Part III

The Unfolding of the Dark

Chapter 36

Easier Said Than Done

Revan awkwardly watched as Trek continued laughing at his remark for another twenty seconds. He was now a little more flustered, but he let the commander enjoy himself. As Trek was explaining his own story as well as the dealings of the enemy, this flicker of a thought had been creeping up in Revan's mind, and it seemed to make more and more sense, even though it was crazy. Revan had already found himself making the case before he could actually get his thoughts together.

"Congratulations," said Trek, after dying his laughter down. "You're more messed up than I am."

"Look, I know the Force…" said Revan. "And I know what your rebellion can and cannot accomplish. You don't have the military might to take the Sith head on. But, have you ever flirted with the idea of creating disturbances in the Force?" Revan didn't pause long enough for Trek to respond.

"The True Sith are one with the dark side. The dark side is not a power to be shared but Sith have mastered it well enough for it to flow easily through them. It is just as much a part of them as their own blood. But how do you think Rixxon Zazz or his apprentice or certain other individuals are more powerful than the rest? It's not because they were just born that way; it's because their bodies and souls are more than just a conduit for the dark side. They are a home. The energy and the power the True Sith feel do not only come from themselves or from what auras of energy are sputtered from the chaos of lesser humanity; they come from the Grand Sire and they come from that high council. The Force is an energy field created by all of us, all living things, but what makes certain individuals more powerful than others isn't dependent on those people necessarily being born that way. It is what they do to earn the power of the dark side, and what they do with the power."

"Which makes Zazz all the more difficult an opponent to destroy," said Trek. "FYI, I know the Force too. Look Revan I appreciate your idealism and your simplistic view of how to kill the Sith but it'd be easier to just wipe out everyone else…"

"You're not listening," interrupted Revan with a cold force in his voice. "Maybe you never pondered killing Zazz because it seemed more satisfying to kill everyone else instead and make him the king of nothing, or because you just don't think it's possible; but I can prove to you that it is."

"Now I'm really interested," said Trek with a sarcastic tone, but Revan didn't care.

"First of all, if history has taught us anything it's that you can kill anyone. I don't know about your history but my history is filled with it. Hundreds…thousands of dead politicians, dead Jedi Masters, dead Sith Lords, dead chancellors, dead council members, dead religious figures, countless assassinations. Some of them had armies around them. Others were tough enough to take on armies by themselves. And some had both going for them. I've had my own share of killing people like these, my dark Jedi predecessors and successors have killed them too. Ask my assassin droid; he's had more than a fair share of killing people like these. I may not be able to comprehend the depth of the Grand Sire's power having never met him, but he's one guy. Even if he can shove his fist through a man's chest at quarter strength or trembles the ground every time he takes a step, he can still be killed. Nothing, nothing is impossible with the Force."

Trek's expression had changed slightly from hearing Revan's point. Though he was far from convinced, he could not help but to be impressed. He was happy no one else in the room was able to see Revan like this, because Revan was demonstrating more leadership capabilities than he was. "Still way easier said than done," said Trek. "You cut off his escape routes; he has the ability to warp himself to another planet."

"But does one as powerful as the Grand Sire ever run from a straight fight?" Trek chuckled a bit and then shook his head. "I may not be a Sith, but I've got a fair amount of experience thinking like one. Warping himself out of there probably takes a lot out of him, right?"

"I don't know, I've never seen him do it," said Trek. "Revan this is crazy. You are talking about dueling the Grand Sire of the Sith!"

"Then here's what you do," said Revan, ignoring Trek's attempt to portray his idea as ridiculous. "No way does someone that powerful just sit on Voss twiddling his thumbs for all those years. Don't draw him out, but wait for him to leave with whatever envoy he brings with him. We do things your way; clean the house of everyone else and pit him alone. If he stays and fights, we'll kill him. If he tries to warp out of there, we do everything we can to stop him."

"And if we can't?" said Trek. "Then we're back to square one; all we've done is to have killed that many more of his minions. Then there's also our body count to consider…"

"That's your problem as a leader, Trek," Revan commented. His tone was as if he had always wanted to say that. "Your missions all go according to plan and they're just too damn easy. It looks noble and heroic but it accomplishes nothing. No plan is perfect but if my plan succeeds it will amount to more than you probably ever have done."

Trek looked a bit offended. "You've been in my operations for just under a week and you're already judging me!" said Trek in a very defensive tone. "What the hell do you know? Sith claim to have no fear, but I have disproved that theory. Until you came along, I was the only human Force sensitive they ever cared about and I've killed more Sith than you and the rest of my men combined. It's been less than a decade since I broke from them and I already have an exceptional fleet pitted against them."

"All excellent qualities of a captain," dismissed Revan. "Not of a general."

"Careful Revan," said Trek. "You understand the enemy now just as we do but you won't be able to do any of this without my help. This is still my rebellion and even if we go along with your plan you are going to need us. Let's say all this goes according to your plan, what do you think is going to happen? You think the disturbance in the Force is going to be so great that Sith are just going to start melting?"

"That's the other problem," said Revan. "You can't see the big picture. You're not far-sighted enough. You handle things well at a small and local level, killing one group after another, never enough to really make that big of a difference; again…good qualities of a captain. If Sith are afraid of you, it's because you're making reproduction that much harder but not because you pose any significant threat to their establishment. It's not just about killing the Grand Sire or to die trying. It's about creating a hurricane of pain and agony for the Sith that will make them helpless to our mercy…or lack thereof.

"One way or another, between the best of us, we will take the Grand Sire down. But that's not all we're going to do. The disturbance in the Force created from the death of their lord will be so traumatic, such a strong flash-bang grenade to the face, if the Sith don't start melting, they will still be vulnerable on every single front! We will have days, maybe even weeks of freedom to completely destroy the entire Sith Empire starting with the most critical points of infrastructure and working our way down. We'll be able to drop a nuke down on Voss and all they'll be able to do is duck and cover. In the grand sphere of things, prosperity trickles down; so does failure. If the apex of their power fails, so will the rest of them. Humanity will rise to take their place in power, and there will be an everlasting peace. You'll be able to hunt them down and slaughter them to your heart's content. You can go to town and burn it to the ground…and my work will be done."

Trek knew very little about Revan other than the information he had from the True Sith's file on him. For instance, he had no knowledge of who Bastila Shan was, or of Revan's intimate connection with anyone. But Revan stopped talking, not just because he felt he made his point, but because his thoughts shifted back to Bastila. It had been so long since he had last thought or dreamt of her. So much had been happening so fast, so many different sides and emotions had reached the surface from entering the Unknown Regions to heisting and sneaking around rich men's compound, and then to where he was now. He had been so busy being a detective to intel about the Sith, even to making ridiculous choices like bringing Cassandra on board without knowing what she had to offer, something Bastila would have vehemently disapproved of.

Then when all the information came his way like a brick to his head, he was busy trying to process all of it. First there was trying to figure out how to get Lena back from Sith captivity. Now that she was completely off the grid and on her own, he was on his own too, and left to process all the information Trek had just thrown his way. The True Sith were far more deceptive than Malak's generic dark Jedi could ever hope to be, just as Lena had suspected. Not only had they complete control of the Unknown Regions, but they had the means and the intention of doing the same to the rest of the galaxy. Not only that, but once in full control, they were going to turn every big city planet into another Nar Shaddaa, rendering nearly all of humanity helpless and fending for themselves like cavemen, a chaotic galaxy for which the goal would be to strengthen the dark side of the Force within every True Sith as if it was their daily bread.

During another shining half-conscious moment of the charisma kicking in, Revan suddenly remembered why he had put himself through so much hell. It wasn't just to preserve the Republic and preserve democracy. It was to preserve the lives of those he cared the most about, the main of which being Bastila. He didn't so much wonder what she was up to or whether or not she would be okay; merely the thought of her that so deeply affirmed everything he had just said to Trek about taking the True Sith out of play forever. The self-conscious unsure part of Revan was temporarily hidden deep beneath the surface.

There was a slight lurch in Revan's stomach at the thought of the possibility of taking charge of the Kraxis Rebellion again, but hopefully he would not have to. Trek seemed competent and though he was stubborn, he needed guidance. The man was a walking weapon of mass destruction against the True Sith but all of his strategies and tactics to fighting them were wrong – pitifully justified by his history with them and his desire to make them afraid of him. Trek believed that he was using the enemy's very weaknesses against them, but he really wasn't. No Sith would ever want to be in the same room with him, but the man was not making any long lasting effect. All he had done was successfully recruited a military of his own, by proving that this kind of thing could be done. Of course this was needed, and the strength of the Kraxis Rebellion was quite impressive, even to Revan and given their situation. All they needed now was proper guidance, an arrow in the right direction to truly make them a force to be reckoned with.

But Revan's thoughts were interrupted by Trek, who was impressed, but not enough to convince him that this was the right course of action. "Right of course; the galaxy will be free and we'll all live happily ever after," mused Trek. "Is that what you're implying?"

"No," said Revan with more confidence. "There is never a happy ending to war – only triumph of the righteous. I didn't just come here to present ideas. I have the ability to help you and help get the job done; but if there is one thing that I know for sure it is that neither of us will defeat the Sith without each other's help. I'm on your side and you can trust me when I tell you that I know what I'm doing."

Back on the Ebon Hawk…

"Revan still in Trek's office?" Dustil asked as he came into the cargo hold where Yuthura was meditating with her shoto. "Oh sorry…I'll leave you alone." Yuthura made no response, and Dustil left.

Dustil moved about the ship. He felt like he was just making pacing rounds, not even sure of what he was thinking about. His role as a crewmember seemed more vital than ever now that Lena was no longer here. But he hadn't forgotten about what she had said to him. He had to prove his worth to Revan, and even though Revan had shown charity in bringing him along, Dustil felt like he had almost been taking this for granted. He was the primary pilot, and his skills as one were exceptional, even better than Carth. But Dustil wanted more.

Revan had made it clear that another reason he was bringing both Yuthura and Dustil along was because they were both former Sith just like Lena and him. It was imperative for his party members to have at least a general understanding of both sides of the Force, while still leaning away from the dark side. Revan's sparing and saving of their lives had subsequently turned them into loyal allies, not so much interested in following Revan into hell and back, but to repay the debt and move on to something bigger and more worthy in their reborn lives.

This was the empty feeling that was eating at Dustil a little bit. He was a pilot with a great sense of humor, but it almost seemed like the Force training and all the potential that Uthar Wynn hyped up was not so meaningful anymore.

These thoughts weren't leading Dustil anywhere. He noticed that his posture had sunk a bit, and he almost walked into a wall. The most optimistic he could become was when he thought of Cassandra. The loss of her brother hit her very hard, and though they hadn't known each other for very long, Dustil couldn't help but to sympathize with her more than he might sympathize with others. Perhaps it was because he too remembered the pain…the agony of losing a close family member. Cassandra wasn't talking for the past few days. She was either sleeping or uselessly moping around the ship. Dustil hadn't gotten a chance to talk to her since almost immediately after Trek revealed that her brother was gone. "I should go see how she's doing…no harm in that."

As he moved through the garage toward the Starboard Dormitory, there was a Kraxis Rebel soldier standing there, waiting for him. Dustil stopped and looked at him, and the soldier returned the gaze, but acted like he was waiting for Yuthura, who was the ranking member of the Ebon Hawk.

"Can I help you?" Dustil said.

"Yeah," said the soldier. "I have a message from Mr. Jace Myrther. He was wondering if your crew had any spare computer parts or metal components that he might be able to use. We gave him access to some of our own, but he thinks it wasn't enough."

"What's he working on?" replied Dustil.

"He didn't say," said the soldier.

Dustil nodded. "Fair enough…I'm sure Revan won't mind."

Together, they lugged the two of the three crates down one floor and a little ways across the hall.

When they found Jace, he had goggles on and was soldiering wires together, trying to reformat a computer chip.

"Just leave the stuff where you are; I'll get to them," he said.

"What are you working on?" asked Dustil. "Maybe I can help…?"

"No, you probably can't," replied Jace, still not looking at them. "What's in the crates?"

"Sith tech," said the soldier as he left the room, but Dustil remained.

"So you're the Jedi, huh?" Dustil asked him.

"I guess," said Jace. "You look like the sort who used to fight them."

"How can you tell? You're not even looking at me."

Jace raised his eyes, somewhat excited that he could boast a bit. "If I'm a Jedi…I don't need to look."

"I'm just making friendly conversation given that we're all on the same boat."

"Okay," said Jace, taking off the goggles and putting down the soldering iron. "Humor me."

"Look in a mirror," snarled Dustil.

"Clever," said Jace. "Like no one's ever said that one before…"

"Actually I'm being serious," said Dustil. "Here…" Dustil picked up a small mirror on the table and held it up. "See? Your lip is bleeding. What'd you do? Make out with a wampa?"

"Actually I was just killing Sith with my brain," mused Jace. "Ever done that?"

"Killed Sith? Sure…a few."

Jace smirked. "I believe you."

"No you don't," sneered Dustil. "You think I fought Jedi."

"I think you fought both," said Jace.

"Yeah well, I never fought a True Sith," said Dustil. "I'm more of the air cover guy."

"Drop the 'True'," said Jace. "Sith are Sith."

"No, they really aren't," said Dustil. "I would know; I used to be a Dark Jedi…we called ourselves Sith. A little pretentious if you ask me now that we know what Sith are really like. A single True Sith comes to Korriban, he could have probably wiped out the whole academy on his own. They aren't the same…"

"They're the same because they use the same power and they meet the same end," retorted Jace. "Good guys crush their heads with metal boots…isn't that how all the stories go?"

Dustil looked at Jace with a bit of perplexity. Something was off about the kid, yet he was all the smarter in being able to read him. He began to ponder the psychological effects of Trek's interrogation. Of course, Dustil didn't know anything about psychology, so this was a lost cause. "Are you…alright?"

"Just stick me in a lab and give me parts," sneered Jace, looking back down at the chip again.

"You mind telling me what Trek did to you?"

"You don't want to know…"

"What if I do?"

"Then ask Trek," said Jace. "He'll probably have a more impressive story."

"Impressive?" questioned Dustil "Why? Did you not break? What did he want to know? Are you trained to withstand interrogation?"

"No," said Jace. "Pain can be controlled…you just disconnect it. The real torture is in the head…something they don't teach you at Dreshdae Academy for gizka clubbers."

Dustil smirked. "See Jace, I don't think you're as cold or as cynical as you make out to be…"

"You don't know me," snapped Jace.

Dustil furrowed his brow. "Why? Just because I don't live your life; if that's even what you can call it. Forgive me for not being half blond, half T3 unit."

Jace started chuckling. He took off his goggles again and looked back at Dustil. "You're alright kid, you know that?"

"The name's Dustil…Dustil Onasi; don't call me kid," he returned the smile.

"Pleasure's all mine" said Jace in a sarcastic tone. "I'm a little busy…can't give my full attention."

"You never said what you were doing," said Dustil.

"And I ain't going to," replied Jace. "Come back another time..."

"Sure thing," said Dustil, in a voice like he meant it. "By the way…you wouldn't happen to know what Revan and the boss man are talking about right now, would you?"

"Don't know, don't care…"

Dustil smirked and nodded as he left the room. He couldn't help but to laugh a little as he exited. He understood why Revan was not too keen on the boy's attitude. But Jace seemed rather innocent in his mind, simply someone difficult to get to know, but worth trying. And though he didn't know it, Jace already considered Dustil to be a friend.

"Dustil, you copy?" came Revan's voice into his comm.

"Yeah I'm here. What's up?"

"Get back here."

Three hours later…

"So…" said Revan. "What do you think?"

"Sounds like a suicide run," said Yuthura. "I'm in."

"Statement: As am I, Master," began HK-47. "I eagerly look forward to helping you dispatch the meatbags with overwhelming force and no remorse."

"You've never beat down a Sith with your bare hands," said Dustil to Yuthura. "What makes you think we can kill their leader already?"

"Oh, you wanted me to help you kill the Sire?" said Yuthura in a half serious voice. "I thought I was just going to help clear the path to him, and then you and Trek were going to take care of it…and I was going to watch. Maybe make some popcorn?"

"Minions and grunts of the human race, I can deal with," said Dustil. "I don't know how much use I'd be against a Sith.

"They're not as hard as you may think," said Revan. "Just fight on your terms; don't let them use the Force and don't go hand to hand. Let them go hand to hand, and you'll notice they can get sloppy pretty quickly, at which point you can lay them in horizontal meditation."

"If you're you…" snarled Dustil.

"Believe me Dustil, you killing Sith is not what I'm concerned about. You're asking if this is crazy…of course it's crazy, but there is no other way to destroy the Sith without full scale war. Remember what we came here to do. We came here to learn about and discover a way to defeat the True Sith without getting the Jedi or the Republic involved…with all that political and social muck gone awry."

"And you think there is no other way besides this?"

Revan shook his head. "Trek had the answers we've been searching for. And he also has the experience, the resolve, and the means to help us pull this off. This was my idea, but it is his operation; and believe me, neither of us will be able to do it without the others' help. We didn't come here to dissolve ourselves into the ranks of dissidents. We didn't even know dissidents existed…we came here to win and we came here to prevent the unthinkable from happening to us. We're not stupid…we don't have personal grudges against them like Trek does. Our hearts and minds are pure and with the Force at our beck and call…we are going to make sure the Sith never threaten our galaxy ever again."

"Here we go again," said Yuthura with a somewhat fickle smile.

"I know what you're thinking," continued Revan, ignoring Yuthura's comment. "This would be a lot more doable if Lena was here. She'd be all in, and between all of us, we can bring Zazz down. But Lena's not here; she knew the risks when she came with us; she knew the risks before she found me, before she trained me, and before she felt the need to vouch for the two of you coming with us. We've done all we can for her, and while I don't like leaving people behind, the war goes on. I'm not giving up on her just yet, but she is no longer the priority, and she understood that. But her temporary loss is not in vein, nor shall it be. The best of her teachings is passed on through me, and under our watch, we have seen both of you become two of the best warriors I have ever seen, more than capable of taking on True Sith. You are not the dark Jedi apprentices you once were, and I would not have suggested this to you or Trek if I didn't think it could be done."

"I know you'd tell me that nothing is impossible with the Force," said Dustil. "But it's not of much comfort; this might as well be impossible."

"Impossible missions are what we do best," replied Revan. "Coming into the Unknown Regions was impossible, but we did it. All we had was a dusty old map with hyperspace coordinates we didn't know were genuine, but they proved to work. We came here to hunt an enemy we knew nothing about. Almost four months passed; we're still alive, and we're kicking. The Sith may not be afraid of us yet, but we are well past the point of being scared of them. We know them, we know their ways, and we now know how to hit them. We've been more than lucky, but opportunity like this knocks at our door very quietly, and we have to seize it. This must be done, but we will be patient; we will not rush in and we will move with both our eyes open. Take heart, Dustil. We haven't come this far, drilling our way through closed doors to stop now."

Revan spoke again with the confidence he was famous for, but unlike before, that wasn't stopping him from doubting his own words. The unsure part of Revan that had been locked away for so long was slowly creeping up into the middle of his thoughts. His brain was multitasking between what he was saying and what he was actually thinking.

"Dustil ain't all that wrong…damn how I wish someone more articulate can argue the other side. What the hell am I missing here?"

It was true though; Revan convinced everyone, yet he himself was still up against the wall on this issue, like it was a combination of common sense and paranoia slapping him around.

"This is all a little too true…too coincidental to be real. There's got to be something I'm missing. Killing the Grand Sire? Really? Such an ill contrived idea has never been contemplated? Yeah right…"

It did seem quite ridiculous, the notion that no one ever thought about it, probably just as ridiculous as the actual thought itself. Revan knew the wonders it would accomplish if he could actually pull it off. The wound created in the Force would be a blow just as strong if not stronger than the Mass Shadow Generator. The Sith would be helpless; even Trek admitted that. Of course…getting there was more than a children's obstacle course.

"It has to be possible though. If there's anything Lena has shown me, it is that nothing is impossible with the Force. What did I see in my dream? Successful infiltration…alarms eventually go off…standing in front of a dead Grand Sire. Trek was next to me…at least Yuthura and Jace there too…Lena wasn't there…just like she isn't here now. Pieces add up…but that doesn't make what we're doing any less crazy. It just proves it's possible; I don't have to listen to destiny. Yet…this fits my notion; too many variables!"

This was the third time it seemed the Force was telling him something that seemed so logical and practical, and yet the fact that it was the Force sending another message was making him uneasy. He had broken free; not that he had the power to change the Force and send a shockwave through the galaxy eradicating the dark side forever, but he could understand when the Force was trying to tell him something.

"The Force makes sense, yet again…the good nature of the will exposed on an individual level? Too easy…" he thought. But this was a little too small on the thinking, and he knew it. There was probably nowhere he could go but in circles on that path. But in the big picture, he had seen visions of himself and Trek, standing triumphant over the corpse of Rixxon Zazz, a plan he came up with that even Trek admitted would actually work if it could be done. The visions suggested that it could be done, and Revan knew that if it was to happen, he would have to put his full heart and mind into it.

"Take heart, Revan…" he thought.

Meanwhile, Dustil was taken aback by Revan's charisma, shining brightly once again. "I wish T3 could have provided instrumental music for this type of speech."

T3-M4 let out a few buzzes while shaking its head.

"You didn't need the speech," said Revan. "It's not like you aren't just as crazy as I am."

Dustil sighed at the accurate point. "If you really think you can do this, then I'm in; might take Cassandra a little more convincing though."

"You bet I'm in," said Cassandra, walking into the Main Hold after eavesdropping on the conversation. "You think I'm going to stand by and weep forever? I intend on helping to fight back, and if Dustil can teach me the basics on flying this thing, I'll make sure he's of use to you on the ground."

"Sorry we held the meeting without you…" said Dustil awkwardly. "We just thought…"

"Forget it," replied Cassandra with a smile. "I understand."

Three days later…

"Who's brilliant idea was this?" said Jono, in an obviously sarcastic voice.

The captains of every ship in the fleet were in their respective private chambers and holographically connected to everyone else, like a board meeting. Trek sat at the head of the group, but he knew that it would be tough to sell this plan to the rest of them. But he had come prepared.

"Revan's," replied Trek.

"Does he have any idea the enemy we're fighting?" Jono replied.

"I told him everything," Trek replied. "But Revan's not here right now, and he's not in charge. This is still our operation."

"If the plan goes to hell, does it really matter whose operation it was?" replied Lieutenant Commander Knox of the Jackknife. "Sorry Commander, but I'm with Jono on this one. It's too risky."

"I wouldn't expect any of you to necessarily understand it," said Trek. "After all, what we're doing requires a strong grasp of knowledge on the Force, and…"

"That's what worries me the most," said Jono. "This is supposed to be a military operation, and we're supposed to operate based on what we know and what we can do. This seems way out of our league."

"Relax," said Lieutenant Commander Temple of the Vendetta. "I don't think Revan is planning on usurping authority and leading the rebellion. He'd have to pry it from Commander Trek's cold dead hands."

"All truth behind that aside," interrupted Trek. "That's not the point. There's a question all of you should be asking that might put this into a better context."

There was a dead silence among the officers until Lieutenant Commander Madds of the Saber Tooth spoke up. "Alright, I'll bite," he said. "This is a ground operation only, but our strength is in the air…you'll be sitting ducks. Can't Zazz teleport himself out of there or something?"

"That's not the question," said Trek. "Tactically, yes, that's a concern; we'll have Revan and the Jedi with us…that twi'lek Yuthura Ban seems like a promising fighter and squad leader. Myrther certainly proved himself…of course I'll never tell him that. But it's not like we won't have you cover us from the air. Think, big picture."

"This time I'll bite," said Archie. "Say you pull this off…what's the next step?"

Trek snapped his fingers and stood up. "Jackpot!" he said in a somewhat fake exclamation. "That's the key-most element in this operation," he continued. "Revan didn't come to me with that thought on his mind; he developed it as I was explaining everything to him."

"You sure that was a good idea?" asked Rainer. "Not that I don't think Revan's genuine…I just think it might have been a little early to bring him in."

"He's a Force sensitive and he needed to know," said Trek. "You should have seen how hard he tried to make it look like he was from around here." Trek snickered a bit. "It was a little sad."

"He isn't?" Rainer asked. Trek shook his head. "Where's he from then? Crispin?"

"He's from the Unknown Territories," said Trek. "It was pretty easy to figure out; he talked about stuff that doesn't exist out here; he didn't understand some basic stuff that a lot of us take for granted in terms of knowledge. Vesta's sister knew more about the Sith than he did."

"What the hell is he doing all the way out here then?"

"Same thing we're doing," said Trek. "Sith don't know him personally; only of him, some heroic exploits back where he's from. That's why I trust him."

"We're drifting here," said Jono. "This ain't about Revan. It's about his suicidal tendencies. You didn't answer Saww's question."

"Revan brought to my attention the impact of Zazz's death upon the rest of the Sith. Their lives are deliberately interwoven through the dark side of the Force; their power comes from each other and from the ill emotions of humans.

"But the Force is like a child; you cause a disturbance of some kind like smacking a kid upside the head, it creates a ripple in the Force that those connected can feel and they get hurt from it…especially when you catch them unprepared. No Sith has ever worried about that and the Grand Sire's never been targeted for assassination except by his own successor in the continuous cycle. But the apprentice is a very long way from being strong enough to match his master. Zazz is perceived as invincible. But Revan was right; he puts his pants on one leg at a time just like the rest of us.

"If you take him out, that creates a large window of opportunity for us to do the things we've always wanted to do. The next step…as Saww correctly pointed out is the complete and utter eradication of the Sith race. With Zazz dead, they'll be disorganized, fumbling about; his apprentice won't be able to keep things together for he himself will bleed profusely from the ears by the disturbance.

"I've just forwarded a list of potential targets of infrastructure for us to hit. We can start with the defense grid around Tryton. We can go through the hypergate, right before destroying it. From that point on, we can split the fleet up and go after the places of high value; the mines and supply caches on Azarith, the Becton strongholds, every Sith space station we have data on, the Sith Academy on Mengskin, and just about anything and everything that draws breath on Shikara and Voss. The Sith will never know what hit them, and by the time they're able to figure it all out, there will be too few of them to stop us. We'll use our strength from the air, and we'll hunt them to extinction, and uplift humanity to the prosperity it deserves."

"Quite a speech," said Rainer. "What makes now a prime opportunity to do this kind of thing, as opposed to another time when we're stronger?

"Two things," explained Trek. "As successful as we've been recruiting soldiers to our cause, we haven't been a rebellious organization long enough to make this a war of attrition. Revan pointed out that much of what we've been doing is miniscule; we're not a big enough thorn in the Sith's side. Though they are hunting us, we can still disappear and lay low, and it'd be of little consequence. Sooner or later, people are going to realize that we're hardly scratching the surface in our damage to the empire. We can't let that happen.

"Second, we have Revan. Revan won't admit to it, and I'm not sure how many people can actually see it, but that man has been through a bigger hell than I have and he is far more powerful than me. I think his modesty forbids him from thinking about this much but as he found us useful in accomplishing his mission, I have slowly come to realize how useful he can be. He's no soldier; he's a warrior like me, only well mannered. Revan is a means to the end that we've been seeking and I intend to use it. He can't do this without us and we can't do it without him."

"Yes, we read the reports on the Tryton and Shikara ground missions," said Jono. "He can handle himself, but this is one hell of a gamble. He's still the mysterious stranger to us, no?"

"Not really," said Archie in response. "He's…peculiar sometimes but he gets the job done. If the Commander trusts him to the extent at which he appears to, I'm not sure how much I can actually object…"

Meanwhile…

Though he had achieved a little peace and quiet in the port dorm of his ship, Revan's thoughts were still turbulent; he had hoped the meditation would calm his mind. He was at ease, no tinkering with his lightsaber or levitating in the air, merely at his center, breathing his emotions in and out.

"This still sounds crazy, and yet…it has to be done," he thought. It seemed like he was placing a lot of bets too; he was betting that Zazz would be in a vulnerable position, that aside from Zazz's bodyguards, that there would not be other members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff with him at the time, especially his apprentice, who would also be trouble if encountered. He was betting that Zazz would actually want to fight them, likely out of his sense of pride, and he was betting that between himself and Trek, Zazz could actually be defeated.

"It can be done…even if Trek doesn't believe it; even if the Grand Sire's busy fighting us and too distracted to deal with anything else, that alone would give an opportunity for the rebels to destroy something critical. Would that weaken him? That would depend on what it is…damn it! Things can never be this straight forward…and yet when they do seem straight forward, it's only because it's missing a certain dimension. Which one is it? Am I thinking too much on this, or just not hard enough? By the time I'll know for sure, it'll be too late for it to matter."

Revan sighed. "If only Bastila were here…"

Revan knew that he couldn't keep this up. Telling himself to take heart was going to have to register at some point. It had been three and a half days of mental torture, even though everyone else seemed on board. He was actually happy when Cassandra came in and interrupted him, to get a break from the troublesome thoughts that clouded his mind. For some reason, she looked rather lovely, mostly of natural beauty, only artificially enhanced by a light flowery perfume she had on.

"Hey," she said, her head poked into the room, knocking on the wall. "I hope I'm not…"

"You aren't," Revan cut her off. "Come in."

She came in and sat down on the floor in front of Revan. "Meditating again?"

Revan's instincts seemed to direct his voice as he smiled at the question. "Clearing my head…you look like you've got something on your mind. How can I help?"

She shrugged. "I haven't really been too social over the week."

"How are you holding up?"

"I'm better," said Cassandra. "I mean…we parted on pleasant terms, and though I wanted so bad to see him again, there wasn't anything I said or didn't say that I regret. And I mean…he went out a hero, and he's probably in a better place, right?"

"He's one with the Force," said Revan. "His soul has moved on, so yes, I think so."

"Right…there is no death, there is the Force," she said. Revan raised his brow, impressed that she knew the last and most truthful part of the Jedi Code. "Did I say it right?" He nodded with a newfound smile. "Your crew is entertaining," she added. "I can't say I've gotten to know them too well though, so I can't really tell if they like me or not."

"Don't worry about it," said Revan. "Yuthura is a professional. It takes a while for her to actually warm up to you and get her to open up believe me, but she can work well with anybody."

"What about Dustil?" Cassandra was desperately trying to hide the cute flushing on her face, which Revan had already noticed.

Revan smirked, but he didn't let her know that he noticed it. "What about Dustil?" he cleverly asked.

"I don't know," said Cassandra. "He seems nice, though I haven't seen him in too many places aside from the helm. Anything about him I should know?"

"His father is a very good friend of mine," said Revan. "He'll be an Admiral for the Republic eventually….if he isn't one already. Dustil doesn't have his father's eyes, but he has the face and the skills…and the Force."

"So he can also do the stuff you can do?"

Revan nodded. "You should ask him about it. Get him talking…he doesn't shut up unless you tell him to."

"As long as it means I don't have to talk much," she said. "I'm always afraid of saying something stupid."

"It's alright," said Revan. "People who dedicate their lives to studying and using the Force like us can always use another friend."

"Well…what about relationships?" she asked. Revan immediately wondered if she was either curious or wanted to know if her crush on Dustil had anything promising about it.

"Perhaps a bit of both," he thought. "She ought to know…"

"The rules of the Jedi Order strictly forbid romantic involvement of any kind," Revan said in an intentionally stern voice. "Attachment is forbidden, possession is forbidden, compassion – which most would define as unconditional love is central to a Jedi's life. Essentially Jedi are encouraged to love all people, but not sexually." However, noticing her perplexed expression, he smiled and charmed his voice. "But the truth is…none of us are Jedi, not anymore."

"I see," said Cassandra, flushing even more at her own ignorance.

"Any other questions…while I'm here?"

"I don't know," she said. "I guess I just wanted to get to know you all better, that's all."

"Yeah, sorry we got you talking a lot on our way to Gunthamore," said Revan. "You probably know by now…we're from Republic space, far to the east of the Crispin Asteroid Belt."

"So I guess…this place is all Unknown Territories to you?" she chided.

"We used the term 'Unknown Regions'," responded Revan, matching her smile. "Honestly, we couldn't really come up with a plan because we knew nothing about this place…we just had to take things one step at a time, which was easy when we saw all the civilization here. Landing a job with Gunthamore, performing heists for a couple people, Ardao included, and then stumbled into you when we went to kill Frinch."

"Strange happenings," said Cassandra. "I guess we both got lucky that night, right?"

Revan chuckled. "I still couldn't believe that with all the sneaking on the compound and that elaborate plan to blackmail Frinch, that you were so new to crime…"

"Yeah, not one of my finest moments," said Cassandra with a blush. "But I definitely have you to thank for getting me out of trouble, and taking me with you."

"Well, I always had the idea to make an ally or two while I was here…" said Revan. "I expected this to be a much slower process, but we got too lucky…then when Lena tried to tell me that, I brushed it aside, thinking she was just delirious."

"Don't feel too bad," said Cassandra. "You did everything you could…you even pushed the tracks back down and saved everyone on the train, which is one of the most impressive things I've ever seen."

"All because Trek happened to notice me and he wanted me on his team," said Revan. "We've been handed a lot of things…we haven't even been here that long. Hopefully Trek will take my advice and help craft the plan to kill the Grand Sire. With all that's happened, and with all that exists out here…it just seems that simple; yet no one dared to think it."

"Maybe it's for the same reason no one likes to say 'Kraxis Rebellion' out loud," jested Cassandra. "Fear of spontaneous combustion?"

Revan started laughing, almost not realizing that Dustil was now standing outside with his head poked in and knocking on the walls.

"Come in," said Cassandra.

"I'm not intruding or anything, right?" Dustil said.

"No, I don't think so…Revan?"

"No," said Revan.

"Thought I heard something about spontaneous combustion?" said Dustil. "I've always wanted to see a Sith burst into flames."

"I think Trek's done something like that," said Revan. "You should ask him about it."

"Well I'd rather not disturb the good commander. I'm sure he has…commanding-type things to do." Cassandra flushed and giggled a little bit, which made Dustil smile. "Besides," he followed up, while looking at her. "I haven't really talked to you in a while. You feeling alright?"

"Much better," said Cassandra. "Thank you."

"Yeah well…I know what it's like to lose a close family member…glad to see you're not as big a wreck as I was."

This caused a brief awkward silence between everyone, a hint Revan noticed almost immediately that he should probably leave the room. Cassandra and Dustil were only smiling at each other, and Cassandra was again trying very hard to hide her blush.

"Well I guess I'll leave the two of you to talk about…whatever it is you're going to talk about," said Revan, trying to pass off like he didn't notice the subtle flirting between the two. "Just a couple questions for Dustil; I only see one box of the goods we got off Tryton in the garage. Where are the other two?"

"Jace has them," said Dustil. "That's not a problem is it?"

"As long as he makes good use of them," replied Revan. "Where are the droids?"

"HK is down at the shooting range," said Dustil. "He found out they were using living prisoners for non-lethal target practice…I don't think I've ever seen him run away that fast." Cassandra's facial expression was of both shock and humor.

"And T3?"

"He's helping Jace," said Dustil.

"What is that boy up to?" asked Revan with a furrowed brow.

Dustil shrugged his shoulders. "Hell if I know…something big, I imagine…he hasn't told anyone. I don't think the kid has much of a life…"

Revan nodded in acknowledgment of Dustil's point. "Carry on."

Revan began moving away, leaving the two teenagers to socialize. "Nice kid," he thought of Cassandra. "Very shy…definitely something between them, but nothing sinister. Problematic?" Revan shook his head to himself. "No…not in the slightest. Still…point of curiosity about what Dustil finds attractive in women. Similar age, natural beauty, she certainly looks nice, dresses to impress. Shyness may be a factor…impossible to tell without knowing what Selene was like…though that would be prying. Bastila and I are none of their business…those two are none of mine."

This was certainly not something that Revan had intended to ponder, but it was certainly entertaining to gossip and exchange hypotheticals with himself. He walked out of the ship and began making his way to the elevator to check out the shooting range and HK-47's performance in comparison to the others.

But his belt began to vibrate as he noticed that Trek was paging him. "Yes?"

"I've discussed the issue extensively with the others," said Trek through the comm..

"And?"

"The vote is unanimous. We're a go…"

We hope you have enjoyed this addition to "The Prodigal Knight". Though the overall story has arced in more of an adventure-like way with lots of different elements, this is the final plan for Revan and his allies. The next two chapters will feature a time skip and the execution of the plan, that will hopefully bring everything together and tie up all loose ends. That will lead us to an epic 4-chapter finale that we are in the midst of perfecting!

Please review our story.

- Gipper 40 & Sarge42