W/N - The great climax! We'll follow up with a little more filling in the gap between KOTOR I and II and a little beyond.
Paradise Reborn – Part IV
The Star Forge – Day Three - 0546 Z
Revan slid to the deck, battered by Malak's power and she looked upon the Dark Lord with horror in her eyes, unable to believe the heinousness in his soul. Her gray eyes glanced up at the mutilated form of the drained Jedi and anger surged through her being – it was a fury beyond any that she had known. But, for the moment, it was impotent.
All of Revan's life became focused into this moment – Her royal birth and spoiled upbringing, her education in culture and refinement, her being torn from her family and sacrifice to the Jedi Order, her training…love…rise to power…fall to darkness…and conquest.
With her skill and inhuman speed in the blade, few could stand before Revan's mastery of the most powerful forms of lightsaber combat, including Malak. However, the tables were now turned and the variables of war stood against the young woman – Malak's mighty armor, his learning of ancient Sith battle techniques that he learned from a mysterious Darth Traya, and the theft of the powerful soul of a Jedi.
Now Revan, the mightiest of Jedi of the time lay there, unable to believe that her entire life had come to this horrible moment.
Nearby, HK-47 sprinted by Malak's guard, firing his blaster rifle in tight, controlled bursts. The Dark Jedi slashed a particle beam into the ceiling, but HK took careful aim and the next bolt found the man's leg. The Sith grimaced but continued to bat away screeching bolts, but one more found his side and exploded, casting sparks over his black robes.
Sensing a weakness in his opponent, the assassin droid altered course and rushed at the Sith, rifle blazing, but the man leapt into the air as the bolts flashed by. The Dark Jedi landed with a powerful cut and clove through HK's blaster that was raised in defense. The droid immediately unleashed a torrent of flame that bathed the enemy in liquid petroleum.
The Sith ignited like a candle, screaming, but focused a swirl of ions around HK and the droid wobbled, his eyes blinking orange.
"Culinary: I'm going to shove those ions back down your throat," HK groused and a vibrodagger emerged from the back of his armored fist, to be plunged into the Dark Jedi's flaming chest.
Skin crackling from the inferno, the man continued to fight and he struck the droid in the leg with his lightsaber, shattering metal and severing servos and cables. Off balance, HK crashed to the ground, but pulled the Sith down on top of him, sparks and fire leaping up into the air.
A second wave of ions ripped into HK from the weakening enemy and the droid's body arched backward, gripped in the throes of electronic agony. The Dark Jedi then rolled off of HK and desperately tried to douse the raging fire. He stood, batting at his ashen robes and brought the Force in to end the blaze.
On the ground, HK twitched, soot and burnt flesh adhered to his metal frame. Jerkily, he turned his head at the Sith and his eyes blazed orange. "Helpful: Here, let me assist you with those nasty burns, meatbag!" he uttered with sincerity and unleashed a torrent of freezing chemicals at the man. Frost replaced fire as the Sith turned to ice, his voice howling in pain.
When HK was done, only the man's head remained unfrozen and the Dark Jedi focused his eyes on the droid, who drew a disruptor pistol. With a quivering hand, HK aimed at the Sith's midsection and fired, shattering the man's body into a thousand pieces.
With frozen bits showering him, HK lay back for a second to run a diagnostic. "Statement: Status…not good. Primary directive from the Master now completed; the meatbag's lapdog has been terminated."
Elsewhere in the battle
Willing her limbs to respond, Revan leapt out of the way just as a crimson shaft of energy carved the wall where her head had been. She cut at his back, using her old tricks, but the Dark Lord swung his blade behind him, intercepting the attack with godlike strength and speed.
Malak's vocabulator hummed with the satisfaction of the victorious. "I have learned even more since our last parting, Revan. Our benefactor on Korriban, Darth Traya, has taught me great things. You once told me that I will defeat you one day…that day is today."
He hurled orange lightning at her and she met his power with equal force, their arcing pillars of energy crashing together in the middle. The air was electrified and the smell of ozone permeated the space between them during the battle of wills. Perspiration dripped down Revan's face and stained her white robes as her Force powers neared exhaustion and the awareness of the wider world shrunk. However, Malak had been renewed by draining the Jedi and he unleashed the full fury of his might, unconcerned by fatigue.
Unable to sustain the surge of lightning any longer, Revan withdrew her hand and somersaulted out of the way as arcs of power struck the deck where she had been standing, blackening the floor.
With the Force buffering the impact, Revan landed meters away and Malak launched a wall of energy at her. The translucent wave rushed at her and she tried to raise a shield against it, but it struck her with a crushing noise, knocking her on her back.
The desperate young woman rolled away before the Dark Lord's new onslaught. The ruby lightsaber whirled and slashed the ground, trying to find Revan, throwing up sprinkles of light and molten metal upon impact.
With a shout, Revan kicked Malak's legs out from under him and he fell to the deck with a crash. The lithe Jedi launched herself atop him, cutting down with one weapon, but he seized her wrist in his gauntleted hand, stopping the blow. Undeterred, she straddled him, smashing his nose with her free hand, drawing blood and breaking cartilage, and Malak cried out.
Revan cocked her fist back again, but Malak flung her into the air with the Force. With the reflexes of an athlete, she landed softly on her feet, but shook her head to clear it. Malak stood, a gleam in his eyes.
"Revan, it has been a long time since we had touched each other with such tenderness. Do you not miss it?"
With a frustrated grunt, the woman rushed at him, thrusting her blades out at her tormentor in blue, hissing spikes. Malak swept her attack away with a wide circular parry and raked his weapon diagonally across her chest, casting sparks between them.
With an agonized scream, Revan staggered past him, parrying his next blow. Though her robes had taken the brunt of attack and saved her from disabling injury, she looked down to see the garment seared open and her flesh red and angry beneath.
"Don't be surprised, Revan," he said mockingly. "My minions searched far and wide for the most powerful cells and crystals to add to my lightsaber."
Revan's eyes widened in fear and then, Malak's real attack came.
HK-47
With a leg mangled from the violence of the battle, HK crawled across the floor, arm over arm, to find a vantage point from which he could help his master. HK padded along, his arms, clanking on the metal floor and he inched his way up the long ramp to the balcony of the second level.
"Statement: This is a most inconvenient manner of travel. However, I am patient and soon, I will be pumping that meatbag full of particle beams."
As HK arrived at the elevated walkway, he spun his head around to look for his master. His sophisticated targeting systems searched the various light spectra and found the two Jedi, running and leaping, their lightsabers glowing fiercely in the droid's vision.
"Targeting: It is too far for the flame thrower and I might hit the Master with the ice ray. The disruptor pistol should do nicely, but I must be careful."
The deadly assassin took careful aim, letting his targeting reticule settle over the Dark Lord as a computer calculated movement and trajectory. The Master began yelling something at him and he let out an electronic sigh, wishing she could make up her squishy mind. He switched targets and took careful aim.
Then, HK squeezed the trigger.
Coruscant – The Office of the Supreme Chancellor – Day Three – 0551 Z
Supreme Chancellor Dakar sat at the grand desk in his magnificent office. Black lamps illuminated the imposing chamber and the majestic gold statues that flanked the table. Next to the Supreme Chancellor sat General Phaleron in his dignified uniform along with military and civic leaders of the planet. He had given the speech, but he felt anything but leader-like. A large part of him wanted to crawl back to his planet and hide.
Phaleron leaned close to Orrin and whispered into his ear, "Chancellor Dakar, I know I don't have to tell you this, but you must project confidence. The people must know someone is unquestioningly in charge and will protect them."
The Chancellor nodded, stood, and bowed to the gathered crowd. He took a deep breath and steeled his guts against his trepidation. Then, the words just seemed to flow from his mouth. "Generals, senators, and councilmen and women, I thank you all for coming at my request. As you know, General Phaleron has, with the power vested in him as Commander, Republic Military Forces under martial law, appointed me interim Supreme Chancellor for the Republic. Until such time as the Senate can convene and vote in a permanent Chancellor, I ask for your support and obedience in this time of crisis."
"And when the crisis has passed?" asked a gray-haired senator.
"Then I shall once again be a humble servant of the Republic."
The gathered sentients nodded and murmured and an Aqualish stood and thumped his chest. "Supreme Chancellor Dakar, what are your orders?" he asked in his guttural voice.
United as one, the new leadership of the Republic applauded quietly until Orrin raised his hands, palms out. Beyond any of his hopes it seemed as though the assembly was finding a purpose.
"My friends, we must make haste to prepare the capitol for the Sith attack. General Phaleron has outlined a plan."
The burly general stood and lowered a viewscreen upon which the defense of the planet was revealed. The military officers nodded in approval and they broke up the gathering to execute their orders.
When the leaders had departed, the Supreme Chancellor withdrew to gaze again upon the frozen form of his daughter. He choked, a lump growing in his throat and he shook his head. "I cannot do this to you any longer, Aerin. I don't care about the Jedi Masters' plan…Revan already knows the truth." What point was there to this charade now?
With hesitant hands, he pressed the controls on the carbonite block and it slowly began to shimmer. In seconds, light penetrated around the form of his daughter and her body appeared underneath. As she fell out of the solid block, he took her in his arms and swept her hair from her eyes.
"Aerin…Aerin, can you hear me?"
Slowly, the young woman's eyes fluttered open and she raised her hand to shield them from the light.
"Father? Is it you?"
The Supreme Chancellor laughed for joy and he embraced his lost daughter tightly. "I…I thought I had lost you forever." Salty tears streamed down his cheeks.
Then, General Phaleron entered abruptly, a frown on his face. Orrin looked up at him and worry snuck into his heart. He wiped his eyes, still holding onto Aerin. "General, what is it?"
Suddenly, Phaleron's expression changed into a big smile and Orrin was confused. The big man paused a moment for effect. "Chancellor Dakar…the Sith fleet…it has turned away from Coruscant."
Supreme Chancellor Dakar sighed heavily, more tears filling his eyes. He wrapped his daughter up in another bear hug. Now, there might be a future for them after all. "Thank the Force. Now, it is all up to Admiral Dodonna and Master Vandar."
The General nodded, turning serious. "And Revan…."
The Star Forge – Day Three – 0559 Z
Revan spun to face her former lover, hot pain running from one shoulder to her opposite hip. Inhaling, she quickly resumed her Juyo stance, lightsaber points toward her opponent. Her fury was fading to be replace by something else.
The Dark Lord funneled power from the Universe again and the young Jedi's mind was overcome with terror. Her face twisted in fear as Malak charged at her. Red swirls of energy wrapped around his form and he seemed to grow in stature as a Force Fury swirled inside of him like a maelstrom. With a fierce war cry, he blitzed his former master, flourishing his crimson blade and a rain of blows cascaded down upon Revan and she retreated before his onslaught.
Revan raised her weapons in a high cross, blocking a powerful cut. With smoking lightsabers touching, the two combatants stood, locked in eye contact until Malak pressed her blades down with the awesome strength of the Force that he wielded, having infused himself with the life of a Jedi Master.
Her arms straining, Revan switched tactics and beat Malak's blade upward. His weapon went high and she raked him across the chest with both of her lightsabers, slicing his cortosis-woven, duranium armor and his body beneath.
With his seared chest exposed, the Dark Lord's face twisted in a rictus of pain, but he held his ground and flung metal deck plates at Revan with unseen hands of the Force, one piece glancing off of her temple, ripping her skin apart, despite her last second Force Shield. With the crushing impact, the raven-haired Jedi was knocked, head over heels, to the ground, her head ringing.
Through blurry vision, she fought to raise her head and looked up to see Malak swathed in blue light, drinking in the life force of another Jedi.
Revan arched her back and propelled herself back on her feet. Rubbing the side of her head, she let a smidgen of energy flow through her to ease the pain and stop the bleeding. When her vision cleared, she saw the Jedi Master, shrunken and blackened, and her hope and her resolve began to waver.
Revan's eyes widened in uncharacteristic fear as Malak advanced on her and she suddenly realized that she was under attack again. Revan brought her lightsabers up to intercept the Sith Lord's two handed, Soresu stroke and their weapons sizzled and popped in contact.
Instinctively, Revan shifted her weight to throw Malak off balance, but the Dark Lord countered and seized her by the collar – her best trick had failed. Using his weight advantage, Malak spun, letting the centrifugal force accelerate Revan into a cylinder.
The young woman slammed into the clear barrier, cracking its surface and she collapsed to the deck, blood streaming from her nostrils and mouth. Coughing and sputtering, Revan crawled away, but Malak's black boot found her belly, flipping her completely over.
The Jedi groaned, a weak, gurgling noise followed by spastic coughing.
"If it's any comfort, Bastila was broken much more easily than you were, Revan," Malak said with mock sincerity as he knelt down and grasped a fistful of her ebony locks. "After I had conditioned her, she begged to be my apprentice." The Dark Lord then pulled her face up to his, looking into her vacant, defeated eyes.
"Those gray eyes…those beautiful gray eyes always played the strings of my heart."
He patted her on a bruised cheek, trying to bring her around. Her eyes focused slowly, ever so slowly on an area behind Malak. The Dark Lord turned curiously around to see the cylinder, containing a live Jedi – if living was what anyone could call the pathetic being's state. Suddenly, a sense of horror and realization struck the Sith Master as a cobalt blue lightsaber flung itself, blade first through the clear container and into the heart of the Jedi.
Malak cried out in pain and reeled back; the connection that he had with his victims went both ways. He fought to recover and slashed the deck in front of him with his weapon, but Revan was gone.
Malak stood, bellowing, "I'll tear those eyes of yours out with my bare hands, Revan!" His own eyes searched in vain for the battered young woman, but all he could see was the broken cylinder, leaking fluid, the slain Jedi Master, and the empty hole where a lightsaber had been.
Then, in the far corner, he heard another cylinder shattering and Malak turned to see Revan thrusting her weapons into another Jedi. The Dark Lord cried out again and seemed to stoop with the loss of the Force that he was feeling. With a shout of rage, he leapt into the air and landed next to his foe and the melee began again.
Tears streaming down her bruised face, Revan retreated again before the Force Fury of the Dark Lord, who unleashed a flurry of cuts and thrust, his scarlet blade creating lethal arcs of light. Bits of glass and metal swirled around him like a hive of bees, intent on stinging her. In near panic, Revan turned her backside to Malak and ran, parrying desperately behind her. "HK, cover me!" she commanded, her voice wavering.
He chased her like a beaten dog, cutting away bolts that only slowed him, until they arrived at the cylinder containing another Jedi. Revan dodged under a cut and then parried another. She then spun, smashing Malak's face with a reverse kick.
The Sith Lord stepped back, stunned momentarily, and Revan turned to face HK.
"HK, shoot the Jedi!" she yelled and saw him take aim with his pistol.
Bolts lashed into the cold, watery prison and the clear cylinder burst apart like a watermelon amid sparks and flames. The soulless body of the Jedi spilled onto the floor with gallons of fluid and HK pumped the motionless form with disruptor beams.
Malak howled again and Revan stabbed herself in the leg with a life support pack. She grimaced in pain, but the healing chemicals surged into her bloodstream and she turned to her droid as her breathing eased.
"Thanks, HK. Keep targeting the cylinders."
She looked back to finish the Dark Lord, but he extended his palm at HK and red swirls of ions sliced into the droid through his duranium armor and it slumped over, eyes dark. Revan cut at Malak with her blue weapons, but he leapt backward to land at another cylinder and drain that Jedi of power.
The woman knew that she had to keep up the pressure and somersaulted at Malak, slashing by in mid air. With her fury returning, she continued with Juyo, initiating spinning cuts from all angles, her blue blades flashing and hissing. The swarm of objects was hers this time and now it was Malak, who was forced to back away, but his movements were careful and controlled.
Something ate at the young Jedi as she pushed forward, but rage drove her on, her cuts coming fast and furious at the Dark Lord. It seemed as if Malak's confidence was growing as he retreated, step by step, until Revan made a bold move.
Lunging forward, she stepped on his foot, to prevent further retreat and with a grunt, she began the closest of fights with the most fearsome of foes. Body to body, their lightsabers glowed and cut, their bodies dodging and weaving at knife fighting range. Malak attempted to step back to avoid a cut, but Revan held her foot firmly and her blade laced into his thigh, tearing the armor and flesh away.
Malak howled, his left leg wobbling, but a wave of his hand brought a ventilation shaft swinging down into Revan's back. The impact of the blow knocked her onto her hands and knees and her enemy drew his heavy boot back.
Malak's foot came forward and the young Jedi caught it with her hands and then spun the Sith about. Malak landed on his chest with a grunt, but kicked Revan in the side of the head as she rushed at him. The Jedi shrieked, holding her ear and scurried backward to create distance.
"Revan…brtzz…-ou have learned much as well. I never would have thought it would go this far."
The young woman was unable to move, pain coursing through her head. She pulled her hand from her ear and saw blood. With a grunt, she wiped it on her robes.
Malak stood and sighed, reigniting his scarlet weapon and it shot forth with a snarl. "And now, my lover, it is time to end this," he said sadly and lifted Revan off of the ground with the Force and hurled her into the air.
As she sailed across the room, Revan brought forth her dwindling energy and she changed directions to land before the seventh cylinder and looked up into the Jedi's vacant eyes.
She quickly stabbed herself again with a life support pack, healing her body, but not renewing her power. As her limbs were infused with energy, Revan turned back to see the Dark Lord, spinning through the air, a wall of power whirling before him.
With blinding speed, Revan turned and rammed the points of her lightsabers through the floating Jedi and Malak screamed, landing awkwardly near her. Seeing an opportunity, Revan withdrew her blades from the dead Jedi and cut at Malak's head. Using his mastery of defense, the Dark Lord, sidestepped and aimed his red blade at the woman's midsection, but she lowered the point of her off-hand weapon to parry. Malak changed angles as his weapon swept in and he sliced her short lightsaber in two. Metal and focusing crystals scattered on the ground and Revan barely brought her main weapon down in time to catch the attack.
As the blades hissed in contact, Malak blitzed again and body checked his former master. Revan staggered, losing balance and the Sith's armored hand seized her throat, digging his fingers into her neck. Revan grimaced as her windpipe was closed, but she craned her neck down and bit his arm.
Malak cried out in pain as blood seeped into Revan's mouth, but he slammed her in the face with the pommel of his weapon and she toppled backward, dazed. Disengaging, the Dark Lord limped toward the last cylinder, his lightsaber rocking back and forth oddly with each injured step.
The young Jedi fought to stand and, from 30 meters, Revan leapt at him, tackling him from the side and the two Jedi slammed into the ground. Revan seized Malak's head with both hands and rammed it back into the deck, splitting skin and bone. The Sith howled, but spun his arm around Revan's neck and pressed her carotid artery.
The young woman struggled while blood pooled in her neck, unable to find her brain. Her breath and her strength faded. Desperately, she rocked back and forth, trying dislodge his arm, but nothing worked and they were far too close for lightsaber use.
Revan, remember what you taught me about Exar Kun? Aerin's melodic voice sounded in her mind.
Revan's bloodshot eyes blinked. The once terror of the galaxy would alter the length of his lightsaber in battle to gain advantages in different situations. With her vision fading, Revan thumbed the controls to her lightsaber and the blade shrank to dagger length. Then, with a shout from the Jedi, blue energy tore into red duranium armor, vaporizing skin, flesh, and bone.
Malak's arm fell away from Revan's neck, hitting the floor and the Jedi smashed her foot into his head, knocking him off of her. With an agonized cry, the Dark Lord willed his lightsaber back to his good hand and he cut her thigh open through her sooty, white robes. White hot agony filled her mind and she tried to stagger away. As the young Jedi collapsed to one knee, Malak stepped toward the last cylinder to consume the last of the Jedi.
Gritting her teeth, Revan lengthened her lightsaber and sliced her enemy down the back, shearing off flesh and bits of red armor. Malak fell forward, but turned in time to catch the woman as she leapt on him.
The Dark Lord smote her on top of the head with his armored fist, but Revan kept her focus and clubbed Malak across the face with the cylinder of her lightsaber, knocking part of his metal jaw away. Sparks burst from the damaged jaw, revealing wires and raw flesh.
The Dark Lord winced and Revan pushed away, holding the top of her head, where blood poured down onto her face.
Malak's eyes widened in surprise as the wounded woman launched herself at him yet again. She couldn't let him get to that chamber or all would be lost. He lunged at the cylinder, but Revan seized him by the back of the collar and spun him away. He staggered on his injured leg and turned to face her as she stood between he and the Jedi that would feed him.
"Frotz…brtzz…you infuriating bitch!" he shouted through his damaged vocabulator. She could see the horrid wound that she had dealt him in the past underneath the broken metal mask – twisted skin and broken teeth over raw, weeping tissue. Fueled by his own rage, he came at her and launched a flurry of one-handed cuts with inhuman speed and precision. Malak's fury was always terrible to behold.
Revan deliberately parried each one away, backing up until the final moment. The young woman inhaled and the Force surged into her like water from a broken dam. Her awareness expanded to encompass the chamber…the level…the Star Forge…and finally, the system. Carth's worry, the soldiers locked in battle, down to the vermin and insects crawling upon the ground – all of these things came alive in Revan's mind and Malak seemed to slow before her. Even the fire in the star became known to her.
Darth Malak struck obliquely, his ruby lightsaber snarling and the young Jedi picked it up the cut in a tight circle. They began a seesaw battle, their blades pushing forward and back, never leaving contact.
As the Dark Lord pressed his weapon forward, Revan slid the hilt of her blade to the left and Malak compensated in the opposite direction. Revan's mind could feel every nerve impulse…every surge of chemicals in both of their bodies. With the Force surrounding them, drawing them together as lovers once more, Revan…the fallen Jedi…conquering admiral, knew the climax of their battle was over.
The Jedi disengaged, her lightsaber finding open space and Malak's eyes froze upon the blazing cerulean point. In the blink of an eye, Revan thrust the lightsaber deep into the Dark Lord of the Sith's chest, the blue spike shooting out his back.
A gurgling sound emanated from his throat and he tried to reach out toward the Jedi's neck with his one hand. Seeing this, Revan twisted the blade and slashed it out the side of Malak's chest. With a weak cry, the Sith collapsed to the deck. On instinct, she drew her right leg back and held her lightsaber to her right shoulder, point toward the heavens.
Malak flopped about in uncoordinated movements. "Im…Impossible. I had…frotz…the ultimate power of this station at my command," he said, rolling on the floor, holding the fatal wound.
"This station, as powerful as it is, was no match for the will of the Force, Malak," she replied serenely as her awareness returned to her physical body. Now, there was no hate, no fury…only sadness.
Coughing painfully, he nodded his head. "Now…at the end of things, I see that you are right. Before…before this is finished, I must know. Revan, why did you lead me down…down this path? What if our destinies were reversed and the Jedi had taken me instead?"
Overcome with pity and remorse, Revan closed her eyes and knelt down beside the dying Sith and took his hand. In her mind she saw only a strapping, blond young man, smiling with eyes full of love. "Eviran," she said, using his Jedi name, "I have no words for my regret at starting this apocalypse, but you chose to remain on this path. I only hope that each of use finds some peace and forgiveness."
Spasms wracked Malak's body and his eyes began to roll up. He struggled for life, but his power abandoned him. "I…I thought that we would bring light to the galaxy…but now…all is darkness." She watched the Force grow cold within him and the maelstrom that had been Malak was nothing more than a faint breeze.
As Malak rejoined the Force, Revan held his head to her bosom for a few moments, rocking back and forth until the Star Forge shook. A horrible empty feeling filled her heart and she wondered why she had ever gone down this path. What would have happened if indeed, it had been he that had been redeemed? Was it all worth it? How many millions had paid the price for her ambition? She cradled the Dark Lord for a moment more, clenching her jaw to keep from weeping. There were no more tears in her heart. She looked out of the grand window to see the Leviathan burning and the Republic fleet closing in for the kill, unleashing their weapons on the Star Forge.
Coming back to reality, Revan rushed to HK and found him still, his eyes dark. She used the last once of her power to infuse him with energy and his gears whirred back to life.
"Query: What has happened, Master?"
"HK, there is no time. We've got to get out of here," she declared, looking back sadly at the last Jedi. With a sweep of her hand, the cylinder imploded, killing the hapless sentient instantly. Revan levitated HK and they rushed to the blast door. She hit the control and the portal shot open, revealing Carth Onasi and Bastila Shan.
"Thank the Force-" Carth uttered and Revan melted into his arms, gripping him tightly. It seemed like an eternity since she had seen him. The rasp of the stubble on his face against her skin was like the softest rose petals to her now.
Jedi Shan inhaled deeply in melancholy for a moment, watching the embrace. After several seconds, she spoke, "Come, we must go now. The Star Forge will be destroyed soon."
The two nodded and together, they sprinted back to the landing bay where they rushed aboard the Hawk. There, on the engineering deck, Mission knelt beside Zaalbar, who was wrapped in bandages and life support packs, but alive. Nearby, Canderous and Juhani lay on stretchers, nursing wounds while HK sat down to have his leg repaired by T3. Jordo and Dak Vesser poked their heads out from the engine room.
"Engines are green! Go go go!" yelled Jordo.
Revan, Carth, and Bastila ran forward as debris rained down upon the ship with the imminent destruction of the Star Forge. They quickly powered the ion engines and flung the Hawk into space.
As the tough old vessel cleared the fiery landing bay, Carth accelerated to full speed, chased by gouts of plasma and burning metal that bounced off of the Hawk's shields. With a huge sigh of relief, the auburn-haired Jedi contacted the Republic fleet. She nodded several times before looking at her friends.
"Carth, Revan, we have won. Malak is dead and the Sith are in full retreat. Even their reinforcements and Coruscant invasion force are on the run. Master Vandar will meet us on the Rakatan planet," she announced. Revan could tell that Bastila was running on willpower alone. Her recent fall and redemption had sapped her of any energy. Revan too, felt nothing but numbness. The gale of the Force that she had been through to defeat Malak left her beyond exhausted.
Captain Onasi exhaled sharply, wiping the sweat from his brow. Despite the battle, he was all smiles. It was like a dream of his had come true. "Damn Aerin, why did you drink up all of the Taresian Ale? I could sure use one about now," he said playfully. He turned the Hawk about so that they could see the Star Forge disintegrating under the turbolaser fire of the Republic ships – it was a glorious sight.
Bastila quietly entered the coordinates for a planetary landing and then, Jolee entered the cockpit with a tray and several cups.
"Caffa anyone? It's the last of the Starstrucks blend from Manaan."
Revan looked up at him, incredulous. The galaxy had been on the brink of total Sith domination, which would have cast billions into a dark age the likes of which had not been seen since the Rakatan Empire and all Jolee could think of was caffa.
Revan laughed, but not the strained, bitter laugh of late. It was the wondrous, innocent laugh like the tinkle of bells.