Getting caught in Revan's plans so easily was definitely not part of his plan. However, nothing could be undone now. So, he would have to try and get everything he could out of the situation.
Qui-Gon's face clearly showed surprise, even deep shock. However, after a few seconds of tense silence, he managed to regain his composure.
The Order's adept drilled his gaze into the worn black and red mask that covered the former Sith's face. The Force raged around them, sensing the conflict. However, neither opponent was in a hurry to start a fight.
"I'm not here to fight," Revan said calmly, noticing that the Jedi was ready for dialogue.
The lightsabers were still pointed at each other.
"Neither am I," replied Jinn.
"Then we don't need weapons," the ancient lord demonstratively stepped out of his combat stance and put his blade on his belt.
The calculation was precise. Jedi have always remained Jedi. They wouldn't attack an unarmed person, even if it was a Sith. They would rather try to "bring them back to the light" with their lectures or, at worst, bore them to sleep with tedious speeches. Qui-Gon, though not always following the tenets of the code, behaved exactly like that.
The green blade extinguished, but its hilt still remained in the Jedi's hands.
"And what brought a Jedi to this cozy alley on such a beautiful quiet night?" Revan asked, gesturing around him.
"Who are you?" Jinn asked instead of answering.
Smiling mentally, his interlocutor noted the Jedi's persistence and focus.
"Judging by your gaze, you have your own assumptions about that?" the ancient one chuckled under his mask.
Qui-Gon swallowed tensely.
"Revan?" he asked in a steady voice.
"What makes you think that?" his interlocutor tilted his head to the side.
"Your aura. I've never encountered such balance in my life, nor heard of anyone like it, except for the 'fallen knight,' Revan. The Mandalorian mask that became his 'second face' during the Mandalorian Wars. And this combat stance. I haven't seen anything like it from any Master of the Order. Only in the archives have I stumbled upon old holographs a few times. It's Juyo, isn't it?" the Jedi explained.
Revan mentally applauded Jinn's observation and, meanwhile, pondered whether to confirm his return to the world of the living.
"Aura," the ancient one grunted. "Any fallen one who finds their way back to the light will have such an aura. Do you really think that in four thousand years, no one has managed to repeat this undoubtedly heroic feat? And how many such masks did the Mandalorians use? Yes, the coloring is rare, but still. In the end, it could just be a copy."
Qui-Gon frowned with every word, and apparently, he himself was beginning to understand how weak these arguments were.
"As for the seventh form of the sword... Don't Jedi use it anymore?" Revan asked with surprise.
Fully aware that with this question, he had practically confessed.
"After the Ruusan Reformation, no Jedi has been trained in this form," Jinn confirmed.
"Oh, what is this!" the ancient one exclaimed mentally.
"Meanwhile, the Sith remember it perfectly," he shook his head.
The Jedi perked up.
"Sith?!" he asked again, tightly gripping the hilt of his saber. "So, who are you?"
"Me?" Revan almost laughed out loud. "I'm not a Sith."
"Then, why do you think so?" Qui-Gon asked suspiciously.
"Because right before you arrived, I had a 'date' with one of them. Did you not notice the scorched marks on the stones underfoot?"
"You could have made them 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 destroyed then, every last one!"
"Oh, how many times throughout history have the Jedi uttered these words," Revan thought, shaking his head.
"And how do you think, over these hundreds of years, could a Force-sensitive appear who didn't join the Order, but began to comprehend the Force on his own, as the first adepts did, and fell into darkness? Or simply found a Sith holocron?"
"The Order finds and trains Force-sensitives," Jinn tried to object.
"Your Order hasn't even managed to detect a powerful Force-sensitive on this planet in nine years. You understand who I'm talking about, right?"
"Anakin?"
Revan nodded.
"You feel his power too, don't you?"
"Yes," Qui-Gon agreed. "So you're on this planet? Do you need the boy?"
"Let's leave the boy alone for now. Tell me instead, do you believe that the Sith have returned again?"
His interlocutor pondered. It was clear from his frowning face that it was difficult for him to believe Revan's words. He himself remembered well how the Masters had diligently instilled in the Padawans an unshakeable faith in the Order's infallibility. He himself had once believed it... until the Mandalorian Wars.
The ancient one was interested in this Jedi's reaction. From previous conversations, he understood that Qui-Gon was a rather willful knight and used to trusting his intuition. Otherwise, he wouldn't have agreed to the gamble with stakes and ransoming the boy from slavery. He would have simply done as he was taught – reported to the Temple to send Seekers. Or, at the very least, just reported that there was a potentially dangerous Force-sensitive on Tatooine, no longer eligible for training. After all, there were exceptions to the age limit, but very rarely. And in those cases, the Force-sensitives already knew how to intuitively reach out to the Force.
However, Jinn volunteered to help. Realizing that he would get a reprimand from the Council. Just as Revan himself had once rushed to help the civilian population of planets that came under attack from the Mandalorian army.
"It's hard to believe," Qui-Gon finally said.
Revan squinted, concentrating all his attention on his interlocutor. The further development of their acquaintance depended on his answer.
"However, I do feel someone's presence on this planet. Someone dark... torn by doubt, fear, and hatred. And it's not you," the Jedi finished.
"So, you believe me?"
"I believe... but I don't trust."
"That's enough for a start," the ancient one grunted.
"So, who are you really?" Jinn asked, still trying to scan his interlocutor with the Force.
His opponent, wrapped in a black robe that now fluttered in the wind, revealing polished plates of Mandalorian armor, thoughtfully "scratched" his chin under the mask. Or rather, he cautiously ran his fingers along the fastenings, as if pondering whether to reveal his face.
"And what will my answer give you?" he finally said. "After all, you won't be able to verify its truthfulness."
"I'll sense a lie," the Jedi stated confidently.
"Truth?" Revan chuckled. "Tatooine is the heart of an ancient dragon-Krayt, whose bones became the endless sands, and whose eyes turned into sparkling stars."
"What?" Qui-Gon asked again, clearly not understanding the meaning of what was said.
"It's a local hunters' legend that they used to entertain visiting adventurers in the cantinas of Anchorhead," the former Sith explained. "So, tell me, did I lie?"
Jinn remained silent.
Revan perfectly understood that the Force was no help here. He was good at shielding his consciousness from being read by other Force-sensitives. Not even a tiny bit of his emotions reached another mind.
But the Jedi surprised him.
"That's a lie," he said. "And you don't believe it. Although you like this legend. The Force persistently insists that it's true. Apparently, many on this planet believe in this fairy tale, at least a little. Jawas, perhaps... or even the sand people."
The ancient one raised his eyebrows in surprise. He hadn't expected such a turn of events. Qui-Gon had managed to "read" him. Not just guess, but truly understand.
"You have well-developed intuition," the former Sith clapped his hands a few times. "That's rare."
"Only by understanding oneself and trusting intuition can one try to understand the Living Force."
"Hmm, not the most popular philosophy in my time," Revan shrugged. "But I like this approach."
The Jedi nodded to his 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, interested in the conversation with the legendary knight of the Order, as he was now sure, leaned forward slightly.
"Revan died almost four thousand years ago on a planet whose name I can't even remember. I became one with the Force... left this world," the ancient Sith looked at his gloved hand. "And at the same time, here I am. Alive again, breathing, and... trying to understand what the Order and the Sith have managed to do to the galaxy."
Qui-Gon lowered his gaze for a moment.
"We made many mistakes," he said.
"Oh, there's no doubt about that," Revan grinned. "Just look at your Order, Jedi."
"My name is Qui-Gon Jinn, Jedi Master of the Order," his interlocutor decided to introduce himself.
"Revan," the ancient one nodded briefly in response.
"Just Revan?" Jinn asked again.
The masked interlocutor nodded.
With his answer, he emphasized that he did not consider himself a Sith or 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 became serious.
"I don't consider it home, as I once did," the former Jedi said thoughtfully. "And I have many grievances against the Council. However, both 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 be had on the street," Revan shook his head. "Besides, I don't have time for it now."
In reality, the ancient Sith himself had little idea what he would do next. He needed to get to Coruscant. He felt it. Something was calling him to this overpopulated planet... And not just the need to infiltrate the Temple. Something... or even someone, was waiting for him there.
"Well, I have to go..." Revan began.
"Wait! I have so many questions for you!" Qui-Gon interrupted him.
"They will have to wait..."
"Please! Just one!"
Usually calm Jinn was unlike himself. A manic fire burned in his eyes, and his voice broke into a cry. The wise master had suddenly lost control, seeing an opportunity to get an answer to a question that had been tormenting him for so long.
This interested the former Sith.
"Just one," he nodded, folding his arms across his chest. "Ask."
Qui-Gon regained his composure and exhaled a few 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 these were three questions, instead of the promised one, Revan decided to answer. He saw how important it was for Jinn to hear the answer.
"First, tell me, what happened? Because I see that there is something more behind this question than simple interest."
His interlocutor did not answer immediately. It was clear that it hurt him to recall something from his past and he absolutely did not want to share it with a stranger. However, he still found the strength.
"My apprentice... Xanatos. Many years ago, he fell into darkness. And I couldn't do anything," he said.
"First of all, I want you to understand – not everyone can be saved. For this, any sentient being must themselves want to accept the Light."
"But, if even you, who has learned the Dark Side so much, managed to return to the Order, then..."
"My story is much more complex, convoluted, and immeasurably longer than the three lines that Attris once wrote about me in the Temple chronicles," Revan said displeasedly, but still decided to find out 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 the planet's ruler."
"Hmm... three is a bit much for a youngling, and the children of rulers are quite... peculiar."
"He was an ordinary child," Qui-Gon insisted.
"There is no such thing," the ancient one shook his head. "Not among the Force-sensitives. What happened next?"
"He was very talented and brilliantly completed his training. However, many Masters, including myself, felt something in his soul. Pride, envy, and vanity."
"A typical bouquet for a monarch or his offspring," the former Sith shrugged.
"Grand Master Yoda decided to give him another trial and sent him with me to his home planet, where his father was preparing to start a civil war," Jinn continued his story. "Xanatos decided to support his father... but... I..."
"Had to solve the problem radically," the ancient one finished for him. "Right before his eyes?"
The Jedi nodded silently.
Silence fell for a few minutes, broken only by the howling wind that drove small tornadoes of sand and dust along the road, and the rustling of Revan's cloak.
"Well, I won't say it wasn't your fault," the former Sith said calmly. "However, this boy made his choice even before you defeated 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 path, to reach for 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."
"So, 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, who did not 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 at the starry sky and replied.
"Love."
"What?"
"Love, Qui-Gon," Revan repeated. "The very one that leads to jealousy, hatred, and so on. It was for her that I rejected the Darkness."
"So... love... is the answer?"
The ancient one laughed.
"No, it's more like the beginning of the question! A whole hurricane of questions! What is love, what is its power? Why specifically it? 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 struggled with these questions! And I'll even say more – love is not the only thing that leads to the light! There are many emotions in the world, and each 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 master, and then the Emperor himself, because he wanted to save his race from an extermination war. Yes, one could argue that he was simply afraid of death. Afraid that he would be destroyed along with the mad Emperor. But would someone who fears losing his life risk it so much?"
"And this Sith... did he accept the Light?"
"He rather rejected the darkness. Refused to serve its embodiment."
"Out of a sense of duty to his people?" Qui-Gon suggested.
"That's my opinion," Revan nodded.
The Jedi pondered.
"So, emotions are the key?"
"No, the key is control of emotions. Not suppression, but control. As you so aptly put it, one must know oneself. And any sentient being, one way or another, is subject to emotions."
"Then, how..."
Revan didn't let the Jedi finish, raising his hand and signaling him to stop.
"Enough questions for one evening."
Jinn chuckled.
"There are only more questions now," he said with a smile.
"Then there will be a reason to continue this conversation," the ancient one grunted. "And therefore, I would be grateful if the Council did not find out about my return for now."
"I am obliged to report."
"Don't jump to conclusions," Revan chuckled. "They might think I'm crazy."
With these words, he summoned the Force and enveloped himself in a dense masking cocoon, literally disappearing into thin air before Qui-Gon's eyes.
The Jedi stood in place for another minute, trying to discern where his interlocutor had gone. Activating his green blade and swinging it a few times in front of him, cutting the air, Jinn turned, jumped from the roof onto the dusty road, and headed towards the Skywalker homestead.
"An interesting fellow," Revan thought, confident that the Council would learn nothing for now.