Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 6: Shadows

"Good morning, Bloodraven."

Mandalore spoke in a mockingly sweet tone as Revan was dragged onto his ship's bridge. Spots swam in Revan's vision as he was knocked against the side of the head with a blaster rifle stock and was struck in his abdomen. Mandalore signaled to his guards to back away.

"I wanted you to see something..."

Mandalore trailed off as Revan fought to regain focus and looked up. The viewport of the Mandalorian battlecruiser only showed a hyperspace trail and Revan involuntarily coughed as he wiped the blood with his now free hands.

"What, the beauty of hyperspace?"

Revan asked in a tight tone. Nearly a month at the hands of Mandalore and his tortures was eating away at the former Jedi Knight and he was having quite enough of it. Mandalore chuckled without humor as he turned his back to Revan and stared through the viewport.

"Patience, your suffering will soon be over, traitor."
The hyperspace trail soon gave way to a starfield and what looked to be a tiny gray-green orb.

"Welcome to Malachor V."

Mandalore motioned to his guards to bring Revan closer. The Republic commander was roughly led to the viewport where he watched in fascinated horror.

"That wasn't part of the plan..."

"It seems the Jedi and the Senate sent reinforcements here a few days ago, according to my scouts. I hear your friend Malak protested fervently... It was so very easy to track them here."

"They're too close to the planet! What are they doing here?"

Revan's mind began calculating his options.

"Only one thing I can do."

Before either guard could react, Revan had broken from their iron grasps and had disarmed one of his vibroblade. Mandalore heard the movement and spun in time to see his two guards fall to the ground in a lifeless heap. For being tortured for nearly a month and nearly broken, Revan was surprised how well his fighting instincts came into focus.

"I challenge you, Mandalore."

Revan snarled. Mandalore stiffened and turned to the rest of his crew as they lowered their weapons. Mandalore laughed outright as shook his head.

"Very well, fool."

Mandalore removed his weapons and set them on the ground before approaching Revan and taking a fighting stance.

"If you believe you can kill me with your bare hands."

Revan threw his stolen vibroblade away and took another stance, ignoring the sight of the Mandalorian fleet charging the Republic and Jedi positions.

"Fools, why do they wait until now to fight?"
Revan snorted to himself in disgust.

"Likely to take credit for ending the war."

Revan's capture had sent a shockwave through the Jedi Order and the Republic. Especially when it was discovered by a spy that he was being tortured to death. The sudden loss of their hero spurred the Republic's painfully slow decision to send more soldiers into battle as well as increased pressure on the Jedi Order to take action. The Jedi had agreed to send as many Knights as they could to safeguard the new Republic forces. Not wanting to admit that nearly half the Order was ready to leave in order to save Revan.

Revan charged Mandalore, trying to keep his broken arm as far away from the Clan leader as possible as he struck out and kicked the armored man with his boots which thankfully he was allowed to keep on. Mandalore staggered, either from the blow or shock, Revan did not know.

"After all..."

Revan grinned to himself.

"How dangerous is a man who's been tortured to the point of near-death."

Revan moved swiftly, finding a new appreciation for Mira's care as his body protested each movement with a shot of blinding pain. The former Jedi could feel the Force on the edges of his senses and tried to ignore the Force-dampening collar's effect on him. Being cut off from the Force was nearly as unbearable as the tortures themselves. Revan sidestepped Mandalore's considerably slower attack and wove an intricate pattern around the armored man as he swiftly struck loose portions of his armor and where he believed to be weaknesses. It seemed Mandalore's confidence was beginning to wane.

From the bridge of the Ravager, Ian Kenobi watched in horror as his fleet approached Malachor V. The Republic had sent a detachment along with the Jedi to hold Malachor V. Apparently, some genius in the Senate thought the Mandalorians would move against the base and that the best strategy would be to wait in orbit for the Mandalores. The Mandalores came, and in force. Ian groaned as he caught sight of the massive Mandalorian fleet, already engaging the much smaller Republic and Jedi Forces.

"Someone didn't get the battle plan, apparently."

Ian scoffed as he ordered his fleet to move to help protect the new Republic and Jedi Forces.

Malak scanned the battlefield, glaring at the newly arrive Republic vessels.

"What the hell are they doing here:

He practically shouted as he slammed his fists into a console.

"Now that the war is almost over, they decide to battle?"

Malak asked no one in particular as he sent various orders to his forces to try to protect the inexperienced Republic fleet over Malachor. The former Jedi sombered slightly as he caught sight of the Mandalorian fleet. Basilisks swarmed Republic ships and tore into Malachor's atmosphere. Mandalorian battlecruisers charged the inexperienced Republic forces head on, driving into them and scattering the terrified soldiers. The Jedi had seemed to reserve themselves to fighters which Malak was thankful for. He had only discovered that the Republic and Jedi were going to reinforce them and he did not know the fools would take it upon themselves to choose where and when the forces arrived.

"Tell them to get out of Malachor's gravity well... Where are the Interdictor ships, we need their field generators or we're done for!"

Malak and Ian had discovered that an Interdictor ship could use its gravity well projector to cancel out the effects of the Mass Shadow Device and were glad that the Mandalorians refused to use the heavy battleships.

Mandalore blocked Revan's kick and reached out, grasping the Jedi's broken arm. The Mandalorian leader tightened his grasp and pulled as hard as he could, satisfied when he heard the bone pop from its joint. Revan staggered from the pain and barely avoided the punch Mandalore threw towards him. Mandalore laughed as Revan backed away. Revan took a moment to regain his senses and channel the pain, which was easily being replaced by anger. The former Jedi spared a glance out the viewport to see the Republic and Jedi forces tat had joined his fleet being devastated and Malak and Ian's forced nearing them.

"This ends, now."
Revan snarled as he leapt over Mandalore and dropped behind him. Mandalore turned around, a surprised expression on his face as Revan grasped a tube to his helm and tore it free, backhanding the Mandalorian with his undamaged arm. Mandalore fell, gasping for breath as he struggled for breath. The leader tore away his damaged silver helm and charged the former Jedi, close lining him and bringing his metal boot down on Revan's sternum. Revan could only feel the blinding pain as his breastbone cracked under the Mandalorian's force. Mandalore panted heavily as he looked down at the fallen Jedi with smoldering eyes.

"You are finished."

Ian Kenobi turned from the viewport as he watched the last of the Republic's capitol ships sent to help them be destroyed. Casting a pained look at his Iridonian tech, Ian gave a single nod as the Ravager shuddered from the assault of the Mandalorian Basilisks.

"Any last words, Bloodraven?"

Revan felt his body convulsing violently from the strain as Mandalore twisted his armored boot deeper into his damaged body. Revan licked the blood from his lips as he forced his body to respond. Mandalore felt Revan shift and before he knew it, was on the floor. Revan's booted heel dropped onto Mandalore's throat, crushing his breathing passage. Revan struggled to his knees and grasped Mandalore's head, whispering in his ear as he snapped the Mandalorian leader's neck with his last ounce of strength.

"Watch your future's end."

A bright light suddenly filled the room, originating from Malachor V. Mandalore's last sight was of a massive shockwave consuming his fleet before he heard a distinct pop and his vision darkened.

Revan resisted the urge to vomit from the physical trauma his body had gone through. Turning to the nearest Mandalorian he snarled as he forced himself to stand.

"Get this damn collar off of me!"

The Mandalorian nodded and activated the collar's release. Revan wished briefly that he did not give the order as the death and pain of all the Jedi, Mandalorians and Republic soldiers being crushed by the Mass Shadow Device assaulted him. White and red flashes of light assaulted Revan as he doubled over, clutching the sides of his head and screaming inaudibly as the pain washed through him and the Force.

Malak staggered slightly as the death and destruction reached his mind, forcing himself to block the pain, Malak called on every ounce of strength to block the death being transmitted through the Force. Elsewhere, others were not so fortunate. Arren Kae was crushed in a single instant by Malachor V's gravity along with the thousands of Jedi, Mandalorians and Republic soldiers that reinforced them. Her ship being crushed into unrecognizable debris and her body being lost in that final battle of the Mandalorian wars. Yusanis searched frantically and to no avail for his lover throughout the survivors.

Ian Kenobi dropped into unconsciousness the instant the Ravager sent the signal to Malachor V. The pain and death in the Force was too much for the General to endure and the Force simply left him in that moment to spare his life. The Republic crews under Revan, Kenobi and Malak tried frantically to move their ships away from the shockwave that engulfed the bulk of the Mandalorian fleet and destroyed their allies. The Mandalorians retreated or surrendered, too shocked at the destruction they had seen to risk losing any more of their people. The Mandalorian wars and the Mandalorian people were destroyed in that single instant the Mass Shadow Device was activated.

The former Jedi Knight, Revan awoke two days after the battle of Malachor V on board his flagship. The former Jedi had been unconscious and under the constant care of the healers as they tried to stabilize his condition. What greeted the former Jedi's eyes was not something he would ever purge from his mind. All around him in the sickbay were dozens of former Jedi that he fought beside, all either unconscious or sickly and weak.

"What?"

Revan managed to groan as he forced himself to sit up. The bone-knitters had seemed to do an excellent job restoring his shattered arm and broken ribs and he could feel the shark pain in his shoulder that told him his arm was no longer dislocated. Seeing the chaos around him, Revan forced himself to stand and cleared his head of the painkillers, allowing the Force to purge his body of foreign substances and damage. Several hours passed before Revan trusted himself enough to travel.

Malachor V lay before him, shattered into thousands of pieces though its atmosphere remained surprisingly sustained. Revan eyed the officers on his ship as they silently stared at the mass of destroyed ships before them. Never in all his years fighting and traveling had Revan seen such destruction and he paled when he thought of the millions of bodies that lay crushed in those floating hulks.

"Force what have we done..."

Revan whispered as he felt a hand lay reassuringly on his shoulder. The former Jedi turned to see his best friend staring solemnly at the debris.

"What we had to."

Malak said softly as he turned and left Revan to see what he had already saw too much of.

"Murderer!"

Yusanis screamed as he threw a punch at Revan. Revan allowed his comrade to strike him, all too aware of the man's anger at the death of his lover. It had been a week since Revan had awoken and the fleet was still digging through the remains of the Mandalorian and Republic fleets over Malachor V.

"This is all your fault!"

The Echani General snarled as he lunged for Revan. Revan made no move to defend himself as he allowed his once trusted friend to release his anger and pain. A week of treatment had healed his already damaged body and the pain his old friend was unleashing on him was hardly comparable to that of the tortures he had endured during the war.

"Yes, it is."

Revan said quietly as the enraged and grieving Echani warrior struck him again. Revan turned his eyes to meet Yusanis' azure gaze.

"Arren was my friend you know."

Revan said in a tight tone, his anger towards his now former friend rising. A week of recovery and being accused of mass murder by the loved ones of those who had died and the tortures that had nearly broken his mind had struck something dark within the former Jedi, something he was beginning to like since it dulled the pain and hopelessness. Yusanis breathed heavily from exertion and rage as he glared at Revan.

"If I ever see you again, only one of us will leave alive!"

The respected warrior snarled as he left. Revan allowed himself to silently watch the man's retreat, promising himself the same thing. Betrayal was something that he would never abide and the pressures of the Senate and Jedi Council were weighing heavily on him. The Senate wanted him to stand trial for not informing them of the Mass Shadow Device, the Republic wanted to make him a god for saving them and the Jedi wanted to strip him of the Force and exile him. Never in all his wildest dreams did the former Jedi Knight think that saving the Republic would make him so hated.

"So be it."

He snarled, turning to see his friend, Ian Kenobi, entering his quarters.

"What is it?"

Revan snapped, eyeing his friend warily. Ian had the look of a lost child and Revan was surprised by the look of betrayal and hurt the man sent him.

"I-"

Ian began, shaking his head as he looked absently at the bulkhead.

"I can't feel the Force..."

Resisting the urge to back away from the man in horror, Revan crossed his arms over his chest and stared at the man. Part of him sympathized with the man's plight, knowing all to well from his imprisonment what it felt like to be separated from the Force.

"I cannot do anything for you, my friend..."

Revan said regretfully as he watched the devastation sink in to his friend.

"The Council..."

Revan began, wincing at his own words. The Council would likely damn him like the plague, what would they do to one who had served alongside him. Revan was not arrogant enough to assume that Ian served under him, the General had bore much of the weight of the Mandalorian wars and had saved him dozens of times already.

"The Council may know what is wrong with you... I- There is nothing I can do."

Revan whispered. Ian nodded and turned to leave.

"The Council wants us all to stand trial for the deaths of all those Jedi..."

Ian said quietly over his shoulder to Revan. Revan shook his head.

"I will never bow to them or their foolishness."

Revan snarled, surprising Ian with his anger. Much to both former Jedi's shock, Revan continued.

"They are worthless, all they do is sit in their spires waiting for a problem to solve itself or waiting to find someone they can blame all their problems on. Do you think Exar Kun's fall was his own doing? Do you think Ulic Qel-Droma's fall was his own doing? They are hypocrites and liars and they deserve no such respect. I will see them dead before I kneel before the."

Ian turned abruptly and stared at his fallen friend.

"You can't mean that, what about Bastila? What about Master Zhar? What about all those you left behind? Would you be willing to fight them as well?"

Revan looked up into Ian's eyes, his brown eyes burning with contempt though Ian did not know where it was directed.

"I am nothing but a murderer to them."

Revan hissed. Ian remained expressionless as he watched the rage play over on Revan's features. He had seen this in Malak and many of the other Jedi as well. After fighting this brutal war they had been called murderers and criminals when they did what they had to end the Mandalorian slaughter, resulting in the death of the Mandalorian people.

"When someone tells you that you are something long enough... sometimes you begin to believe it..."

Ian said thoughtfully after a long and uncomfortable silence. Revan sighed, shaking his head.

"I am a murderer."

The former Jedi wanted to tell his friend those words but he could not, he had fought with himself over his decisions in this war, How many of his friends had he seen die or had buried because of this war. How many had died because of decisions he had made. The weight of the war and all those deaths came crashing down onto him as his body and mind shook with guilt and anger.

"I can't change the past, Ian."

Revan muttered. Ian nodded and turned, leaving his friend to contemplate his own path.

"But I can change the future..."

Revan whispered as his chamber doors sealed. The Republic Commander wiped the blood from his mouth and stared at his armor that lay in pieces on his bed. His mind briefly wondered what had become of the red-haired girl that had saved his life but the thoughts were lost as anger and hatred filled him. The Republic had taken it upon itself to relocate any survivors of the Mandalorian's slave ranks to Nar Shadda and the girl was likely dead or enslaved on the smuggler's moon thanks to their carelessness.

Weeks had passed since the final battle over Malachor V and Revan had still not returned to the Jedi. Ian Kenobi had returned only to be stripped of his place in the Order and cast out, as Revan had predicted, like a plague. The Jedi Exile and former General chose to go beyond the Outer Rim to center himself. The Republic and the Core Worlds had long since sickened him and he had a sudden desire to be as far away from the Jedi and the Republic as possible. Revan had called all those that had survived Malachor V to follow him on a crusade beyond the Outer Rim to find and destroy the remnants of the Mandalorians as they scattered and fell into disarray. For a year, Revan, Malak and the Jedi and soldiers that followed them searched unknown space finding only a series of dead worlds, graves to some unholy crusade to end all life. Revan had felt that the Jedi were right when they spoke of an unseen threat beyond the Outer Rim but he was abhorred when he discovered the truth.

It was not the Ancient Sith or some remnants of Exar Kun or the Mandalorians that went from world to world, leaving only graves but a new, more sinister threat.

The Yuuzhan Vong as the survivors, far and few between, called them. The beings where human in appearance, though they wore a strange body armor that was resistant to blasterfire and lightsabers and mutilated themselves almost beyond recognition. The first one Revan had seen had killed an entire squad of his elite troopers and two Jedi before he was brought down by a blaster shot to the head. The creatures carried staff weapons and their technology seemed to be made from biological organisms. The Vong were ruthless and destroyed countless worlds in the unknown regions of the galaxy as sacrifices honoring their gods. Revan's fleet was destroyed in a matter of moments when it confronted a large fleet of the Vong's vessels, the Coralskippers. The asteroid-like vessels emitted a plasma-like fire that incinerated any armor within its path. The ships could also manipulate gravity, and create miniature black holes, able to crush any opposition.

"This is hopeless..."

Malak groaned as he watched from his flagship, the Leviathan. Revan had refused to allow the Yuuzhan Vong to gain a foothold anywhere near the Republic and the fact that they had lost dozens of ships while only destroying three of the Vong's strange vessels was enough to make the war-hardened soldiers want to retreat. Revan had still maintained hope, using his Interdictor ships to create gravity wells in an attempt to cancel out the Vong's superior and bizarre weaponry.

"Not if we can employ the Mass Shadow Device."

Revan muttered thoughtfully. The Vong had apparently come from a point outside the galaxy and they held only a few strongholds. Revan knew that if he used the Mass Shadow Device, they could easily capture the Vong off guard with the weapons and crush their seemingly invincible ships. The thing that worried Revan was the fact that the Vong were able to create black holes and gravity wells at will with their vessels. They would only have a few chances to catch the violent aliens off guard before they would likely adapt to the weapons. What frightened Revan was that these mysterious invaders had a beast he was all too familiar with, a Terantek.

The Vong were absent in the Force as were their creations and Revan knew that the Force would not effect them after seeing one of their warriors unaffected by a powerful wave of Force energy. The masochistic creatures seemed to have few weaknesses and that was what forced Revan to retreat. He left the Vong to their grave worlds and their outposts, hoping to rebuild his forces and find the mastermind behind the Mass Shadow Device. Only Ian Kenobi could know where that Iridonian was and Revan scoffed at the thought.

"Damn the Council."

Revan snarled. The former Jedi had since unlocked the Star Force and poured its mechanical might against the Yuuzhan Vong, stopping them in their tracks by sheer number. Revan harbored his hatred of the Jedi until it finally exploded. Leaving behind the Vong and their dominion of unknown worlds, Revan turned on the Republic, allying with the remnant Sith of Exar Kun and claiming the mantle of the Dark Lord of the Sith. The Mandalorian and former Jedi did not want to admit it, but the Vong scared him to death and he knew he needed the power to stop them. An empire where he drew each and every battle plan and one where he controlled the forces seemed greatly appealing to the former Jedi.

"If I have to be a Dark Jedi or the Dark Lord of the Sith, so be it."

Revan muttered to himself as he ordered his fleet to attack the Republic. The battle hardened Jedi and soldiers under him followed readily, disgusted as much as the Dark Lord at the weakness of the Republic.

"Things need to change..."

Revan reasoned.

"The weakness needs to be purged to we can be strong and repel these invaders."

It was not a moral issue for Revan. The Republic needed to be replaced and what took its place needed the power to respond immediately to a threat and not hide in its Senatorial apartments or spires hoping the demons of the universe would go away. There was another reason behind his motives, Revan knew. He wanted the Jedi to pay. He wanted them to change as well. The Jedi had long since adopted the stance of non-aggression and pacifism in conflict, fearing another Exar Kun.

"I'll show them what to fear."

Revan's mind snarled as he drew out plans to move against the Outer World planets of Belkadan, Helska, and Bastion. Malak had protested weakly of the invasion and Revan had admonished his apprentice by removing his jaw. Many began to believe that Revan had lost his mind after seeing him cut away his childhood friend's jaw. In a way, they were right.

"Fear commands loyalty. I want you to do what I say, not what you want."

Revan had roared as he left Malak's broken body lying on the deck of his vessel. Things had never been the same between the two old friends, not surprisingly. Malak had wanted to ignore the Vong and leave them be, saying that it would be years, possibly centuries before they began moving against the Outer Rim and known space. Malak had wanted to return to the Republic and ignore the problem, something Revan would not abide in his maddened state. The now Sith officers and Masters said nothing, unwilling to bring the wrath of Darth Revan upon them. The officers also knew that Revan had taken part in the few brief ground engagements with the Vong. Whatever Revan had seen had pushed him over whatever balance he held and shaped him into a ruthless and tactically frightening genius.

Seeing Malak's punishment and the lengths at which Revan would go to shape his empire drew the loyalty of his followers, if not the respect. Revan was always one to fight alongside his men and take part in the actions. As Revan's flagship drew on the Republic world of Belkadan, Revan again proved that he was not willing to ask his men to do what he did not as he took a fighter and attacked the Republic orbital station and defenses. Belkadan was taken within hours without a significant loss of life and the people were allowed to keep their own government. The Jedi responded immediately, allying with the Republic against the Sith. Revan outright laughed at the action.

"So afraid to fight, yet now when it is I you fight you rush into it... Foolish, hasty. I am not the threat, though you are right to fear me."

Revan eyes the ruined Republic positions of Belkadan and shook his head as he talked aloud to himself.

"I will break you and you will become strong. You will be worthy to live."

Revan turned and stalked away from his bridge darkly into a shadowed corridor, ignoring the apprehension his bridge crew felt at his strange behavior. They had long ago pledged loyalty to Darth Revan and the Sith and knew that Revan was not a weakling, or one to suffer fools.

"And so the Jedi Civil War begins."

Revan mused as he prowled the corridors of his vessel. All kindness and light in his life had given way to darkness and malice. All softness and joy was replaced by jagged edges and grief. The Dark Lord of the Sith seated himself in his dimly lit quarters reading the civilian casualties from his attack.

"What difference does one more life make? I am already a mass murderer to them. Why should I even care?"

Revan asked himself in his dark quarters. A brief flash of a smile and a brown-haired, blue-eyed young woman dressed in the most ridiculous outfit he had ever seen crossed his mind before it was brutally crushed by the memories of death and suffering he had seen in his years fighting.

Explanation: Who is bigger and badder than the Sith? The Yuuzhan Vong! I just thought that it would be interesting to throw that threat into the mix. Ever wonder why the Vong hate Technology or the Force so much or why there are so few? I am just throwing some speculation around here anywho. I thought they'd make a great enemy. Immune to the Force and absent from it and I always wondered about Canderous' reference in the first KOTOR about the 'asteroid' and of course how the Jedi always referred to the danger beyond the Outer Rim as a shadow and how it consumed worlds. It all seemed to fit my view of the Vong... So maybe... Contrary to popular belief I do enjoy Reviews and I'd like to know what my readers think of this story and its development. I can assure you that it will continue with the Jedi Civil war and Revan's capture and I am planning to go beyond the game but you never know... life has a way of handing you a bad hand every once in a while.