KOTOR 1 - Tevano: Hero

Trask Ulgo looked down at the unconscious man lying on the bunk. Who was he, really? Was he, as Trask had been told, an empty shell, a mindless body? Or was he something more?

For months now, the man had lain motionless, barely breathing, sustained by sophisticated, almost-invisible medical equipment that would automatically disengage if he awoke. Trask had spent most of this time alone in the room with the silent man. Trask was a practical person, focused on his duty and not inclined to fanciful speculation. But this much isolation was wearing on even him. Sometimes, he imagined that he sensed more from the man, actual life, a presence, not just basic autonomic functions. These feelings had been growing stronger recently, and at first Trask thought they might mean the fulfillment of his mission was at hand. But now, he doubted that, because what he sensed from the man felt familiar, like a kindred spirit.

It felt nothing like Revan.

Trask crossed the room and looked out the viewport at the blur of hyperspace. He wasn't sure where the Endar Spire was headed. Or where it had most recently been, for that matter. The ship had been assigned various duties as part of the ongoing Republic war against the invading Sith, including reconnaissance, troop transport, and more. As a field combat specialist with Republic Intelligence, Trask was accustomed to being closer to the action, even behind enemy lines. But this mission had been different. While Trask had been assigned the rank of Ensign as a cover, he was not part of the ship's normal duty rotation. Instead, he waited here for the Dark Lord to awaken.

"If he ever does," Trask muttered to himself. At first his assignment, subduing or killing the man widely regarded as both the greatest Jedi and the greatest Sith in recent memory, had been intimidating to even as accomplished a soldier as Trask. Born to a noble Alderaanian family, Trask had grown up among royalty, so he was not awed by position or title. But Revan's authority was more than ceremonial. It was said that, before falling to the Dark Side and turning on the Republic, Revan had defeated Mandalore the Ultimate in single combat. Master Kavar had given Trask assurances that Revan would initially be powerless. At this point, though, Trask would almost have been willing to pit himself aganst an undiminished Revan, just to relieve the monotony.

His thoughts were interrupted by a chime from his communicator. She must be early. Grateful for the company, Trask crossed the room and entered the code to open the inner door. The room was kept continually sealed in case Revan awoke and Trask failed. Access to the room worked on an airlock-style model, consisting of two security doors in series. The locks were interlinked, and could not be deactivated simultaneously. The doors themselves automatically closed after a few seconds. In this way, there was never a clear path from the room to the rest of the ship, even when someone entered or exited. Sometimes, though, Trask wondered why they'd bothered. If Revan did ever inhabit the insensate body on the bunk and was indeed powerless, the highly-skilled Trask should have no difficulty handling him. And despite his bored musings, Trask knew that if Revan were not powerless, neither he nor a locked door would qualify as even a minor obstacle.

Trask walked up the short hall, the inner door automatically closing and locking behind him. He entered a different code into the outer door and it slid open with a mechanical hiss, revealing a slim, dark-haired woman of medium height. The lightsaber on her belt identified her as a Jedi, but instead of a traditional robe she wore a bodysuit with a leather overlay that covered her shoulders and torso and ended in a split skirt, balancing protection with freedom of movement. She nodded at Trask, then walked up the hall to the inner door, which Trask opened for her. She then proceeded to the bunk where the man lay, her high leather boots squeaking against the bare durasteel floor. Trask took a moment to appreciate the easy grace of her movements, then followed.

"There is still no change?" Bastila Shan asked. It was phrased as a question, but it felt like a statement.

"None," said Trask, slightly embarrassed at his foolish fantasy about sensing something within the body. Bastila was an actual Jedi, currently the most prominent in the Order. He was a failed Jedi apprentice turned Republic soldier. The one Force gift he'd ever exhibited was an ability to read people, but his small skills were laughable compared to a true Force-sensitive.

Almost as if to emphasize this point, Bastila spoke. "You're unsettled," she said to Trask without looking at him. "You should not feel insufficient at this outcome. His wounds were severe, and he may simply need more time. But even the Masters could not say if he will ever awaken. You are performing your role admirably. I commend you on your patience in what I can sense is an unusual amount of isolation and inactivity."

As a member of Republic Intelligence, Trask had received extensive training on concealing his emotions, but Bastila had accurately diagnosed his mental state without even focusing on him. Trask reminded himself never to play Pazaak with her. And he put aside his baseless speculations. If Bastila felt nothing from the man, then there was nothing to feel.

Bastila's casual ability to peer inside his mind also raised serious concerns for Trask. Because he knew the Jedi Council was lying to her.

The public story was well known: years ago, Revan and his friend Malak had led a group of fellow Jedi against the Mandalorian invasion. After leading the Republic to victory, Revan and Malak had disappeared, then reappeared as Sith, leading a new invasion of the still-weakened Republic. Recently, a group of Jedi led by Bastila had killed Darth Revan in battle, leaving his apprentice, Darth Malak, in control of the still-formidable Sith fleet.

As a member of Republic Intelligence, Trask was aware of additional details. Rather than defeating Revan in open battle, the Jedi had sent a strike team to abduct Revan, in hopes of learning the origin of his seemingly-endless Sith Fleet. But the strike team, of which Bastila had actually been a junior member, had failed in almost every regard. As recorded in Republic Intelligence's top-secret files, the mission's only victory, Revan's death, occurred because Darth Malak had used the distraction provided by the Jedi to fire on Revan's flagship. Bastila, the only surviving strike team member, had narrowly escaped. But even that was not the whole truth.

"The Jedi healers did a remarkable job mending his visible injuries," Bastila said. "When I removed his mask on his flagship, I was not sure reconstruction of his face would be possible. Yet there is not even the slightest scarring. Even the evidence of Dark Side corruption has vanished. I wonder if this is what he looked like when he served the Light Side, before he fell."

Bastila had been authorized by the Jedi Council to share her mission with Trask. She had told Trask that she had escaped Revan's flagship with both the greivously wounded Revan and a lifeless clone body that Revan had intended to us as an emergency receptacle for his consciousness. But due to the suddenness of Malak's attack, Revan had no opportunity to transfer himself to the clone body, which the Jedi had destroyed. Revan's mind was destroyed by his injuries, but the Jedi hoped he retained underlying memories leading to the origins of the Sith Fleet. So the Jedi had healed his body and inserted a new personality, one loyal to the Republic. Bastila's mission was to keep Revan on the move so that Malak could not sense and locate him. Trask's role was to stay with Revan until he awakened, freeing Bastila to command the Endar Spire and maintain the illusion that this was an ordinary Republic starship conducting normal war duties.

It was a daring, audacious plan. Or would have been, had it been true. Only Trask and certain Jedi Council Members knew that it was a lie.

"How are things on the ship?" asked Trask, eager to turn the conversation away from secrets that he could not allow Bastila to detect.

"The crew all well-trained and efficient," Bastila said. "In truth, this leaves me with little to do. While I am not alone in the way you are, I share some of your frustrations. Jedi are not accustomed to concealing information from others, and frankly I grow increasily uncomfortable presenting a false impression."

Trask couldn't have agreed more. Although his chosen career path often required him to misrepresent the truth, he had never been in a situation quite like this. Unknown to Bastila, Revan had died from his injuries. Lying on the bunk was the clone body Bastila had rescued from Revan's flagship. Yet, it seemed even death might not stop Revan. Trask's mission, personally delivered by Master Kavar of the Jedi Council in greatest secrecy, was to prevent perhaps the most frightening possibility imaginable: Darth Revan's return as Dark Lord of the Sith.

Having failed to redirect the conversation, Trask decided to embrace Bastila's unease and keep her thoughts focused somewhere other than himself. And he felt an additional worry within her, something he needed to explore, something that might affect the mission. "Who do you think he'll be if he wakes up?" Trask asked. "Are we the product of our past? Our biology? How much of who we are is our own choice, and how much is out of our control? Can a different personality really exist within Revan's body, or is he fated to follow the Dark Side? How much can a person change?"

"I truly do not know," said Bastila, "but I have wondered the same thing. I know very little about the procedure the Jedi Council used to remake Revan. But as I understand it, the technique involves imprinting the subject with the broad strokes of a new sense of self. The mind naturally fills in the gaps, and is much more receptive to a reality that it helped fashion. Which raises the question: what kind of details will Revan's mind create?"

"So even the Council doesn't know exactly who he'll be?" asked Trask.

"They assure me that he will be an ally," Bastila said. "But it did not escape my notice that they picked a skilled combatant for your role. I wonder how certain they are themselves."

Trask was both relieved and alarmed by this. This gave him a plausible reason to harbor concern regarding the man on the bunk, making it less likely that Bastila would find his unease out of place, dig deeper in his mind, and uncover his true mission. But Mastar Kavar had made it clear that Bastila must remain convinced that the unconscious man posed no danger. Because the secret Trask was keeping from Bastila was that clone body was a trap. If the Council's greatest fears were true, Revan had transferred his consciousness to Bastila, and even now lurked in her mind, aware of everything Bastila saw and heard, waiting on the chance to regain his power. Trasks's mission was to coax Revan into the clone, then either subdue or kill him. This was why the Council had chosen not simply a solider, but a solider trained in psychological warfare.

Trask allowed himself a moment to be impressed by Bastila. This woman had seen her entire team killed, and had still single-handedly stolen Revan the Betrayer's dying body from his flagship, under the noses of his entire crew. She was, perhaps, carrying the Dark Lord himself inside her head. And she was far more aware of the dangers and threats than the Council had imagined, even if she did not understand the details. Yet she seemed unaffected by the trauma and darkness. Bastila was clearly nobody's pawn and, given a little more time to sense, process, and understand the situation, Trask feared she might yet realize the whole truth. But at least, she didn't seem on the verge of extracting it from him. And despite his admiration for her, regardless of the guilt he felt at perpetuating the falsehoods that the Jedi Council had told her, he still had a job to do. And after all, wasn't this as much for her sake as anyone else's? If indeed Darth Revan resided within her, wasn't freeing her of him the best thing for her? Trask reminded himself that every word he spoke was for two audiences, the remarkable woman in front of him, and the most dangerous villian in living memory.

"I don't know what they told you about me, but I'm really just a grunt," Trask said. "A useful grunt, but nothing special. And as for Revan, let me make sure I understand. He'll have some natural inclinations, by virtue of the fact that he's physically still Revan. But he'll also have the imprint of another personality, one loyal to the Republic? So he won't exactly be either of those two people, he'll be a new, unique person created from those combined predispositions, plus details created by his own mind?"

"I believe that is an accurate summary," Bastila said.

"Then I don't think we have anything to worry about," Trask said. "Even if the Council can't predict an exact outcome, I'm sure they're correct that he'll be on our side. You'd know better than I, but wasn't Revan extremely loyal to the Republic before he fell? My impression was that, during the Mandalorian Wars, he chose the Republic over even the Jedi. Obviously, things happened during or after the war that led him a different direction. But if the Council has effectively reset him, wouldn't he naturally return to his original perspective? And if the imprinted personality shared that outlook, wouldn't it be unlikely that he'd diverge from it?"

"You're right, of course," Bastila said. "My only personal encounter with Revan was on his flagship, after he had long been consumed by the Dark Side. It is easy for me to forget that he was once someone else."

"Imagine what sort of advantage Revan could be, returned to our side," Trask continued. "We'd battled the Mandalorians for years, and managed at best a slow decline. Then under his leadership they were no match for us. He could turn the tide again."

"Thank you," Bastila said. "I think I have been reluctant to let myself have that much hope. But I will endeavour to trust in the Council's wisdom."

"That hope is what keeps me going," Trask lied. His actual hope at the moment was that Bastila was too focused on her own feelings to recognize his insincerity. He felt another twinge of guilt at manipulating Bastila, but he hadn't really been talking to her. Drawing out then assuaging her concerns had been designed to convince Revan that he would have the upper hand after jumping to the clone body. And then Trask would stun him. Or kill him.

The pair looked down at the man in silence for some time. His lithe musculature spoke of fitness, but only in ways comparable to any soldier on the ship. His face was unremarkable. Nothing in his sharp facial features suggested anything out of the ordinary. His dark hair, having not been trimmed during the mission, was somewhat long, but would not be out of place in a crowd on Coruscant or Alderaan. Yet this was the face of a legend.

"I should return to the bridge," Bastila finally said. "Walk with me. You need a few minutes outside this room."

Trask started to object, but Bastila wasn't wrong. At just over 300 meters in length, the Endar Spire, a Hammerhead-class cruiser, wasn't particularly large by starship standards. But the walk to the bridge and back, getting to briefly be among the crew, would do Trask some good. They crossed the room, and just before exiting, took one last look at the man on the bunk to confirm that he was still unconscious and motionless. Then they turned away.

Neither of them saw his eyelids flutter.

As he had hoped, Trask found his frame of mind improved after he bade Bastila farewell at the bridge and started his return to the room. He recognized that having interaction with only Bastila for this long was likely to create a false sense of intimacy. But as he strolled through the ship's corridors, he couldn't help but wonder what might have been if she hadn't been a Jedi. Foolish thoughts, he supposed. Soon enough, they would both move on to their next missions, likely on opposite sides of the galaxy.

The next thing that went through Trask's mind was very nearly a piece of shrapnel. He was on the floor before he even knew there had been an explosion. His shoulder trobbed, and he realized it was from being thrown against the corridor wall. Fortunately, his Republic-issue trooper's armor had taken the brunt of the blast.

Clearing his head and regaining his feet, Trask saw that the corridor was full of smoke. The ship's ventilation systems were quickly filtering it away, but through the haze, out the nearest viewport, Trask saw Sith fighters attacking the Endar Spire like a swarm of biting flies. How had the Sith found them? Were they trying to destroy the Endar Spire, or were they-

He had to get to the clone body! Whether or not it was the Sith's target, if they acquired it, there was no telling what they could do with it.

Blaster in hand, Trask raced through the corridors, pausing only to flash his Republic Intelligence credentials at an officer trying to order him the other direction to repel boarders. If the Sith were boarding the ship, they must be after something. And maybe it was Revan, or his clone, but if not, then they must be after-

Trask came to a sudden stop in the corrider, Republic soliders still streaming around him. How could he help protect Bastila and ensure the clone was secured at the same time? They were on opposite ends of the ship. He almost reversed course back to the bridge. But he remembered his assignment, and knew that if Bastila were standing beside him, she'd tell him to do his duty while she defended the ship. After all, she was the Jedi and he was just-

In spite of the situation, Trask chuckled at himself. "A useful grunt," he said out loud. "So go do your job, grunt." His decision made, Trask continued his dash toward the far end of the ship where the clone lay. Trask madly punched in the security code for the outer door, sliding through it as soon as it opened. He sped to the inner door, entered its code, darted in and-

Revan was standing beside the bunk, looking at him.

Several thoughts flashed through Trask's mind at once. His first instinct was to raise his blaster and fire. Master Kavar had ordered Trask to subdue Revan if possible, and kill him only if necessary. But how would he possibly get an incapicated Revan off the ship during a Sith attack? Even if Bastila didn't need him and he left the fight to the Jedi and the Republic soldiers, the escape pods were all on the other end of the ship. He could use an ally. Revan had the reputation of a master manipulator, but could Trask turn the tables and manipulate Revan?

Then Trask realized how disoriented Revan looked.

It suddenly occurred to Trask that he had never considered what the experience of transferring between bodies might be like for Revan. He'd assumed that Revan would immediately be his whole self, but what if he were wrong? Wasn't it possible that it would take some time for Revan's memories to return? Master Kavar had expected Revan to be powerless and easy to subdue. Trask hadn't pursued exactly what he'd meant by that, but maybe it was expected that Revan would be confused at first. How long might that last? A minute? A day? All Trask needed was to get to the bridge, and even without his Force abilities, Revan had to be one of the most capable warriors in the galaxy. If Trask could get Revan onto his side for even just a few minutes...

Trask decided to play his hunch. "We've been ambushed by a Sith battle fleet!" he said. "The Endar Spire is under attack! Hurry up - we don't have much time!"

"The Endar Spire?" Revan asked, looking about the room.

"Did you fall out of your bunk and hit your head?" Trask said. "The Endar Spire is the ship we're stationed on - this ship!" Revan looked in the direction of the viewport, appearing to realize for the first time that he was in space.

"You probably don't even know who I am do you?" Trask said. "I'm Trask Ulgo, Ensign with the Republic Fleet. I'm your bunk mate here on the Endar Spire. We work opposite shifts. I guess that's why you haven't seen me before." It was a ludicrous statement. Standard shifts were not half a day, and even if they were, bunkmates would undoubtedly cross paths arriving and leaving. Revan did not seem to consider these details. Satisfied that Revan's apparent disorientation was sincere, Trask pressed his advantage.

"Now hurry up," Trask said. "We have to find Bastila! We have to make sure she makes it off the ship alive!"

"Who's Bastila?" Revan asked.

"Bastila's the commanding officer on the Endar Spire," Trask answered. "Well, not an officer, really. But she's the one in charge of this mission." He considered mentioning that Bastila was a Jedi, and decided to avoid that for now. He didn't want to trigger any memories in Revan. Instead, he continued to play on Revan's famed sense of purpose. "One of our primary duties is to guarantee her survival in the event of enemy attack! You swore an oath just like everyone else on this mission. Now's the time to make good on that oath!" At this, Revan seemed to gain focus, but still stood motionless, unsure how to proceed. Concerned that hesitation in battle would get them both killed, Trask decided to risk bolstering Revan's sense of combat ability.

"I've heard all about your reputation: elite combat training, tops in your class. It's no wonder you were hand picked for this mission. Word is the officers haven't seen a recruit with your kind of potential in twenty years. But all that doesn't mean a thing if you can't deliver when it counts! We're soliders, we're trained for combat. Bastila's going to need men and women like us at her side during this attack!"

This speech seemed to have the desired effect. "Okay, let's go help Bastila!" Revan said forcefully. Noting the blaster in Trask's hand for the first time, Revan checked his own waist, and found himself unarmed.

"Hurry up and grab your gear," Trask said, indicating the footlocker where his own Republic Intelligence equipment was stowed. "You need to suit up so we can get out of here."

"Okay," Revan said simply. He turned and proceeded to the footlocker.

Trask realized that, with Revan's back to him, he had an easy kill shot. It was never easy to shoot someone in the back, but Trask had done it before. He could again. This was his opportunity to rid the galaxy of a monster. And yet ... he reached out to see what, if anything, he could sense from Revan, hoping his own meager connection to the Force would be sufficient. Happily, he seemed somehow able to reach deeper than ever before. Was Revan's presence somehow enhancing his own abilities? On the surface, he felt mostly disorientation within Revan. But under that was much more. Strength. Confidence. Ability. Purpose. Duty. Power. All things that could be used for either good or ill. But ... beyond that there was even more. Empathy. Concern. Compassion. This is not what he expected to feel from what many considered the most evil man in the galaxy. He sensed no malice, no hate, no cruelty. Trask lowered his blaster. Maybe Revan's negative side would still resurface, but for now, he was no threat, and he was Trask's best chance at making it to the bridge. He would just have to stay on his guard, prepared to shoot Revan if necessary.

Revan quickly donned Trask's gear with an efficiency that spoke of long experience. That much, at least, he had retained. Revan quickly evaluated the two available weapons: a blaster rifle and a short sword. While swords had once been considered a primitive weapon, the effectiveness of modern armor against blasters had returned swords to popularity. Glancing again at the blaster in Trask's hand, Revan holstered the blaster rifle and gripped the sword. Tactics in tight spaces, such as the ship's corridors, dictated that only the lead member of a group would have room to employ a sword, while others would support them with ranged weapons. If Trask was interpreting correctly, Revan intended to take the more dangerous lead role, which suited Trask's purposes in more ways than one.

"Okay, let's move out," Trask said. "We should stick together: you'll have more success with a party than on your own." Revan nodded as if this was already understood, confirming Trask's suspicions. Good, Revan had not lost his tactical skills.

"Because of the attack this room is in lockdown," Trask said, "but don't worry - I've got the override codes." It was another ridiculous statement. There was no protocol that would lock crew members in their bunks during an attack, when they were most needed at their posts. But for months, the two locked doors had been Trask's first line of defense if Revan had somehow awakened, overpowered him, and tried to escape. He was unwilling to release Revan without testing him first, even at the risk of his own life.

Trask intentionally turned his back on Revan and opened the inner door. Unknown to Revan, the outer door farther up the hallway was still secured. If Trask died here, the outer door might at least slow Revan down. Trask paused for a moment, giving Revan sufficient time to recognize and act on Trask's vulnerability, bracing himself for a close-range blaster rifle shot between his shoulder blades. If Revan had been concealing his true emotions from Trask, now would be the moment.

The shot did not come. Trask glaced back at Revan, and saw him impatiently waiting for Trask to proceed.

"Now that the door's open, you better take the lead again," Trask said.

Revan jogged ahead through the thin smoke, with Trask following. They were interrupted by a call over the communicators they both wore.

"This is Carth Onasi - the Sith are threatening to overrun our position! We can't hold out long against their firepower! All hands to the bridge!"

"That was Carth contacting us on our portable communicators," Trask said. "He's one of the Republic's best pilots! He's seen more combat than the rest of the Endar Spire's crew put together. If he says things are bad, you better believe it. We have to get to the bridge to help defend Bastila!"

"Let's move out," Revan said.

They quickly reached the outer security door. Once it was opened, Revan would have unimpeded access to the remainder of the ship. If he was concealing his true intentions from Trask, he could easily rejoin the Sith and the galaxy would fall. But there was no real choice. Until Carth's message, there was the still the possibility of returning to the room and waiting out the attack. But if the Sith were overrunning the ship, then waiting just delayed the inevitable. Better to fight their way through to their allies. Trask reached out again with his strangely-heightened Force ability. Revan's disorientation had dissipated, replaced with focus on the coming battle and concern for their compatriots on the bridge. There was no hint of the Dark Lord. Still Trask waited a moment with his back to Revan after opening the door. He doubted he would survive a shot at point blank range, but underneath his standard-issue Republic armor he was wearing a sophisticated energy dispersion underlay. There was a chance that, if Revan shot him in the back, he might live long enough to return fire.

Still, no shot came.

They stepped into the hallway beyond, and saw a single Republic solider just ahead of them exchanging blaster rifle fire with a pair of Sith soldiers. Fortunately, these were ordinary Sith soliders, not Force-sensitive Sith Acolytes or fallen Dark Jedi. Before Trask or Revan could act, the Republic soldier was hit.

"These Sith must be the advance boarding party!" Trask said. "For the Republic!"

They stepped into the hallway, and Trask raised his blaster. He squeezed off a single shot, then realized a second shot would be unnecessary. The standard Sith uniforms included a full mask that completely obscured the wearer's features. Besides providing some protection against environmental factors such as smoke and heat, the metallic uniforms reinforced the Sith's presentation as faceless, fearsome, unfeeling opponents. Revan, however, was not intimidated. Trask had been in combat alongside Jedi before, and had been impressed with their fluid, seemingly-effortless movements. But nothing could have prepared him for the ferocity of Revan's attack. Where the Jedi that Trask had seen before employed an easy grace, dexterously weaving among their opponents as they flipped and spun, Revan's attack was pure strength and purpose. He slid between the Sith's blaster shots without even appearing to alter his path and, with no movement wasted, dispatched the Sith with two overpowering blows that split both armor and flesh. Trask had not been aware that any human, Jedi or Sith, could move with that level of speed or force. How could such power reside within such an unremarkable-looking man? Trask collected himself. They needed to keep moving.

"I've got a feeling that won't be our last battle with the Sith," Trask said. Revan nodded, reached down and grabbed a grenade from the belt of the one of the fallen Sith, and began jogging ahead, Trask following.

They opened a door and entered a room containing two more Sith troopers. Again, Trask provided covering fire while Revan quickly dispatched the Sith with the short sword. Trask wondered again at Revan's ability. If this is how he fought when powerless, what must he have been like at his full strength? They crossed the room and continued on.

They rounded a corner and saw a group of Sith engaging a group of Republic soldiers at a junction where two hallways met. The fighting was intense, and for a moment it seemed as if the Republic soldiers might prevail. Then one of the trailing Sith flung a grenade into the middle of the combatants, killing the Republic soliders as well as several of the Sith. This left Trask and Revan facing five Sith soldiers, all armed with blaster rifles. Trask was still in shock at the Sith grenadier's ruthless disregard for his own troops, but Revan did not hesitate. He accurately flung the grenade he'd snatched from the first group of Sith and charged behind it, killing the stunned Sith before they could recover from the grenade blast. Trask recognized several advanced moves taught only in the Republic's most elite combat courses. Revan executed them with a perfection and power that Trask could never hope to duplicate.

For a moment, Trask stood in awe at Revan, surrounded by fallen Sith, yet not even breathing heavily. How could he have ever hoped to subdue this man? If Revan's old personality did return, what hope did any of them have? Trask finally understood what had triggered the edge of concern, even fear, in Master Kavar's voice. This was bigger than Trask, bigger than Bastila, bigger than this battle. As Revan continued up the hallway, Trask considered for a moment whether he should take the opportunity he had passed on in the room. Revan's back was again turned to him. If he killed Revan now, he would almost certainly die, and lose any hope of helping defend Bastila. But maybe that was worth it. Yet again, Trask reached out in the Force. It was somehow even easier this time, and Trask had a more clear sense of Revan's mind than he'd had of anyone's before. There was no darkness, no evil intent, not even a shadow of danger. Instead, Trask was almost overcome with light. How could this be the Revan that Trask had been told of? This was not the Dark Lord. This was the galaxy's greatest hope. Trask eased his finger away from the trigger. He would not shoot this man. He would follow him, into this battle or any other.

They continued up the hallway and, opening another door, saw the sparks of lightsaber combat.

"It's a Dark Jedi!" Trask said. "This fight is too much for us - we better stay back. All we'd do is get in the way." Even as he said it, he wasn't sure this fight was beyond Revan. But regardless of his abilities, the sword Revan held would be no use against a lightsaber.

The Sith attacked with furious strokes, but the Jedi was faster and countered each one easily. Trask, standing slightly behind Revan, watched him carefully, ready to act in case his senses had misled him. If anything was going to trigger the old Revan, it was the sight of a Jedi and a Dark Jedi in battle. Revan appeared on the verge of entering the fray even without an appropriate weapon, but the Jedi, taking advantage of an opening created by the Sith's aggressiveness, delivered a spinning slice that dropped the Sith. Unfortunately, as she did, a damaged power conduit ruptured behind her in a fatal explosion.

"That was one of the Jedi accompanying Bastila," Trask said. "Damn, we could have used her help." Again, he reached out in the Force and was relieved to feel sadness within Revan at the fallen Jedi, regret at not having been able to help, and a renewed desire to reach the bridge.

They continued to the bridge, battling small groups of Sith along the way. Finally, they reached the bridge door. Without hesitating, Revan opened it and engaged the Sith inside. Trask fired his blaster repeatedly as Revan effortlessly dodged blaster shots and delivered blow after blow with the sword. Soon, there were no Sith left standing. Trask saw the bodies of several Republic soliders and, fearing the worst, quickly surveyed the fallen. To his relief, none of them were Bastila.

"Bastila's not here on the bridge," Trask said. "They must have retreated to the escape pods! We better head that way too. The Sith want Bastila alive, but once she's off the ship there's nothing stopping them from blasting the Endar Spire into galactic dust!" In truth, Trask still wasn't completely sure what the Sith's goal was, but this seemed like the best way to keep Revan moving.

They exited the bridge through a different door and, Trask now in the lead, continued down the hallway toward the escape pods. As they reached a room with multiple exits, Trask froze, overwhelmed by a feeling of darkness so strong that it was almost like a physical assault. For a panicked second, Trask thought he had misjudged Revan. But then he realized the forboding presence was coming from in front of him and not behind.

"There's something behind here," Trask said, drawn to one of the room's exits. As he stepped forward, the door slid open revealing a Sith Master spinning a double-bladed red lightsaber.

"Damn - another Dark Jedi!" Trask said. His mind raced as he searched for a solution, any advantage. If Revan's Force powers had resurfaced, then maybe they would have had a chance, even without a lightsaber. But they hadn't, and with only a blaster and a sword, even with Trask's training and Revan's extraordinary skills, they stood no chance. There was nowhere to run, no last trick to employ.

And then everything for Trask changed. The Dark Jedi disappeared. The room faded. The Endar Spire was gone.

Trask saw a huge circular room, dark and metallic. In the center of the room was a large hologram of what appeared to be space station of unfamiliar design. Light from the hologram illuminated the room, barely reaching the distant walls and high domed ceiling. A figure knelt on the central platform, facing a bridge that extended to a door. The figure, a human female clothed in black, appeared to be waiting.

The door opened, revealing Revan. At least, Trask thought it was Revan. He was clothed in the robes of a Jedi Master and carried a lightsaber. His face was peaceful, but concerned. The kneeling figure, its back still to Trask, stood and crossed the bridge to stand before Revan. Trask could see now that the figure was wearing Sith robes. He looked closer. Was it? No, it couldn't be.

"Revan - I knew you'd come for me," Bastila said.

"I'm Tevano now, Bastila," said the man. "Revan is no more."

Tevano? Who was Tevano? How and why was Revan no more? Confused, Trask missed the next few things that Bastila and the man said to each other. His attention was refocused when Bastila drew a double-bladed red lightsaber and attacked. The man ignited a blue lightsaber and responded with the same speed and power that Trask recognized from the Endar Spire's corrider a few minutes prior.

The battle was brief. The man - Tevano? Revan? - was the superior lightsaber combatant. He knocked away Bastila's lightsaber, exposing her for the killing blow. Trask tried to scream, tried to rush to her defense, but found he could not speak or move. He braced himself for the inevitable. But instead of striking, the man extinguished his lightsaber. Trask could not hear their words, but Bastila spoke to him in anger, and he responded in conciliatory tones.

Extending a hand, Bastila called her lightsaber back to her and attacked again. Again, the man quickly defeated her, but did not strike her down. Again Bastila verbally assailed the man. Trask could not hear every word, but he heard her mention the Dark Side, the Sith, Darth Malak, and something called the Star Forge. Again the man appeared to be trying to calm her. He mentioned the Jedi Code, which triggered Bastila into a third, even more aggressive attack. For a third time, the man easily defeated her.

This time, Bastila's confidence appeared shattered. She seemed to be begging the man to kill her, but he refused. He spoke of hope, atonement and ... love? Trask struggled to hear their words. Trask could tell the man spoke of redemption, and that Bastila accepted it. Finally, the man went through a far door to face Darth Malak, while Bastila remained to use her Battle Meditation to strengthen ... had Trask heard correctly? The Republic Fleet?

Trask didn't understand what he was seeing, but he was certain of one thing. As they had prepared to separate, Trask heard Bastila clearly say: "Now I understand that a true Jedi is a match for any Sith. Even the Dark Lord himself."

The room faded, and Trask again found himself on the Endar Spire facing the Dark Jedi, with his companion still behind him. Apparently, no time had passed while he was in the ... the only thing to call it was a Force Vision.

Trask was awash with a fresh wave of questions, but there was no time for answers. Who was the man behind him? Was he Revan? Or was he Tevano, whoever that was? The man here on the Endar Spire appeared to be the same man from the vision, but here and now he was no Jedi Master. Neither was Bastila a Sith, but apparently she would become one. If this man were not there to save her, what would become of her? If this man were not there to face Darth Malak, what would become of the Republic?

There was no decision to make. Trask knew now the reason for his connection to the Force, weak as it was, and why it had seemed to increase as they drew closer to this critical point. It was so that the Force could show him this vision, to see the part he had to play. The fate of everything hung in the balance, and he, Trask Ulgo, could push it one way or the other. Whoever the man behind him was, if the Sith claimed him now, before he was prepared to face them, the galaxy would fall. But if the man escaped, had time to become ready, he would not only save Bastila from unimaginable darkness, but also save the galaxy from the Sith. When Trask had forsaken a lifetime of ease amongst the Alderaanean nobility to serve the Republic, he knew it might cost him his life. It was a price he was willing to pay, but he hadn't expected it to be today. Nevertheless, here it was.

"I'll try to hold him off," Trask cried. "You get to the escape pods! Go!" He stepped through the door and overloaded the controls, fusing the door shut. Then he turned and faced Darth Bandon, knowing he had no hope of victory. Yet he had no regrets. It would be a worthy death.

"Tevano, wait. We have one more question."

The speaker was Jedi Master Vrook, a member of the Jedi Enclave Council on Dantooine. Tevano and Bastila had just met with the Council, who had mentioned the possibility of training Tevano as a Jedi. The Council had decided to discuss the matter privately and had dismissed Tevano and Bastila. But now, just as the pair were exiting the Council chamber, Vrook called them back.

"How is it," Vrook asked, "that only you and Lieutenant Onasi were in the final escape pod from the Endar Spire? Were there no others who had accompanied you in your escape?"

Tevano sensed a veiled concern behind Vrook's probing question. Still, there was no reason to respond with anything other than the truth.

"I battled through the Sith on the Endar Spire with a Republic Ensign named Trask Ulgo," Tevano said. "As we were nearing the escape pods, we encountered a Dark Jedi. We had no hope of defeating him. Trask single-handedly engaged the Sith, sealing the door behind himself to protect me." Tevano paused for a long moment, remembering. Finally, he continued.

"I only knew Trask Ulgo for a few minutes," Tevano said. "But one thing was clear: that man was a hero."