Getting caught like this, right in the middle of his plans, certainly wasn't what Revan had intended. However, there was no going back now. That meant he'd have to make the best of the situation and wring out every possible advantage.
Surprise, even deep shock, was clearly etched on Qui-Gon Jinn's face. Yet, after only a couple of seconds of tense silence, he managed to regain his composure. The Order adept bored his gaze into the worn black-and-red mask that covered the former Sith Lord's face. The Force raged around them, sensing the conflict. Still, neither adversary rushed to start a fight.
"I am not here to fight," Revan said calmly, noting that the Jedi was open to dialogue.
Their lightsabers were still aimed at each other.
"Neither am I," Jinn replied.
"Then we have no need for weapons," the ancient Lord demonstratively dropped his fighting stance and clipped his blade to his belt.
The calculation was precise. Jedi, throughout the ages, remained Jedi. They wouldn't attack an unarmed person, even if it was a Sith. They'd sooner try to "return him to the light" with their lectures, or at the very least, bore him to sleep with tedious speeches. Although Qui-Gon didn't always adhere strictly to the Code's principles, he behaved exactly as predicted.
The green blade extinguished, but its hilt remained clasped in the Jedi's hands.
"And what brings a Jedi to this cozy alley on such a wonderfully quiet night?" Revan asked, gesturing around him.
"Who are you?" Jinn asked, instead of answering.
Smirking inwardly, his interlocutor noted the Jedi's persistence and focus.
"Judging by your look, you already have your own suspicions about that?" the ancient one chuckled behind the mask.
Qui-Gon swallowed hard.
"Revan?" he asked in an even voice.
"Why the sudden guess?" his interlocutor tilted his head.
"Your aura. I have never encountered such balance in my life, nor have I heard of anyone similar, with the exception of the 'Fallen Knight,' Revan. The Mandalorian mask that became his 'second face' during the Mandalorian Wars. And that fighting stance. I haven't seen anything like it from any Master in the Order. I only stumbled across old holograms a few times in the archives. That's Juyo, isn't it?" the Jedi explained.
Revan mentally applauded Jinn's perceptiveness and, meanwhile, considered whether to confirm his return to the world of the living.
"The aura," the ancient one scoffed. "Any fallen one who found their way back to the light would have such an aura. Do you really believe that in four thousand years, no one has managed to repeat this undoubtedly great feat? And how many of those masks did the Mandalorians use? Yes, the coloring is rare, but still. After all, it could just be a replica."
Qui-Gon frowned with every word, and he himself seemed to realize how weak these arguments were.
"As for the Seventh Form of lightsaber combat... the Jedi no longer use it?" Revan asked with genuine surprise, fully aware that this question practically amounted to a confession.
"After the Ruusan Reformation, no Jedi was taught that Form," Jinn confirmed.
'What in the blazes!' the ancient one mentally exclaimed.
"Meanwhile, the Sith remember it perfectly well," he shook his head.
The Jedi flinched.
"Sith?!" he repeated, gripping his hilt tightly. "Is that what you are?"
"Me?" Revan nearly laughed aloud. "I am not Sith."
"Then why do you assume they've returned?" Qui-Gon asked, his voice laced with suspicion.
"Because right before you arrived, I had an 'appointment' with one of them here. Or did you not notice the scorch marks on the stones beneath your feet?"
"You could have left those too."
"For what purpose?"
"To tell a 'fairy tale' about the Sith and convince me of their return."
'Return?' Revan thought. 'So, the Order doesn't even suspect the existence of Dark Side adepts? Have they completely lost their sensitivity to the Force?'
"When was the last time the Order encountered the Sith?" the ancient Lord asked calmly.
"Hundreds of years ago. They were annihilated then, every last one of them."
'Oh, how many times the Jedi have uttered those words throughout history,' Revan thought, shaking his head.
"And do you think that over these hundreds of years, could a Force-sensitive have appeared who wasn't found by the Order, began to comprehend the Force independently, as the first adepts did, and fell to darkness? Or perhaps simply found a Sith holocron?"
"The Order finds and trains the Force-sensitive," Jinn attempted to argue.
"Your Order couldn't even detect a powerful Force-sensitive on this planet for nine years. You know who I'm talking about, don't you?"
"Anakin?"
Revan nodded.
"You feel his strength too?"
"Yes," Qui-Gon agreed. "Is that why you are on this planet? Do you want the boy?"
"Let's leave the boy alone for now. Tell me this instead: do you believe the Sith have truly returned?"
His interlocutor fell into thought. It was clear from his furrowed brow that believing Revan's words was difficult. He perfectly remembered how the Masters diligently drilled an unwavering belief in the Order's infallibility into the Padawans' heads. He, too, had once believed it... until the Mandalorian Wars.
The ancient one was interested in this Jedi's reaction. From their previous conversations, he understood that Qui-Gon was a rather self-willed Knight and accustomed to trusting his intuition. Otherwise, he wouldn't have agreed to the gamble of betting to buy the boy out of slavery. He would have simply done as he was taught—informed the Temple to send the Seekers. Or, he might have just reported a potentially dangerous Force-sensitive on Tatooine who was too old to be trained. After all, exceptions to the age limit were rare, and in those cases, the Force-sensitive could already intuitively access the Force.
Yet, Jinn volunteered to help. Knowing he would get a reprimand from the Council. Just as Revan himself had once rushed to help the civilian population of planets struck by the Mandalorian army.
"It is difficult to believe," Qui-Gon finally said. Revan narrowed his eyes, concentrating all his attention on the speaker. The development of their acquaintance depended on his answer. "However, I do feel a presence on this planet. Someone dark... He is torn by doubt, fear, and hatred. And it is not you," the Jedi concluded.
"So, you believe me?"
"I believe you... but I don't trust you."
"That is enough for a start," the ancient one scoffed.
"Then who are you, really?" Jinn asked, still trying to scan his interlocutor with the Force.
His opponent, wrapped in a black robe that billowed in the wind, revealing the polished plates of his Mandalorian armor, thoughtfully "scratched" his masked chin. More accurately, he carefully ran his fingers over the fastenings, as if debating whether to reveal his face.
"And what good will my answer do you?" he finally said. "After all, you won't be able to verify its truthfulness."
"I will sense a lie," the Jedi stated confidently.
"Will you, now?" Revan smiled. "Tatooine is the heart of the ancient Krayt Dragon, whose bones became the endless sands, and whose eyes turned into glittering stars."
"What?" Qui-Gon asked, clearly not understanding the meaning of what was said.
"That's a legend of the local hunters, which they used to amuse visiting adventurers in the Anchorhead cantinas," the former Sith Lord explained. "So tell me, did I lie?"
Jinn remained silent.
Revan knew perfectly well that the Force was no help here. He was skilled at shielding his consciousness from being read by other Force-sensitives. Not even a small fraction of his emotions was accessible to an outside mind.
But the Jedi surprised him.
"That is a lie," he said, "and you do not believe it. Though you like the legend. But the Force stubbornly insists that it is true. Apparently, many on this planet, if only a little, believe this tale. The Jawas, perhaps... or even the Sand People."
The ancient one raised his eyebrows in surprise. He hadn't expected this twist. Qui-Gon had managed to "read" him. Not just guess, but actually understand.
"Your intuition is well developed," the former Sith Lord clapped his hands a couple of times. "That is rare."
"Only by understanding oneself and trusting intuition can one attempt to understand the Living Force."
"Hmm, not the most popular philosophy in my time," Revan shrugged. "But I like that approach."
The Jedi nodded to his own thoughts.
"So, it is you, after all," he stated, correctly interpreting the ancient one's hints.
His interlocutor shook his head in response.
"Yes," he tilted his head to one shoulder, then smoothly to the other, "and no."
"What do you mean?" Qui-Gon, intrigued by the conversation with whom he was now certain was the legendary Knight of the Order, leaned forward slightly.
"Revan died almost four thousand years ago on a planet whose name I can no longer recall. I became one with the Force... I left this world," the ancient Sith Lord looked at his gloved hand. "And yet, here I am. Living again, breathing, and... trying to understand what the Order and the Sith have managed to do to the galaxy."
Qui-Gon cast his gaze downward for a moment.
"We have made many mistakes," he said.
"Oh, there is no doubt of that," Revan smirked. "One only needs to look at your Order, Jedi."
"My name is Qui-Gon Jinn, a Jedi Master of the Order," the interlocutor decided to introduce himself.
"Revan," the ancient one nodded briefly in reply.
"Just Revan?" Jinn repeated.
The masked figure nodded. With his answer, he emphasized that he considered himself neither Sith nor a member of the Order. Both factions of this ancient conflict between the Light and Dark Sides of the Force, in Revan's opinion, were equally mistaken in their worldview.
"Do you consider the Order your enemy?" Qui-Gon grew serious.
"I don't consider it home, as I once did," the former Jedi mused. "And I have accumulated quite a few grievances against the Council. But the Order I knew, and the Masters who betrayed me, are long gone."
"And yet, what do you intend to do next?"
"This is not a conversation to have in the street," Revan shook his head. "Besides, I don't have time for it right now."
In truth, the ancient Sith Lord himself had only a vague idea of what he would do next. He needed to get to Coruscant. He felt it. Something was calling him to that overpopulated planet... And it wasn't just the need to infiltrate the Temple. Something... or even someone was waiting for him there.
"Well, I should be going..." Revan began.
"Wait! I have so many questions for you!" Qui-Gon interrupted him.
"They'll have to wait..."
"I beg you! Just one!"
The usually calm Jinn was unlike himself. A maniacal fire burned in his eyes, and his voice was close to shouting. The wise Master instantly lost control of himself, seeing an opportunity to get an answer to a question that had tormented him for so long.
This interested the former Sith Lord.
"Just one," he nodded, crossing his arms over his chest. "Ask."
Qui-Gon collected himself and exhaled several times.
"How did you manage to return from the Dark Side? Is it possible for every fallen one? Or are most doomed?" the Jedi blurted out.
Although those were three questions instead of the promised one, Revan decided to answer. He saw how important it was for Jinn to hear the response.
"First, tell me what happened? Because I can see that there is more than simple interest behind this question."
His interlocutor didn't answer immediately. It was obvious that remembering something from his past was painful and that he didn't want to share it with a stranger. Yet, he found the strength within himself.
"My apprentice... Xanatos. Many years ago, he fell to the darkness. And I couldn't do anything," he said.
"First and foremost, I want you to understand, not everyone can be saved. For that to happen, any sentient being must want to embrace the Light."
"But if even you, who delved so deep into the Dark Side, managed to return to the Order, then..."
"My history is far more complex, convoluted, and immeasurably longer than the three lines that Atris once wrote about me in the Temple chronicles," Revan said displeased, but still decided to clarify something. "Who was this Padawan? At what age was he accepted into the Order?"
"He was three when I found him on Telos. He was the son of that planet's ruler."
"Hmm... three is a bit old for a Youngling, and rulers' children are quite... specific."
"He was just a regular child," Qui-Gon insisted.
"There is no such concept," the ancient one shook his head, "not among the Force-sensitive. What happened next?"
"He was very talented and completed his training brilliantly. However, many Masters, including myself, sensed something in his soul. Pride, envy, and vanity."
"A typical bouquet for a monarch or their offspring," the former Sith Lord shrugged.
"Grand Master Yoda decided to give him one last trial and sent him with me to his homeworld, where his father was preparing to start a civil war," Jinn continued the story. "Xanatos chose to support his father... but... I..."
"You had to resolve the problem radically," the ancient one finished for him. "Right in front of him?"
The Jedi silently nodded.
A silence fell for several minutes, broken only by the howl of the wind driving small tornadoes of sand and dust across the road, and the rustling of Revan's cloak.
"Well, I won't say that you were entirely blameless," the former Sith Lord said calmly. "However, that boy made his choice even before you struck down his father." Revan exhaled. "Could he have been saved? I don't know. For that, he himself would have had to realize the wrongness of his own path, to reach out to the Light. You knew him better than anyone. Think, was there a chance?"
Qui-Gon closed his eyes and, after a few moments, shook his head.
"No," he said hoarsely. "I met him several times after he left the Order. The darkness in his soul only grew."
"Then you couldn't do anything about it. And you have nothing to blame yourself for," the masked interlocutor shook his head. "The mistake was initially made by the Masters in the Temple, failing to properly prepare the child's mind to resist the temptations of the Dark Side."
"But, how did you manage to return? What led you out of the darkness?" the Jedi perked up.
His interlocutor looked up at the star-studded sky and answered.
"Love."
"What?"
"Love, Qui-Gon," Revan repeated. "The very thing that leads to jealousy, hatred, and so on. It was for its sake that I renounced the Darkness."
"So... love... is the answer?"
The ancient one laughed.
"No, it's more like the start of the question. A whole hurricane of questions. What is love, what is its power? Why that of all things? What about jealousy? Why did the Dark Side retreat?" Revan spread his arms wide, demonstrating the immensity of the topic. "You have no idea how much I wrestled with these questions. And I'll tell you even more; it's not only love that leads to the light. There are countless emotions in the world, and each one can help tip the scales of our souls."
"But..."
"If you need an example, I can tell you about a Sith Lord who decided to betray his teacher, and then the Emperor himself, for the reason that he wanted to protect his species from a war of extermination. Yes, one could argue that he was simply afraid of death. Afraid he would be destroyed along with the mad Emperor. But would one who fears parting with life risk it so?"
"And that Sith... did he embrace the Light?"
"He renounced the darkness, rather. Refused to serve its embodiment."
"Out of a sense of duty to his people?" Qui-Gon hypothesized.
"That is my opinion," Revan nodded.
The Jedi pondered.
"So, emotions are the key?"
"No, the key is the control of emotions. Not suppression, but control. As you so well put it, you must know yourself. And every sentient being is, one way or another, subject to emotions."
"Then how..."
Revan didn't let the Jedi finish, raising his hand to call for a stop.
"Enough questions for one evening."
Jinn smirked.
"I only have more questions now," he said with a smile.
"Then there will be reason to continue this conversation," the ancient one chuckled. "And so, I would be grateful if the Council did not learn of my return for now."
"I am obligated to report it."
"There's no need to throw around wild guesses," Revan smiled. "They might just think you're insane."
With those words, he called upon the Force and wrapped himself in a dense cloak of camouflage, literally dissolving into the air before Qui-Gon's eyes.
The Jedi stood in the same spot for another minute, straining to see where his interlocutor had gone. Activating the green blade and swinging it several times in front of him, cutting the air, Jinn turned, jumped from the roof onto the dusty road, and headed toward the Skywalkers' home.
"An interesting fellow," Revan thought, confident that the Council wouldn't learn anything for the time being.
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