A/N: Okay, here goes the obligatory, long self explanation. This story was originally titled Acceptance and Forgiveness, but after realizing just how bad the story was, and where I could take it, I pulled it, retitled it, and retooled it into a different piece all together. This section is now merely the prologue, and the story will no longer center around Cade.

Revelations and Realizations

Cade sat in the Academy on Korriban. He was meditating, reveling in his new found powers. But something was nagging him. He wasn't heartless, merely angry. He had killed Jolee out of anger, and that had bugged him enough he had killed Mandalore to get back at Revan for forcing him into that. I should be more powerful than my emotions! I am the most powerful Force-user alive!

His datapad chimed an alarm. It reported that a small Dynamic-class freighter was approaching the valley. "Good. Perhaps the Jedi are not the fools I believe them to be." Standing, he pushed the thoughts from his mind. It would take all his strength to beat Revan.

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Cade began to pace, fuming. "No one cares what you think, old man! I have the power to kill all of you. You should bow before me and beg for mercy!"

"We do not see the need for that. In fact, the Jedi hardly consider you a threat. How weak and insignificant you've become." Revan taunted.

"ENOUGH!" he shouted, using the Force to slam Revan into the back of his cage. He wanted to hurt him, more than ever. The voice in his mind warned him to control his rage, but Cade was beyond that. He grabbed Bastila, proceeding to torture her. It felt good, to feed his anger. He heard a cage opened, and barely had time to turn before Revan was armed and charging him.

He opened himself to the Force, but the rage clouded his mind, along with fear. The battle was lost before it begun. As his saber was sliced in two, he fell to his knees. "How? A Sith Lord is always more powerful!" he asked. Looking into Revan's face, he saw the promise of death emanating from his eyes.

It didn't hurt as the lightsaber entered his chest. He supposed that was as much mercy as he could expect from a Jedi.

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A cold wind blew as he woke up, coming to a standing position. The area around him was an endless sea of gray, devoid of life or end. Looking around, he started to walk in a direction when a voice behind him stopped him.

"And so you have come. Tell me; was it worth it?"

Cade turned around to see a man standing there. Clean-shaven, wearing odd clothing. But he was human. "Was what worth it?" he asked, cautious.

"It is too early. You are not ready for the question. Please, " he gestured to a door "enter here. All will be clear in time."

Though he didn't like following orders, he did so anyway. Something about the man suggested it would be unwise to refuse.

Cade crossed the threshold of the door, which slammed behind him. The room inside was black, and dark. As his eyes adjusted he saw a path in front of him. Following it, he passed what looked like replays of events in his life. It seemed all too short. Yet another thing the Jedi, and Revan, had done to him. They had stolen his life from him, forcing him to play by their rules, then killing him when he showed signs of disobedience to their vaunted Code. He came upon the final scene.

He knew he had thrown the knife, but he hadn't been trying to kill Bastila. She hadn't done anything to him. He hadn't meant for that to happen. "It's Revan's own fault for involving her." he said aloud, dismissing the crime. He felt no emotion as he saw Revan carry her limp form out of the Academy. I was more successful than I thought. Perhaps all is not lost.

As he left the hallway, the man stood outside, waiting. "Have you decided?"

Cade sneered. "Of course it was worth it, old man. I made the galaxy a darker place. That's my goal."

The man frowned, shaking his head. "You have learned nothing. Until you do, I must deny you entrance. I'm afraid I must cause you harm now."

Cade laughed, throwing his head back. "What can you possibly do to me? I am more powerful than you can imagine." He continued to laugh until he felt a wave of pain strike him. It caused him to buckle at the knees. The next wave was more powerful, and he collapsed to the ground, writhing in sheer agony. It felt like someone was taking his soul and shredding it into pieces. "No! Please! Don't kill me!" he yelled, begging for his life.

"I'm not killing you, Sith. I'm merely stripping you of the Force. Though in your case it's probably the same thing."

Stripped of the Force? The pain continued, and he thrashed about, screaming. Finally, it seemed to lessen. He reached out to feel the Force, and found that he couldn't. That connection was gone. He looked up at the man with bloodshot eyes. "You..."

"I? You made your choices, Cade. I had nothing to do with it. You sought to control the Force, but it controls you. You could not see what you had. The damage you have done to Revan is incalculable. Because of you, he will no longer be able to influence the galaxy as he might once have done. You succeeded, all right. He's a broken man now, a shadow of himself."

Cade only heard parts of it, being distracted by his own vengeful thoughts. "Revan did this to me! It's his fault I fell!"

"No. Revan did nothing to you. Did you know the pain he felt in asking you to control the Star Forge? The pain he feels now? It seems rather uneven, for you to merely lose the Force, while he loses everything."

Cade staggered to his feet, turning away. "I'm done here."

"You are not done here. I suspect that even the loss of the Force will not be enough for you to grasp the error of your ways. You have a remarkably strong will, Cade, but time will break that." He moved his hand.

"What have you done to me!" Cade yelled. He was blind. Rubbing his eyes had no effect. He was truly blind.

"With time, you shall see. Until then you will bear the mark of your...lack of vision." The man took Cade by the arms. "I will point you in the right direction. When the time is right, I will send someone to pick you up. Until then, think about what you have done."

Cade was angry, but he wasn't stupid. Blind, and without the Force, he was utterly helpless. The loss of his sight had cleared his mind somewhat. "Very well. In my present state it seems I must trust you."

"Indeed? Perhaps that is some minor progress. You still have a long, long way to go."

They walked for some distance, until they came upon a camp. Groups of people were everywhere. "I'm afraid there are some rather rough characters here. Some are Sith, some are Jedi, and some merely refused to enter. I will place you in the care of one who, while not a good person, won't kill you." The man paused, considering. "Probably."

Cade moaned internally, but he had no choice but to obey.

Cade heard a flap being drawn back, and he was gently pushed inside. The man followed. "Kreia. Made a decision yet?"

Kreia looked up from her meditation. "My answer is the same one I gave you the last time you were here."

"So be it. In the meantime, I'm leaving Cade here for you to watch over. I had to be rather hard on him, so he'll be an easy target."

Cade heard this 'Kreia' stand. "It seems you were extremely hard on him. Stripping him of the Force and blinding him? I don't think anyone else here ever received that kind of treatment."

"Cade is different. I'm sure I don't need to tell you how powerful a Warmaster can be. But I'll leave it to him to tell you what he's done. Cade, remember. I don't have to send anyone to save you. In fact, I can leave you here forever. Keep that in mind as you ponder your future."

Cade heard the flap open again, and the footsteps of the mysterious man disappeared into the bustle of the camp.

"No doubt you have much to talk about, but let us leave it for a later time. Come; meditate with me. Though you cannot feel the Force, it should prove relaxing." Kreia said, returning to the floor.

Cade resigned himself to a long wait. I won't be here that long, though. Will I?

End of the Prologue

A/N: The real tale begins in the next chapter.