The early morning in the city of Theed, the capital of this undoubtedly beautiful planet of a thousand lakes and eternal summer, was always considered an indescribable spectacle.
The crimson dawn washed the eastern sky, reflecting off the royal palace's domes and playing with thousands of iridescent sparks in the spray of the numerous fountains nestled within the green parks. This riot of colors would compel any sentient being capable of distinguishing colors to stand mesmerized, mouth agape. Only the Gungans might shake their ears in confusion, asking, "How could this compare to the shimmering dome of an underwater city at sunset?"
However, the droid army guarding the royal palace, which had been seized by the Trade Federation Viceroy, cared nothing for beauty. Unceremoniously tossing several sculptures from the second-floor parapet of the monarch's residence, the mechanical fighters "decorated" the façade with several heavy fixed blasters. In every courtyard, a squad of fifty B1 Battle Droids was stationed, supported by an AAT tank. The galleries were patrolled by Droidekas, ready at any moment to turn an encountered opponent into a charred, blaster-scorched piece of flesh.
And though the main forces had left the capital, heading toward the Gungan armies that had suddenly appeared on the kingdom's borders to teach a lesson to the insolent aborigines, the palace remained guarded under the highest security protocols.
Dawn. A tall figure, cloaked in a black robe with a deep hood, stood on the upper observation platform of the local sovereign's eastern wing and looked up at the sky. Darth Maul had never liked the dawn. Mostly because it signified the end of the night's saving silence and the start of a new day of torment and endless pain, which his master inexplicably called training. Since his childhood on Dathomir, he had cursed the rising sun, and he merely grimaced in disgust every time he looked up at the crimsoning heavens.
But today, he stared unblinking to the east. The Force was the reason. The Sith apprentice felt the presence of Jedi on the planet. And now they were drawing near. They were approaching from the direction of the very phenomenon of nature he so loathed.
Suddenly, he noticed a small glint on the horizon. The sun was momentarily reflected off the armor of a scarlet starship, barely distinguishable against the predawn sky. At that very moment, the alarm sounded. The royal palace's air defense systems had detected an unidentified object.
"So, you've come?" the Zabrak snarled, turning and moving into the building's interior.
The Dawn's Eagle, with its gifted captain in the pilot's seat, was rapidly approaching the blue-tinged domes of the Naboo monarch's residence.
"Warning: We have been detected, Master," HK-47 reported from the co-pilot's seat.
"I figured that much," Revan quipped with a smile, throwing the ship sideways to let the first streaks of laser fire pass by.
"Am I the only one who thinks this is a foolish endeavor?" Qui-Gon Jinn asked, clutching the back of his seat, distrusting the inertial dampeners. "Wouldn't it have been better to sneak in, as Panaka suggested?"
The former Sith sent the Eagle into a steep dive, then abruptly leveled it just above the ground.
"No. We discussed this. The patrols on the approaches would have robbed us of the element of surprise. The moment we were spotted by the droids or destroyed even one, the control station would have received a signal and notified our enemies of the intrusion. We would have one hundred percent walked into a trap in the palace."
The ancient Jedi did not mention that he also sensed a Dark Side Force-sensitive nearby. He intended to speak personally with his chance acquaintance from Tatooine, without drawing the attention of the Order's Knights.
"And now we aren't?" Obi-Wan Kenobi asked, trying to maintain the composure of his Master but gradually losing the battle against his own nausea.
"Now, no," Revan agreed, flashing a wicked grin. "We're simply going to crash down right onto their heads! With a distraction like this, Panaka can march through the main gates singing the royal anthem. HK, now!"
Obeying the command, the assassin droid aimed the ship's single, yet powerful, laser cannon at the nearest anti-air tower and fired. The crimson beam struck one of the eastern wing's towers, fifteen feet below the platform holding the defensive weapons. The Naboo had spared no expense protecting their monarch, covering the firing points with small ray shield domes, but they'd forgotten about the building structure itself. And what could mere masonry oppose to several gigajoules of energy from a laser beam? The answer was instantaneous. The platform with the anti-air cannon collapsed three stories down and fell silent forever.
"Excellent, HK!" Revan praised. "Two more towers, and we'll have a chance to land."
"Proud: That will not take long, Master," the droid immediately replied.
The Eagle evaded another blast and answered with a direct hit on the load-bearing structure supporting the second platform of the palace's defense system.
"It's a good thing Anakin isn't with us," the slightly green-hued Obi-Wan tried to joke. "He would have certainly begged for the pilot's seat."
"I am forced to admit that the idea of leaving young Skywalker at the Gungan camp was quite a successful one," Qui-Gon nodded in agreement.
Revan was just lining up the agile freighter for a new target.
"I hope they are watching him?" he clarified. "He's liable to go off looking for adventure."
"I left him under the Queen's watchful eye. Panaka assured me that both of them would be guarded under the highest security," Jinn responded.
The former Sith nearly lost control of the ship upon hearing the last phrase.
"So, you're saying you left an impetuous boy with a penchant for adventure next to a young Queen with a serious case of wanderlust?"
The Jedi was about to object but paused for a moment in thought and said something completely different.
"I hadn't looked at it that way," he admitted. "But surely the Queen isn't so reckless as to rush into the thick of battle?"
"Apparently, you haven't studied her well enough," Revan shook his head and listened to the Force.
Just as he thought, Anakin's powerful aura was distinctly felt nearby. Apparently, he was with the second group, led by the monarch's head of security.
With another well-aimed shot, HK dispatched the last platform covering the back courtyard. The freighter began its descent, flying straight toward a crowd of droids preparing for defense.
"Attention, thirty seconds to readiness!" the ancient Jedi commanded. "It's going to be hot!"
The assassin droid immediately rose from his seat and hastened toward the cargo ramp. The Jedi followed him. One of the royal guard pilots took the co-pilot's seat to fly the Eagle away from the anti-air systems after the strike team deployed.
In the cargo hold, the two Jedi, the assassin droid, and six Queen's guards prepared for battle. Revan entered the area, surveying everyone with an experienced eye, mentally making final adjustments to the formation.
"Right, a reminder of the plan," he began in his usual commanding voice, which made everyone straighten up. "Our group lands on the eastern edge of the royal gardens behind the palace. The second group, commanded by Security Chief Panaka, approaches from the opposite end. Together, we break through to the rendezvous point at the entrance to the monarch's residence. From there, we take the shortest route to the Naboo Guard's internal hangar, where the pilots will begin the second part of the plan. Meanwhile, the strike team will split again and proceed by two parallel routes to the throne room, where, according to Panaka's agents, the Trade Federation Viceroy is currently located."
The fighters nodded in agreement with the plan.
"We anticipate serious resistance from enemy droids," the former Jedi continued, "so we form up as follows: HK and I in the vanguard, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan on the flanks. We will cover the guards and pilots from enemy fire. The rest of you follow us at a distance of five meters. Do not come closer, do not get under the lightsabers, and do not point blasters at our backs. Avoid open spaces; stick close to cover. Cover each other and keep your eyes open. May the Force be with us."
"May the Force be with us," the Jedi echoed.
This was followed by a ragged chorus of good luck wishes from the non-Force-sensitive fighters.
The ship shuddered.
"There's the assault tank coming to life," one of the guards nervously drawled.
"Unnecessary Explanation: The Eagle's reinforced shields are quite capable of withstanding several hits from an AAT cannon," the assassin droid stated emotionlessly.
The former Sith nodded approvingly, agreeing with HK's words. The rate of fire from a single tank was insufficient to penetrate the shields, as they managed to recharge between shots. But if there were several tanks... there would be problems.
The guards trapped in the freighter's hold were clearly nervous. They weren't the only ones, though.
"That's a lot of droids down there," Kenobi whispered with concern in his voice.
"Trust in the Force, young Padawan," Jinn encouraged him. "And remember your training."
"Yes, Master."
Revan watched the scene, checking the clasps on his breastplate. Having secured his armor, he pulled his hood down further. He didn't need a wide view; the Force gave him far more information than sight or hearing. The former Jedi had long been accustomed to fighting in heavy armor and a draped cloak, so he felt no discomfort in his attire. Jinn and Kenobi, on the other hand, had shed their traditional Order robes to allow for greater freedom of movement.
HK checked his ammunition and took his place behind his Master, ready to unleash a rain of superheated plasma on anyone who posed a threat, preferably some clumsy meatbag.
Revan unclipped his saber from his belt and disconnected the hilts. Taking the right one in a reverse grip, he took a position directly in front of the cargo ramp. The droid shifted slightly behind him and raised his carbine. The Jedi and guards spread out on either side of the ramp.
"Master?" Obi-Wan gestured in surprise toward the former Sith, noticing how he began to concentrate the Force around himself.
The Padawan was witnessing for the first time someone drawing such a powerful stream of energy through themselves. This was no mere strengthening of one's own body, but something greater. Only the words of Master Yoda came to mind: that every Jedi is capable of calling the Force as an ally, if his will is strong. The sight filled the young apprentice with respect for the unknown Knight.
Revan, meanwhile, immersed himself in a kind of trance, mentally reciting the words of the Jedi Code, as he had before every important battle in his past life. He then reached out to the Force, reinforced his body using the technique once known as Force Valor, erected a small barrier around himself to protect against the first wave of blaster fire, and prepared to use Force Speed.
Jinn watched the ancient Order Knight's preparation with poorly concealed reverence. He hadn't seen such concentration of the Force in a long time. The knowledge and techniques Revan employed so effortlessly were now available only to a few Masters. No, any Force-sensitive, with due diligence, was capable of strengthening their body and even deflecting a blaster bolt with their bare hands. But Revan... He clearly understood the Force and the Order's teachings much more deeply. And he also had an understanding of the "other" side.
Mentally, the Jedi agreed with the sudden idea that a better teacher for Anakin could not be found. However, this ambiguous Force-sensitive's past raised concern. With such a mentor, Skywalker could become both the galaxy's salvation from the Sith and the destruction of the Jedi.
"Watch closely, Obi-Wan. What you are about to see... well, you will understand for yourself," Qui-Gon answered his apprentice's questioning gaze.
Droid Sergeant BD-346, assigned to the third assault squad of the Trade Federation armed forces' second regiment, was the first to react to the new threat that had appeared in its assigned sector. A scarlet starship of clearly non-military design began descending without permission, attacking several gun platforms covering the royal palace's back courtyard.
Obeying the primary directives embedded in its basic programming, the droid sent data from its optical sensors to the orbital station, awaiting further instructions.
The order arrived almost instantly—"Attack the enemy." The response message also contained several combat development options and proposals for utilizing the third squad fighters with assault tank support.
The AAT's main cannon's first salvo missed its target. After all, the B1 series droids were not known for having good targeting systems. But the second hit. However, the shell merely ricocheted off the ship's defensive screen, causing the Neimoidian ship's tactical AI, which served as the orbital station, to change the battle plan.
The droids received new instructions. By the time the unknown freighter touched the stone slabs of the courtyard, the mechanical soldiers had already spread out across the area and targeted the ship's hatches.
As a command unit, BD-346 possessed more sophisticated software and a slightly more powerful processor, allowing it to quickly analyze the situation and select from the tactician's proposed courses of action. And so, the moment the unknown ship's cargo ramp began to move, he ordered the squad to open fire.
The first volley from the fifty droids' blaster carbines had no effect. The charges that hit the opening of the cargo ramp were blocked by an unknown deflector shield. In the next moment, several sources of bright light ignited in the darkness of the hold, which the tactical AI instantly identified as lightsabers, the weapon of the Jedi Order Knights.
New instructions had not yet arrived from the orbital station when the enemy launched an attack, and the freighter ascended into the sky again. Obeying the previous order, the droids continued their bombardment, which proved to be utterly ineffective. The Jedi deflected the shots, covering the group of shooters in the center of the formation, often hitting a deflection bolt back at the firing droid or a neighboring one.
However, the main problem was the strange combat droid in the vanguard. Its speed and accuracy plunged the poor tactician into confusion. Such efficiency from a single combat unit simply did not fit into its logical circuits. In addition, the signals from the assault tank's crew suddenly disappeared. Reports from nearby droids indicated that the AAT had been destroyed, but there were no details on how it had happened. All the optical sensors managed to record was a blurred shadow and a flash of light.
BD-346 saw much the same just before a black lightsaber blade separated his head from his torso.
Obi-Wan, who had been trying to fight off a bad premonition since the previous evening, was now watching in fascination as the truly strongest Knight he had ever seen fought! Avner Van moved with lightning speed, moving from one droid to the next and delivering extremely precise and economical strikes. No wasted movements or useless swings, only deadly strikes to vulnerable spots.
Where he couldn't reach a shooter, his droid came to the rescue. HK-47 was no less lethal than his Master. Every shot found its mark, relieving Avner of another opponent or the threat of sniper fire.
In essence, all the strike team had to do was stand still and not get in the way. The Jedi and his droid needed no assistance. And the assault tank, neatly divided into two halves, clearly testified to that.
A dash to the side, a swing of the silver blade, and another mechanical soldier fell, severed in two.
"Malicious Exclamation: Eat plasma, you worthless heap of rust!" HK's voice accompanied a burst from his carbine. "You do not deserve the right to be called battle droids!"
The figure with two blades in hand did not stop for a second, demonstrating to everyone what a Knight of the Order was capable of. Strikes that cut droids in half were alternated with Force techniques. A Force Push, a throw, a lift, all were applied so quickly that Kenobi seriously wondered if Avner even had time to think about a particular technique.
Now both blades went flying on winding and intersecting trajectories, sowing chaos among the opponents. Meanwhile, their Master crushed two more droids with sheer will. Having completed several wide circles, the lightsabers returned right into the Jedi's hands, calling for battle once more.
But there was no one left to fight.
In the next moment, however, everything changed when one of the guards yelled, "Droidekas!"
About a dozen Destroyer Droids rolled into the courtyard, surrounding the landing group. Revan managed to hurl the black blade at one of them, and HK shot a second, before they unfolded and raised their shields. The former Sith had to retreat to the main group to cover the guards from the storm of rapid-fire blasters. The trio of Force-sensitives drove the common soldiers under the cover of a fountain and formed an improvised lightsaber shield.
Revan absolutely disliked the situation. The usual defensive combat tactic was ineffective in this case. Shots deflected by the blades ricocheted off the Droidekas' shields, causing them no harm, but significantly complicating the Jedi's lives.
An attempt to reach the hateful tin cans with the Force yielded no results. With annoyance, Revan realized that the shields severely limited the effect of any energy on the protected object. The Force was no exception.
A quick glance at Kenobi and Jinn further soured the former Jedi's mood. The two clearly did not know how to quickly overcome Droidekas. Apparently, the modern Order did not prepare its adherents for confrontation with such opponents. Revan, however, had the necessary experience. He had lost count of the number of Star Forge droids he had destroyed in his time, all of whom universally used deflector barriers.
The simplest option would be to overload the shields with Force Lightning or a very similar powerful static charge. However, this might provoke the Jedi to take rash actions against a Dark Sider. Revan had no desire to prove to those around him that he was not Fallen, but just looked very much like it. But there were other ways to deal with the Droidekas.
"HK, disruptor to the right flank!" the ancient Jedi commanded.
The droid moved from behind him without hesitation and extended a manipulator. An ion disruptor beam struck the nearest opponent from the metallic arm's forearm, successfully short-circuiting the destroyer's systems. At that very moment, the defenseless enemy was shot by the guards, and HK prepared to repeat the trick as soon as the necessary module recharged.
"Obi, Jinn, cover!" Revan roared and concentrated to call upon the Force.
With an effort of will, he tore a section of stone paving slab from under the feet of another droid, causing it to topple onto its neighbors. The shields didn't distinguish what touched them, seeking to stop or deflect any object, material or energetic. That was their downfall.
The knocked-down droids lost their protection in a matter of seconds. The shields could not withstand the prolonged impact of something so large—for example, the surface of the earth, which suddenly decided it was tired of being under their feet. No one would explain to the protective matrix that the droid had toppled, not that the ground had risen.
Stripped of their defense, the Droidekas were instantly crushed into half-meter spheres and launched at their brethren. Thus, in less than a minute, all that remained of the destroyers were fragments and shot-up hulls.
Revan exhaled, releasing the tension and trying to suppress the awakened hunger for battle, which he hadn't felt in millennia. The Dark Side, like a soft whisper on the verge of audibility, tickled his consciousness, tempting him to give himself over to it completely. But the former Sith knew too well the danger, and his will was unyielding.
HK lowered his overheated carbine and replaced the energy cell.
"Admiring Comment: You are in splendid form, Master! A beautiful fight! But I hope we encounter some meatbags later."
"Anything's possible," Revan chuckled, listening to the conversations behind him. The guards were discussing what they had just witnessed in low voices.
"Wow! I heard Jedi were strong fighters, but this strong?! Yeah, with support like that, any enemy is surmountable. Just make sure not to get caught in the crossfire yourself," the fighters chattered excitedly.
Only two remained silent—the Jedi.
Revan understood that he had shown too much of what he hadn't intended to display. The black blade alone was enough. Even in the old days, such an artifact would have raised questions. However, the action was justified. The former Sith wanted to resolve everything quickly. And getting a workout wouldn't hurt.
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan approached the one responsible for the mountain of shredded metal, without saying a word. Revan noted with approval that the loyal droid was tracking the movements of the Light Siders with a slightly lowered barrel.
Respect was visible on Jinn's face. He was glad to see in action the one he had read so much about in the archives. Kenobi, meanwhile, was under the impression of the mastery of a Knight named Avner Van, whom he had somehow never heard of until now.
"Knight Van," he began, "allow me to express my admiration for your preparation. You are truly one with the Force. I hope I can become as good a Knight someday."
Revan shook his head.
"A Padawan should primarily take his Master as an example. Draw wisdom from his words and lessons, and not be distracted by a mere demonstration of raw power," he gently admonished the young man.
Qui-Gon simply smiled, nodding gratefully. Kenobi looked embarrassed but did not look away.
"Knight Van, may I ask..." he hesitated. "Are you... a Shadow?"
Revan's eyebrows shot up, and he barely restrained himself from bursting into laughter. They took him for a tracker from the mythical Shadow Corps! This secret society, born in the depths of the Order, had set its goal: to find and destroy any manifestation of the Dark.
Yet, there was no confirmation of the Shadows' existence. Even in the old days, there were only rumors and tales among Padawans. And Revan could confidently say that such a corps did not exist... if its representatives had not come for him once. One of the toughest fights the dark lord Darth Revan had conducted during his brief reign.
No, they could have simply been Light Side fanatics who decided to call themselves by the name of a mythical corps. But there were not just two of them, or even five. And their training was at an identical and very decent level. It was appropriate to assume the existence of a new organization of Force-sensitives, which Revan thought at the time. Much later, however, his doubts were confirmed by Bastila. She was the one who told him how she was supposed to be taken into the Shadow Corps and how their squad went to capture the dark lord aboard his flagship.
He found no confirmation of his wife's words, but there was no reason to doubt her story either. And now, thousands of years later, the tale was circulating among the Padawans again. Perhaps all was not yet lost for the Order?
"What answer do you hope to hear?" Revan asked, addressing Obi-Wan.
"The truth," he replied, after a brief pause.
"And which answer would be the truthful one? Yes or no? Will you be able to distinguish them?"
The Padawan was stunned by this answer. The Masters in the Temple had never told him that he might not be able to tell truth from lies. In fact, he had been warned that he would not get an honest answer.
"But..." the apprentice began and trailed off, not knowing what to say.
"The Shadows are a myth," Revan smiled. "Let them remain a myth."
Jinn shook his head, hiding a smile. Revan had just created a new legend about a Knight named Avner Van right before his eyes, without telling a single lie. And he had also given his Padawan a lesson that not everything heard should be believed, even if spoken by a senior member of the Order. Poor Obi-Wan would now spend weeks wondering just who this Knight Van was.
"Warning: Armed meatbags are approaching," HK reported, raising his carbine.
Revan turned his head and saw Panaka frozen near a column. The head of security was examining the battlefield and the group of Jedi and guards, who were without a scratch, with an unbelieving gaze.
The former Sith looked around the square and nodded, mentally agreeing that everything looked very impressive. A small group of fighters surrounded by a mountain of scrap metal, merrily chatting against the backdrop of a tank cut in half and slowly burning, could not have created any other impression.
"When we discussed a distraction, I confess, I didn't imagine this," Panaka said as he approached, gesturing to his group that there was no danger.
"Explanation: Master is in a good mood," HK noted, which caused the dark-skinned soldier to freeze up again.
Revan rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"How did your part of the operation go?" Qui-Gon asked, ignoring the droid's comment.
Panaka snapped out of his shock.
"Quite well. We met no resistance and were able to pass unnoticed."
The second group approached the rendezvous point. Among the fighters, Revan spotted the Queen and her dearest handmaiden. Or perhaps the handmaiden accompanied by the Queen. It was hard to tell which was which.
"Where is Anakin?" the former Sith asked sternly.
"What?" the Queen, still posing as the handmaiden, feigned surprise. "I don't know what you're talking about. He's at the camp, of course."
Revan frowned. He couldn't stand lies. Skywalker's presence was clearly felt nearby.
"So, that's not him hiding behind R2 right now?" the ancient Jedi asked, lifting the droid into the air.
The astromech shrieked hysterically in binary, demanding to be put down. The boy, looking guilty, walked over to the Queen.
"Anakin, where were you told to be?" Jinn asked sternly.
"It was my fault," Padmé said, stepping forward to defend the boy.
Revan slapped his hand on his face and slowly massaged his eyelids. Then he turned his gaze to Qui-Gon and gestured at the pair of juvenile rebels, as if to say, "Well, are you convinced now?"
"Your Highness, that was very reckless," the Jedi began to admonish the young monarch. She merely waved a dismissive hand.
"Believe me, Panaka has already given me an earful. We are here, that is a fact. Accept it and let's move on."
"Now what are we supposed to do with her?" the head of security whispered almost inaudibly.
"Rational Suggestion: To better control the movements of persons subject to protection, it is necessary to reduce their mobility." The assassin droid demonstratively aimed at the Queen's knee, which made the guards tense up.
Everyone who had seen HK in action was not eager to get in his way. But the fighters who arrived with Panaka, unaware of the danger, crowded around the droid, trying to protect their mistress.
"HK, be polite," Revan reproached his creation.
"With Readiness: As you command, Master." The mechanical assassin lowered his weapon and stood next to his creator. "Suggestion: We could, at least, tie them up."
Revan shook his head.
"If there are no better suggestions, you will personally keep an eye on the boy. And you will answer for him with your functionality," the former Sith threatened.
"Dejectedly: Yes, Master," the assassin droid glumly agreed to the command.
"Anakin, don't leave HK's side for a step!" Revan said sternly.
The boy nodded energetically. He needed excessive supervision like a Rancor needed clothing, but he didn't dare cross the one he considered his friend, Vaner, since their time on Tatooine.
The Jedi watched the scene in silence. While Kenobi wasn't overly concerned about the boy, Jinn was troubled. The prospect of Revan simply taking Anakin without the Council's approval did not please him. Although he thought highly of the legendary Knight, they were not intimately acquainted.
The Jedi did not believe that the redeemed Revan intended to somehow pervert the boy's character. However, the former Sith would certainly not avoid the issue of the Dark Side during the teaching process. What if the boy succumbed? What if the Darkness consumed him entirely, transforming him into a monster obsessed with power and might? Would Revan be able to stop him?
Qui-Gon had planned to train the boy himself, but he couldn't help but notice the emotional bond already beginning to form between the former Jedi and Skywalker. This was not a Force Bond, but trust. The boy trusted Revan and obeyed the command to stay with the droid without argument.
Perhaps... Perhaps he was the one who was meant to teach Anakin. The Chosen One should know both sides of the Force and have a choice. The Council would not give him that choice. But the former Sith Lord... Everything was too complicated to be decided so easily.
Meanwhile, Padmé drew their attention.
"Can we continue the assault now, before they throw everything they have at us?" she protested.
"It's not an assault, it's a diversionary operation. An assault is much faster... and noisier," Revan corrected her. "However, that was a surprisingly wise thought."
Panaka immediately arrayed his guards. The plan was for the group to split again from here. Revan would lead five fighters through the central staircase, drawing attention and allowing the second group to execute their mission without unnecessary noise. Their goal: to infiltrate the main hangar and seize several N-1 Starfighters to subsequently attack the Trade Federation flagship and save the Gungans from being massacred by the droid army. The Queen, for her part, intended to reach the throne room and arrest the Viceroy. Revan and his squad were meant to move in the same direction, but via a more direct route.
However, the former Jedi had another goal that no one suspected. He had ceased to sense Maul's presence even before approaching the palace. The Sith had concealed his presence, and much more skillfully than he had on Tatooine. The Zabrak clearly had no desire to encounter Revan. With his attack, the ancient Jedi planned to flush the Sith out and force him into confrontation. After all, whatever Maul and his master were planning, the death of Gunray or the destruction of the Trade Federation was not in their interest.
The Jedi moved to Panaka's group, intending to secure the Queen, ensuring no one would interfere with his conversation with Maul.
The meeting and regrouping took no more than three minutes. After which, the "Queen and her retinue" departed for their aggressive negotiations.
Revan, meanwhile, began the diversionary maneuver. He blasted the tall, decorative doors blocking the entrance to the main staircase with a powerful Force Push, simultaneously ripping interior fixtures off their hinges and tearing several marble cladding slabs from the floor and walls.
Then the assault began. Revan's group advanced very quickly. The droids couldn't prepare their defenses before a whirlwind of lightsaber blades, supported by five sharpshooters, burst into the next corridor or hall, sweeping everything in its path.
The former Sith missed HK, whom he had left with Anakin. Although the guards tried actively to help, they were not used to working in tandem with a Jedi. Revan frequently had to divert his attention to defend them or change the direction of his attack so as not to clip his overzealous "helpers."
They ran into Droidekas several times but dispatched them quickly. The fighters had already seen how to destroy such dangerous droids and acted decisively. Revan would send the destroyers tumbling or overload their systems with a powerful static impulse, while the soldiers would shoot the defenseless hulls. One or two even thought to use ion grenades, earning an approving comment from the group's leader.
All was going well, and they were halfway to their goal, but Maul still hadn't appeared. Revan began to be plagued by an anxious premonition. Something was wrong. Danger was near, but it wasn't directed at him. The difficulty was compounded by the fact that the commlink was blocked by the palace's defense systems, so there was no communication with the second group. The former Sith could only hope that two Jedi and an assassin droid were enough to look after the little boy.
Suddenly, he felt a surge in the Force with a distinct dark tint. The source was nearby... but not in the direction his group was moving.
His anxiety growing, Revan picked up the pace. The Queen should have reached the throne room slightly faster, as there should have been no opponents in her path. Not to mention that they would cover part of the route along the outer wall, directly to the necessary floor.
Ultimately, both groups burst into the royal palace's main hall simultaneously. Revan instantly noted the absence of the Jedi... and Anakin.
"HK! Where, you Rancor-damned droid, is Anakin?!" the former Sith roared menacingly, losing concentration for a moment and crushing those around him with his anger.
"Hasty Explanation: Master, Anakin Skywalker, accompanied by astromech droid R2-D2, has left the palace grounds," the droid rattled off.
"Meaning what, exactly?" Revan countered, deactivating his lightsaber hilts.
"Clarification: For safety, during the firefight, the protected subject took cover in the cockpit of the N-1 starfighter, as its armor provided an acceptable level of protection from small arms fire. I provided covering fire. However, for unknown reasons, the autopilot was activated, and the starfighter left the hangar. Fortunately, the astromech droid was also within the combat unit... Master."
Revan swore in Huttese. He had not anticipated this turn of events. There was no doubt that the starfighter had likely gone into orbit. And a battle was taking place up there. Whether young Skywalker would survive the meat grinder of space combat was a big question.
'All is the will of the Force,' the ancient Jedi thought. 'If the boy is truly a powerful Force-sensitive, he will cope. The Force will help him.'
"And where are the Jedi?" he asked aloud.
"We ran into a strange red-skinned Zabrak in the hangar," Panaka answered. "The Jedi said he was their concern and engaged him."
"Kriff," Revan barely whispered, feeling self-directed anger boil up inside him.
"We can handle the rest ourselves," the Queen spoke up, noticing the Force-sensitive's distraction. "The Viceroy isn't here. He must have fled."
In response to this remark, a dozen Droidekas rolled into the hall, instantly surrounding both groups. They were followed by the smug Nute Gunray himself.
"It is all over, Queen," he spoke with a dreadful Neimoidian accent, pointing at the droids bristling with barrels. However, Revan answered him.
"I have neither the time nor the mood to bother with you!" he snarled.
Golden fire flashed in the ancient Sith's eyes, causing even his allies to recoil from his fury. Forked arcs of Force Lightning erupted from his raised fingers, punching through the shields and causing critical damage to the droids from the extreme overload on their power circuits. The charge swept through all the destroyers simultaneously, skipping from one to the next in a branching flash.
The Neimoidian, stunned by the swift annihilation of his guards, tried to flee. However, the black blade of a lightsaber, thrown in pursuit, severed his left foot. With a cry of pain, the Viceroy tumbled across the floor.
Gunray's assistant, who had stood like a silent statue the whole time, tried to grab a blaster, but the figure that appeared beside him in an instant deprived him of his wrist.
Snapping out of their stupor, the guards secured the room, spreading out and trying to block the entrances with protective blast doors. Revan, however, Force-stopped one of the doors, indicating that he would still need the exit.
"I will not let this go!" the Viceroy bawled, clutching the stump that remained of his foot. "You attacked a representative of the Trade Federation government!"
"Shut your maw, scum," the former Sith growled, fixing the Neimoidian with an incinerating glare. "Or you'll lose your tongue next."
The prisoner instantly stopped threatening those around him with terrible penalties and Senate lawsuits, realizing it was best not to argue with this individual. All that remained for him was to sit and whimper quietly, hugging his damaged limb, just like his assistant.
"Knight Van, what are you doing?!" Amidala flared up, seemingly having just recovered her voice. "He's a prisoner! I will complain to the Council of Masters about your excessive cruelty."
In the next moment, the girl fell silent, feeling her legs tremble betrayingly, threatening to give way at any moment. For it was at this moment that a pair of eyes with sparkling golden irises looked at her, filled with pure rage. Padmé suddenly realized that her life was now completely at the mercy of the man opposite her, and all the palace security couldn't do anything to protect her. That gaze chilled her to the bone, evoking the primal terror of a victim facing a predator's gaping maw.
"Out of the way," Revan said briefly, reigning in the fury that burned within.
Not only the Queen but everyone present instantly formed a clear path to the only unlocked door.
"Query: Master?" HK's voice cut in, awaiting orders.
"You stay with them," Revan commanded without even glancing at the droid. A moment later, he was racing down toward the hangar, mentally appealing to the Greater Force—'Just let me be in time.'
The ancient Jedi ran headlong, barely registering his surroundings. All that concerned him now was whether he had lingered too long upstairs. A vision of a crimson blade piercing Qui-Gon's chest surfaced increasingly often in his mind.
It wasn't that he had grown attached to Jinn, but this Jedi was, so far, the only representative of the Order who didn't trigger any negative thoughts. He was wise and did not suffer from tunnel vision. Most importantly, he could keep secrets.
Upon reaching the hangar, Revan listened to his senses, trying to feel the correct direction.
"This way," he whispered to himself, tearing off the spot. The Force led him deeper into the palace complex, down through passages, somewhere toward the power plant that fed the monarch's residence and the surrounding areas.
Rushing into a spacious room with many overhead walkways and viaducts, Revan noticed a flash in the distance. Focusing, he discerned two figures—one black, one white. Crimson and green lightsabers fiercely clashed, trying to reach the vulnerable flesh of their wielders. However, both opponents masterfully blocked each other's attacks, continuously escalating the tempo. A little further away, Revan distinguished Obi-Wan, rushing to his Master's aid.
Taking several deep breaths and fueling his muscles with oxygen, Revan called upon the Force and applied Force Speed. Ahead, Maul, showered with a flurry of strikes, was retreating down a corridor with multiple power fields that deactivated at specific intervals.
"Avner?" Obi-Wan cried out in surprise behind the departing Revan.
He was a mere moment too late to reach Qui-Gon when the barriers activated, dividing the corridor into isolated segments.
Obi-Wan, Revan, Qui-Gon, and Maul were separated from each other. Judging by the periodic activation and deactivation of the barriers, the former Jedi estimated that they had a few minutes to catch their breath and recover their strength.
Jinn was only a few power fields away, about ten meters, and the ancient Jedi knew he would still be able to help him. Unlike Kenobi. For some reason, the Padawan wasn't using Force Speed, perhaps conserving his strength. However, at that pace, he wouldn't reach the combatants while the fields were disabled.
The only question remaining was how Revan would manage to speak with Maul alone. The former Dark Lord had many questions for the Sith apprentice.
As soon as the barriers deactivated, the Force-sensitives sprang from their places again. The Zabrak's fierce snarl turned to surprise when a silvery blade joined the green one. Fighting alongside Jinn, whose style was unfamiliar, proved difficult. Therefore, Revan did not activate his second blade, narrowing his attack sectors so as not to clip his ally.
Maul skillfully blocked both blades and moved surprisingly fluidly. The former Jedi even thought that this acolyte hadn't wasted any time and had spent the past few days analyzing his mistakes. The Zabrak used his anger, strengthening his body, and doing it much better than he had on Tatooine.
'A talented boy,' Revan thought when a pause came in the fight.
Qui-Gon, it turned out, had missed a blow and sustained a wound on his left arm. Several scorch marks were clearly visible on Maul's clothes, but apparently, the green blade hadn't reached his flesh.
"Jedi filth!" the Zabrak spat viciously.
"And this is coming from a horned monstrosity who can't even grasp the essence of the power he uses?" Revan said mockingly, casually tossing his saber hilt into the air. "Do you even know which end to hold the blade?"
Growling with fury, Maul lunged into the attack, but was met with a kick and a swift swing of the silvery blade, which caught one of the horns on the Sith apprentice's head.
"A lesson for the future," the ancient Jedi said calmly, throwing the severed bone protrusion into a wide shaft in the center of the room. "Emotions are a double-edged sword."
Jinn offered a faint smile at Revan's comment and stood beside him. Maul, hissing like a serpent, darted forward and wedged himself into the gap between the opponents. Revan snorted in annoyance, realizing that Qui-Gon's presence was restricting him. He had to strike cautiously so as not to hit his ally. Jinn, meanwhile, also couldn't display his full abilities for a similar reason. Moreover, the wound on his arm distracted him more and more often.
Maul managed a surprise. During another pirouette, he abruptly unleashed a Force Wave at their feet, which caught Revan and his ally off guard. Both were thrown in opposite directions.
The Zabrak lunged toward the weaker target, intending to finish off Qui-Gon. Jinn barely managed to get to his feet when a torrent of furious strikes rained down on him. The crimson blade moved with lightning speed, constantly changing direction. Maul suddenly caught the Jedi with a feint and struck him in the face with his hilt. Jinn lost his orientation for a moment, which the opponent exploited. The blood-red blade shot toward the man's chest.
But the triumphant look vanished from the Sith's face when he realized something had stopped his blade. The blade entered the Jedi's body, but not deeply enough to damage the heart. Qui-Gon instinctively recoiled from the source of the pain and dropped his lightsaber, sinking to one knee. A hoarse groan escaping his throat indicated a damaged lung. This fight was over for him, but at least the Jedi's life was out of danger.
Maul, meanwhile, looked with disbelief at Revan, who stood at the opposite end of the room with his hand outstretched toward the opponent.
'I made it,' the former Jedi thought, Force-gripping Maul's lightsaber staff.
Realizing he had been thwarted, the Zabrak flew into a rage and completely forgot about the vulnerable target in front of him, turning to Revan and wrestling back control of his weapon.
"How dare you?!" he roared, his golden irises blazing.
"Surprisingly, easily," the ancient Jedi sneered.
The Dark Side acolyte charged at his foe with a warrior's yell. Revan instantly became serious and activated his second blade, meeting the Zabrak. A brief exchange of blows ended with the more experienced former Jedi trapping the lightsaber staff between his blades, forcing a clinch.
"I have a few questions for you, acolyte," he hissed into Maul's face.
"I have nothing to say to you, Jedi!"
Revan merely smirked, breaking the distance.
Channeling the Force through his saber, he lashed out at the charging Zabrak. The intensified Force Wave, snapping from the blade, knocked Maul off his feet and slammed him into the wall. The disoriented opponent fell to his knees, gasping for air, when the now-unblocked Kenobi suddenly darted up to him. The Padawan raised his saber, intending to finish off the Dark Sider, but the arm holding the activated blue blade stopped abruptly.
"Don't interfere," Revan commanded imperiously, lifting the boy into the air and tossing him toward Qui-Gon. "Tend to your Master instead."
The Padawan jumped to his feet and started to rush back into the fight, but he was stopped by Jinn's hoarse voice.
"Don't, Obi-Wan. This is not our fight anymore."
Kenobi hesitated for another moment about what to do until he met the gaze of the ancient. The latter merely shook his head slightly, and the young Padawan instantly understood the consequences of disobeying that command. The blue blade hissed as it retracted into the hilt, and the apprentice focused on examining his Master's wounds.
Revan, meanwhile, slowly approached the Zabrak. With every step, palpable waves of the Force emanated from him, and the cloak draped over his shoulders billowed behind him like wings. The presence of this individual was overwhelming. His superiority was undeniable.
But the Zabrak, blinded by rage, did not see this. He snatched up his saber and charged into the attack again. The blows were powerful and fast. The young Sith was strong. Qui-Gon, observing the fight, noted to himself that he wasn't sure he could have withstood such pressure.
However, no matter what unexpected angles the strikes came from, no matter how fast the young Zabrak was, the crimson blade invariably met an impenetrable wall of defense. Gradually, Maul began to realize the futility of his attempts. And when Revan threw his opponent aside yet again, the young Sith snapped.
"Why?!" he exclaimed, with clear desperation in his voice. "Why can't I defeat you, Jedi?!"
Revan swung his sabers, drawing an intricate pattern in the air.
"I already told you about the staff's drawbacks," he answered calmly, toying with the blades.
Maul's eyes widened, staring at his opponent. A flash of recognition crossed his gaze.
The former Jedi burst out laughing.
"Were you so blinded by your emotions that you didn't even recognize me?"
The Zabrak hesitantly opened his mouth, then immediately closed it.
"To Hutt with the mask, but my blades! You should have known them, at least." Revan raised his lightsabers to chest level, displaying the very noticeable carved hilts.
"Lord?" Maul whispered, half-question, half-affirmation.
"I see your memory is returning," his interlocutor tilted his head slightly.
"I..." the Zabrak wanted to say something, but suddenly fell silent.
"I had a request for you," Revan reminded him, "which you ignored."
Maul shuddered. Fear was visible in his eyes. However, he reactivated his saber and took a defensive stance again.
"I cannot betray my master! My mentor..." he spoke, trying to muster courage or turn his fear into strength.
The ancient Sith directed three consecutive Force Pushes at the Zabrak. He managed to block two of them, but the third knocked him off his feet again.
"What kind of master is it..." Revan began, lifting the opponent into the air. "...who fails to teach?"
Maul slammed his back against the wall. The former Jedi closed the distance in three steps and kicked him, rolling him onto his back. The Zabrak tried to ward him off with his saber, but Revan, with a short swing, severed the staff's hilt, damaging one of the emitters. Not giving the opponent time to ignite the blade on the undamaged end of the staff, he Force-pulled the weapon from Maul's hands and pressed his foot against the fallen foe's chest.
"How can you be so weak at your age? And with such potential?" Revan asked quietly, as if to himself.
"Peace... is a lie..." the Zabrak wheezed.
The ancient Jedi snorted, increasing the pressure.
"Do you even understand the meaning of those words?" the former Dark Lord scoffed. "Do you understand the path of the Dark Side?"
"P-power," the Zabrak whispered.
"Fool," Revan shook his head. "What you call power is merely a pale shadow of the might the Dark Side holds.
A current of lightning passed through the Ancient's body, causing him no harm.
"To a Sith, the Force is a weapon, a tool, not a guide. A true Sith would never allow emotions to turn him into a mindless animal driven solely by instinct. He will bridle them, turn them into his own power, and cast down those who stand in the way of his goal. That is our true freedom."
Revan himself didn't notice how, by the end of his speech, he had included himself among the Sith. He knew a great deal about the Force and understood it like no one else. And with his comprehension of the grand foundation, he was able to view the teachings of both the Dark and Light Side adherents in a new light. He suddenly realized that his talkativeness was due to an inexplicable desire to transmit his knowledge. A desire to teach.
In the corner of his mind, the ancient one heard a brief, melodic chuckle. Revan could have sworn the voice was female... and familiar.
"Who... are you?" a voice asked from somewhere below, returning the former Sith to the current situation.
"My name is Revan. And that is my essence," the former Dark Lord answered without hesitation.
The young Dark Side acolyte's eyes widened in surprise. He knew that name! Once, when he had managed to sneak into his mentor's quarters, he had stumbled upon the legend of the ancient lord in his teacher's records.
"Teach me... please... I beg you... Lord Revan," the Zabrak choked out.
Revan shifted his gaze to the defeated opponent. Maul looked at him with hope in his eyes.
The ancient one hesitated. Did he need an apprentice? If the vision was to be believed, then yes, absolutely. And not just one. However... teach someone the path of the Sith? Was that truly his will? Perhaps he should teach this Zabrak the Light Side? But there was far more Darkness in his soul. And overcoming his very nature would be very difficult.
However, what difference did it make? He knew better than anyone that the Dark Side was not inherently evil. Darkness or Light, in themselves, were incapable of causing harm. And the Dark Side could be used for good. Was this not the balance he had been told about in the vision?
The thought seemed interesting to Revan. Could he convey its meaning to his apprentice... or apprentices? Could he finally reconcile the two sides of the Force and achieve the balance that, according to legend, existed in ancient times on Tython?
'Interesting,' he thought, removing his foot from the Zabrak's chest.
"Kneel," Revan commanded aloud. Maul obediently carried out the instruction. "Are you willing to voluntarily renounce your master and swear allegiance to your new lord?" The black blade rested on Maul's shoulder.
"Yes, my lord."
"Do you swear to serve me in word and deed, to heed my instruction, accept my wisdom, and follow my commands without question?" The silvery blade touched the other shoulder.
"Yes, my lord."
"From this moment, your life belongs to me. All your deeds shall be done only by my will. Henceforth, you are my apprentice." The blades crossed under the Zabrak's chin, forcing him to lift his head and look into Revan's eyes.
"Yes, Master," he said, feeling the blades barely touching his skin.
A swift motion, and two small burns were left on Maul's neck, like the thin strip of a severed collar.
"Rise, Apprentice."
The Zabrak stood up, proudly straightening his shoulders. Revan sensed that his new follower genuinely wanted to serve and be taught. He yearned for power and authority, but only to gain freedom. He had been a slave for too long, and if freedom meant changing masters, he was only glad of it. Still, keeping an eye on him wouldn't hurt.
"Traitor!" a voice rang out from behind.
Revan turned around. Kenobi stood with an activated lightsaber.
"You are a Sith!" the Padawan stated the obvious. Revan smirked.
"Hasty conclusions are a sign of a narrow mind."
"You've been leading us on since the beginning!" Obi-Wan insisted.
Maul picked up the fragments of his saber and activated the undamaged blade, preparing to protect his new master.
"Maul, stand down," Revan stopped his apprentice. "Leave and await my summons. Only this time, keep the commlink active."
The ancient Sith tossed a communicator to his new follower.
"As you command, my lord," the Zabrak stepped back with a bow and quickly left the hall.
"Where are you going?! Stop!" Kenobi rushed to intercept.
But he didn't make it. Revan, instantly appearing in his path, forced the Padawan back toward his Master with a powerful strike to the chest—backwards, no less.
"Obi-Wan!" Qui-Gon roared sternly, suppressing a cough. "Stop. He is not our enemy."
"But he's a Sith!" the apprentice protested.
"That is not true. And I can vouch for him. He is not our enemy," Jinn repeated again.
The Padawan reluctantly obeyed, but continued to pierce Revan with his gaze.
"Intruders!" a synthesized voice sounded from one of the hall entrances.
Kenobi and the one he knew as Avner Van prepared for a fight with a new batch of droids. However, in the next moment, the mechanical soldier twitched strangely and froze, lowering its head.
Revan walked up to it, without lowering his saber for a second, and carefully pushed its chest. The droid tilted, and then completely toppled over helplessly.
"It shut down," Kenobi concluded.
"It seems the fight is over," Revan chuckled, clipping his sabers to his belt.
All that remained was to retrieve Anakin and get off this planet. Preferably before the Council found out about everything.
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