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Chapter 14: The Apprentice

"Evil... Why does everyone call me that? You should try calling me indifferent. Not to be confused with apathy, indifference is far from uncaring. An indifferent person chooses not to take sides. An indifferent person looks at a problem with open eyes and not through the narrowminded dogma of a Jedi or the blind hatred of a Sith."

The former Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Revan said calmly, slowly twisted the hand in his grasp and enjoying the sound of the broken bones in his opponents wrist grinding together. Pulling harder, Revan dug his knee even deeper into the old soldier's kidney before drawing back his elbow and driving it into the back of the man's skull as he lay on the duracrete walkway of Manaan's streets. Standing up slowly, Revan sneered slightly through his mask at the unconscious Republic soldier that had attacked him.

"Let that be a lesson, my blind old friend."

Revan spat, turning to the Selkath security guards that approached him warily.

"I'm finished with him and the next time someone attacks me I may be tempted to kill them. Throw him in a cell and charge him with whatever passes for assault here."

Looking uncertain but very, very frightened as Revan's hand came to rest beside his lightsaber, the Selkath guard captain nodded and lifted the Republic soldier's limp body, intent on taking the soldier to a healer before letting him go. He had seen what Revan had done as soon as the soldier had lifted the blaster pistol to his face and he felt that a broken arm, a dislocated shoulder and likely a few broken ribs were payment enough for attempting to kill a former Sith Lord. That and the knowledge that he would never be able to challenge Revan directly and succeed. Lifting the old man, Sunry from the ground and hauling him away, the Selkath left Revan alone amidst the masses of Ahto city.

"Those were some nice moves..."

A young woman in a Sith uniform said admirably. Revan passed along a rude hand gesture, uncaring as he continued towards his ship.

"Now now, Lord Revan. It isn't polite or wise to dismiss someone so callously."

The young woman smiled slowly when Revan's hooded form stopped and the former Sith Lord's head turned slightly so the corner of his mask faced her. Almost as soon as Revan faced her the Sith could feel the intrusion in her mental shields and even before she could mount an effective defense against Revan he had already discovered her intent.

"I don't deal with double agents..."

Revan thought of warning the young woman that the Republic soldier he had beaten was on to her but decided not to. Let the old man kill her and he could be rid of two problems at once. Without bothering to take in the young woman's look of rage, Revan rounded from her and continued onward to his ship, occasionally shoving aside a Sith or Republic soldier that tried to shoulder past him. Smirking as one landed rather hard on the floor, Revan moved on, pausing at the bay doors of his hangar and reaching deeply into the Force that had abandoned him once but now seemed intent on answering is every beck and call. Smiling as a feeling of completeness washed over him along with the power he had formerly controlled, Revan rolled his shoulders slowly to work out the stiffness that came with wearing his armor and keyed in his security code, his lightsaber already in his right hand as he prepared for his attackers.

"So the rumors were not true..."

A feminine voice called from the dim lighting of the hangar bay. Revan kept his saber deactivated as he waited, his face as expressionless as his mask.

"My Master is most displeased that Lord Sion and Nihilus did not destroy you but he has much more urgent matters to attend to than chasing down those weaklings... I of course have been waiting for this for years..."

Bored, Revan began spinning his inactive lightsaber hilt in his hand, a gesture he was certain Darth Bandon's apprentice, Darth Chens'a would know well. She had served him with competence during the first year of his reign as Dark Lord so he was not surprised to see her still alive. He was also not surprised to see that the young human was Bandon's apprentice, merely disappointed.

"I had heard you were blind to the Force but seeing that you are not I have an offer..."

Silence answering her, the apprentice of the Dark Lord of the Sith continued, her unease growing at the sight that had inspired so much fear in the galaxy for two long years, the sight of Darth Revan's mask.

"You could join me and we could overthrow Lord Bandon. Take control of the Star Forge and rebuild your Empire..."

Revan actually paused, pretending to think over the deal before he shrugged casually.

"Not interested. Already have an apprentice chosen so you're pretty much useless. If you live maybe we can talk later... when you're getting your arms and legs replaced with a droid's."

With that, Revan moved forward, not bothering to take in the woman's startled features. It was all an act to throw him off and he was no fool. The young woman before him was a hardened warrior and a killer, one he had shaped himself and one he had no interest in at the moment. The galaxy was a big place and he didn't need to be the Dark Lord of the Sith to get things done. He only needed credits and power, both things he had to spare at that very moment.

"Defend yourself."

Revan called when her lightsaber remained inactive. Realizing Revan wasn't falling for her act, Darth Chens'a's face morphed into a scowl, her pale eyes glowing golden in the dim lighting of the hangar.

"You wouldn't think I'd come alone, would you?"

The young Sith mocked as she dodged Revan's first strike, raising her violet-bladed lightsaber in a quick block. Revan did not answer with words, merely raising his left arm slowly towards the Dark Jedi approaching him from the side and flicking his wrist. The power of the blow was more than Revan had intended but it got the job done and the Sith was thrown back across the hangar bay and against the wall where a wet popping sound filled the air as a spatter of crimson blood painted the wall and the body dropped in a lifeless heap. Taking advantage of the barely noticeable distraction, Chens'a moved to Revan's left, attempting to slice into his outstretched arm. Revan quickly twisted his right wrist, the Force singing to him and letting him know exactly how much power to put behind the blow. Almost as quickly as the blade was diverted from its path, Revan felt the Force's warning and drew heavily upon it, taking a large stride forward as he held the hilt of his crimson bladed lightsaber in both hands and raised it over his shoulders, his blade running parallel to his spine and intercepting the Dark Lord's apprentice's blade with ease. Had the Force not told him how to hold the blade, Revan was certain the strength behind his opponent's blow would have sent his own blade into his spine. Following through with another step, Revan pivoted his heel, leaning back slightly as a shaft of purple light shot over to where his throat had been moments before. Knocking the blade aside in a quick flourish, Revan locked blades with his foe, sliding his weapon along until it clipped Chens'a's hilt and the first two fingers and her thumb on her left hand.

"You're getting sloppy."

Revan chided as the young woman dropped the molten remains of her lightsaber and held her ruined hand, crying out in pain. Breathing heavily from the amount of Force energy he had exerted, Revan decided he needed to get some more practice in as he raised his left hand, lowering his lightsaber and slowly calling the Force to his will. Within moments the young woman's cries were replaced by choking and Revan watched as she struggled to free herself desperately from his hold. Her eyes yearned for him to free her but Revan knew those same eyes had looked on with joy as they had done exactly the same thing to others.

"You can have your life... But I can guarantee you for challenging me here today it won't be worth living."

With that, Revan used the Force to lift the young woman, calling on the once elusive power to smash the bones in her legs and her arms. Chens'a cried out in agony as she was slowly crushed by Revan's will, only at the last moment, when the damage had already been done did her powerful outburst of Force energy send Revan back a step, breaking his hold on her. The sound of wet flesh meeting duracrete sounded and despite her agonized screams, Chens'a managed a hateful glare towards Revan. In response, Revan swallowed the sickened lump that had formed in his throat at the torture and he merely tilted his head, watching the young woman struggle.

"I'm curious..."

Revan began, kneeling beside Chens'a's form as his cape slowly collected in a pile at his heels and his armor shifted slightly with the change in his stance.

"Did you honestly think you'd get away with this?"

Revan asked, idly straightening a strand of hair that fell over his opponent's sweat-covered face. In response, Chens'a snarled wordlessly, her hatred clear in her yellowed Sith eyes. Revan gave a simple humph and slammed the edge of his hand into his opponent's temple, just enough force behind the blow to knock her unconscious and not kill her. Rising slowly from his crouch, Revan walked to the edge of the maintenance bay, activating the communicator there and informing the Selkath of another attack and that one of the assailants was in need of a burial and the other in need of a Healer. Turning slowly to look down at the dead body of the Sith that had attacked him at Chens'a's order, Revan sniffed slightly and shook his head.

"I think I have some training to do..."

Revan decided, realizing that he had atrophied slightly in his Force form since losing his abilities three years before. Stepping over the corpse and moving towards his ship, Revan briefly reached out with the Force, sensing that despite his exhaustion he still had some strength to spare and quickly scanned the ship for any new threats. Sensing none in the immediate area, Revan stepped inside, checking his ship's messages and frowning in annoyance when he realized he was doing exactly what the Jedi had wanted. While he wasn't actively seeking a way to destroy the Order, Revan was not a fan and the message from Mira about a detachment of Jedi being sent from Coruscant to retrieve him as well as a backup group from Dantooine was stressing. While the Republic and Sith were severely lacking in their abilities of capturing or killing him, Revan had no doubt the Jedi would have some trick up their cloaks.

"This is bloody fantastic."

Revan muttered, wondering who the Force would be insane enough to try to hunt him down. Sith Lords and old Republic soldiers with too much misplaced loyalty and too much time were one thing, adding a seasoned Jedi Knight that was likely embittered towards him for the war was a whole other matter. Most of the Sith that had followed him, or more precisely those that had survived through the events of Malak's betrayal and Bandon's rise to power were generally new to the Darkside and Revan was not sorry to say, incompetent. He could strike down three without the Force and he knew his chances against a seasoned and likely more careful Jedi were drastically less appealing.

"Better get started."

Revan sighed, using his slightly drained Force reserves to raise his lightsaber from his belt and into the air that filled the cockpit of the Bloodraven. With ease a Padawan would envy the hilt moved quickly and gracefully, its blade inactive though Revan could activate it at any time and use it to much the same effect through the Force as he could with his own hands. It was a trick his Master Kreia had taught him and one that had been invaluable when surrounded by a great many more opponents than he could simply tear his way through like a mad Rancor.

"That was more Malak's style..."
Revan sighed to himself at the thought, the stab of pain that accompanied any memory of his friends more present than it had been in a long time.

"Bloody Hell."

Revan muttered, standing and leaving the ship in time to see the Selkath hauling away Darth Chens'a and the Sith he had killed. Stretching slowly, Revan turned back to his ship, removing his bulky armor in favor of his black robes and cloak and decided he'd go for a run. He'd been getting lazy since he could feel the Force again and decided it'd be best to get back to a routine. Slowly jogging along the edge of the landing bay, Revan wondered briefly why he was thinking of Malak.

High above Manaan a Jedi transport orbited the oceanic world, awaiting clearance to land in Ahto city. At the controls the former apprentice of the Dark Lord of the Sith, Malak calmly stared at the world, the memories of the Star Forge and the search for the Starmaps with Revan years before crossing his mind. Beside Malak, Jedi Master and High Councillor Atris stared impassively at the world with dim blue eyes, her expression annoyed.

"Patience."

Malak soothed, having sensed Revan's recent outburst of power and the duel. He even thought he could recognize the opponent but didn't bother checking too far into it when he sensed the blinding hatred and ultimate defeat of said opponent.

"You sensed that, Malak. Our job is to bring Revan to Coruscant to open the files in his old Yacht not to bring in his corpse. It has been three years since he has last used the Force. It doesn't matter how good he was he has still atrophied in his use. You sensed how much energy he used just then."

Malak sighed, the mechanical undertone lost in the gesture.

"Revan is much stronger than you realize, Atris. After the Mandalorian war he became something all too different from the man you remember. How do you think he was able to best so many of the Jedi? He may have used a lot of energy in those attacks but he has the energy to spare. What was it Master Kreia always said about him? Revan was power."

Looking uneasy at the mention of Revan's old Master, Atris said nothing. Hearing about her predecessor on the High Council was never easy but hearing that she had fallen to the Darkside because of the knowledge she possessed was never something she liked to dwell upon. It meant that she was in danger of falling and that, Atris could simply not believe. As if on cue, the communicator on the ship activated and an all too familiar ship passed the Jedi transport, tilting to the left and right as it passed.

"Greetings, Master Atris."

Bastila Shan's voiced called over the comm line as Carth passed along his own greeting as he flew the Ebon Hawk past. Malak looked slightly ill at the sound of the voice, remembering a time he had plotted capturing and torturing the young woman behind Revan's back. He had been a Sith at the time but it had still been his own mind that had come up with the plan.
"Greetings, Padawan Shan and Commander Onasi. It is good you've arrived. We sensed a massive disturbance in the Force moments ago and it seems Revan is making his presence known."

The other end of the comm line was silent for a moment, the detachments of the Dantooine Enclave uneased slightly at the news.

"Not to worry, my companion believes that Revan was victorious and I can sense his... frustration."

Frustration indeed. Revan scowled at the Bloodraven as he realized with distaste that the Sith had tried to sabotage his ship by coating his ion engine drives with an explosive material. Running a hand along the slime coating the drive, Revan shook his head and called the Selkath for a cleaning bot. If he'd tried warming the engines for preflight before leaving the hangar he'd have been dead before he knew it. Having second thoughts as to leaving Darth Chens'a alive, Revan leapt down from behind the Bloodraven, the Force cushioning his landing as he landed in a crouch. Staying in his crouch for some time, lost in his own thoughts, Revan did not sense the Jedi that had arrived in orbit of Manaan.