Making careful note of the markings and colors each floor represented, Revan returned to her quarters, instead of to Mio's where Treg would be waiting. I need a few minutes to think, perhaps reach out to the force for guidance. Slowly sitting down Revan began her meditation, filled with a new confidence, now that she knew Carth loved her, completely, she was ready for anything.
But this time the force didn't wait for her, it surrounded her immediately. A dark swirling tornado that refused to let her go.
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Carth and X-14 moved out the minute two of the guards left their post. He knew the timing of their patrols and figured they had 40 minutes before the next one. Intent on unlocking the door that eluded them earlier, they quickly made their way there.
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She stood with a new determination, smoothing her robes she stepped firmly out of the room and approached Mio's quarters.
Mio opened the door, greeting her cordially "Come in," but unable to disguise the annoyance from her face.
"Good to see you back." Treg greeted raising his glass as his eyes held a thankful meaning. "You have impeccable timing, you have just missed the recollection of the most embarrassing moments of my life."
Mio replied in distaste, "Treg, your work should never be considered embarrassing."
"Perhaps not, but certainly my attitude at the time should hold that honor." He handed a freshly mixed drink to Revan. "For you my dear." His eyes moved over her, trying to assess from her features what might have transpired from her meeting with Carth, she certainly seemed different.
"Mio, you never said the reason for Sargac being offsite. I may not remember much but I do know him leaving the facility is quite odd."
Mio waved her hands uncomfortably, "He's been working on some big project, no one is allowed access. It has been taking him away more often. Although, I believe, if things go well then he'll allow me to assist."
Treg sank back into a seat, bringing one leg to rest against the other knee, he drawled out her name, "Mio." He took a sip of his drink, "From your reaction he has already included you, no need to remain evasive. I shall drop the subject."
She smiled uncomfortably and a red hue entered her cheeks, "Thank you."
He passed a glance at Revan and noticed her agitation. "It is late, we should be going." Smiling back at Mio as he rose, "Thank you for your hospitality. When should we expect –"
Mio cut him off, "Dr. Sargac should be back shortly after breakfast. I'm sure he will contact you immediately."
They rose to leave but Revan couldn't help the uneasiness she was feeling from Mio as they exited and her door closed behind them, nor could she deny the boiling hatred for Treg that was slowly seeping into her.
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Forty minutes later X-14 finally managed to open the door. Carth quietly slipped inside, giving his eyes a few moments to register the dark passage. An eerie glow from the underneath lighting was the only thing that illuminated his path as he moved steadily down the passageway. He almost tripped when he came across a few steps, providing proof to his suspicion that he was traveling downward instead of in a straight line. When the path finally opened up into a great room he was taken aback.
Large containment chambers dotted the western side of the room, apparently controlled by the huge computer stations set up in front of them. There was a long wall of more stations that almost separated the room but upon closer inspection led to a chamber of tables, gadgets and even more rooms that were sealed but still visible through the carbon glass.
Moving towards the terminals Carth tried in vain to access the information they might hold. Is there time to get X-14 down here? No, not now, I'll do a thorough search and come back later if necessary.
He moved towards the other rooms but was met with more security measures. He was ready to give up when his eyes fell on a small room, illuminated by a small computer station. Knowing this was the terminal to take a chance on, he quickly inserted his only computer spike, using a datapad to record the information he obtained. When the spike finally disintegrated he unhooked his datapad and turned to exit the lab.
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Quickly moving to her door Revan gestured to Treg, "Come in". He raised an eye as he passed her before settling down in a seat. Something's wrong, she seems different. Aloof? No. Upset? His eyes moved to her, drinking in the height that seemed added as she stood straighter than he had ever seen her, her legs were firmly planted on the floor and her arms were crossed as she stared down at him. No, not upset, incensed, condescending, condemnatory…
"Revan, why do I get the feeling that –"
"No Treg," she interrupted, "Why do I get the feeling that there is something you haven't told me?"
An astonished sound escaped before he spoke, "You mean Mio?"
She gave him a derisive sneer, "Actually I'm referring to a message you sent from my ship. Just what the hell is that all about Treg?"
Seeming completely unaffected by her discovery, "Ah that, I was wondering if that damn droid recorded it."
Her jaw clenched, "Just answer my question."
Rising, he moved closer to her but stopped when he saw how cold her eyes were. "Please Revan," his hand motioned towards a seat, "let's discuss this amicably."
She refused to move, "Answer the damn question."
Letting out a desperate sigh, "It's true, I sent a message about the attempt on Onasi's life."
"Don't tell me what I already know."
"Revan, you have to believe me, I never lied to you. There were just some things I couldn't tell you."
"So tell me now and I'll be the judge of that." The look in her eyes and her firm tone gave him no other choice. Something was going on within her and the last thing he needed to do was exasperate the situation.
Moving to take the seat that he had offered her earlier Treg bowed his head, his hands coming together behind his neck, elbows crushing towards his face. He remained like that for a few moments before his head came up and his hands slapped against his seated legs. "Shortly after I returned to my parents house I was approached by a secret branch of the republic with an offer." He drew in a deep breath through his nose before releasing it in a loud huff. "I was told some pretty unbelievable things about Sargac, about the experiment. How I was really the victim of his experiment instead of my own. They laid some pretty damning information before me. With my knowledge of the lab and Sargac, with his experiment inside me, they thought I could provide important information, clues, knowledge. In exchange for being poked, prodded and turned into their revered spy, they would do everything in their power to make me whole again, provide me with unlimited resources, eventually set me up with my own lab."
His hand rubbed against the side of his neck, head bending to the side. "At that point all I wanted was the truth, I had to find out so I took the offer. There were reports, not much more than rumors that needed to be verified or dismissed. It has been a painfully slow process." His hand stopped its movement and he looked up at her, "And then I met you." He rose before the words were even finished, "It was just fate," he was moving towards her, "you have to understand that. I had no idea who you were when the contact was set up." He stopped a few feet from her, "You haven't lost your touch Revan, the force guided us to one another, your instinct to trust me was valid. We can both help each other." He reached out toward her shoulder.
Bringing her hand up she cuffed his away, "The only thing I understand is that you used me."
"I didn't –"
"You did!" she spat out.
"Perhaps, maybe, yes, at first and for that I do apologize but once I knew you –"
"Once you knew me you exploited everything!" Turning from him she tried to hide everything that was threatening to be revealed in her features. The face he could read so easily. The darkness that had slowly been invading her, that had come and was now swallowing anything light she was trying to grasp.
Coming from behind, his arms wrapped around her tightly refusing to let go of her struggling body. "Revan, please, just listen, it was not like that." He continued speaking to the back of her head, "There are some things you need to know." He pulled her against him, resting his head on her shoulder, ignoring her attempts to thwart him, "Listen, you have to listen to me."
"I'm done listening to you." She hissed, bringing both hands up in a fist, as far as they could reach while in his hold, smashing directly into his forehead, using his stunned reaction to spin around and away from him. Her light saber was lit before he had recovered. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't just kill you now."
No longer immune to the look on her face, Treg tried to remain composed as he saw the darkness that was beginning to distort every feature on it, "You don't want to do that." His calm tone was adding to her fury but still he persisted, "That really hurt Revan," he admitted while rubbing his head.
"I could say the same," she gave him a devious smirk, "but that's not really a good enough reason. Goodbye Treg." She tossed the saber into her other hand, giving it a small spin before bringing it down towards him.
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"Leaving so soon?" the voice echoed.
Carth's only movement was a hand that slid towards the blaster strapped in his belt.
"I don't think you want to do that. After all, should you bring harm against me then there will be no hope for your lady friend. And judging from the display and readouts I had been so engrossed in when you disturbed me, she certainly needs my help. Now turn around and put those arms up where I can see them." Amplifying his words were the sounds of numerous weapons being raised.
For crying out – not again! Carth raised his hands as he slowly turned around, noticing six droids with blasters leveled directly at him. "What readouts? What are you talking about?"
Carth's questions were ignored, "That's better, now I'll just have that spike. There is nothing there anyway that I won't be willing to tell you firsthand, so you understand exactly what is happening to you. You see, I learn from my mistakes. This time when I use an implant I intend to have my intentions fully understood, who knows, it might help the process." Sargac signaled to the droids, who immediately moved towards Carth, forcing him into a small room that he hadn't noticed before.
The cold, uninviting metal tables, the tall stacks of computers, were all ignored at Carth's eyes moved to the vid screens. He didn't bother registering what was playing on the 30 odd displays. His eyes were trained on only one, the one that was being projected into a full sized image in the center of the room. The glow emanating from the light saber only served to cast her face in a more ominous dark cloud. The words were pounding in his head but he would refuse Sargac the pleasure of hearing them. Gritting his teeth, setting his jaw into a firm line he silently screamed them to himself, "Revan, NOoooo!"
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"Quite a lot you didn't tell me." The static hum of the sabers clashing against each other drowned out the interested tone. Spinning around she tried a different angle as she brought the blade down at Treg.
"You didn't give me a chance Revan." He replied as he swung his blade up to meet hers.
Their eyes met, illuminated in the blue and green glow of the sabers. "Wouldn't know which end to pick them up by?" she inquired raising an eyebrow before turning, only to be met with another block by him.
"Completely true, I had never held a sword before, let alone a light saber." Eyes met, assessing one another before they both took a few steps back.
"So I'm to believe this is just a toy you happen to have found lying around?" She swung and was once again met by his defensive saber.
"It was given to me when I took this assignment, because of my perceived abilities. Never used it before now," He stopped talking as she tried another attempt, forcing him to block once again. "You taught me everything I know."
A smirk escaped her lips, "That means I'm also aware of what you don't know. But I'm sure you already understood that when you began this pitiful display" She spun quickly, using her light saber to occupy him as she leaned back and jutted out a foot into his abdomen. Spinning immediately she brought her other leg against the side of his body before she stood directly above him. "Lesson over."
"Revan, no wait, please. Don't do this. I love you.."
She grabbed her saber in both hands, poised directly above him, "Too bad."