enemies. "For the REPUBLIC!"

That concludes this chapter, ladies and gentlemen. The battle against Dromund Kass has begun, the final battle between good and evil will commence. Stay tuned for the next chapter coming as soon as possible. If you have any questions, ask them in reviews and I'll answer them next chapter.