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After following too many dead ends, the Exile prayed this planet would finally have the answers she was looking for. Otherwise, she was hoping for at least a few more pieces to her never ending puzzle. She wasn’t even sure she could pronounce the name of this planet. The locals on the previous planet she couldn’t pronounce assured her she was headed in the right direction. The atmosphere was stormy with swirling red dust clouds. It was difficult for her to see the surface. It orbited a dying sun that gave off a dim red glow and she wondered how anything could survive in such a place. She was trying very hard not to remember Malachor V. After a few passes over what seemed to be the only developed patch of planet the Exile finally found a brightly lit docking bay. Bringing the Ebon Hawk down to a landing pad, she was surprised by the lack of activity. Stepping onto the surface it took her a moment to get her balance. She had been holed up in her ship for longer than she could figure and the air on this planet was making her head spin.
A grey light flashed on at the far end of the platform. The dust in the air was stinging her eyes but she swore she could see something. She shouted out toward the light hoping to get the attention of something. Finally some movement caught her eye. Something low and shuffling. An upright figure approached her and made a gesture with their hands. She didn’t recognize the race and worried whether she’d know the language. “Greetings! Can you help me?” She shouted above the wind in a few different languages. She quickly learned phrases like this made it easier to get what she needed. Her new friend nodded so she assumed they understood her. Then they took her hand and started to lead her through massive doors into the hangar. Before long, several more of the planet’s inhabitants greeted her. They were all different in appearance but wore similar worn cloaks. She couldn’t place any of the races. They seemed to communicate wordlessly with one another. Seeing no other option she followed the group through a series of dimly lit corridors that glowed with a soft white light. There were other hallways and other doors but her newfound companions seemed to know where they were going. Eventually the lights became brighter the farther in she went. The whole time the group moved in complete silence, not even her heavy footsteps made a sound as her boots knocked into the floor. The air was stagnant without smell or taste.
When she was starting to feel anxious and ready to bolt, the corridor opened up into a bright white spacious room. There were strange technologies she didn’t know how to decipher but it otherwise reminded her of Telos. Strange looking plants grew in beds sectioned in an orderly fashion throughout the open space. Amongst the foliage were stone walkways that lead to what she guessed were storefronts and residential areas. However, because the signs were completely blank to her eyes she would never know for sure.
The Exile almost forgot the group that surrounded her until one of them gently took her hand once again. They brought her to what she thought was one of the storefronts. The door opened as silently as everything else here and she made her way inside. She found another bright spacious room. Closest to the door was another inhabitant who knelt behind a low table. They rose to their feet and led the Exile to another part of the room. Still, not a single sound was made and the Exile began to question whether she was deaf when a taller, more slender looking inhabitant emerged from behind a partition she had only just noticed. This inhabitant whom she guessed was an elder of sorts started speaking but their lips did not move. The language that filled the Exile’s mind she swore she had heard before but she only understood fragments. Thankfully, what she gathered had been a greeting.
The Exile greeted back, trying to match the tongue she heard and asked the inhabitant if they knew who she was. They looked confused when the Exile spoke aloud. It clicked. They had been speaking to her through the force. She tried her question again, this time silently. There was more silence for a moment until the taller inhabitant replied with something along the lines of “You come for the lord who falters” while motioning to her. Not sure how else to reply, the Exile asked “Are you referring to Revan?”
Her question apparently struck a nerve as the inhabitants began to gesture frantically among themselves with only whispers here and there. Despite her efforts, the Exile could not make out what they were discussing. She had a hard enough time deciphering body language without them throwing in an unfamiliar tongue. Finally one of the inhabitants turned their attention back toward the Exile
“It calls itself Revan.”
“Do you know where she is? This Lord who falters?”
Another discussion broke out between her hosts. However, they made it quick.
“Lord is made stone” was their reply. The Exile explained that she didn’t understand and after the taller inhabitant repeated the same phrase, another reached out and touched her forehead. Immediately, visions and feelings began to flood her mind. All of it was in silent chaos. What the Exile gathered from the fragments was Revan had once sapped the planet of almost all of its resources. Revan had said it was in exchange for protecting the planet and its people. Then, Revan disappeared to fight her war. Years later when she returned to redeem herself, she found the planet in a worse state. The people of the planet were in a war of their own against a stronger invading regime. Since famine had almost wiped out the entire race, there were few soldiers left to fight. Revan asked forgiveness of the elders and they told her they would forgive her if she righted her wrongs.
Determined to atone for what she had done, Revan helped in any way she could. Ultimately, she ran to the front lines of the battle; to fight for the people she had left weak and defenseless. The Elders had said that Revan’s selflessness inspired the soldiers. The battle shifted in their favour; however, not before an enemy hoard overtook Revan. The point of view of the vision shifted to that of one of the higher-ranking soldiers. From this new vantage the Exile could see Revan had been swarmed. It was not long before she could no longer be seen through the fray. As the soldiers fought on, the enemy receded and the inhabitants were able to drive them out completely.
As the undertakers searched the now still battlefield for the bodies of the fallen, they found Revan lifeless and entangled in a thicket of enemy corpses. They said her body was broken beyond repair, but she had atoned for her sins. In their custom, they burned her body and compressed the ashes into a gem. The gem was placed in a memorial where her body was found.
When the vision finished, the Exile had tears streaming down her face. She could barely believe what she had seen. She knew she had felt the loss some time ago, but could not place it. As she attempted to dry her cheeks, she asked if she could visit the memorial. Two other inhabitants came in and took her through a different door than she entered. She was led through more hallways but this time the lights dimmed the longer she walked. Finally, her escorts brought her through doors that lead to the surface of the planet. It had gotten darker and only an ominous red glow lit her path. After walking in silence for what she guessed was an hour, the Exile came to a flat clearing with a glistening black obelisk positioned off to the side. A strong gust of wind blew through the clearing. With it went the cloud of dust that hung just above the ground to reveal a forest of small rectangular pillars of grey and black with oblong finials on the top.
The inhabitants behind her nudged the Exile to move toward the tall obelisk. When she stood before it, her escorts left her. She stood in silence, noting the red gem embedded in the face of the monument. She could feel the presence of the Force encircle her. She felt welcomed in that place. She swore she could feel the Force emanating from the gem; the gem that was created from the ashes of Revan herself. Even after extensive training to keep her emotions under control, the Exile couldn’t keep her tears from falling again. She was overwhelmed by this moment, reflecting on the loss of a great Jedi whose presence she could still feel.
As her tears continued to stream down her face, the Exile dropped to her knees remembering a promise she had made so long ago; a promise to someone very important to Revan. It was a promise that she hoped reflected the heart of someone important to herself. Leaning forward she placed her hand on the cold black stone in front of her. She took a deep jagged breath and whispered.
“Carth Onasi is waiting for you.”