Chapter Eighteen: Decisions

Revan walked up the steps to a temple. She didn't know exactly where she was, but she knew she had to be there. Revan turned to her side, seeing Juhani and Jolee just steps behind her. She looked forward again, walking upward, her lightsaber gripped tightly. Something was waiting for her… but she didn't know what.

They reached the top of the stairs, turned right, and saw a long, white-stone walkway. A dark figure stood at the other side of the walkway; Revan couldn't see who it was. She turned to Jolee, who urged her forward.

Revan walked down the walkway, focusing on the figure, reaching out to the Force in an attempt to figure out who it was. But she sensed nothing. Revan tried harder, but soon gave up as the figure came into focus.

"Bastila?" Revan gasped. "Are you okay? What are you doing here?"

"I knew you'd come, Revan," Bastila smiled.

As Revan continued to step further, she saw all the color had drained from Bastila's face. Revan gasped. "Bastila, what happened? What did Malak do to you?"

Bastila's smile turned evil. "He showed me my true potential."

"What are you talking about?" Revan asked. Then she stopped. "No… Force, no, Bastila!"

"As if you're the one to talk, Revan," Bastila cackled. "You showed Malak, and he showed me."

"Bastila, don't do this!" Revan cried. "Don't become what—"

"Don't become what I what?" Bastila asked. "You were once Darth Revan, and you drank in your dark power. It fueled you, drove you. You've simply forgotten." Bastila grinned. "Come with me and let me help you remember."

Revan took a step backwards. "You can't be serious."

"I have never been more serious in my life," she answered. "Don't you see? If you reclaim your title as Dark Lord, then you can challenge Malak and un-do everything he's done!"

"I can't go back to being a Sith Lord!" Revan cried. "I've made a promise to Carth—"

"Malak destroyed Carth's home world, didn't he?" Bastila said. "He did it to spite you, Revan. He did it to show the galaxy how powerful he had become. If you were still in power, Telos and Taris would never have been destroyed, and Carth wouldn't be mourning the death of his wife and the corruption of his child."

Revan's heart leapt to her throat.

"You would have full control of the Star Forge again! Think of the resources at your fingertips! You could help rebuild Telos and Taris. It will take the Republic years, but you could do it in days, Revan! You could give Carth and all his people their planet again!"

She could help… All those innocent people, displaced, murdered, their planet destroyed… Revan could rebuild those worlds…

"The Star Forge… can do that?" Revan asked. "I don't… remember…"

"Reclaim your title!" Bastila cried. "Then the power of the Star Forge and the army of the Sith will be yours!"

Jolee placed a hand on Revan's shoulder. "Don't do it, kid!"

Revan looked at Jolee. "Don't you see? I… I could help these people!"

"That's the same belief you entered the Mandalorian Wars with!" Jolee snapped. "And look what happened!"

"But… But I could do it differently this time," Revan said. "I… I could… I could do good…"

"Yes, Master!" Bastila cried.

"No!" Jolee cried. "I won't let you do this!"

"Jolee, don't you understand?" Revan asked. "I… I took Telos away from Carth. I can give it back!"

"You didn't do anything to Carth!" Jolee retorted. "Malak did that! She's messing with your mind, Revan! She's telling you what you want to hear! If you listen to her, you'll revert back to your old ways! Don't do it, Revan!"

Bastila turned her lightsaber on. "If you're not with us, old man, you're against us."

"Revan, listen to reason!" Jolee cried. "You've come so far. Don't rejoin the Sith!"

"I'm not rejoining the Sith," Revan said. "I'm helping people! Can't you see that?"

Jolee turned his lightsaber on. "Don't make me do this, kid."

"You old fool!" Bastila spat. "You cannot even begin to comprehend the power of the Star Forge!"

Jolee lunged at Bastila. "NO!" Revan screamed. But it was too late. Bastila reacted faster, slicing through Jolee. He fell to the ground, bleeding… dead.

"NO!" Revan cried out. "Bastila! NO!"

"The old man thought he could take me," Bastila cackled.

Juhani just stood there. "Bastila, how could you—"

"Join us or die!" Bastila demanded.

Juhani took a few steps backwards, then fled. Bastila laughed again, then struck Juhani with Force lightning. Revan screamed again. "What are you doing?"

"You've forgotten the power of the Dark Side!" Bastila said. "These fools do not understand!"

"That doesn't mean you should kill them!"

"What does it matter, Master?" Bastila asked. "What are a few foolish Jedi compared to the power at your fingertips? The followers you'll have?"

"I want to help people, Bastila, not kill them! I don't need people worshiping me like I'm some God!"

Bastila's eyes narrowed. "Ask him! Ask him if he follow you!"

Revan turned and saw Carth standing there… just watching.

"If he refuses to follow you, Darth Revan, then he deserves to die!"

Carth took a step forward. "Darth Revan? What, what are you talking about?" He looked at Revan.

"I… I haven't—"

"Revan has reclaimed her title as Dark Lord of the Sith!" Bastila cried. "All hail Darth Revan! Bow before her, you fools!"

Carth looked at Revan in disbelief. "You can't be serious… Revan?"

"I… I can help people, Carth," Revan said. "The Star Forge… Bastila says it can rebuild the worlds the Sith destroyed. Taris, Dantooine… Telos. Carth, I could give you back Telos!"

"Revan, don't do this," Carth said. "I'd… I'd rather lose Telos forever than have you turn to the Dark Side in order to save it! Don't you see what you're doing?"

Revan shook her head. "I can help people! I can do things right this time!"

"Beautiful, don't—"

"You can't be serious, Carth!" Revan cried. "I could undo everything Malak's done, keep the Republic strong, rebuild worlds, bring back families. I… I could overthrow Malak and use the Star Forge for good, to, to shape the galaxy the way it was meant to be! You… You could be there with me, Carth. You, you could help."

Carth gripped his blaster pistol. "Don't do this, Revan."

Revan looked at the blaster in his hand. "What are you doing? Carth, what are—"

"You're not the woman I fell in love with," Carth said. "The woman I love would never do this, would never turn to the Dark Side under the pretenses she could shape it to her will and do good! You'll revert to your old ways, Revan! Don't do this!"

Revan was speechless. "I… I haven't… Carth, what—"

Bastila stepped forward. "You always were a fool, Onasi!" She turned to Revan. "Strike him down, Master!"

"You leave her alone, Bastila!" Carth cried. "You've done enough damage to her already!"

Bastila cackled. "She's reclaimed her rightful title and there's nothing you can do!"

Carth aimed his blaster at Bastila and pulled the trigger. Bastila blocked it and with angered outburst tossed her lightsaber at Carth. Revan screamed as the lightsaber struck Carth, slicing him in two, killing him instantly.

"CARTH!"

Bastila just laughed.

"CARTH!" Revan sobbed, falling to her knees. "No… No!"

"All the crying in the world won't bring him back, Master," Bastila sneered. "Come. We have things to do!"

Anger filled Revan. She grabbed her lightsaber, let out a scream, and killed Bastila.

A mechanical laugh filled the air. Revan turned to see Malak standing there, lightsaber in hand. "Very good, Revan. Very, very good."

Revan's eyes snapped open, and she let out a loud gasp. Her heart was racing. She gripped the sides of her chair as she repeated to herself: It was a dream… I'm on the Ebon Hawk… I'm in the cockpit… It was a dream… Just a dream…

"Beautiful, you okay?"

Revan quickly turned her head to the side and saw Carth sitting in the pilot's chair, looking at her oddly. "What?" she asked.

"Are you okay?" he asked again. "You look… spooked. Did you have another vision?"

Revan leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. She recited the Jedi Code over and over again, but it wasn't helping. Revan opened her eyes and stood up from the co-pilot's chair, heading for the door. She stopped half-way once she realized she hadn't a clue where she was headed. Revan turned back around and saw Carth watching her every move. His eyes begged her to talk to him, but after their last argument, he'd agreed not to say anything until she was ready.

"We… still on route for… the Star Forge?" Revan whispered.

Carth nodded. "Should be there sometime tomorrow."

Revan sighed, stared at the floor, then tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. She looked back up at Carth, who was still looking at her. Revan felt the emotions he was broadcasting. He wanted to help her, but he didn't know what to say or do for fear of setting her off again. "Hold me," Revan whispered, walking over to him.

Carth extended his arms and eased her down on his lap. He wrapped his arms around her as she sat sideways on his lap, and rested her head on his shoulder. "Talk to me," he whispered, resting his cheek against her forehead.

Revan closed her eyes, then told him every last detail of the dream she had.