Chapter 53

The Beast

"Try it again," Admiral Karath said firmly with his hands gathered behind his back, his eyes glowing with resolve as he stared out at the sea of stars that lay before him from the viewing platform of the Leviathan's bridge.

"Sir, we've already made no fewer than five attempts at communication with the Republic flagship based in the Commenor system," insisted the lieutenant who looked up at him from the console below. "Lord Malak will be most displeased by the very fact that we've halted our advance to act in this way. I suggest we abandon this endeavor, continue along the hyperspace route and make haste to our objective."

"I have given you an order, lieutenant," he growled, turning his head to shoot his subordinate a stern glare. "Make me repeat myself and you will suffer the consequences."

Suitably chastised, the man parted his lips to let out a short sigh before shifting his attention back to leading the operators working under him. Karath, on the other hand, turned back to look out into the endless void of space, before closing his eyes as he recalled the early days of the old war.

Back when another lieutenant imparted on him an impression which would be engraved in his memory, all those years ago before the battles for Suurja…

"Admiral Karath," a woman called out from the spherical communications interface, evoking both dread and secret joy in the heart of the leader who opened his eyes at the sound of her voice.

"Admiral Dodonna," he greeted, turning around to approach and stand before the hologram that presented itself before him. "A pleasure to see you again."

"I am not here to reminisce on the memories of old times, Admiral," the Republic commander insisted, her tone on a knife's edge as her usual air of professionalism noticeably wavered – a change that was not lost to the wily Karath. "Surely you called this meeting for a good reason?"

"Of course," he smirked and nodded, humored by the fact that his old subordinate had not changed in the slightest. "As you insist, I shall get straight to the point. I wish to offer you terms of surrender. No doubt you are aware of the fact that we are poised to strike at Commenor, shatter the remnants of your fleet, and then proceed onward to the Core Worlds. The death toll will be beyond reckoning and your small fleet can't hope to stand against our armada, but I present you with a chance. A single opportunity to avoid it all."

"Why should we believe you, Admiral?" Dodonna dismissed. "For all we know, you will inflict upon us the same fate as Taris and Corellia the moment we turn around to leave after shaking your hand."

"You misunderstand," he shook his head. "Not only do you misunderstand me, you would go out of your way to insult me. Taris's fate was unfortunate, but it was ordered by Lord Malak himself. As for Corellia, you are most cruel to think that I would authorize such a barbaric act to be inflicted upon my own homeworld. And you are truly mindless if you think that I'm not aware that it is your home which's fate now lies in the balance. I thought you knew better…Forn."

A lengthy silence followed, during which the former teacher and pupil stared into each other's eyes, seemingly daring the other to back down. Their efforts both proving fruitless, Dodonna replied once more. "Then speak, Saul. Name your terms."

"Very well," he said, his tone and expression softening ever so slightly upon hearing her willingness to negotiate. "Seeing as this is the decisive battle that will determine not just the fate of Commenor but also that of the Republic, I offer you this: surrender your fleet, and I will personally ensure that all Republic soldiers under your command are safely repatriated back to their homeworlds. Commenor will be offered a grace period of three days prior to our takeover of the planet, during which the inhabitants will be free to stay or leave by their choosing. And," he looked intently at her, "I shall petition Lord Malak to bestow upon you the rank of Vice Admiral of the Sith armada, and also the Chief Executive of Commenor. You are the finest officer I've ever served with, Forn. I would be honored to have you under my wing once more."

"Interesting terms indeed," Dodonna remarked, crossing her arms. "And if we refuse?"

Karath's expression immediately turned grim. "Then we will be obliged to follow Lord Malak's orders. If Commenor will not yield, then it shall share the same fate as Taris."

"I see," she nodded, closing her eyes as she lowered her chin. Several seconds passed, each one feeling longer than the last, until she finally raised her gaze to look at him once again. "Admiral Karath, your terms are rejected."

"You cannot be serious, Forn," he shook his head in disbelief. "With your miniscule force? When the fate of your own homeworld is at stake? Your own parents?"

"My father taught me many things, Saul," she replied. "Not only how to be an effective officer…but a person of integrity. Someone who will fight to the end to protect the Republic and everything it stands for, and to never lose hope. He taught me the value of perseverance, especially during the darkest days of the war with Exar Kun, when all hope seemed lost. That trust I can never betray."

"You are your father's daughter," Saul nodded dejectedly before composing himself once again. "I respect your decision. It will be an honor to meet you in battle, Admiral Dodonna. I believe that this will be the last time we will speak to one another, for you will not hear from me again. But I promise you this, and I offer it to you freely with no conditions."

"And that is?"

"I will do my utmost to try to secure your parents' safety, and to avoid targeting the vicinity of their residence in the case of any orbital bombardment. This is my last gift to you, out of…respect…for Colonel Solomon Dodonna."

Touched by the offer, she closed her eyes and looked down and away, whispering back. "Thank you…Saul."

After another pause to recompose themselves, they both stood upright with determined faces, looking at each other in a manner that hearkened back to that very day when they first met in the recruitment hall that was now undoubtedly lost amidst the ashes of Taris.

"That will be all, Admiral Dodonna," he said in a professional tone once again, raising his hand to his forehead to give his final salute. "Admiral Karath out."

"Understood, Admiral Karath," she answered, mirroring his stance and tone. "Admiral Dodonna out."

As the holographic image faded, an uncomfortable silence fell upon the entire bridge. All around, Karath could feel the eyes of his subordinates fixed upon him, whether they be junior officers who had never seen such a display from their stoic commander, or fellow veterans of the old Mandalorian Wars who did not expect to have their own hearts waver at such a critical moment, knowing that they would soon be waging battle against their old brothers and sisters-in-arms.

At last, the moment having passed, the Admiral fully committed himself to his objective, staring out into the expanse of space while gathering his hands behind his back once more. "Commence jump to hyperspace. The time to take Commenor has come."

-o-

Her own heartbeat ringing in her ears and her mouth parched dry from the ceaseless running, Mission struggled to will herself to keep up with her Wookiee companions. Despite their bulky size and weight, the natives of the forests dashed through the woods with tremendous speed, now no longer weighed down by the need to be on the lookout for Czerka and Mandalorian patrols and traps.

"This is it," Jolee raised his hand by his ear as he came to a halt alongside Freyyr, his voice calm and steady without so much as a hint of gasping for breath. "The terentatek's primary lair lies a short distance beyond this position. Best that we set up here and prepare ourselves – that beast is bound to come looking for us here once it gets a whiff of our scent."

"How long do you think we have, Jolee? That beast could be anywhere," Revan said, knowing all too well what the 'scent' Jolee described was.

"Who knows," the old man shrugged. "One minute? One hour? One whole day? All we can do is wait and see. All I can say to you is to prepare yourselves for one hell of a fight."

"Figures," Carth grumbled and looked around, studying his surroundings. They had stopped in the middle of a large circular patch of dirt, with two distinct paths in front and to the left visible amidst the endless trees. Their current position was on a relatively elevated hill, giving them an ideal position to defend against any encroaching beasts. "It looks like this'll be as good a location as we can get out here. If we push on either way, there's no way we'll be able to co-ordinate any kind of defense if we're separated by all these trees and slopes."

"Mission, we need you to set up those mines," Revan turned to the teenager. "I know it's been a long run and that you need a breather, but this is a priority. Start planting them at those chokepoints between the treelines."

"Got it," she panted and made a dash for the armory pack alongside Kuriiima, pulling out the first handful of concussion and flash mines to begin their work.

"I must warn you," Freyyr said, facing Revan, "although I do not know what dangers and beasts you may have encountered before, this monster may be unlike anything you've ever faced. I am prepared and willing to accept that I may lose many of my warriors today, including even Kuriiima. But for the sake of our planet, we must be willing to risk it all."

"Had a few run-ins myself with this creature," Jolee added. "Best I could do is flee. Of course my younger self, being more headstrong and reckless, may have stood and fought the thing. But now? No sirree. Gotta say, I'm getting a whole bunch of mixed emotions now that I think of it. As fearsome and dangerous the beast is, it did play its part in keeping the worst of Czerka's activities at bay. Now, at long last, that time has come to an end."

It was not long before Revan and Jolee took notice of Carth, who stood silently by while his eyes were fixed on Mission, an uneasy frown written on his face. "She'll be fine, Carth," Revan insisted, placing a hand on the pilot's shoulder. "I'll look out for her."

"I know you will, and so will I," he replied. "It's just that…I wonder if it'll be enough."

Trying his best to keep his newfound companions' hopes up, Jolee spoke. "Cheer up, lad. There's not just the three of us, but a whole group of Wookiees who would eagerly defend her, after what she's done to raise their spirits. Isn't that right, Freyyr?"

"Of course," said the elder Wookiee. "She has sparked hope in us again, after so many years of languishing in the Shadowlands, our numbers dwindling day by day. We will protect her as if she was one of our own." He then looked about at his loyal followers who were busying themselves taking up defensive positions and aiding Mission and Kuriiima with the mine setups, and for a fleeting moment, recalled the early days when his ranks numbered in the hundreds of dedicated souls who believed in his cause. Now, with his contingents split in two, he sighed as he looked upon the hardworking warriors who came to barely over a dozen, and had no doubt that their ranks would inevitably thin further before the day was out.

"Freyyr? Are you alright, old friend?" Jolee looked up, having noticed that his long-time companion had fallen eerily silent.

"There are so few of us left," he replied. "Each one that falls now feels like a piece of my own heart that has been ripped out of my being. I will not lie to myself, Jolee. We will lose many more today, and all of this is because of the mistakes that I made so long ago. All of this…is because of my failing."

Hearing Freyyr's words stirred and pulled at Revan's emotions as he turned to look at the solemn but pained eyes of the chieftain. Then, just as he opened his lips to speak, Jolee interjected. "Now, now, don't be too hard on yourself, Freyyr. Things may always be crystal clear in hindsight, but we all do what we feel is justified at any given point in time, whether that leads to good outcomes or not. Kashyyyk's decline is due to Chuundar's corruption, not your failing. At the end of the day, people of conscience all know in our hearts what's right and wrong. And we keep going, whether we believe we can achieve redemption or not."

His mind calmed by Jolee's speech, Revan looked over his shoulder at Carth, who still appeared to be far from convinced. "Time will tell," said the pilot. "Let's get ready."

-o-

"Not long to go," Elena said while peering down at her datapad, the yellow glowing co-ordinates she acquired from the holomap of the deceased Czerka employee steadily drawing nearer as the three women walked cautiously through the forest. "If that data was correct, we should be approaching the Star Map very soon."

"I don't mean to sound like a bratty schoolkid, Elena," Audrey pouted, "but how much farther?"

"Just a few more minutes, that should do it," she replied. "Provided that there aren't any unforeseen dead-ends or difficult terrain standing in our way."

"Given our luck so far on this planet, I'd say you just jinxed it there, Elena," Audrey rubbed her temple. "Not to mention that even if we do find the Star Map, we'll still have plenty of work cut out for us afterwards. I hope you and Bastila can still remain standing after all the traveling we have to get through today – I'm not keen on sleeping under another hollowed-out tree." Noticing that Bastila merely continued to walk in silence while staring at the ground, she spoke to her, then poked the young Jedi gently with her finger after getting no initial response. "Bastila? Hey, Bastila!"

"Oh? I was…merely thinking, that's all," she answered.

"You've been 'thinking' for what feels like forever, ever since we arrived on this planet," Audrey puffed. "I really wish you'd just spit it out already. What's on your mind now?"

"Chuundar," she flatly said. "I can't help but feel that…we should have solved everything we needed to during our initial meeting with him. Deep down, I know what will in the end become inevitable. Just like Tatooine. I…I don't think I can bear that pain. Not again."

"One step at a time, Bastila," Audrey said delicately, knowing that it would've been unwise to delve deep into what was still a sensitive topic. "First, we find that Star Map. Second, we try to find the others, as difficult as that may be. Chuundar comes afterwards."

"It's dealing with Chuundar that worries me above all," Bastila sighed. "I can almost see it. Playing out like Tatooine all over again. The only difference is…I'm now wise enough to put a stop to it before it gets to the point where…"

Unable to hear out Bastila to the end, Elena reached out and gently grasped her hand to comfort her. It had always worked when Bastila was young, whenever she would face difficult challenges which she would ultimately triumph over.

But not now. Slowly but surely, Bastila retracted her hand away, still not convinced that her old tutor would stand by her when the decisive moment arrived.

"Ah! Who would've thought this might happen, 'ey?" Audrey shook her head in exasperation, having come face to face with a tall cliffside after wading through a thick tree line and coming out into the open air. "Told you not to jinx it, Elena. Now we have to find a way around this damn rock formation, however long that may be."

"What about over there?" Bastila pointed to their right, spotting a steep dirt path which still appeared usable, dotted with stones and wood splinters embedded deep in the damp surface. Looking at the other direction, the path appeared to go on endlessly, leaving only one realistic avenue for them to continue onward.

"Another round of crawling uphill through a muddy path riddled with sharp rocks and splintery wood. My ankles and fingers will be thanking you, Bastila," Audrey sarcastically remarked, pulling out her short vibroblade in order to use it as a climbing aid to keep herself steady. "I'll take point. Try not to slip and fall and drag me down with you."

Although her aching knees were crying out for rest, Bastila resolved to carry on right after Audrey, knowing that the other two women were equally as keen for a brief pause. With the Star Map surely not far away and time ticking down the longer they delayed, the three of them started the arduous trek up the hill, with Bastila holding tightly on to the back of Audrey's mud-smeared coat while her older companion led the way.

"Shit, this is tough," Audrey grunted, panting for breath after what was several more minutes into the journey. "I'm glad I've got my vibroblade handy, but these goddamn shoes!" She glared down at the pair of hardy fur and leather boots she wore, irritated by the lack of aid the patterned undersoles provided for keeping a firm and planted footing in the face of the muddy slope. "Never thought I'd say this in the current situation we're in, but give me high heels for this climb any day of the week!"

"I'm surprised you've managed to hold your own so well up to this point," Bastila said, her grip tightening on Audrey's coat. "There was absolutely nothing like this place on Taris. Not even in the Undercity."

"You trying to mock me or something?" Audrey chuckled, heaving herself up another step. "There's more to me than battling it out in the Taris Arena in a combat suit, or extracting intel from well-connected Tarisian nobility in a cocktail dress, sweetheart. But damn, I wish I had those shoes right about now."

"How much farther, Audrey? Can you see the top?" Elena called out from the rear, warily looking out to the trees in case of another animal attack.

"I do," Audrey confirmed. "Thank the stars for that. Just a little more – I think I see the slope coming to an end."

Her calves on the verge of cramping up from the pressure, Bastila groaned. "The Star Map will be a short walk away once we reach the top, so we should take the chance to rest. We all need it after what we've been through today."

"Agreed," Audrey said. "Provided that there aren't any huge monsters lurking and waiting for us once we get there!"

"Audrey!" Elena shot back. "Don't say such things!"

"Shit. Now I'm the one jinxing it, aren't I?" she chuckled. "Alright, I'll keep my big mouth shut until we get there. Just keep on following after me."

After an excruciating bout of climbing, the three women collapsed onto their knees once they finally reached the top of the ledge, surveying the scene only after they managed to catch their breath.

"Well girls, I don't know about you, but I'm just about at the end of my strength for today," Audrey said, seemingly unable to bring herself up to stand. "My legs are done – I say we make one last trip to get to that Star Map, then find another place to rest for the night."

"I agree," Bastila nodded. "We were lucky to find that hollowed-out tree last night, but we may not be so fortunate this time around. As much as I'd love nothing more than to lie down here and rest, we need to press on."

"That makes three of us," Elena concurred, being the first one to rise to her feet. "Let's get going, then. The sooner we move, the sooner we'll be able to—!" She froze where she stood, paralyzed by a bottomless pit of fear. Beads of sweat soon began to gather about her head which pounded with pain, as if the blood in her veins came screeching to a halt.

Two rows of razor-sharp teeth glistened under the light of the moon above, flanked by monstrous tusks on either side. Eyes as black as midnight watched her with glee, as a sickening stream of saliva fell from a revolting and thick tongue.

Then, the beast let out a bloodcurdling cry and charged straight at them, the ground trembling under its gargantuan feet.

-o-

"You alright there, young lady?" Jolee said, walking over after having another conversation with Freyyr to discuss last-minute plans. He looked intently at the perturbed Mission who displayed signs of a nervous tremble while sitting next to Carth on a large rock, her fingers grasping against her shirt collar while she looked down at her twiddling feet.

"I'm fine," she replied quickly, yet unconvincingly, looking up at him with a fake smile. "Just…getting ready for the fight is all."

Seeing the current state she was in, the elder Jedi opted to try to allay her fears. "Ah, I see. Well, don't you fret too much, lass. If and when we do come across that creature, chances are it'll make a beeline for Kael and yours truly. These beasts smell the presence of Jedi like a shark can smell blood in an ocean. You just focus on what you have to do, and we'll all be fine."

"Don't worry, Mission," Carth said, patting her on the back. "I'll look out for you."

"I know you will, dad," she smiled up at him. "I'll do my best to look out for you too."

Not long after Mission spoke, their attention soon turned to Revan, who stood alone in the middle of the intended place for battle, gazing in the direction of the widest path that lay between the trees. His lightsaber was at the ready, his index finger poised against the activation switch in anticipation of what was to come.

"Kael? You alright?" Carth asked, unnerved by his companion's silence.

Revan didn't speak. Instead, his mind was afflicted by another vision of the past, the memories playing out being so vivid that he was tempted to reach out and beckon to his former self, demanding that he stop his own further descent into darkness.

-o-

"Worthless, sniveling creature," Malak hissed, tucking his arms beside him and pulling back his lightsaber in preparation to drive it into the neck of the great beast that was trapped under an avalanche of rocks and upturned tree trunks. "How pathetic the Jedi Order truly is, to see so many of its 'great' warriors fall helplessly against such mindless and predictable beasts."

"Stop, Malak," Revan demanded, instilling a sense of confusion and anger in his apprentice. "Leave it be."

"It is defeated, Revan," he barked back. "It has proved no match for us, and is now a helpless shadow of its former self. The weakness emanating from its eyes makes me sick. It does not deserve to live any longer."

"It has its purpose," Revan snapped, fed up by the simple-minded brutishness of his follower. Reaching out through the Force, he completely immobilized Malak, painfully forcing his arms to withdraw and his saber to retreat back to its place in his belt. Under the sheer pressure of his master's display of raw power, Malak groaned as his back began to arch, his spine seemingly on the verge of snapping before Revan released him altogether, leaving him a disheveled heap gasping for air on his knees. "And so do you. I warned you before on Tatooine to not question my motives or my orders. Next time, I will not be so merciful."

"I don't understand, master," Malak gasped as he slowly rose to his feet. "Why let this creature live?"

"Because it is bound to this place. Bound to the Star Map. It hungers for, and yet can never draw satisfaction from the Force energy which emanates from that place. That is why it tried and failed to consume us. Here it serves us, by guarding the Star Map against any who may trespass. Now follow – the next Star Map awaits."

-o-

"It's out there," Revan said, almost at a whisper, after a lengthy silence. "It's coming for us. For me."

"Come on, Kael, no need to be so dramatic," Mission chuckled, attempting to lighten up the tense situation in the way that only she knew how.

"I can sense it, Mission," he continued, the young Twi'lek's efforts in vain. "There may not be any discernible change for you, yet I feel…colder. The light of the moon seems to fade. Everything feels like it's falling into emptiness."

"Guess that's our cue to set ourselves up," Carth said, rising to his feet alongside Mission and Jolee. "Now we'll find out sooner rather than later if—"

"There is movement!" Kuriiima said as she quickly and silently scrambled down the tree which served as her vantage point. "The beast is on its way here!"

"My fellow warriors," Freyyr said in a low growl, tightening his grip around the hilt of his war axe, "it has been the honor of my life to fight for our planet alongside you. No matter what happens here, no matter if I myself may fall, I trust that you will fight for our world's freedom. To the very end."

Mere moments after the chieftain's declaration, all fell into a subdued hush. Great footsteps of a hulking titan resounded through the trees, as the very earth seemed to shake beneath their feet. The trees parted and gave way to a looming shadow which grew with each passing second, a venomous hiss filling the air.

Finally, there it stood, its pitch-black eyes fixed on Revan in an almost salivating manner, eager to gorge on the Force sensitive flesh presented before him. Thorny scales lined its limbs, face and back, and razor-sharp claws protruded from its hands which could easily crush a man in a single strike.

"This is it," Jolee said, his green lightsaber cracking into action. "The moment we've all been waiting for."

"Time to finish this," Revan declared, glaring at the beast as his blue beam roared to life.

"Once and for all," Freyyr added, readying himself for battle and anticipating the furious charge of the beast.

Except, it never came.

Instead, its attention turned rightwards to another target. Or, rather, three. New prey that appeared to be far weaker and exhausted from an arduous journey, and in no proper shape to defend themselves.

After mere seconds of delighting at the sight of its intended victims, the beast let out a bloodcurdling roar and charged at them, as the scream of a familiar voice immediately struck at Carth's mind.

"No," he murmured, his eyes widening with panic before he sprang into action, sprinting after the beast with his blaster pistol. "Audrey!"

A/N: Happy New Year everyone! I'm very glad to be back with another entry to this story after quite some time away. Part of me really wanted to push on with the terentatek fight in this chapter, but I thought it'd be best to save it for the next one so that I could start the following chapter from the best character perspective as possible.

As always, it's been great to bring you another update, and we're finally approaching the endpoint for Kashyyyk, which I'm quite eager to write my unique take on. Please stay tuned for the next chapter!