morally_cryptic | Chasing Shadows

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Chasing Shadows

[after this]

Anakin spends most of the time on the trip between Coruscant and Korriban alternately fuming about the situation and meditating, trying to reach out through the space between apprentice and Master for just a touch of Obi-Wan, to know he was alright. Or at least, mostly alright.

The fact that he can only seem to sense the barest hint of his Master only gets him more worked up. He remembers not being able to sense his Master at all once before and the reasons for it. Remembers how badly hurt Obi-Wan was by it.

Swears Revan won't be getting away this time, that she'll pay for what she's done.

Urges the ship to move even faster.

And somewhere in there, there is that touch he's searching for from Obi-Wan as he closes in on his destination. A brief sensation of his mentor, of his voice as clear as if his Master were standing over his shoulder. Remember the Tuskens. And a memory of a conversation he'd had with Obi-Wan after telling him about the Tuskens. It's as if he can hear Obi-Wan's voice from that day just as if they were back there, then. was stepping into the Dark Side worth it? ... It would have been a far greater blow to the Tuskens had you not revealed your presence and merely taken your mother away from them.

Anakin's nearly jolted out of his seat. Or would be, if he weren't strapped into it. He reaches for the connection, trying to hold it, but it dissipates, settling back down into the barest thread holding the bond between him and his Master. He growls in frustration, and then the meaning of the message sinks in. Anakin stares out at lightshow of hyperspace beyond his cockpit and mulls over the words. He's warning me. And helping me. The young Jedi exhales a long slow breath and closes his eyes.

He spends the rest of the trip in deep meditation, centering and grounding himself until finally, the ship drops out of hyperspace and comes into orbit around Korriban and Anakin sets the ship's sensors to work, to find any traces of a ship that would have just come through in the past few days, and where it went.

[Just typing this up for use when Revan and Obi are ready. :)]

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After the second incident (http://www.livejournal.com/users/master_obiwan/22580.html) with Obi-Wan, Revan is not exactly in a good mood. But as she sees Korriban up ahead, everything starts to feel better.

She has always had an issue over which planet she calls 'home.' She doesn't know which planet she was actually born on - the Order never told her. Dantooine doesn't count either... that place where the Jedi tried to destroy her potential. That can never be home. And the fake memories of early life on Deralia that Amber carries... well, Revan will *never* accept those.

Which left only one place - Korriban. In many ways, it feels like home to her, and so she's oddly glad to be back.

But this is four thousand years later, and Revan knows Korriban is no longer as it was. Despite this, as she lands amidst a swirl of golden dust, the ship bathed in red-orange sunlight, Revan feels only familiarity - the heat, the dry breeze... and that constant, wonderful thrum in the Force.

All she has to do now is wait for Anakin. Calmly, she sits at the top of the Ebon Hawk's lowered ramp, staring out into the desolate, beautiful emptiness.

First, he'd followed the traces of the Ebon Hawk that his ship's sensors had picked up and after that, he'd let the Force guide him to this area. He's even heeding Obi-Wan's warning and coming in low to the ground, landing far enough away it's unlikely he would have been seen. He travels the rest of the way toward the spot where his sensors had picked up signs of a ship on foot, moving quickly over the rough ground and keeping on hand on his lightsaber. The Sith weren't the only things to worry about on Korriban, after all. Not by a long shot.

The entire way there, he forces himself to focus on getting there and retrieving his Master. Not revenge. Not comeuppance. Most certainly no dwelling on the events that happened to him the last time he came here. Just get in. Get Obi. Get out.

And so, it is a very focused (slightly dusty) Anakin who arrives near Revan's ship. Focused enough to begin by scouting the situation before barging on ahead like normal. Focused enough to tightly draw the Force around him, attempting to mask his presence.

Whether that actually works........

Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power...

The words roll around and around in her mind, as Revan waits. She knows she won't detect Anakin's ship - he's too smart to just land straight in front of her. No. He'll be sneaking over, quiet and stealthy, probably masking himself with the Force...

Oh, he's good. Revan knows it. She knows it even as she gets the barest, slightest flicker in the Force. There is so much darkness here, the air seems to taste of it. But amidst it all, just for a second, she senses something else. Something more.

Smiling, she stands up, walking out into the light. She doesn't know exactly where Anakin is... but she knows he's close.

"I know you are out there, Anakin," she calls. "I suggest you make this easy. I do not want to kill Obi-Wan - but I will, if you leave me no choice."

[for some reason, that icon just cracks me up]

He freezes at her words, closes his eyes for the barest of moments. He can see no easy way to just collect Obi-Wan and leave. Stars, he doesn't even see Obi-Wan, which implies he's still on the ship, which makes sense.

He'll have to confront her.

But he doesn't have to just walk up as obvious as you please and let her pick him off from twenty meters away. So, he stops masking him presence, but at the same moment uses a trick he learned from her and creates echoes of himself at various places all around. This way, when he finally steps out into the open, she won't have seen him coming.

He hopes.

Revan can't help but nod approvingly at Anakin's response. She gives him a moment of silence, knowing that a hint of complacency on his part will make her own move in this little game somewhat easier.

When it comes to the Force, Revan's forte is emotion. If she can get Anakin's emotional levels to spike, even for a second, she knows she will most likely be able to discern which 'echo' is real.

"You know," she calls, "I must congratulate you on surviving so many years of Obi-Wan's constant presence. The man is quite alarmingly fond of his own, highly-preachy voice. Though I wonder if I have put a stop to that... after all, many of his recent utterances have been little more than incoherent screams..."

He stills, again, clamping down on emotions, ruthlessly pushing them away. He won't let her get to him that easily.

It doesn't help that he spent most of the trip over here imagining just what she was doing to Obi-Wan, though.

Only once he is certain he hasn't given anything away, does he continue moving toward her. She's in his line of sight, now, and conveniently enough, turned away from him.

More flickers - brighter this time, but still elusive. No problem. She can keep pushing... and if that involves a little tweaking of the truth, so much the better. Anakin isn't the only one experienced with Force shielding - and Revan's voice sounds utterly honest as she speaks, never once betraying the slight creativity hidden in her own mind.

"Of course, he is quieter now. I think it was when he finally realised the only way to save you was to give in to the Dark Side first... yes, that was when he got so much easier to manage."

"Of course, his potential is so much less than yours - but if you will not listen to me, I will have to make do..."

Force echoes get harder to believe for extended periods of time, particularly if the projector draws closer... and Revan is starting to feel that Anakin is approaching from somewhere behind her. She doesn't turn, however, but listens - mentally and physically - ready to turn in an instant.

This pronouncement of hers has the same effect on Anakin dumping a bucket of ice water on him might. He stares in shock, forgets to keep up his illusion of other-hims and now there is one bright presence in the Force, shining directly behind her.

Of course, the reaction that always immediately follows shock when one is dunked in such a way is annoyance. And in Anakin's case, more than annoyance as well as a grim determination that she will not have Obi-Wan. And since his cover is, essentially, blown, he ignites his lightsaber. The snap hiss seems unnaturally loud in this desolate area, but he doesn't care.

"You cannot have him." He even manages to say it evenly!

And Revan grins like she was just handed the galaxy on a large silver plate. She spins around at once, lightsaber drawn in mid-motion, one blade igniting as soon as she spots him.

Poetic justice - and a suitably good memory (http://www.livejournal.com/users/master_obiwan/22580.html?thread=254772#t254772) - drops the perfect response into her mind.

"Of course I can have him," she states, bluntly, before adding the line that Obi-Wan never got. "But I would much rather have *you.*"

[sorry. noticed an error that could be important..]
----

For his part, Obi-Wan is huddled in a corner, in a light healing trance. He hunkered down behind a bulkhead when the Ebon Hawk landed and has been there ever since Revan took up her vigil, biding his time.

He can feel echoes of emotion from the rudimentary bond he formed with Revan so many days ago, but he doesn't assert his presence. Not yet.

The Darkness of Korriban had staggered him when they had arrived, but his time with Revan, with feeling such concentrated Darkness helped to recover his wits more quickly.

As Anakin and Revan begin their stand-off, Obi-Wan silently and secretly draws on Korriban's Darkness, building it up and holding it within himself for that perfect moment to strike...

The corner of his mouth twitches up just slightly in an almost-smirk. His lightsaber his held defensively before him, ready to block whatever attack she may think of.

"You may want me, Revan, but you can't have me either. I didn't come here for you, only him." Which is close enough to the truth.

"Really?" Revan replies, sounding extremely unconvinced. "You just came here to save your pointless Jedi Master and waltz back home?"

And now her grin is almost wolfish. "Be honest, Anakin. If you did not come here to join me, then you came to face me."

"You aren't worth my time. Obi-Wan is." Yes, he may just be provoking her.

Not yet...patience...

Obi-Wan moves into a more confortable cross-legged meditation position. He takes a deep breath to prepare himself and relaxes his body, entering into a proper meditation until he is solidly centered.

Carefully, ever so delicately, he slowly lowers himself into the Dark energy that he has gathered, and is gathering still, counting on Korriban's Force- fluctuations and the gathering Force between Anakin and Revan to shield his drawing.

In the center of the mass, he slowly begins to use the same trick he used when he took Revan's attack and used it as a shield around his bond with Anakin: he begins turning it from darkness to light from the inside out...

Let us hope that your lessons have sunk in, Master Yoda; that I didn't spend all that recovery time for nothing...

Unaware of Obi-Wan's actions - believing anything she senses to be just normal Korriban-darkness - Revan continues to stare at Anakin. She doesn't look especially provoked.

Well. No more than usual.

"Am I not? You would choose *him* over the wonders I can teach you?"

She shrugs, as if it didn't matter at all. "Very well. Your life, your wasted potential."

But she doesn't move. Doesn't attack. And unless he manages to *really* annoy her, she won't. If he wants Obi-Wan - or a fight - he's going to have to make the move.

Anger. Hate. She wonders how quickly she can drag them out.

For a moment, he doesn't move either, staring back at her. Jedi don't attack. Don't attack. Don't attack. Then, he starts shifting slowly in a wide arc around her, moving him vaguely closer to the ship's ramp. The whole time, he keeps his attention focused on her, so of course he doesn't notice Obi-Wan doing anything either.

"You keep saying that."

Moving to keep him in sight, Revan smirks. "Of course. That is how one teaches... repetition until the lesson is learned."

"And in addition, I keep saying it because it matters. Because it hurts to see you wasting your life with the Jedi... because I see too much of what I once was in you."

The worrying thing is that, in a strange, twisted way, she really means what she's saying.

Of course, he can't actually get on the ship without moving past her. Dammit. "You are not my teacher."

He'd like to snap that they have nothing in common except they both know that'd be a blatant lie. He goes for sarcasm, instead, "Now you're just making me tear up."

Revan looks unperturbed. "I am more than that, Anakin. I am the one who is going to save you from those who would destroy what you can be. I am the one who will give you the life you were meant to lead."

She sounds unnervingly sure of herself right now.

"Oh really?" Revan adds, brushing the jibe aside. "I thought Jedi were supposed to deal with their emotions..."

He's balancing on the balls of his feet, ready to move, running through all the ways he can handle this in his mind. Every one of them still has him having to physically confront Revan. She's in the way. He can't get to Obi-Wan without going through her, a fight can't be avoided much longer. Not to mention he really wants to.

"Th-...we do." Just keep telling yourself that, kid.

His albeit corrected slip of the tongue makes Revan smirk at him again. "In that case, you appear to need more practice, Jedi."

She holds out her arms a little, the lit blade of her lightsaber thrumming through the air as it moves. "Well. We appear to have reached a stalemate. I am most intrigued as to how you plan to deal with it."

He smiles slowly, "I figure agressive negotiations are in order," as he shifts position again, holding his lightsaber as if about to attack and making a pulling motion with his left hand. Pulling a small barrage of stones at Revan's back.

Revan spots his movement at once, and spins quickly, holding up her own hand to knock Anakin's attack out of the way. As the stones shower to the floor, she spins, leaping at him with her saber.

She looks calm. In truth, she's not calm at all. She's not calm, she's not happy, and she really, really needs to kill someone. When this is over, she's going home to annex something.

Like an entire solar system.

When she leaps, he's ready, blocking her attack and parrying with one of his own. He's ready to use every trick he's ever learned from anyone, including her, to win this.

He doesn't really care if she's calm or not.

Sensing the beginning of the battle, Obi-Wan poises himself.

He's still waiting for the moment to strike; that precarious second in which success and failure balance perfectly, awaiting for something to tip the scales.

He knows that it has not come yet, but it will soon. And when it does, he will be ready; ready not only to break the bond between him and Revan, but ready to break Revan just enough so he and Anakin can get the hell out of here...

Right now, Revan is fairly sure that what she wants is to hurt Anakin a lot, until she can make him kill Obi-Wan. Either that, or just kill everyone, then go somewhere and kill more people.

Her attacks are nigh-on ferocious, but used in such a way that she can avoid killing him. Because she does want him alive.

She does.

Honest.

He's fighting all out, not holding back an ounce. She will not have Obi-Wan. Or him. He'll kill her first.

Of course, it means that the line between whether he's in this for a selfless or selfish reason is rather blurry indeed.

But still, he fights, and at least she can say his skill has grown since they last met. Not that that exactly helps her any.

"You *are* getting better at this, I see," Revan remarks, blocking an attack and circling for another. "And that is not the only change. Tell me, Anakin, what exactly happened to your arm?"

She's intrigued, yes. But she also deliberately left that question until they started fighting.

And, right on cue, anger flares. Dooku is a...sore subject. Almost as sore as Revan herself.

So his reply is laced with sarcasm, even as he's circling with her, watching for her next attack, "We fight with lightsabers, things happen."

Perfect.

"So I see. Please tell me your opponent lost more than an arm. I would hate to think of you letting them get away..."

She doesn't attack again - yet - but continues to circle, waiting to see if Anakin's anger will push him into another exchange.

His eyes flash, "His reprieve is temporary."

Damn Sith Lord saying things deliberately to anger him, making him think of another Sith Lord who really has it coming and this place really makes it hard to think clearly what to do and he really needs to get to Obi-Wan so maybe it would be okay to attack her now....

He really shouldn't be rising to the bait.

But he was never very good at not doing things he shouldn't.

"Temporary," Revan repeats. "So you *did* let the person responsible get away..? Just think, Anakin... if you join me again, we can find them and make sure that they pay for their actions. Unless, of course, it was *you* who ran from the battle..?"

She just keeps pushing, knowing that any second now, he's likely to lose it.

Through gritted teeth, "I didn't run." As he raises his lightsaber and moves to strike.

Yeah. Attacking. Yeah. Angry.

Stupid Jedi.

[ooc- *hugs* No worries lovey, we understand. :) I have company coming this weekend so wouldn't be on much anyway, for it is the Holiday of Hot Dogs and Barbecues and Firecrackers and Flags in the US this weekend. :)]

Idly thinking how well Anakin fights when he's angry - albeit lacking in some of the precision one needs to keep such an attack from being as hampered by emotion as it is fuelled - Revan blocks and parries, moving her feet to keep her position firm.

"Yes," she says, "that is it - *use* your anger!"

That really ought to be the warning sign, when the Sith Lord starts encouraging you to do what you're doing. Well, more like the "you're about to drive over the cliff in 2.5 seconds if you don't STOP NOW" sign.

He doesn't stop. He allows his emotions to fuel his attacks, to let the power course through him.

It feels good. Well, relatively speaking.

Revan just grins, more and more, as she feels him giving in, as she senses real force, pun intended, behind his attacks.

She returns them, of course, upping the pace, increasing the challenge, loving every second.

So close now...

He's really enjoying this far too much, a feral gleam in his eyes. This is what he's been waiting months for.

It's a small voice, in the back of his mind, that reminds him he's doing this for Obi-Wan, not his own gratification.

"I knew you had it in you," Revan says to him, in between attacks. "I knew you were ready to find the fire within your anger."

"You are almost there. Just a few more steps, and you will find the power I have so longed to show you."

Now!

The shield of darkness shatters. A bright beacon, probably the brightest that Korriban has ever seen in ages past, is revealed, with Obi-Wan at the centre.

Obi-Wan's bond with Anakin flares open and a large portion of the Light that Obi-Wan had fashioned burns down it and into Anakin. Yes, Anakin now sees the potential power of the Dark Side, but let him see the power of the Light, as well.

Let Anakin see how it can banish the Darkness, if he would but learn how to wield it.

At the same time, he reaches out with a slightly greater portion of Light through the bond he shares with Revan. He now knows where Amber is hidden and he need not waste any precious time searching for her. He practically yanks her out of her hiding spot and hands her this Light energy, trusting her to do what she can with it.

As a final act, to protect him from any backlash and further complications, he shatters that bond he had made out of desperation so many days ago, banishing the Sith from his mind, even though it means abandoning Amber to that fury.

The last and smallest portion he uses himself, allowing the Force to give him strength enough to stand and make his weary way out the door, down the hall, through the garage, around the corner and to the top of the ramp.

Physical strength gives way for a moment and he falls to one knee, his confinement and its consequences starting to catch up with him. But he knows he can't stop here, he has to get to Anakin...

It is the beacon that brings Anakin up short, eyes widening in shock. It is the sheer power of Light funneled down into him that burns away the Darkness ~~for now~~, centering him and bringing him back to himself. And it is that bond with his Master (mentor, friend, brother) opening and the sensation of Obi-Wan filling up a part of him that had been left empty by his teacher's disappearance that causes Anakin to completely forget Revan's lures.

He remembers why he's here.

He knows what he has to do.

And it's about the time of that realization that he senses Obi-Wan at the top of the ramp whereupon he runs to his mentor -- though keeping half his attention on Revan in case she tries anything.

"Obi-Wan...." he breathes, relieved to his Master alive. But apparently not so in serious-Jedi mode that he doesn't add, "You look like hell."

"Anakin..." Obi-Wan's voice is still a tad hoarse. His healing trance was not aimed at that sort of thing, after all.

And his Padawan's name is the only word he speaks, as he turns haunted eyes up at the youth, though he manages a ghost of a smile for him.

The look says it all: Can we go home, now? ...Please?

Revan, seconds away from what would have been a very, very serious attack, feels a sudden flash of energy, followed by an intense, shocking burst of Light.

Light, born of the power of Korriban's Dark. The amalgamation is practically nauseating, and had she time, Revan would no doubt have a lot to say about this. Unfortunately for her, other things occupy her mind. Quite literally, in this case. Deep inside, Light and Dark collide.

The red-clad figure's lightsaber deactivates, and she drops to her knees, letting out the most anguished scream possible, head back, eyes open to the blinding sky, incoherent words sounding behind the cry.

Then her head falls forward, and for a moment, all is suddenly, sickeningly silent. Finally, she looks up, blinking... but her eyes are not her own. Not anymore.

"...A-Anakin? Obi-Wan..? How did you..? Wait, I... oh, powers, no... not..."

From behind Revan's eyes, Amber can see the world once more, but it's blurry, only part-real. Half-shaking, half-crying, she tries once more to focus on the two Jedi. "Run," she gasps. "Now... please... go!"

Her words are desperate, full of haste... because she can already feel her grip on reality shifting - and Revan fighting back with the most intense hatred imaginable.

"I can hold her off... but... not for long... go!"

Anakin's already calling Artoo to bring the ship in closer right now and lifting Obi-Wan as carefully as he can manage while still hurrying about it, carrying his Master over his shoulders ~~(a la how he does in Episode III)~~.

He spares a moment to give ~~Crazy!Revan~~ Amber a sympathetic look. He may ~~hate~~ really really not like Revan but he feels badly for Amber. However, with a quick "thank you" and an "I'm sorry", he's off, moving as quickly as he can over the rough terrain carrying Obi-Wan toward their ship.

Before Anakin picks him up, he shoots Amber a sympathetic look that conveys his own apologies.

The next thing he knows, he's been hoisted over Anakin's shoulders and they are moving away from the Ebon Hawk.

He lets Anakin take care of him, knowing that he's pretty much useless right now.

Still on her knees, knuckles white against the hilt of her lightsaber, Amber cries out once more, full of desperation. The anguish in her eyes is nothing compared to the battle raging within - a battle born of dichotomy. Light versus Dark, Good versus Evil.

Amber versus Revan.

And it won't stay inside for long...

It doesn't take as long to reach his ship as it took him to get from his ship to Revan's. Of course, he's not exactly sneaking this time, and Artoo did bring it in closer.

So it's only a few more moments and he's climbing up carefully, and as gently as possible putting Obi-Wan into the co-pilot's seat.

Obi-Wan winces a little, as he's deposited into Anakin's ship.

He sinks into the seat gratefully and closes his eyes, trusting Anakin to get them the hell out and away.

Anakin slides into his own seat, and a moment later, they're off, zooming out of atmosphere as fast as the ship can take them.

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Chasing Shadows

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