I don't know how my Revan ended up being a cheeky little shit but that is what ended up happening. But, considering the reason why Revan reprogrammed HK to refer to every living being as a meatbag, I can see this as completely possible.
Anyway, I'm updating within a week! Yay!
Thank you to JumpingToaster, TaitanoRules555, Lawrence HBain, foxchick1, Abyss Trinity, WhiteNinja489, Guest, DarthVerus, ssj3gohan007, and Bountyhunter1977 for reviewing the last chapter. You guys are great.
I hope that you enjoy this chapter and reviews, as always, are much appreciated.
Chapter Nineteen
Hangar Bay, the Leviathan
As the Ebon Hawk was slowly pulled into one of the docking bays of the Leviathan, Revan, Anakin, Bastila, Carth, Luke, and the rest of the group gathered around the holoterminal at the heart of the ship. Carth was pensive, his brow furrowed, while Dustil had smoldering anger in his eyes, his hands clenched into tight fists at his side. Revan could understand why. Karath had been the one responsible for the bombing of Telos IV that resulted in the death of Carth's wife, Dustil's mother. He must be trying to control his anger as Revan could feel him trying to release it into the Force.
"Admiral Karath taught me everything I know about being a soldier," Carth said finally, breaking the silence that had fallen upon the group. "He was a legend in the Republic fleet, and a hero to me, until he betrayed us. When the Sith attacked my homeworld, the Leviathan—which is Saul's flagship—was at the head of the fleet. My family was nearly destroyed that day and my wife died in the bombardment."
Dustil scowled. "I barely survived," he said. "And the only reason I survived was because Mother pushed me into the safety of the cellar beneath our home. That cellar managed to withstand the bombardment but there was absolutely nothing left of my home when I left it. Selene found me soon after and the two of us struggled to survive in the days after the bombardment before Selene convinced me to join the Sith. That bastard..."
"Don't let your lust for revenge cloud your judgment, Carth, Dustil," Bastila said firmly. "That is not the way of the Jedi. Vengeance, anger, emotion: these things lead to the dark side."
"I'm not going to do anything stupid," Carth said, relaxing the tension in his shoulders. "I won't throw our lives away in some mad quest for vengeance. But if I get the chance to kill Saul during our escape, nobody better get in my way."
"That's supposing I don't get to him first because you won't be able to kill him once I get my hands on him," Dustil said coolly.
"Talk of an escape is somewhat premature, don't you think?" Bastila said, folding her arms across her chest and raising her eyebrows. "We don't even have a plan to get out of this mess yet."
"What do we know about Saul?" Anakin asked. "Carth, you said he was your mentor. What can we expect from him?"
"He is no fool," Carth said. "And he is not someone who is going to underestimate us. You can count on plenty of guards watching every move we make."
"Does he even know how many of us there are on board?" Luke asked suddenly.
Anakin tilted his head to the side. "Given that Malak is determined to capture me, Bastila, and Zhane, I have no doubt Karath does know about the three of us but there's no telling if he knows about how many more of us there are. That could work to our advantage."
"I agree," Bastila said with a nod. "We all have special talents, talents we could exploit so that one of us could stage a rescue. We just have to figure out who has the best chance to avoid capture so that they can come and rescue us later. It's a long shot, but it's our only hope."
"They will be watching us far too closely," Zhane said. "Me, Anakin, Bastila, and probably Carth are not going to be able to help because of how close an eye Karath is likely going to be keeping on us. It would be better if we choose one of the others to get us out of this."
"Well, if we're going to pick someone to save our skins, we better do it quick. In another minute, we're going to have Sith troops marching up our loading ramp," Carth said.
"I can do it," said Dustil.
"I'm not sure..."
"Relax, Father, I know what to do. Karath never met me so he doesn't know of the connection you have with me nor does he know that I've left the Sith Academy. I could use that to my advantage. All I have to tell them when they interrogate me is that I survived the explosion that Ban thinks killed me and I stowed away on your ship because it was the only way away from that anomaly that I had been sent to investigate. If I gain their trust then they may allow me more free reign."
"I don't know...It's risky," Carth said.
"Trust me, Father. I can do this."
Carth's brow furrowed before he sighed. "I do trust you, son, but I suppose I'm just worrying too much and I want to keep you safe."
"That's what fathers do," Anakin said.
"I can help too," Mission said. "I can probably goad the guards into making a mistake. If I make them mad enough, they might put me in a separate cell to punish me. With them focusing so much on you four, I might be able to sneak out of my cell and come rescue the rest of you."
'No, it's too dangerous!' Zaalbar growled in concerned protest.
"It's a risk we have to take, Big Z," Mission said firmly. "I can slice my way free from any security cell. Don't worry. I can pull this off! And I can definitely help Dustil bust the rest of you out."
"If you make the Sith mad, won't they just kill you?" Anakin frowned in worry. "I'm not sure I really like this plan."
"I know I can do this if you guys give me the chance," Mission said firmly.
"Same here," Dustil said with a nod.
Revan hummed to himself as he gazed at Mission and Dustil but he could feel that they were determined. He inclined his head. "Both of your plans could work," he said finally. "I'll agree but I want both of you to be extra careful."
"I won't let you down! You'll see!" Mission said firmly.
"Don't worry about me. I can do this," Dustil said with much determination in his voice.
Carth let out another sigh. "You really have grown up, Dustil," he said quietly, a soft, sad smile on his lips. "You know...this might be the first time I've ever been able to say this but...I'm proud of the man that you're becoming."
Dustil gave his father a small smile. "Thank you, Father," he said and, moving over to his father's side, gently wrapped his arms around him, causing Carth to stiffen in shock. "And thank you...for helping me to see the truth and for...not giving up on amending things between us even when I was still being stubborn."
"You're my son, Dustil." Carth hugged his son in return. "I do love you and nothing will ever change that."
"Aww, such a sweet moment," Mission said. "But...we should probably get to work on starting our plans. Dustil, I doubt they're gonna believe you stowed away on this ship if they find you in the main hold though."
"There's a storage locker in the garage that I can hide out in until the Sith start searching the ship." Dustil turned and vanished down the corridor that would take him to the garage while Mission stretched her arms above her head.
"Time for me to figure out how to piss these guards off enough for them to lock me up separately," she said with a grin.
Anakin moved to Revan's side as the group began to separate to prepare for the boarding party. "This isn't going to end well, is it?" he whispered.
"There is a very strong chance it won't," Revan murmured back. "Even more so because I'm pretty sure Karath knows who I truly am. We worked together in the latter years of the Mandalorian Wars and again when Malak and I fell. It doesn't surprise me that Karath threw his lot in with Malak after Malak's betrayal, since he is the kind of person who would easily follow the one he thinks is stronger."
"Is Malak stronger?"
Revan hummed. "Relatively speaking, yes," he said. "His strength comes not in his skills with a lightsaber or his mastery of the Force, though those are definitely contributing factors, but from his willingness to do anything, and use anyone, to achieve his own goals. I have limits, lines that I won't cross, but Malak has no such restraint and that makes him an incredibly dangerous and unpredictable foe."
"I see."
"For now, we have more important matters to focus on. We're in the docking bay and those troopers are showing up so we're going to be captured soon enough."
"Do you think Dustil and Mission will pull it off?"
"I believe that they will."
. . .
Dustil was meditating when he felt the Sith troopers began to search through the Ebon Hawk for any of his comrades. He could hear Mission's screaming and cursing in Huttese and Basic, enough to make Dustil open his eyes and pale a little bit. He didn't even know that Mission knew that many curse words, and certainly not in both Huttese and Basic.
"She tried to bite me!" One trooper exclaimed.
"Just knock her out," another trooper said firmly.
"Your mother's a hutt," Mission shouted.
"What did you call my mother?!"
More curses and snarling sounded before Mission and the troopers who had her guided her out of the Ebon Hawk. More moved into the garage and one of the troopers said to his companions. "Search everything. There could be anything hidden here. Admiral Karath will want to know about anything that you find," he said.
"Yes sir," the troopers with him said.
Dustil released his anger into the Force and schooled his face into a mask of impassiveness when the door to the locker opened. Blasters were pointed at him and Dustil gave the three troopers in front of him unimpressed looks. "You know I was beginning to think I was never going to get out of there," he said. "Force, it's cramped in there."
"You there, get out of the locker," the trooper in the lead demanded.
Dustil scowled. "I'm not some lackey that you can just order around. I'm an apprentice, directly under Headmaster Wynn's tutelage," he snapped.
"Headmaster Wynn?" another trooper said.
"What are you doing here?" the third trooper demanded.
"I got abandoned by my fellow apprentice Ban because she thought I died while investigating that anomaly Headmaster Wynn sent us to investigate so I stowed away on this ship when it was leaving. You would not believe how long I have been that Force-forsaken locker. I would have left a long time ago if I wasn't at risk of stabbing myself with my lightsaber trying to get out because of how kriffing small it is. But that's not important to you. I must speak with Admiral Karath so that he may pass on what I found out about the anomaly on to Lord Malak."
The three troopers exchanged glances.
"You do not want to displease Lord Malak by detaining me in spite of the very important information I have to deliver," Dustil said, using the Force to manipulate the three troopers into agreeing with his words.
"We don't want to displease Lord Malak by detaining this young apprentice in spite of the very important information he has to deliver," the lead trooper said. "Men, finish searching the ship. I will escort this young man to the commander and then to Admiral Karath. Come, apprentice." He turned and began walking while Dustil followed him.
They exited the ship and the commander moved forward.
"Bastila, Carth, Anakin, and the crew have been taken prisoner as you ordered, commander," the trooper in front of Dustil said. "And we found this young Sith apprentice within the ship as well."
"A Sith apprentice hiding out among the Jedi?" the commander echoed.
"He stowed away on their ship because it was the only way off the place he had been sent to investigate by Lord Malak," the trooper retorted.
"A place he had been sent to investigate for Lord Malak? What is that place?" The commander glanced at Dustil
Dustil forced his lips to curl into a derisive sneer. "That is for Lord Malak to know, not you. I have my orders. I was ordered to deliver what I found out to either Lord Malak, Headmaster Wynn, or Admiral Karath to be passed on to Lord Malak. I have nothing else to say to you," he said. He didn't particularly like the attitude he was currently using but his time at the Sith Academy had taught him that the Sith thought themselves better than those of lower rank, and those they considered inferior to them. He was simply playing to that mindset by treating these troopers and the commander as if they were inferior to him.
No matter how much it made him cringe to act like that, not that he knew the truth and now that he knew of what the Sith are truly like.
He didn't want to become like that. He never wanted to become like that.
This is only a mask that I am wearing to help my father and the people whom I have come to see as my comrades, he thought.
Even if he had only been with the crew of the Ebon Hawk for only a few day since they met on Mortis, he had come to see them as comrades. He enjoyed the time he spent with Jolee, going through those basic exercises that Jolee taught him, or listening to Canderous's stories from during the Mandalorian Wars or dueling with Zhane or...even talking with his father.
It may not have been that long but that didn't mean that Dustil didn't seem them as comrades.
He has always been one to make bonds, make friends, quickly. It was how he and Selene had become friends. Selene hadn't always been the outspoken, outgoing girl that she was when they were sent to Mortis. She had actually been incredibly shy and withdrawn but Dustil had helped her to come out of her shell and they established a quick friendship that only deepened during the time they were at the academy and, again, on Mortis.
And Dustil could safely admit he had established a quick friendship with the crew of the Ebon Hawk as well.
And, even if that resentment was still there, Dustil had been rather surprised by how quickly he was able to let go of the majority of his resentment toward his father and start the process of amending their relationship.
That was why he had to play this part, wear this mask. It was the only way that he could save the new friends that he had made and save the father with whom he was just starting to amend his relationship.
"Very well, apprentice," the commander said. "Come, I will take you to the waiting room. Admiral Karath will be interrogating his prisoners but I will inform him that you have important information to give him and he will come and speak with you after the interrogation."
"Fine," Dustil said flatly and followed the commander as he led the way out of the docking bay.
. . .
Interrogation Chamber. The Leviathan
Saul Karath was a tall fair-skinned Corellian man with graying blonde hair. He was clad in the black-and-gold uniform of an admiral with the bars on the right side of the uniform to prove it. His face was cold and impassive as he regarded the four individuals held in the energy cages at the heart of the room, though Anakin noticed his gaze was mostly fixed on Revan.
Revan was impassive. The only indication that he noticed that Karath was studying him was the subtle raise of one of his eyebrows.
Karath's eyes traveled to Carth. "Carth, it has been far too long since we last spoke. I see the recent months have not been kind in your case. I barely recognized you," he said with false shock.
"I recognize you, Saul," Carth said coolly. "I see your face every night even as I promise myself I will kill you for what you did to my homeworld."
"Did you learn nothing in your time under me? As a soldier, you should understand that casualties were unavoidable. This was an act of war."
"It was a cowardly act of betrayal. Your fleet bombed a civilian target into oblivion without warning or provocation. And the blood of those innocent people is on your hands," Carth snarled, eyes flaring with rage.
"In war, even the innocent must die."
'The innocent do not need to but, sometimes, they will die and that is the true nature of war,' Revan's words echoed along their link along with much disgust.
You don't seem to like Karath that much, Anakin sent back.
'He is a coward who will cast his lot in with anyone whom he thinks is strong. He will always try to side with the one he thinks will win simply because he does not want to lose and because he wants to save his own skin. He is a fool and I detest fools and cowards,' Revan sent back, that disgust still echoing in his voice.
Anakin couldn't find it in himself to blame Revan for his feelings. He didn't particularly like cowards either, especially given the nature of war. He had been on the frontlines of the Clone Wars for so long that the thought of actually throwing everything he was trying to protect away for no other reason than to save his own skin made him sick. He couldn't fathom ever doing something as callous as that.
"My wife died in that attack, Saul. And, for that, I swear I'll kill you," Carth snapped.
"You used to be a man of action, not of empty words. Clinging to your lust for revenge if you must but spare me your tired threats. I've heard them all before .You are an insignificant part of these events anyway. Lord Malak is far more interested in your Jedi companions. He has great plans for them."
"We will never serve Malak or the dark side," Bastila retorted. "The Sith will be destroyed, Admiral Karath, as will you if you don't turn away from this path."
"Your words are brave, Bastila, but the lure of the dark side is hard to resist, or so I've been told .I wonder if your companions are as devoted to the light as you are?" Karath said as his gaze turned to Revan and Anakin.
'I can't say that I am devoted to the light because I'm not but I'm not devoted to the dark either,' Revan mused silently.
I don't know if I'm there yet, Anakin admitted silently.
'You are still learning. Once you have learned all I have to teach you, it will be up to you to decide whether you wish to continue on the path that I am guiding you on or not. For now, we need to play our part, though I'll admit I'm getting tired of playing this part. I wish that I had the chance to tell everyone about who I am before we were captured. I should not have hesitated as long as I did.'
Why did you?
'I trust them with my life. I was simply worried that they would treat me differently if they found out the truth, that they wouldn't see me for who I truly am but rather for who I was. I guess...I was afraid they wouldn't trust me anymore.'
Karath raised an eyebrow. "You are oddly quiet," he said.
"I don't really have anything to say to you," Revan said dismissively.
Karath raised his eyebrow. "Hoh?" he said. "So that is the card that you are going to play. You know that I would probably receive a reward if I just killed you once and for all. But he might want to question you, given the trouble you've caused him..."
"I've caused him trouble? Good to know," Revan said. "It's always fun to cause my enemies trouble."
Karath's eye twitched. "...and, of course, because of the history between you," he finished his statement.
"Ah, yes, history."
It really took all of Anakin's self-control, and then some, to not start laughing when Revan began feeding images of some rather embarrassing moments with Malak that occurred during the Mandalorian Wars. The incident with the gizka certainly explained why Revan had an extreme disdain for those annoying creatures, Anakin mused, but Malak probably hated them far more than Revan did because of said incident. And, of course, the cantina incident and the incident on Alderaan…
Revan, if you keep that up, I'm not going to be able to keep myself from bursting out laughing, Anakin sent through their link.
'I couldn't help it. Karath just had to bring up my history with Malak so, of course, I would start thinking about said history. And those embarrassingly funny moments have always been the most vivid,' Reven sent back.
"You are oddly quiet again," Karath said, frowning.
"Hmm? Oh, you were still talking? I do apologize but I got lost in my thoughts for a moment there and, frankly, I also got bored with what you were saying so I just tuned you out," Revan said lightly, not sounding the least bit sorry.
Karath's eye twitched again.
Revan, have you always been a...um…?
'Cheeky little shit?'
Well, yeah…
'I have been called that many times during my younger years, and even during the war. Are you really surprised? I did program HK to refer to every living being he came across as a 'meatbag' and I only did that because I found it amusing when he called Malak a meatbag the first time I asked him what he thought of Malak so...'
...Good point.
"Zhane, is now really the time to, well…?" Bastila trailed off.
"Act like a cheeky little shit?" Anakin supplied.
"Well, I would not use that particularly wording but..."
"You being a cheeky little shit has not changed," Karath said flatly. "Back to matters at hand, the Dark Lord will likely wish to torture you for information and for his own pleasure. Eventually, you will tell him everything. The Sith can be very persuasive. However, Lord Malak is in another sector. It may be some time before he arrives so I suppose I will have to fill in for him until then. Activate the torture fields."
Anakin gritted his teeth in agony as the energy field that he was trapped in activated. He knew what it felt like to get hit with Force lightning and that was the best way to describe the sensation he felt as the energy field was activated.
Eventually, Karath stopped the machine and began to question them.
"On which planet is the Jedi Academy at which you were trained?" he asked.
"Yes." Revan's face was just as deadpan as his answer.
"That does not answer my question! Answer it."
"You did not ask a question."
"I said on which planet is the Jedi Academy at which you were trained?"
"Oh, that question. Yeah, it's a planet that's a wretched hive of scum and villainy."
Anakin bit his lip. Of all answers to give, why did Revan have to go with that one? Anakin didn't know but Karath's reaction was amusing.
Karath's eye twitched again. "You clearly are not being reasonable but it's fine. That question was simply a test, which you failed,. Obviously Malak knew the Academy was on Dantooine, and it has since been destroyed by our fleet. Dantooine is an empty graveyard now. Nothing remains but a smoking ruin and the charred remains of your former masters."
"Eh, I never liked them anyway, except Vandar. Vandar was a badass." If Revan could, he probably would have shrugged. Anakin wasn't even sure if that last statement was true or if he was just saying that
"A brave front," Karath said. "But your feigned indifference does not fool me."
"Feigned? I really don't like them," Revan deadpanned.
And he was right about that. Anakin could feel his sincerity through the Force. He has never particularly liked the Jedi Council ever since they refused to aid the Republic during the Mandalorian Wars and his dislike of them only grew after they tampered with his memories and forced him to become something he was not, a puppet that they controlled the strings to. He may have decided to not follow the same path as the Sith but Anakin knew it hadn't been because of the Council, it had been his own decision because of the companions that he had come to truly care for and love as if they were his own family.
And Anakin only knew that because Revan had told him during their journey to Manaan while he had been given Anakin basic instruction on certain techniques.
"Zhane, how could you say that?" Bastila demanded.
"When you figure it out, you won't be as surprised as you are now."
Bastila frowned, clearly not knowing what Revan meant by that.
"Either way, your masters have been eradicated, along with any hope of someone rescuing you. Now, tell me your mission. How were the Jedi planning on using you to stop Lord Malak and our Sith armada?"
"My dashing good looks, of course."
Anakin bit his lip to keep from snickering while Karath's eye began to twitch even more. Of course, he went ahead and tortured Anakin, Bastila, and Carth for that smartass remark but no one protested. Even if Revan was purposely pissing Karath off, Anakin knew that Bastila and Carth weren't protesting because it was keeping valuable information out of Karath's hands.
"I ask again, on what mission did the Jedi Council send you?"
"We have been sent on the mission to blow shit up," Revan deadpanned.
The funny thing was, Revan wasn't exactly lying about that. He just worded it to where he didn't sound serious at all.
"You are not taking this seriously at all," Karath snarled in frustration. "I had hoped you would cooperate but you, clearly, are not just as you are not taking this seriously. You clearly care little about your companions though."
"Nah, I just know they are far stronger than you think they are, Karath. Besides, this is my way of telling you to take your questions and shove them because I won't be giving you the answers that you want to hear, di'kut," Revan said coolly.
What does that mean?
'It's Mando'a. I basically just called him an idiot,' Revan sent back.
You know Mando'a? Anakin hadn't known that Revan knew the language of the Mandalorians.
'Of course. If one wants to beat the enemy, one must first know the enemy. I studied every bit of Mandalorian culture before I began to aide in the war, including learning their language,' Revan replied.
"I don't know what you just called me," Karath said, "but you would do well to answer my questions or I will continue to harm your friends."
"You clearly are hard of hearing, shabuir, because I already told you that I won't be giving you the answers you want."
Karath scowled. "I see I am wasting my time here. When Malak arrives, you will learn my interrogation techniques are considered merciful among the Sith. I will leave you here in your cell with a small taste of the horrors you will suffer when Lord Malak arrives," he said.
And that was all he said before the pain returned.
Anakin was sure he'd passed out and, when he came to, he could see that Revan was slowly starting to regain consciousness himself.
"Anakin, how do you feel?" Bastila asked.
"Terrible. What happened?" Anakin asked.
"They kept on torturing all of us even after we passed out," said Carth. "They seemed to focus entirely on Zhane though."
"I am...pretty sure that's because I was being a smartass with him the entire time he was asking me those questions," Zhane mused, sounding tired but not as pained as Anakin had thought.
'I'm subtly using the Force to heal the damage done to me. I'll do the same to you, Bastila, and Carth once I'm sure I can get away with it without making Bastila suspicious,' Revan sent through their link. 'Now is not the time for my secret to be revealed, not when we still have to get out of here.'
Are you going to tell everyone?
'Once we are all safe then I will. Until then, we all need to focus on getting out of here, and preferably before Malak arrives.'
Revan didn't say it out loud but Anakin had the feeling that he wasn't exactly prepared to face his former apprentice just yet. It made him think about Revan's words, about how Malak did not have the limits, the line, that Revan had and how that made him dangerous and unpredictable.
He doubted that Revan could ever be considered predictable, because he wasn't, but he also had limits and lines that he refused to cross.
Malak didn't have that and it was clear Revan wasn't prepared to face Malak again.
'I am not at my full strength just yet. The betrayal and the Jedi tampering with my mind was a setback, one that I have not yet recovered fully from. The Son may have restored my memories but it is going to take time for my true power to be restored to me as well.'
"It is fortunate you were able to resist the Admiral's questioning, even if your...erm...method of resistance is probably, as you said, the reason why the admiral tortured you for far longer than the rest of us," Bastila said. "Either way, the fate of the galaxy could be changed by revealing the slightest piece of vital information. But...I have to confess something. There was a moment, just a moment, when a part of me was hoping that you would stop with your smartass responses and just told him what he wanted to know, just to make the horrible pain stop."
"I'm sorry," Revan said, sincerity in his voice. "It was terrible to see and hear you suffer, all of you."
"I know you would never do anything to intentionally cause me pain. But you did the right thing, even if you went about it in an incredibly unorthodox way. I don't honestly know if I could have been as strong in your position. To watch you suffer like that...it might have been too much for me to bear."
"Besides, Karath would have tortured us no matter what I told him," Revan added.
"I've known Admiral Karath for a long time and I think you're right," Carth said softly. "Either way, the interrogation was a sham. Saul was toying with us. He didn't care what we told him. I think it was just an excuse to torture us before Malak arrived."
Bastila inclined her head. "There is a disturbance in the Force as well," she said softly.
"Yeah, I sense it too. The Dark Lord knows we're here so he's coming," Revan said.
"Well, then we better hope Mission and Dustil busts us out of here before he arrives," Carth said.
. . .
Detention Area, the Leviathan
Mission scowled as she stumbled when the guard shoved her into the solitary confinement cell. She cursed him out but he just sneered at her. "C'mon, girlie. Let's go. I haven't got all day to waste on you. I need to get back to my post," he said.
"Quit crowding me! Sheesh! I've met Gamorreans who didn't smell as bad as you Sith," Mission shot back.
"You think you're pretty funny, don't you? But you're only making things worse for yourself," the Sith guard said.
Mission scoffed. "How come every time you open your mouth to talk, the scent of rancor dung comes out?" she retorted.
"Maybe a little time in solitary confinement will teach you the proper respect for the Sith." The guard shoved her into the cell.
"Who designed those Sith uniforms anyway? A blind Rodian with a sick sense of humor?" Mission huffed and, when the guard approached her and told her that he was going to torture her, she feigned fear at that while subtly swiping the keycard that she knew she could use to slice into the security panel and get out."
When the guard left, she removed the keycard she'd tucked away and grinned. "Piece of cake. I wonder when people will stop underestimating me?" she wondered out loud out quietly as she sliced into the panel and casually stepped out of the cell.
She made her way down the corridor and stopped when she heard a Rodian calling to her, asking her to help him escape. She wasn't sure if she should, until he told her that he had an ICE breaker that would give her access to the computers of the ship and could be used to override the Sith's security programs.
That can definitely come in handy, she thought as she agreed and, using her slicing skills, opened the door to allow the Rodian free.
He thanked her and, handing over the ICE breaker, darted off.
Mission tossed the ICE breaker up in the air and caught it. "This will definitely help. Well, time to find some weapons and then some way to open up the cells containing my friends and then getting the blazes out of here," she said as she tucked the ICE breaker away and made her way out of the cell block.
Upon reaching the brig terminal, she made sure to release the Rodian's insane companions and used them as a distraction to make it into the barracks, thought not before raiding a container near the far end of the cell block that gave her access to two blaster pistols.
"And they're fully charged too!" Mission said to herself with a grin as she tucked the blaster pistols into the combat suit she'd also slipped on before she picked up the stealth field generator and wrapped it around her waist because that was definitely going to come in handy as well.
Upon reaching the barracks, she activate the stealth field generator and slowly made her way into the barracks. She turned and made her way past the troopers, moving quietly even though she knew that the guards wouldn't be able to see her because of the stealth field generator. It was always best to be extra cautious, especially when attempting to steal from someone.
She had to do that several times in order to survive on Taris after all so she knew what she had to do.
She managed to swipe a pass card from one of the Sith troopers and she studied it briefly before tucking it away. It appeared to be a high security passcard for the detention area and she mused that this might be exactly what she could use to bust her friends out of their cells.
Piece of cake, she thought with a grin as she turned and slowly made her way out of the barracks.
. . .
Getting out of the conference room the commander guided him to was easy and so was finding the detention area. Dustil was also grateful that one of the techniques he learned while at the Sith Academy was Force camouflage, which allowed him to slip past the vast majority of the enemies that were between the conference room and the detention area. He may still have his weapon on him but it would draw far too much attention to himself if he used it so he just used his abilities for now.
He could sense that a dark presence was heading for the Leviathan so he knew that he had to move quickly. He had to help Mission free their comrades and then get out of there.
For now, I'll go and check on Canderous and the droids, since they were taken to separate locations, he thought as he turned and darted down the corridor, heading to where he could sense Canderous's presence. He had become used to the differences in the presences of everyone onboard the Ebon Hawk to were he could distinguish who was who.
Getting Canderous out was easy enough and the Mandalorian inclined his head. "Go and aid our comrades," he said. "I will get the droids and head for the Ebon Hawk. We will need to open the hangar doors, as I doubt that the Sith are going to leave those open for us."
"We'll have to go to the bridge for that," said Dustil.
And that's where Karath is. He clenched his hand into a fist as he reapplied the Force camouflage and, turning, began to make his way back to the detention area. If Karath was on the bridge when they arrived then Dustil was going to ensure that the man paid for what he did to Telos.
But, for now, he would bust his companions out of their cells.
He reached the detention terminal at the same time as Mission who smirked at him.
"I beat ya here," she said.
"By not even a second," Dustil retorted as he slipped past Mission and scanned the terminal. "Canderous and the droids are heading for the Ebon Hawk but we'll need to get to the bridge to get the hangar bay doors open so that we can get out of here."
"This ICE breaker can help us see what enemies we'll have in our way," said Mission, holding up the ICE breaker. "But once we unlock all the holding cells, I have no doubt all alarms are going to sound so it might not be that reliable. It certainly helped me get here without getting caught though."
Dustil rolled his eyes at the smugness that radiated off the blue-skinned Twi'lek. "I just waltzed right into here by using the Force to camouflage myself so you're not the only who knows how to avoid getting caught," he said.
"I still did so much better in rescuing our comrades."
"You haven't rescued anyone. At least I did."
"You literally just opened a door and let Canderous out. You didn't even get the droids out, that was Canderous."
"And what have you done, kid? You haven't released anyone yet so you shouldn't be talking."
"Kid?! I know you're not that much older than me, bud, so don't think you can get away with calling me a kid, kid."
"Don't call me that! I'm eighteen!"
"Who the kriff cares? You're still a kid."
"You're fourteen. What does that make you? A toddler?"
"What did you just call me?"
"Would you prefer baby?"
"Why you little..."
A cough sounded, causing both of them to jump and whirl around, Dustil's lightsaber in his hand and Mission's stolen blasters in hers but they both lowered their weapons when they saw an unimpressed Juhani standing right behind him.
"Juhani, what are you doing here?" Mission said in surprise.
"I decided that I would serve as a backup just in case so I simply used the Force to camouflage myself and sneaked out of the ship while the rest of you were being arrested or escorted away and I made my way here. I was not expecting you two to be squabbling like a pair of little brats though."
Mission and Dustil both scowled.
"Focus on the mission," Juhani said, folding her arms across her chest. "We need to open all the holding cells and get our companions out of here. Or have you forgotten?"
"No, I haven't," Dustil said.
"Neither have I," Mission said and moved over to the terminal, slicing into it and promptly unlocking the aft holding cells and equipment storage.
Almost immediately, the alarms began blaring.
"Let us hurry and meet up with our comrades," Juhani said and ran in the direction of the holding cells with Mission and Dustil, with one last irritated glare thrown at each other, ran after the Cathar Jedi.
. . .
The instant the force field separating Luke from the corridor that lay beyond, Luke was on his feet and bolting out of it, not surprised by the blaring alarms or by Jolee and Zaalbar. Jolee was grinning while Zaalbar was radiating relief, though there was still an undercurrent of worry in his presence.
"Those kids did it," Jolee said. "We've really gotta stop underestimating 'em."
Luke nodded in agreement. "C'mon, we have to find our equipment and then find Father, Carth, Zhane, and Bastila. Naturally, they're going to be kept in a different location than us after all," he said as he bolted down the corridor with Zaalbar and Jolee running behind them.
After they raided the equipment storage, and Luke made sure to grab Anakin's lightsaber and, with a shrug, also grabbed Zhane's lightsabers. He clipped the three of them to his belt but kept his own in his hand just in case he came across an enemy.
Jolee grabbed Bastila's lightsaber along with his own as well as Carth's blaster pistol and Zaalbar grabbed his blaster rifle and Mission's blaster pistol before they turned and quickly left the equipment storage area. They followed the Force presences of Zhane, Anakin, and Bastila, using them as a guide through the twists and turns of the detention area until they stumbled upon the three of them and Carth at an intersection. Mission, Dustil, and Juhani—whom Luke had known was free because he hadn't seen her get arrested when he, Jolee, and Zaalbar had been—were coming up from the corridor to the right.
"Great job, Mission," Anakin said with a grin. "I definitely gotta stop underestimating you."
"Well, it's about time," Mission scoffed but a grin stole its way onto her lips and Luke had the odd feeling that she hadn't been serious but, then, he was pretty sure Anakin hadn't been serious either.
"And you did very well yourself, Dustil," said Carth with pride in his voice. "Canderous and the droids?"
"Heading back to the Ebon Hawk," said Dustil while Luke, Jolee, and Zaalbar handed out the equipment they'd retrieved from the storage chamber they'd gone through before meeting up with their comrades. "We're going to need to get those hangar bay doors opened if we want to stand a chance at getting out of here though."
"I know. We need to get to the main bridge controls. The bridge is the only place we can opening the docking gates of the hangar where they've got the Ebon Hawk. We have to open those gates before we can fly out of here."
"We better get moving. I can feel the darkness of Malak's presence approaching, and I don't want to be here when he arrives. None of us are a match for the Sith Lord."
"We need a plan, of sorts," said Zhane.
"Surprise and secrecy will serve us best. A small group might have a better chance of sneaking onto the bridge undetected while the others can make their way down to the Ebon Hawk," Bastila said.
"Count me in. I've got a score to settle with the Admiral before we get off this ship, and I have a feeling I'm gonna find him on the bridge," Carth said.
"Oh he'll be there," Dustil said. "And I'll try to leave something for you to shoot at after I'm done settling my score with him."
"I'll come too," said Anakin. "I'm sure you could use some extra help."
"Me too," said Luke and he mused that no one was even surprised that he insisted on going with them. But he was going along for a reason. He could feel that something bad was about to happen and he wanted to help prevent it, especially since it seemed to be situated around his father.
"Six might attract too much attention though," Bastila said, his brow furrowed in concern. "Luke, I believe it might be best if you stay behind. You, as well, Dustil."
Dustil scowled while Luke frowned. While he could understand Bastila's concern, he still felt that he needed to go with them.
"Fine but you'd better make Karath pay, Father," Dustil said.
"I plan to," said Carth darkly.
Anakin rested a hand on his shoulder. "It'll be fine, Luke," he assured him. "We'll be fine. We'll bust into the bridge, unlock the docking gates, and be back at the Ebon Hawk before you know it. Four is small enough but anymore than that will attract far too much attention, just as Bastila said." He drew Luke into his arms and Luke leaned against him, unable to release that worry he was feeling into the Force.
Anakin peered down at him. "Luke?"
"It's just...I'm worried about you, Father. I...Something doesn't feel right and...I just feel that if we separate now, I...I'll never see you again." It was a very deep-seated fear that Luke has harbored within his heart ever since he come to meet his father before his fall to the dark side. Even though he tried to release it, it didn't stop that fear from coming back, reminding him that his father wasn't infallible and that anything could happen, especially because they were in a war.
Luke truly loved his father and had come to love him even more now that he has had the chance to get to know what his father was like before his fall to the dark side. He felt far closer to his father now than in the time he came from and the thought of losing his father hurt worse than Force lightning, and Luke definitely knew how painful that was.
Anakin's eyes softened and he lowered his head, gently kissing the top of Luke's head. "Son, I am not going anywhere. I will be back with you in no time. Don't worry so much about me. It'll be fine."
For some reason, Anakin's words did little to reassure him but Luke slowly nodded because he understood the necessity of the group going to the bridge being small. He didn't want to let his father go, not when that bad feeling and that worry and fear was stilling mingling within him, but he knew that he had to.
He couldn't be selfish. This was war and if he wanted to put an end to this war so that no one else had to suffer and return to his own time then he couldn't be selfish.
He was a Jedi too. And Jedi shouldn't be selfish.
"All right, Father," he said softly. "Just...please come back to me."
"I will, my son." Anakin hugged him again before releasing him and darted toward the doors that Zhane, Bastila, and Carth were heading towards.
"May the Force be with you," Jolee said quietly to the retreating group.
Luke silently intoned the same thing.
. . .
Command Deck, Leviathan
"It would have been way too easy had the bridge doors been unlocked," Anakin mused as he, Bastila, Carth, and Revan stepped away from the elevator that brought them to the command deck. The doors to the bridge were directly across from them but, as expected, they were locked due to the intruder shutdown.
"We're going to have to figure out another way to get to the bridge," said Revan.
Carth nodded in agreement and they darted down the command deck, ignoring the blaring alarms as they rounded corners, slashing and blasting through any Sith that they came across. They reached the bridge but, as expected, it was locked, so they made their way down the next hallway and burst into another room.
After clearing it out, Anakin moved over to one of the fallen Sith and knelt down, picking up the datapad that rested next to him. "Hmm, so they're doing repairs to the main hull and there are space suits that they must be using to get onto the hull and work on it near the bridge storage. That might be our best bet at getting to the bridge."
"That would be a good way of getting past the locked door," said Bastila.
"I think that would be our best chance," said Anakin.
Revan inclined his head and moved over to a storage locker. After raiding it and tucking the space suits away, he led the way out of the room and down the corridor. The alarms continued to blare loudly and he had to shout to be heard above it. "I can sense that we are running out of time."
A beep sounded and Carth pulled out his communicator.
"This is Canderous. The droids and I have reached the Ebon Hawk and the rest of our companions have joined us. As expected, the Ebon Hawk is under heavy guard but, don't worry, we'll come up with a plan to get past 'em," Canderous said over the communicator.
"At least they're almost there," Anakin said.
"It won't matter much if we don't get those hangar bays opened," said Carth.
"Agreed. Let's move." Revan darted into the next corridor and continued his sprint with the rest of the group hurrying behind him, Anakin dropping back to bring up the rear of the group.
They burst into another room and Anakin swore in Huttese when three Dark Jedi immediately attacked them. No words were exchanged. Only the sound of lightsaber clashing with lightsaber and blaster fire echoed in the room until Revan lashed out with the Force, unleashing a powerful wave of energy that sent every enemy in the room flying to crash hard into the walls.
Bastila glanced sharply at Revan, clearly stunned by the power behind that Force wave, but Revan was already darting toward the door that was labeled the Bridge Storage. He slashed through it and darted into it. Bastila, frowning, followed with Carth and Anakin quickly hurrying behind them.
They reached the airlock and, once they slipped into their space suits, left through the airlock onto the walkway that meandered its way along the hull of the Leviathan. It was slow moving, since the space suits were incredibly bulky, but they were still making decent time.
"You have to admit, this is an amazing view," Anakin said, glancing at the vast expanse of star-speckled space that stretched as far as the eye could see with a sun glowing in the distance and varies nebulae laying scattered upon.
"It is," Bastila agreed. "I would enjoy the view more if we were not pressed for time."
"Agreed."
They reached the airlock and exited it, quickly removing their space suits and removing their weapons from their belts as they moved toward the next door. As expected, there was a group of five troopers in the room beyond.
Revan blasted them with yet another powerful Force wave that sent them all crashing into the walls with sickening thuds.
Bastila winced.
Anakin glanced at Revan. You don't seem to be holding back that much now, he thought.
'As I told you earlier, I am growing tired of holding back. I already plan on explaining everything once we're back on the Ebon Hawk so I'm not going to hold back as much now, especially not when we still have a lot of enemies to get through before we can get out of here. Holding back will only cause this entire encounter to take longer,' Revan sent back as he dared down the sloping corridor that led to the bridge's doors.
"Has he always been that strong? I don't remember ever seeing him do something like that all at once," said Carth in puzzlement as he ran.
"Yes, it is quite...puzzling," Bastila murmured as she darted after Revan.
They burst through the bridge doors and Karath, who was standing at the center of the bridge with two dark Jedi and two elite troopers flanking him, raised an eyebrow, though he didn't look the slightest bit surprised.
Anakin didn't have to look to know there were two troopers flanking the doors they had just entered. He made a note to take those two out as soon as the fight started, since it was clear that the fighting wasn't going to start right away. He wondered why but he got his answer soon enough when Saul told them to lay down their weapons and surrender.
"There's no way in kriffing hell that I'm surrendering," he said.
"I've seen enough of Sith mercy," Carth growled. "So I agree with Anakin."
"Same," Revan said.
Bastila raised her lightsaber, her eyes narrowed in determination.
"You always did like to do things the hard way, Carth. Lord Malak would have preferred live prisoners but corpses will do."
Anakin grinned sharply as he, using the Force, propelled himself backwards and sent a Force push into the elite trooper on the right side of the door. "Good luck killing us," he said as he slammed his blade through the elite trooper's chest while Carth unleashed a rapid fire of blaster bolts that killed the second trooper. Revan had already taken out the third trooper and was currently locked in combat with the first dark Jedi while Bastila was fighting the second dark Jedi, the fourth trooper having already been taken out of the fight.
Karath darted back. "Do you really think that's all I had in store? I figured that you would arrive so I ensured that I had enough to defeat you," he said right as the bridge doors opened and Anakin threw himself backwards just in time to avoid the burst of Force lightning that emerged from the fingertips of the dark Jedi that darted onto the bridge. They were followed by three more and four more elite troopers who were followed by four more elite troopers.
We're outnumbered, Anakin thought, tightening his grip on his lightsaber as he deflected the slash that the dark Jedi in front of him aimed at his side. He spun around to avoid another slash and parried a thrust aimed at his shoulder, watching as Bastila engaged the second dark Jedi and Carth quickly moved out of the way, focusing his attention on the troopers as Revan engaged with the other two remaining dark Jedi.
The dark Jedi grinned and lashed out with the Force, a powerful burst of Force lightning that shot in every direction, making it difficult for Anakin to block all of it. With a scream as some of the lightning crashed into him, Anakin was sent flying off the railing to crash into the computer pit that lay below the walkway.
He rolled out of the way just in time to avoid being skewered by the dark Jedi's lightsaber. He lashed out with the Force, sending the dark Jedi flying backwards before he took a flying leap that brought him back onto the walkway. He whirled around, catching the blade that his opponent slashed at him, having used the Force to augment their jump out of the computer pit, gritting his teeth.
This dark Jedi is strong, he thought as he broke the stalemate and pivoted to catch another slash before doing the same to catch a thrust.
Blasterfire erupted from behind him before Carth hissed, "Damn it. There are more?!"
"Only troopers this time," Revan called. "Carth, can you keep them off our backs?"
"Not for much longer! There're too many. Anakin! Look out!" Those words were coupled with a flash of warning through the Force and Anakin barely managed to twist out of the way to avoid the blaster bolts that came flying at him from the new arrivals.
The distraction cost him and a searing pain erupted in his side as the dark Jedi shot forward and slammed their blade directly through Anakin's side and a scream of pain escaped his lips. He stumbled back as the dark Jedi retracted the blade and slashed toward his chest but he managed to raise his lightsaber in time to catch the blade.
His entire side felt like it was on fire. He could feel the pain radiating through his body. It was hard to concentrate, hard to focus on his enemy, especially when his vision was starting to blur. Everything was swirling together and Anakin felt sluggish as he found himself on the defensive, struggling to keep the dark Jedi's blade at bay.
A burst of pure energy slammed into the dark Jedi, sending him flying backwards and Anakin swayed. He would have toppled had Revan not caught him, gently lowering him to the ground before shouting, "Bastila! Carth! Take care of Karath!"
Anakin gritted his teeth.
"Don't tense," Revan murmured, resting his hand gently on the wound. "It'll only make the wound worse."
"H...How b...bad?" Anakin stammered out.
"Bad enough," said Revan. "But I know Force healing so it will be fine."
"You...didn't want...to use that..."
"...because I'm not supposed to know how to do this, I know, but I won't let you die. Now stop talking and let me work," said Revan firmly and Anakin fell silent.
He couldn't describe the sensation. It was a cool sensation, a rush of pure energy that went through him and began to slowly heal the damage done to his side, and to the area within that had been damaged by the lightsaber blade. He turned to gaze at Revan to see that the other man's eyes were closed, one hand resting on the wound as energy continued to funnel into his body. Revan's body was completely relaxed as he meditated. The Force swirled around him and followed his direction into Anakin's body.
"A...Amazing," Carth stammered out from somewhere near them.
"That's not...How does he know how to do that?" Bastila whispered.
Karath's voice laughed and then there was a shout before the hum of a lightsaber echoed behind the two of them.
Anakin didn't dare move though, didn't dare break Revan out of his meditation. He simply laid there and waited because, even though he could feel that the damage to his side wasn't going to be healed completely, so long as Revan wasn't interrupted, the wound would no longer be at risk.
. . .
Carth lowered his blaster, frowning at Karath who was calling his name after he had fallen from his injuries.
"The Admiral, he's still alive," Bastila said in surprise.
"It's time to finish this." Carth moved closer to Karath.
"Don't give in to the hate," Bastila protested, also moving closer.
"Don't you understand what this man has done to my life? Do you know the pain he's brought me? And my son?" Carth demanded.
"Killing him won't ease the pain, Carth. Do not become what you despise."
"Carth..." Karath coughed. "...must tell you...must tell you...something...come...closer."
Carth frowned but, nonetheless, moved closer. He didn't know what his old mentor wanted to tell him but he knew that he had to listen. He wasn't sure why it felt important but he knew that he had to listen. He knelt down beside his former mentor.
Karath coughed. "You are...traveling with...him," he whispered, his words so low that Carth was the only one who could hear him. "You are...actually traveling with...Revan, the Dark Lord's...old Sith Master."
Carth stiffened, his eyes wide. Revan…?He cast a sharp glance toward where Zhane was still meditating, one hand resting on Anakin's injury while the other was resting casually at his side. His eyes were closed and his entire body was relaxed as if he was in a trance. He jerked his head to glare at Karath when the admiral began to laugh.
"You didn't know, did you?" he murmured as his laughter died away. He coughed and added, "Remember my dying words." Another cough. "Remember them whenever...whenever you look...at those you thought...were your friends."
His eyes closed and his body fell limp. Saul Karath was dead.
Carth sat back on his heels. His hand shook. He couldn't believe it. Karath had to be lying. He had to be and yet...why would he lie to Carth with his dying breath?
He didn't know what to believe. Zhane...his comrade, his companion, the person that he would admit he had started to see as a friend, was actually Revan, former Sith Master to Malak. All this time, he had been traveling around with a Sith disguised as a Jedi, disguised as someone who had become his friend. It couldn't be true. It couldn't be.
"He said...It can't be true, can it? No, no, no, it can't. Damn you, Saul! Damn you!" Damn you for making me doubt my own instincts, for doubting my companions, for making me wonder just what I'm supposed to believe now, he thought.
He jerked his head toward Bastila and his eyes widened when he saw that Bastila was avoiding his eyes. In that moment, he realized that Bastila likely knew exactly what Karath just told him, though he wasn't sure exactly how. It may have been the Force but he knew little to nothing about the Force so he wasn't sure if that was it.
"Bastila, it's true, isn't it?" Carth could feel betrayal thrumming through him as he found his gaze straying back to Zhane, who had yet to pull himself out of his meditative trance nor remove his hand from the injury that he was slowly attempting to heal. "And...And you knew." He whipped his head around to glare at Bastila. "You and the whole damn Jedi Council! You knew the whole time!"
"Carth, it's not what you think. We had no other choice. Please, you don't understand," Bastila protested.
"So make me understand," Carth growled.
"Not here, Carth. Please, there's no time. Malak is coming. This isn't the place. Please, Carth, I'm asking you to trust me, for a just a little while longer."
Carth glared but he sighed because he knew that they did still have to escape and, with how badly injured Anakin was, he doubted that it was going to be a quick escape. He couldn't afford to delay everyone by demanding answers now.
"Fine, I'll trust you, Bastila, but as soon as we're off this ship, I expect some answers," he said firmly.
"Of course, Carth. As soon as we get to the Ebon Hawk, I'll explain everything, to both of you. I promise," Bastila said and turned to Zhane and Anakin, her brow furrowing as Zhane's eyes finally fluttered open and he retracted his hand. He looked tired as he rubbed his temples and peered down at Anakin.
"I've done what I can, Anakin," he said as Anakin slowly sat up, one hand going to his side as he winced. "You'll have to be careful for the time being. I've managed to heal most of the damage but we'll have to properly treat your wound once we get back to the Ebon Hawk. The wound was too severe for me to heal it entirely."
Anakin nodded. "Thank you," he said.
Zhane smiled as he stood up and held out a hand toward Anakin. "Of course," he said as Anakin took the hand and pulled himself to his feet.
How would Anakin react to knowing just who Zhane actually is? Carth was still finding it hard to wrap his mind around just who Zhane actually was. Just looking at him, at that calm smile on his face, it was hard to see him as Revan, as Malak's former Sith Master.
And yet he was. That was who Zhane really was.
And the Jedi Council and Bastila knew it this entire time.
He gritted his teeth but forced himself to focus. They had to get out of there.
Bastila moved to the computer terminal and quickly hacked into it. "I've opened the hangar bay doors. We need to move and we need to go now," she said firmly and turned to Anakin. "I'm afraid that we don't have the time to take this slowly but..."
"Don't worry about me, Bastila," Anakin assured her. "This injury isn't going to stop me from getting the kriff out of here."
"If you are sure..."
"I'll be fine. C'mon, we're running out of time. Malak's getting closer. I can sense that dark presence that's probably his getting really close."
"Yes, you are right."
Carth kept his gaze on Zhane as the four of them darted off the bridge, taking out the Sith that attacked them once they left the bridge, but Zhane didn't seem to notice. He was too busy slashing through any guards, or using the Force to push them into walls, to notice.
They reached the elevator, after taking out a dozen or so Sith, and immediately used it to get down to the hangar bay's level. Once they had gone only a few yards into the area, Zhane received another message from Canderous.
"This is Canderous. We took care of the guards. We're inside the Ebon Hawk and all systems are go. As soon as you guys join us, we can get out of here."
"That's good to know and, now that the hangar bay doors are open, we can just fly right out of here," Anakin said with a tired smile as he stumbled after them. He hadn't participated that much in the fighting, though Carth knew that was primarily because of Zhane. Zhane ensured that Anakin didn't have to fight by taking out any enemy they came across as quickly as possibly, usually by using the Force to slam them into walls.
Zhane kept moving onward, using the Force to slam any Sith in his way into walls or slashing through them with his lightsaber. His lips were pressed together in a thin line while his shoulders appeared tense.
"Is something wrong, Zhane?" Bastila asked.
Carth bit his lip. Zhane...That wasn't even his name and he didn't know why Zhane was even going by that name when that wasn't who he was. He didn't seem to know who he was though, or he was just faking it, and Carth didn't know which was true.
"Nothing," Zhane murmured absently but glanced at Anakin.
"I'm fine," Anakin said.
Zhane kept looking at him.
"Okay, fine, my side's really hurting but, other than that, I'm fine," Anakin insisted.
"Keep an eye on that injury," Zhane instructed as he turned his head again, still striding down the corridor. "Let me know the instant the pain gets worse."
"Yeah, I will."
They continued on their way until they reach Hangar Control. Almost as soon as they entered it, a burst of blasterfire erupted from the troopers in there while the three Dark Jedi surged forward, their lightsabers blazing.
Bastila started forward but stopped when Anakin grabbed her arm and yanked her back. "Anakin, what…?" Bastila began but broke off as Zhane strode forward and held out his hands.
"You know since Karath decided to be an ass and reveal the truth, I really don't have to hold back now," he said and, to Carth's and Bastila's shock, a brilliant burst of blue lightning surged away from Zhane's form, crashing into each and every Sith that was in front of him. They screamed as they were thrown to the ground, taking out within seconds of the lightning striking their bodies.
Zhane lowered his hands and let loose a breath. "You know it's been a while since I've used a Force storm before. I don't remember it taking that much out of me though," he mused.
Anakin released a shell-shocked Bastila. "You were the one who said that you aren't as strong as you used to be so are you really surprised?" he said, folding his arms across his chest while Carth whipped his head around to stare at Anakin, as did Bastila.
Anakin caught their look. "We really don't have the time now," he said simply and started forward, cursing when he stumbled and he grabbed at his side, his eyes flaring with pain.
Zhane was at his side in an instant. "Take it easy," he said firmly. "Since the wound isn't completely healed, you can still make it worse."
"All I did was take a step forward," Anakin protested.
"If the wound gets worse to where you won't be able to walk without intense pain then I'll just carry you back to the Ebon Hawk."
"Don't you dare!" Anakin looked absolutely mortified at the thought. "Mission and Luke will never let me live that down if you did that!"
"Just like Angel," Zhane said in a singsong voice.
Anakin went red and he groaned. "Oh shut up, di'kut," he grumbled.
"Shabuir," was all Zhane said in response, a grin on his lips as Anakin huffed and cursed in Huttese. "Just take it easy because if you do end up making your injury worse, I will carry your ass back to the Ebon Hawk and leave you to explain to Luke why."
"Fine."
Zhane turned and raised an eyebrow at Bastila and Carth, who were still staring at him in shock. "Is now really the time to stare at me like I grew a second head or something?" he deadpanned. "Because, in case you forgot, Malak is practically on top of us and I'd rather not have to deal with him today. It took a lot out of me to heal Anakin so I'm not up to my full current strength." He turned and strode across the Hangar Control, holding himself the way a commander would hold himself in front of his men.
The way a general would hold himself.
In that moment, brief though it was, Carth actually saw the brilliant general the young man in front of him had been during the Mandalorian Wars.
He shook the thought away. Brilliant though he had been, that did not excuse his actions in the first half of the Jedi Civil War, or just who he actually was.
For now, just focus on the now, focus on getting out of here. I can deal with Saul's revelation on the Ebon Hawk so I need to just focus on escaping for now, Carth thought as he, Bastila, and Anakin quickly moved after Zhane.
. . .
A/n what do you think?
Blaze: and there is part one of the two-part Leviathan Arc. I had fun with this, though I know I went a tad overboard with Revan being a cheeky little shit but I have no regrets
Rey: I will have to admit that I do like Cheeky! Revan
Canon Ben: so do I. He's amusing
Legendary Anakin: I personally think that Cheeky! Revan is canon
Blaze: well, who knows if this is true or not. I just thought about how Revan found it amusing that HK referred to every living being as a meatbag and ran with the idea, and it turned out like this
Canon Anakin: I, personally, like this Revan
Palpatine: I don't
Revan: no one cares what you think
Palpatine: why you little… (sends Force lightning flying at Revan)
Revan: (casually catches Force lightning and redirects it back at Palpatine, with enough force to blast Palpatine out of a window)
Blaze: (peers out the window and winces) ouch
Canon Ben: do I want to know where Palpatine landed?
Blaze: no, no you do not
Rey: good riddance
Canon Anakin: you'll find out very quickly, Rey, that Palpatine is like a freaking cockroach so don't be surprised if he shows up again. Just stab him or set him on fire or shove him through another window when that happens
Rey: I take it that you have done that before with him
Legendary Anakin: and then some
Revan: I specifically remember the acid incident (shudders) I would not wish that on my worse enemy...well, maybe Malak...and the Sith Emperor...and Palpatine...and Nyriss...oh and Scourge
Canon Anakin: we get it, Revan
Blaze: I do hope that you enjoyed this chapter. The next chapter will be the conclusion to the Leviathan arc with that twist that I told you was coming, the one that one of my reviewers actually managed to figure out partially. But that is then and this is now. Revan, finish the chapter
Revan: sure. The next chapter will, hopefully, be up within the week. Reviews are much appreciated and thank you all for reading.
