Chapter Text
PROLOGUE
“So, is this the last one?” Meetra looked thoughtful as she held up a small, pyramid-shaped device, its red glow casting an eerie shadow over her soft features.
“I honestly don’t know.” Clenching his teeth, Vann ignored the rush of anxiety he felt any time he acknowledged there were factors beyond his control. “Remember, the goal was to hide Atris’s ridiculous holocron collection without anyone knowing the complete list of locations. We can assume all of them are hidden once the other teams check in, but even then…” Sighing, he unsuccessfully tried to shrug off any further concerns.
The plan to neutralize Atris’s astoundingly large collection of Sith holocrons was a good one, something Vann was confident in since he’d designed it himself. Though he lacked all of his memories thanks to somewhat self-inflicted amnesia, a part of him would always be Revan, one of the most brilliant tactical minds the galaxy had ever known. Using T3-M4 he’d divided the galaxy into randomly generated sectors and then blindly assigned each sector to a group of trusted allies along with an unfortunate pile of holocrons. From there, each group was tasked with hiding the holocrons in remote locations on planets with an innate connection to the Force, hoping that the world’s natural signature would disguise the presence of a Sith device. On flimsi the plan was ingeniously simple and nearly foolproof. But in practice… While Vann trusted the motley group of friends and allies he and Meetra had collected, most of them possessed a connection to the dark side and Sith holocrons held an undeniable temptation for such individuals. In the end, he could only hope to the Force that the others hid all of their devices rather than keeping one for themself.
Though Carth was not Force-sensitive, despite Meetra’s claims otherwise, he always seemed to sense his partner’s worries. Glancing at the Revanchist, he frowned and wondered, “Are you sure this is the best option we have? I have to admit, Atris’s original idea of letting the Jedi keep these holocrons under lock and key didn’t sound too terrible.”
Shaking his head, Vann muttered, “You didn’t see the gleam in her eyes when she suggested it.”
“And as you know, Jedi fall. Most of the information that we first used to study the dark side was found right in the Jedi archives.” Swallowing hard, Meetra glanced back at the pilot. “It would be all too easy for a curious Padawan to find a single holocron and be seduced to the dark side.”
“And scattering them across the galaxy is safer ?”
“It’s the best we can do. Collecting all of these holocrons took Atris over a decade and she was specifically looking for them on Sith worlds. Hiding them on planets with a Force connection but no known association with the Sith will make them even harder to track down in the future. With the planets disguising the holocrons’ signatures, it should be difficult for any sentients to track them down even if they are looking for them.”
“Plus, like Vann said, no single sentient will know where every holocron is hidden.” Looking down at the device in her hand, Meetra clutched it tighter. “Believe me when I say that it’s better this way.”
The Force rippled between the former Jedi, their bond allowing them to share an unspoken message. Scattering the holocrons helped to lessen the temptation for them to use the devices. Like many of their allies, they were inexorably connected to the dark side and the holocrons’ whispers fed that darkness, promising galaxies worth of forbidden knowledge in return for falling just a little further. It was terrifyingly alluring. More than once Vann had stared at the collection of glowing red pyramids, his fingers itching to pick one up and open it just long enough to catch a glimpse at its secrets. That was why Meetra was currently holding their last holocron; he didn’t trust himself to touch it.
Carth must have seen the flicker of fear in his companions’ eyes through the dim light of the ruins they were sneaking through and finally acquiesced with a grim nod. The warm golden glow of sunrise shone through the cracked and broken stone, doing little to chase away the creeping cold of the holocron. The crimson flicker mingled with the cyan glow provided by Vann’s main lightsaber, marginally less unnerving than if he’d chosen the bloodshine red of his off-hand weapon.
“I think the location I sensed is just up ahead. I can’t quite describe the power I’m feeling but… it should work for our purposes.”
Closing her eyes, Meetra extended her awareness. The sensation was still disconcerting to experience, like an open wound in the Force weeping raw energy. “It’s ancient. Very similar to Rakata Prime.”
“That’s probably because Nirauan was also a Rakata colony during the time of the Infinite Empire. This planet has a natural Force connection in certain places, just like the locations where we found the Star Maps.”
While Vann had initially planned to hide the holocrons on planets he and his allies were familiar with, Atris had amassed such a collection that he’d been forced to research additional locations. Luckily, the Rakata sages had provided some ideas.
“I’m not exactly one with the Force, but would that be what you’re sensing?” Arching a brow, Carth jerked his head towards what looked like a small shrine built directly into the ruins. Its shape was circular, unlike most Rakata designs which tended to feature long lines and sharp angles. Even more strange, the huge, polished black stones appeared far newer than anything else in the area.
Blinking back his surprise, Vann stared at the shrine as he studied it through the Force. Unsurprisingly, the source of the immense power he’d been sensing since their arrival on the planet was all centered on the circular construct, its wheeled shape and three strange spokes helping to channel the energy. When he stepped closer he noticed that many of the large, dark rocks used to build the structure had shattered or collapsed with no sign of any effort to repair them. If he had to guess, this site had been abandoned long ago.
“The local species may not be technically advanced, but I believe they’re sentient and Force-sensitive.” Humming as she also examined the construct, Meetra theorized, “Maybe they sensed the power here and built this as part of a now-lost society or religious order.”
“That would be the easiest explanation.” Shrugging at what he certainly couldn’t answer, Vann moved to study the other side of the shrine. “Either way, there’s plenty of places to hide the holocron.”
“Right here looks like the best option.” Using her free hand, Meetra gestured to a small pile of rocks that had collapsed from the eastern side of the structure. All of the pieces were too heavy to lift by hand, ensuring it would be that much harder to rediscover the Sith device. “I’ll have to move some of this around, but I can make it work. Hey Carth, can you come over here and hold the holocron? I need some light and genius over there looks like he isn’t going to be much help.”
Distantly, Vann heard the familiar snap of a silver lightsaber being ignited, though he wasn’t paying much attention. He trusted the others to handle the Sith artifact more than he trusted himself. Less dangerous and nearly as intriguing was the series of ancient glyphs carved into the stones just beneath the base of the shrine. Most of the symbols appeared to be ancient Rakatan, the same language that appeared in the Temple of the Ancients and portions of the Star Forge. But a few of the glyphs were distinctly different. Leaning down he brushed away centuries of grime, attempting to decipher the message left by whoever dwelled here before. It was the type of task that he had delighted in while he was still a Jedi and it wasn’t hard to reignite his old enthusiasm. This was a puzzle that intrigued all of the best parts of his mind.
“To move, or to shift? To learn. To grow. Or is that ‘to change’…? Huh.” Most of the ancient Rakatan that Vann had discovered focused on war and conquering, so it was unusual to find something that sounded almost philosophical. He didn’t recognize the other language, but the symbols had been directly entwined with the original glyphs, as though even the words were trying to harness the site’s ancient power.
Placing his palm on the inscriptions, Vann stretched out his awareness so that it brushed against the raw energy channeled by the location. He wanted to understand what made this place so important that multiple civilizations would build upon it. As his mind drifted into the bright glow of the Force he smiled, realizing that unlike most locations connected to the Infinite Empire, this wasn’t inherently dark. Yes, it held the potential to become that way if the innate power was channeled through the dark side, but right now it was mild and rather benign. He delved deeper, enjoying the soothing way that the currents flowed through his body.
“Vann, what are you do…?” Meetra’s words were cut off as the bond between them grew taught with a startling snap , their minds connecting through the sheer power that the former mercenary was currently immersed in. The next moment the holocron in Meetra’s hand began to glow impossibly bright, floating above her palm as the sides slid down and a loud whisper filled the area.
“Oh shit.” Visibly afraid of whatever power his partner had unwittingly channeled into the Sith artifact, Carth took a long step back as he awkwardly held the silver lightsaber in front of him. “What did you two do this time ?!”
Nothing , Vann was about to retort, but the sound caught in his throat as he turned just in time to watch as the holocron shook violently and then exploded into thousands of tiny pieces. Whatever dark essence had been stored in the device for unknown centuries was immediately released, its echo joining with the natural energy that flowed through the shrine. White and red light flashed in a blinding array, spreading out to fill the entire space until all three Humans were completely engulfed. They couldn’t move and could barely breathe as they were held captive by the unbridled eruption of power, the Force feeling unusually primal as it cascaded over them in waves of light and shadow.
It was Meetra who found her voice first, her blue eyes wide as she shouted, “Get back to the Hawk! Now !”
The sound was enough to rouse Vann and Carth from whatever trance they’d been trapped in and all three immediately sprinted away from the shrine, the pilot passing the lightsaber hilt back to Meetra as they ran. The journey felt far longer than it actually was, mostly because Vann’s head was spinning badly enough to make him nauseous and disoriented. At some point he tripped into a wall but didn’t allow the stumble to break his stride, his shoulder aching as he clumsily raced out of the ruins and into the jungle beyond. The trees that surrounded him only increased his disoriented state but he kept moving, knowing that the Ebon Hawk was parked a little over a hundred meters away beside a small lake.
By the time they reached the ship all three Humans were stumbling badly, their legs wobbly as they dragged themselves up the landing ramp and into the main hold. Leaning heavily against the bulkhead Meetra gasped, “We need help.”
“Who’s closest?” Carth looked equally dazed, his hands resting on his thighs as he gasped for air.
Mentally sorting through their various allies, Vann tried to recall where each of them was currently located. Bastila was back on Rakata, Atton on Telos, Jolee and Juhani unknown despite their constant check-ins. Maybe Visas and Brianna on Eshan? Was Canderous nearby?
“Alek. He’s a few systems away. It will only take him a couple hours to reach us if the hyperspace routes are good.”
“No! Absolutely not!” Shaking his head, which only made the dizziness worse, Vann tried to stop Meetra as she staggered into the comm center. The last thing he needed was kriffing Alek to rescue them from this mistake. They’d never live it down.
But Meetra had too much of a head start and was already hailing the former Supreme Commander by the time Vann reached the doorway and slumped against it. “Alek, Alek please come in! It’s Meetra. We kriffed up!”
“Meetra? Shit, what’s wrong.” There was a pointed pause. “What did Vann do this time?”
“Why does everyone keep blaming me ?!”
“He didn’t… Something, it interacted with a holocron. I… We… need help.”
There was a surprising amount of concern in the modulated voice. “Where are you? Send your coordinates and I’ll try to reach you as quickly as possible.”
“Sending them now.”
“This is not entirely my fault!” Vann felt himself shouting, even as slid to his knees. Meetra had already collapsed to the floor, though the console was blinking to indicate that the information transfer was complete.
“Alright, you’re close. I’ll be to you within a few hours.”
The words shouldn’t have been comforting, not coming from a man who had spent months trying to kill Vann and his companions. Yet, a warm feeling of relief spread through the Revanchist’s chest as unconsciousness finally claimed him.