Sith flagship Cybros, in orbit over Ziost
After Revan had killed Malak two years ago he hadn't received the respect he deserved from his underlings. They questioned he was really Revan, they thought him weak for having been kept captive so long by the Jedi and taking Bastila as a lover after.
He let the voices rise against him, and then after a couple months he taught all of the Sith a lesson in obedience. He hunted and rooted out all the traitors, cravens and deviants from all corners of the Empire, one by one, and brought them to Lehon. There he fed the Sith Lords to the Star Forge, and had all their followers and entire power base burned at the stake and their charred remnants given to the native Rakatans. It wasn't long before the latter recognized Revan as their Dark God of death and eventually the rest of the Sith Empire followed. Around the Temple of the Ancients the ocean had turned red with blood, and even after returning months later the stench of burned flesh still filled the air.
Revan then resumed his war with the Republic for a year. They had grown bold while he was busy pacifying the empire, even reversing a number of conquests, but that did them little good. He led a large two-pronged attack towards Commenor that led to Manaan being completely encircled, thus cutting the Republic Core Worlds from their supply of kolto as well as the heavily industrial Hutt Space supplying critical machine parts to the Republic Army. Given time, it should have been enough to let the Republic collapse, but he preferred to offer them a generous peace treaty. The Republic had to recognize responsibility in the war and to surrender the remaining Jedi to Revan, as well as a number of traitors that impeded him during the Mandalorian War. Needless to say, their fate was not kind.
Revan's reasoning was that it didn't matter if the Empire gobbled the Republic or not; once all Jedi were dead, the Galaxy was his. Still, the Republic did not uphold completely their end of the bargain. Many Jedi Masters who had stayed hidden in the temples during the conflict managed to escape. There were some Sith Lords who suggested to resume the war over this. Revan ignored them; instead, he sent specifically-trained Sith assassins throughout the Republic, and before long only a hundred Jedi in the entire galaxy were left unaccounted for.
Then, at the height of his power, he left. He left Bastila and their baby daughter for the Unknown Regions, looking to settle the score with an old enemy, with nothing but a stealth corvette, the Ebon Hawk, a handful of droids and a crew of trusted companions. Now, half a year after Darth Revan was last seen, his Empire was tearing itself apart.
He lives still, Bastila knew. But the Sith think he won't return, so they started fighting among themselves; the Moffs appointed to rule star systems and sectors now pride themselves feudal lords; and the remaining fleet commanders have turned to piracy along the trading lanes; all the while the Republic was reorganizing and rebuilding its forces under their nose. The more she thought about it, the more it disgusted her. Revan had named her Darth Sunder, the Potentate of the Empire in his absence, but with him gone that did her little good. She wasn't of the Jedi that followed Revan to war nor did she train at Exar Kun's academy, and those who did put forth their claim to take her place. She didn't have many allies in the small council to begin with, so all of her decision in the past months had been overturned or simply ignored.
When she dissolved it the attempts on her life began. As the fools found out, Bastila was strong, she may even be the strongest Sith after Revan. She wasn't a fool, though. Malak had made such a fool of himself that when Darth Revan returned to his Empire he had the favor and loyalty of most Sith on his side. That wasn't her case, and there was no way Bastila was going to succeed against the rest of the Sith Order leagued against her. Two months ago, she had to flee Korriban for the fortress world of Ziost, with what remained of her few loyal servants.
There was Lord Rozius, which Revan named to help her rule. She had known him as a lightsaber instructor when she had been a Jedi on Dantooine, and he was one of the first Jedi to follow Revan to war against the Mandalorians. He was far too cautious and diplomatic for Bastila's taste, and second-guessed every one of her decisions. He had been loyal and did what he could to stop civil war so far though, but she guessed that it was only because if Darth Revan's word was no longer law then he had no more legitimacy leading the Sith than her.
Second was Lekuul, another former Jedi, a near-human from Arkania. He was a cyborg, almost half droid, having been wounded and captured by the Sith during the war and talked into joining them. He wasn't very intelligent or subtle, but he had an impressive photographic memory, and he knew his way around droids. For now, he was her spymaster, and perhaps the only one she trusted in the lot.
Last was 'Master' Yuthuran Ban. When Bastila arrived on Korriban they became friends. Back then she had been the second in command at the Academy, and Revan had tasked them to give the students elements of Jedi training, so they could be more efficient against them. That didn't sit well with her master, Uthar Wynn, whatever the reason. He had been one of the first to rebel openly against Bastila and he'd been the first to be crushed and devoured by her pet, Tektak the Terentatek.
Yuthura had been a great ally and mentor, and possibly for that reason Rozius and Lekuul came to hate her with passion. They claimed she had been manipulating Bastila all along, and now it was only a matter of time before she turned against them in her quest for more power. They had no proof, and for all Bastila knew they were doing the same. Yuthura wanted them dead and refused to hear that then Bastila wasn't going to throw out good assets just to please her, which was souring their relationship.
Bastila was tired of all these petty intrigues. She wanted, she needed Revan to come back and restore order. It occurred to her that if she disappeared, that may trigger his return… And if he didn't, then she would be free to find him and discover why. She couldn't remain here any longer, not knowing. She was failing and betraying him doing that, but if she didn't then she would be putting their daughter and unborn son in danger.
As Bastila moped for days isolated in her battleship, she elaborated a plan, one that would reveal who her true friends were. And if it was successful, then Revan would be proud of her when he returned.