Author's notes: Long chapter – I was actually surprised how long it ended up, but I wanted to get to the SF as soon as possible, so the Nameless World went by quickly.
Dalis'ilhea – yes, we should all pity Carth. I actually liked him more in KotOR II, I think. He seemed a bit more mature and determined. Overall, though, I like him
Phht - Yuthura/Juhani? (mental picture appears) Ewwww! I absolutely hated the Juhani romance. I thought it was... weird. Yep, mad galaxy. No, Revan still has her darker moments. "Kenobi"? Not bad, but that would be plain weird. Revan Kenobi. Naw…
Dark Lord Daishi – No, that just wouldn't work out. Thanks, read on.
Ryumasa the Ryuhaitou – yes, I´m having Revan repeat some of Kreia´s lines, though they are altered to her own beliefs most of the time. Kreia was a wonderful character, only bothered me in the end, because that grand scheme was a bit ridiculous. I have begun working on the KotOR II fic, but I can only post it after I finish this – spoilers for the ending in the first chapter, which is kind of a prologue. I don't start at Peragus there. Thanks and read on.
X X X
Chapter 37 – Dusk
X X X X
Screams were heard from a stone chamber in an ancient temple. It was evident that the woman was being tortured. Hidden from the eyes of anyone else and guarded by many security droids, the captive Jedi had no chance of escaping.
Her will remained strong, despite the endless tortures over the last week. She only prayed that Revan and the others manage to get here soon.
"You are strong, child. But I will break you!" a cold voice remarked.
He approached her again. She braced herself for the pain and looked away from him.
"I'll never fall to the Dark Side!" Her will was strong. Seconds later, she felt the familiar terrible pain all over her body again – Force lightning. "You think torture will turn me, Malak? You're a fool." She hissed.
"Torture?" he repeated, amused. He was perfectly calm, an ominous calm that the Jedi Masters so fondly used. How could he just watch her suffer like that! Had he no humanity, no heart at all! "No, dear Bastila. This is but a taste of the dark side to whet your appetite." She winced at the coolness of his hand that forced her to look back at him. He walked away a few steps, still in range of the lightning. "When you finally swear loyalty to me, it will be willingly."
"Never!"
He laughed in her face, which infuriated her. "Such resolve in your words, but I see the truth in your heart. The Dark Side calls to you, Bastila. You hunger to taste it. Become my apprentice, and all its power can be yours!"
Lightning emerged from his fingertips, penetrating her entire body. She was screaming, crying in pain… but the manacles wouldn't even move. She had to get out, out of her prison, out of her body, out of the universe… but she wasn't even granted the mercy of unconsciousness.
X X X
The screaming in her head was becoming distant. It was intense, at first, but then faded away. What disturbed her was that she couldn't tell who or what caused it to disappear. It wasn't her, since she had yet to find a way to cut off the bond completely.
For no other reason than to see the extent of the Sith fleet and make sure that they wouldn't fly straight into the disruptor field, Revan, now fully dressed in her own robes rather than the Dark Jedi attire she wore on Korriban, made her way to the cockpit. Carth was there alone – the others were in random parts of the ship, preparing themselves for what was going to happen.
"The Star Forge…I've never seen anything like it." Carth commented when he heard her enter. It seemed almost as if he couldn't tear his eyes from the marvelous technological disaster they were facing. Only Revan glanced at it with calm.
"Careful, Malak might have reset the disruptor field – it's the primary defense mechanism. Stay out of the station's orbital path until we can be sure."
Carth nodded and began accessing the comm. "I'm transmitting these coordinates to Admiral Dodonna. Maybe a quick strike by the Republic can cripple the Sith fleet." It took just the push of a few buttons. "Message is away. Now we just wait for the Republic to show up. We should be safe here – we're outside their sensor range."
But then a red light began beeping.
"We've got company!" Carth frowned, irritated, "Small vanguard of Sith fighters coming in hard!"
"Sentinel flights." Revan noted, spotting one of the fighters zooming past them.
"Someone needs to get on those gun turrets!"
Before Revan had a chance to do as he suggested, however, one of the shuttles exploded right in front of them. Obviously, someone got the idea that they were under attack and proceeded to the gun turrets. Sitting down in to copilot seat, Revan began working with the controls.
"What the hell are you doing!" Carth screamed at her when she flew the ship directly into the path of the firefight.
"Somebody has to save our skins." Revan snapped, avoiding the worst of the blasts with some very strange moves. "Disruptor fields don't do ships good, wise guy."
"We'll be dead if we don't avoid that gunfire – I have to fly us that way." The last fighter had been shot, but not before they flew straight into the disruptor field. By now, Revan was scowling, her arms folded, showing no surprise when the ship began to shake violently.
"We've got problems!" Carth reported, "We've flown in some kind of disruptor field. All my instruments are jammed. We've got massive overloads in all systems."
Revan rolled her eyes with an I-told-you expression. "Aim for the biggest island of the northern hemisphere, southwest coast, preferably on lower ground."
"Got it. I'll try and put us down there. Hold on –" even he braced himself with a worried glance at the controls. "This may be a rough landing."
"I'll help you." Closing her eyes, Revan attempted to steady them through the Force. But the ship had taken some damage and needed repairs… she was only able to do so much. And when they entered the atmosphere, the show really began.
X X X
"Whew! Talk about your rough landings, Carth!" Mission whined, dusting her attire after they landed, rather shakily. The crew had assembled in the main hold, each member standing in a different part of the room. By now, no one gave Revan´s robes fearful looks… mostly.
"What's the matter? You're flying like you've been on an all-night Tarisian ale drinking binge!"
"That disruptor field fried our stabilizers. We're lucky we made it down in one piece!" Carth said defensively, "But if I can't find new stabilizers for the ship, I won't even be able to get the Ebon Hawk airborne again."
"During our rather rapid descent, I've noticed the hulls of many crashed ships scattered across the landscape." Juhani noted, "Perhaps the parts you need can be found among their wreckage?"
"The Cathar´s right," Canderous said with a curt nod, "This planet is a technological graveyard. I've noticed many fallen ships around here. That disruptor field must have wiped them all out. But where could it be coming from?"
"There's a temple to the east. T3 should be able to pick it up." Revan nodded to the astromech, who beeped yes in response. "The generator of the field is in there. But we're going to need some help entering… there's a shield blocking the entrance and it would take hours to find a way to disable it. As far as I know, it can only be disabled from within, or using an ancient ritual that only the natives can perform."
"Natives? This planet looks abandoned!" Carth noted.
"It isn't, believe me. The natives are creatures that look like the hologram on Kashyyyk. Our main problem is that only I speak their language."
"Why is that a problem?"
Revan laughed. "Well, there is the tiny problem that the tribe of the Elders that holds the secrets of the ritual won't trust me again. You see, the first time I was here, I kind of implied that I want to destroy the Star Forge to earn their trust." Everyone was silent. "Then, there is another tribe on this island. I promised to bring them the secrets of the Elders and in exchange for that, they would help me enter the Temple. It's possible that they will believe that I have returned to fulfill that vow. But I would have to kill an entire tribe."
HK-47 seemed puzzled. "Query: Then why the long faces, Master? There are meatbags standing in your way! We will finally have some fun!"
Except for Revan´s faint grin, the assassin droid was very much ignored by the others. Juhani decided to speak of more important things than slaughter. "I only hope that we are not too late. Bastila had been Malak´s prisoner for a long time. If he can turn her to the Dark Side, she will join him and the Sith will be invincible."
"I fear Bastila will find the lure of the Dark Side difficult to resist. She is strong in the Force, but also headstrong and proud…as you are, Revan."
"Just what are you implying, old man?" was the hiss of a reply.
Jolee shrugged innocently.
Carth chose to interrupt them before things would get ugly. "Well, if Bastila is on the Star Forge like you think, Jolee, we have to shut down the disruptor field to get the Hawk flying again. We can probably find a wreckage of a downed ship on the way and salvage some stabilizers from it."
"I hope everything works out as smooth as you make it sound, Carth."
"Well so do I, Mission. So do I."
"We need a plan." Revan glanced at pretty much each person in the room, judging who would be most suitable for what task. "Mission, Zaalbar, Juhani – there should be salvageable parts around, you'll go look for the stabilizers we need. Take T3-M4 with you and make some use of his sensors while searching. HK, Yuthura – guard the ship, kill all that moves… except us, naturally. Carth, be ready for immediate take-off. Jolee, Canderous, your abilities will be best used with mine. Watch your backs and stay in touch. Time is limiting us. May the Force Be With all of You."
X X X
The nameless Rakatan world seemed peaceful and unaffected by the presence of the massive space station and the infinite Sith fleet orbiting it. Several figures emerged from a downed smuggling ship, known as the Ebon Hawk.
The situation was all too familiar to Revan when an alien emerged from behind a large rock, followed by several others. The aliens charged at them with a strange sounding war cry. Seeing that there would be no reasoning with them, two lightsabers, one purple and one green were suddenly flying through the air, effectively cutting the natives in half before they even realized what was going on.
When the last alien fell to the ground, two Duros emerged from behind a rock.
"You have done it! We thank you, human for slaying those murderous animals!"
Judging by the skin of the slain creatures, they were raiding partied from the tribe of the One, so Revan knew what they meant by murderous animals. "No problem. But how did you end up here?"
"Our mining vessel was passing by and we have flown in some kind of field that destroyed our equipment. We had to land here, but we fear that we will soon become a pray of the natives or the Mandalorians."
It took all three of the humans by surprise. "Mandalorians? Here?"
The Duros nodded. "Yes, and more than you think. They haven't become a meal for the natives just because they aren't as easy to kill as we are. But seeing as you have one with you, you must already know that."
"Great. More pathetic raiders like those Dantooine idiots." Canderous commented.
"Where are these Mandalorians?" Revan asked.
"They hang around a pillar near the large stone structure over to the east. We dare not approach it."
"You can stay on our ship, if you want. We can help." Jolee piped up, happily ignoring Revan´s murderous glare. The old man kept his sense of humor, even after all that had happened. But the Duros shook their heads.
"No, we dare not. It would be just as risky. Some of the others managed to get to the other islands, or so we hope, because we haven't heard from them."
"Maybe you should do the same." Revan suggested. It was both quite merciful and cruel – all depended on their luck.
"Yes, that would be for the best. We once again thank you, human. We only hope that if you find a way off this planet, you will tell the Republic that there are survivors here." And they ran to the beach, disappearing around the corner.
"Hmpf. Wonderful." Jolee remarked, "Maybe this is the right time for you to tell us something more about this planet, lass."
Revan shrugged. "There's not much to tell if you don't want to hear the complete history of the Rakata – that's what these aliens are called." She said, pointing at the corpses. "These are from the tribe of the One. The Black Rakata."
"So, these are the Builders Bastila talked about?"
"Yes and no. These are their descendants. After the collapse of their Empire, the Builders attempted to destroy the Star Maps, because each of them showed the Star Forge in the center. But the Maps are similar to the Star Forge itself – over the millennia, they were slowly repairing themselves, so it was possible to find this system using all of the Maps."
"This tribe seems fairly primitive – look at the weapons!" Mission and Zaalbar emerged from the Hawk, followed by Juhani and T3, who was beeping almost happily. The young scoundrel crouched and took one of the carved wooden staffs. "Staffs and some vibroblades, but most of them seemed salvaged. No blasters or nothing."
"The other tribe is much more advanced than this one. They even have droids, just like the one on Dantooine. What is it, Jolee?" Revan asked when she noticed that the elderly Jedi seemed surprised.
He looked around himself. "Strange. I can feel the Dark Side on this planet, most intensively from the Temple and then from above, from that space station. But these creatures seem…empty. They feel and think, appear to be Force blind."
"They became naturally immune to it about 15 000 years ago. That's the primary reason why we aren't their slaves right now."
"How do you know all this?" Mission asked, bewildered.
"I told you – I was already here once. Since they thought I could help them, they didn't refuse me the knowledge of their historians. Once we ally ourselves with one of the tribes, I can ask the loremaster to tell you some of their stories, if we have time – I'll translate it for you. There are more pressing matters at hand."
"Revan is right, kid." Canderous added. "The second welcoming committee has arrived!"
The others whirled around to see another party of aliens charging at them. Jolee stunned the first two, granting T3 a chance for target practice. Mission sneaked behind another alien, striking his back with the Kraat blood blade in her hand. Zaalbar finished him off when he shot him in the ribs with his bowcaster. Canderous fired a few shots at the alien that charged at him, but the injured attacker continued to run. Juhani saw it and leapt into the air, striking hard with her icy blue saber. The alien was literally cut in two.
Meanwhile, Revan was playing a bit with the leader of the party, allowing him to have hope, although she easily parried every single blow. She finally kicked him to the ground and the weapons were pried out of his hands by the Force. HK-47 was suddenly there and flames consumed the defeated Rakatan just as he was about to stand up. The droid obviously took his task very seriously and decided to patrol around the ship a bit while Yuthura´s light purple skin and the navy blue robes she now wore were visible from near the Hawk.
"Statement: Oh, Master! How wonderful to fight beside you again!"
Several Rakatans bolted from the left, unarmed, which was unusual. But it was easily understood as a gesture of negotiation. "Tell your servants to hide their weapons, Interloper. We come not for battle of blood. We bring you an invitation from the One – a great honor."
"Put away your weapons." Revan ordered the others without moving her gaze from the alien.
Mission was quite fascinated with the fact that Revan understood the aliens. It sounded as pure gibberish to her. A very complicated gibberish. "What kind of invitation?"
"You have slaughtered our raiding parties using strange weapons and magics. You have bathed in the blood of brave Rakatan warriors. Your skill and power has impressed the One, the great champion of the Rakata. He invites you to our enclave to meet you personally."
"I accept the One's invitation. Take me to him." Then to the others: "There's a Force user with each group, so we should be able to communicate easily."
Juhani nodded, "Understood. May the Force Be With You." And she, Mission, Zaalbar and T3 departed, heading the opposite direction.
The aliens made way for the newcomers. Following Revan, Jolee occasionally spared a glance at the remaining Rakatans, who were gazing at the group with surprise and admiration, sometimes gossiping in their strange language.
They entered the enclave and reached a large arena. A Rakatan stood in the center, waiting for them. He was paler than the others, holding a vibrosword in his hand.
I'd almost say that he didn't even move for the past three years. Revan would smile at the thought if the situation wasn't so serious. She stopped, facing the One. The others were a few steps behind her, watching the two figures. The One gazed at Revan´s face for a moment. It wasn't a battle of wills, only a sign of welcoming. The One nodded, as if in approval. It was indeed her.
"Revan. Somehow, I knew we would meet again. I knew you wouldn't forget the vow you swore to me. And when my scouts told me of a great warrior from the sky slaughtering our scouting parties, I knew that you have at last returned!" It almost seemed like a warm welcome to her. Was he actually thinking that the petty vow she swore to him was her only concern? Well, he probably was.
"Yes, I haven't forgotten the vow I swore to you. But I was called back to the distant worlds and had to leave immediately." Technically true. "Now I have brought allies. Does our allegiance yet hold? If I fulfill my vow and bring you the secrets of the Elders, will you help me enter the Temple?"
The One nodded without hesitation and assured her that he knew she wouldn't betray them. Her word was enough for him. Their allegiance holds. "When you left and went back to the stars, I knew you would return. And now you have returned to fulfill your promise – I have no reason not to trust you. I know you will bring us the secrets of the Elders."
Revan was relieved. If the Elders wouldn't trust her, she could slay them and bring their secrets to the One. And she knew he wouldn't betray her then. Only Force users can enter the Temple – was the way of the ritual. "Very well. I have all the information I need, so my servants and I will go and fulfill my part of the agreement. I will return with the book."
"I know you will, Revan." The One nodded. "Bring it to me."
With a nod, she made her way out of the Arena of the One. Before she had a chance to leave, one of the Rakatans stopped her.
"Are you the one that will bring us the secrets of the Elders?" he asked, "The one that wields their magic?"
"I wield the Force, yes."
"It is amazing to see the power of the elements join us in our battle against the Elders."
"I think you misunderstand what the Force is."
"I am sorry for not fully comprehending your amazing powers. Please, great one, enlighten me to the scope of the power you wield…this "Force"."
"The Force is a natural energy that flows through all the beings in the universe."
"All beings are connected? Through some sort of life force?"
"Life itself creates the Force."
"The power of life gives you the strength to create and destroy? Truly you are great in your power and wisdom! I cannot wait what havoc your power will bring to the Elders!"
Revan smiled a bit. It could bring havoc, yes. But she wished there would be another way to do things…hopefully avoid any kind of bloodshed. This time.
X X X
The enclave of the Elders came into view. It seemed as primitive as the other one, but Revan knew that it was far more advanced. The electrical defense system was silently humming when she reached the door. She stopped the others and took a few more steps - she didn't want them to get hurt of something would go wrong. A hologram of a miniature Rakatan appeared, gazing up at the Jedi.
"You are not Rakata. What is your business here, off-worlder?"
"I am Revan." She replied, her voice emotionless.
The alien recognized her face once she said that. Although he was safe in the enclave, he took a step back. "You…you are Revan! The Council wishes to speak with you. You may enter."
The door opened with a soft sound and the hologram disappeared in a rather hasty manner.
The Elder Council was standing there just as Revan remembered them – as if they haven't moved in the past three years, either. Their faces, strange looking as they were, were expressionless as they gazed at her. Cold, even. They obviously haven't forgotten or forgiven.
"We of the Elder Council did not expect you to return after all this time, Revan. We thought you have betrayed us. What brings you here once again?"
"Why do you ask when you already know the only possible answer?" her quiet voice echoed.
The Council members frowned, obviously shocked. "Is this some type of test, Revan? Some type of trick? Do you think we are fools? Do you think we do not remember how you lied to us? You claimed to be searching for a way to destroy the Star Forge and we were foolish enough to help you, unaware of your true nature! Then you betrayed us and unleashed the dark power of our ancestors on the entire galaxy."
She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She should have brought Carth along. He would make friends. "I have always wanted to destroy the Star Forge." She said, despite being sure that they wouldn't believe one word she said. "But when the time would be right. War will soon be upon us, we needed ships and supplies. The Star Forge offered that. Very soon, an invasion force will come and destroy everything. I couldn't let the galaxy fall. I swore to help it!"
"Yet first you had to help yourself." It was almost mocking.
One of the decorative vases nearby cracked into pieces immediately, causing a general shock in the area. Meanwhile, Revan was taking deep breaths to calm herself. What was going on? Did she really have to explain all of her plans to every damned creature she would meet!
"I… miscalculated." Her teeth were gritted – admitting failure, even coincidental failure, wasn't a virtue of hers. "I made mistakes and did some things that weren't the most… honorable… but I saw no other way. I want to make amends for that."
"You say you aren't who you once were, yet here on our world you repeat the same pattern you did last time. Like last time, you've crashed here. Like last time, you've come seeking our help. How have you changed, Revan?"
How could she answer such a question with one sentence? But if she couldn't persuade them to help, her, she would have to do things the hard way… "If you refuse to help me, Malak will never be stopped. He will conquer the galaxy and wipe you out just to destroy what you know of the Star Forge. Anarchy will sweep throughout the galaxy. I never wanted this to happen." She looked away for a moment. "I cannot prove what is within my heart. I only ask you to judge me by my actions."
To general astonishment, the Councilors seemed to nod ever so slightly in approval, almost smile, even. "We sense you mean the words you speak, Revan. But to say is easy – it is by actions that we must prove ourselves."
"What do you want me to do?" Looking back at them, she wiped the relief from her face quickly.
"The tribe of the One, about which you already know, has captured some of our scouts. They are held captive in the Arena of the One – you are to rescue them. It is risky, but you have a powerful command of the Force and now bring others with you." The Elder said, gazing for a moment at the others.
"I'll be back when I rescue that prisoner." She noted without hesitation.
"We will be waiting, Revan."
X X X
While returning to the Rakatan encampment even more quickly than they came, Canderous caught up with Revan´s swift footsteps quite easily.
"What was that about?"
"You remember when I said we may have to slaughter an entire tribe?"
"Yeah, sure."
"We're heading back to the North Beach. There are some prisoners in the arena that we have to rescue."
His only response was a nod.
Once again, the armed Rakata charged at them with the rancor monsters. This time, however, their language wasn't at all friendly.
"We have seen you, Interloper! You are a servant of the Elders! By order of the One, you must die!"
The rancor's roared and the Rakatas attempted to attack them. Two lightsabers flashed to life and Revan and Jolee moved to hold off the rancor monsters. Carefully avoiding a fist that smashed against the ground, Jolee rolled underneath the monster and stabbed it from behind, then cut off the limbs of the injured monster. Revan threw her saber at the monster's chest, slicing it in half while it raised its arms to attack.
The old man actually preformed the hardest stunt – he held his ground, avoiding all the blows it aimed at him and effectively cutting off the monster's limbs until it dropped dead. The two other rancors were about to attack them as well, but Canderous surprised them with a well-aimed thermal detonator. While the beasts were stunned, he fired a few precise shots directly at their eyeballs, blinding them.
Meanwhile, the two Force users went melee to fend off two of the Rakatas.
"The Black Rakata shall never fall to you!" Was the One's cry of battle when they reached him, only minutes, but many Rakatan corpses later.
Running to a nearby lever, he opened the cages and unleashed more rancors upon the intruders. Revan raised her hand and her enemies covered in fear as insanity clouded their minds. Some of the rancor's even started attacking each other. Only the One himself seemed to have the will to resist the threats to the mind. Drawing two vibroswords, he charged at Revan, who parried the powerful blow with her lightsaber.
She pushed the swords away and used his confusion to kick him away. As he attempted to attack her again, she used the Force to poison him. Revan seized the opportunity and beheaded him with a swift move of her weapon. The dead corpse fell to the ground, joining the others that were already killed by her companions. The single surviving rancor roared and charged at her, but she jumped into the air, climbing the beast carefully avoiding the claws and with a back flip practically cut the beast in half.
When her feet touched the ground, she quickly struck a defensive position. There was nobody else left to battle, however. Jolee had already holstered his saber and was muttering something about rancor blood on his robes, while Canderous wiped his vibroblades into the One's clothes. Revan ran to the single alien that had some life within him, freeing him.
"You…you have saved me from the brutes and their savaging monsters."
"I was sent by the Council to save you."
"Thank you…I will try to…" but the injuries were severe. Jolee rushed in and healed the Elder with his Force powers. Helping him stand up, he put his arm around his neck, supporting the alien while walking back to the Elder enclave. They encountered no resistance on their way there and the entrance was already opened for them.
"Revan, you are back." The councilor said and immediately summoned some Elders to take care of the injured prisoner. "You have saved our scout. We thank you for that. His injuries appear to be severe, but we believe he will survive."
"So will you help me now?" Revan asked quietly.
The council members glanced at each other for a moment, unsure what to say. "Rescuing a prisoner from the Enclave of the One has proven you have changed significantly since you were here last time, Revan. But you have deceived us before. We must have more privacy for this. We will summon you once we have finished our deliberations. In the meantime, you should probably go talk to Orsaa. He will no doubt want to hear of your exploits." With that, the three Elders slowly disappeared in the corridors of the Enclave.
"What did they say, Revan?" Jolee asked.
"They say that I've changed significantly, but they aren't sure whether to trust me or not." Her face was expressionless. Helping the Elders was the right thing to do, but should they refuse to help her…the only way to enter the Temple would be to convince them to cooperate. That would be the time for some serious Force powers to step into the discussion. Fortunately, nothing of the sort occurred. She even had a pleasant discussion with Keeper Orsaa, the resident loremaster. He seemed thrilled that she had returned and adamantly refused to believe the tales of her corruption. Thus, it was a nice end to a successful mission, at least, before the Elder Council summoned her once again and informed her that she had to go alone this time.
X X X
Once she reached the Temple, she sent the others back to the Ebon Hawk. The Elders began their ritual when she approached them, just as they did last time. Revan looked around for a moment – the ritual would take many hours. She remembered the long waiting the last time she was here. If only there was something she could read or study…
Suddenly, the Elders arose from their positions. "Wait…someone is coming!"
Revan turned around to see Jolee, Juhani and surprisingly Yuthura, who seemed to have joined the Jedi not only for whatever they were trying to do now, quickly making their way towards her.
"Wait! You can't go in there alone!" Jolee half-shouted to stop her from walking off.
"What are you doing here?" Revan demanded.
"We have had a…a premonition." Juhani explained, "The Force has given us a vision. There is great danger within the Temple. We cannot let you face it alone!"
"You might be walking into a trap. Maybe Malak himself is waiting inside the Temple. Even if he isn't, that Temple will be crawling with Dark Jedi. You'll need all the help you can get."
Jolee was as determined as ever.
The Elders were unaffected by this. "You must enter the Temple alone. That is the way of the ancient ritual."
"Jolee – you can't come! The Rakata won't allow it. I must enter it alone. They won't change the ritual."
"Your destiny, maybe the fate of the entire galaxy, could be forever changed inside that Temple. I´m not about to let you face that alone. Not after my premonition. There's a reason I had that vision.
"He speaks for all of us." Yuthura noted, finally speaking up. "You must enter the Temple… but we must go with you, if only to watch your back."
"So you just tell that guide of yours to do whatever he has to do to get us all inside that Temple!" He wasn't asking her to do this – he was commanding her to do it.
Revan closed her eyes and frowned. This would get ugly. "I´m not going in alone after all. Lowed the shields." But they wouldn't listen to her.
"No! I will not lower the shields while there are others with you! You must enter alone."
"I don't know what he said, but it looks like your guide's being stubborn. We don't have time for this! The Republic fleet is on its way and we're stuck on this planet until we disable that disruptor field!"
Revan quickly thought what reason would be good enough to let all of them enter the Temple. The realization hit her – it was the same reason as before. "I cannot destroy the Star Forge alone. They must come with me into the Temple."
Whether it was the truth behind these words, the will of the Force or Revan´s charisma, no one could tell. But the Elder seemed to crack under the pressure. "I…I believe you. The Council said that you will destroy the legacy of our ancestors. If you need help inside the Temple, I won't stand in your way. I will continue the ritual."
Revan nodded to the others and the Rakatans took their positions once more. Only Jolee still seemed a bit frustrated. "Why do I get the feeling this is gonna take a while? Anyway, we have to be ready!"
The ritual was resumed and the Jedi were anxiously waiting for the shield to disappear. Only Revan knew what was waiting for them behind it.
Several hours later, after endless chanting in the strange Rakatan language, beams of energy emerged from each of the worshippers. They hit and created a single beam that shot in the direction of the Temple entrance. The energy shield let out several humming sounds, until it was deactivated with a loud crash. Seeing the doors open, the four Force users sprinted to the Temple and entered the ancient stone structure.
Seconds later, the shield flickered back to life.