Revan frowned as he kicked off his boots and let himself flop onto his bed. A lopsided grin played across his lips as his thoughts turned to Bastila. It hadn't been easy to convince her to finally leave him alone, and the thought of her defiant concern for his well-being amused him. The shadows of the Star Forge clawed at the edges of his mind, and he sighed deeply, knowing that he would not be able to fight it for long. He could still feel the traces the darkness had left behind in his mind, despite Bastila's efforts to save him from it. Revan knew that darkness would fester and grow and eventually the Star Forge would break his will once again.
His body and mind begged for sleep, yet it continued to elude him as usual. Wearily he sat up and looked around his room. He shook his head and his brows furrowed into a deeper scowl as he surveyed the destruction. This was not the first time such random devastation had visited his quarters as a result of his temper, but it was the worst.
Revan's gaze came to rest on his Dejarik board and he was pleased to notice it was one of the few pieces of furniture that hadn't received any real damage. He waved his hand and the holo-pieces appeared on the board. They stood ready for whatever their master had planned. Revan closed his eyes and the pieces faded.
"No game of Dejarik can be won without pawns, and you must always be willing to sacrifice them."
Words from one of his old Masters echoed in his thoughts and he growled to himself. "We're all nothing but pawns to the Force. In the grand scheme of things, do the sacrifices actually matter?"
His thoughts turned once more to Bastila. Revan remembered the brief moment of peace he felt when he came to with her at his side. His soul longed to wrap itself in that peace and never leave, but he knew that wasn't possible. Not for one such as him, peace was just a distant dream that would never be his.
Revan slammed his fist into the wall as he realized how much danger Bastila was in now for trying to save him, for denying the Star Forge its desired prey. It was only a matter of time before it would turn its attention back to her, considering the bargain he made to be broken. The confident look on her face as she assured him that she could handle it now tugged at his heart. He knew better, no one was truly a match for the Star Forge's dark influence, not even himself. Granted he had been able to resist it longer than most, but he begrudgingly had to admit that even if he hadn't given in to save Bastila from it, the Star Forge still would eventually have worn down his defenses and broken him.
He searched around the room until he found his com link and he contacted HK-47.
"Greeting: It is good to hear that you are functional again, Master."
Revan sighed, "The degree of that functionality is still undetermined, HK. By the way, what did you hit me with?"
"Statement: I used Gharzr venom, Master. Double the dosage normally required to incapacitate a human."
Revan scowled, "That was a bit of a risk, considering your programming is supposed to keep you from trying to kill me."
"Smug assurance: Oh Master, of course I was not attempting to terminate you. I had calculated the possible risks. Observation: You are known to be resistant to most toxins, Master. But I decided that you were becoming a danger to yourself, as well as to the female meatbag. Statement: Therefore I concluded that the only way I could accomplish both directives, of keeping you both safe, would be to neutralize you temporarily."
He chuckled to himself, "HK, why do I get the feeling you enjoyed having a chance to shoot me?"
"Amused statement: Because I did, Master. Very much."
"Is Bastila alright?"
"Affirmation: Of course, Master. I have not let the female meatbag out of my sight since she left your quarters. Commentary: She has been uncharacteristically quiet, perhaps she is asleep."
"Good, keep your senses sharp HK, alert me immediately if there's any sign of trouble."
"Statement: As you wish, Master."
"Oh, and HK, one more thing, next time you refer to her as a meatbag, I will turn you into a harmless protocol droid and sell you to the Hutts."
"Pained acquiescence: I do apologize, Master, but habits are hard to break. Statement: You really are cruel, Master."
"I'm serious, HK. Bastila is not to be referred to in that way."
"Answer: Understood, Master."
Revan moved back over to settle on the edge of his bed. He laid back and put his hands under his head. Staring up at the ceiling, he wondered if there was any hope of finding the sleep he truly needed.
"Revan, that is unacceptable. I will not tolerate my son showing such weakness." The man glared down at the boy standing before him.
"Yes, Father." The boy took a deep breath and returned to his fighting stance.
"The most important lesson you must learn, is that mercy is for the weak, and has no place in a fight." He struck out with his lightsaber catching the boy in the chest. "Remember that well if you survive."
Bastila nearly screamed as the sensation of searing pain shot through her body. Sitting up, her fingers clutched the blankets around her. She swallowed hard as her mind reeled from what it had seen, and she struggled to make sense of it. Clearly, somehow, it was one of Revan's memories, but how and why had she seen and felt it?
The door to her room slid open and HK stepped in, his glowing photoreceptors scanning the room. "Observation: My sensors detected a change in your vital signs. Query: Are you in some form of distress?"
Bastila took a deep breath and shook her head, "No, HK, it was just a bad dream. I'm fine, thank you."
The droid nodded and left the room, returning to his post outside the door. Bastila laid back down, pulling her blankets tight around herself. Despite her words to HK, she wasn't able to convince herself that it had been only a dream. Thoughts tumbled over one another in her mind until suddenly she sat up again with a slight gasp. She remembered seeing the scar on Revan's chest while she was trying to push the Star Forge out of his mind. There was now no question that the vision she had seen had to be the memory of how it had happened.
Bastila sighed and slipped out of bed to dress, realizing the puzzle before her would deny any further sleep. Was it possible that she had inadvertently touched his memories while attempting to help his mind rebuild its defenses against the darkness? She bit her lip lightly as she wondered if the reverse could also be true. Had he glimpsed into her memories when he rescued her from the Star Forge's fury?
She was suddenly distracted by a knock at the door. Bastila turned to face the door as it slid open and Rylla stepped in with a tray.
"Good morning, Bastila. I thought maybe you might be hungry." The young Twi'lek girl was smiling broadly. Then, as if she actually just noticed Bastila's appearance, she frowned slightly. "You look tired, didn't you sleep well?"
Bastila shook her head, "No, but I'm fine. I am hungry too, thank you." She regarded the girl, and continued, "You seem rather happy this morning."
Rylla beamed, her smile returning. "Yes, I am. That's the other reason I wanted to stop by and see you. I'm going to be leaving to join the man I love at his new post, and I wanted to come say good bye."
"Ah, well, that is wonderful news. I'm very happy for you Rylla." Bastila managed a halfhearted smile. "I wish you all the best; you certainly deserve to find joy and happiness."
Rylla sat the tray down and took Bastila's hands in hers, "Thank you, you've been a wonderful friend in the time we've known each other. I hope you find your happiness someday too." Leaning in closer, she gave Bastila a mischievous grin. "If you love him, don't give up on him."
Bastila blushed as it was unmistakably clear who Rylla was referring to. She pulled away and shook her head. "Rylla, I am a Jedi. Such things are not permitted."
Rylla regarded her with a disbelieving look. "If you say so. Anyway, I should be going."
Bastila nodded, "Safe journey, Rylla."
As Rylla reached the door, she looked back, "Don't give up on him, Bastila."
After the Twi'lek left, Bastila settled down in a chair and glanced at the tray of food. Despite her hunger, the young Jedi's mind was still too distracted to eat. Why is it so hard to get Revan out of my mind?
Revan groaned as he rolled over onto his stomach. His mind desperately attempted to cling to the precious sleep that was already fading away. However, he knew it was too late; his internal alarm clock was relentless and excelled at driving sleep away. Cursing under his breath in several languages, he raised his head enough to peer through the shaggy curtain of hair that had fallen over his face.
The ravaged room hadn't changed, and he knew he'd have to get that dealt with. He added it to his mental to do list as he slowly persuaded his body to move again. Pushing himself up, he slid out of bed and decided he needed a long, hot shower. While in most cases, he was grateful for the high level of endurance granted by the combination of his natural abilities and his years of training, he also was frequently reminded how easily it allowed him to abuse himself.
"No doubt that will catch up with me someday." He muttered to himself.
Somewhat refreshed by his shower, Revan dressed and then searched the room for the scattered pieces of his armor. His brows furrowed and a frown tugged at his lips as he felt the weight of the armor as he settled the mask into place and pulled the hood of his cloak forward. The dark shadows of the Star Forge gnawed and scratched at the edges of his mind. Growling under his breath he focused his mind on more pleasant thoughts.
A half smile played across his lips as he thought of Bastila. Her courage and determination in helping him regain control, even temporarily, caused his smile to grow. He had truly grown to admire the young Jedi, and even though he knew it was dangerous to admit, he was also growing very fond of her. That realization lent him the strength he needed to make a difficult decision.
"Face it, after what happened last night, you can't even lie to yourself, Revan. You can't keep her safe anymore. You might be able to delay the Star Forge, and may be able to protect her from your followers, but you can't protect her against yourself if you really lose it again." He reluctantly nodded to himself. Bastila had to go, before anything happened to her.
Crossing his room, he went to his desk and entered the coded commands and a small compartment slid open and he removed Bastila's lightsaber from where he'd been keeping it. Tucking it into his belt, he turned to leave.
As he walked out of his quarters, he stopped at the console to summon the maintenance and cleaning droids to deal with the damage. Revan continued on, not really caring where he went as his mind tried to work out a suitable plan for getting Bastila back where she would be safe. By the time Revan consciously acknowledged where he was, his feet had already taken the path to the Star Forge's main hangar. The Flight Officer on duty snapped to attention as the Dark Lord approached.
"Greetings, my Lord, how may I serve?"
"I want you to prepare a long distance shuttle, and the pilot should be one who is competent and capable of being discrete. If anything goes wrong on this mission they will suffer a thousand fates worse than death." Behind his mask, Revan's emotions remained unreadable, but the deadly ice in his voice made his point extremely clear.
The Flight Officer swallowed hard, no doubt having heard the horror stories of Revan's capacity for brutality when people failed him. "Of course, Lord Revan, I shall see to it immediately. When would the shuttle need to be taking off?"
Revan considered for a moment. "Have it ready within the hour."
The Officer bowed, "As you wish, is there anything else you require, Lord?"
He gave a casual wave of his hand, "No, that will be all."
Revan turned, leaving the Flight Officer to prepare the shuttle. He flipped open his com link, and chuckled as the sinister, hissing voice responded.
"Hopeful query: Do you need someone killed, Master?"
"No, HK, not yet at least. But I do have a new mission for you."
"Statement: Oh, Master, I can barely contain my excitement. What do you wish me to do?"
Revan grinned as he caught the undertone of sarcasm in the droid's voice. "There is a shuttle being prepared in the main hanger. Bastila will be getting on this shuttle after I take care of some other things. I need you to get to the shuttle first to make certain it remains secure. I don't want anything happening because someone managed to sneak on board. You will instruct the pilot that the shuttle is to go as far as the fringe of Republic territory. From there Bastila will need to find her own means of transport back to Coruscant, or Dantooine, whichever she prefers. HK, I want you to make certain that you terminate the pilot and destroy the nav system's records after Bastila is off the shuttle. Then I expect you to keep an eye on her to ensure that she does indeed return to the Republic safely. Once that mission is complete you are to return by whatever means possible."
"Query: Am I to leave the Jedi unguarded, Master?"
"Remain there until Admiral Blair arrives, then you are dismissed to commence the new mission."
"Statement: Understood, Master."
Revan tucked the com link back into his pocket and walked over to the nearest communications console. Keying in the commands, the call was quickly answered.
"Lord Revan, what can I do for you?"
"Admiral Blair, I have a situation which requires your immediate attention. Meet me on the Observation deck of the Star Forge."
"Of course, on my way, Lord."
The connection was terminated and Revan allowed himself a slight smile. He knew the Admiral was the one person he could trust with this. Taking a deep breath, he headed toward the Observation deck to wait.
As Revan entered the Observation deck, his gaze drifted out beyond the massive view-ports. The cold and distant stars blinked impassively back at him. Out of habit he asked the same old questions, only to get the same answer- silence. The stars did not care about the fate of the Republic, or even the galaxy at large. Civilizations rose and civilizations fell. The stars never took sides, they merely existed. Time marched on and the stars just simply watched.
He heard the door to the deck slide open with a faint hiss and waited as the steady footsteps of the Admiral drew closer. Revan turned to face the aging officer.
"I need you to do something and it may require your particular talents of diplomacy."
Davon Blair arched one eyebrow but his gaze remained steady, "What would you like me to do, my Lord?"
Revan took a deep breath before continuing, "There is a shuttle being prepared, I need you to make sure Bastila gets on it and to see her safely off the Star Forge."
The Admiral had long since schooled himself to refrain from reacting with any outward emotion, regardless of what orders Revan had given him. Despite this fact, he still blinked with surprise before recovering himself. He nodded, "Of course, my Lord, when is she to depart?"
"Immediately. Oh, and return this to her as well." Revan handed him Bastila's lightsaber.
Blair tucked the Jedi weapon into his belt and regarded the Sith Lord. "Sir, if I may ask, would it not be better if you saw her off yourself?"
Revan turned back toward the view-ports with a sigh, "For her, perhaps, but not for me. That is why I trust you to see to it." He turned back to face the Admiral, "You may get an argument out of her, which is why I asked that you be diplomatic, but firm. She is not to remain on the Star Forge under any circumstances."
Davon smiled slightly, "Understood, my Lord. Was there anything else?"
"HK will leave when you reach her quarters, he has his orders. He will be accompanying Bastila to make sure she returns to the Republic safely."
"Very well then, I'll see her to the shuttle." Recognizing the silent dismissal from Revan, the Admiral turned and left the Observation deck.
Davon stopped outside the Observation deck to make sure his uniform was properly straightened. No harm in presenting the best image possible to the Dark Lord's guest before she left. As he resumed walking, he considered Revan's actions. Chuckling to himself he would have been willing to bet that the Dark Lord was very much smitten by the young Jedi and refused to see her off himself because he really didn't want her to leave.
Of course, he knew Revan would never admit such a thing, and he also understood why. Revan was the Dark Lord of the Sith, allowing himself to be that close to someone left them both vulnerable to attack. Davon had seen enough of the petty backstabbing and betrayals among the Sith to know that caring deeply about someone could be turned into a dangerous weakness. So, as usual, Revan had made the decision to do what was necessary, even though he obviously didn't like it.
Admiral Blair had been with Revan through many such unpleasant choices, and would continue as he always had, to offer his quiet support. Although, he suspected Revan would have a harder time getting over this choice than even one such as the destruction of Malachor V, because this time, it was personal.
As he turned down the corridor leading to Bastila's quarters, he was greeted by the sight of HK-47 who turned to face him.
"Query: Meatbag Admiral, are you here to watch the Jedi?"
Blair frowned slightly at the droid's typical address. "Yes, walking junk pile, I am. Revan said you had your orders, get on then."
"Statement: You wound me, right to my central core."
"Get going or Revan will do far more than that to you."
HK emitted a wheezing hiss of a sigh and stalked off muttering to himself about meatbag logic and faulty programming. The Admiral watched him leave and then shook his head, wondering what had possessed Revan to create the thing. Returning his attention to the matter at hand, he stepped toward the door and knocked.
Bastila opened the door, a look of confused surprise on her face when she saw the Admiral standing there. He smiled warmly, "Admiral Davon Blair, at your service."
She nodded, "Hello, Admiral." Bastila glanced around the corridor, "Where's HK?"
"The droid is no doubt following his Master's orders. To that point, I am also here at Lord Revan's request, may I come in?"
Bastila stepped back, "Oh, yes, of course."
Davon stepped into the room and stood at ease. He waited until the door slid shut before he continued. "I have been instructed to escort you to the hangar bay, where a shuttle waits to return you to Republic space."
Bastila sank down in the nearest chair, blinking in disbelief. "Am I to understand that Revan is letting me go?"
He nodded, "That is correct. We are to depart as soon as you are ready."
Bastila studied him for a moment. "Why is he letting me go all of a sudden?"
The Admiral shrugged noncommittally. "Not my place to question my Lord's actions or the reasons behind them."
She frowned, not completely satisfied with the answer. "Alright, but if I'm to leave, I would like to change clothes first."
"Of course, I'll be outside." He turned smartly on his heels and exited the room.
When the door opened again, she was dressed in the same modified robes she had been in the first time he'd seen her. He had to admit, as he glanced over at her, it wasn't hard to see why Revan had fallen for her.
"Ready to go, then?"
"Yes, I believe so, Admiral." She fell into step beside him as he began walking.
"Please, there's no need to be so formal. Call me Davon. Oh, and Lord Revan also told me to give this back to you." He handed her the lightsaber.
She paused as she took hold of the weapon and flipped it on. The warm golden blade ignited with a buzzing hiss. Satisfied the saber hadn't been damaged or tampered with, she extinguished it and clipped it back to her belt. "Thank you, I'd rather come to miss having it."
Davon nodded sagely, "I expect so, I've noticed you Jedi seem rather fond of the things."
Bastila glanced sideways at him as she began walking again, "You seem rather comfortable being around a Jedi."
He grinned and looked over at her. "Why should I not be? Honestly, if Lord Revan hasn't killed me after all these years, I don't think I have anything to fear from a Jedi such as you."
She arched one eyebrow, "No, I suppose you don't. Have you served Revan long?"
The Admiral chuckled and nodded, "I've served with Revan since the Mandalorian wars. I was Captain of the ship he was first assigned to when the Jedi joined the conflict. Of course that didn't last long. I've never seen anyone progress through ranks as quickly, and deservedly, as Revan did. So he ended up being made a General and my commanding officer. Others progressed rapidly, like Malak, but only because he was close to Revan and took advantage of the successes. Revan, however, truly earned his rank."
"It didn't bother you that he was put in charge?"
Davon shook his head, "My dear, I am a military man. Have been for more years than I care to admit, and that means I gave up my ego a very long time ago. I've had a lot of commanding officers in one form or another. I do my job and follow orders; it's kept me alive thus far."
Bastila fell silent for a moment before she spoke again, "So, you knew Revan before he fell to the Dark Side?"
Davon coughed and stopped to face her, "Is that what you call it? Hm, I wouldn't really say that."
"What do you mean? He turned his back on the teachings of the Jedi."
"The man I served with in the Mandalorian wars is the same man I serve today. The only thing that's really changed is what people call him."
"But…" She began to protest.
He interrupted her, "War, child, is never easy, nor pleasant. Often the only difference between who wins and who loses is who is willing to do whatever is necessary. Lord Revan is a man who does not lose easily because he accepts the fact that difficult decisions must be made and he does what has to be done, even if he doesn't like it."
Davon regarded the young woman and sighed, "Think about it, Bastila. Revan destroyed planets in the name of the Republic during the Mandalorian wars; the death toll was catastrophic on both sides. But he was able to push the war to a much quicker end, and despite the cost he was hailed as a Hero of the Republic. Now, just because he does not serve the Republic, his actions earn him the reputation of a bloodthirsty monster. Revan hasn't changed; he's still doing what he considers necessary."
"But why? What is he hoping to accomplish by turning on the Republic?" She placed her hands on her hips.
He shrugged, "As I said, it's not my place to discuss or conjecture about his plans or actions. All I know is that when you have a tree that's been badly damaged, you have two options. You can cut it down, killing it completely, or you can carefully prune away the dead wood allowing the tree to continue surviving and in time, it may even grow stronger."
By this point, they had just exited the elevator leading to the final corridor before the hangar bay and the waiting shuttle. Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps. Admiral Blair kept his outward expression calm but stepped slightly forward in front of Bastila.
"Admiral Blair. Aren't you supposed to be on a ship someplace?" The man's high pitched, almost whiny voice grated on Davon's nerves.
"Generally, but maybe I felt like slumming with the groundies."
"Ha, you're nothing but Revan's lapdog, Blair." The man caught sight of Bastila. "What are you doing with his pet Jedi?"
"It is no concern of yours, Lendre." He hated to resort to violence, but just in case it became necessary, he did have his blaster handy and was now glad that Bastila had her lightsaber so she could defend herself to some degree.
"You're up to something, Admiral."
He sighed, quickly losing patience. "Major, you are out of line, and do I really need to remind you what Lord Revan does to those who interfere in his plans? Perhaps you would like me to inform him that you are hindering me in complying with his orders? I'm sure he would be very happy for an excuse to crush the life out of someone by extremely slow and painful methods. He was in a very, very bad mood when I last saw him."
Major Lendre paled visibly and swallowed hard. Admiral Blair pulled his com link out of his pocket and arched one eyebrow upwards. "I'm sure Lord Revan won't mind the interruption."
"No, wait, that won't be necessary. I have to get back to work." He turned and hurried away.
Davon laughed and returned the com link to his pocket and glanced over at Bastila. "Well, we're almost to the hangar, let's go."
"Would you really have contacted Revan?" Her brows furrowed slightly as she studied him.
Blair scoffed, "Of course not. If I required his assistance in such trivial matters, Lord Revan would not have trusted me to see you safely to the shuttle. If the threat hadn't worked, I do have some skill with a blaster, though I prefer not to have to use it."
Bastila nodded, and they continued walking.
"HK-47 will meet us at the shuttle, and he's been instructed to accompany you, to make sure you reach the Republic safely."
Bastila groaned softly, "You mean I have to put up with that homicidal pile of junk all the way?"
The Admiral chuckled, "The shuttle will take you as far as the outer edges of Republic space, and then you'll need to find your own transport from there. This should cover any traveling expenses." He handed her a small pouch of credits. "Also, I wouldn't worry too much about the droid. After all, he was created by Revan as an assassin. Once you leave the shuttle he'll just be shadowing you, and you likely won't even notice he's there, but he'll be there if you need him."
Bastila took the pouch, eyes widening as she felt the weight of it. "Thank you, but that isn't really necessary."
He waved a hand, "Lord Revan's orders. He wanted to make sure you didn't have any trouble traveling comfortably back to the Republic."
She tucked the pouch into a pocket and followed the Admiral as he led the way to the hangar. Upon reaching the hangar, there was no question which shuttle was intended for her. HK-47 stood at the loading ramp, blaster rifle primed and ready.
"Well, here we are, it looks like the droid's ready and waiting. Do be careful on the trip back, Bastila." Davon offered a warm smile.
"Thank you, Admiral." She hesitated as they approached the ramp. "You command his flagship, right?"
He nodded, "Yes, the Dark Vengeance is mine, as much as he allows."
"Will you do one thing for me?" She looked worried as she leaned closer.
"If I can."
"Please keep an eye on Revan."
He smiled again, "I do my best to do so."
"Thank you." She turned and headed up the ramp, and Davon nodded to HK.
"Keep her safe, junk heap."
"Irritated reply: I will do as my Master has commanded, meatbag."
The Admiral backed up to be clear of the shuttle as its engines fired up. He waited until the shuttle was lifting off before he pulled out his com link.
Revan stood silently watching the stars from the Observation deck. A small beep from his com link pulled his mind back to the moment, and he flipped it on.
"Yes?"
"My Lord, Bastila's shuttle is safely away."
"Thank you, Admiral. You may return to the Vengeance now." He flipped the link off and put it away. His gaze returned to the stars and he reached out with his senses as well and he could feel the bright spot in the Force that was Bastila. The shuttle came into view as it prepared to jump into hyperspace on its way back to the Republic. Revan's jaws tightened as he watched until the ship vanished.
"Good bye, Bastila." His voice was barely more than a whisper, and his hands clenched into fists as he spun away from the view-port.
He was completely alone on the deck, except for the ever present shadows of the Star Forge. He slammed one fist into the nearest durasteel support beam, and laughed. "She's gone now. You can never touch her." He glared at the walls around him, "Do what you will with me, I don't care. But you'll never be able to harm her."
Revan let go of his mental defenses and the force of the Darkness that engulfed him knocked him to his knees. The Jedi does not matter, you belong to us now.