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Chapter 22: To Find the Beast

"Well, I don't pretend to know what the Sith are planning. I just don't think it may be a good idea to go out looking for them yet," Vash addressed the Council. The entire Jedi Council was gathered in the large room.

"The Sith have intruded upon our very sanctum and slain one of our own. Are you expecting us to take no action?" Vrook objected sternly.

"I am not saying that," Vash replied. "I am only suggesting we try to figure out what the Sith are planning before we go out searching for them."

"But what will we do if they strike again and we are still thinking?" Master Dorak protested.

"We will stop them. We must go out and finish them off before they do any more damage," Vrook said. "A Jedi's duty is to protect life."

"But a Jedi's duty is also to make wise decisions," Zhar interjected. "Perhaps we should try for a more defensive maneuver – advise the fleet to protect the outer rim worlds and send out some of our own knights to assist them."

"That might prove difficult, Zhar," Dorak replied. "If we do that, we might risk spreading our ranks too thin as well as the Republic fleet." He turned to the short Jedi Master sitting beside him. "Vandar, you have not really said anything. Do you have any advice on the matter?"

The small Master looked up. "I'm afraid this is quite a complicated matter. We do not know where the Sith operate from. We do not even know where Kreia is now. As much as I do not want to say it, I'm afraid she might even be connected to the Sith now. If we were to find her, we could get some answers. As for the Sith…" He paused. "I'm afraid I am not sure which direction we should take. I'm rather surprised the Sith did not scorch the entire surface of Onderon. I wonder if this attack was merely to provoke us into responding."

"It could be," Zhar agreed. "What do you think, Atris? You too have been rather silent."

Atris cleared her throat. "The Sith have grown bold, that much we know. They may feel we have grown weak." She paused and stood. "The Sith have seen the way the council have acted in the past. They're trying to use our own indecisiveness against us!"

"What do you mean?" Vandar asked her.

"This attack was a test, don't you see that?" continued. "They are trying to force us to play our hand. That's what this assassination was, too! It was them trying to see how we would respond. They are judging us now by what we've done in the past. Think we will hesitate and argue over what to do next while they keep killing others! Can you not see? The Sith are trying to send a message to the Republic: that the Jedi are too weak to protect them! Look around! Can you still not see the resent from them from the Mandalorian wars? If the council had acted, who knows what might have happened! For all we know, the Jedi Civil War could have all been avoided!"

"But Atris, we saw what happened to Revan," Vandar cut in. "He-"

"Revan's corruption was a terrible thing. But could we have prevented it? If the council had acted instead of waiting, would Revan have even fallen? Would the Sith have ever had a chance to regain their strength? No! There is only one thing the Sith respect – power. And they believe we have lost it. That is why they feel as though they cannot attack us on a whim."

"Atris, don't you know who you sound like? You sound like-"Vash began.

"Revan?" Atris finished for her.

Vash didn't answer, but asked another question. "What if it's a trap?"

"What if it isn't? This a chance! A chance for the council to prove its strength! A chance for us to assert our power. We can use the Sith's own tactics against them. We will find them…and destroy them all in one swoop! We can end their influence on this galaxy. If not, we will at least permanently cripple them."

Vandar shook his head.

Atris was now started pacing. "This is our chance to show the Sith and the Republic that we care about the innocent – and that we are not afraid to defend them. With Revan and Bastila gone, the Sith think we've lost the only driving force we have. Well, here is our chance to prove them wrong. If we go out and strike back now, we can end this. If not, we will only prove that we lack the will and the power to protect this galaxy; that we are afraid to face danger!"

The entire council looked at Atris, then at each other.

Admiral Onasi was on the bridge of his flagship when a loud beeping came in over the speakers indicating an incoming message.

"Send it through," Carth ordered. An image of Master Vandar appeared on the screen. "Hello, Master Vandar."

"Admiral, the council has made its decision," he spoke.

"Really? This came quicker than I thought. What does the council advise?"

"The council has decreed that you and the Republic should go forth, find the Sith, and finish them off," he spoke frankly.

"Amazing. I'm a little surprised. Though you don't really look like you're happy with the decision."

"Admiral, I am afraid I do not know what the plan of action should be. But the majority of the council feels this is the best course of action to take."

"Alright. Thank you, Master Vandar."

"Good luck to you, Admiral."

"Good luck, to you too, Master Vandar. Admiral Onasi out."

Atton, Mission, and Revan hunkered down in the weapons storage room as they waited for Quaid, Visas, Yuthura, and HK to call back. Revan wanted to rally with them while the prisoners were still running rampant. Finally, Quaid's voice came in through his communicator.

"Revan, it's Quaid. We're altogether. We've gathered outside Visquis' throne room. Where are you?"

"We're in the weapons storage right next to the prison sector. Can you find it?" Revan replied.

"I don't think so."

"It's alright. We can give you directions. Just hurry up." He looked over at Mission. "Have you found the throne room, yet?"

"Yup."

"Alright. Quaid? Don't worry about it. Just follow our directions and you'll be there."

It wasn't long before the doors to the armory opened and the rest of Revan's companions joined them.

Revan went up to them. "Great, you made it. Did you encounter any trouble along the way?"

"Answer: No, master. Much to my disappointment," HK answered.

"Yeah," Quaid continued. "The guards are a little busy with the prisoners, who also somehow managed to get their hands on a bunch of weapons. We'd better hurry, though. I think Visquis will get suspicious of us when he finds out we've run off."

"Then we have no time to lose. Let's go, everyone!" Revan ordered the rest. The seven of them ran out of the room. Revan held the map in his hand and led the others down the hall.

"Where are we going?" Yuthura asked as they ran along.

"To the bottom level," Revan replied. "Turn left! We have to go through the hangars." They darted down the hall until they reached the end. The door opened and they stepped into the large, spacious room where all the ships were docked. The door opened out onto a narrow catwalk that ran above the floor. Down below, the sounds of blaster fire were heard. Visquis' guards were dealing with the escaped prisoners. Not taking time to look at the scene, Revan and the others ran across it. Unfortunately, one of the Exchange guards happened to see them.

"Look!" one of them pointed. "It's those bounty hunters Visquis hired! And they're with the prisoners! Someone stop them!"

"Oh great," Atton grumbled.

"Never mind them, keep going!" Revan shouted. The other end of the catwalk ended at another doorway. The door slid open to reveal another long hallway. Not pausing for a moment the group rushed down the corridor.

"Left!" Revan instructed. "We're close to the elevator!" A short moment later they arrived at a stretch of hall that ended at a large set of doors. "There it is," Revan told them. "Let's go." Before they could proceed, a barrage of blaster fire came down from the end of the hall. The seven barely had enough time to move out of the way and behind the corner.

"Geez! What was that?" Mission yelped in surprise.

"Turrets," Quaid said. "The elevator's guarded by turrets."

"Take 'em out, HK!" Revan commanded.

"Acknowledgement: Yes, master!" Bathed in an energy shield, the red droid stepped out into the open. A volley of red bolts bounced off his force field. The droid took careful aim and launched an ion grenade at the group of turrets. At the end of the hall, the grenade detonated and the turrets went silent.

"Good work, HK," Revan said as the others came back out into the open.

"Proud reply: Thank you, Master."

"The Exchange really wanted the elevator guarded," Yuthura remarked.

"Yes. We're going to find out exactly what they're guarding very soon," Revan said as they moved down the hall. Once at the elevator, Revan pressed a button on the panel to open the doors. Once everyone was boarded, the doors slid shut again. "Here goes nothing," Revan said and pressed a button to take them down to the ground level.

"We don't have much time. If Visquis finds out about us we'll have half the Exchange in this building after us in no time," Quaid muttered.

"Just out of curiosity Rev, do you even know where you're going?" Mission asked him. You don't even know where this creature's being kept. I mean, it could take hours to find it!"

Revan waved his hand. "Don't worry. I think I know who to ask." At last, the elevator came to a halt and the doors slid open. The group of seven stepped out into large intersection of hallways.

"What is this place?" Mission asked as she looked around. "Is there anyone around?"

"There are people here, I can sense it," Visas said.

"So what now? Are we just going to search every room until we find it?" Atton asked.

Revan shook his head. "No. Someone's going to show us there. We just need to find him."

"Who? Who is going to show us there? Revan, do you even know what you're talking about?" Mission blurted.

"Just humor me, okay?" Revan snapped unexpectedly. "I can't really explain it right now. Just trust me." He looked left, right, then straight ahead. After a moment of thought he pointed straight ahead. "This way."

The rest of them shrugged their soldiers and followed him. "This is like the blind leading the blind," Atton muttered under his breath.

"Hey, who are they?" they heard a voice shout from behind them. All seven of them spun around to see a group of soldiers standing behind them – wearing Sith uniforms!

"Hey! They're Sith!" Mission gasped.

"These must be the intruders!" one of the soldiers spoke. "Take 'em out!" The soldiers raised their rifles, but Revan responded first. Instead of using his blaster, he went straight for his lightsaber. The blue blade shot out just as the soldiers fired, and easily deflected all the shots. Following his lead, Yuthura, Visas, and Quaid pulled out their lightsabers.

"They're Jedi!" Revan heard one of them shout. They kept firing, but the four Jedi deflected the bolts right back onto the soldiers, sending them all to the ground. Once it was done, the group rushed over to the bodies.

"So it's true…the Sith really are working with the Exchange!" Yuthura remarked. "I knew it."

"This is great…I wonder how long this has been going on," Atton added.

"Do you think we should take their uniforms? Maybe disguise ourselves as them?" Mission suggested.

"That might take too much time. For all we know, there could be an entire army of Sith heading for this area," Revan replied. "We need to move on. Let's move the bodies so they don't see them right away." They dragged the bodies to the side of the hall inside one of the narrow doorways so they were just out of sight.

"Well, where next?" Quaid asked.

"Keep going down this hall," Revan answered. "By the way guys, if you see a lizard-like alien walking around here, say something. But don't kill him."

"Is that who you're looking for?" Yuthura asked.

"Yes."

"Regretful statement: You really know how to take away a droid's fun, master."

Revan and the others continued down the long hall, skipping over the doors as they went. They were just about to come to another intersection when another group of Sith soldiers appeared from around the corner.

"There they are! Kill them!" one of the soldiers shouted. This time, HK-47 was the first to respond. The droid fired several bolts at the group of soldiers. The four Jedi responded by charging at them with their lightsabers drawn, while Atton and Mission supported them from the rear.

Revan leapt in front of one of the armored Sith. He took a swipe him, cutting his rifle in half. In a flash he swung again, this time right across his chest. The soldier fell to the floor, and within a few moments the other soldiers lay dead as well.

"I have a feeling we're gonna meet a lot more. We should try to avoid as much fighting as we-" he stopped in mid-sentence. Right in front of him, about fifty feet down the hall, stood the reptilian alien he was looking for. He was still wearing the jacket with the strange gizka patch on the soldier. "It's him! Get him!" Revan shouted.

The Trandoshan responded by throwing a grenade down the hall, then running away as fast as he could. "Duck!" Quaid shouted. The four Jedi barely had enough time to leap out of the way before the grenade detonated. The grenade exploded, followed by a cry of pain from Yuthura.

"Yuthura? Are you okay?" Revan asked.

"Yes," Yuthura stammered. "It's just my arm." Revan looked at her and saw that her arm had arm was bleeding from some shrapnel that had cut her.

"He's getting away!" Quaid shouted. He and Visas followed the pursuit down the hall with force-enhanced speed.

"This way!" Visas pointed, and the two turned left around the corner. The Trandoshan had by now reached a door and was about to open it. Visas reached out with her hand and the reptilian alien suddenly grew still. He was in a stasis.

"We got him," Quaid called to the others. He and Visas approached the Trandoshan, who now wore a worried expression on his face.

"Visas, that was remarkable. I don't think I've ever seen a stasis field applied from that great a distance," Quaid said to her.

Visas grinned. "I wasn't my master's top assassin for no reason." Quaid chuckled as the other five approached them. Yuthura now wore a bandage on her arm.

"Move," Revan said to the others as he approached the Trandoshan. He couldn't move, but Revan could tell he was afraid.

"Get him out of that stasis. We need to talk," Revan instructed. With a wave of Visas' hand, the stasis field disappeared. Before the Trandoshan could move, Revan grabbed him harshly and pulled him up by his jacket.

"Alright, you," Revan growled. "I need answers, now. And you'd better talk."

"What makes you think I even know anything?" the alien hissed back.

"Call it a hunch. And if you want to make it easier on us and yourself, you'll play along."

"What do you want?"

"Information. Just what exactly is going on, here? You're not a member of the Exchange. You're a Sith, aren't you?"

The alien's eyes darted back and forth. "Yes, I am."

"What is your name? I can't just call you 'Sith'"

"My name is 'Trusk', you Jedi scum."

"Well, Trusk, what are you doing here? What is this place? What are the Sith doing working with the Exchange?" Revan demanded.

"Go to hell, Jedi," the Trandoshan growled.

Revan slammed him against the wall, but Trusk showed no signs of yielding. "You'd better talk, or I promise you, you'll regret it."

Trusk hissed. "What are you going to do, Jedi? Kill me? Go ahead."

Revan loosened his grip. "No, I won't kill you. But do you see that droid over there?" He pointed toward HK. "That droid is pretty violent and has been itching to see blood spilt for some time. I'm going to ask you questions, and every time you give me an answer I don't like, I'm going to have him blow something off. And I guarantee they will be things you will miss."

"Exclamation: Ooh, thank you, master! This exercise sounds fun! May I blow out his digestive organs, first?"

"You're bluffing," Trusk said.

"You think so? Do you know who I am?"

"No. Nor do I care."

"I think you will. I've had a few names, but you probably no me as Darth Revan."

Trusk's eyes widened. Revan wasn't sure if he believed him or not, but he didn't have time to ask. "Now tell me, what is this place? What are the Sith doing here?"

"This place is a training facility. The new recruits come here before they're shipped out."

"Recruits? For the Sith?" Quaid asked. Trusk nodded.

"Is that why the Exchange has been hiring so many mercenaries?" Revan asked. "Are they hiring for the Sith?"

Trusk grinned. "Yes, Jedi. They've been hiring them for some time. We hire recruits from all around the galaxy and bring them here before they are shipped off."

"How many have you hired?" Revan asked him.

Trusk laughed. "Oh, hundreds, Jedi! Thousands! We Sith have used the Exchange to help bolster our forces again. You'll be surprised what some people will do for money. And we don't operate just on this world, but others."

"And what does the Exchange get out of this?" Yuthura asked.

"Useful things. Weapons, equipment, ships, those things. We've helped them keep a hold on this planet as well as suppress the rival gangs."

"Who is your leader?" Revan asked.

"To hell with you, Jedi."

"HK, blow off his right arm," Revan commanded. HK-47 raised his rifle.

"Okay! I'll tell you!" Revan waved his hand for HK to stop. "Visquis is the leader of the Exchange. Currently, the Sith operation on this planet is being lead by someone you may have met before. His name is Darth Sion."

"Yeah, we've met," Quaid muttered.

"And he's here right now!" Trusk added. "And when he finds out you're here, he'll find you." He laughed.

Revan tightened his grip on Trusk. "Alright. Now where's this artifact you Sith are keeping down here?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"He lies!" Visas warned.

"HK," Revan started.

"Alright! The artifact is down here. But I cannot take you to it, Revan. Sion will surely kill me if I do!"

"I was a Sith Lord too, Trusk. I can be ruthless, too. We'll kill you anyway if you don't, so your choices are pretty even as of now. And don't forget what I said about the droid," Revan reminded him.

The alien looked around again. "Very well. I will take you to it."

"Smart," Revan said and released him. "But try anything, and you'll regret it."

Trusk straightened up and looked at the rest of them. "Follow me."

Sorry for the quick ending, but don't panic. A quick explanation: I had to cut this chapter off. Originally, it was supposed to end with them leaving Nar-Shadaa, but the chapter ended up being very long with that. I decided instead to cut it in half and release it in two parts. The next part is almost finished, and I'll have it posted in just a couple days. Hope you don't mind, and I hope you liked this chapter anyway. Please R & R.