Nothing Safer/narrative

Cross–legged, the Sith performed her battle meditation. She had not always been a Sith, in fact she had only recently been enlightened and accepted the dark side of the Force. Before that she had been a Jedi, used and abused by the Jedi Masters. But no longer.

The large door behind her opened, and so did her eyes. She knew who it must be, but she dreaded the encounter more than should have been possible. She was a Sith, and she was invincible here with her newfound powers, yet she was afraid. She stood and turned, black robes making the slightest noise against the hard floors. In her hand she drew lightsaber, and faced her opponent.

He was tall, stunningly handsome, and radiated power. However, he wore the white robes of a Jedi and his potentially limitless power was handicapped by his refusal to accept her views. Despite all this, she still loved him. It reminded her of when she'd first met him.

''He wore modified Republic armor then, and wielded a vibroblade, but he still commanded authority. He stood tall and strong, having just slain a dozen hostile members of a swoop gang. As he finally lowered his sword and turned to her, his face lit up with a smile. She remembered that smile perfectly, a supernatural connection forged by the Force Bond they shared.''

He did not smile now. Instead he simply stood in the entrance way and faced her, lightsaber hilt in hand. Unchallenging but unyielding, he waited for her response.

"I knew you’d come for me," she spoke into the silent void.

"I’ll never give up on you. I know you can still be saved," he voiced back.

Somewhere inside her she felt a shock of adrenaline at the sound of his voice, strong and calming. "You’re wasting your time," she sneered, "I have seen the Jedi for what they are: weak and afraid. The Sith are the true Masters of the Force. You have forgotten that lesson. Now you must pay the price. Here the power of the dark side is strongest. This time you will not defeat me!"

She ignited her double crimson blades, and he followed suite. Their blades danced and parried off each other. She launched a flurry of attacks, but he quickly blocked each one.

''They were locking blades in the tall grass under a large tree. It was all too easy for her to defeat him then. She broke his defenses again and again, each time explaining how she had done it, and how he should defend against it. He never tired, and never complained, so they spent hours alone together practicing, for weeks.''

She forced the memories down as he pushed her back. Reaching out with the Force she sent an arc of lightning at him. He held out his open palm and the lightning reflected off, dissolving in the air.

"I see now why they followed you," she admitted. "You are still a formidable opponent. I can’t imagine the power you must have wielded. You were a fool to give it up and follow the light."

He shook his head sadly, deactivating his blade. He stared at her with visible regret and pity in his eyes, before he spoke.

"I am as strong in the light as I ever was following the dark side."

She scoffed, "The dark side has made me stronger that I ever was before! I have a greater command of the Force than all but the most powerful Jedi Masters. As my master teaches me the greatest secrets of the Sith, I will unlock more the my potential. Eventually there will be no limit to what I can accomplish with the Force."

"He will not let you become that powerful. He will kill you first," he warned.

"Have you forgotten the ways of the Sith already? Eventually I will challenge my Master. If I am worthy he will die by my hand and I will become the new Sith Master. Then I will take on my own apprentice and the cycle will begin again. This is the way of the Sith. It is how we assure our leaders are always the strongest and most worthy."

"You are dooming yourself to an endless of cycle of death and betrayal."

"No, it is you who are doomed."

She lunged at him, but his blade ignited and blocked her, barely protecting him in time. She swung the blade around but he blocked again. He stepped forward, going on the offensive, and with a series of powerful blows he pushed her staggering backwards.

''She could no longer beat him in their practices. His progress was amazing, his potential unlimited. She knew why, but she could not say. Instead they just talked of his training, and through their talks and his relentless teasing, she began to find herself attracted to him. She was disgusted by the thought, for she should have greater self–control. She was a Jedi. No emotion...''

He knocked her blade aside and she attempted the Force lightning trick again. This time he blocked with the lightsaber blade, which absorbed the energy. Drawing on her anger she pushed forward again, once more unleashing a furious assault upon him. He backed into a defense pose and she began to regain lost ground.

They locked blades and she pushed, almost breaching his guard. Then she disengaged and attempted a feint followed by retreating slightly, then lashing out as he moved forward. The strategy almost scored her a blow, but he managed to back just out of range. He allowed his blade to deactivate again.

"You are growing weary. I can sense it! Your strength falters, the light side is failing you while I am re–energized. Soon this will all be over!" she gloated.

"I have not faltered. You have been misled by the dark side," he whispered back.

"The dark side will always triumph over the light! I am assured of victory! You can’t defeat me! You can’t!" she screamed.

He ignited his blade again, and took an offensive stance.

''He ignited his blade, taking an offensive stance. Despite the surprise, he kept his cool. The Sith apprentice and his two accomplices attacked. The Jedi took all three at once, and the first of his opponents fell quickly. The second was defended by the apprentice, but he finally managed to separate them with a wave of Force power. He slew the accomplice and turned to the apprentice.''

"Surrender."

"No."

''So they too fought, and the Jedi was forced to kill him. He turned to her and said, "I won’t let them stop us, ever."''

Now she faced his stance. She launched herself at him, hoping a hard offensive would break his stance, but he parried and lunged at her, driving her back again. She felt her heartbeat increasing, her pulse rising, and her anger building, yet it was not enough. Lashing out blindly her blade bounced off his, nowhere close to touching him. She slashes and preformed another feint attack, but he predicted the move and blocked with ease.

She charged again, but he raised his hand and knocked her down with a wave of energy.

''He lowered his hand and deflected the blaster bolts back into the Sith troopers. The two Sith struggled to get back to their feet after the wave of Force energy. Seeing them move the Jedi leapt across the room, instantly at their sides, and struck them down before they could recover. He turned to the Sith Admiral, and she saw the Jedi's face. It showed no signs of anger, only calm purpose.''

She looked up into the face of her love, and saw it was no longer filled with the same looks. Instead it showed...love. She flipped back onto her feat and attempted one final desperate attack, her blade a flurry of motion. He blocked it like all she others, and she stumbled back, amazed.

"No, this is not possible! You have rejected the dark side, you are a weak and pathetic servant of the light! How can you stand against me? Why can’t I defeat you?" she wondered.

"Now you see the dark side is not stronger than the light," he responded.

"Yes," she agreed, "I see you speak the truth. I am no match for you. Please, for the sake of what we once shared, do not make me suffer. End my life quickly. There is no other way."

"I could never kill you," he said simply.

"What other choice do you have? I have fallen to the dark side. I am apprentice to the Dark Lord himself. You cannot let me live," she begged.

"You can reject the dark side. Return to the light."

"No...I’m not strong enough. There is too much anger inside me now. Too much hate and fear. I can no longer find peace in the Force."

"Use our bond, then. Take your strength from me."

She reached out, connecting with him.

''They were talking in the cargo hold of their ship. It was a moment of weakness, or so she claimed. However, she couldn’t help but wonder if it was their destiny to be something more, to be together. Their moment could never been known by the others, it could never get in the way of the mission, and yet...''

"You always had more strength that I did. I told you that. I felt so...helpless before your destiny."

They stood facing Darth Malak for the first time together. ''He laughed. "Even the combined power of the Jedi Council couldn’t keep your true identity buried forever, could it? You cannot hide from what you once were Revan! Recognize that you were once the Dark Lord — and know that I have taken your place."''

''The shock of the revelation at that time. She was afraid again, afraid he would return to the dark side, afraid he might turn on her in anger.''

''"Bastila, is this true?" he asked.''

''"It’s true," she admitted. "I was part of the team sent to capture Revan... to capture you. When Malak fired on the ship you were badly injured. We thought you were dead. You’re mind was destroyed, but I used the Force to preserve the flicker of life in your body. I brought you to the Jedi Council. They were the ones who healed your damaged mind."''

''She explained the entire thing, with Revan listening quietly, and Malak standing there, waiting to see his old master’s reaction. She’d feared his reaction, but when he finally responded it was with understanding.''

"I understand, Bastila, you had no other choice."

She’d felt so close to him at that moment.

"You were Revan and I couldn’t tell you... it was agonizing! Even worse when I began to... feel closer to you. I despised myself for it," she whispered. "And even now I feel your strength. It... does help me. Thank you. I think I can face the end now. If you are the one to end it for me."

He shook his head and took a step forward.

"I love you, Bastila. I can’t abandon you, ever."

She smiled, and he smiled back.

"You love me? Heh. There was a time I yearned for and yet dreaded to hear those words. I loved you, too, but I could never... face who you were. But what good is love? It cannot save me from the sea of blackness I am drowning in. I have betrayed everything I ever believed in! How can I atone for that?"

"Help us defeat the Sith," he said, and it wasn’t a suggestion. "This will atone for what you’ve done."

"Yes, I could join you in your battle against the Dark Lord. That alone would not make up for all I have done, yet... it would be a step in the right direction. But how would you be able to trust me? How do you know I wouldn’t turn on you when you faced Malak?"

He grabbed her hands and squeezed them, then stepped back. He set his lightsaber on the hard floor, and took another step back.

"I trust you enough to leave myself open to you attack, Bastila," he said.

She looked at his empty, open palms, then at the lightsaber on the ground.

"You play a dangerous game. Are you certain you wish to take this risk? I could end your life and gain Malak’s favor with a single stroke of my lightsaber."

She fingered her own weapon, and she considered attacking him. The great powers of the dark side would be taught to her. She would conquer the Republic, and be the greatest power in the galaxy. All she had to do was ignited her blade into his chest, and it would all be hers.

''The crimson blade ignited. Revan faced her and the other Jedi. He wore the Mandalorian mask, so she could not see his face. The mask itself was cold and empty. Revan’s black robes swished as he walked towards them, lightsaber held at his side.''

"You won’t win," the dark voice hissed.

"You won’t, Bastila," he whispered softly. "I love you and I believe in you."

''"You are brave... and some would say foolish..." Revan hissed.''

"...but you are also right," Bastila decided.

She could not strike him down. She loved him more than any power. The dark side was nothing compared to him.

"The dark side has not wholly consumed me. I cannot raise my blade against you."

''She looked down at the fallen Sith Lord, as the ship exploded around them. He was dead, murdered by a fellow Sith.''

"You will go on to defeat Malak, of this I have little doubt. You will have gone from being the Sith Lord himself, to the savior of our galaxy."

''She stopped. He was still alive, but only just. The faintest flicker of life clung to his body. She wondered how, and why.''

"And... and you said you loved me. This may not be the best time to say it, but I love you too. With all my heart."

"Do not be afraid, young Bastila. Your saving his life may be the key to defeating the Sith. There is no reason for fear anymore."

"You aren’t afraid to love anymore?" he asked, stepping forward.

"After this? No, nothing could make me feel safer than to be loved by you. You should go. Malak awaits. This isn’t over yet... for any of us."

"You could use your battle mediation to aid the Republic," he suggested.

"Yes," she agreed, "that would be for the best. You don’t need me to defeat Malak, anyway. Now I understand that a true Jedi is a match for any Sith. Even the Dark Lord himself."

He nodded, and summoned his lightsaber back to his hand.

"You must hurry," she warned. "Once I turned the battle in the Republic’s favor we won’t have much time to escape the Star Forge before it is destroyed."

They embraced in a quick hug, and then he turned and began to walk away.

"Good luck, my love... and may the Force be with you."

"Good luck aboard the Endar Spire, Bastila. And may the Force be with you."

She did not know if she would make it out alive, but it no longer matter. Her love, Revan, would defeat Malak, and then they would be together, whether they survived or not. A single tear rain down her cheek and mingled amongst the sweat as she knelt down into a meditative position to begin her battle mediation again.

Cross–legged, the Jedi performed her battle meditation.