Korriban beckons, and the plot thickens...
"I should like to understand this...vision, Lord Revan." -said Obi-Wan, mustering as much mental fortitude as he could.
The Sith Lord hummed, a nearly musical sound that both comforted him, and chilled his aging bones. "Perhaps you should meditate on it, Master Jedi. Is that not what your Grandmaster tirelessly recommends?"
Obi-Wan narrowed his eyes. "That was not a vision of the Light. Jedi meditation would be next to useless."
The specter tilted her head in deference. "Indeed. But...neither would Sith techniques would be of use to you. The Dark Side did not show you these events. It was the Force itself."
The Jedi Master frowned. Anakin put a gloved hand to his shoulder. "Do you remember Mortis?"
"You know I do not."
He nodded. "Mortis...happened. Yet, it didn't. Much like a vision."
The Sith Lord spoke. "The place you mortals know as Mortis does not exist, either within this galaxy, or without. It never did, and it never will."
Obi-Wan frowned. "Then...Ahsoka's tale is false?"
Anakin shook his head. "No. She didn't lie. We all experienced it, but only she understood it, eventually, far from the Jedi Order. Ahsoka is blessed - and cursed - with a certain perspective on the will of the Force, unlike that of the Jedi and Sith. It is more...not primitive, exactly, but rather primal, because of her time on Shili."
Darth Revan gestured to all three of them. "You are humans. I was, too, in life. The most powerful, numerous, and accomplished race in the galaxy. Humanity bent both the ancient Sith and Jedi to their will. They formed and led the Republic, a rule that is prevalent even now. Our ways and customs - even our language and calendar - is held as the galactic standard. Thus, we are standard."
Obi-Wan rubbed his beard. "Ahsoka is a Togruta…"
Revan hummed. "A primal species, more in tune with the will of the Force than most. The Togruta have widely been neglected by the galactic community - disregarded as little more than nudist savages - when they can be, in some ways, more knowledgeable about the Force than either Jedi or Sith."
Anakin nodded. "The same can be said for the Echani, Mirialans...even the Mandalorians. How else do you think they gained such legendary battle prowess? Jedi and Sith alike have always been rather narrow-minded, unwilling to see the truths that lie beyond their doctrines. The Force is its own entity; believing it to be exclusively divided into two ideologies - ideologies created by Orders formed by people, not the Force - is rather foolish."
The aging Master shook his head. "I will not...cannot accept that the Order has no purpose in this galaxy. We follow the will of the Force, do we not?"
Revan waved away his statement. "You misunderstand, Jedi. Were it the will of the Force to be rid of Jedi and Sith, we would be but dust in the galactic winds. Your order yet serves a purpose, as do the Dark Lords. We are all cogs in an incomprehensibly complex machine."
Obi-Wan was losing his legendary patience, though that could be attributed to the challenging of his beliefs. Or the fact that he was standing in the tomb of a Sith Lord. "So is it just a game, then? Are we all just pieces to be played?"
The wraith shrugged. "Sometimes. The Force eternally wars with itself, a conflict that Jedi and Sith mirror. Its motives for doing so are rarely for mortals to understand, and I can assure you, the dead are no more privy to them."
"As of late, however...well, the Force is surprisingly united. The Dark Side and the Light seem...attuned to each other. This is why it's so important that you understand. You remember teaching me about the Living Force, and the Unifying Force, Master?" -asked Anakin.
He nodded. "Of course."
Revan chuckled. "A surprising insight come from ancient Jedi. Yet it was, as per usual, misinterpreted. There is only one Force, Master Jedi. It would be foolish to label it one way or another."
"The Force is a living field that permeates all things within the galaxy. It surrounds us, penetrates us...it is made from the energy of all living things, past, present, and future." -Anakin stated.
"Tell me, Master Kenobi. What is the primary directive of all living things?" -asked Revan.
Obi-Wan reasoned for a second. "To survive, I would say."
"Correct. The purpose of life is to perpetuate its own existence, ever wary of danger and death. As a living entity, no matter how complex, how unknowable...this includes the Force."
"Are you implying that the Force fears for its life?" -Obi-Wan asked, incredulous.
"The Force fears for the continued existence of life, without which it can not exist." -revealed Revan.
Obi-Wan was floored. It was a ridiculous concept, especially for a Jedi. The Force? Afraid? Aside from the scandal it would cause on even the least educated of younglings, thinking the Force to be scared of something was such an outlandish idea that he was inclined to reject it without question. And yet...there was something, out there. It was hard to understand - it was not a whisper, not even a mere suggestion. It was a feeling, one that he'd experienced far too many times in his life: fear.
Anakin nodded sympathetically. "It's a little much to take in, I know. But it's vital that we get the Order to understand this, and you're the key."
The Master frowned. "You knew, then. The answer we're looking for, the reason for us being here...you already knew."
His former pupil smirked. "Not in so many words, but...well, I'm a Rogue, Obi-Wan. We tend to get our missions fulfilled in unorthodox ways. I knew I needed to come to Korriban. The Force needed me here, and it needed you here. Master Yoda knew this too, and so he sent you along."
Revan nodded sagely. "Dead Sith Lords, ancient Jedi Masters...we must put aside our petty conflict, and our learned dogmas, if only to stop this threat."
The Negotiator breathed deeply, centered himself. "What must we do?"
Anakin sighed. "You're not gonna like it."
A familiar presence made itself known in the back of Obi-Wan's mind. "You must be joking." -he said, a steely quality to his voice, resisting the urge to ignite his lightsaber immediately.
Lord Revan's visage was masked, but anyone could've known they were smirking cruelly. "On the contrary, Master Jedi. Please refrain from attempting to slay my latest pupil…", he said, as the half Zabrak, half machine tattooed abomination that had slain his Master and the love of his life stepped out of the shadows. "...Darth Maul."
Who's excited to learn where Lord Maul has been the past 17 years? He has a LOT of information for our heroes...should they get along for any extent of time. While Anakin is mostly above the petty conflict between Jedi and Sith, Obi-Wan is about to learn a very hard lesson in cooperation.
Until next time!