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Chapter 5: Falling

"Have you seen the suffering of those who starve because of this war? Have you seen the look of despair in a mother's eyes when she looks to her children and tells them their father is dead? Do you see your friends and comrades falling around you and know that no matter how hard you try, no matter what you do, nothing will help them? Have you seen the bodies, oh so many bodies that have been broken and destroyed or the ruins of those once great cities and races that now burn because of your inaction? Have you seen anything besides the mounds of credits you pile before you and shove in your fat faces?"
Malak roared to the Senate advisors as he stormed past them with a look of hate painted on his face. None of the Senators spoke as the former Jedi left them. A week had passed since Revan and Malak had driven off the Mandalorians over Duro. The world's once glorious orbital cities now lay in ruins, silent graves of countless Duros, Republic soldiers, Jedi and Mandalorians. The Mandalorians were far from weak and were far from defeated as the Republic had thought and Duro had been their first strike against a core world. What had enraged the former Jedi Knight more than anything was that the only reason the Republic even considered doing a damn thing about it was the amount of money lost in trade and destruction and not of the millions of lives lost. Revan remained behind, staring at the Senators as they stared after Malak with contempt and arrogant distaste.

"Can you believe that!"

An Aqualish Senator scoffed. Revan shook his head and turned to the Senator.

"To be so weak and so blind as you are I cannot..."

Revan shook his head in disgust before leaving the suddenly speechless Senators. Never had Revan spoken to the Senate in anything close to disrespect and the Senators watched the respected and charismatic leader follow his friend's path.

"I can't believe I risked my life to save the likes of you."

Revan spat acidly as he passed through the doorway, leaving the Senators even more shocked by his behavior.

"Malak!"

Revan called after his friend's retreating form. Malak spun and stared at Revan with rage in his eyes.

"Why are we even doing this! The Mandalorians are right! We should let them die!"

Revan nodded before his common sense could stop him and sighed.

"I don't understand how anyone... the Senate, the Jedi Council... can be so... detached from what is happening... I have seen it, felt it in each of those battles. Do you feel it too?"

Revan asked his friend, relieved when Malak nodded.

"The silence that follows a battle... it always amazes me. To the Jedi those battle echo pain and death and they can hear or see nothing beyond that... but they have not been there, they can't see what is before them... Did you feel it? Even on Dxun I felt it. Something is manipulating the Mandalorians, something that seeks to weaken us... the Jedi and the Republic... and they are succeeding."

Malak grunted before narrowing his eyes and looking over a nearby balcony, staring towards the five spires of the Jedi Temple that lay across the walkway from the Senate rotunda.

"There was always weakness... this is something else..."

Revan nodded his agreement.

"On Korriban... when we sought out the Star Forge... have you ever wondered what happened to the Ancient Sith and their Empire? To have all that knowledge and... power lost to sand and wind seems..."

"Impossible?"

Malak finished as Revan shook his head.

"No, it seems too convenient. We know that the true Sith did not die out in the Great Hyperspace War a Millennium ago, they were merely weakened. We know that Exar Kun found remnants of those that followed Naga Sadow on Yavin IV. The Massassi Temples and the primitive descendants of those ancient Sith..."

Malak seemed to pale slightly as Revan paused.

"I heard a rumor that the Sith pressed the Mandalorians into this war... A young Mandalorian prisoner with a mouth too big that was killed by his comrades... but still. Where would these Sith come from? Those that followed Exar Kun died in the bombardment of Yavin or were killed by the Jedi... Perhaps the first Sith Empire never collapsed as we thought?"

Malak coughed suddenly, turning from the view of the Jedi Temple and processing the thoughts he and his friend exchanged.

"Those are dangerous thoughts..."

Revan smirked and shrugged.

"As dangerous as seeking out the Star Forge and the ruins of the Traya Academy on Malachor V?"

Malak turned and gave Revan a scolding look.

"You walk a fine line my friend... We... walk a fine line..."

Malak finished, turning from Revan and glaring at the Jedi Temple.

"Look at them over there, content to sit in their spires and watch the galaxy die... If what you say is true, then they were right, Revan. Perhaps we should not have gone off to war... perhaps these Sith are lurking beyond their vision and preparing for the attack. Force knows this war had nearly destroyed a fifth of the Order..."

Revan nodded, crossing his arms tightly over his chest as he stared indifferently towards the Jedi Temple.

"Do you feel how much we've changed? Three years ago we were nothing more than newly Knighted children wielding a weapon that was too heavy for us and now..."

Revan paused, turning his gaze to the deep canyons that lined the Cityscape as the echoes of pain and misery that existed a few kilometers below brushed his senses.

"Now we are stronger than we could have dreamed..."

Malak whispered, following Revan's gaze as his face shifted to a mournful expression.

"As my Master used to always say. 'It is conflict that strengthens us, Padawan!'"

Malak snorted and shook his head.

"Kreia always was a bit eccentric..."

Revan laughed as he slapped his hand on Malak's shoulder, causing the taller former Jedi to lurch slightly.

"I think that is a requirement for being as Jedi Master, my friend."

Malak allowed a ghost of a smile to play on his lips as he and Revan turned, leaving all thoughts of the Republic and Jedi behind and occupying their thoughts with the coming battle.

"Mandalore!"

A young Mandalorian Elite shouted as he rushed into the bridge of Mandalore's flagship. The Mandalorian leader turned his armored form to the approaching Elite and nodded as the Mandalorian bowed at his wait and brought his right fist over his heart in a salute.

"Speak."

The silver armored man spoke, his voice tearing through the deathly silent bridge.

"Scouts have reported that Revan has landed on Kuan in the Taroon system... His forces are minimal and it appears to be a scouting mission."

Mandalore smirked beneath his silver mask as he stared at the Mandalorian Elite.

"What are you waiting for? Send a dropship and a squad of battlecruisers at once!"

Mandalore turned from the man as he saluted.

"Yes, Mandalore!"

The Elite vanished from his leader's sight and Mandalore smiled as he looked over the starfield.

"I wonder if Revan will allow us to capture him... He would be the most valuable of hostages. It's a shame he's not a Mandalorian."

Mandalore's head dropped slightly as he thought of killing such a worthy opponent.

"We will see if he's worthy... I can only hope for his sake that he has the honor to die in battle and not be taken prisoner."

The Mandalorian leader smirked as he thought of how quickly the war would end with Revan's death, though part of him regretted killing such a worthy opponent another was thrilled at the idea of defeating him.

"We will see..."

"Commander!"

An anxious Republic soldier shouted as he ran into the small Republic encampment on Kuan. Revan looked up, nodding to the young soldier as he brushed dust away from his robes.

"Yes Corporal?"

The former Jedi asked as he adjusted the focusing lens of his newly constructed lightsaber. The azure crystal gleamed brightly in its casing and Revan quickly snapped the pieces together, preparing to assemble a second lightsaber.

"We've finished our patrols and the men are rejoining the fleet..."

Revan nodded as he quickly and expertly assembled his second lightsaber, placing a ruby red crystal in the hilt and sliding the mechanism into the saber's hilt.
"Very good."

Revan looked up to the young man sadly.

"You should leave as well."

The young Corporal frowned as he looked around the encampment.

"But sir there are no others here..."

The Corporal trailed off as Revan tilted his head.

"Are you implying that I cannot defend myself?"

Revan snarled. The Corporal backed away and shook his head. Revan nodded.

"There's a fighter on the third landing pad, I will be taking the transport."

"You'll be needing its speed."

Revan added to himself as the Corporal saluted and scurried away. The fighter soon blasted away and Revan sighed, checking his newly assembled lightsabers and rubbing his hooded head in thought.
"I wonder how long I will have to wait."

Revan's eyes scanned the small encampment in irritation. Luckily this wouldn't be a costly trap for the Mandalorians but he did dread being tortured once more by them. The young former Jedi stretched in his armor and checked the small shield that lay strapped to his bicep.

"Oh I am not going to make this easy."

The former Jedi smirked as he began typing false reports on a datapad about the border world's adequacy as a hidden base, making certain to mention the fleet's secret base on Malachor V. Revan chuckled as he shook his head. The datapad would not be convincing, but since the Mandalorians had never discovered his men were attacking from Taris and that he would be found along with the datapad, he suspected the Mandalorians would fall for the trap. Ian had told him he needed three days to complete preparations on the Mass Shadow Device and his fleet would be assembled in full force over Taris within another day of that.

"I only have to hold out a week... I've done that before."

Revan nodded silently to himself as he made his way to his transport, purposely damaging several key components to the ship's drive and takeoff repulsors.

"No such thing as overkill when it comes to subterfuge."

The former Jedi made certain his sabotage was not so obvious before pulling a hydrospanner and hastily patching the damage.

"I doubt the Mandalorians would think a warrior to be a great engineer."

Revan chuckled, rising from the floor and walking back to the small encampment, making certain that the base's computer core was wiped before sticking his lightsaber into the device.

"Overkill, I know."

Revan chastised himself, searching the base to make certain his plan would not be too believable. Just enough that Mandalore would not suspect a trap. It would make sense that Revan would choose Malachor V for his headquarters. The Mandalorian's paranoia of the rocky world was well known and Revan suspected Mandalore would be most displeased when he learned of the location.

"I suppose I should make it look like I was doing actual work."

Revan activated several construction droids, making certain that they began building perimeter defenses and a sensor perimeter before heading to the Base's command area and leaving a notice for the base's next commander that the droids were set to automatic. The former Jedi slowly paced the office, making certain the base's long range scanners were conveniently malfunctioning.

"I think this is a little too obvious..."

Revan groaned as a beep sounded from the scanner console. Revan walked to the device as a Mandalorian scout ship appeared, nodding to himself as he rushed to the hangar to repair his damaged transport.

An hour of waiting brought the Mandalorians. Revan rushed from his transport and retreated into his base, heading for the command center to send out a false distress signal before he leapt to one of the rooftops and waited. A dozen Mandalorians came into view, their weapons raised as he looked over the base. Revan levitated himself with the Force and landed softly before them, smirking beneath his mask as he bowed his head. Several blaster shots came towards him and reflected harmlessly from his energy shield as the Republic Commander raised both his hands, sending six of the Mandalorians flying into the air. The remaining six watched in awe and horror as their friends were thrown upward by Revan's power, vanishing from their sight. Two lightsabers came from Revan's robes and to his hands as the azure and crimson beams ignited, signaling the return of the battle. Revan rushed a Mandalorian, slicing through his blaster rifle and continuing through the man's body as he deflected several shots back to two other armored warriors. Revan leapt over a hail of blasterfire and dropped onto the shoulders of one of the three remaining Mandalores, driving his azure beam straight down the man's head and into his spine. Revan leapt from the falling warrior's shoulders and spun through the air as he brought his crimson saber through another Mandalorian's helmet. The final Mandalorian threw away his blaster, only to find his lower body and Vibroblade on the ground and his torso following before darkness took him.

Revan's head snapped to an approaching blaster bolt and his azure saber flicked the offending blast into the distance as a scream sounded from the attacker. The Jedi broke into a sprint, using the Force to propel his body upwards. Three years of war had hardened the once skillful Knight into a tool of death. Dropping to the ground, Revan used the Force to speed up his movements as he cut his way through dozens of armored Mandalorians.

"Where is he?"

A Mandalorian commander bellowed as he grabbed a younger officer by his breastplate. The Younger Mandalorian simply stared blankly at his commander as a lightsaber cut its way through the dropship's bulkhead. Revan rose slowly from the hole, allowing his shield to deflect the blaster bolts away from him. His boots hit the floor with a thud as he calmed his breathing. He estimated that he had killed somewhere around a hundred Mandalorians in nearly two hours of fighting. The Mandalorian commander motioned to another Mandalore and Revan watched as a forcefield activated around him.

"Activate the gas vents."

The Mandalorian shouted to his security officer as he watched Revan tap the field with one of his lightsabers. Sighing, Revan took a deep breath and attached his lightsabers to his belt, seating himself on the floor and crossing his legs as he slowly levitated and a barely visible blue field surrounded him. The sound of metal twisting alerted the Mandalorians that their plan had not worked. The forcefield collapsed, sending the poisonous gas through the bridge, though the Mandalorians were unaffected within their armor.

"Activate the stun pulse."

The Mandalorian shouted as Revan stood and walked towards him. Revan's left arm raised as the commander was thrown across the bridge and into the dropship's command console. The console exploded in a flash of electricity as the deadly energy coursed through the commander. Revan quickly sidestepped a thrust from a Mandalorian warrior, allowing the warrior's momentum to take him to the ground. Revan brought his knee into the back of the Mandalorian's neck, breaking it instantly as he pulled his azure saber and deflected the blasterfire away from his failing shield unit.

A heavy hum vibrated through the bridge of the vessel and Revan frowned as a bright blue light filled the room, sending all the Mandalorians to the ground.

"Sithspit."

Revan cursed as numbness threatened him. The Jedi looked around quickly for the control console, only to have another stun pulse tear through the bridge and bring him to his knees. Revan quickly pulled his false datapad from his cloak and code-locked it before another pule sent him into darkness.

"Well I suppose that worked."

Revan muttered to himself as consciousness escaped him.

Mandalore's hands tightened into fists as he read the casualty reports. The Republic position had been taken and ransacked, but all tactical information had been destroyed prior to their arrival. The only value that came from the raid was an encrypted datapad that would likely take days to break and Revan. Mandalore's fists tightened even further. Revan had killed a hundred and seventeen of his men in three hours on that rock and he came out without a scratch on him.

"A worthy warrior..."

Mandalore scoffed at the thought. True, Revan had killed many of his men in battle and his battle strategies had ground his advance to a halt but what kind of warrior disgraces himself by being captured. He had even received a report that the Mandalorians that captured him gave him the option to take his own life to spare his honor. The refusal had been a slap in the face to the warriors who beat the Jedi till he fell unconscious. That led to another problem. When the Mandalorians had stripped the Jedi of his armor they had seen the mark of the Bloodravens on Revan and if that were the case, he needed to be punished. It sickened Mandalore to think of torturing the man to death but he knew it was an insult to his people to allow Revan to live. The man was responsible for the death of millions of his own kind and for that, he needed to die the traitor's death.

A week of tortures yielded no information from Revan. Even cutting away the mark of his dishonor had done little to get a response from the Jedi as they tore the Bloodraven symbol from his arm and burned the bleeding wound shut before beating him again. The warrior's resolve and his resilience impressed and frightened the Mandalorians as they tried to break him. Revan merely stared at them with pity as they beat him and burned him and whipped him.

Revan groaned inwardly as he awoke in his cell, staring at the small voice that had interrupted him. The Jedi hissed slightly as he shifted, feeling the broken bones of his ribs digging into him. Revan loathed to think of how long he'd have to spend in a kolto tank should he survive. He had learned that one of the Mandalorian codebreakers had accessed his datapad and that Mandalore was preparing to strike Malachor V. The thought brought a smile to Revan's lips though the smile was accompanied by a groan as he began coughing up blood.

"Must've punctured a lung..."

Revan cursed the restraints that kept his hands firmly tied behind his back and the Force disruptor collar that was digging into his neck. Being blind to the Force was not a pleasant experience for the former Jedi. Remembering why he had awakened, Revan turned to see two curious green eyes staring at him.

"I- I brought you your food..."

The girl said quietly as she placed the small plate near the opening of his cage-like cell. Revan fought his coughing fit and nodded to the girl, who continued to stare at him.

"What the Force is a little girl doing here?"
Revan thought to himself after quieting his coughing. The girl looked to be twelve or thirteen and judging by the red hair the girl had as well as her emerald clothing, Revan supposed she was a Corellian.

"What's your name?"

Revan asked in a dry and cracked voice, fighting not to cough once more. The girl gave a small smile as she replied quietly.

"Mira."

Revan grunted in response as he looked down to the first meal the Mandalorians had provided him.

"Maybe that want a little fun before they kill me..."

Revan mused darkly to himself.

"Are you Revan?"

Revan's eyes snapped frm the food to the young girl. He nodded slightly, stumbling over to the food and pondering how he was going to eat. Another thought raced through Revan's mind.

"How long as it been since I've drank anything?"

Revan swallowed, tasting the bitter remnants of blood in his dry throat.

"Anything but my own blood..."

Revan sighed, looking down at the food.

"They want me to eat like an animal, they want to humiliate me."

Revan was shocked to reality when the girl lifted a utensil and attempted to feed him. Revan coughed and sputtered as he tried to keep the food in his stomach and gave the girl a thankful nod.

"Thanks."
Revan muttered as the girl handed him a cup filled with water and allowed him to drink from it. Revan leaned back with a sigh, feeling the cool liquid calm the aching in his throat.

"Is what they say about you true?"

The girl asked, staring strangely at him. Revan's brow knitted together as he turned to her.

"Well I suppose that depends on what they say."

Revan grinned despite himself.

"I know, arrogance is not the way of the Jedi!"

Revan's mind chided as he listened to the girl speak of his accomplishments in battle. Revan felt his muscles tense suddenly and watched as the girl suddenly backed away. A group of armored Mandalorians entered the prison area and stepped into his cell, kicking the barely touched food away as they approached the former Jedi.

"On your feet."

Revan sighed, pulling himself to his feet as two Mandalorians restrained him and the doors to the cell opened to reveal Mandalore himself. The Mandalorian leader sneered through his mask at the girl as she quickly scurried away. Revan sighed, shaking his head in mockery towards the Mandalorian leader.

"Its about time. Making an important guest wait for a week is considered very rude in some cultures."

Revan smirked as the Mandalorian leader trembled with anger. Mandalore pulled Revan to his feet, taking his left arm and pulling it to the cell door, slamming the door on Revan's arm, shattering the bones. Revan winced, but only grunted as he was struck in the face my the Mandalorian.

"What a disgrace. You a Bloodraven?"

Mandalore kicked Revan as his body dropped from the blow, backhanding him across his temple with his armored gauntlets. Revan felt spots swimming in his vision as a sharp pain entered his chest. Looking down through blood-filled eyes, Revan saw Mandalore digging his hand into his solar plexus as he repeatedly dealt blows to his stomach. Mandalore finally stopped as his prisoner spurted blood against his silver armor. Dropping Revan to the floor, Mandalore delivered one last kick to his side before speaking.

"Revan Bloodraven, you are found guilty of treason to your people."

Revan coughed as he fought to regain control of his body's spasms of pain. Mandalore sneered and brought his metal boot into Revan's shattered arm, twisting his heel back and forth as Revan fought to keep from crying out in pain.

"You still remain silent? Perhaps you can retain your honor."

Mandalore lifted his bloody boot from Revan's arm and motioned to his guards to hold Revan. How the binds had left his hand, Revan did not know as he looked down to his shattered arm.

"It can be fixed. A healing trance or two... damn this collar."

A blinding pain shot through Revan as his vision sparked white for a moment. Only the iron grasp of the two Mandalorian guards kept him from falling on his face as he heard the hum of the Force-whip.

"Damn."

Revan cursed as the whip hissed through the air and connected once more with his back. The whip slid slowly, the energy encasing it eating through his flesh as painful volts of energy shot into him. Revan coughed violently and was suddenly aware of a small voice.

"Stop it!"
Revan managed to turn his head to see the young girl, Mira that had brought him his meal weeping as she backed away. Mandalore sneered to the girl beneath his mask.

"What's the matter brat? You should know by now that only weaklings allow themselves to be tortured."

The girl's green eyes were brimmed with tears as she looked to Revan.

"Hold her."

Mandalore ordered as a guard grabbed the girl's shoulders and brought her to kneel in front of Revan.

"Watch and learn, child."
Mandalore spat as he pulled the whip back to strike her. Revan threw his weight to the side with strength he did not know he possessed and blocked the whip, crying out as it wrapped around his arm and tore the flesh.

"Leave. Her. Out. Of. This."

Mandalore smirked, slowly pulling on the whip to prolong Revan's pain.

"So be it, traitor. Let this be a lesson, brat. Only the strong can keep from being as helpless as the fool before you. He could have ended this but he didn't. He is weak and helpless."

"No!"

Mira screamed as Mandalore continued beating Revan with the Force-whip. Revan felt the urge to vomit as his body jolted from the pain. Turning his head upwards he swallowed the blood and bile in his throat and shook his head to Mira.

"Don't push them."

The girl nodded, hearing his silent message as Revan bowed his head and took another blow of the whip. The Force-whip was an interesting device. It transmitted enough pain to keep the receiver conscious while sealing the cuts it created, allowing its victims to remain conscious much longer than a normal whip. Revan was left an hour later a trembling mass of torn flesh, receiving one last kick to his ribs as Mandalore shook his head.

"Look at what you are reduced to, warrior."

Mandalore signaled to the guards to release Mira, who had been silently sobbing the entire time. Mandalore slowly knelt before the girl, grasping her shoulder painfully.

"Do you want to be helpless? Do you want to be forced to do that?"

Mandalore spat, tilting his head to Revan. Mira shivered slightly and shook her head. Mandalore chuckled as he brushed his armored hand through her flame colored hair.

"Good, child."

Mandalore turned to Revan and spoke in a snarl.

"I will do to her what I did to you if you do not tell me where your forces are."

Revan licked the blood from his lips as he looked through swollen eyes to the Mandalorian leader.
"You already know."

Mandalore laughed cruelly.

"Yes, but I want you to say it."

To emphasize his point, Mandalore pulled on Mira's red locks, tilting his head as the girl let out a painful noise and raising her small form from the floor.
"Ma- Malachor."

Revan snarled as best he could, wishing he could choke the life from the Mandalorian leader. Mandalore nodded and dropped Mira heavily to the floor.

"Good, Jedi."

Mandalore mocked as he and his guards left. Mira cast a sad look to the beaten and broken Jedi that lay now motionless on the floor.

"I never want to be helpless again... I never want to see that again."

Shivering, Mira slowly made her way to Revan and pulled away the tatters that had once been his blood-stained Jedi robes. To her shock, Revan was smiling to her.
"They can't break you unless you let them, unless you give up hope."

Mira gaped at Revan as he forced himself to sit, pulling on his broken arm with his good one and wincing.

"Do you think you could get me some rags?"

Revan asked, knowing Mandalorians liked it when their prisoners were alive longer. Mira nodded before leaving Revan alone in his cell. Sighing heavily, Revan leaned forward to rest on his battered knees.

"Soon the battle will begin... maybe then I can die in peace."

A sudden feeling of dread entered Revan. The Mandalorians would strike in full force against Malachor V and that meant that the ship he was in would fight as well. Turning his bloodied face to where Mira had just left, Revan groaned, rubbing his right hand through his bloody locked of auburn hair.

"Shit."