Okay, I'm thinking about re-writing some of chapter 13, just because I'm not really satisfied with the "creature's" intro. But I'm only thinking about it, so there's a chance I'll just leave it alone. But as for the entire story, except for a rather slow beginning, I'm pretty satisfied so far.

On a sadder note, I did happen to find out Miss Krux is no longer an active member. :( Sad really, cause she was a good author. I should really pay attention to these things more often. (sigh)

By the way Tinuviel Andomiel, are you ever going to update "Captivated"? We KOTOR fans are dieing out here!

WeirdoTransvestite: Let's say, it was inspired by it. :)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 14: Obstacles

Kreia's brown, hooded form glided through the halls of the Academy on Coruscant. She had been staying at the Academy since she first arrived, and had barely spoken a word to anyone. Ever since their "confrontation", Vrook stayed as far away from Kreia as he could. Some of the Masters there had queried if she would want to be re-inducted into the council. Kreia made it clear, however, that she had no desire to be part of it any more.

Nevertheless, today she sought out a member of the council that had been on her mind some time: Atris. Every day, Kreia could sense peculiar feelings from her. She seemed to be constantly tired. Among her emotions, Kreia could tell she was hiding a glimmer of discontent.

She arrived at the academy's archives and found Atris's white-clad form squatting in the center. The entire room was lined with holocrons, all containing information and lessons from both the Jedi and the Sith over the course of millennia.

"Dwelling in the past again, Atris?" Kreia asked her.

Atris opened her eyes and raised her head. "What do you want?" she asked flatly.

"Is it a crime to wish to talk?" Kreia asked back.

Atris sighed. "I suppose not."

"I was a historian, once, Atris. You know that." The white-robed Master nodded. "These archives contain the very lessons and history of the Jedi order. So much knowledge is held here. It is all so valuable. So much can be learned from this place," Kreia said as she lightly touched the walls.

"Indeed. But to spend ones time with these can be quite tiring. It's almost as if there is too much here to be learned."

"Too much? No, never too much. It is only too much for those afraid to seek it. Knowledge is power. And these archives contain more than the lessons and history of the Jedi…they also contain the Sith's as well."

"We are not to use them for ourselves. They are only so we can study and understand them, and how to defeat them," Atris responded.

"Really? Did you even bother to consider how much power is to be gained from them? How much knowledge can be learned? The Jedi and the Sith both contain weaknesses and strengths. If we are ever to be as strong as we can, we must learn to harness the powers of both."

Atris turned to face Kreia for the first time. "The darkside is something we never use. It goes against our very order, our very code."

"The code?" Kriea asked slyly. "The code does not provide all the answers, Atris. You know this. I learned it myself once I was in your position. To get the true answers, one must search deeper. Even in places we don't want to."

"We cannot use the Sith's own teachings to fight them," Atris said.

"Is that so? You are mistaken. Teachings are only as powerful as the one who knows how to use them. The same is true for Jedi and Sith. But let me ask you, have you even fought the Sith? Have you experienced them first hand?"

Atris paused nervously. "No."

"Ah, yes. And yet, you have them here right at your fingertips. Such is the fate of a historian. I must go now. Think about my words." With that, Kreia disappeared, leaving a confused Atris behind.

Revan, Quaid, Mission, and the strange creature left the burrow and headed for the cave's exit, much to the creature's protests.

"I cannot go! In exposing me, you will doom your kind and the entire galaxy!" it shouted.

Before Revan could respond, they heard Atton's voice shouting over the communicator.

"Revan! Guys, what's going on down there? You better get back here, we've got company!" From outside, they could here the echoes of blaster fire.

"Damn it! We've been followed!" Quaid cursed.

"Quick, let's get out of here!" Revan shouted.

"They have come! They have followed you!" the creature hissed. "You have led the dark ones here!"

Without responding, Revan ran up the cave's tunnel. The rest followed behind, and within seconds they emerged into the daylight. Outside the entrance, Atton and the other two Jedi were firing blasters at a squad of approaching dark Jedi. The Sith were approaching on landspeeders and dismounted once they got close to the cave.

"Glad to see you could make it," Atton said as he fired. Mission leapt to his side and fired her own blaster at the Sith. It did little good, for their bolts were deflected easily by the dark Jedi.

"Look! There it is!" said one of them, pointing at the creature.

Revan and Quaid drew their lightsabers. Suddenly, more Sith appeared from behind the trees. They were outnumbered. Revan was struck with the instant realization that he should have brought more help with him.

"Mission, get out of here! Atton, call for backup!" he shouted. He turned to the creature. "Stay here!"

"Don't you understand? They are looking for me!" it shouted back. Revan didn't respond.

Revan, Quaid, and the two Jedi rushed the attackers with lightsabers drawn. The cracks and hisses of the energy blades filled the atmosphere around them. Revan was quickly able to down two dark Jedi; Quaid killed one. Fearing being swarmed, Revan sent a force-wave through the approaching group of dark Jedi to buy them some time.

The four Jedi held their own well against the attackers, until they were forced to retreat back to the cave's entrance. Just then, Quaid spotted something approaching. The sight of him struck fear into the exile's heart. A man, with the appearance of a corpse, was approaching him. His skin was horribly gray and cracked; the flesh over one of his eyes was torn away, revealing a white orb.

Revan and the others looked at him with confusion. The zombie-like Sith stared up at them and laughed in an inhuman voice.

"Darth Sion!" Quaid yelled to him.

"We meet again, exile. And this time, I assure you, you will not make it out alive." He drew a red lightsaber.

"What is that thing?" Mission asked, confused and scared.

"The force is sustaining him," the creature whispered.

"What?" Revan and Quaid asked in unison. But they had no time to respond. The Sith, along with Sion, rushed up to attack them. Quaid and Revan immediately threw their lightsabers at the group, taking out two of the dark Jedi. Once they returned to their hands, Revan, Quaid, and the other two Jedi lunged at them. A hellacious duel ensued. Revan's squad managed to take down a couple more Sith, but one of the Jedi was struck down in the fight. A few minutes into the duel, Sion finally stepped in.

Quaid was the first to engage him. Quaid swung his green lightsaber and met with the crimson blade of Sion. The two clashed, each one seeming to not gain any ground. Finally, Quaid spotted an opening, and slashed Sion's midsection with lightning speed. Sion staggered for a moment, but smiled evilly as the wound reformed and closed up. Quaid lunged at him again.

"What in the force are you?" Quaid asked him as their lightsabers grinded.

Sion merely laughed. Quaid once again caught him off guard and stabbed his lightsaber right through Sion's chest. Sion fell over. Quaid thought he had him, but was horrified to see the wound heal itself. Sion was back on his feet as if nothing had happened.

Sion happened to glance over and noticed the creature was running away. "Get it! Do not let it escape!" he called out. Three Dark Jedi pursued it. The other Jedi Revan had brought with them attempted to stop them, but was struck down by them. Seeing this, Revan cursed.

"You cannot defeat me, Jedi," Sion laughed. Finally, Revan managed to come to Quaid's assistance. He force-pushed Sion hard into a nearby tree. Enraged, Sion leapt up and rushed at the two Jedi. Out of the corner of his eye, Revan noticed Mission had gone as well as the creature. Cursing to himself, Revan swung his saber and landed a blow on Sion's hip. The Sith Lord responded by swinging his own lightsaber at Revan's face, which he dodged just in time.

One of the Dark Jedi brought his lightsaber up and attempted to get Quaid from behind. Before he could reach him, Atton landed a blaster bolt right through his back.

"Thanks," Quaid called out. Atton's satisfaction was short-lived, as one of the dark Jedi sent a wave of force lightning at him, and he fell over.

Sion had enough. He raised his hand and sent Quaid and Revan flying back into a tree. With them down, the rest of the dark Jedi combined their powers and sent Quaid and Revan into a stasis. Both of them feared for their lives at that moment. But miraculously, Sion called out and the rest of the Dark Jedi followed him in pursuit of the creature. Sion and the rest mounted their speeders and darted off. Revan and Quaid could only watch helplessly.

"No, no, no…" Revan thought desperately as they left. They couldn't get it. If they found the creature, they would take it. And Bastila would be as good as dead. He fought with all his might to escape the stasis, but he couldn't break out. Quaid was having equal trouble as well. Atton was prostrate on the ground. Revan sensed he was still alive, but unconscious. Where was Mission? He hoped to the force that they wouldn't find her, either.

The creature knew the fight was doomed, especially when their leader arrived. With that, he couldn't let the dark ones find him. He would not let them find him and use him for their own purposes. He decided to escape when he had the chance. He could run faster than any human, and that bought him some time. He ran and ran as far as he could. He did not tire.

But his flight was short-lived. As it ran through the plains like an animal, it soon came to a river that cut the valley in half. It was wide and deep, almost impossible to cross. It grew desperate. It frantically looked around for a means to cross it, but to no avail. With little time, it came to a realization that it might have to jump in. But what good would that do? They would eventually recover him.

Its hopes sank when it sensed the dark ones approaching. It could feel their leader long in advance, sensing his pain and hatred from afar. It turned around to see them approaching on their landspeeders, cornering it. They dismounted and approached him. The creature backed against the riverbank and glared at them like a cornered animal.

"Keep away from me!" it yelled. "Stay away!"

"Lord Nihilus wants you returned to him. Not you or anyone else will stop us," Sion growled.

Sparks of force lightning crackled around the creature's body. Its eyes flicked from a bright blue to red and back to blue again. "I am warning you. Keep away," it hissed.

Two of the Sith ignited their lightsabers and approached it. The creature's eyes flashed red, and it sent out a wave of force-lightning at them. The two fell over, dead. The rest of the Sith started for the creature, but Sion stopped them. The corpse-like Sith Lord approached the creature with his lightsaber drawn. Sparks of lightning still flowed around its body.

When Sion got close enough, it sent out another wave, but Sion parried it. "You think you can defeat me? And with the darkside as well? You are mistaken."

"I wonder, Sith," the creature whispered. "For all your power, you still bow to others. Tell me, are you really as powerful as you seem?"

"I am stronger than any pathetic Jedi can hope to be. And I am stronger than you are," Sion sent out a wave of lightning which the creature didn't have time to block. It fell to the ground, and before it could get up, it felt its body being constricted by an unseen force. The Sith were placing it in a stasis.

"Bind it," Sion commanded. "Make sure it cannot fight back." The dark Jedi approached the helpless creature with bonds in their hands.

"NO!" it shouted. "You cannot do this!"

"Bring it to the ship. We will take it to Nar-Shadaa at once," Sion commanded.

"But my lord, what about Visas and the rest?" one of them asked.

"We cannot wait for them. If they cannot follow us, they are either captured or dead. The Sith have no time for the weak."

The Sith went to work at once binding the creature's hands and feet together with powerful bonds. A force-restraint collar was placed on its neck to prevent it from using the force.

"You wretched Sith!" it screamed. "You are nothing! Nothing but damned souls following damned beliefs! You are doomed! Doomed!"

It continued to scream as it was dragged off by the Sith. From a distance, a frightened Mission had been watching the entire seen play out. When she saw the creature leaving, she followed it in stealth, also using a stimulant to help keep up. She watched fearfully as the Sith carried it off, most likely to a nearby ship. Only one thought came to her mind now.

"I have to tell the others," she whispered to herself. With that, she was off.

After ages of struggling, Revan finally managed to break free of the stasis. Once free, he brought Quaid out of stasis as well. The two of them surveyed the sad scene. The two Jedi they had brought with them were dead, and Atton had passed out from his injuries. Quaid rushed to his side and turned him over. Atton's body was badly burned in several places.

Quaid reached out with the force and helped heal some of the burns. He then took out a tube of kolto and applied it to his wounds. Atton groaned silently as he slowly recovered back to consciousness.

"Hey, nice to see you alive," Quaid said as he applied a bandage.

"Oh, man…that force-lightning really does hurt," he groaned. "Thanks, by the way."

"No problem. How do you feel?"

"Hurting, but I'm okay."

Revan desperately looked around. There were no traces of Mission, the "creature", or the Sith. They had gone. Desperation gnawed at him. He had to find that thing and get it back. He couldn't let it fall into the Sith's hands. If they found it, Bastila would surely die, and the galaxy would be put in danger. This wasn't fair. It wasn't right. Bastila – the one he loved more than anything, the woman who he was going to marry – would be lost to him. It wasn't fair. Anger rushed through him. Suddenly he was angry at everyone – Jedi, Sith, and Republic alike. And that Sith Lord – that Sion – what kind of creature was he? He was nothing like Revan had ever seen before.

Without even knowing it, he collapsed to his knees and dug his fingers into the dirt. Seeing this, Quaid rushed over to him.

"Revan, what's wrong?" he asked with concern.

"Why, Quaid? Why did this have to happen?" Revan asked him.

Quaid couldn't think of a response. The question itself caught him completely off guard. Then he remembered Bastila. She was still alive, but was dying. How long could she hold out? The exile kneeled next to Revan.

"Don't give up hope, Revan," Quaid said to him. "We can still win this."

Suddenly, the heard shouting and the pounding of feet approaching. It was Mission.

"Guys! Revan? Quaid? Atton?" she called out, hoping they were still alive.

"Mission!" Revan jumped up and ran to meet her. "Mission, thank the force you're alive!"

"Revan, I-"

"The creature! Where is it? Do you know where it went?" he asked anxiously.

She nodded grimly. "Yes. I followed it when I saw it run off," she said.

Revan was apprehensive. The fact that it was not with her wasn't a good sign.

"Where is it now?"

"Revan, I…" she chocked. "The Sith found it. They captured it, and now they're taking it away."

Revan sank down in despair. Now things really were grim. "No," he moaned.

"Revan, I'm sorry," Quaid said to him.

"If only we knew where they were taking him," Atton sighed.

"We do now," Mission said. The other three snapped in her direction simultaneously. "I overheard that walking corpse speaking. They're taking him to Nar-Shadaa." She grinned.

Without thinking, Revan hugged her tightly. "Thank the force for you, Mission," he said smiling.

"Great. What now?" Atton asked.

"What else? We're going to Nar-Shadaa."

The four of them picked up the two dead bodies of the fallen Jedi and loaded them onto the landspeeders. With only four of them left, they were forced to abandon a landspeeder. As fast as they could, they zoomed back to Arturus's tomb, where the rest of the Jedi were still stationed.

And who should greet them first but Yuthura Ban.

"Yuthura! You're awake!" Revan called out.

"Revan! What happened?" she asked instantly.

"Have you talked to Bastila at all?" Revan asked grimly.

"Yes," she responded sadly. "She showed me everything. She told me you were out looking for that 'thing'. I take it you haven't found it yet."

"We found it, but we ran into some problems," he told her. "The Sith found us before we could get back. It's a little hard to describe what happened, but they managed to catch it."

"But whatever for? And where are they taking it?"

"To answer your first question, I don't know, but I have some good guesses. As for the second, they're going to Nar-Shadaa."

Yuthura contemplated the situation. "Okay, but we had better follow them as soon as we can."

"That's the plan," Quaid said back.

"And you guys are in luck," Atton said out of nowhere. "I've been around that planet more than once. Trust me, if you want to find anything there, you'll be needing someone who knows the place."

Just then, Revan realized they had been strangely fortunate. "Great. We'll need all the help we can get. Quaid, Jolee, and I will go-"

"Hey, Rev!" Mission cut in.

"And Mission, too," Revan added.

"Thanks," Mission said, grinning.

"Alright, but I'm coming, too," Yuthura said.

"Yuthura, but you're needed here," Revan protested.

"I am not 'needed' here. Dustil can bring word back to the Jedi of what has happened. There will be others. My mission was to help you, Revan. I am not about to abandon that mission. You have helped me more than you can imagine in the past, Revan. I am merely returning the favor." Her words contained unmoving determination. There was no arguing with her.

"Very well. Welcome aboard, Yuthura." Just then, a thought came to Revan's head.

"Quaid, you'd better get back to the Ebon Hawk and check on our 'prisoner.'"

Quaid suddenly remembered the female Sith Assassin he had fought earlier. He nodded and eagerly dashed to the Ebon Hawk. Revan turned to the rest. "You all had better get ready to leave. I'm going to speak to Bastila," he said.

Quaid climbed up the entry ramp to the Ebon Hawk. Greeting him was a rather amused Jolee Bindo.

"When did you get here?" Quaid asked, surprised.

"What, you didn't expect to ditch me at the tomb that easily, did you?" he asked sarcastically. "We just arrived a little while ago. I decided to keep an eye out on the ship and our prisoner. In fact, I think you should talk to her."

"You mean, she's awake!" Quaid asked wide-eyed.

Jolee nodded. "Yup, she's in the port dormitory. And she seemed to want to know where you were. And don't worry; she didn't even try to escape. Something tells me she didn't want to."

"Well, thanks," Quaid added and headed for the dormitory.

There in the port dormitory, he beheld the crimson-robed Sith squatting in the center. She sensed his presence, and stood up to face him. The two stood there in front of each other silently.

After a moment of awkward hesitation, Quaid spoke. "Hello." She was silent.

He spoke again. "Are you okay? Are you alright?"

"I am fully capable of fighting again. I am ready to do whatever you wish," she said to him.

He smiled at her. "That's not what I asked. I asked, are you alright?"

Her mouth hung open for a second in shock. "I have not heard that question for so long… My flesh has healed, if that is what you mean."

"Good. I didn't mean to hurt you."

She seemed quite taken aback and touched at his gesture of kindness. Clearly, it was not something she was accustomed to. "Th-thank you," she said weakly.

"What is your name?"

She paused. "Visas. Visas Marr."

"Visas? That is a nice name. My name is Quaid Darin."

Quaid walked up to her and politely asked if she would like to sit down. She nodded, and the two of them sat down on one of the bunks. "Do you feel like talking?" he asked her.

"Yes. If you have questions, I will answer what I can."

Quaid was rather surprised. Not only did they have a Sith, but a cooperative one. Despite all the misfortunes that had happened, they had at least some luck. He took some time to notice her face. She had young features. He guessed she was probably only a little younger than he was. Despite the fact he could only see the bottom half of her face because of the veil she wore, she seemed rather attractive. He sensed she was someone who wouldn't join the Sith on a whim.

"Why did you try attack me and my crew in the first place?"

"I…my mission was to prevent the Jedi from hindering our efforts. I was to make sure you were not able to stop us in our mission. That is why I resorted to sabotaging your means of escape – your ship."

"I see," Quaid observed. "Why were you here? What were you looking for?" He knew the answer, but asked this as more of a test.

"We came here in search of an artifact. I know very little about it, but according to my master, it was of great importance and power. Our task was to find it and bring it to him. Exactly what it is, though, I do not know."

"And just who is your Master? Who is the one leading the Sith?"

She paused uneasily. "I serve one Master, but there are currently three lords ruling the Sith," she told him. "You have already met one."

"Sion?" Quaid asked uneasily.

"Yes. Darth Sion. He is one. He bathes in pain. He has mastered the technique of maintaining his body purely through will and the force. He is not truly alive, yet he is not dead. The only thing keeping him alive is his anger, hatred, and command of the darkside. But he is only one."

"And the others?"

"There is another. I have never met her, but her name is Darth Traya. While Sion serves as the commander of the Sith in battle, Traya is a manipulator. She is an infiltrator; one whom my master sends into the ranks of the enemy itself. It is she who cripples the enemy from the inside out."

"And is she already within the Republic?" he asked her. Visas nodded.

"Though I do not know where, or what she is doing. As I have said, I have never seen her, and my master does not speak much of her in my presence. But I know she is the second."

"And what of your master? Who is he?" he asked with anticipation.

Visas paused again. Now, she seemed not only uncomfortable, but frightened. Quaid felt her feelings, and he too became apprehensive. After gathering herself, she spoke. "The third Sith Lord rules over the other two. He is the leader of our kind now, the one who leads us against the Jedi. One whom even the likes of Sion and Traya bow to. He is one whom they say no living being can kill."

Quaid felt a sense of fearing creeping into him as she spoke. Her words contained fear as she spoke his name. "His name is Darth Nihilus. He is the Lord of the Sith, and the greatest of the three."

Nihilus. This wasn't good. If the likes of Sion bowed to Nihilus, then Quaid dared not think of the power he must have wielded.

"He is a wound in the force. He was spawned from the horrors of Malachor V, like you, exile. It was he who destroyed my people on Katarr."

"Where is your master now? We must stop him."

"You cannot. My master keeps many things from me. I myself do not know where he dwells except when he calls to me. Even now, I do not know where he is. And even if I could tell you, I would not. I cannot."

"What? Why?"

"Because if you or your friends face him now, unprepared, you will be lost to me. And I cannot allow that to happen. It would be as if someone set fire to a paradise valley, shattered a cavern of rare crystal, or blinded a painter. No. I cannot allow you to come before him. Not yet. But you will meet my master. It is inevitable. And when you do, and realize what you will face you must be prepared! Until then, I must protect you – help you, until you are ready."

Quaid couldn't believe this was the same woman who had tried to kill him earlier. But then again, she had never wanted to do it in the first place. This was all very confusing. "Why are you doing this for me?" he asked her.

"There is a…greatness in you. A greatness that does not stem from the force. It stems from who you are."

From who he was? Quaid sensed there was much more to the story than he knew. But now was not the time to ask her. Needless to say, he would tell Revan as soon as he could all he had been told.

"Exile, may I ask you something now?" she asked meekly.

"Of course."

"Why are you doing this for me? Why did you spare me?"

Quaid paused and looked at her. He could tell that she was looking at him, even though her eyes were covered. There were many reasons, questioning being one, but that wasn't the biggest. "Because I know you can be saved," he told her.

She seemed awed. "Please, I ask you - do not hinder yourself for me. Do not weaken yourself for me."

"Visas," Quaid whispered. "I doubt that will happen."

"I must go, Bastila," Revan said to her sadly. He kneeled over her bed, holding her pale hand in his.

"Why?" she asked weakly.

"The Sith discovered us. They found the creature that attacked you. Only it can restore you. We have to go to Nar-Shadaa to get it back. I am so sorry, Bastila. I don't want to leave you. It shouldn't have to be like this…" He felt tears threatening to overwhelm him again.

Bastila smiled gently at him. "Do what you must, Revan. Please, I beg you, do not lose hope. Do not abandon everything for me. If you truly love me, you will move on."

Too choked to answer, Revan nodded. He took Bastila's hand and kissed it, his tears rolling down and falling on her hand. "I will save you, Bastila. I promise you. Just hold on," he said earnestly.

She pulled him down and kissed him weakly on the lips. "I will try. Now, go. The galaxy needs you," she whispered.

Well, I'm glad to get that chapter out. I apologize if it seems a little rushed. Now that school's started again, I won't have as much time to write my fics as I'd like. :( But I'll try and update as often as I can. So long.