3960 BBY

Jesra Nartano, Cid Torwyn, and Crale Banab all knelt in front of the Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Revan. The Mandalorians had just been crushed, Mandalore had been killed, and the Mandalorians had been stripped of their weapons and armor. For anyone else, this would be a time of celebration, but Revan was not anyone else. Revan slowly paced back and forth in front of them, collecting his thoughts, weighing each word he was going to say.

“Of all the Jedi who followed me to war, you three are the most loyal, most skilled and, most importantly, the most intelligent and quick thinking.” Revan said, stopping on front of Cid. “That is why I am letting you three in on something that even Malak doesn’t know; I am going to conquer the Republic, but not out of spite or because I despise weakness. I am doing this to make it strong, so we can face our true enemy, and defeat him.”

“Our true enemy?” Crale asked. “What do you mean?”

“Remember the mission to Dromund Kaas that I went on?” Revan answered. “The one where we received false information of the location of Mandalore the Ultimate?”

All three Jedi nodded.

“Well, as you know, I didn’t find him. But I did find something far worse.” Revan said. The three Jedi could feel something in Revan’s voice that they hadn’t felt before; fear. “I found the threat the Jedi council was afraid of. I found an ancient Sith.”

All three Jedi’s faces froze. “An ancient Sith? How is that possible? Didn’t the Republic wipe them out at the end of the Great Hyperspace War?” Was all Jesra was able to spit out.

“Not all of the Sith Lords were on Ziost when the Republic destroyed it.” Revan said. “And what’s worse, is this Sith Lord had a masterful knowledge of the Dark Side, allowing him to live far beyond the lifespan of the Sith species.”

Revan began pacing again, allowing the Jedi to take in what he just told them. Crale was the first to speak up.

“If this Sith Lord is as powerful as you are implying, then there is no way the Jedi Order would have been able to beat him, regardless of our choices.” He said, with fear in his voice.

“Exactly. That’s why I’ve joined him.” Revan said, stopping on front of Crale. “If I am going to defeat him, I need to learn as much as I can about him, and his people. And since the knowledge of the Sith is forbidden to anyone below the rank of Jedi Master, I can’t gain that knowledge from anywhere else.”

“You must obviously have a plan for us, or else you wouldn’t have said anything to us.” Cid said, looking right up at Revan.

If the three Jedi could have seen Revan’s face under his mask, they would have seen that he was smiling. “You three will become my agents. Once you are fully trained and ready, I will present you to my master. From there, you will act as go betweens, delivering messages between Vlad and me, and act as spies. You will report on his activities, answering only to me. You will also break anyone I send you, and make them loyal to my cause.”

Once again, Revan began pacing, to allow this information to sink in. “As always, I will not force this upon you. Your choices are yours to make.”

Jesra stood up, and put her hand on Revan’s shoulder. “Without you, the Republic would have fallen to the Mandalorians. I will follow you, and do as you ask, because I know you are doing what you must.”

Cid stood up as well, his 1.7 meter height towering over the rest of them. “I’m in as well. I’ve never doubted your decisions, and I’m not about to start now.”

And finally, Crale stood up. “You have always done what you believe was best for the Republic and its people. I will follow you.”

“Good.” Revan said. “Now, kneel before me, and receive your new Sith titles.”

Jesra, Cid and Crale knelt before Revan, and Revan drew his lightsaber. He ignited the crimson blade, and held the blade at the neck of Jesra. “Jesra Nartano, for your ability to inspire unity and discord in troops,” Revan said, moving the blade over her head, similar to the Jedi Knighting ceremony they all went through, “as well as your extensive knowledge of the mental aspects of the Force, You will be known as Darth Entropi.”

Revan moved over to Crale, and placed the blade at his neck. “Crale Banab, for your skills in stealth and infiltration, as well as your ability to manipulate the minds of others,” Revan said, again moving the blade in the knighting ceremony motion, “You shall be known as Darth Ghasta.”

And lastly, Revan brought his lightsaber blade to the neck of Cid. “And Cid Torwyn, for your explosive power in combat,” Revan said, knighting Cid. “You will be known as Darth Volcanus.” Revan retracted the blade on his lightsaber. “And because of your proven leadership qualities, you will act as the leader and spokesman of this Sith Triumvirate. Now, rise.”

So Darth Entropi, Darth Ghasta and Darth Volcanus stood up, awaiting Revan’s next command. They didn’t have to wait long.

“Your training will begin once Malak and I return from our mission. My master told me of something that will be useful in our war effort. A device that uses Dark Side of the Force to build the ships and other machinery needed to wage a war.” Revan said. “Until we return, you three are to keep our fleet together, and finish hunting down the remnants of the Mandalorian fleet.”

How soon will you be returning?” Darth Volcanus asked.

“That depends on how long it will take to find the Star Maps. Malak and I shouldn’t be more than a few months.” Revan said, heading out the door of his room, and toward the command center. “And I have to teach Malak what I know of the Sith. When we return, we will have the material we need to attack the Republic. And lastly, you three are not to use these Sith titles around others until I say so.”

Revan stopped at the command deck of his flagship, the Onslaught, and opened communications with all fleet commanders in his fleet. He waited until he received a response from all commanders, and then began speaking. “You have all pledged loyalty to me after the defeat of the Mandalorians at Malachor V. You’ve trusted my decisions, and my judgment every step of the way. Now, I need you to trust me again.” Revan said, crossing his arms in front of him. “You all know of my decision to conquer the Republic, to show it just how weak it is. Well, in order to do that, we will need more materials than we have. However, I know of something that can help us. The problem is; I don’t know its exact location. But Malak and I will find it. We must find it if we are going to have the ships, weapons, vehicles and droids we need to take the fight to the Republic.”

Revan uncrossed his arms. “So, Malak and I will be gone for a few months to find this Star Forge. In the mean time, I will leave these three in command.” Revan said, pointing to Darth Volcanus, Darth Ghasta and Darth Entropi. “Many of you have served under one of these three generals during the Mandalorian Wars at one point, and you know how good commanders they are. Along with General Pano, they helped me plan the battle of Malachor V, which brought about the defeat of the Mandalorians. You will give them the respect they have earned until Malak and I return.”

Darth Volcanus walked up the comm unit, and spoke to the fleet commanders. “Until Lord Revan returns, we must continue with his plans; we must destroy the remainder of the Mandalorian Fleet, right down to the very last Basilisk. We have a job to do, and we need to get to it. If you need us, we will be in my quarters after seeing Lord Revan off.” He turned off the comm unit, and headed to the docking bay with Darth Ghasta and Darth Entropi to see Revan off.

When the four of them got to the docking bay, Malak was waiting with a space cruiser already prepped and ready to launch.

“Everything’s ready to go. But are you sure you want to do this?” Malak said as he stood on the loading ramp.

“Of course, my friend. The Republic and the Jedi Order are weak, and wouldn’t have won if we hadn’t gotten involved. And we will prove it, one way or another.” Revan said, walking up the loading ramp and past Malak.

Darth Volcanus, Darth Ghasta and Darth Entropi watched as Revan and Malak’s ship left the hangar bay and shot off into hyperspace. As soon as Revan and Malak were out of sight, a soldier came up to them with a datapad.

“What are your orders?” The soldier asked.

Darth Volcanus was the one to speak up. “Continue the same course Revan set. If anything happens, alert us immediately. We will be in my quarters. The three of us have much to discuss.”

After inputting what Darth Volcanus said into the datapad, the soldier said, “Understood, General.” And did an about face. Once the soldier was out of sight, the triumvirate headed to Darth Volcanus’ quarters.

Darth Volcanus’ quarters were modest, as one would expect out of a Jedi General, but were large enough to have seating room for four comfortably. Once all three were inside, Darth Volcanus sealed the door behind them.

“So, what do you guys think?” Darth Ghasta asked.

“I don’t know about you guys, but I could feel the terror in Revan’s mind. If something can put that much fear in Revan, then it must be extremely dangerous. Revan doesn’t scare easily, and for him to be this terrified means this is big.” Darth Entropi said.

“But do we really want to fall to the Dark Side in order to save the Republic? I don’t want to save everyone if it destroys my soul.” Darth Ghasta said. He didn’t doubt Revan, but he was concerned about what he was going to have to do. What exactly would his role be?

“‘To slay a demon, one must become a demon.’ I believe the quote goes.” Darth Volcanus said. “If we have to have to become Sith in order to stop them, then that is what we will do.”

“Besides,” Darth Entropi said, placing her hand on Darth Ghasta’s shoulder. “I’m sure you could feel Revan’s Force aura.”

“Yeah, he was just barely dark. Revan is uncorrupted by the Dark Side.” Darth Ghasta said. “Revan is still Revan.”

“And I have no doubt that Revan will train us how to do the same. To use the Dark Side, but keep the majority of whom we are inside.” Darth Volcanus said.

Just then, a comm transmission came into the room. “General Torwyn, we have arrived at our destination, and we need your input on what to do next.”

“We’ll be there shortly.” Darth Volcanus said into the comm unit. He turned to his companions, and said, “We’ll finish this later, if we must. Right now, we have a job to do.”

6 months later…

The fleet had just finished cleaning up the Mandalore sector when they got a message from a shuttle that came out of hyperspace. Revan and Malak had finished with their mission, and had what they needed.

Darth Volcanus, who took care of Revan’s flagship while he was gone, was the first to meet them in the docking bay. He stood at outside the loading ramp, awaiting the arrival of Revan and Malak.

Revan was the same as he had been when he left, but Malak had changed drastically. Instead of the orange light armor Malak wore throughout the Mandalorian Wars, he wore something more form fitting, but much heavier. And this armor was a blood red, with a black cape over his right shoulder. But the most significant change was Malak’s Force aura. Unlike Revan, whose Force aura was just dark enough to pass for a Sith Lord, Malak’s aura was completely dark. And it frightened him slightly to see this. But Darth Volcanus pushed these thoughts out his mind, and greeted his general.

“How did your journey go, Lord Revan?” Darth Volcanus said.

“Very well. We now have the means to crush the Republic.” Revan said, walking toward the turbolift that would take him to the bridge. “Malak has also learned much. He will make a fine Sith Lord, once his time has come.”

Malak just grinned sadistically at that comment. “But, until then, I will learn as much as I can, master.” He said, coldly.

Revan just chuckled. “I could not teach you everything I know about the Sith in such a short time, my apprentice.” Revan turned his head toward Malak. “Patience was never one of your strong traits as a Jedi, and you’ve gotten worse the further you’ve fallen. You WILL learn patience, or you won’t live long enough to regret it.”

“What are your orders, my lord?” Darth Volcanus said, trying to stop an argument that was brewing.

And Revan was happy to change the subject. “Contact the fleet, and have Generals Nartano and Banab come to my quarters.” Revan said. He turned his head his apprentice. “Malak, once we are done addressing the fleet, I want you to take command and set the course for the Star Forge.”

Malak nodded, and grinned sadistically. “Of course, master. “

Ten minutes later, Revan, Malak, Darth Volcanus, Darth Ghasta and Darth Entropi all stood on the bridge of Revan’s flagship, the Onslaught. Revan looked into the holocam, which was sending his image to all of the capital ships, and held his hands in front of him. “Make sure this is being broadcasted across the entire fleet.” Revan said. He crossed his arms in front of him, awaiting confirmation from each commander.

Once he got the confirmation, Revan began his speech. “You are all here because you have seen the Republic for what is it; weak and past it’s prime. We all know that the Republic would have been crushed under the collective boots of the Mandalorians if I hadn’t joined you.” Revan uncrossed his arms. “But the Republic, and more importantly, the Jedi, don’t agree. They say that the Republic would have won without my actions. But we know the truth. The Outer Rim was burning, soldiers were dieing, and the Mandalorians were eradicating worlds, all for their concept of ‘honor’ and ‘glory’.” Revan said. “If I hadn’t acted, you would all be dead.”

Revan paced for a moment, collecting his thoughts, and allowed his words to sink in. “And now the Jedi want me to relinquish command, return to the Council, and face trial. All because I disobeyed them, and won a war they were happy to sit back and watch. Now, would any of you go back, face trial for doing the right thing? I don’t think so. That’s why we must strike first, before the Jedi come to retrieve me. You all followed me because you believed my way was the best. Well now, my way is to wipe out the hypocritical Jedi Order and make the Republic strong, to ensure something like this never happens again. We will show the Republic and the Order that they are weak without us!”

The troops began to stir from Revan’s words, agreeing with everything he said. Revan held up his hand, and everyone fell silent. “But right now, we do not have the resources to wage war on the Republic. We have enough to take individual planets, but not to hold them. With our current strength, we cannot even hold a hyperspace route. However, that will soon change. For the past 6 months, Malak and I have searched the galaxy for the hyperspace coordinates of the ‘Star Forge.’ And last week, we found it. The Star Forge is a space station in the Unknown Regions, capable of creating raw materials out of the Dark Side. With the Star Forge creating the ships, droids, vehicles, armor and weapons we need, we will crush the Republic!” Revan said, clenching his fist in front of him. “Fleet commanders; input the coordinates I gave you into your navicomputers. An infinite fleet awaits us!”

Revan powered down the holocam and turned to Malak. “Make sure all hyperdrives are linked up for the trip. I want no one left behind.” He said to Malak. “You will also prepare them for what they will expect when we get there.” Revan looked over at his Sith Triumvirate, and then spoke again. “As for me, I will return to my quarters and begin the indoctrination of these Jedi Generals into the Sith teachings.”

Malak grunted at Revan, but did as he was told. You may be more powerful now, Revan, but one day, the mantle of Dark Lord of the Sith will be mine. He thought as Revan walked by.

Five minutes later, Revan and his Sith Triumvirate had finished locking, soundproofing and sweeping the room for spying equipment. After destroying anything they found, Revan removed his mask, which signified to his students that they could speak freely.

Darth Volcanus was the first to do so. “I don’t trust him Revan. Malak has fallen to the Dark Side almost completely. He’s dangerous.”

Revan grinned slightly. “True, but he knows he is no where near my power. And for the moment, he is useful as a figurehead. But once a worthy individual shows them self, I will dispose of Malak, and let my new apprentice in on my plans.”

This shocked Darth Entropi. “Malak doesn’t know? Are you crazy?”

“Somewhat.” Revan said. “But if I told him of ‘my master’, Malak would betray me far sooner than I want him to, all for the chance to learn from Vlad himself. To stop the real threat to the Republic, Malak and those under him must remain in the dark.”

Darth Entropi sighed. “You’ve got a point. But what about us? What are our roles in all this?”

“I’ve wondered that myself.” Darth Ghasta said. “You specifically sought us out, and I’d like to know why you’ve chosen us.”

Revan grinned once again. “As I said six months ago, you three are the brightest, the strongest, and the most skilled in your area of expertise.”

Revan removed his hood, and sat down in his chair. “As for your roles,” he said with a chuckle. “You will be my champions. Lady Entropi, you are to research the techniques of both the Sith and the Jedi, and see how they can be used against ‘my master’. Lord Ghasta, you will be my assassin. You are to destabilize worlds by assassinating those who are too influential and too powerful to submit to me, making them ripe for conquest. And Lord Volcanus, you are to the ensure loyalty among those who embrace the Dark Side too completely.”

“But aren’t you concerned that we will end up like Malak? That our every action will be consumed by the Dark Side?” Darth Volcanus asked.

“Malak was always skirting the Dark Side, even during his Jedi training. He was taught to repress his emotions, not control them, as I was. And that repression caused him to fall quickly when he was finally allowed to release them.” Revan said, coldly. “You three are in a similar situation. Before I begin teaching you of the Dark Side, I will teach you how to control your emotions, making you less susceptible its pull.”

Each student bowed before Revan. “Well, I think I speak for the group when I say we are ready to learn.”

“Good.” Revan said calmly, motioning his hand downward. “Now sit, and open your minds to me. Your training begins now.”