AN: Hey everyone, it's CaptainCakeless117 finally back with Chapter 10. I've been wanting to work on this for some time, but I never got around to it unfortunately. So, I'm happy that I finally got around to it. But, it's time to turn our attention back to Revan.
Obtrexta Sector
Revan pulled the large trenchcoat over his robes, double checking to make sure that his lightsabers were carefully concealed. It was better to hide his nature as a Jedi, Muunilinst may have been a Republic-aligned planet. But, it held little love for the Bureaucracy it financed. It wasn't their choice to side with the Republic, originally it was a part of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, however before long, the Republic took control of the planet by force.
Odds were that most- if not all of the Muuns held great distaste for the Jedi. If he had the choice, he would leave his lightsabers on the Ebon Hawk, but he was about to meet a Sith Lord. And a rogue one at that. Funny, he could recall several instances during his own reign as the Dark Lord where his subordinate Sith had tried to abandon him. He always thought they were too weak for him, so he let either HK or Malak deal with it.
He rolled his shoulders underneath the multi-layering of armor, robes, and his trenchcoat, in an attempt to better accomidate himself under the clothing. He knew this coat wouldn't fit, but he bought it anyway. Those credits he had won on Dantooine wear definitely helpful, but he was running low quickly.
Maybe I could pay a visit to Coruscant Treasury when I'm done here.
He reached in the pocket of his lower robes and pulled out the datapad containing the copied file of T3's memory core. Everything up until when they had freed him from Nyriss' stronghold. Revan was sure that he could fill in the gaps since then. The only problem he might have was the whole "blowing up in a fiery Force explosion" part. Yeah, T3 would probably have a little trouble understanding that one.
He pushed the thought of having his little droid back from the forefront of his mind and turned his attention to the main viewport, focusing on the stars while the Hawk closed the distance between the ship and Muunilinst.
Revan pulled out his private comlink and paged the HK-51 droid he had spoken with earlier. The hologram flickered to life and the droid came into view. "Alright, I'm in orbit. Where am I heading?"
"Land at these coordinates, I'll rendezvous with you there and guide you toward the Damask Estate." Revan raised a brow as the droid answered him, curious why he didn't declare the type of sentence he was saying. HK must've taken it out of their programming. Probably for the better, as it left something to distinguish HK-47 from the others. He deactivated the holocomm and sat down in the pilot's seat.
"T3, set a cour-" he choked on his words, remembering the little droid's fate. He pulled out the datapad once more, "Just a bit longer little guy." He brushed a tear from his cheek, longing for his old friend to reassure him with the series of beeps and chirps that even Revan found difficult to understand at times.
He stood and took a step toward the galaxy map, locking in his destination once more before inserting his datapad into the navicomputer. The machine let out a short chirp in confirmation as the HK unit's coordinates registered in its system. The Hawk's engines roared to life, Revan felt the momentum push against him slightly before he regained his balance, watching as the seemingly small planet grew larger. He sat in the pilot's chair once more, moving his focus along the different display screens across the dashboard. The large station grew closer; Revan took control of the ship and guided it towards one of the smaller, more inconspicuous hangars.
The ship drifted through the MagCon field unphased, lowering itself to the station floor. Revan lowered the boarding the ramp and gazed out the cockpit viewport, scanning the immediate area for anything bearing resemblance to the rusty red durasteel droid that he so often associated himself with.
It was several minutes before Revan found himself inside the station itself. He constantly scanned the crowd in an attempt to find the HK unit.
One of these days I'm gonna just start having my contacts carry a giant sign, I mean this is just getting ridiculous.
Revan found it interesting enough that eventually the droid was one who would find him. He turned around as the unit tapped his shoulder, "Finally, I thought you would be waiting for me in the hangar."
"I said I would find you, I never said I would wait for you. Follow me, Master. I'll take you to the "meeting." The droid turned toward the speeder platform, continuing to feign his role as a mere Protocol Droid. Revan followed closely, trying to remain inconspicuous despite the glares from the occasional bystander he would receive. Muuns weren't used to outsiders being brought to their home planet.
HK-51 took control of a speeder; Revan took his own seat next to him. It wasn't long before they were in the air; he watched the landscape drift by as he listened to the hum of the engine.
Revan leaned back in the seat, his impatience creeping up on him. He was never any good at waiting. He leaned over the layer of cushioning as a small building crept up in his field of view, growing closer. He clasped his hands together, making his presence in the Force known for only a fraction of a second. If Plagueis knew he was coming, then Revan could expect a much more challenging fight ahead of him. It took a few seconds, however he eventually felt a presence. An extremely dark presence. It was growing, and fast. The air around him grew cold. He sensed hatred, anger, and hunger. Not the kind of thing you had when you smelled a chunk of roast nerf, but the kind that only the truly evil things in the universe wanted. The hunger was strong, but it wasn't for power. No, Revan could sense what Plagueis really wanted. Revenge.
The hum of the speeder's engine grew quieter as it approached the estate, coming to a stop as it closed the distance with the platform. He stepped out from his seat, pulling himself over the edge of the speeder onto the landing pad.
"Take the speeder back to the skyhook and bring the Hawk into low orbit, just in case we have to leave in a hurry. As impolite as it is." He let the trenchcoat drop to the floor, displaying his lightsabers as he took a stride toward the door, the durasteel locks parting for him.
So he's expecting me. Good. I like when people know it's time to lay out the Welcome mat. Helps to get over the awkward moment sooner.
The hallways were filled with a strange assortment of trinkets, relics, and creatures that Revan almost found disturbing. He could hear laughter coming from further within the estate. Naturally, he decided to follow the sound. Strange, Dooku had said that Plagueis had worn a transpirator mask during the last years of his public life. Yet Revan couldn't associate the mechanical filtration that came as a result of wearing such a device. Had Plagueis found a way to survive without the mask? No, that was impossible. The best cloners in the galaxy were capable of synthesizing living tissue, but none of them had found a way resuscitate the cells and regenerate it.
"Revan." Plagueis called out to him. That wasn't possible, how could he have figured it out?
"How do you know who I am?"
"I know many things- many secrets of the ancient order you and I were once part of."
"I'm sure you do. And I bet many of them stem from the teachings of my holocron." Revan placed his back against the wall giving him a clear view of the hallway, lightsabers in hand.
"I have no intention of harming you, put your weapons away." Plagueis laughed, but something about it didn't seem sane, "No no no. I, I can help you. And in return, you can give me what I desire most!" The laughter echoed through the hall once more. Revan listened intently; there was no hint of mechanized vocalization.
"And why would I help you? After all, you're Sith. Betrayal is a work hazard, why would I involve myself in that again?" he questioned.
"Sith... No. I am no Sith, Revan. I lost that title a long time ago. Almost thirteen years. And for thirteen years I have waited. Biding my time, and watching as my own plan was used by weaklings!"
"Let me guess? Sidious. He betrayed you."
"Sidious!" Plagueis stated the name with nothing but pure hatred, "He took everything from me. My title, my wealth of knowledge, and how does he repay me? By trying to kill me in my druken stupor. I made him what he is! Shaped him for his role in things."
Revan stepped into the main room, eyeing every corner and piece of furniture in search of the Muun. "Well, that's too bad. I know how you feel."
"I... appreciate your feign in concern, but it's unnecessary. Can we just get back to why you're here?" Plagueis emerged from another hallway; no doubt he had been standing there the entire time. He pulled his hood back and Revan found himself staring at the scar across his throat.
"How... I thought you wore a transpirator mask?" Revan inquired, still grasping his lightsabers.
Plagueis nodded at him slowly, "I did, for several years in fact. At first, I actually needed it, however I was careless, and didn't notice that after some time I no longer had any use for it. It wasn't until after that night when Sidious had supposedly killed me that I had learned. I woke up a few days later in a Coruscant morgue, the scars from Sidious' Force Lightning had healed, and I was breathing without assistance." he advanced toward Revan, "It was then that I realized that I had done it. I had finally achieved my goal of immortality."
Revan's eyes went wide as Plagueis continued stepping towards him, the blades of his lightsabers hummed to life. The Muun raised his hands, palms outward.
"You can lower your blades. I don't intend to hurt you. If I did, you would be dead already." Plagueis boasted.
Revan smiled, "Care to put that theory to the test?"
The Muun hesitated before he pulled a large lightsaber hilt from the inner foldings of his cloak, "If you need this test, then alright."
The crimson blade hummed to life, Plagueis wasted no time in starting the duel. Revan crossed his blades to deflect the attack with barely enough time to spare. Plagueis continued his offensive with a barrage of slashes, and horizontal chops. Each time Revan found himself barely able to react in time. He channeled the Force into his off-hand and attempted to blast Plagueis across the room. Although he didn't get quite the reaction he expected, Revan still managed to knock the Muun off balance. He lunged at the confused former Sith, his main-hand lightsaber held over-head at shoulder length.
Revan touched down on the floor for a fraction of a second, but he quickly noticed the lack of floor beneath his feet as well as being unable to move. He locked eyes with Plagueis moments before he was thrown against the wall, both lightsabers being dislodged from his grasp, the short hum as they deactivated followed immediately.
The Sith Lord released his grip, and watched as Revan fell to the floor. He raised his lightsaber over his head and brought it within a hair's width of Revan's face where it glowed with imminent menace.
The Muun opened his mouth to boast his victory but he gaped like a fish instead of looking smug when Revan reacted. The former Sith Lord extended his right hand and grabbed the energy blade, his face straining with effort but otherwise totally fine.
"How in the galaxy…?" Plagueis gasped out in shock as Revan threw his lightsaber away from his grasp with his hand not even hot.
Revan jumped backwards to put some distance between them and wiped the sweat from his forehead. Then he smirked. "Force Protection," He answered. "Really hard to pull off but it grants me near-invulnerability for as long as I can channel the energy and concentration."
Darth Plagueis had a blank expression for a couple of seconds before he roared in laughter. "You truly are a living legend, Revan. I am glad my visions don't seem to be deceiving me."
Revan almost didn't listen to that because it finally dawned to his senses that Plagueis was practically as powerful as he was. The Muun wasn't only far darker than Revan at this point; his Dark Side presence almost felt like a black hole of the dark side he had only felt in the Sith Emperor. And yet, the Sith Emperor lived for over thirteen-hundred years and used essence transfer when all else failed to dodge death. Plagueis on the other hand had probably been alive for just under a century but somehow seemed wiser in the Dark side than the Emperor had ever been. The Emperor achieved his semi-immortality through massive Force drain; effective but limited. But Plagueis seemed to have cracked the code that separated mortals from gods.
Despite, the terrible implications, that excited Revan. Regardless of whether or not he could learn the same thing Revan had almost never encountered a situation where he could go all out; to face an opponent that can take everything he has in him and then some. Plagueis may be immortal but Revan suddenly became determined to test the limits of his immortal body.
"It's obvious that this contest can't be decided by our skill with a lightsaber…but with our mastery over the Force," Revan declared as he raised his palms.
Plagueis nodded and smirked in relish. "Indeed. Let us test our mettle. From one Sith Legend to another," He added and raised his palms as well.
The former dark lord channeled his power building it within his lungs preparing a powerful variant of the Force Scream in an attempt to paralyze his foe. Revan sensed the power building, he splayed his hand wide as a beam of Force Energy absorbing Plagueis as his strength was sapped to replenish the middle-aged human.
Plagueis leaned against the wall, he was drained, but he wasn't defeated. Revan called upon the Force to distort his surroundings, camoflaging him from his opponent before concealing himself in the Force, blocking the Muun's ability to detect him.
Plagueis looked around frantically before leaping in the air and unleashing a powerful Force Wave, vaporizing everything within reach. The blast caught Revan off-guard, forcing him to decloak and concentrate his efforts once more on the Force Protection technique. Revan performed a series of backflips, both legends locked eyes for a short moment.
As if on cue, both opponents fired blasts of Force lightning, their massive energy colliding in a lightning lock and making the floor beneath them tremble. The lightning cackled as it danced together, the energy began pulsing outward in a terrible shockwave. Slowly a sphere of pure Force energy began to grow. Both combatants channeled as much energy as they possibly had in reserve into a single attack.
Revan could feel his power draining, he couldn't keep this up forever. The torrent of Force Energy continued to grow, objects around the room were consumed, only adding to it's massive size. Lightning began to cackle around the outside, both Revan's and Plagueis' eyes went wide with the sudden realization.
The pair watched as the energy ball released itself in it's purest form, sending both combatants colliding with opposite walls. The explosion left a deafening ringing sound in both their ears, Revan was certain he had shattered an ear drum upon feeling the blood trickle down from his right ear. He looked around the room, trying to inspect the damage he had just inflicted to his opponent's home. Shattered glass glinted in the light, scorch and singe marks were still smoking along the walls and remaining furniture.
Revan watched as Plagueis tried to stand up, clutching his ribs. The Muun winced in pain, he must've cracked a few of them. Revan brought himself to rest on his knees as he entered a healing trance. The sound of crackling fire soon filled he now repaired ear drum. He expected Plagueis to be behind the attack and snapped his eyes open, conjuring a Force Barrier to protect himself. However Plagueis remained cross-legged across the room.
"As I said, Revan. I could have killed you if I wanted to." Plagueis lifted himself to his feet before calling out for his lightsaber to return to his hand. Revan did the same, preparing for round two, however Plagueis simply stashed the hilt within the folds of his cloak.
"Alright, I may be stubborn, but I'll admit you're more than a match for me. Although I do have a question. How did you know I was coming?" Revan inquired.
"In my solitude I spend much of my time meditating. I know it is rare among the Sith, though not as rare as in your time, but I did witness a vision. A vision of you Revan. You made your glorious return to the Galaxy. My former apprentice fell at your feet, your rule was absolute." Plagueis continued, "I understand how it may sound strange coming from a Sith. But, I understand that the Force has a larger plan for all of us. The Force may have a destiny for me, but I'm not going to lie down and accept my fate until I get there. No, I will control my actions. That makes sense, right?"
"It does, it also sounds reasonable, and I'm glad you seem as reasonable as your former apprentice's former apprentice." Revan remained on his guard, though it would do him little good. Plagueis was stronger than him, and he knew it now.
Plagueis cocked his head, "Sidious' former apprentice? What do you mean?"
"Your old pal sent his servant to kill me. But he was neither strong enough, and thankfully he was smart enough. His Sith name was Darth Tyranus. But to the greater public he's known as Count Dooku." Revan explained.
"Dooku? So Sidious has lost one of his greatest assets? Good. Now, we can discuss this at length later on, but there must be something you want that I have. Just as you have something that I want." Plagueis said impatiently.
"You would be correct." Revan crossed his arms, "I'm raising an army. Though nothing really concrete has shown up yet, but that's beside the point. I can secure starships and battle droids, but I am going to need much more than that. I want you to join me, despite how little I trust you but, more importantly when the time comes, I want you to fund our operations. As I said, I can secure the starships, but I need weapons and armor."
Plagueis hesitated, "It will be a challenge. Moving the large sums of credits without drawing attention that is. But- you have a deal, as long as you give me what I want."
"And what is it that you want?"
"It is quite simple, Revan. Revenge. I want revenge." The Muun smiled maliciously.
AN: And so Darth Plagueis returns. No doubt Sidious is in for a few surprises. But next time, we turn our attention back to the Star Forge, but that's gonna have to wait a bit. Now that Chapter 10 has been completed, I shall be returning to the story's roots and revamping Chapters 1/2/3 in order to make them a bit more descriptive and coherent. Once that's done, I will turn my attention to Chapter 11. Until next time!
-CaptainCakeless117