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Chapter 27

Revan held his breath as he was carefully applying the Kinrath venom to the wound on his right shoulder. He was holding a leather belt between his teeth when the green, dense liquid made the contact with his skin. It seemed that his skin was lit on fire. The poison caused him to shut his eyes tightly and clench his teeth. If he didn't have the leather belt, he would be screaming, or he would crush his teeth. He felt a small tear making its way down his cheek. When the pain subsided, he opened his eyes and blinked few times in order to get rid of the wetness that formed in them.

Revan looked down on his shoulder. The Kinrath venom caused, even more, pain than disinfecting the wound with kolto, but it was bringing some results. Constant sanitizing the gash made it look less threatening than back on Dantooine. At least nobody fluids were draining from it. The wound looked much more sterile right now. The flesh around it wasn't fiercely red anymore, but it had a more faded shade of red. The scab was covering the spot where Rakghoul's claws made the contact with his skin. The wound has also dwindled in size, but it was far from mending.

Revan dropped the leather belt that he was holding with his teeth. The pain has subsided to the point where it was endurable. He has done everything that he could for the time being, and now he could only wait and pray that it was enough. According to the instruction he had found in the Archives on Dantooine, the Kinrath venom was fairly good to temporarily stop the Rakghoul poison from spreading through his bloodstream. It gave him some additional time for finding the ingredients that were necessary to create the antidote. But that didn't mean that he could rest peacefully. He was already feeling the effects of the Rakghoul venom in his body. He felt something odd building inside of him, and his fighting skills have lessened drastically. He noticed that his moves started to be much more clumsy and uncoordinated – something that was never happening before.

Revan picked up a pile of bandages that were soaked in kolto and tied them carefully around his right shoulder. The substance didn't cause pain anymore because the wound was sterile already. It took him some time to disinfect it, but finally, it was done. The bandages weren't necessary anymore, but it was better to play it safe and protect the wound from reopening. The former Dark Lord lifted his head when he felt someone else in his quarters.

Just as he expected, there was Bastila, standing at the doorframe. She was leaning against it. The woman had a small, lazy smile on her face, and a hazy stare – the evident sign that she had just woken up. Her arms were crossed on her chest, and she was wearing something that looked like the covers from her bed. It was obvious that she wasn't wearing much underneath them.

"What are you doing here?" Revan asked when he noticed the Jedi Padawan. The previous day they have fallen asleep together in her quarters, but the man had to sneak out from Bastila's room and head towards his own quarters.

"I woke up when I have suddenly felt cold, and I was searching for my favorite pillow, only to realize that it's not there. When I have opened my eyes I noticed that it was true, and in fact, no one was in my quarters. It was then when I felt the pain coming to me through the Bond you and I share, so I went to find you, and here I am" she explained with somewhat bored tone. She walked fully into Revan's quarters and closed the door behind herself. "You must realize that you cannot hide everything from me, Rev. I will sense it, sooner or later."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up."

"It's alright if you care to explain what you're doing" she replied, sitting next to the man on his bed. Revan let out a small sigh. "You owe me the explanation, don't you remember?"

"I remember" he muttered quietly.

"So?" she encouraged him.

"Back on Taris, before we rescued you, we have encountered some strange creatures" Revan began. "During the fight with them, I have accidentally got wounded. In the beginning, I thought it was nothing, but, with the passing of the time, I realized that it was something more dangerous. It began to grow, change colors and it pained terribly. This and Mission has told me that these creatures are, or rather, were, highly poisonous. Do you remember when you found me in the Archives on Dantooine?" he asked, and, after receiving a confirmatory nod, he continued. "I was searching there for some information concerning these creatures. Amongst many other recommendations, it was written that I will be needing a different venom, in order to defeat the first one. That's why I did what I did with the Kinraths."

"Well, that explains a lot" Bastila commented after a moment of silence. "Including the bandages on your shoulder."

"So you've noticed?"

"We've been making out in my bed, practically naked for few hours. It's as clear as day that I would notice it."

"And yet, you've said nothing about that," he said, teasing her.

"Let's just say that I had something much more important to attend to" Bastila replied with a dreamy smile. She ran a hand through his hair. Revan closed his eyes in delight.

Bastila smiled at the man's reactions at her touch. His hair, normally pulled backward, were now in a mess, and they were sticking out in every direction. The woman was contemplating about how soft they actually were – it was something that always intrigued her. And Revan's reactions at her touch only encouraged her to do more. She moved her hand from his hair lower to his chin that was covered in stubble. Revan always took care to reduce the length of his facial hair, but he wasn't shaving every day. And a small stinging certainly didn't bother her.

Revan was on cloud nine at that time. Bastila's actions always caused him to relax, and this time was no different. He smiled dreamily, just as his beloved one, and closed his eyes in delight. When he was checking the time on Kashyyyk on his datapad, it showed that there were left few hours till the morning. Perhaps they could enjoy themselves before their mission, and…

Revan, a voice in his head whispered. The man opened his eyes and moved away from Bastila's touch. The young Jedi looked at him with concern and something that resembled hurt in her eyes.

"Did you say something?" he asked with a concern in his voice.

"No" Bastila replied simply, and continued her actions. She leaned now closer to him in order to kiss the man who was sitting with her on the bed. Revan met her in a halfway.

Their lips and tongues were fighting for dominance, while Bastila's hands were making their way through his hair. Revan in response moved his hands to the young Padawan's sides, tickling her in that particular spot. She smiled against his lips at his action. The former Dark Lord moved his palms to the edge of the bed sheets that covered her form, and opened them a little, making contact with her skin. It caused Bastila to gasp slightly.

Revan said the same voice. Revan again moved away from Bastila, earning a disappointed sigh from Bastila.

"What is it?" she whispered lightly at him.

"Can we move this for later?" he asked, and, without waiting for the response, stood up, leaving Bastila with her mouth wide opened. She watched without understanding as Revan put on his shirt and left his quarters, heading towards the back of the ship.

Revan wiped his face. He couldn't get enough sleep, and, when he had an opportunity to get some rest with the woman he loved, something had to get in his way, as usual. And everything he wanted to do right now was to find out who it was who refused to give him the five minutes in paradise with Bastila that he deserved.

Revan, the voice repeated for the third time. It was a familiar voice and was coming from nowhere particular. Revan wondered for a moment if it was Malak who contacted him. That was somewhat unreal, but not impossible. After all, they used to have a deep connection between each other. It was possible that the current Dark Lord of the Sith tried to find him through their shattered bond.

I'm not Malak, the voice whispered. Revan stopped in his trucks. He sat down in the cargo hold and closed his eyes. He drifted with his thoughts to the spot where the voice was coming from.


"You have no idea how difficult it was to find you and make contact with you" the voice that turned out to belong to Master Vandar said. Revan was watching the spot in front of him where the small, green alien has suddenly materialized. As usual, he was walking with the support of the wooden stick.

"What is it so serious that you contact me, Master?" Revan asked. Even if it was happening in his mind, or Vandar's mind, it resembled the real conversation in every matter. He had to admit it: Master Vandar was great when it came to creating such illusions. He could do something like that, but not at such scale.

"The High Council had a meeting today, arranged by Atris. It concerned you. Vrook has told Atris about everything, amongst other things that you have regained your memories. What the hell have you been thinking when you left him that message?" he asked, almost enraged.

"So he has shown it?"

"Yes, and I can say that it wasn't your best idea, Revan" he replied and he scowled when the younger man only grinned in the response. "I'm not kidding, Revan. If this what you have told me over one month ago is true, you have put it in a great risk. The Council has agreed to one thing. The threat you pose must be removed."

"What? The Council has to be undivided in their decisions. All twelve of you had to agree to it."

"I and Nomi were against it, I swear. But the other ten were unconvinced. Atris, Vrook and the rest have agreed that you must be dealt with."

Revan wiped his face, even if only it was in his imagination. He has never considered the possibility that the Jedi High Council would move to such a thing as a murderer. He didn't know what he was supposed to think about it. The whole situation seemed to be so… unreal.

"So what happens now?" Revan asked. He wasn't smirking anymore. He fully understood the seriousness of the matter he was now in.

"Vrook said that he is going to take care of you. From what I understood from the message you left, that's something that you also want. Revan, the rest of the Council wants you to be dead. In their eyes, we have done a mistake leaving you alive. You are not protected by the Code anymore, Revan. Vrook will not stop at anything in order to deal with you. You must be careful."

"I will be, Master" he muttered. "Is there something else?"

"Be mindful of what you're doing with Bastila. The Code forbids of such attachments, and you know it."

"You cannot hold me to the Jedi rules" he replied, smiling again.

"You're not a Jedi, I know it. But Bastila is a Padawan, and she wants to become a Jedi Knight. I understand your… mutual attraction and relationship, but do not push it further than you already have."

"Of course, Master" he muttered quietly.

"I'll try to contact you again, Revan. Be careful. Vrook will try to find you, and he'll do everything in order to do it. And do not underestimate him. Even if he's old, he still is powerful. And he knows your every move."

"How is that so?"

"You have a spy in your crew. Someone who reports him your doings. You cannot hide from him" the old Jedi Master said, and with that, the connection was broken.


Revan opened his eyes and found himself in the empty cargo hold. He didn't see Bastila leaning against the doorframe, as he expected. He lifted himself up from the floor and walked towards the interior. He felt exhausted. He was sitting up till late at night, working on his wound, and now Master Vandar told him something like that. It was ridiculous. And if it was true what he said about the spy in his crew, he had to hurry his ass in finding the Star Map. Vrook could be already on his way to Kashyyyk, and that would mean that he had no more than ten hours to leave the planet. He wanted to deal with that old fool, but he couldn't do it in the area controlled by the Czerka Corporation.

Revan leaned against the holoprojector that stood in the middle of the interior. He had already an idea of what to do, and now he only had to announce it to the rest of the crew. Or at least a part of his plan.

"What took you so long?" the voice that undoubtedly belonged to Bastila asked. Revan lifted his eyes and saw her entering the interior. She was now fully dressed in her regular, Jedi-unlike robes.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that you were sitting in the cargo hold for few hours" she answered, coming closer to him. When she got close enough to touch him, she embraced him and put a head on his shoulder.

"Few hours?" he asked with disbelief. "To me, it was no more than five minutes."

"Well, but in fact, you were out there for over three hours. I tried to move you, but you didn't react to my touch, nor to my words so I left you where you were."

"What time is it now?"

"The sun is rising. You have a great sense of time."

Revan wiped his face again. It was impossible for such short conversation to last for three hours, wasn't it? And it also lessened the amount of time they had for their mission.

"Wake up the rest of the crew," he said to Bastila. She nodded in response. "We have a lot to do, and we don't have much time."

"And why is that?"

"Because your master is haunting me down."

"What?!" she exclaimed with disbelief.

"That's something I've learned moments ago. I don't know how, but Master Vandar contacted me and told me about it. Apparently, the Jedi Council decided to remove me from their list of threats."

"You're insane" she replied and moved to the living quarters of the Ebon Hawk. In mere minutes everyone was wide awake and in the interior of the ship. They didn't look particularly happy, due to the fact that they were awakened so early. Revan noticed that Mission had an emotionless expression – a testimony that she still hadn't come to terms with the loss of Zaalbar.

"There is a change of plans" Revan announced when everyone was gathered around the holoprojector. "I'm going to the Shadowlands alone," he said. His words brought overall agitation amongst the members of the crew.

"Alone? But you will be…" Fox tried to say but was quickly cut off by Revan.

"I can handle there for myself, I assure you. There is a reason why you must stay here. Czerka has found our ship interesting, and more precisely: few members of our crew. I hate to say it, but Bastila, Mission, and Juhani are in danger. They pose a potential prey for the slavers, as well as Zaalbar. For our luck, or bad luck, his brother has him, but we must rescue him. He's a part of our team, and we're not leaving anyone behind. So as long as we stay on Kashyyyk, no one is allowed to walk alone. I don't care if you are Jedi, thugs or skilled warriors, no one can be alone, understood?" he asked the crew members of the Ebon Hawk. He earned a confirmative nod in response. "Good. I'd rather want you to be all the time in the group, but, eventually, you'll have to separate. I need you to go in couples. Rex, you are responsible for Juhani's safety. Fox, you go with Bastila, and Canderous goes with Mission. Under any circumstances you are forbidden to separate and walk alone" he said, again earning a collective nod. "Carth, Wolfie and T3 stay on the ship, just as it was determined previously. Have the Ebon Hawk prepared for the immediate take-off."

"And what are we supposed to do?" Fox asked after Revan finished giving his orders.

"Your topic mission is to find a way to rescue Zaalbar. When you have it done, I allow you to mess a little Czerka's business here. Try to chase them out from Kashyyyk."

"And have you already found the way to get into the Shadowlands?" Bastila asked. Revan only grinned in response.


The loading ramp of the Ebon Hawk was opened, inviting the fresh, forest air into the ship. Revan launched the engines of the swoop bike that was waiting patiently in the quarters right in front of the entrance to the ship.

The orange swoop bike sprang to life. The engines roared as Revan launched the unused vehicle. It took some time for the former Dark Lord to adjust to the controls of the vehicle.

Bastila watched in silence as Revan was preparing for the take-off. She had a concern look in her eyes and held her arms crossed on her chest. She wasn't particularly fond of the man's idea, but he didn't listen to her, assuring her that he will be alright. But that didn't change the fact that she was worried. The mere idea of traveling to the surface on the swoop bike was threatening since the trees were growing even for a mile up.

"Be careful, please?" Bastila said to him, as Revan moved the swoop bike towards the exit of the Ebon Hawk.

"I will be" he replied, smiling at her warmly. She returned the gesture and moved away from his way. In the next second, he was gone, leaving behind him the blow of the wind, and the roaring sound of the swoop bike.

Revan passed few Czerka Patrol Guards who jumped out from his way. The former Dark Lord headed towards the edge of the landing pad, and flew through it, descending into the Shadowlands. His idea turned out to be easier to say than done. The dense forest almost completely forbade to travel from the crowns of the trees to the surface. The branches were thick and broad – they grew for few meters wide. Revan found it difficult to maneuver between the parts of the trees, but eventually, he was getting accustomed in flying the swoop bike.

Revan's vehicle shuddered violently from a sudden impact. Something that looked like a giant bat hit the swoop bike, causing the former Dark Lord to lose control over the vehicle. After the impact with the Mykal creature, few more hits came along one by one. Revan was now stumbling upon many smaller branches and some other flying creatures.

The man cursed slightly under his breath. It was still left good few hundred meters to the surface, and if he crashed now, he would surely die. The former Dark Lord did his best to keep the smallest amount of the control over the swoop bike, though it came to naught.

The swoop bike shuddered again, this time from hitting the larger branch. Revan forced his sight to look further. The surface was within the reach of his eyes, but still, it was far from his current position. His thoughts were disturbed when he felt the smell of smoke coming to his nostrils. He followed his sense and looked at the back of the vehicle. One of the engines was now lit on fire. The flames were licking the edge of Revan's robe. The former Dark Lord felt the heat coming up his body. He used the Force to lessen the pain, only if just a bit. He had to focus on bringing the swoop bike to the surface of Kashyyyk.

Suddenly, his vehicle shuddered once again, this time far more violently than ever before. It was followed by a somewhat small explosion. Revan looked back again, only to see that the engines have dropped out, and broke apart into pieces against the trees. He cursed even more. He had to survive only two hundred meters of his small journey and he would be on the surface.

Revan lifted up from his sitting position and stood on his seat, preparing for the jump. Without the engines, the probability of making the whole way down was highly impossible. He had to evacuate.

When the branches started to grow even wider and the forest thickened, even more, the surface was getting much closer. Revan slowly let go of the driving controls and brought his hands to the handles of his lightsabers. Just a little moment more…

NOW! He screamed in his mind and leaped forward at the nearest Wroshyr tree. During his time in the air, he ignited his lightsabers and plunged them into the trunk. He made his way down the tree with the help of his blades, but he had to maneuver, in order to avoid the secrets of Kashyyyk's surface.

After a moment of going down the Wroshyr tree, he leaped again, now landing on the hard ground. The forest floor scrunched underneath his feet. The smaller branches, dried leafs, some dead corpses created an amazing intruder alarm. With every move of his feet, the surface let out a series of different sounds. Revan looked around. He had to keep his attention for any potential threats. Even if he was a Jedi, and the Sith Lord, the Kashyyyk hid many terrifying secrets, many of which even the Jedi Council feared.

Despite the fact that the sun has risen already, it was still dark here on the surface, and the gleaming of the lightsabers didn't help very much. But nevertheless, it was better than nothing.

"I've reached the surface" he spoke to his wrist communicator, not waiting for the response.

"I didn't think I would meet you here again."


Bastila was watching with concern in her eyes the place where Revan disappeared on the swoop bike. She grew even more worried when she heard a quiet echo of an explosion that was followed by the fire that appeared somewhere near the surface. Immediately she reached to her communicator, trying to contact Revan. Despite her efforts, no one on the other side replied.

Bastila began pacing back and forth against the wooden barrier. She tried to reach Revan with the Force, but the Kashyyyk's life didn't allow her to do so much. The only comfort was that she was still feeling Revan on the other side of their Bond, though it was weak.

"I've reached the surface" a voice in her communicator said. Bastila almost jumped at the sudden sound. At first, she was standing there without understanding, but then the words made their way to her mind. Revan was alive. This thought comforted her.

"Be careful" she responded to her communicator, though she wasn't sure if Revan received it.

"Come on, Princess," a voice behind her said. Bastila turned around to see Fox approaching her. "He can take care of himself, and we have work to do. Better let's hurry."

Bastila complied and walked from the edge of the landing pad. The crew of the Ebon Hawk was gathered in front of the ship, except the pilots and the astromechanical unit who remained inside. Everyone had their weapons at ready –three soldiers held their blasters prepare to fire, and the two Jedi had their lightsabers resting patiently against their thighs. Mission had two simple blaster pistols hid on her hips.

Bastila looked around, searching for what Revan said earlier. The Czerka Patrol Guards indeed were eyeing them carefully –something she hadn't noticed earlier. Even if the employees tried to be discrete, it was noticeable that they were preparing different kinds of weapons. She gulped unwillingly. A mere thought of slavery caused her to shiver.

"Hurry up" their communicators spoke. This time it was Wolfie. "In few hours we're leaving Kashyyyk. If anyone is lost, he stays."

"Let's go" Rex announced, moving towards the exit of the landing pad. The wooden floor was cracking under his every move. The group of five followed him closely behind – everyone, unwillingly, moved to the person he was assigned. Bastila chuckled slightly at that. This only proved Revan's abilities as a leader.

"So, you've served under him in the Mandalorian Wars?" Bastila asked quietly, keeping her voice low. Fox smiled at that.

"We've talked about that already, Princess" he replied, teasing her. "When we were on Coruscant after the Taris Campaign, remember?"

"I do" she answered quietly, slightly ashamed.

"But, answering your question, I have. Just as Rex and Wolfie. I remember it, as it would have happened yesterday: that day when we took him, Malak and Meetra on the Republic frigate. We were the ones to escort him. It was then, when we've seen you the first time, as you ran up to the transport ship, and ordered him to take you with him" he said, earning a small smile from Bastila.

"What caused you to be so loyal to him?" she asked the question that was always in the back of her mind.

"The victory in the battle of Corelia" he replied simply. "In the entire Republic fleet, everyone ignored his commands, except for the small group of people. I was the loudest one to question his orders, but it all changed when he did something impossible."

"And what is that?"

"He defeated the Mandalorians over the planet of Corelia. Before he joined the Republic forces, we haven't won a single battle. Corelia was the turning point of the War. In our eyes, it was impossible to win that combat, and many of us wanted to retreat deeper into the Core Worlds – I was one of them. But Revan said we fight, even if we all thought that it was a lost battle. I have no idea how he did it, but he earned us the victory. We had a hard time pocketing our own pride and apologizing him. Amongst the wreckages of the Mandalorian ships I, Rex and Wolfie made a promise to follow him everywhere. Since that day we were with him in his every battle, never surrendering. It was hard" he added with a smile. "But fighting under him is something that every soldier would dream of. His tactic skills allowed us to win the War and to move so deep into the Republic in the next one."

"Why have you even turned on the Republic in the first place?" Bastila asked the question that the entire Galaxy wanted to get an answer for. The hero of the Mandalorian Wars suddenly turned on the very Republic he swore to protect – it was a mystery for everyone, including Bastila.

"Ask your lover" Fox replied. "To be honest, I have no idea why. One day he just said that we attack the Republic. We didn't have any second thoughts – there was no time for having them. We simply followed our orders, as the soldiers would do."

"He didn't say why?"

"No" he simply replied. "He turned everyone down when we asked him the question about it. We didn't know his motives or purposes. We only had to conquer the Republic."

"And now you're helping to save it," Bastila said with a victorious grin.

"Save it?" he repeated with a mocking tone. "We're following Revan, Princess. Whatever he has planned, it is far from saving the Republic."

"What do you mean?"

"Ask your lover."


And so the another chapter is finished. Leave a favorite, follow it and write your thoughts about this chapter and the whole story itself. The reviews really help me, and reading them gives me just as much pleasure as reading the 'Price of the Sacrifice' gives you (at least I hope that you enjoy it XD). Stay tuned for the next updates and I ask you to leave your proposition and thoughts as the reviews! See you next time!