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Epilogue: The Tragedy of Darth Revan the Reborn

"Have you ever heard the Tragedy of Darth Revan the Reborn, my friend?"

Darth Sidious turned his golden eyes to his apprentice as he awaited the arrival of his apprentice's transport to oversee the final stages of the second Death Star.

"I have not, my Master."

Sidious nodded, making a small huff.

"It does not surprise me that the Jedi would lose such a tale. Revan showed the Jedi there was another way. He was cast aside for protecting the Republic against Mandalorian invaders. Alone and lost in his own worries, Revan overcame his foes and moved on to become a great Dark Lord of the Sith."

Vader tilted his head curiously. That sounded familiar. A Jedi Knight fighting Mandalorians and being outcast.

"The one who returned to the Jedi? The one who was driven to that decision by the betrayal of his apprentice and came back to kill him?"

Sidious smiled, pleased.

"The same, Lord Vader. But Revan did not kill his apprentice. Darth Malak was murdered in his sleep, for trying to atone. By a Jedi student."

Vader shook his head, watching his Master out of the corner of his eye.

"Why would a Jedi-"

Scowling, Palpatine cut Vader off.

"The Jedi are lairs, my friend. Remember that, always. Malak left the Sith behind and tried to return to the Jedi to atone."

Sidious finished with a sneer.

"Revan was captured after the betrayal and his mind was wiped by the Jedi. He was spared from becoming their slave by the actions of one Jedi. One Jedi who would stand by his side as his new apprentice. Revan started a war that lasted four thousand years, one that the Jedi believed ended at the Battle of Ruusan with the fall of Lord Kahn. One that was finished with the Jedi's attempt to overthrow my Empire."

Sighing, Sidious continued.

"Revan was powerful because he found the balance in the Force, he made peace with both the Darkside and the Light and he sought to teach this to his other Jedi brethren. The Council would not have it of course and their lies have poisoned his true fate. Though he never returned to reclaim his fallen mantle of Dark Lord, Revan became something even I can envy."

Intrigued, the only noise to come from the armored Dark Lord was his steady, mechanical breathing. Sidious turned slowly and smiled, knowing he had Vader's full attention.

"Revan broke a Jedi Master of the Council. Even after he turned his back on the Sith he created. He made the Jedi see that living without the Darkside would never be enough and showed her a new path. While this happened a new Jedi Order was rising from the ashes of Revan's war and sought to end the Sith. A tale the Jedi have twisted is of the Great Hyperspace war. The True Sith lost that war and were scattered, weak. The Jedi and Republic proceeded to annihilate them. Genocide my friend. They justified their actions for killing countless Sith who only followed the Orders of those more powerful than them. The Sith would have followed the Jedi then, would have seen the glory of what the Jedi had been before they all fell into their narrowminded philosophy; but the Jedi chose to kill them all."

Vader was honestly surprised. Jedi committing Genocide? Taking over the Republic he could understand, but Genocide against an entire race?
"Do not fret, my friend. The Sith will live on forever through us. Revan showed the Jedi in his war how similar they were to us. Showed them by converting their students to his cause and bringing down his vengeance on a dozen worlds."

Frowning beneath his mask, Vader wondered what Palpatine was saying.

"Revan's fate was much more than a simple mark in history. Revan recreated the Sith and gave them the inspiration to fight the Jedi and, though it took two millennium, the Sith ruled the galaxy while the Jedi hid and regrouped. It took the Jedi a thousand years to come back from that blow and it all started with Revan's defiance of the Jedi, Revan's sacrifice. For that thousand years that the Jedi were sundered, the Galaxy was strong, could repel any threat but not when that threat rose from within. When betrayal after betrayal undermined their unity, their Brotherhood of Darkness and they were finally felled on Ruusan by Kahn's madness."

Vader tilted his head slightly.

"What was the tragedy of Darth Revan then, my Master?"

Sidious wore a delighted expression as his brows rose and he cackled.

"Ah, my friend. Revan left behind a glorious legacy that will never be forgotten but the Tragedy of Darth Revan was that he turned his back on power, on the Sith and tried and failed to return to the Jedi ways. His heart would not abide the Jedi's rules and the New Order would not accept him. Revan's tragedy is not that his Empire flourished and was reborn, Revan's tragedy was that he did not reap the benefits of his strengths. His final end... was strange even to me, but he made such and end..."
Lowering his head in silent reverence, Sidious continued in a soft voice.

"Revan suffered for his betrayals. Revan bore the consequences of his actions with grace and in the end... Revan was betrayed by those closest to him, as you were, my friend. He forgave them because he loved them and they were his ending... Revan's tragedy was his rebirth, he is the only Sith Lord to have been slain and have risen from death by the hand that slew him... Always remember that Revan suffered for his love of his friends, of the Republic... Only human my friend... in the end, he was only human."

Sidious finished as a long silence followed his lecture. Rarely, did Vader see anything but mockery in the Sith Lord's countenance, but the reverence for the one who made their Order and a story he had loved as a Jedi suddenly had a bitter taste. The Jedi painted the galaxy in black an white, but there were always shades of gray. There were always contradictions. Perhaps his son was right and he could begin to atone for his past sins, but Padme... No, it was too late for him. He had killed the woman he loved and he could never go back... but maybe, maybe he could stop fighting against what was right.

"I will be along shortly, my apprentice. But there are matters I must attend to. Remember always the pain of Revan's life. As a Jedi he knew only servitude. As a Sith only victory and as what he ended up becoming... he knew only pain."

Vader bowed deeply and departed. Palpatine watched with a thoughtful expression. Ever since he had fought his son and maimed him, Vader had been changing. Rarely did he release his anger and more and more he was becoming the man he once was. It was time to replace Anakin Skywalker with a new Skywalker.

"If only he knew the truth."

Sidious laughed, shaking his head at the ignorance of his apprentice. Even after two decades Vader still justified his actions over the Jedi. It was never about the Jedi or the Sith, or the Republic. It was about power and who held it and Vader would know that in the end, know that his Master held ALL of the power.

The End...

To be Continued in: A Constant Battle

Author's Notes: Reality check. Get one if you believe in happy endings. Sorry but this time of year just depresses me. I think of everyone that isn't here and it gets channeled into my writing which is really just something I use as an outlet. If its dark, hey I'm having a bad day. If its light and funny, times are good but just look at past examples. War is never pretty and its always the innocent that pay the price. This story centers around a man who was the equivalent of Adolph Hitler and since he's in love and wants to change everyone is supposed to dance in the sunshine and say yippee? Want to see a great example of a tragic hero in Star wars and hate Anakin, look into Ulic Qel-Droma. This is my story and I'll write it however I want. Like it, hate it, deal with it. See that thing in the upper right-hand corner? Always there if you don't like it.

Wink.

Sorry, Channeling my inner Malak.