Her trip to Revan's Commanding Quarters had been a silent and altogether heartbreaking task. The mood aboard the ship was jovial, as soldiers celebrated amongst themselves flashing wide smiles and slapping one another on the back. The war was finally over, and she could not fault them for their happiness. She wondered if they were even aware of the tragedy that had taken place to ensure this victory. How many had friends or loved ones whose lives, like Malachor itself, had been wiped from the galaxy, as if they had never existed. She wondered if they knew who had given the order to rain down such destruction. But the thoughts of the past day's events still turned her stomach, and she quickly strode through the large doors and into the Quarters.
The room was empty, save for a large rectangular durasteel table and a few chairs. On the table set two glasses, a large bottle of amber liquid, and a black metallic mask. Making her way around the table, the head chair turned to reveal a lone occupant.
Revan.
He smiled slightly at the arrival, and then proceeded to pour the liquid into the two glasses.
"Ah Jul, come and sit. Have a drink with me to toast to the victory at Malachor."
He motioned for her to sit next to him, and placed the glass in front of a corresponding chair. Jul simply stood.
"Strong drink will not cleanse my soul of the horrors I have caused. Nor will it yours," she replied.
"Are you so sure," Revan asked swirling the liquid in the tumbler before gulping it down with a satisfied smile. "It is Corellian whiskey. Very strong, and, if I am not mistaken, one of your personal favorites."
"I have changed since my days as a scheming youth, Revan. As have you."
"This is very true," Revan mused, pouring another drink. "I am no longer a liability to the Jedi Order. I am now a saviour to the Republic."
He smiled at his own attempt at humor and washed down yet another drink.
"You are a murderer Revan! A tyrant bent on securing your own glory," Jul screamed, as if a fire somewhere inside her had been snuffed out, only to roar back into life.
Revan's smile quickly vanished, and his eyes locked into a vengeful glare with Jul's own.
"History will remember me differently, General Reyns. I have secured the Republic from an invasion. One of many invasions to come, I might add."
"You killed hundreds of thousands of your own troops Revan!"
"I did what was necessary! I know far more of the situation than you could ever dream, General. And those troops were on the verge of dissent. And I cannot have my ranks split when the next war approaches."
"Dissenters? Have you gone mad Revan! They were Republic troops loyal to me! Loyal to you! And you had me sacrifice them to ensure that the Mandalorians would fear you!"
Jul was seething now. Her emotions, which she had tried in vain to carefully check through her many years of training, now came rushing forward like an on setting flood. Revan seemed much more in control of his.
"They were loyal to you, this much is true, Jul. And I can see now how fiercely loyal you were to them. But they were weak. Had they known of my defeating Mandalore, they would have wanted to return home. And when the fighting stopped, the would leave. And they would have abandoned us."
"Us, Revan? What us?There is only the Republic. And it is their right to return home. The war was coming to an end. It was what they fought for! What I thought we were all fighting for!"
"The war is not over Jul. Another war lies in wait for us. At the end of the galaxy. It lies dormant, for now. But it is beginning to stir, and the Republic will be decimated. These Mandalorians were only the first wave of a greater enemy. Those soldiers were not the stock we need to win this coming war."
"Revan... you sound like a Mandalorian..."
"Do I," Revan mused. "They were a very formidable adversary, you know. One the Republic would not have defeated without the likes of you, and I, and Malak. And perhaps, I have learned a few tactics from them. It took very delicate planning, the destruction of Malachor. I had only a handful of days to position the pieces..."
"What are you talking about," Jul asked, with more than a hint of insinuation in her voice.
"Come now, Jul. Surely you cannot be so blind. You said so yourself, the Mandalorian clans would fall into disarray once they learned that their leader had been bested..."
Jul stepped closer to the seat Revan occupied. This was not happening. This thing that sat before her was not the same man she had followed to war those years ago. This was not Revan. This was something else. Something sinister and malicious and... evil...
"When did you kill Mandalore the Ultimate, Revan," she whispered as she continued to draw closer, her hand slowly inching toward the hilt of her saber.
Revan simply smiled.
"The same day that you left to set up ground forces on the surface of Malachor..."
In a blinding flash of light, Jul ignited her double emerald blade, and leveled it for a blow. It was met centimeters from Revan's face by a red blade. His own. Behind the crimson glow, she could see that he wore a menacing smile.
She hadn't noticed how much his features had changed. His once blue eyes were now a sickly yellow and green, horrid looking in the glow of his lightsaber. His skin was pale and thin, as if no blood flowed beneath his flesh at all. He was less man, and more monster now.
With a flick of his hand, he sent her flying back into the wall from whence she had came.
"I told you, Jul. They were weak. What I did not expect was such weakness from you."
Pulling herself to her feet, she tightened her grip on her saber, her body fueled by rage and hatred for this monster who had decided to sentence so many innocent soldiers to their deaths. A monster who had tabbed her to be their executioner. And in doing so, caused her to be cut from the Force.
"How far you have fallen, Revan," she seethed. "You have become that which we fought to begin with. And worse... you've embraced it! You are nothing more than a Sith!"
"Now you are opening your eyes, Jul. But these are not ordinary Sith. They are ancient and powerful. Neither the Republic nor the Jedi can defeat them. But I can. I can best them. If I have to reshape the Republic, then so be it."
"You cannot reshape the Republic, Revan."
"I am the Republic," he stated simply, grinning as he prepared for another attack.
She charged Revan once more, whirling her saber in a frantic flurry attack. But Revan kept pace. Parrying back, he put Jul on the defensive, blocking lighting quick strikes while trying to keep footing. She had never been overpowered in a duel before. It frightened her. Worse, the Force was not there for her to call upon to steady her defense. Without it she would fall.And then she realized that this would be her end.
Her defense became less and less precise, hoping that Revan would strike, and perhaps save her the misery the road ahead would bring. After all that had happened, he owed her that much at least. She felt a burning sensation strike her shoulder, and in a scream of pain fell to the floor. Revan deactivated his red saber, and with a twitch of his hand, used the Force to bring Jul back to her feet and pin her against the wall.
"You are worthless to me now Jul. I see the Force flutter around you, but it does not permeate you. You have cut yourself off from true power. Join me, and I will reunite you with that which you have lost."
"Join you? I'd rather you dealt with me as you did the others you have deemed weak," she spat. The grip around her throat began to tighten.
"I could Jul," Revan whispered. "I could crush you with only a turn of the wrist. But you are not worth the effort any longer. You are the shell of a once proud warrior. And now, you plan to crawl back to Coruscant and beg the High Council for forgiveness... no... punishment... you seek for others to pass judgment on your weakness..."
"H-how... did you k-kn..."
Revan let loose a laugh.
"You may have deafened yourself to the Force, Jul. But I have not. I can see it all around you. You wish to be punished for your own peace of mind."
"I... I... seek at...tonement," she rasped, struggling for air.
"You will find none in those hallowed halls Jul. Only arrogance and ignorance. And they will not kill you. The Jedi do not kill their prisoners, remember? No... they will do far worse. They will spare you, so that you may live the nightmares you've conjured up for an eternity. They will keep the Force from you, and you will forever be weak... and alone. Join me, and you will never feel such pain again."
"G-go... to... h-hell Revan."
Revan simply smiled, and with a flick of his wrist, hurtled Jul through the air into the far wall, knocking her unconscious. He simply strolled over to the heap of robes and battered humanity, and rolled the body over his boot. Reaching down, he deactivated her still humming saber and clipped it onto her belt. Walking back to the table, he picked up his mask and reattached it to his helmet.
"May the Force be with you," he snickered as the doors suddenly opened.
"Commander Revan! We heard sounds of a strugg..."
The man was cut off as an invisible force began to strangle him. Clawing for air he dropped to his knees, eyes locked on Revan's mask, trying to plead for help. In an instant, his eyes rolled back, and his arms went limp. Revan released his hold on the man, and the soldier fell face first to the floor, dead. Revan looked to the second guard.
"Have the General placed aboard a small ship and taken to Coruscant. She has a confession to make concerning her treachery to the High Jedi Council."
The soldier merely nodded and called in the order over his communicator.
"And Captain, when the ship is far enough away, have the rest of the fleet assemble around the Risen Sun. They are part of a conspiracy to join the Mandalorian plight. When we are positioned, open fire and destroy them. Once it is finished, we set course for the Unknown Regions. The Mandalorians are defeated... not dead. We will take the fight to their homeworlds and ensure the safety of the Republic."
The man nodded, almost proudly, as if it were honor to serve such a man. He turned to leave, before Revan spoke one last time.
"And Captain, inform the fleet that I am now in complete tactical control of all matters. I will be addressed as Lord Revan from this day forward."
Author's Note:
Thanks to any and all who reviewed. I greatly appreciate it. This is my first real stab at fan fiction, so any pointers and/or advice would be great.