Replying to the comment: JourneyRocks13 I get it that you wanted no one to be captured but how I did this will make this story more dramatic and that's what I'm aiming for. After all, this is the war, isn't it? In later chapters, you will find out why it was important for me to make things happen the way they did. And I'm sorry for a delay but currently I'm not passing this semester (I'm threatened from 3 school subjects XD) but fortunately, I've managed to find some time to sit down to it. And I hope I'll make amends to you by the length of this chapter. Also, after receiving a few 'one-sided' opinions about the first few chapters of this story, I think I will rewrite them somehow in order to make them more presumable but I can't promise anything.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Chapter 42
"Get up!" Revan said angrily. After dispatching the Sith soldiers he moved on to the securities of the rest of the cages. The crew of the Ebon Hawk was still semi-conscious after being electrocuted. Revan walked up to them, pulling each one up roughly. The anger he used to set himself free didn't subside in the least. If anything, it has only escalated.
Not being forced to focus himself anymore he allowed himself to cough violently. After being held back for so long, the cough lasted for a solid minute before it began to calm down. When his breathing returned to normal he found himself directly in front of Bastila, facing her. The effect of the electrical torture was still visible on her as she was shaking every now and then but her overall appearance, combined with the painful look in her eyes said one thing: betrayal. It was written all over her face and Revan could see it clearly. She felt betrayed by him. Again.
"Let's move on," he said, deciding not to talk to her about it now. They had much more serious matter at hand which was escaping the Leviathan. "Wolf, Rex, you know the layout of the ship. Lead the others to the Ebon Hawk. I and Fox will storm the bridge. We'll have to disable their tractor beams if we want to escape. We'll rendezvous with you in the hangar."
"I'm coming with you," Bastila said immediately, leaving no place for arguments. Revan looked at her sternly but nodded in agreement.
"You must be messed up to think I'll take any orders from you!" Carth yelled, picking himself up after the imprisonment. "I should shove the bullet in between your eyes here and now!"
"Just try it" Rex dared him while reloading a blaster rifle that he took from the soldier's corpse.
"Face it, Carth" Revan replied, trying to contain himself. His eyes were still sickly yellow. "You are outnumbered. You can kill me now and try to solve how to escape or trust me, pocket your own pride and leave the Leviathan. But take into account that if you kill me, you won't survive the escape." As if in confirmation of his words, Rex, Fox, and Wolfie stood behind him, indicating who they were loyal to.
"I won't leave you for a split second" the pilot warned. "Whatever you'll do, I'll be there, watching you."
"Save your anger for Karath" Revan replied. "I did nothing that affected you personally. It was Malak and Saul who led the bombardment of Telos. My hands are clear in that matter."
"Resigned statement:" Everyone almost jumped up after hearing HK-47 speaking behind their backs. "Ah, Master, you've left nothing for me." One corner of Revan's lips curled up slightly.
"I apologize, HK, but I couldn't simply wait for you. I believe you had fun"
"Affirmation: Oh yes indeed, Master. There used to be plenty of meatbags out there but I found a better purpose for their pathetic existences. They proved to be the amazing shooting targets. It's a pity they were of a one-time use." Revan laughed slightly at that.
"Go with the others to the hangar, HK."
"Objection: Master, long ago I've learned that being in your company guarantees the most fun. I insist to go with you."
"No, HK. The fewer of us have a bigger chance of getting to the bridge quickly. And trust me, you'll have fun if you go with the others to the hangar. Our ship is heavily guarded and you know what it means." HK's eyes glimmered after hearing this.
"Commentary: This should be fun." With that, the droid walked out form the prison block; clanking of the heavy footsteps was what remained after him.
"What are you waiting for?" Revan asked the others. "Go to the hangar! I want to leave this ship as soon as possible."
They didn't need to be told twice. After gathering their belongings, they walked out from their cell, making their way through the prison block. On their way, they encountered many Sith corpses – the remnants of HK's path towards their cell. The crew of the Ebon Hawk passed countless cells – full or empty – and none of them paid any attention to the prisoners despite the fact that they were trying to get the group to release them. But one of the prisoners, though, stroke a chord with Revan. It made him stop in his tracks.
Inside was laying an unconscious man. It was as clear as day that he went through a lot. But Revan recognized this man. He wasn't someone easy to forget. This and the fact that this man was working for him.
The man was Atton Rand, nicknamed Jaq.
"Hold on," Revan said to the group. "Looks like we've got someone here."
"Jaq?" Rex asked after the cell's security was turned off; it took him a few solid moments to recognize him. The man did not respond in any way.
"Wake up, assassin," Revan said, kicking him slightly in the side. This caused Atton to move slightly. "Wake up" Revan repeated, escalating his words with the Force. This achieved the intended effect.
"Wha… what do you want again?" Atton mumbled.
"I want you to get up, murderer" Revan replied. Atton lifted his head to look at the man who said that. His eyes widened in shock.
"No, it's impossible" he mumbled, shaking his head. "I must be still under the influence of something. You are dead."
"Keep saying that" Revan replied with a small smile. "Many would want me to be that way. Rex" he addressed his soldier. "Take Atton with you to the Ebon Hawk. Make sure he receives the medical treatment as soon as possible."
"It will be done" Rex replied. "Help me to get him up," he said to Canderous. The two proceeded to pick up the still semi-conscious Atton. They put his hands on their shoulders, keeping him between them. This way they dragged him from the prison cell. After leaving the prison block, the group parted ways. The most of the crew of the Ebon Hawk followed HK whose footsteps were still clearly hearable in the empty corridor.
"Come on," Revan said to the three who remained with him. "We haven't much time."
"Revan," Bastila said quietly, addressing her husband. He stopped in his tracks, allowing Fox and Carth to pass him. Revan's soldier was on the lead as he knew the layout of the ship perfectly well.
"Bastila" he replied, trying to keep his voice as peaceful as possible. The anger was still dwelling inside of him. She reached out with her hand to rest it on his face. Her fingers touched his left cheek, just beneath his eye that was still sickly yellow. He brushed off her hand.
"We'll talk later," he said, doing his best to make the anger in his voice undetectable. "Hurry up. The sooner we get off this ship, the better."
Bastila said nothing to this. She could only comply. So she followed her husband and the two soldiers. It was still difficult for her to fully comprehend what has happened back in the prison block. She knew that Revan wasn't guiltless during his time as the Dark Lord. She was fully aware that even if Telos IV wasn't his order, the conquer of the other planets along the Outer and Inner Rim was his responsibility. But she refused to believe that he was responsible for the countless Jedi disappearing from the Order.
She heard what was happening to those captured by the Sith. The technique called 'One Week' became well known amongst the Republic and the Jedi Order. There were few Padawans who managed to escape from the Sith or were simply released just to scare others off. Pointless to say that it worked.
"The bridge is that way," Revan said, pointing towards the corridor in front of them. They've already caught up with Carth and Fox.
"We won't be able to walk through this corridor," Fox said. "The Sith patrols are larger here than anywhere else on the ship. The main power conduit is placed in this area."
"And this is exactly why we must go this way" Revan countered. "If we shut down the conduit, the Intel staff won't be able to track us down."
"And we'll inform them that we've escaped."
"Do you have a better plan, then?" Revan asked, slightly annoyed.
"We could always use the airshafts." Revan smiled at that.
"That could work."
"Admiral! Admiral!"
"What is it, Lieutenant?"
"We've received a distressed signal from the prison block. It appears that some of our prisoners have managed to escape from their cells."
"What?!" Admiral yelled angrily. "Put on the security camera records, now!"
The Intel Officer clicked quickly few buttons on the computer terminal. In the result, the screen showed the live footage of the prison block. Saul glanced through the different camera images, sacrificing only a split second to check the prisoners. In his hurry, he passed the image of the cells that now were empty but should be filled. He quickly pressed the opposite button that returned the camera image to the previous one. What he saw terrified him to the very bone.
"Shut down all the corridors" Saul ordered. "Double the patrols, send all the soldiers you can and the Dark Jedi! We must find them at all cost! If we don't, Lord Malak will surely be… disappointed with us and I'm pretty sure that it's something none of us would want to happen."
"Admiral?"
"What is it, Lieutenant?"
"The main hangar is under heavy attack. It appears we've found our missing prisoners." Admiral breathed out with a relief.
"Do we have the live footage from the hangar?"
"Yes, Admiral. We have checked already how many are leading the attack. There is six of them, a man dragged by the others and two droids.
Admiral paled visibly. Six, he repeated in his mind. That meant that four of the group wasn't with them. And if they weren't heading for the hangar, then…
"Seal the bridge" Admiral said quietly.
"Admiral?"
"Seal the bridge, now!" Karath yelled. He had all rights to be scared. Only when Revan was under the influence of the neural disruptor and locked in the cage, the Admiral did not fear him. He wasn't a coward but he wasn't also a fool. Everyone sane at least respected Revan for his many abilities and Saul was amongst these people. Which is why now he was more terrified than ever in his life.
"Why do we always have to go through the air shaft?" Bastila queried, not directing her question to anyone particularly.
"Ask the Dark Lord" Carth replied as they were climbing the narrow shaft, nullifying the sheet metal sound with the Force. Revan pretended to ignore Carth's hateful tone. Since they escaped from the prison block, Carth continued to make some astringent comments concerning Revan's past. Considering the seriousness of the situation they found themselves in, such thing was highly immature.
"This was a necessity on Taris and I find this way of traveling entertaining" Revan replied, struggling to say this as the physical effort combined with a cough that threatened to take his breathing away were taking their toll on him. Bastila huffed after hearing this, as much as she could.
"And how do you know which way to go?" Carth asked; the suspicion was as clear as day in his voice.
"I've designed this ship," Revan said plainly. "I've designed the ships, the starfighters, the soldiers' armors. Pretty much everything."
No one said anything after that. Their path through the air shaft would have been long since noticed if Bastila and Revan didn't use the Force to nullify the sounds of the sheet metal. Thanks to this, they were able to move through the ship without attracting the attention of the patrols. It was exhausting, of course, but Revan was sure that with the current level of his breathing problems, he wouldn't be able to fight for a long time. Defeating the neural disruptor was difficult enough for him in his current state, let alone fighting.
"I think it's here," Fox said after a dozen or so minutes of traveling.
"Are you sure?" Revan asked one of his most trusted soldiers.
"In eighty percent" Fox replied, rubbing his forehead. "I'm pretty sure that this shaft was leading towards the bridge level and I think we've reached it already."
"Well, let's see then," Revan said, taking his lightsaber from his belt. Igniting the red lightsaber, he pierced it through the thin layer of the sheet metal, cutting the hole large enough for a man to fit in it.
Luckily, or with the help of the Force, it turned out to be their destination. They managed to pass most of the soldiers, what didn't mean that the corridors that were leading to the bridge remained unguarded. Though what Revan recalled from his time as the Dark Lord that the corridors around the bridge weren't so heavily protected.
"Come out," he said to the rest of their small team after leaving the air shaft. Revan was currently standing in the empty, dimly lit corridor. Recalling all the knowledge he had about the Interdictor-class cruisers, he tried to locate their position on the ship and which way they had to go to reach the bridge.
"Your assumption was correct," Revan said to Fox, patting him lightly on the shoulder. "This is the bridge level."
"Good to know" he replied, taking the two blaster rifles from Carth who was now trying to get out off the air shaft what, after over one hundred and fifty meters of climbing, wasn't an easy task. After putting the weapons aside, Fox helped the pilot to get into the corridor.
The last one was Bastila. Revan helped her to get out as Carth was picking himself up after the physical effort, cracking few bones in his spine as well as in his neck. Bastila gladly accepted the hand that was pulled out in her direction. With Revan's help, she managed to get out from the air shaft and proceeded to stretch her pained arms and legs.
"Lead the way, my Lord" Carth said in a mocking tone, reloading his twin pistols.
"With pleasure, Onasi" Revan replied, taking first few steps in the direction on the left from the air shaft. "Be careful. Patrols are much smaller and rarer here than anywhere else in the ship but we can still jump into one."
"And why is that?" Bastila queried.
"Most of the soldiers are located at the base of the ship's tower" Revan replied, satisfying her curiosity. "It is like that simply because there is allegedly only one way to the bridge – the lift. By placing several dozen patrols around the lift entrance, one can be sure that the way to the bridge is secured. Also with this tactic the spare patrols can reinforce other in case of the assault on the ship or create an impregnable shield, giving those on the bridge the necessary time to escape."
"And how could they escape if they don't head for the hangar?"
"There is an additional room with the escape pods right next to the bridge. Those pods are reserved only for the bridge's staff. Thanks to this solution, my men were able to abandon the bridge when you carried the assault on my ship above the Sernpidal."
This satisfied Bastila's curiosity for now and she spoke no more. They walked through the empty corridor in silence.
Their way towards the bridge turned out to be much less problematic than they expected. Encountering only a few lonely soldiers, they were able to make their way towards their destination rather quickly.
"The door is sealed from the inside" Fox stated the obvious.
"Which means that Admiral is aware of our prison break. Step away" Revan said to the others while unclipping his two lightsabers from his belt. Igniting both blades simultaneously, he proceeded to cut his way through the thick durasteel door. It turned out to be easier said than done. The material was durable and thick, having the gage of six inches and Revan's strength was disappearing quickly. Despite that, he managed to cut a circular like opening in the door.
Focusing himself, he pulled back his right arm and pushed it against the cut out piece of the door, escalating the push with the Force. This caused the metallic part to fly deep into the bridge.
Revan and his companions found themselves now facing the entire battalion of soldiers with their blaster rifles pointed directly at them. Karath was standing in front of them with few Dark Jedi on both his sides.
"I must admit you've surprised me," the Admiral said. "But perhaps my expectations were too high. The neural disruptors rarely are able to withhold a Jedi. But it doesn't matter now. Lord Malak is only a several dozen light years away from us. I give you a choice: surrender now and perhaps we'll show you mercy."
"I've already seen enough of Sith mercy" Carth spat through his clenched teeth. The Admiral shook his head.
"You have no idea what you're talking about. Compared to Lord Malak, I'm like a father disciplining a naughty child."
"And you seem to forget that Malak used to be my apprentice," Revan said, stepping forward. "He knows everything from me but he doesn't know everything I know" he added with a smirk.
"It doesn't matter now" Karath replied, showing more confidence than he felt. "Even if you kill me now, you won't make it out of the Leviathan in time. Lord Malak is closer with each passing minute."
"I'll gladly finish him off once I'm done with you, traitor," Revan said, reigniting his lightsabers. The blue and red sabers sprung to life with a characteristic hiss. In the response, Saul's guards ignited their own weapons. "Deal with the others. The traitor is mine."
Accelerating his movements with the Force, Revan dashed directly ahead, heading straight towards Saul. The Dark Jedi reacted immediately, positioning themselves between the former Dark Lord and the Admiral.
In the beginning, Revan thought they would be relatively easy opponents. Though the reality turned out to be completely different. The long climb from the prison block to the bridge level, combined with the Rakghoul venom spreading throughout his blood circulation system took a heavy toll on him. Even with the Force, his moves were sluggish, inconsiderate. His physical strength was failing him as well. An attack that just a few months ago he would be able to block without any effort now sent him backward a few steps.
It didn't help that he had to fight multiple opponents as well.
Crossing his lightsabers above his head in order to block a strike from above, he failed to notice a powerful jab that was sent towards his left side. This knocked the air out of Revan's lungs. He managed to roll sideways before the jab was followed by the lightsaber.
He had little time to adjust to his current situation as the lightsaber strikes kept on coming from each side, making him back down. He made a common mistake of underestimating his opponents. By working in unison, they proved to be excellent duelists.
The fact that he had to admit it angered him even more. Trying to change the angle in which he held his lightsabers, he managed to deflect few powerful blows that could have easily decapitated him. Revan leaped over a horizontal strike that was aimed at his waist and kicked one of his opponents directly in the hooded face. It sent his enemy few steps backward. The Dark Jedi pressed his free hand to his nose; the blood was sipping through his fingers as he was struggling to stem the bleeding.
He had no idea how he managed to dodge the next strike. It came immediately after he landed on the bridge's floor and, just like the previous one, it could have cut him in half. But faster than the eye could notice, he bent backward, driven with the Force that told him what to do at that particular moment. It happened so quickly but at the same time so slowly. Revan's eyes haven't abandoned the red lightsaber for a split second as it passed only mere centimeters away from his nose. He felt the blood thumping in his ears as well as the heat of his enemy's weapon.
Going into the bridge position, he pushed himself from the floor with the Force, landing good few meters away from his opponents. This gave him time to reset and to better prepare himself mentally for the continuation of the combat.
Jumping into the Ataru form, Revan dashed at his enemies once again, focusing this time on their weaknesses. Something like this was exposing him as well, as he was trying to notice any form of a repeatable mistake in his opponents' fighting styles while at the same time delivering his own attacks.
He found the first weakness. One of his opponents had a rather simple fighting style. Of course, combined with the other Dark Jedi, it wasn't as miserable as it would be in the one-to-one duel. Namely, he was attacking in a very simple scheme: he was dealing strikes each time from the alternate side. It could be effective against the enemy with only one lightsaber as it forced out a quick reaction from the fighter and if one does anything in a hurry, it's easier for him to make a mistake.
But Revan was not the one to make such foolish mistakes. In fact, he was the one to exploit them. Keeping away the rest of the attacks with his red lightsaber, he focused his blue one on that particular Dark Jedi. It was risky, of course; he could feel his strength evaporating in an appalling velocity. But he wouldn't just give up. He once fought under much tougher conditions; on the bridge of Mandalore's flagship after a month of custody and he won. He was more than capable of handling a few Dark Jedi.
Sending the Force Wave in each direction, he managed to gather enough time to focus on his chosen target. In a quick movement of his wrist, he pushed aside the lightsaber of his opponent and pinned it to the ground. As a result, his opponent was defenseless. Not for long, perhaps, but for long enough to give Revan the upper hand. He brought his red lightsaber to the height of the ribcage and pushed it forward. It pierced directly through the Dark Jedi's chest, coming out on the other side, killing him instantly. Now only four remained.
The first kill broke the spell. The Dark Jedi doubled their efforts, trying to get past the Revan's defenses. But it proved to be useless. Even if he managed to kill only one, it still made it easier for him to defend himself.
Carth, Bastila, and Fox were doing well in the fight against the bridge's crew. Fortunately for them, most of the Dark Jedi were focused on Revan, leaving the common soldiers to them. Karath was standing behind, safely hidden behind the wall made out of the staff of the Leviathan's bridge. Every now and then he was firing single shots in a futile attempt to catch one of them by surprise. Even though he was a brilliant Admiral and at least extraordinary tactician, he was a rather pathetic shooter and none of the shots were even close to hitting them.
Revan was doing well in fighting off the Dark Jedi. The second one was laying already on the floor with a hole in his forehead from which the smoke was coming. Only three remained.
Revan's lungs were burning from the inside. Or at least that's what he felt. Each passing second seemed to be like an hour without breathing even if his lungs continued on their work. But it was impossible for air to work properly in his body. His breath was too short for the oxygen to get fully into his blood circulation system. He had to finish that fight quickly. Even with Force, he couldn't go on like that for not knowing how long. Sooner or later he would suffocate.
Revan parried another blow that was quickly followed by the attack in the form of Force Lightning. It wasn't as powerful as the one he or Malak could create. The former Dark Lord had no problem with absorbing it with his lightsaber. His blade flashed when the Force Lightening hit it. Revan then deflected the attack back at the Dark Jedi. Apparently, he didn't expect things to turn out that way because the only reaction he came up with was a fear filling his eyes. The same fear paralyzed his body and he seemed just to accept the fact that his time was over. He landed on the floor with a large gash on his chest and the electricity coursing through his body.
Two-to-one was something Revan could handle easily. Especially that with their numbers decreasing, the Dark Jedi were losing their confidence. They could only try to defend themselves as Revan continued to deal a blow after blow. They were unable to come up with any sort of attack as the former Dark Lord's strikes kept on pushing them backward.
Keeping his blue lightsaber parallel to his forearm, Revan pushed the two Dark Jedi backward, while at the same time continuing to attack with his red one. The strength behind those blows turned out to be too big for his opponents as one of his strikes managed to get past the blockade. The red blade dived into the body of the Dark Jedi and he fell lifelessly to the ground, leaving his partner in an unfair duel one-to-one against Revan.
It was a childish play now. His one last opponent was too inexperienced to last at least few seconds in a combat against Revan. Especially while having only one lightsaber against two.
This one has fallen even quicker than the rest. One swift blow precipitated the blade out of his hand and left him defenseless. Revan's lightsabers swiftly cut the Dark Jedi in half, guarantying a quick death. That's the least he deserved.
The fight on the Leviathan's bridge was over as well. Only one person of the bridge's crew was left alive. Admiral Saul Karath. He was now in the kneeling position, unarmed, with his hands behind his head. Fox and Carth were standing next to him with their blasters ready while Bastila was standing few feet away, clearly not wanting to witness the execution of the defenseless man. Ironic, Revan thought, recalling his own trial in the Council's chambers.
"Traitors always get what they deserve," Revan said hoarsely. Karath smirked.
"If so, then I hope to see you in hell" he replied with a spit. Revan said nothing to that. He ignited his red lightsaber in order to decapitate the Admiral.
His plan was interrupted, though. Literally, a second before his blade met Saul's neck, the Admiral fell dead to the floor with a burning hole between his eyes. Revan looked up to see Carth holding his pistol at the spot where Karath's head was previously; the steam was coming out of the pistol's barrel. Revan cast daggers at the Republic pilot with his eyes. The man smirked in the response.
"Don't try to intimidate me. Saul's death was my responsibility and I wouldn't give the pleasure of finishing him off to anyone."
"You made a mistake by disobeying me" Revan commented. Carth huffed.
"Will you kill me then?"
Revan wanted to reply but the coughing that erupted in his lungs stronger than ever made it impossible for him. His eyes glazed over as he was trying to get rid of the excretion that was making it impossible for him to breathe properly.
"Don't suffocate, my Lord" Carth said in a mocking tone.
"Fuck you, Onasi" Revan replied, spitting on the floor. His saliva was mostly filled with blood. "Fox, disable the hangar's securities and the tractor beam." The soldier nodded his head and proceeded to do numerous things in the computer terminal.
"Done" he reported after less than a minute.
"Let's go," Revan said, heading towards the exit of the bridge. "Malak is closer and closer with each passing moment." They all nodded in agreement and left the bridge, running towards the elevator.
"We get to the hangar, escape the Leviathan and then what?" Bastila asked as they reached the lift.
"We must get to Korriban" Revan replied. "The last Star Map is located in one of the tombs in the Valley of the Sith Lords. Then we make the straight jump to the Lehon System."
"That's where the Star Forge is?" Revan nodded in affirmation. "And can't we just download the data from the ship's computer? It should have had the reports of all of the hyperspace jumps."
"There is only one problem" Revan replied. "When I designed the Interdictor-class cruisers I've ordered the Intel department to install a highly professional security system. The ships are not keeping the hyperspace data in the storage so in case of hijacking the ship becomes useless."
"How do they make the way back to the Star Forge, then?"
"It's based on the ARP protocol" Revan replied. Seeing Bastila's confused gaze he proceeded to explain. "To simplify: the ship sends a frame that contains a broadcast destined address with a question. The Star Forge receives the frame and sends the similar one but with a unicast destined address and an answer instead of the question. Based on the answer, the ship's systems set the coordinates to the system where the Star Forge is."
"Such exchange of signals would take far too long for it to work properly" Carth commented.
"The Star Forge is something we still don't understand fully" Fox replied. "It can create full armadas out of thin air. Sending single frames at the speeds of yottabits per second is nothing extraordinary."
"We're on the command deck" Revan announced. "Let's move on."
They left the lift and hurried in the direction of the docking bay. On their way, they encountered a few Sith soldiers. They decapitated them on the run, trying not to waste time in the pointless combats.
The group of four swiftly made it through the command deck and found themselves in another elevator. This one was supposed to carry them straight towards the hangar. Their destination was already so close.
"Do you copy? I repeat: do you copy?" Revan's personal communicator came to life.
"This is Revan. I copy. Can you hear me?" he replied.
"I can hear you well. It's Canderous" the person on the other side of the communicator said. "We took care of the guards. We're inside the Ebon Hawk and all systems are ready to go. As soon as you guys join us we can get out of here."
"We're in the docking bay already" Revan replied. "We should be in no time."
"Then we wait for you. Canderous over and out."
"Come on, we're close," Revan said to them and they all proceeded to run towards the hangar.
They were interrupted rather quickly, though. They continued to run through the empty corridor; each passing second was getting them closer and closer to their destination and so they lowered their awareness. After some time, Revan and Bastila have figured out what was going wrong but it was far too late.
On the far end of the corridor was standing none other than Malak, not allowing them to make it to the hangar.
"Darth Malak," Bastila said with a slight tremble in her voice.
"Down you go!" Carth yelled and fired a few shots at him, though they were reflected with ease. Malak pushed Carth down to the floor with the Force; the Republic pilot could do nothing to resist.
"Ah, yet another traitorous scum," Revan said with a smile, coming forward. "I don't know what makes me laugh more. Those stupid tattoos of yours on your bald head, your lack of jaw or HK calling you meatbag."
It angered Malak, Revan could see it. The current Dark Lord tried to do with Revan what he did with Carth, though this time his effort gave no results.
"Calo Nord reported seeing you and your loyal pets on Taris. I couldn't deny that I've felt your presence on that pathetic planet that day. But even now I can hardly believe my eyes… tell me, why did the Jedi spare you? Is it vengeance you seek at this reunion?"
"Yeah, I guess so" Revan replied casually, though hatred was as clear as day in his eyes. "You have no idea how often I've been going through and through different scenarios in my head; each one was ended with your death."
"You're right as to one thing, Revan. Our encounter will end with blood but it will be your blood!" Malak yelled, putting in stasis field Revan's companions.
Revan rushed at the man who used to be his closest friend for the better part of his life with both of his lightsabers ignited. Malak turned on his own weapon, preparing to parry Revan's upcoming attack.
The two met halfway, colliding their lightsabers in a fair duel. The weapons hummed as they clashed with each other.
Revan and Malak exchanged blows after blows, both refused to back down under the ferocity of the attack of the other one. Their strikes were escalated with the Force, though these proved to be to no avail.
"You must be proud of me, Revan," Malak said between the attacks; his prosthetic jaw allowed him to speak freely even while breathing heavily. "I saw the opportunity and I seized it, just as you taught me. I've learned about the strike team that boarded your vessel. In that moment I saw my chance to wipe out all of my enemies in a single glorious day. But somehow, you survived. I guess it is because of Bastila. After all, who would even try to save your life? When I ordered Saul to begin firing on your ship, I encountered no resistance and even officiousness. You lost the respect of your soldiers long before you lost your mantle of the Dark Lord. And no one from the Republic would agree to keep you alive. Only this stupid child who persuaded herself to think there is an emotional link between the two you. I wonder, who is the bigger liar here? You or her? After all, you don't know what love is; your parents died like dogs on that remote planet and Bastila was taken away from her family with nothing but hatred towards them. Maybe that's why you're attracted to each other? Because both of you are emotionally disabled."
Malak's words were only stoking the anger that kept on dwelling inside of Revan. His attacks were becoming stronger and faster and as the result, his strength continued to evaporate faster and faster with each passing moment. Now not only his lungs but also his muscles were screaming because of lack of the oxygen.
"I must admit one thing, Revan" Malak continued to speak as they were exchanging blows. "Your method of one week works very efficiently. In the beginning, I considered it to be too long, but now, with me as the Dark Lord, it brings much better effects than previously. I've added a certain thing to your methods, though. Specifically, I allow my men to relax a little with our guests. During the war times, it's very important to provide soldiers with some sort of fun. Pointless to say that it works hundreds of times better than your original methods of breaking the Jedi prisoners. I wonder, how long will it take me to break Bastila once I'm done with you."
Revan charged at him again with his anger reaching completely new levels. He knew Malak and he could be sure of one thing: his former apprentice never wasted words. Especially when it came to making threats. He was very conscientious in carrying them out. And that's exactly what fueled not only his anger but also his fear, fear for Bastila. He couldn't allow Malak to carry out his threats. He simply couldn't.
"You think you can win, Revan. But I can feel your strength disappearing rapidly. You can't go on for as long as you used to. And don't think I can't sense that poison in your body. I feel it coursing through you, killing you from the inside. You won't last for long. But I won't kill you, no. That would be far too simple. You crippled me physically, I'll cripple you mentally. I'll let you watch as I break Bastila. She will be close to you, but far beyond your reach. And once the one week passes, I won't just kill you, no. I'll make her kill you. In the beginning, she will be eager to do so. And later, after few years, she will realize what she has done and her own pangs of conscience will drive her mad and eventually, she'll end up killing herself but not before I get my turn with her. I must admit she's grown up into a gorgeous woman. Makes me wonder how she looks without her robes."
Those words did their job and Revan did the worst thing at the worst time possible.
He allowed his anger to take the full control of his actions.
As the result, Malak was able to outmaneuver Revan. Stepping aside, he allowed his opponent's lightsabers to hit void, making him lose his balance. With a powerful punch into the back and the lightsaber in the ribcage, Malak brought Revan to his knees.
"But I can't just simply leave you unharmed, can I?" Malak asked rhetorically. "How did it go? An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth?" He brought his lightsaber to Revan's face. "You'll see how it is to bleed out due to the lack of a body part."
Revan looked up at his former best friend. His eyes were glazed over and his breathing was coming in short intakes. With each breathing out, blood was coming out of his mouth.
"Don't look at me like that, Revan. You knew that this day would come. You knew that we would be given a fair one-to-one duel. As we can see, I'm the Master here. Now, I'll teach you your first lesson!"
Malak hauled off and would have probably ended cutting off Revan's lower jaw if it wasn't for one thing: the yellow lightsaber that flew through the air and clashed against Malak's blade. The sudden impact made the Dark Lord of the Sith to back down a little. Soon the lightsaber returned to its owner as Bastila defeated the distance between them with a Force Leap. The Dark Lord of the Sith found himself now on the receiving end.
Malak was surprised by the ferocity of her attacks – they turned out to be equal to Revan's own strikes – precise and deadly.
Revan couldn't comprehend what was happening around him. His eyes were looking but he didn't see. His ears were listening but he didn't hear. Suddenly, he felt a pair of strong arms under his armpits that were lifting him up.
"I'll hold Malak off!" Bastila shouted to them while being engaged in a duel with the Dark Lord of the Sith. "Fox, get him out of here! Find the Star Forge!" The soldier nodded in agreement, dragging the semi-conscious Revan out.
"No, Bastila, he's too strong!" Carth yelled, but his effort was to no avail. Bastila used the Force to push them out of the corridor and seal the door behind her; only the sounds of lightsabers clashing with each other were coming out from there.
"Bastila" Revan whispered. It was the last thing he remembered before the poison, exhaustion, and blood that was gathering in his right lung and partially sipping outside his body took their toll on him and knocked him unconscious.
That's it for today! That's why I was needing that poison! The game's explanation on why Revan lost against Malak on Leviathan would just not work in this case so I had to figure something out and I hope that you enjoyed it. And the ARP protocol is something I have in school and it works a little differently than what I've written but it was just my variation XD. Leave a review, because I'd really love to know what the rest of you think about my story (especially those who write comments rarely), follow the story and add it to your favorites if you haven't done it yet and see you next time (probably in the next few days)!
