Author's notes: I hope this didn't turn out too sappy or cliché – I wanted it to be emotional, but not overly. Anyhow, this is officially the last chapter. There will be an epilogue that will wrap things up and also make a connection between K1 and K2. The final confrontation is here…Chocolate for those who find the Episode IV quotes!
Greatstar – Yes, a KotOR II phic is on the way! Thanks and read on!
Lord Varus – Thanks! Here you go!
Dark Lord Daishi – She's not completely LS, but not completely DS either. Yes, on to Malak!
Ryumasa the Ryuhaitou – (Revan writes down the tips)
Cittygurl– Here it is!
JediRevanOnasi– I know… but this one is long, I swear! Read on!
Brynn – (shrugs) Some things have to remain canon. The epilogue will wrap things up, I promise.
X X X
Chapter 42 – RisenX X X X
There was a disturbance in the Force. Malak knew that Bastila wouldn't be able to stand against Revan, at least not for long. He expected Revan to manipulate her somehow. When he sensed darkness rush away from Bastila, first slowly, then entirely, he knew that she was close. The change in the Force showed that Bastila lived… and was no longer a Sith. She rejected the Dark Side and began using her power against him. But there was still one card he could play, should everything else fail him… the Star Forge itself.
He spent the past year exploring it, retrieving the secrets Revan never shared with him. And he now understood that she had reasons for those measures. He began to understand that she was well aware that he began to pose a threat to her continuing reign. The bonds of friendship used to be strong between them, they were both delaying the confrontation as much as possible. It became slowly obvious that she would have decided to destroy him soon, had he not acted first and attacked her during the battle against the Republic.
Revan was on the Star Forge. He was right to say that the Force is leading them to an encounter with her. She was the only thing standing between him and ultimate victory. The only hope of the Republic. Once again, she was the savior. He would have smirked at the thought, if he could.
The other Jedi aboard the Star Forge were no match for him, like the two he was choking right now. The poor fools were clearly part of the team that entered the station in search for Bastila. Unfortunately for them, they didn't realize at first who they encountered on their way. But they weren't worthy the effort to strike them down personally. They would die a slow, painful death. A death worthy of the cowards they were.
Through the Force, he could sense her presence slowly approaching the elevator to the viewing platform. She probably assumed that he would be there, since the chamber was perfect for small-time combat. Even now, he could almost hear the slow footsteps echoing through the immense corridor, with her usual style implying that she was in no real hurry. She would savor this battle.
"I know you can hear me, Malak." A familiar female voice called from behind the elevator door. "Come out and face me – or are we playing hide and seek?"
When Malak opened the door to the elevator, his former Master indeed stood on the other side, clad in the usual trademark Sith robes, but her claim from the battle with Mandalore – the mask – hung on her belt.
Her lightsaber ready was in her hand, humming quietly. The beam was of a color he had never seen before – it appeared to be made of blood, crimson passing to yellow, which faded into white in the center. The Light Side was strong with the weapon, thanks to the Solari crystal within it. Both the Jedi and the Sith had their legends about the Heart of the Guardian and from what he learned of their history, the crystal was in Revan´s lightsaber. It was said that the Heart would return at the time of the Jedi's greatest need… or when the Sith would triumph at last. Then again, Revan had created so much deception that he had no idea which one she now represented.
She didn't seem at all exhausted from destroying everything in her path on her way here. Her eyes were narrowed she calmly gazed into his, neither of them caring about the two Jedi that were being choked.
The silent battle of wills seemed to last forever. Malak took a few steps towards her, frowning at her achievement, though he knew it would come to this. The choking sounds began to irritate him and he wanted to finish this with her alone, once and for all. Force Lightning swayed the body of one of the Jedi and a red lightsaber cut the other one in half. The Jedi fell dead to his boots.
Once again, he observed Revan, who made no motion to stop him. But he recognized the battle stance, one of the many she mastered long ago, the one she used when she thought there was still avoiding the battle. That surprised him a bit. But she was a Jedi now. A Jedi. How dare they bind her to the will of the Council once again? And how come she believed them again?
Did she believe them? She had to, since she rejected the Sith throne when it was offering itself to her.
"I tire of this game, Revan." His words were cold as he said the name through gritted teeth, like one would a hated curse. "You've been a thorn in my side since I seized the title of Dark Lord from your feeble grasp. You made a mistake coming here, Revan. The Star Forge fuels my command of the Dark Side. You are no match for me here. And this time, you will not escape."
"It is you who cannot escape, Malak." She replied in a soft voice that he had never heard her use before. It was calm and gentle, even caring. He knew better than believe the masquerade. "The game ends here and you lose. You have nowhere else to run. Surrender, now."
"Is that what you call it?" he growled, "Surrender to be butchered by your torture techniques or to be thrown to the feet of those weak fools? I'm no coward, Revan. I would rather die."
"Death is only another form of escape."
His eyes narrowed dangerously. But the irritating thing was that whenever she looked at him with that cool contempt, the trained reflex of shame immediately proceeded to take over. But not anymore. The pitiful manipulation wouldn't work now. He was free of the chains she had bound him with… and she would pay the price for doing so.
"Don't start going philosophical on me." he spat, "Save your preaching, Revan. I will have none of it. You are an insignificant speck, beneath my notice." Revan spared him an amused glance. "I have surpassed you in every way and achieved what you never could – I have unleashed the full power of this Rakatan factory. You had no idea of the power within this place!" He knew that only the last statement wasn't even partially true, but that didn't matter the least. "its very walls are alive with Dark Side energies! And now, my old Master," he mock bowed to her, "I will let the Star Forge itself destroy you."
The door slammed shut in Revan´s face, just as she expected it to. Sighing dramatically, he turned away from the elevator door, facing the hallway.
So, Malak, let's see what your little toy factory can do.
The defense systems of the Star Forge have been activated. The machines, silent a few moments ago, now began churning out droids, one by one, each with a loud electrical screech. The droids, except for the fact that they were blood red, were similar to those she saw with the Elders on the nameless world or the Overseer on Dantooine. But these were clearly programmed for combat.
She gripped her lightsaber with both hands, deflecting the shots fired at her. Her gaze traveled across the machines, until it stopped on a computer console nearby. With amazing speed, Revan dashed across the room and began programming the console while the confused droids tried to catch up with her. They were too late.
Revan learned a thing or two from Mission during their journeys together and with several computer spikes, she was able to override the system and create a droid of her own. It materialized in a flash of electric blue light, appearing where several purple beams were seconds ago. The droid aimed its weapons at the nearest red assault droid and blasted its motion sensors. Revan smiled at its success and immediately ran to the next console.
A, B, C, D, E, F – she programmed all those consoles to create droids to help her. And they did, even if it was only by keeping Malak´s own droids busy. When she created the last droid, the red ones were already outnumbered. The silver human shaped droids attacked with more speed and soon, there was only one red droid remaining. Revan saw that and disabled it with the Force. The other droids destroyed it soon and took positions near the spike bins. Somehow, the elevator door opened automatically. The woman spared it a suspicious glance, but entered nonetheless.
The door in front of her opened moments later, revealing the viewing platform of the Star Forge. She remembered it well, because she often used to stand here, watching her fleet assembling around the space station. Revan slowly walked towards the figure in the middle of the chamber. Her footsteps echoed in the chamber, breaking the silence.
Malak turned to her only when she was mere feet away. Truthfully, he didn't expect her to survive. Yet there she was, silently standing in front of him, showing no weariness except the slight rosy color her cheeks gained due to the running around. Still, there was no trace of blood on her robe. No wound, no injury, no nothing. As if she had merely taken a relaxing walk.
"Well done, Revan." he congratulated her tonelessly, "I was certain that the defenses of the Star Forge would destroy you, but I see there is more strength within you than I expected. You are stronger than I thought. Stronger than you ever were during your reign as the Dark Lord. I did not think it was possible." he admitted.
"Once we set out to achieve the impossible. And we triumphed. Nothing is impossible."
"True."
"I don't want to fight you, Malak." she said after a moment of silence.
"Afraid you'll lose?" he taunted.
"The reasons are many, but I assure you that if decapitation is what you desire above all else before you would cooperate, I may yet have no other choice." Revan hissed back at him, "You stabbed me in the back once and I have no intention of giving you a second chance at doing that. I need no more distractions. My path is shadowy, gray, and it leads away from here. Come with me."
"The darkness and the light wage a constant war within you. Savior, conqueror, hero, villain – you are all things, Revan, and yet, you are nothing." Revan closed her eyes for a moment, which seemed to grant him boldness. "In the end, you belong neither to the light, nor the darkness. You will forever stand alone."
"Then you refuse." Was the echo of a whisper. In a moment, her voice regained strength. "I have the Jedi. They can still prove useful."
"Of course." he spat, but there was a hint of disappointment in his voice, "What else do you have? Fate and destiny have conspired to keep you alive, despite my best efforts – they have thrust you into the role of savior." Was that a hint of jealousy?
"We have been inexorably pushed to this final confrontation, Revan. I see now this can only be ended when one of us destroys the other."
The ancient Sith teachings. Master versus pupil, as it was meant to be. She heard those words echo in her mind over and over again. This was what she wanted from the beginning – a final confrontation with him on a fair battlefield. There, she would reclaim her mantle and bring an end to the Republic and it´s foolish resistance that lasted so long only thanks to Bastila´s Battle Meditation. Now, however, all that was irrelevant to her. Jedi, Sith, Republic… those words were meaningless. To both of them, though they had no idea of that. Both had a single thing standing in the way of their own triumph – the other.
"Once again, we shall face each other in single combat – and the victor will decide the fate of the galaxy!"
To stand still is to know death. The Sith lectures returned to her mind.
Everything around them seemed to disappear – all that was left were the two battling figures, surrounded by the Force. It was flowing through them, fueling them with its power and obeying their commands, yet neither of them seemed to have the upper hand in this fight.
Let the Force flow through you. Learn to quiet your worries and you'll hear it calling to you.
The Jedi teachings were in her thoughts. Both of them were way beyond the limitations of a physical body. Malak attacked with unnatural speed, but the blood red lightsaber blocked him without problems. Perhaps it was minutes that had passed, but it could have been hours for all either of them cared. They lost track of time.
Every attack was effectively blocked, every strike parried. Several ships exploded near the station, not that either of them cared. But the cries of the Forge, cries of fear passing through the Force were hard to ignore.
A particularly strong blow sent Revan´s saber flying out of her hands. She lost balance as well and dropped to the ground, hitting her side badly. With a victorious gleam in his eyes, Malak raised his saber to deliver the final blow. He was so focused on Revan that he didn't see her saber rise into the air and slash at his arm on its own accord.
Yelling in pain, he took a step back. Revan sprang to her feet with ease and caught the saber in mid-air. Malak backed away to an electrical cage, looking at her with amazement in his eyes and suddenly turned away from her and ran to an electrical cage. Within the cage was a human body.
"You continue to amaze me, Revan." he said, observing her for a moment, "If you have been the one to discover the true power of the Star Forge, you might have become truly invincible. But you were a fool. All you ever imagined was an enormous factory, all you ever saw was an infinite fleet, rolling forth to crush the Republic. You were blind, Revan. Blind and stupid."
"Just because I didn't share my secrets with you doesn't mean I didn't know." Revan retorted coldly.
"The Star Forge is more than just a space station." Malak explained, "In some ways, it's like a living creature. It hungers. And it can feed on the Dark Side within all of us. Look around you, Revan. See the bodies? You should recognize them from the Academy. These are Jedi who fell when I attacked Dantooine."
He was right – she recognized the faces. She knew many of them by name and all of them by face. They were Jedi from Dantooine, just as he said. But they appeared…
"For all intents and purposes, dead." He finished the thought that crossed her mind with some pride. "Except for one difference. I have not let them become one with the Force. Instead, I have brought them here. The Star Forge corrupts what remains of their power and transfers the dark taint to me."
Malak raised his hand. A bright orange beam emerged from his palm and, using the Force, he drained the closest Jedi of his life force. The wound on Malak´s arm disappeared. In a slight blue flash, the Jedi's skin became gray and tattered. Lifeless.
"You cannot beat me, Revan." he triumphantly claimed, "Not here on the Star Forge. Not when I can draw upon the power of all these Jedi. And once you are beaten, I will do the same to you. You will be trapped in a terrible existence between life and death, your power feeding me as I conquer the galaxy."
As he said those final words, Revan threw her lightsaber at him, using the moments she had to spare to raise her arm up high and open her palm. A violet beam of energy emerged from her palm and hit the captive Jedi, all of them, in the cages far away from where she stood. The Jedi's skin was literally becoming older and grayer as she drained them life force, reenergizing herself.
The exhaust from the battle, the uncertainty and even the darker impulses have toned down. Anger had turned into a liberating freedom, giving her strength.
Malak deflected her blade with his own. When he finally saw what she was doing, it seemed to be far too late for him to do anything to stop her. His were squinted in rage. The way to defeat her was gone – he could rely only on his own skill and power right now. A pang of jealousy hit him again. Revan had formed a spectacular disturbance in the Force and used much power to do it.
Once more, Revan dropped to the ground with a cry of pain. Sparks of lightning surrounded her for a moment before she could finally open her eyes without risking her eyesight.
"Fascinating." She raised her head to see Malak towering above her, lightsaber at the ready. Yet he made no more to attack her. "How do you resist the lightning without trying?"
"Electrical shield belt." Revan panted, "Simple, but effective. Use whatever resources you can… and I was always one for gadgets."
Malak nodded at that, silent. Then, "I am tempted to capture you alive, Revan. Then I could break your will and bind you to me as my apprentice, as I did Bastila. You'd be a far greater asset than even Bastila and her Battle Meditation, if I could control you. But is it even worth the risk?"
"I was always stronger, Malak. That is why I was the Master." Revan snapped.
"Once, you were stronger than me, Revan. But as your apprentice, I surpassed you. The Master must always be stronger than the apprentice… that was why I betrayed you."
"And yet you did so from afar, afraid to face me."
"No!" he said defensively, "I was prepared to face you, Revan. If the Jedi hadn't attacked, I would have challenged you soon enough. But fate presented me with a better opportunity. I never dreamed the Jedi would take you alive from the wreckage."
"I almost died… almost." She paused for a second, then shook her head in disbelief. "How can you drain those Jedi? They are a void, soulless, and you deprive them of the right to join the Force. That is something I view as… blasphemy!"
"They no longer need their power." Malak noted with a light shrug. "The role of the weak is to serve the strong – that is the true nature of the Dark Side."
"I will heed the lesson, 'Master'." Revan hissed, rolling back to avoid his attack.
His eyes widened ever so slightly. "Perhaps you are too powerful to be my apprentice. I betrayed you when I realized my own strength was greater than yours. In time, you might try to do the same to me."
"What makes you think that?" Revan sarcastically remarked. Even though he laughed at that, she never dropped her guard.
That proved fortunate, since he tried to drain her like he drained the Jedi. Unsuccessfully. The station shook violently as their sabers clashed again. And Revan sensed the Force crackle around them, a spectacular feeling unlike anything she felt before. It was as if someone was leading her hand while Malak´s strength faltered slightly.
"I thought you could use the encouragement." A voice in her mind echoed.
Revan ducked an attack and used the sudden opening to stab Malak. The saber pierced his stomach. In complete silence, his weapon dropped out of his hand as Revan deactivated her blade and caught him before he could collapse completely. Gently, she lowered him to the floor. The wound was mortal.
"Game over, I think." Revan whispered. The Star Forge screamed at her to kill him and save it before it would be too late. She ignored it completely.
It wasn't happening. It couldn't be true. She had rejected the Dark Side. A weak and sad fool. But she was victorious. Malak could feel the burning pain that her stroke brought to him…he realized that his strength was leaving him.
"Im…impossible." he weakly objected, coughing. His words were directed more to himself than Revan.
How could he have failed to kill her? It was what he had wanted all along, kill her and finally silence those who thought he had acted out of fear when he attacked her ship from afar. To finally step out of the shadow of "THE Revan" and truly become the Dark Lord of the Sith. He could admit that he had been obsessed with the thought of her death for the past few months. Since that dreadful moment when he had learned that she lived.
"I…cannot be beaten. I am the Dark Lord of the Sith."
"Nothing is impossible." the soft voice echoed, "Not even the redemption of a Sith Lord."
The darkness veiling it had finally disappeared – just as the mask she once wore. As he suspected long ago, the darkness was just a shield to her. She never sought to rule the Sith, nor did she seek to gain power. All that came by itself. It was all just a masquerade to hide the good heart underneath it, he understood now. She was a dammed good con artist. Weak…and yet far stronger than him.
The clasp that held her hair in a ponytail was weakened – the silky strands framed her face. And her eyes…they were no longer the golden-red hatred-filled eyes that he remembered. They were blue, as he could vaguely see as a distant memory. Her skin had more color than before and there were no dark veins visible.
The Dark Side of Revan was gone.
"You… seek to turn me?" he said with a weak chuckle, "You are indeed a fool, Revan."
Light or dark, she was stronger than him. Hero or villain, she was destined to lead the galaxy.
He saw it now. She didn't even have to say it. He saw the truth, the real truth, and it was not the one the Sith believed in. Revan´s choices made sense to him now. She was the first to return to the right path, from which she never strayed after that. Could he have followed her back to the light, just as he did to the darkness? He once promised to stay with her to the very end…and the end has come. For him, at least. Revan would move on, go beyond the Star Forge and lead the galaxy to peace. This was just another step on the way towards her destiny. He was irrelevant now. A part of the past.
Revan smiled gently. "Who's the more foolish – the fool or the fool who follows her?"
"I understand." he chuckled weakly, which triggered another coughing fit. "The apprentice has learnt his final lesson."
"No… no, this is only the first lesson." Revan whispered, "I can heal you – I have the power again."
Though it caused another coughing fit, Malak shook his head. "There is no returning for me, Revan… but there is for you. I… I tried to usurp your rule… but now I understand… that there was a larger plan…"
Revan nodded weakly. "I will explain everything to you, why I did this, why I did everything… come with me, please…"
But he shook his head, coughing again, "No, Revan." Grasping her hand very weakly, he returned a small orb to her. It was the holoprojector-amulet he had given her and then accidentally ripped off her neck on the Leviathan. "This is yours… remember me as a friend, not an enemy... as someone who loved you…"
"I… I love you…" Revan whispered, forcing a sad smile.
As if a light had been ignited, Malak´s eyes gained a whole new spark. For the first time in years, a smile passed through them. A believing, joyful smile. But nevertheless, even after this final revelation, even now that he knew that there was a possible future for the two of them, he knew what he had to do. There was a future for Revan waiting out there - a future of glory, fame and immense battles... the end had come only for him. He knew that he would have to refuse her plea for the first and last time now, at the end of his path.
"Then… you will leave… I alone must accept responsibility for my fate. I wanted to be Master of the Sith and ruler of the galaxy. But that destiny was not mine, Revan. It was yours… but never mine. And in the end, as the darkness takes me, I am nothing."
"No… I am nothing." she breathed, tears rolling down her cheeks. It was doubtful that he heard her words.
A final breath came and Darth Malak died, abandoning his friend one last time. Revan closed his eyes – the golden Dark Side gleam had faded from them, the natural dark blue had returned – kissed his cooling forehead and stood up, walking away slowly, straight to the elevator.
It was the end.
X X X
The Republic fleet was advancing on the Star Forge. The Sith were defending it as much as they could, but with Bastila aiding the Republic, they didn't have much of a chance.
Admiral Dodonna and master Vandar were watching the battle. A squadron leader reported that they hit the main orbital stabilizers of the space station.
"Everyone pull back. I don't want to loose any ships when that space station goes down."
The Admiral turned to the Jedi, almost beaming.
"We did it Vandar! The Sith are routed and the Star Forge destroyed."
Master Vandar however, didn't seem that excited. Only he understood what victory really meant. They had lost their paragon…
"But at what cost, Admiral? Where is the Ebon Hawk and her crew?"
X X X
The elevator doors opened – the Ebon Hawk was ready for take-off, Revan saw, but its pilot and a certain Battle Meditation brat remained outside, clearly waiting for her. Revan, now fully aware that the station was doomed, ran to them, almost enraged.
"What are you two doing outside? Into the ship! We have to get out of here!"
"What happened?" Carth wanted to know.
"He's dead." Bastila noted tonelessly. But her relief was obvious.
"How far away is the fleet?" Revan asked.
"The capital ships are in bombardment range." Bastila reported.
"And that means we have to get out of here before this entire complex comes down round our ears. Everyone else is on the ship, let's go!" Carth called.
The trio ran back into the Ebon Hawk, all straight into the cockpit.
X X X
The Republic fleet was flying away from the Star Forge. The space station was starting to fall. Many minor explosions resolved with one that destroyed the entire space station before it hit the star it had been draining. The Ebon Hawk narrowly escaped and was joined by an honor guard.
"Carth – you made it!"
"We couldn't let you start the victory party without us, Admiral."
"I'm sending an honor guard to escort you in – you'll be getting a hero's welcome when we all get home!"
