The blistering suns of Tatooine beat down mercilessly on the barren desert as Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn prepared to escort the young Anakin Skywalker to the Queen's starship. The Trade Federation blockade of Naboo was still fresh in everyone's minds, but for a moment, a fragile calm had settled.
Suddenly, the stillness shattered. From the shadows emerged Darth Maul, the Sith Lord sent by Darth Sidious to eliminate the Queen and her protectors. His fierce eyes locked onto Qui-Gon as he ignited his lightsaber with a hum that sent chills across the sand.
The duel was swift and brutal. Maul's double-bladed saber spun and sliced through the air with deadly precision. Qui-Gon, though experienced and powerful, found himself pushed back by Maul's ferocity and relentless assault. Each strike carried the anger and agility of a predator eager to prove his might.
Obi-Wan Kenobi watched anxiously from the ship's ramp, ready to act but restrained, trusting his Master's skill. Qui-Gon fought valiantly, buying precious moments for Anakin and the Queen to prepare for departure.
As the battle reached its crescendo, Maul's aggression intensified, nearly overwhelming Qui-Gon. But in a desperate, last-minute effort, Qui-Gon held his ground long enough for the ship's engines to roar to life.
The starship lifted off, leaving the desert and the Sith behind—at least for now.
Back on Coruscant, within the quiet sanctum of the Jedi Temple, Revan sat in deep meditation. Despite the vast gulf of space and time separating him from the battle on Tatooine, the dark ripples in the Force reached him with undeniable clarity.
No other Jedi sensed the subtle tremors, but Revan's unique attunement to the Force—especially his sensitivity to its darker currents—made the shadow of the Sith impossible to ignore.
He opened his eyes slowly, a grave expression settling on his face.
The Sith were back. And the galaxy was on the brink of a new and dangerous era.
Revan rose from his meditation, the weight of the dark presence lingering heavily in his chest. The Force was uneasy—tainted by anger and hatred—and only someone with his strength and experience could perceive it so clearly.
He paced slowly through the quiet halls of the Jedi Temple, the echoes of his footsteps swallowed by the massive stone and light. The Force whispered warnings, images flickering in his mind: a relentless warrior with a double-bladed lightsaber, the raw fury of a Sith Lord, and the desperate courage of a lone Jedi Master.
No doubt, the Sith had returned after a millennium of silence. This was more than a shadow on the horizon; it was a storm gathering strength.
Revan's thoughts briefly drifted to Naruto, playing and laughing somewhere within the Temple's vast chambers, blissfully unaware of the dark tide approaching. The child's innocent mischief and bright spirit were a beacon amid the growing tension.
He steeled himself.
I must prepare, Revan thought. The Order must be ready for what comes. I must protect those I care for.
As Revan walked toward the Council chambers, his mind raced. The galaxy was shifting beneath his feet. Old alliances would be tested, new threats revealed, and the fate of the Jedi—and all life—hung in a delicate balance.
But Revan would stand firm. For Naruto, for Aayla, Shaak Ti, and all those he had sworn to protect, he would meet the coming darkness head-on.