The tunnel leading to the collapsing mine was lodged far back into the reaches of Abbas's estate, like some forgotten closet.
Katrina moved seamlessly through the halls leading up to it, reaching out now and then to slash through a hapless droid in her way.
A large door sealed the entrance. Someone had attempted to make it blend into the rest of the décor and placed a few pieces of furniture around it. She hesitated for a moment.
Obviously this was not the way Abbas and Sakh entered the mine. It hadn't been used since presumably the tunnel was collapsed.
But that should work to my advantage.
She readied her lightsaber, motioning for Bastila to follow.
"Wait," Juhani said,pressing the door controls that had been obstructed by some decorative plant.
The doors hissed open without a noticeable creak or groan anywhere. A cloud of long-settled dust spewed lazily out and rested on their heads. Bastila began coughing loudly.
"Well, if they don't see us they'll definitely hear us," Canderous said tersely, brushing a large piece of red colored ash off the end of his blaster. The Jedi shot him a murderous glance.
"It looks unstable," the Mandalorian added."It might not even lead to the mine."
Zaalbar shook himself vigorously, sending a new dust storm through the air.
"There's only one way to find out," Katrina replied, watching the dust fly off her upper lip. She held out her lightsaber, moving slowly into the tunnel.
The green, blue, yellow, and red blades moving through the corridor cast an odd prism on the walls around them. Windows that had once looked out over the flat red plains surrounding them were now broken, large crimson boulders protruding through the ceiling and windowpanes.
"Still structurally sound, at least." Dustil's voice echoed off the walls and down into the dark distance.
Small rocks crumbled down from the ceiling. Katrina groped wildly for the wall. The vibrations connected with her fingers and she stood there, tense and frozen until the shaking stopped.
"Want to say that again?" she snapped.
Dustil set his jaw stubbornly at the ground. His lips seemed stuck forming the word "Still..."
From behind her Zaalbar growled something unintelligible.
"Revan," the Mandalorian's voice called out, half amused and half irritated, "tell this overgrown dust rag to learn how to walk."
She wasn't an authority onShyriiwook despite understanding most of it, but she was reasonably sure Zaalbar's reply was some kind of heated expletive.
"There's a lot of debris on the floor," Bastila murmured. Something clattered near Katrina's feet. The sound was eerily familiar.
Katrina paused and bent down, holding her lightsaber towards the ground.
An alien skull stared back at her.
She recoiled, whirling around in the darkness and knocking a large piece of debris onto the ground. They all wavered in the air for a moment until the resulting tremors stopped.
The ominous sound of the door they had just come through slamming shut echoed perfectly down the tunnel.
It was followed by a pretty close contender for the most frightening sound Katrina had ever heard: the cool hiss of probably poisonous gas being released.
It couldn't possibly have been this easy.
All of them took a deep exhale before holding their breath and sprinting towards the end of the tunnel.
There were dead bodies and debris still blocking their path, and Katrina raced to hurdle over and around them.
She felt her lungs expanding against her chest, and she concentrated on the end of the tunnel.
You don't need air, you need safety. You don't need a rest, you need to catch those Sith.
The thought of the Sith made her angry, and her anger made her faster. She finally saw a light shining through the other side of the tunnel- a half sealed and mostly broken door.
Katrina flung her lightsaber towards it. Parts came flying off, but nowhere near enough room to hurdle through.
Either I'm going to run out of air or room to run.
She desperately flung it forward again. Half of the door fell through, off to whatever was on the other side. Just enough room for a Wookiee to wriggle through.
Katrina squirmed quickly through the opening, turning around to make sure the rest got through safely.
Juhani and Dustil followed, tumbling onto the floor and panting heavily. Zaalbar roared furiously as he fought to get through. His hair snagged on the jagged edges of the doorframe until, with a few painful ripping sounds, broke free.
The tunnel was still wracked with tremors from their running and jostling of every piece of debris in their way. She struggled to see through the clouds of red dust coming out of the hole.
As clearly as any kind of image, the bond they shared gave her a perfect vision of Bastila as she stumbled over a large bulkhead and fell to the ground.
Her mouth opened in an involuntary expression of surprise and pain, and Katrina saw clearly the look of horror on her face as her lungs betrayed her Jedi training and inhaled anyways.
"Believe me, I don't find the idea of being joined to you enjoyable in any way."
She exchanged a rising eyebrow with Carth from where he sat a few feet away in the pilot's seat.
"Thanks a lot." The Jedi's face turned red for a moment, and she broke into a nervous smile.
Somehow, something inside her always felt better when she could bring Bastila away from lofty Jedi Council Representative or haughty Experienced Padawan mode.
It felt like a bond might actually exist, rather than suspicious visions and a mandate from the Council.
And there was something else, some kind of overwhelming desire to appear smarter and better than the Jedi, even though she had never been jealous...
Katrina reached out calmly and clenched her fist. She heard Bastila hacking and gasping for air, but she kept her hand completely steady.
Power slipped around her fingertips like seductive Twi'lek dancers. She had no desire to, no desire to at all, but were she to make the most miniscule of movements between her fingers, she could easily kill her-
With a final grunt, Canderous shoved Bastila through the opening and stumbled out, sliding ungracefully to the floor.
The Jedi rolled over, her face somewhat blue, staring at her with wide eyes.
Katrina suddenly realized her hand was still up and quickly shoved it down with the other. Bastila fell back, inhaling deeply.
"Smart move," Canderous breathed.
She heard Dustil exhale in relief behind her.
"You must learn trust, Padawan," Juhani panted, moving to Bastila's side. "Had Revan not intervened, Bastila's natural involuntary functions would have taken in more of the toxic gases, and she would not have survived."
You cannot control it, she struggled to remind herself. Although you cheated death this time by giving in, you know better than anyone that you cannot control it. You cannot. You. Can. Not-
"Revan," Bastila croaked, trying to push herself back up and failing. "You must continue on without me. I will get myself back to the Hawk and heal. As soon as I am able, I will rejoin you."
"And how were you intending on doing that? Flying? If you and that old man are any example, the Jedi are bull stubborn sometimes," Canderous answered sharply, hefting his blaster over his shoulder and helping Bastila up.
"I am fine," the Jedi forced through her teeth, wrenching herself free of Canderous' grip and nearly falling over in the process. "I only require some specialized medpacs. I will rejoin you."
Bastila stood wavering, her teeth gritted and her face red. Katrina watched her for a moment.
"Zaalbar, get her back to the Hawk. Catch up with us again if you can." The Wookiee nodded breathlessly.
The Jedi stared back at Katrina.
"No, I think you've got it backwards. I just rescued you. Now's the part where you thank me."
The rest of the race patrons had fled long ago, and it seemed a bit surreal to Katrina to be standing here with only the dead bodies of Brejik and his thugs, arguing over whether she had saved this arrogant piece of work or not.
The Jedi Bastila raised an eyebrow and gave a small indignant harrumph.
"Save me? Well, as far as rescues go, this is a pretty poor example."
Bastila finally turned and followed Zaalbar along the red rocks until they disappeared into darkness.
The mine was far less decrepit inside than out. It resembled the Fornia Demolitions plant they had investigated on their arrival.
Only this plant was silent and empty. Long metal walkways led over fathomless caverns and down into large working platforms.
"The Sith probably know we're here. They're trying to lure us somewhere," Dustil said.
She watched as a pebble she had bumped with her foot rolled off the edge of the metal walkway and went spiraling into the abyss below. She listened carefully for the sound of it hitting anything on the way down and heard nothing but eerie silence.
She didn't like this. And she didn't like how Dustil always seemed to remind her why she didn't like something.
"They'll lure us there all the easier if you keep talking."
The walkways were well maintained and thankfully gave away no tell-tale creaks or whines as they padded over them.
They led to one cavern, and then to another. There was no sign of the Sith.
They're probably long gone. They're probably on their way to Fornia-
No. There was low level emergency lighting in place, the plant was pretty much immaculate.
To find Phineas and make him pay-
They were here, she knew it. The goose bumps forming on her arms and legs were not the product of the slightly drafty temperature or the general creepiness of the place. The dark side was so prevalent she could almost taste its acidic sweetness.
And then to Telos, perhaps to finish what they started-
Her throat tightened. Enough.
"Revan."
Katrina paused, turning around to Juhani. The Cathar stood completely still, watching her calmly. Dustil's eyes roamed from Master to former Dark Lord, narrowed and skeptical.
"Do you not feel it?" Juhani said, glancing at her.Katrina struggled through the mire that was the dark side, looking for something concrete.
"I don't know about Jedi feelings, but I definitely hear something familiar," Canderous said, gesturing towards the next cavern.
It was the unmistakable sound of one lightsaber smashing ruthlessly against another.
The walkway they were currently on ended in a sort of balcony overlooking the next bottomless cave. Katrina crept towards the edge of it, keeping low to the floor.
They would, of course, sense one of them or all of them within a matter of moments.
There is no excitement, there is no adrenaline, there is no elation.
A large platform lay beneath them, with a ladder leading up to an exit or entrance from yet another cavern beyond this one.
But Katrina was not so interested in the layout of the metal catwalks as she was in the two Sith below her.
They no longer wore masks, and for the first time (although not entirely clear) she could make out individual features.
The leaner one she had battled before, presumably Sakh, had the look of someone who might have lived his entire life in manual labor.
"Is this a test?" His face was solid and red, though Katrina wasn't sure if that was from the reflection of his blade or the caverns. His hiss to his sparring partner echoed up off the cavern walls and down into the abyss, as though he was chanting it over and over again.
She stayed perfectly still, watching as he now extended a second lightsaber from his other hand and slashed both in a perfect downward arc against the other.
His eyes were deep set, and with the many shadows cast on his sweaty and clenched features, he looked as though there were large dark circular markings around both his eyes.
Katrina tried to think of the Committee, of the voices she had heard, of the dark features she had tried idly to place with each voice.
"Revan?" This voice was different now. The calm, resolved voice that had spoken before was replaced with a gritty one that said her name like it was some unsavory dish.
Sakh whirled around, barely blocked by the other. Even from a few meters up, she could see his large toothy grin.
"You know I am the stronger, Master. Do you need this pointless exercise to prove it?"
Even with the gritty voice, the sunken eyes and thick skin, he was still only the apprentice. There was a master, and he was Abbas.
"Small words, apprentice. You and I both know that your claims to be the strongest do not entirely measure up to your record." The other that was sparring with Sakh took two slow steps forward, striking back with a ferocity that was not present in his deathly composed voice.
Abbas was shorter, but entirely less solid. His white hair shone bright and shocking off his slightly yellow and sickly looking skin.
"If you would stop indulging him-" Sakh stumbled for a moment, caught off guard by Abbas's sudden Force wave.
"It is necessary. Look at how we have manipulated both already. Your hastiness will be your undoing- both in this arena and the other." While apprentice had the history and not the look of tyrannical and prejudiced behavior, the master had just the opposite. A long scar wrinkled up the side of his face as he turned and grimaced, turning off his lightsaber and holding a wrist in pain.
Sakh followed him, lightsabers still blazing.
"Shouldn't we-" Dustil whispered, immediately silenced by Juhani's intense stare.
But it was enough. Abbas's head cocked to one side so abruptly and at such a severe angle it looked as though Sakh had snapped his master's neck.
"You may have your chance, apprentice," he murmured with a laugh, light and airy like a joke told over dinner. "You may have your chance."
Canderous whistled quietly to her, even though she knew he was hidden behind the rocky alcove. Juhani and Dustil had disappeared.
She slowly stood. Sakh and Abbas's eyes roamed up towards the balcony. She heard that light little laugh again.
Sakh flung his lightsaber up towards the balcony, ripping easily through the supports holding it to the end of the walkway above the Sith.
React. Jedi react.
She found the state of mind to push herself off the collapsing structure at the last minute to make sure she landed on the platform rather than hurtling along with the falling balcony into the pit. Her landing was not as prepared however, and she went crashing to the metallic floor.
She pushed herself up, watching Sakh with wide eyes, as if she could sense him better if she could only see him better. He crept towards her, crossing his sabers in front of him over and over as if she were an animal he was getting ready to slaughter.
Concentrate. You will not lose your focus this time. You will not be distracted by an unarmed apprentice. You will not lose. You will not fail.
You are Revan.
"Well, Revan." Her name (not hers, but Hers) slid out from Abbas's teeth as if he wanted to savor her like some exotic dish. "I do apologize for our lack of preparation. You really might have notified me of your arrival."
Sakh lunged for her. She dodged it easily, making sure to keep Abbas in her eyesight.
"I do enjoy our little meetings, Committee Member Abbas," she breathed heavily.
Abbas smiled. Sakh clenched his teeth and swung again. She blocked him again, stepping backwards to avoid being trapped between them.
"Very good. Perhaps not merely a diversion, after all. Your knowledge of our identities still gives you no advantage, however. As a former politician, you must realize the very...stupid position you have gotten yourself into, don't you?"
"I suppose neither of you would care if your political careers went crashing and burning once Anelli finds out you're both the scum of the galaxy. And Sith to boot."
Katrina found that she had been backed against a wall. She turned and ran up it, vaulting over to the other side of Sakh, trying to keep her words nonchalant and failing with the exertions of battle.
Wherever the distraction was, he wasn't here. Only a matter of time then.
"Forgive me, Revan, but aren't you being a tad obtuse?"
Sakh clenched his teeth and slammed both lightsabers up against hers in a dead cross, trying to force them straight past her blade and into her.
"I have not murdered countless millions across thousands of systems," Abbas continued."I have not attempted a galactic takeover or tried to bring about the fall of the Republic."
She shook with the effort. She bent further and further back under the weight.
Abbas strolled over towards them, bending over her, his face only inches from hers.
Katrinacould feel his hot breath sticky on her neck.
"I have not broken into at least three private homes and killed three people in cold blood, not to mentioned infiltrating an entire corporate headquarters and massacring the entire security staff."
But I have not tried to blow myself and Carth up into tiny flaming pieces. I did not put him in that medical facility. That was you.
Katrina shoved Sakh off just in time to whirl around and block the blade of Abbas. The rising Sith master stared at her through the red and green of their weapons with a cordial smile.
"Do all Sith fight like cowards with illegal hand grenades launched at ships out of nowhere?" she shot at him.
"Do all Jedi delude themselves into thinking that a kill is anymore noble and justified if it's done face to face rather than over a parsec or two?"
"Do you think if I die, you'll become the next Sith Lord? You'd better ask Malak about that."
A Jedi does not revel in his kills. A Jedi never kills for pleasure, but only in self-defense. A Jedi does not glory in battle, but rather seeks for peaceful end to conflict.
"The next Sith Lords are already vying for their places, Revan. You have long since ceased to be in that category."
He side-swiped her and she reached out with her hand, succeeding in pulling his lightsaber out of his grip for only a second before he wrenched it back.
"Then why try and kill me?" she snapped, sounding far more wounded than she intended.
"Taking it personally, eh?" Sakh jeered."I suppose you have a right to."
The apprentice/politican sounded close. Somewhere behind her. Her attention was confused for a moment; whether to focus on the fight in front or the potential one behind.
Instead, her ears focused on a very different sound- that of the hum of a lightsaber, and a soft purring sort of sound that was maybe a mixture of a weapon's noise and a calming breath.
Juhani came out of the shadows as though she were part of them and had only assumed the form of a Cathar for a moment. She leapt seamlessly between Sakh and Katrina.
Sakh was distracted enough that he almost missed Dustil sneaking up behind him. Almost.
"A Padawan and a Cathar?" Sakh laughed, pronouncing 'padawan' wrong.
"You keep strange company these days, Revan." Abbas smiled again, his teeth immaculately white. "I think you'll be more interested in the company I keep."
Katrina watched the blaster shots explode from Canderous's hiding place and followed them to where they bounced harmlessly off the rocks around the top of the stairs.
Red light shone in from the next cavern entrance. It cast a larger-than-life shadow of the figure standing on the landing up against the wall behind him. The figure ducked carefully and cautiously around the blaster shots, never in a panic but always calculated, precise.
The new figure drew Canderous's blaster away from him. It clattered harmlessly on the step in front of the Sith at the top of the stairs. Katrina heard the Mandalorian swear loudly.
Abbas struck a quick blow towards her abdomen, too close for comfort. She made a clumsy stumble out of the way.
Sakh let out a yell, undistinguishable as rage or amusement or excitement. He swung both lightsabers out in a wide arc, one towards Dustil on his left and the other towards Juhani on his right.
Dustil somersaulted backwards to avoid it, only to find himself continuing to slide until he was almost at the edge of the platform. Katrina could see the figure's hands at work, his head rotating around to find which one to attack next, his face masked except for a small slit that looked like only darkness when coupled with the shadows the light cast on him.
Three.
It was the third Sith, the second apprentice.