The dark Jedi spun both of his blades in a flurry of strikes, forcing Revan to go on the defensive, giving ground as they fought from inside the temple to outside on the snow covered, half destroyed terrace that once provided royalty with a stunning view of the world they controlled. Now, however, the half-buried terrace served as the battleground for two talented force users.

Revan continued to give ground but began to mix in a few strikes and feints in an attempt to stand his ground, knowing that if he gave much more ground to the aggressive dark force user, he would be standing on the edge of a cliff that dropped hundreds of feet below. Revan slashed his blade forward, catching the Dark Jedi off guard, pushing the man off, allowing Revan some room and giving him a moment of relapse before the two warriors charged back at one another.

The purple and red blades sparked and melted snow around them as they twirled in their deadly dance. On the edge of his consciousness, he felt the Anakin, Ahsoka, and the clones beginning to move towards him, but he knew it wouldn't be in enough time to help him or the Exile. The pair from the past were on their own.

In letting his mind drift to the other Jedi, Revan lost his focus for a split second and the result was a powerful force push that sent him flying to the edge of the cliff, separating him from his lightsaber as he flew through the air, rolled for a moment, and slid before coming to a stop. Visions danced in his head and darkness clouded his vision as he coughed and searched for breath, attempting to recover from the piledriver-like force to his chest.

Shaking the haze, he lifted his head and saw the red figure charging towards him. Revan's eyes widened, and he immediately summoned his lightsaber to him through the force and activated it just in time to block the two sabers that the dark Jedi had brought down to decapitate him. The two glared intensely at one another, hate filling the small space between their eyes. Revan saw the ring-shaped scar on the Jedi's cheek and spit in his face. "So, you're the one they call Xanatos. The dark side has corrupted you beyond recognition. You are nothing like the holograms from years ago."

"I am more powerful that you will ever be, Jedi." Xanatos responded, biting off every word.

Revan smiled darkly and shook his head. "You're misunderstood…you young fool."

As he spoke, Revan lifted his left hand and gripped Xanatos with his hand, grasping his throat and choking him. Revan stood back up and pushed his lightsaber, knocking Xanatos's blade back, before letting go of Xanatos.

Revan stared, a snarl emanating from his lips as he bit off words, anger flowing through him. "You know nothing of power, Xanatos."

Xanatos sneered in response. "And you do?"

Revan stared back, his expression never changing, but an electric blue fire erupting in his eyes. "More than you could ever possibly imagine."

With that, he gestured at Xanatos to come after him. Xanatos did so, but was quickly overwhelmed, with Revan first knocking one of his lightsabers out of his hand and over the cliffs and then disarming him with his blade before stabbing him through the torso. Revan yanked the blade out of the Xanatos' chest and watched him dropped to his knees before saying, "Send this message to your master."

Then, Revan swung his purple blade and cut down Xanatos.

Alex Roth had been in the midst of comforting the girls he had freed when he felt a powerful push and looked over to see Revan flung to the side of the cliff. Roth activated his lightsaber and rushed over to help, but before he could get there, he saw Revan shove off the aggressor, taunt him, and then quickly finish him. Sensing what was about to happen, he turned and shielded the girls' eyes with the force as Revan cut down the fallen Jedi. After the body slumped to the ground and the head rolled to the side, the Exile slowly walked over to his former master.

Revan stood there, his breaths labored and heavy with anger, his fists clenched with rage, his lightsaber humming the only noise other than the labored breathing of Revan. "You know that you did not have to do that Revan. You let your hate get the better of you. You gave into your emotion."

Revan turned his head and looked at him, his blue eyes filled with rage. "Spare me the speech, Exile. I will deal with my enemies as I please."

Revan walked back towards the fallen palace, but Roth grabbed him and yanked him around, an intense glare now etched into his features. "The council doesn't trust us as it is and believe that you will fall. I WILL NOT sit by and watch you do so. This is my second chance to Revan! I won't watch you fall back to the dark side. I won't."

Revan glared before biting off, "There. Is. No. Danger."

Roth shook his head. "You're wrong Revan. That dark kernel of the dark side will always be in your heart, whether you like it or not. If you keep feeding it and the Emperor is truly here…you won't be able to stand against him. And you know that."

Revan, defeated and regaining control of his emotions, turned and walked inside but nodded. "You're right Alex. You're right."

Ahsoka and Anakin walked at the head of the clones that left the Rogue Shadow once it landed, deep in conversation. "So, Master, if Revan can do so much good for the Jedi and the Republic, why do they distrust him?"

"Revan is one of the most powerful force users in the history of the order, Ahsoka. Even as he moved up through the ranks of the order, he demonstrated that at times he toed the line between the light and the dark far to finely for a Jedi, sometimes outright crossing it when he felt the cause was just. This made him very vulnerable to the dark side, and when he came across the Emperor on Dromund Kaas, he quickly fell from the light and came back to start an all-out galactic war. Many Jedi, frustrated with the council for years, reached their boiling point and fell to the dark side themselves, joining the Sith and swearing allegiance to Revan, sparking the period formally known as the Jedi Civil War."

Ahsoka nodded but remained confused, her question still unanswered. "They taught us all of that, as well as the search for the Star Forge, his attachment to Bastilla, and his final mission to find the emperor. But none of that answers my question, Master."

Anakin smiled. "You've become wise, Ahsoka. No, you're right, none of that gives a concrete explanation. The council knows that Revan inspires loyalty among all who follow him. He's a natural leader. They're afraid of what could happen should the dark lord of the Sith manage to find Revan. The seeds of the dark side are still in his heart, even after so much time has passed. No one truly understands Revan. The council fears that everything will play out as it once did and we'll find ourselves in a civil war with the greatest force user the order has ever seen leading an armada of Sith."

Ahsoka looked up at him, searching for guidance in what had become an increasingly complex landscape over the past few days. "And what do you think about him, Master?"

Anakin shrugged in response. "I don't know Ahsoka. I really don't know."

They tread on for a kilometer in silence before Ahsoka spoke again, breaking the silence. "Revan left to fight the Mandalorians to save the Republic and its innocent citizens. I don't see how that is that bad."

Anakin didn't say anything, but Ahsoka glimpsed over and couldn't miss the dark expression that adorned his face. He coldly bit off, "We have to abide by the decision of the council, Ahsoka. It's our duty."

Ahsoka, glimpsing his anger, decided to drop the subject.

The strike team arrived at the temple to find Alex Roth and Revan with several females in chains. "What is this?" Rex asked, looking over the humans, Togruta's, and Twi'leks.

Revan turned around, having been looking over the landscape, and responded, "We found them with the Dark Jedi. Slaves for Dooku, from what I can gather."

Rex looked down at the terrified females and gestured to Fives, telling him, "Head back to the ship and bring it around. We'll take them back to the temple with us."

Fives nodded and left, acrobatically leaping from ledge to ledge in an attempt to move back to the ship quicker. Anakin looked to Revan and asked, "Where is the Dark Jedi that you spoke of?"

"Out there." Revan responded, pointing to the edge of the snowy cliff.

"Did he come with his head in this condition?" Anakin asked dryly.

Revan simply responded, "No."

Anakin and Ahsoka gave each other a look before Anakin asked, "What did Xanatos tell you?"

"Not much. I don't think that he knew why he was here. He was just following orders, which, knowing his history, is a surprise."

"And the Senator?"

Revan gestured to where Alex Roth was comforting the slaves. "She's over there."

Anakin and Ahsoka strode over to where Alex Roth was unclasping the chains through the force. Ahsoka joined with her fellow Jedi to help, while Anakin knelt down next to the Senator, who was rubbing her wrists where the electro cuffs had been, and asked, "Senator Malric, are you alright?"

She looked up and nodded. "I am, thanks to your Jedi. Revan and Alex Roth rescued us in short order."

"Are you able to stand?"

She nodded and slowly, shakily, stood to her feet, supported by Anakin. Ana smiled and remarked, "What a gentleman. I can see why Padme is so smitten with you."

Anakin blushed and remarked, "Hardly, Senator. We're just good friends."

Senator Malric, sensing his guard going up, nodded. Anakin quickly changed the subject and said, "We'll get you back to Coruscant. The Senate needs to know how far the Confederacy is pushing into the core worlds. You arguing for an expansion of the fleet will help."

The senator simply looked at him and shook her head. "Master Jedi, I thank you for the rescue, but you know that I will not advocate expanding the war effort. I will not be made a liar or a fool. I have been advocating peace for a long time. My people want peace. I will not go back on what I said, simply because of a defeat in battle that I was involved in."

Ahsoka, standing next to the two adults, shook her head. "Senator, you need to understand, this will get worse. Our forces have been stretched increasingly thin. This could happen to hundreds of systems over the coming months."

The Senator pursed her lips and said, "I understand the predicament, Master Jedi. But I will not go back on my beliefs."

Anakin motioned her to follow. She did so, following him out of the dilapidated palace and onto the cliff face that overlooked much of a primary Aaeton valley. "Senator, millions are dead. If the Separatists continue to be give these opportunities, they will take them. Trillions could die, Senator."

"Master Jedi-"

Revan walked up, interrupting them, a cold fire in his voice. "Senator, with all due respect, the time for personal convictions has past. If you cannot see that this is a war that must be won by any cost, then one might question how much you truly care for your people. This is your home. It's time that you take up your arms and defend it, however you must."

With that, he strode away, leaving Anakin to clean up, saying, "Apologies for that, Senator. He's…worked up. He may be out of line…but he brings up a fair point. Look out there, Senator. This is your home that is burning. Remember this scene. Let it burn into your heart. The next time you advocate for peace, remember this. This is the enemy we fight. We cannot show mercy that will not be shown to us."

With that, he walked away, leaving a confused and tormented Senator.

Anakin walked over to Ahsoka and Revan, who were conversing, planning the next move. Revan looked over, nodded at the Jedi, and continued, "We need to increase security for the Senators and other government officials. I feel that the Separatists will try this avenue of attack again. We need to be ready."

Ahsoka nodded and then said, "The council blowback over what you told the senator will be the first obstacle when we get back."

Anakin spoke up and said, "I, for one, happen to agree with you. I'll do my best to temper the anger of the council."

"Thank you, Anakin."

"That being said, next time, try and keep your feelings to yourself. There are others that won't be as appreciative of conflicting viewpoints."

Revan glared at the mountains in the distance but managed, "Yes, of course."

The bitter exchange did not go unnoticed by Anakin, but he decided to let it be for the moment, knowing that Revan was simply frustrated and feeling out of place. Anakin bowed slightly and pulled Ahsoka away to consult with the rest of Rex's squad, leaving Revan to time alone.

The rest of the raid on Separatist controlled Aaeton went without incident, and the strike team went to hyperspace just as the Republic fleet dropped in to break the blockade. Once back on Coruscant, Revan was summoned by Yoda, who he met in the Masters' meditation chambers. Once inside, Yoda looked him over, and then asked, "In your mind, what do you see?"

Revan closed his eyes, silently meditating, letting the force flow through him. After a few moments, he responded, "Pain. Agony."

"The path to the dark side, these emotions are."

"Yes, Master."

"See anything else, do you?"

As Revan glimpsed through the depths of his minds, sorting through memories from his previous life, he caught brief views of…Anakin? "I see…Anakin…swirling in darkness…red smoke…evil. He's surrounded by evil, Master."

"The whole vision, or bits and pieces, see, do you?"

"Brief parts. They're in pieces, falling all around."

Yoda leaned back and rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "Similar, this vision is, to one young Skywalker dreams."

"What does it mean, Master?"

"Always in motion, the future is. Impossible to predict."

Revan nodded and stood up, the conversation and meditation clearly over. Before he left, however, he asked, "Anakin is the One…isn't he?"

Yoda, who had slowly begun to walk out, stopped dead in his tracks. Revan continued, "Anakin is the Chosen One, the One who is to bring balance to the force, isn't he?"

"Know of this, what do you?"

"I know of the Father, Son, and Daughter. I've seen the Guardians of the Force. I know the prophecy. He is the Chosen One…isn't he?"

Yoda turned around and began to walk out. "Speak no more of this, we will."

Late that afternoon, as the darkness began to fall across Coruscant, painting the council chamber in a deep orange haze, the Jedi Masters of the Council sat, deep in thought, as they debated what was to come. Master Khaar argued, "…We cannot stand by and let the Republic continue to argue for peace! We've seen what the Separatists are capable of. We know that they will do whatever is in their power to wreck the Republic."

Mace Windu looked at him and responded, "Well, then what do you propose we do? We cannot interfere in galactic affairs. It is not our position to decide for the Republic, only to enforce the peace."

Daack Khaar scoffed at this, and sharply responded, "Keepers of the Peace? We're glorified soldiers. We fight this war now. It is our leadership in the field that brings the Republic victories. If we are to continue in this role, we need help! We need support. I cannot stand by and continue to send my soldiers and fellow Jedi to their deaths for a government that continues to question its resolve at every turn."

Obi-Wan, in an attempt to diffuse the argument, said, "They are the decision makers appointed by the people-"

Khaar, enraged, stood up and began to bellow in anger, "THEY KNOW NOTHING OF THE SUFFERING WE ENDURE AT THE HANDS OF THEIR 'DECISIONS!' THEY KNOW NOTHING OF WHAT THEY ARE DECIDING! THEY SIT BACK AND DEBATE RIGHT AND WRONG WHILE WE BLEED OUT ON THE BATTLEFIELD, AND THEN THEY DARE QUESTION OUR METHODS AND MOTIVES WHEN WE HAVE A RARE MOMENT OF RESPITE! THIS IS A WAR!...If you aren't willing to give everything and sacrifice anything…you've already lost…"

With that, Master Khaar shook his head and left the council, intent upon finding peace in meditation.

After he left, Yoda turned to the council and spoke of something else. "Another matter of concern, we have. Young Skywalker and Revan, much more connected than we thought, they are."

"How much so? Obi-Wan asked.

"The dream on Mortis, they share."

The council members said nothing, but all clearly radiated concern, knowing that this development was one that could twist both men to the dark side. Obi-Wan, clearly uncomfortable, shifted the conversation, saying, "While that is important Master, I think that we need to speak of Master Khaar's fervent plea. His words reflect a growing sentiment across the order, especially from those that spend most of their time on the battlefield. The rift between the Jedi and the Senate is growing larger by the day. What he said is true, and it's the driving force behind that rift."

Mace Windu said, "We're not politicians. That is not our place to interfere."

Revan stood on a secret terrace of his new apartment in the industrial sector, looking over Coruscant's distant skyscrapers, as the orange glow of the sun painted the plant a million shades of color. However, he was not thinking of the Clone Wars, the Jedi Council, or anything else that he had come to find in his new life. He was thinking of Bastilla, the Emperor, and the life that he had left behind. As he looked over the sunset, a single tear slid down his cheek, Bastilla's words playing in his head, as he thought of the dark Jedi that he had cut down. "The Jedi do not believe in killing their prisoners. No one deserves execution, no matter what their crimes…"

He shook his head, willing the premonitions and the voices to stop, but only hearing the final words he had ever heard from his wife, stored within his T3 unit. "I need you to be the beacon, T3. If he is lost out there, on the edge of the galaxy, if he finds whatever terrible thing he has seen, then he may not survive. If he doesn't make it back, then I need you to return to the Republic, find help. If you cannot find me, then seek out other Jedi, the Republic. I can't lose him…even if he believes he is protecting me..."

He was jarred from his thoughts by an evil cackling laugh and a dark voice that said, "My, my, my, the mighty Revan. How far the great Jedi of old have fallen."

Revan turned around in shock, his violet blade activated in a moment. His gaze rested on a hooded figure, the face covered. "Who are you…" Revan demanded in a low voice.

"It's a shame Bastilla isn't here to help you."

The remark put Revan into a rage, as he lunged out with his lightsaber, striking the Emperor straight through the chest. The strike came to no avail, as the hooded figure simply dissolved in a cloud of smoke. The evil, however, remained, the Emperor laughing as Revan sank to his knees, lightsaber deactivated, his head in his hands. "Revan. As impulsive and violent as ever. Be careful that it isn't your undoing…Jedi."

Anakin stood out on the balcony of Padme's apartment, arms crossed and eyes closed, as he reached out with the force, sensing a darkness at a level that he never had before. Padme walked out of her bedroom, talking about legislation regarding the war. She quickly fell silent, however, as she could sense Anakin's deep concentration. "Ani?"

Anakin didn't move, or even open his eyes, but asked, "Revan…what did you think of him?"

Padme walked over and laid her hands on Anakin's shoulders. "He was…powerful. He radiated…danger, almost. It was like being in the presence of an assassin. Why?"

Anakin stood silently for a minute before shaking his head, turning around, and walking back into their bedroom. "It's nothing. Never mind.