The Star Map echoed toward me from the planet below, a beacon in my mind. The heaviness of its Force-constructed workmanship shone out among the shallow sea of midnight fire that seemed to permeate the planet. Korriban, home to Sith lords and fallen Jedi alike for uncounted centuries. Its aura of strength and aggression sparked against my straining Force sense, further fueling my determination.
"Bindo. Can you play the part of a fallen Jedi?"
He shrugged. "I've always been quite effective at mental manipulation abilities. It's no great stretch to add overpowering fear to my repertoire should anyone desire a demonstration of my focus."
"Do you want to come with me, or stay here? I warn you, if you choose to accompany me into the academy you must do exactly as I say. I cannot afford any hesitation or defiance."
"Ah, keep your threats. I'm too old to be scurried about by a sprout like yourself, destiny or no destiny. I'll come with you, and I'll not oppose you, but I'm not going to promise my unconditional obedience."
"Then stay here," I ordered. "I don't need you if you won't be an asset. Guard the ship."
I turned away, ignored the old man's very loud and obvious sigh of disapproval.
"I had originally planned to stay long enough to win the entire academy to my cause, but we can't afford to take the time now," I said, addressing the assembled team. "I'm going to crush any opposition, head straight to the Star Map, and get to Malak before. . . as soon as we possibly can."
Mission raised her hand. "But, if you weren't strong enough to face Malak before, and now you'll be alone, how can you hope to defeat him without bringing the Sith along? I mean, not that I want to share space with them, but you can't just change your plan like that and expect it to still work out."
"My power is returning faster than Malak could hope to contend with," I said, holding my hands in front of me. Lightning crackled about them at my call, but not the wild chaotic lightning of a month - or even a week - my power was tight, controlled, perfect in its simplicity. It didn't jump between my hands or travel up my arms, just sparked at my fingertips in submissive readiness. "And I don't expect to leave here completely without allies. Once the students witness my power, I wager several will be perfectly eager to join me."
"Do you need any of us?" Canderous asked.
I shook my head. "Non-Force users would be nothing but liabilities here. I'll take T3, the rest of you wait here. Guard the ship, and if any punk Sith students try to steal it have Bindo demonstrate his mental powers."
I strode into the settlement with a decidedly extravagant flow of Force lightning dancing around me in a clear demonstration of my power, my posture making it clear that I considered everyone and everything here far beneath me in status.
A twi'lek scurried toward me as I neared the check-in terminals. "Excuse me, I have something of importance to speak with you about. It concerns the Dark Lord of the Sith."
"What's my stupid apprentice done this time?" I asked.
He frowned. "I meant Lord Revan, the true Sith Master."
"I am Lord Revan, but I am—" I stopped myself from saying 'not a Sith any longer.' Korriban wasn't the best place to go about proclaiming that I'd chosen to defy all conventions. I would be posing as a Sith Lord here, after all, at least temporarily.
". . .in a great hurry," I finished.
"Oh, I understand. We were told by a. . . Matton Dasol on Kashyyyk that you were looking for rare lightsaber crystals?"
"Ah, yes. Of course." I'd completely forgotten. The past week had left room for nothing else in my mind than the blade-sharp focus, get my sisters back.
"They're not cheaply obtained," he said, looking nervous.
"We will pay," I said imperiously. "Now hand them over."
He held out a heavy golden crystal that looked partly synthetic but matched the appearance of no mineral I'd ever encountered before and a shimmering silver-blue lattice-work crystal, each resting in a small transparasteel box for protection. The power that flowed through them felt different than anything I'd encountered in a lightsaber before. The sheer surprise of it dimmed my lightning as concentration wavered. These crystals were interesting.
I reached for them, but the twi'lek skittered back. "Thirty thousand credits for the pair," he said. "They were not easy to obtain, and are completely unique. No similar crystals exist in the galaxy."
"I have told you we will pay," I said firmly, pulling him toward me with a quick tug of the Force. "Now hand them over."
I waited a second, but he didn't move quickly enough for me. Another sharper Force pull brought the crystals right out of his hand and into mine. He yelped in protest, but I waved a hand at him dismissively. "Go talk to my agents, they'll see that you are paid."
I sat down right there in the spaceport, cross-legged for meditation, and closed my eyes. Disassembling my off-hand saber was the work of a few minutes concentration. I'd added as many safeguards against tampering that I could think up, and even for myself bypassing them wasn't simple. It was a valuable precaution.
The red crystal within pulsed weakly, subjugated and uncooperative. It wasn't mine, having been taken from a dark Jedi back on. . . Tatooine, was it? So long ago. The golden crystal had a weight, a life to it of its own. Not just the common Force-resonance that all lightsaber crystals must share, but a true separateness that seemed exotic and intriguing. As I levitated it into place I could feel the resonance shifting between the supplementary focusing crystals.
This blade would be wholly unique.
I reassembled my lightsaber, opened my eyes and stood. The red crystal and the cyan lattice went into my pockets. I held the saber hilt out in front of me, switched it on. The golden-red beam was thinner than most, vibrating at a different frequency entirely. The familiar lightsaber-hum was higher, thinner and sharper, the sound itself reflecting the change.
I activated my purple main-hand saber, and it looked suddenly commonplace in comparison. The pure white beam of energy with purple edges, against the golden-fireglow of the new blade. But the liklihood of finding an equally perfect crystal in purple, an equally unique blade for both my sabers, would be minuscule. And I had far more important things to be about.
I flicked off the sabers, clipped them to my belt. It took only a moment's concentration to regain my mantle of electricity. I returned to my determined arrogant stride across the spaceport, as though the pause had never even occurred.
"Ah, I see the Ebon Hawk has changed hands yet again," said the official at the docking bay door. "Though your face is unfamiliar, your ship is not. A discount is in order on the docking fee, I believe."
"I don't need to pay any docking fee," I said, passing my hand in front of his face and pushing Force into the words.
"Of course, you don't need to pay any docking fee," the official repeated. He nodded politely, opened the door to the settlement proper.
Dreshdae was a small settlement - but the only one on Korriban with a spaceport at all. The chief settlement of an entire planet, and it could have fit in a single Taris skyscraper.
Why did I keep thinking of Taris? It was dead and gone, not worth considering.
In a corner halfway between the spaceport and the first of Dreshdae's shops I encountered my first sample of the exact quality of Force users that Korriban had to offer. A young man in the Sith academy greys stood before a trio of about the same age.
"So, what would you do?" the Sith demanded.
"Oh, we'd never go against you, Shardaan," said the twi'lek woman obsequeiously. "Whatever you ordered."
"No, that's idiotic. If I were a full Sith and gave an order that exposed weakness it would be your duty to kill me, not grovel and play along!"
"We understand now," said the human man, nodding eagerly. "Thank you for sharing your wisdom."
"Uagh, you pathetic hopefuls are all stupid beyond hope. You there, Jedi. You're looking to get into the academy, right? What should I do with these fools?"
I paused in my stride, having nearly reached them. "You dare interrupt Lord Revan?" I demanded. "Kneel, weakling, or die where you stand."
I let my lightning expand, crackling loudly and casting sharp brightness through the dim corridor.
The three 'hopefuls' immediately fell to their knees.
Shardaan didn't, though he took a step backward. He was so young, so arrogant. He should have sensed immediately how much stronger I was in the Force.
"Revan is dead," he said, sounding less than certain.
I held out a hand, casually began crushing his throat and chest, lifted him in the air for long enough for him to feel how completely helpless he was, then threw him forcefully to the ground. He stumbled, fell to his knees gasping for breath.
My smile was tinged with ice. "Since you're kneeling, you are pardoned. This time. Do not stand in my way again."
I swept past, wishing my robes were a little bit more solid black and a bit looser and more flowing. The close tunic design the Jedi currently favoured left something to be desired when it came to dramatic exits.
The hopefuls began whispering among themselves, and I felt Shardaan's hatred begin to grow. I smiled. Hatred was so easy to manipulate.
The next Sith I encountered were a young pair, both human, standing and swapping stories and laughing uproariously. The woman stopped when she saw me, waved her companion to silence, and strode over. She was taller than I and stood close enough to make that fact quite obvious, though not so close that she risked stray sparks from my electric aura.
"And what have we here? A fallen Jedi, come to seek entrance to the academy?"
"I just left Shardaan with a taste of what happens to those who stand in my way," I said coldly. "Stand aside now, or I will demonstrate my superiority to you as well."
"Looks like someone's standing up to you, Lashowe," said her male companion. "Doesn't happen nearly often enough, if you ask me."
She snarled and turned away, stalked over to her companion and began berating him in a low voice. Pretending she hadn't backed down, no doubt; that she'd meant to walk that way the whole time.
I smiled and strode onward. Casual but determined. Move smoothly, appear detached. Though every beat of my heart screamed at me to hurry, to run, to smash through all obstacles, I knew I couldn't afford to alienate the academy. In the long run, I would need them nearly as much as I needed Bastila and Juhani.
Though the stock seemed decidedly weak at this time. Perhaps Malak already hired on any of the actual competent Sith, in which case I would have a difficult time finding enough with decent potential and training them properly. Though, also, it might make my job easier. Perhaps I could catch them young and impressionable, less heavily indoctrinated with Sith codes, perhaps expand my Revanite Sisterhood directly.
I could always hope.
I entered the cantina, asked for directions to the Sith academy. They told me, but warned that the guard wouldn't admit me until I'd spoken to Mistress Ban, the academy admissions overseer. She was unfortunately absent for the day, but I was assured she would be in the following day.
I chafed at the delay, but headed to the academy anyway to see if the guard could be persuaded.
He couldn't. Though he was quite impressed, he resisted my mental attempts to change his mind and waved off threats. The door was sealed, he said, and he couldn't open it himself. It required a special medallion, given only to students accepted into the academy. So even if I killed him, the door couldn't be opened.
I returned to the settlement, determined to get a medallion if I had to shake down half the students. Shardaan and Lashowe had demonstrated that the bar was set quite low for the academy's entrants. I would have been able to get in easily had I the time to wait for Mistress Ban, but I had no patience for such a long delay.
I prowled through Dreshdae, but it seemed that my displays of power had given me a reputation quite quickly. Hopefuls watched from a safe distance, citizens scurried out of my way as they would for any full Sith, and the academy's students were nowhere in evidence.
It wasn't until my return to the fringes of the settlement that I found my way blocked by a small gang of Sith students, all in greys, their posture and facial expressions all variations on confident arrogance.
"Well, looks as though we've found a bit of sport, my friends," the leader said. "I'm quite eager to blow off some steam after those tests."
"I can't stand Jedi," another said, flipping her lightsaber hilt in what was meant to be a menacing way. "And fallen ones are worse. Why do you all seem to think you're better than the rest of us? As though we haven't given up anything to be here? As if we weren't able to understand the Force as well as you?"
"They always seem to get into the academy so quickly," a twi'lek woman said. "Too bad we've already passed our trials, or we might have had the chance to take this arrogant fool down a few notches in front of the masters."
"I suppose we'll settle for a quiet bit of entertainment," the first said. "How about it, ready to die?"
Irritation and amusement warred within me. Lightning crackled at my fingertips, but it was tight, controlled, and not particularly intimidating. With so much rapid and intense practice, my power no longer leaked dramatically unless I directed it to do so.
Amusement won out. I had nothing better to do, nowhere to be, nobody else to play with. I may as well take my time with these idiots. After all, there was a decent chance at least one of them had the medallion I needed.
I smiled lazily, snapped my left hand once to demonstrate the power crackling at the ready. Nothing too overt, just a quiet reminder that I wasn't a simple target.
"No one here seems to believe me when I tell them I'm Lord Revan," I said in a conversational tone, heavy layers of power building around me as I drew in Force. Held it, ready. "I keep making examples, but it just doesn't sink in. They only think I'm mad."
The rodian at the back of the group exchanged a glance with the twi'lek. "She admits to being mad, and doesn't seem afraid," he said in huttese. "I find this disappointing. Not much sport to be had."
The human leader narrowed his eyes and smirked. "Speak for yourself," he said, eying me in a way that made me envision a few particularly painful ways to deal with him. "Mad or no, she's a fallen Jedi, and hasn't been accepted into the academy yet. That makes her fair game. For anything."
The rodian's expression shifted, he slowly raised one hand. I sensed the lurch and shift in the Force before he acted, raised my own hand in mirror of the motion.
I held the leader's eyes, grinned at him darkly. "Don't worry, darling, I'll save you for last."
He laughed, not intimidated. "Alright, you've had your chance to cower or beg, though you seemed disinclined to take it. Looks like we have our winner."
As one, they burst into action. The rodian seized me in the Force, forcing a temporary and incredibly uncomfortable connection that tried to drag away my strength and life energy. I did the same to him, but faster and sharper, drew in his strength even as his companion channeled lightning at me in a sharp focused burst.
The remaining three ignited their lightsabers, the hum shifting as they deliberately turned them to non-lethal modes.
I didn't have time to go for my own weapons. Against this many Sith, my blades would only get in my way.
I snarled with feral pleasure as the rodian staggered, crumpled under the sudden emptiness that threatened him. He'd recover, but not for at least several seconds. I raised my other hand in front of me, lightning crackling faintly at my fingertips, and caught the incoming blast of electric energy. Redirecting it, I brought it into submission, let it flow around me in a sparking bubble of power.
"Hello, Korriban," I hissed, and thrust both hands out toward my assailants. Power and exhilaration flowed through me, stronger and sharper than any adrenaline rush. Though I'd blocked two near-simultaneous Force attacks, my reflexes were so heightened that the opponents movements seemed sluggish, giving me plenty of time to think and move and react.
My own power, the absorbed power from the rodian, the captured lightning from the twi'lek, I combined it all into a wave of kinetic energy and shoved it out against the Sith students, held it and brought it crashing back against them from behind as they stumbled back.
The rodian lay stunned, the twi'lek jumped into the air as the push hit her, only to be hurled forward as the wave of Force energy slammed back into her. She flew toward me, past me, fell to the ground with a maladroit flailing.
The two human men fared better, being heavy enough and skilled enough to hold their ground despite my attempts to uproot them.
The human woman reacted instinctively, anchoring herself with a Force pull against me just as my push hit her, but like the twi'lek her reaction wasn't calculated against the wave of kinetic energy being brought back in the opposite direction. She released her pull, but staggered off balance.
I jumped, twisted through the air to land well behind the group, and grabbed the two men with crushing Force, my hands extended to focus in on them.
"Revan's come home," I whispered, the world flaring with golden light. Korriban was so familiar, so comforting, so powerful. Here I could do anything. Here my power was unmatched.
I dropped the leader, let him fall to his knees gasping, and brought my attention to the other three students. Having recovered from my kinetic attack, they'd raised their lightsabers and were charging.
The weapons were still in training mode. They wanted to hurt me, not immediately kill me.
My body tensed, dread and anticipation coiling in my stomach, and I laughed as I integrated the instinctive fear into my power. The Force raged through me, fire and strength.
The world shone with power and potential. I no longer saw the battle, I felt it, tingling through me, mind and soul.
Five of them. One of me. I could channel two Force attacks at a time, one with each hand. If they'd been even close to the strength of Bandon and his Dark Jedi, I'd have been forced to flee.
But they were not.
And I am Lord Revan.
I raised a hand high, draining the strength from the nearest assailant, then channeled it back toward them as lightning and kinetic force. I grabbed another by the throat with the Force, pulled his lightsaber away and crushed it into useless scrap before his eyes as I released him to halt another attack.
My worries about Juhani and Bastila fell away, my concern about wasted time faded.
I jumped, ran, spun and flared. Lightning burst out to intercept enemy sabers, Force pushed my opponents away or pulled them off balance. I danced, flowed with the Force, moved with a speed and efficiency of movement that I couldn't remember ever experiencing before.
This was mine, a birthright seized through victory and power. Korriban had called to me, so long ago, and now I'd finally returned.
