Author's notes: Phew! Veeeery long chapter up ahead – I didn't want to cut it in the middle. This, my friends, is a real pizza – with everything on it. No one gets the chocolate… too bad. Oh, and if you play KotOR II thoroughly, you might see the hint that Arren Kae was the one who trained Revan… but Kreia has also trained Revan. And when Atris mocks you that Kreia is not Kreia´s real name… well, this is my theory. It also explains her exile – Arren Kae is the Handmaiden's mother, you know. Enjoy!

EDIT!!! Corrections have been made, as per Brynn´s advice. And Brynn: I guess I'm losing my focus when it comes to writing this fic – I haven't played KotOR I in quite a while, plus I haven't checked the chapter thoroughly, so the things you mentioned really were a bit off. Thank you for the advice & your faith in me (though I'm not sure how well-placed it is), I would greatly appreciate you as a beta.

Dark Lord Daishi – here's your pizza. Thanks & read on.

MilenaSkywalker – (shudders) Disciple is weird. He really looks like Richard Gere on a bad hair day. (glances to the right and left) (Force persuade:) I am not Darth Revan.

Phht – it's a bit of teasing, you could say – she's suggesting that she's more capable than a Jedi. And yes, Paranoid Pilot never notices the implication. A good explanation for a little slip, isn't it:)

X X X

Chapter 32 – A new hopeful

X X X

The darkness and eerie atmosphere within the tainted Tomb of Naga Sadow was multiplied by the evil energy emerging from the Star Map in the center of a circular room, built probably for the Sith sarcophagus, now occupied by the navigational chart. Sith statues were surrounding the Map from all sides and many of them seemed to be bowing to the powerful Dark Side artifact. Were it really whispers of the Sith of Old, leading her to this item? The outline of a dark figure was visible. She was the successor of those who lay dead, killed by the Jedi or each other. But her power surpassed that of those before her. She could finish what began millennia ago. The woman accepted her new name, leaving behind all of her past. Her heart became colder and darker when she left this tomb…seemingly.

X X X

After their capture on the Leviathan, the crew of the Ebon Hawk was one member short.

Although Jolee had agreed to take Bastila´s place as pilot, the loss of the Padawan was felt and regretted by almost everyone in some way or another. Then there was also the revelation of Revan´s identity, which had been a shock to some. However, Revan herself didn't dwell on this change of attitude. It wasn't much of a change anyway – Canderous and Jolee were the same as ever, like the droids, Mission was a bit anxious now, but keen to listen, Zaalbar kept to his promises and Juhani remained out of sight most of the time. Carth chose to avoid her for the time being.

Revan decided to brush up on her lightsaber combat again. A few days after the encounter with Malak, she was in the cargo hold again, practicing with one of the salvaged weapons. She swung the double-bladed saber in circles, only imagining the moves of her opponent. It took her a few minutes to adjust her fingers to the staff-like weapon, so the spinning was a little less graceful for a moment. But then she relaxed, and it seemed to be a wheel of fire in her hands.

"Nice variation of Juyo, kid." Jolee Bindo nodded from the doorway as the blades retreated into their hilt.

Revan glanced at him, relaxing for a moment. "It was supposed to be Ataru and Shien combined. I rarely use Juyo. Most of my enemies weren't even able to beat my Shii-Cho."

The old man raised an eyebrow. "Kid, that was a Juyo if I ever saw one. I know my thing."

"Well, I prefer my personal combinations to a single style. And Force combat is what really matters."

"You really should have been a Consular." Jolee muttered, "Or you were trained by one." He tilted his head to the right with interest. "Come to think of it, who trained you?"

The woman blinked. "Do you want the alphabetical list? I learned from at least a dozen Masters on even more planets."

"I mean your first Master – you always pick up most from your first teacher, I can tell you that."

"K-" Revan stopped. "Kae. Arren Kae."

"Ah, I think I might have heard that name before. Consular, eh?"

She nodded. "One of the Council. Then she was exiled because she did what you did."

"What, became a smuggler and hid in the Shadowlands?"

"No. She had a family."

The old man was strangely silent for a moment. Then, "How do you know about Nayama?" He didn't actually call her a kid this time.

"I hear much and know more about each of you than you think. From your lectures to Onasi to Zaalbar´s daily menu, I keep track of every detail involving the crew of this ship. I know of your past, your thoughts, your feelings. But I keep my opinions to myself. And, of all the "tortured souls" on this ship, your story was almost touching." For a moment, it seemed that she would smile. "It's the only one that doesn't involve any trace of my influence."

"Heh, you can't be everywhere. And it's good to see you smile. Lots better than the scowl you usually do. It gets annoying at times." In turn, Revan arched an eyebrow. "You should work on doing Shien solo – without the Ataru. It always worked for me."

"I focus on battling single opponents, not hordes of primitives. I have my own style, combining the strengths of the basic forms – that way, I can adapt to the situation. If I weren't so fond of teaching and learning, I'd have become a Weaponsmaster."

The old man rolled his eyes, "Always modest, aren't we?"

"I'm being honest, for once. That's what Kreia always encouraged."

"Kreia?"

There was a momentary pause. "I often called Master Kae that. I combined several letters from her name, plus added the hint that she sometimes acted like the queen of the galaxy."

"And what did she call you in turn?"

"For a time, she shared your opinion of me – she called me child. Until this child began dealing with the Coruscanti underworld and eliminated a group of spice dealers that just so happened to be Exchange. From then, she only used my name."

Jolee nodded in approval. "Seems you have experience with stopping invaders, huh?"

"I guess. At least as much experience as you have with Wookiees." With that, the old man left, because a blaster shot was heard, which turned out to be (very surprisingly) a signal that the droids once again had a squabble and T3 just barely managed to get out of the way of blaster fire, beeping frantically. It also indicated that they were dropping out of hyperspace.

X X X

"Korriban is thought to be the birthplace of the Sith, as you probably know. Dreshdae was rebuilt on my orders – I ordered the construction of the Sith Academy. The Dark Side is strong here, its power fueling the ones that dare use it. There are ruins on the surface, in the Valley of the Dark Lords. The Star Map is there. Now, the only way to explore the tombs of the Valley is to be a Sith. That means one of us has to enter the Academy. That would be me, naturally."

Revan was dressed in black robes – supplies acquired from the Sith that ambushed her on Kashyyyk and Tatooine. For a perfect deception, she even swapped her lightsaber for one of the red double-blades she took from the corpses. Hers was too detailed. However, she kept her own saber with her, just in case. It was not adjusted with another crystal, making it a crimson energy beam. Her skin seemed far paler and her golden hair was contrasting with the darkness of the robes. The only thing that seemed to remain the same were her crystal blue eyes.

"I hope you know what you're doing, kid." Jolee noted.

"Perhaps Jolee and I should accompany you." Juhani suggested, even though she seemed a bit on edge. No doubt she hadn't forgotten the grove and was afraid to venture into the dark once more.

Fortunately for her, Revan was against the idea from the beginning. "No, I have to impress some… Sith Masters here. Hanging out with a pair of obvious Jedi won't do the trick."

Because of this, she took Canderous and HK-47 with her. The Mandalorian had seen planets as bad as this one, maybe even worse and the droid was so overjoyed that his Master was going to be ruthless and cruel that Revan didn't have the heart to leave him behind.

She was getting used to the curious customs officers – they were all the same: weak-minded fools, not immune to the lightest mind trick. This one didn't fail to notice the lightsaber in her hand. "Ah, yes, yes, I see. Another Jedi come to small Korriban, yes? Good to meet you"

"A pleasure. Just heading for the Academy."

The Twi´lek nodded, " You will get into the Academy, I'm sure. I understand that Jedi who have left the Order are made very welcome."

"So I imagine."

"But enough about that. Nice to see the Ebon Hawk back! Since you're a regular in our small colony, I will charge you 25 credits."

"I don't need to pay the fee." Her gloved hand slightly moved – a motion that didn't remain undetected by Canderous. The Twi´lek port authority nodded.

"I suppose you don't need to pay the fee. Enjoy your stay in Dreshdae."

"I'm amazed how many people that works on." Canderous whispered to her once they entered the colony."The entire galaxy must be filled with weak-minded fools!"

"You have no idea." Revan whispered back. The journey through the settlement was short, though - they immediately ran into a man in a Sith uniform, tormenting a bunch of hopefuls.

"No, that is the wrong answer!" the young Sith shook his head in frustration. "Again! You pathetic hopefuls can't possibly be that stupid!"

"Please, Master Shardaan! Give us another chance! We'll do anything to get into the academy!" A male Twi´lek hopeful begged.

"Hmph. I'm no master... yet... but I like the sound of that." the Sith said, slightly smugly, "All right, one more question, though the lot of you are trying my patience. All right. Let's say you become a Sith and I am your commanding officer. I give you an order to spare the life of an enemy. Do you do it?"

"Oh, of course, Shaardan! Anything you command us!" A Twi'lek woman with an almost alarming lack of clothing – perhaps a way to "impress" the Sith – said immediately.

"We would never oppose you!" the human male hopeful added.

"No, no, no." Shaardan sighed in frustration, shaking his head. "Do you honestly believe that the Sith are in need of such sniveling cowards? Mercy is a weakness. If your leader shows weakness, it is your duty to kill him and show true authority... true power. That is why the Sith are strong."

That, however, was not a good thing for the hopefuls, who cringed and backed away from Shaardan slightly. "Th-thank you, Shaardan. We, uh... we understand now!" the human man stuttered.

"No, you don't understand." Shaardan growled, "And you probably never will. You wouldn't survive five seconds in the academy... the other students would tear you apart! Bah! I can't be bothered with fools! Perhaps... I should... hmmm. You! Jedi!" he shouted in Revan´s general direction, "You're trying to get to the Academy, aren't you? Of course you are – why else would you be here?" he muttered to himself, "Let me pose a question to you. These pathetic hopefuls have no chance of surviving in the Academy. A lesson must be taught, here, but I am at a loss as to what form it should take. I'm thinking of sparing them the humiliation and kill them myself. Or perhaps a bit of humiliation is in order? I could easily strip off their tunics and make them run through the colony. Or Force lightning? It is a most impressive display. What do you think? I just can't seem to decide."

"Advisement: Evisceration works well. Electric shock and blunt trauma, also." HK-47 suggested.

"I wasn't talking to you!" Shaardan snapped.

"How about I kill you and spare your tiny brain of such a tough choice?" Revan asked, throwing a slight Force shock at him, not enough to actually kill him, but more than enough to cause a healthy dose of pain. Shaardan jumped. Since the electricity began to intensify, he bolted down the corridor. The hopefuls were gawping at Revan in horror. Canderous was sniggering. Revan glared at the hopefuls. "Any other candidates?" she asked icily. The hopefuls whimpered in fear and quickly made themselves elsewhere.

Dreshdae was a grim place to live in – everyone, except maybe the Czerka people, seemed terrified of the Sith. The group decided that the cantina could be a logical place to get information – wandering straight into the Academy was a bad idea. Sadly, more semi-Sith brats showed up.

"Look here, my friends – we have newcomers to the colony." The woman that blocked Revan´s path had short, white-blond hair and a stuck-up face. Her eyes traveled to Revan´s hand, the one gripping the lightsaber. "Led by a Jedi, no less." she noted, almost nonchalantly.

"I hate Jedi – and these fallen ones are worse! They always get into the Academy and think they're better than us." a Sith with her whined.

"You should move along, kid. You don't want the kind of trouble we'd cause you." Canderous noted in a tone that would make any sane person back off. No one said that the Sith brats were sane, though.

The woman laughed. "Smart-mouthed newcomers, to boot."

"Looks pretty fresh to me, Lashowe." said the third Sith.

The woman named Lashowe nodded. "That's what I thought." she turned back to Revan, folding her arms and arching an eyebrow, "Well, stranger, in case you haven't noticed, here on Korriban, the Sith rule. And we are Sith. Quite literally, whether you live or die depends on us. What do you have to say about that?"

I think that's too much responsibility for simple scum like you. "You can try to kill me. You'll fail, but you can try."

HK-47 raised a mechanical arm, cheering for her. "Commentary: That's the way to tell the meatbags, Master! Charging weapons, just in case – this should be fun."

Lashowe sneered, "Those are very brave words from such an insignificant person. Do you know how many Sith there are in Dreshdae?"

"Not enough to save your sorry self." Canderous noted.

"Twelve! No, wait – thirteen!" a familiar voice said from behind the Sith in mock-excitement. The Sith whirled around to see Jolee, who put on his usual half-senile old man act.

"Good one, old man."

Jolee nodded to Canderous. "Thank you. It takes effort to be properly irreverent at my age."

Their Sith "friends" didn't think it was funny. "Let me kill this one, Lashowe! Let me do it!" the one that complained about Jedi begged. But Lashowe shook her head, which probably saved her life.

"Now, now – let's not be hasty. Our friend here might yet offer us some amusement. What do you say? Amuse us, make us laugh and we may yet consider letting you live."

Revan´s eyes narrowed. Granted, she was posing as a Jedi. Granted, she couldn't use her authority to punish the fools. But she could kill them easily – the Sith killed each other daily. And it might just be the one thing she needed to catch the eye of the resident Sith Master or their more trusted underlings. "If you really want to fight, make your first move. It will be your last." She hissed, assuming a stance that suggested that if the girl would even think of attacking, she would be decapitated before she could say "Sith´ari", though it was subtle enough to be unnoticed by those unskilled in lightsaber combat.

"What?!" Lashowe yelled, her eyes almost popping out.

The other Sith man chuckled, "I think someone just stood up to you, Lashowe."

"Shut up, fool! Unless you wanna be next!" Lashowe snapped.

"Yeah? Anytime!"

"Stop it – this is boring!" the Jedi-hater commented, "Let's get back to the Academy."

Lashowe´s face was almost red with anger, but somehow, she regained her posture, "Fine – we'll go. As for you," she added for Revan, "I'll find you later. Trust me on that." She growled.

"I can't wait." Revan noted, her eyes never leaving Lashove´s face. The blonde brat frowned and made a dramatic exit, her friends following her.

"Statement: Why not kill the color changing meatbag, Master?" HK asked as they passed through the city.

"No time for amusement, HK. We've got work to do."

"You've got a real mean streak, kid." Jolee noted, "But I guess there's no avoiding these encounters, huh?" He sighed.

"Exploring the city, Jolee?"

"Yeah, I thought I might as well have a look around and snuck off the ship after you. Korriban´s a rock, but the colony isn't so bad when you get used to the Sith stench in the Force." As proof, he sniffed a bit and made a disgusted noise. "Bad karma."

They soon reached the cantina soon enough. Revan immediately sat at the bar – the others split up as well.

'Hey, kiddo.' Jolee projected to her after a minute. 'The Czerka pilots seem to know a bit about the excavations and they're drunk enough to spit it out. I'll have a go at it.'

'Go ahead.' She then frowned. 'Where's Canderous?'

The old man's mental shrug was visible. Then, he went back to his conversation with the pilots. Revan continued to sit there, observing the cantina through the Force. She didn't order anything, however. On Korriban, there was no telling if there's someone lurking in the shadows, waiting to add a "special ingredient" into your drink. Nevertheless, the Rodian barman approached her.

"Greetings, sentient. You are the owner of the Ebon Hawk, yes? Or its latest owner, at least." Revan nodded slightly. "I am honored to meet you. I am Mika Dorin, manager of this establishment. The owner of the Ebon Hawk is always welcome in the Dreshdae cantina."

"It's a famous vessel around here, it seems."

"Both famous and infamous. But the Hawk isn't what I wish to talk to you about." The Rodian looked around him, as if detecting whether anyone was listening to them. The Drunk Side cantina was rather full, but it seemed that no one was paying attention to them. And with HK-47 standing within three feet from Revan, everyone was as far away from them as they possibly could. Canderous was still nowhere in sight.

"I wish to talk about the Dark Lord of the Sith." Mika noted, barely above a whisper. Revan, who was in a rather casual mood before this, immediately glared at him with some surprise.

"Why would you want to talk about the Dark Lord?" she asked, switching to the language the Rodian spoke in.

Mika smirked, "Perhaps because one is sitting in front of me?" he asked, almost innocently.

A frown. "What do you want?"

"My partner and I sell rare goods to the right buyer. The owner of the Ebon Hawk was always our privileged customer. But we were reluctant to approach you. You had no ties with the Exchange, even worse, you were a Jedi! Not the kind of person we normally deal with. But now," he dropped to a whisper, "All has changed, Lord Revan, and we understand that all that was the perfect cover for your own business." he raised his voice slightly, now that he didn't have to mention the name again, "There have been reports of the Ebon Hawk being seen on a number of planets. When you were leaving Manaan, we placed a small tracking device on your ship."

"Go on."


"When you were captured by the Leviathan, your escapades aboard the ship were quite a stir in the Sith fleet." the Rodian explained, "Of course Malak tried to suppress the truth about your identity – there was more than a fair number executions. But even when the witnesses are silenced and the clues erased, some bits of information always slip through. Spend enough credits to collect them and the puzzle becomes clear. We know what happened aboard the Leviathan. At least, we know enough. You are Darth Revan and are going to kill Malak for daring to claim domination over the Sith."

"And what's it to you?" Revan asked.

"We have allied with you in this conflict and we trust you will remember us once victory is yours." Mika explained.


Revan nodded slowly. That was… interesting. And not at all bad. "Your motives seem very self-serving."

"Of course. How else are we to survive? But we're not offering anything to Malak, are we?

Now, do you wish to see the premium items I have for sale? Or is there something else you need?" he asked.

"Let me see the items."

The Rodian nodded, "Yes, of course. I'm sure you'll find my selection to be very interesting."

The items were of the highest quality… and though they weren't actually cheap, they certainly were cheaper than they would be if she was buying them on the legal market.

"I'm glad you've seen the light." Revan said once they finished the price dealing and she collected the items that were of interest with her.


"The light?" he chuckled. "A fine jest, though it contains a crystal of truth. Pleasure doing business with you. Is there anything else you need?"

"Actually, maybe you can do something else for me." Revan noted. After a few minutes, she left the cantina to begin her search for a Sith Master called Yuthura Ban, as the barman suggested to her.

X X X

"What's that thing?" Revan asked when she returned to the Hawk after getting bored of people staring at her in utter horror as she passed through the streets. The "thing" was a pyramid-shaped box-like object.

"There was a spice delivery on the ship – the dealer offered another payout if we deliver this thing to Tatooine." Canderous, who had returned to the Hawk some time before her, explained. He didn't seem to be too happy about the box for some reason, though.

She arched an eyebrow, "Okay… but what is it?"

The Mandalorian shrugged, "No idea. He said we shouldn't open it, that's all."

Revan knelt and examined the box closely – familiar ornaments, she was able to read the runes and the shape of the box was also known to her… "Rakata." she whispered.

"You can read those markings?"

Revan nodded, "It's a prison where they trapped minds. You open it – you get sucked in." she explained, "Keep it somewhere away from sight. We'll dump it on Tatooine as soon as we can."

"Yeah, sure."

"So… what are your thoughts now? You said you needed time after that duel…" Revan asked, changing the subject.

He frowned at the box, for a few seconds, "I'm not happy with the way my life has turned. I'm not the Mandalore I once was. I don't even think I'm the merc I was when I joined you. I think... I think I need something more than killing and fighting in my life. I need a purpose or something like that." He paused, "The way the Mandalorians - we - fought... it holds no appeal for me. To rape and ravage worlds for the thrill of battle... It gets old. Very old. Honor in battle. Cheating death. Comrades in arms. The code of the Mandalore. I think I'm something different now. Maybe more, maybe less."

"Everything has to have a purpose… even battle, it seems."

"I don't think there is really any place left in the galaxy for the Mandalorian clans like they were." he said, "I don't know if I can go on forever fighting as I have. Even warriors get insightful in their old age..." another pause, "The time of the clans is past. I don't think the galaxy wants them anymore. Maybe in the future, but not now. Once my time with you is done, once you have moved on to greater things, I'll find my own way once again." he said calmly, "Maybe the Mandalorian clans will be reborn again. Maybe even under the Republic... or the Sith."

"They won't be forgotten. And when the time is right, they may yet be reborn. They just need a figurehead, someone who would have enough influence and honor to gain respect. Those hunters on Kashyyyk or the raiders on Dantooine weren't the best examples." The helmet remained in her possession, after all. Revan tilted her head to the left a bit, observing the Mandalorian. "You could do it."

"Do what?"

"Reunite the clans. Claim the title of Mandalore."

Canderous shook his head. "You really are like they described you during the war – you can manipulate and inspire. You could be a great leader of your people. I've always wondered why you rejected the title of Mandalore in the first place. You know well that the clans would have been honored to fight under your banner."

"I wanted to stop them… and I did." Revan said quietly, "But the fate of your people wasn't in my hands. The Republic would have never agreed to such an allegiance. They fear you because they don't understand."

"Just as they fear you."

"True." she smiled faintly, "But, as I said, you would make a fine Mandalore. I've known few truly honorable Mandalorians, but you certainly belong in that group."

Canderous nodded, but his tone remaining serious. "Maybe I'll take your advice. But dreaming about the future is useless now." He straightened up a bit. "Have you gotten into that Academy yet?"

"Not yet. I have to find some Sith woman named Yuthura Ban."

"A Twi´lek?"

"Yes… how did you know?" Revan asked, though she wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer.

"I saw one yelling at the Czerka rep – he almost wet himself. Then she stormed off to the cantina. She might still be there, if you hurry."

Revan raised her eyebrows, "Thank you."

X X X

Canderous was right – there was a purple Twi´lek Sith woman sitting at the bar, glaring at a random spot of the wall while sipping her drink. There was no one within ten feet of her. Revan considered the possibility of talking to her directly… about a second before someone accidentally bumped into her.

"Watch where you're going." Revan hissed.

"How bout you move out of the way?" the young man, probably as young as Shaardan or Lashowe, if not younger snapped back. What surprised Revan was that he was a striking resemblance of Carth… only far younger. His son, perhaps? He mentioned he had one when promising to protect her, if she remembered correctly. Yes… she even asked about his family during the flight to Korriban, before the Leviathan caught up with them. She frowned. Even miracles were possible when dealing with the Force. Especially when no body was found on Telos, as Carth said. So, she decided to find out a bit more.

"I don't feel like it."

"A smart-mouthed Jedi. Cute."

"Ex-Jedi."

"Ah, just about to go try and impress Yuthura, huh?" he smirked, "Good luck – you'll need it."

"There's no luck, kid – only the Force."

"You're not much less of a kid."

"So?"

"You got a name?"

"As a matter of fact, I do."

"Care to tell me?"

"You are…?"

"I asked first."

"I'm Alexa Denali."

"The Dark Lady finally reveals her identity." He said, half-mockingly, half-amused.

"You're being evasive. That doesn't work with me. Answer the question."

"The name's Dustil. That satisfy your curiosity enough?"

Revan arched an eyebrow. "Snappish, aren't we?"

"Only when provoked. I haven't seen you around before – I'd remember the witty comebacks."

"Are you always this friendly with complete strangers?"

"Only when they're rather charming females."

Revan laughed, "You're a funny little boy."

Dustil scowled a bit at the boy reference, but was silenced by Revan´s smirk that dared him to make a comeback. So, he just rolled his eyes.

"Cute. So, can I get you a drink or are we gonna stand here for the next few millennia?"

"I've no intention of waiting that long… but all right." The barman sure as hell wouldn't spike her drink, plus a source of information from within the Academy could be valuable.

"So… why do you want to join the Sith?"

"That's a strange question, coming from a Sith student. I'm just a… free spirit, if you will." Revan said with a shrug.

"Yeah, but why come to the Academy? You seem powerful…"

"My friends – those who've already become Sith – said that the tombs here are quite fascinating. History is my hobby."

"More like an obsession if you want to waste time on this rock. The Valley isn't bad, but the tombs are too dangerous… Master Uthar lets the students explore them, though. Not many get out. Those who do wimp out before they get too far in."

"Hmm. Infiltration obviously isn't their thing."

"They're just cowards."

"And you?"

"I prefer the term 'cautious'. "

"How long have you been here?"

"Two years something. Hopefully I'll be off this rock soon. The place can't teach much besides lightsaber wielding and Force using. But you were a Jedi, you know those things already. I guess you'll be rather bored there, then."

"Better bored than out of the loop."

Just then, Juhani and HK-47 came into the bar, immediately spotting Revan. The Cathar sprinted to her. "Alexa." Juhani sat on the chair next to her, panting slightly. "We have a serious problem. That box…"

Revan sighed rather tiredly, "I told Canderous to hide it somewhere! The thing is dangerous if…" then, she stopped shortly, "No… don't tell me…"

Juhani nodded, "I see you know what the problem is."

"Who?"

"Mission."

Revan closed her eyes for a moment, "If she makes it out of there alive, remind me to kill her." She turned to Dustil, "Duty calls. I'll be seeing you soon, I think."

"I'm looking forward to that."

Revan stood up sharply and bolted to the Hawk, straight to the cargo hold. She could hear HK´s mechanic footsteps behind her, though Juhani seemed to have stayed at the bar for some reason… she didn't have time to concern herself with that. She found T3-M4 attempting to slice the box open, Carth and Jolee nearby. Mission's unconscious body was on a bunch of pillows.

"Hey, kid." Jolee greeted her, "Think you can help us with this? Your Mandalorian friend said you could read the text."

"The thing is a mind prison – smash it and the she's dead. How did she find it?"

"Ah, you know Mission – always up for a little adventure. She was searching the ship for hidden smuggling compartments… and, well, you can guess what she found in one of them."

Revan frowned, "All we can do is wait if she finds a way out on her own."

"You know there's times like this when I really regret not letting the Sith find you on Taris." Carth noted through gritted teeth.

"But then you'd never find your son, soldier-boy. He's a bit snappish, but otherwise, I like him."

Carth immediately stopped glaring at the wall, "My… son? What do you mean?"

"Was your son's name by any chance Dustil?" he nodded, eyes widening with shock by the second. "Then yes, he's alive. And he looks just like you, but with a less uptight personality."

The reaction was rather shocking – the crew always pictured Carth as a calm, really officer-like man who never let his emotions take full control of his thinking. Even when he wanted revenge on Saul Karath, he managed to remain at least partially calm. But right now, he seemed shocked, hopeful and fearful at the same time. Almost as if mad, mad of grief and a sudden rush of hope. "Dustil´s alive? Where is he?! I must see him!"

For a moment, even Revan didn't have the heart to snap something at him. He was behaving very strangely… and the mix of emotions was something she was unable to comprehend. "He's a Sith student, so he probably went back to the Academy by now. Just outside the colony."

"I have to find him!"

Revan waved the desperate statement off. "Cool your engines, he's fine. Besides, you'll die if you go to the Academy."

"The girl's right, sonny." Jolee noted before Carth had a chance to object, "You won't get your son to leave the Sith by getting yourself killed."

"Don't you dare lecture me after all you said about your wife, old man." Carth snapped. The old man in question actually frowned, pushing away the memory of something clearly sad or unpleasant, sealing his mind off quite effectively. "Dustil means more than the Republic to me!" He marched out of the room, heading for Force-knows-where. He didn't leave the ship, however.

Just then, Mission's eyes popped open. She was panting slightly.

"What do you think you're doing, opening things you don't know anything about?" Revan snapped immediately.

Mission sat up, rubbing her eyes, "I'm sorry. I didn't know what it was and it was humming strangely, so I became curious and… well… opened it. Sorry, Revan."

"Ever heard the saying 'curiosity killed the cat'?" Jolee asked in his usual nonchalant mischievous tone, though his concern was visible.

"That is not funny." Everyone turned to the doorway to see Juhani (surprisingly accompanied by Dustil) enter.

"What kept you?" Revan asked.

"An unpleasant encounter with someone I wished to forget." Juhani said with a frown.

"Some bastard thought she was my slave and wanted to buy her… turned out that he already wanted to do it on Taris, but the Jedi arrival stopped him." Dustil explained, "Pushover. Wave your lightsaber in front of him and he fled like a womp-rat."

"Not bad, kid." Jolee noted, earning a glare from Dustil. "Better scare someone than practice other tortures, like making them wear a Sith uniform."

"Don't mind the old man, he takes pleasure in this kind of thing." Revan said, ignoring Jolee´s expression.

Juhani smiled, "We also… acquired… this medallion," she showed the blue Sith medallion to Revan, "From one of the other Sith students. He seemed to think that Jedi are fun."

"He was insane." Dustil translated with a smirk.

"Well, I lost one medallion already, so this might be a half-decent substitute." She remembered the sadness rushing over her when she searched her neck for her medallion after waking up on the Hawk – it was gone, the last link to the past. It was a shame, but she didn't dwell on it­… or she tried to persuade herself not to dwell on it. Revan fastened the chain around her neck. The almost glowing medallion wasn't exactly worth a fortune, but it was quite pretty.

"So, you're going back to the cantina? Yuthura should still be there, if you hurry…"

"Dustil? Is that you?" Carth´s voice silenced everyone in the room. Revan helped Mission stand up. This was going to be a long, long day. Dustil whirled around at the sound of a clearly familiar voice. His eyes widened for a moment, with clear surprise. Evidently, he was caught a wee bit unprepared.

However, he quickly recovered. "Oh, lovely – it's Father." He sighed dramatically. "Figures you'd show up after all this time. Just why are you here? Not for me, I hope."

"Don't flatter yourself, kid." Revan noted coolly, "The contents of Naga Sadow´s tomb are the only thing of interest for me here."

"Stay out of this!" Carth yelled at her.

Revan´s eyes narrowed as she glared at him, with enough venom that the air in the room became heated and one of the plasteel contrabands actually caught fire. Jolee quickly rushed to it and conjured a slight Force Wave, strong enough to put out the fire. Mission caught Revan´s hand, unsure of actually what she was attempting to do – not only was Revan physically stronger than she was, she also had many tricks up her sleeve when she could use the Force. Revan glared at her, but was mildly surprised by the girl's bravery. She locked her mind from Jolee´s muttering as after she projected a few Wookiee swearwords to him for that stunt.

"C'mon, he didn't mean it like that, just… just don't do anything we would regret." Mission pleaded.

"Fine." Revan lowered the temperature through the Force, "But next time, Onasi, you'll find out what 'burn in hell' means."

"As entertaining as this little drama is, I've got to return to the Academy." Dustil noted dryly.

"Dustil… what? What are you talking about? I… I thought you were dead." Carth said.

"Too bad you didn't still think that. Or did you really think I would be happy to see you?" Dustil then spoke in a tone of mock happiness, "Look, everyone! It's Father, come to rescue me at long last! Sure, he may have left Mother and I to die on Telos, but that doesn't matter!"

"No, I didn't abandon you! The task force just arrived too late. Telos was in ruins and your mother… I held her while… But I looked for you. I swear I looked everywhere-"

"Ah, save it. You abandoned us long before. We were alone all during the wars, and even once you came back, you still didn't stay."

"I didn't have a choice! I was needed…"

"Yeah? Well you were needed at home, too." The yelling match continued for a minute or so, though without effect. Both were too stubborn to actually admit that the other had something right. And joining the Sith after they killed his mother – the boy was really messed up.

"You can't mean that!" Carth pleaded, "The Sith are... they're evil. They're the Dark Side. They... they took me away from you and your mother. They're... they're what took you from me!"

"No, they're not evil! They're not!" Dustil shouted. "The Dark Side is superior, and you... you were at war long before they came along!"

Jolee shook his head, "Kid… a Sith believes he commands the Force – but there's also the Dark Side that commands him."

"Old fool!" Dustil snapped, "The whole point of being a Sith is to be controlled by no one!"

"The Sith war to conquer, to rule the helpless. I went to war for YOU, Dustil. For your freedom, your future!" Carth pleaded.

"Heh. I... don't believe you." Dustil said, folding his arms.

"If I failed you, son, then it's... it's MY failure. Please don't add to it by becoming part of something evil." Carth all-but-begged.

Dustil rolled his eyes, "Prove it." he said harshly, "Prove that the Sith are so evil and I'll... I'll think about it."

Carth´s eyes actually traveled to Revan, though whether it was just a reflex or the intent, no one could be sure. But it annoyed the hell out of her. "Though I'm flattered that you think that I'm the embodiment of evil, Onasi, I have a Sith Academy to infiltrate."

"I never asked anything of you, but could you for once in your life do a selfless act of good, kid?" Jolee asked, sighing.

Revan sighed. "Canderous, remind me to kill those two the next time they ask something of me." Then she turned her attention to Dustil. "If you believe in the Sith Code, I suggest you give your father a chance. Revenge requires much strength… but forgiveness even more."

"What would you know about that?"

"My parents were killed during the Mandalorian invasion. But when I finally got that vengeance and killed Mandalore, I was able to let go of that anger. I've come to terms with it. Life goes on. And if you stand still, you might miss it."

"I don't believe you." He noted flatly, "You can't… you can't be…"

From one of the hidden pouches on her robes, Revan produced a black mask, framed by crimson. Blood. Narrow space for eyes.

She examined it carefully. "Perhaps this is a face you might recognize better?" she adjusted it to her face for a moment, pulling up the hood of her cloak. Except for Jolee, everyone in the room cringed. Dustil was gawping at her as if she dropped out of the sky. After recovering from the shock, he immediately knelt on his right knee in front of her, gazing at her boots.

"I apologize greatly for doubting you, my Lord." He quickly said, "I am your servant."

"Get up, Dustil." Carth snapped, dragging the boy up. A second later, he was slammed against the wall with a Force Push. Revan motioned to the boy that he could stand up.

"I trust you are satisfied with those theatrics?" Revan asked, annoyed. "I must go find Yuthura Ban. Mission, get HK-47 for me, will you? Dustil, for your sake, I suggest you don't go around shouting who I am. If you do, not only will people deem you insane - you'll end up with a lightsaber up your throat." The boy cringed. "Try to talk to your father a bit – he has been whining about the loss of you for the better part of the journey. Perhaps you'll even change his view of the Sith, who knows." She quickly took off the Sith mask, concealed it once again and gracefully strode out of the ship.

X X X

It took HK about thirty seconds to bolt out of the ship, "flamethrowers charged in case any meatbag annoys you, Master", as he noted proudly. Again, they entered the cantina and this time, Revan didn't waste any time and immediately approached the purple Twi´lek woman, who was still sipping her drink in the corner.

"Can you not see I'm busy, human?" The woman snapped at Revan once she approached the Twi´lek. Then, her eyes traveled to the medallion, "Ah, I see you have a medallion. How did you acquire it?"

"I took it from another student, actually." Revan noted nonchalantly.

The woman, who was obviously the well-known Yuthura Ban, nodded in approval, "I see… how very enterprising of you. Although that is not the normal way we accept students into the Academy. We Sith however, encourage such independent thinking. You may even be a suitable candidate for our Academy. That's why you're here, isn't it? Do you wish to become a Sith?"

"Of course I do."

Yuthura smirked. "Ah, so you're just another hopeful after all. Or are you?" a curious expression appeared on her face. "There's something odd about you that I cannot place."

Now why would you say that, I wonder? Revan heard Jolee say in her mind.

Not now, old man! She snapped back. Jolee chuckled, but retreated.

"Obviously, you were a Jedi." Yuthura noted, "One who's very strong in the Force. So were you a part of the Order, then? Did they train you for very long?"

"What difference does it make?"

The Sith shrugged, "Perhaps none. Perhaps all the difference in the world. Either way, you possess enough raw power to intrigue me greatly. With that kind of power, you could become a great Sith…if I let you. And I will, I think. I have one question, though. This droid belongs to you?"

"Oh, don't be troubled. It won't cause trouble."

"Statement: Just a simple droid here, ma´am. Nothing to see. Move along." HK noted innocently.

"I see. Fair enough, though it is your responsibility. Before we go, what is your name, human?

"Alexa Denali. Former Jedi Sentinel."

"Corrupted by the darkness you saw on your infiltration tasks, eh?" Yuthura smirked. "Excellent. Now, let us leave – the Master of the Academy awaits you."

X X X

It seemed that everything on Korriban was constructed to create an eerie atmosphere and remind the ones in the dark stone structures of the power that resided there. When the they reached one of the circular chambers of the Academy, Revan noticed a group of students surrounding a Sith master. She assumed that this man was the head of the Academy, because even Shardaan and Lashowe, who were among the students, seemed to respect him. The man's skin seemed gray and his forehead was covered by tattoos of dark side ornaments, just like Yuthura´s.

"Welcome, prospective students. It seems we have a late entry. Who do you bring before me, Yuthura? A young human, bristling with the Force?"

"A human that has had some training, it seems, Master Uthar. Very promising, if I do say so myself." Yuthura said proudly.

This wasn't much to the other student's liking – Revan would prove to be far more than a competition. "That I will judge for myself, thank you." Uthar coldly snapped. "So tell me, young human, what darkness was your mind polluted with? What do you know of the Sith?"

Enough to know that you aren't them. "I know that the Sith are powerful. A force to be reckoned with."

It was obviously a good start, since Uthar nodded. "A diplomatic answer, if not the core of the matter. We Sith are as the Force should be. Allow me to speak of the deeper matters at hand. The Jedi equate the light with goodness and strength and the dark with weakness and evil. That is their tradition and it is truly no surprise that they cling to it for comfort. We, however, do not treat the Force as a burden. We treat it as a gift, a thing to be celebrated." He was verbose, but at least he spoke the truth. "We use it to acquire power over others... and why should we not? Because the Jedi say we should not? We are as the Force is meant to be. The Jedi would hide that from you... they would tell you the dark side is too quick, too easy, all so that they need never challenge the passions that lie within them. Joining with us means realizing your true potential. It means not stifling yourself solely for the sake of hide-bound shamans and their antiquated notion of order. Be what you were meant to be." he turned to the female Sith brat Revan had met in Dreshdae, "What say you, Lashowe? Are you ready to learn the secrets of the dark side? Dare you?"

"I dare, Master Uthar! I am ready!" she said proudly.

"Brash and fiery, as expected. Turn that passion to your advantage, child. What of you, Mekel? Are you ready?" Uthar asked a boy.

"I am, Master. More than ready." he answered.

"I sense much anger within you, young one. That is good. That will provide you power. And Shaardan... what of you?" Uthar asked the Sith student tormenting the hopefuls in Dreshdae.

"I am always ready!" Shaardan said, bowing.

"I see. You had best gather your wits for the trial ahead, boy, or you will not last." Uthar warned. Then he turned to Revan, "And you, young human? Does this interest you? Are you ready to learn more of what I speak?"

"I am ready to learn more."

Uthar nodded in approval, "And so shall it be." Something like suspicion appeared on his face when he observed the coldness of Revan´s eyes. The other words were meant for all the students. "Now, then. All of you five recruits have shown a degree of facility with the Force... you all have the potential to become true Sith. Only one of you, however, will succeed. The one who succeeds will be admitted to the academy as a full Sith. All others must wait until next year and try again... if you survive." The implication was clear. "My pupil, Yuthura, shall be your teacher and master while you attempt to prove yourselves. Heed her words."

Yuthura Ban stepped forth, taking the word. "As Master Uthar said, none of you are true Sith YET." She voiced, "For that to occur, one of you must do enough of worth... gain enough prestige... to be selected. What is an act of worth? You must learn that for yourselves. Remember that you are competitors, here... fight for your destiny, or go home."

"If you wish to gain a lead over your competitors, the first of you to learn the Code of the Sith and tell me of it will be rewarded." Uthar noted, "The rest is for you to discover. Welcome to the Dark Side, my children... your one chance at true greatness lies here."

The prospective students bowed and were led to their new rooms.