Revan's Path

Ziost

"Sith Recruit: Do you know how many sith there are on this planet?
Jolee Bindo: Twelve! No, wait! Thirteen! "

Evil. It's what they call her, but the word doesn't begin to describe the complexity of Darth Revan. To understand Revan you must first understand the many variables that make up her character. You take the most powerful Jedi of her era, give her a noble cause, twist her to the Dark Side with a place like Malachor where none can resist the call for long. You give her an enemy to vanquish and an army of Sith Assassins to vanquish them with. You give her the Star Forge, an almost sentient space station that feeds off the life force of Force users and is of the Dark Side. You give her an apprentice who, upon being turned to the Dark Side, becomes a scourge unlike any this generation of Jedi had seen up to that point. Then you factor in the Dark Side itself and the transformation it brings about in a person. Finally, you take in consideration having one's memory erased and replaced by a false identity with the real memories slowly trickling back. After that, you will have barely scratched the surface.

For Revan is, above all else, human. A being that feels love, hate, pain, sorrow and in rarer moments, joy. The pale skin, the glazed eyes mask her humanity. To those not familiar with the ways of the Force, of the Dark Side, her countenance alone would mark her as evil. And she is. Revan has done terrible things to Mandalorians, Jedi, and Republic soldiers alike. Innocent victims too numerous to count fell at her command or the commands of her underlings. This the residents of the Republic know well. What they don't know is that she feels the pain at their loss, each and every one. Sorrow for the terrible things she has done in the course of her struggles. They don't know that all the war and death has been for the sake of the Republic, for its continued security. That the Mandalorians were but a warm up for the greater battle to come, and that beyond the Outer Rim, the Sith Empire reborn exists waiting to destroy what is left of the Republic after the Mandalorian Wars and after what will later be known as the Jedi Civil War. That the war against the Republic was for the purpose of unifying it against this much greater threat, the nature of which none know but her and which she has taken on her shoulders. It is why she travels now through hyperspace on a route not marked on any Republic chart, and why she goes alone. Because as with the Mandalorians, this war is her war, and maybe her redemption as well. She fears for the safety of any who might accompany her, both at the hands of the Sith and at her own.

Redemption becomes more difficult the longer one walks the Dark Path and the longer one makes use of the Dark Side because it is a ally reluctant to part company once invoked. To one who is desperate for victory, it is most dangerous. It grants abilities, knowledge... some feel even inner strength to do what must be done. The Dark Side does not give its aid freely, however, but grafts itself to the user, twisting and distorting thoughts, emotions and eventually actions. It can transform a close friend into a hated enemy in the eyes of the user. It can submerge fears, inhibitions, compassion even love beneath a thick layer of anger and hate, the two emotions it feeds off of most often. Indeed, it transforms emotions themselves without the user even being aware of it, they thinking that the change comes from within themselves. And reaching that the conclusion, it is then a small matter for the Dark Sider to kill on a small or large scale even those they might hold dearest.

This lesson, Revan knows well because of the face that haunts her dreams on countless nights. It is why she has not slept well since that terrible day on the Rakata homeworld. Imagine yourself standing on a beach on a lush tropical planet being confronted by a dear friend, who's only concern at the moment is for you and for the changes that are occurring within you. Looking into your eyes, the young blue skinned Twi'lek is more afraid for you than for herself.

"I don't see the Dark Lord," Mission had said only days earlier. "I see a friend who's been with us through thick and thin..."

But she was wrong, and standing there on that beach, her concern appeared as hostility in the eyes of Revan, a threat that Bastila also felt. The threat, of course, was the Dark Side, unwilling to relinquish its hold over two powerful Force users. Mission's refusal to believe that they had both turned to the Dark Side had sounded like betrayal to Revan's ears. It was only much later walking through the corridors of the Sith Academy on Korriban that the thought would occur to her that there'd been no threat, that she'd been cruelly deceived. That Mission and the others had died on that beach for nothing. That Carth had loved her and only escaped because of the urgency of confronting Malak on the Star Forge. No, that wasn't right, Revan thought to herself as stared at the swirling cloudlike shapes hurtling toward her as she traveled through hyperspace. Not for nothing. Senseless deaths, but a wake up call for her. A warning of how far she'd fallen, and a reminder that she still had a conscience.

It is a strange sort of irony that the Dark Side never completely takes control and consequently does not shield one from guilt and regret. It is ironic because while it feeds on these two things just as it does with other emotions, using them to strengthen its grip on a Force user, these two factors are often its undoing. It was the horror of the memory of that incident that kept the idea of redemption firmly fixed in the back of her mind. Mission's voice invading her dreams saying again and again, "I don't see an enemy..." It was why Revan had often woke with tears on her cheeks, and why she spent so many sleepless nights. It was why she went to face the Sith alone rather than bring Bastila. Bastila could handle herself against any Sith, Revan knew, but it was the possibility of conflict between the two of them was where Revan's concern lie. The possibility that on another beach on another world, Mission's face might be replaced with Bastila's and a deadly duel take place wherein the woman who was like a sister to her would die senselessly like the crew of the Ebon Hawk. It was also why she'd left the ship behind on Malachor, because the pain of those memories hung about that ship like a shroud. Bastila was her only close associate, and nothing could be allowed to happen to her. So when it came time to leave Korriban for Sithspace, she'd left her behind despite Bastila's protestations. It was why Canderous and even the droids had to be left behind. Because she couldn't afford to lose anymore friends, and if death was waiting beyond the Outer Rim for her, than she would die alone, and perhaps finally make her penance for that terrible day when the crew of the Ebon Hawk realized the nature of the evil among them. And if one can understand all those factors intermixed, then one can begin to understand Revan.

Even before she made her trip beyond the Outer Rim, she visited the Core for what she thought might be her last time. Even as she'd been contemplating the threat that lie beyond and her many sleepless nights, the desire came to her to un-burden herself before she made her journey. What's more it had to be done with someone not of the Dark Side, someone who might plead her case to the Jedi Council in the case of her death. Indeed, that was at least half the reason for the trip, the other half being to ease the guilt which had begun to weigh her down. Guilt which Bastila could not understand, still reveling in her newfound powers and not having walked the Dark Path long enough to know. So she'd found Jedi Master Kreia one night on Coruscant, her first master, and the only member of the Order she felt would not immediately seek to destroy her or cut her off from the Force.

Once with Kreia, the words came tumbling out of her, Revan almost in hysterics as the emotions that accompanied the words flowed through her, easily overcoming her will that dictated there should be propriety and composure involved. All the guilt, anger, pain and fear left her for that moment in time as she rambled on and on, not allowing Kreia a word in edgewise, talking most of the night. Through it all, Kreia listened patiently. During that course of that evening, emotions of all types came up in Revan, almost choking her, but forcing her to continue on and on. The floodgates now opened, there would be no stopping them until what needed to be said had been. Mission, Carth, Big Z, the people of the Republic, the Republic soldiers on Dxun, the Jedi at Malachor, and even Malak. All of it came out in a continuous flow until finally, when a measure of calm had settled over Revan such as she had not known since her days on Dantooine, she noticed the sun beginning to cast its first rays over the Coruscant horizon. She explained she was going on a journey from which she quite possibly would not return. It was then that Kreia attempted to calm her down, asking her to stay in hiding on the planet until some sort of accord might be reached with the Jedi Council. Revan realized the awkward position she was putting her old master in and the danger to her when they found she had been in contact with the Dark Lord of the Sith. It was then that Revan hastily expressed her gratitude and made to depart. But Kreia stopped her, asking her to trust as she once did and telling her that she must have faith. "I do have faith, and I do trust. And you must extend me the same courtesy. We may yet meet again," Revan had told her. But even as she said the words, she found her will beginning to cave under the old woman's pleas. So she slipped out of the room without another word and without looking back. Wiping her eyes, she quickly made her way back to the seedy dock where her ship lie and left Coruscant.

That had been weeks ago, and now with a somewhat lightened conscience she was coming up on the Ziost system. But only somewhat lightened because as she drew near to the capital of the Sith Empire, it was clear to her that her connection to the Dark Side was not yet over, that the thoughts of redemption in the back of her mind would have to stay there for the time being. As it had in the Mandalorian Wars, the Dark Side would be a necessary ally in this new campaign. Perhaps one day, she would be able to finally cast it aside and rest from her labors on some backwater planet in solitude. But that time was still a ways off.

The database on Malachor had been clear that it was the center of the Sith Empire. The question was, what Sith Empire? It had supposedly been destroyed a thousand years earlier. At least that was the commonly held belief. It was actually something she had stumbled upon in the Archives on Malachor, and something she was later reminded of when Canderous told her the Sith been behind the Mandalorians attacking the Republic. But then the memory had been lost with all the rest when the Jedi Masters reprogrammed her. That was the right term...reprogramming. Oddly enough it was something she herself might have done, and so she could appreciate it from a strategic sense. But it was quite another matter to have it done to oneself. The paradox, of course, was that the Jedi had almost sealed the Republic's fate in blackening out her memories. It was as Malak put it, "The mind of a Sith Lord is not so easily dominated." The memories had come back regardless, and perhaps none too soon.

Just then the alert sounded, and the ship began to drop out of hyperspace. The starlines became the speckled blackness of space, and before her was a grey planet surrounded by a variety of warships. As she drew nearer, she could make out the star ship designs of various systems including the Empress Teta system. But more surprising were a pair of ships of Rakata design in orbit, a disturbing development considering she had thought the archives on Malachor locked against others who might try to find information pertaining to the old empire. But of greater immediate concern was the possibility she might be recognized if Sith from Korriban had come before her. Still she continued on knowing the beginning of her final journey lie on the planet up ahead. From the planet itself, was an aura of the Dark Side much like that she had found at Malachor.

But other matters suddenly took precedence as a transmission came over her comm system, "Unknown ship, power down your engines and weapon systems, and prepare to be detained." Before she could even offer a reply, she felt the starfighter jerk violently to starboard, and then she felt the unmistakable pull of a tractor beam, drawing her towards a ship of unfamiliar design. It was wedge-shaped, the length of it narrowing to a point at the bow of the ship, with a rather skinny neck much like that of a Republic warship. Along the length of the ship were large metal plates that extended out at an angle from the hull of the ship, effectively covering most of it from attack and marked with various symbols. From between the plates could be seen rows of turbolasers, and at the top of the ship near the stern a pair of towers extended upwards. It was through one of the gaps in between the plates that she found her ship being drawn and into a small hangar beyond....

The Massassi guard took his squad of three into the hangar where the unknown ship was lowering on to the platform. It came to rest and a scrawny human female got out dressed in black robes and wearing a lightsaber on her belt. The Force radiated strongly from her, and the aura of the Dark side was about her. No doubt another self-proclaimed Sith Lord from Republic space, he thought to himself, here in a quest for power. He watched her approach them nervously, hands shaking as she drew her lightsaber. It was always the same with these refugees from Republic space...having learned some basic concepts of the Dark Side, they considered themselves Sith not even fully understanding what the word meant much less being worthy of the title. Nonetheless, the Dark Lord had a purpose for them all, and so they all received similar treatment upon arrival. And probably, so routine was this greeting of aliens seeking the Dark Side to him that he failed to feel the slight probe into his thoughts as he took the lightsaber from her.

It was then that she delivered her speech that she had rehearsed in her mind for just this occasion. "Oh great, Sith, I have come far to study your sorcery. Long have I walked the path of the Dark Side seeking out your greater wisdom and knowledge. My desire burns hotter than a thousand suns..."

"Name?" the Massassi in robes asked, cutting her off.

"Shayla Khaar," Revan replied.

"Very well. Your quarters are this way," gesturing towards the door with the datapad..

For her own part, as she walked ahead of them, she absorbed carefully the sight of so many Massassi warriors of which she had only heard about in legend. Of course the tale of the Great Hyperspace War was known to all Jedi, and the eventual massacre of that race on Yavin. The Massassi were thought to have been extinct, yet here they were, perhaps an entire civilization forgotten or ignored by the Republic. The final details of the Sith, the species that the Dark Jedi encountered when they broke ranks so many thousands of years ago were never chronicled by the ancient Jedi Masters. The legends spoke of the Sith Lord Naga Sadow bringing them all to Yavin IV. As Revan was walked through the corridors of the ship, it occurred to her that nobody had questioned that an entire race that existed thousands of years ago possibly even before the Republic existed was completely wiped by the Great Hyperspace War, but for those that were taken to Yavin IV. Nobody considered that the facts could be incomplete, but then that was the way with the Jedi. The asking of questions was discouraged. It was expected that one would accept the teachings on faith, and therein lie the limits of the Jedi. Indeed the great Jedi Master Odan-Urr had once said, " “The galaxy will live in tranquility if certain matters are a bit overlooked or left unheard.”

It was why Revan had felt that she had learned all she could from the Order, and why all her lessons since then had been learned the hard way and often bitterly. So if she was not surprised by the sight of the red-skinned aliens surrounding her, neither did it seem strange to her that the armor they wore appeared to be heavily influenced by Krath designs and the weapons they carried familiar sights in the Republic. No, the only surprises left were who the current Dark Lord was and what it would take to defeat an Empire once again.

She found herself led to a row of cells, and, the door sliding open before her, being shoved rudely inside. "This is outrageous," she said, allowing indignation to creep into her voice. "I am due respect and ..."

But she was cut of in mid speech by the first guard. "And perhaps you will earn it, Jedi," he said, the use of the term Jedi clearly meant to be demeaning. Then the door shut behind her, and she was left alone.

With a sigh she sat cross-legged on the floor and began to meditate. So far, so good. She was in and hadn't been recognized. But no doubt to the Massassi, one human looked very much like another even if a description of her had made its way here. Moreover it seemed the others who had come before her had made such fools of themselves that the Sith would underestimate her capabilities, and that would work to her advantage as she began her investigation.

As she slept, another dream came to her in which Mission said the words again, "This can't be happening..." It was almost gratefully that she was awakened by hands grabbing her arms and pulling her to her feet. Mission's voice was replaced by a now familiar voice telling her to move quickly. That she was being shuttled down to the planet to join a group of other recruits. She wiped the sleep from her eyes and stumbled down the corridor to another hangar where a small ship waited. She was roughly shoved aboard along with a group of beings over various species including some humans, though none that looked familiar. For good measure, however, Revan pulled the hood over her head and kept her eyes to the floor as the ship lifted off and out of the hangar, and then they were approaching the planet. Between the two Massassi pilots and the small group of guards, she glanced up quickly and could see the ugly grey mass becoming larger, broken up by large white areas across its surface.

When they finally reached the surface, the chill could be felt immediately. Revan wrapped her cloak about her tightly as she stepped off the ship to the sight of the vast sheet of ice that the ship had landed on, and of the grey, stone cliffs that rose up around them. On several of these were large fortresses that looked out over the ice sheet, and from all around them a mist rose. The line of recruits, of which Revan was in the middle, made their way across the ice, prodded on by a group of Massassi guards. Of the robed Massassi who'd taken her lightsaber, there was no sign. At this realization, she could feel the irritation rising within her, threatening to boil over into rage. The surrender of her lightsaber had been necessary for gaining entrance to the Sith ranks, but it had been with some confidence that it would soon be back in her hands. Now it was simply one more thing that needed to be done.

"Faster," she heard a voice growl and then felt the haft of a polearm nudge her forward. She looked over her shoulder and saw the lead guard from the ship above had drawn near. Gritting her teeth, she turned and moved forward at a quicker pace thinking how that particular Sith would need to be the first one to go when the time came for action.

They were led through a large crack in one of the cliff faces and through a network of caves of ice and rock until they came to a series of doors. The rooms beyond them were to be their quarters, they were told, though they more resembled cells than rooms. They were then told they would begin their training the Revan moved into hers, settling herself in front of the small fire pit that provided the only warmth.

But it was only a short while later that the number one person on her 'to kill' list managed to move his name down significantly. He appeared in her open doorway suddenly, moving inside the room and closing it behind him. Sitting across the fire from her, he studied her carefully before speaking.

"Should I take it then that your species doesn't believe in knocking first, or that these quarters are actually cells?" Revan asked him finally.

"You may draw from it whatever inference you like," he said, laying his polearm beside him. "But I think it would be much more interesting to discuss who you are and why you're here. I am not blind. I see your potential. The Force burns in you brightly. You are no simple recruit like the others."

"It's quite simple," Revan said with a smile. "I'm the Dark Lord of the Sith."

"From anybody else that would be a brash and foolish statement meant bolster up one's own shaky confidence. But you either believe this to be true or have skill in deception."

"Or maybe I simply have gone mad," Revan offered.

The Massassi again stared at her for a short time. "Whatever the case is, I can be of assistance to you, and you to me. Unless of course you prefer grueling training in these caves for the next year of your life and possibly longer..."