Chapter 52

Mission Vao

For a while she tried being still, leaning against the wall with one foot propped up against the metal siding. After a time Mission's nerves got the better of her. Ultimately she took to pacing the width of the tunnel. Frequently, nervously, she looked at the lift doors as though she might will Revan and Lassiter to reappear.

Revan surprised her by deviating from the arranged plan, choosing to descend into the bowels of the factory alone with Lassiter. There had been no explanation for it. No protest Mission raised swayed the Jedi either. Finally Mission had seen something in her friends eyes which drew silent acceptance.

"It was probably a premonition, some Jedi thing," Mission said when she was alone. In the empty corridor her voice carried with a faint echo. The sound of her voice bouncing off the walls made her flesh crawl. She wished she hadn't spoken out loud.

Mission considered ignoring Revan and going down in the lift anyways. Each time her mind returned to the idea it felt more appealing. It wasn't that Mission was worried for herself. Lightly her fingers patted the butt of her blaster as she had the thought. Revan and Lassiter could take care of themselves, so that wasn't a reason to go down either. But Mission couldn't hold still for anxiety.

"Mission. Run."

Her communicator crackled to life with Revan's voice. Mission jumped, startled by the sound, and clawed at her belt for the radio.

"Revan?" Mission cried. Silenced answered at the other end. "What's happened?"

Revan

Lassiter's physical strength prevailed in the small confines of the laboratory. They relied less on lightsabers, there was no space to effectively swing one, and engaged in a brutal mix of physical blows and Force abilities. Revan found herself defending against attempts to lock her in stasis or shielding herself from dark lightening attacks.

Angry he slashed at Revan's knees. The blade left a blackened scar in the metal plating of the workbench behind her. Leaping upwards out of the weapons reach, she was unprepared for the staggering blow of the Force Lassiter directed at her. It caught her in the chest and propelled her back. She went flying over the workbench, hitting a kolto tank hard enough to crack the glass.

Gasping Revan staggered to her feet. Pain radiated around her chest and her breath was slow to return. Her goal was to hold Lassiter long enough to give Mission time to escape. But at this rate she would be lucky to last much longer against him.

The man lunged around the workbench and Revan dodged his fist then swung her own. Throwing her weight into the blow Lassiter grunted when she connected with his side. His hand took her by the bicep and Revan found her arm being twisted, if she followed the way he moved, she'd bring herself into his arms and he would have her pinned. Instead Revan gritted her teeth and endured the pain. Her booted heel slammed down on Lassiter's instep and the pressure in her shoulder ceased.

Revan swung her elbow up and caught him under the jaw. His head rocked back and he staggered away blinking. Raising a hand to his lip Lassiter's fingers came away with blood. With a sigh he looked at her.

"I don't want to hurt you Revan," he said.

"Sorry to disappoint, but I'm not going to be your prize," Revan snorted.

"Come now. You're pregnant, would you risk that?"

Anger surged through Revan at the implied threat. The temptation to use the emotion against Lassiter was strong. With difficulty she pushed the feeling back and kept it at bay, keeping her head clear. Lassiter had sensed it though. He dropped his chin and grinned.

"You would break Carth's heart, do you think he could forgive you losing his baby?"

He's trying to bait you into acting rashly.

The thought was frantic, but Revan could feel the grip on her anger slipping. There was something familiar about this rage. She knew it was something she could shape and use. That was a step on a path she had sworn she would never walk again.

"You'll just have to work harder if you want me as a prize," Revan said.

Lassiter made a little shrug as if to indicate he was fine with this. They charged each other again. Revan would have liked to feinted left and brought her lightsaber up to strike his midsection. But there was a workbench on her right and the kolto tanks on her left with no room to move between them.

Carried by momentum they clashed together in a haze of blades. Lassiter bore down with his weight and Revan was forced to give ground. When she went right Lassiter made to follow but Revan changed direction and smashed the back of his sword arm. He jerked his elbow back and the blow caught her by surprise full in the face. Taking advantage of Revan's state Lassiter hit her with the Force yet again.

Knocked from her feet Revan hit the floor hard a few yards from Lassiter. Skidding to a stop Revan felt her the pouch with Zaalbar's grenades come loose. The little red orbs skittered free and spun off in different directions.

Both of them moved for the grenades at the same time calling on the Force to pull them into their hands. Revan snatched one out of the air and Lassiter did the same to the other. He clutched the explosive and grinned at her. It was the same grin she'd seen on his face in Dromund Kaas, a malevolent joy when he had pushed her to the limits of endurance.

Something in Revan broke. With her rage boiling she extended a hand in his direction. Lightening leapt from the tips of her fingers, dark tendrils of Force energy which snapped and sizzled in the air as it coursed from forgotten recesses of her mind. Lassiter shrank back but in a moment the energy was on him. He shrieked and writhed as it embraced his body, ripping through his limbs, burning flesh and muscle as it danced over him.

Revan had to force herself to stop the attack. There was a part of her which reeled with horror for what she had just done. Driven by anger Revan had finally broken and called on the Dark Side. Lassiter had been driven to his knees for the pain of the Force lightening. Panting he pulled himself up using a workbench.

"Did that feel good?" he asked, looking at her. "Of course it did. You haven't forgotten who you truly are. I knew you hadn't. Darth Revan."

"No. I will not succumb to that," Revan said, almost shaking for fear. But the memory of Lassiter Osh was heralding the memories of what it had meant to have the power of the Dark Side. On some level Revan knew it was always there, always lurking, waiting for her to weaken.

Finish him. End this now.

Her own voice, a betrayal of self, urging her towards murder. Killing Lassiter with the Dark Side would not be defense. It would be the blood Revan's lust for revenge was screaming for.

For those months of torture. Alek's screams. The taste of your own blood.

"I will not be a murderer," Revan said, more to silence that internal voice then to address her enemy.

Lassiter laughed. He was on his feet now. In one hand he held a grenade, the other his lightsaber. The blue light of his blade vanished as he switched the weapon off.

"You already are," argued Lassiter. He brought the red ball of explosives up and made a pretense of studying it. Revan held her breath. The door leading out of the lab stood behind Lassiter. There was little chance she could reach the door before him.

Revan called on the Force, lifting the deactivated droid from the other end of the room. It hurled towards Lassiter. She was startled by how fast his lightsaber reignited. The glowing blade interrupted the path of the droid. Lassiter spun into his swing smashing the machine apart. As it showered the floor in pieces he retreated for the safety of the exit. His thumb depressed the timer on the grenade then almost causally he tossed it into the center of the laboratory.

As soon as she thrown the droid Revan was running. Not for the corridor, Lassiter was ahead of her, but for the small storage room attached to the lab workspace. She heard the clink of the explosive hitting the floor and dove through the doorway. Her palm slammed the control panel. Knowing the airlock door wouldn't likely lower in time she was on her knees in the corner of the room, arms raised to shield her face. With every last bit of strength she had remaining Revan activated a Force shield around herself.

For a moment there was nothing but the sound of the door dropping into place and the blood rushing in her ears. Then the air was an inferno. Sound and fire ripped through the laboratory.

Even through the shield Revan could feel the heat of the explosion as the air around her was consumed by flames. The force of the blast hit the airlock and it froze its descent. Revan remained on her knees as the flames licked at the shield protecting her. Hopefully her strength to hold the shield outlasted the fire.

Carth Onasi

"Revan and Lassiter are in trouble!"

The sight of Mission's face filled with fear made Carth's heart sink. Her hands grabbed his jacket as they collided at the door. Carth stumbled but caught himself.

"What happened?" he asked sharply. He turned Mission around, dragging her along by one arm back into the recycling tunnel. In his right hand he clutched his blaster. The weapon, emblazoned with the Onasi crest, was like an old friend in his hand. His finger hovered over the trigger.

"She just radioed and said to run. I tried to raise her and there was no response," Mission explained. Mission was hurrying to keep pace with Carth. "Maybe Czerka found out they were down there."

"No. It's not Czerka, its him. Lassiter did something," Carth growled. Releasing Mission's arm he slapped the control panels for the lift.

"What?" Mission asked in disbelief. Carth jabbed the controls again.

"Revan asked him about Kreia, she was blind! It was a test Mission. If Lassiter had been at the temple with Revan he would have known Kreia was blind," he exclaimed glancing at the twi'lek.

Mission sucked in a breath.

"That's why she asked me to stay up here. I knew there was a reason," Mission said softly. Carth swore and hit the panel harder. "Whoa! Carth, it won't help anything if you break it."

"One of these days the rest of you are going to realize I'm not paranoid without good reason," Carth said pacing a step away from the doors to keep himself from the control panel. Mission was right, if he broke the panel it would only delay them getting to Revan. In frustration he threw his arms up as the lift doors remained sealed. Still he wanted to punch the thing. Instead he gritted his teeth and hissed, "Come on already."

"If Lassiter tries anything he's finished Carth. No way would he stand a chance against Revan," Mission said in a hopeful voice. It wasn't a hope he shared.

The lift doors parted with a hiss and Carth felt relief that turned to ash when Lassiter appeared on the other side. But he did not hesitate, raising his blaster only to have it ripped out of his hands by the Force. Lassiter lowered his hand as the blaster clattered to the floor.

"Where's Revan?" Carth demanded.

"Right now? Probably burning alive. Isn't that how your wife died Admiral Onasi? Such terrible luck with women," Lassiter sneered. It was Mission who gave into rage. She launched herself at the man who her caught her effortlessly by the wrists. Unarmed Carth stood helpless as Lassiter spun Mission to pin her with an arm wrapped around her throat. In his free hand a lightsaber appeared and the blade hummed just inches from Mission's angry face. He gestured and Carth held his hands up.

"Just in case Revan survives, you two will do nicely for bait," Lassiter added with a pleasant smile. "I'm sure you know the drill Admiral. Misbehave and little Mission here pays the penalty. Now turn and walk."

A/N - someone left me a message asking me to a Bastila and male Exile story. I'd love to talk with you about ideas for it! Send me a PM so we can discuss it. :)