KOTOR 1 - Tevano: The Lie

"As you wish, Masters."

Bastila Shan inclined her head respectfully, then exited the Jedi Council chambers. She had arrived on Dantooine a short time before, the only surviving member of the strike team tasked with abducting Darth Revan, Dark Lord of the Sith. The mission had gone poorly in almost every way. A group of Republic solidiers, accompanied by several Jedi, had boarded Revan's flagship. Fighting had been fierce, and most of the strike team had perished in the ship's corriders. Bastila had rallied the last few members and led the final push to the bridge, where at last they faced the Dark Lord.

Revan's apprentice, Darth Malak, had chosen that moment to betray Revan, firing on Revan's damaged flagship from his own warship. All Bastila's remaining companions were killed in the blast.

But despite these many failures, the mission had succeeded in its primary objective: Bastila had captured Revan. The Dark Lord had been gravely wounded by Malak's attack. Bastila had used a combination of Force techniques and neural regulators to stabilize Revan's dying body, and had escaped just before Revan's ship exploded. While making her way out, Bastila had encountered something unexpected: a duplicate of Revan in a suspended animation chamber. Forced to make a quick decision, Bastila had brought the duplicate back to Dantooine as well, where the combined members of the Dantooine Enclave Council and the Coruscant High Council awaited.

Now, having given a full report to the Councils, Bastila had been ordered to report to the Jedi healers for medical treatment. This left the Masters alone in the Jedi Enclave's largest audience chamber. For several minutes after Bastila's departure, the seven Masters stood in silence, meditating on Bastila's report, seeking wisdom from the Force.

Their reverie was broken by the arrival of two Jedi healers, each pushing a repulsorlift platform. One platform held the life support system sustaining the duplicate that Bastila had taken from Revan's flagship, visible through a transparasteel cover. The other platform held Darth Revan. The two Jedi guided the platforms to the center of the large room, where the Council members could see them clearly.

The contrast between the two unconscious men could not have been greater. The duplicate appeared to be in exemplary health, its skin flawless and of perfect tone. It had no scars, no blemishes. It appeared younger than Revan's physical age, although it was not immediately apparent whether its presumably artifically accelerated aging had been halted before it matched Revan's actual age, or whether it simply seemed younger due to its ideal state.

Revan's body, however, was clearly destroyed. The face was misshapen and barely recognizable as human. Between massive injuries and intense swelling, the features were almost indiscernable. Even careful positioning by the Jedi healers could not hide the numerous broken bones. Its chest was crushed and sunken. Its breath, while steady, was shallow and gurgling.

"What is your evaluation?" asked Master Kavar, member of the High Council and one of the architects of the strike team mission. His eyes were fixed on Revan. He had barely glanced at the duplicate.

"Revan is dead," replied one of the Jedi healers. "The damage is irreparable. His body is being mechanically sustained by the neural regulators, but no life force is present. If we remove the regulators, his body will cease to function. Even if we do not, it will soon deteriorate enough that the regulators will be insufficient. It is simply a matter of time."

"Did you take a midichlorian reading?" asked Master Vrook, member of both the Dantooine Enclave Council and the High Council, and co-architect of the strike team mission.

"Several," replied the Jedi. "The body's midichlorian count is falling very quickly, which is normal after death. At this point, it is below the value that would typically indicate Force sensitivity. The only thing notable in this case was the initial value when we received the body. Despite already being in sharp decline, it was the highest reading I have ever seen. I can't even estimate what it would have been when he was still alive. I'm not sure our equipment could have even measured it."

"And the duplicate?" asked Master Vandar. Also a member of both Councils, he had relucantly supported the strike team's mission as necessary due to the desparate state of the war against the Sith.

"It is in perfect health," replied the Jedi. "A genetic analysis confirms it is a clone of Revan. While we confess that our experience with clones is limited, from what we can tell it has never been conscious."

"So it is alive?" asked Master Lonna Vash, a member of the High Council who had enthusiastically supported the strike team's mission. In fact, she had requested to lead the team, and had been denied only because the presence of a Council Member would have put the mission's secrecy at risk.

"It appears to be capable of physical survival without the aid of the life support system," replied the Jedi. "But we can sense no life force within it. While we cannot be certain, we believe that, if removed from the enclosure, it would remain permanently unconscious and, if nourished artifically, would begin aging normally."

"And its midichlorian count?" asked Master Dorak, an Enclave Council Member who had opposed the strike team's mission on the basis that they would be unable to keep a captured Revan incarcerated without resorting to unethical measures.

"Very low," the Jedi replied, "and stable. I assume you are familiar with the various factors affecting midichlorian levels, and the limitations of using midichlorians alone as an indication of Force sensitivity?"

"I believe I am," said Dorak, "but I am a historian and not a healer. Please tell us anything you think may be relevant."

"Midichlorian counts are affected by body, mind, and spirit," said the Jedi. "A truly Force-sensitive individual, such as yourself-"

"-or yourself," Dorak interjected. "While I respect your humility, your particular calling does not make you any less a Jedi."

"Thank you, Master," the Jedi said. "For everyone in this room, then, your midichlorian count is reflective of your level of affinity to the Force. But just as you could not inject a non-Force-sensitive person with midichlorians and make them capable of abilities normally reserved to a Jedi-"

"-or a Sith," interrupted Atris, a High Council Member who had argued that the strike team's goal should be to kill Revan rather than capture him.

"That is correct, Master," said the Jedi, unsure whether the interruption had been a reprimand.

"Please, let us all allow our colleague to finish," said Master Zhar, an Enclave Council Member who had supported the strike team's mission in hopes of redeeming a captured Revan. Zhar nodded to the uncomfortable Jedi, who concluded quickly.

"A body may be naturally capable of supporting high midichlorian levels, but not exhibit them at a given time due to an issue of the mind or spirit. Thus we are uncertain what Force potential the clone may possess, if any."

"Thank you," said Master Zhar. "You may go." The two Jedi healers bowed and left the Council chambers, leaving the seven Masters alone with the two unconscious men.

Vandar spoke first: "When Bastila returned, I hoped that, despite the heavy losses, the mission's goal could still be achieved. But Revan's knowledge is lost to us. We now have no way to learn where his fleet originates."

"Malak now leads the Sith Fleet," said Kavar. "Neither he nor his apprentice Darth Bandon have Revan's tactical skill, but they can still overwhelm us with numbers. Our cause remains dire."

"Then let us at least be rid of this breathing corpse," said Vrook. He stepped forward and snatched the neural regulators from Revan's head. Revan's respiration ceased, his limbs twitched, then his body became still.

"The Dark Lord is dead," said Vash. "Is that not a victory?"

"Is he?" asked Atris. The rest of the Masters looked at her in confusion. "Why do you think Revan had a clone body?" she continued. "It is obvious that he had mastered the Dark art of the transferrence." The others stared at Atris for a moment in disbelief.

Finally, Dorak spoke. "Even if that were possible, did the healer not say that the clone contained no life essense? I do not disagree that Revan intended to transfer himself into this clone body. But clearly he did not achieve it."

"Recall that Revan studied with Master Kae before she was expelled from the Order," said Zhar. "Among her many questionable teachings was the ability to hide one's presence. While shielding one's mind against enemies is a vital skill, I fear that Kae's teachings went beyond that, to disguising one's identity for nefarious purposes. Could Revan be concealing himself within this clone?"

"From many Jedi, perhaps," said Dorak. "I believe, however, that the Council could detect him. And even if we were unable, would not his presence cause the clone's midichlorian count to rise? Yet the healer said the clone's count was low and steady."

"I am not talking about the clone," said Atris. "Were any of you actually listening to Padawan Shan's description of what happened after Revan was fatally injured?"

"Of course," said Vandar. "She used the Force to strengthen his essence, and the neural regulators to stabilize his body. Regrettably, she was unsuccessful, but I would have done the same."

"No, you were not listening," said Atris. "Let me quote: 'I grasped at Revan's retreating life force and pulled it back, strengthening it. It was fading like a dying ember, but then strengthened into a flame that seemed almost to engulf me.'"

"You cannot mean..." Vrook began, then stopped, shaking his head.

"Yes, I do mean it," said Atris. "Revan has concealed himself within Padawan Shan. Shan IS Revan."

"Though Bastila is still a Padawan, she is a fully trained Jedi," said Dorak. "I do not believe Revan could invade her mind in that way."

"Bastila did say that Revan's life force was retreating," said Vash. "She perceived that as Revan dying, but he may have in fact been transferring himself into the clone. If she interrupted that process, and shielded herself from any attempt by Revan to possess her, then he may have been left without an option. Revan may indeed be dead."

"If he had begun transferring himself to the clone before being stopped by Bastila," Vandar said, "could he have imprinted the clone? Could it contain his knowledge without containing his essense? If so, is there any way we could access that knowledge?"

"We have no evidence that Revan imprinted anyone or anything," said Vrook. "This is baseless speculation. The mostly likely answer is that Revan is dead, and his knowledge is lost. While the latter is regretable, the former is not. While the Sith under Malak are still formidable, Revan's tactical skills are now lost to them. We should be discussing how to press that advantage, not fanciful imaginings about Sith sorcery."

"The Jedi Order has stood for twenty thousand years," said Dorak. "Sadly, Jedi have been falling to the Dark Side that entire time. Yet there is no recorded case of an essence transfer. If it were possible wouldn't it have happened by now?"

"Are you sure it has not?" asked Vandar. "While I am not convinced that Revan achieved this, what of Karness Muur?"

"Those rumors were never verified," said Dorak.

"Neither were they proved false," said Vandar. "None of are experts in Sith sorcery. How can we say what is and is not possible?"

"A failing we should correct, if we are to defend ourselves against the Sith," said Atris. "But our immediate problem is here and now. If there is any chance that Revan is within this clone, we should kill it, without hesitation. And we should also eliminate the more likely vessel that Revan found for his consciousness. We must kill Shan. Now."

"What?" exclaimed Vrook, shocked. "You cannot be serious. Under no circumstances will we execute a Jedi!"

"Do not think I say this lightly," Atris said. "But killing Shan to ensure Revan is gone is our only choice. How many Jedi have we sent to their deaths fighting this monster? What is the sacrifice of one more, if it ensures success? Did she not just willingly go on perhaps the most risky mission possible? She has already accepted the possibility of death in order to defeat Revan. Let us honor her choice now. We must do it quickly, so he cannot react."

"I will not condone killing a fellow Jedi, especially one who has done nothing wrong," said Kavar. "And if you cannot see that doing so would be a great evil on its own, consider this: with Revan's knowledge of the Sith Fleet's origins lost, Padawan Shan's skill with Battle Meditation may be our best chance at defeating Darth Malak. By killing Shan, we might cause our own defeat."

"I agree," said Vash. "However, let us suppose for a moment that Atris is correct, and Revan is within Bastila. What realistic options might we have for forcing him out that would cause her no harm?"

"We do not know," said Dorak. "This is not an area of Jedi expertise."

"Any such attempt could alert Revan to our knowledge of his presence, and destroy any advantage we have in surprise," Atris said. "I maintain that if Shan were presented with this choice, she would tell us to destroy Revan by any means necessary. We should act."

"We rushed to judgement with Meetra Surik," said Vash. "And in retrospect I believe a great injustice was done. I do not wish to repeat that error."

"A great injustice?" scoffed Atris. "Surik was a defiant fallen Jedi, opposed to everything we stand for. You yourself presided at her trial! We did what was required of us."

"We never listened to what she had to say," said Vash. "What might we have learned from her if we had been more patient?"

"Nothing!" exclaimed Atris. "There was nothing to learn from one such as that!"

"Meetra Surik was a rash fool," said Vrook. "War spawned war because of her and Revan. It was best for everyone that she leave. I hope in her exile she is reflecting on her many mistakes. But it would surprise me."

"How could we have trusted my former student after she left to follow Revan?" Kavar said. "And it was more than that, as all of you who were there know. We were afraid. We were afraid of what we sensed - that the Force had died within her. Even so, I feel that she will someday return. And what will we do then?"

"Would we consider accepting her if she returned?" asked Vash. "Or was our judgement irreversable?"

"Why are we even still discussing Meetra Surik?" asked Atris. "This is a distraction from the matter at hand. Are all of you really willing to let Revan return, when we have the power to eliminate him forever?"

"He already IS gone forever," growled Vrook.

Vandar had remained quiet for some time, but now spoke. "I would like to consider Master Vash's question." The other Council members looked at him in confusion, even Vash having been drawn so far into the debate regarding Surik that she didn't remember what she had asked.

"Master Vash asked how we might harmlessly extract Revan from Bastila," Vandar said. "While I share her skepicism that Revan could inhabit our Padawan, it is worth examining what our options would be in such a case. Simply put, I do not believe we have the knowledge or ability to do this. However, there is no need. Instead, we could entice him to come out on his own."

"And how might we do that?" asked Zhar.

"Assuming for a moment that Atris's theory is correct, what did Revan want to do before Bastila stopped him?" asked Vandar.

"Transfer into his clone," said Dorak.

"Then let us make the clone available to him," Vandar said. "Let us make him feel safe in transferring to it. If indeed he is within Bastila, he will certainly want to reinhabit the body he created for himself."

"You would restore Revan to power to save a Padawan?" demanded Atris.

"And you would murder a Jedi on the CHANCE that she poses a threat?" countered Vrook.

"Have you considered the possibility that Revan could take over Shan's body and use her Battle Meditation ability against us?" Atris said. "What would our chances be against him then?"

"That is an impossibility." said Vrook. "A Jedi's mental discipline would never allow them to be dominated in that way."

"We are talking about Revan," Atris said. "Nothing is impossible!"

"It cannot happen, and we should stop wasting time talking about it," said Vrook impatiently. "I am only tolerating your nonsense to dissuade you from killing Bastila!"

"We would be taking no risk," calmed Vandar. "Our healers have confirmed that the clone lacks a sufficient midichlorian count to manifest Force abilities. While this might change over time as Revan's presence caused the clone body's midichlorian count to rise, he would initially be vulnerable. We would be prepared to act before Revan regained his strength."

"This is ludicrous," spat Atris. "We must kill Shan, AND the clone. Then there is no chance he survives in either."

"We will not do it," said Kavar firmly. "The full combined Councils oppose you on this, Atris. It will not happen."

Atris looked at each Council member in turn, saw that Kavar's assessment was correct, and sighed. "Very well," she said. "It is incomprehensible to me that you would give away the galaxy when it is within our power to save it, but I see that I will convince none of you. Let us then consider how to execute Master Vandar's plan without allowing Revan to escape."

"We must make him feel safe," said Vash. "He would make no move on Dantooine, Coruscant, or anywhere Jedi gather in strength. But sending Padawan Shan and the clone elsewhere would make it difficult to protect them from Darth Malak, and we have information that he is seeking her."

"I recommend a starship," said Zhar. "We can keep them moving, and therefore difficult for Malak to detect. There can be no Master present, both to maintain secrecy and to put Revan at ease."

"Padawan Shan will need to be aware of the clone," said Vash, "so that Revan will also be aware. How do we explain this to her?"

"We cannot tell Bastila the actual plan," said Dorak, "without revealing it to Revan. If we proceed, we must lie to one of our own. That is a dangerous precedent for the Council. Honesty is central to the tenants of the Jedi Order. Lying to anyone, especially a fellow Jedi, carries the shadow of the Dark Side.

"I fear that, in this one instance, we must accept this," said Vandar. Dorak shook his head sadly, but did not object.

"Revan must be made to think us fools," said Atris. "Which, I still maintain, we are. Nevertheless, we will tell Shan that the clone body she retrieved was a lifeless husk and has been disposed of. We will remove the clone from stasis and tell her that it is Revan, that we have healed his injuries and turned his broken mind to our side. We should emphasize to Shan that when Revan awakes, he will be an ally, not a threat. We must place her in charge of the entire mission, and instruct her to consider Revan as an asset under her command."

"Why will we do this, when Revan desired to transfer into the clone and not his own body?" asked Vandar. ""Would it not be better for Revan to know it is the clone he already wished to transfer into?"

"Because then Revan will believe that he is able to transfer back to his own body, with much or all of its original strength intact," Atris said. "To return himself to power, he need only manipulate or overcome someone who already trusts him, a trivial task for him. He will take the bait, and instead find himself within a powerless clone body."

"If no Master can be present, who will act as our agent to deal with Revan if indeed a transference occurs?" asked Zhar. "The Council cannot tell another Jedi that it lied to one of their peers."

"Neither could we ask a Jedi to kill Revan," Dorak said. "Jedi do not kill their prisoners."

"I would still prefer to subdue Revan if possible," Vandar said. "His knowledge could be essential to winning this war."

"Who other than a Jedi could determine whether to kill or capture?" Vash asked. "And who besides a Jedi would be Revan's physical and mental equal? Even without his Force powers, Revan would be cunning and devious, and a fearsome opponent in battle."

"I know someone we can trust," said Kavar. "He was borderline Force Sensitive and considered for Jedi training. When that was unsuccessful, he joined Republic Intelligence and continued to serve faithfully. He is both qualified and capable. Posing as an ordinary Republic officer will give him the advantage of surprise. I am fully comfortable with him representing the Council's interests." The others nodded their agreement.

"So we are decided," said Vash. "It is regrettable that Master Ell was unable to attend. I will inform him of our plans upon my return to Coruscant."

"No," said Dorak. "The lie we tell is grievous enough already. It must never be spoken of outside these walls. Only we seven can ever know of it. Every other Jedi, even Master Ell, must be told the same lie that we tell Bastila."

"So we are concealing things even from other Council Members?" asked Vash.

"If we take this path," Dorak said, "then that is the only way. Perhaps we can contain this stain to ourselves."

Vash nodded reluctantly, but as the Masters began to exit the Council chamber, she dropped back, caught Kavar by the elbow, and motioned him into an adjacent room.

"I have one remaining concern," Vash said.

"I plan to personally accompany Atris back to Coruscant to ensure she does not take rash unilateral action against Padawan Shan, if that is your concern," Kavar said.

"No, but that is reassuring," Vash said. "My concern is that it is dangerous for only you to know who your agent is. These are perilous times, and any of us could be killed without warning. Someone else on the Council must be prepared to step into your role if something happens to you. What is your agent's name?"

Kavar considered for a moment then nodded in agreement.

"Trask Ulgo."