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Chapter 10: Abandoned

"How long?"

Malak's mechanical voice hissed as his eyes narrowed. Saul Karath smiled as he looked through the viewport to follow Malak's gaze.

"Two hours until the Republic fleet and strike team arrives."

Malak nodded, smiling to himself as he stared at Revan's flagship.

"Do you think he suspects anything?"

Karath asked nervously. Malak snorted through his mechanical filter.

"Of course he does, but it will not matter. In three hours I will be the Dark Lord of the Sith and Revan will be one with the Force."

Darth Revan stared thoughtfully through his mask towards the Leviathan as it skilled the edge of the planet's orbit.

"What are you planning?"

Revan thought to himself as he awaited the completion of his ship's repairs. A year and a half had done nothing to the stalemate of the Jedi Civil War as he had predicted. The Lord of the Sith continued to stare at Malak's ship, easily sensing the hatred directed towards him. For a moment, Revan entertained the idea of dying. It really would make little difference. He had managed to, with the resources of the Star Forge, nearly annihilate the Yuuzhan Vong with the Forge's droid armies. Revan had managed to force them back to their homeworld before he simply could go no further. He could not breach the planet's heavy defenses without bringing what would have to be millions of ships down on them. He simply needed the Mass Shadow Device. With nowhere else to turn, Revan left a fleet of droid controlled vessels around the system and returned to the Sith Empire in the hopes of finding what he needed. Needless to say he had dealt the Vong a blow that would take them centuries to recover from.

"I have them cornered... If I destroy their world... I can rid the galaxy of their threat. Even if a few escape it would take thousands of years for them to return!"

Either way, Revan knew that the Vong could not easily breach the automated fleet he had surrounded them with.

"I think Malak may have been right when he said to leave them be... I can always starve them out."

The Dark Lord allowed a small smile to play on his lips before a flash of light and the sound of his flagship's alarms blaring brought a prominent scowl to his features.

"Lord Revan! A fleet of Republic ships has dropped out of hyperspace and are preparing to attack!"

A Commander announced. Revan snarled in frustration as he caught sight of Malak pulling his forces away from the planet to flee.

"What is the ship's condition?"

Revan growled.

"Weapons are at half power and our shields are useless... We also have no hyper drive and our sublight engines are only functioning at thirty percent."

Revan sighed when he caught sight of Malak's forces engaging the Republic fleet.

"Launch all fighters and prepare for evacuation."

The Commander acknowledged as the Dark Lord crossed his arms tightly across his chest and glared through the window.

"Get to your transports, we're already taking fire!"

A Republic Commando sergeant shouted as he motioned to his men to board the shuttle transports. Bastila shifted her weight slightly as she watched the first transport of troops load. She was to go on the final transport along with ten other Jedi while the other fifteen in her group would take the first two transports to Revan's flagship. The Padawan turned her eyes to see Revan's ship slowly pulling itself from its drydock. A steady stream of red streaks ignited around it and Bastila knew that the Republic's fighters has arrived and were hammering the massive dreadnaught.

"We've been boarded!"

One of the bridge officers shouted. Revan ignored the warnings and shouts as he stared at the two remaining Republic transport pods as they neared his vessel. He could feel a subtle pull of the Force making his officers nervous and knew that Bastila was there, using her Battle Meditation.

"Send all troopers to stop them..."Revan watched as his bridge emptied and only a squad of Sith troopers and four Dark Jedi remained.

"How long do you think they'll hold them off?"

A curious Dark Jedi asked. Revan sighed as he turned to stare back towards Malak's vessel.

"As long as is necessary."

Revan felt the Battle Meditation cease as he stared at the battle around him. Malak's forces were holding off the Republic fleet which surprised Revan mildly since they should have been crushing them. He knew that Bastila had ceased her Battle Meditation and narrowed his eyes dangerously.

"What are you doing, Malak?"

Realization fell over Revan instantly at the question.

"Betraying me... I didn't know you had it in you."

Sneering, Revan continued to watch the battle, curious to see when exactly Malak planned to set his scheme into motion. The sounds of the battle going on around him went unnoticed as he stared through the space between his and Malak's bridge, daring his jawless apprentice to attack. Revan's challenge was rudely interrupted as a Republic soldier breached his bridge with two Jedi and rushed him. The two Jedi were stopped by the two Sith apprentices that remained to guard him while the unfortunate Republic commando was halted from his charge by Revan's Force grip. Seeking a need to vent his frustrations, Revan allowed the man's gurgles and silent terror to calm him as he turned back to Malak's vessel. Malak had since broken from battle and the Leviathan was slowly charging his own vessel. If Revan had expected to survive this betrayal he would have cursed aloud over an open comm line to Malak but he remained silent and composed as he listened to the dying words of the man he strangled mere feet from where he stood.

"The galaxy is an unforgiving place..."

Revan whispered as he cut off the man's windpipe completely and listened to the snap as he fell lifeless to the ground. Turning, Revan's eyes fell on four dead Dark Jedi and four Jedi that stood defiantly before him.

Bastila felt a wave of dread wash over her as she charged into Revan's bridge and attacked one of the Dark Jedi as they toyed with one of her dying companions. unleashing a brutal assault against the man, she cut him down within seconds and took a moment to catch her breath as the three other Jedi, the only ones to survive the assault took defensive positions around her. She briefly caught sight of the struggling Republic soldier in Revan's grasp before he collapsed into a lifeless heap at Revan's feet. Rising anger filled her at the sight as new resolve forced itself into her.

"This is not the same man."

"You cannot win, Revan!"

And time for the Jedi Padawan seemed to stop as he shook his head slightly and turned to face her. Everything about his stance showed that he was annoyed, insulted even and Bastila felt even more anger grasp her at the arrogant display. Snapping from whatever thoughts had entered her as he turned slowly to face her, Bastila scowled and narrowed her eyes as she glared hatefully towards Revan.

"You cannot win, Revan!"

Four years he had not heard that soothing and cultured voice. The last words he had heard were a loving caress and these were a threat. Revan felt all his thoughts vanish as he laid eyes on her. Her hair was pulled into a tight bun, though stray strands fell over her face. She wore that ridiculous outfit she always had that seemed to compliment her feminine features well. Her eyes were filled with shock momentarily as he looked in them, only to be clouded by anger moments later.

Revan found himself wanting to brush away those strands of hair that framed her features. The sudden advance of the three other Jedi snapped him from his thoughts as he looked between them and pulled his crimson saber. The Dark Lord stared into the pale golden glow that surrounded her features.

"Beautiful..."

Revan allowed a single tear to roll down his cheek as he stared into Bastila's eyes, which gleamed with rage and betrayal.

"I have a way of destroying beautiful things..."

Revan felt another tear roll down his face as he stared at Bastila, half in awe and half in sorrow. The realization that Malak was betraying him had completely fled his mind as he stared, captivated by this angry young woman that looked on him with such hurt. He could barely feel the pain she had gone through at his betrayal and felt more tears fall as took a breath and shuddered.

"Fire."

Malak's mechanical voice ordered as his ship rushed past Revan's.

The Dark Lord of the Sith felt his grip tighten on his saber. Lightning flickered around him as he felt a deep loathing settle in his soul. He knew at that moment that he would not survive this battle and he finally felt remorse as he stared into Bastila's accusing eyes. The thought that she hated him was so tangible that he felt he couldn't breath and all thoughts of war and destruction fled him, leaving only a scared child who did not know what to do or say to fix anything.

"I can't do this anymore."

The countless thousands he had murdered flashed through his mind. Yusanis and his children, now orphaned. Selene, her eyes staring at him with shock and hurt. Even Ian as he looked on him with the helplessness he now felt. Revan recalled the words of his Master Kreia when he had first asked her of the Dark Side of the Force. Instead of recoiling in horror as most Jedi Masters would have from the question, Kreia had only laughed and shook her head.

"The Dark Side has a way of abandoning you when you need it most, Padawan."

The Dark Side had always been there to embrace him. Through the Mandalorian wars it gave him indifference to the loss of his own men. Through the Vong campaign it gave him sanity as he fought them with cold and calculating malice. Through the Jedi Civil War it gave him the resolve to mutilate his friends and torture children. Now, now the Dark Side fled him as he stared into Bastila's eyes. The pain that settled in him was crippling as he saw the pain reflected there that was the base of the anger, the pain from his betrayal, the pain from his abandoning her.

Revan was not some arrogant fool that believed if he felt sorry that he would be granted absolution. He was not some man on the road to redemption and seeking forgiveness for all the deeds he had done. He knew he would spend his time in hell for his deeds and he would accept it readily for he knew he deserved it. But he could not go one more second with her knowing he wanted to betray her. What had she done to deserve this?

"I'm sorry..."

The words never left his mouth as a blinding flash of light and the sound of explosions and metal twisting met his ears. A high pitched ring was the last thing Revan sensed before he felt his connection with the living world become blinded by pain.

Bastila felt herself being thrown by the concussion of the blast. The cries of her companions were drowned out by the explosion that lit Revan's bridge. Slowly forcing herself to sit, Bastila groaned and looked towards Malak's vessel as it flew quickly out of view and blinked into hyperspace. She could feel Revan's presence in the Force, though barely and struggled to her knees as she crawled over to the fallen Dark Lord, coughing as smoke filled her eyes and lungs.

Darth Revan lay motionless, his armor tattered as he lay on his back. Bastila could see his weapon had fallen from his grasp and knelt over the Dark Lord. The Padawan was vaguely aware of the lightsaber that she held tightly in her grasp as she scowled towards Revan.

"I can end this right now..."

"But first..."

Bastila slowly pulled away the mask that hid what she thought would be a hideous monster. Wanting to see what the Dark Side had done to her friend she gasped and backed away form what she saw. His eyes seemed to be glazed and vacant as they stared into nothing and blood seemed to flow freely from his mouth as his body shook and twisted with convulsions. The horrific condition she saw him in what not what had startled Bastila though. Shakily rising to her knees, Bastila crawled back to his side and ran her hand gently across his pale skin, wiping away the tears that lay there mingled with his blood.

"Why would he be crying?"

For a moment, Bastila caught a flicker of life in Revan's eyes and froze as they stared at her for a single moment. A small, sad smile suddenly graced Revan's lips and she strained to hear him whisper her name before his eyes rolled back into his head and a violent shudder overtook his body.

Startled, Bastila backed away and stared at Revan as his life slowly and painfully slipped away. She could feel the pain through the man's massive presence in the Force and found herself holding his hand. She did not know whether it was her imagination or it actually happened, but she felt his hand tighten as she felt moisture flowing from her eyes, tears she had forced back.

"Why did you betray me?"

Bastila whispered as she shakily rank her hand through her hair. Blood was slowly pooling around his head and she knew he had sustained a massive head injury. Placing her head on his armored chest, Bastila released a pained sob as she held tightly to Revan. A sickening sound came from deep within Revan's throat and Bastila tensed as she heard him release a deep sigh. He was slipping away.

Bastila quickly pulled the armored clasps of Revan's breastplate from him and desperately beat his chest in an effort to get him to draw in another breath. Taking a deep breath, Bastila grasped Revan's head and breathed into his mouth, trying frantically to keep the flicker of life that remained in him alive. In desperation, Bastila took her own presence in the Force and wrapped it tightly around Revan's, pleading with him to not leave her again. She knew she loved him, even after he had become the Dark Lord she could not accept it and that was what had driven her to fight the Sith with everything she had, she knew that somewhere he was still there and that he wouldn't leave her alone to face what was ahead. The Sith wouldn't take Revan away like the Jedi had taken her from her father.

Reality set in for a brief moment as Bastila stood to her feet and groaned, rubbing the gash on her forehead as she struggled to pull Revan's unconscious form from the doomed vessel.