Disclaimer: Blah, blah not mine
Scene changes are denoted by a line KOTOR. Tips on posting are most welcome. As are reviews. Please let me know if I'm getting my theories and stories across.
This continues my story arc. In the game its happens whilst traveling between planets before the third starmap.
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Revan stood on the bridge of the Interdicter class ship and watched the battle rage before her. The Republic was succeeding in holding off the smaller Mandalorian ships but there was no hope of preventing their Decimator class vessel's from plowing through the lines and dropping their deadly cargo of Basilisks on the planets behind her.
She was not gifted with Battle Meditation or any other rare and unusual Force powers, just with stubbornness, ruthlessness and a raging desire to know everything. Her own obsessive hours spent studying everything from healing to psychiatry, animal husbandry and farming to warfare coupled, with perhaps her only natural talents, of a photographic memory and an innate ability to be able to grasp and manipulate the bigger picture with very few facts to hand had somehow led to her being named Commander of the Republic forces. She kept her back to the holo behind her preferring to watch and sense with the Force.
"Revan, They're decimating us."
With a wry grin at the unintended pun she shrugged. "I know" Turning to the comms officer she instructed, "Tell the fleet to keep to the holding action. We have to keep the Mandalorians here 'til Renee's team destroys the triangulation points." This last was directed to the young man beside her. Glancing up at him she caught the fleeting worry cross his face. "She'll be fine, Malak, This is the sort of mission she excels at."
"Commander! Alderaan's Angel has been hit midship. They're reporting fluctuations in the fusion engines. They're dead in the water, sir" the comms officer was wide-eyed and frantic and well he should. The big ship was in the firing range of at least two Mandalorian vessels.
Revan gathered her robes around her and ran lightly down the steps to the holo. "Give the command to evacuate. Tell all our ships that they have 5 minutes to get as many crew off and as far away as possible. Patch me through to the captain!"
A faint crackle of static echoed in the silence of the bridge.
"Commander Revan. This is Captain Ho'suke. Evacuation has already started. The ship will be clear in 10 – 20 minutes." The pale purple Twi'lek was practically humming with outrage.
"No Captain Ho'suke. You have 5 minutes to get as many crew away as you can. I want you to start jettisoning any plasma waste from the engines." Turning to Malak she repeated the order. "Have every ship dump any flammables they can spare and get clear. Get in contact with the Jedi on each ship and instruct them to start moving the waste towards the Mandalorian ships." Back to the comms officer, "Tell the fighters to lead the Mandalorian fighters through the waste and then get clear"
"Captain, You're down to 4 minutes 34 seconds and your ship will detonate. At that time two Decimators will have closed in and begun boarding protocols. The explosion of the fusion reactor will ignite the various wastes currently being dumped in the surrounding area." Revan's voice became even harder. "This action will save this system. Do what you can for your people but quit wasting my time and make it fast" Revan turned her back on the holo-image directing her next question to the crewmen on external sensors. "How many pods are away?"
"Approximately one third, Commander. Her fighter's are docking with any ship that'll have them"
"Good," her voice was still hard and cold. Malak rested a hand on her shoulder. His large palm engulfing her small frame. "The loss, Revan"
"The gain," She rested her cheek momentarily against him then straightened.
"Look, She's starting to spin. The stabiliser's must be out. Can you help me?"
The two young jedi walked up the few steps to the observation station. Standing shoulder to shoulder they made an odd pair. The small slight woman beside the looming, bald, tattooed man. They both stood quietly watching the older vessel spin on it's axis. Evac pods were flung straight into the path of the Mandalorians or crashed into each other as the small computers on board tried, unsuccessfully to compensate. For long minutes nothing seemed to happen before someone exclaimed excitedly, "It's stopped spinning. Powers coming back to the stabilizers."
Beside Malak, Revan swayed, such was her effort and concentration, while Malak repeated to himself the mantra, "There is no size. There is no try. Succeed or fail. There is no size"
Blood dripped from Revan's nose in an increasing stream as she manipulated the stabilizers from the distance, then started flowing from the corners of her eyes.
"Sir, the five minutes is up. Evacuee's report at least 70 percent of crew off the ship including General Talra and the captain." The crewman used the honourific of General for the Jedi assigned to the ship and sneered slightly at the captain's mention. Among the crewmen belief still ran strong that a Captain made sure that all their crew were safe before evacuating, themselves.
"Igniting the core now," even in her weakened condition Revan's voice was strong…and cold. The power couplings she had been holding together with the Force suddenly separated and attached themselves to fuel lines. With a surge the flames spread throughout the crippled ship until they reached the fusion reactor.
An explosion in space may be silent but the resulting shockwave is most definitely felt. The deck bucked beneath their feet and only Malak's hold on her kept Revan on her feet. The various flammables ejected by the ships ignited into a twisting writhing creature of flame. Fighters that had been coated were flash fried, their crippled corpses impacting on other fighters or bigger ships. The destruction continued outward in flaming ripples. With the few minutes warning the Republic vessels had escaped for the most part. Not undamaged but whole none the less. The Mandalorian ships had been crowded together eager to be the first to board or the first to strike at the planets being protected. They were decimated. And Revan watched expressionless.
"Get me a casualty list. I'll be in my quarters 'til then"
Striding to the doorway she caught a glimpse of herself in the reflective paneling. Her pale skin was marred by the bloodied nose and mouth, red streaks down her cheeks from burst blood vessels in her eyes.
And Avery Khan woke up screaming.
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"…and keep your rotten dead Jedi dreams to yourself!", Avery stormed out the room with her weapons belt in one hand and her pillow in the other.
Bastila ran a hand through her hair and slumped back against the pillows of her bunk. She had been just as shaken as Avery and she had some understanding of what was going on. Just how much of Revan was left? Avery's moods were getting wilder, more unpredictable, no doubt she had left to find comfort in the arms of either the Mandalorian or Carth. Bastila firmly quashed the tiny flare of jealousy. She needed advice and no one else on board was privy to the Council's secret. She needed an ally and she thought to herself as sliver of ice seemed to work it's way down her spine, a back up plan.
Knocking quietly on the Medbay door she waited for it to open, "Master Jolee, I need your help. Can we talk?" Ushering her in the door slid closed and with a small click was locked.