Chapter 33

No Going Back

"All hands, man your battle stations! This is not a drill – I repeat, this is not a drill!" Vice Admiral Matt Feron's voice rang across every square inch of the Republic capital ship, the Deliverance, via intercom. The halls were packed with soldiers rushing in all directions to arm themselves and man their battle stations, and the surgeons preparing the medical bay for the inevitable masses of screaming and dying men and women which were to come.

"All units, standby and prepare to move on my mark!" Carth ordered to all vessels under his command, already feeling vexed as he realized that the fleet was poorly stationed for a battle. "Do not, I repeat, do not advance until I give the order! Canderous, are your forces in position?" he asked hastily, his heartbeat and blood pumping with adrenaline.

"Of course we are, Onasi, what do you take us for?" Canderous scoffed back over the inter-fleet comlink. "My forces are all set and ready. Just make sure you and your boys don't soil yourselves once the action gets close and personal!"

"'Close and personal'? You can't be serious! You're gonna charge them? Have you lost your mind?" Carth shouted.

"Calm down, you goddamn pitiful excuse for a man!" Veela growled back. "We're Mandalorians, not Iridonians! None of us can charge a force that big!" she pointed her arm at the oncoming sea of battleships and carriers which seemed to even outnumber the stars themselves. To their relief, the Sith fleet was yet to open fire, not only because they were still out of effective range, but also because of the wall of still asteroids that lay between the two fleets.

Choosing to ignore the ruckus and bickering, Revan walked to the far end of the viewing platform, his cool demeanor starkly contrasting the haste and stress displayed by all of the Mandalorian warriors who frantically began to work at all the consoles seconds after they spotted the enemy fleet. His brow was noticeably not the slightest bit afflicted by anxiety, despite the fact that the huge Sith armada was bearing down on his position. Vessels ranging from huge battleships with hammerhead-shaped bows bristling with heavy frontal cannons; colossal carriers awaiting to release swarms of fighter craft; and sturdy brick-shaped frigates with heavily fortified bows and deadly frontal durasteel spikes designed for brutal ramming constituted the bulk of the fleet. But above all, Revan's eyes were fixed upon a single battleship, the largest of them all, from which he could sense a gaze that caused his heart to sink for a fleeting moment.

Headed right towards them was a hulking monstrosity, one of the deadliest battleships that the old Sith Empire had to offer. Dagger-shaped in overall structure with a trident-like front, the presence of no less than six red magnetic shields scattered across each horizontal face of the 'blades' told Revan that it hosted possibly hundreds of fighter craft alone. Adding to the ship's intimidating appearance, two massive wing-like durasteel structures spread themselves out on either flank, each sporting dozens upon dozens of heavy blaster cannons capable of rotating 360 degrees in all directions. The 'wings', as they appeared to be, were skeletal in appearance, allowing full freedom of rotation to the turrets to fire in any direction with minimal risk of friendly fire. To call it a flying fortress would have been more appropriate than a simple battleship, for it easily outsized and outgunned even Canderous's flagship, the Titan.

But more frightening than the ship itself, however, was the unflinching conviction Revan had in regards to who was leading the enemy fleet.

Even from miles away, he could feel every emotion that coursed through her. Anguish, hatred, regret…he couldn't tell which drove her more. The pain that comes with being forced to act against her own will and fight the one she loved most…he wanted to relieve her of it. Wanted to save her. Wanted to—

"Revan!" Jehanne shouted at him from the main console, from which the positions of every detectable ship on both fleets were visible for all to see. "Revan, what are you doing, just standing there and staring out at the enemy? We need your help! Right now!"

Broken out of his momentary trance, Revan hurriedly walked over and examined the map of the battlefield alongside Canderous, Veela and Jehanne. The sight he beheld would have made a lesser commander faint: the allied forces were easily outnumbered by a margin close to three-to-one, and worse yet, by an opposing force which resembled a mere vanguard of the Sith armada. Even in a relatively compact formation, the Sith fleet would easily outstretch the allied forces, enabling Clara to employ whatever tactic she wished with little risk.

The bridge's doors slid open, and Brianna rushed in, headed straight for Revan's direction. "Where on earth are the others stationed? Why can't I reach them? How long until we engage?"

"No frigging clue about your first two questions," Veela replied. "As far as I'm concerned, we're already engaged. Let those Sith bastards come!"

"You can't reach the others?" Revan asked.

"Their transponders aren't responding, or rather, they aren't. Where is Mission?" Brianna questioned, her normally ice-cool tone noticeably shaken.

"We don't have time to check up on your newest addition to the Jedi princess circle," Canderous grunted as he inputted a series of fleet commands into the console. "Wherever she is, she'll just have to fend for herself. We have bigger problems to deal with. Onasi! Why the hell aren't your forces in proper position yet?!" he yelled at his co-commander again.

"Are you out of your mind, trying to stand your ground against that?" Carth shouted back. "Look at their numbers! Do you think that we can stand a chance even with Bastila's battle meditation?"

"For the last time, Onasi, we are not charging them head-on! Do you think we're stupid?" Canderous growled. "Just get your fleet in line already – your scattered formation is a goddamn eyesore! Hide your ships behind ours if you're so darn scared, but do it quickly – those Sith aren't gonna wait around!"

"Wait a second," Veela said with a curious tone. "The Sith, they've…they've stopped."

She was right. Taking a closer look at the minimap of the battle, Revan could see that the Sith fleet had come to a complete standstill just a few miles short of the huge asteroid field that lay ahead. Only one ship was moving forward, and that was the lead ship – the monstrosity that caused even some of the battle-hardened of Mandalorians to break a sweat.

Seconds passed, during which not a single soul in the Titan's bridge spoke a word. Then, a lone, delicate voice came through the transceiver, confirming Revan's worst fears.

"This is Lady Clara, commander of the Emperor's fleet. I want an audience with the commanders of your fleet as well as Revan. Have your hangar ready for my arrival."

-o-

The moment the loading ramp of her escort shuttle hissed open, Clara was faced by the sight of hundreds of heavily-armed Mandalorian warriors, their heavy armor exactly the way she remembered them being from that irksome war. The warriors all stood in perfect order and compact lines, and behind the visors of their helmets, Clara could sense their anger towards her. Some of their fingers twitched in frustration against their blasters, eager to have a shot at the cloaked woman to whom they gave the fitting nickname, 'the bitch'. Too many of their warriors had fallen to underhanded ambushes and sneak attacks by her for them to treat her with the same respect as they did Revan.

Her temporary smirk quickly vanished when she saw, at the center of the hangar, Revan himself. Her one-time fiancé was flanked on either side by Carth, whom she recognized, and an imposing warrior who sported the very same mask she witnessed Revan pry from Mandalore's corpse. Beside each of the fleet commanders stood two more figures: a relatively young man with dark-brown hair and eyes who wore the uniform of a Republic Vice-Admiral; and a fierce-looking, un-helmeted Mandalorian woman with multi-colored hair who made her Republic counterpart look like a scared little dog by comparison.

The Mandalorian was of little consequence, as was his pathetic little ragtag band of warships and their Republic support. All she cared for now and all her eyes could focus on was him. Despite being separated from him for barely over a week, her desire for him was like a ravenous hunger – insatiable, uncontrollable. It took much strength for her to focus herself on the task at hand, something that should have been so easy to do for any mere messenger.

She stopped in front of him, her hood still covering her eyes as she struggled to bring herself to raise her head to look upon him. She was stricken with shame, knowing that she let her doubt and her hatred for Gerome overcome her love for, and her desire to stay strong for Revan. She knew deep down in her heart what Revan's answer would be, and what it would mean for them. She knew that her life would be over no matter what the outcome was.

Still, she was bound to her duty to the Emperor. She had to serve him, or die.

And yet, there was something different about Revan. He had an air about him that felt alien to her, but still, something deep down was pulling at her heart. She couldn't quite point out what it was about him that gave her an eerie sensation – bottomless fear mixed with boundless hope was all she could think of.

Slowly and nervously, she pulled back her hood and raised her head inch by inch, until at last she saw those tender brown eyes which expressed bottomless disappointment in her as a sigh escaped Revan's lips. Fighting down the urge to scream and throw herself into a bottomless pit, she spoke as calmly and confidently as possible to the fleet leaders. "I wish to speak to Revan, and Revan alone. The two of you are not required to participate."

"This is my flagship you're on, missy," Canderous growled back. "As we are the fleet commanders, you will negotiate with none other than me and Admiral Onasi. Revan is in no capacity to command a fleet. Not anymore."

"I am in no mood for games. I want to talk to Revan," she said, her soft tone underlined by seething anger.

"Listen to me, Clara," Carth said, more polite than Canderous but firm nonetheless. He visibly struggled to look upon her eyes, the formerly green emeralds turned-orange orbs unnerving him. "Just like Canderous said, Revan is not in command of even a tiny squadron in this fleet. All decisions will be made by us. You'll only be wasting your time if you decide to talk to Revan."

"I don't care," she puffed, pacing forth and swiftly taking Revan's hand in her own. "I'm talking to him and that's final."

Her brash movement was repaid by the sound of Canderous's heavy blaster pistol cocking as it pointed straight to her temple. "Put his hand down right now. Get out of this ship before I blast your pretty head off."

"Canderous!" Revan shouted and grabbed the front of his pistol, diverting it away. "Put it down. There's no need for that."

"Hmph," Canderous grunted, holstering his pistol after several tense seconds.

"Canderous, Carth, listen to me," Revan lowered his voice as he released Clara's hand and got closer to the two fleet commanders. "Just give me some time alone with her as she wants. Like you said, I have no control over any section of this fleet, and therefore I'm not in any position to sabotage the battle. But I could influence her. Believe me when I say that she despises the Emperor more than anything for what he did to her. To both of us while we were captive. Other than the fact that she loves me, the Sith fleets serve the Emperor out of fear. They loathe and despise him as much as she does. Please, just give me some time with her. I promise you I'll do my best to persuade her."

"You really think it's gonna work, do you?" Carth asked cynically. Seeing Revan give a nod, he could only relent. "Fine. Go ahead."

"You have half an hour," Canderous said sternly to Clara with a glare. "After that, I want you off my ship. One way or the other."

Clara gave them a condescending smirk in reply. "I'm so glad to see it my way." The weak smile on her face quickly faded to a sullen frown when she took Revan's hand again and stared in the direction of a blast door at the northern end of the hangar, whispering almost lethargically. "Lead me to the conference room, please, my darling."

With a silent nod, Revan proceeded to escort her, and Clara's usually strong charisma was suddenly lost to her as her eyes wandered downward to her feet, her heart pounding with doubt. Her legs strangely felt as if they would begin to buckle out of fear, but not for fear of the impending battle – something completely different was wrangling her from the inside, and she was far too perturbed to even describe it for herself.

Bringing her gaze up again, she was drawn to the sight of a fair face that stood out all on its own amidst the crowd. She glanced right, only to be greeted by the scowling face of the woman who ruined her life. Her lips were pursed tightly shut and her eyes contorting madly with dagger-like glares. The petty little princess whom she easily dispatched and made a mockery of in her dreams now looked like a tigress ready to devour a doe, her fingers visibly yearning to reach for her lightsaber.

The petty Padawan she remembered defiantly snubbing Revan's charming oratory on Coruscant was no more. For perhaps the first time in her life, Clara felt threatened by one who was by all rights a lower Jedi than her.

So threatened was she that she held tightly onto Revan's hand, as if to beckon him to protect her.

-o-

Not a single soul could be seen in the corridors of the Titan as the two walked to the conference room. Deathly silence surrounded them, and yet Revan and Clara sensed that every living being in both fleets were poised for a battle for survival itself. Pilots trembled as they boarded their fighters, bombers and landing craft that could easily be destroyed right upon leaving their hangars. Those who manned laser turrets were just as fearful as their comrades, with their fingers nervously gripping the triggers of laser turrets prepared to blast each other to smithereens.

Minutes passed, and yet Clara's hand was wrapped around Revan's, her fear unabated. She turned her shaking head towards him to look at his face, but he simply wouldn't return her glance. His eyes were fixed forward, moving only to see the corridor which lay ahead of him, or peering down at his feet to silently express his sheer disappointment in her.

Deep shame washed over Clara as she looked away, but her attention was drawn when Revan suddenly stopped without warning. His eyes stayed peering down before turning leftward and using the Force to open up the door to the conference room, leading her in after him.

The lights were dim, and a long, rectangular steel desk complemented with a dozen seats was located in the middle. The air was cold, an ever-present reminder of the Mandalorians' preference for personal fortitude over comfort. Furthermore, the setting was not an unfamiliar one to either Revan or Clara, who still remembered well the vicious growls and hisses they received during the unconditional surrender of the defeated and humiliated Mandalorians after the death of their former leader.

Old habits clearly never died away, as Revan pulled back the chair at the head of the table and silently gestured for Clara to have a seat. "Thank you," she whispered with a small, cheeky smile. "I may not be your empress anymore, but I see that you've kept your old touch."

Revan did not smile. Instead, he sighed as he walked past her, causing her to lose her smile as quickly as she had made it. She looked down in disappointment briefly but raised her head again when she saw that he sat himself down in the seat directly to her left, rather than the seat at the opposite head of the table.

"Why the sudden change? You were always one for formalities in the past," she observed, her mood dampened by his lack of a reply to her first quip.

Clearly, Revan was not in the mood for mild quips, as he didn't even bother to reply to her words. Instead, he simply stared at her. His eyes showed no emotion, whether it be disappointment or frustration. Emptiness was all Clara could see in those eyes that made her even more ashamed of what she had done. She turned her head away and blinked rapidly, as if that would help dispel the orange orbs of corruption and bring back the emeralds Revan fell in love with.

After about a minute of trying, Clara got fed up and looked Revan right in the eyes. "Please don't give me the silent treatment, darling. Please, just tell me what's on your mind."

He obliged, replying in a cold, judgmental tone. "Why did you do it?"

"Do what?" Clara couldn't help but puff slightly, ever annoyed by open-ended and opaque questions.

"You know what I mean." His voice trembled a little, letting slip the sorrows that were masked by feelings of deep betrayal and bitterness.

Unable to contain her emotions any longer, Clara slumped forward and buried her face against her arms. "I had no choice. Revan, I…I was broken."

"What did they do to you?"

With a sigh, she held out her right hand which still displayed the beautiful diamond engagement ring she had kept throughout all the years. Reluctantly, she pulled back the sleeve of her robe with her left hand, exposing her forearm which showed the extent of her torture. "Gerome, he…he tortured me," she cried, pointing out several cuts and unsightly scars which lined her skin in several places. Revan felt a simmering rage by the mere sight of them. "Not only that, he cut Syl's throat right before my own eyes. I saw my sister die. I was just…so enraged. Then he said that you would die in the same way if I didn't submit myself to…to…" She couldn't go on, instead beginning to puff like an enraged animal at the mere thought of uttering the name of the one person she hated most. She concealed her arm again and brought her head up slowly, exposing a face that was awash with tears.

"Clara…," Revan exhaled, his stiff demeanor gone after hearing her recount of events as he reached forward and held her hands.

"Forget it. Let's get on with what I've come here for," she said quickly, drawing her hands away from Revan and wiping away her tears before assuming a stern expression. "I want you to surrender this ragtag band of defeated old men and stupid kids you've assembled. This is the first and only time you'll receive such an offer – there won't be any more chances."

Revan leaned back in his seat and spoke straight to her face. "I can't do that, as I don't have the authority. You know that, Clara."

"No shit," Clara rolled her eyes. "That's why I want you to convince those two blockheads. You can do that, can't you?"

"What makes you think that I'll do that?"

"Because if you don't," she leaned forward and spoke forcefully, "every last soul in this fleet of yours will be killed except for you. Even Mission."

Revan was left unmoved. "Whether it's today or in the future, the Emperor won't spare even one of us. What difference does it make?"

"Listen to me, Revan. I'm not saying these things as an emissary for the Emperor; I'm saying them as your best friend and your lover." Her tone suddenly changed to one of exasperation as she leaned forward and practically grabbed his hands. "You have no chance at all if you choose to make a stand. The Emperor isn't in the mood to toy around anymore. He is absolutely. Fucking. Pissed. There won't be a single blade of grass on a single planet that isn't going to be burnt to a crisp if you invoke his wrath. You know that even with your wife's battle meditation you won't make it. The Emperor's fleet makes ours that was churned out by the Star Forge itself look like a child's starter toy soldier collection. That huge armada lying in wait before your eyes is nothing but a tiny speck of the Empire's true power. You can save countless lives, Revan – not just in this fleet, but across the entire Republic. Why can't you convince them?"

"Even if I tried, which I won't, neither of them will budge. After what Saul Karath did to his homeworld, the last thing Carth would do is surrender to any Sith. The Mandalorians won't buckle, as they're still incensed about being used by the Emperor to achieve his own ends."

"Revan," she said, tightening her hold on him. "I'm not leaving here without getting what I want. I want you to convince them. There is no other way."

"Why are you so adamant, Clara?"

"Because…," she sighed before taking a deep breath in. "Because if I don't manage to do this, the Emperor will annihilate Naboo. Not only that, he will force me to watch on as my relatives are brought in front of me and slaughtered before my own eyes."

"He…really said that?" Revan asked, feeling sympathetic towards her.

"I beg you, Revan. Please, just surrender your fleet. The Emperor has decreed that all who willingly capitulate will be spared, and that the home planets of prominent officers are to be spared from destruction. You saw what the Emperor did to your own home planet, didn't you?"

Revan didn't answer.

"This is your last chance, Revan – you won't get another opportunity like this. If you manage to convince your fleet commanders to surrender, I'll personally beg the Emperor myself for clemency. As much as I loathe her, I'll even beg for the life of your wife because I know what she means to you. Even if you fail to secure a surrender, I'll do my utmost to save as many lives as possible."

Revan collapsed backwards into his chair and shut his eyes, overwhelmed by the burden on his shoulders. He pondered long and hard for over a minute's silence, thinking about the potential consequences of his decision. The fate of trillions of lives in the galaxy, including that of his own son on Telos, hinged on his next course of action. Clara's words were true and sincere, without the slightest hint of dishonesty.

That is, on the surface.

With a heavy heart, Revan opened his eyes again slowly and spoke. "Your offer is rejected."

"Darling…," Clara gasped, her eyes widening in horror as she grasped his hands again. "Please don't do this. Please don't make me do what I have to do."

"I won't change my mind. We're going to see this through."

"Enough, Revan," she glared at him. "Don't start moralizing and spewing out worthless crap about nobility and virtue. That won't count for shit if everyone's dead. Think rationally, my darling. I'll give you a second chance to change your mind."

"I see through your lies, Clara," Revan muttered, retracted his hands away from her. "I don't believe for a moment that the Emperor would spare anyone but me. Did you really think that I'd be persuaded to believe that he would spare the life of a single person whom he didn't deem useful, after what he did to his own Council after our assassination plot was found out?"

"But…but this is different!" Clara insisted fiercely, as if she herself was starting to believe in her own lie. "The Sith armada won't be able to defeat the Republic Navy without suffering horrible casualties of its own, never mind the sheer amount of time it would take. Surely if you surrender, I'll be able to…to…"

"No. You will not. Don't even bother."

"The facts still stand," she gritted her teeth, her desperation growing by the second. "Everyone will end up being slaughtered, even you despite all the painstaking efforts I'll make to keep you alive. Be smart, Revan. Save yourself. I don't care about being an empress anymore. Hell, I'll be content to just disappear with you and live out our lives in a dank cave if it means being able to save you and avoid that son of a bitch Vitiate altogether."

"You know all too well that the Emperor won't allow that. In fact, he'll most likely keep me in a stasis cell and drain me of my strength until the day I die."

"I won't let you die. I won't allow it." Her composure lost, Clara openly began to cry, looking away as she didn't want Revan to see her in her current state.

She may have lied about the guarantee of safety for the troops after their surrender, but her tears for her lover were most sincere. Revan knew that he meant the world to Clara, and that the last thing she would want was for him to be harmed. Silently, he rose from his seat and walked over to her, helping her up onto her feet as he wrapped his arms around her.

"I want you to believe in me. I'm not doing this to look like a hero when, given all that I've done, that's the last thing I am. I won't give up, because I know that there's still hope. We can do this, Clara, and that's why we refuse to surrender. Our numbers may be few, but we won't be defeated. That's why I…," he paused for a moment, drawing apart slightly so that he could raise her chin and look into her eyes. "I want you to stay with us. With me."

"Revan…what?" she gasped, not believing what she was hearing.

"I want you to stay with me," he reiterated, stronger this time. "You remember the days of the Mandalorian Wars, don't you? We faced similar odds and still came out of the hellfire with flying colors. Now, we have the best of the best that the Republic and Mandalorians can offer on our side. They're fighting for everything that's precious to them, while the Sith advance out of fear of their master's wrath. How can we possibly lose? Have faith, Clara."

"I…," she panted, feeling herself become drowned with fear and uncertainty. "How the hell do you even expect to win? This isn't a hothead Mandalore you're up against, Revan. It's the Emperor. You don't remember just how easily he dispatched us? If the two of us couldn't beat him, who can? Can you even name one Jedi in the known galaxy who's stronger than us?"

Revan shook his head and stated bluntly. "No. I can't."

"Then why do you even…," she trailed off when she saw Revan put his hand into the inside of his cloak. Slowly, bit by bit, he pulled out an object which was as black as night, adorned with crimson patterns which she recognized all too well. Her heart trembled in fear and awe when she saw that Revan had finally come to reclaim what was rightfully his, and the gateway to his former glorious power. "That…that's impossible…"

"It's been lost to me all these years, but now I've found it again. The power is…immeasurable. The Emperor defeated us once before, but he won't get a second chance. I will destroy him – I assure you of that." Now out in the open, the influence of mask began to course about Revan's body, irradiating him with peerless strength. The same power that had once even made enemy Jedi fall before his feet and swear fealty to him in the hope of saving their lives had now returned to him, its rightful owner.

"You don't understand, Revan," Clara shook her head dejectedly, finally having gotten over the shock of seeing Revan's old relic. "Mask or not, do you really think you yourself can accomplish the lofty goals you set out? You heard it yourself – those two are in command of the fleet, and you're not even in command of a single fighter squadron, let alone the fleet. Without the ability to lead, you're just a blunt sword. A tiger that roars, but can't bite. Your little wife might be of help to you with her battle meditation, but with two commanders who will inevitably bicker with each other instead of a unified command, you're done-for."

Revan was undeterred. Eyes burning with conviction and hope, he gently placed his hands on his former empress's shoulders and looked her deep in the eyes. "Darling, I'm serious. I want you to stay. I want to save you and to protect you. Trust me. I know that what you say about the Sith fleet's numbers must be true, but believe me when I say that we can win. I want to take you to Naboo again so that you can finally have peace after so many years of pain. This is the final step, Clara. Once we win here, we can finally enjoy a lasting peace. We can go home. To your mother's house."

"Mother…," Clara wept, tears flowing as she remembered the one whom she missed every single day of her life ever since the funeral. Sorrow was followed by deep shame, for she knew that she had fallen so far from the virtuous path her parents dreamed that she would follow when they first reluctantly gave up their little girl to the Order. Her eyes widened in horror when she realized that she could no longer remember their faces – all the anger and hatred had replaced so much of the love she once held.

Wiping away her tears for her, Revan smiled warmly, as if to try and comfort her in vain. "What do you say, Clara? Will you trust in me…just like you always have?"

Silence.

She could not speak.

Either way, she could see no hope. No matter how road she took, she knew deep down that she would be doomed.

No hope. No chance for a brighter future.

And even if their wildest dreams regarding the war effort came true, she would most certainly have not a chance in the world of restarting her life with Revan. Not while Bastila was still around.

"You know…," she grinned, eyes wandering downwards. "I feared this would happen. In fact, I knew it would. I asked you nicely to surrender, and you stood firm."

Revan looked upon her with tender eyes. "Then why did you come here?"

She peered up at him, her watery eyes just as beautiful as they always were despite their orange dark-sided taint. "So I could see you…one last time, before the end."

His lips started to tremble as he prepared to beg, but he was left with blissful silence as he felt Clara's soft lips upon his, the contact as light as a feather and yet the most meaningful he had ever shared with her. What felt like a lifetime passed by before Clara backed away, keeping her eyes on his the whole time. She held up his right hand and gently placed a small, cold object in it before wrapping his fingers over it and placing his hand over his heart.

"I don't need it anymore," she whispered. "The memories we once shared are enough for me. Keep it." With that, she walked out of the room, leaving a grief-stricken Revan alone in silence in the conference room.

Several seconds passed before Revan could bring himself to uncurl his fingers and stare down at what lay in the palm of his hand: a beautiful, diamond-encrusted engagement ring, the very one he gifted Clara before they set out to fight in the Mandalorian Wars.

-o-

"I'm telling you, he isn't gonna pull it off," Canderous grumbled to Carth, his finger impatiently tapping on the butt of his heavy repeater as he stared at the blast door Revan and Clara entered through.

"Revan's as cunning and as persuasive as he ever has been," Carth replied. "Let's just give him more time."

"Whether he succeeds or not, we should take precautions, sir," Matt advised his Admiral and long-time friend. "Just what are the odds that he'll convince her to join our efforts and bring her fleet under her heel? And furthermore, how on earth are we going to deal with that if Revan fails?" he said worriedly, pointing his finger at the gargantuan force that stood patiently in wait before them.

"We have to engage them. We won't get another opportunity like this when it comes to geography," Veela said, hoping that the asteroid belt would act in their favor by restricting the maneuverability of the Sith fleet.

"We can't hope to defeat that. Not in an open battle," Carth shook his head.

"You wanna retreat from here and end up facing the enemy in open space where we can be outflanked? Then be my guest," Veela shot back mockingly, earning Carth's muttering disapproval.

"All we can do is wait for Revan and Clara to emerge again," Brianna stepped out from behind them, her trust in Revan evidently still strong. "Revan will be able to do this. I know it. Just a few more minutes and—"

She was cut off by the hissing of the blast doors which slid open, revealing a dejected, half-dead-looking Clara who trudged slowly, step by step, back towards them. Her cloak completely covered her head and she stopped by them briefly, not even bothering to face Carth and Canderous before she turned her back to them and proceeded to walk back to her shuttle.

"Prepare your defenses. And your graves."

A/N: As always, thank you to everyone who's followed and stuck around for this story so far. The action's about to start, and I'm very eager to write the next chapter as soon as I can once I consider which of my three ongoing fics I will focus on next.

Constructive criticism will be very much appreciated especially from this point onward, especially when it comes to the pace of the story and the scenes, as I will have to balance action scenes with scenes focusing on character interactions as you've read in this chapter.

This is my first update for 2015, so I hope you all have a Happy New Year!