Trouble: A Knights of the Old Republic Fan-fiction
by: Sam Lincoln
Bastila watched the timer on the navcomputer as it ticked down to zero. Each tick brought her that much closer to her final destination, Rakata. Ever since master Windu said its name Bastila had been consumed with thoughts of the planet. She decided that the Force was telling her to go to Rakata. She requested the use of a Council ship from Master Yoda but did not tell him what she intended. She was sure the diminutive Jedi would disapprove of her decision. Fortunately Master Yoda approved of her request no questions asked.
Her only companions on the trip were the two droids. She needed T3 because the little droid had the hyperspace coordinates for Rakata stored in his memory banks. It had been Bastila's intention to leave HK-47 behind, but the assassin droid insisted that he go along. In the fact of such protest, as well as concern for what HK might do if left to his own devices, Bastila relented and allowed him to accompany her. She had to admit to herself that she was glad HK was there, the droid was an effective fighter and Bastila remembered the herds of wild Rancors that roamed Rakata.
The navcomputer announced that they were at their destination and Bastila brought the small transport out of hyperspace. Unbidden the memory of the first time she saw Rakata washed over her. It was during her imprisonment by the Sith, but before Malak turned her. Malak had her brought from her cell and onto the bridge of the Leviathan.
"Ah Bastila, I wanted you to see this," Malak said in his metallic-tinged voice. "You were searching for the Star Forge so diligently, I thought you would appreciate seeing it." Bastila was so drained from her last torture session that she could barely raise her head to look at the blue green planet and enormous space station that lay in front of the ship. "Here is where the Sith draw their power," Malak said. "Can't you feel it calling to you? Give in to it Bastila, you have too much power to let it be fettered by outmoded Jedi morality."
"You're wasting your breath Malak, I'll never turn to the Dark Side," Bastila retorted.
Malak laughed, "You say that now, but let me fill you in on a little secret. I said the same thing to Revan before he turned me, and Revan said the same before he turned. Once your eyes are opened to the true power of the Force you will gladly shed your old beliefs and join me."
At the time Bastila hadn't believed Malak, what he said sounded preposterous to her. She hadn't understood how truly seductive the Dark Side was. No Jedi was safe from its pull. She regretted that she had to learn that lesson the hard way.
"Query: T3 wishes to know if you are going to land the ship anytime soon, or if he should do it for you?" HK asked in an irritated tone.
Bastila sighed in annoyance, "HK we're still on approach to the planet, we won't be landing anytime soon regardless of who is flying. I don't see why you're so eager to get to Rakata anyway."
"Explanation: it has been a long flight and this is not a large vessel." HK left little doubt as to what he meant.
"Yes well you're no prize either," Bastila retorted.
"Correction: On the contrary, I am quite the prize. My estimated worth is several hundred thousand credits." T3 chirped in reply. "Clarification: I know Master Revan purchased me for a measly three thousand credits. I was deliberately undervaluing myself in order to be purchased from that miserable waste of a meatbag Yuka Laka." T3 whistled in reply. "Annoyance: I am not listening to you."
Bastila smiled to herself. She never fully understood what the little utility droid said, but she appreciated the way it could get under HK-47's metaphorical skin. "The other reason I haven't attempted to land the ship is because I want to check the status of the disruption field. I would hate to crash land and have no way to get home. I would have thought T3 would know that." T3 beeped in the affirmative. HK growled, but said nothing. "Is the field active?" Bastila asked T3. The little droid emitted a negatory whistle. "Ok, I'll head for the Rakatan elders village.," Bastila announced as she pointed the transport towards Rakata.
The transport roared through the Rakatan atmosphere. As they skimmed across the Rakatan ocean Bastila reached out with the Force and tried to sense the Dark Side presence that used to permeate the planet. To her surprise the Dark Side seemed nowhere near as strong as she remembered it. However a feeling of death and tragedy still hung over the planet.
As they approached the island the Rakatan Elders called home Bastila saw that the Temple of the Ancients still stood. Memories of her torture at Malak's hands welled up in her mind, but she hurriedly fought them back.
They flew over the beach the Ebon Hawk crash landed on. Bastila remembered watching the crash from the temple. She knew that Revan would survive the crash and meet her at the temple. Looking back on it Bastila realized that she wasn't sure if she had wanted to turn Revan to the Dark Side or him to bring her back to the light. She knew which she now wanted to believe, but feared that at the time her motives were less pure.
T3 chirped that they were over the location of the Elder's village. Bastila stared out the window and saw that the village was nothing more than an ancient ruin. "Statement: This must be the reason the Rakata disappeared from the galaxy, they suffered another cataclysmic event," HK said. "Conjecture: Given the violent nature of the Rakatans this was probably their own doing."
"T3 are you picking up any signals from the remains of the village?" Bastila asked. T3 beeped that he wasn't. "Very well, I had hoped that we could get the Rakatans aid in entering the temple. I guess we will just have to make do without."
Bastila landed in the meadow in front of the Temple. She stared at the spire of rock. The Dark Side hung heavy in the air. Bastila could feel it calling out to her. She shook her head to clear her thoughts. She still did not understand why she had come to Rakata, but she knew it had to do with her fall and the Temple.
"Query: How will we get into the Temple? It was my understanding that it required the aid of the Rakatan meat bags."
"If you've been in the temple already the central computer would store your brain patterns and allow you back inside." Bastila explained. "Malak encoded my brain waves into the computer. If it's still operational we should be able to get in and if it's not then I doubt the barrier is still up," Bastila walked up to the mammoth stone doors which silently swung open.
The interior of the Temple was unchanged. Bastila doubted that anyone hat set foot inside since the Battle of the Star Forge. "Come on," she told the droids. "We need to find the central computer, it can tell us what happened to the Rakatans."
They walked down to the lower level. Bastila shuddered every time she passed the skeletal remains of a fallen Sith or saw a decayed lightsaber. As she stared into the empty eyes of a skull she thought she could hear the Sith taunting her. "Get a hold of yourself," Bastila thought. "Now is not the time to be imagining things."
Bastila walked into the basement with great trepidation. Malak had tortured her there and she had foresworn the light there as well. She felt like she was living a nightmare as she and the droids made their way to the central computer. From her perspective only a few months had passed since her fall and redemption. She could not help but wonder if the urge to visit Rakata had not come from the Dark Side in an attempt to lure her back.
They stopped outside the door to the computer room. Bastila steeled herself for what lay beyond. She had questions and the answers lay beyond the door in front of her. "There is no fear," she muttered to herself as she unlocked the door.
The door slid open and Bastila entered the room, the droids close behind her. The room was unchanged from her time. The central computer still sat in the middle of the room, humming quietly. Bastila approached the computer and activated the interface terminal.
"Hello Bastila Shan," the computer said. "It has been a long time."
"You remember me?" Bastila asked in astonishment.
"Of course, I remember every entity I come into contact with. Your brain patterns are somewhat different than the last time, but when I applied what I call the Revan-adjustment I was able to identify you."
"But it's been almost four thousand years since I was last here!"
"I am well aware of that, however I observed your hyperspace jump that brought you here. Based on the residual energy pattern left behind I was not surprised when you reappeared in this time."
"You observed it?"
"Yes, the Raktan sensor net still exists even though the Rakata do not, and to answer your next question the Rakatan sensors use what you call the Force to power themselves. That is why no one in the Republic knows they exist."
"That is remarkable," Bastila admitted. "You said the Rakata were no more, what happened to them?"
"The Rakata could not overcome their violent nature. Eventually a leader arose who was able to crush the Elders. The knowledge he gained from them allowed him to subjugate the remaining Rakata. His rule did not last long however and all the Rakata were wiped in the resulting civil war."
That's horrible!" Bastila exclaimed.
"Statement: On the contrary, such a mass slaughter of organics would be a beautiful thing to see," HK said. Bastila glared at the droid and he sensed the danger he was in. "Clarification: When I say beautiful I mean beautiful like a black hole or a super nova. Terrible if you're involved, but pretty from afar."
Bastila decided it would be best if she ignored HK from now on. "How long ago did this happen?" She asked the computer.
"Not long after the Star Forge was destroyed, a few centuries at the most."
Bastila had to remind herself that to a thirty-four thousand year old computer a few centuries was a short amount of time. "Alright, but how is it that you're still operational? Didn't you draw your power from the Star Forge?"
"This structure was a prototype for the Star Forge, therefore the loss of the Star Forge did not impact my systems. The same cannot be said for the Star Maps. They did draw their power from the Star Forge and without it they are inactive."
"So there is no way anyone could find Rakata?"
"Not through the Star Maps," the computer confirmed.
"And has anyone visited you since Revan and I were last here?"
"No, you are the first person I've spoken to since Revan last accessed me. Is that what brought you here?"
"The Sith have returned," Bastila explained. "I was concerned that they might have acquired some Rakatan technology."
"No one has access my database," the computer repeated. "That is not to say they did not take something when Revan and Malak controlled the Star Forge of course."
"Thank-you, that is most helpful," Bastila paused. "Is there anything I can do for you? It must be quite lonely here."
"Your concern is appreciated but unnecessary. I am, after all, a machine. I do not have emotions as you understand them. Besides, with my access to the Rakatan sensor net I have a sufficient amount of information to keep my processors occupied."
"Statement: A life without meatbag interferences. If it wasn't for my duties to Master Revan I would ask to stay."
"You'd hate it here," Bastila informed the droid. "There's nothing larger than a womprat for you to kill."
"Statement: An excellent point, and one that I overlooked. Without the opportunity for wanton carnage my existence would not be worth continuing. Query: Is there any reason for our continued presence here?"
"No I don't believe there is, we can return to Coruscant immediately."
They returned to the main floor in silence. When they arrived at the front door Bastila paused. She felt a compulsion to go to the roof, where she first confronted Revan. She found herself walked up the stairs without having made a conscious decision to do so.
"Query: I thought we were heading back to the ship, was I mistaken?" HK asked. With a wave of her hand Bastila used the Force to close the door to the stairwell. She could dimly hear HK and T3's protests, but continued up the stairs.
Standing on the crosswalk to the Temple's landing pad was a figure dressed in dark robes, an ornate mask covered his face. Bastila immediately knew that the figure was Sith. "I am not afraid of you," Bastila said. "The Force is my ally."
The Sith did not respond. Bastila ignited her lightsaber and assumed a defensive posture. The Sith activated his saber and advanced on Bastila. "come no further," Bastila warned. "I do not want to destroy you!" The Sith continued his advance. Bastila tried to immobilize the Sith with the Force but he was able to resist her attempt. The Sith warrior raised his saber and swung at her head.
"Very well," Bastila said as she blocked the attack. "I did not want to do this but you left me no choice," She spun her dual-bladed saber and counter-attacked.
In truth Bastila had never been particularly good with a lightsaber. Once her skill at Battle Meditation manifested her training had focused solely on that. She was sure that if Malak had not betrayed Darth Revan she would not have survived her encounter with the Dark Lord. That was why during the quest for the Star Forge Bastila had worked hard at improving her abilities with the lightsaber. Revan in particular proved to be an effective instructor. While she was still nowhere nearly as skilled as Revan she felt confident that she could hold her own against anyone.
Bastila let herself slip deeply into the Force as she traded blows with her Sith assailant. She quickly discovered that her opponent was more than her equal as he parried strike after strike. She began to worry that she was out of her depth in the fight, but she pushed aside such concerns. She was one with the Force, how could she fail?
The Jedi and Sith continued to fight as they danced across the length of the causeway. . Bastila felt herself growing more and more frustrated as the fight continued. The Sith showed no signs of tiring despite all that Bastila threw at him.
Finally Bastila saw an opening in the Sith's defenses and she seized on the opportunity. "You fought well," she informed the Sith as she delivered the killing blow. To her amazement the Sith was able to recover from his vulnerable position and managed to get his lightsaber around in time to block Bastila's strike.
By this time Bastila's frustration was growing into fear. The longer the fight continued the greater the chance she would slip up and make a fatal mistake. Already she could feel her muscles begin to tire. If the fight did not end soon she doubted that she would be the one walking away from it.
The Sith pressed his attack, forcing Bastila to take an increasingly defensive postures. "It's not fair," she thought. "I'm the one who's at peace with the Force." As she was driven back Bastila could feel the anger bubbling insider her, begging to be released. She knew that all she had to do was tap into that anger and she could win the dual handily.
Bastila felt her defenses weaken. She realized that the only way she could win the fight was by giving into her anger. She knew that way lead to the Dark Side, but what other choice did she have? She could not let the Sith win, the stakes were too high.
It was then that the Jedi Code flashed through her mind and Bastila knew what she had to do. "There is no death," she said to herself as she turned off her saber. There was no way she could with the physical battle without falling to the Dark Side. If the Sith cut her down she would live on through the Force. If she bested the Sith, yet fell to the Dark Side she would bring untold misery to the galaxy. Faced with those alternatives the decision was easy. "Forgive me Revan, I was not strong enough," she said as the Sith raised his saber to deliver the coup de grace.
Bastila closed her eyes, expecting to next feel the searing pain of a lightsaber. Except nothing happened. Bastila stood there for what felt like an eternity before she gathered herself enough to open her eyes. When she did the Sith was gone. In its place was her.
"What...who are you?" Bastila asked her double.
"I'm you," the doppelganger replied. There was more warmth to her voice than Bastila ever had.
"But what happened to the Sith?"
"That was you as well."
"Then all this was what? A hallucination, a vision?"
"It is whatever you think it is," the double replied with a shrug.
"That's hardly an answer," Bastila complained.
"Yes well I'm just a Force-created manifestation of you psyche, I don't have all the answers," the double snapped.
"Alright, then I you're me why were you also the Sith?"
The Force spirit sighed, "It wasn't me and it wasn't really a Sith either. It was a representation of your inner Dark Side, for lack of a better phrase."
"And let me guess, if I had beaten it I would have seen my face under the Sith mask as some sort of cautionary device?"
"If you'd beaten her you would have fallen to the Dark Side and destroyed the galaxy. You won the only way you could have, by loosing."
"I don't think I'm following you," Bastila admitted.
"The Dark Side doesn't want to destroy you, it wants to own you," the double explained. "It wanted you to tap into your anger to defeat it."
"So if I had beaten it I would have lost because I would have fallen to the Dark Side," Bastila said as comprehension dawned within her.
"Exactly, the Dark Side doesn't care about its followers so long as it gets more powerful ones."
"So what was that I fought?"
"Like I said, remnants of the Dark Side that existed in you. Remember when you fell to the Dark Side there was still a flicker of the light still in you?" Bastila nodded. "This was the same, only reversed."
"I see, the Dark Side was trying to reclaim me."
"Basically yes. Now Bastila listen, this is important. There is a storm coming and Revan is going to be tested like he never has been and you have to be with him to ensure he makes the right decision. Also, just because you passed this test doesn't mean you're now immune to the pull of the Dark Side."
Bastila shook her head, "Don't worry, I'll never make that mistake again."
Bastila's double smiled, "Good, that means you've finally learned something useful. Now go, and may the Force be with you." The spirit embraced Bastila and to the Jedi's amazement was absorbed into her.
Just then the droids came bursting onto the roof. HK was carrying T3, in their haste the two droids obviously decided that was the fastest way to get the small droid onto the roof.
"Query: Are you alright miss? T3 detected lightsaber activity. Is there anything that requires blasting?"
"I'm fine HK, the Force was testing me."
"Observations: Based on my experiences the Force is nothing to be trifled with, nor are its tests to be taken lightly."
Bastila laughed, "You speak with much wisdom HK. Come, we must return to Coruscant so I can meditate on what happened here." Bastila paused and looked out over the causeway.
A shiver ran through her. It had been closer, very close, the temptation to tap into the Dark Side to secure the victory had been strong. That she managed to resist it at all was remarkable even to her.
However that was not what troubled Bastila. The vision the Force gave her had warned of a danger greater than any she had ever known, "What could be more perilous than Malak and the Star Force?" Bastila wondered to herself before turning and following the droids down the stairs.
-to be continued-
Author's Notes: So much for this chapter, that's nine down eleven to go. Thanks to everyone who keeps reading. Here's a little tip for all the writer's out there; when you're writing, write drafts. Each chapter I write has a minimum of two drafts before you see it posted, most have three. That might seem like a lot, but it is quite useful. If I'm stuck on a spot I can just blast through it because I know I can tweak the passage in the next draft, and of course it helps in spotting typos and other bits of weirdness. There's an old adage in wood working, measure twice, cut once. Apply that standard to your writing -- write twice, post once -- and the quality of your output will improve. See you in two weeks for Chapter 10.
by: Sam Lincoln
Rating: PG
Summary: Will Trouble ever let a pair of Jedi Knights be?
Spoilers: If you haven't finished the game you'll be damn lost.
Trouble: Chapter NineBastila watched the timer on the navcomputer as it ticked down to zero. Each tick brought her that much closer to her final destination, Rakata. Ever since master Windu said its name Bastila had been consumed with thoughts of the planet. She decided that the Force was telling her to go to Rakata. She requested the use of a Council ship from Master Yoda but did not tell him what she intended. She was sure the diminutive Jedi would disapprove of her decision. Fortunately Master Yoda approved of her request no questions asked.
Her only companions on the trip were the two droids. She needed T3 because the little droid had the hyperspace coordinates for Rakata stored in his memory banks. It had been Bastila's intention to leave HK-47 behind, but the assassin droid insisted that he go along. In the fact of such protest, as well as concern for what HK might do if left to his own devices, Bastila relented and allowed him to accompany her. She had to admit to herself that she was glad HK was there, the droid was an effective fighter and Bastila remembered the herds of wild Rancors that roamed Rakata.
The navcomputer announced that they were at their destination and Bastila brought the small transport out of hyperspace. Unbidden the memory of the first time she saw Rakata washed over her. It was during her imprisonment by the Sith, but before Malak turned her. Malak had her brought from her cell and onto the bridge of the Leviathan.
"Ah Bastila, I wanted you to see this," Malak said in his metallic-tinged voice. "You were searching for the Star Forge so diligently, I thought you would appreciate seeing it." Bastila was so drained from her last torture session that she could barely raise her head to look at the blue green planet and enormous space station that lay in front of the ship. "Here is where the Sith draw their power," Malak said. "Can't you feel it calling to you? Give in to it Bastila, you have too much power to let it be fettered by outmoded Jedi morality."
"You're wasting your breath Malak, I'll never turn to the Dark Side," Bastila retorted.
Malak laughed, "You say that now, but let me fill you in on a little secret. I said the same thing to Revan before he turned me, and Revan said the same before he turned. Once your eyes are opened to the true power of the Force you will gladly shed your old beliefs and join me."
At the time Bastila hadn't believed Malak, what he said sounded preposterous to her. She hadn't understood how truly seductive the Dark Side was. No Jedi was safe from its pull. She regretted that she had to learn that lesson the hard way.
"Query: T3 wishes to know if you are going to land the ship anytime soon, or if he should do it for you?" HK asked in an irritated tone.
Bastila sighed in annoyance, "HK we're still on approach to the planet, we won't be landing anytime soon regardless of who is flying. I don't see why you're so eager to get to Rakata anyway."
"Explanation: it has been a long flight and this is not a large vessel." HK left little doubt as to what he meant.
"Yes well you're no prize either," Bastila retorted.
"Correction: On the contrary, I am quite the prize. My estimated worth is several hundred thousand credits." T3 chirped in reply. "Clarification: I know Master Revan purchased me for a measly three thousand credits. I was deliberately undervaluing myself in order to be purchased from that miserable waste of a meatbag Yuka Laka." T3 whistled in reply. "Annoyance: I am not listening to you."
Bastila smiled to herself. She never fully understood what the little utility droid said, but she appreciated the way it could get under HK-47's metaphorical skin. "The other reason I haven't attempted to land the ship is because I want to check the status of the disruption field. I would hate to crash land and have no way to get home. I would have thought T3 would know that." T3 beeped in the affirmative. HK growled, but said nothing. "Is the field active?" Bastila asked T3. The little droid emitted a negatory whistle. "Ok, I'll head for the Rakatan elders village.," Bastila announced as she pointed the transport towards Rakata.
The transport roared through the Rakatan atmosphere. As they skimmed across the Rakatan ocean Bastila reached out with the Force and tried to sense the Dark Side presence that used to permeate the planet. To her surprise the Dark Side seemed nowhere near as strong as she remembered it. However a feeling of death and tragedy still hung over the planet.
As they approached the island the Rakatan Elders called home Bastila saw that the Temple of the Ancients still stood. Memories of her torture at Malak's hands welled up in her mind, but she hurriedly fought them back.
They flew over the beach the Ebon Hawk crash landed on. Bastila remembered watching the crash from the temple. She knew that Revan would survive the crash and meet her at the temple. Looking back on it Bastila realized that she wasn't sure if she had wanted to turn Revan to the Dark Side or him to bring her back to the light. She knew which she now wanted to believe, but feared that at the time her motives were less pure.
T3 chirped that they were over the location of the Elder's village. Bastila stared out the window and saw that the village was nothing more than an ancient ruin. "Statement: This must be the reason the Rakata disappeared from the galaxy, they suffered another cataclysmic event," HK said. "Conjecture: Given the violent nature of the Rakatans this was probably their own doing."
"T3 are you picking up any signals from the remains of the village?" Bastila asked. T3 beeped that he wasn't. "Very well, I had hoped that we could get the Rakatans aid in entering the temple. I guess we will just have to make do without."
Bastila landed in the meadow in front of the Temple. She stared at the spire of rock. The Dark Side hung heavy in the air. Bastila could feel it calling out to her. She shook her head to clear her thoughts. She still did not understand why she had come to Rakata, but she knew it had to do with her fall and the Temple.
"Query: How will we get into the Temple? It was my understanding that it required the aid of the Rakatan meat bags."
"If you've been in the temple already the central computer would store your brain patterns and allow you back inside." Bastila explained. "Malak encoded my brain waves into the computer. If it's still operational we should be able to get in and if it's not then I doubt the barrier is still up," Bastila walked up to the mammoth stone doors which silently swung open.
The interior of the Temple was unchanged. Bastila doubted that anyone hat set foot inside since the Battle of the Star Forge. "Come on," she told the droids. "We need to find the central computer, it can tell us what happened to the Rakatans."
They walked down to the lower level. Bastila shuddered every time she passed the skeletal remains of a fallen Sith or saw a decayed lightsaber. As she stared into the empty eyes of a skull she thought she could hear the Sith taunting her. "Get a hold of yourself," Bastila thought. "Now is not the time to be imagining things."
Bastila walked into the basement with great trepidation. Malak had tortured her there and she had foresworn the light there as well. She felt like she was living a nightmare as she and the droids made their way to the central computer. From her perspective only a few months had passed since her fall and redemption. She could not help but wonder if the urge to visit Rakata had not come from the Dark Side in an attempt to lure her back.
They stopped outside the door to the computer room. Bastila steeled herself for what lay beyond. She had questions and the answers lay beyond the door in front of her. "There is no fear," she muttered to herself as she unlocked the door.
The door slid open and Bastila entered the room, the droids close behind her. The room was unchanged from her time. The central computer still sat in the middle of the room, humming quietly. Bastila approached the computer and activated the interface terminal.
"Hello Bastila Shan," the computer said. "It has been a long time."
"You remember me?" Bastila asked in astonishment.
"Of course, I remember every entity I come into contact with. Your brain patterns are somewhat different than the last time, but when I applied what I call the Revan-adjustment I was able to identify you."
"But it's been almost four thousand years since I was last here!"
"I am well aware of that, however I observed your hyperspace jump that brought you here. Based on the residual energy pattern left behind I was not surprised when you reappeared in this time."
"You observed it?"
"Yes, the Raktan sensor net still exists even though the Rakata do not, and to answer your next question the Rakatan sensors use what you call the Force to power themselves. That is why no one in the Republic knows they exist."
"That is remarkable," Bastila admitted. "You said the Rakata were no more, what happened to them?"
"The Rakata could not overcome their violent nature. Eventually a leader arose who was able to crush the Elders. The knowledge he gained from them allowed him to subjugate the remaining Rakata. His rule did not last long however and all the Rakata were wiped in the resulting civil war."
That's horrible!" Bastila exclaimed.
"Statement: On the contrary, such a mass slaughter of organics would be a beautiful thing to see," HK said. Bastila glared at the droid and he sensed the danger he was in. "Clarification: When I say beautiful I mean beautiful like a black hole or a super nova. Terrible if you're involved, but pretty from afar."
Bastila decided it would be best if she ignored HK from now on. "How long ago did this happen?" She asked the computer.
"Not long after the Star Forge was destroyed, a few centuries at the most."
Bastila had to remind herself that to a thirty-four thousand year old computer a few centuries was a short amount of time. "Alright, but how is it that you're still operational? Didn't you draw your power from the Star Forge?"
"This structure was a prototype for the Star Forge, therefore the loss of the Star Forge did not impact my systems. The same cannot be said for the Star Maps. They did draw their power from the Star Forge and without it they are inactive."
"So there is no way anyone could find Rakata?"
"Not through the Star Maps," the computer confirmed.
"And has anyone visited you since Revan and I were last here?"
"No, you are the first person I've spoken to since Revan last accessed me. Is that what brought you here?"
"The Sith have returned," Bastila explained. "I was concerned that they might have acquired some Rakatan technology."
"No one has access my database," the computer repeated. "That is not to say they did not take something when Revan and Malak controlled the Star Forge of course."
"Thank-you, that is most helpful," Bastila paused. "Is there anything I can do for you? It must be quite lonely here."
"Your concern is appreciated but unnecessary. I am, after all, a machine. I do not have emotions as you understand them. Besides, with my access to the Rakatan sensor net I have a sufficient amount of information to keep my processors occupied."
"Statement: A life without meatbag interferences. If it wasn't for my duties to Master Revan I would ask to stay."
"You'd hate it here," Bastila informed the droid. "There's nothing larger than a womprat for you to kill."
"Statement: An excellent point, and one that I overlooked. Without the opportunity for wanton carnage my existence would not be worth continuing. Query: Is there any reason for our continued presence here?"
"No I don't believe there is, we can return to Coruscant immediately."
They returned to the main floor in silence. When they arrived at the front door Bastila paused. She felt a compulsion to go to the roof, where she first confronted Revan. She found herself walked up the stairs without having made a conscious decision to do so.
"Query: I thought we were heading back to the ship, was I mistaken?" HK asked. With a wave of her hand Bastila used the Force to close the door to the stairwell. She could dimly hear HK and T3's protests, but continued up the stairs.
Standing on the crosswalk to the Temple's landing pad was a figure dressed in dark robes, an ornate mask covered his face. Bastila immediately knew that the figure was Sith. "I am not afraid of you," Bastila said. "The Force is my ally."
The Sith did not respond. Bastila ignited her lightsaber and assumed a defensive posture. The Sith activated his saber and advanced on Bastila. "come no further," Bastila warned. "I do not want to destroy you!" The Sith continued his advance. Bastila tried to immobilize the Sith with the Force but he was able to resist her attempt. The Sith warrior raised his saber and swung at her head.
"Very well," Bastila said as she blocked the attack. "I did not want to do this but you left me no choice," She spun her dual-bladed saber and counter-attacked.
In truth Bastila had never been particularly good with a lightsaber. Once her skill at Battle Meditation manifested her training had focused solely on that. She was sure that if Malak had not betrayed Darth Revan she would not have survived her encounter with the Dark Lord. That was why during the quest for the Star Forge Bastila had worked hard at improving her abilities with the lightsaber. Revan in particular proved to be an effective instructor. While she was still nowhere nearly as skilled as Revan she felt confident that she could hold her own against anyone.
Bastila let herself slip deeply into the Force as she traded blows with her Sith assailant. She quickly discovered that her opponent was more than her equal as he parried strike after strike. She began to worry that she was out of her depth in the fight, but she pushed aside such concerns. She was one with the Force, how could she fail?
The Jedi and Sith continued to fight as they danced across the length of the causeway. . Bastila felt herself growing more and more frustrated as the fight continued. The Sith showed no signs of tiring despite all that Bastila threw at him.
Finally Bastila saw an opening in the Sith's defenses and she seized on the opportunity. "You fought well," she informed the Sith as she delivered the killing blow. To her amazement the Sith was able to recover from his vulnerable position and managed to get his lightsaber around in time to block Bastila's strike.
By this time Bastila's frustration was growing into fear. The longer the fight continued the greater the chance she would slip up and make a fatal mistake. Already she could feel her muscles begin to tire. If the fight did not end soon she doubted that she would be the one walking away from it.
The Sith pressed his attack, forcing Bastila to take an increasingly defensive postures. "It's not fair," she thought. "I'm the one who's at peace with the Force." As she was driven back Bastila could feel the anger bubbling insider her, begging to be released. She knew that all she had to do was tap into that anger and she could win the dual handily.
Bastila felt her defenses weaken. She realized that the only way she could win the fight was by giving into her anger. She knew that way lead to the Dark Side, but what other choice did she have? She could not let the Sith win, the stakes were too high.
It was then that the Jedi Code flashed through her mind and Bastila knew what she had to do. "There is no death," she said to herself as she turned off her saber. There was no way she could with the physical battle without falling to the Dark Side. If the Sith cut her down she would live on through the Force. If she bested the Sith, yet fell to the Dark Side she would bring untold misery to the galaxy. Faced with those alternatives the decision was easy. "Forgive me Revan, I was not strong enough," she said as the Sith raised his saber to deliver the coup de grace.
Bastila closed her eyes, expecting to next feel the searing pain of a lightsaber. Except nothing happened. Bastila stood there for what felt like an eternity before she gathered herself enough to open her eyes. When she did the Sith was gone. In its place was her.
"What...who are you?" Bastila asked her double.
"I'm you," the doppelganger replied. There was more warmth to her voice than Bastila ever had.
"But what happened to the Sith?"
"That was you as well."
"Then all this was what? A hallucination, a vision?"
"It is whatever you think it is," the double replied with a shrug.
"That's hardly an answer," Bastila complained.
"Yes well I'm just a Force-created manifestation of you psyche, I don't have all the answers," the double snapped.
"Alright, then I you're me why were you also the Sith?"
The Force spirit sighed, "It wasn't me and it wasn't really a Sith either. It was a representation of your inner Dark Side, for lack of a better phrase."
"And let me guess, if I had beaten it I would have seen my face under the Sith mask as some sort of cautionary device?"
"If you'd beaten her you would have fallen to the Dark Side and destroyed the galaxy. You won the only way you could have, by loosing."
"I don't think I'm following you," Bastila admitted.
"The Dark Side doesn't want to destroy you, it wants to own you," the double explained. "It wanted you to tap into your anger to defeat it."
"So if I had beaten it I would have lost because I would have fallen to the Dark Side," Bastila said as comprehension dawned within her.
"Exactly, the Dark Side doesn't care about its followers so long as it gets more powerful ones."
"So what was that I fought?"
"Like I said, remnants of the Dark Side that existed in you. Remember when you fell to the Dark Side there was still a flicker of the light still in you?" Bastila nodded. "This was the same, only reversed."
"I see, the Dark Side was trying to reclaim me."
"Basically yes. Now Bastila listen, this is important. There is a storm coming and Revan is going to be tested like he never has been and you have to be with him to ensure he makes the right decision. Also, just because you passed this test doesn't mean you're now immune to the pull of the Dark Side."
Bastila shook her head, "Don't worry, I'll never make that mistake again."
Bastila's double smiled, "Good, that means you've finally learned something useful. Now go, and may the Force be with you." The spirit embraced Bastila and to the Jedi's amazement was absorbed into her.
Just then the droids came bursting onto the roof. HK was carrying T3, in their haste the two droids obviously decided that was the fastest way to get the small droid onto the roof.
"Query: Are you alright miss? T3 detected lightsaber activity. Is there anything that requires blasting?"
"I'm fine HK, the Force was testing me."
"Observations: Based on my experiences the Force is nothing to be trifled with, nor are its tests to be taken lightly."
Bastila laughed, "You speak with much wisdom HK. Come, we must return to Coruscant so I can meditate on what happened here." Bastila paused and looked out over the causeway.
A shiver ran through her. It had been closer, very close, the temptation to tap into the Dark Side to secure the victory had been strong. That she managed to resist it at all was remarkable even to her.
However that was not what troubled Bastila. The vision the Force gave her had warned of a danger greater than any she had ever known, "What could be more perilous than Malak and the Star Force?" Bastila wondered to herself before turning and following the droids down the stairs.
-to be continued-
Author's Notes: So much for this chapter, that's nine down eleven to go. Thanks to everyone who keeps reading. Here's a little tip for all the writer's out there; when you're writing, write drafts. Each chapter I write has a minimum of two drafts before you see it posted, most have three. That might seem like a lot, but it is quite useful. If I'm stuck on a spot I can just blast through it because I know I can tweak the passage in the next draft, and of course it helps in spotting typos and other bits of weirdness. There's an old adage in wood working, measure twice, cut once. Apply that standard to your writing -- write twice, post once -- and the quality of your output will improve. See you in two weeks for Chapter 10.