Argh! Sorry for the mother-long wait! School got to be really hectic and I'm sure you don't want to hear my excuses. Anyway, I tried to make Revan go dark in this chapter, and I hope it worked. The transition felt kind of rocky to me, and it took me a while to get comfortable with his darkness...so let me know if I need to fix it.

Recommended Song(s): Open Up by Korn for the confrontation with Bastila, The Two Thrones Ch. 1 and 2 (from the Prince of Persia: Official Soundtrack)for background music for the hangar and Deck 1 and 2 of the Star Forge. Bodies by Drowning Pool for Revan's ass-kicking of all the insignificant peons that Malak sends out to try and stop him.

Oh, and Chapter 8 was kind of majorly revised. Check it out. It changes some things.


"Damn it all to hell," Revan cursed, his deep voice rumbling angrily from his chest.

"What could possibly be wrong? We've barely been in here a minute," Jolee asked.

"The door won't open," he replied. "The thing's hermetically sealed."

"Perhaps we must actually explore the temple to find how to unlock the door," Juhani suggested, sarcasm tinting her words.

Revan gave her a glare that was only half-pretend. "Bite me," he growled. Juhani hissed at her friend, still mocking him. He grunted back, ignoring her and turned to his right, starting down the eastern section of the temple. Entering the first door he came to, Revan found a computer in an otherwise empty room. Asking his friends to watch his back, the 'Jedi' logged on to the computer and began to do as much damage as he could.

"Those droids out in the hallway," he said as he turned the computer off and unclipped a single lightsaber from his belt, "don't stand a chance."

"Let me guess, you disabled their shields?" Jolee asked, already knowing the answer.

"Of course. Along with an Assault droid's shields, a hallway lined with turrets, and the targeting systems of two prototype droids."

"What aren't you good at?" the old man said, meaning it to be a rhetorical question.

"You wanna know?" Revan asked, suddenly serious, stopping and waiting for Jolee's response.

"Kid, I didn't mean it like that..."

"No, I'm serious. It would be nice to tell someone that I'm not perfect, and that I make mistakes just like everyone else and screw up more times than I get things right." His voice was calm and unruffled but Jolee knew that could conceal a storm of emotions within. Revan's aura wasn't giving anything away, so Jolee led him on.

"All right then, what aren't you good at?"

Revan gave him a humorless smile. "Well, let's see...keeping my emotions in check, heeding the wisdom of others, being patient, letting others do things while I sit back and wait – all of this from the Jedi Council's point of view, mind you."

"Revan, none of us have ever expected you to be perfect."

"You haven't, but everyone else has."

"It's what happens when you can shoulder responsibility."

"I shouldn't have to fix the galaxy's royal snafu," he replied angrily. "They screwed themselves, and now they're taking advantage of me and banking on the fact that I can save their pathetic asses."

"That's society, kid. It's sad we've regressed to this, but human nature will gravitate to the lowest possible standard," Jolee answered his challenge.

"And it's left for people like us to pick up the pieces and make it right again," Revan finished. He sighed heavily, running a hand through his dark hair. "Sorry. I'm wasting our time. We should get going."

Without waiting for his friends to respond, Revan exited the room and stepped out into the corridor, igniting his violet lightsaber as lightning poured from his free left hand and decimated the two patrol droids that were unlucky enough to be in the hallway. A door to the Jedi's right opened and a Sith Acolyte with an Assault droid came out, hearing the commotion. Jolee and Juhani both began to attack the Assault droid, the machine still a nuisance even without its shields. That left the Sith Acolyte to Revan, who wasted no time in depriving the man of his life.

He could sense that the Acolyte knew he was no match for the 'Jedi' in front of him, and the fear was rolling off of this Sith in tidal waves. Curling his lips back over his teeth, Revan gave a psychotic smile and watched the Acolyte's eyes widen in horror, feeling a small thrill of power at the knowledge that he could still instill fear. The former Sith Lord lunged at the Acolyte faster than the Sith could fully react, thrusting his violet blade in the Acolyte's face and spinning as the Sith barely blocked the attack, ripping his lightsaber down across the man's chest. The next room contained another Acolyte, and Jolee ran him through with his green blade, dispatching him with ease.

No other rooms were available in the eastern corridor, and the trio now found themselves in the southern section of the temple. The first room they came across contained cylinders filled with life support packs which the group needed no further heeding to take. This area was connected to three other rooms, two of little consequence and one that held a computer and was in turn connected to a long L-shaped hallway.

"Those are the turrets I disabled," Revan said as they stepped inside the hallway, looking around and noticing that the area showed signs of recent use. The dust was disturbed, footprints were still visible and Revan could feel Malak's distinct Force signature still lingering in the walls. As he rounded the dogleg of the hallway, he stopped short as if smacked in the face. A slab of stone with manacles to hold a prisoner down was in front of the three Jedi, and no one had to say a single word to know what it had been used for. Making a noise in his throat, whether intentional or the result of distress, Revan turned away and placed a hand against the wall to keep himself steady. He was trembling, and both Jolee and Juhani were nearly suffocated by the raw fury that was crashing into them off of their friend.

"That bastard is going to suffer for this..." Revan said through clenched teeth, his voice barely a whisper. "He is going to wish that I had never survived..."

Jolee opened his mouth to say something but Revan's eyes settled on his own and he stopped out of shock and a small amount of fear. Revan's gaze was filled with what Jolee had expected: hatred, pain, guilt – but it no longer held the incorruptibility that had tempered his emotions for so long. The darkness that had been a mere shadow, fleeting and beyond grasp, was now reflected back at Jolee with a horrible clarity and vibrancy. It dared him to speak, dared him to challenge, dared him to object.

Jolee closed his mouth but stared at Revan hard, letting the young man know that this battle would be fought another time. Revan suddenly turned and walked back the way they had come, already inside another room by the time his friends caught up with him. Two prototype assault droids turned to look at them at the moment when they all filed through the door, their shields powering up and glowing bright red.

The old man transferred the Force into electricity and completely destroyed one of the droids while Revan tossed and ion grenade at the other, watching as its shields flickered before coming back on. Frustrated at the lack of effect, he slammed the droid with a wave of the Force, sending it screeching into a wall; holding it there, Revan clenched his fist, crumpling the droid into a heap of worthless scrap beyond salvage and tossing it with no small amount of disdain against the side wall. The door in front of them opened to reveal a descending corridor with another door at the end, one which opened for them as well and led them into a room that stretched out before them and branched to both the left and the right. The two guard droids that attempted to attack them met with a similar demise as their upper-level brethren: Revan smashed them together and drove them into the ceiling twice before flinging them out of the way.

The anger coming from Revan had not diminished in the least, and Jolee began to worry. Usually, Revan could keep his rage in check if he had an outlet – battle – but this time, is seemed to only fuel his wrath. He knew that finding Bastila was going to be a painful process – both of them understood that the odds of her being able to resist Malak for this long were virtually non-existent – and Jolee prayed that Revan would be able to withstand whatever she tried to do to him when they found her.

Taking the left branch, Revan, Jolee and Juhani found a rune-covered pillar that was protected by two highly explosive and very deadly frag mines. Without a word, Juhani stepped forward and gracefully slipped between the mines with almost ridiculous effortlessness, retrieving a crystal from the pillar and discovering a data pad in the footlocker to her right. Handing both data pad and crystal to Revan, she resumed her usual place behind him, next to Jolee.

"Thanks," he murmured, flicking the data pad on and scanning the writing it contained. He tossed it to the ground with a grunt and fixed his eyes on the crystal in his hand, recognizing it almost instantly. "A Sapith crystal," he said. "Good find."

Juhani merely inclined her head slightly at his compliment, more concerned with the data pad. "What did that say?" she asked, gesturing to the cracked screen of the electronic device on the floor.

"I have to walk on the tiles in an H-pattern," Revan replied.

"So let us find these tiles."

Placing the crystal in his pack, Revan led his friends down the rightmost branch of the room, finding another open room with a tile puzzle on the floor and a closed door on the opposite side.

"Well there you go," the 'Jedi' muttered. "Walk on it in an H..." he continued, mumbling to himself. Stepping forward, he placed a foot on the one tile on the floor in front of him. The entire group lit up orange. Taking a step sideways, he touched the bottom right tile and began to walk straight forward. At the top right tile, he turned around and stepped back to the middle, going across to the left side now. Turning, he moved to the bottom left tile and started upward, just like the right side. As Revan stepped on the last tile, the orange H shape locked itself in place, and the doors in front of him unlocked and dusted themselves off, grating open almost sleepily, the open doorway like a yawning mouth. A single computer console resided in the room, and Revan approached it with caution.

(Welcome back, Revan,) it spoke, causing the young man draw back in surprise. (It has been a long time since you have accessed my database. I was beginning to wonder if you had been terminated.)

Revan smiled ruefully. (I almost was, but I'm hard to kill.)

(An obvious conclusion, given your presence here. However, my sensory input systems are detecting some significant changes in your composition since your last visit. Your neurological patters exhibit subtle yet substantive alterations in both thought patterns and information processing. These changes have been noted and recorded in my database,) it said.

(Your database?)

(I am a completely self-sufficient, autonomous, interactive database constructed by the Rakata to record and store the entire history of the species,) it explained. (However, since the collapse of the Infinite Empire, there have been few events worth recording, and nobody has sought to access the information stored in my database...) It paused. (Until you came along.)

Revan found that he rather liked this computer, and wondered just how long it had been here.

(Due to my systems' ability to monitor and repair themselves, you will find all the data in my archives has remained fully intact. Please choose the topic you wish information on.)

(Tell me about the history of Infinite Empire,) Revan asked, noting that the computer had referred to it earlier.

(At its peak, the Infinite Empire ruled over 500 planets and was composed of ten billion Rakata and over a trillion slaves scattered across the galaxy.) The computer seemed almost sad as it informed him of the next part. (But the glory of the Infinite Empire was built on war and slaughter; it was inevitable that it should collapse on itself. Conflict among power-hungry warlords escalated into full civil war. Worlds were ravaged and millions of lives were lost. Seeing the weakness of their oppressors, the slaves rebelled and overthrew their masters. And then came the plague.)

(The plague?)

(Its origins were unknown – perhaps the creation of an enslaved species, perhaps a mutation of a natural virus. It killed only Rakata, and it spread to every corner of the galaxy. The Infinite Empire crumbled into dust as the few Rakata survivors back here to their home world. All evidence of their existence was destroyed by the species they once enslaved. But even hidden here on their secret home world they were not safe. Millions died from the deadly plague, many more died in the never ending civil war.) The computer paused, as if taking a breath. (The history of the Rakata ended twenty thousand years ago. Now they are nothing but a few scattered tribes descended from the priest and warrior castes, still waging our never ending civil war.)

(Do you know anything about the Star Maps?) Revan asked, figuring if anyone or anything would know, it would be this computer.

(The Star Maps were built on conquered worlds a symbol of Rakatan dominance and glory. Each map showed the whole expanse of the Infinite Empire, with the Star Forge at the center. When the Empire fell, the Rakata fled back here to their home world. They sabotaged the Star Maps so the enslaved species could not use them to discover the Star Forge or this planet.)

"They didn't do a very good job of destroying them," Revan said under his breath.

(The Star Maps were created with the same technology as my own self-sufficient systems. Over the millennia, the maps have been slowly rebuilding and repairing themselves. As you informed me during your last visit, the Star Maps are still in a damaged and incomplete state. It is not possible to locate the Star Forge using a single map. However, the Star Maps have repaired themselves to the extent that it is possible to discover the Star Forge's location by combining bits of data from several of the maps, as you did.)

(Tell me about the Star Forge,) Revan requested, his insatiable lust for knowledge not dampened in the least, despite his brain wipe and amnesia.

(The Star Forge was constructed during the apex of the Infinite Empire's power. A true technological marvel, it is an enormous space station that serves as both factory and battle dreadnaught. The Star Forge can mass produce immense fleets with a minimum of time and resources. In addition, the Star Forge also shares much of the same technology used in my own construction.) The computer continued in a pensive tone. (In many ways, the Star Forge is like a living entity – it feeds, it hungers, it draws on the energy flowing through all living things – what you called the Force the last time you were here. The ability to feed and consume the Force is the key to the Star Forge's power, but ultimately it was what led to the destruction of the Infinite Empire.)

Revan was intrigued, and had an idea of where this was heading. (What do you mean?)

(The Rakata by nature are a cruel and savage species. The Star Forge fueled itself with the hatred inherent in its own creators, and in doing so, it accentuated these traits in the Builders. In your terminology,) it explained, (the Star Forge is a tool of the Dark side. It corrupts those who use it so it can generate greater and greater amounts of negative energy to fuel itself. The Builders thought they were strong enough to control this effect, but they were wrong. They became victims of their own creation, and eventually their hatred turned them against each other. Civil war destroyed the Infinite Empire,) the computer stressed, (a lesson to remember. Only one who is immensely strong in mind and will can harness the power of the Star Forge without suffering a similar fate.)

Revan wished that he had been recording that so that he could present it to the Jedi Council and prove to them that he hadn't been lost to the Dark side when he was Darth Revan.

(One last question. How can I shut off the disruptor field around this planet?)

(The disruptor field was constructed as the Star Forge's primary defense against enemy attack, and can only be deactivated from the upper levels of the temple.)

(How can I get to the upper levels of the temple, then? The door is sealed shut,) Revan reminded the computer.

(My systems control the doors to the upper levels, allowing only those who are worthy of the Rakata legacy to pass. The last time you were here, Revan, I unsealed the doors for you. However, the subtle neurological changes I detected in you earlier likely caused a failure in the recognition system that would have opened the doors for you. I have updated my databases to recognize the new configuration in your mind, Revan. The doors to the upper levels will once again open for you.)

(Thank you,) Revan replied. With no further questions and the nagging feeling that he was once again wasting time, he decided it was time to leave. (I must be going now.)

(As you wish,) the computer answered. (Please return if you find yourself in need of the information stored within my database.)

"So what was that all about?" Jolee asked as the trio began the trek back to the temple's main level.

"My brainwaves are different. What's new?"

"Same thing as the Star Map on Kashyyyk?"

"Pretty much."

The silence stretched on for long seconds, and it didn't take Jolee long to realize Revan wasn't going to expound any further. Since it was the same general situation as what had happened on Kashyyyk, the older Jedi figured that the door that had previously been locked was now open, thanks to Revan's neural configuration. Jolee noted his friend's mood and lack of willingness to converse with him – this was always the beginning of one of Revan's spirals into a dark, moody, introspective, anti-social and angry being who shut himself off from the rest of the world and refused to be around other humans, friends or otherwise. The oscillations of anger were still noticeable from him, though now beginning to fade in strength, and the old man noted the tight and controlled way he did everything: very efficient, not wasting an ounce of energy.

They had reached the main floor of the temple once more, and Revan took a right, going the opposite way they had originally come.

"Why this way, kid?" Jolee knew there was more than just curiosity behind the young man's choice of direction.

"Sith," he grunted monosyllabically and left it at that. Juhani and Jolee shared a glance, their look saying what both of them knew: the sight of where Bastila had been tortured was tormenting him endlessly.

"Is it anyone we should be concerned with?" Juhani inquired, implying Malak or a high-ranking Dark Jedi.

"I don't think so. Just one of them. The other two's Force auras aren't anywhere near staggering, so nothing to worry about," Revan replied in a softer tone than he had used with Jolee. The young man's vivid green eyes locked with the dark-skinned Jedi's brown ones and Jolee saw the insecurity in them before Revan tore his eyes away. He understood why Revan was being aloof with him, and he left his friend alone for now.

Revan was afraid that Jolee would see too much, see inside of him and try to "fix" him or "change" him or "help" him. He didn't want to be helped, or fixed, or changed – he wanted to be accepted with all of his faults until he could fix them himself. He just wanted to be left alone to deal with his problems on his own, without the "wisdom" of the Jedi Council and their hypocritical Code.

"Revan..."

The former Sith Lord broke out of his thoughts to look at the beautiful Cathar woman to his left. She looked hesitant, as if regretting speaking in the first place, and he changed his face into a curious expression at her utterance of his name.

"I know...I know that you do not want us to pry, but..." she averted her yellow eyes to ground before meeting his again, "we are here for you...if you need us."

His mouth turned upward in a half-smile, and Juhani thought it interesting that a half-smile could convey such sadness. "Thank you," he said gently. "I'm sure I'll be taking you up on your offer soon."

The dark pessimism in his words would have been noticeable to even the most naive and clueless of sentients. Continuing on to the right, Revan peered inside an empty room and found nothing of use. Noticing a door adjoining to another room, he entered and crossed to this door, not bothering to ignite his lightsabers as two Dark Jedi sprang up from their spots on the floor and activated their own weapons.

"You're going to die either way," he said, stopping one of them before they could speak, "so just spare me, and shut the hell up."

The crimson blades of the Sith cast a sanguine glow around the dark room giving it an ominous feeling and illuminating the dark hatred in Revan's face, making him look even more fearsome and menacing. One of the Dark Jedi ran at the former Sith Lord only to stop short as his heart imploded, shredding itself into a million fibers of dead muscle tissue. Revan took the dead Sith's lightsaber and tossed it to the remaining Dark Jedi.

"Two weapons won't help you, but if it makes you feel better..."

The Dark Jedi barely had time to blink before his brain registered that Revan was no longer in front of him, and a small but lethally sharp dagger was being pressed against his throat. He felt the beads of sweat roll down his forehead and sting his eyes as the seconds dragged on, Revan slowly turning them to face another way, both waiting for some unseen signal. They heard the door behind them slide open and another lightsaber ignite with a snap-hiss.

To Juhani, everything seemed to happen at once; in Jolee's eyes, he watched each event as it unfolded.

Revan kicked the Dark Jedi forward, slicing his carotid and jugular at the same time, and spun, ducking as he did so to avoid the blast of Force lightning that the Sith Master sent his way. As he spun, he flung the dagger and unclipped both lightsabers, igniting them and rising to his feet. The dagger pierced through the Sith Master's armor and hit him in the left shoulder, just between the joint. Howling in rage and pain, he ripped the dagger out and hurled it back at Revan, who blocked it and spun again, his violet lightsaber cutting an arc through the air and clashing with the Sith's lightsaber as his off-handed crimson one slashed the Sith's abdomen. As the Master stumbled, Revan flipped over him and landed deftly behind him, jumping up and kicking out firmly with both feet, connecting with the Sith's back and sending him careening into Jolee's waiting green blade. Jolee pushed the Master off of his lightsaber and ignored him as he slumped to the floor, his eyes glazed over with eternal sleep.

Jolee extended a hand and helped Revan to his feet, a question out of his mouth before the young man was fully upright.

"Were you waiting for that Sith to come through the door?"

Revan stared at him for a second before replying. "Yes...but it didn't quite go as I had planned. I was going to try and face the other way, but he came through the door before I could maneuver that way."

Jolee nodded but said nothing. Two sentences was more than he had gotten out of the 'Jedi' in a while and he wasn't going to push his luck. Revan was stubborn and prideful as hell, and the old man knew that it was best to just leave him be.

"Were these the only Sith on the level?"

The 'Jedi' turned to the Cathar woman, reaching out through the Force before answering her question. "I don't feel anyone else near us."

"So we can go to the temple summit now?"

Revan nodded. "Yeah, we can get to the summit and shut off the disruptor field. Let's go."

The trio made their way back around to the front of the temple, back to the massive door that had previously been sealed shut. As Revan approached this time, however, the structure snarled open and allowed them to pass with no further resistance. They ascended for a short while, the floor leveling out and becoming a large, open room with a doorway leading outside. Revan paused, his brows furrowing and his expressive green eyes and handsome face filling with pain.

"Anything but that..." he whispered, clenching his eyes shut.

Jolee placed a hand on the young man's back and shoved firmly, forcing him to keep walking. "I know it hurts, but you have to face it. You're the only one who can bring her back."

The anger that had dissipated from him for a few brief moments returned full force, mingling with his pain and sadness and creating a tempestuous whirlwind of Force around him. Revan said nothing as they emerged into the bright Rakatan sunlight, its pleasant heat far from comforting and its glare blinding. He didn't have to look up to see who was in front of him – he felt it all too acutely through their bond. His mouth twitched into a miserable smile as he realized that their bond was open again, allowing him to feel what he had been hoping against for so long.

"Revan – I knew you'd come for me."

Raising his eyes, he saw what he had prayed he would never have to see. Bastila stood before him, clad in the robes of a Dark Jedi, her yellow double-bladed lightsaber now a blood-red color. Her face itself was the same, but at the same time changed. Her blue-grey eyes, normally shining with a stubborn defiance, were now cold and filled with anger – much the same way his looked, he figured. Her mouth was curled in a haughty smirk, marring the once innocent beauty of her face.

"Malak thought you might be afraid to enter the temple again, but he doesn't know you like I do. Not since you've changed," she finished.

"Bastila, don't be a fool! We have to leave now. You need to escape from Malak!" Jolee shouted, his frustration at seeing Bastila like this taking over.

She gave an incredulous laugh. "Escape? You don't understand. I have sworn allegiance to Lord Malak and the Sith. I am no longer a pawn of the Jedi Council."

"A pawn of the Jedi Council?" Revan interjected, feeling as if he should be saying her words instead. "What are you talking about?"

Bastila's stunning eyes locked onto his and he felt a rush of emotions flood over him. He pushed them away quickly, but he knew that she had felt them.

"Surely you know what I mean, Revan. Look at what the Council did to you; they turned you into their puppet. The same thing they do to all who are truly strong in the Force."

Revan felt a twinge of anger at being called a puppet but let her continue.

"They speak of the Dark side as something to be feared. But in reality, their only goal is to manipulate those who are strong in the Force. The fear of the Dark side is a tool to maintain control." Her voice gained an air of stating the obvious. "Why do you think the Jedi forbid you and Malak from joining the Mandalorian Wars? They knew you would realize your true potential and break free of their domination."

Revan was not surprised at her words. It was the least he had expected Malak to do – brainwash her with false Sith teachings – but the passion with which she said the words unnerved him. She almost believed what she was telling him. Almost, but not quite.

"Malak has shown me how the Jedi Council have been using me the same way the once tried to use you," Bastila was saying. "They've been holding me back because they knew one day I would surpass them all."

Revan was shaking his head sadly. "I can't believe this...how could you betray me like this, Bastila?"

He had made sure to make her betrayal personal. It was personal, and he wanted to make her feel the pain he was feeling. She wasn't so far gone that he couldn't manipulate her emotions through their bond, though it was unintentionally. He wanted her back, and his subconscious was going to make him do anything to accomplish that goal.

"I resisted at first," she answered, her voice patient. "I endured the Sith torments with the passionless serenity of a true Jedi, emptying my mind," she continued, scorn flooding her words. "But after a week of endless tortures I finally saw the truth. Malak forced me to acknowledge my anger and pain. He showed me the liberating power of these emotions. Then he made me see how the Jedi Council has denied me what is mine by right!"

"Denied you what?" Revan snapped. "You have a gift, not a right!"

"The Jedi Council gladly used my Battle Meditation in their wars, but they still treated me like a child – like an inferior. They were jealous of my power...of what I could become!" Bastila answered with ardor. "They wanted me to bow and call them Master and follow their Code and obey their every order. But all the while they were exploiting my Battle Meditation for their own use!"

He felt a deep sadness suffuse throughout him at her words as he saw what Malak had done. He had preyed upon one of her greatest weaknesses, pride, and had made her the victim of the Jedi Council. That was how it always worked, as far as he had seen – you became a Sith, not because you were evil, though there were some who fit that requirement, but because you were selfish and wanted to be out from under the restrictions of the Jedi Code – and the Sith Code was perfect because it was all about you and the power you could achieve. Revan had always known this, and it had been the one thing that had kept him from truly becoming a Sith during the Mandalorian Wars and the subsequent Jedi Civil War.

"Bastila...please fight this! I'll help you, you know I will!" he pleaded. Words were deserting him. He had no idea what to say, and it showed.

For a infinitesimal moment, he saw her defenses waver but the façade was back in place just as quickly as it had gone. "You are a sad little fool," she replied acerbically. "You speak as if I were the same Bastila that you've known all along. But freed from the control of the Jedi Council I've become much, much more." She sighed, looking something close to sad. "I almost wish you could see things as I do now. I wish you could join me and taste true power once again. Sadly," she finished, "I doubt you are even capable any longer. With the power of the Star Forge Malak will destroy the Republic and conquer the galaxy. And I will be the apprentice at his side – after I prove my worth by killing you!"

Revan threw up mental defenses just in time as he felt her try and reach out to him through the Force. Jolee and Juhani weren't as fast, and cried out as a blinding pain exploded inside of their heads, incapacitating them. Revan's hands acted against his will, igniting his lightsabers and bringing them up defensively.

"You can't kill me," he told her, watching as her eyes flared with renewed anger because she knew he was right. "Stop being a fool!" he yelled, his own anger at her betrayal taking hold. "All that preaching about the Dark side and its dangers, was it all for nothing? You're nothing more than a hypocrite, Bastila – realize that!"

She lunged at him, striking at his left side. "Ignorance and hypocrisy are two different things, Revan!" she yelled back as he blocked her attack and shoved her away. "I spoke out of blind ignorance, nothing more!"

"Forget your pride for two seconds and see what you've done!" He thrust his violet blade in her face only to have it knocked away. His crimson blade came up to stop her parry, and he held their weapons there for a moment. "You haven't just betrayed the Jedi, Bastila, you've betrayed me. I was there for you for how many months, and you stab me in the back like this? The power you hunger for will desert you, Bastila, just like it deserted me!"

"You are a small setback in the grand scheme of things. I would rather you be with me than be my enemy, Revan, know that. But you refuse to see the truth, and I can't have you in my way," she shot back, and he felt through their bond that part of her didn't want to kill him, but that that small part was being crushed down by her new Sith-manufactured personality.

Shoving downward, he moved her double-bladed lightsaber just out of the way enough to let him plant a hard but not violent kick in her side. Still, he felt something give, and she wheezed painfully as she stumbled backwards. He charged forward hoping to disarm her but she flung him backwards with a large Force wave.

Thud! Screeeech!

Revan hit the stone beneath him and winced as his armor wailed in protest as he slid across the rough floor. Picking himself up quickly, he relaxed somewhat as he saw that Bastila was not attacking him any more.

"You are...stronger than I would have thought possible...after what the Jedi Council did to you," she gasped, a fiery pain lancing through her ribs with each breath. Bastila knew that one, if not more, was broken but she didn't heal herself just yet. "Seems that Malak was wrong...the power of the Dark side is not lost on you after all, Revan."

"I'm not that man any more. You know that."

"You can deny what you are, Revan...but you are only fooling yourself. I know the truth. I have seen the shadows inside your mind," she confronted him. He knew that she was right – even now, the darkness inside of him was clawing to get out, to find release.

"Remember," Bastila said, "I was there when you nearly died in the trap set...by the Jedi Council. I used the Force to preserve your life, Revan...we are forever linked by my actions on that bridge!"

"We're linked by more than just this bond, Bastila," Revan said, now confronting her.

She snorted derisively, grimacing at the pain it caused. "Do not mistake the power of the Force for love, Revan. It does not exist. Power is what forged our bond...and power is what made us both tools of the Jedi Council. They tried to exploit the bond between us," she told him, seeing the revelation hit him before she finished her words. "They hoped I would draw out your memories to lead them to the Star Forge. We..." she paused, catching her breath, "We were slaves to their will – like all who follow the Jedi Code!" Bastila's voice took on an almost comforting tone as she spoke. "In our shared visions of the Star Maps...I also felt the so called taint within you. I resisted it at first," she said, "but now...I embrace the power of the Dark side...your Dark side!"

He noticed that her pauses to catch her breath were becoming more frequent and a tendril of guilt crept up for hurting her. Forcing himself to focus on the present, he took in her words.

His green eyes, filled with so many conflicting emotions, narrowed suspiciously. "What are you saying?"

Bastila's voice carried a triumphant but conspiratorial air to it. "You deserve to be the true Master of the Sith...not Malak. I see this now. Together we can destroy...your old apprentice. Join with me...and reclaim your lost identity."

It was his turn to snort. "How can I reclaim my identity if I don't even remember it?"

"Your mind was too badly damaged...to fully restore your memories, Revan. But your strength of will...the essence of who and what you are...these things still remain! Once long ago you defied the Jedi Council...freeing yourself from their control. You claimed your rightful title of Dark Lord of the Sith. Together...we can defeat Malak and take back what is yours!" she explained, almost pleading with him at the end.

Black humor pervaded his words. "How do I know you won't betray me?"

"I need deny my passions no longer, Revan. I would stand by your side gladly, as your lover and apprentice," she admitted, shocking him. He remembered when there was a time he would have been overjoyed to hear her say that they could be together. Now...now it just hurt, more than anything she had said so far.

"I swore allegiance to Malak...only because I thought you had lost the power you once wielded. But this...this would be much better!" Bastila's emotions through the bond showed him for a fleeting moment that being intimate with him was something she truly wanted before she gained control of them once more. "I would be utterly yours, master!" He winced as she called him master. "Together we would destroy Malak...and you would reclaim...the mantle of Dark Lord!"

Revan's mouth hung open for a long while before he was able to form words. The pain of knowing that she was offering herself as a nothing more than an object of his desire tore at him horribly. He felt responsible, like he hadn't shown her enough that he loved her for who she was and not solely because of her body.

"No, I...I don't want you like this," he said, his voice barely audible. "I want the woman I knew."

Her anger at his rejection coursed through their bond to him, and he hoped that he had done the right thing.

"You are a pathetic fool, Revan! Together we could have defeated Malak...and ruled over and Empire...but now I will be at Lord Malak's side instead!" Bastila fumed. "You will be crushed with the Republic...and all the fools who bow down to the Jedi Council. No one can stand against the power of the Star Forge...and the Sith fleet!"

No one tried to stop her as she turned and fled to the small ship that rested on the temple summit's floor behind her. The three Jedi watched in melancholy silence as the single-passenger craft lifted off from the ground and disappeared into the atmosphere of Rakata Prime, presumably to rejoin Malak at the Star Forge.

Revan had been able to cut himself off from his emotions during most of their confrontation, and they now came crashing down onto him – and he was powerless to stop them. A raw howl of mingled rage and desperation ripped itself from his throat, forming one word:

"Malak!"

- - -

Roughly a million miles away, Malak's head snapped up from the bowed position it had been in, his eyes searching, the barest hint of fear reflected in their yellow-grey depths.

"Revan," he murmured, his old master's name coming out as a growl in his mechanical voice.

"Is something wrong, Lord Malak?" an officer asked. Normally, Malak would have tossed the man halfway across the ship for his irksome question, but Malak was too preoccupied with other matters to waste time on inflicting pain.

"I want to be informed the exact moment my apprentice returns," he ordered. "I need to speak with her immediately."

"Of course, Lord Malak."

Left alone again, Malak reflected on the past minute. He knew that voice better than anyone; the way the fury permeated his words, the way his mere inflection could still make Malak cringe involuntarily. Revan hadn't meant to reach out to him through the Force, but he had nonetheless. Malak knew the source of Revan's wrath, and for the first time he questioned if sending Bastila to confront him on the planet's surface was the wisest move.

No matter, he thought, what is done is done. I am too close now to second-guess myself. Revan will come here, just like I planned, and I will let the Star Forge take care of my old master. Even if it does not kill him, he cannot defeat me here. Not when the Star Forge fuels my power.

If it could have, a wicked smile would have twisted itself across the Dark Lord's face; as it was, a dark and malicious gleam shone from his sunken eyes, more than making up for his lack of ability to grin. Revan was just where he wanted him, and he was not going to let his master slip away this time.

- - -

Revan stared at the computer screen and re-read the sentence for the hundredth time, trying to remember what it said. His mind and body were too drained to retain information, and he slammed the screen with a fist in frustration. He felt Juhani's hands grab his arm firmly and drag him away from the console, letting Jolee handle the simple task of disabling the disruptor field and the shield that surrounded the temple. As they made their way back to the temple courtyard, Jolee didn't know which was worse: the Revan he had seen inside the temple, with the shadows reflected in his eyes and out in the open, or the Revan he saw now, broken, hollow, with the darkness simmering just below the surface, shoved there to seethe and boil until it exploded.

"Revan I –"

"Don't."

"Don't what?"

"Tell me what to do."

"How do you know what I was going to say?" Jolee asked, chagrined at Revan's rudeness.

"Because I know you, and I know you want to give me advice. And I'm sure it's good advice, but frankly, I don't give a damn right now." He turned to look at the old man, staring hard into his brown eyes. "I'm in too deep. It's too late to tell me what I should do – my mind's made up, and nothing is going to change it."

"We are your friends, Revan. We can't change your mind, but we want to help you make the best decision possible," Juhani put in. "But you have to listen to us."

"I have listened to you, and you've never lead me wrong. But this isn't your fight now. You can only give an outside point of view. What happens now is between me and Malak. Whatever we decide will determine what comes next for...everything," Revan said resolutely. "And I can tell you that neither of us will quit until the other is dead. I'm not looking to rule the galaxy. I don't want power. I don't want an empire. I don't even want to be a Jedi any more. I just want this to end. I want to watch Malak die, and know that it will all just stop."

"What about Bastila?" Jolee inquired gently.

Revan was silent for a time, his face sad and pensive. "I'm going to get her back. I love her too much to let her go, even if she doesn't want my help. She's mine, and I sure as hell won't let that gutless bastard take her from me!"

They had reached the temple courtyard and now traveled in silence, descending the ramp and approaching the Elders that waited at its base.

(Were you able to shut down the planetary defense shield?) one of the Elders asked.

(Yes. Thank you for your help, and your trust. If you ever need me for anything, I'll be glad to assist in whatever way I can,) Revan replied, attempting to drop his dark attitude for the duration of their conversation.

(We must thank you as well, Revan, as you have rid of us the nuisance that the One presented day after day. Our home is open to you any time you need a safe haven. We wish you luck on your quest – we would aid your further, but I am afraid our people would do little good against the kind of enemy you face.)

A few other words were shared, and the trio of Jedi left the temple courtyard and made their way to the main beach where the Ebon Hawk was 'docked.' Revan saw all of his friends waiting outside of the ship as he rounded the corner of the path to the ship and braced himself for the barrage of questions he knew was going to come. Carth was the first to speak, and he asked the worst question of all.

"Where's Bastila? Is she all right? What happened up..." he trailed as he saw Revan's face. "Revan?"

"She's Malak's apprentice now," the former Sith Lord said quietly.

Carth looked stunned. "But...we can get her back, right? I mean, you came back, so she can too, can't she?"

"I'm going to get her back," Revan said, half to appease Carth and half to reassure himself. "But first we have to go find this Suvam Tan, remember? He has something of mine, and I'd like it back."

Jolee and Juhani herded the rest of the crew into the ship behind Revan and inconspicuously asked them not to grill Revan with questions. The 'Jedi' went immediately to the navicomputer and punched in the coordinates that Suvam had left in his transmission and sunk wearily into the co-pilot's chair as the Ebon Hawk took off from the ground. He realized that Carth must have repaired the ship's engines and hyperdrive while he had been out, and was thankful for the Republic soldier's piloting and mechanical skills. Letting his head loll against the headrest, Revan closed his eyes and allowed himself to snatch a few precious minutes of sleep as they hurtled through space towards the Yavin Space Station.

- - -

He was awakened from his light slumber when the ship jolted from its docking with the space station. Rubbing his eyes, Revan stood and went immediately to the exit ramp without bothering to ask anyone to come with him. A long, dark corridor stretched before him; even so, Revan made no extra hurry to get to the end of the hallway. If the gloomy reception was meant to make him nervous, it wasn't working. If there was one thing Revan wasn't afraid of, it was darkness – he had tasted it firsthand and would never be unprepared for what it held.

As he approached the third door in front of him, it whooshed open to reveal a medium-sized Rodian who looked somewhat surprised to see him.

"I didn't expect to see you so soon," he spoke in Basic. "I figured your mission would take priority."

"What's going to happen is going to happen, whether I wait an extra day or not," Revan replied. "You have something that belongs to me?"

Suvam smiled. "Yes, I do. A lightsaber crystal that was salvaged from one of your lightsabers after Malak's attempt on your life." The Rodian pulled out a cyan colored crystal and laid it on the countertop before him. "The Mantle of the Force. When I heard you were alive, I put it away to save, just in case you came looking for it. I was told not too long after that that you were amnesic, and that the Jedi Council was using you to discover something called the Star Forge. I decided to contact you then, to let you know of your lost possession."

Revan raised an eyebrow, suspicious but not worried. "You know all of that about me? What else do you know?"

"Much more, but now is not the time. We can discuss your past when the galaxy is not under threat. Here," he said, pushing the crystal toward Revan, "take it. It is rightfully yours, I cannot charge for it. There is a workbench over there if you wish to put it in right now. I would suggest that course of action, if I were you."

Nodding, the 'Jedi' scooped the crystal up from the countertop and removed his violet lightsaber from his belt. Opening the hilt, he removed the color crystal and paused.

"It goes where the color crystal goes, right?"

"Though it dictates far more than color, that is where it goes, yes."

Revan placed the Mantle of the Force crystal in the color slot and closed the hilt of his weapon, making sure everything was in place before he tested the new crystal. Thumbing the power switch, he couldn't suppress look of surprise as he felt the power pulsing from the silvery cyan blade, flowing down into his arm, making the weapon an extension of his body.

"We need to talk more often," the former Sith Lord said seriously while switching off the lightsaber. "You also mentioned something that belonged to the Jedi Order?"

"Ah yes, that. It is another crystal that I happened to discover during my travels, but this crystal came with a lightsaber. Once I learned what it was, I kept quiet until now. Some people will kill for Jedi artifacts, you know," Suvam said, getting up from behind the countertop and going back into a separate room. When he returned he was holding a small, unassuming box just large enough to house a cylindrical hilt. "This," he said as he worked on opening the box, "is the Heart of the Guardian. It has never turned on for me, though I have come to believe that it will only activate for the right person."

"And you think that person might be me?" the 'Jedi' asked, knowing that Suvam wouldn't have told him about it unless he thought Revan could activate it.

"Yes, I think it's you. You've had a...rocky past to say the least, but as of right now, you're our galaxy's sole defender. If you can't defeat Malak, then no one will. I can already tell that you won't be reclaiming the title of Dark Lord any time soon, though you aren't exactly the epitome of a Light side Jedi. I couldn't care less, to be honest," the Rodian went on. "If this lightsaber works for you, then you will have a job, Revan. And that job will be to defend the galaxy from any threat that presents itself. Or that's what the ancient texts told me," Suvam added with a grin. He had finally gotten the box opened and he carefully pulled out a beautifully carved lightsaber hilt, perfectly cylindrical and expertly crafted. "This crystal supposedly only appeared in the galaxy's times of greatest need in the past, and it only seems fit that I rediscovered it now to pass on to you."

Suvam handed the lightsaber to Revan who took it and studied it carefully for a long while, feeling the difference in the power of the Heart of the Guarding crystal from the Mantle of the Force. While the Mantle of the Force seemed to connect to him through the Force, the Heart of the Guardian exuded power in its purest form – raw energy waiting to be harnessed. Placing his thumb over the power button, Revan hesitated. What if it didn't activate? What did that say about him? About his destiny? Glancing at Suvam, who nodded, he took breath and held it, pressing firmly on the switch to ignite the weapon.

For a split-second, Revan was horrified that the weapon wasn't going to activate, but his fears were blown away when a blindingly brilliant blade erupted from the hilt, glowing a powerful bronze color and pulsating gently.

For all of his knowledge, wit, and charisma, Revan could only manage one word:

"Holy..."

Suvam was enraptured as well, the bronze blade captivating the two men like the sweet song of a treacherous siren. Switching the Heart of the Guardian to his right hand, Revan picked up the Mantle of the Force with his left and ignited that one as well, twirling both blades experimentally. Finally he switched them off and looked at Suvam, glancing down at the weapons in his hands one more time.

"I have to pay you something for this," he said. "I can't just take these."

Suvam gave Revan a patient smile. "No my friend. Both of them are rightfully yours."

The young man shook his head. "Here," he said, setting down a sum of 4,000 credits. "It's the least I can do. Money's not an issue. You deserve more than that."

The Rodian was staring at his new friend in disbelief. "Two thousand credits for each? Are you insane? I can't charge you that much!"

"I said money's not an issue," Revan repeated. "I've probably got enough to buy your entire space station. I'm cheap. I never buy things unless I have to. Trust me, I have a lot of credits."

Suvam grinned at the human. "You are too kind. For your generosity, I'm going to give you a twenty per cent discount on all subsequent purchases. Deal?"

"I won't say no to that, but you don't owe me anything, Suvam. Really."

The Rodian held up his hand, signaling that his decision was final. "You need to go. Your lady friend needs you more than I need your credits." He laughed at Revan's shocked look. "I told you I know much more about you than you think. Now go. Go! Use those lightsabers. Kick Malak's bald, pasty backside for me."

Revan's face split into a wide grin that masked his sadness as he turned to go. "I'll pay you a visit once this is over, all right? Keep me updated if you move!" he called behind him as he jogged back to the ship.

"Will do my friend, will do," Suvam said quietly as the young man disappeared back into his ship. He sunk back into his chair and prayed that he hadn't seen the troubled young man for the last time.

- - -

"Did you get the crystals?"

Revan turned to his Republic friend, holding up the two lightsabers. "Both of them." He ignited the cyan blade with a silver glow. "Mantle of the Force." Then he activated the bronze blade. "Heart of the Guardian."

Carth's eyes were wider than usual. "Uh, yeah. Put those things away. I can feel the power from them."

"It'll be the last thing Malak feels," Revan said. "Other than the pain from my blade going through his chest."

Carth instantly noticed that his friend's dark countenance was back and bid him farewell, wisely leaving his friend to his own feelings. Revan retreated to his room and collapsed on his bed, his thoughts now returning to Bastila and the looming confrontation with Malak. The visit with Suvam had brought some levity to his otherwise horribly miserable day and he was thankful for small miracles. Running both of his hands through his somewhat shaggy but soft, dark hair, Revan sighed heavily. He was going to have to fight Bastila again, he knew. If nothing else, Malak would use her to buy him time to set a trap or something similar, Revan mused. The hollowness inside at Bastila's betrayal returned and the young man buried the pain deep. Shoving it away was easier than dealing with it, and he knew that if he dealt with it, it would open old wounds as well and force him to come to terms with other hurts in his life. That was something he couldn't afford to do right now, not when he was so close to finally killing Malak.

Revan felt the ship rock with an explosion and he knew by the large amount of Force signatures around that they were flying through the midst of a massive space battle. Clipping his two new weapons to his belt and equipping himself with other sharp arms, the former Sith Lord joined Carth in the cockpit.

"What's going on?" he asked curtly as he slid into the co-pilot's seat.

"Master Vandar told me to board the Star Forge with a couple of Jedi strike teams, so that's what I'm trying to do," Carth replied in a tight voice, most of his concentration on flying the craft they were in. Revan kept an eye on the instruments as they maneuvered through the colossal space battle that raged around them, and watched as two small ships with Jedi on board were shot down.

"Hold on, this isn't going to be a pretty landing!" Carth barked as they hurtled into the enormous hangar of the Star Forge. Revan was already out of the cockpit and leaping out of the half-down exit ramp as the Ebon Hawk screeched to a halt, doing a somersault to avoid injuring himself. Jolee followed scant seconds later with Juhani not far behind, both with lightsabers drawn and ready for battle. Revan ignited his blades and ignored the looks of shock on the Jedi's faces from the strike teams.

"I am who I am," he snapped. "Get used to it. Ignore the weapons and ignore me. I'm just another body."

"Come on," a dark haired female Jedi said, taking his advice and ignoring the fact that he was the Jedi's ex-greatest enemy, "we should strike while we've still got the element of – damn!"

"You were saying?" Revan asked as ten Dark Jedi poured out of an elevator.

The female looked between him and the Dark Jedi for a second before ordering him away. "Go!" she said. "We'll hold this hangar for you!"

The Sith and Jedi clashed in a brilliant display of colors, both sides battling furiously, one to hold ground, the other to take it back. The Jedi strike prevailed with minimal losses, and Revan and his two companions were already safely on the other side of another door and making their way through the first deck of the Star Forge.

- - -

Malak stood on Deck 2 of the Star Forge, watching the giant factory manufacture parts and machinery with the greatest of ease. It amazed him how powerful the Rakatan creation was, even after all the time he spent in its halls.

"Lord Malak!" a voice broke through his thoughts. The Dark Lord turned to see a Sith Master approaching with an apprehensive look on his face.

"What is it?" He had long ago ceased expending the energy to kill the messenger for bringing bad news.

"Four Jedi strike teams have boarded the Star Forge, along with Revan and his companions!"

Malak thought for a moment, debating on how to deal with this new development. "My Dark Jedi will take care of the Jedi's strike teams. Dispatch the droids to greet Revan. We will test the limits of the Star Forge's power on my old master."

- - -

"Malak knows we're here!" Revan barked as four Star Forge Assault droids came rumbling down the metal path. "Get rid of their shields!"

All three Jedi blasted the Assault droids with a sizeable amount of Force lightning, shorting out their shields. Revan slashed one of the droid's arms and was surprised when his lightsaber didn't immediately go through. In fact, it bounced off and shorted out for a few seconds. He dodged a swipe from the Assault droid and took a closer look at its armor.

"They're plated with cortosis armor!" he yelled. "Go for the circuits, it's the only place your lightsabers will do any real dam –"

Smack! Thud!

Revan was cut off as an Assault droid slammed him in the back, sprawling him out on the metal floor. Maneuvering onto his back he rolled to the right to avoid the stomp of another Assault droid and thrust his bronze blade up into the unprotected underside of the droid. It dropped with a heavy thud and sparked profusely, shuddering as it died. Turning his back to the pile of debris, he saw that Jolee and Juhani had managed to destroy one other droid and were separately battling the remaining two.

Bzzzzzzt! BOOM!

Revan was lifted off of his feet for the second time and sent three meters forward to land spread-eagle on the floor. Picking himself up as quickly as he could and calling his lightsabers to his hands Revan noticed that the previously silent pile of scrap had exploded with finality. The back of his head throbbed painfully and he felt a warm trickle of blood run down his neck from where an open gash in his scalp must have been. He watched Jolee Force push a droid off of the gangway they were on and electrocute the last Assault droid that Juhani was battling, allowing her to shove her lightsaber through the single eye-socket on the droid's head. Revan joined his friends and looked at them, seeing his own look of surprise reflected in their faces. None of them had expected the Star Forge to create droids that were that combat effective or that hard to kill with a lightsaber.

Revan clipped his lightsabers to his belt and removed a retractable vibroblade from it instead. Pressing a small button on the weapon's hilt, the blade sprung forth, gleaming silver in the glare of the lights. The three Jedi took the eastern path, reaching a door within a minute. An explosion knocked them all of their feet as two more Assault droids lumbered through the opening. Juhani shocked them with lighting this time and Revan found that his vibroblade worked much better than his lightsabers had. He cleaved off the head of the first droid and rolled out of the way of the second's attempt to chop him in half at the waist, slicing the droid's arm off before kicking him into the abyss that stretched beneath the narrow walkways they were navigating. As the trio passed through this door the gaping maw below them disappeared and was replaced with solid metal, but that comfort didn't last long. They dispatched another Assault droid and came to a halt as a threesome of Dark Jedi were locked in battle with an equal number of Jedi Knights. The walkways had returned, though with low sides to them to keep one from completely walking off. The Dark Jedi turned as they struck down the last of the Knights and waited for Revan and his companions to come to them.

"More Jedi to kill," he heard the female state smugly as she headed straight for him.

"You obviously don't know who we are," Revan called out and watched as the female Sith recognized him. She blocked and parried his first few strikes but was no match for the former Dark Lord of Sith, nor were her companions a match for his.

"We?" Jolee asked as they stepped over the still-warm corpses.

"I'm not the only one who can kill a Dark Jedi," was the young man's reply. Heading to the left again, they spotted two more Dark Jedi guarding another door. Revan, Jolee and Juhani all Force pushed them at the same time, slamming them into the door they were guarding and crushing their bodies against the metal, Revan flinging them over the side of the gangway just to seal their fate. The door in front of them opened and the trio stepped inside the elevator, taking a quick respite as the machine rode upwards to the second deck of the Star Forge.

- - -

"Lord Malak..." the same Sith Master as before said, albeit very hesitantly.

"Did the droids pass their test?" Malak asked, though he knew the answer.

"No, Lord Malak, they have failed in killing your master."

"I never expected them to. They did slow him down, however." Malak's yellow-grey eyes shone with malice. "Can you stand against the fury of the Star Forge, Revan?" he murmured to himself. "We shall see." He addressed the Sith beside him. "Deploy all Dark Jedi, Sith Troopers and Apprentices."

"Yes sir."

The Sith Master hurried off to do his Lord's bidding; Malak continued to speak to himself.

"It seems that the Force is pushing us toward a final confrontation, my old master. Then we shall finally see who the more powerful Sith Lord is."

- - -

Revan stepped off of the elevator first and gripped the hilts of his lightsabers tightly, not liking the dead silence that permeated the level. Silence always preceded a large attack, and knowing Malak, Revan knew that the attack would come with no holds barred.

"What do you think Malak's going to do, Revan?" Jolee asked.

"Malak was always one to show brute force and overwhelming strength," the current Dark Lord's former master replied. "He'll send everything he's got at us in the hopes that it just might kill us, but with the mindset to simply accomplish slowing us down and wearing us out. We'll be facing the entire army of the Star Forge," he ended quietly.

"How should we approach this?"

"It depends on what he does. If he sends them out in waves, we hold our ground, kill everything that moves, proceed to the next point, kill another wave and so on. There are only so many men he can send, Jolee. They have to stop eventually."

"Now or never, huh kid?" the old man said with humor tinged with melancholy.

Holding both lightsaber hilts in one hand, Revan grasped Jolee's free one with his in a gesture of brotherly affection. "You may be the most annoying, the most talkative, and the oldest coot I've ever had to put up with, but I want you to know it's been fun as hell. I wouldn't trade finding you on Kashyyyk for anything."

Jolee's kind brown eyes welled up with tears that never fell. "Dammit, you're making me all misty-eyed! You're a good kid, Revan – don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise. Dark, Light, they're words to me. Remember that. You've got a good heart and a good head. Don't ever lose them."

"Okay, okay, enough soul-searching. I love both of you. Juhani, don't you dare say a word. We will have time for it later."

The Cathar nodded, knowing what he meant and grasped his hand firmly as well.

Revan took a deep breath and felt the Dark side energies swirling around him, pulsing through the Star Forge like some twisted, corrupted heartbeat.

"This isn't going to be pretty," he warned. "Not just the battles...I'm not going to hold myself back anymore."

His companions said nothing and he knew that they had already accepted this fact as unavoidable. They walked strait ahead until they reached the open area in front of them and turned left. Three Dark Jedi, two Apprentices and six grenadiers came pouring out of an adjacent hallway. Closing his eyes as they approached, Revan dropped his barriers and let out a heavy breath as he felt the Dark side flow through him, touching his anger, his fear, his hatred, his guilt and his pain. He opened his eyes slowly and ignited his lightsabers, bronze blade in his right hand, silvery cyan in his left.

"Here they come," he muttered, feeling his anger build with each passing second. They weren't his main goal, but they would pay with their lives just the same. They were part of a whole, and that whole had to be destroyed, and Revan was going to see to it that he killed every last one of them.

Shunk...BOOM!

He didn't flinch as the grenade exploded too far behind him to do any damage.

Shunk...BOOM!

The second grenade was short, and took out the lower half of an unsuspecting Dark Jedi, splattering the floor with a slick red liquid.

Shunk...

Revan didn't wait for this one to hit – he knew it was on target. Gathering the Force around him, he leapt the twenty meter distance between himself and the nearest Sith trooper, cutting him down before he had a chance to scream. His bronze blade protruded through another's skull, and he spun out of the way of blaster fire to disembowel a grenadier with his cyan blade just as the Dark Jedi were reaching his two companions. His lightsabers never stopped moving as he blocked blaster fire, dodging a vibroblade that was singing towards his head. Ducking the swipe, he sliced the trooper across the chest and impaled the next one before the first trooper's body hit the ground. He crushed the throat of the last grenadier through the Force and leapt back to where his companions were, striking down one of the Dark Jedi from behind. Juhani's enemy dropped, headless, and Jolee's slumped to the ground with a perfectly circular hole still smoking in his forehead, another dead body already on the floor next to him.

Juhani was bleeding from gashes on her arms and face where the frag grenade's shrapnel had hit her and Jolee took half a minute to heal her wounds and make sure everyone was okay before they moved on. Passing through a door, they were immediately beset by an ambush of heavy troopers and Dark Jedi. Jolee killed two troopers with Force lighting and Revan set another two on fire, letting them run around screaming for a few seconds before finally engulfing them in a lethal fireball. He could see that the sight of their comrades on fire and screaming wildly had put a dent in the morale of the troopers, and they hesitated as he charged at them. The first trooper brought his blaster rifle up in a vain attempt to block Revan's bronze blade as the former Sith Lord's weapon burned through the gun like it was paper, reaching the trooper's throat soon after. He slammed the second and third troopers together before hurtling them to the ceiling and smashing them into it, then letting them drop the hundred-plus feet to the ground.

As he turned, he saw a fresh wave of reinforcements come from behind his friends and cursed. Sprinting as fast as he could, Revan slammed his shoulder into the foremost Dark Jedi and bowling him over, knocking his lightsaber away and stabbing him through the chest as they fell. Jolee and Juhani took the other two Dark Jedi that had come as back up; Jolee smashed the Dark Jedi's lightsaber out of the way and lopped off his wrists, stabbing him in the gut and turning to block blaster fire from the troopers that had showed up. Juhani parried the Dark Jedi's series of rapid attacks with a flurry of her own, removing him of his left arm, left knee, and his head. Revan got to his feet in the middle of a circle of carnage: all of the troopers around him were dead, body parts were strewn across the floor and blood leaked from the less precise amputations. Revan was covered in some of this blood already and it served to give him the look of a psychotic killer. His eyes already burned with a wild fever fueled by anger and revenge and the blood only heightened his ill-omened appearance. They passed through the next door cautiously, ready for the wave of enemies when they came.

"Jolee, cover our backs!" Revan barked as he lobbed a few grenades at the stationary troopers, seeing them scatter and get blown through the air in a shower of blood and other body parts. He sent his cyan lightsaber into the fray and it cut through two troopers before it returned to his hand. He barely heard the hum of a lightsaber near his ear in time to jerk his head out of the deadly path of the energy weapon, his eyes narrowing as he assessed his enemy. He was a good-sized man, about Revan's height and build, and he circled the 'Jedi' like an animal who has cornered his prey. The former Sith Lord grinned as he felt the adrenaline rush of battle taking over his senses – even the Dark side took a back seat to the thrill he felt when it was just him and the enemy, nothing else, no Code and no restrictions. The Dark Jedi struck out quickly with his crimson blade, meeting Revan's cyan one. Shoving it away, he blocked Revan's right handed attack and kicked out at his left side, keeping the 'Jedi' from using his left weapon. Or so he thought. Revan switched his hold on the weapon, hilt-side up now, blade pointing to the floor, and brought the silvery cyan blade down across the man's leg, cutting diagonally through his calf and severing the Dark Jedi's spine with his bronze saber as the Sith fell stomach-side down to the floor. He turned his attention behind him and kicked a trooper in the face, crushing his helmet and sending him flying. His cyan blade blocked more blaster fire and deflected it back to the troopers who were shooting. Four of them fell to the ground with multiple holes sizzling in their armor and Revan pushed a sharp breath out of his nostrils as his head whipped around, his eyes searching for anyone still alive.

Juhani was helping an injured Jolee to his feet and Revan felt a small twinge of alarm at seeing his friend's grimace.

"What happened?" he asked as he helped Juhani right the old man.

"I got shot," was his short reply.

Revan rolled his eyes. "Where?"

"In the gut."

"Obviously not directly, or you'd be dead."

Jolee managed a grin. "Nothing gets by you. Left side."

Revan saw the singed cloth where the blaster bolt had passed through and was perplexed at the fact the troopers were using energy slugs. They were slower, easier to deflect, and didn't have a high kill rate. Then again, they hurt like hell, ignored shields, and ripped your insides to shreds. The tradeoff was almost worth it, and Revan realized that Jolee was lucky it was a slug, or else the old Jedi would have been becoming one with the Force right about now.

The young man flipped out a small knife and dug the slug out of Jolee's side, dropping it on the deck. Each energy slug had a casing that was spent as the shell was fired, and then the tiny slug itself that kept the energy reaction going. They were considered old technology, but were still widely used, even by the most advanced army.

"It was a slug?" the old man asked as Revan healed the wound.

The 'Jedi' nodded. "Some of them are using slugs, and some aren't. You're lucky you got clipped by one that was using a slug."

Once gathered, healed and as rested as possible, the three companions continued their push through the Star Forge. When they reached a junction, Jolee and Juhani kept going forward but Revan stopped.

"Where do you think you're going?" he called after them. They stopped and turned around, looking at him like he was stupid.

"We're clearing out the level..." Jolee offered upon seeing the seriousness in Revan's dark countenance.

He shook his head. "The Star Forge is symmetrical. You're basically going the way we just came. That passage will lead you back to another elevator, and you'll pointlessly fight Sith that could be avoided." He jerked his hand to the right, indicating the passage next to him. "We want to go this way. Trust me; I know what I'm talking about."

His friends took his advice and followed him down the branching corridor, passing through another door and thankfully only encountering a group of four troopers. Jolee killed three of them with Force lightning, Juhani cut down one, and Revan caused the last one's neck to snap, the three Jedi leaving more dead bodies in their wake.

"Go to the left," the young man suggested as they opened another massive door. "Or not," he said, retracting his statement as they were met with six Dark Jedi. "I know I've already said this today, but you're all going to die, you know that right?"

The Dark Jedi's response was to simultaneously ignite their lightsabers, some crimson, some violet, and attack Revan and his friends. Two of them stayed back, two of them went for Revan, and one went for Jolee and Juhani each, underestimating the former Sith Lord's companions. While his friends battled their enemies, Revan had his hands full with his own two adversaries. They were both very agile, forcing the 'Jedi' to keep himself fully alert at all times, as one of the Dark Jedi tried to stay behind him and out of sight. The one in front kept up a constant barrage of quick strikes but Revan made sure to only use his right hand to fend these off, leaving his left hand free to deal with the enemy at his back. The Dark Jedi behind him timed his attacks flawlessly with his partner in front, and Revan was forced to stay on the defensive for a long while, blocking strikes and letting them get comfortable. Suddenly, he committed to one side, kicking the back Dark Jedi in the face and sending him stumbling. He closed the distance between himself and the front enemy, pushing him backwards with each strike until finally slamming both of his sabers into the Dark Jedi's and forcing their weapons down to waist-level. Revan smashed his forehead into the Sith's nose and shoved the man's red lightsaber out of the way with his silvery cyan blade while thrusting his bronze saber through the Dark Jedi's chest. Without turning, he blocked the remaining Dark Jedi's recovery attack with his cyan lightsaber and forced their blades up, negating any possibility of the Sith stopping Revan's other lightsaber. He burned a long gash across the man's torso and looked up to see his friends waiting for him to finish.

"Getting slow in my old age," he said. "Sorry about the wait."

They had made it out to the largest part of Deck 2 and Revan's head snapped up to look behind them. His face turned to a grimace.

"More of them, coming down the elevator from the Command Deck. Damn! We won't be able to open that elevator. They'll lock it down as soon as they get off." He looked ahead once more, glancing behind him one last time before breaking into a sprint. "Come on, we have to get to that computer and override the elevator controls!"

The three Jedi made it to the far end of the deck, skidding to a halt in the computer room, panting heavily. Revan moved to the computer console and worked at a furious pace, his face a mask of desperate concentration.

"It'll stay open now as long as – hey...what the?" Revan's voice was thick with confusion and disbelief. Jolee and Juhani were about to come see what was wrong when he pushed something on the screen and a plasteel cylinder that was encased in a force cage glowed a bright white, and the force field dissipated.

Revan approached the cylinder slowly, his heart thudding hard, the sound deafening in his ears. He never thought he would see this again, and part of him felt like he was about to be reunited with an old friend, but part of him strained against the fact. That part of him argued that if he took it again, he would become what he had worked so hard to make up for. Pushing these thoughts out of his head as he opened the plasteel cylinder, he felt the familiar burning in his left side and right hand, but this was a twisted pleasure, a deep pain that felt good. Closing his fingers around the armor and fabric, Revan tugged firmly, dislodging the thing that had struck fear into the Republic's heart for his duration as a Sith.

Revan's lips parted as he pulled out the robes he had once worn as Darth Revan, the weight and feel of the armor a guilty comfort. He turned his head to look at Jolee, the old man's face unreadable and impassive. Removing the entire set of robes, he plunged his hand inside the plasteel cylinder for a second time and was perplexed as he came up empty. Where was his mask? A brief flash of the memory of the command deck of his ship exploding and ripping everything apart seared its way across his vision. His mask must've been blown away with the explosion of the power conduit next to him.

"Revan." The young man looked up, his eyes clinging to a faraway look. "You said there were more coming," Jolee reminded him.

Revan moved with surprising rapidity, stripping himself of Calo Nord's armor and leaving it in a heap on the floor, slipping deftly into his old robes with ease. It took him all of two short minutes to fully dress himself and reattach all of his weapons to his new suit of armor, pulling up his hood and shrouding his face in shadow. He kept his two lightsabers in his hands and exited the room without a word, his friends following soon after.

The man who left the room was not the same man who had entered. The donning of his old robes signified the change; Revan had embraced the darkness that was inside of him, no longer fighting its existence within. Whether he consciously knew this mattered not – the transformation had taken place without his deliberate consent and was irreversible.

The newest horde of enemies consisted solely of Dark Jedi and Apprentices, all of whom came to a dead halt when they saw Revan, clad in his Sith robes and wielding two powerful lightsabers. Jolee extended a hand to keep Juhani back, giving her a look that said this was Revan's battle.

The first enemy fell as Revan sucked the life out of him, taking the man's energy and transferring it to him. He moved then with a alacrity that neither Jolee nor Juhani had seen before, his black form a blur of shadow and his sabers hazes of silvery cyan and bronze. The two of them watched as the Dark Jedi reacted in turn, each of their movements a split second too late to be of any use, all of them dropping to the cold metal floor with incredulity fading in their dead eyes.

Still, Revan said nothing as he led them on, deeper into the Star Forge and closer to their final objective: Malak's defeat.