Chapter Three
Revan suppressed a shiver, and it wasn't solely due to the dank chill that seemed to seep into her very bones in the tomb of Naga Sadow. There wasn't much light here; what little there was came from some otherworldly source she couldn't immediately detect. It was barely enough to see the intricate purple tattoos covering Uthar Wynn's face.
"You may not leave this tomb until you have returned with the lightsaber of Naga Sadow… or you are dead." Uthar's voice was deeply sinister, and a few weeks ago she might have been intimidated by it. Asha might have been intimidated. Revan wasn't. She tried not to think about that too hard.
She spared a glance for Yuthura Ban, Uthar's second-in-command at the Sith Academy on Korriban. The twi'lek looked agitated, eyes darting fitfully from Revan to Uthar. Revan could sense her eagerness; she was keen to enact the coup Revan had promised her. Revan set her jaw, resolute. She still wasn't completely sure it was the best course of action, but she knew it was the most expedient. She needed expedient. The longer this took, the longer it would be before they could rescue Bastila.
"Are you ready?" Uthar asked. "Your companions may not assist you with this trial."
It didn't matter. She wouldn't need them. She didn't need the lightsaber of Naga Sadow, either – just the Star Map. And she definitely didn't need a legion of half-trained Sith apprentices trailing her across the galaxy.
Time for the charade to begin.
She smiled slowly, a predatory smile, as she reached for the fear she had for Bastila and used it to stoke the fires of her power. The chill of the dark side was palpable, and she saw Uthar's stony expression falter as he felt that power grow, rising up all around them. She had been careful to only use it sparingly on Korriban up until now, aside from the moment she had killed Jorak Uln, and she was sure that surge had been passed off as Uln's own. She hadn't wanted any of them to know who she really was.
"Yes, Master Uthar. I'm ready." With a light touch of the Force, her lightsabers flew into her hands and ignited. She darted forward, sabers flashing high and low.
She sensed she had caught him by surprise, but Uthar hadn't become Master of the Sith Academy thanks to his good looks. His own saber was quickly up and meeting hers with a crack, pushing the higher one away before guarding against the lower.
Revan, however, had already thought two moves ahead. She had to make this convincing. Yuthura was watching intently.
The power was building within her, and it was intoxicating. She allowed it to simmer to the surface, playing along her arms, writhing as if begging to be unleashed. She felt its pull, but held it back, controlled it. She slashed with her sabers and Uthar stumbled back a couple of steps.
Seizing the moment, she gathered and twisted that power, sending it rippling down her arms and through her fingers until it crackled and wreathed her hands in Force lightning. It filled the chamber with the smell of ozone. She released it, letting it dance along her blades before arcing out to envelop Master Uthar. It was… beautiful.
The Sith Master jerked, teeth clenching and fists tightening around his single lightsaber. She felt his anger flare as he scrabbled for enough of a hold on the Force to erect a barrier.
And just like that, the fight – if it could be called that – was over. Unlike her desperate, angry battle against Darth Malak, Revan knew she had already won. The power the dark side granted her was too great when she chose to draw on it with purpose.
She watched Uthar as he failed in a last-ditch effort to get his barrier working. He was trying so hard. A chuckle escaped her lips. She knew it wouldn't work. She could feel his own power, and it was nothing compared to hers. She used some of that power, tickling his skin with tendrils of lightning and watching as he jerked and writhed in response. The control she required in order to achieve such a thing was immeasurable. It was wonderful. Exhilarating. Freeing. It felt right.
She sucked in a sudden breath. Too far.
Dammit, she had to keep it under control. She clenched her fists around her sabers and the lightning stopped, allowing Uthar to sink to his knees. Steam rose from his skin, and the smell of burnt flesh filled the cavern.
Revan turned and began to pace around him, willing her stomach to settle and for none of what she was really feeling to show on her face. She turned her slightly unsteady pacing into a prowl, that of a predator studying its helpless prey.
Uthar finally raised his head, slowly, as if it weighed twice what it should. She felt a momentary thrill as she saw the fear in his eyes. She squashed that thrill ruthlessly, but outwardly allowed one corner of her mouth to twitch upward in something resembling a cold smile. The theatrics came easily to her. Far too easily.
"Who are you?" he gasped through a burnt throat.
"You don't recognise me?" she purred. "I'm offended."
"Recognise… how would I…"
"Revan?" Yuthura whispered, eyes wide with shock.
"Well done," Revan congratulated her, still using that cold, smooth voice. "I knew I made the right choice when I decided to help Yuthura here overthrow you, Uthar."
Dark emotions boiled within the Sith Master's mind – anger, fear, hopelessness – but in the end anger won. He lifted his chin. "Kill me then," he demanded. "Revan." The name was a vehement curse.
She had already considered her options. She could keep him alive and attempt to redeem him once they were off Korriban, but that would be unlikely to succeed, and would cost time and crew resources to keep him contained. And regardless of whether she succeeded or not, she would then need to take him to the Jedi on Coruscant. That was time she did not have.
She had to kill him. She didn't like it, but she couldn't leave him alive and on Korriban, at the head of an army of Sith apprentices and following Malak's orders. She knew she wouldn't be able to turn him to her cause, even as Darth Revan; she had nothing to offer him, and he had too much power of his own that he wouldn't want to give up. Yuthura, however, was more pragmatic. Substantially less power-hungry, too: all she wanted was the Sith Academy. Uthar had already been Master of the Sith Academy for too long. He wanted more.
For this to work, she had to play it through to the end. "As you wish," she said mildly, and raised her arm. She made a grasping motion, and pulled the shaken Sith Master off his knees and into the air with the Force, dangling him like meat before Yuthura's caged kath hound. She tightened her fist, and with a careful, targeted application of the Force, squeezed his throat shut.
The action almost made her stomach rebel, but she gritted her teeth and pushed the feeling away.
Uthar gasped for air, reaching up and clawing at his throat. There was no thrill this time. No challenge or rush of power to revel in. It was just… murder, and she very much did not want to go through with it.
Revan glanced at Yuthura. The twi'lek was smart; she already knew not to question Revan, but it was clear she wanted the kill for herself. Allowing it to her could prove useful in the long run… and it would mean Revan herself wouldn't have to do it.
She loosened her Force-grip, allowing Uthar's toes to brush the ground, then lowered her hand and clasped both behind her back without relinquishing her Force-grip on the defeated Sith Master. She held him upright, gasping for breath and lolling in place, as another reminder of the power she wielded. She caught Yuthura's eye and nodded graciously toward him.
The twi'lek's eyes flashed in gratitude, and with more than a hint of bloodlust. Revan suppressed a grimace. Yuthura didn't waste any time, keen to take advantage of Revan's offer before it was withdrawn. In a flash her lightsaber was out and plunging into Uthar's neck. The Sith Master gurgled once, then went still, blank eyes staring off into space.
Yuthura withdrew her saber and sheathed it, and Revan could sense her immense satisfaction. She dropped immediately to one knee before Revan. "Thank you, my Lord."
Revan lowered Uthar's corpse to the ground, unwilling to simply allow it to fall, and turned her full attention to the kneeling woman. Time to finish this off. Before she left Korriban, she needed to cement the new Sith Master's loyalty, and the best way to do that was to impress on her one last time who exactly she was dealing with. Who she thought she was dealing with.
"Don't thank me yet, Yuthura," she growled, reigniting one of her sabers and twirling it deftly around her fingers. It thrummed through the air, cutting into the silence of the cavern.
Yuthura eyed it apprehensively, and Revan could sense her heart rate increasing and her fear growing. For a brief moment she tensed, seeming torn between the idea of putting up a last, futile fight before she herself was betrayed as she had betrayed Uthar, or throwing herself at the mercy of the more powerful Sith Lord standing before her.
To Revan's relief, she chose the latter. She dropped to both knees and bowed her head. "You don't need to kill me, my Lord Revan," she said hurriedly. "I can be useful to you."
"Really," Revan murmured idly, twisting her saber lightly in her grip. "How so?"
Yuthura tossed a worried glance toward the violet blade as it drew ever closer to her neck, but she didn't move. "I… I can run this Academy for you, train you an army of Sith warriors."
Outwardly, Revan simply raised an eyebrow. Inwardly, she grimaced. That was precisely what she didn't want. But what other choice did she have? The ruse would be over if she asked Yuthura to close down the Academy, and the twi'lek would never do it. And she couldn't simply kill all of the students and teachers here. It would be a… a slaughter, Sith or not. "Do I need an army of Sith warriors?" she asked, stalling for time.
Yuthura glanced up, confusion evident. "You… you said you did, my Lord. When you last visited Korriban. Before you were… captured. In my capacity as second I have tried to recruit many apprentices to fulfil that command."
Revan swore to herself, careful to keep it from showing on her face. She didn't remember that, but she couldn't very well undermine herself to Yuthura. She would have to go with it. At least the Sith's efforts would be focussed inward, and not on her. "Circumstances have since changed, Yuthura," she intoned menacingly, and the twi'lek flinched, ducking her head again. "But you have done well. I do not need an army at present, but I will in the coming days. You will remain here and ensure I have one when I need it."
Yuthura's face and sense relaxed in relief, but she stayed on her knees, head bowed. "I live to serve you, my Lord."
One last thing. "You should be aware that if this world falls into Malak's hands, I will be very displeased," she warned.
Yuthura nodded emphatically. "Of course, my Lord. I understand."
"Good." Inwardly, it was Revan's turn to sigh with relief. The ruse had worked. With Yuthura in charge of the Academy, afraid of Revan's power, and focussed on defending Korriban from Malak, there would be no more Sith on Revan and her team's tail. They could focus on rescuing Bastila and destroying the Star Forge instead of watching their backs. "Now go and fetch my companions. Send them in here."
The twi'lek rose, bowing and hurrying off. Revan watched her go.
As soon as Yuthura was out of sight, Revan found herself leaning over, bracing her hands on suddenly shaky knees and staring at Uthar's body in revulsion.
I had to do it this way. I had to. It was the only way.
But that wasn't the only problem. Revan had known that it would be difficult, utilising the power of the dark side without allowing it to corrupt or control her, but she hadn't anticipated just how much she would enjoy it. That was what the dark side was all about, though: passion. Passion wasn't limited to anger, fear and hatred. Fervour, manic joy and devouring lust were the other side of that coin. She had found it hard to stomach what she had just done, and she had expected that, but she hadn't expected to revel in the power it gave her.
It didn't matter. Malak had the full power of the Star Forge behind him now. Nothing less than a full-fledged Sith Lord, or a Jedi Master, would be able to challenge him; and there was no way she could reach the level of understanding of the Force that a Jedi Master required in a matter of days. It was a risk she would have to take.
The temple gate ground open. "Observation: Master, I see you have reasserted your control of this facility. Compliment: I applaud your efficiency."
Revan looked up as HK-47 entered the room, stepping over Uthar's corpse without paying it any attention. The droid had been in a good mood all day – if droids could be said to have moods – ever since he learned of Revan's new strategy. She wasn't sure how she felt about that. HK in a good mood was always entertaining, but entertainment wasn't high on her list of priorities right now.
Carth followed more reluctantly, gaze immediately centring on the corpse. She felt a stab of guilt. His eyes were filled with the same revulsion she felt, but it was directed at her. He tried to hide it somewhat when he looked at her, but he had always been easy to read, even without the Force.
She didn't have time to deal with that right now. They needed to get that Star Map and get off this damn planet. "It was necessary," she said hollowly, in answer to the question no one had asked.
Without waiting for any further commentary, she turned and started walking into the next passage. It led down from the antechamber, growing darker as it went, though thankfully the smell of mould slowly began to overwhelm the smell of burnt flesh and ozone. Revan ignited one of her sabers for light, but soon enough she spotted a bright white light shining from a small room at the end of the corridor. It had to be the Star Map, or an anteroom leading to it.
Her spine prickled. Something felt off. She stopped, holding up a hand to signal the others to wait. Her danger sense was spiking, but she couldn't feel any other living – or non-living – beings in the vicinity. Traps, maybe? That had been a feature of the Sith tombs on Korriban so far, why not this one too?
She drew her second lightsaber and ignited it, advancing on the doorway slowly. She peeked carefully into the room beyond.
She straightened, frowning. It was empty, save for a glowing white beam emanating from an intricate but crumbling stone pedestal. It shone directly up, seeming to pierce the stone ceiling far overhead.
"Observation: This does not appear to be a Star Map." HK clanked into the room behind her.
"Thank you, HK, I think we both picked up on that," Carth muttered, following behind him.
Revan holstered her sabers, following the beam of light down to its emitter. The design was nothing like anything she had ever heard of before, in Jedi lore or anywhere else in the galaxy. It didn't seem to have any sort of capacitor crystal, focussing apparatus, or even shielding attached. "What the hell is this thing?" she murmured to herself. Perhaps she had known before her mind was wiped by the Jedi.
"We should report this to the Jedi Council on Coruscant," Carth said firmly, glancing at her as though he expected her to disagree.
She felt a stab of irritation. It was like he expected her to fall to the dark side and start taking over the galaxy any minute now. With an effort she quelled her knee-jerk response and simply nodded. "I agree, but we need to give them more information. Look around, both of you, see what you can find."
Carth and HK both began searching the room, while Revan crouched down beside the beam's ornate emitter apparatus, being careful to keep her distance. It was almost like a work of art, though part of it had crumbled away and fell to the ground below. A twice-ringed orb of light rotated slowly, bracketed by stone on either side. The beam itself extended up from the orb, into the darkness far above, where it appeared to meet the stone ceiling. She suppressed a shiver.
Her instincts were telling her to walk away, but what if this was the puzzle that would open the next door to the Star Map? She reached a hand out to the beam, reaching out with the Force as well.
"Revan, maybe you shouldn't—" Carth began.
Her danger sense flared, and suddenly her stomach dropped as she was pulled bodily up off the ground by some invisible, bruising force. She had a moment of panic, of seeing Carth reaching for her from far below, before her vision whited out.