Chapter Twenty-Two: The Sith of Today
Aedal had found a place for them to target, and it was a group nobody had to feel guilty about killing. Apparently, there was a gang of Sith that Canderous' scouts had located. It wasn't known who, if anyone, they were working for.
But Aedal apparently wanted them dead, and he wanted Revan to do it.
For his part, Revan was meditating.
He'd done very little of it since he'd gotten out of Dantooine, most of his time was spent talking to people. Organizing things, so people did what he wanted them to do, and he gained more power than ever. And he was out of practice.
So to pass the time, he'd tried doing both at once.
"What are you doing, Revan?" asked Malak from across the shuttles passenger bay. "I can sense it from here."
The low hum of the shuttle came back to Revan's ears. He opened his eyes to see Malak sitting crosslegged at the center. His lightsaber was in one hand, and he was frowning. There seemed to be something... different about him. It had been in the way he'd looked at Revan, though it wasn't bad.
Either way, Revan owed him an answer. "You remember how Zhar taught us to focus on taking in the nature of the areas around us? And how Meetra always used to know where we were?"
"She didn't always," said Malak.
"Yes she did, whenever we played hide and seek blindfolded, she picked us out right away," said Revan. "Well, I did some reading during my time, and it turns out we might have something called a force bond."
"Meaning?" asked Malak.
"It's what happens when two force users become close or something," said Revan. "They sort of get a sense for the other person. Anyway, Meetra has always been the best at sensing the force, and I think she has a knack for us."
"So?" asked Malak.
"So, I also observed Bastila in action when she was meditating," said Malak. "I've sensed how she does her battle meditation, and I get a sense of how she does it.
"I can't actually do battle meditation myself, of course.
"But I'm trying to do something like it."
"How?" asked Malak.
Revan sighed. "I've spent the past few hours thinking of all the horrific things that could happen to us. Especially while raiding a nest of Dark Jedi. Torture, impalement, mind rape, and I'm sending my fear of that happening along with the sort of bond I have with Meetra.
"I sort of had to convince myself those things were actually happening or would happen to get it across. The way I see it, if I convince myself those things are going to happen, it might bleed through."
"That' a bit... Dark Sided, isn't it?" asked Malak.
"No, it's not," said Revan. "I'm sending out a distress signal. Telling her, we're in trouble. She'll be with Vrook and Kavar, and they'll realize something has gone to hell on our mission. The last contact the Jedi had with us, Kreia and Zaz-Kai Ell, were free and planning a rescue.
"If they see both of us, they'll know that there was an attempt at a rescue, that it went bad, and that there are Sith involved. The fact that the Sith are mixing with Mandalorians will be enough to send the Jedi Council on the warpath."
"What if Meetra does something reckless?" asked Malak.
"What if she does?" asked Revan. "She's with at least one Jedi Master, and Vrook can't have alienated her that much. And anyway, it's not like she's standing next to a speeder filled with high-grade weaponry."
"You know, just because I'm not looking at you doesn't mean I can't hear you," said Actava, glancing back. "You might want to not discuss your planned betrayal."
"Oh, come on," said Revan. "We both know that Aedal and I are planning to put the knife into one another. I'm not here because I actually want to join the Mandalorians. I just took the only possible way to save myself and my friends. Aedal knows that as much as I do. But he's hoping to get some use out of me before I betray him.
"Mostly because he doesn't think I'll be able to pull it off."
Malak suddenly stood up. "Revan, let's spar?"
"Hmm, why?" asked Revan.
"We haven't sparred in a long time," said Malak. "I want to know how both of us have advanced."
Revan sighed and unbuckled the belt. He drew out his lightsaber and remembered he'd made a few alterations for the purposes of control. "Sure, but we both know you'll win."
"You're quick to admit defeat," said Actava.
"Hey," said Revan. "Malak has always been a better fighter than me, and he's had active training from a master. Plus, he actually has some sword fighting experience under his belt. I'm more of a silent manipulator type."
"Afraid, Revan?" asked Malak simply.
Revan looked at Malak, infuriated. "What was that?"
"Well, if you don't want to face the lessons of defeat, it is understandable," said Malak.
Revan decided he'd take the bait and took a stance. "...Alright, consider me provoked.
"We've got time to wait anyway. Set your lightsaber to training, will you Malak?"
"As you wish," said Malak.
Both set their blades to practice, and then they waited. For a long moment, they stood, sensing the land flowing beneath them. There was a river nearby, and many strange plants that had a soothing effect. And life, life was nearing them, hundreds of people, some of them subdued and others twisted and dark.
Then they were alone as if only they existed in this place.
Malak surged forward, his lightsaber coming out, and Revan blocked the attack. They clashed in place, and Revan was forced to yield ground. It was strange, but Malak was attacking like he was enraged. Yet Revan felt no anger as he parried and thrust, scarcely able to keep up.
Rolling aside, Revan brought around a sword, only to be parried by Malak.
"You've improved Revan, you are far more powerful than you were when last we fought," said Malak.
Not that he was doing any better. Somehow Malak was channeling his emotions without being affected by them. Clashing, Revan tried for the offensive and seemed to take him off guard. Yet Malak shifted to a defensive stance just as easily and backed away.
"I can say the same about you," said Revan, sliding to a halt. "You've got a far better grasp of the force than you did last time."
"Master Kreia is a rigorous teacher, to say the least," said Malak. "She has forced me to meditate, to understand the flow of the Force better. And by knowing the Force, I have known myself.
"You cannot defeat me, Revan."
Why was he so confident? They'd been equally matched so far. "Nice work on that.
"Still, I've got my own kind of meditation."
Ducking low, Revan slashed at Malak's legs. Yet the other boy parried and counterattacked. Revan rolled away and came at him from the side. Yet even as he did, Malak seemed to yield, moving aside. Revan nearly crashed into the wall, and as he turned, he realized Malak could have won right there.
He'd been right.
So why was he angry.
"You look outward," said Malak. "The world is but a machine to you, and you manipulate and change it at will. You understand emotions as levers to be pulled, people as history to be unlocked. Friends are but companions to embellish your domain.
"This world is but a game to you, and so it cannot harm you. It is your greatest strength."
"That's a little harsh, don't you think?" said Revan, feigning a weakness.
"Not harsh enough," said Malak, blade held steady. "You see, I finally realized the extent of your detachment when I saw you speak with Aedal. You willingly consigned a fellow Padawan you had traveled with to imprisonment. You turned your back, however temporarily, on the Jedi Order, on Zhar and all our friends.
"It may have been a rational decision.
"However, it was not a human one."
"Are you calling me a droid?" asked Revan, feeling a little offended at that.
"Not at all, no droid could conceive of your behavior, for their world is based on programmed rules," said Malak. "They cannot conceive of acting beyond how they are programmed. At best, they can be creative in the pursuit of a goal via an algorithm.
"Your actions are not those of a machine but of a god."
Revan smiled. "I'm flattered, really.
"But I don't see-" The shuttle bumped.
Malak surged forward, faster than Revan could respond. In one swift movement, he was disarmed, and his lightsaber flew from his hand. Malak's blade was at his throat in an instant. "Don't be, it is the root of your weakness.
"Whether your actions are good or evil, they are performed for the sake of your personal desires. If you are a servant of the light, it is because you have, on a whim, chosen to be that for the day's amusement. When you perform cruel acts and tempt others into darkness, it is done for the very same reason.
"You have set yourself apart from this world, and so you cannot ever truly know it. You understand the way the machine operates. But you will never understand the spirit that lies within. And so long as you cannot understand the spirit, you cannot gain power."
Malak sheathed his lightsaber. Revan reached out and pulled his lightsaber toward him, catching it in hand. Revan looked at it and considered what Malak had said. Much of it seemed true.
But how exactly was one supposed to stand something you had no investment in?
"We cannot play games forever," said Malak. "We will become Jedi or Sith or Mandalorians based on what we do, and what we do comes from our thoughts."
Revan conceded that Malak had won both in body and spirit as he hooked his lightsaber to his belt. "...Fair enough, the apprentice has learned his first lesson."
"You kids done?" asked Actava. "Because we're coming up on the Sith base. We should be able to touch down somewhere around-
"Mandalore incarnate!"
"What is?" asked Revan, moving to the copilot seat. And then he saw a number of missiles rush right past them as Actava veered.
"Someone's trying to shoot us down!" snapped the woman.
"Yes, I wonder why," said Malak.
More missiles came from below, shooting toward them. Yet as they came, Malak raised a hand, and many of them fell from the sky. Yet others veered toward them, and Actava swerved in midair. Some missed her; others were disabled by Malak.
But Revan sensed the heat of another missile and heading toward them from behind. "Veer, right!" said Revan.
"Why?" asked Actava.
"Do it now!" said Revan.
She did veer right, and the missiles shot past them, heading down toward the ground. Soon enough, they came within sight of their target, a large steel base. From it soon came heavy turbolaser fire that surged toward them.
Actava moved aside, and one of them caught them on the wing. The whole craft shuddered, and they began to lose altitude.
"Grab ahold of something, we're going down!" snapped Actava.
Revan did so, and they veered out of the sky.
They hit the ground hard, and dirt smashed up against the windshield. It cracked as they cut a groove through the earth, and Revan was planted against his seat. Glancing back, he saw Malak standing and motioning forward with one hand. The force was being used to soften their fall.
At last, they slid to a halt.
Everything was very dim and dark, all of a sudden. Standing up, Actava turned on a flashlight and drew out her double-bladed sword. "Fragging Dark Jedi!"
"Were you surprised they shot us down?" asked Revan.
"We sent a message ahead," said Actava. "Aedal said he wanted to negotiate an alliance with them. And they agreed. The plan was he'd offer you to them as an apprentice as a token of goodwill. That would give you your chance to wipe them out or whatever.
"And if you died, he could just say you were doing what a Sith was supposed to do.
"Why the hell did they shoot us down?"
"My guess, they wanted to," said Revan, checking to make sure HK wasn't hurt. He didn't have any chips on him, from the looks of things.
"Oh, that's truly enlightening, isn't it?" said Actava. "Will you shut up."
Malak moved over to the emergency door and found it stuck. Testing it, he tapped it twice, then drew out a lightsaber and smashed it down with one thrust. Stepping out, Actava and Revan followed him out.
Making their way out of the long crater, they saw around them vast fields of a beautiful, white flower. Looking at it gave him a soothing feel, while further on, Revan saw a red flower with yellow markings. Along a path, a speeder was heading toward them. In it were five different black-clad people of several races and genders.
"What now?" asked Malak.
"I imagine we can establish a dialogue and learn their motives," said Revan. "From there-"
The speeder halted, and they leaped out, drawing red lightsabers with a smile. "Well, it looks like we've found ourselves a bit of sport, my friends!"
"I told you I could shoot em down!" said the other.
"Yeah, but weren't we supposed to uh, be making an alliance with these guys," said another.
"And we did," said a female twilek. "They bring us things to kill, and they die! A symbiotic relationship, just like those pathetic, weak Jedi wanted!"
"Yeah, but didn't we have like uh... a plan to take over this planet," said the conservative.
"Will you just-" began the twilek.
Actava through a grenade and the Jedi jumped away. Then the grenade exploded with a flash, and the Jedi covered their eyes in agony. "Arg! You worthless bitch, I'll-"
And then Actava was on them. She cleaved down one of the Dark Jedi while they were covering their eyes, aiming for the twilek. The second managed to parry a few thrusts, before being cut down. By then, the others surged toward her, lightsabers ready.
Actava yielded ground, parrying their thrusts and backing away. A smile was on her face. "Come on, boys! Let's see if you can handle me all at once!"
The Sith made no attempt to cooperate. In fact, they seemed to be actively shoving at one another to get at her. Actava, meanwhile, seemed to have dismissed them as a threat and was now baiting them. She'd let them get at her, getting their hopes up, then knocking them back.
"Just use your force powers you laser brains!" said Revan exasperation.
Dead silence as the Sith looked at one another. As they did, Actava drew out another grenade. "Oh, right, we have those. We have those, right?"
"I don't practice with force powers!" snarled one of them. "It takes too much effort! Why should I practice with that when I can be murdering people!" Actava tossed the grenade.
"I know right," said the other. "I like to get up close and personal when I kill people and-"
Then the grenade exploded, killing them all instantly.
Revan put his face in his hands. "I think Vrook and Aedal might have common ground. This is just sad."
And then the turbolasers turned toward them on the walls. Someone started firing them.
"Scatter!" said Actava.
They leaped for cover as best they could. Then the ship went up in flames.
Author's Note:
So, I'd like to make an announcement.
There has been now and then about the coronavirus. Some people are speaking about relaxing quarantine a bit. If this happens, or an announcement is made, YOU MUST IGNORE IT.
Diseases that spread as far as the coronavirus does not just disappear in a month. This thing will probably be around for at least a year. The people claiming it is almost over are just saying that because they want to prop up the stock market. They will gladly let a few thousand people die if it means the economy didn't drop a few points.
When someone announces that the coronavirus is over, ignore them. Wait at least a few weeks and maintain quarantine until it is absolutely clear it is over. There is usually a second wave when people get careless, and you don't want to get caught up in that.
If I'm wrong, you'll only suffer a minor inconvenience. If I'm right, though, you could easily save yourselves and your families from getting sick.
Stay safe, people, and remember:
The Force will be with you. Always.
