------- Perspective change
Chapter 22: Of Meetings and Introspection
November 16th, 2007
Potter Manor, Godric's Hollow UK
It had been over a week since Kalia had left for the Star Forge. Per her orders, she had been sending regular updates on her status. They had encountered no problems so far but they were still 10 days out. Revan couldn't stop the smug smile that stole over his face. Malak was just a day or two away from the system. He would never be able to get back or send word in time. The Star Forge would be under his control once again.
Now he had a reunion to prepare for. Malak would be here soon and Revan intended to be ready for him. There was little doubt in his mind that he could defeat Malak in a duel. Rather, he was getting ready for the return of his brother. It would be difficult and success was by no means assured but it was worth the effort and more that simply besting him with a light saber would be necessary.
It would be interesting to see what Bastila did once Malak arrived on the scene. She probably would not have been as receptive to him if she hadn't formed a bond with him when she first came to the Jedi temple. This would be a good test to see how far she had come.
It was amazing to him that she had yet to overcome her latest self-pity. The cold, emotionless part of his personality was able to look at things objectively. He recognized that he was pulling away from her. The connection he had with her would probably always be there similar to his bond with Malak. But, he was growing tired of the way she continued to stubbornly cling to the Jedi code. Yes, she proclaimed to understand the need for balance between light and dark but then when the pressure was on she reverted back to her training.
It didn't help his opinion of her that she was blaming him for her injury. The anger and depression only served to highlight her weakness. With every passing day that she spent wallowing, Revan pulled further away. Sadly for Bastila, her part in his plans was already marginalized. The arrival of Kalia and the impending arrival of Malak shunted her out of the picture. He had spent years with both and trusted their abilities and judgment.
With Bastila becoming more problematic, it just made Malak more critical to his long term plans. In the short term, Malak would be easy to manipulate. He was ruled by self-preservation, that drive more than anything was the reason he was coming to face Revan. Until Revan was out of the picture permanently, Malak would never be secure in his position. It would be a simple matter to trap Malak on Earth and with the Sith fleet on its way, Revan was positive that Malak could be convinced to call in for whatever ships he had in the area because Malak would never come into this situation with no reinforcements to call in.
Revan was broken from his thought when James snapped his fingers in front of his face. Turning an annoyed glare in James direction he asked "What?"
"The Minister has agreed to allow the Unspeakables conduct searches of Diagon Alley and the wizarding towns in the UK."
"But?" Revan prompted.
James sighed and shook his head. "They won't allow us to conduct a thorough search of the countryside. The minister is claiming that it would be too much of a drain on funds and men."
Revan stared at him for a moment, disgust evident in his voice as he said "Politicians are apparently the same all over the galaxy. They always refuse to see the big picture."
"Can't you add some more men to the search detail and expand it to include the magical areas as well?"
Revan gave the idea some thought. It was certainly possible. There were enough troops available to add some additional detachments to the search without hampering the performance of the fleet. "I can probably add some additional forces but they would have to have wizards escorting them in order to get past the basic wards that keep the non-magical groups away."
James sat down next to Revan a little confused. He didn't see the problem. It had always been something of a mystery to James why Revan was so reluctant to let other wizards and witches learn about where he was raised and the amazing things he had seen. "Ok, I'm not seeing the problem."
Revan had to agree with James on that. There wasn't really much of a problem anymore. At first, he hadn't wanted to tip the Sith off to their presence but now secrecy was less important. From a tactical standpoint, it may make the initial occupation easier if at least some of the wizarding world was familiar with the future they would be joining.
"I suppose there isn't much of one anymore. The Sith already know we're here so secrecy doesn't make sense anymore."
Decimator, High Earth Orbit
Bastila was meditating in her quarters. She had surprised virtually everyone when she refused to return to the planet with Revan, Lily and James. Ever since the duel with the Sith, she had been erratic and unfocused. Even after hours of meditation she was unable to find her center.
Unfortunately, Revan had taken the brunt of her frustrations. It was evident through the gradually weakening bond between the two of them that he was pulling away, freezing her out because she continued to act like a child.
Today, Bastila had finally realized that she didn't blame Revan for the loss of her arm. She didn't even resent him for dragging her to this forsaken planet where she was forced to live with the constant assaults from the dark side. No, she blamed Revan for trying to change her.
Oh, the attempts had been subtle at first. An emphasis on the understanding of the force he had achieved when he welcomed both sides. The discussions on the need for strength in the face of such a daunting enemy. The ineffectiveness of the Jedi order in accomplishing anything during either war. Slowly, over time Bastila began to agree with his assessments and found herself wanting to learn that which had been forbidden to her since joining the Jedi.
Bastila frowned; she had thought she had accepted the need to change. In practice against Revan she had been able to put Revan's lessons into use with no fear. There had never been a loss of control, she had always maintained strict reign on her emotions and what she was willing to do.
It all changed when she fought against the Sith. The wash of emotions she felt while battling him was entirely different than what she felt with Revan or before she had opened herself up to the teachings of Revan. More than anything, the power of the negative emotions she felt had frightened her. While the Sith was a stronger fighter, she should have done better than she had. Like Revan had months ago, she had been battling herself as much as the Sith and it had cost her.
The question that plagued her now was what to do with the revelations. Should she continue on her path and try to join Revan in middle ground between light and dark? Would she be able to find a balance against the allure of the power offered by the dark side? Neither of the two questions appealed to her. Since her injury, she found her old Jedi training reasserting itself. More and more she began to view Revan's teachings as dangerous and wrong.
So what did this mean for her personally? Could she still fight by Revan's side despite her beliefs? Would he allow her to stand on the sidelines in this battle? Sadly, that question was easier to answer. His departure from the ship had effectively told her that he would do what he felt was necessary regardless of her presence. The voice that filled her with worry now was asking whether she could make the tough choices if Revan returned to his old ways? Unfortunately, she didn't have an answer to that question. Until she did, she would not return to Revan's side.
November 18th, 2007
Inside Potter Manor, Godric's Hollow UK
Revan was pacing back and forth in the library, nervous energy pulsing through him as he waited. He had received word this morning that a ship had dropped out of hyperspace and entered the system. Halcyon had followed his orders to the letter and allowed Malak's ship to approach the planet without incident.
For the first time in months, Revan was going to be facing his brother. Today he would change the future of this planet and with luck would lay the groundwork for the downfall of the Sith empire.
Automatically, he rubbed his hand against a pocket. His insurance was resting inside just waiting to be used. If it wasn't so important to him to convince Malak to join him once again, he would never use it. Having experienced it himself before, he knew how terrifying the experience could be and it would only be worse for Malak since he would be a prisoner.
James and Lily were in the Manor somewhere. He had tried to get them to leave not wanting them to get involved. Predictably they both refused. He could only hope they would stay out of it. James had worked with him enough to know that it was unlikely he could disable Malak in a fight.
Revan stopped suddenly in the middle of the room for a moment before heading to the main entrance. It had been small but noticeable, a tremor in the force that was very familiar to him. His brother had come at last.
Outside Potter Manor, Godric's Hollow UK
Malak landed some distance away from the Manor. After all the time he spent trolling through Revan's memories he knew the area almost as well as Revan did. Now that he was on Earth he could sense Revan calling to him like a beacon through the force. If he could, he would have grinned in anticipation.
The hike to the manor from his landing position took more than 15 minutes. It would have been shorter but Malak was taking the time to avoid any of Revan's men that may be on the property. With each step, his anticipation grew. By now if was a virtual impossibility that Revan would not have sensed his approach.
Soon enough the manor came into view. Malak took a moment to scan the property. Resting his hand on his light saber, Malak made his way forward when he felt secure that there were no guards outside of the Manor. Reaching out with the force he didn't sense any threats in the area as he approached the doors. A mechanical growl issued softly from him when he reached the door. Revan was on the other side of the door. The only thing that Malak could detect through their bond was anticipation.
Gathering the force, Malak blew the solid wooden doors apart showering the entrance hall with wooden chunks and splinters. Striding into the home confidently while at the same time clicking the activator of his light saver, Malak immediately found Revan standing in the middle of the hall.
Revan looked at him with an amused expression "You could have just opened the door, it wasn't locked."
Malak didn't respond. He had been waiting for this moment for so long. Now that it was here, he found himself asking if Revan was truly his enemy. All that time spent walking through Revan's memories had reminded him of why they had started this war. Ruthlessly, he pushed his doubts to the back of his mind. His resolve strong once again, Malak attacked.
Revan sensed the turmoil in his brother's mind and smirked. A fight at this point had always inevitable but the greater Malak's doubts now; the easier it would be to win his cooperation later. So it came as little surprise to him when Malak growled, the mechanical sounding voice echoing softly off the walls of the room. In an instant, Revan's light saber was activated and rising to meet Malak's strike.
The pair danced back and forth for many minutes, falling into patterns that came instinctually after long years of practice. The angry hiss and sparks that came whenever the light sabers clashed covered any other noise. Both men were masters of their art but had begun to walk different paths following Malak's betrayal. Revan's path had gifted him with freedom and power that radiated off from him as they fought. Malak's path, once the same one that Revan walked was the path of anger and hatred.
As they fought, Revan realized that his old path was self-defeating; in the end he would have been consumed by his own power, sacrificing his life to his hatred. His eyes danced with life as he pushed Malak onto the defensive and began a barrage of blows. Anger was his tool now not his master.
Malak was confused by his opponent. Where was the fear and doubt he had been sensing through the bond? When had Revan found peace with himself because it was obvious to him that something had changed? This Revan was not the same man he had stood with against the Mandalorians. Despite himself, Malak felt some small bit of admiration for his brother to have overcome his past and become stronger as a result.
Finally, a particularly brutal attack forced Malak to jump back disengaging from the duel for a moment. It was then he noticed that their fight had attracted an audience in the form of a man and a woman. He almost did a double take when he recognized the man as someone who could only be Revan's brother or more likely his father.
Seeing an opportunity to push Revan off-balance, Malak changed his tactics. Despite whatever newfound peace his brother had found, he doubted he would have shared all the sordid details of his past with his new family. If even the Jedi had condemned their actions then how would the family react? At this point, he needed any advantage he could get because it was evident that he couldn't beat Revan in a duel otherwise.
"Look Revan, we have an audience." Malak taunted. "I can't help but wonder how much of our history you've shared with them."
Revan's eyes now a mix of green and gold glanced around the room but he never turned away from Malak. He wanted to groan when he realized that James and Lily were there in spite of his warnings to stay away but Malak would jump on any perceived weakness.
"I've never made a secret of my actions." Revan replied coldly. "Unlike you, I've never had someone to hide behind. How does it feel to be in charge? Is it everything you hoped for?"
Malak started to slowly circle the room in an effort to bring him closer to James and Lily. "No, you've never kept any secrets from me or the others but then we had no illusions about your motivations or actions."
Matching Malak's moves, Revan was also moving closer to James and Lily, trying to stay between them and Malak. "Maybe I should've kept more secrets. If I had then maybe I would not have had to worry about my 'brother' betraying me to the Jedi Order. Of course from what I've heard you're time in charge is coming to an end. War not going well? Are the troops getting restless? Without me there, who do you have to blame your failures on?"
"Failures?!" With that one word, Malak leaped towards Revan, saber slashing down viciously.
After parrying the strike, Revan pushed a bubble of power out forcing Malak to retreat back towards the far wall. "Yes failures, you've destroyed world after world and for what? We started this war to prepare the Republic, not make it an even easier target!" Revan snapped, losing some of his calm.
"Lies you tell yourself to sleep easier at night. This war has never been about anything but power and you own need to assert control. How many millions of people died for your cause?" Malak pressed, sensing a chink in Revan's armor.
This time it was Revan's turn to lose his temper and attack in earnest. Malak was forced away from the wall and desperately blocked each stroke. Deflected attacks leaving scorch marks in the wall or stone floor. "The Sith are the greatest enemy the Republic has ever faced. The Mandalorians would have torn through the Republic like wolves if it wasn't for us. But that wasn't enough, you and I had seen the true darkness in this galaxy and they were still going to ignore it. I couldn't allow that to happen."
If he could have Malak would have grinned, and instead settled for saying scornfully "So you started another war. The great hero Revan turning against the Republic and conquering world after world in the name of protection against some faceless enemy."
Lily couldn't believe it. Her son had started the war he had told them about. He had been responsible for millions of deaths. "How could you? You're no different than Voldemort!" She blurted out.
James was silent. He too was stunned by the revelations but he was hoping that at least some of what Malak was saying was a lie or exaggeration. Try as he might though, he couldn't deny that a part of him found it easy to believe that his son was capable of such actions.
Revan's head snapped in Lily's direction, "Be quiet! This isn't the time to discuss your limited view of my doing what needed to be done!" His distraction nearly cost him, only sensing the incoming strike at the last second. Dodging towards the center of the room he dropped and rolled under the attack and jumped to his feet with his blade held defensively.
Malak's eyes held an evil glint. "I suggest you be careful, you wouldn't like what he does when someone tells him something he doesn't want to hear."
Lily had a sinking feeling in her stomach as she stared at this man fighting her son. This man whose jaw looked to have been replaced with a metal prosthetic was hinting at something. Without meaning to, she found herself staring at his jaw.
Malak caught the direction of her stare and confirmed her fears. "He wasn't too happy with something I had to say so he decided it would be better if I could speak anymore."
Lily cried out in horror. Tears running down her face, she ran from the room.
James refused to leave; he would stay and watch the outcome.
Revan finally lost his patience. If he kept dragging this out, he would lose any possibility of rebuilding even a working relationship with James and Lily. He found that he was unwilling to lose those relationships without a fight. His light saber was a blur, leaving behind a red haze as he swung it through the air almost faster than the eye could see. Malak danced back, his own light saber matching every stroke.
Neither man was using the force, both wanting the satisfaction of crushing the other in a duel. Revan's mind was clouded with anger and he pressed his attack harder, forcing Malak to retreat again.
James watched the two men fight. The longer it went on, the more it seemed to James that the outcome was inevitable. His fear was that Revan would kill Malak in the heat of battle. He knew that if he let Revan kill Malak his son would truly be lost forever. The balance that Revan had found was still precarious at best and killing his brother in cold blood would destroy that balance. James was sure of it. So he did the only thing he could, he sent a stunner into Malak's back.
Revan was taken by surprise by Malak's collapsing body. He almost didn't stop an attack that would have ended his former apprentice's life. Looking up, he saw James standing in the same position with his wand drawn. His attention was drawn back to Malak by a soft groan. Moving quickly, he pulled the force suppressor from his pocket and snapped it into place around Malak's neck before grabbing his light saber from the floor.
The shock of being cut off from the force pushed Malak back into unconsciousness. Revan knelt down and picked him up and stared in James for a moment, imploring James to give him an opportunity to explain later. After what seemed an eternity, James gave a brief nod.
Some of the tension leeched from Revan when he saw James' nod. A smile of gratitude graced his face before he turned and began walking out of the manor while carrying Malak. He needed to get him into a cell on the Decimator. There was really nowhere on Earth suitable for holding, even with a force suppressor on. Hopefully Malak could be convinced to return to his side.
November 19th, 2007
Voldemort's Mansion, Little Hangleton UK
Voldemort was pacing back and forth in his private chambers. His glowing red eyes were reflecting his mood. The attack on the Ministry had not been a failure but the cost had not been worth it. His forces were depleted, Aurors were dead and yet the public was not cowed. There was outrage instead that he would kill so many Aurors and Unspeakables. Individuals were volunteering for service as an Auror at record rates. The Ministry was turning people away because they simply didn't have enough resources to train all the volunteers.
Dark wizards should have flocked to his side after the attack. The demonstration of his power was more than enough to show what would happen to those who opposed him. There had been some recruits but now he had been hearing rumors about the latest Unspeakable plot.
Rumors were spreading like wildfire about soldiers in strange uniforms armed with weapons never seen before in the wizarding world being escorted by Unspeakable agents. The descriptions were detailed enough to tell Voldemort that they were the same men that had accompanied Revan Potter when he broke up his attack at the Ministry of Magic. According to the rumors, these men were arresting anyone found with the Dark Mark and they were being held at some unknown location until a trial could be held.
He had sent numerous messages to Kael trying to get information on the soldiers' capabilities from the man but none of them had been answered. From experience, Voldemort knew that he would get nothing from his benefactor until the man chose to communicate with him despite his efforts.
What to do? His remaining Death Eaters were going to ground in an attempt to avoid capture by the Unspeakables. In fact, he had ordered them to do so. It would not do to have his best people arrested. He ground his teeth together hard enough that the sound could be heard by anyone in the room had he not been alone. If they were captured, he wouldn't have enough men to launch a rescue and that assumed he could even learn where they were being held. If it wasn't for the Dark Mark linking them to him, Voldemort would have suspected that the Unspeakables were simply killing the prisoners.
Even his allies had been reluctant to act. The werewolves and vampires, long oppressed by the British Ministry of Magic could see the writing on the wall. They expected him to be defeated and were not so willing to risk their limited standing in society in order to support a losing cause.
The question that was plaguing him was what should he do? Should he stay in Britain and wait things out, risking exposure by one of the search parties? Or should he leave and retreat to another country to give him time to rebuild his forces? Of course, he knew what the smart answer would be but he also knew that he would ignore it and stay in Britain. His pride would allow for nothing else.
Without a doubt, the Unspeakables would find him eventually. That didn't mean he would make it easy on them. Lord Voldemort would remind them why the wizarding world was afraid to even he whisper his name.
Headmaster's Office, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry, UK
Albus Dumbledore was worried. He had heard from many of his students that the Unspeakables were arresting people of the street on the suspicion of being Death Eaters. Though many of these accounts were coming from the children of Death Eaters, it did not lessen their credibility in his eyes.
After witnessing the battle in Hogsmeade, Albus was convinced that Revan Potter posed nearly as great a risk as Voldemort. By all appearances, Revan was willing to go to any lengths to see the Death Eaters and Voldemort defeated. Rather than give wizards and witches the opportunity to return to the light, Revan and the Unspeakables were content to kill them forever cheating them of a chance at redemption.
Now they had gone too far. While the accounts from his students were most certainly exaggerated, Albus feared they contained a kernel of truth. The Unspeakables needed to be reined in. With this latest development he should be able to count on Voldemort's supporters in the Wizengamot. It is time that Britain was given back to its citizens.
Hope and determination filled him. Revan would never be under his control, he realized that now. The only thing he could do was to minimize the damage and destruction he spread across the British wizarding world in his effort to destroy Voldemort.
He began writing the necessary letters to call an emergency session of the Wizengamot. His influence had waned in recent months, but he should be able to push this through with little difficulty and then all would have a chance at redemption again.
Somewhere in the UK
Kael was surrounded by the mangled bodies of various birds, most of them owls. Voldemort had been trying to contact his for days now but Kael refused to even open the letters, his support of Voldemort was done. The Massassi were on their way. Once they arrived, stealth would no longer be necessary. It made conquest easier when the world was conquered by their own people but it was equally effective to use the Massassi. The only drawback would be the population loss and destruction of the planet's infrastructure.
The sound of breaking glass startled him before he realized it was the glass he had been holding. The hate which has begun to fade into the background over the last few days roared back to life when he looked at the silvery metallic hand clutching at the remains of a glass cup.
The Jedi were responsible for this humiliation. He wanted them to suffer. They would watch as the Sith Empire conquered this planet. The sight of these people wallowing in a pit of hatred would be the worst torture he could devise for the Jedi.
Yet, the male bothered him. He was unlike any Jedi he had ever encountered previously. He was colder, more brutal than the others. There was a darkness to him that he had never seen before. Perhaps it would be better to simply kill him and be done with it. He was an unknown, a danger and Kael hadn't survived this long by not keeping things in perspective. Yes, as much as he wanted to torture the damnable Jedi, the safer course would be to kill him outright.
A flashing light on one the computer displays caught his attention. There was an incoming message from the fleet. After reading it, Kael smiled for the first time in days. The fleet would arrive in 12 days.
Decimator, High Earth Orbit
Over the planet Commander Halcyon had just received word that a communication signal had just been detected. Its source was from outside the system and did not appear to come from any areas known to be controlled by Malak's forces. It was almost certainly the Sith.
"Were you able to trace it to its source?" Halcyon asked crisply.
"No sir, nothing more than the general area of space that you see before you." The technician paused for a moment before continuing, eager to give this next piece of information "But sir, we were able get the location of the receiver. Shall I transmit the coordinates to our men on the planet?"
Halcyon grinned in anticipation. "Well done, contact Lord Revan, let him know we have found the Sith."