Disclaimer – Don't own SW, thanks George
A/N Thanks to everybody who reviewed. Here's my New Years present for the SW section in Games. Also themes for this fic are "Falling Inside the Black" and "Whispers in the Dark" by Skillet. Oh yeah, don't own the songs either.
"Spoken"
'Thought'
Spirit
Star Wars
Dark Lords of the Sith
Chapter 2
Sith Resurgence
The past 5 years for Tholan had been interesting indeed. His hidden memories had returned little by little, allowing him to unlock his full power and reclaim his rightful name and title.
Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Revan.
He certainly hadn't wasted his time rebuilding his army. After nearly 4000 years his forces were back to 1/3rd strength and his campaign against the Jedi had begun in earnest. The first stage was progressing nicely, every few months he or one of his Dark Jedi would journey to Dantooine and recruit a few of the rejected Jedi Padawans who had either failed their Trials, or some such to be rejected from the order, and were sent to the Agro-Corps.
Forced to become farmers many of them were bitter toward the order and more than ready to accept Revan's teachings. They followed Sith doctrine exactly as he had taught before…with one exception. His Dark Jedi had to display total control of their Dark Side power. If they slipped, even once, he disposed of them. He had learned his lesson from the betrayal of his first apprentice Malak. He had refused to take an apprentice as yet; he waited for the only person in the Galaxy he considered worth.
Bastila Shan
The two had always been close, lovers even, due to the force bond they shared, even in death. Yet he could feel her now, as alive as he was. How this was possible he didn't know, he wasn't even sure how he had been reborn himself though he didn't question his fortune.
He looked out at the training room at his primary base, watching as his Dark Side devotees practiced their new skills. As he had before Revan had taken the planet of Korriban as his throne world after he learned all he could from Tulak Hord. Revan then destroyed the spirit of the long dead Sith to prevent any others from leaning from it and then rising to challenge him. His Sith Academy was coming along nicely, out of the nearly 200 Force Sensitive he had recruited 96 had shown full control, the rest were dealt with. Deprived of their limbs, they were used as fuel for the titanic space station Star Forge which drew its energy from the Rakatan Sun as well as force sensitive beings, corrupting any who step aboard. Revan had countered this by allowing the subjects to be used as fuel for the massive station to be semiconscious. This allowed the station to focus all its attention on them, thus eliminating any danger to the rest of the station occupants.
During his travels while recruiting Revan made a most interesting discovery, an old friend who had somehow survive the ravages of time. An ally he had sent on a particular mission, which had now returned to report.
"Salutation: Greetings master, I have the information you requested on the meatbags"
Revan chuckled at the droid. After nearly 4000 years the droid hadn't lost his touch. Revan turned from where he stood on the balcony overlooking the Korriban Academy training grounds, casting his masked gaze to the crimson droid he himself had built, literally, a lifetime ago and took the data pad from its hand.
"Excellent, I trust you 'enjoyed' yourself HK"
HK-47 nodded.
"Eager Agreement: Very much master, I was able to terminate many of the fleshy ones. I shall be sated for quite some time"
Revan nodded as HK continued.
"Statement: There was even a Jedi among them. I relieved the meatbag of his weapon before I atomized him Master. Query: shall I give the weapon to you master"
Revan though on that for a moment. While HK-47 as he was would be a match for any Jedi, the thoughts of the mayhem caused by a Lightsaber armed HK were too good to pass up. Revan shook his head as he read the data.
"No keep it, go repair and refit your self. I may have another assignment for you soon. In your repair bay you'll find an upgrade module to optimize your close quarter's combat routines and equipment"
HK was most pleased, and considered himself fortunate it was his creator who had rediscovered him.
"Pleased Acknowledgment: Of course master, I shall happily carry out your instructions"
Revan shook his head as the droid walked off. HK had always been a source of humor for him even during his last reign as the Dark Lord. He pitied the next Jedi HK confronted, no doubt the droid would test each and every technique Revan himself had programmed into the droids new upgrade package. Just for amusement Revan decided he would ask for a body count later. He then turned back to the pad. He had ordered HK-47 to locate and gather intelligence on the other calling himself a Sith Lord, this Darth Sidious.
'So that's your game is it Sidious, gain the Chancellorship then take over. It's bold I'll give you that, but makes you an utter coward and opens the door for massive rebellion down the road'
As he read one of the Dark Jedi, a Twi'lek, approached him and knelt next to where he stood.
"Lord Revan we have a message from listening post 3, there is a Republic craft on route, it should arrive with in the hour"
Revan cast a glance toward the Dark Jedi, then continued reading.
"Why are you telling me this, destroy them"
The blue skinned male paused for a moment before continuing.
"My Lord, the ship carries 2 Padawans from the Jedi Temple. According to our intercepts from the temple they stole the ship and smashed their way past Republic Security"
Revan paused for a moment, it seemed two Padawans eager to learn the Sith way were coming, or 2 who believed themselves indestructible. He stretched out his mind, easily spotting the incoming ship he enveloped it with his thoughts.
The first Jedi was a female human, her curiosity of the Dark Side was thinly veiled. The other however, he knew too well. A male human roughly 18 years of age with a healthy distrust of the Jedi Council and their stringent and stagnant ways, yes he knew this one well. Revan could only wonder how many others from his age had returned as well. He could only hope this one had learned his lesson of control from last time. Revan threw back his head and laughed for the first time in years. This drew a curious eyebrow from the Dark Jedi who had finally stood. Revan turned to the Twi'lek Dark Side user.
"Prepare a welcoming committee for our new initiates"
The Twi'lek bowed and left to carry out his masters orders. Revan cast his gaze skyward to the two visible Interdictor Cruisers, two of a fleet, which orbited the planet.
"Have you truly learned control, or will you betray me yet again. I guess we will see, won't we Malak"
Revan looked back to the report HK had submitted to him. It also contained information on his secondary objective, locating Bastila Shan. HK had compiled a list of possibilities and narrowed it to 3 individual human females. Sha Tureen from Corellia, Teran Staras from Coruscant, and lastly Padme Amidala from Naboo, Revan's breath caught in his throat at the sight of her image, by the force it was her…Bastila. He raised his communicator.
"HK come to me, I have a mission for you"
A moment later the Droid appeared with blaster pistols on each hip and a heavy blaster rifle across its back. The recovered Lightsaber magnetically locked to the back of its waist.
"Joyful Compliance: I have arrived master, what is you command for me. Shall I eliminate many meatbags for you master"
Revan turned his masked vestige to the droid as he typed out a message on the data pad. He then handed it to the Droid.
"I trust you remember Bastila Shan"
"Concurrence: I do indeed master. She was, how they say, your woman"
Revan chuckled.
"That she was, you are to deliver that message to her"
HK looked to the data pad then back to Revan.
"Quarry: Is that all master. Is their nothing for me to destroy, no meatbags to kill?"
Revan thought for a moment. Then an idea struck him, something her should have done long ago.
"do you still have the locations of the Star Maps in you data banks HK?"
The droid processed for a moment.
"Acknowledgement: I do indeed master"
Revan nodded.
"good, render them inoperable or inaccessible by any means necessary. Destroy any who hinder this mission…within reason"
Oh if droids could grin…
"Emphatic Agreement: Of course master, I shall go immediately"
As the droid began to walk away Revan stopped him.
"HK"
The droid looked back as Revan continued.
"No physical harm is to come to Bastila is that understood"
"Acknowledgement: Of course master. Once she, as you say, found her way she was quite a good master in your absence, master"
Revan chuckled as the droid left. The then turned and headed for the landing pad. His former apprentice would be arriving soon, best to greet him himself.
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Inside the small transport Trans Tear the two Jedi Padawans were panicking. No sooner had their small ship dropped out of hyperspace over the Sith tomb world of Korriban than they had been yanked aboard a large battle cruiser by tractor beam. The Padawans, Kaira Strone, 17, and Alek Squinquargesimus, 18, stood by the landing ramp of their ship. They had come to Korriban to learn about the Sith, only to find an armada in orbit. The Dark Side was strong on this ship that had pulled them in, what should they have expected, the fact that the Sith had returned was known by all but the Younglings who learned the fact in due time. Due to his insanely long surname Alek was called "Squints" by almost everyone in the Temple, his own master included. Now they could only wonder what they had gotten themselves into. Kaira looked over to Alek who stood next to her at the top of the ramp, Lightsaber already in hand, both were feeling apprehensive
"we…you ready"
Alek nodded.
"Guess we shouldn't keep our host waiting"
The pair walked down the ramp and into the main bay of the Interdictor Battle Cruiser Leviathan. As their feet hit the deck, within the pair, the spirits of the Jedi Exile and Darth Malak stirred. From his vantage point in the observation room above Revan smirked and couldn't suppress a chuckle. It seemed things would be picking up soon.
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Courasaunt
1500 Republica
Senatorial Residence Block
3 days later
She had been a Senator for all of 6 months now. At the urging of the new queen of Naboo, Padme "Amidala" Naberrie, had taken her home world's senatorial post.
Spending the past day locked away in her room had no doubt worried her security and assistants but it was something she felt she had to do, to prove to herself that her dreams were more than that. That they were returning memories as she had felt they were. She had shared them with only one other, her close friend, confidant, and handmaiden Dormé. So now, she sat on her bed with her task complete. She reached over and pressed the intercom.
"Dormé, could you come in please"
As she entered the room Dormé took a quick look at what had been a tidy, brightly lit room. The shades had been drawn and the only light in the room burning was the simple lamp on Padme's desk, casting a slight dimness to the room. As Dormé noticed the senator's desk had been hastily converted into a makeshift workbench. Parts lay scattered all around it including 2 striped down blaster pistols. She then noticed Padme sitting on the bed facing away from her.
"My lady?"
Padme looked over her shoulder and gave her long time handmaiden and friend a sad smile before turning back to whatever was held in her hands.
"I was right Dormé, about my dreams, they're more than just that. They're memories, of a life I lead long ago"
Dormé grew quickly concerned, Padme's speech had been off a bit, with an almost Talravinian accent.
"My lady, what…."
Padme held out the object in her hand for Dormé to see, a cylinder roughly 24 inches in length with a button at each end. Dormé jumped slightly as Padme depressed the button nearest her thumb and a yellow energy blade roughly 36 inches in length sprang to life, a Lightsaber. Padme thumbed the switch again and the blade retreated into the hilt, the then turned and looked at Dormé and spoke in a near perfect Talravinian accent. For a moment, Dormé wondered if it was the same person.
"It seems…I've discovered things about myself even I didn't know"
Dormé just starred at Padme as she stood and Dormé finally noticed her style of dress. A simple blue long-sleeved tunic with tight black pants and boots the same blue as the tunic. Her hair was cut back to just below shoulder length and was tied into twin tails at shoulder level. She clipped the doubled bladed Lightsaber to the belt around her waist and the turned to Dormé.
"I need you to get in touch with Jedi, Master Yoda specifically; I'd like to hear his opinion on this matter"
As Dormé turned to leave the intercom on the wall came to life, it was captain Typho.
"I know you asked not to be disturbed my lady, but a droid has arrived with a message for you from a man named Revan. Shall I have the droid return at a later time?"
Padme bolted to the intercom.
"Captain, do not send the droid away, Revan is known to me, I'll accept the message"
Padme walked back over to Dormé.
"Please contact Master Yoda, Dormé. If anyone can give me answers he can. Mention the name Bastila Shan"
Dormé nodded and left, passing a crimson droid on its way to see Padme. The one thing that stood out about it was how menacing it looked, odd for a protocol droid.
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Lehon System
10 hours later
Standing aboard his flagship, the Interdictor class ship Relentless, Darth Revan inspected the operations of the Star Forge. He had left the station in the hands of a non-force sensitive crew to reduce problems and it had worked quite well. His attention was drawn from the massive space station by the sound of boots on Durasteel. Revan's masked gaze fell on his former apprentice Darth Malak. After a solid day of mental intrusions Revan was able to pull Malak and the Jedi Exiles spirits from their dormant states. Thankfully Malak had indeed retained the memories of his defeat on the very space station that now loomed outside.
"I trust all is well"
Malak now clad in exact copy of his old red and black suit and cloak, minus the metal jaw, nodded.
"Yes it is, I must admit you resurrection of the Sith Order has been almost miraculous. Especially considering how many students have attained control of the dark side without being run mad by it"
Revan nodded.
"That was the whole point. Then ancient lords stuck to their dieing code and forgot the one necessity of all, adapt or die. The Sith can no long afford constant infighting decimating our numbers. We must become as numerous as the Jedi if we are ever to stand to them. That is the very reason I elevated you to Sith Master"
Malak chuckled; Revan's restructure of the Sith Order had left them with a rank system similar, in theory, to that of the Jedi. Adept, Apprentice, Sith Knight, Sith Master, and then the coveted titles of Dark Lord Apprentice and Dark Lord of the Sith.
"And so we poach their discarded students from the Agro-Corps and dispose of those with no control. Do you truly plan to go through with this?"
Beneath his mask Revan grinned.
"But of course, with the True Sith no longer a threat we can place ourselves in a great position, even if we must pander to the Republic for a while. This budding separatist movement is noting more than a tool for this Darth Sidious. Plus it will frustrate the idiocy of the Jedi Council to see the Republic grant legitimacy to the Jedi's sworn enemies"
Malak nodded in agreement.
"It will come to war, no doubt. The Separatist with their droids and the Republic with this new Clone Army Sidious has planed for"
"Yes, the use of the clones however will prove the Republic's weakness to Sidious' advantage. I want you to take the 10th assault fleet and move to Kamino. Capture the cloning facility and whatever else you can and bring it here. Also before you leave Kamino, sterilize the planet"
Malak nodded.
"HK-47, reports his first objective complete. Do you still intend to take Bastila as your apprentice, that was a lifetime ago Revan"
Revan chuckled. The obvious distain Malak had for HK-47 had never diminished.
"Bastila has always been more to me than that. Yes it was long ago but the link between us has never broken. She has awakened just as we have and no doubt will want to hear from me"
Malak glanced over at his former Sith master.
"You still lover her"
Revan knew the hidden meaning behind Malak's question.
"We're Sith Malak, not Jedi. Emotion is what we know best. Love is but one emotion of many and one that incredible strength can be drawn from"
Malak nodded, Revan did have a point and it wasn't as if he hadn't broken a few hearts in his years with the Jedi, against the code or not. Malak turned toward Revan and crossed his arm across his chest and gave a slight bow.
"I shall depart at once with the 10th Fleet for Kamino, by your leave Lord Revan"
Revan nodded.
"Go, and leave no witnesses"
Revan watched as his former apprentice departed. Giving Malak the 10th Fleet placed him back aboard the Leviathan, a modernized reconstruction of the very ship he had used to betray Revan almost 4000 years ago. This time however Revan had hedged his bets and programmed the computers to only allow the targeting of friendly ships at his order. The next 5 years would be critical to his plans both long and short term. He highly doubted he would be able to contact Bastila as soon as he would like, but he would see her eventually. Through the force he had foreseen a glimpse of their reunion. And what a sweet one it was to be. The next 5 years would decide it all, his plans for the entire galaxy rested on his success.
A/N and here's the 2nd chapter. Hope all enjoyed regardless of how long this took.
On to 3