Kenna paused for a moment before crossing the rectangular room beyond the door she'd taken from the map room. She wasn't afraid of Malak. She could beat him. That wasn't her being foolish and overconfident, that was fact. She could have killed him on the Leviathan if not for that pesky Stasis he'd pulled. She wanted to make sure she was drawing only from the light side while facing him, not an easy task in here. The Star Forge seemed to play with her mind, make it easier to give into the anger. Especially when Carth was in danger or got hurt. She ignored the whispers in her mind and pressed on. The door at the other end slid open as she reached it. Malak stood behind it, two Jedi Knights behind him writhing in a Force chokehold. When he saw Kenna, the Dark Lord finished them off, one by tightening the chokehold until he died, the other with Force lightning.
"I tire of these games, Revan," her old apprentice, and one-time friend, growled as he faced her. "You have been a thorn in my side from the moment I seized the mantle of Dark Lord from your feeble grasp! You made a mistake coming here, Revan. The Star Forge fuels my command of the dark side. You are no match for me here. And this time you will not escape!"
"It is you who can't escape, Malak," Kenna shot back. "Surrender and the Jedi might show you mercy." She didn't expect him to take her up on the offer, but she made it anyway.
"You are an insignificant speck beneath my notice," Malak said dismissively."I have surpassed you in every way and accomplished what you never could," he gloated. "I have unleashed the full potential of this Rakatan factory! You had no idea of the power within this place! Its very walls are alive with dark side energies! And now, my old master, I will let the Star Forge itself destroy you!" The door slid shut as Kenna tried to figure out what he meant. Her wondering was ended as the droid generators lining the walls crackled, spit electricity, and produced a droid each. She swore under her breath as she activated her lightsaber. This could take awhile. She figured it out relatively fast. Each time she killed a certain model of droid, a computer spike generated in the plasteel cylinder by the corresponding droid generator. When she had enough spikes, she could disable a generator, and there would be no more of that type of droid created. She applied herself to that end, making short work of droid after droid, collecting spikes, and shutting down the generators one by one until she was finally done.
Mission and Canderous were sitting on the boarding ramp, weapons close at hand while they played pazaak--again--when Carth and Jolee reached the hanger.
"Ha! I win!" Mission crowed as Canderous' total came to eighteen to her even twenty. "Finally!"
"One game out of twenty-three," Canderous pointed out gruffly, looking peeved. "Playing Republic Senate rules." He looked up as the pilot and Jedi approached, tensing as he sensed their urgency. "What's happening, Republic?" he demanded. Carth hated it when the Mandalorian called him that.
"Where's Kenna?" Mission's tone echoed the mercenary's.
"Kenna went after Malak. We need to be ready to go as soon as she comes back," Carth explained. "She redeemed Bastila, so the Republic will probably be breaking through the Sith lines any minute now that her Battle Meditation is aiding them rather than the Sith."
"Oh. Wait, she redeemed Bastila?" Mission paused in the act of scraping her pazaak deck into an untidy lump.
Carth nodded. "I don't know how she did it, but Jolee felt it when Bastila came back."
"Wow, that's awesome! Um," Mission frowned, "does she know where the Hawk is?"
"I'm sure she'll find it. Get in there." Carth pointed up the ramp.
"Yessir. Geezer," Mission teased as she vanished into the ship. Carth shook his head but decided not to retort.
Finally done with the droids, Kenna crossed to the door through which Malak had exited. It's time to finish this. She took a deep breath and keyed in the code to open the last obstacle between her and the Dark Lord.
He waited until she crossed the room to a few feet away from him before speaking. "Well done, Revan. I was certain the defenses of the Star Forge would destroy you, but I see there is more of your old self in you than I expected. You are stronger than I thought; stronger than you ever were during your reign as the Dark Lord. I did not think that was possible."
"The light side is stronger than you know, Malak," Kenna replied, lightsaber clasped loosely in her hand. She knew he was probably too far gone to return to the light, but she still had to try. However, unlike with Bastila, the thought of killing him didn't upset her at all. She would do what she had to do.
"I am tempted to try and capture you alive, Revan. Then I could break your will and bind you to me as my apprentice, as I did Bastila. You would be a far greater asset to me than even Bastila and her Battle Meditation if I could control you. But is it worth the risk? Perhaps you are too powerful to be my apprentice. I betrayed you when I realized my own strength was greater than yours; in time you might try to do the same to me."
You think you could capture me alive and make me serve you? Kenna wanted to laugh at the idea. In the infinitesimally remote possibility he beat her, she would force him to kill her. She would never serve the dark side again. "You're still making the mistake of underestimating me, Malak," she pointed out as she shifted her weight from one leg to the other.
"I cannot deny your resilience," Malak conceded. "You survived my first betrayal, thanks to Bastila's interference. You escaped the destruction of Taris and you escaped me on the Leviathan. You even survived my attempt to destroy you with the Star Forge itself. Fate and destiny have conspired to keep you alive, despite all my efforts. We have been inexorably pushed to this final confrontation, Revan. I see now that this can only be settled when one of us destroys the other. Once again we shall face each other in single combat…and the victor will determine the fate of the galaxy!"
Kenna went on the offensive. There was no way she was going to give this man any chance of beating her. The galaxy needed to rid of him, and she had no intention of letting him destroy her. I finally found love, found a reason to live. You are not going to win. I won't let you. Her determination fueled the blindingly fast trio of strikes she slammed against Malak's lightsaber, leading to only one of the three missing. She pounded him relentlessly, backing off and blocking his counter strikes--most of them--from time to time. He chased her around the lower level of the control room, blind to everything except her. She was focused on him as well, but her mind was running through plan after plan concerning how to beat him. She could do it, but the 'how' part was eluding her at the moment.
Malak gained the upper hand, pounding the blade of his lightsaber against hers, his blows intended to wear her down. It was working. She was tiring. Fortunately, Malak stopped of his own accord.
"You continue to amaze me, Revan. If only you had been the one to uncover the true power of the Star Forge you might have become truly invincible. But you were a fool," he spat. "All you saw was an enormous factory, all you ever imagined was an infinite fleet rolling forth to crush the Republic. You were blind, Revan--blind and stupid!"
"What are you talking about?" Kenna demanded in exasperation.
"The Star Forge is more than just a space station. In some ways it is like a living creature. It hungers. And it can feed on the dark side that is within all of us! Look around you, Revan. See the bodies?" He gestured at the corpses that hung in stasis fields all around the room. "You should recognize them from the Academy," he mocked. "These are Jedi who fell when I attacked Dantooine. For all intents and purposes dead, except for one difference: I have not let them become one with the Force. Instead, I have brought them here. The Star Forge corrupts what remains of their power and transfers the dark taint to me!" He stretched out his hand and drained the life from the nearest of the bodies, replenishing his health. "You cannot beat me, Revan. Not here on the Star Forge. Not when I can draw on the power of all these Jedi! And once you are beaten I will do the same for you. You will be trapped in a terrible existence between life and death, your power feeding me as I conquer the galaxy!" He attacked her.
Or I could defeat you. Kenna parried his blow. Two can play this game. She ran over to a group of the Jedi corpses, using Death field to suck the life from all three simultaneously. Her own health replenished, she turned just in time to counter Malak's attack. She blocked, attacked him, and ran to another group of the bodies, draining their life even though she didn't need it, to prevent him from getting to them. She twirled her lightsaber around, thanking the Force for the double blades as she blocked a blow that would have been the end of her had she gone with a more conventional 'saber.
This battle was indeed harder; Malak was stronger here than he had been on the Leviathan. The dark side fueled his attacks while weakening her as she fought the whispers in her head as well the Dark Lord raining blows against her weapon. One foot skidded out from underneath the weary Jedi, sending her tumbling to the ground. Heart pounding, Kenna rolled away from Malak's increased attacks. He's coming in for the kill. He thinks he's got you. Now, Kenna, now! Fight with everything you have left! Ignoring the burning wound where his lightsaber had caught her left arm, Kenna parried a blow and scrambled to her feet. Her knee almost gave out when she tried to put weight on it. She could hardly stand. Oh, Force! I must have twisted it when I fell. She was worn out, too tired to summon the Force. She yanked out her last medpac and rammed it against her leg. I can't do this. He's too strong here. I can't beat him.
Carth felt uneasy. Something was wrong, he could feel it, and it wasn't just him being paranoid. Kenna. She's giving up. The thought struck him as ridiculous. For one thing, Kenna would never give up, and for another how would he be able to tell? He was no Jedi; they didn't have a Force bond through which he could feel her. They fought well together, but that was about it. Are you sure? No, I'm not. But she can't give up. She wouldn't, not with the whole galaxy depending on her. She's still standing, if only just. "Don't you dare give up, beautiful," he muttered under his breath, pacing across the hanger. "Not now."
Don't you dare give up. She had no idea where the nearly inaudible whisper came from, but it sent fresh energy coursing through her exhausted limbs. Kenna gritted her teeth and smashed her lightsaber against Malak's. Strength was her strong point, just as it was his. The Dark Lord grunted in pain as one of her blades slid around and made contact with his side. Kenna went on the offensive, slamming a blistering volley of blows against Malak. He managed to block some, but most landed. Finally, the Dark Lord of the Sith collapsed to his knees, ragged breathing loud and harsh in the otherwise silent room.
"Im…" he coughed, "impossible. I…I cannot be beaten. I am the Dark Lord of the Sith."
"The power of the light side will always be stronger than the dark side," Kenna panted, favoring her sore knee as she stood triumphant.
"Still…still spouting the wisdom of the Jedi, I see," Malak coughed. "Maybe there is more truth in their code than I ever believed. I…I cannot help but wonder, Revan," he labored, "What would have happened had our positions been reversed? What if fate had decreed I would be captured by the Jedi? Could I have returned to the light, as you did?" He coughed. "If you had not led me down the dark path in the first place, what destiny would I have found?" He sounded so regretful of his past, Kenna felt guilty. Until she remembered what Mission had told her in answer to almost that same question when Kenna had discovered her true identity: "Malak kept goin' on his own. You may have started him on the path to the dark side, but he did a doozy of a job followin' it without any help from you."
"I am sorry I started you on this path." She meant it. The fact she was largely responsible for someone's fall to the dark side ate at her soul and topped her list of regrets. "But you chose to continue down it." It is not just my fault.
"I suppose…I suppose you speak the truth," Malak rasped. "I alone must accept responsibility for my fate. I wanted to be Master of the Sith and ruler of the galaxy. But that destiny was never mine, Revan." He coughed again. "It might have been yours, perhaps…but never mine. And in the end, as the darkness takes me, I am nothing." With that last statement, the Dark Lord of the Sith fell dead in front of his former friend and master.
It's over. Kenna could hardly process it. She had done it. She had won, defeated Malak, saved the galaxy, and she wasn't dead. She was even still standing. She'd been sure even if she managed to survive the battle with Malak she would be laying in a near-dead heap next to him. But she wasn't. She was still standing. The exhilaration hit her in a rush. I did it! She grinned in relief, her solitary celebration cut short as the Star Forge shuddered under the Republic's assault. Remembering Bastila's admonition to hurry, she turned from the Sith Lord's body and limped out of the room. She was exhausted. And her arm hurt. Free hand pressed against the wound, Kenna headed for the hanger as fast as her wrenched knee would allow, wincing with every step and wishing she had a medpac left or something.
Carth stopped almost mid-stride as the door leading to the Star Forge slid open, hoping it was Kenna. When Bastila stepped forward instead, he felt disappointed and relieved at the same time. "Well?"
"I was able to help the Republic, if that is what you're wondering," she said defensively.
"It wasn't, but that is good to know." He hesitated. "Where's Kenna?"
"No more than ten minutes behind me at the most. She went to face Malak."
"Mm." Carth resumed pacing. "You want to wait on the ship with the others or out here with me?"
"I think I shall wait out here." She leaned against one of the supports for the boarding ramp and watched him. "You care about her quite a bit, don't you?" she probed after a few minutes passed.
"All of us do," Carth replied cautiously. He knew exactly what she was trying to find out.
"You care about her even more than the others do. She's more than just a friend and leader to you."
"What do you want to hear? That I worry about her? I do. That I would die for her?" Carth raked his fingers through his hair. "In a heartbeat. That I love her? I do."
Bastila was silent for a long moment. "Carth, you know--"
"Jedi aren't supposed to fall in love? Yes, I know. Such strong emotions can lead to the dark side. You only told her that a hundred times. Seems to me, the dark side is always a threat to Jedi, no matter what. Malak fell because of his friend. Aren't Jedi encouraged to form strong bonds between master and apprentice? Between friends? Aren't you supposed to trust each other?"
"Yes, but--"
"Her being in love doesn't seem a hell of a lot different than the Force bond she shares with you."
"A Jedi can help her stand strong against temptations from the dark side."
Carth knew better then to bring up how well Bastila herself had done resisting the dark side. "And someone who isn't a Jedi couldn't?"
Bastila was on the verge of a retort when the door opened and Kenna limped into the hanger.
"There you are! What happened?" Carth demanded, relieved she was alive but worried about how she was favoring one leg.
His concern warmed Kenna. "Darth Malak is dead," she reported, too tired to elaborate at the moment. "It's over, finally."
"That's wonderful news!" Bastila exclaimed. "There's no time to celebrate just yet. I was able to use my Battle Meditation to allow the Republic to break through the Sith Fleet. The capital ships are in bombardment range!" The hanger convulsed with a shudder to underscore her words.
"And that means we all have to get out of here right now, before this entire hanger comes down around our ears! Everyone else is already on the ship. Let's move!" Carth's impatience was understandable, but Kenna couldn't manage more than a slow hobble a the moment. He gave her an understanding smile-- "C'mere."--and practically carried her to the Hawk. As soon as they were on board, Kenna pulled free.
"Go get us out of here, flyboy," she ordered, pointing toward the cockpit. "I'm right behind you." She made her way through the main hold and to the cockpit just as he sent the Hawk soaring out of the collapsing hanger. One hand gripped the back of the pilot's chair and the other braced against the center console to keep herself from tumbling as she tried to stand on one leg. Her left arm protested, harshly reminding her she had yet to get the wound across her bicep healed. At least I'm still alive, she thought as the Star Forge crumbled behind them.