"Hmmm, very interesting," Master Vandar commented, "But what of Revan?"
"She is onboard the Liberty Master," Bastila answered.
"And what of her health?" Vandar inquired.
Bastila frowned slightly, "I have just receive news a while ago, they say she is dying."
If Vandar Jedi training had permitted it his jaw would have dropped to the ground.
"We must all see her then," Vandar recovered, looking at the few remaining Masters and Knights.
"I have spoken with the Rakata elders and they only have sketchy information on what that creature was, but we should send someone to investigate the ancient computer in the temple, it might have more information." replied a second Master.
"Hmm, it is possible that the creature could have remained dormant for hundreds or maybe thousands of years, considering how strong it was with the force, and only the activation of the Star Forge awoke it," Vandar replied.
"Thank you young Bastila, we will go see Revan now," commented Vandar to Bastila.
Bastila bowed to the Jedi council and walked out to her friends. She was slightly angered that they didn't seemed to be concerned at all with Revan's struggle, or maybe they thought it would just be easier if she died, then they wouldn't have to keep on eye on her.
"No," she thought, "such thoughts are of the dark side," Bastila mind sighed, she still had trouble controlling her emotions, and the dark taint that still dwelled within her, she was sure the Masters would help her, but how.
******
Revan's body lay limp in the medical bed, IV's dripped next to her, one feeding blood into her weakened body and the other a mixture of medicines. She was dressed in white patients clothes. Doctors checked on her regularly, and changed the packs on her ride side often, too often, she was loosing too much blood, and they knew it.
A doctor whispered to one of the nurses in the corner, "Has there been any changes? At all?"
"No, I'm afraid not, we've done all we can but nothing will stop the bleeding. It is almost as if that poison was designed to eat her away, but physically and mentally. The Kolto is helping but not enough and we've tried several antidote's but only one has slowed its progress." She sighed.
The Doctor took out a note pad, "Which one?" he asked.
"Gen-47," the nurse commented.
"Really? know that is very interesting," he said worriedly while writing down on the pad, "Here, up her dose slightly." He commented while handing the slip of paper to her.
"I'm going to see if any progress has been made with the investigation." The doctor commented and walked out of the medical bay.
The poison must have had a protein in it that hindered blood clotting and she continued to bleed. The kolto packs had slowed it down significantly, but not enough. Some of the doctors and nurses were amazed that she still lived. Others thought she only lived because she was a Jedi, but all were surprised and warmed by the devotion of that man who sat next to her bed, holding her hand. He talked to her often, praying that she heard him and would continue to fight for her life.
"Revan, don't give up, fight gorgeous, I know you can win," he whispered in her ear.
******
Revan's mind wandered through the cold, darkness of nowhere. She opened her eyes and saw swirling, cold, blackness and there in the center, a thin strand of light, fighting to keep lit. She moved her cold hands over it and felt it's warm, her warmth, pulse through her frail life. She covered it, trying to keep the cold abyss from sucking more of its heat away. Revan felt a chill creep up her spine and looked into the abyss, there she saw two red eyes stare at her from the cold darkness, she gasped as the sea beast leapt upon her. Revan cried out but she couldn't lift her arms to defend herself. She was falling, falling away from that tiny strand of life. Falling, ever falling.
Suddenly it was warm and she felt a cool breeze carrying fragrant smells. Her hands felt ground beneath her, opening her blue eyes she scanned the terrain on Dantooine, the buildings were in ruins, smoke curling up from the debris.
"Such a shame," a quiet voice replied.
Whirling she came face to face with Master Vandar, pointing at her he shook his head again. "Foolish we were to think we could change you, betrayed us all you did."
"What?!" she gasped, "I didn't betray you, I destroyed the Star Forge, and I saved Malak."
He shook his head again and sneered at her, "Foolish you are, to think that Darth Revan wouldn't surface and betray so many, you! You killed so many innocents!" He yelled.
Suddenly she heard the screams, and shrieks of hundreds of voices, she looked around at the fields, now covered with bodies, men and women, crying over the fallen and screaming at her, the sobbing children…..
"NO!" Revan screamed, tears dripping down her face. She fell to her knees and wept.
"You are WEAK," a snarling voice screamed at her. "I cannot believe we are one in the same."
Revan looked up to stared up into a cloaked figure, with the metal mask covering its face.
"Darth Revan," Revan whispered.
"Hahah, is it so hard to recognize yourself, Revan!" It sneered at her, lifted up its hands to remove the mask. There she stood facing to face with Darth Revan, as she stared into those evil eyes that were her own, yet so different.
"What's the matter! Don't you recognize who you are!" Darth Revan laughed at her.
"NO! I'm not like you," Revan calmly replied.
"Oh, Yes, hide behind the Jedi Code, for all the good it will do you, you could have regained your destiny, you could have had ALL my power and MORE. Yet look at you, I know your heart and mind, you have become weak thinking that love will save you," Darth Revan mocked her.
A distant voice broke through the gloom, "Revan, don't give up, fight gorgeous, I know you can win."
Smiling Revan looked at Darth Revan, "It did save me…"
"You fool, look around you, look at all your victims, you ARE me." Darth Revan smirked.
The same pleading, crying voices echoed in her ears. She looked down to see hundreds of people huddling around her, pleading for revenge, for their life and the lives of their loved ones. A swell of regret and remorse swept over Revan, tears fell from her eyes and a laughing, cackling voice scorned her. Looking back at Darth Revan she saw the dark lords red light saber raised. Revan eyes widened and she reached for her belt, but the familiar curve of her light sabers wasn't there and then Darth Revan slashed through Revan's unprotected body.
"NOOO," Revan's minds screamed as she fell onto the soft, white sand of the Rakata planet.
"Betrayer," voices screamed around her, "you betrayed us all," they pleaded.
Revan looked up to see her friends standing in a circle around her, yelling at her, stopping feet, and waving hands.
"Why did you do it Revan! Don't you know we cared about you, why did you have to kill us."
"Noooo," Revan gasped, she started to sob, "No, I didn't kill you, I couldn't have, no, please, no more."
"You want to end this?" Carth's angry and pleading voice echoed in her mind, she looked over her shoulder to see him standing there, so sad he looked, so lost. She wanted desperately to comfort him but her legs wouldn't work.
"Why Revan, why, I loved you, why did you betray us," he suddenly fell to his knees pleading with her, "Why Revan, I told you everything, I.. even fell in love with you, but you killed me for it."
"No," Revan sobbed, "Please I couldn't hurt you, please make it stop," she clutched at her head.
"There's only one way to end it," he was suddenly towering over her, handing her a black blade.
"This will end it," he crooned, "Pierce your heart with it, end it now, this is the only way you can be forgiven."
Revan took the blade from his hand. It dripped sickly, pale ooze, down the jagged, black blade. The same sad voices echoed through her mind, asking her to end it now, pleading with her. She lifted to the blade to her heart and prepared to end it all…..
******
Carth sleep soundlessly next to Revan's prone form, one hand hanging onto hers, but somehow he was startled awake, unknowing that Revan's mind was struggling with the evil that ate at her body, not knowing that a life and death decision was about to be made…or maybe he did. Revan's mind screamed out for him, pleading with him while her mind was sucked further and further into the delusions the poison had created.
Doctor Mirria walked over to him, "Do you need anything,?" she asked.
"Something wrong, something's wrong with Revan!" he gasped, holding tightly onto Revan's hand.
"Shhh, it was just a dream, we are watching Revan closely, and if there are any changes we will let you know right away." Replied the doctor soothing.
There was a sudden thumping of footsteps out in the hall way and Bastila rushed in the medical bay, followed closely by Master Vandar and several other Master and Knights.
"Carth," Bastila replied edging up to Revan's pale figure. Master Vandar took Revan's left hand and motioned for several of the knights and masters to join him. They all stood in a circle around Revan's bed and began to meditate, calling on the force to aid them.
"Wh-what's going on," Carth pleaded.
"Revan is dying Carth, I felt her mind give in, we are trying to help her through the darkness."
"She's dying, noo," Carth gasped.
Bastila edged in Carth's way, "I'm sorry Carth, I felt it, the poison and that creature is a tool of the dark side, it's trying to corrupt her mind into giving up."
"I-I felt it too," Carth half sobbed, half replied.
"What?" Bastila asked somewhat shocked, "but your not force sensitive."
"I don't know how I felt it, I just did," Carth replied gloomily, eyeing the Jedi surrounding Revan.
"Can't I help, please," he pleaded.
"No, I'm sorry Carth, only the Jedi can save her now."
******
Revan felt the cool handle against her hands, she raised it high and prepared to plunge it in her heart.
"Revan! Remember the code," a voice from the distance called.
"What?" she gasped.
"The code is only a way to make you their puppet Revan," Carth sneered, "It kept you from me, it says you're forbidden to love!"
Revan sobbed, yes he was right, she could never have loved him while the Jedi Code hung over her head. She raised the Dagger to her heart.
"Revan listen to us, it's not real, remember there is no ignorance, only knowledge, Remember Revan," those distance voices called to her.
"No," Carth growled at her, "more ways to keep you under control, to keep you from me, this is the only way for us to be together."
"Yes…" Revan sobbed, seeing the poor bodies lying around her and hearing the pleading of so many. She lifted the dagger and plunged it towards her heart.
"Revan! NO, Please Revan, don't die, I need you, I love you," Carth's clear voice ringed in her mind as she plunged the blade towards herself.
"Carth?! But Carth was on the beach, and he said he doesn't love me anymore for betraying him," Revan's mind struggled.
"I love you Revan, Please, fight, come back to me," the distant voice called to her.
In that single instance it all made sense, she stopped the blade just in time, and dropped it to the ground.
"NOOOO!" The evil Carth screamed at her, and then in her minds eye it changed before her, mutating and warping into the monstrous sea beast. A creature of pure evil, it hissed and spat at her opening is mouth to attack. Revan ducted out of it's way and brought the evil dagger up into its blackened heart. The monster shrieked and spat blood. Suddenly it froze in space and was blown away on the cool breeze, the dagger falling to the ground where it sank into the sand.
Revan fell to the sand gasping for air, the pain was incredible. She lay there for some time until she heard the crunch, crunch of many boots. Looking up, she saw her friends, all of them, their faces smiling at her. Carth walked over and picked her up in his arms. She cried silently and slowing as his warmth soothed her pain. As she drifted off to sleep in his arms she heard him whisper.
"Its time to come Gorgeous, time to come home….." his voice drifted off in the breeze.