Sorry for a long delay but I have a lot of things going on in my life and finding the time to write this story proves to be extremely difficult. So, I wish you much belated Merry Christmas and the Happy New Year :D.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Chapter 12
"How long until we are within their sensors' range?" Grand Admiral Sommos asked, observing the light blue planet – Ziost.
"If we maintain this speed, we have twenty minutes at best." Came the reply. Everyone on the deck was busy and yet no one dared to say a word other than passing the simple commands. But even the orders were being spoken only in whispers. Despite the fact that the Grand Admiral had in her crew soldiers who have seen more than enough war in their lives, and yet it seemed as if it was going to be their first engagement ever.
"Take your positions" Noma ordered calmly. Even if she wasn't showing it, she also was extremely nervous. If what Revan told was true, the fate of the Galaxy depended on the outcome of the war they were about to start. A small bead of sweat appeared on her forehead. She wiped it off with her sleeve.
"Now what, Admiral?" Queen Talia asked with her heavy accent as the planet Ziost began to cover more and more of their ship's viewport. Noma rolled her eyes in annoyance but couldn't help a small smirk that found its way onto her lips.
"Now stand back, Your Highness, and watch" she replied confidently. "Send the fighters" she ordered loudly to her crew.
Their final war had begun.
Revan realized that he wasn't alone in the Temple anymore. Reaching out with the Force, he sensed the Republic forces in the building. It wasn't difficult to make it out, as during the Mandalorian Wars he got used to the Force presence of Tol Cressa and Koa Delko as well. There was no Jedi with them, however. He smirked underneath his mask. They surely overrated their own strength if they thought that a group of soldiers could easily take on whoever broke into the abandoned Jedi Temple.
He paid them no more mind, though, as his thoughts were being mostly occupied by the Vault he was currently in. Truthfully speaking, he didn't know what exactly he was expecting to see, as it was the first time he entered the Vault. It was commonly passed on amongst the Padawans and the Knights that this room contained all the artifacts somehow connected to the Force, whether the Light or the Dark Side. These were mostly Holocrons or items like lightsabers used by powerful Jedi and Sith.
Now, however, the Vault was mostly empty. The shelves, covered with dust with clear spots where Holocrons used to stand plainly indicated that the Jedi managed to empty the Vault, at least partially, before their departure.
Revan was taking careful steps, lighting the area around him with his blue lightsaber. Voices of the Republic forces were becoming louder and louder, even though they were still far enough to pose no threat to the intruder.
Revan's gaze fell upon the Holocron that remained on the same spot. He picked it up carefully, doing his best to not harm the fragile object that seemed to stand on that shelf for centuries, if not millennia. The small cube looked as if it was going to fall apart under the slightest touch. Revan twisted three of his fingers, activating the artifact with the Force.
It was just a record of a long dead Jedi Master. If Revan was not mistaken it was the Holocron of Ajunta Pall's Master. In the Holocron was stored his history, personal reflection on his Padawan's fall to the Dark Side and so on. Nothing that had any value. Not to him at least.
He placed the Holocron back on its original place, not being as careful this time. As the cube made the contact with the shelf, it fell apart into small pieces, the knowledge contained in it dissolving into a thin air. He kept on walking further.
As he continued his way deeper and deeper into the Vault, he kept on noticing more and more Holocrons, similar to the one he activated before. He paid them no mind. The Force was telling him that the artifacts of much higher value were stored in there – their presence still detectable even if the Jedi took them away. The darkness he felt as he continued deeper and deeper on into the Vault was similar to the one present in the Academy on Malachor V. These were the Holocrons that Revan wanted most to acquire, but apparently, Atris wasn't stupid enough to leave them behind.
The Republic forces were close. In fact, Revan could already hear an echo of their footsteps, spreading across the empty halls of the Jedi Temple. And with their footsteps, he could feel much more clearly their fear. It was spreading even faster than the echo he's just heard. His lips formed a crooked smile beneath his mask. They dreaded the unknown. Revan could sense that the Chancellor and the Defense Minister were slightly anxious but the vast majority of the soldiers were simply afraid. He knew well that it would allow him to easily maneuver his way out of the Temple.
Revan hastened his movements, moving deeper and deeper into the Vault. The Holocrons left behind had no meaning to him – Atris made sure to take the most valuable with her. He would be on his way out already if it wasn't for this strange feeling he had. Something was calling to him, yet it wasn't a call in the Force. It's almost as if it was a… blood call.
This mysterious call was coming from the deeper part of the Vault where Holocrons gave place to other precious artifacts. Lightsaber crystals that were said to be more powerful than the regular ones, even some lesser Sith artifacts. Revan paid them no mind though.
He didn't need the assistance of his lightsaber anymore to see what was nearly directly in front of him. It was almost as if this object was gleaming with the Force. Revan was surprised, to say the least, once he reached the item that so strongly called to him. He could clearly sense its enormous power within the Force but it left him wondering: why didn't the Jedi take it with them?
That's when it hit him. He didn't feel this object with the Force, but yet its call seemed strangely familiar to him. It resembled a call… of home.
Revan looked down on the object that was now in his hands. His first guess was that it was a saber hilt, though it had a strange shape. Unlike any lightsaber he had seen, this one wasn't cylinder but flattened. It was made out of the material that each and every Jedi weapon was made out of. Finding the button, he pressed it. Nothing happened.
"Must be dead" he muttered to himself. Revan decided to take it with himself even though he wasn't completely sure what made this hilt so special. And when he was holding it in his hands, this strange call was even stronger. He clipped it to his belt.
The Force alerted him about the Republic's presence much quicker than his sensed would. The small squad that entered the Temple already tailgated him, though they still were far enough to not pose a direct threat to him. But they were close and his only way out from the Vault was already cut off by them.
Revan's time in the Jedi Temple has already come to an end. He's been there long enough and yet it wasn't the end of his stay on Coruscant. He turned around, hearing the footsteps of the men who entered the Archives. Both of his weapons remained clipped to his belt, though. The war with the Republic was over.
The soldiers had the flashlights, attached to their rifles, turned on, and they were moving them in every direction, careful as to not be surprised by anyone emerging from the shadows. Both the Supreme Chancellor and the Defense Minister were walking at the head of the squad of troops.
"Steady, men" Tol ordered his soldiers. Soon they started making out in the darkness a silhouette of the intruder. As soon as they spotted him, the troops directed their flashlights at him. Even in this dim light, the mask attached to Revan's face was easy to see. Over the years of the Mandalorian Wars, this mask has turned into a symbol of hope. And during the Jedi Civil War, the same people perceived it as a symbol of dread. The soldiers stopped in their tracks; none of them daring to move in the slightest.
"Well, well, well, look who we've got here" Chancellor commented, seemingly unfazed by Revan's presence. "Looks like our little problem will solve itself" he added, directing those words to the Defense Minister.
"I am not here for you" Revan replied, not making a move. His voice being distorted by the mask.
"Too bad" Koa countered. "Because we came here just for the intruder that happens to be you," he said, preparing his own rifle.
"I'll say it just one more time, I am not in the Temple for you. Let me pass, this my only warning."
Tol smirked, not allowing the man in front of himself to intimidate him. "I have a better proposition: my men will shoot you where you stand as the penalty for your crimes against the Republic. FIRE!" he shouted an order that rang with a loud echo across the building. His words seemed to release his soldiers from their stasis and they quickly obeyed, raising their rifles and aiming them at Revan.
Reflex practiced during years spent at war and countless campaigns paid off. Revan reacted in a blink of an eye, igniting his crimson lightsaber and deflecting the shots that were supposed to kill him right there, where he stood. He sent the blaster bolts mostly to the sides what resulted in destroying whatever was left in the Vault. The Holocrons gathered on shelves erupted in dozens of pieces, forever destroying the knowledge contained in them.
Revan didn't come here to be bothered by a single squad of the Republic soldiers, though. His Empire was already at war and he couldn't waste his time by playing with them. Drawing his blue lightsaber that up till now remained clipped to his belt, Revan started deflecting the shots back at those who fired at him.
The panic began to increase amongst the troops as more and more soldiers started falling from their own shots. Revan began to make his way towards the still standing men, causing them to back down with each step he took. "Hold your ground!" Koa shouted, not willing to give up.
Raising his left hand, Revan stopped the oncoming shots with the Force; with each shot coming in his direction, the Vault was becoming brighter and brighter, illuminated by the blue projectiles. This caused the Republic soldiers to panic even more. With a swift movement of his hand, Revan sent the shots back at the troops, killing instantly those who were standing in the front line.
One of the soldiers, driven by either courage or madness, charged at the intruder, only to be lifted high into the air. He dropped his weapon and raised his hands to his neck, struggling with an invisible force that was squeezing his throat, denying him oxygen. His struggles were quickly ended, though, as Revan pierced him with his crimson blade, killing the man instantly.
No more than ten men remained.
Using the Force, Revan pulled out the soldiers' rifles, leaving them defenseless against his wrath. In a matter of seconds, he cut down the remaining soldiers, leaving only the Supreme Chancellor and the Defense Minister alive. Yet none of them gave into fear.
"I take it that I can leave now?" Revan asked, smirking beneath his mask. The two men were still blocking his way out.
"Over our dead bodies," Tol spat back, cracking his knuckles. Revan smirked again.
"As far as I'd love to keep you company, I have much more important things to attend to" he replied, closing the distance between them in one swift movement before they eyes could even register it. Both his red and blue lightsaber pierced the two men. They gasped simultaneously.
"Your wounds are not mortal" Revan announced, turning off his weapons. "Consider it my last act of a good will" he added, allowing them to fall to the floor. "It was a pleasure seeing you two again," he said, exiting the Vault and leaving Koa and Tol who were both gripping their wounds.
"Set up the blockade" Chancellor managed to order through his communicator as he watched with hatred in his eyes the silhouette of Revan becoming distant.
Mission sighed heavily. She was getting bored more and more the longer they stayed in the apartment on Telos. Compared to what she's been through since Taris, their current state was just too… peaceful.
To top it off, it was impossible to sleep through the entire night with Bastila's screams as nightmares continued on haunting her.
They were now sitting in their apartment, doing nothing. Mission was trying to kill time by playing Pazaak, either with one of their companions or with herself. Zaalbar was mostly sleeping or eating. Jolee and Nomi stayed mostly quiet and if they spoke, they did it usually to themselves.
And Bastila was doing nothing. If she wasn't asleep, she would just stare through the window, observing the ships that were arriving and leaving the planet. She'd never speak a word, not during the day at least. And in the nights, when her mind was being left unprotected, visions of her time in Malak's captivity returned to her, causing her to wake herself and everyone else with an ear-piercing scream.
Today was no exception. She remained in her usual spot on the bed, her chin rested against her knees that were embraced with her hands. Her face seemed empty while her eyes remained unfocused on the world outside the window. The passion that once glowed strongly in her orbs had long since burned out.
"You should eat something" Nomi spoke, patting Bastila on her shoulder. Her lips were curled up in a smile. "I brought you a breakfast" she added, placing a tray on the young woman's bed.
"I'm not hungry" Bastila muttered so quietly that Nomi wasn't sure if she even said that.
"Maybe you're not but I'm pretty sure that the child is" she countered softly, earning a scowl from Bastila.
"And I'm pretty sure that the child would want its father to be here" she replied. Nomi sighed slightly. Their each and every talk eventually led to this.
"Bastila, I'll keep repeating it until you understand it: Revan didn't abandon you, he…"
"He didn't abandon me?" she replied, chuckling softly, though it was deprived of humor. "So what does it look like to you? Do you see him anywhere here? Do you at least know anything about his whereabouts?" she asked, finally turning her attention from the window to the woman. "I guessed so," Bastila said as she didn't receive any answer.
"And what did you expect him to do?" usually peaceful Nomi snapped at her. "To take you with him? He once took someone close to him to the Unknown Regions and look what happened. The closest friendship I have ever seen between two Jedi Knights was forever destroyed! Revan's action may be questionable but he didn't want to risk your life as he once did with Malak!"
Bastila turned her face back to the window, seemingly ignoring Nomi's words. "He wanted you to live on" the older woman added softly.
"I don't want to live without him" Bastila replied, her voice quiet again. "Do you know what he promised by giving this to me?" she asked, gesturing to the ring on her finger. "It was his promise that he wouldn't leave me. Among other things, that he would stay with me until death makes us apart. And no more than two weeks later he abandoned me. I have no idea where he is right now, what he's doing and I… I can't even feel him anymore through our Bond. He blocked me when he sent me away to you" she murmured quietly the last part.
"Master Vandar repeated me what Revan told him when you came to Dantooine after Taris" Nomi replied softly. "I know that I may not be fully aware of the nature of your relationship but I was with a man in my younger years. I have a daughter, I bet you know." Bastila nodded wordlessly. "And I know what men are able to do when it comes to protecting their beloved ones. Trust me when I say it, he left you behind only because you're important to him. And, as far as I know that man, he will return for you when he's done doing whatever he is right now" she added with a reassuring smile.
"I could help him" Bastila countered, though her voice wasn't as bitter anymore as it was before. "And don't tell me that I'm too young for whatever it is that Revan is facing right now. The Jedi had no problem with using me and my abilities when it came to fighting against him." Nomi's smile faded a bit at that comment. After all, she was the one who suggested sending Bastila to the front lines when it turned out that her own Battle Meditation wasn't as efficient as it was years ago. "I'm not a child anymore."
"I never said you are Bastila. But it wasn't my decision. Revan left you behind not without a reason. In fact, you gave him a reason to not take you with him" she said, placing a caring hand on he still flat belly. "And you gave him as well a very good reason to return to you."
"I've heard what many men do when they find out that they women conceive" Bastila countered; sadness was as clear as day in her voice. "One day they simply… disappear" she trailed off. "And no word is heard from them ever since. That's what I fear, Nomi" she explained to her, causing the older woman to falter. "What if Revan will just turn out to be simply another ordinary man from the tales from Coruscant's women?"
"If I can say anything about Revan is that he's anything but ordinary" Nomi told her, caressing Bastila's back. "He proved it time and time again and I'm sure he won't leave you like that."
"And what am I supposed to do right now?" Bastila asked, finally turning back from the window to Nomi. "I'm not used to inaction."
"You have to grow strong for Revan" Nomi replied, once again adopting her warm smile. "You have to look after the reason he has to return to you." Her hand came back to Bastila's belly. "And when all is over, you will see him again. Revan is a man of his word – he won't abandon you." Bastila smiled shyly. Though her smile quickly faded with her next words.
"But I have no experience in motherhood," she said with her voice slightly trembling. "I'm afraid I will fail at it."
"Hey, you're not alone," Nomi told her, her own smile widening again. "I'm here for you to help you, Bastila. I'm a mother myself, after all. Everything will be alright."
"You promise?" Bastila asked. Nomi could easily hear hope in her voice.
"I promise, child. And I promise that you will see your husband again."
Little she knew that Bastila would see Revan in much more different circumstances than she wished to. And in not so pleasant.
I think I need to explain myself a bit XD. Recently I've had a lot of problems in school, doing my best to finish the term, then I had the professional qualifying exam (finally they're all over XD) and last but not least, the pre-graduation prom. And with the prom comes all the preparations and so on. Additionally, I have to somehow make the ends meet and because of that, writing this story is not my top priority right now. But it is my goal to finish it and I'll do what I can to write and update more often, but we'll see how this turn out. See you.