Note: Slight swearing in this one.
Chapter Five: What Would Traya Think?
Instead of waiting for Shinrii to react, Revan jumped backwards, away from her old friend.
"Willow!" Carth shouted. "What's happening?"
"Kai'Sek is what's happening," Reese answered. She took out her lightsabers as well. "He sent Shinrii to get Revan to come back to him." The exile eyed Revan, as determined at ever. "You won't fight her alone."
"And drag more people into this?" Revan flipped her hair behind her shoulder. "I don't think so." Reese ignored her friend's remark and smirked.
"Well, who's Kai'Sek?" Carth asked. He doubled up his fists.
"I do believe Kai'Sek was one of the Jedi who went to the Mandalorian Wars, and played a big role in their victories. But he was fatally wounded on Sojoran III." Jolee mused. "Everyone thought that he died that day."
"Where else have I heard that name before?" Carth inquired once more. He snapped his fingers.
"Malak falling was my fault! And damn it, Kai'Sek and Masa were—" Revan clamped a hand over her mouth, her eyes opened wide. She fell onto the ground, knees first, and sobbed. Blood slightly trickled across her forehead where Carth's vibroblade had met her skin. "Carth, it's ALL my fault!"
"She mentioned him once before!" Carth exclaimed. "Remember?"
"Yes," Bastila crossed her arms. "That wasn't a very happy moment, as I recall."
Shinrii smirked, watching Revan and Reese fight over if Reese should help Revan or not.
"You think two people can bring me down?" Shinrii cackled. Reese growled. "Alright, give it a try."
"You'll regret this, Shinrii. Don't make me hurt you." Revan pleaded. She and Reese circled around Shinrii and stared at her.
"Then bring on the pain, because I'm not leaving here until you're on another ship to Kai'Sek." The Sith woman attacked, lunging at Reese.
Reese blocked the woman's attacks, parrying and jumping out of the way.
Revan flew at Shinrii, slashing at the Sith.
"This is my battle!" She screamed. Shinrii jumped up into the air, landing close to her other friends.
"My, my, is this that Carth man?" She asked slyly. Carth stepped back gripping one hand on a vibroblade and one on his blaster. "He's a fine gentleman. Too bad he's going to die when I'm through with him."
Revan—having used Burst of Speed to catch up to her enemy—struck Shinrii across the face with her hand. She shoved her old friend away from Carth, popping her knuckles.
"How...dare you!" She seethed. Her eyes darkened considerably.
Temper Revan dear, temper. Kreia voiced her opinion loudly in her apprentice's mind. All she wants to do is get you mad. Remember what I taught you. Remember your training, both old and new.
Before Revan could reply to her master, Shinrii assaulted, making Revan parry. Shinrii sent slash after slash to the other woman, but Revan kept parrying them, trying to find ways to switch to offensive.
Listen to me, child. Kreia said.
"It's kind of hard while I'm battling." Revan said out loud, snarling at her old master with all her energy, and succeeding in confusing Shinrii.
"What?" She asked. "What does that mean?"
Young one, listen to my voice, not the words. Your body will know what the words are.
Revan switched to offensive, slicing at Shinrii's lightsaber, trying to rip it out of her hands. Shinrii resorted to jumping backwards out of the Jedi's range.
"You can only go so far, Shinrii." Growled Revan. Her anger was bubbling over and into her arms, making her shoot lethal marks at her old friend. She was no longer thinking about why she was mad.
"Willow? What's wrong with her? She's acting all crazy." Mission crossed her arms, a worried look plastered on her face.
"She's angry at the other, I think…." Carth scratched his head. "First at the Masa remark, and then at me…. Who's Masa?"
"Who? I don't know who Masa is. Why would you think I knew?" Mission said her words quickly. Carth recoiled slightly.
"Okay… I was just asking."
Child! Listen to me! What did I teach you about anger? Kreia screeched into Revan's mind. Revan stopped attacking Shinrii at these words, and stepped backwards, farther away from the assailant.
"Anger can be your ally, it can help you focus and give you the strength to stand up once no energy or Force is left. It may be the only thing that can save you when you're wounded and on the ground.
"But anger works both ways. Blind rage, when you no longer realize what you're fighting for, is the worst thing you can allow into your system. You can turn on both your enemies and friends in a blind rage. This kind of anger also weakens you, makes you so intense on death that you no longer think things through enough to strategize.
"However, this could also be the upper hand in a case when you aren't the one in a rage. Angering your opponent is one of the ways to beat them without much effort." Revan recited the lecture she received all those years ago word-for-word.
Very good, young one. Now, manipulate. Find the bait. Use all that I and the other masters you had have taught you to defeat your opponent!
Revan sighed, swallowing her anger quickly. She turned to her friends.
"Go to the bridge, and stop this thing from moving even farther. Then contact H and tell him where we are." She ordered, smiling. She turned to Reese to show she mean her, too. "I'll be fine here."
Her friends—a begrudged exile included—nodded and ran towards the elevator.
Everyone but Carth made it when Shinrii held her left hand up, shutting the elevator doors.
"What?" Revan and Carth said simultaneously. Carth swung around to Shinrii.
"What are you doing?"
"I just wanted to see what would happen, that's all." Shinrii mused, giggling. "I wanted to see the man you chose over Kai'Sek in action."
Carth let out a sigh, staring back at Revan for confirmation.
"NO!" Revan shouted, her anger now back with reinforcements. She pointed a trembling finger at Shinrii. "You will NOT bring him, Kai'Sek, not even KREIA into this battle! YOU are the one here, now. Even when I REMEMBERED Kai'Sek, I thought him dead."
"Yes, and that atones for all the betrayals the Jedi have forced you to undergo after your reprogramming." Shinrii said. "You're just making me more and more determined to capture you, Revan dear."
Revan glued her arms to her sides, doubling her fists up. They shook with anger. She closed her eyes and stopped breathing, deep in thought.
"Willow—" Carth started, worried about his friend. Revan sighed.
"Alright," She opened her eyes and smirked. "Two can play mind games; and I can play better."
"What are you talking about, Willow?" Carth asked. "Mind games?"
"Oh yes!" Shinrii clasped her hands together. "Little Carth must play, too!"
"No!" Revan claimed. "Did you just hear what I said? Don't drag him into this too. He's been through too much already." She didn't have the courage to look at him; she kept her eyes boring through Shinrii.
"Willow, I'll help." Carth's voice softened. "I'll help you in this fight. Don't do this to yourself."
Revan's eyes widened and she took in a sharp rasp of air. "Do what?"
"Oh, isn't this sweet!" Shinrii squealed. "Carth-y's gonna play mind games!"
"I don't know about that, but I'll fight you." Carth said, pulling out a blade.
"I….suppose you'll be needing another one," Revan conceited. She brandished one and chunked it at him. He caught it in his right hand, spinning it.
"Now, isn't this fun?" Shinrii asked, stepping backwards and flipping her saber around her fingers. "A fight to the death! Well, one person will end up dying; the other two will be heading to Kai'Sek."
She lunged at Carth, using all of her power in her one attack. Though he blocked it, Carth was blown backwards into the wall. Revan tensed her arms, charging into battle.
Never skipping a beat, Shinrii turned on her foot and met Revan hit-for-hit. They ran all over the room, clashing sabers, trying to best each other.
In the end, it was Revan that tripped Shinrii and kicked her against the wall, next to Carth. Revan pinned her to the wall, face-to-face with her assailant.
"You know," She whispered, so close to Shinrii's face she could taste the last thing Shinrii ate. "I don't think you want me to come back."
She released her hold on the now-bewildered Shinrii and jumped next to Carth.
"Are you okay?" She asked him, touching his shoulder. He slightly recoiled, miffing her.
"I'm fine. Damn it, I'm fine." He seethed. Revan stared speechlessly at him. What was wrong, now?
Shinrii glowered at Revan, who was now standing in front of Carth.
"What did you mean by that?" She growled. Revan just smirked.
"Well, you're talking about Kai' so much, I just thought you might like him!" Revan grinned now. "But you can't have him, because he's mine." She stressed "Mine" to show that she didn't want to be his. She hoped Carth understood and wouldn't ask any questions.
That hope was soon crushed.
"What?" He shouted. Revan closed her eyes.
"We'll talk about it later." She growled. Her eyes opened to their old preppy selves, showing nothing but glee.
Carth might be angry with her, but she had found her bait.
"Don't you ever call him 'Kai'' again! He deserves much more respect than that petty name!" Shinrii was now the one getting mad. She glared at Revan, growling under her breath.
"Well, why not? I think it's cute; he'd call me Rev, I'd call him Kai', he got the better end of the deal by far, actually. My nickname sounds like starting up a speeder. But it just showed that we cared about each other.
"And what about you, my dear Sith? Does he call you anything other than Shinrii? All he does is give you orders, isn't it? If you ever call him anything other than Kai'Sek, you get in trouble, correct? I don't call that respect for you. He's using you. He doesn't care about you, he cares about moi." The daring Revan pointed a thumb at her chest and smirked.
That was very clever, young one. Kreia praised. Use your knowledge of her against her.
I'd feel better about doing this if Carth wasn't right behind me, believing everything I say. Revan mentally shook her head.
He will understand… when you have the time to tell him. Kreia patted Revan on the back, and the Ex-Sith Lord swore she could feel it.
Shinrii held a hand up in the air, shooting lightning at Revan and Carth.
"Watch it!" Carth shouted, shoving Revan out of the way. She hit the ground and heard the electricity hit Carth, and the sound of him plummeting to the ground sickened her.
"Carth!" Revan got up and pulled him up off of the ground. "Are you alright? I'm so sorry! I didn't mean for that to happen, I swear!"
"I-It's alright, really." Carth winced at his pain. "I'll be fine."
"You'll be better when I heal this," She told him, tracing a particular burn on his shoulder that looked like a bantha horn had gotten lodged into it. "Hold on."
She laid her hands gently on the wound, closing her eyes. A white aura engulfed Carth's arm, and he could feel the skin close up and the burning cease.
"Uh, hello? Has anyone noticed that I'm still standing here, mad as hell?" Shinrii seethed.
"Just a second, I'm almost done." Revan waved Shinrii off.
"Oh, really?" Shinrii fired another bolt at Revan.
Revan took her hands away from Carth's arm, which was only half-way healed, and held them up to the bolts, absorbing them into her own hand. The sparks disappeared, making Revan's hand redden, but it eventually changed back into its original paleness.
"I told you to wait, did I not?" Revan asked. She held up a finger and pointed it towards Shinrii. A bolt erupted from it, encircling the Sith and electrocuting her every time she moved. The red-head screamed, falling to the ground. "Now, wait. I'll fight in a minute."
Carth just stared at Revan. What was she playing at? First she was as angry as a Gamorrean on a hot day in Tatooine, then she was as calm as a Selkath, then she was once more angry, and now she was playing mind games with Shinrii.
With both Carth and Shinrii, if you looked at it. Did she really like "Kai'Sek"? One minute she'd be claiming he was hers, and the next she was healing Carth of a shoulder burn.
Which wasn't healed yet. Revan finally turned her attention back to the man's wound, keeping her thoughts open to watch Shinrii.
"I'm sorry," She whispered to him. "I must be confusing the hell out of you. I don't mean to…." She rubbed the now healed shoulder and smiled, daring to look him in the chocolate eyes. "You can yell at me all you want when we're out of this, ok?"
Carth just stared at her, noticing once more the scar which plagued her face lightly. It was almost covered up by her gorgeous grin, yet it was still in plain sight.
The Admiral finally sighed; expelling a bemused chuckled at his friend. He laid a comforting hand on her head and ruffled her beautiful locks around slightly.
"Nah, I wouldn't do that!" He said playfully. Revan swatted his hand off of her, linking index fingers for a second.
"Did you forget about me again?" Shinrii fumed, placing a used medpac back inside of her Sith robes.
"Yeah, that time we kind of did," Carth said, shrugging slightly. Revan giggled, placing a hand over her mouth and grinning.
An infuriated Shinrii unsheathed her lightsaber once more and spun it around.
It was then that the elevator chose to reopen, with seven bodies running out, surrounding Carth and Revan.
"You're ok!" The exile squeezed Revan's ribs. "We saw Carth being left behind and we tried to turn back!"
"But Bastila made us not." Mission crossed her arms, not bothering to correct her horrible grammar.
"She said we had to go on with our mission." Zaalbar clarified.
"And we did!" Bastila snapped. "We've contacted HK-47 and he should be here any minute."
"But, where is here?" Carth asked.
"Well, we're somewhere over Dantooine." Jolee pointed his index fingers in the air unnecessarily, like he was looking at an imaginary map. "Not very far from Coruscant."
"Alright, let's get going." Revan turned round, meeting the rest of her friends. The exile and Atton were awfully close together, shoulders touching, like one was leaning on the other, and Zaalbar was messing with his blaster. Mission was now attached to Revan's neck, refusing to move. Revan stopped half-way around, moaning as she remembered the angry Shinrii. "Are you going to come with us, Shinrii?"
"What?" Shinrii seethed lividly. "I'm trying to nab you and bring you to Kai'Sek, and you want me to come with you?"
"Either you come with us, or I'll have to kill you." Revan flipped her head back, hair swishing heavily. "And I don't want to do that. So, are you coming with us, or shall I end our feud?"
Shinrii's eyes opened wide, and her free hand clenched into a fist.
"How dare you…." She murmured. "You think I'd betray my Kai'Sek for you?" She sealed her eyes shut, tears streaming down.
Oh dear, Kreia concluded. This won't end well, child.
Me and my big mouth.
"I'll… I'LL KILL YOU!" Shinrii suddenly produced a second saber, just as red as the first, and flew at Revan, who was in the middle of her friends.
"Move!" Revan screamed, pulling her arms up from her sides and closing her eyes. She constructed a Force Push so powerful; you could see the air pick up in white wisps.
All eight people hit the ground a ways off, safely away from the attack.
But the energy used to make the push left Revan without a defense.
"DIE, COWARD!" Shinrii slashed at Revan, cutting burns through the woman's ribs. Revan cried out, kneeling on the ground, holding her sides.
"No!" Eight voices expressed their surprise, one in a loud roar. Carth's voice was the most deafening.
"Willow!"
Revan! Revan dear, get up! Kreia pressured. Revan moaned.
"Ha-ha, you're not so full of talk now, are you?" Shinrii liked her lips hungrily. "Good-Bye, Revan."
Child, it's now or never. Get up, now!
I'm—I'm g-getting….
Shinrii's hand stopped its constant rising into the air when she observed Revan, struggling to her feet.
"Y-you'd go a-again-against Kai's o-orders?" Revan stuttered, her knees knocking together as she steadily rose.
A little more, young one.
It hurts…. And m-my Force i-is out….
I know, child. A little longer. Keep struggling.
"I'll tell him that you were close to killing me, and I had no choice but to defend myself." Shinrii sounded so resolute, Revan had to smirk.
Most of the way to her feet, Revan unsheathing her two sabers.
"Willow…." Bastila's voice was closer than it had been before. "You're in no condition to fight anymore."
Revan reached out with her mind behind her to sense Bastila steadily walking forward.
"She's right," Reese was also making her way to Shinrii. "You can't fight with those injuries."
"M-Maybe no-not, but I c-can try!" Revan smirked, still climbing to her normal standing position, wobbling all the way.
"You think three of you can defeat me? You're all pathetic!" Shinrii attacked Revan once more.
Revan unsteadily blocked the blows, her strength blinking in and out.
Bastila jumped in, fighting Shinrii back away from Revan. Revan kept trying to fight back to Shinrii, refusing to let her body give up.
Reese joined into the battle quickly, taking all the points to attack where Bastila paused.
"Willow!" Carth and Jolee bolted to the jarred Jedi, who was struggling to stand, let alone fight. "Get out of the battle!"
But by the time they got there, Revan had driven her saber squarely into Shinrii's stomach.
Gasping from both shock and pain, Shinrii dropped her two lightsabers and fell onto her back, coarsely breathing.
Revan almost did the same thing. She let go of her now loyally-lodged saber, still stuck in Shinrii's abdomen, and dropped to her hands and knees. She allowed her hair to drape into her eyesight and block her from her now dying friend.
Bastila and Reese both backed away from the two. Atton caught a hold on Reese's shoulders and held tightly onto her. Reese's fingers wound around his faithfully.
Focusing on her breathing only, and feeling her shoulders heave, Revan used the little Force she had gained during the battle to heal her enough to survive if she got onto the Hawk's medbay.
It was then that she heard a pitiful laugh come from the dying Sith.
"You know, you're a little strange…." She murmured, eyes fluttering as the life leaked out. "Revan, old friend. What would Kreia—no, what would Traya—that's the better of the two—think?"
"Huh?" Revan's eyes widened as she forced her head up slowly, gathering up small amounts of courage. "What would…."
"What would... Traya think…." With these last words, Shinrii closed her eyes, and was lost.
"T-Traya?" Revan's eyes filled with tears. "What would… Traya think? Kreia, tell me…."
Child, don't do this…. You're weak!
Revan sealed her eyes shut and clenched her fists into balls, then realized that her friends were totally silent.
Traya, Kreia! What would Traya think? What does Traya think of me? Tell me! Tell me now!
Child, this isn't the place, not the time. Traya is gone. Reese took care of her. Kreia is here with you, like I always have been.
"Traya…." Revan breathed the last word out. Her strength leaving, her arms gave out and began their decent to the ground.
"Willow!" Carth grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her so her back was on his chest. Her head draped across his shoulder, and she would almost look unconscious. Her eyes were now open, but she seemed slightly out of it. "Are you ok?"
Revan blinked, looking around. She recognized the place where she was and turned red.
"Alright, what's done is done." She tried to sound serious. Carth released her from his hold and helped her up. Wiping the tear stains from her eyes, she smiled meekly at her team. "Shall we go?"
"You won't last half the life of a gizka if you don't let us heal that right now, Lass." Jolee examined. He pointed to Revan's ribs. "Force, I don't even know how you're standing now!"
"Sheer will?" Revan grinned weakly at her own joke, locking her legs so she wouldn't fall.
"We shall all pitch in and help," Juhani decided. "Old, and new friends." She motioned for Atton to help with his Jedi powers, too.
With Atton, Bastila, Jolee, Juhani, and Reese pulling the Force together, they engulfed Revan in a bright light, which healed her skin completely and replaced all her lost blood.
Now the only thing that hindered Revan was plain fatigue.
"Thanks a lot, everyone." She said quietly, trying to grin. "And I'm sorry,"
"Nah, don't mention it." Atton said. "Let's go find that ship and get out of here!"
"Query: Master, were you injured after the take-off? Conjecture: You seem awfully pale." HK-47's voice was a welcoming one to Revan's ears and she walked slowly to their old ship.
"It only took you long enough to come out!" Mira whined. "What, have you lost your touch, or did you teach that person well enough to almost best you?"
"Eh, a little of both, probably. I haven't checked yet." Revan left the conversation alone at that. "Onward to Coruscant!"
"When we get there, you'll probably be greeted with a re-welcoming party." Jolee advised. "Everyone there knows your name, Lass!"
"And you just saved Coruscant from a Sith ensemble." Mission joked, poking Revan lightly in the ribs.
The doors on the Hawk closed shut as Atton and Carth prepared for take-off in the cockpit.
"Acknowledgement: Masters Mical, Visas, and Bao-Dur are on the planet and have secured it from the Sith, Master." HK-47 told.
"Alright, thanks for the update. I'll just go—be alone for a while," She suggested, wandering into one of the quarters and sighing.
Once the door closed her off from the business of the rest of the ship, Revan clamped a hand over her mouth, leaned onto the wall, slid down onto the ground, and cried.
THE END!
Oh my gosh! Fourteen pages! I'm so proud! The next chapter will have lots more CarthxRevan fluff, and a little AttonxExile! So please read and review!