Growing ever more ruthless under the influence of the Dark Side, Revan and Malak continued
the war against the Mandaloreans, capturing the Vorzyd, Stenos and Elom systems.
Yet in this same campaign, they were pushed back in the Lucazec system and suffered a
substantial defeat at Jaga’s cluster when they faced off against Cassus Fett, a great
mandalorean commander who personally led a boarding party and killed a ship captain.
Despite this setback, and the martial prowess of the mandaloreans, Revan and Malak were
on the path to victory, liberating Taris, Althir and Onderon, while committing to a
long and costly fight on the moon of Dxun, a Mandalorean stronghold with a uniquely dense
and dangerous jungle environment.
Placing Meetra Surik in command, she won the battle for Dxun, but only after months of
intense struggle, losing roughly 10 republic soldiers for every mandalorean.
After capturing the Lianna system, Revan was ready to end this war by any means necessary,
and so laid a trap at Malachor V, sending a large republic fleet to lure Mandalore the
Ultimate into a final confrontation.
Although Revan was supposed to lead a second fleet against the enemy, his forces were delayed
and arrived late into the battle, but even so, their victory seemed assured.
Recognizing they could not win, Mandalore the Ultimate challenged Revan to single combat
and put forth a valiant effort, but was defeated and killed.
Yet as he lay dying, he spoke to his enemy and revealed the secret truth behind the war.
Decades earlier, Mandalore was approached by a red skinned alien claiming to serve a
powerful Sith Lord and together they underwent a quest to find the remains of Dramath II
on Rekkiad, though in truth he simply wanted an opportunity to corrupt the Mandalorean’s
mind with the dark side.
When their mission was complete, the Sith revealed that his master had a vision of the
future in which the Mandaloreans conquered the Republic.
Under the sway of the dark side, the prophecy preyed on his desires and ambitions, causing
Mandalore to fall for the lie and prepare his people for war.
Shocked by all he heard before the enemy passed away, Revan was determined to investigate
further, but first removed Mandalore’s mask and took it as a warprize, knowing that without
it, the Mandalorean’s could not unite under a new leader.
Though the enemy leader was dead, the battle raged on, and with both fleets in range of
the planet, Revan initiated the final part of his plan, giving the order to Meetra Surik,
who dutifully obeyed and activated the mass shadow generator, a dark side superweapon
which created a massive gravitational force, pulling nearly all surrounding ships, directly
onto Malachor’s surface, destroying the Mandalorean fleet and most of the republic
fleet, in addition to the planet and its population.
Though it came at a heavy cost, the ruthless strategy employed by Revan at Malachor V won
the war for the Republic, ended the immediate threat, and devastated Mandalorean civilization
to such a degree it would take generations to recover.
Having lost their leader as well as to most of their ships and soldiers, those who remained
offered their unconditional surrender and fled to the outer rim, becoming outlaws, mercenaries
and bounty hunters.
In the core worlds, many viewed Revan and Malak as heroes who vanquished a terrible
scourge threatening the galaxy.
However others, including those on the jedi council, felt their actions at Malachor went
too far, with some noting that many of those lost on the republic side were critics of
Revan’s leadership, while most of his loyalists survived and continued to follow him after
the war.
Demanding that the three most senior jedi generals return to face judgement for their
crimes, Revan and Malak ignored them without remorse, but Meetra Surik, who was utterly
transformed after Malachor V, did as they asked and went before the council.
In addition to the physical devastation caused by the Mass Shadow Generator, the effect was
so powerful and loss of life so extreme it created a wound in the force.
Unfortunately, Meetra Surik was close enough to feel the excruciating pain of this wound
being created and so cut herself off from the force to survive.
Having lost a part of herself in that battle, Meetra returned to face the Jedi Council,
and accepted their banishment from the order.
After which she boarded a ship and disappeared without a trace for many years.
Meanwhile Revan completed construction of his HK 47 assassin droid, and Malak suggested
sending it after Meetra, but Revan decided against it, claiming that without the force
she was already dead.
Though the war was over, Revan and Malak feared an even greater threat may still exist and
so travelled to Rekkiad, where they found the tomb of the Sith Lord Dramath the Second
as well as a datacron, confirming what they were told by Mandalore the Ultimate.
Searching through the information, they found the coordinates to Nathema, another ancient
sith world where they might continue their investigation.
Knowing that he needed to keep the Mandalore’s mask far from the Mandaloreans, Revan hid
it in the tomb of the Sith Lord before departing.
Travelling to Nathema, they felt the terrible shock, pain and sense of loss experienced
by force users who travelled to a planet without the force, but overcame their discomfort and
discovered the truth behind this lifeless abomination of a world.
Over a thousand years earlier during the golden age of the Old Sith Empire, a pureblood child
was born to a poor farm woman on a remote northern continent, within the insignificant
world of Medriass on the edge of their space.
Naming him Tenebrae, the boy had deep black eyes and never cried or showed emotion, cloaked
in aura so menacing it scared animals and other children away.
At the age of six, it became clear he was powerfully force sensitive, and soon the man
who raised him learned his wife had an affair with the ruler of Medriaas, meaning Sith Lord
Dramath was the boy’s biological father.
Outraged, the farmer physically attacked his wife, causing Tenebrae to feed off his anger
and lash out with the dark side, snapping the man’s neck.
For his mother, Tenebrae reserved a far worse fate, letting her die only after months of
torture, punishing her for the betrayal of their family.
Over the next 4 years, the young Sith used his powers to grow a following, bringing neighbouring
villages and towns under his rule.
At first Lord Dramath paid no attention, as the Northern continent was remote and unimportant,
but as his son’s domain grew larger, he decided to meet the boy in person and assess
his potential.
Upon learning that this Sith Lord was his father, Tenebrae wasted no time and launched
a devastating attack into his mind, forcing him to suffer insanity before ending his life.
Although Lord Dramath had a legitimate son and heir, Dramath II feared the wrath of this
mad child, and so fled with his followers to settle on Rekkiad, where he ruled until
his death.
Back on Medriaas, Tenebrae spent the next 3 years conquering the planet, and at the
age of 13 in 5100 BBY, sought to legitimize his rule by travelling to the Sith capital
of Ziost and presenting himself before Emperor Marka Ragnos, one of the greatest Dark Lord’s
in history.
The Emperor immediately sensed the boy’s potential and gave his blessing, officially
pronouncing him as Sith Lord Vitiate, undisputed ruler of Medriaas.
Renaming his planet Nathema, Vitiate spent the next century in relative isolation, studying
the dark side and imparting his knowledge upon students and followers.
Earning a reputation as a scholar on a distant world, few paid any attention to Vitiate,
and he in turn stayed out of the wars and conflicts of his fellow Sith.
When Marka Ragnos died in 5000 BBY, Vitiate remained neutral in the war of succession
between Ludo Kressh and Naga Sadow.
And following the victory of Naga Sadow, stayed out the Great Hyperspace War he launched against
the Republic.
Failing to conquer their ancient enemies, the Sith were on the brink of annihilation,
as their fleet was destroyed and emperor fled into exile.
Yet in the wake of this tragedy for their people, Vitiate saw his opportunity to strike.
Throughout 4999 BBY, the Sith Lord sent out broadcasts stoking fears within the empire,
by warning of a Republic invasion, and following their victory against Naga Sadow, that is
precisely what occurred, with the Jedi and their allies visiting every enemy world they
could find to purge it of any sith influence.
With the remaining imperials in a panic, Vitiate once again sent out messages, this time inviting
the remaining sith Lords of the empire to join him on Nathema, where they would perform
a ritual to unleash the true power of the dark side against their enemies.
As all this occurred, Vitiate had a team of his best researchers and explorers, locating
a route to Dromund Kaas, an ancient sith world lost for centuries and entirely unknown to
the republic.
When his people at last found the planet, Vitiate was ready to begin the ritual.
Channelling his immense power, the ruler of Nathema reached out with the dark side and
forced his will on the 8000 Sith Lords who answered his call, using their life force
to fuel the ritual throughout the next ten days.
When it was over, every living thing on the planet was dead, with all of its collective
energy, including the force essence of the planet, transferred into the body of Vitiate,
making him immortal with nearly god-like powers.
Although the Sith respected power and cared little for how it was attained, draining a
planet of its energy would be considered an abomination by any force user, as they too
would feel the pain of this loss.
Understanding the severity of what he did, Vitiate forbid travel to his homeworld and
hid its location, blaming it’s destruction on the Jedi and Republic.
Easily the most powerful Dark Lord remaining, Vitiate travelled to Korriban where gathered
as many remaining Sith and their servants, as possible before leading a great exodus
into the unknown regions, taking them on an unnecessarily long 20 year voyage, in order
to ensure they became entirely dependent on their leader for survival.
When he felt the time was right, Vitiate brought them to Dromund Kaas, and established the
reconstituted Sith Empire, promising to one day take revenge against the Jedi and Republic.
Revered as a god, the Emperor spent most of his time in isolation, leaving administrative
duties to the Dark Council, 12 powerful Dark Lords who each governed a different sector
of Sith society.
Over the next thousand years, the Vitiate grew the strength of his empire, and when
the time was right, sent an agent to contact Mandalore the Ultimate, manipulating him into
starting the Mandalorean Wars to test the Republic’s defenses.
Learning about this hidden Sith Empire, Revan and Malak knew the Emperor needed to be stopped,
but rather than inform the Jedi and Republic, they took it upon themselves to end the threat,
and so travelled into the Unknown regions, searching for Dromund Kaas.