CHAPTER 06 - DROMUND KAAS

Two Years Ago (3955)

Dromund Kaas was not what Vann was expecting. His visions had led him to believe that it was a desolate world, only notable for its storms and the dark side energy that permeated it. But after charging and then reading the datapad that he'd recovered on Rekkiad, he'd begun to understand the planet a little better. The pad itself contained notes about its culture - how to dress and act, the proper attitude for a mercenary to adopt, and the long list of slights towards the native species that could get a Human killed on the spot.

The natives called themselves Sith 'purebloods,' red-skinned humanoids who all possess some degree of Force-sensitivity. Unsurprisingly, this sensitivity gave them an innate connection to the dark side. Their culture was ancient and complex, full of rituals and political intrigue that made Vann shake his head at the useless formality. But haughtiness appeared to be their biggest weakness and the key to infiltrating their society. There were some tasks that they viewed as too loathsome for a pureblood to perform and in those situations, they hired mercenaries, many of them Human.

Which, apparently, was how Revan and Malak found themselves on the planet disguised as hired guns about five years back. The details of the story were still unclear, but Vann knew that it ended with him bleeding out across the controls of his shuttle as he made a near-fatal landing in the Elom desert. Shortly before that was his first duel with Malak, the catalyst for that disastrous crash and everything that went wrong afterward. It was a fight that had occurred at the whims of the Emperor who ruled Dromund Kaas, the same Sith who'd been haunting Vann's dreams for over a year. His search for the source of the threat he'd been sensing was over, but the real work was only beginning.

Now that he was on the planet, he wasn't quite sure where to start. Preparing for the worst possible outcome seemed like a wise idea.

"Tee-Three, watch the ship. If I don't signal you within a week or if I give the code that means I'm in trouble, take off without me and get somewhere safe. Wait as long as the fuel reserves will allow before looking for help. I don't want to drag anyone else into this if I don't have to."

The last time Vann had brought someone to Dromund Kaas, he had fallen to the dark side and seized control of the entire Republic military.

"Boop-bee-whoo-beep?"

"If you don't hear from me before the ship needs organic intervention, try and get help. Find Bastila if you can, but if you can't, find someone who looks like a Jedi. You know the riddle that any stranger has to answer before you let them on board."

"Beep-boo-boo-whoop!"

"Exactly."

As ridiculous as it seemed, the riddle to board the Ebon Hawk in Vann's absence was the Jedi Code. While he knew it wasn't a foolproof plan, it at least ensured that whoever boarded the ship had a passing familiarity with the light side of the Force. With any luck, they would be a Jedi or would at least recognize the ship as his and could get help from the Rakata enclave.

Clipping a final wire, Vann nodded grimly to himself as he removed the last of the navicomputer's hard drive.

"Whoo-beep-boo-boop…"

"Yes, it will be extremely hard for an organic to fly this ship, which is what I'm counting on. I can't have anyone here tracking the Hawk back to Rakata or anywhere else that we've been recently." Placing the drive on the floor, Vann drew his blaster and fired three times, rendering it a smoking heap of slag. "So, you'll just have to be the navigator for now, Tee-Three."

"Boo-whoop-beep!"

"No! Do not bring anyone who boards directly to this planet! Geeze, do you want to get Bastila killed?" Holding up the datapad from Rekkiad, Vann explained, "There should be enough information on here for someone to piece together where I am and to look for me safely. I'm going to hide it… H-Kay, come help me figure out a place to put it!"

"Observation. Yes, Master. I am more than happy to help you to perform menial tasks."

"Stop complaining and just help me." Shaking his head in amusement, Vann led the droid into the cargo hold where there were multiple smuggling compartments leftover from the ship's days as an underworld vessel. "Bastila knows about the hidden panel in the bulkhead, right?"

"Statement. I cannot begin to comprehend what her slushy, organic brain does or does not know."

"H-Kay…"

"Frustrated sigh. That particular meatbag spent less time on this ship than the other bulbous bodies due to her early departure thanks to her rather admirable betrayal. As such, it is safe to assume that she knows less about the ship than the other meatbags."

"Dammit, you're right." Slamming his palm against the compartment, Vann considered his options. He needed to hide the datapad well enough to prevent any anonymous passengers from finding it, but he still wanted one of his allies to recover the pad if necessary. If only there were a location that had an obvious connection to him, but only to those who knew him best. He blinked. "Hey, H-Kay…"

"Observation. Oh Master, I don't like your tone."

Rolling his eyes at his petulant droid, Vann gestured for him to come closer. "Relax, I'm just going to use you to hide this datapad. Unlike the rest of the ship, you can protect yourself if needed. Bastila or anyone else from the enclave knows that you're my droid, but some random spacer won't see the connection and won't think to take you apart to search for clues."

"Statement. That is a very clever plan, Master. Unfortunately, I think you're overestimating your fellow meatbags. I have a suspicion that I'll have to blatantly tell them about the cargo that I'm carrying, which ruins the ingenuity of your strategy."

Pulling a multitool from inside his jacket, Vann grinned. "Oh, there's more, buddy. I'm also going to wipe your memory of holding onto that datapad. This way, you can't accidentally blurt something out to the wrong person."

Backing away, the droid shook his head. "Admonishment. Master! You of all organics should understand the value of a droid's memory!"

"You and I have both experienced enough memory wipes to last three lifetimes. That being said, one more shouldn't hurt either of us. Hold still so that I can shut you down, hide the pad, and wipe your memory of this conversation."

"Reluctant agreement. As you ordered, Master. You are the master, after all."

After the droid powered down Vann carefully open his armored plating, silently sending a prayer into the Force that his plan for rescue would work if he found himself in trouble. From the main hold T3-M4 beeped. For a moment, he considered adding a second copy of the datapad to the smaller droid's memory core, but he quickly decided against it. Having too much information floating around was dangerous and out of the two droids, HK-47 was the only combat unit. He'd be more likely to survive if the Hawk fell into enemy hands. Besides, everyone dumped the memory of astromechs first, never thinking the open up the chassis of assault units to look for secrets. No, his original plan was still the best.

With the navicomputer destroyed, the datapad stored safely in HK-47 (who was also ordered to guard the ship), and T3-M4 prepared to handle the rest of the Hawk's functions, it was finally time for Vann to disembark and begin his search for the Emperor. The creature from his nightmares.

It wasn't long before he found himself in the mercenary quarter of Kaas City, the capital of the Sith Empire.

"Chis, is that you? Damn, it's been a while! Where did you crawl out from?"

Spotting a fellow mercenary whom he recognized as Azkul, Vann nodded in greeting as he rattled off a prepared excuse that accounted for his last known whereabouts. "Pissed off the wrong son of a kath hound on Manaan. He was connected to the Republic, so things got messy. I had to lay low for a while."

The mercenary grunted sympathetically. "Happens to the best of us. But it looks like you're back in the game."

"I am, and I wouldn't mind making up for lost time." Leaning in conspiratorially, Vann whispered, "I could use a decent payday. Maybe something for one of the ranking Sith around here?"

Azkul arched a brow. "You're a braver fool than I am. But sure, I've heard some things. Supposedly some Sith called Darth Nyriss had two attempts on her life and is getting paranoid. She doesn't trust her own people so she's been hiring Human mercenaries to patrol her property and shoot anything that's not supposed to be there."

"Sounds like there's a catch."

"There always is. You probably know that these Sith are a bunch of mystics who can read minds and other Jedi shit. If you want to work for Nyriss, you have to pass a 'mental inspection' where she checks your memories for anything suspicious. But so long as you've got nothing to hide I don't think you'll have an issue."

"You know me, what you see is what you get."

"Not quite true, Chis. Half the time you don't look like much until the bolts start flying and then you turn into a kriffing beast. Honestly, I've never met someone who fights like you." When Vann did nothing more than shrug, Azkul chuckled. "It's not a bad thing. A lot of mercs around here will vouch for you being one of the scarier Humans currently on this planet. The Sith will probably like that."

"Any idea where this 'Darth Nyriss' is located?"

With a wink of his good eye, Azkul drawled, "This isn't the type of job that you just show up for if you know what I mean. But keep asking around like this and she'll find you."

"I got it. And thanks." Offering a mock salute as he walked away, Vann kept a cocky grin plastered on his face even as he mentally checked off another successful step in his plan.

Over the past week, he'd been less-than-subtly inquiring about jobs for the most powerful Sith on the planet, all while listening for any names that were connected to what his notes called the Dark Council. Nyriss had come up multiple times and Vann was increasingly certain that he was attracting the right type of attention. In the three years he'd spent as a mercenary he'd acquired a decent name for himself as both dependable and deadly, willing to do the types of messy jobs that others balked at. And right now, he needed that reputation to work in his favor.

It didn't take long for one of Nyriss's servants to come sniffing around, a sniveling creature who seemed so beaten down by his master that his shoulders were permanently bent in a submissive hunch. While he had the red skin and odd cheek tendrils of the other Sith, his was shorter and slimmer than most of his kind.

"Are you the Human they call Vann Chis?"

"Maybe." Vann was holed-up in a cantina, waiting for this exact moment. While he had a drink in hand, he'd purposely been nursing its contents. "Who's asking?"

"My name is Sechel, and I am a servant of my master Darth Nyriss."

"Huh. What do you want?" It was a risk for Vann to act this brazen to one of the purebloods, as even the lowliest of them technically outranked all of the Humans on this planet. Still, it was a calculated power play.

Luckily, Sechel seemed appropriately cowed by the Human's apparent lack of fear. "My master wishes to meet with you. She may be interested in acquiring your services."

"Alright, you have my attention. I've heard your master is a powerful leader around here. So, I assume the pay is good."

Chuckling dryly, Sechel nodded. "Oh, you will be adequately compensated for your time. But the true reward of this job is the prestige. If you please my master, many more opportunities on this planet will be open to you."

Vann honestly doubted the claim since the Sith largely viewed Humans as beneath them, only useful for tasks that were too odious for purebloods to touch. Still, he hoped that he only needed this one job to accomplish his goal.

"You Sith are too concerned about prestige and standing. But so long as you're paying good credits, I'm willing to hear your master out."

"You'd be wise to adopt some humility, Human. My master has been a member of the Dark Council for over twenty years, a feat that should not be taken lightly."

"I'll be humble once we're actually in the presence of your master." Sliding out of the booth, Vann purposely shoved the Sith aside with a jab of his shoulder. "You, I'm not too worried about. I know how this planet works. Your master and the other rulers view my kind as slightly below kath hounds, so she probably sent her lowliest servant to come and fetch me."

Sechel was silent at this assessment but for a moment something glittered in his eyes, a shrewdness that implied his submissive nature was merely a facade. It vanished in an instant.

So, maybe Nyriss had actually sent someone genuinely capable. "Go on, lead the way."

The walk through Kaas City was a strange though uneventful one, only notable for the handful of bystanders who paused to stare openly at the duo. It was undoubtedly unusual to see a pureblood shuffling silently along while a Human trailed confidently in his wake, but Vann wasn't afraid to attract a little attention; in fact, he was depending on it. Remaining alert to his surroundings, he noticed that a few of the other purebloods paused specifically to peer at Sechel, fear flitting across their faces. That confirmed the theory that this Sith was definitely more than he seemed.

It turned out that Nyriss's citadel was located at the western edge of the city. Everything about the location and the building's arrangement smacked of paranoia, which could be a good or a bad sign. Either way, Vann was here and turning back wasn't an option. The journey ended in a large courtyard that was bordered to the north and south by high stone walls and to the west by the citadel itself, which looked more like a military fortress than any typical estate of the rich and murderous. While the east side was open to the street, even that was blocked by a gated fence that only opened with Sechel's fingerprints.

"Wait here," the Sith ordered in a tone that sounded more like begging. "My master will be with you shortly."

Vann knew this game and he settled himself on a hard bench to await Nyriss's arrival. Time passed and he continued to wait, slipping into light meditation to prevent himself from growing bored. If he'd been on the Hawk or Rakata he'd probably have taken his lightsabers out to tinker with them, but right now it was more important to uphold the facade of a normal Human mercenary for at least a little while longer. Eventually, footsteps sounded along the pathway leading to the citadel, one set hurried and uneven while the other sounded smoother and surer. Vann looked up just in time to spot Sechel, who was scurrying in front of a taller figure who moved with natural poise and grace.

Ah, so this was Nyriss.

Unsurprisingly, she had the typical features of a pure-blooded Sith, though hers were less refined than others Vann had encountered. The power of the dark side had obviously taken its toll, and she looked aged and rotted with dark black veins marring the pale red hue of her skin. Her body was also withered, though there was still obvious strength to her limbs. She was dressed in the black hooded robes that her species seemed to favor, though hers were more ornate and featured delicate silver embroidery along the hems.

Sechel bowed low as he announced, "My master, Darth Nyriss. Lord of the Sith, conqueror of Drezzi, the destroyer of Melldia, and a member of the Dark Council."

Without prompting, Vann stood from his seat before dropping to one knee, bowing his head and silently thanking his past self for leaving a set of notes on proper Sith etiquette. "My lady."

There was a pause before a strong voice chuckled in amusement. "Finally, a Human who knows how to show proper respect. Tell me, little mercenary, who taught you manners?"

"One does not come to a strange world without knowing their proper place."

"And what makes you believe that you're even worthy of serving me?"

"I'm better than the rest of the scum lurking around, hoping for scraps of favor from a Dark Lord without any real skills to back them up."

"Hmm. You're a confident one. Or at least you hide your fears well." Stepping closer, Nyriss used her remarkable command of the Force to jerk Vann's head up so that their eyes met. Her irises were bright yellow lined with red, the fierce gaze of someone who had given herself completely to the dark side. For a moment, something akin to recognition flickered across her countenance.

Appearing bare-faced on Dromund Kaas had been a calculated risk on Vann's part. He knew that he'd left his signature mask behind when he came here as Revan, but he was also aware that he still had the almost innocent appearance of a fresh-faced Jedi. He'd been mostly clean-shaven at the time, his hair just past his shoulders and held neatly back in the type of low ponytail that he still favored. While he was brash, he wasn't completely foolish and had taken some steps to alter his appearance. Over his weeks of planning, he'd grown out his beard and kept it just long enough to disguise his more distinguishing features. He'd also cut his hair, shaving down the back and sides while keeping the top long enough to tie up in a top knot that hopefully changed the balance of his face.

Whatever emotion Nyriss was experiencing, it quickly faded as she peered closer. "No, I don't sense fear in you. Arrogance perhaps, but not fear. Tell me, what lies deeper in that simple Human mind of yours?"

Now came the dangerous part. Since arriving on Dromund Kaas, Vann had been keeping his Force presence tightly concealed, not daring to allow his awareness to seep out for even an instant except when he slept locked safely on the Hawk. Surrounded by other Force users, his camouflaged signature was easily overlooked as nothing more than stray tendrils of power coming from someone else. But this technique wouldn't withstand Nyriss peering directly into his mind. The trick would be to give her just enough of a glimpse for her to realize that he was different, all without revealing just how special he truly was.

An icy stream of dark energy sunk into Vann's skull and he bit back a hiss of discomfort as Nyriss began to claw her way through his mind without a shred of finesse. Though he kept most of his mental walls in place, the former mercenary purposely let certain things slip out so that it seemed like errant thoughts were accidentally coming loose. It was fortunate that most of his memories were of mercenary work along the Outer Rim, as that made it easy to display job after job to support his supposed identity. But he also allowed a few more personal moments to slip free, like sitting around the fire with the Mandalorians and even the disastrous kiss he'd shared with Tagren. Finally, at the very end, he released just a fraction of the durasteel grip he had on his Force presence, allowing some of his awareness to seep into the Sith's mind.

Nyriss immediately recoiled, throwing the Human across her courtyard with a wave of her hand. It took most of Vann's effort not to use the Force to cushion his landing and he struck the flagstone hard enough to bruise his hip and shoulder. Shouting in pain he rolled to his knees, keeping his head down in supplication.

The crackle of a red lightsaber filled the air as Nyriss ignited her weapon. "Who sent you?" she demanded, purple electricity gathering in her other hand.

"Nobody," Vann coughed, which was technically the truth. "I'm just a mercenary looking for work. Ask your servant if you don't believe me."

Completely unbothered by his master's show of power, Sechel merely arched a brow as his sniveling demeanor instantly vanished. "It's true, my lady. The other mercenaries only know him as one of their own. None of them breathed so much as a whisper about him being particularly special, aside from some notable combat skills."

"Because he wields the Force!" Sending out a strong bolt of lightning, Nyriss watched impassively as Vann screamed in agony, his limbs shaking uncontrollably and his teeth clenching almost hard enough to crack.

The pain didn't subside even when the surge of electricity stopped, leaving the former mercenary prone across the ground. He wheezed. "I do. I'm Force-sensitive, but it's nothing compared to what you're capable of. It makes me stronger, faster, even tougher, but I'm still no match for a Sith pureblood."

For a brief time, Vann had considered completely denying any knowledge of his powers and providing the Sith the pleasure of 'discovering' them for herself. But that seemed too farfetched. Instead, he was hoping to use his talent for manipulation and flattery to his advantage.

Nyriss scowled, pressing her lightsaber less than a centimeter from the side of the Human's head. "Who sent you?!"

"Nobody! I'm just mercenary scum from the Outer Rim!"

There was a long, tense pause as Nyriss considered this information, the heat of her weapon burning the skin of Vann's cheek. Her awareness reached out again, probing for signs of a lie. The irony was that there weren't any to find because, in the Human's mind, everything he said was true. Revan was long gone, a larger-than-life hero who fell in battle, while Vann Chis was nothing more than a violent and volatile mercenary. A nobody. Scum.

Suddenly, Nyriss laughed. "And nobody else sensed you. They don't know what you are or what you can do." Extinguishing her lightsaber, she returned it to her hip. "Thus, you'll be a surprise to them when they attack."

Sighing in relief, mostly because he didn't have to blow his cover, Vann dragged himself into a kneeling position. "Thank you, my lady. Thank you for sparing me."

"Yes, you'll do little mercenary. I think you'll do quite well."

Two weeks into serving as Nyriss's newest pet and Vann had to admit two things. The first was that he understood significantly more about Sith culture. The second was that he remained deeply unimpressed by it. Perhaps the greatest irony was that the rigid structure and self-importance that constantly annoyed him were the same things that irritated him about the Jedi, not that he'd ever admit that to the Council's faces. His time around the citadel had also taught him that Nyriss respected and loathed the Sith Emperor in equal measure. She'd modeled her stronghold on his own fortress and her courtyard was decorated with statuary that featured his image. Yet, there was a noticeable undercurrent of hatred whenever she spoke of her leader.

But the most frustrating part of this job was that, despite Nyriss's high rank on the Dark Council, she had absolutely zero direct contact with the Emperor. Part of this owed to her increasingly reclusive nature thanks to the recent attempts on her life, while the rest just seemed to be bad timing on Vann's part. Apparently, his new employer's last meeting with her leader had taken place shortly before his arrival and unless the assassins were caught, the next wasn't scheduled to occur for at least another month. While the former mercenary was prepared to wait as long as it took to gather any useful information about his enemy, the lack of results was becoming disheartening.

On the third week, everything changed. There was another assassination attempt, an event that was only remarkable because Vann managed to foil it through a combination of skill and sheer luck. Just as Nyriss predicted, the Sith who snuck into the citadel didn't sense the Human or his connection to the Force. This gave him the element of surprise. The trio of assassins expected another mercenary with a blaster and not much else, the same type of lightsaber fodder that was placed all around the perimeter of the property as a sort of living alarm system. But what they found was a smirking former Jedi who managed to disarm two of them with a powerful Force choke, stealing their lightsabers and wielding the weapons against them. It took a matter of minutes for Vann to kill the first two would-be assassins, and a brief duel was all it took to incapacitated the third by literally cutting the Sith off at the legs.

From there, Nyriss took her prize into the depths of her citadel, extracting information using means that the former mercenary was glad he wasn't forced to witness. When his employer reappeared she was grinning darkly, blood still caked beneath her long nails.

"Impressive work, little mercenary. Thanks to you, I'm one step closer to discovering which councilmembers are plotting against me."

Vann thought that the safe credits were on all of them, an opinion that he didn't voice.

"The Emperor will be interested to learn this information and how I acquired it. Not that you should expect accolades from one such as him for merely performing the task you were assigned. Still, you were remarkably… efficient."

From Nyriss's comment, Vann didn't expect anything more than a brief glance at the Emperor via a comm unit, probably from a distance. Obviously, he was surprised when Dromund Kaas's leader arrived at the citadel with a full entourage less than three days later. From his place by one of the highest windows, he could tell that this processional was a show of strength, a way for Nyriss to prove to her enemies that she had the Emperor's favor all while the Emperor reminded Nyriss that he held the true power on their planet. Despite the obvious pageantry, the situation was incredibly dangerous and the former mercenary had to adjust his plans accordingly.

The original goal was for Vann to gain the trust of a member of the Dark Council and then use that connection to find out all he could about the Sith Emperor. As a species, the Sith were remarkably self-important so it wasn't unreasonable to hope that one of them would let critical information slip out merely because they didn't view a Human as a legitimate threat. More importantly, councilmembers interacted with their leader regularly and being the trusted employee of such an individual might give him the rare opportunity to get near the infamously reclusive Emperor. All Vann needed was a few moments, just enough time to catch a glimpse at his enemy and sense the type of power he was up against.

But now the Sith leader was seated in the huge first-floor conference room, surrounded by guards and servants, making the whole plan seem nearly impossible. Yet, this might be Vann's best and only chance. He crept down multiple flights of stairs until he was on the second floor, glad that the few lowly Sith who were still employed by Nyriss were busy tending to their guests. It meant that he could sit on the floor of the spare office just above the meeting location without being bothered. He needed peace to focus his mind. Still maintaining a tight grasp on his presence, he let a fine wisp of awareness slip out, extending it until it seeped into the room beneath him. At first, all he could feel was the oppressive cold of the dark side but after a moment he was able to discern distinct Force presences. Most were little more than weak flickers. Like Nyriss, the Emperor apparently preferred his direct servants to be far less sensitive to the Force than him.

Not that it was a hard thing to accomplish. Nyriss herself was a powerful Sith sorcerer and even she was eclipsed by the Emperor's strength. If Nyriss was a sun, then the Emperor was a supernova that illuminated everyone and everything around him with frigid, raw power.

Suddenly, all of that power shifted to focus on Vann.

Slamming his mental walls into place, the former mercenary leaped to his feet as he prepared for his mind to be invaded. Both of his hands hovered close to his hidden lightsabers and he closed his eyes, drawing his presence close and cloaking himself entirely. But he'd already been sensed and he could feel the oily tendrils of the Emperor's own awareness ooze across his being, sinking into his thoughts even as he tried to hide them. But the intrusion he was expecting never came. Rather, the Sith seemed to be trying to pull at something within the Human. Judging by the amount of frustration that unexpectedly raged through the Force, whatever he was searching for was no longer there.

Without warning, the floor beneath Vann shattered and he was yanked through the thick stonework. His body was bruised and battered by debris as he was slammed down atop the huge black table that composed most of the conference room, Nyriss seated at one end and the Emperor at the other. Between them were a variety of stunned servants who gaped at the Human's sudden appearance with a mixture of shock and confusion. Only the mistress of the house reacted, her weathered face wrinkling in fury.

"You! What have you done?"

But Vann wasn't focused on his employer. Instead, his gaze was trained on the hooded figure who seemed to be glaring at him with equal intensity. "Hey," he finally snarled. "Did you miss me?"

"How did you break free from my influence?" The voice that spoke was deep and seemed to echo through every millimeter of the massive room.

"It was the will of the Force." Rolling his eyes Vann tried to step back, only to discover that the Emperor was holding him in place.

"Seize him."

Every member of the Emperor's entourage simultaneously lunged at the Human, drawing various weapons as they jumped onto the table. It was sheer terror that gave Vann the strength to break free from the hold and he drew upon the emotion as he flipped backward over the tangle of guards attempting to apprehend him. This, unfortunately, brought him directly in front of Nyriss.

"My Lord, I see that you've found the present that I brought you. He came into my employ quite recently, pretending to be a mere mercenary."

For a moment Vann almost believed the Sith's words, suddenly angry that he'd been double-crossed all along. But then he sensed the faintest thread of doubt weaving through the Force and he grinned. "Liar. You had no idea who I was."

One of the guards dove towards Vann, a vibrospear sizzling dangerously in their hands. Ducking to the side, he summoned the lightsabers that he'd concealed beneath his coat and had kept camouflaged along with his own presence. He must have done a good job because the guard looked shocked as the violet and blue blades ignited with a wicked snap-hiss. Not wasting the opportunity, the Human lunged forward and slashed, easily carving through the Sith's chest. The next guard was dealt with almost as quickly, the lightsaber in Vann's off-hand burning a hole through their throat.

After the third guard was cut down with a single slash through their abdomen, Vann began to suspect that this armed and armored entourage was only for show. After sliding across the table and stabbing a fourth guard through the back, he realized that the Emperor could apprehend him at any moment. The Sith was just waiting to see what Nyriss would do. So, Vann turned to do the same.

The Force crackled with power as the sorcerer drew upon her arcane knowledge, the dark side rippling in gelid waves as she summoned something that looked like a darker and more dangerous version of the lightning that Vann frequently wielded. In an instant, the air in the room grew impossibly hot as black sparks of energy formed around the Nyriss's hands before quickly encompassing her entire body. Pointing one finger at Vann, she threw an enormous surge of power that seemed to be composed of pure darkness. As the Human watched the deadly bolts arc towards him, he sucked in a sharp breath and extended his own palm. Releasing his concealment, the total might of his Force connection swelled around him as he absorbed the attack, his screams echoing through the chamber as the black forks of energy seared into his body.

The agony was unlike anything Vann had ever experienced and he could feel sweat beading on his brow and dripping down his back as he drew in the full brunt of Nyriss's sorcery. At one point his eyes closed involuntarily, though he awareness shifted to compensate for his loss of vision. He could sense his enemies' positions and he could feel that the Sith woman was growing increasingly fatigued as her normally deadly attack failed to kill its target.

"How?" Nyriss panted as her bolts weakened and then ceased. "I am a Lord of the Sith, conqueror of worlds and destroyer of enemies, and a member of the Dark Council! And you… You are nothing."

"Some people call me Revan," Vann gritted out, unexpectedly meaning it for the first time since rediscovering his identity. "I hope your servants remember that name because I'm going to be the one who kills you." Unable to contain the energy that was burning him alive from the inside, he roared as the black bolts surged out of his own fingertips faster than anything the Sith had produced. In an instant they shot towards the woman, striking her in the chest and knocking her back a meter. She shrieked as she was assaulted by her own sorcery, her limbs shaking uncontrollably as her flesh melted away from her bones. Even after her shouts had stopped, her body continued to seize for a moment before splattering lifelessly across the floor.

Amusement shivered through the Force, but Vann didn't stick around to see the Emperor's reaction. There was a window right behind Nyriss's former seat and he dove for it, using his lightsabers to cut through the transparisteel as he made a break for freedom. Something in his shoulder popped and then cracked as he landed hard on the flagstone below, but the pain was empowering and he drew upon it for the strength to roll to his feet and run. Slipping his 'sabers back into his jacket, he enhanced his own speed and sprinted off of Nyriss's property and onto the nearest street.

"Tee-Three, get the ship ready to launch now!" Vann could hear the desperation in his voice as he turned a corner and spotted multiple Sith charging his way. Veering in the opposite direction, he frantically wracked his brain for an alternate route to the landing pad where the Hawk was docked. Flipping up the collar of his jacket and mussing his hair, he once again camouflaged his presence as he slipped down a side street and snuck around several buildings before turning back onto the main thoroughfare. Ducking his head submissively, he tried to blend in with the throngs of sentients going about their business. While he could hear a commotion several blocks away, nobody seemed to connect it with him.

Nobody realized that Vann was the source of the chaos until he was about a block away from the Ebon Hawk. While he could sense a small unit of the city's military troops jogging ever closer, their erratic pattern made it obvious that they were searching aimlessly and their near proximity was only coincidental. He considered turning down another alleyway to disguise his route but he was so close to the port that suddenly changing course might seem suspicious to any onlookers. So, he kept his head down and continued moving forward until a sudden shout sounded nearby.

"There he is! Careful, the Emperor wants him alive." Of course it was Sechel giving the orders, his shoulders back and his head held high as he directed the troops marching after him with the practiced efficiency of an experienced military commander. Which, in retrospect, he probably was.

Glancing up, Vann tried to maintain the ruse of being nothing more than a beaten-down traveler. But it quickly became obvious that the troopers weren't buying the act, especially as the sharp hiss of their lightsaber pikes filled the air. They quickly moved to block his escape routes, using their armored bodies to cordon off the wide street.

"Well, kriff," Vann muttered under his breath, hid hands subtly moving towards his own weapons as he glanced around and took stock of the situation.

"Stand down, Human," one of the troopers warned. "Our Emperor wants you alive, but he said nothing about keeping you in one piece."

"Sorry, but I've got places to be." Drawing and igniting his 'sabers, Vann angled his body so that he could track the various individuals threatening him. "Back away and you get to live."

"Brave words, Human." The purebloods merely chuckled at his boldness before three of them attacked in unison.

The longer reach of the pikes was a tricky challenge to overcome, but it helped that Vann was used to sparring with Bastila and her double-bladed lightsaber. While the first few strikes came dangerously close to hitting him he quickly adjusted to the flow of the battle, shifting his off-hand weapon into a reverse grip to better guard his back. Two of the troopers lunged at him simultaneously, one sweeping at his legs while the other aimed for his chest. Diving to the side he managed to dodge one attack, slashing at his attacker's shins in the process. The Sith immediately collapsed with a groan, enabling the former mercenary to use his main weapon to parry the second strike. A strong Force push sent the other trooper reeling back and enabled him to sprint forward a few meters.

The rest of the troopers sensed that their target was escaping and immediately reacted, two of them working in tandem to use the Force to freeze the Human in place. For an instant, Vann's body went rigid but the cold fear that gripped his mind once again enabled him to push past the stasis field. Baring his teeth, he charged the troopers, using a burst of enhanced speed to overtake them in less than a second. Lunging forward, he carved through the armor and flesh of one Sith's chest before whirling around and using his off-hand to stab through another's thigh. But the dual attacks left him open and a sharp pain lanced across his ribs as a pike carved past his armored clothing. With a pained shout, Vann rolled to the ground, gasping for breath as he tumbled beneath the soldiers' feet and closer to the ship.

The remaining troopers were directly in pursuit, attempting to catch their target as he ran in an erratic path down the thoroughfare. But Vann was faster, fueled by terror and desperation as the Ebon Hawk drew ever closer. He was aware of the ache in his shoulder and the burning pain that seared across his ribs, but they seemed distant. It would all hurt like hells later, provided he could survive. One trooper closed in, swinging their pike at their target's knees. Sensing the attack an instant before it happened, Vann spun around and dodged the blow just before he unleashed a vicious storm of lightning that he didn't even realize he was gathering. The forks of electricity struck the remaining soldiers, drawing out shrieks of pain as they were electrocuted.

Exhaustion weighing down his limbs, Vann panted as the last of the troopers fell to the ground either dead or unconscious. Half running and half limping, he dragged himself towards the Hawk as he lifted his comm. "Tee-Three, open the ha…."

The rest of the words died on Vann's lips as immense power wrapped around him, freezing his body in place and dragging him backward through the air. He tried to struggle against his invisible bonds as he howled, "No!" But it was futile.

As he was spun around to face the wide street, Vann was forced to watch as the Emperor slowly strode towards him, each step casual yet exuding confidence. Lightning illuminated the dark sky overhead, casting the hooded Sith in eerie shadows.

"You are fascinating, Revan." One of the Emperor's hands was extended as he held the Human aloft. "Even more powerful than the first time you came here and far more potent than I ever imagined one of your kind could become."

Vann fought against the grasp, the roar of the Hawk's engine's filling his ears as his comm beeped insistently. No matter how hard he fought or how much he drew upon his terror and outrage he couldn't get free. Because this Sith knows anger, and he knows how to defeat it. Drawing a thin, strained breath he shifted his focus and began to recall images of his friends and allies, the people depending on him to save the Republic. A warm shudder passed through his battered body he reached out and embraced it. With one final surge of strength, he broke free from the Emperor's grasp, tumbling to the ground and bruising both knees in the process.

"Fascinating indeed…"

Staring up at the yellow-eyed Sith, Vann snarled in challenge as he raised his comm again. "Hey Tee-Three? Revert to plan Leviathan. I repeat, revert to plan Leviathan!"

In that moment he was glad that he'd only brought the droids along. An organic crew would have argued with the command or delayed following the order for a second too long. But T3-M4 was programmed to obey. The moment the code words left Vann's mouth the Hawk's power surged and the ship began to rise from the landing pad, its engines roaring as it prepared to launch out of the atmosphere and make an immediate jump into hyperspace. The motion surprised all of the Sith who clearly expected the freighter to wait for Vann to board.

The Emperor smirked beneath his hood. "Very clever, Human. But I can sense your thoughts. And you will not be warning your people." Raising one hand, he wrapped his immense command of the Force around the Ebon Hawk and pulled, causing the engines to shriek and sputter as he literally tore the ship from the sky.

"No!" No longer caring what happened to him, Vann lunged at the Sith leader, using the Force to enhance the jump. While he was airborne he ignited both lightsabers, swinging them into position and driving them downward in a powerful chop.

His attention divided, the Emperor momentarily released his hold on the Ebon Hawk as he dodged away from the former mercenary's attack just before the mismatched weapons could carve into his chest. With a sneer he waved one hand, sending the Human crashing to the ground as he returned his attention to the ship that was now carving a bright streak across the dark sky. Lightning gathered in his hands as the surrounding Force grew frigid, the power of the dark side cresting in violent waves. With a growl, he drew his arm back and prepared to release the bolts. But Vann was back on his feet and he flipped through the air for another attack, stabbing his lightsabers downward as he tackled his opponent. The pair rolled to the ground in an inelegant sprawl.

The lightning still arced towards the Ebon Hawk, a brilliant purple bolt that sharply contrasted the yellowish-white forks of Dromund Kaas's constant electrical storms. But the attack was poorly aimed. A strong hand wrapped around Vann's throat, physically crushing his airway as the Force was used to rip the lightsabers from his hands. Splayed on his back the Human was made to watch as his ship was struck not in its main engines, but somewhere closer to the middle of the vehicle. The freighter sputtered in midair as sparks and smoke billowed from the hull, but the damage wasn't enough to prevent it from pushing past the planet's atmosphere. A second later a chaotic flash erupted amongst the stars as the Hawk limped into hyperspace.

Choking out a sigh of relief Vann felt his body go lax with exhaustion as he was wrestled to his feet, the Emperor's power once again holding him in place. But nothing could stop a faint smirk from spreading across his lips when he noted the pair of gashes burned into the Sith's back.

"My Lord," Sechel called out as he approached and knelt before his leader. "Do you want me to send a squadron of fighters to chase that ship?"

The Emperor considered the question for a moment. "No. There were no lifeforms aboard and the hyperdrive suffered significant damage. It won't get very far. Certainly not into Republic space in time to save its people."

Vann didn't have to search the Force to see the truth in the Sith's words. He knew the Hawk well enough to recognize when it was its functionality was severely impaired and he was certain that the lightning had shorted out something critical to hyperspace travel. While T3-M4 was capable of making minor repairs, it was doubtful that the ship would be able to move fast or far. Yes, it could probably survive a trip back to Republic space, but the journey would take months if not years.

He just had to hold out that long.

Grasping the back of the Human's neck, the Emperor smiled. "Besides, that freighter's existence gives this one hope. And that hope is ultimately what will break him."

Seated in the center of the small cell that passed for his room, Vann closed his eyes and tried to slip into something that resembled meditation. It was difficult thanks to the drugs that coursed through his system, making his skin feel too tight and suppressing most of his connection to the Force. It had taken him a long time to regain even a fine thread of his former power. Months, possibly years. It was hard to tell the passage of time without a window, the cycles of artificial light and darkness purposely kept inconsistent. However much time had passed, it was enough for his system to develop a tolerance to whatever Force-blocking chemicals were injected into his arm daily. The moment that he'd realized what was happening he'd begun to cloak his Force presence, something that had so far gone unnoticed.

It was hard to find a comfortable position when his body constantly ached, a side effect of the Emperor's cruelty. In the beginning, the torture had been physical, little experiments designed to determine just how much punishment Vann's body could take. The answer, unsurprisingly, was more than any normal Human should be capable of. At least a dozen new scars now littered his skin as a reminder of his early days in captivity.

But the true torment was the way that the Emperor slipped into the cracks in Vann's mind, yanking out information and leaving behind blinding headaches that lingered for days. Each intrusion was a new battle of wills, a fight that the Human knew he would lose but that he still fought on principle. He wasn't about to make things easy. The greatest irony was that most of the information the Emperor wanted was so deeply hidden in Vann's subconscious that not even the Sith's immense power could unearth it. Occasionally, he managed to drag forth something useful, though it was rarely the military secrets that he was seeking.

In recent days, or maybe it was weeks, the Emperor had mostly left the Human alone to waste away in the cell, relying on a regular rotation of guards to care for his captive. Vann suspected that he had outlived his usefulness and that the Sith was waiting for the perfect opportunity to execute him. A moment when his death could be used to prove the Emperor's superiority over the Republic. After all, he was Revan, a fact that he'd slowly come to accept as he spent hours alone with his disjointed thoughts.

Revan the Jedi, the hero, the military genius who had saved billions, was dead. But he was also an inescapable part of Vann, interwoven into every fiber of his being. Being Revan was what gave him the ability to save Carth and Dustil's lives, to find the Star Forge, and to defeat Malak in order to rescue the Republic yet again. The seemingly endless font of power that Revan represented was the same strength that flowed through Vann, connecting him to the Force in ways that surprised even the Emperor. And, combined with a little luck, it would be what enabled his escape.

A loud banging in the nearby hallway told Vann that part of his plan was coming to check on him. His suspicions were confirmed when a guard arrived with a tray of food and a scowl creasing her red-skinned face.

"Good… whatever time of day it is, Jyette," Vann quipped amusedly as the tray was tossed at him.

"Shut up, we don't have much time. I have other duties to attend to."

"Well then, sit down so that we can get to work."

It took a few moments for the Sith to settle on the floor facing Vann, her armor creaking as she crossed her legs and tried to breathe deeply. Her natural aggression made some of their lessons surprisingly difficult, but Vann was accustomed to working with unusual students. In this situation, his pupil's anger was particularly useful since it blinded her to the true purpose of these lessons.

"Alright, I'm calm," Jyette snapped, clearly not anything close that description. "Now teach me. Show me the ways of the Force."

Vann merely nodded as he began to describe a simple exercise that was designed to help a student harness their Force connection and manipulate objects with a surprising amount of finesse. It wasn't a particularly hard skill to learn, but the Sith guard's limited Force-sensitivity made the lesson more complicated. Of course, that limited connection was what the Human depended on.

Early in his captivity, Vann had discovered that there was a regular rotation of guards assigned to watch him. While they were all physically capable individuals, like most of the Emperor's employees their connection to the Force was almost non-existent. This was a shameful trait for a pureblooded Sith and a source of endless embarrassment. Capitalizing on this, Vann had spent a great deal of time asking leading questions to learn which of the guards could be convinced that he could teach them to increase their limited Force-sensitivity. Even as a Force-blind mercenary, he'd been good at reading others and manipulating them to his whims. It was probably the same trait Revan had used to convince a good Jedi like Meetra Surik to use a superweapon.

Out of all the guards, Jyette was the only one who took the bait. But one was all Vann needed. Over the following months, or possibly years, he'd helped the Sith to hone a handful of skills, all while using their feeble training bond to peer into her mind a few glimpses at a time. As his own Force connection returned the task had become easier, though it was still difficult to steal information without alerting his student to what was happening. That's why it had taken so long for the Human to uncover key features of the stronghold where he was being kept. But now his mental map was almost complete.

The brief 'training session' was just enough for Vann to acquire the last few glimpses of the stronghold's hangar, including the code to unlock the doors. Luckily, Jayette was so focused on slowly rotating the food tray through the air that she didn't notice her instructor's sly smile as he nodded in appreciation.

"Good, very good." Vann wasn't lying. In a different situation, he was fairly certain that he could turn the Sith into an adequate Force user.

"It's better, but not enough to impress my rivals." Jayette glared as she climbed to her feet, purposely giving her prisoner a hard kick to the shin as she rose. "Next time you'll teach me something new. Something that I can use to hurt someone who offends me."

"Next time I can teach you to use that same technique to apply pressure to someone else's body." It wasn't a lie. If Vann was still in the stronghold during the guard's next shift, he'd teach her exactly what he promised.

Satisfied, Jayette nodded once before marching out of the cell and locking the door securely behind her.

Groaning as he flopped onto his back, Vann rubbed the bruise that was already forming beneath the thin material of his pants. The door lock was his next obstacle, but he also had a plan for that. He just needed to be patient and wait for the right guard to come along. Eventually he did, though it took at least six shifts to happen.

"If you don't eat, nobody's going to care if you starve."

Picking at what passed for his meal, Vann resisted the urge to set it aside. He didn't have much of an appetite, but he needed what little strength the food would provide. "You don't stick around after you deliver my food because you're concerned about my health, Thek'nos. Now, what do you want from me?"

The guard sneered as he declared, "What do you think I want? Advice, just like usual. Everyone knows that where you come from you're considered a powerful warrior. So, tell me how my daughter, the younger one this time, can impress her instructors so that they'll recommend her for the academy."

"I need more details first. What are her instructors looking for? What can she currently do?"

"Oh, she's quite talented. Just yesterday…"

This was a common scenario and one that Vann had grown adept at exploiting. Thek'nos was probably the most talkative of his captors, provided that the Human remained submissive and provided a steady stream of useful advice for the Sith's pair of daughters. The important detail was that, once the guard started talking about his children, his mind grew distracted and far more pliable. So, Vann always listened dutifully as he waited for his captor's attention to drift in the hope that one day he'd be able to take advantage. Force willing, today would be the day.

Putting down his mostly full bowl of greyish slop, Vann studied the Sith for a moment. The other man was clearly preoccupied with his one-sided conversation, gesturing animatedly as he described his daughter's talents. Exhaling slowly, the Human gathered his courage. This was probably the most dangerous part of his plan, especially since Thek'nos was one of his more Force-sensitive guards. Meeting his captor's gaze, he quietly stated, "I have an idea that might work."

"Well, tell me already before I choke it out of you!"

Shrugging nonchalantly, Vann subtly waved two of his fingers through the air as he stated, "It will work if you exit this room and leave the door unlocked."

The shiver of persuasion that ran through the Force was probably noticeable even to someone as untrained as Thek'nos, and for a moment the Human was afraid that his own Force connection was too weak for the mind trick to work. There was a long, tense silence before the Sith's eyes glazed over and he monotonously repeated, "It will work if I exit this room and leave the door unlocked."

With another flicker of power, Vann suggested, "And tell nobody what you've done."

Turning woodenly towards the entryway, Thek'nos recited, "And tell nobody about what I've done." He paused briefly to collect the tray and uneaten food sitting on the floor, holding it stoically as he marched out of the room and clicked the door shut behind him. The customary beep of the lock resetting never sounded. One minute passed, and then another, but there was no sign of the door being locked or of anyone coming back to rectify the mistake.

Slouching against the wall, Vann trembled in momentary relief. He couldn't believe that his persuasion worked, or that Thek'nos didn't notice the unnatural suggestion. It felt impossible. Yet, here he was, literally counting down the seconds until he could safely open the door to his cell and potentially make his escape. The time passed quickly and he was soon able to exit his prison and sneak down the nearest corridor. He was surprised to learn that there weren't guards stationed there at all times. Well, that made things easier.

Slipping down the hallway Vann pressed himself against the walls and kept his footsteps light as he mentally calculated his route using the information that he'd stolen from Jyette's mind. Creeping up a flight of stairs, he struggled to keep his breathing steady as he made his way towards the stronghold's private dock. Upon reaching the top floor he quickly discovered that the double doors leading to the attached hangar were guarded. Disappointing, but not surprising. For a brief instant, he wished that he'd been able to retrieve his lightsabers, but to the best of his knowledge they were now part of the Emperor's personal collection and thus completely inaccessible. It was time to improvise.

Rapping twice against the wall, Vann crouched close to the floor and slowly crept backward as the pair of Sith watching the doors looked around in confusion. He repeated the process twice more at different points along the corridor, gradually moving further from the hangar. Eventually, the disturbance was enough for one guard to point at the other.

"Go see what's causing that."

Divide and conquer. Without the Force, Vann was outmatched in a direct fight against a pureblood. They were undoubtedly the stronger species and he didn't possess the natural brawn of someone like Canderous. That's why he was relying on the element of surprise. When the guard drew close enough to spot him, he sent a small push through the Force. It was just enough to unbalance the individual, enabling the Human to knock them over as he charged at full speed directly into their legs. Tackling them to the floor, he used the momentum to slide forward and grab the vibrospear that was now dangling loosely in their hands. With a firm jerk, he seized the weapon and stabbed the tip through the Sith's throat.

The commotion had drawn the attention of the second guard, who was already yelling into their commlink for reinforcements. Clutching the spear, Vann raced down the hallway as he readjusted the weapon and prepared to use the shaft to trip his second opponent. But this Sith saw him coming and braced for an attack, refusing to be knocked off balance as they parried the strike aimed for their ankles. They followed it with a hard swing, easily breaking through the Human's guard and carving a deep slash across his chest. The pain that bloomed through Vann's body took his breath away, but it was quickly eclipsed by the cold grip of fear. This situation was alarmingly familiar to how his last visit to Dromund Kaas had ended, his own blood staining his clothes as his life spiraled into ruin.

Blinded by terror, he didn't realize that he was using the Force to duck past the guard, his limbs shaking as he ran into the panel that opened the hanger doors. Finger slick with sweat, he managed to type in the entrance code just as the Sith caught up. They smirked darkly as the echo of more footfalls announced the arrival of reinforcements, each one armed with some type of polearm that Vann didn't recognize. The doors finally opened with a pneumatic hiss and he hurriedly backed through them, barely managing to block a blow to his head in the process. Yelping in discomfort as pain burned through his arms and chest he dodged low, his smaller size an advantage as the guard swung and missed, leaving one leg unprotected. Spotting the opening the Human drove the full point of his spear into his opponent's calf, leaving it embedded in the muscle as he broke away and sprinted for the nearest shuttle.

The rest of the guards were gaining fast and swinging their weapons into position, aiming the broader side of what looked almost like a sharpened hammer at Vann. He ducked into the shuttle's cockpit just in time to avoid being hit, watching through the viewport as the small metal discs that were fired landed on the floor and then exploded into flames.

"Oh shit!" Panic momentarily seized Vann's mind and he struggled to start the shuttle's engines. His fingers were tacky with the blood that was dripping down his arm from his open chest wound and he wiped them on his pants when the engines finally roared to life. As the shuttle lifted off the hanger floor he noticed that the guards were once again taking aim with their strange weapons, all six of them pointed at Vann's stolen craft. He jerked the vehicle to the left as he punched the ignition, praying to the Force that this would work.

Two of the discs flew past the shuttle's right wing and exploded nearby, coating the floor in fire as Vann pushed the small craft's engines to their limit to flip it sideways just as it shot out of the hangar doors and into the storm-darkened sky. It was either dumb luck or the will of the Force that those doors were open or he wouldn't have escaped the series of explosions that trailed him. While he managed to evade two of the blasts, a third clipped the vehicle's left engine, sending up a plume of smoke and dramatically slowing his ascent out of the atmosphere.

"Kriff, no!" Cursing in every language he knew, Vann flipped several switches, shifting power between the engines to compensate for the damage. Alarms were blaring through the tiny cockpit, nearly deafening him as the shuttle sped up and weakly broke through the thick storm clouds that covered Dromund Kaas. The twinkling field of stars that greeted him was a relief, at least until he spotted the trio of fighters that were racing towards his position.

Ignoring the dozens of warnings that were scrolling across all of the monitors, Vann brought up the navicomputer and programmed in a hyperspace route to the first planet listed, the name of which he couldn't read because the map was labeled in the Sith's native tongue. It didn't matter. He'd be lucky to make it that far with one engine so badly damaged. But he was willing to take the risk if it meant the Emperor couldn't recapture him. Closing his eyes, he pressed two buttons and then slammed his palm against a lever, a scream ripped from his throat as the small craft vibrated dangerously and then shot into the blue and white tunnel of hyperspace.

The trip through hyperspace was a blur thanks to mild blood loss combined with nausea and chills that washed through Vann as he came down from the drugs that the Emperor had used to suppress his Force connection. By the time the shuttle dropped back into realspace with an ominous sputter, he was barely able to grip the controls and wrestle the craft into something resembling a controlled fall into the barren planet below. Despite his best efforts the rough landing mostly destroyed the vehicle and reopened the wound in his chest enough to cause more bleeding. At least he didn't hit his head, which was an improvement over his last escape from Dromund Kaas.

Crawling from the wreckage, Vann heaved bile across the rocky ground. His limbs were shaking uncontrollably as his withdrawal symptoms intensified and he could barely stand upright. Glancing around, his blurred eyesight told him that he was on an arid world, possibly in some type of valley judging by the jagged cliffs that rose up around him. At least the towering rock formations helped to block some of the wind that whipped thick clouds of dust into the air. He coughed harshly, wheezing as the dirt stung his wound and burned his lungs. Finding shelter immediately became his primary objective.

Dragging a small survival kit from what was left of the shuttle Vann stumbled forward, his steps erratic as he limped across the desolate landscape. If he squinted this world seemed vaguely familiar, but then most arid planets looked alike after seeing enough of them. Shielding his eyes against the blazing sun, he tried to remain within the long shadows cast by the rocks. Sputtering and choking, he was gasping for breath and thoroughly exhausted by the time he found what looked like a natural cave carved into the mountain range. Slipping inside he sighed at the cooler temperatures and lack of howling wind.

Despite Vann's relief, he was cautious as he crept through the cavern, a wise decision since he soon heard the growls and fluttering of some wild creature echoing nearby. Whatever they were, they sounded big. But if he could find a small enough hiding place he might be safe, at least until he could use the medpac in the survival kit. As he was considering his options, a faint breeze touched his cheek as something sent a shiver down his spine. It took a moment for him to realize that it was the Force trying to send him a message, though his connection was still too weak for him to comprehend what he was sensing. But it was still the best option he had, so he limped towards the source of the airflow until he discovered another, smaller opening in the jagged wall.

"Let's hope this is a good sign," Vann muttered as he dragged himself into the new chamber. Unlike the rest of the cave, which was nearly pitch black, this area was dimly illuminated by thin cracks in the rockface that let in weak beams of sunlight. It was just enough for him to look around. Craning his neck to peer at the ceiling he realized that whatever space he was standing in had been created by a sentient species as the walls had been smoothed into soaring archways and geometric patterns were carved into the stone. These symbols were also vaguely familiar, though he couldn't place the design. Walking farther in, he managed to make it through a large archway and into a second room before collapsing in a corner, his stomach heaving as a wave of chills made his teeth chatter. Miserable, he curled into a ball to wait out the worst of his withdraw.

Minutes, or possibly hours, passed and Vann slipped into an uneasy sleep, only to be startled awake by a feminine voice.

"Revan, the weapon is set and ready to detonate when you give the order."

Blinking in confusion, Vann was shocked to find himself on the bridge of a Republic cruiser, his Jedi armor replacing the thin gray robes the Sith had given him. "I'm sorry… what?"

Blue eyes peered up, small flecks of deep green making the color seem more intense. "I said the weapon is ready."

Stumbling back in surprise, Vann's head jerked around as he took in the scene. Despite the immense size of the ship, there was nobody else around aside from the woman standing beside him. She was wearing a long brown robe that helped to hide the dents and scuffs that marred her armor. Intricate braids were woven through her sandy blonde hair and wrapped around her ponytail, which flowed well past her shoulders and partially down her back. Her face was round and youthful despite the smudges of exhaustion that hung beneath her eyes and combined with her smaller stature she appeared startlingly young. But nothing about her demeanor suggested that she was anything other than a trained Jedi and battle-tested soldier.

A name came unbidden to Vann's lips. "Meetra Surik?"

"That's still my name." She smiled weakly

"I… I know this can't be real. It's a dream or a vision. Or maybe just a returning memory…"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Concern furrowed Meetra's brow. "I'm just waiting for you to give the order to use the weapon."

"The weapon" Terror gripped Vann's chest and he inhaled sharply. "The Mass Shadow Generator. This is the moment that I gave you the order to use a superweapon."

"It's already built and in place. I just need one word from you and I'll return to my ship and activate it at the ideal moment."

"No, don't do it! This is wrong, don't you see that? Thousands of people will die and…"

"Millions, if not billions more will be saved. Revan, this is how we win the war!"

"Not like this! We win the war but we lose… We lose us. I don't even know what happened to you after this, where you went or if you're even still alive."

"Does it actually matter to you?" Meetra's pretty features warped and twisted, black veins staining her skin as her eyes turned a sickly yellow. "You're Revan, the hero of the Republic. The man who won the Mandalorian Wars. The monster who built his reputation on the backs of thousands of innocent lives."

The bridge of the cruiser suddenly vanished and they were falling, tumbling through space as the scenery around them changed. The boom of cannon fire erupted and engines roared, a massive fleet battle materializing out of nowhere as Vann and Meetra floated amid the chaos. Flashes of plasma illuminated the woman's unnaturally pale face but none of the attacks ever came close to touching her. Without a word she pointed downward, gesturing to the planet that served as a backdrop to the violence. There was a flash of light as the air around them vibrated, and suddenly the dozens of surrounding ships were simultaneously sucked towards the surface in a fraction of a second. There was no way to slow their descent and they impacted the crust wreathed in flames, striking so hard that they fractured the planet down to its very core.

Though he couldn't hear the screams of the dying Vann could feel the loss of life echoing through the Force and reverberating within his body until his marrow ached with the intensity. "Make it stop," he pleaded, clutching his head in his hands.

"This is what you wanted, your ultimate plan to win the war." Meetra stared back impassively, her yellow eyes reflecting the devastation all around them. "You're Revan, the tactical genius."

"No…"

"But you weren't the one who used the weapon, I was. I was the one who had to feel their deaths with every fiber of my being. You got all of the glory and none of the consequences, just like always."

"Please, I didn't mean…"

"The Mandalorians were right, you really are heartless. Revan the butcher. The murderer."

The scene kept replaying before Vann's eyes and he was forced to watch as the Republic and Mandalorian fleets crashed into Malachor V over and over, the destruction just as violent and visceral each time it happened. He tried to shake himself awake or to blink away the memory, but nothing he did made the images stop. Tears were streaming freely down his cheeks, but he was frozen in horror and couldn't wipe them away.

As the ships crashed into Malachor yet again, all Vann could do was scream.

Author's Notes

Thank you for reading. Comments and constructive criticism are always appreciated!

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1. Now is a good time to remind you that I've never read the 'Revan' novel. So, my portrayals of Dromund Kaas and the Sith who reside there are probably different. I also don't know a lot about Sith sorcery, so I took a lot of creative license with it.

2. This chapter explains how Vann came to be missing and how the Hawk ended-up badly damaged along the Outer Rim. It also gives a vague explanation for how Kreia may have come into possession of the freighter.

3. The weapons used to fire explosive discs at Vann are Sith lanvaroks.

4. This is the first time Meetra is described through someone else's eyes. Her appearance at the beginning of Vann's dream/vision/hallucination is still mostly accurate, minus her clothing and hair (which is shorter and kept in simple braid or ponytail).