Author's notes: I don't know what to write to you guys, so I'll stick with: DUN DUN DUN! Oh, and I hope the torture scene is believable.
kanemi – I'll consider making a male!Exile fic. How bout I make him fall in love with Revan? (at least platonically or the admiring-from-afar way) I can't decide between Handy and Visas romance, so that would be cool. And Atris would have a real good reason to speak of Revan with such contempt.
Ryumasa the Ryuhaitou – pillager Revan? (laughs) Yeah, the One sucks. And he's such an idiot!
Dark Lord Daishi – here's the update!
Phht – Oh, Mandies will be back, don't worry bout them! Yep, there was a Juhani romance, but it was extremely buggy. Only female characters got it. Just be super nice to Ju, then talk to her after the LS confrontation with Basty and she will confess love to you. You can reject her or accept her.
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Chapter 38 – Midnight
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It seemed that everything on the nameless world remained the same. The interior of the Temple of the ancients was still a bit dark, despite the sunrays emerging from the windows. Of the group of… Jedi? Not entirely. Sith? Certainly not. Force users would have to do, Yuthura reasoned, as she continued to think about it, since out of the four of them that were there, none of them had a purely Light aura, each with their own darkness.
Jolee had bitterness, wounds inflicted in the past that left scars that weren't easily healed. Juhani had her anger to keep in check – a battle that would go on forever and would never have a victor. She had her instincts, her loathing for all who thought were better than her simply because they were rich. And Revan… that was hard to guess. It was as if she hit an ice-wall on Hoth.
"We need to secure the building, otherwise they might trap us in here." Juhani noted after everyone got used to the shadowy tomb-like atmosphere.
Revan nodded. "These two paths," she motioned to the left and right, "meet at the other end of the Temple – it's built as a square, with entrances to the separate chambers. In the center of the opposing corridor, there's a path that leads down to the catacombs. You will recognize it – it's the only descending corridor. When we cleanse this level, we should go down there and check the status of the computer system. Then we return here and go through this door." She nodded at the massive door in front of them. "Straight to the disruptor field generator."
"Since both of you lasses are Guardians, I suggest we split up. Juhani, go with Revan, Yuthura and I will go the other way." Jolee suggested, to which the Cathar nodded.
The old man and the Twi´lek went to the left, Juhani and Revan to the right. A Dark Jedi suddenly emerged from a side door. Before he had a chance to react, Juhani leapt at him and killed him with a swing of her lightsaber.
The security systems of the Temple were immediately alarmed.
The Cathar dodged the metallic arm of an assault droid just in time. The large droid turned to attack her, but Revan used the Force to destroy it. The pair proceeded, encountering two sentinel guard droids on the way. Juhani quickly disposed of them, allowing Revan to concentrate on finding the right way to the catacombs. The Cathar covered her while she opened one of the doors, because she wanted to ensure that nobody would give them any trouble on the way out. Another Sith acolyte charged at them, but was stopped once Juhani threw her lightsaber at him.
The armory was nearby – Revan knew that they could find useful items there. She opened the door leading to another chamber. Two meditating figures suddenly stood up, disturbed.
"Who dares intrude on our meditations? You know the penalty for…" the female Dark Jedi gasped as Revan´s face came into view. "Revan! You are back!"
Revan recognized the two– they were from the Dantooine Academy, she remembered them. Cursed and blessed with unusual powers of recall, it was easy for her.
"Winna? Garn? What are you two doing here?" They seemed to wince when she called them their names, though Revan often did that.
"We have sworn allegiance to Darth Malak – he has lead the Sith to conquest and victory! Your time is over, Revan!" They seemed to regain their courage.
"Malak told us what happened to you – the Jedi Council stripped you of your power! You are a shell of what you once were!"
"You are not fit to rule the Sith anymore, Revan. Darth Malak will reward us greatly for destroying you!"
Revan raised her arm and sent a full blast of Force Lightning at them once the last word was said. This was not the way she wanted things to turn out, but there was obviously no other way. Things became even better when she entered the room that lead to the armory – a lone training Sith Master was waiting there.
"Revan! Lord Malak told us you still lived! At last, a challenge worthy of my skill – I grow so bored with slaughtering these mindless training droids. I intensified my training ten fold in the hopes of facing you in mortal combat. I am glad to see that my training has not been in vain!"
With a quick spin, Revan delivered the final blow approximately three seconds later and the defeated Sith dropped dead.
Juhani joined her as she entered the armory, finding several useful items there. Revan adjusted her lightsaber on the workbench. Combining the Heart of the Guardian, the legendary Solari crystal and the newfound Upari crystal that the dead Sith Master had in his lightsaber created a beam of amazing power and properties.
The entrance to the catacombs was on the other side of the Temple, once again blocked by several acolytes and sentry droids. Jolee and Yuthura emerged from the other side of the corridor, lightsabers ignited – Yuthura had already replaced the red Sith color of her lightsaber for a puce one that matched her skin.
When Revan opened the door leading to the catacombs, the darkness surrounding them seemed to grow. Several other droids attacked them, but were destroyed by Yuthura and Juhani. Jolee didn't bother with them and Revan paid no attention whatsoever to these battles.
The tile pattern remained the same, to her relief and the door in front of her opened, revealing an ancient looking terminal. When she approached it, the voice of the computer seemed quite happy.
"Welcome back, Revan. It was quite some time since you last accessed my database. I've begun to wonder whether you've been terminated."
"I almost was. But I'm hard to kill."
"An obvious conclusion, given your presence here.."
Revan was relieved that the computer remembered her. She asked it about genetic data of the Rakata (a little problem the researchers at the enclave had could be solved with it and it would be proof of good faith… if she would need it). Once she had all she needed, she thanked the computer mechanically and left the catacombs.
The group returned to the Temple entrance and the massive doors immediately unsealed themselves as Revan approached them. More assault droids attacked them and after that they proceeded to the Temple summit.
Light surrounded them quite suddenly. The white marble of the temple finally came into view in its full glory, it seemed to be everywhere. Then a wave of grayish metal appeared… and in its center, a dark figure.
The figure, seemingly petite, was dressed in all black, illuminated by a reddish light coming from the two blades emerging from the single hilt in its hand. The paleness of her skin was in deep contrast with the black, a ghost in appearance that was only a shadow of the prissy but chirpy girl.
Bastila.
All four came to a halt, their weapons still ignited as their lost companion walked towards them with contempt in her face.
"Revan – I knew you'd come for me. Malak thought you might be afraid to enter the Temple again, but he doesn't know you like I do. Not anymore. Not since you've changed."
"Quickly – Bastila! Come with us! We have to escape before Malak arrives!" Juhani exclaimed, clearly not understanding. Or not wanting to understand.
"Escape?" Bastila repeated, her tone mechanical, "You don't understand. I've sworn allegiance to Lord Malak and the Sith – I'm no longer a pawn of the Jedi Council."
"Did I not tell you it would come to this, Bastila?" Revan´s voice was completely calm, as if all was going exactly as she had foreseen.
"And you were right." The former Jedi said with a nod. "I resisted the truth at first. I endured the Sith tortures with the passionless serenity of a true Jedi, emptying my mind. But after a week of endless tortures, I finally saw the truth.
Malak forced me to acknowledge my anger and pain. He showed me the liberating freedom of these emotions. He showed me the liberating power of these emotions. Then he made me see how the Jedi Council has denied me what is mine by right! The Jedi Council gladly used my battle meditation in their wars, but they still treated me like a child, like an inferior!
They were jealous of my power…of what I could become! They wanted me to bow and call them Master and follow their code and obey their every command, but at the same time they were exposing my Battle Meditation for their own use! They have been holding me back because they knew that one day I would surpass them all!"
"It didn't take too long to convert you, did it?" Revan sneered, playing the safest card. A Sith´s ego.
"I am strong now!" Bastila roared, "With the power of the Star Forge, Malak will destroy the Republic. And I will be the apprentice at his side…after I prove my worth by killing you!"
"Then bow down to the Master, apprentice." Revan hissed.
It took a simple hand motion and the sun wasn't all that was illuminating the corridor anymore. Blinding white and electric blue light surrounded them – the Jedi and Yuthura had to turn away from the flashes. They turned away from the ear-piercing shrieks, also.
Bastila screamed like she never screamed in her life. This was no taste of the Dark Side, like Malak taunted her before. This was a full dose of it, a dose that would be more than enough for the rest of her life. In her mind, the whimpers of a little girl echoed. She was a child again, and her mother was hurting her. She was a Jedi again, and she was weak. All the pain of the galaxy was within her now.
Her knees betrayed her in a moment and the now useless lightsaber rolled away traitorously from her feeble grasp. It seemed to go on forever – she didn't even notice herself screaming. Every inch of her body was on fire. And her mind was screaming as well.
Then, suddenly, the torment stopped, only to show her the merciless fact that she was on her knees, on the ground, before the ones she came to destroy.
Angry tears came to her eyes, but she wiped them away. The pain was a lesson. It wasn't meant to kill… though it came close. She was weakened, but now she finally saw. Long ago, she was called an apprentice of the woman before her before she even considered that such a thing would happen. Perhaps now that she saw, she would be able to shape the galaxy as she wanted to… fighting alongside a power to be reckoned with.
If anything, she would try.
Lifting her face from the ground, she felt sweat pour down her cheeks as she looked into the two icy orbs that gazed at her, unmoved by the sight before them.
"M-Malak was wrong…- the Dark Side is not lost in you after all, R-Revan…" she moaned in pain, but sat up, glancing at where her saber was. Then she returned her eyes to Revan. "He was wrong…" he eyes began to shine. "Only now do I see how strong you are! You deserve to be the Dark Lord of the Sith – not Malak! Together we can kill him and take back what is yours! Join me and reclaim your destiny!"
"This was the only possible outcome." The emotionless voice echoed.
"Revan…" Yuthura warily began.
"Silence, Jedi pawn!" Bastila almost lunged herself at the Twi´lek, though she was weakened. "Your kind denied Revan what is hers by right! I will follow you, Master!" she bowed low again, her face almost touching the ground. "I wish to prove myself to the Sith!"
"Bastila, it is not too late for you to be saved. The Council can help you back to the light and a true understanding of the Force."
"You are beneath my contempt, Juhani!" Bastila violently lashed out. "When you felt the power of the Dark Side, you fled to a cave like some covering animal. You know nothing of the Force and its true potential! But you, Revan! The power of the Dark Side is yours to command! You've never left it and it never left you – you knew it would come to this! I see this now! The perfect charade to destroy all your enemies in a single glorious day!"
"Listen to me." Jolee said warily, "The Dark Side leads to death and destruction. I've seen the horrors the Sith have unleashed upon the galaxy! Turn away from this path!"
"Shut up, old man!" Bastila spat. "Your time is over! The age of the Jedi and the Republic is no more! This is the age of Darth Revan and the Sith!" she proudly stated.
"Don't do this, kid. I don't want to, but I'll fight you if I have to! Even if it costs me my life." Jolee´s hand moved to his lightsaber.
"It will, if you choose to do this, Jedi." Revan coldly hissed in reply. "Judge your chances."
"Bow down to Lord Revan and you may yet be spared!" Bastila sprang to her feet, calling the lightsaber back to her hand. Revan gracefully strode a few steps to the right, giving Bastila a clear view of her enemies.
"A true Jedi will never bow down to a Sith! If this is your decision, I have no choice but to do battle against you." Juhani vowed.
Only Yuthura was silent.
Though she was turned away, the lightsaber in Revan´s hand was ignited once more.
"Kill them! Rend their flesh! Show them the fate of all who dare stand against us! Call upon the power of the Dark Side!"
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AN: Aaaand cliffhangeeeeeeeeeeeer! Cut! Mwahahahahaha!