Chapter 36: Soul-Shattering confrontation

"This hologram, it must be the Star Maps guardian. But, why does this one have it, and not the others?" asks Jax, and I shrug. Jax had managed to activate the Star Maps' guardian, upon discovering Jolee's hundred-something attempts to access it, all of which failed because of it's programming to let only Revan access the device. Jax had been trying to get what info he could, although he'd wiped a lot of it. I would tell him he is wasting his time, although that would make it too obvious I have information that I shouldn't have.

"I'd have to assume as much. Although as to why, I haven't the slightest clue. All I can tell you for certain is to open the map, we need to pass whatever test this computer wants us to do" I lie, I know far more. I remember when Revan first talked to the computer, he accessed its memory core, and he had it tell us everything it could. How it was meant to be a terraformer on this planet before it feel into disrepair and made the trees grow out of control. How their great empire turned against itself, nearly wiped itself out for a jump at power.

"And what happens if we fail this test?" asks Jax, once again directed at me.

"My best guess, it doesn't let us get access and locks us out, or like most modern military units, it'll give us a few more tries before calling in security, if it even exists down here anymore. But honestly, I haven't the foggiest idea"

Was Jax suspicious of me for some reason now? Was that why he is directing all these questions at me, trying to slip me up for information? But why now, that's what doesn't make sense. I don't think I've done anything to warrant it, except maybe that confrontation with the Mandalorians. But why would the knowledge I was in the Mandalorian wars, oh, it almost guaranteed that I was either a defective Jedi, or a former member of the Republic. Well, shit, that could be an issue.

"Right" says Jax, turning his face away from me and back to the hologram, trying to pry what information he could from the computer. I look around at the rest of us, and I wonder what is taking Bastilia and Katarina so long. Weren't they just getting the blade to the former chieftain, or perhaps there was more to it, who knows. Certainly not me, hell, right now I feel like an outside, or more so than usual. Jax doesn't seem to trust me, even if Bastilia seems to, everything rides on Jax. I might have to speak to him, tell him, shit, I can't tell him the truth, not unless Bastilia thinks it's a good idea. After all, if I betray her, I might as well kill myself.

"You have any idea how this thing works boy" asks a gravelly voice quietly beside me, without a double Jolee asking. Him asking wasn't that odd, after all, he knows I'm here with Revan and suspects, correctly, that I was on Kashyyyk with him during the initial search. I shake my head for the old Jedi.

"Sorry, it was 5 years ago. Sure, I remember helping him tamper with the system, but he did all the major adjustments. My field with tech mostly consists of droids, with dabbles of computer systems and such. As for the questions, I, I don't honestly remember if we had them or not. Like I said, it was 5 years ago and I don't remember the specifics"

Jolee lets out an audible sigh before moving away from me, heading to sit down next to Juhanni on a stump near the computer. Juhanni, what was going on in that Jedi's head? After the incident in the engine room, I'm honestly not sure what to do with her. Do I ignore her, try and understand her? I'm not interested in her in that way, perhaps in time, she will come to ignore me. I hope that's the case, I'd hate for anything else to have to happen between us, because it will end in disappointment.

I feel something poking my left shoulder, wait, there really shouldn't be anything behind me! I'm leaning against the wall in the path to the map. I spin around, my hand on my blade in case it's a Mandalorian trying to be cleaver. Instead Katarina and Bastilia stood there, the ice queen had a look of indifference on her face as she walked past me, making a beeline for Jax. Katarina on the other hand, stayed with me.

"How did the meeting with the Wookie go?" I ask, taking a deep breath and stretching an annoying itch on my neck.

Katarina shrugs as I notice some of her long burning hair was hanging off her shoulders, almost as if it had been put there, because last I recall seeing her hair, it was after she'd recovered the sword and somehow I doubt your hair falls back into that formation.

"Bastilia did most the organising, Freyyr said he would get those loyal to him and meet us outside his old hall, and then we go in and remove him. After that, Jax is helps remove Czerka from the planet, or we hop on the Hawk and head out" she says casually, like the idea of a Wookie rebellion was the average talk, then again, we're on a mission to stop a tyrannical Sith from wiping out the galaxy.

"Well, on the bright side, at least the way to the Hawk will be easier to get to with a force of Wookies clearing the way" I say as I turn to look at Jax, still trying to pry information from a computer whose programming and memory core was modified to ensure it was impossible for any meaningful information to be gotten from. But, it's not like he could possible know that. I take a step towards him, only for Katarina's hand to grip my shoulder and prevent me from moving. I tilt my head to the left, looking out the corner of my eye at her "Yes?"

"You could have died to that creature before, please, just, be more careful. We won't be able to start a new sith order if you die" I nod my head slowly at her point, but really, she makes it sound like I was trying to get myself killed, which would be a stupid idea.

"It wasn't intentional you know" I say slightly annoyed

"You shouldn't have chased the Mandalorians into the forest that far" I hear distaste in her voice, not anger, but disappointment. "I don't know what you had against them, but you need to control yourself. I highly doubt that's the last team of Mandalorians we'll run into, we can't lose you to a murderous rampage. I don't know what happened in the Mandalorian war, but whatever did happen, you need self-preservation"

I take a deep breath, battling inner rage. She had NO idea what I faced in that war, what I had to do in order to survive. Using my dead squad mates as cover, their broken and bloodied corpses keeping me alive from wave after wave of unrelenting Mandalorian blasterfire. Using my dead friends as shields, watching force of Republic troops fall with only the Jedi and their lightsabers protecting us, preventing the front lines from becoming overrun. Gunning down Mandalorian after Mandalorian as they butchered our comrades, our friends, our brothers-in-arms. She didn't understand! No one who wasn't there could understand! Only the ones who could are either fellow survivors, or those buried under the ruin of the war that killed them. And here she was, telling me to control myself like it was something so simple, like I had complete control over it. Like I could control my actions, like it was that simple to stop what was almost instinct for my body.

"It's not that simple" I say tensely, forcing self-discipline and control to not feel anger at her ignorance, it isn't her fault she doesn't understand, and in fact, it is almost good she doesn't understand, it means she hadn't experienced what I have, and I pray she will never have to. "Perhaps another time, I'll tell you the whole bloody sob story, but when we're back on the Hawk. It is safe there, plus, we should probably be either ensuring the perimeter is secure or helping Jax open that map" I say, walking towards Jax, this time Katarina's hand doesn't come to stop me. I walk towards Jax, overhearing Jax swearing very fluently.

"What happened this time?" I hear Bastilia ask with a tone of resentment in her voice, almost of defeat.

"The stupid thing! It says I got to pass some kind of test before it'll open the map, who knows what kind of test this thing is going to give me?" Jax says with no amount of his anger hidden in his voice. It was clear his emotions and opinion on the matter.

"Lets' just do it" I suggest, getting a casual eyebrow raise from Bastilia, while Jax doesn't even look over at me "The last person to use this thing was probably Revan and he managed to get the map data, what says that you can't?"

"I'm not Revan" protests Jax, ironically, although, he doesn't know the truth so I suppose he is speaking the truth he knows "I haven't a clue what Revan did to access this stupid machine, and what'll happen if I fail to access it properly"

"There's only one way to find out, just start the damn thing already and let's get it over and done with" says Katarina's voice, breaking the docile tone that Bastilia was sure to reply with. "Standing around and complaining about things is never going to get them done"

"She has a point" chimes in Canderous "Standing around isn't getting us any closer to opening the map or stopping Malek"

"Fine" says Jax, almost in defeat. I understand he's probably just trying to be careful, but we can't be like this forever. Sometimes you've just got to jump, even if you can't see where you are landing. Besides, he'd done this once before, I have faith he can do it again. He turns to face the device, sucking in a deep breath of air before speaking directly to it "I am ready to take the test"

The hologram turned to face him, one of those damn Rakatan creatures. Those things caused us more than enough issues then they were honestly worth, and somehow I just know we're going to have to deal with them once we locate the Star Forge.

"Your first question. You and your Wookie companion, Zaalbar, have been captured and are being held prisoner. Now, you can accuse him and he will be jailed for 3 years, and you will get none. Or you could take the blame, take 3 years and he goes free. However, he has been offered the same deal, but if you both accuse the other, you both get 1.5 years. However, if you both stay silent, you both will serve 2.5 years. However, if neither of you accuse the other, then you'll both get 1.5 years. What do you do?" asks the voice, its green holographic lifeless eyes unwavering on Jax.

"Zaalbar…" I hear Jax says quietly "How the hell does this machine know about Zaalbar?" he asks, and honestly, I can only theorise that it either is a girl and can smell gossip from a mile away, or it's able to 'read' Jax's mind, although how it does that, don't ask me.

"Who knows, but I think we have more pressing issues than why this machine knows Zaalbar, like the question it asked" says Bastilia "It has asked a question that rely on morals and preference for an answer, and it demanding the correct one. As if it was programmed by someone who only wanted a select few, or people sharing similar ideals, to have the data stored here"

"Or" interjects Juhanni "Revan modified the machine with answers so he could access it" says the Cathar, and honestly, she's close enough to the truth. He did modify it, but he modified the device so it would only respond to him, or if he ever had children, then one of them. Or I assume as much, would his children have simular neural materials to be mistaken for him?

"Whatever happened to the device" says Canderous "Now we need to just get through it"

"Jax" I say, getting his, and Bastilia's, eyes focusing on me "The others are right, even if we get the first one wrong, there are sure to be other questions. No point standing around theorising what the answer is"

Slowly Jax nods his head "I suppose you are right" he turns back to the Rakatan hologram, clearing his throat before answering the machines question.

"I would not turn on Zaalbar, and I would assume Zaalbar would not turn on me. We would both serve 1 and a half years" Jax declares. I just hope that it is the right one.

"Comparing answer….Answer Incorrect" I hear Jax swear under his breath "You have one more chance, if another incorrect answer, defence protocols will be activated" the voice replies, there is no anger in it, seemingly no emotion in this artificial intelligence, almost like it is getting us to go fuck ourselves in the most passive aggressive form ever.

Of course the answer is incorrect, if only I could tell Jax what I know. Revan set these answers, Revan would have turned against them, and the other person would have stayed silent. We all knew Revan was our leader during the war, he was the reason we survived. As in turn, there was very little we wouldn't do for Revan. If any of us had been given that offer, we'd of taken a thousand years. As long as Revan was free to lead us, there was nothing we couldn't do.

"Second question" it says, not even allowing us time to discuss the answers "You are in a war, and have managed to intercept two key enemy transmissions. You learn that they are planning to attack a key site for civilians in 5 days. You also learn that in 7 days, there will be a weakness in the enemies' defences. However, you lack the forces to both defend the civilians and attack your enemy. Do you protect the civilians, or do you attack your enemies?"

I glance over at Jax, the Jedi standing before me is truly is not Revan. He, right now, is about to pick the option to save the civilians. It's what any Jedi would choose, but during the war, Revan was a general. More than your average Jedi, and willingly to make any sacrifice for victory.

"Jax, wait!" I say before he can answer. I feel everyone's eyes on me, Bastilia's especially. Out of everyone here, she's know the most about me and my connection to this place. But she trusts me, so hopefully she'll back me up on this one. She'll need to.

"What is it this time?" he asks irritably, I can't tell if he is irritated that I'm interrupting his answer, or if the pressure he is feeling is to get the correct answer.

"Before you answer, just think about it for a moment. If we are correct in guessing that since Revan was the last one to use this, and he changed it to make it harder for people to follow, wouldn't it make sense that the answers to the questions would reflect how he acted in the war?" I ask, getting a slow nod from Canderous out of the corner of my eyes as Jax's green eyes focus solely on me.

"That…does makes some sense. But even if that is the case, which likely it is given the amount of corrupted data this thing says it has, we can't possibly know what Revan made the answers" he says, a hint of now desperation in his voice, despite he is Revan.

"Actually, that's not really true, we have someone who fought against Revan in the war, don't we?" says Juhanni, pointing her finger at Canderious, who nods his head.

"Indeed we do" he says with a proud broad voice, a smile across his face as if he has fond memories of the war, and if he does, that makes one of us.

"So, you fought against Revan, how would he react if faced with this situation?" asks Katarina, her left hand twirling with the tips of her fiery hair. Was she nervous, or perhaps just fidgety? Who knows, I can't read minds after all.

"Simple, he'd leave the civilians to their fate and focus on the war effort" Canderous said systematically, almost as if he was making the orders himself to leave the civilians to die.

"You're kidding me" says Jax disbelievingly.

"It's true" I chime in "Revan used to mobilise his army, take planet defences from worlds in order to make a certain planet too fortified for the Mandalorians to strike at. Even if it made him unpopular, or controversy in the eyes of the others. If it meant winning the war, Revan was willing to do whatever was required" Much like Canderious, I'd experienced this tactic within the war, from the other side. While Canderous would have seen these worlds pop up, I saw them being organised, the theory crafting that went into which worlds would be hard to assault, the transporting of planetary guns and ships to make these staging worlds.

"They are correct" adds in Bastilia "Even after the Mandalorian wars, Revan employed similar tactics during this war, making certain positions extremely fortified at the cost of other worlds defences. The Republic wasn't given an alternative like hitting a civilian or even a Sith supply run, so we didn't have to meet these positions. It makes sense"

A loud silence consumes us as Jax seems to be processing the information we'd given him. There was no reason for him to doubt the information we were giving him, and I just hope that he thinks we're right. He slowly nods his head, before turning to the computer.

"I would, I would keep my forces and attack the enemy" says Jax finally.

"Ultimate victory requires the death of the people in that city. You wisely ignored sentimentality in your decision" the computer replies. I can see the distaste in Jax's face, obviously this in not how he thinks now. He sees that answer as disgusting, if only he knew…

"Hypothetically: Remove the ongoing war from the previous example. Consider enemy states to be weak and remote. With no external threat, your empire stagnates. Your people become complacent and begin questioning you. Same scenario as before: You discover an impending attack but also followed by a weakness. How do you act?"

I look over at Jax, wondering how he will react. Will he take the knowledge from the previous question, and say to let the attack happen. Would he fight against the attack, becoming a hero of the people, or would he try and say he'd attack first? I keep my silence this time, one hand on my lightsaber just in case something went wrong.

"I….I would let the attack happen" he says, and I hear a growl of disapproval from Bastilia as he does. It wasn't a Jedi's mentality, a Jedi was meant to fail this test and die from its defences.

"Comparing answer. Answer correct. You have matched the data in my memory banks, I can now permit you access to the Star Map" I hear a collective sigh of relief from everyone, including myself. The Star Map started to open, the triangle opening up onto the ground, as the ball, or whatever it actually was, rising into the air as a map of the galaxy forms. Jax quickly pulls out a datapad, I assume to record locations. Much like when I was helping my master Revan, he was the one tracking the planets and locations. As for me, I was in charge of transport and protecting my master in his journey.

I smirk, before feeling it. The force, like a 6th sense, screaming at me that something was wrong. Darkness was approaching, and it wasn't darkness of the Star Map! Whatever it was, it reeked of evil, and it was headed straight for us! My hand grabs my lightsaber, igniting the red blade as I turn towards the entrance, the pathway on which we'd found the map.

"Jason..." asks Katarina with a tone of confusion and shock laced in her voice "What's wrong?"

"Something is coming" I say simply, keeping my eyes glued on the pathway where I can feel the darkness "Something, evil…The Dark side is coming"

I hear the ignition of a double hilted blade beside me, Katarina swung her hilt around in hand until she held it comfortably. That's when they come around the corner. I don't even need to see their physical uniforms to know what they are, Sith. Malek's Sith!

There were quite a few of them, but two of them catch me are the pair leading the Sith. The first one, the leader I assume from his stance and lead was bald headed, much like your typical Sith Master, although why they shave is beyond me. But what catches my eye most is his armour. Instead of the typical silver armour that Masters have been grown into wearing, this one was wearing lighter, and it was black. Almost Echani in design, offering him protection against blaster fire. Swinging in his hands was a double hilted blade. Of course Darth Malek would send him, Dark Bandon, his personal lapdog. But it's the next person that I don't recognise in the slightest. He was wearing the typical black robes of a Dark Jedi, the same that I myself am wearing. His hair is silver almost, his eyes a very clear and distinct blue like Manaan's ocean. He stands a head shorter than Bandon, but who is he?

"Trask?" I hear a voice filled with disbelieve beside me, the voice of Jax "That isn't possible, you died!"

I frown, who was Trask? Is that the person standing next to Bandon? Surely he has to be, but where did they meet? I've been with Jax since Taris, so either I missed something, or they meet before the events of Taris. Sending behind them, I spot Sith solders, along with two Wookies and several other Dark Jedi. Looks like a typical recon team, obviously that's all Bandon thought he'd need in order to kill us.

Bandon lets out a laugh "Oh, so you do recognise him?" It was less of a question, his tone mocking and controlled, as if this was the intended effect. "I had hoped you didn't for now, but hey, I suppose now is as good of a time as any"

Trask, the person standing beside Bandon, takes a step forwards and does a mocking bow to us "Trask Ulgo, member of the Ulgo House of Alderaan, Ensign to the Republic cruiser 'Endar Spire', and most importantly I feel, member of Darth Malek's Sith Empire"

The Endar Spire? If I recall correctly, wasn't that the name of the ship that was destroyed in orbit over Taris? If that is right, then, that means that. Of course! Our sith forces ambushed and boarded the ship because we knew where it was going to be and when, because Trask was an informant at the time! That's how we knew the legendary Jedi Bastilia was on the ship!

"But, you…you died!" Jax says, as if he couldn't believe what his eyes were showing him "I saw you die…"

But Trask shakes his head "No, you saw me run at Darth Bandon, before the door shut behind me. Whoever said anything about me dying?"

I hear Jax's breathing start to jump, becoming heavier as he starts to place the pieces together. The tension is rising high among everyone. They are here to kill us that much is obvious, so why are we having a little chat? Why aren't we killing them?

"You…You traitor" Jax finally says, having seemingly brought himself back to reality "I trusted you, back on the Spire, we were friends!"

"Friends?" I hear Trask say, the word exiting his mouth with a look of disgust on his face "You thought we were friends? I simply had to play the part of the Republic Ensign taking care of the stupid recruit. If I'd of known you were force sensitive at the time, I'd of killed you back on the Endar Spire!"

"And who are you to call him a traitor?" I hear Darth Bandon speak up looking specifically at Jax as he does "I mean, after all, do you even know…"

"Shut your dirty mouth!" I interrupt. I know full well he's talking about Jax being Revan, but like hell Bandon will be the one to drop it on my master, better they all think they are refereeing to me than Jax gets this dropped on him now "Malek is the traitor, he betrayed Revan for his own selfish ambitions, not to continue to lead the Sith!"

"And he finally speaks" says Bandon "You know Jason, there was a time where I had wondered if you'd died on Taris. What a surprise it was to hear not only had to survived, but you'd awakened as a Sith. Makes me wonder how long it was when it was discovered huh?"

I frown at him, was he, yeah, he was. He is trying to make us doubt each other. If he could convince them that I'm a traitor, or even that I'm untrustworthy, then this fight will go in favour of them. Smart, but it won't work.

"You know as well as I do" I reply to Bandon "But that isn't relevant right now, what's important are the facts. You came here to try and kill us, but when this battle is over, you will be dead"

"Feisty words" says Trask Ulgo "And I wonder about the other member of the Sith, Katarina" He looks at the red-headed Sith standing next to me with her blades ignited "Imagine our wonder when we asked you to sort out some files, next thing you know the whole system had crashed and data had been stolen. You really shouldn't take things that don't belong to you…"

"Like you did?" her voice sounds, dark. The dark side aura around her seems to grow slightly, I can feel it pulsating around her faster and faster as if it was her heartbeat "You had no right to take me, lie to me, and destroy my home world. Not only that, but deceive me into believing the Republic was responsible!"

I hear Bandon start laughing, but I'm captivated but what she said. The Sith destroyed her home world, kidnapped her from the ruins and tricked her into believing it was the Republic who had attacked. But what planet was she talking about? There aren't that many planets that have been completely raised to make the timing correct, she was about my age unless I'm mistaken, and she'd have to have been trained, passed training and such. That pushes it back pretty much to the start of the war.

I feel a cold sensation stream itself across my body as I am hit with a realisation. There is a single planet that fits the bill, but to think, Katarina's life was twisted by this Sith bombing, and I was simply watching.

"Telos…" I say, getting an evil glare from Katarina as I look over at her "You were on Telos during the first attack, but that was, what, five years ago?"

"Yeah" I hear her voice dropping to a growl "After the bombing, the Sith took me to their ship, told me the Republic had hit the city and they'd pushed them off. Told me I could avenge my world, if I joined their Academy"

"And that's not all is it?" Darth Bandon had a malicious smile plastered across his face, that knowing smile. I suck in a breath as the cold realization and horror finally sets in. He knows! He knows about me, he knows that during the bombing of Telos, I was standing beside Darth Malek, unable to protest on the risk of death, watching the planet be hit by round after round of cannon fire raking the surface and its offline defences.

"Shut it" I hear Katarina growl as the darkness around her growls and pulsates like water flooding a chamber "I won't listen to you Sith talking! Listening to you people got me this way!"

Bandon flips his double-hilted blade on, spinning it lazily in his hands "Fine, but, after this, if you survive, make sure to ask Jason where he was when Telos burned"

"ENOUGH!" I hear Jax yell. I turn to look at him, his blue blade glowing in his hand with Bastilia and Juhanni standing beside him, their yellow and green blades activated correspondently "I don't know what kinds of tricks you are pulling to make us fight each other, to plant the seeds of doubts in our minds. But I'm going to tell you the simple fact that you are wasting your time"

"Fine by me" says Trask Ulgo, spinning a single red blade in his hand "This'll end with your deaths!" and with that declaration, the Sith charged. I raise my blade, my eyes locked on to a single person. Darth Bandon! I will be spilling that bastards blood today!