Disclaimer: Lucasfilm, Bioware, Disney, et al. and whoever they sell the rights to next own Star Wars and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. I write this for fun and not for any monetary gain.


Chapter 20: Adventure into the Depths

"So, why exactly did you have me run that errand for you?" the Dark Lord inquired as he roasted their dinner on the campfire, slowly turning it with the Force as he spoke. "Surely removing a few poachers is a trivial task for a Force user of your calibre?"

"Perhaps it was because they knew me well and would be on guard if I were to approach," the old man suggested, being as mysterious as usual.

"The captain sounded pretty on guard when we approached anyway," Bastila observed. "Besides, surely there was a time when they didn't know you…"

"Or perhaps I simply wanted to see how you'd do it," he continued simply, dodging her implicit question.

Interesting… Revan noted. So he must have blown his chance during their first meeting and he wasn't willing to fight them…

Or mind trick them to leave? his apprentice wondered.

Not everyone has our level of power, he reminded her. "So it was a test?" he asked out loud. "How did I do then?"

"Your solution is interesting, I'll admit. It's not something I'd thought of myself," the old man stated, before evading again. "Still, a trivial thing like this is no measure of anyone…"

"So why make me do it then?" the Sith Lord asked again.

"Because it needed doing," Jolee said simply with a shrug. "And when you came along and I saw the destiny you had before you, I couldn't help but be intrigued by what you'd do."

Do you think he just wondered what a Sith Lord like you might do? the apprentice asked.

If I were him, I'd be curious too… her Master observed. Still, maybe he had some sort of a vision… Deciding to check that hypothesis, he asked, "Oh really? What exactly did you see?"

"I can see that you have a destiny before you…" the old man started, pausing for effect, "but the details are far from clear."

What's he playing at? Bastila wondered. Does he just like being mysterious?

I suppose we'll find out… her Master replied. Honestly, it's like pulling teeth… "Anything stand out?" he asked out loud.

"Your future will come of its own accord, trust me," Jolee stated, evading the question once again. "I wouldn't worry about it too much, if I were you. You aren't like this other guy I knew ages ago… Pleasant enough fellow, the Force swirled around him like a hurricane, that's how great his destiny was…"

"Oh?" Bastila asked. What's he getting at now? "What was his destiny?"

"Ah, that's a tale. Andor Vex was his name. As it turns out, poor Andor believed a wee bit too much in the infallibility of that destiny… and the overconfidence turned out to be his downfall…" the old man recounted dramatically.

"Can we get to the point?" the Sith Lord requested.

"Hmph, the impatience of youth…" Jolee complained, but acquiesced. "I was like you back then, when I got sick of Andor and was just about to abandon him. That was when his ship got overtaken by a Dimean warship. Now, you've probably never heard of the Dimeans, but at the time they were a nasty lot led by a nastier overlord named Kraat. Tall fellow. Big teeth. Kraat had us hauled onto the bridge of his ship for questioning, and that was when I knew that Andor's destiny was at hand." He paused dramatically.

"And?" the Sith apprentice prompted, as he probably intended his audience to.

"Well, Andor decided that his destiny made him invulnerable and started making all sorts of demands. 'Free me now,' 'I'm not answering questions,' blah blah blah, 'Don't you know who I am?' Kraat decided that he'd had enough for that and began crushing Andor's neck. I told the boy he should have kept his mouth shut. I think he agreed too… or that could have just been gurgling noises. Well… anyway. Finally, Kraat had enough of Andor and tossed him aside into this giant energy intake shaft. Andor got sucked in and started bouncing around, heh, screaming… heh. Maybe Andor hit something sensitive on the way down or just didn't agree with the reactor core, but next thing I knew, the ship's alarms were ringing. Everyone panicked and I ran, barely making it to our ship before Kraat's warship exploded. Kraat dies horribly, and the Dimeans never quite recovered. Changed the political course of the entire sector for centuries to come. I'd call that quite a destiny, wouldn't you?"

"Well, that's certainly a destiny," Revan said at last, letting out a chuckle. "Glad to know you don't foresee that in my future. I enjoy being in one piece quite a bit…"

"Me too," Bastila muttered by his side.

"So, tell me a bit about yourselves," Jolee asked. "You two don't seem to just be Sith Master and apprentice…"

"It's no secret that we are a couple," the Dark Lord stated, putting an arm around his beloved to make a point. He decided to flip Jolee's air of mystery around and asked, "What else is there to say? We are just fond of each other. Is that perhaps surprising to a former Jedi?"

"Actually, no," the old man replied. "The Jedi Masters, with their damnable sense of over-caution, would say love is something to avoid. Thankfully, anyone who's even partially alive knows that's not true."

The Sith couple nodded in agreement, believing the same. "And what do you believe?" the apprentice asked.

"Love doesn't lead to the Dark Side," the old hermit stated. "Passion can lead to rage and fear, and can be controlled… but passion is not the same thing as love. Controlling your passions while being in love—that's what they should teach you to beware." His voice grew wistful. "But love itself… will save you… not condemn you."

It almost sounds like he wants to believe it more than he actually does, the Dark Lord noted, frowning inwardly, but not letting it show.

"Ahhhh, but listen to me go on as if I had all the answers," the old man continued. "What do I know of love anymore? I'm just a lonely old man who's not even a Jedi…"

"Not even a Jedi?" the Sith apprentice repeated, surprised by his wording. "You mean not anymore, right?"

"Nope, never was," Jolee admitted. "Technically I never rose above the rank of Padawan, for various reasons. Does that surprise you?"

"Well, what's the difference between an experienced Padawan and a recently knighted Jedi other than some fanfare?" the Dark Lord observed, remembering how Bastila—officially a Padawan back then—had easily outperformed those Jedi Knights on his flagship. "I am not one to care about some abstract ritual or title. But go on, I want to hear about your perspectives on love."

"Look at the Republic, or at least, the Republic I remember, back when I travelled the galaxy…" the old man continued. "After the Exar Kun war, the galaxy was devastated. While the Republic itself was in dire financial straits, many of the rich willingly donated their own money to help the poor rebuild. The Populares, they called themselves. Some said they were simply buying votes, but what they did was a good thing. It was clear they cared for the people, loved them even, and that love should save the Republic…"

"And yet, it didn't end that way…" the Dark Lord recalled. "The Populares—true to their name—were indeed loved by the people, but love did little to bring them victory, to realize their century-long dream of reform. No, love is not all powerful, or the entire political faction wouldn't have been destroyed during the Mandalorian wars."

"And whose fault was that?" Jolee asked. "The Jedi made a huge mistake when they chose to not intervene. If the Jedi had loved the people of the galaxy as they were meant to be, the Populares would have survived. A mistake they ha—" the old man suddenly coughed, "hopefully have learned. The galaxy wouldn't have been so devastated, with no one to help the poor and those who have lost everything rebuild…"

This hermit is more informed than I expected, Revan noted to his apprentice. "And you think I just let the Populares die without a fight?" he asked out loud. "The Optimates were taking advantage of the war to get rid of their rivals and I was the one saving whoever I could. When I founded my Sith Empire, it was with the remaining Populares by my side, their reforms built into the provisional constitution."

"I have no doubt you did what you could," the hermit declared, "but you didn't have the full power of the Jedi Order on your side, did you? The Order failed the people of the Republic, and they are now paying for it… I suppose that's why you don't believe in love now."

"No, I simply don't see a link between love and good—or evil, for that matter," the Sith Lord explained. "Love can do many things, both good and ill. The very same love can bring joy when reciprocated, or pain when it is not… or no longer…"

"Love causes pain, certainly. Inevitably, love is going to lead to as much sorrow and regret as it does joy," the hermit stated bitterly, clearly wishing it wasn't so, making the Sith couple wonder what hurt him. "I suppose there are perfect, eternal loves out there… but I haven't seen any. How you deal with the bad part of love is what determines your character, what determines the Dark Side's hold over you."

"And what do you think of our love?" he asked, taking Bastila's hand. "Do you think it's saving us from darkness?"

"Only time will tell," Jolee declared. "If you manage to reach my age, and I hope you do, then that question shall answer itself. I can tell you are nothing like Exar Kun… or my wife," he said the last bit under his breath, but the Sith couple heard it nonetheless, "so your love is probably doing you some good."

"And what's that about your wife?" Revan asked.

"Oh look!" the hermit almost shouted, pointing at their dinner. "It's ready to eat. I am famished. Maybe we'll talk next time."

The Sith couple looked at each other and shrugged at the obvious attempt to dodge the topic, but decided they might as well eat. And so the strange trio devoured whatever creature it was that Jolee had caught. When they finished, Jolee was in no mood to continue the discussion and retired in his hut, so they bade each other good night, the Sith couple retiring to their tent.


I noticed that you have been acting somewhat erratically lately, Bastila, Revan noted through their bond as they laid together. They decided against physically speaking due to the lack of privacy in a poorly soundproofed tent on the open forest floor.

Have I?

Yes, at times you seemed fairly… decisive… like electrocuting all the tachs in anger, yet you feel a bit uncertain and regretful at other times, he observed.

I know… she sighed in her mind. It's just so hard sometimes. I want to act as you have, protecting the innocent and giving the guilty their due, and yet it went against years of conditioning by the Jedi. I try to fight against the conditioned instinct, but then I become afraid that I might be going too far. It's so hard to… balance everything…

It's not an easy road to walk, he agreed. And sometimes, you simply have to do distasteful things because the alternative is worse. Even as all your instincts tell you to shy away from it, sometimes you still must do it, and accept the emotional burden.

Like what? Electrocuting tachs to save lives? That was sad and quite uncomfortable, but it wasn't so bad?

No. It's the much worse choices... like doing nothing when you know an attack will happen, because doing something means alerting your enemy that you have a source of intelligence.

What's the point of intelligence if you aren't going to use it? she asked, genuinely curious.

Sometimes, there is a better opportunity that will disappear if the enemy is alerted, he explained. While you may be able to do some good by preventing an attack, you should not if the cost is a decisive opportunity to cripple the enemy, saving many more lives in the long run. And never underestimate how much morale boost can result from the galvanization after what appears to be a cowardly attack.

That makes a lot of sense… she agreed. A small sacrifice for a much better result for everyone else. I don't think there is anything wrong in particular about that—especially given the stakes—though I understand how it must feel to make such decisions. And it would suck to be the sacrifice… Is that all?

No, there are also hostages. She could feel his discomfort, but nonetheless he pushed on. It is not uncommon for an enemy to take hostages and threaten to kill them for concessions. You naturally do not want to kill them, but sometimes you have no choice. You can't give into their demands in a hostage situation, because once you have shown yourself to be cooperative… they will know to take more hostages and ask for more. Only a fool would surrender in the face of a hostage situation, even as all your instincts scream to give in. And so, if you can't find a way to save the hostages, you are forced to let them die.

Bastila mentally sighed. She recalled how her Master was willing to sacrifice their allies in case they were hostages and could not be saved. She thought that having a more important mission and being forced to abandon hostages was the worst it ever got. She had never thought about how saving hostages would incentivize the enemy into taking more hostages. I never imagined such possibilities… she confessed. Is there anything else?

Sentient shields in war… he responded wearily. You either have to kill innocents or let the enemy kill you and harm more people—which also further incentivizes them to use such shields, leading to a vicious cycle in which evil triumphs. And so you are forced to shoot at innocents to stop the evil… You can try to avoid hitting them, but it doesn't always work…

This is just unfair… the apprentice complained. Why are we forced to commit crimes to stop evil?

It is the enemy, not us, who commits crimes by using sentient shields or hostages, the Sith Master explained. The Jedi would tell you otherwise, but even the Republic understands such ideas are foolish.

Which only makes it harder for me, because the Jedi corrupted my mind after decades of brainwashing, she ranted, frustrated. I must constantly struggle with myself, agonizing over what to do.

You don't have to make decisions, Bastila, her Master indicated. You could simply let me do the work and watch…

I suppose I could… I could even just follow your orders blindly, but I don't think I am that kind of submissive… I refuse to let you bear the burden alone, Master, she insisted. My submission is a sign of trust, not to let you carry the weight of my life on your back. Just give me time, Master, to let me discover who I am and find my path forward.

I will, of course, he agreed, but there is no rush, and I will be here to guide you every step of the way, if you so wish.

Thank you, Master… I appreciate your help… she stated, pulling him closer for a kiss.


After a few minutes of cuddling, the submissive sighed. What wouldn't I give for a good bondage session right now…

We don't have any equipment, her Master reminded her. And this tent is not soundproof.

Couldn't you put up a barrier with the Force? she whined.

Yes, I could. But I am fairly certain I would lose concentration when we climax, and then your screams of ecstasy would be heard by everyone, he replied evenly.

Bastila blushed. You are right, of course… but the craving is really bad… She sighed again. Damn those Vulkars… she cursed.

What do they have to do with anything? her Master asked.

You know that pair of handcuffs we had? she prompted. Revan confirmed he did remember. I managed to keep them for all those years… and they helped me through countless nights of craving… but they were on that escape pod… Those damn Vulkars didn't even have the decency to use them on me! It's definitely gone after what Malak pulled.

That's unfortunate… the dom winced. I was rather fond of them too.

Maybe you should punish me for losing them, the willing slave suggested hopefully, and for dropping the illusion on my collar earlier.

We probably won't get much privacy or good equipment until we take back the Star Forge… her Master reminded her.

At least that's something to look forward to… she thought rather wistfully.

Yes, and I have a surprise for you… if Malak hadn't destroyed it, that is. Although I doubt he would be able to get into the room…

What is it, Master? the submissive's curiosity piqued.

I refuse to spoil the surprise, Revan told her firmly. He steadfastly refused to tell her for the rest of the night. Now, you want some bondage?

Her eagerness was easily felt through the Force. In response, he quickly immobilized her body—again, with the Force. It really was so useful.

This is not really helping, the submissive complained mentally. She would not be able to speak in her current predicament anyway. What I really craved was the futile struggle against unyielding metal. I can't move at all like this… I want to be able to struggle and feel the durasteel dig into my flesh as I slowly realize that I am powerless and unable to resist anything wicked you might do, Master… Despite her complaints, she made no attempt to break free with the Force.

Do you want me to stop then? her Master asked.

No… it's better than nothing. Now my body is yours for taking, Master… she mentally whispered rather suggestively. You can deal with the noise problem by gagging me with my panties.

What a helpful slave you are, he observed. He pulled off her underwear, crumpled it up, and stuffed it in her mouth. Finding some tape he packed just in case, he stuck it over her mouth, ensuring that she couldn't just push out the gag with her tongue—not like she could when immobilized with the Force.

Bastila attempted to struggle, enjoying her predicament. It felt so dirty tasting her own arousal, but she was helpless to prevent it. She imagined wearing her soiled panties the next day, which only made her even wetter. Take me now, she shouted in her Master's mind.

He loosened his hold on her just enough so she could get into position. They then started enjoying some "couple time." Once they were done, they fell asleep, still holding each other, radiating satisfaction through the Force.


The next morning, Jolee led the couple towards the shimmering purple barrier that blocked the path to the area containing the Star Map. If he noticed anything about their activities last night, he made no mention of it during the journey.

"There, you see? Beautifully subtle, isn't it?" Jolee couldn't resist commenting as they stood in front of the barrier. "At least, compared to other Czerka equipment dumped down here."

"Whatever, just shut it down," the Sith Lord told him somewhat impatiently. "We don't have much time."

"All right then, uh, how did it go..." the old man muttered as he started working the shield. After a moment, the barrier shimmered, and the party quickly walked through the gap before it popped back in place. They did not want to imagine the consequences of being caught in the barrier as that happened.

Walking down the forest path, they saw a lone Wookiee fighting against a Mandalorian. Two more of the warrior race watched as if it was a sports game, with three Wookiee corpses close by. As the party approached, the Wookiee managed to slay the Mandalorian. This apparently displeased the other two of his kind, who immediately started attacking the lone Wookiee.

Revan was disgusted by this behaviour. While many Mandalorians—including Canderous—detested such practices, a significant fraction of those he had encountered during the war had relished it, especially the Fett clan. He shook his head, bringing himself back into the present, and blasted the Mandalorians with Force Lightning, instantly electrocuting the two.

"Impressive," Jolee muttered under his breath.

They walked closer to the Wookiee. Seeing them approach, the Wookiee groaned in pain and begged in agony, "Great Bacca, let this outsider be different from the slavers... I beg you... can you heal my wounds? An attack... from nowhere. Please, I need to be healed. Can you?"

Not wanting to watch the Wookiee suffer from his fairly severe wounds, Bastila channelled the Force and healed him.

"I... I thank you. I would not have expected an outsider to aid me," the Wookiee said. "Perhaps... perhaps you will help again?" he stuttered a bit.

Help someone once, and you are now their errand boy, the Sith Lord mentally complained.

Instead of waiting for a response, the Wookiee continued, "My hunting party, all of them, killed without honour. I barely survived. I want the murderers to suffer the same."

"Who are they?" Revan asked. He knew they were Mandalorians, of course, but he hoped the Wookiee would give them a bit more information.

"I've never seen their kind before, not even among the Czerka. You saw them, armored head to toe, yet blending with the forest," the Wookiee explained. "They followed us for a long while. Their speed was amazing. They fought like outsiders, waiting until we were unarmed. They would not attack until we had put our weapons away! They strike like cowards! We thought we were safe from them behind this Czerka barrier…"

"Ah yes, Mandalorians with their surprisingly good stealth technology. The cowardly kind that relishes in bloodshed to make themselves feel superior," the veteran of the Mandalorian Wars remarked with disgust. "If I come across them, I'll deal with them."

"I thank you. I will wait here. I am too weak to fight them again, but I refuse to leave the Shadowlands unless vengeance is sated. Please, if you kill them, I will reward you with whatever I can," the Wookiee promised. "They are not worthy of life. Look for them where the bodies of my fellows are. They will only attack you if you are not armed. The cowards."

Turning to Bastila and Jolee, Revan suggested that they all made sure their lightsabers were completely out of view. It was hardly altruistic—it would serve as practice for Bastila, but he mostly wanted to see Jolee fight, just in case the old man was a threat. The party continued deeper into the Shadowlands, following his lead.


Soon, they encountered a bunch of Wookiee corpses. Suddenly, as the party examined the corpses, a group of three Mandalorians appeared, surrounding them. The Sith Lord immediately raised his hands and blocked the blaster barrage from the Mandalorians. He grinned, knowing that they were in for a nasty shock—literally. He turned and fired a torrent of Force Lightning at the nearest Mandalorian, who went down screaming and soon died from the nasty burns.

Behind him, Jolee had his lightsaber ignited and advanced on another Mandalorian, who took out a vibroblade to meet his challenge. After a short fight, the old ex-Jedi was able to kill the Mandalorian, but not before suffering a small wound on his left arm, which he quickly healed with the Force.

In the meantime, Bastila used the Force to choke the last Mandalorian, lifting him up. He dropped his blaster as he desperately tried to pry her vice-like grip off his neck, but it was a futile gesture. The Sith apprentice tightened her grip and snapped his neck in a sickening crunch.

"Damn… I really am getting old," Jolee cursed as he rubbed his arm, still somewhat painful despite the healing.

Revan telekinetically flipped through the dead Mandalorians' possessions, discovering a datapad. Flipping through it, he found some mentions of a "blending field" powered by a swoop. Interesting, he thought. I didn't know they had a form of camouflage powered by swoops. That would have been useful during the war…

Not long after, they found another group of Mandalorians under similar circumstances. They were dealt with similarly and he found another datapad that confirmed his suspicions. He also learned that the Mandalorians considered this a form of training exercise, though the owner of the datapad wanted to kill anything that moved, instead of just those that appeared unarmed like he was ordered. He also found a signal device on the body of another Mandalorian.

They continued on the path to the Star Map that Revan remembered. On the last fork, he saw a bunch of swoops on the other branch.

"Those must be the swoops the datapads were talking about," Bastila stated, rather needlessly.

The Lord of the Sith quickly checked the swoops, finding similar signal devices to the one he had in two of them. The last one was missing its signal device. He placed the device in, and he sensed something appearing behind. Turning around, he saw a Mandalorian with fancy armour with two minions behind him.

"You have interrupted our hunt, interloper," the leader declared threateningly. "The inhabitants of this world could do little against us, but you appear to be a threat. Our training here will continue... without your interference."

Without a verbal reply, Revan threw out a Force wave, pushing the three Mandalorians back. The commander managed to stay on his feet, but the two minions were knocked back—dazed and bruised from the impact. The Sith motioned for Jolee to deal with the minions as he and his apprentice ignited their lightsabers to concentrate on the commander, wanting to test the old man's limits.

The commander fought fairly well, better than the average Jedi Knight, at least as Revan remembered them. His highly conductive armour made him somewhat resistant to Force Lightning, much to the Sith Lord's annoyance. Even worse, the warrior was strong enough to still fight while having his life drained, forcing the Sith couple to engage with their lightsabers. Unfortunately for him though, in less than 15 seconds, the couple managed to overwhelm his defences, with Bastila's second blade stabbing him through the gut. She quickly drained his life force out of her newly acquired habit.

In the meantime, the two minions were able to overcome their shock and engaged in combat with Jolee, who was being slowly pushed back by the combined assault. While the old man's defence was holding, he was unable to attack. Seeing his situation, Revan reached out to the Force and drained the life of one of the minions, allowing him to overcome the other. However, Jolee did not escape unscathed, having to heal two minor cuts.

"I think that was the last of them," the Dark Lord remarked. "Let's move, the Star Map awaits."

"I think I really need to practice lightsaber combat…" the old man muttered as he followed Revan towards the Star Map.


The trio soon stood in front of a machine, with a Star Map closed next to it. An avatar of a Rakata appeared.

What is that? Bastila asked mentally. Is that one of the 'Builders' that droid on Dantooine spoke of?

Yes, that is the image of a Rakata, Revan confirmed.

"Life forms detected. Determining parameters. Initiating neural recognition," the image said in monotone Basic.

"Yes, there's the thing. Obstinate machine. I've no doubt it holds what you seek, but good luck getting it operational," Jolee remarked.

"Primary neural recognition complete," the machine said. "Preliminary match found."

"Match found? What the—?" the old man said in shock, but cut himself off before he cursed. "It always muttered something about 'rejected patterns' for me!" He sounded wounded by the unfairness of the machine.

"Begin socialized interface. Neural scan indicates positive identification of subject 'Revan.' No further testing of the subject is required," the machine stated. "I am waiting for your request to begin transfer of the Star Map."

"Who accessed this installation before me?" the Sith Lord asked, wanting to ensure no one else needed to be dealt with.

"Sorting by identity. Three attempts by the Wookiee Freyyr, all denied. 152 attempts by human Jolee Bindo, all denied," the machine stated.

Revan and Bastila both turned to look at Jolee, giving him a surprised look. The old man let out a small laugh, "Call me stubborn, I guess. Heh. There wasn't much else to do around here."

"Has anyone else actually obtained the Star Map through any means?" the Sith Lord asked the machine, wanting to make sure.

"Not since you put the restrictions in place, Lord Revan," the machine stated. Naturally, the machine had not been programmed to track access before his last visit.

"Very good, now give me the Star Map," Revan ordered. The image of the Rakata vanished and the Star Map opened.

The Sith quickly scanned the Star Map data and found the missing waypoint. He copied it onto his datapad. For good measure, he also copied the rest of the data on the Star Map. From the data, he was able to find two other chains of waypoints. They should prove helpful in case they were unable to plot a path through the optimal chain, though he doubted that would be necessary.

Noticing that Revan did not curse, Bastila inquired, "Are we ready to go to the Star Forge now?"

"We have the hyperspace coordinates, but there is still that other matter we need to deal with," he reminded her obliquely, not wanting to mention the Genoharadan in public. "And we also have to find the mysterious Wookiee in the Shadowlands."

"Well, let's find that Wookiee then," the apprentice suggested, eager to return to the forest canopy. She closed her eyes and tried to search for lifeforms around this area of the Shadowlands that felt vaguely Wookiee-shaped.

A minute later, she opened her eyes again. "I think I found him," she stated, leading the party towards their target.