Chapter Eight - Sith
The Mandalorian Wars had been long and difficult on everyone.
While Harry slept and was in route back to Home Base, his men made sure their last exploits were reported back to Command. They especially wanted to report the loss of their team members and what their Captain did all by himself to at least two hundred Mandalorians, accomplishing the mission on his own after nearly complete devastation of his entire team.
Word spread of what Harry had done and his many spectacular feats during the war were touted as legend among the ranks of the Jedi and the Republic soldiers. Most were just glad he was on their side. They did not want to have to face him in battle.
On the main war front, Revan and Malak continued on forcing the Mandalorians back. While doing so Revan discovered the Sith Empire's influence over the Mandalorians. It was just as the Jedi Council feared. The Sith were behind the whole thing from the beginning. Revan and Malak were determined to go and find the Sith who were responsible, but they were still tied up fighting the Mandalorians.
Victory was practically assured for the Republic, as they were getting closer and closer to finding the Mandalorian leader, Mandalore. Revan had already claimed that battle for his own and everyone knew it. It wasn't until they had pushed the Mandalorians back to Malachor V that Revan finally caught up with Mandalore in a battle between fleets.
Revan and Malak, along with a team of Jedi and a small contingent of Republic soldiers, managed to board Mandalore's ship during the battle. With help from some Republic fighters, some of them flown by Jedi, they blasted their way into the hold and landed their jump ship, taking out Mandalorians left and right. The fight to get to the bridge, and Mandalore, commenced.
There were many Mandalorians between them and the bridge but they were more than up to the challenge. At one point though, when they were terribly outnumbered, the fighting was heavier than usual, and some of his men were killed during the skirmish, Revan wished his friend Harry had been able to join them. He would have been extremely useful on this mission, he thought. Nevertheless, they prevailed with a judicious use of the Force and some well-placed lightsaber attacks.
They finally reached the bridge in a hail of blaster fire and the hum of lightsabers putting on a fantastic light show. The leader had many lieutenants surrounding him and they were some of his best fighters. After wading through them, Revan let Malak and the other Jedi continue to take care of the lieutenants while he faced off with Mandalore himself.
Mandalore the Ultimate was a very large Taung. The Taung were a humanoid species known as warriors from their youth. Battle was thought of as a source of honor for them. Most were two meters tall with gray skin. Mandalore was a bit taller than that. He was big but he was very fast. His skills as a fighter were the reason he was the leader of the Mandalorians.
Revan and Mandalore circled each other carefully, sizing the other up. Both knew the fight was not going to be easy. Mandalore was fully aware that Jedi were tough fighters with special skills but none had ever been able to defeat him so far. However, the one standing before him was well respected by Mandalore's own soldiers. His skill in battle and his tactical prowess were now legend. He had earned their respect over the years of the war.
There was no time left to ponder it now though. It was time to get it done. With a feint to the left Mandalore lunged to take Revan's head off but the Jedi leader anticipated the move, dodged it, and swiped at the big Taung with his lightsaber. The Mandalorian leader just managed to block it in time. They then began to swap blows with their weapons, back and forth with blazing speeds.
As the fight progressed, Mandalore knew he was in the fight of his life. This Revan had definitely earned his reputation and his skill as a warrior was the best the Mandalorian had ever seen. It was a pleasure to do battle with him. No matter what he tried to do, Revan always had a counter attack. It seemed impossible to hit him and Mandalore was barely managing to protect himself from the Jedi's attacks as the fight continued.
Revan forced jumped away and paused during the fight to take a quick look around at the other fighting. He saw that Malak and the others had already killed or subdued the other Mandalorians who were with Mandalore. It was just Mandalore left now. However, there were plenty of others still fighting elsewhere though. He could see the fleet still battling it out, peering through the large view port from the bridge.
Revan turned back toward the fight and clashed with Mandalore again. After a quick exchange with his lightsaber moving at incredible speeds, Revan managed to graze Mandalore's left thigh. With the leader slightly distracted by the pain, Revan, Force Pulled a metal pipe laying on the floor due to the damage. He managed to hit Mandalore in the head with it. This was all the distraction Revan needed to make the killing blow, even though Mandalore nearly managed to block it that time too.
He didn't kill Mandalore outright though, but he did mortally wound him. A lesser man would have probably died quickly but Mandalore was not a lesser man. He hung on to share with Revan his last words.
He explained how the Sith had influenced them, convincing them to go to war, and assuring them they would win. He then pointed out a hidden location to Revan behind a panel where he could find evidence of the Sith influence and give him an idea of where they were located. He thanked Revan for the honor of battle and died a few minutes later.
The evidence they uncovered due to Mandalore's help, pointed out that the Sith were located in the Unknown Regions. Revan gave orders to use their super weapon, called the Mass Shadow Generator. The weapon was part of a trap he had setup to hopefully bring an end to the war. A scientist had formed the idea a while back so Revan had commission him to build it for this very purpose. After Mandalore's death, he thought it was just the thing needed to accomplish his goal.
Jedi General Meetra Surik, a human female Jedi Master, was a very charismatic leader and excellent tactician. She had lead the Republic in a very important victory on the moon Dxun, a victory which helped setup the final battle on Malachor V. When she received the orders from her Supreme Leader Revan, she unleashed the weapon on the remaining Mandalorian ships.
Suddenly the ships were caught in a gravity vortex that smashed them into the planet's surface, essentially breaking the planet to its core. The weapon not only destroyed the planet but all the ships orbiting it. Unfortunately, some of the Republic ships were damaged as well when they were accidentally caught in it. Many lost their lives that day, Mandalorians, Jedi, and Republic forces. It did however do as originally planned and ended the war.
Afterwards, Revan took Mandalore's mask and stripped the remaining Mandalorians of their armor and weapons, essentially disbanding all of the Mandalorian tribes. Then, after receiving word of his friend Harry and that he was now recovering while in route to the Home Base, he informed his officers that Malak and he were going to go find the Sith while the remaining Jedi and Republic were to stay and wrap up what was needed with the war and the Mandalorians.
According to the information they had gathered about the Sith, they were heading to a planet called Korriban where they discovered more evidence. The trail they followed from Korriban lead them to another planet called Dromund Kaas. It was there that they discovered a flourishing new Sith Empire, run by the Emperor, Sith Lord Vitiate, also known as the Immortal Emperor.
oOo
Harry woke up a few days later from his recovery and spent some time meditating before checking in with his crew. He was shocked to hear that Revan had already killed Mandalore and pretty much concluded the war. What he didn't like hearing was his friends going off without him to investigate the Sith. He supposed they were likely thinking he was still tied up with his missions so didn't bother trying to contact him. His men told him that he had not received any personal messages or anything from the Supreme Leader.
When Harry arrived at Home Base, he was told that he could return home if he wanted. The war was essentially over and Republic forces were handling anything left to be done. Feeling a sense of relief, Harry said good-bye to his men, wished them well, and then found out where exactly Revan and Malak had gone, or as much as they knew to tell him.
Harry was allowed to keep the ship he'd been using over the last several years of the war. The Republic thought that was the least they could do for him. They also had the techs at Home Base perform a lot of maintenance on it to get it completely serviced for him and repair any issues they found, along with a new paint job. All signs of the Republic's ownership were completely removed. They even registered the ship in Harry's name for him and placed the registration info in his datapad.
When they finished readying his ship, he took it back to Coruscant where he said hi to Joban and his friends before collecting all his credits and his two droids. He then set off to see the Jedi Council. Harry reported back to the Council what he knew of the whereabouts of Revan and Malak. He then informed them of his plan to find them and lend a hand. The Council wished him luck and said "May the Force be with you."
When Harry arrived back at Coruscant, the many droids who were given a lift back with him were thanked for their service and allowed to report to the Republic on Coruscant for further instructions and use. After he completed his business on Coruscant, he returned to his ship where his two droids, OP and QE, were waiting. The surprise though was finding MT in the Med Bay doing his normal duties.
"MT, why are you still here?" asked Harry.
"Captain, for my service during the war the Republic gave me a choice of where I wished to serve. I chose to stay with my Captain."
"But I'm no longer a Captain, MT."
"You will always be my Captain, Captain."
Harry smiled at the droid.
"Welcome back aboard, MT."
"Thank you, Captain."
Harry turned to his other droids.
"Crew, we're going to the Outer Rim and possibly the Unknown Regions. QE set us a course for Korriban and take us off Coruscant."
QE beeped and whistled in response then headed to the cockpit.
"OP, follow me to my quarters. We need to get caught up."
"Yes, Harry. It is such a pleasure to be helping you again," OP responded.
"Yes, it's good to have you around again too. This will be a long trip so let's discuss a few things while QE gets us moving towards our destination."
oOo
It took several days before they finally arrived at Korriban in the Horuset system. In fact, it was the only planet in that system, and was the original home world of the Sith species. It contained many tombs of ancient and powerful Dark Lords of the Sith. The planet also had a long and bloody history.
Harry landed his ship in a spot out of the way so they would not be seen. He instructed his droids to remain on the ship while he went looking for clues of his friend's and where they might be. After leaving the ship he teleported by sight over to the ruins he could see, then walked from there.
He ran into a few people who were looking around and digging in the ruins for something. Harry could clearly see some of the tombs in the distance. There also appeared to be a large building in the distance as well. Perhaps it was the old Sith Academy, he thought. He had read about it in his History lessons with OP as a child and had discussed it further with OP during their chat on the way to the planet. Harry decided to head that way.
When he stepped into the old Sith Academy, six people attacked him all at once. They were all brandishing red lightsabers. After years of fighting in the war, Harry went into autopilot. His reactions honed from years of experience, he nearly killed them all instantly but realized he needed to question them first. Why did they attack him? Did they see his friends come through here? He needed answers.
Stopping himself from releasing something lethal, his hands blazed with speed toward the six attackers casting two wide-area Stunners instead. They all fell over instantly.
Harry looked for any additional attackers but saw no more around. Turning back, he concentrated on the ones he subdued by Summoning all their lightsabers from them. Next, he released one from his Stunning Spell and questioned him.
"Why did you attack me?" Harry asked. "You're not thinking it was the best idea now, are you?"
The Sith sat up and looked around at his fellow Sith attackers. No one was moving. They were all prone on the floor like he was. He looked up at Harry.
"You are not a Jedi but you have a strange power. Did you kill the others so easily and quickly?" he asked. The Sith questioning him, had red skin and specific facial features, most likely a native of the planet.
"No, I didn't kill them. I started to but realized I needed answers. You haven't answered my question yet, so let's start with you."
"What did you do to them if they are not dead?" asked the Sith.
"I merely stunned them. I will wake them shortly, just as I did for you. Now, I have answered your questions, how about you answer mine?"
"I'm not going to tell you anything," he answered defiantly.
Harry pointed his finger at one of the man's feet and cast his Space Distortion Spell. Suddenly the Sith started yelling in pain. After a few seconds, Harry released him from the torture.
"That was just a sample. How would you like to feel that all over?"
The Sith just stared at Harry, fuming. His foot still hurt a bit.
"Perhaps you need a little more persuasion?"
Harry pointed his finger at the man's foot again.
"No, no, I'll tell you," he responded quickly. Harry stopped and turned back to the Sith. "We were told to stop any strangers looking for the Sith Empire."
"But, you never asked me why I was here. Shouldn't you see if I am looking for the Sith Empire first, before you attack?"
"We were going to question you after we subdued you."
"How'd that work out for you?"
"It appears we failed," he answered, his face looking shameful.
"Yes, it does appear that way doesn't it."
"May I ask why you are here?"
"I'm looking for the Sith Empire…," Harry replied nonchalantly. The Sith's head jerked around to stare right in Harry's eyes. "…in a roundabout way, of course. More to the point, I am looking for two Jedi friends of mine, who I believe came through here looking for the Sith Empire."
"We are Sith and the Jedi are mortal enemies of the Sith…" he was stating before I interrupted.
"…and I am friends with the Jedi. Does that make us mortal enemies, too? Should I let you all live or should I kill each of you with your own lightsabers?"
"You may be powerful but the Eternal Emperor is more powerful than you. He has reigned for thousands of years and there is no one more powerful than him."
"And, where might this Eternal Emperor reside? Perhaps my friends went looking for him after they came by here."
"They did. Two Jedi, one wore a Mandalorian mask, came through here and killed many. They received answers to their questions, sending them on to Dromund Kaas to find the Sith Empire and the Emperor."
"Dromund Kaas?"
"Yes, but if you go then the Emperor will defeat you just like he defeated your friends. He has them in his grasp already and that is the reason we were to stop anyone looking for the Sith Empire. He has plans for them."
"What plans?"
"We weren't told."
"If you are lying to me about any of this then I will come back, find you, and finish the job. Understand?"
The Sith nodded.
Harry walked over to a spot about thirty feet away from the group and placed all their lightsabers down on the floor. Then with a wave of his hand, he revived the other five. As they were waking, and looked over at him, he motioned to the lightsabers.
"I'll just leave these for you before I go. Hopefully, I won't have to return and finish the job," Harry threatened.
The five that just woke up were looking angrily at Harry but their one associate, who was already awake, was looking scared. Then when Harry disappeared by teleporting away to his ship, the other five's expressions changed to scared as well, with just a little bit of awe mixed in.
oOo
After Harry returned to his ship, they left Korriban and set a course to Dromund Kaas. Harry sent word back to the Jedi Council of what he had been told and that he was headed to the planet now to rescue his friends. They recommended he be very careful around the Sith and especially the Emperor.
When Harry reached Dromund Kaas, he found what he was looking for, a flourishing Sith Empire. Sensing he was close to finding his friends, Harry searched for a way to them. While he was able to land his ship, he found it difficult to get close to the Emperor. As soon as he was in range, he would find himself suddenly in another world.
Harry looked around for a good while but he only went in circles. Using his power, he returned himself to his ship and started all over again. However, each time he came close he would find himself in another world, forcing him to go back to the beginning again and again. No matter how hard he tried, he could not prevent being sent to that other world.
Each time he was sent there and looked around, he faced many Sith he had to battle to get past them. He could only avoid fighting the Sith in that other world if he chose to go back to his ship immediately. However, fighting and killing all those Sith, as he looked for a way off the strange world never produced any positive results.
It became obvious after a while to Harry that the Emperor was very powerful and was the cause for his predicament.
The Emperor, who watched the newcomer carefully, found himself mesmerized by his power. He could not believe how a human so young could wield such amazing power. He had to have it.
Just like the ritual he performed on Nathema back in 5000 BBY, when he used the strength of the gathered Sith Lords to make himself immortal. It mattered not to him that the ritual destroyed every living thing on the planet. He had gained immortality. That was what mattered to him.
Directing the Mandalorians to go to war was just another ploy in his goal to repeat that ritual but on a galactic scale. He wanted more than immortality. He wanted to be a god.
However, when he sought to drain the newcomer's power, he found he couldn't. The power was nothing like any power he had ever seen before in his long life. It was strange and powerful, but it was also painful when he felt it. It felt unnatural. It was not anything like the Force. Besides, no matter what he threw at the boy, he was able to overcome it. The only thing that appeared to work on him was the world he trapped him in.
While Harry was able to figure out how to escape from it, which was an amazing show of power in itself, he was unable to figure how to move forward. This was Harry's undoing. After a while, he had to give up and return to his ship. Defeated, he sent word back to the Jedi Council of his failure and that he was returning to Coruscant without his friends.
oOo
Harry was right in the middle of a fight when he first felt it about a year ago so he didn't have time to do anything about it. The distraction alone almost proved disastrous for him but he was able to ignore it enough to finish the fight and come out alive once more.
However, when he felt the pull a second time a year later, he was ready to pay more attention to it. It felt like there was something pulling on his magic trying to get him to travel to the source of where the pull was originating. He had just given up searching for his friends when it became obvious that the Sith Emperor was preventing access to them. No matter how hard he tried, he could not break through. The person blocking him was just too powerful.
Harry flew his ship back to Coruscant with his three droids helping him. He had docked his ship and was preparing to exit and report back to the Jedi Council on his lack of success locating Revan and Malak, when that strange pull hit him again. Only this time it was much stronger. Harry could tell it was coming from very far away and possibly in a different time as well. His power over time was buzzing along with the pull to travel.
Paying very close attention to where and when the feeling was directing him, Harry memorized it so he could go there when ready. Then he stopped and gave it some serious thought. What if it's a trap? He shouldn't have much difficulty getting out of most any trap, especially if he went prepared to stop time immediately in case of danger.
As he thought about it more, he couldn't help feeling that it was Earth calling. He wondered if someone back at his home planet, someone magical like him, had figured out how to send this message. This may be his only chance to make it back to Earth and learn about his roots. He could always return to the same time he left. No one would even miss him.
Making the decision he got his droids attention and informed them of what he was about to do. He told them to take care of things if for some reason he was unable to return to the same time frame when he got back. They were also to tell the Jedi Council and Joban about where he went if he did not return.
Harry put a list together of all the things he might need and wanted to take with him, just in case. While packing, he grabbed some extra clothing and included some rations to take with him. He then tested his comlink one last time. Finally, last but not least, he grabbed his datapad.
After checking the date and time of his departure, so he would know exactly where and when to return to, Harry concentrated on the place and time he felt during the pull and then with a big push, using his magic, he disappeared with a soft pop.