The Way Things Were, Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not claim or own any characters or anything else affiliated with Star Wars, Lucas Arts, etc. If something is similar to anyone else's story, it is coincidental as this was all thought out in my own head. My apologies to anyone who thinks otherwise.

This is my view of Revan and Malak before and during Revan's reign as Dark Lord, mostly in Revan's point of view. Reviews highly appreciated. Enjoy!

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The Prophecy, 3 years later

"The Death of Revan"

"No, no this is not right!" I bellowed, my eyes trained on the map in front of me.

My illustrious battle plans that had never failed me were nothing more than a sporadic mass of green and red dots. No formations were readable as far as my fleet was concerned. The Republic fleet, which should have been wiped out by now, was driving my forces back with a ferocity that I never knew they had. It was like they could counter every move, anticipate every attack, and strike me where it hurt the most.

It was all because of Bastila.

One Jedi, so young and so gifted, was thoroughly pissing me off.

"Admiral Karath, what the hell is going on out there!" I yelled into the comm link. "Get those ships back in to formation now!"

"Milady, we cannot hold out in this battle for long. The Republic has destroyed a third of the fleet already." the Admiral replied.

"Admiral, send in the Rogue Squadron. They are to utilize the B15 formation by flanking from the right." I ordered the Admiral.

"Yes, milady. But will it work while Bastila is still using her Battle Meditation against us?" questioned Admiral Karath.

"Don't worry about her! Just do it!" I yelled back.

I turned my attention back to the Galactic Map Board. Within three minutes, the Rogue Squadron had managed to infiltrate the barrier the Republic had managed to build and were starting to turn things in my favor. I felt a small surge of joy as I witnessed the break in the barrier.

But that happiness was to be short lived.

The ship was rocked with a sudden force that threw most of the officers on the bridge off their feet. I managed to grab hold of the console in front of me. Sparks were showering down from now exposed wires on the ceiling.

"Milady, shields are operating at 25 percent." one of the officers informed me.

"Son of a.." I started to say but was interrupted with another officer's disturbing news.

"Milady, a small vessel managed to board the ship. A squadron of Jedi." he informed me.

I called out with the force, sweeping the entire ship for the presence of these Jedi. "Ohh, you bastards." I mumbled as I found what I was looking for.

There were three Jedi on board, and one was unmistakably Bastila.

"Send out the Dark Jedi. I want every one of those Jedi dead." I barked out the order.

Somehow I knew that this would not stop them, but it would give me the time I needed to initiate my final course of action.

"Malak, my flagship has been boarded by a team of Jedi. I'm going to hold them off for as long as I can. If they reach the bridge I will transfer my authorization codes over to you. You know what to do for I have taught you well, my apprentice." I transmitted the message over my comm link.

"Officer Trelynn, upload these codes and prepare them to be sent to Malak on The Leviathan." I ordered as I handed him my pass card.

As I waited, I turned to look out the viewport. The battle was still strong as ever. But what caught my eye was the lone Republic squadron fighter that was being trailed by eight of my Rogue Squadron fighters. It had not been hit once and was slowly destroying each fighter on its tail. The maneuvers it was performing were something I had seen only once before. During the Mandalorian Wars, one man, Onasi is what I think his name was, pulled off some maneuvers like that and helped us to win the battle that kept the Mandalorians away from Deralia . I had him promoted to Captain. I wondered if that was still the same man. But my thoughts were soon disturbed by the sound outside the blast doors of the bridge.

I could sense that it was the three Jedi, very much alive. I and a few other Dark Jedi were all that were left on the bridge. All the other officers had evacuated. I gave them the signal to attack when the doors opened.

As soon as the blast doors opened, the Jedi and Dark Jedi sprang into action. I watched from my spot at the viewport until I was interrupted with a vision.

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I was standing near the viewport, lightsaber ignited, taunting Bastila to come and get me. She approached me and as we were about to cross sabers, a flash of light and then an explosion engulfed the bridge.

Malak had fired upon my ship.

I fell to the ground with a simple thud, all traces of life were leaving my body….

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I guess my time has finally run out. I saw my own end as plain as day. No time to wander about it now, I thought as the vision reeled in my head.

I performed the action that would bring my death. I transferred my codes over to Malak. Now the fleet was his to command.

As soon as I finished, I looked up just into time to see one of the Jedi finish off my last Dark Jedi.

It was time to make my final stand. I might be going to die, but I wasn't going without a fight.

The Jedi made their way up to the viewing platform, one leading and the other two bringing up the back.

The one in the front couldn't have been anyone else but Bastila. She was very young, couldn't have been a day older than 19. Though she tried to keep a calm expression on her face, her eyes betrayed her as they screamed out fear.

She steadily held up her lightsaber and shouted "You cannot win, Revan!"

I did an expert twirl with my lightsaber and signaled for her to make the first move by giving her my signature taunt. Suddenly, I felt a disturbance in the force. I turned around to look out the viewport just in time to see The Leviathan fire upon my ship. The laser cannon had hit its target, causing what little was left of the shield to disappear completely and unceremoniously rock the ship.

Everyone on the bridge was rudely introduced to the platform deck plates.

I was lying in a crumpled heap on the floor, one hand strewn over my chest, barely clinging onto life. The acrid smell of burnt flesh and wires assaulted my nose. My vision was hazy but I could make out a pair of light blue eyes staring down at me.

They say that your life flashes before your eyes right before you die. They weren't lying. Everything I had done, good or bad, played in my mind like a holovid. From my 3rd birthday party to Force choking the life out of a guard 2 days ago, it was all there and had the emotions to go with it. Seeing all these memories caused all the emotions to swell up and overwhelm me.

I did something for the first time in four years…….I cried. I cried for all the good and for all the bad. I cried for the people I once helped and for all the ones I had hurt. I cried for everything that once had a meaning in my life. But mostly, I cried for the fact that my pain would finally end and I could finally be free.

The pain from my injuries was very strong now. It was only a matter of time before I slipped away, permanently. So, I tried to pull my mask off with every ounce of strength I had, but only managed to lift it halfway off. Hands that I assumed to belong to the pair of eyes pulled my mask all the way off. I could hear a gasp as those eyes studied my tear streaked face.

"I'm…so sorry….please..forgi..all…I ha..don……finally….freee," I managed to sputter out. The pair of eyes just looked at me, but seemed to understand what I had tried to say. I felt a hand take my own and squeeze it tightly.

My eyes closed for the last time as I felt my body become one with the force.

I was finally going to be free……………or so I thought.