A/N: edited to fix a few grammar mistakes & sentence structures. Thank you.

Rebirth

One year before the attack on the Endar Spire - Temple of the Ancients - Lehon

I fear my time is running out, she thought as she reflected on the nightmares that plagued her lately.

Dark versions of the future.

Visions were vague and hard to read. The future was always in motion. One decision could alter the course of your fate. Some of the visions ended with her death, while others showed her ruling the galaxy with a new young apprentice.

Regardless of either outcome, she wanted to leave a holocron containing teachings that she might not have time to pass on in person, should Malak succeed in his plan for her demise. With a wave of her hand over the small red holocron, she activated it and set it to record her avatar.

"I am Darth Revan, Dark Lord of the Sith. You have come seeking knowledge. I shall impart my wisdom to you. The dark side of the Force is a source of great power, but one that comes with great cost. It offers power, for power's sake. You must crave it...covet it...desire it above all else. Let it consume you and transform you. For some, this transformation may very well be physical. Yet, it will always be psychological. You must welcome this change and accept it. Only those who fully embrace this transformation will receive the true power of the dark side."

She paused, reflecting on her own transformation and friendships she had sacrificed along the way. The love of her own brother forsaken to the dark side. Her hands tightened into fists as she remembered the sacrifice that had been made without her consent.

For power, she had embraced the dark side like a lost lover and let it consume her whole.

All for the greater good of the galaxy.

"There can be no hesitation. No mercy. No compromise or compassion. Doing so will only hinder you from claiming your true potential - power that is rightfully yours."

She reflected on Malak's challenge to her authority. In the midst of their duel, when she had been merciless, she had never felt stronger. However, at the end when she gave in to mercy and allowed him to live, she knew she had made a grave mistake. One she would not make again. If she did, it could very well cost her her life.

"You must accept that with the promise of power comes the challenge of holding it. The dark side, by its very nature, invites rivalry and strife. There will be those who seek the power you wield. You cannot show any weakness, else you will lose your hold on it. Competition is the greatest strength of the Sith, yet it is also our greatest weakness. The ambitious will seek to rise up. The strong must take care, lest they fall prey to their machinations. No, the wisest path is one teacher with one student. One to hold the power, the other to crave it."

She nodded to herself. She fully anticipated Malak to lash out at her, to challenge her again, any day now. He had healed from their last bout and had accepted his own transformation. It had taken time, but he was growing accustomed to the cybernetic jaw more and more each day. She could feel his power increasing, as he used his anger...his pain...his rage to fine tune his focus and strength in the dark side.

Plus, there were rumors. Dark tidings that he had taken his own apprentice, or so Karath informed her. Yes, it was only a matter of time before he attempted to strike her down and assume her place.

"Any master who instructs more than one apprentice is a fool. It is inevitable that the students will seek to band together, to rise up against the master. This is why there should only be two at a time. The rule of two, a master and an do otherwise is to invite folly. This is the way it must be. The strong must rule, and the weak are meant to serve. My time here is at an end. Take what you have learned and use it well."

When she returned, there would be change.

Beginning the Rule of Two.

She would deal with her wayward apprentice. The sith assassins would be culled and replaced with the more reliable, and programmable, HK-50's. The academy at Korriban would be dismantled. And lastly, she would take a new apprentice - one she could mold and shape to her liking.

#

Aboard The Corvus, Revan's flagship in orbit above Lehon

"Master," Malak's holo image flickered in the dim light of the bridge, casting a blue sheen onto Revan's mask. "Karath's informant reported that a small Republic fleet with a Jedi vanguard was spotted in the Outer Rim."

Revan paced before Malak's flickering blue holo image. "Do you have the coordinates?"

"Yes." Malak's eyebrows drew together in a frown. "Master, I sense a trap."

Arms folded under her chest, she searched the Force. She sensed betrayal, but her vision was clouded. She could not discern if the betrayal was from Malak or the Jedi. Or both.

"Hmm, I sense it too." She ignored the dark whispers riding the current of the Force. "Transmit the coordinates and meet me there."

Blue lines streaked past as they entered hyperspace.

She searched the Force and saw an image of a young female Jedi. The woman's strength in the Force radiated off of her in waves.

Time to spring the trap and rid myself of Malak's impertinence and take a new apprentice.

#

"Seal the bridge!" Admiral Na'sara called out as the emergency sirens went off, signaling that The Corvus had been boarded. "Launch another wave of sith fighters!"

The emergency sirens blared, ringing sharply in Revan's ears as she paced along the helm of the bridge.

It was a trap, and she had flown right into it. She inhaled sharply as she searched the Force for Malak's unique signature. He was still sectors away, and with him was the majority of their fleet. Blast him!

The officers cowered at their desks as a lightsaber penetrated the bridge doors. Molten metal burned a small hole in the floor as the lightsaber continued to turn. She paced as the bridge doors abruptly opened, revealing five Jedi knights.

The officers fled, leaving her and her sith assassins to face the incoming Jedi strike team. Her blood simmered as they approached, her anger directed both at the Jedi and at her missing apprentice.

Enraged, she fumed as she realized that Malak's flagship still had not entered the sector. He would be dealt with soon enough. You have failed me for the last time, brother.

Scowling, she paced as she watched her sith assassins engage the Jedi. Two of the Jedi knights slipped through their grasp and cautiously approached her, their ignited lightsabers humming with power.

The Force sang darkly around her as she reached out and pulled the two knights towards her. They dangled several feet above the floor, their hands clawing at the invisible fingers around their throats. You will breathe no more, she demanded through the Force as she channeled her anger, breathing it in as it swirled around her. Her hands closed tightly in a fist as the two Jedi knights gasped for breath. She drank in their fear, channeling it into strength. They crumpled at her feet as the young female Jedi twirled her double lightsaber and settled in a defensive stance.

"You cannot win, Revan." The Jedi knight called out, her voice strong with power.

Revan cocked her head to the side as she studied the young knight. Yes, she is very powerful. She will make an excellent new apprentice. The old black and red mask hid her wicked grin as she called her blades to her hands.

The Force screamed in the dissonance, bellowing out a warning. She sensed Malak's flagship, the Leviathan, enter space not far from the Corvus. She sensed betrayal and deception. Her eyes narrowed, what are you up to, apprentice?

A blast ripped into the Corvus as the force vibrated with anger, treachery and duplicity. Malak!

The young knight leapt at her amid the tumultuous commotion. "The force fights with me!" The knight yelled as she blasted a massive wave of force energy towards Revan.

Revan slammed into a nearby terminal. She struggled to stand as Malak unleashed another attack. Shock waves rippled across the bridge as chaos reigned supreme. Debris flew in all directions, raining down upon her as darkness descended.

#

Malak's assault on Revan's flagship had caught them all off guard.

"Get to the shuttle!" Jedi knight Bastila Shan yelled as she ran over to the fallen dark lord, who lay deathly still on the bridge. She used the force to lift the heavy terminal off of Revan and knelt beside the fallen lord as she searched for any signs of life.

She felt a spark of light buried deep in the dark lord. She sat back on her heels as another rumble spread throughout the ship. This ship is about to be blasted to pieces! She stared down at Revan, unsure of how to proceed. I can't leave you here. Not when I feel the light within you.

Revan's chest rose and fell with breath as Bastila laid her hand on the dying sith lord. She concentrated on the winds of the Force surrounding them, as she pushed healing energy into the dark lord.

Using the Force, she lifted the injured sith onto a nearby crate and activated the anti-grav, allowing her to push the dark lord towards the hangar bay where her shuttle awaited her. She ran, pushing the crate up the ramp, yelling for the pilot to take off.

As they raced away from the failing flagship, she rushed to the small med bay. The medical droid assisted her as they transferred the sith lord to the medbay bed.

Curious, Bastila leaned over Revan as the droid began removing the dark lord's helmet and armor. She gasped at the unexpected sight of the fragile face before her.

She pressed the intercom button to speak to the pilot. "Set course for Dantooine." The masters there would know what to do.

#

Darkness.

It was so cold.

Ashla trembled in the darkness. She pulled her knees to her chest, curling into a fetal position. In her hands, she hid something very precious - something she can't let her see.

She peered down at the glowing blue butterfly. A soft blue glow illuminated her pale features. She closed her hands back around it and secured it closer to her chest.

She closed her eyes, fully intending to go back to sleep again.

Her eyes fluttered back open, hearing a melody she hadn't heard in so many years. A sweet lilting harmony that moved through her, uplifting her.

Then, she felt a light touch upon her brow. No one had touched her in years. She nearly wept from the tender contact. With the touch came warmth. So long had she hidden, shivering in the cold, that warmth felt odd and foreign to her.

A woman's voice spoke tenderly to her. "Everything will be alright. Just hold on."

She reached out, seeking its source. She latched on to it, not wanting to let go as the voice filled her with hope.

The blue butterfly in her cupped hands fluttered in excitement, feeling it as well. It gave her the courage to stand...to rise up and touch the light.

#

Dantooine

She awoke to darkness.

Pain. So much pain. Her head hurt so badly. She tried to touch her face, but her arms were bound and unable to move. Her legs jerked, but were unable to move as well. She cried out in terror as she tugged at the restraints.

Bastila fled from the room in a hurry, seeking out Master Vandar Tokare.

Vandar motioned for Bastila to stay back as approached the frantic woman cautiously. "Can you hear me?"

"Who's there?" She called out as her eyes darted to and fro, blindly searching for the owner of the voice. "Who are you? Where am I?"

Vandar swallowed hard, his ears drooping slightly, as he stared down at the woman before him. A far cry from the woman she used to be...the child he used to know and love.

His padawan. Oh, my dear, what have you done to yourself?

He shook his head at her taut alabaster skin marbled with faint blue veins and the large open gash that spread across the left side of her temple and forehead. She was gaunt and thin, much too thin. Her cheeks were hollow, leaving her face sharp and angular. Her eyes were wild, blindly darting too and fro. They were an eerie mixture of black and gold, like an eclipse. The shadow of darkness overtaking the light. The dark side corruption had clearly taken its toll on his former padawan.

"Can you...see?" he asked hesitantly, not wanting to touch her out of fear that he might in some way further damage her.

Blindly, she turned her head toward his voice. She trembled in fear as she struggled against the restraints. "N-no. I can't!" She tugged at the restraints, but they refused to budge. "Why can't I see? What's happening?"

Vandar leaned heavily on his cane as he sighed. "Child, can you tell me who you are? Can you tell me your name?"

Darkness. There was so much darkness.

"My name..." She searched for the answer, but there was only the swirling black void. "No," she gasped. "I can't...remember. Why can't I remember?!"

Bastila choked back a sob at the once powerful woman being reduced to nothing.

Vandar frowned. "Doctor, give her another sedative. Let's keep her under sedation for a bit longer."

She cried out, "no! I don't want to go back! Please, no!" Her cries faded as the sedative took hold. Her eyes closed slowly as she sank back into oblivion.

Bastila wiped away her tears. Seeing the woman like this was heartbreaking, but she felt compelled to stay. "Master, are these side effects from the force wall of light...normal?"

"I'm not certain. With how injured she was when you brought her in, it's difficult to say. We must wait and see, Bastila." Vandar frowned sadly at Ashla. He hoped the force wall of light, which severed her connection to the Force, would help to cleanse her of the corruption from the dark side. It would heal her, or it would destroy her, finishing what Malak had started.

He turned to Bastila, who stood waiting beside him. "Come, Bastila. We have much to discuss."

"Of course, Master Vandar." Bastila followed out of the halls of healing and into a nearby meditation room. "Master Vandar, will Revan recover?"

Vandar settled himself onto a meditation cushion, setting his cane beside him. "I do not know if Ashla will recover. Only time will tell."

"Ashla? Why did you call her Ashla?" she asked as she sat down opposite of him.

He sighed. "Long ago, that was the name of her true self, before she adopted the name Revan. She has forgotten. The Sith Lord known as Revan ceased to be when Malak fired upon her ship. When you healed her, you sparked the light within her, allowing Ashla to return."

She tried to settle into her meditative state, but found she could not let go of the uneasiness she had felt since she brought the injured sith lord back to Dantooine. "Master...did you know Revan, I'm sorry, I mean...Ashla, from before she fell to the dark side?"

He smiled sadly. "Yes, she was my padawan learner. A tale for another time. Now, you must rest yourself in the Force. You carry a great amount of guilt. You did all you could have done for her. You must learn to let it go."

Bastila nodded as she settled herself into her meditation position and focused on feeling the Force surrounding her.

#

Bastila entered the halls of healing and stood quietly before the kolto tank watching Revan...Ashla, she reminded herself, floating in the healing waters. She pressed her hand on the glass, feeling an odd connection to the woman inside.

"Master Vandar, what will become of her?"

"The force will decide her fate, young Bastila." Vandar said as he touched the glass softly.

"Master? I feel...connected to her now. It's strange. I can't explain it." She sighed sadly as she studied Revan...no, Ashla, she reminded herself again.

Vandar reached out into the Force. He could see a cord stretching between the two women, their songs in the force combined in a duet. They were a dyad in the Force now, two halves of a whole. "You share a special bond with her now. When you healed her, you gave a part of yourself to her - so strong was your desire that she live. You felt the light hiding inside, did you not?"

Bastila nodded. "Yes, Master. I did. I couldn't just leave her there when I felt there was still good inside of her. Even before Malak's ship fired on us, I could feel the conflict within her."

They backed up slowly as the medical droid prepared to release the kolto and pull Ashla from submersion. She was lifted out of the tank and dried off carefully, then wrapped in warmed blankets.

Vandar stood next to the bed, peering down at his former padawan with old sad eyes.

Ashla began to stir. She opened her eyes, blinking slowly. She glanced around the foreign room. Her gaze locked onto the unfamiliar small green man standing before her. Her voice was weak and raspy as she spoke softly. "Who are you? Where am I?"

"Do you remember what happened?" Master Vandar asked. She was calmer this time. Her face looked fuller and there was more color to her fair cheeks. That was good, he thought. He was pleased to see the beastly golden color had faded from her eyes, leaving them a dark brown. "Can you tell me your name?"

Ashla blinked at him, trying to remember. Trying to see past the void. There was nothing. "No...I...can't remember."

Master Vandar sighed. "Tell me, can you see?"

Ashla's eyes darted around the room, taking in the medical equipment and kolto tanks that lined the far wall. "Y-yes. Where am I?"

Vandar frowned as he sat down next to her. Her vision had returned. That was an improvement, but she still had no memory of him. Or who she was. Or any of the conversations they'd had each time she was pulled out of the kolto where he would tell her his name, who and where she was. "You are on Dantooine. Tell me, can you remember anything? Anything at all?"

Ashla blinked up at the small green man who sat beside her, trying to remember. "No, there is nothing. Who are you?"

Vandar sighed as he told her his name, yet again. The poor woman's mind was broken. Fractured. He had no way of knowing if it was because of the force wall of light and severing her connection with the Force, or if it was due to the damage she sustained from Malak's attack. Perhaps, they would never know, he thought sadly.

They had done all they could do here in their small halls of healing. Sending her to Coruscant was the best option. The best Jedi healers in the known galaxy were there. They could help, where he could not.

Once she had recovered, the Council would discuss her fate.

Vandar knew this was his personal test in the Force. He had to let her go, just as he had to let her go so many years ago when she went off to war against his best wishes… Against the Council's orders. It was difficult, especially when he looked at her and still saw the small little girl she had once been, but it was the right thing to do.

Masters teach their padawans...and padawans teach their Masters.

And, sometimes, failure is the greatest teacher of all.

#

Coruscant - Jedi Temple Halls of Healing

"Alyssa, where is he?" Ashla raised her face to the warm sunshine. She loved when the doctors allowed her to come outside and sit in the garden. There was something calming and peaceful about the serene place, something familiar too but she couldn't place what it was. Someone who used to love to sit with her in a garden similar to this one, but he was gone.

Alyssa, her nurse who was constantly at her side, looked startled for a moment before she hid it away. "And, who is that, dearie?"

Ashla frowned. The name was almost on the tip of her tongue, but then it was gone. She was left with only an image of a tall man with jet black hair and a warm smile, but even that faded as quickly as it came. Vanished back into the void. "I don't know. I...can't remember."

Alyssa's eyebrows rose as she checked her datapad. "Oh, dear. It's time for your treatment. Come along, dearie. You know Doctor Navalle doesn't like it when we're late."

Alyssa led her through the halls until they reached the large room where Doctor Navalle was waiting impatiently, with the ever present Jedi standing beside him.

She inhaled sharply as a shiver of fear raced through her at the sight of the Jedi healer. She pushed it aside as she settled into the chair as Doctor Navalle sat facing her.

"Alright, let's begin." Navalle said calmly. "What's your name?"

The Jedi healer stood behind her and placed his hands on either side of her head.

She trembled in her chair and shook her head at the doctor. Something about the Jedi terrified her, but she couldn't remember why.

Navalle smiled reassuringly at her. "The Jedi are here to help assist in your healing, Ashla. You are safe here. Now, answer the question."

She gripped the sides of the chair tightly as her anxiety rose. She felt an odd state of calm slip over her as the Jedi who stood behind her began chanting a quiet mantra. "My name is Ashla Marek."

Doctor Navalle replied, "good. How old are you, Ashla?"

"I'm thirty-seven years old." She replied in a monotone voice.

"Excellent. Where are you from?" He glanced up at the Jedi, who had his head bowed, deep in meditation.

"I am from Deralia."

He nodded. "What is your occupation?"

"I operate a droid repair shop."

Navalle motioned for the Jedi to cease. He nodded, pleased with how Ashla was responding to the treatments. "Ashla, we're done for the moment. Tell me, can you remember anything about your accident?"

She frowned as she struggled to remember.

She glanced at the doctor, who had told her it would get easier. But it wasn't getting easier. She remembered what he told her but could not remember the actual event itself. "I remember that you told me...my ship crashed."

Navalle frowned as he typed into his datapad. "Very well. What did you have for breakfast this morning, Ashla?"

"I had," Ashla's voice trailed off as she realized she couldn't remember.

Navalle looked up from his datapad. "Yes?"

Her lips quivered as uncertainty flared within her. "I don't remember," she admitted softly.

"Hhmm," he murmured as he typed. "Ashla?" He looked up to see her staring off at nothing. "Ashla?"

She stared out the large transparisteel window at the line of speeders in the air traffic lanes high above them. She vaguely heard someone calling her name. She shook herself, feeling as if she was waking up from a long nap. "Yes?"

"I think that'll be all for today, Ashla." He rose and pulled the Jedi aside, speaking in low tones that she couldn't hear.

As she left with Alyssa, she glanced back at the Jedi. She paused as he stared uneasily at her. She wavered slightly as a feeling of deja vu washed over her. She thought for a moment that she knew the Jedi master's name, but then the feeling was gone.

Vanished without a trace.

#

Coruscant

Jedi Temple High Council Chambers

Master Vandar appeared via holo transmission in his chair with the Jedi Council. "How is Ashla's healing progressing?"

Master Lyria frowned. "Revan's condition is much improved. Physically, she is healthy. Her strength has returned and she enjoys her daily exercise regime. Her memory is getting better and better with each day, however she cannot remember anything that happened prior to arriving here at Coruscant."

The blue light flickered as Master Vandar shook his head. "Revan ceased to be, Master Lyria. She is Ashla now."

"Either way, the woman is dangerous." Master Vrook Lamar interrupted. "She should be in a stasis cell at the Prism, not here in our Halls of Healing."

Lyria nodded in agreement, along with several of the Jedi masters nodding as well.

"With each day, Malak grows stronger." Vandar said as his holo flickered. "Ashla may very well be our only means of discovering what he has planned."

"That is a dangerous game," Master Vrook said. "What if her memories return, and Revan with them? Hmm? With all her force powers intact? What then? We have been lucky that your wall of light has held this long, Vandar. She should be sent to the Prism immediately."

"We cannot do that." Vandar's ears drooped as he sighed heavily. More and more of the masters were leaning towards Vrook's motion to send Ashla into stasis at the Prism, a secret prison known only to the Jedi Council located in Wild Space. "It would be a grave injustice to imprison a woman who has no memory of the deeds you are leveling against her."

"Crimes she committed!" Vrook ground out between clenched teeth.

"Crimes Revan committed," Vandar countered. "Not Ashla."

Lyria frowned. "Vandar, you speak as though they are two separate people, when we all know they are one and the same."

Vandar's holo flickered in the dim light. "That is because they are, Lyria. Revan is no more. She ceased to be when she sustained her injuries due to Malak's attack. Bastila sensed the light within her...she sensed Ashla within."

Murmurs ran through the chamber like wildfire.

"Master Vandar," Lyria waved an exasperated arm as she motioned for everyone to settle down. "What would you have us do then? What other alternatives do we have?"

"Hmm," Vandar closed his eyes as he searched the Force for an answer. "Supply her with a new identity and a new past, and place her in the military as a soldier. From there, we can station Bastila Shan to watch over her from afar. The two share a bond, a very unique bond. Perhaps, through it, Bastila will pick up any of Revan's memories which might help us answer the lingering question of how Malak has been able to build such a large fleet so quickly."

Vrook glared at Vandar's holo transmission. "And just what do you propose we do if her memory returns? If Revan returns? What then, Vandar?"

"If Revan returns, we will be forced to take her into custody." Vandar said sadly.

Lyria sighed heavily. "This is a very large risk we are taking, Vandar."

"I fear it is a risk we must take." Vandar said softly as his transmission ended.

#

The Outer Rim - The Radiant, Jedi Consular ship docked with the Endar Spire

"Transferred?" New recruit Ashla Marek read over the missive once again. "What?! I just got here!"

R2-A5, a small silver and blue astromech droid, rolled along beside her and beeped quizzically.

She glanced down at the small droid. "Artoo, I don't know why I'm being transferred. It just says I am to report to Commander Cellis aboard the Endar Spire. Now."

Artoo trilled sadly. "Doooo." R2= who will fix my circuits now?

She squatted down beside the astromech and patted his side. She was going to miss the little droid. She'd only been on the Radiant for a couple of days, and the droid had been her constant companion. "I'm sure they will take good care of you, lil guy."

The droid rolled alongside her as she entered her quarters and began packing a small bag of her meager belongings. Slinging the pack over her shoulders, she left her quarters and headed down the long corridor.

Artoo beeped wildly at her to stop as he grabbed her pants leg with his multi-task arm. R2= Ash is going the wrong direction!

She groaned as she berated her faulty memory once again. "Lead the way, Artoo. I don't know what I'm going to do without you once I'm on board the Spire."

All these corridors looked the same, she thought as they walked down the white corridor towards the docking bay. The droid stayed with her as she crossed over onto the Endar Spire, warbling softly at her side.

She frowned as she realized two Jedi were following her. The hairs on the back of her neck stood as she felt them get closer. She let out a shaky breath, thinking she was being silly. "Artoo, you need to head back before you get stuck over here and get in big trouble."

Artoo trilled softly as he rolled over to a port.

"Thanks, Artoo! You're a lifesaver!" She dug into her pack, ignoring the Jedi who stood not far away watching her interact with the small droid. She pulled out her datapad and handed it to the droid, who was now plugged into the ship's port. A small blue light blinked slowly on Artoo's dome shaped head as he uploaded a map schematic onto her datapad, then handed it back. He waved and beeped sadly as he rolled back to the Radiant.

As she walked to the bridge staring down at her map, she accidentally bumped into a dark haired man wearing an orange flight jacket.

"Are you alright, Recruit?" he asked in concern as he reached out to steady her.

His hands were warm on her upper arms and the richness of his voice took her breath away. She blinked up at his warm brown eyes. She nodded mutely at the sound of his soothing voice.

She cleared her throat as she ignored the intense feeling of deja vu. "Yes, yes...I'm fine. I'm sorry. I fear I wasn't paying much attention to where I was going."

He smiled down at her with velvety chocolate brown eyes. "No worries."

There was something oddly familiar about him, but try as she might, she couldn't place it. She walked slowly away and turned back to glance at him. Her eyes locked with his momentarily. She gave him a small smile before returning her attention back to the map.

This was a new beginning for her. One she desperately needed after her accident. She had to look forward, she reminded herself, not backwards.

It was a new start.

A new life.

*A/N: Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read my story! I appreciate you all so much!

If you enjoyed reading Revan's story - feel free to check out the continuation of her story in my other story - Knights of the Old Republic: The Mnenosyne. (Unless you have already read it - if so, thank you!)

Cheers!

~ Nia