Star Wars - Series Fan Fiction ❯ Prophet, Thing of Evil ❯ Ghastly Grim and Ancient Revan ( Chapter 5 )

Light. Lightheaded. Then searing pain. Every nerve in my body caught fire at the same time. Was I breathing out smoke or was that from my clothes? Didn’t know, but I didn’t smell good either way. Somewhere in the back of my mind, Bastila whispered quiet words of encouragement to me. My heart sank when I realized she was shouting those words--I just couldn’t hear very well.

A low rumbled of laughter registered followed by a quick shock which sent me twitching and Bastila screaming. Malak. Her brother, my best friend who might as well be my brother. We went wrong somewhere, and I wasn’t quite sure where. He didn’t used to be like this. He used to love me.

Now? Great man but few cards short of Pazaak deck.

I peered at Bastila. She looked desperate. Desperation inundated our bond. Get up? Did she want me to get up? Woman, did you know how much I hurt? Malak coming closer, huh? Of course he’d come closer, silly, he’d need to do that to finish us off!

Ah ha. Problem there and brain finally caught up. Star Forge. Darth Malak. Corrupted Bastila. Tried to kill me. It’s coming back now. So was my hearing.

“...ay goodbye to your Revan, my sister. Her essence will feed me well.”

“NO!”

My lightsaber sparked to life as I turned around in time to intercept his killing blow. “You heard what she said.”

His eyes went wide. “How did you-”

Fight now. Die later. I pushed his weapon away, sprang to my feet, and rained slashes onto him. Hadn’t moved this fast in a long time, ever since I fought the Sith who took off his jaw on the Republic cruiser. He was never as good as me with the saber and it showed. His body armor burned. Blood seeped through. That cut on his thigh couldn’t have felt good.

My leg whipped across his face and dented his metal jaw. When he didn’t go down, I did it again. And again. And again until he did. I soared through the air to finish him off, but he rolled away. I threw my lightsaber at him and drew my other out; he deflected the projectile but roared in surprise when I lunged at him without retrieving my weapon. By the skin of his upper teeth, he parried my attack. I stabbed his shoulder instead of his heart.

His turn to kick me, but he didn’t press his advantage. Malak was never one to fight his own battles. Like a scared dog, he ran. His pattering footsteps, aided by the Force, echoed through the Star Forge, dwarfed only by my puffing breaths.

I crumbled into a boneless heap but I felt my wounds closing already. Force Healing, and not by me.

Bastila.

Her touch healed. Her gaze made me smile. Her tears saddened my heart.

“Thank you,” I coughed, augmenting her efforts with my own. In no time, I could stand, and that was good enough for me. What lay ahead was my business and I intended to finish it.

Bastila didn’t see things my way. “Revan, don’t go after Malak,” she pleaded, “Let the Republic destroy the Star Forge.”

I grabbed my fallen lightsaber and tested it out in my hands. “They won’t get close,” I sighed, “The Sith outnumber the Republic ships five to one, the Jedi have been slaughtered, and Malak still hasn’t used the Star Forge’s own defenses yet. This’ll be a massacre.”

“But you don’t understand! Malak wants you to go after him now. He has the people he killed at the Academy in these vats, and he uses them to make himself stronger.”

What? “Vats? What are you talking about, Bastila? I found the Star Forge. I spent years here and I never heard about vats.”

She wouldn’t look at me as she spoke: shame dogged her. “My brother forced me to watch before he turned me to the Dark Side. He put this poor, half-dead Padawan into a vat and connected these tubes to him. Then... he just sucked his soul away, tainting him with corruption and preventing him from rejoining the Force.”

Her voice choked up. “Malak said he’d kill me if I didn’t do the same to someone else. I tried to fight, but I was too weak. It was terrible, Revan. It made me powerful but sick. It was like someone else floated in my veins and I used their power, not mine. Then he made me like it...”

I’ll kill him. Make him suffer. Never had the stomach for torture, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t do it. Bastila didn’t deserve any of this.

“No, Revan,” she cried, forcing me to face her, “Don’t be foolish. He’s incredibly strong and he won’t hesitate to kill you. You felt what he did to you!”

I wished I could walk away. Malak was Bastila’s brother, and even though he hurt her, an infinitesimally small part of her still loved him. I had Bastila in my arms, and if memory served me right, the Star Forge escape pods lay around the corner. The Sith would crush the Republic and the remains of the Jedi--two out of three factions who betrayed me gone. Not bad.

But I couldn’t walk away. “Malak will never leave us alone. He’s been twisted by the Sith beyond recognition, and he will never stop hunting me. He’ll never stop hunting you because of who you are to me. This ends now.”

“But you’ll die.”

“I won’t.”

“How do you know?”

“Because I promised you.” I casually flipped her lightsaber back to her. “I’ll lead you to the escape pods. If people find you or if I don’t come back in twenty minutes, leave without me.”

Two of three. Not bad, but not good enough. I wanted the Sith more than I wanted the Republic or the Jedi. The Sith killed the Malak I loved. The Sith wronged my crew of the Ebon Hawk. The Sith tortured Bastila. The Sith betrayed me. The Sith manipulated my soldiers. The Sith stole the Star Forge from me.

One out of three. Not good, but good enough.

“I’m coming with you, Revan.”

Those steely eyes met mine. A thousand reasons why this wasn’t a good idea went directly from my mind to hers, but she wouldn’t relent.

*You’ve always protected me,* she said through our bond. *Bad things only happen to me when I’m away from you. No more. Wherever you are, I will be with you. And remember, this isn’t just your business: it is mine too.*

I could never begrudge her of anything. Somewhere in the shuffle, her wrongs got pushed to the side of mine, and I had to remind myself that for as much as I’ve been hurt, she’s been hurt too, perhaps even worse. Against my better judgment, I nodded and allowed her to follow. I just hoped that this time I wouldn’t regret my decision, like my decision to trust the Sith.

Droids got in our way but I suspected Malak only expected these things to slow us down. Make no mistake about it--Malak knew both of us where coming. The Star Forge protected its master and made every danger known, and I wasn’t just a danger.

I was his nightmare.

Not Jedi Revan. Not the Dark Lord Revan. Not Selene Jashan. Revan, the one not bound by Sith or Jedi, the friend who reminded him of what he once was, the general whom her troops would willingly die for, the being who wouldn’t submit to the Mandalorians, the woman who had all the power in the galaxy. I was everything he wasn’t, and I gave it away. He tried to become what I was, and despite his best efforts, he couldn’t.

He couldn’t be me.

He couldn’t kill me.

He couldn’t love me.

*He’s up ahead,* said Bastila, pointing to a wall with a control panel I didn’t remember seeing before. *Be prepared for anything.*

Both of us sensed his presence. Both of us sensed the huge store of energies. Both of us sensed the dimming life straining to leave their prisons. I plunged a lightsaber into the controls and set it ablaze. The area alarm sounded, but with all the droids destroyed and Sith troops elsewhere (namely dead), nothing responded. A twist of the blade and sparks flew out of the fire.

Then the wall slid back.

Scores of people lay suspended in glass. I recognized some of them. Malak stood in the back, the wounds from our fight gone, his outfit immaculate unlike mine, the dents on his metal jaw the only sign of his defeat. How did I ever miss something this big?

He seemed to read my mind. “Fool,” he scoffed, “Blind fool. So consumed with building that forsaken fleet to rescue my sister you never tapped the Star Forge’s true secrets. This is why you didn’t deserve your title, this is why you didn’t deserve your recognition! The Dark Lord Revan could’ve taken over the galaxy, but no, you wanted Bastila. You wasted your power. You weren’t fit lead the Sith.

“Now I, on the other hand, have led the Sith to glory. I ousted you, the spineless fraud. The Jedi cling to their pathetic existence as the Republic cowers at my power. I’ve unleashed the Star Forge’s might. And now, I’ll get the pleasure of taking your life to make mine.”

Time for talk was over.

*How should we attack him, Revan?*

I glanced at Bastila and shrugged. *Repeatedly and effectively.*

We charged, me leaping through the air and Bastila weaving through all the obstacles. Malak laughed, and that unbelievable explosion of energy came out of him again. A violent Force Push sent me crashing into a row of vats, glass cutting me and metal crumbling under his attack and my weight. Evidenced by the cold, clammy, and soft cushioning, I also tumbled into a few bodies.

Bastila, Battle Meditation in tow, closed into melee range and tried to the end the fight quickly. She slashed high; he ducked. She swept low; he jumped. She thrust; he parried. He was toying with her, one eye watching her strikes and one eye watching me. If I moved to help her, he’d kill her.

*Get away, Bastila. You’re no match for him alone.*

She considered not listening, but she noticed my worry. Good girl--pride would never get you anywhere useful, especially now. *We have to exploit Malak’s weaknesses. He’s an arrogant, merciless, and sadistic beast, so...*

*So?*

*Do with it what you will. In any given situation, if he can be an ass, he will be an ass.*

“This is all you have?” chuckled Malak as lightning crackled in his hands. “Your master plan is to hack at me with your useless lightsabers?! I expected something better, Revan. Why, you even have your precious Bastila here, panting away like a bitch in heat.”

Oh no. *Bastila?*

*What?*

*Run.*

The raging red electricity gripped Bastila, but only for a second. I threw my lightsabers and he shifted the Force Lightning to me as he dismissively knocked my weapons away. Even though I was ready for his attack, I couldn’t hold my own very well. The power he stole... too much. The Force Shield I erected tethered on the edge of shattering, held together by my utmost concentration.

Then he stopped. I opened my eyes to see Bastila, angry as all hell, and Malak flying into the wall. A push, but a push was enough to get him off of me. Instead of charging in again, I fled and told Bastila to do the same. I only had one viable option, and I didn’t like it.

*We need to match his power,* I noted.

*How are we going to do that? He’s too strong and too quick.*

I hated to do this, but since when did I ever have a choice in these desperate contests against death? *Cover me. I need a moment.*

*What are going to do? Revan? Are you-*

I shut off our bond. Didn’t need her flashing back to her time with the Sith. Looking up, the vat in front of me held a person I knew very well: Vrook, the one who drove Master Jolee away, the man who wronged Bastila. In my dreams, I often pictured myself killing him for the shit he caused. I’d finally crack his damned indifferent demeanor and watch as he sputtered to his demise.

I hated the man with a passion.

No, I wasn’t a good person. I’d done things most would condemn me to hell for. I walked in the Light but I shunned it. I walked in the Dark but I hated the others who did. Just a walking paradox, and that’s why Malak would never be better than me: he never contradicted himself. He was the kind of true believer till the end, never thinking outside the box, never seeing the gray in the universe. Good and bad. Black and white. Me? Wherever life suited me, I went, contradictions be damned. I did what I had to do to achieve my goals, to survive.

Besides, wasn’t I the same person who killed millions to save one?

So, Bastila said it made her sick, huh? Well, draining Master Vrook dry would make the act palatable.

By the time she got over to me, I was already too far gone. Her hands covered her mouth; her eyes went as wide as saucers. “Revan,” she gasped.

I didn’t stop at Vrook. Malak, the lazy cretin, chained all the vats together for easy access. Bet he never imagined someone would come and steal his batteries. I soaked up the power like a sponge, draining it with the technique an old Fallen Jedi taught me.

“Picture wrestling your enemy’s breath from them,” he said to me. “Yes, like that. Once you have their first breath, you can continue pulling for more. Don’t stop. This will give you strength and heal your wounds. If they can’t hold onto what they have, they don’t deserve it.”

They don’t deserve it. Hmph. Vrook didn’t--he deserved worse, but I didn’t have time. His infuriating indifferent attitude slipped into me while his body shuddered and withered. Other pieces of energy flowed into me--bits of memories, slivers of abilities, a whole lot of power. The world slowed down but the tidal wave of energy sped up. The Star Forge bent at my feet, metal and glass warping, fusing, shattering, and exploding around me like-

Bastila spun me around, fear and anger permeating her aura. “Stop, Revan! You’re better than this!”

Yes, my Princess, I was better than this, but stooping lower to gain an advantage didn’t bother me. Not this time. As energy poured out from my body, I heard Malak pick himself up and scream, furious. With all the grunting and yelling he’d been doing today, I expected his vocalizer to break, but alas, it didn’t.

I had my back to him but I felt his attack. Lightning again. How unoriginal.

I pressed my lips against Bastila’s. “One second, my Princess.”

Time to finish our business.

I turned and let him hit me. That’s it you steel faced bastard, pour your bleeding heart and soul into me. The power he had was like a drop in the ocean, but I consumed it anyway just to spite him. He tried to replenish himself but I wouldn’t let him; I’d suck the entire place dry before I’d let him taste another soul. I gripped him with the Force and crushed, crushed and grinded him like an insect under my shoes.

It ruined his concentration.

Over dead Jedis and around fallen vats, I walked to him--Malak, my friend, my worst enemy. Random bolts of life sucked into me as I passed anything possessing energy, and Malak possessed a lot of energy, so I drained. He slammed his fists on the metal grating, perhaps in pain, most likely in frustration. I felt his life weakening by the second.

With one hand, I picked him up by the scruff of his neck. His eyes had sunken into his skull. His skin hung loosely on his bones. His jaw looked big, out of place. A blue light shined on his face, and I peered at him in confusion until I saw his eyes, my reflection, and my own eyes. They weren’t green anymore; they were two, bright, starry orbs of blue.

He wheezed like an old man. “Who’s the monster now?”

Sad little thing. So this was the galaxy’s greatest threat, the same one who almost killed me, destroyed the Republic, and obliterated most of the Jedi. Emphasis on “almost.” Seemed trivial, like losing a pair of scissors or ripping a hole in your clothes. Of course, everything seemed trivial when your body hummed with so much power that you were at one with the Force.

No Light Side. No Dark Side. A unified Force, the intangible ebbs of existence, opened to me. The possible fates surrounding the Star Forge cleared, and a number of distinct paths made themselves known. I chose not to peek and let the Force guide me.

Back to Malak. I didn’t see Malak: I saw his essence, tarnished and blackened. He didn’t become so through using the Force; the Sith paved his way to hell by drowning him in greed and malice.

I looked down at myself and saw the similarities between us.

And like that, Malak died. No great battle or gigantic explosion, just a labored gasp and silence. Focused on myself, I didn’t even get to see him expire. He left a message for me, a knowing, mocking, defiant glare, taunting me as if saying, “You’ve won but you’ve lost.” His last hurrah.

What a way to go.

I released his shriveled corpse and it went crunch, well on its way to being nothing but dust. For something I’ve looked forward to, his demise left me indifferent. What was one man’s death? What did it accomplish? Thousands of years from now, none will remember this struggle or my now distant emotions. Even ten years from now, another will rise in his place and another will stop him.

Malak’s death meant nothing: life will go on.

My quest for revenge meant nothing: life will go on.

The Republic will crumble with or without my help, as all good civilizations do. The Jedi will fall into obscurity, just another order of individuals who banded together to discourse about what they termed as “The Force.” The Sith will die, either by their own hands or by others more ruthless.

Bastila cautiously approached me, her stomach sick but her mind relieved. She even shed a tear for her brother, the man who meant nothing.

“Are you done?”

I was done the day I was born. “Do you want to know the Force’s secret?” I asked.

She walk around so she saw my face, my glowing eyes. “What happened to you? Are you... well?”

“As well as I can be,” I answered. “I’m at peace, at one with the Force.”

Being raised by Jedi, those words held a negative connotation for Bastila. Her mind worried while her mouth blurted, “Are you dying, Revan?”

Silly Bastila. “Of course I am.”

She almost looked relieved until she digested my words. “You’re joking,” she said, more for herself than me.

A single being was never meant to hold this much power. Could feel myself burning out, the very energies I consumed consuming me. I needed more to sustain myself, but outside of Bastila, nothing else remained.

“There is only the Force,” I sadly smiled. “The Force exists and will persevere with or without those who sense it. It keeps everything in motion and pushes time forward, regardless of our acts. Our love, our life, our battles, our galaxy--all nothing, absolutely meaningless, garbage left to rot into oblivion. We are insignificant brushstrokes on a masterpiece with no end.”

I gave a dry laugh. “Our Masters claimed that the Force was something greater, that it held a destiny for all of us. Only the wisest have ever brushed against the truth, but even they didn’t accept it. They wanted something more, but unfortunately, there isn’t. We are nothing and the Force provides no comfort.”

I brushed a few stray hairs from her face. “Don’t cry. Life begins and it ends. All pain will fade away.”

Her eyes, filled with tears, burned like an inferno. Her hand whisked from her side and slapped me hard. “You LIAR,” she shouted through her sobs, “You said you wouldn’t die. You told me you loved me. Now, you say none of it matters? I’ve loved you all my life whether I knew it or not, and I’ve suffered because of and for my love. We, Revan, you and I... WE are not nothing! We are something, and I won’t let you go.

“Forget our Masters. Forget the Force. We make ourselves. We are born with nothing, but by living, we make our purpose!”

“Like your brother?” I asked, glancing at the unidentifiable pile of dust, bone fragments, and one metal jaw before me. “Another warlord killed by someone more ruthless. He had a purpose and a legacy, but none of it matters. What is he fifty years from now when all who remember him are dead or old? He was just another bump in the road.”

“So are you just going to give up and die?”

“Why fight it? I feel no pain. I’ve opened my mind to the truth. I’ve kept my promise to you-”

“No you haven’t! You promised me you wouldn’t die!”

“Sorry, but everybody dies.”

The power... leaving me now. The glow in my eyes dimmed slightly. The grasp I held on the Force slipped and my mind came down off its high. The thoughts I so easily entertained grew distant and difficult to understand. Emotions regained their footholds on my heart. Again Bastila slapped me, but she didn’t follow it with anger.

“You’re leaving me too,” she softly cried, “First my father, then my mother, next Malak, and now you. This isn’t right. Is there no justice in the universe?”

Couldn’t help but chuckle. “Malak said to me once: ‘This isn’t justice, this is reality.’ Probably the truest words he’s ever spoken.”

“And you won’t fight for us anymore? After all this time, you’re just going to give up? Can’t you do something to save yourself?”

“Why, my Princess? To cause you more pain? Life is not a fairytale where the knight and princess live happily ever after. Because of who I am, who I was, no one will leave us alone. If I live, the Sith will come after me, some of the Republic will hunt me, and the remaining Jedi will look on in their indifference, silently contemplating but never acting. The worst moments of your life will be ahead of you. I believe your safety and happiness are worth dying for.”

She tensed, feeling the change in my mood. Guess I wasn’t talking like an aloof Jedi wise woman anymore. “Is our love worth living for?”

No fair. “Even after all I’ve said?”

“We’ve been separated by Sith and Jedi--words aren’t going to change how I feel.” She kissed me deeply like there wasn’t a care in the world. Soft, passionate, the first real kiss we’ve shared in years--my damned knees weakened and breathing didn’t seem quite as important anymore. I needed to be closer to her, and my arms had minds of their own, wrapping around her like a life preserver.

In a way, she was a life preserver.

When she pulled away, she wore the a smile to die for. “If you keep this attitude up though, I’ll have to knock some more sense into you. No matter what, you’re still my Revan, and life won’t be bad. You can use the Star Forge to save the Republic and destroy the Sith. No one will be after us and I’ll still have you.”

What do you say to the love of your life after killing her monstrous brother, her malevolent Master, and about half of the galaxy’s population?

“I-”

The loudspeakers interrupted me. Admiral Dodonna’s static laden image appeared on a large screen. Her eyes had dark rings around them and her shoulders slumped. “Attention Star Forge. I am Admiral Forn Dodonna of the Republic. I... we... we are informing you of our surrender. The battle is over and further aggression will not prove anything.”

The power was leaving me, but I had enough to make a difference. One out of three, I reminded myself. Not good, but good enough. I stepped up to the control panel and opened a channel. Admiral Dodonna’s eyebrows almost jumped off her forehead when she saw me.

“Admiral Dodonna,” I greeted with a grin, my disturbing image enhanced by the glowing eyes, “Darth Malak is dead. Prepare for your victory.”

I cut communications.

“Overly dramatic,” scoffed Bastila, “I see you’re back to your old self.”

“You wouldn’t have me any other way, my Princess. Now, focus your Battle Meditation on the remaining Republic ships. I have Sith to kill.”

“How very un-Jedi-like of you.”

“Why thank you.”

The Star Forge protected its master. It tried to protect Malak, but it failed. Now me, I was also its master. The thing about the Star Forge: it never forgot. I entered my old authorization codes into the controls, and a quick scan later, the Star Forge welcomed me back like an old friend.

“Greetings, Revan. What is your command?”

And like an old friend, the Forge was a living, breathing specimen, only this friend tailored itself to run on Force power. I pressed my hand up to the input panel and unleashed the torrent of energies stored in my body, mind, and soul.

My consciousness melded with the machine. All at once, I saw from within and outer space. Turrets moved like my fingers and drone controlled ships acted like my lightsaber. All the energy gathered from over sixty Jedi discharged into the Star Forge, me as its focal point. It latched onto me, rendering itself into a planet sized suit of armor.

No, Malak. The vats weren’t the Star Forge’s ultimate secret. This was. It wasn’t a servant to the master: it was an extension of the master, an intergalactic vessel made to change all of known space. I felt like a sleeping giant awakening for the first time. I flexed my arms, commanded my drones, watched the battle, and fired upon the Sith. So much information poured into me, but the flow was second-nature, like seeing, hearing, and smelling at the same time.

All the vessels made from the Star Forge I retook control of. Cruisers, gunships, corvettes, fighters, destroyers, carriers--this was the resplendent fleet the Republic denied me, the one the Sith stole from me. So easy to just fall back on old habits and steamroll everyone, but Bastila’s words rang through my mind: save the Republic and destroy the Sith. Quell three enemies in one stroke. My grudges with the Republic I could always settle later. They, unlike Jedi and Sith, didn’t hurt Bastila.

Lucky them.

The ship construction sped up like my heart. I swarmed the most destructive ships. Guns and blasters of different shapes and sizes locked onto hundreds of targets and shot away. The Sith weren’t stupid, and when they realized the Star Forge no longer lay on their side, they started attacking it. Missiles exploded into the Star Forge, and the initial shock of pain made me flinch. Sadness welled up inside of me when I realized they’d destroyed a launching bay.

Felt like losing my favorite Pazaak deck or dropping my lightsaber.

Republic ships, reenergized by Bastila, criss-crossed through Sith lines untouched. Yet, despite our efforts, the battle still wasn’t going our way. The Republic all but annihilated, the Sith focused on me. Even the Star Forge could be destroyed, and the power I stole from the Jedi dwindled. Pretty soon, I’d have to remove myself and rely on the automated defenses, the same one which failed Malak. Not twenty minutes ago I wondered how I could expend all the energies in my body. Now, I didn’t have enough. I wasn’t burning out anymore--I was working myself to death.

A lucky shot hit one of the energy matrixes and made the entire station shudder. I vaporized the offender, but many more filled the ranks.

Weak, so tired. Powering the Star Forge was hard work. I stumbled onto one knee, but Bastila caught me before I fell.

“I’m not enough,” I whispered. “There’s too many of them.”

She stroked my face and wiped away the sweat. “Take my power. Use as much as you need.”

No. Not Bastila. “I can’t do that. It’ll kill you...”

“Like it’s killing you now!” she yelled. “So either take my power or get away from the control panel.” Ok, she had a point.

But I hated losing, especially in such a critical time. I’d never get another chance like this at the Sith and I won’t waste this opportunity. I searched deep within myself and drudged up the strength to continue.

Anger. Betray. Justice. Revenge. Love. Hate. Bastila. Malak.

The words gave me power, and I fed it to the Star Forge.

Then, from the planet below, the displacement field I’d shut down earlier reactivated. Whole squadrons of Sith fighters crashed into it and exploded. The Republic fighters in hot pursuit mysteriously didn’t suffer any consequences.

“Did you do that, Revan?”

“No,” I said, confused.

That’s when I saw the Ebon Hawk streak from the Rataka planet’s atmosphere and dive into combat like an avenging angel. The vessel hailed me, and let me say, I’ve never been this glad to see Carth’s scrubby face.

“Well, look what we have here,” he said in that arrogant way of his, “Need a little help, o’ master of the house?”

“Statement: I tried to communicate your orders to these meatbags, Master, but they’re stupid and wouldn’t listen. May I kill them now?”

“Shuddyup you rusted pile of junk!”

“Question: If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around, will you hurt?”

“What the hell are-” I heard metal meet bone. “Holy fuck that hurt! Jolee, lemme at him!”

Master Jolee’s face replaced Carth’s. “As you can see, young Revan, we’re fine. Question is, are you?”

No use in lying. “I feel like dying.”

He dashed away any amusement and shouted, “Then how come you told us to leave?! Stupid apprentices these days, always trying to act like some kind of tragic hero. Don’t die before I get to you, Revan! This old man needs to wring his student’s neck!”

“So do I!” rang Mission’s voice. “What were you thinking putting me back on the Hawk like that?”

Big Z roared something I couldn’t hear and Mission agreed. “Right, I could just... just... Hey!” she stopped when she saw me grin. “Stop smiling, Selene, or I’ll have Big Z collect on that money you owe me from Pazaak!”

“Jedi Revan,” said Juhani, “Don’t despair--the Force will guide us to you.”

“Force this, ya tin can!” The flyboy got clocked again when he lunged at HK.

Canderous boisterously laughed at the chaos in the Ebon Hawk. “You lead us into a glorious battle again, Revan! Just my fortune to slaughter in your name!”

My friends had excellent timing. Hope renewed, I turned to my task of fending off the Sith, now with a new tactic in my arsenal: the displacement field. I shepherded them into it, taking out scads of enemies at once. Republic forces took refuge behind the field and fired away.

Finally had a chance to focus on the capital ships.

Information began to overwhelm me as I weakened. Aiming the turrets grew more difficult and every attack on the Star Forge stung. I started losing more ships, but so close... the end was in sight. The Sith, faced with a barrier they couldn’t penetrate, the hulking Star Forge, and the remnants of the Republic fleet, tried to retreat. I chased after them to finish the job.

THIS was my business, and my business alone.

Then a trickle of power eased my tired body. Bastila, she gave herself to me. I didn’t want it but she insisted, and as exhausted as I was, I couldn’t refuse. Her extra burst allowed me to send the rest of my fast flying fighters into the heart of the Sith.

I commanded the vessels to explode.

A bright ball enveloped the fleeing ships and set off a chain reaction, growing and growing until the entire armada couldn’t be seen anymore. I wanted to watch, but I couldn’t, instead just closing my eyes. I fell to the floor taking Bastila down with me and disengaging from the Star Forge.

My deed was done.

“You did it! You drove the Sith back!”

Trying very hard to feel the triumph, I nodded. Sacrifices were made, but in the end, they were worth it. I reopened the bond between Bastila and me and surround myself with all that was her--her smell, her arms, her mind, her love. She held me, and lying here on cold metal in the middle of nowhere, I never felt more at home.

“You can open your eyes now,” she whispered.

I blinked and panic raced through me.

Her embraced tightened. “Revan, what’s wrong?”

“I’m blind,” I answered.

I blinked, and I know I blinked because I felt my eyelids close, but no light filtered through. The Star Forge... the energy from the Jedi... the glowing eyes... something must have burned me out. I waved my left hand in my face but nothing. Just nothing.

“I can’t see a damned thing...”