Revan held the black jacket in one hand, a pit of fear ricocheting through his body. His gray eyes stayed, transfixed, on the jacket. You need to get over this, the voice said. Revan ignored the voice,barely even registering it. The clothes don't make the man. Well, except my robes. Those did make the man.
Revan shook his head to snap out of his reverie, and slowly pulled the overcoat over his shoulders. The familiar weight seemed to calm his frayed nerves, somehow, but the image of the Fel's tomb still echoed through his mind. Revan felt his arm shake for a moment, and grabbed it with the other to stop the movement. "Is everything all right?" Ana asked as she walked into the armory. "Oh... you're wearing those clothes again."
Revan turned to her and shrugged. "They're the only ones I own that aren't completely destroyed," he replied. He sighed and clipped the saber to his belt. "Everything okay?"
Ana sighed and shook her head. "I don't know. Van hasn't made a single off-color joke since we let Hapes. The stupid queen is still babbling about how the Sith will get her out. And Rhen just keeps staring into space. Sometimes he walks in this direction, looking all sad. But he always turns around and starts mumbling to himself."
"And you?" Revan asked.
"Honestly? I'm fine. With everyone else being all sad, it kind of makes me feel bad. And here you are, moping, too," Ana said, smiling sadly. "Can't just one other person be happy?"
"I am!" Revan half-shouted. Ana raised her eyebrows and Revan grinned sheepishly. "I am. We arrested one of Nihl's allies, got all of the artifacts back. We did good."
Ana laughed. "Did you expect anything else?"
Revan smiled. "Not from you."
"Flattery will get you everywhere," Ana replied with a roguish smile. Revan felt his cheeks redden and he laughed nervously. "Come on. We're almost to Coruscant."
"I... yeah," Revan replied. He walked with Ana to the cockpit, where Van was silently, angrily piloting.
"Hey, Van," Revan said, barely getting a grunt from the pilot. Revan sighed. "I'm, um, sorry about your mom." Another grunt. "Van, you should talk about it. With someone."
Van turned and gazed angrily at his friend. "Shut. Up. We're busy right now," he said. He turned his attention back to the navcomputer and began to punch in the coordinates. The Eagle lurched and turned into a sharp descent towards Coruscant. "We have more important things to attend to.."
"Wow, he really is emotionally constipated," Revan whispered to Ana, who nodded. "That reminds me -"
"So, was that our initial descent?" Rhen asked. He walked in and froze, staring at Revan. "Oh, um... I see there's enough company for..."
"Can we talk?" Revan asked the Twi'lek, who sighed deeply then nodded. Revan led his crewmate out of the cockpit and into the main room of the ship. "What's your problem now? Hm? I've proven myself time and again, so when are you going to stop with this kriff?"
The Twi'lek shook his head and looked at the ground. He made to move away, but stopped as Revan grabbed his shoulder. "You and me – we were best friends, Rhen. I screwed up, yeah, but so have you," the human said. "And I forgave you. You weren't thinking straight, and I know that you're killing yourself inside over this, so I'm not going to keep attacking you. I'd like the same respect, Rhen Vao."
Revan glared at the silent, half-surprised Twi'lek for a while. Finally. "I know, Revan," Rhen sighed. "But there's been so much that happened between us. I don't even know who you are, anymore."
"And you think I do?" Revan growled. The human sighed. "Rhen, I wouldn't want to learn who I am without my brother by my side." He extended his arm to Rhen and the two men stared at each other.
Finally, Rhen pulled his friend in for a hug. "Of course, you dirty nerf herder," Rhen joked. The two friends separated. "Want a drink at the one of five bars we haven't been banned from?"
"That sounds great, man," Revan replied.
"Only if we can come," Ana said, Van walking in next to her.
"We wouldn't have it any other way," Rhen replied. Even Van began to smile at the prospect.
The pilot laughed. "Will the Blue Panty Bandit strike again?"
Rhen growled, but good naturedly. "Hey!" The entire ship began to laugh as a level of joy began to return to all of them. The cloud of darkness on the horizon went unnoticed, even as it approached faster than any of them could comprehend.
SWSWSWSWSW
Soon, Gann, and Horn stood together in the midst of the three artifacts, a heavy cloud over their heads. "They betrayed our trust," Soon restated angrily. "We can't trust them if they don't tell us their plans."
"They didn't have the time," Horn retorted.
"I am of a mind with Master Horn," Moff Gann agreed. "There are only about twelve people who know about this room, what it is. Which means that telling us their plan most likely would have resulted in a failure. There is a leak somewhere within our inner circles; that is the problem we must address."
"Then I suppose we should start with the obvious place," Soon growled. He shook his head at the confused looks of the other members of the Triumvirate. "The boy. He tried to kill Thornish once before, and if he finds out the truth..."
Gann sighed at that. "The team's reports are troubling on that avenue as well. Again, only a few know that the boy is actually Theron Fel. Somehow, Nihl also knows. Yet the crew does not."
Soon scoffed at the insinuation, while Horn groaned. "It is clear," she began, "that our histories regarding the Skywalkers are becoming increasingly important. We cannot let the crew continue on in the darkness. Their ignorance in our failures is an issue, and one that we must fix."
"You are suggesting, both of you, that we tell those... those children, that you two and my predecessor conspired to kill the Fels. That you did kill the Fels?" the Sullustan asked incredulously. "That is insanity! I will not allow such a thing to occur!"
"You have little choice in the matter!" Horn spat, cowing the Chancellor. "The vote has been decided."
"Then at least... at least don't let the boy know. That would be our undoing," Soon begged. He clasped his hands together. "Please."
"I agree," Gann said, knowing he had the most to lose if Theron knew the truth.
"Thank you," Soon sighed. He stood straight. "I will have the messages sent out for tomorrow morning. Good night." The Sullustan turned from the others and began to grin an evil smile. His master's plan – as always – was coming to perfect fruition.
SWSWSWSWSW
The door of the hotel room in the upper crust area of Coruscant flew open, followed by the entangled forms of two humans. The door seemed to fly shut of its own volition, slamming shut much louder than either human had meant. They didn't notice, of course. The two fell onto the bed, their clothes flying off of their bodies accompanied by the sounds of moans.
Revan and Ana had arrived with the others at the bar, intent on having a good time with their friends. There had been jokes, laughter, and an exorbitant amount of drinking. After two or three Tarisian ales, Revan and Ana had both been far from sober, but neither were they completely wasted. They hadn't even really meant for what happened to happen. Ana had decided to take a speeder to the hotel that the Triumvirate had booked for the crew after the preliminary reports of their success, and Revan decided to accompany her. Van and Revan were too busy hitting on nearby Zeltrons to notice the two leaving. Revan had walked the Imperial Knight up to her hotel room before their hormones had taken over.
Their bodies seemed to be like the curve of two perfect circles entwined, a passion that was both hungry and innocent at the same time. The Force flowed freely between the two, crafting an experience that even few Jedi could claim to have understood or seen before in their existences. Body and soul, they were one for that night. The next morning, it was over. A memory that both hoped, in that moment, would lead to something more. A memory that their future selves would look upon with a combination of bitterness and desire for a simpler, better time.
Ana Gann was awakened by a message beamed to her comm. She woke up groggily, her form stopping against Revan's arm. She felt her breath quicken, but turned her attention back to the communicator. Report to the Artifact Vault ASAP. Do not tell Revan. The woman stared at the message, then down at the man she did not want to leave. Duty bade her leave, though, and she had been trained to listen to duty. She carefully extricated her form from the sleeping man's grasp and hurriedly showered. She dressed herself in a new set of clothes from her wardrobe and clipped the two sabers to her belt. Moments later, she was gone. In her place was the future that Nihl had foreseen, a future that the sleeping Revan began to see play out in his dreams as soon as Ana had left.
"NO!" he screamed, waking in a cold sweat. His breath heaved as he noticed Ana was gone. The feeling from his dream – nightmare – still remained lodged in his mind: a red saber held at the throat of Ana Gann. A voice threatening her. His voice. He fought down his heavy, panting breath and rapid heart rate until he could finally blink without seeing the images still seared into his mind. "What was that..?"
His thoughts on that question were interrupted by a beep fro his communicator. Report to Artifact Vault ASAP. All other crew present. You're late. Revan groaned loudly before he threw on his clothes, put deodorant under his arms, and rushed from the hotel room with saber at hip and mask in his pocket.
Theron, don't go. If you're only going to listen to me once, just wait ten minutes, that's all I'm asking, the Voice begged, slowing the Gray Jedi's feet. Revan shook his head and began to ignore the pleading in his mind – being late with the Triumvirate was never a good thing.
SWSWSWSWSW
Lady Kralle watched in her civilian disguise as Theron Fel ran through the lobby of the hotel on Coruscant. Her natural telepathy and pheremonal senses picked up on the boy's nighttime activities and she laughed. The day he fell for that girl was the day he would kill her. Kralle stood up, careful to keep her saber obscured beneath her white lab coat. She sashayed through the room, careful to block out the telepathy that would cause the surrounding crowds to be whipped into a sexual frenzy and draw attention to the being at the center of it. She also had to make sure that Revan did not sense her, especially as they were so close. It was certainly a test of her focus and fortitude to control herself that much.
She jumped into her private speeder outside of the hotel and flew after the public transit that she sensed Theron was using. The bus zipped across the sector of the planetary city, picking up and dropping off countless of the Triumvirate's multi-species civilians. Zeltron, Chiss, Twi'lek, Human; all species, all sexes went about their day, completely unaware of the coming terrible blow to the foundation of their very society. None knew of the imminent rise of the Sith. Soon, though, even the weakest, least Force sensitive beings would be able to feel the massive wave of energy that would cut through all beings and shake their beliefs as much as the galaxy itself. The manipulation on such a scale made Kralle shiver with anticipation.
Eventually, Theron got out at the Senate building and Kralle knew that this was the moment her master had foreseen. She parked near the exit of the Senate building and began to wait for the moment that the future Darth Revan would need her aid.
SWSWSWSWSW
Revan rushed through the Senate building, retracing the semi-familiar steps towards the Artifact Vault. By then, the three artifacts would have been returned to their rightful places, hidden far from where Nihl or his kind could use them. The Dark power of the crystal and Nihilus' mask called to Revan as if familiar friends that fit naturally into the young man's life. He did not know why, but both seemed to sing to him of a destiny that both excited and terrified him in turns.
He turned around the last corner and froze. The door to the Vault, which usually shut as soon as someone entered, was still open. Revan grabbed his saber from his belt but did not ignite the blade – he wanted to remain silent. He crept up to the wall and edged close to the entry.
"- not sure if I understand what you're saying," Van's voice came, higher pitched and more worried than usual. "Revan is Theron Fel?"
Revan felt his heart stop beating for a moment, and he missed the response. Th-Theron Fel..?
"So it's true then?" Ana asked. "You really did kill his family? For no karking reason!"
"No," Gann replied to his daughter hastily. "I would never have killed my closest friends for no reason. I had learned they were conspiring with the Sith – it's how they got that mask."
Horn continued where the Grand Moff had left off. "It was decided that, given prior galactic devastation resulting from Sith interference in the Imperial command structure, removing the threat was the best decision. Jedi and Alliance assassins were sent to the Imperial Palace all those years ago. Their loyalty was unquestioned, their skill unequaled. They were ordered to leave the boy alive – a symbol that the Empire could rally behind."
"You left him without his family!" Rhen growled, the most upset. "I hated him for nothing! You deserved his rage."
"Yes, but the galaxy can not survive it. If we get our just desserts... the galaxy will fare much worse," Gann explained. He growled. "But it would seem that Darth Nihl knows. He keeps hinting at the boy, but Theron doesn't suspect yet. You three are to keep him from figuring it out."
"Why would we do that!?" Van shouted. "He's our friend!"
"Because if you don't," Horn retorted, "everyone you have ever loved or known will die under the heel of the Sith. Women, children, men... no one will be safe if Nihl controls Theron Fel. Skywalkers drawn to the Sith are bad enough, but Theron Fel is the descendant of Darth Revan. Vader's and Revan's blood both in the same shell, a recipe for, perhaps, the greatest wielder of the Force ever born. And this... draining that he exhibits? He could exterminate the galaxy on a whim. Better he remain in the dark so his soul remains with the light."
The room was quiet. Finally, the most surprising person spoke out in favor of this. "I agree," Ana Gann stated. She was scared – terrified – of the possibility of Theron's fall. If he turned, would she? Would he kill her, or his friends, in an effort to garner more power from his hate and rage? She did not want to test him that way. But, in doing so, she instead sealed the fate of the man she could have grown to love.
"You. All. Disgust. Me," Theron Fel snarled as he stepped out from behind the doorway, drawing the surprised attention from all in attendance. Except for Sien Soon, who smiled knowingly. Theron Fel's white saber ignited and flashed through the air to deflect the blaster bolt sent his way by the Grand Moff. His eyes widened upon seeing the Moff and he raised a single hand. An explosive force flew through the room, colliding with all present. His crew and the Triumvirate flew through the air and nearly fell to their deaths, all only saved by each other or their own quick thinking.
Theron Fel advanced towards the center of the Artifact Vault, rage deep in his heart and eyes. "You were going to lie to me!?" he screamed at Ana, Rhen, and Van. He raised his arm again and pulled the three up to him. White electricity flowed from his hands, torrentially assaulting his one-time friends and causing their flesh to smoke.
"ENOUGH!" Gann screamed as he pulled himself up. Theron turned to the man and tossed his former friends aside. They crumpled in heaps on the walkway to the exit, unconscious from the pain. "It's me you want, isn't it? Then do it, but leave her out of it!"
"Don't you dare tell me what to do," Theron snarled. He raised his hand and fired a single bolt of electricity at the Moff, who screamed in pain as his flesh was charred at the contact point. Theron raised his other arm and fired another bolt. Another scream came after that. Bolt, scream, bolt, scream. Eventually, Theron walked over to the shivering, dying form of Grand Moff Thornish Gann. "I'm going to take pleasure in this, Thornish. In executing a traitor to the Empire. My Empire."
"I took no pleasure in doing the same," Gann shot back, earning no response from the young man, except a flash of red in Theron's gray eyes. The white blade shot down and Thornish Gann was no more.
"NOOO!" Grand Master Horn screamed. She leaped up with the Force to attack Theron Fel, but was soon tossed aside with the Force. She slid to her feet and ignited her saber. "Why Theron – No, Darth Revan!?"
Theron glared at the woman, and slipped his mask on. Brainwave pattern... accepted. Full functionality restored, the helmet said as it booted up. Theron's eyes widened in surprise, unsure what this meant. Still, he turned his attention to the Jedi Master present. "I am Theron Fel, heir to the Empire. Do not confuse me for some paltry Sith," the young man said. His saber lit up with Force Lightning and he swung the blade forward, crashing his saber into the Jedi Master's. The woman grinned for a moment, then screamed in pain as the voltage was passed into her body and shut down her nervous system, temporarily. Her unconscious form became yet another heap on the Vault floor. Revan returned hiss attention to the artifacts.
"So, Lord Nihl was correct," a high pitched, greedy voice said. Theron turned to the grinning Sien Soon, whose Force illusion had dropped. In his place stood a hunched, burnt Sith with glowing yellow orbs for eyes. "You will serve at his side."
"Can you open these for me?" Theron asked. He gestured at the Artifacts.
"I would only open those for the master," Soon replied.
"That's what I thought," Theron sighed. His saber flashed again, and the Sullustan's hand was in Theron's grip. Another flash of white and so was Gann's. Soon was screaming in pain and rage, so Theron slashed once again and the Sith was dead. The young man opened the three artifact crates with the biologics sensors built in and collected the drive first.
"Don't do this, Theron..." Ana begged, voice weak, eyes wet with tears. Theron stared at her for a moment, then deactivated his Saber. "Th –"
Theron popped his lightsaber open and tore the white crystal from its housing. "I have to," he replied coldly. He tossed the white crystal to the woman on the ground and replaced it with the crimson one grown from his ancestor's remains. The blade sprang to life, a crackling and bloody scarlet full of the power of the Dark Side. Theron raised his arm towards Nihilus' mask, and a purple strand of energy connected with the ancient artifact, draining the remains of the Sith's energy from the simple, wooden armor. His entire body seemed to glow with Dark Force for a moment. Then Revan began to walk from the room.
Ana struggled to her feet before him, blocking his path. "I can't let you -" her words were interrupted by a backhand to the face that sent her stumbling to her knees.
"You don't have the right to let me do anything," Theron snarled. He deactivated the scarlet lightsaber in his hand and clipped it to his belt. "You don't have the right to anything. As Emperor, I hereby strip you of your title as Imperial Knight and your citizenship in the Empire. You and yours are branded traitors. Do not follow me, or I might not be so kind next time." Theron's foot collided with the woman's face, and she fell to the ground. He stepped over her unconscious body and out of the Senate tower.
SWSWSWSWSW
Kralle felt a shudder. Something terrible had happened, but it was not what Nihl had foreseen. Theron Fel was not Darth Revan, of that Kralle was sure. Still, she could tell that the boy was well on his way. There was the distinct feeling of Force bonds that had been severed, ones with deep emotional meaning. And there was a death in the air. Not the girl, but... someone important, Kralle could tell.
When Theron Fel walked out of the Senate tower, she could tell that the boy was further down the path of Darkness than the light. His entire form seemed to shudder with rage and Dark power. "Theron Fel!" Kralle shouted, drawing the young man's attention. His masked gaze turned towards Kralle and, for the first time in years, the woman felt fear. True fear that burned away the exterior of one's soul and reduced one to three options. Fight, flight... or surrender. From just a single gaze, she could tell that Theron Fel, with the right suggestion, would become the most powerful Sith Lord in history, much greater than Nihl even. A god of Dark Force.
"What do you want, Klou?" he growled as he neared. Kralle choked – Fel was using the Force to strangle the life from her. "I bet you knew that the voice was actually Revan, didn't you?"
"What – voice? Doing job – gaining Horn's trust -" she gasped. Theron let go of her throat, a statement that he would hear more of what she was saying.
"I was sent –" her speech was interrupted by her own coughing. As it came under control, she began anew. "I was sent to spy on the Triumvirate by Darth Nihl, just like Soon. I am here to take you to him."
"I'm going to kill him," Theron stated simply. His hand drifted to the saber at his side.
Kralle laughed. "He is weak, unlike you. His death would only aid the Sith cause, your cause. You would have the Empire and the Sith at your side to right the wrongs that the Jedi and Triumvirate have unleashed on the galaxy. I could help you find Darth Nihl and... perhaps more?"
"I have no interest in you..." Theron stared at the woman, silently asking after her true name.
"Darth Kralle," the Sith growled in reply. She breathed in and closed her eyes to recenter herself. "I merely meant that the Dark Side is a marvelous power. You have been separated from it for so long. You may be strong naturally, but you do not know the secrets I do. Secrets you can use to defeat Darth Nihl!"
Theron glared at the woman, then jumped into the speeder. "We go to my ship. Do you have a datapad?"
The Sith nodded slowly, glad she had been accepted as an ally – even temporarily – by the terrifying individual sitting next to her. She opened the glove box and handed the datapad to Theron. "Good," he said as he took a drive and plugged it into the datapad. The screen lit up in alien figures. "The ship is on Dock 1138. Head South, you can't miss... it..." Suddenly, the man's gaze on the datapad grew more intense and he ignored Kralle.
"Hello?" she asked. "What are you -"
"Go!" he snapped, turning his attention from the datapad. "We will be taking a detour before we kill Nihl. Do not argue with me."
Revan stared at the translation of the alien symbols that the Mask was creating. Brainwave signature recognized. Welcome, Lord Revan. Automatic translation of Rakatan enabled... "It would seem that the Star Forge was destroyed some thousands of years ago by a fool of a race neither slave nor Builder. The absence of our Infinite Empire has caused great strife and weakness throughout the galaxy. Head to -" Symbol not recognized... coordinates recognized as Kashyyyk. Symbol not recognized... coordinates recognized as Tatooine. Symbol not recognized... coordinates recognized as Dantooine. "to reprogram the Star Maps with the codes built into your ship. We have others going to do the same at" Symbol not recognized... coordinates recognized as Manaan. Symbol not recognized... coordinates recognized as Korriban. "to ensure our success. The codes will reprogram the Star Maps to track down any remnants of our great Forge's technologies still left in the galaxy. When you succeed, the Star Maps will transmit all relevant data to your datapad and you will alert us. Our expeditionary force will take the Forge remnants for our imminent invasion of the weak slave-born society.
Grand Admiral Che'nakt
The Rakatans? Theron wondered if they were the monsters he so often saw in his visions. The Rakatans are dangerous, Theron, Revan said. But... they might know how to rid you of Nihilus's ability. It's dangerous, and you need to be rid of it. And this woman. Go back to your friends and get their help – you can't Fall!
I will do as I must, Revan, Theron silently replied before ignoring the voice and pondering what he would find on Kashyyyk. What is a "Star Map?"
