EDITED 4/22/14 Changed the dialogue a bit due to a "retcon" of sorts I made in Invasion.
CHAPTER NINE
Gavin Darklighter flinched as he watched another E-wing fighter go down in flames. The battle in Coruscant space was not going good for the Republic Defense Fleet. Already had they lost a quarter of their star cruisers, followed by losing half of their squadrons. It was now down to Rogue and Gold Squadrons, as well as whatever was left of Blue and Vortex Squadrons. And Gavin knew that it would not be enough.
"This is Rogue Six," the Kuati pilot Jak Denon said. "We've brought down the Twilight, but the Liberator is heavily damaged, and there are two Star Destroyers approaching fast."
Gavin sighed. "There's not much we can do, Jak. Tell Captain Sacul and his crew to abandon ship. Rogue Two, go help the E-wings escort their pods to the Defender Two."
As the Quarren pilot Kral Nevil flew off to assist the E-wings, Gavin ordered the rest of Rogue Squadron to regroup.
"It's time we take on that Super Star Destroyer," Gavin told them, speaking of the Bellator-class Destroyer which was closest to Coruscant. "Admiral Madine says the Protector and the rest of his fleet will handle the rest, while the Galactic Voyager and the Strident will focus their firepower on the Super Star Destroyer."
"So what do we do?" asked the Bith pilot Vac J'bath.
"We're going to try and locate the ship's shields and take them out," Gavin answered, "and fend off any TIEs that come our way. Is that all understood?"
The rest of the Rogues gave their assent. Gavin grabbed the controls of his fighter. "Then let's give 'em what we've got."
* * *
Toah woke up in a daze to find himself chained to a wall. Once his vision had cleared fully, he saw Darth Nemesis tied up as well, sitting on the floor with his head down. There was no sign of Raj, Vima, or the others, nor could he see the Millennium Falcon.
After looking around as far as he could from where he was chained, Toah determined that he was in some sort of chamber, possibly somewhere within the Senate Building, or a nearby facility. Outside, he could hear the cries of war and and the sounds of burning buildings, but they seemed to be distant.
Suddenly, a door on the opposite side of the room opened and in walked a man in dark-bronze armor, a pair of scarlet eyes glowing from beneath his helmet. In one hand, he carried a two-bladed staff, and in the other was Toah's lightsaber. The man came to a stop before Toah, his eyes looking as if they could pierce into the Jedi's mind. In a voice Toah knew all too well, Darth Vorath spoke.
"We meet again, Toah Jarsan. I assure you that this will be the last time."
Toah scowled at the Dark Lord of the Sith. "You sure seem like you have some sort of vendetta against me, even though we've only met once before-twice, if you count that time on Dromund Kaas."
Vorath glared at the Jedi Knight. "It is not just you that I seek vengeance against, but your father as well."
Toah looked at the Sith Lord strangely. "My father? Wait, you said a year ago that he took away everything you had...and made you become who you are now."
The Dark Lord nodded stiffly. "Indeed he did..."
"How?"
Vorath looked away and began to pace around the room. After a moment, he finally turned back to Toah. "Have you learned anything about your father since that day on Dromund Kaas when I mentioned him?"
Toah frowned. "I've learned that he was a Jedi Knight in the Mandalorian Wars before becoming Darth Revan..."
Vorath nodded. "Yes...thousands of years ago, when I was known as Kalon Soral, I was one of the first to join Revan's Revanchist movement and fought in the war against the Mandalorians. After Revan killed their leader at Malachor Five, he and Malak disappeared into the Outer Regions. The other Revanchists and I followed them, and we eventually met on Korriban.
"It was on that day that Darth Revan's Sith Empire was fully established and he declared war on the Republic."
Vorath paused for a moment, as if to let his words sink in, before continuing. "After the war ended three years later, with the death of Darth Malak and Revan's redemption, the Sith Empire was left fragmented. Many factions arose from its ashed and warred on Korriban.
"I was among the Sith warlords who fought for control, though my efforts came to no avail. A few months after Malak's death, Revan led a group of Jedi and drove the warlords off of Korriban. I was the only one whose faction stayed and fought against them.
"Eventually, it was simply down to me, my lover Nova, and half a dozen others. Revan decided to face me alone and we met in the tomb of Marka Ragnos. After defeating my warriors, Revan and I clashed blades, with only Nova watching."
Toah began to envision the duel in his head, seeing his father's violet blade clashing against Kalon Soral's scarlet one. He then wondered if history would repeat itself, and that he would be the one facing Vorath...
"The duel did not last long," Vorath went on. "Revan soon proved to be the greater adversary, and I was disarmed. It was then that I looked into his eyes and saw a small tint of the Sith Lord he used to be. Just as he was about to deliver the fatal blow on me, Nova jumped in and...and she was killed..."
Toah's eyes widened in a mix of horror and disbelief. He felt a surge of emotion flow through him, and he began to feel...pity for the man who was threatening to kill millions of people.
Vorath gave out a sigh, almost sadly. "After that, I left Korriban once Revan decided to spare me, and stood by as the Sith Triumvirate carried out their attack on the Republic and the Jedi Order. Once I had felt the deaths of Darths Nihilus, Sion, and Traya in the Force, I decided to make my move.
"I traveled to where Malachor Five had once been before its destruction, and discovered that the core of the Trayus Academy still remained intact...but the spirit which it had once contained was now free. It spoke to me, and I fell under its sway.
"I learned the true ways of the Sith and became Darth Vorath."
For a while, Toah was simply silent, stunned by what the Dark Lord had told him. After managing to find his voice again, he finally spoke. "You know...if he was still around, I'm sure my father would regret everything he's done as a Sith Lord...including Nova's death."
"It wouldn't surprise me," Vorath muttered.
"Then maybe there's a chance for you to be redeemed?"
"No," Vorath snapped, stepping towards Toah. "The moment I became Dark Lord, my life as Kalon Soral was left behind. And after today, I will have become something more, and none will stand in my way!"
"Not as long as I still stand."
All eyes turned to the doorway through which Vorath had stepped in. Standing there, emerald-colored lightsaber in hand, was Luke Skywalker.
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