Chapter 12
Endgame
Disclaimer: All the characters in this story belong to LucasArts and Obsidian.
Author's Note: The order of events on Malachor is different here than in the game. That's because I'm weaving in the cut content, and in some places I've had to guess where things fit in. Some things are awfully vague even in the cut material, so I've had to make some decisions about certain characters' fates.
Last, this is a long chapter because there was so much to cover. But I didn't want to break it up, so here it is. The end.
The Ebon Hawk was badly damaged, but she would fly again. Bao-Dur was certain of it.
He moved slowly through the ship, his arm pressed to his abdomen. The pain of his injuries was growing steadily worse, but he was still able to block it out and focus on his work. For now.
T3 helped whenever possible. The little droid went up the turbolift and worked on the ship's hull. Bao-Dur was grateful for the aid; he knew he could not have made his way out there.
He was checking the status of the life support systems when he heard the unmistakable sound of Mira's rocket launcher.
His head snapped up. He looked around in shock. And suddenly he could see it all happening, as if he was there himself.
Mira was fighting for her life. She ran across a rock-strewn plain, her eyes wide with fear. Behind her came the crazed wookiee Hanharr, his swords dripping with blood. Both hunter and prey were wounded, however. Hanharr's strides were slowing down, and he left a thick trail of blood on the dusty ground. Mira was able to stay ahead of him, and every time she gained enough distance she would whirl about and either fire her pistols, or let loose one of her rockets.
What is happening? Bao-Dur thought wildly. How am I seeing this?
The Force will show you what you need to know, came the reply. It was Visas, speaking to him through their bond. You have sight now, my love.
Bao-Dur shook his head, not caring that doing so doubled his already terrible headache. "I don't want to see this," he said out loud. He did not want to see his friends in danger, suffering and afraid. He could not help Mira right now, so why should he be forced to watch her battle for her life?
The vision faded. The Ebon Hawk came back into view. Bao-Dur clutched at the console in front of him.
He was suddenly very afraid.
Outside, an electrical storm began to rage.
He stared out the viewport, watching the frequent lightning. At the same time, he watched as Alia mounted the steps of the Trayus Academy, while Sith soldiers bowed low on either side of her.
Behind her, at the place where the rocky surface of Malachor gave way to the wide apron fronting the academy, were her companions. They stood in a tight cluster, wary and afraid, yet determined to go on.
Be careful, Bao-Dur urged.
We will, Visas replied. She had used the Force to heal the injuries Mira had sustained in the battle with Hanharr. She held her lightsaber at the ready, prepared to defend herself and her friends if necessary. Bao-Dur ached to be with her, but he knew his place was on board the ship. He would only be a hindrance if he were with them right now.
Alia disappeared into the Academy. And moving as one, Visas, Atton, Mira, and the Disciple all began to walk forward.
Bao-Dur's reverie was broken by the sound of T3 rolling into the cockpit. The little droid beeped an apology. He was sorry, but he could not stay outside the ship anymore. Not with all the lightning.
"It's all right," Bao-Dur murmured. "We'll just have to do our best."
The words had barely left his mouth when a bolt of lightning struck the ship. With a tortured scream of metal on rock, the Ebon Hawk peeled free of the canyon where it was firmly stuck, and plummeted straight downward.
Bao-Dur was lifted off his feet. He heard T3 squeal with alarm, but he himself made no sound. Terror gripped him by the throat; he could not cry aloud with his own fear.
The Ebon Hawk fell, down and down, deep into a ravine. Everything not bolted down was hurled through the air. Bao-Dur was flung onto the pilot's console. Brilliant starbursts of light danced before his eyes. He slumped to the floor, scarcely able to breathe for the pain crushing his chest.
With a sick shudder, the Ebon Hawk crashed to a halt. T3 uttered a shrill series of beeps from his prone position near the door.
Bao-Dur closed his eyes. He lacked the strength to do anything else.
In his semi-conscious state, he watched as his friends approached Kreia.
They had entered the Trayus Academy in a group, keeping close together. Alia roamed the halls ahead of them, distracted from her goal by the seemingly endless waves of Sith who sought to cut her down. But no one had stopped Visas and the others from going straight to Kreia's location.
The old woman knelt in quiet meditation, her head lowered. She looked unchanged, and this disturbed the part of Bao-Dur that was still capable of rational thought. He had expected her to look different. She should have looked different, he thought. Her masks had been removed; why did she still look the same?
Mira spoke first, quietly. "I say we fire a rocket at her right now, and blow her screaming, burning body into the heart of this planet."
Atton shook his head. "It wouldn't work. If there were other distractions, maybe. If she wasn't telepathic, maybe." He gestured at Mira's rocket launcher. "If you want to kill her like that, you need something else to occupy her attention, otherwise you might just wound her. And then we'd all be in trouble."
The bounty hunter scowled, but conceded the point. Bao-Dur thought she looked almost relieved at having her idea shot down.
The Disciple glanced around, perhaps hoping that Alia would appear and save him from having to do anything. "This battle will not be decided by weapons."
"You are wrong," Visas said. She was very pale. Bao-Dur knew she was frightened for him, and he wished he could reassure her that he would be all right, but such an action seemed beyond him right now. He could not speak to her through the Force anymore. He could only watch, helplessly.
"Manipulation is Kreia's strength," Visas said, "not battle. We have a chance. We just have to figure out how to make use of it. Let us see what transpires...and plan our attack."
"Then let's do this," Mira said. To Bao-Dur's Force-enhanced sight, the Force was strong with her, bathing her in soft blue light. She hefted her pistols, then stepped forward, setting everything in motion.
"We've come a long way, Kreia." Mira's voice shook a little. She licked her lips nervously, then said, "Don't bother getting up."
Kreia did not move. "Ah, the huntress." She sounded indulgent, like a parent who had decided to let her child get away with something this time. "To come alone…you are braver than I thought."
The Disciple quickly moved up so he was beside Mira. "She is not alone. We stand with her. And with her, stand all the Jedi." He ignited his lightsaber.
Atton came up on Mira's other side. "And now I come in, saying something suitably heroic." He gave Kreia a mocking salute with his lightsaber.
The old woman snorted with disdain. She still made no move to rise. "Children with lightsabers," she scoffed. She smiled, which was not a pleasant sight. "But not Jedi, I think."
Her contempt froze them in place. Even Bao-Dur, lying on the floor of the Ebon Hawk, shuddered.
Slowly, as if she had all the time in the world, Kreia stood up. "Come close, let me look upon you and see what Alia's teaching has forged." She lifted her head so her white eyes were readily visible. "An assassin, a coward, a blinded slave...and a fool." She chuckled, again sounding like an indulgent parent. "Which of you wishes to try yourselves against me? As you can see, I am unarmed."
She gazed upon the Disciple, making the choice for them. "Come, boy, face me now. Do not make this one of the many battles you have run from."
The Disciple flinched as if she had slapped him. Yet the Force did not desert him. His voice rang out as he declared, "I am no coward," and attacked.
No one joined him as he set himself against Kreia. It was as though the thought did not occur to them. They merely stood where they were, watching Kreia lazily dodge the Disciple's attacks. She barely seemed to move, yet he was soon winded and desperate.
Help him! Bao-Dur cried. He longed for physical hands so he could shake Visas by the shoulder.
But Visas did not respond to him. Perhaps she couldn't, held still and silent by the dark side of the Force.
While they all watched, Kreia grew bored with the Disciple. She lashed out with her single hand and caught him around the throat. He was taller than her and heavier than her, and yet he was powerless to fight her as she lifted him off the ground.
"Think," Kreia said. "Think before you throw away your life for her. Think of everything you will lose by dying. A love, however unrequited it may be. A hope of another life, beyond the shadow of the Jedi." She paused, inviting him to consider her offer. "Think before you give it up so quickly."
Her hand convulsed. Without ever having a chance to speak in his defense, the Disciple died.
Kreia tossed him aside as if he weighed nothing. She turned to Visas, and through the bond they shared, Bao-Dur felt her heart begin to beat faster.
"And you, blind one, you have hungered to strike me down ever since you saw the bond Alia and I share. Can you feel the Force running through me, even past the veil, past your bloodied eyes? You know you cannot win." Kreia's upper lip curled, showing her disdain for such a threat to her person.
Now that she was free from the invisible restraints that had held her still while Kreia throttled the Disciple, Visas was able to speak. "The Force runs strong within you, Traya, but in the howling of a storm, it is difficult to hear the whisper of the blade." Her voice gained strength with every word, until it echoed through the enormous chamber at the Trayus Core. Bao-Dur felt an answering strength within his fallen body, but he did not move. He could not leave her, not now. He had to stay with her until the end, so she would know how much he loved her.
Visas took a single step forward. "You have forever been the blind one. You were given a gift few are ever given, and yet you let your gift of sight warp you, tw--"
Calmly, Kreia raised her hand. As she did, the dark side of the Force seized Visas in a crushing grip. Lying on the floor of the Ebon Hawk, Bao-Dur felt as though he was trapped in a vise. He cried out, but only T3 heard him.
"You think your existence under your Lord was torture, Miraluka? I will make you see." Kreia's mouth twisted in hatred. She threw Visas to one side.
Visas slid across the floor, her lightsaber rolling from her limp hand. Bao-Dur watched in agony, unable to do anything except watch. She was still alive, but her life force was desperately low. Only the Force could save her now.
Kreia looked at Mira. "And you. You were stronger than I thought -- to spare the beast that wished to kill you. I felt it, faintly, even here. Come, huntress. You have tracked me so far and killed many beasts to be here. Cast away your past for this moment."
Mira gathered herself to attack, but before she could even move, Kreia had seized her in the same crushing grip of the Force. Within moments she too was crumpled on the floor, lifeless and still.
Smiling in triumph, Kreia faced her final adversary. "And now at last, the fool. You only delay the inevitable. You have been difficult to sense before, but not now. You can cloak your mind only for so long. It is only a matter of coaxing the right thought to the surface. Your desire to protect the Jedi...and the hope that will kill the guilt inside you."
"Get out of my head," Atton warned.
Ignoring him, Kreia continued, "It is only a matter of coaxing the right thought to the surface. Your desire to protect Alia, and the hope that she truly cares about you. She will fall before me, you know. And when I am done with her, she will view you with all the contempt I do for a murderer such as you."
"You're wrong," Atton whispered. But despite the bravado of his words, he sank to his knees, defeated before he could even lift his lightsaber.
Get up! Bao-Dur raged helplessly. He did not know if it was the Force or Kreia's words that had undone Atton, but he was filled with panic at the sight of it. Visas was still alive, although Kreia did not know that yet. And if Atton would not challenge her, she would soon learn the truth, and finish what she had started.
From the shadows, a figure stepped forward. He was tall and muscular, and every part of his body screamed with pain. One of his eyes was blind and staring, and with every step, shattered bones cracked and popped. The dark side of the Force surrounded him with a pulsing darklight. Bao-Dur recognized him from hearing Alia and Atton tell the story of his appearance on the Harbinger, but he would have known the newcomer even without their description. This was Darth Sion, the lord of pain.
Kreia did not even look at her former pupil. "And that is the last of them. Take them. They are strong in the Force...and they will have their uses. I will remain here and await the one who comes."
Sion's voice was deep and broken, like the rest of him. "It will be as you say."
Bao-Dur opened his eyes and found himself staring at the ceiling of the cockpit. Every inch of his body ached atrociously. He had to blink several times before the blurriness left his vision, and even then everything was too bright, making him squint.
T3 was anxiously beeping. With an effort Bao-Dur raised his hand and let it flop back down to the floor. "I'm fine," he muttered. "Just give me a moment."
He closed his eyes again. He did not want to get up. He did not want to force his mind to focus on the Ebon Hawk. Far away from him, Visas was dying. She was alone. She needed him.
He reached for her along the bond that connected them. She was barely conscious, huddled in the corner of a prison cell. Sion had dragged her and the others there, and she was alone in the dark.
I am here, he called. Be strong, my love. Hold on.
Her thoughts were so faint, he had to strain to hear them. I am holding on.
Help was on the way. Alia was making her way through the Proving Grounds of the Academy. Yet wherever she went, the Sith were there to bar her progress and weaken her. She was beating them back, but the constant battling was taking its toll on her. Minor wounds were beginning to pain her more and more, and she was having to use the Force in healing almost constantly.
But she was not the only one walking through Trayus, Bao-Dur saw. His Force sight now encompassed the entire facility, he realized with surprise. He could see everything, from the empty halls of the actual Academy, to the dark Jedi lying dead in the proving grounds, silent witness to Alia's passage.
And so he watched as Sion stalked through the halls of the provings grounds before coming to a halt in front of the prison cells.
And he watched as Atton managed to free himself from his cell, using the Force to open the door and slip into the hall.
He watched as the two men stopped and faced each other.
"And I get the fool," Sion said.
Atton ignited his lightsaber. "Funny. That's just what I was thinking."
Bao-Dur…
He flew to her side, cursing the fact that he could not truly be there with her. She was struggling to sit up. Her strength was slow to return. He knew she dared not call upon him for aid, as she had when she had faced Darth Nihilus. He was gravely injured, and she could not allow him to give up what little strength he had left. But it was enough for her that he was there. Her fear left her, and she began to focus herself, trying to find her center so she could meditate and use the Force to heal herself.
Alia is coming, he told her. I can see her. She will come for you.
I know, Visas replied. She will never turn her back on those who need her.
She gave up trying to sit, and slumped back to the floor. Your presence here…I can feel you so strongly.
He ached to be there with her, to hold her. Through the Force he could see her and feel her, but he was powerless to help her. He could not take her in his arms, or lean close and whisper in her ear.
Outside in the hall, the sound of lightsabers crashing together grew louder and then fainter, as the combatants moved about. There was no doubt as to the outcome of the fight, however. And if Sion entered her cell next, Visas would die. She lacked the strength to stand, let alone defend herself. It would be over with in seconds.
I am here for you. He could still hear T3 moving about the ship, but the sounds were growing dimmer. His mind was here, with Visas. His body felt very far away now. He wondered what would happen if he died, if part of him would remain in the Force, forever tethered to Visas through their love.
Do not think such things! Visas did not move, but he could feel her spirit ready for battle. You should leave me. You are needed. Alia will never survive unless you have the ship ready for her.
He knew she was right, but he did not want to pull his mind from hers. T3 could finish fixing the ship. He wanted to stay right here, with the one he loved.
In the corridor, the sound of the lightsaber duel suddenly stopped. Bao-Dur felt a sickening wrench in the Force.
Visas felt it, too. She lifted her head from the cold floor of her cell. What is happening?
He let his focus drift from her. He could see all of the proving grounds now, and what he saw filled him with horror.
Sion had won. He stood still, his lightsaber humming in the stillness. His shadow fell over Atton, who was writhing weakly on the floor.
What is it? Visas asked again, this time with some urgency. He could feel her moving, gritting her teeth against her weakness as she forced herself to sit up.
Words were beyond him. He could only stare.
Sion had cut off Atton's arm. There was not much blood, for a lightsaber cauterized as it cut, but that made the result no less horrific. Phantom pains stabbed Bao-Dur's missing left arm, reminding him just how it felt to lose a limb.
Sion looked dispassionately at Atton for a while longer, then he powered down his lightsaber. He turned around and began walking away. He passed the cell where Visas lay, and Bao-Dur sighed with relief.
His relief was short-lived. Never one to accept defeat, Atton was struggling to rise. The pilot was deathly pale, and his right arm hugged his chest, gripping all that remained of his left arm. "Running away?" he asked hoarsely. "I'm not done with you yet."
Sion stopped and turned around. His expression did not change. Perhaps he had expected this final challenge. Whatever he had expected, however, it was clear that he was not going to let Atton distract him from facing Alia. "Nor I you." With a jerk of his hand, he raised Atton in the air, holding him with the Force. "I will remake you. So when I look upon you it shall be like a mirror. Then I shall let you die."
The very thought of being twisted and broken into becoming another Sion made Bao-Dur's heart quail. But Atton just smiled, or tried to. "There's...nothing worse you can do to me," he gasped. "Take your time."
Now some animation crept onto Sion's face. His living eye sparked with malice. "As you wish."
Bao-Dur fled.
But even as he found himself awake again on the Ebon Hawk, he could still hear Atton screaming.
"There is no emotion. There is only peace. There is no chaos. There is only serenity."
He chanted the Jedi Code under his breath as he dragged himself to his feet. Time was short, and his friends needed him. Visas needed him.
Since crashing on Malachor's surface, he had acted only as a tech, thinking of repair and maintenance. He had forgotten that he was a Jedi now, and that the universe was a much wider place for him now.
Carefully, unsure of himself, he reached for the Force. He tried to channel it into those places deep inside where he was most badly injured, and he thought he succeeded, maybe. Some of the pain ebbed, and he felt a little stronger.
"Query: Have you finalized plans to leave this planet, meatbag? Or does part of your plan involve standing in the cockpit and doing nothing?
Bao-Dur started in surprise. The HK droid stood just outside the cockpit, for once without his customary blaster rifle. His metal plating was scorched in several places, as if he had just come from a firefight. "I didn't know you were back," he mumbled.
"Observation: I am not surprised," said HK-47. "Yet I admit to some feelings of disappointment. For a meatbag, you have considerable respect for droids. I had hoped you would continue to show such appreciation."
Bao-Dur shook his head. He was suspicious of the assassin droid's sudden arrival, wondering what it meant. He was not ignorant of the fact that G0-T0 had not returned with HK-47. And those laser marks on HK's plating could only have come from one source. Obviously something had happened between the two droids, something he would probably never know.
"I wasn't ignoring you," he said. "I was just…" He swallowed hard. Inside the Trayus Academy, Alia was approaching the place where Sion awaited her. If he chose, he could use the Force to see what was happening there. It would not take much effort on his part. But he turned away, not wanting to see any more. Already he had seen too much pain, too much death.
He looked at HK-47, measuring the droid's capabilities. "How are you with a hydrospanner?"
The droid's photoreceptors flashed. "Irritated Response: I am insulted you would even consider such a thing. Routine maintenance is far beneath me, Iridonian."
Bao-Dur gave the assassin droid a crooked smile. "I think you'll be surprised at what you can do when your own survival is on the line."
HK-47 considered this for a moment, no doubt computing the probabilities of making it off Malachor with the ship still damaged, then heaved a sigh. "Resigned Statement: Very well. But I must insist that you not inform my master of this. She will never re-activate my assassin protocols if she thinks of me as merely a larger, more erudite version of that astromech droid."
Despite everything he had witnessed today, Bao-Dur could not help biting back a smile at this. "I promise I won't say anything," he said. "Now go find T3 and ask him how far he's come with his repairs."
The assassin droid stalked off. Bao-Dur had barely begun to turn his attention back to the Ebon Hawk when he felt Visas's presence in his mind.
My love.
Instantly he was with her, back in that small, cold cell. What is it?
But she was not alone anymore. The door to the cell was open, and Alia was walking inside. "Visas!" The General was as close to panic as Bao-Dur had ever seen her. "What are you doing here? What happened?"
She had opened the other cells, Bao-Dur saw. She had found Mira's body, already turning cold and starting to stiffen. She had seen the Disciple looking as if he was merely sleeping, his eyes forever closed.
But she had not seen Atton, and that was because Atton was not there anymore. Bao-Dur looked at the small pool of blood drying on the floor and felt his stomach turn over with dread.
"We wished to help you," Visas said. "To serve you until the end." Her voice faltered as Alia helped her to her feet. "We hoped to save you from having to do this."
"You should never have come," Alia said, her voice harsh with grief.
Visas nodded, the tattered edge of her veil swaying with the motion. "I know that now," she whispered.
"Can you walk? Follow me," Alia ordered. "I will lead you to the exit. You will have to make your own way back to the ship."
Visas nodded again. Her head was bent with pain and submission. "I will do what you ask."
Alia laid her hand on Visas's head and let the Force heal her, until Visas was able to stand straight again. Then she looked around, hesitating, not wanting to ask her next question. "I see Mira." She winced. "And I see Mical. But where is Atton? What happened to him?"
"I do not know." Visas shook her head. "Sion--" She could not finish.
Bao-Dur knew. The Force showed him Trayus in its entirety. He could see the place where Atton lay, and he could see Sion waiting, confident that Alia would soon come and face him.
The General was in command now, the Jedi receding farther and farther into the distance. "Stay behind me," Alia ordered. She was frightened, especially by the news that Sion had Atton, but she refused to show it. "The way should be clear, but I don't want to take any chances."
She led Visas from the cell and through the Trayus proving grounds. Visas walked slowly, her strength not entirely returned yet. Bao-Dur stayed with her, comforting her with his presence.
The exit from the proving grounds led them back into the Academy. Alia looked around and frowned. "I don't remember this," she said.
More Sith awaited them, but Alia fought them back. Visas remained behind, letting Alia do battle alone. She was not strong enough to last in a fight, and she knew it, much to her shame. Weakness was not normal for her, and she was angry with herself for being so useless.
Don't think that way, Bao-Dur urged her.
She did not respond with words, but he felt the connection they shared flare stronger and brighter, as if she was embracing him with the Force.
Alia led the way forward, opening yet another door to reveal a wide room set with several thick columns. Bao-Dur tensed, and Visas felt his fear, so that she hung back, drawing no nearer the room.
"Stay back," Alia said needlessly. "He is here."
She walked forward, her violet lightsabers held at the ready. She had not gone far when Sion stepped out of the shadows. "You should not have come to Malachor," he rasped. "She will break you…your mind, your body…you will be lost. Return to the surface, let the planet claim you as it claimed the other Jedi. There is no reason for you to suffer at her hands."
Alia was surprised. "Are you showing me mercy?"
"It is not mercy," Sion rasped. "What awaits you will weaken you. She will break you, as she did me, and you will no longer know yourself."
"Why are you telling me this?" Alia asked.
In his own twisted way, Sion loved her, Bao-Dur understood. He sought now to prevent Alia from going forward to face Kreia, from meeting the same fate he had.
"I hate you because you are beautiful to me," Sion said. "And in that weakness lies death."
Words could cut and wound, as Bao-Dur had learned long ago, but they could not kill. Alia and Sion fought, and it was to the death. Time and again Sion rose to his feet, refusing to accept the inevitable. And every time, Alia was ready for him, with both words and her lightsabers.
Sion would not give in easily. "If you go before her, you will be broken," he insisted. "If killing you will spare you what lies ahead, then kill you I must."
One final time, they did battle. Bao-Dur watched through the Force as Sion's will eroded still further, until at last he fell and did not get up again. When he spoke, his voice was heavy with acceptance. "Kreia, she will try to break you, to teach you how far someone can fall. Her weakness is you. As you were mine."
He sighed. "I am glad to leave this place at last."
And finally, Sion died.
Cautiously, Visas crept forward. "You showed him mercy by allowing him to die. His very existence was torture."
"I know," Alia said quietly. She gazed down at Sion's body for a long moment, then looked up. Her brow furrowed. "I feel…" She gestured at Visas. "Wait here."
She hurried through the large chamber and opened the last door. The room beyond was empty, with a long table and chairs, where perhaps Sion and Nihilus and Kreia had sat once, planning their war against the Jedi. No one sat there now, however, and Alia moved swiftly on to the next room.
Three Sith awaited her there, and a dark Jedi. Alia dispatched them quickly, with Visas watching from the doorway.
Only when the final Sith had fallen did Alia turn, and see Atton lying on the steps at the far end of the room.
"No!" Her anguished scream echoed through the room. Her face white with grief and horror, she ran to Atton's side. She could have endured seeing anyone else dead or injured, but seeing the man she loved so badly hurt was nearly her undoing. And Kreia had known that, Bao-Dur thought sickly. Kreia had known, and that was why she had let Atton remain alive, when she had disposed of all the others.
"No! Atton!" Her lightsabers clattered to the floor. She dropped to her knees beside him.
Atton's eyes opened. He saw Alia and tried to look around, although Bao-Dur was certain he did not see Visas standing there, her face filled with sorrow. "You're alive," he choked. "Did I save you yet?"
Alia gathered him in her arms. The Force sight Bao-Dur had gained showed him the grim truth. Atton had very little time. The blue light surrounding him was pale, and flickering weakly.
"Your eyes… That bad, huh?" He turned his head away. "Always was ugly... Now the outside matches. Was waiting for this, but... S' not fair... Let you down..."
Alia shook her head rapidly. "Atton, hold on. I can still help you." She started to reach for the Force.
Atton did not seem to hear her. "Was s'posed to save you," he mumbled, wincing in pain. "S' tired of living anyway... too many deaths..." He winced again, his breath catching on the pain. "Never told you... lied to you..." He managed a dry chuckle.
"I think we all saved each other," Alia said. She glanced up at Visas, then looked back down. "Visas, Mira, the Disciple, Kreia. And you, Atton." She stroked his hair back from his brow, tears glistening in her eyes.
Oh my love… Visas's grief nearly undid Bao-Dur. He could hardly bear to feel it in her, and he yearned to wrap his arms around her and keep her safe forever. He could not think what he would do, if he ever had to look down upon her dying face, and feel her life drain away as he held her close.
"I don't want you to see me like this," Atton groaned. His voice was fading. "I don't want to die in front of you. Can't bear it. Loved you from the moment I first saw you, thought you were a dream...meant every word... tried to play it off as a joke... wasn't funny..."
Alia was crying now. "You never needed to tell me, Atton. I knew." She smiled bravely. "But you did tell me. And I'm so glad you did. I love you so much."
Atton tried to laugh again, but the pain stopped him. "Hurts when I laugh. Hurts...You... saved me... joke's on me..." He arched, his breath coming in short gasps. "Hurts..."
Determination hardened Alia's face. "Stay with me," she pleaded. "Atton, stay with me!" She closed her eyes and threw back her head, and the Force came at her command.
Such was the power she unleashed that Bao-Dur's sight was erased in a wash of blinding white. He found himself slamming back into his body, his vision of the Trayus Academy gone as though it had never existed. There was only the Ebon Hawk, and the silence of the cockpit around him.
Visas! He reached for her, but their bond felt tattered now, as if ripped into rags by a gale force wind.
She answered him, not with words, but with a burst of fierce joy. He knew then that Alia had been successful, but he knew too that the cost would be high. She had saved Atton, but at great risk to herself. She was weaker now, when she needed strength the most. But she was happy, happier than Bao-Dur had ever known her to be. And perhaps that was what mattered, more than any physical strength. She would face the coming battle against Kreia carrying not grief, but calm and peace.
And then came the sweetest words he could ever have hoped for. We are coming, Visas called. Be ready, my love.
Bao-Dur snapped to attention. He had a ship to repair.
T3 and HK-47 had already finished the bulk of the repairs, he discovered gratefully. When he fired up the engines, they responded readily. He was concerned about the stability of the hyperdrive, but it would last long enough to get them away from Malachor when the mass shadow generator went off, and that was the important thing.
He thought wistfully of his remote. He wondered what the droid was doing right now. It was a little like murder, ordering the remote to stay here and activate the generator; after all the years they had spent together, he felt guilty about what he had asked it to do. But he knew there was no other way. Too many had died here. It was time to end it all.
With the ship repaired, there was nothing to do except wait. He tried again to use the Force to heal himself, and this time he did even better. He stood before the viewport, too nervous to sit down. He could feel Visas drawing nearer, but he did not speak to her. She had to stay focused now, in order to avoid the dangers of Malachor, and he would never be able to live with himself if he distracted her and got her hurt as a result.
It felt like an eternity before he saw her. She came into sight around a curve of rock, walking slowly. Atton's arm was draped across her shoulders, and his head sagged low. But he was walking on his own, and that alone brought a smile to Bao-Dur's face.
He hurried from the cockpit so he could help them up the loading ramp. Every step made him wince, but the pain was not so bad now, and he was optimistic that he would make a full recovery.
Visas looked up when she heard his footsteps on the ramp. She smiled tiredly. "We are here," she said.
Bao-Dur came up to Atton's injured side. He slung his arm about Atton's waist, helping to support some of his weight so Visas did not have to do it alone. "You're almost there," he encouraged.
Without looking up, Atton muttered, "We got something in common now, Bao-Dur. How 'bout that?"
Bao-Dur bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing aloud with sheer relief. If Atton could joke, then he would be just fine.
Together he and Visas helped Atton into the medbay, where only recently the Disciple had sat and studied. Bao-Dur shook his head, trying not to think about that. There would be time to grieve later. Right now he had to remember his duty, and stay focused.
When Atton was resting as comfortably as possible, they left the medbay and walked into the cockpit to await Alia's return. Only then did Bao-Dur let himself turn to Visas. "I was so afraid," he confessed.
She went to him immediately. She was warm in his arms. He hugged her close, squeezing his eyes shut. He had known Malachor would be dangerous, but he had not truly understood, he realized. Had he known the truth, he would never have let her leave Telos.
But she had survived. She was here now. She was holding him, kissing him, and he kissed her back, needing the warmth of her, craving it. After the cold, lonely hours when all he could do was watch her, he felt like he could never touch her enough.
"Never leave me again," he whispered. "Never."
"I will never," Visas vowed.
He kissed her again, sinking into her. He wished they could be truly alone, so he could show her just how much he loved her. It was important to show her, now that he had come so close to losing her.
They were still entwined when he felt it. The sudden lurch in the Force that meant a Jedi had just died.
Visas gasped, her mouth on his. "Kreia," she breathed.
Bao-Dur nodded. "She is dead."
"Prepare the ship," Visas ordered. She pulled free of his embrace. "We must be ready to leave the moment Alia returns."
Bao-Dur did not need to be told twice. "Tell the droids," he said. "And go sit with Atton. He shouldn't be alone right now." He remembered the terrible sense of loss that came from losing a limb. There were some amazing prosthetics out there, but none of them could ever be the same as your own flesh and blood.
He glanced at the glowing beam that served as his left arm. Funny how he had grown used to it, so that he never even really thought about it anymore. Once maybe he would have balked at embracing Visas with such a deformity, but now such a concern meant nothing. Now he knew that the only thing that mattered was having her there with him.
The Ebon Hawk's engines roared to life. He raised the ramp as much as he dared, knowing Alia would hit it at a full run and leap aboard when she came in. He readied the navicomputer for the journey to Telos, and ran through the pre-flight check, noting with satisfaction that the ship was ready to go.
And then Alia was there. He watched through the viewport as she ran for the ship. She was shockingly pale and her hair had fallen from its customary neat ponytail. But she was alive, and she was counting on him to get them off Malachor.
The moment her feet touched the ramp, he punched the button to raise it. A few seconds later they were lifting off, and within minutes, they were airborne, streaking through Malachor's thin atmosphere. The Ebon Hawk raced for the stars, while below the countdown had begun.
They had not yet reached a safe distance to enter hyperspace when time ran out.
Because he was sitting in the cockpit, Bao-Dur had the perfect view as Malachor died for the second, and final time.
Hours later, with Telos still ahead, they gathered in the main hold.
Bao-Dur sat beside Visas, holding her hand. She had remained in the cockpit with him, offering support during the journey. They had talked a little, but mostly they had sat in silence, no longer needing words. It was enough just to be together.
Alia and Atton sat side by side. Atton did not say much. He was still very weak, and in pain. The healing power of the Force had saved him on Malachor, but he needed true medical attention. Some of the best medics in the galaxy were on Telos, for the planet was still dangerous and unsafe, and the people who worked on the restoration project were unfortunately often in need of medical help.
Alia was quiet, as well. Malachor had diminished her somehow. Part of that came from her confrontation with Kreia, but Bao-Dur suspected some of it stemmed from whatever sacrifices she had made to keep Atton alive. She would be forever less than what she had been, but she would never regret it.
"We will stay awhile on Telos," she said. "We all need to rest, and recover."
Before she could say anything else, Bao-Dur interrupted. "That is a very good idea. After that, I think we should go to Coruscant."
Alia blinked. "Coruscant?" With her obviously-rehearsed speech already derailed, she seemed at a loss for words.
"We should consult with Bastila Shan," Bao-Dur said. This was one thing he and Visas had discussed, and agreed on. "And any other Jedi who have been in hiding all this time."
"We will need their counsel," Visas said, "before we return to the Outer Rim."
Alia looked at them in bewilderment. "No. You--"
"You really think we're staying behind?" Atton said hoarsely. He looked at Alia. "After everything that's happened?"
Alia winced. "That's exactly why you can't come with me."
"That's exactly why we are coming with you," Bao-Dur returned.
Alia opened her mouth to speak, then snapped it closed. She looked at Atton, then at Visas, and finally at Bao-Dur. "I can't make the decision for you," she admitted. "But please think about what you are saying. We have already lost two of our friends." Tears rose to her eyes.
Bao-Dur looked away, unable to bear the sight of her grief. He wished they could have taken Mira and the Disciple off Malachor. They deserved a proper burial. Instead all he could do was remember them, and honor their memory.
"I don't want to lose any one else," Alia said. "You are all dear to me." She reached for Atton's hand and squeezed it tight.
"You will not lose us," Visas said. "We will remain with you, until the end."
Alia took a deep breath. "Very well," she said. "Then when we leave Telos, we will go to Coruscant. And from there?" She smiled tightly. "Well, from there, anything is possible."
Later that night, they lay together in bed and talked of the future.
They were in Citadel Station, in their own room. It was late and it had been an exhausting day, but sleep was the furthest thing from Bao-Dur's mind.
"And when this is all over?"
Visas touched his face. "Then we will be free to go our own way," she said. "Wherever that may be."
"I want you to see Iridonia," he said. "I think you would like it there."
She smiled and nestled closer against his chest. "I would like to see your homeworld."
"Then I will take you there," he promised. "But I think, after that, I would like to come back here. To Telos. We could do so much here, working with the restoration project." He had seen much of the galaxy, but Telos was his home. No matter where he wandered, part of him would always remain here.
"I would like that," Visas said. "I have much to atone for, and the work here is rewarding. It would be good to know that I have done something right for the galaxy."
Bao-Dur closed his eyes. He too longed for atonement, and the restoration project needed someone with his skills. He was happy Visas shared his thoughts. Sharing a goal made it more attainable, and it would be nice to have a place they could both call home.
But not for a while. The Sith were still out there, and they had to be stopped. Revan was out there as well, in need of their help. Every day that slipped past was one day lost. Time was critical, and moreover, time was not on their side.
"What happens next?" he murmured.
"I do not know," Visas said. "All I know is this. That wherever you go, I will be there. And wherever I go, you will walk beside me." She smiled up at him. "I will always see you with me."
Bao-Dur smiled back. "Always," he promised.
END
Author's Note: A few last story notes. The vast majority of the dialogue in the scenes involving Kreia and Sion comes from the cut content and I cannot claim credit for any of it. The only change I made was to Kreia's line when she is speaking to the group. I substituted "coward" for "a slayer of her own kin", since obviously I have Disciple and not Handmaiden. Also I added a line for Atton when he speaks to Kreia, because it seemed to fit.
The moment between Kreia and Sion exists in the cut material, but Sion's response does not. This was my own addition.
Atton's fate is unclear even in the cut content. For guidance here I turned to Team Gizka, the restoration team working hard to create a mod restoring the lost material. (And I love them for it!) Some people believe that the Exile can save Atton, but only at a cost to herself, such as a permanent loss of Force points or vitality. I really like that idea of great sacrifice, so I decided to use it here. Atton's dialogue is unchanged from the cut material, but I made a few changes to the Exile's responses, to fit the romance I had already written in this story.
And that's about it. I hope you've enjoyed reading this as much as I've enjoyed writing it. When I started this story I never expected it to get this far, or this intense. Thanks so much for reading, and enormous thanks and appreciation to everyone who has left a review. You guys are the greatest. Thanks especially to Trillian4210 for her beta read of this chapter and providing encouragement to keep going even when things got rough.
Now let's all cross our fingers that we'll get a KOTOR3 some time soon!