"We have all the maps now," Brinna announced to the others, as soon as she, Carth, and Jolee stepped back onto the ship. She could see Mission smile and Canderous raise his eyebrows at the sight of her hand engulfed in Carth's but she paid them little heed. "I just need to get the coordinates into the navicomputer and then…"
"And then you can head to your bunk and get some rest," Jolee interrupted her.
She opened her mouth to protest but Juhani spoke before she could get a word out. "Jolee is right. You must rest for you will need to have all of your faculties about you if you are the rescue Bastila and confront Malak."
"I suppose you're right," Brinna admitted. She glanced at Carth and could see he looked every bit as reluctant as she felt.
"Let's go get those coordinates entered," he said softly and she knew he was hoping for another private word with her.
They turned and left the common room, hands still linked. Their companions remained behind and Brinna felt a flash of gratitude toward them. There was so little time remaining and she was anxious to steal every moment with Carth she possibly could.
Brinna quickly entered the coordinates and then Carth pulled her back into his arms. She rested her cheek against his chest and felt him lean his own cheek against her hair. Unbidden tears rose to her eyes and, for a moment, she wanted to rage at how unfair it was that they had both finally found a reason to live, just when there was every chance that they might have little life left.
"I'm afraid for you," Carth said, breaking the silence.
"Do you think I'm not afraid for you?" she asked, pulling back slightly so that she could look up at him.
"Yes, but it's not the same," he said, caressing her cheek with the back of his hand. "There will be so much temptation for you and Malak will stop at nothing to see you dead. What if…what if I…"
She shook her head and placed her hand over his. "Don't, Carth. Don't do that to yourself. I think we both know that it's a distinct possibility that we won't make it out of this alive and I won't have you tormenting yourself with thoughts like that. You've done everything in your power to protect me up to this point and I know you'll continue to do so. I hope you know that I will do everything I can to protect you as well."
"I know," he told her, lowering his forehead to hers.
Brinna closed her eyes and allowed herself to bask in his presence for a moment. He made her feel peaceful, as always, but there was a great deal of turmoil beneath the peace for she was only too aware of all she stood to lose if she wasn't successful. And though she was committed to following the path of the light, there was still a sense of dread in the pit of her stomach, still the fear that maybe she wasn't strong enough, that perhaps she would fall once again.
"We have to go," he told her and she could hear in his voice the same regret she felt that they did not have more time together.
Standing on her tiptoes, Brinna took Carth's face in her hands and drew it down to hers. She could scarcely breathe as the distance between them closed and his lips met hers once more. Their kiss was lingering and tender but still far too short. She couldn't get enough of the feeling of his body close to hers, couldn't get enough of the scent of his skin. Brinna wanted to kiss him forever and ever, to lose herself in the warmth of his brown eyes, to grow old with him, and she was not content to settle for merely hoping that perhaps they would be able to do all those things and more; she wanted assurances she knew she couldn't have.
When they parted, they stood for one more brief moment with their arms wrapped around one another before Carth took her hands in his and squeezed them. He let the left one go but kept hold of the right, walking her to the women's bunks. Brushing her cheek with his lips, he gave her hand one last squeeze and then turned and left.
"Juhani took first shift with Canderous," Mission informed her as she entered. She threw her arms around Brinna and embraced her fiercely. "I'm so happy for you and Carth."
"Thanks, Mission," Brinna said.
"We have a lot to talk about but, right now, I want you to try to get some rest."
"I will," Brinna said, though, in truth, she didn't see how she could possibly rest. She surprised herself, however, for she slept soundly for hours and didn't stir until Juhani came in and woke her.
"We are approaching the Star Forge. Carth is waiting for you," Juhani told her.
Instantly awake, Brinna jumped out of her bunk and frantically pulled her Jedi robes on before tearing out of the bunkroom and into the cockpit. The sight that met her eyes stopped her in her tracks and she gripped the back of the pilot's seat for support as her knees turned to water.
"The Star Forge…it's huge. I've never seen anything like it before," Carth said, his voice full of grim awe.
Huge was something of an understatement. The structure before them was monstrously massive, so large that Brinna felt a wave of hopelessness that nearly overcame her. How could they possibly hope to destroy it? She felt sick at heart as she watched the Star Forge siphon power from the star over which it was positioned. So this was what Revan and Malak had sought, what they had used to build their Sith fleet.
I did this, a voice in her head screamed. I found this thing and I used it and now the galaxy is suffering because of it.
"I'm transmitting these co-ordinates to Admiral Dodonna," Carth said, his voice breaking into her anguished thoughts. "Maybe a quick strike by the Republic can cripple the Sith fleet."
He was silent for a moment as his fingers worked and Brinna continued to stare at the Star Forge. She could feel its malevolence and it was so strong that she felt certain it would swallow the galaxy whole.
"Message is away. Now we can just wait for the Republic to show up. We should be safe here—we're outside their sensor range."
Almost as soon as the words left his mouth, the Hawk was rocked by a sudden impact and Brinna's sense of dread increased.
"We've got company…a small vanguard of Sith fighters, coming in hard!" Carth told her. "Someone needs to get on those gun turrets! Take those fighters out before they report our position to the main fleet!"
Brinna turned and fled to the turrets, her body feeling tingly with the fear that they had come this far for nothing. She was nearly in a panic as she jammed the headset over her ears and seized the controls but she took a deep breath and reached out to the Force, willing herself to calm down and to concentrate on the task before her. The Force flowed within her but it was difficult to maintain a hold on the light side, there was so much dark side interference due to the presence of the Star Forge. Gritting her teeth, Brinna maintained her hold and used the Force to guide her movements, taking out the fighters as quickly as she could. She felt a flood of numbing relief as soon as they were gone but then the ship shimmied once more. Her headset crackled to life and Carth's voice came on the line.
"We've got problems," he said, his voice thin with tension. "We've flown into some kind of disruptor field. All my instruments are jammed…we've got massive overloads on all systems! I'm picking up a single planet in this system. I'm gonna try and put us down there. Hold on – this might be a rough landing."
Brinna closed her eyes and braced herself for impact. The Ebon Hawk hurtled through space and the force of it knocked her back and pressed on her body, bringing a grimace to her face that she could not control. There was a violent lurch as they hurtled into the planet's atmosphere and the ship's warning sirens were shrill in her ears as they screamed toward the surface. She bit down hard to prevent herself from emitting a cry of dismay as the scenery of the planet's surface raced by her screen in a blur. The ship landed with a bone-jarring thud that caused Brinna to smack her head painfully against the back of her seat. Tearing the headset off with one hand and rubbing her sore skull with her other, she hurried out of the gun turret and into the common room, where everyone else was gathering.
"Whew! Talk about your rough landings, Carth!" Mission said and Brinna gaped at her casually baiting tone. "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 flatly. "But if we can't find the salvage to make repairs I won't even be able to get the Ebon Hawk airborne again!"
More good news, Brinna thought. She tugged at her hair in frustration and winced as it pulled against the sore spot at the back of her head.
Juhani added, in a dry voice, "During our rather rapid descent I noticed the hulls of many crashed ships scattered across the landscape. Perhaps the parts you need can be found among their wreckage."
"The Cathar's right: this planet's a technological graveyard," Canderous added. "I saw dozens of downed ships out there. That disruptor field must have wiped them all out. But where could it be coming from?"
"Even if we get the stabilizers fixed, we'll have to find and disable the source of that disruptor field before we can take off. Otherwise we'll just end up crashing again," Carth informed them.
"That disruptor field could wipe out the entire Republic fleet!" Brinna interjected, abandoning her ministrations to her head.
"You're right!" Carth said in dismay. "That Sith fleet we saw must have some type of protection against the disruptor field. We have to find a way to disable it or the Republic will be slaughtered!"
Mission moved over to one of the computer panels as T3 began beeping madly. Catching the gist of what he was trying to communicate, Brinna moved over there as well, and peered over Mission's shoulder.
"T3's picking up massive power fluctuations on the ship's sensors," Mission explained to their companions. "They seem to be coming from some type of large stone structure to the east…it looks like some kind of ancient temple."
"Let's go check it out," Brinna said, eager to be doing something.
"Good idea," Carth agreed. "If that temple's generating power it probably has something to do with that disruptor field."
"Hey, don't forget about Bastila, guys!" Mission protested. "We still have to rescue her, too."
"We haven't forgotten about her. But we can't do her much good stuck down here. We have to help ourselves before we can help her," Carth said.
"I only hope we're not too late," Juhani interjected. "Bastila has 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."
"Bastila would never turn to the dark side!" Brinna said in disbelief. It truly was unfathomable to her. Bastila, turn to the dark side? How could that be possible for the Jedi who had refused to join Revan and Malak three years ago, who had faced Revan and used her Force abilities to preserve Revan's body? How could Bastila have possibly managed to endure all this time with her greatest enemy, adhering to the will of the Council and doing her best to pretend as though Brinna was merely some Republic scout and not the embodiment of everything Bastila despised, only to fall to the dark side?
"I fear Bastila will find the lure of the dark side difficult to resist," Jolee said gravely. "She is strong in the Force, but she is also impulsive, willful and proud—as you once were, Revan."
Annoyed, Brinna snapped at him, "Don't call me that. I'm not Revan anymore."
"I am glad to hear you say that. Now that you know your true identity I was afraid you might slip back over to the dark side. If Bastila feels as you do there may yet be hope for her," Jolee said.
Carth spoke up, "Well, if Bastila is on the Star Forge like you think, Jolee, then we can't rescue her until we disable that disruptor field. The sooner we investigate that temple to the east the better. We can probably find the wreckage of a downed ship along the way. If we're lucky we can salvage some stabilizers from it to get off this planet."
"I hope everything works out as smooth as you make it sound, Carth," Mission said.
"So do I, Mission. So do I."
Brinna quickly organized them into groups. She, Carth, and Canderous would head off to the east to check out the temple while Jolee, Juhani, and T3-M4 formed one team to search for parts and Mission, Zaalbar, and HK47 formed a second. Once they stepped off the ship, the groups looking for parts headed in opposite directions along the shoreline while Brinna and her companions moved away from the water and toward the temple.
Almost immediately, they were attacked by strange alien creatures. The fight was intensely savage and, as Brinna and her companions stood panting in the aftermath, they were approached by a couple of Duros, who thanked them and informed them that the creatures were the island's natives.
"They attack any they come across. They are barbaric savages who feast upon the bodies of the dead!" one of the Duros told them.
Doing her best to fight the violent shudder of revulsion that these words provoked, Brinna questioned them about other life forms on the island and was shocked when the Duros described attacks by Mandalorians. She asked them if they would like to take shelter on the Ebon Hawk. Her offer was turned down and the Duros explained that they would instead swim to one of the other islands and attempt to rejoin their fellows.
"Mandalorians on this world? And they hunt the defenseless for sport?" Canderous asked, sounding disgusted. "Why not attack these native creatures? At least they would prove worthy opponents."
"Well, it certainly seems that we'd best be on our guard," Brinna sighed.
"Bloodthirsty local savages living on an island also inhabited by Mandalorians," Carth said, taking a look around. "This is clearly paradise."
"This island…" Brinna began, her voice faltering a bit. "It's so beautiful and yet it's so…"
"Evil?" Canderous offered. "It doesn't take a Jedi to sense the malice of this place."
Carth looked concerned. "Are you okay? Should we get Jolee or Juhani?"
Brinna shook her head. "I'll be okay. This island won't be any easier for them to take either. Come on, let's head toward that temple."
It didn't take long before they ran into another, larger group of the planet's natives. Brinna had to suppress another shudder at the memory of what the Duros had told her and she did her best to ignore her wild imaginings about the creatures feasting on her own dead flesh. Though the creatures fought like little more than mindless savages, Brinna could make out some of what they were communicating to one another and it made her break out into a cold sweat.
"Are you all right?" Carth asked, after she had healed all of them.
"I think…I think maybe Revan was here once. I can understand what those creatures are saying to one another," she admitted.
"Do you remember anything about this place?" Canderous asked.
"No, I don't. It's just that I can understand this language, although I have no recollection of ever seeing life forms like this before," she told them.
"Let's keep moving," Canderous suggested. "We're not too far from that temple."
As they rounded the last bend before the temple, Brinna was surprised by Carth grabbing her arm firmly and hauling her back.
"What is it?" she asked.
"Rancor—and lots of them," he told her grimly.
"Rancor? What are rancor doing here?"
"Probably the same things that Mandalorians and Duros are doing here," Canderous said.
"I don't suppose there's any chance of getting them to chew on grenades this time around," Brinna sighed. At Canderous's look of curious interest, she held up a hand. "Long story. We'll fill you in another time."
"We'll have to face them head on then," Canderous said.
"I may be able to stun them with the Force. Even if that is the case, though, we should do our best to isolate them. I don't really fancy taking on more than one of those things at a time."
"Let's do it," Canderous said, crouching and making his way slowly around the trees that were screening them.
It was slow going but the three managed to draw each rancor away from its fellows and fight it on its own. The rancor proved to be fairly resistant to the Force and so Brinna was obligated to use her abilities to heal her party just as frequently as she was able to use them to stun their foes. When it was finally over, she gently pried Carth's hand away from his side and saw him wince.
"That one got you good," she said, trying to control the shaking of her voice as she examined the gashes.
"At least you managed to keep all your organs," Canderous said.
"Don't sound so disappointed," Carth retorted, causing Canderous to smile.
Brinna's hands were trembling as she laid them against Carth's side and used the Force to heal his wounds. His body relaxed as the healing took effect and she felt weak with relief as the bleeding slowed and then stopped.
"Don't tell me you two are actually getting along somewhat," she said, finding her voice once again.
"Barely tolerating each other's presence is more like it," Carth told her.
"It's still an improvement," she said, flippantly. She moved over to Canderous and was glad to see that his wounds were much less serious than Carth's and that his implant was already taking care of them.
Now that her attention was no longer occupied with worries about rancor, she was able to really look at the temple before them. Its stones seemed to pulse with an evil life of its own and the thought of entering it made the fine hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. What other choice did they have, though? She was becoming more certain than ever that the temple must contain the power source that controlled the disruptor field. Given this, it didn't exactly surprise her to find that the entrance to the temple was sealed with some sort of force field through which she had no hope of breaking.
"Now what?" Canderous asked.
"Now we hope that maybe we can find someone to help us," she responded.
"Sounds likely to me," he said sarcastically.
"About as likely as an assassin droid, a former Sith lord, a Republic soldier, a Twi'lek teen, an astromech droid, a Mandalorian, a Wookie, and several Jedi traveling together?"
"Good point. Let's get moving."
"There's a path over there," Carth said, pointing. "We should see where it leads."
They made their way toward the path but before they'd moved very far, the world was filled with blinding light. Stunned, Brinna stood blinking and when she finally tried to move, she found her feet were stuck to the ground. Realizing what had happened, she glanced wildly around her just in time to see that they were completely surrounded by Mandalorians who had concealed their presence with the use of cloaking devices like those the Mandalorians on Kashyyyk had employed.
Reaching out to the Force, Brinna tried to put them in stasis but with incomplete success. Her ears ringing from the percussion of several more grenades and her feet stuck to the ground, she was little more than a sitting duck. Spots danced in front of her eyes but she was able to see that Canderous had some mobility and that Carth was stuck close enough to one of the Mandalorians to be able to strike at him. Deflecting the Mandalorian blaster bolts with her lightsabres, Brinna focused her attention on her companions, using the Force to heal them and biding her time until the effects of the adhesive grenade wore off and she would once again be able to move.
Crouching low, Brinna Force jumped over to one of her foes as soon as she was able. She was dimly aware that she was wounded but she was too focused on the fight to feel much pain. However, she did make sure to periodically use the Force to heal herself and her companions, as well as to put the Mandalorians in stasis. It was a long battle and when it was finally over, Brinna's Force abilities were nearly exhausted.
"Are you okay?" she asked Carth and Canderous.
"Yes," Carth told her as he wiped away a dribble of blood from the side of his face, where he had a small cut.
"This had better be the last of this lot," Canderous said coldly as he gave a rather vicious kick to one of the bodies. "If I find any more of them, I'll make them wish they'd never been born."
Carth handed her a canteen and she sat down on the grass before taking a greedy sip. "Give me just a minute. I need to rest. I can't afford to be exhausted before we follow that path."
He nodded and then gently used a medpac on her. The rush of healing relief she felt suddenly brought to her attention the injuries she'd sustained and she placed a grateful hand over his. She rested quietly for a few moments and when she opened her eyes again, Carth held a hand out to her and helped her up from the ground. As soon as Canderous turned his back and started leading them toward the path, Carth leaned over and brushed a kiss over her forehead. He caressed her cheek and then took her hand and led her after Canderous.
The path led them to another structure, this one surrounded by bolts of electricity that buzzed loudly. She and Carth exchanged a glance and then carefully moved closer.
"There's a gap here," she pointed out to her companions. Cautiously, she moved into the gap but couldn't resist the urge to close her eyes and tense up, certain she would soon feel several thousand volts running through her body.
To her relief, this wasn't the case and, instead, a holo appeared and asked, "You are not Rakata… What is your business here, off-worlder?"
Cutting right to the chase, she replied, "I seek the Star Forge."
"You…you are Revan!" the holo responded, in apparent disbelief. "The council wishes to speak with you. You may enter."
"I have been here before," she said to her companions, her tone flat. She was dreading what she would soon be hearing.
Once inside the compound, they found life forms resembling those that had repeatedly attacked them and, yet, these aliens were not like the others they'd encountered. There was a slight darkness about them but the darkness was tempered and Brinna could sense not only their guardedness over her return but also the flicker of hope that still resided within them.
"We of the Elder Council did not expect to see you again, Revan," one of them greeted her. She couldn't help the slight grimace that crossed her face at their use of this name. "We thought you had betrayed us. Why have you returned to our village after all this time?"
"I'm not Revan anymore. That part of me is gone. I'm Brinna Warrim now," she responded.
"Your words are confusing. We recognize you: you are the one called Revan. You are the one who came here before—you and Malak, the one who served you. You promised to help us. In exchange for our aid you swore to destroy the ancient evils of our Rakata ancestors! Are you saying this means nothing to you now?" the Rakata replied, sounding incensed.
"My mind was destroyed. My memories were lost," she replied.
"Hmm…we do sense something different about you. Something that has changed. You are not the same as you were before. Perhaps your memory has been lost."
She could feel that the Rakata were wary but she also knew that they felt there was truth to her protests that she'd lost her memory. Their belief in the truth of her words only continued to grow as she questioned them about Revan's visit.
The Rakata identified themselves as the priest caste of the Infinite Empire, which had existed some 20,000 galactic standard years ago. As Brinna translated this bit of information to her companions, she could hear them breathe in sharply in disbelief and she couldn't blame them. For as advanced as the Republic liked to think itself, their best weapons were no match for the Rakata weaponry that had been created so many thousands of years ago.
According to the Rakata, three years ago, Revan and Malak had landed on their planet just as accidentally as Brinna and her crew had. While searching for a way off the planet, Revan and Malak had found the priests, who called themselves the Elder. The Elder explained that crashes were common and that this was how the rancor had come to their planet. Apparently, the more savage Rakata were also descendents of the Infinite Empire, though they were of the lower castes. Their tribe was led by a Rakata called The One. He and his followers had taken to training the rancor, which would explain the creatures' odd behavior.
Revan and Malak had also sought entrance to the temple so that they could disable the disruptor field. The Elder themselves were unable to enter because only those who were Force sensitive could go inside. Force sensitivity had left the Elder long ago but they were able to lower the force field that protected the temple entrance. They told Brinna that they did not trust her and would not lower the force field unless she proved her sincerity to them by defeating the tribe of The One. Though their superior technology had kept them safe, they feared the opposing tribe as they were too close for comfort to the past for which the Elder claimed to be atoning. She wasn't entirely satisfied with this arrangement but it seemed she would need their help and so she agreed.
"They said that only those who are Force sensitive can enter the temple?" Carth asked as they made their way around the Elders' enclave. Brinna was eager to speak to the tribe historian so that she could find out more about Revan and Malak's visit.
"That's what they said," she told him.
"But that means…"
"It means you can't come with me," she said quietly, stopping and looking at him.
His face tightened. "I don't want you to…"
Laying a finger against his lips, Brinna shook her head and he quieted. "I don't want to go without you either, Carth, but if it's the only way it will have to be done."
He didn't protest further but she knew him well enough to know that he was extremely dissatisfied. She wasn't feeling any better about it herself; the last thing she wanted was to be separated from him. The very thought of it made the back of her neck prickle.
Turning a corner, Brinna was surprised to find herself in a room that was ringed with cages holding prisoners. Near the center she found an Elder researcher and when she approached him, he immediately greeted her, "You have returned at last, Revan. I was beginning to wonder what had happened to you in the Temple."
"You know me?" she asked, looking around the room to see if anything would ring a bell. Nothing did.
The researcher explained that he had met her during her last visit and that, at that time, she had inquired about his research. He patiently explained to her once more that he was researching the genetics of the Rakata to try to figure out why their Force abilities had been lost. He thought that if he could isolate the gene that caused Force sensitivity, he might be able to breed it back into his people.
Looking around the room once more, Brinna realized that the captives were his research subjects and she found that this did not sit entirely well with her. When she expressed this, the researcher told her that he had resorted to using captives because all of his messengers had been killed when they had gone looking for volunteers. Brinna wasn't entirely comfortable with this answer but she had seen for herself the behavior of the other Rakata and she could easily believe that messengers had been mercilessly slaughtered.
"He wants you to find information in the temple?" Canderous asked, as they left the room.
"Yes," Brinna confirmed. "He said that he hopes to use the information in the Elders' attempts to reunite their tribes and claim a place in the universe."
"Do you think that's a good idea?" Carth asked.
Brinna sighed. "I'm not sure. But if Revan can have the chance to redeem herself, should I really deny it to these Rakata? They seem to feel a deep sense of regret for what their civilization did in the past and I can't help but feel that maybe I should give them the benefit of the doubt."
"Maybe," Carth said, but he didn't sound entirely convinced. "But I guess there's no point in discussing it now, is there? We'll need to get into that temple first."
"One last stop at their historian, then. I want to make sure I'm as prepared for this as I can possibly be."
Carth once again looked unhappy and Brinna could feel a pain in her heart. If she thought about going into the temple without him, it made her knees weak and so she was trying her best to focus on the task at hand. When it came time to enter the temple, she would do it and she would see to it that she disabled the disruptor field. They had come too far, sacrificed too much for her to fail now and though the fear that she might indeed fail was powerful, she felt she might be able to stomach it if she instead focused her attentions on her determination.
"Greetings once again, Revan," the historian said when she finally stumbled upon him. "I am glad that you have returned. I couldn't believe that you had betrayed us, despite what the Council said."
"I'm sorry, I don't remember you," Brinna said, squirming. It was so uncomfortable to be amidst people who remembered her and not have any memory of them. What was worse, they told her some truly terrible things about her past with seeming casualness and Brinna found herself once again agonizing over her true identity. It was so easy for her to pretend that she was redeemed, that she was now a champion of the light when she was surrounded by those who had never seen her as anything else. To be surrounded by those who knew something different of her nature was to feel an increased awareness of Revan's culpability, and she found that it was becoming difficult to reject Revan's culpability as her own.
"My name is Orsaa. I am the Keeper of History for the Elders. The last time you were here you had many questions for me."
Like the researcher, Orsaa was happy to repeat himself for her benefit. She learned that the Infinite Empire had been destroyed by war, plague, and slave rebellion and that all of these things had been brought about because of the hubris and depravity of their civilization. The devastation of weapons of mass destruction had driven most of the Rakata underground.
"Inside the Temple of the Ancients, our ancestors were safe from the devastation that forced the other Rakata to flee underground," Orsaa explained. "We emerged from the Temple to find an empty and ruined land. At last we understood the terrible power of our own technology. To ensure it could never be unleashed upon us again, we sealed the ancient knowledge within the Temple."
It wasn't hard for Brinna to imagine what it must have been like for the Elder for her own situation was rather similar to theirs. Hidden away in their temple and ignorant of what had come to pass on the outside, the shock when they had emerged and been faced with the proof of the consequences of their own actions must have been great indeed.
The position of the Elder was further clarified for her when Orsaa explained that they feared what The One would do with the knowledge of the ancients if he were to enter the temple. The Elder had chosen not to fight their brethren and had, instead, retreated into their compound and isolated themselves in order to prevent The One the entrance to the temple that he sought.
When Brinna asked him about the Star Forge, he told her that their knowledge of it had been lost. Orsaa said the Elder had hoped to destroy it but were incapable of doing so themselves. When Revan and Malak had arrived on their planet, the Elder had allowed the Jedi entrance into the temple to gain the knowledge to destroy the Star Forge. However, Revan and Malak had not destroyed it but, rather, had harnessed the power of the Star Forge themselves.
"There's nothing else for it," Brinna told her companions as they left the Keeper and headed for the compound exit. She was troubled by what she had learned of Revan's—her—past. The temple seemed more menacing than ever to her. "We'll have to confront The One."
"The fun never stops when I'm with you, Jedi," Canderous told her.
"Tell me about it," she sighed, rubbing her aching head. "Let's get this done. The longer we're down here, the more peril the Republic is in. We need to get into that temple as soon as we possibly can or there will be no hope."
"At least we'll then only have to face the Dark Lord of the Sith in his weapons factory. Should be a piece of cake," Canderous said, sarcastically.
"Afraid, are you?" she asked him.
"Of course I am. Anyone in their right mind would be. Did you think I was going to tell you that warriors never feel fear?"
Brinna couldn't help but smile. "Yeah. I'm glad that you proved yourself to have emotions after all."
"I have plenty of emotions," Canderous assured her. "A lot of them center around contempt for the Mandalorians we've come across. The rest center around my annoyance with having to carry you and Soldier here in a fight."
"I'll remember that the next time you need me to Force heal you," Brinna retorted.
The group fell silent as they made their way from the south beach to the north. Brinna didn't like the idea of exterminating the other Rakata and she hoped against hope that they would listen to reason. The more she thought about all the things she had done on this mission, the more uneasy she felt. Though she had made certain to fight only when necessary and only as a means of defending herself and her companions, she couldn't help but reflect on all those she had killed up to this point. The thought of the blood she had on her hands, of the untold millions who had died first at the hand of Revan and now at that of Brinna Warrim made her feel as if she were a thousand years old. A great weariness descended upon her and she wondered if she would ever be able to reconcile herself with all the killing she had done on this mission. She knew it had all been done for the greater good, knew that if they succeeded in destroying the Star Forge they would protect untold millions of others, but she wondered how anyone at war was ever able to come to terms with what they had done. Glancing at Carth, she resolved that if she should have the chance, she would ask him. She knew there had to be more to it than the simple answers that he had given Canderous. She would ask him to help her, would ask him to teach her how to come to terms with all the evil she had done in the service of good.
As soon as the group neared the shore where the Ebon Hawk had landed, they were assaulted by a group of the hostile Rakata. The warriors fought savagely and, for the first time, Brinna felt a glimmer of the terror that lurked just outside the walls of the Elder. It was as if the two tribes were each a mirror image of the other.
These ferocious warriors who were attacking them represented the savagery of their race. They were characteristic of the total lack of foresight once shown by the Rakata, of the civilization that was determined to come out on top whatever the cost. In that respect, they were like the Sith.
As for the Elder, they were the half of the Rakata that was capable of self-evaluation and self-reflection. They had gained wisdom and understood the consequences of their actions—or at least that was the appearance they gave. Who could say whether they would continue on their path to repentance? Brinna was not entirely comfortable with the idea of handing them the technology and information that they sought but, then, she also felt that they deserved a chance. She had to believe in redemption, had to swear wholeheartedly that it was possible or what would become of her? She had to give them her trust; she had to take that leap of faith. How else could she ever expect anyone to do the same for her?
"Looks like we shouldn't expect a friendly reception," Carth said grimly, when the battle was finally over.
"Word travels fast," Canderous remarked. "Seems the Elder have reason to worry, if these Rakata are already aware of where our loyalties lie."
Brinna sighed. "From what the Elder said, I didn't exactly expect the others to welcome us with open arms but I had hoped we might be able to negotiate with them."
"They don't want to negotiate, Brinna," Carth said softly. "They want to destroy."
It was as if he had read her mind. She wondered if it was something in her face or something in her voice that had given her away—or did he simply know her that well already?
"Soldier's right," Canderous added. "These Rakata are little more than animals. They're only slightly more evolved than the rancor they train. I think we can expect more of the same as we approach their enclave."
"Then let's just get it over with," Brinna said, squaring her shoulders and tightening her grip on her sabres.
Sure enough, when they found the enclave at last, they were immediately attacked by a group of Rakata and their two rancor beasts. "We have seen you, Interloper!" one of them cried. "You are a servant of the Elders. By order of The One you must die!"
"I have no idea what they said but I gather it wasn't friendly," Canderous said, as he lunged for the closest rancor.
Brinna grimaced and use the Force to put as many of the creatures as possible in stasis and then she joined her comrades in the battle.
They moved immediately into the enclave when their attackers had been dispatched. As predicted, they had to fight their way through. Though the enclave looked a great deal like that of the Elders, these other Rakata lived quite differently. Their enclave was filthy and reeked of blood. With every step, Brinna could hear bones crunching under her feet, apparently from the Rakatas' meals. She made the mistake of examining some of the bones during a short respite and found that several of them were distinctly human. She kept her eyes straight ahead from that point on.
At last, they found themselves in a large, circular room that appeared to be an arena. There wasn't much time for examining it for as soon as they set foot into it, a Rakata who was attired differently from the others cried, "The Black Rakata shall never fall to you!" and then pulled a lever. Much to her dismay, Brinna saw that the lever was the release for several cages, each of them holding a rancor. Calling upon the Force once more, Brinna lost herself in the battle.
"I take it that was The One," Carth said, when the battle was finally over. He used his toe to nudge the body of the Rakata that had pulled the lever. His right arm clutched his left side and she could see blood oozing from several wounds.
Canderous also looked rather worse for the wear as he wiped an impatient hand across his swollen and bleeding lower lip. "If I never see another rancor, it will be too soon."
Brinna went to each of her companions in turn, using her rather depleted Force abilities to heal their wounds. When she had finished with Carth, he brushed a gentle finger over her jaw line and she smiled tiredly at him.
"There's something over there," Canderous said, his voice low. He pointed toward one of the niches that were set back off the room. Brinna had thought they were simply cages for the rancor but as she looked where he indicated, she saw that he was right.
Indicating to her companions that they should follow, Brinna immediately headed over to the niche. Bile rose in her throat as they drew close enough to see that there were four Rakata in the niche, three of whom were impaled upon long, sharp poles. The lone survivor looked as though he had been used as a plaything for the rancor, his body so covered in blood and festering wounds that Brinna marveled that he was still alive.
"You…you have saved me from the savages and their war beasts…" the Rakata greeted them, his voice so hoarse and filled with pain it was difficult for her to understand him.
"You are the only surviving prisoner?" she asked.
"Yes… Of the four of us that they had captured, only I remain…"
"I was sent by the Council to save you."
"I don't know what I could have done if you had not come. I suppose I would be dead now, like the others they captured with me. Thank you for saving me. I shall attempt to return to the Enclave on my own. I will tell the Council of what you have done."
She reached a hand out to stop him but her protests died on her lips. As injured as he was, the Rakata was moving with incredible swiftness and Brinna imagined he was eager to get away from this place as quickly as he could. It was a sentiment that she shared.
Brinna and her companions searched the enclave swiftly, looking for anything that might be of use to them, and then headed back for the south beach. Exhaustion was setting in but the more time that passed, the more she felt like she was going to jump out of her skin. She just wanted to get to the Temple and then to the Star Forge, to end this once and for all. They met some opposition on their way back to the Elder enclave but it wasn't anything as serious as what they'd faced in the Black Rakata enclave and it didn't take them long to reach their destination.
"Revan, you are back," one of the Elder greeted her as soon as she, Carth, and Canderous stepped through the doors. "Our scout has told us of how you rescued him. His injuries are severe, but we believe he will survive. We are grateful for what you have done."
"So now will you help me?" she asked, locking her gaze with his. It wouldn't have surprised her if they said no and so she didn't bother to hide her desperation. It was imperative that they know she was sincere because she had no idea what she would do if they refused to help her.
"We must discuss this in greater detail. We must have some privacy, Revan. We will return when our deliberations are done."
The Rakata turned to leave and Brinna gave her companions a quick translation of the conversation.
"So they want us to stand around here cooling our heels while they debate?" Carth asked, tugging at his hair in apparent frustration.
"Can you really blame them?" she asked, softly. "I didn't exactly earn their trust, did I?"
Without saying another word, Carth reached for her hand and held it gently in his own. The warmth of his touch helped ease some of the tension she was feeling. The three of them stood without any further comment until the Rakata returned and though they had only deliberated for a short time, it felt to Brinna like they had been gone forever.
"Revan, you have rescued a member of our tribe from The One at great personal risk," the Rakata began. "We believe this action shows you have truly changed since your last visit here. The Council has decided we will trust you once more.
"For many generations we have sought a way to enter the Temple and discover the means to destroy the Star Forge. But only those who can command the Force—those like you—can enter the Temple of the Ancients. We no longer have that power. That was why we helped you the last time you were here. But you cannot enter the Temple without our help, Revan. Only the ancient rituals of our people can lower the shield for you to enter. You need us as much as we need you, Revan."
"Looks like we'll be working together, then," Brinna said, feeling herself go limp with relief. Carth was still holding her hand and he gave it a quick squeeze before releasing it.
"For our own sake, and that of the entire galaxy, we hope you truly mean to atone for your past evil. When you are ready, Revan, we will take you to the Temple. But the Temple is a place of sacred power. If you are to enter, you must do so alone, in the tradition followed by our Rakata ancestors for the past thousand generations."
"Why do I have to go in alone?" Brinna asked, glancing at Carth out of the corner of her eye. Though he and Canderous didn't understand a word of what was being said, she realized too late that her gesture had alerted them that something was amiss and they both suddenly drew themselves into stiff stances and stared intently at her.
"When you were last here we broke the ancient tradition. We allowed you and your apprentice to enter the Temple together, and it brought untold suffering to the galaxy. We believe you truly wish to destroy the Star Forge this time. But the lesson of the past is not easily forgotten. We will not defile the sacred ritual a second time; only you alone may enter."
"When I am ready, I will go into the Temple alone," she promised. It wasn't a solution with which she was very happy but she felt that she owed that much to the Rakata. They clearly were wary of her, and with very good reason. It was all well and good for her to walk into their enclave claiming to be someone different but were she in their shoes, how would she react? Revan had betrayed them in a very profound way and she could sense that, though the Rakata believed her to be sincere, they were also desperate and it was likely this desperation, more than any modicum of trust they might have in her, that was driving them to help her. They knew that Malak was using the Star Forge, knew that it would destroy the galaxy, and so what other solution was there? They had found themselves in the exact same predicament as the Jedi, when Bastila had captured Revan.
"Then it is done. You have only to let us know when you are ready to enter the Temple."
"I want to enter the Temple now," she answered promptly.
"The time has come for you to atone for your past crimes, Revan. But the task ahead will be difficult. Those you call dark Jedi—followers of your old apprentice—now dwell within the Temple."
"There's dark Jedi inside the Temple? How did they get in there?" The information came as a surprise to her, though she had to admit that it probably shouldn't have. Dread caused her to break out once more in a cold sweat as she realized what a monumental task she had before her. It was bad enough to know that she would have to face Malak but to find now that, in order to do so, she would have to fight her way through a veritable army of dark Jedi… If it was even possible, the situation suddenly seemed bleaker than ever.
"The last time you and Malak entered the Temple you must have found the controls to raise and lower the shields. Those inside can lower the barrier to allow other Force users to enter and exit the Temple. But they will not be able to prevent us from using the ritual to gain you access. Once inside, however, we can do nothing to help you." Though the Rakata had delivered the information in a stern voice, beneath his censure she could sense some sympathy for her predicament.
"Go to the Temple now," the Elder continued. "We will meet you there once the ritual has been prepared. Remember: in accordance with the ancient Rakata tradition you must enter the Temple alone."
With those words, the Rakata left to prepare for the ritual and Brinna could feel her companions practically boring holes in her with their gazes, as they awaited her explanation of what had happened. She took a moment to compose herself and to try to decide how to present the information in a way that they would accept but she was at a loss. How could she possibly tell them what the Rakata had told her and expect that they wouldn't argue with her? Giving up, Brinna admitted to herself that she couldn't think of any way of making the information acceptable to them and so she decided to simply tell them.
"They've decided they'll help me," she told them, and she could see the relief she had felt mirrored on their own faces. "As I told you before, though, they said that only those who are Force sensitive can enter, so that means that neither of you can come with me."
"How do you know they're telling you the truth?" Canderous demanded.
"Why else do you think they haven't gone in there themselves?" she asked him.
"I still don't like it. How do you know you can trust them? I think at this point you'd be willing to accept anything anyone says to you about Revan, you're feeling so guilty."
"I don't know that I can trust them, not for certain," she told him flatly. "But I don't sense any deception from them. They're desperate for the Star Forge to be destroyed and they can't do it themselves. They really didn't want to let me in because Revan broke her promise to them. They don't entirely believe me when I tell them I'm someone different but I can tell that they feel they don't have any other choice."
"What are they doing now?" Carth asked, before Canderous could say anything else.
"They're preparing the ritual they need to perform to lower the shields. They told me to go to the Temple and wait for them there."
"Right. We need to get back to the Ebon Hawk and tell the others. We'll send Jolee and Juhani to help you and…" his voice trailed off as he noticed her shaking her head. He tensed and she could see Canderous setting his jaw.
"What?" the Mandalorian demanded.
"You can't send Jolee and Juhani," she said.
"Why not?" Canderous asked, his voice rising dangerously. "You said only those who are Force sensitive can enter and, the last time I checked, the old man and the Cathar fit the bill."
"I promised the Rakata I would go in alone. Their ancient traditions dictate that the Temple must be entered alone."
"I don't care a damn about their traditions," Carth said, his voice trembling with barely suppressed fury. His face had gone white at her words and she found that she couldn't bear to meet the intensity of his gaze.
"They wouldn't lower the shields unless I agreed to go in alone," she told him, her voice pleading. "They don't trust me. They said they allowed Malak to enter with Revan when they were here and look where that got them."
"What aren't you telling us?" Canderous demanded, his voice fearsome.
"There are dark Jedi in the Temple. Malak found a way to let them in," she said.
"There is no way in hell I'm letting you go in there alone!" Carth exploded. "It's bad enough that I can't go with you but now you're trying to tell me that you can't take anyone else? No! Brinna, no! You can't go in there alone!"
"Carth is right," Canderous agreed and it was his use of the name that hit Brinna over the head like a hammer. She knew then just how afraid for her they were.
"There's no other way," she cried, tears springing to her eyes. "I don't want to do this alone either but there's no other choice! We need them to do the ritual or there's no getting into that Temple. If we don't get in, Malak wins and we all die!"
"If you go in there alone, you'll die," Canderous snarled.
"I have to at least try, don't I?" she shouted back.
"You don't have to do this," Carth told her, his voice breaking. "You don't have to throw your life away like this, Brinna. Dammit, haven't you done enough? I know you feel guilty for what Revan did but what sense is there in you taking risks like this? You can't undo what she did!"
"And that kills me," she told him, the tears flowing freely now. "But not nearly as much as it would kill me if I refused to do this and if I had to have millions of new deaths on my conscience. Maybe I am being reckless, I don't know. But what I do know is that they will refuse to help us if I don't agree to go in there alone and since getting into that Temple is the only hope we have of trying to stop Malak, I have to do it. There isn't any other way."
It frightened her to look at Carth, to see how utterly destroyed he looked. It reminded her too much of what she had seen in him before their encounter with Saul. It reminded her too much of what she had seen when Saul had told him the truth of her identity.
He moved so fast that it startled her and he caught her face so firmly in his hands that it was almost painful. "I can't lose you," he told her, his voice a savage whisper.
"And I can't lose you," she told him, moving her hands to cover his. "But that's what will happen if I don't try. I'll lose all of you. I'll lose everything."
Carth squeezed his eyes tightly shut and lowered his forehead to hers, defeated. "Brinna," he said, that one word filled with fear and anguish.
"Promise me that you'll save them. You, Jolee, Juhani, Canderous… You can all still help the Republic if I fail. And Mission… Carth, someone has to protect Mission. Swear to me that you'll do it. Swear to me that if I don't come out of that Temple you'll fly the Ebon Hawk off this planet and do everything you can to save them, to save yourself."
"You can't ask me to do this! You can't! You know…you know… I can't do this."
"You can, Carth. You have to," she told him, firm resolve now in her voice. She hated having to ask him to walk away, knew what it would cost him, but she had no alternative. If something should happen to her, there was no way she was going to allow him to fall back into the fugue he'd been in after his wife had died. "You know that if there was another way, I'd take it. You know that. You have to do this for me, Carth. I haven't asked anything of you but now I am."
His anguished gaze nearly undid her but she met it and kept it until he finally said, "I will."
"Thank you," she told him, brining his hand to her lips and kissing his knuckles.
He pulled her close and kissed her fully on the lips, ignoring Canderous. The kiss was urgent and he clung to her as if he would never let her go. She indulged herself and clung to him in return for a moment before forcing herself to gently break away from him.
"Nothing in the universe will keep me from you, Carth," she promised him in a fierce whisper.
"Be careful," he said and she could tell from the strangled sound of his voice that it was all he could manage.
As the three of them turned and left the enclave, Brinna let Carth get a bit ahead of them before reaching out and grabbing Canderous forcefully by the forearm.
"You will give me your word, Canderous. You will make sure that he gets off this planet alive or so help me, I will haunt you for the rest of your days."
"You have my word, Brinna," Canderous told her, his voice even more gravely than normal. "You don't have to threaten me to get it. But you won't need my word anyway. You'll see Soldier off the planet yourself."
She gave his arm a grateful squeeze and locked eyes with him for a moment before they continued. There was no doubt in her mind that Canderous would keep his promise to her, if it came to that. Knowing that Carth was at least somewhat safe assuaged her fears a bit, but it was only the slightest sliver of relief for she knew that if she failed, no promise would matter. All would be lost.