Chapter Twenty-Six: Eldritch Horrors
Revan was trying to meditate in the darkness of the universe.
The bleak hopelessness that had been growing beneath the surface was now unleashed. Even here, in hyperspace on the Cat's Paw en route to Paragus, he could feel it now. The rage, the horror, the endless death. Even as he sat here, millions were dying, of war, of plague, of hunger, and simple despair.
It had always been there, the cries of the damned.
But he had never been able to hear it. Had it grown louder, or had he simply now been able to hear it more? Looking up, he sat Visas attempting to focus her powers as well. He'd taken her with him to save her life. Revan fully expected to hear of Cathar's destruction second hand. The most he'd ever be able to do was walk the broken ruins after the fall.
Would any survive?
It depended on the Mandalorians, he supposed. Whether they felt merciful or respectful of the Cathar. Whether they thought that respect warranted mercy or total annihilation.
And then Master Kreia entered.
She'd transferred over to the ship in place of Sylvar, who had refused to leave her people. Revan could not blame her, really. His command style would never have meshed with her anyway.
"If I might ask, Revan, why are we going to Paragus ahead of schedule?" asked Kreia. "You were quite insistent we leave the fleet behind."
"A tremor in the Force. Visas could tell you more," said Revan, who had explained little.
"I see a great Mandalorian Fleet assembled before a volcanic world. They are arrayed in great numbers," said Visas. "The Cathar array before it, but they are destroyed. In other visions, the Cathar attack fast and win quickly. But they are destroyed after they achieve their mission. Still other times, the Cathar lead them away while a strike team descends.
"Yet no matter what, the Cathar fleet dies."
"And you trust the visions of this blinded one?" asked Kreia. "One who has never seen the world for what it is, rather than through vision."
"The Force is, Master Kreia," said Visas. "And through it, my people see all."
"I did analysis myself," said Revan. "So did HK 9.
"Aedal isn't a standard Sith. He might have read the Force and gotten an idea that we're about to attack. Seeing as they just conquered Onderon, they won't need as large an army to take down Cather.
"He could probably reassign extra forces to Paragus. Or get Mandalore to assign them.
"It's the logical place for us to attack. So someone thinking on their feet could predict our strike."
"And so instead of going to Paragus with a fleet, you go there with a single vessel," said Kreia. "One equipped to fool sensors.
"Stealth may serve you well, but I wonder if this action is not reckless."
Maybe it was. But Revan had a feeling that Cathar would be attacked and that he'd have to strike first and fast. "The situation is not in our favor. If we play it safe, we lose. If we take a few gambles, we might be able to win. I think that if we arrive on Paragus, we might be able to find a way to sabotage them without a fleet. That would give the Cathar more fighting room."
"Well, that would be the best of all possible worlds, would it not," said Kreia. "What of you, blinded one? What do you see happening around this event?"
"The event itself will take its course," said Visas. "If we strike in this way, a great victory may be won. But even now, the Miraluka can perceive blood and death spreading. Whatever happens on Paragus, it will not sway the darkness that is to come.
"Even now, my sight is clouded by the ever-increasing agony and horror. What has been unleashed in the galaxy is a great hunger. As though a vacuum has opened up in the Force itself and even now draws all to it.
"Nihilus."
"An optimistic view I would expect from one far older," said Kreia in amusement. "Tell me, why did the Council of Katarr dispatch you to this place? When I look on you, I do not see one wielder of the Force. Merely a cipher for all her kind, by which their will is enacted."
"The Miraluka are one, yet separate," said Visas, shaking her head. "Our spirits are intertwined with the Force as surely as our bodies are with the world around us. Though my will is my own, my will is the same as theirs. We are one in the Light."
"And what would you be if you were separate? Or cast into the dark against your will?" asked Kreia.
"One cannot be cast into the dark, save by ones' own failings," said Visas simply.
"Is that so?" asked Kreia, sitting down. "And what if the failure as a student comes as a result of the failure of the teacher? What if the teacher trains a generation who succumb to the dark?"
"The teacher must accept responsibility," said Visas, in a voice not her own.
"And what if the teacher will not accept responsibility?" asked Kreia. "What if they refuse to acknowledge any fault in their own actions and blind themselves to the truth? What if a repentant student seeks to turn away from the dark but is cast out. Simply because the Masters do not want to listen?"
"Such a thing will never happen," said Visas.
"And why not?" asked Kreia.
"The Jedi Masters are good; they see the Force. The Force will correct their error," replied Visas in a voice not her own.
"And the Sith are all willful beings of pure malice. Yes, I have heard such speeches before," said Kreia. "And yet the Jedi Masters revel in stories of redeemed Jedi who see the error of their ways. If, indeed, all Sith are beings of such pure malice, why would any turn away? And if there are those who turn away for other reasons, cannot those reasons be good?
"If a student despises his master for their true failings, must not the Master change?"
"Why are you trying to trap us, Kreia?" asked Visas.
"Trap you? I will not trap you," said Kreia. "You need only see the world for what it is and make what you believe is the rational response. If the prospect of doing so makes you afraid, then you have violated the Jedi Code. Fear is the path to the dark side."
"Will both of you shut up!" said Revan, at his wit's end. He was sick of these debates about Jedi. And even now, he could feel the weight of the galaxy pressing down on him. "Nar Shadda is burning. I sense it even now."
And Bastila was in pain. He could feel her mind struggling to remain in control. She witnessed the destruction of everything around her. Death, pain, torture, and malice were everywhere. Revan saw her running down decayed and broken streets with Master Nomi.
"...Yes, I can sense the horror even now, creeping out of the darkness," said Kreia. "The screams of the innocent strike against other horrors. Those cries, in turn, muster and flow forth across the universe. It was tormenting the minds of all those who feel the Force."
"Bastila is in pain," said Revan. "I can feel her mind reeling from the horrors she is at the center of. It's nearly breaking her." Her mind was struggling to avoid comprehending what was around her. Because to do so, to grasp death on such a scale could break her.
"Then you must aid her if you can," said Kreia, moving around the lounge to put a hand on her should. "Use your bond with Meetra, with Malak, with Bastila to siphon off that agony. Take the pain of the other onto yourself. You shall draw strength from the pain, even as you keep the other from breaking."
Revan nodded and stretched out with his feelings. Malak was in the cockpit, checking instruments alongside HK 9. "Malak..." His mind turned to Meetra in a far away starship en route to Coruscant. "Meetra..."
"Do you feel it, as I do?" asked Meetra.
"Yes," said Malak. "Bastila is in need of help."
"Then we have to do so," said Revan.
Together they reached out with their will to Nar Shadda as one. Their minds touched upon the horror and agony of the place through Bastila. The waves of evil flowed from Bastila into their minds, and Revan sensed sheer pain. The sound of breaking buildings, of shattered glass. Of screams for mercy and lightsabers flashing.
Briefly, they glimpsed Bastila and Nomi fighting with masked agents. They came around them from all sides.
"The desolation, the death, the horror..." murmured Meetra.
"It is everywhere," said Malak. "It is everything."
And there was something else there as well.
A malevolent presence was hovering above the blackened skies of Nar Shadda. It was a phantom that was formless and evil. Yet the unending flow of life, of blood and pain, poured upwards into this malaise. It fed on the lives of those who died, drawing them into itself. It was chewing them up and throwing them out dead or as mutilated things.
If hell existed, then this thing was of it. It tempted men to do the unthinkable, used them as tools, and disposed of them as it did. Revan had seen this thing before; he'd seen a shadow of it in Coruscant. On Melinda Daan, there was a lesser force like it.
It was cancer—an imitation of the Force that existed only to feed off the suffering. To siphon the will of the evil, and finally, destroy them. And it loved the horror it caused. It enjoyed the power to stand on high and destroy others, even when it gained nothing. This beast, were it a man, would never be able to exist. No creature so devoid of virtue or good could ever function. They could not survive long enough to become a threat.
But this...
Had it once been a man?
Nihilus.
The name came to him unbidden, and he knew this thing was looking through them as surely as they were gazing at it. The Light spoke of redemption for all things, no matter how far gone. But if there was a path to redemption for such a creature, the cure was beyond any Jedi.
Nihilus was here, and yet he was not here. His very being had been poured into the physical matter of this universe. It anchored him here. By it, he manipulated and destroyed and caused ever further suffering. This thing had invested his spirit into the very fabric of reality. And from that investment, he had profited greatly from the ruins of those he had destroyed.
Who was Nihilus? Why had he done this?
It did not matter. Bastila was being subjected to his will even now, just like so many others across the world. Her spirit, it, and that of Nomi Sunrider had touched upon Nar Shadda, a place Nihilus was strong in. They had awakened his interest and drawn aspects of his will upon them. Even now, his will was driving that world made, and with every death, he feasted.
Was this hallucination?
Revan could only hope it was. To see something like this, perpetually...
He did not want to gaze at it.
Sending forth his will, he tried to reach out to Bastila as she began to laugh. Her mind was at war; she had shut herself off from her emotions and empathy. That had bought her time, but even now, she was under attack. He could feel the will of the thing pouring into her, trying to take all that was. Malak, Revan and Meetra...
Their wills clashed with that of the abomination, straining against it. They held the creature at bay, but there was always more power. Vague, they saw visions of Bastila coming under attack and having to use her lightsaber. Masked opponents, filled with Nihilus' will, came at her, and she could hardly fend them off.
They died, and their screams went to Nihilus.
And pain-filled Revan, it was a pain that was unbearable. Looking around, he felt rage and hatred seeping through his every muscle. His hands almost went for his lightsaber, but he held himself in check. Fear filled his heart, and he shuddered, falling from his chair. Controlling his breathing, he forced himself to stand. But then he felt grief, horrific grief. The grief of all those who had died, filling his mind.
Suddenly, the pain stopped.
The emotional high, the agony of spirit faded, leaving only a dull ache. He felt nothing, a bitter emptiness like that he'd seen while walking through ruined towns. But Bastila was fine. And the experience began to fade slowly, as Revan wondered if he'd only imagined it. Was he attributing consciousness to the Dark Side aura of Nar Shadda?
But then, Nar Shadda was connected to many places with similar problems.
Yes, it...
There could not really be a... god of the Dark Side. The Jedi would have seen them.
"I do not think that Bastila can feel my presence or what I'm doing, Master Kreia," said Revan.
"That is the nature of such horrors," said Kreia ruefully. "Just as a place of peace and harmony can drown out suffering, so too can places of the Dark Side obscure your vision.
"Indeed, this may prove to our benefit."
"Benefit?" asked Revan incredulously.
"With such horror spreading, I do not think that we need fear premonitions," said Kreia. "Is young Bastila alright?"
Revan thought about what Bastila had done in desperation. "She's um...
"She's sort of made herself like me. Shut out all her empathy and emotions to try and block it out. They also ran into a Sith Lord, and Nomi Sunrider attacked him.
"Darth Sion."
"Sion?" asked Kreia. "So he has returned. I had hoped he would remain resting for a time. But he draws his strength from the horrors of the universe. With all that has happened, I fear he shall become strong indeed before the end.
"What was the result of their conflict?"
"Sion mostly just defended himself while Nomi attacked," said Revan. "He seemed to think the Jedi were dead already and just wanted to watch Nar Shadda died. Actually he... he made some good points.
"About how Jedi inaction led to this state of affairs."
"Sith Lords usually do," noted Kreia. "Those who care for nothing but power rarely achieve it. They much have some other ideology, if only to motivate subordinates. Sion viewed himself as a cleansing force to free the universe from decay.
"Still, was Nomi Sunrider well?"
"She seemed to lose her cool and attack Sion aggressively," said Revan, still in a bit of shock.
"Perhaps she sought to utilize him as a scapegoat, a focus to explain the horrors all around her. One could hardly begrudge such a mindset in the face of death," noted Kreia. "Still, she is more experienced with death.
"She has felt it before. When Exar Kun ripped the core of ten stars from the Cron Cluster. The wave of supernovas spread outward and annihilated many planets near them. Most of what histories speak of is Ossus, but I was upon a world that had the misfortune to be near the supernova. Though the explosion was lightyears away, the sheer heat boiled the oceans. It killed the plants and led to famine and much destruction. Many were struck blind by looking at it.
"I remember the carcasses of fish dying as people desperately fled.
"On those worlds, the recovery has been slow indeed. And it was, but a taste of the horror Exar Kun did to this universe. A forgotten, minor detail compared to the fall of Ossus."
So many horrors.
What was this galaxy but a neverending series of atrocities and narrow victories—each one leading to ever greater corruption. The Sith rampaged unchecked. And the Jedi stopped them at great cost, and the universe gave more power to the Hutts. Was this what they fought for?
No.
What they fought for was the world that could be. Not the world that was or is. Revan would create a brighter future. He would.
"...Revan, we're coming up on Paragus," said Malak over the intercom. "I hope you know what you're doing."
Revan nodded. "Master Kreia, let's go."
Together they got to the cockpit and found HK 9 observing. Malak was checking the instruments. Malak had learned to pilot and move a ship at some point during his time with Kreia. Even so, he obviously wasn't as good as he pretended.
But they didn't need an ace pilot.
If someone started shooting at this vessel, they were all as good as dead anyway.
"Malak," said Revan, sitting down. "Are you alright?"
"Fine," said Malak.
Revan looked to HK 9. "HK 9. Assume that Exar Kun successfully became a God. Analyze as to how this would be possible and why he would not have made himself known to us."
HK 9 nodded. "Affirmation:
"Understood, Master. This may take some time, however."
And he fell silent.
Revan looked out as they came out toward Paragus. It was a barren, volcanic world with many flowing rivers of lava on the surface. There were also a great many vessels patrolling around it. Far more than it looked like they had docking space for, which meant the garrison was usually small. There were a wide variety of them, but they didn't seem like they'd noticed.
"The fleet is scattered and patrolling. Do you think we can get past them?" asked Revan.
"This is a small freighter," said Malak, moving forward. "They won't have noticed us yet. Most sensors are designed to detect capital ships. But the more sophisticated kinds are very expensive. Not the kind of thing you could maintain on a place like this."
Revan frowned as he saw one of the vessels, orangish and long. "That is a Trandoshan ship."
"And that is an Exchange vessel, used by PMC's," said Kreia, checking the reading. "There are several of both. Not to mention a number of Gammorean vessels as well. And I can sense many more vessels coming in even now.
"More of the same. It appears from their thoughts that these are recent arrivals here on guard duty. Many of them are resentful of the reassignment."
"It would appear that Visas' vision was correct," said Malak.
Revan sensed outward toward the planet. And he sensed a settlement, with two or three thousand people in it. Only one, though. ""I sense a settlement on the surface of this planet. Likely a mining operation.
"Malak, can you get us down there?"
"I can," said Malak. "But we might as well scrap the mission. These ships outnumber the Cathar. We'll be wiped out."
"We don't have to engage them to attack them," said Revan. "All we have to do is get down there undetected. Then get them to form up in a defensive formation."
"I shall use the Force to turn their gaze away from us," said Kreia. "But I will not be aware to consult."
"Great," said Revan. "Do it."
Malak turned to him. "Revan, what are you planning here?"
"I've looked at the stats for Peregian Fuel," said Revan. "It explodes with a lot of intensity at high temperatures. Several times a major fire has blown up entire mountains. With a proper chain reaction we could blow an entire chunk of the planet out of existence.
"If the Mandalorian Fleet were waiting to meet the Cathar fleet as it arrived when a chunk of the planet was blown up-"
"You want to blow a planet up?" asked Malak. "Our purpose was to sabotage the fuel operation, not destroy an entire world!"
"The Mandalorians have banked their entire fuel supply around this stuff," said Revan. "If we take out the facility, they'll just build another.
"Blow the planet up, and they'll have to build facilities on the asteroids."
"But to kill an entire planet... this is something a Sith would do," said Malak, shaking his head.
"There is no civilian population," said Revan. "The settlement is probably a bare bones operation of miners. They probably know full well the risks of the operation.
"And even if there is a civilian casualty, this is all-out war.
"A fuel explosion is a risk they probably knew they were taking when they began operations. We'll be shortening the war massively and saving a lot more lives, and the only cost is a military target.
"Stay here, I need to make a long-distance call."
"To where?" asked Malak.
"To make contact with Atris," said Revan. "We need the Mandalorians to form a defensive formation. So, we'll need to have some backup to make them take that formation." And he walked out, through the halls.
As he did, Revan hoped HK 9 could come up with a proper explanation for Nihilus. Or better still, find definitively proof it would never happen. But that was neither here nor there.
So, going to the transmitter room, he opened a long-range transmission to Telos. It was one he'd insisted their vessel have. He needed the means to conduct operations from here.
For a moment, he waited.
And waited.
And then Atris answered, cold and beautiful as ever. She smiled as she saw him, however, and Revan wished she did that more often. "Young Revan, you appear to have been very busy of late."
"I've been engaged in theatrics," said Revan. "Have you heard about our operation?"
"Yes, King Jagthar informed me of it," said Artist. "I understand that it is too late to turn back, but I question the wisdom of this action. You ought to have discussed it with us."
"There was no time," said Revan, shaking his head. "The situation is escalating, and we're about to have an all-out war. I feel that Cathar will be wiped out ahead of schedule and plans had to be altered to account for it.
"Otherwise, the war will go badly for us."
Atris raised an eyebrow. "Ahead of schedule?"
"I meant in terms of the premonitions sustained by the Jedi," said Revan. "I imagine the Force has a schedule of sorts, after all. Assuming things are predetermined anyway."
"A poor choice of words, but forgivable," said Atris, brushing aside a strand of white hair. "Though I am curious as to why you are contacting me?"
"I'm about to initiate a high stakes operation, Atris," said Revan, deciding on how to say it. "If successful, we'll be able to cut off the Mandalorian Fuel reserves and destroy an entire fleet. But I want to make our victory as total as possible."
"Logical, though I am not certain you should be referring to this as our war," said Atris, tone commanding. "It is not our war as of yet."
"I would ask that you send a number of Republic ships to Paragus on a pirate hunt," said Revan. "They can join the Cathar in the operation."
Atris halted. "You would have us initiate war ahead of schedule?"
"Of course not, Master Atris," said Revan quickly. "We are hunting pirates, and there are a large number of pirate vessels there. Many of which work for the Exchange or their affiliates. Officially, Paragus has no affiliation with the Mandalorian Empire. So our conflict with them should be accidentally on purpose.
"Once there, I want them to arrive and hover threateningly in front of the planet. No attacks, just present enough of a threat the Mandalorians will form up. And I want you to make a public display of the operation; the Mandalorians need to know we are coming."
Atris halted. "Why would you need the Republic for this?"
"The Mandalorians have been deliberately avoiding a confrontation with the Republic," said Revan. "They want to devour as much of the Outer Rim as possible before they start a fight. At the same time, they are eager for this fight.
"If the Mandalorians see them coming to Paragus, the leader would see a chance for glory. An opportunity to be the first to face the Republic, and also, a much larger threat. They might even call on a larger force from his Clan to repel the invaders."
"Meaning that whatever you do, you will ensure the destruction of your enemies," mused Atris. "This seems... ruthless."
"Blowing up the Mandalorian fuel source won't stop them," said Revan. "Blowing up the Mandalorian fuel source and a large part of their fleet might. If all goes well, the Republic will have a great victory without having fired a shot. And in a worst-case scenario, the Mandalorians will fire first, and we'll have a pretext to intervene."
"And what are you planning to do?" asked Atris. "To engineer this great victory? You are hiding something from me."
No point in hiding anything from 'Mistress' Atris. "Oh, I'm going to blow up the planet so that any ships nearby it will be destroyed."
Atris stared. "...Have you by any chance fallen to the Dark Side?"
"It's a barren death world," said Revan. "The only people who live there are employees for... whatever organization is selling fuel to the Mandalorians. And a victory here may end the war completely.
"Moreover, once the Republic is committed. We could send the fleet with the Cathar to reinforce them. If we repel the invasion force, Onderon could be liberated with far greater ease."
"And does Master Kreia have anything to say on this subject?" asked Atris.
"For the most part, she just asks a lot of questions, stays out of my way, and runs things where I can't go," said Revan. "She does still give Malak, and I lessons, however. But I really feel like I'm the one running operations right now."
Atris looked at him. "You mean to say that she is providing you with no guidance?"
"Kreia prefers to ask questions. She lets people learn the answers for themselves," said Revan. "Honestly, I begin to wonder if she believes in anything. Or anyone.
"But, well, she asks very good questions. So they help me learn."
Atris nodded. "I see.
"That is unfortunate. Have you heard any word from Master Arren Kae yet? We have not."
"Absolutely nothing," said Revan. "It's like she dropped off the face of the galaxy. And Taris is a very easy place to do that.
"She could be on vacation, taken prisoner, or dead in a gutter for all I know. Though personally, I think she ran into some sort of problem she couldn't drop on short notice. And, while she was solving it, she probably got cut off from us.
"I really don't think she'd walk out on us if she had any other alternative."
Atris nodded. "Very well.
"I will make contact with Lucian Draay and ask what has been going on. I gather the training of his students has been going well. But he should have some sort of information on her whereabouts."
"He might have tried to murder her because he thought she was a Sith," suggested Revan offhandedly. Only as he said, it did he realize it wasn't a joke.
"That is a reckless assumption to make," said Atris, though she didn't deny it.
"What?" said Revan. "He tried to do it to me, and who knows how many other people? And the Council let him off with a slap on the wrist."
"The Council's decisions are its own, Revan. You should focus on the task at hand," said Atris. "Worrying over events that have no present relevance will only impede your efforts in the here or now."
"Yes, I know you're right," said Revan. He suddenly wished he could go back to Telos and work. Working with Arren Kae, Atris, and all the handmaidens had been nice until Lucian Draay showed up. Just like working with his crew on Dantooine had been nice until he got reassigned to Telos. Or how he'd loved being with Meetra, Malak, and Bastila before they graduated.
Maybe there was a lesson there about not waxing too much on nostalgia.
Hmm, Atris was actually completely right in this situation.
"Can you send a fleet to help me?" asked Revan. "It only needs to be a small one?"
"Captain Saul Karath's battlegroup has been in Melinda Daan space for some time," said Atris. "One of his main duties has been hunting pirates, many of whom are employed by Clan Demeagol.
"In fact, he has recently received an influx of new recruits from the Telos Security Forces. He has authority to initiate a pirate hunt, and with my urging, may do so."
Revan smiled. Finally, things were looking up. "Excellent.
"How are your handmaidens, by the way? Are they well?"
"As well as can be hoped. Some among them wish for your return to us," said Atris.
"I doubt there's any return for any of us after this," admitted Revan.
Atris looked at him with concern. "The Light never abandons those who wish to be saved, Revan."
"I don't need to be saved; I need a fleet of warships and a cure for the Iridian Plague," said Revan. "And probably a therapist. What's the status on curing it anyway?"
Atris sighed. "Most of my efforts have been toward that end, in truth.
"A vaccine to the Iridian Plague has been created. Dozens of them and most work. The problem is that it has spread so far and so fast that they are outdated. Even if we can make people resistant to a particular strain, it will have mutated to beat that resistance. By now, it is on planets all over the galaxy. It has many different strains, some of them much more deadly. We'll be dealing with this disease for decades, perhaps centuries.
"And to say nothing of worlds in Hutt Space and unaligned worlds. The political situation makes distributing a vaccine impossible. That means that even if we stamp out the plague in the Republic, other worlds will be a breeding ground."
"Great, so if the Mandalorians don't kill us, the plague will," said Revan. "To say nothing of Exar Kun."
"Exar Kun?" asked Atris.
"I've got reason to believe that Exar Kun's ritual for achieving godhood might have worked," said Revan. "My bond with Bastila I... I sensed her in pain and went to help her.
"While there in spirit, I perceived... something. A sort of Force that feeds off of death and horror. The name that came to mind was Nihilus, but I'm not even sure if it existed. It seems like it's a Dark Side presence. It is one that is interconnected between various criminal worlds. One that might have gained sentience."
"Why didn't you mention this before?!" asked Atris in horror.
"I didn't think it was important," said Revan.
"You believe there is a Dark Side God devouring worlds, and you don't think it's important?" asked Atris. "Why?"
"There's nothing I can do about it," said Revan. "I can't walk up to a god and stab it with a lightsaber. I don't even know where he is if he is anywhere. Already had HK 9 begin analyzing possible solutions, and I've told you about it. That's all I can do.
"I can do something about the Mandalorians rampaging across the stars. I can do something to help people in need. But what I can't do is have a fistfight with an eldritch abomination—especially one whose essence is subsumed into physical reality itself.
"What's the point of having a high-priority item in the agenda if there is nothing you can do about it?"
"I see your point," said Atris. "I will begin reading the texts of the Jedi to see what can be done about this... creature. If indeed he exists. However, I will expect a full report later.
"There is some good news, however. The Agricultural Corps are gaining a great deal more respect. They've been called up to deal with the humanitarian crisis. Many of them are involved in creating the vaccine. And with the corruption being purged from our ranks, they've become more efficient.
"Dak, Belaya, and Bandon, your former crew members, are proving highly talented. And a Jedi Master is to be assigned to take charge of their groups to help combat the plague."
Revan nodded. "Oh, that's nice." It was nice to hear some definite positive news for once. "Who are these Masters?"
There was an awkward silence. "Many of the Masters being reassigned are from the Jedi Covenant. It is believed that working within nature will aid them in understanding the true wisdom of the code."
"And you think the Agricultural Corps will be okay with this?" asked Revan. "A lot of them were pretty bitter."
"I've asked them to bear with it," said Atris. "I would have had their work as traditional laborers. The humility would do them good. However, political considerations would not allow it. Punishing them all is risking the alienation of many powerful Republic Elites. And division is the last thing we need."
"You might want to tell them their work is appreciated in a direct message," said Revan. "With all the strain everyone is in, a bit of positive encouragement could do wonders."
Atris nodded. "I will keep it in mind." And then she looked at Revan. "...You have grown up a great deal, Revan. I am... proud of your progress so far."
"Thank you," said Revan.
Then the door opened, and Visas stepped forward. "Revan, we're beginning our descent."
Revan nodded and stood up. "Forgive me, Master Atris. I have a mission to complete."
Atris nodded. "Of course. "One more thing, Revan.
"If there are civilians on that planet, I want you to save as many as you can without compromising the mission. See if there is a way to evacuate them."
"I understand," said Revan, taking it to heart. "I'll do all I can for them."
And he meant it.
Revan decided that the universe was such a bleak place because people chose to make it bleak. But if enough people choose to do a little extra to help eachother every day...
Well, that might just make things a little brighter.
Now, how to organize an evacuation before blowing up a planet without anyone noticing?
This seemed like an interesting challenge.