Part 4

Despite promising not to hinder Revan's entry to the Temple, Korlan had not said anything about the Ebon Hawk or it's crew. He should have anticipated, therefore, the Sith battalion that had taken up positions to assault the ship. As Canderous, Laani and HK manned the defences, Pex carried Saralyin's body and laid it down at the bottom of the Ebon Hawk's ramp.

"I'm going to face him." Revan said quietly, trying not to look at the corpse.

"I will come with you. Let me get a stealth-field belt." Pex replied.

"No. Alone, Master Pex. He will know you are with me." Revan said. "I need you here in case he sends Dark Jedi to attack." he met the Twi'lek's cold stare. The Jedi was suffering, he knew. It was a dangerous state to be in, to lose one's pupil. "Trust me."

"Very well, Master Revan..." the Jedi scowled slightly, and moved to cover Saralyin's body. Revan turned and carefully strode up the beach and slope beyond, ignoring the leering eyes of Sith troopers as he headed for the Temple.

The Rakatan Temple was not vastly different from the previous instance in which the Sith had occupied it, under Malak's dominion. The cold, grey-coloured walls were as lifeless and sinister as they had been when Revan had entered with Jolee Bindo and Juhani. Part of him wished they were still with him, but his conscious mind put aside those thoughts and forced him to concentrate on the moment, and on the living Force. The way to the Temple roof had been unaltered, and he simply climbed the ramp and walked out into the open air once again.

The first thing Revan noted was Bastila's motionless form, strapped into the cage at the far end, where once her fighter had landed. This was where he had confronted her before. When she had fallen, and he had tried to convince her to see the light again.

"Master Revan. I knew you would come." Korlan moved into the archway, blocking Revan's view.

"Of course you did. And you know also that I am walking out of here with Bastila."

"Over my dead body..." Korlan sneered.

"That's the plan." Revan echoed the words once uttered by Calo Nord, before he'd been slain.

"So, this is what it comes down to, Revan? A duel, as always?"

"As always. And the light will once again cast out the dark shroud." Revan answered, moving forward, into the full sunlight. "I will defeat you, and stop the Sith for good."

"Not when I have dear Bastila in my hands. You won't touch me if you know that it means her death. Could you make that choice, Revan? If I die, so does she..." the threat echoed from the marble archway, hitting at Revan's heart like a dagger. "I can see into your heart, Revan. I can see that you love her. You wouldn't let her die."

"Enough talk, Korlan! Face me now!" Revan ignited his lightsaber, but didn't move it from waist-height.

"Anger...yes, let it flow through you." Korlan closed his eyes, feeling the backwash of hatred building in Revan's thoughts. "Your rage makes you powerful, Revan. It is no wonder you held the title of Sith Lord for so long..."

"Shut up!" Revan called out, gritting teeth and glaring. He was becoming angry, he knew, but he couldn't help it. With what he felt for Bastila, he just couldn't leave her in Korlan's hands. He needed to save her. "You're a dead man, Korlan!"

"That's right. You want to kill me. Your thirst for blood is admirable...perhaps even more than mine." the Sith Lord let out a low, menacing chuckle. "Let it flow like a fountain of hatred!"

"Fight me!" Revan called, moving forward and bringing his lightsaber up. "Coward!" his skin crawled with unblocked loathing for the Dark Lord in front of him. He could feel the hairs on the back of his neck prickle, and his fingers tingle with the raw dark energy that would lead to a Force Storm powerful enough to incapacitate even the strongest Jedi. His unblinking stare was like a death-gaze.

"Revan..." the voice was soft; not Korlan's. Bastila looked up from where she hung in the cage that enclosed her. "Stop...your anger..."

"I am going to kill him, Bastila, for all the death he's caused...for all the lives he has taken..." he pointed the tip of his blade to Korlan's throat, "starting with Saralyin Kell."

"Wait...listen to me." her voice was weak, but behind it, Revan could feel the determination that he had often admired about her. "Remember...remember what you said to me. Remember the promise you made; the promise we both made."

"Not to fall..." Revan whispered. "I remember."

"Silence, woman..." Korlan growled. "Your life is in my hands, now. You will turn, just as Revan will shortly. If he strikes me down in anger, which he will..."

"Then you will win. Do you hear, Revan? He wants you to turn. Listen to my voice. Darth Korlan wants you to become angry, and hateful." she urged.

"Anger...leads to hate..." Revan hesitated.

"Yes!" Bastila implored.

"Hate leads to suffering..." he looked up at Korlan. "No! I will not let you trick me, Korlan. Release Bastila now!"

Korlan could see that allowing Bastila to speak had been a bad idea. He glared at the defiant Jedi Knight before him. Fury swelled in his heart. He'd been wrong to attempt to lead them both to darkness; he should have known better than to put his faith in their bond pulling them into darkness. Instead, it had meant that they had resisted.

"Fools...both of you." he scowled.

"You won't win, Korlan. Give it up, and the Jedi Council will be lenient." Bastila said. Letting out a growl, Korlan snapped. Lifting his arm in her direction, he shouted,

"Never!" bolts of electrical energy lanced out from his fingertips, the dark energy reaching for Bastila's limp body. Before the lightning could reach the cage, however, it was deflected by a spinning dual-bladed lightsaber, hurled with the power of the Force by Revan. It's two energy blades absorbed the full brunt of the Dark Lord's power. Korlan turned to glare at the Jedi, before lifting his other hand and unleashing a fresh barrage. It slammed into Revan's body, racking him instantly with pain. He flopped back against the stone walls of the Temple roof-courtyard, quivering from the blast.

"Revan!" Bastila called, feeling glimpses of pain through their bond.

"Now you know that you cannot defeat a true Sith Lord!" Korlan goaded, igniting his twin sabers. "And now I will slay you, as an example to the Jedi that would dare cross me..." he towered over Revan's weakened form. Drawing on all of the Force he could muster, Revan reached his hand out, straight at Korlan's chest. He was unmoved, and simply laughed. "You really are weak. I didn't even feel it!" before he could speak further, Revan's lightsaber flew through the air, punching through Korlan's back, and stopping in Revan's hand. Korlan blinked, feeling the hole in his torso as his two energy swords fell to the ground, and coming to the realisation that Revan had Force pulled rather than pushed.

"The Dark Side is not stronger, Korlan. It just lets you think it is." Revan whispered, as the Dark Lord collapsed. Revan rose, then moved quickly to release Bastila and embrace her.

"You did it...I knew you would." she whispered.

"Liar." he smiled slightly. She returned his grin with one of her own.

"Revan, I..." she started, but Revan's finger touched her lips.

"I know." he whispered, leaning forward and kissing her. "I felt it within you. I knew that despite the fact that it was forbidden, you were willing to admit it. That was what brought me back."

"I don't understand." she blinked, her arms draped around his shoulders.

"I love you too, Bastila. I trusted you, and you showed me the path." taking her hand, he started towards the exit. "It's time to go back to the Jedi Council and tell them the truth."

END