Shadow Collective (Jedi Renaissance)

The Shadow Collective was a Force-wielding, anti-Jedi criminal organization founded during the Clone Wars around 20 BBY by Count and led by his Dark Acolyte Savage Opress. Opress rallied the Mandalorian Death Watch to his cause first, then the Pyke Syndicate, Black Sun, and the Hutt Council among others in an attempt to form his own rival power to the Sith and the Jedi Order. When the Clone Wars came to an end, the political climate changed and the Collective was forced into hiding, taking refuge in Hutt Space and remaining completely hidden from the Jedi, the Republic and the Confederacy. When their continued existence was discovered by the Order, the Jedi launched a full scale assault on Hutt Space, drawing the Hutts and the Shadow Collective into open conflict.

Formation
When the Clone Wars erupted between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems, a secret conflict was brewing between the Jedi Order and the Sith Empire out of the public eye. As Sith Lord Darth Sidious controlled both the Republic and the Confederacy, serving as the Republic's Supreme Chancellor while his apprentice, Darth Tyranus, served as the Head of State of the Confederacy, it became increasingly necessary to have Forceful beings who served the Sith fighting on the front lines against the Jedi. To this end Darth Tyranus, publicly known as Dooku, began training in secret a number of Acolytes to serve as Generals in the Confederate army and to counterbalance the Jedi-led forces of the Republic. While numbering significantly less then the Jedi, the Acolytes were comprised of former or failed Jedi, Force-sensitive criminals, dark side cultists and Sith aspirants. Known as the Dark Acolytes to the Jedi High Council, the group called themselves the Shadow Collective.

At its founding, the Collective was made up solely of Forceful dark siders and had little in the way of formalized ideology or philosophical teachings, and was for the most part motivated by a simple opposition to the Jedi and their teachings. Overall the Dark Acolytes desired the overthrow of the Galactic Republic, with many of the former Jedi members especially being frustrated with it's bureaucracy and greed. Quinlan Vos cited that since this desire was rooted in their disgust with the Republic's corruption rather than a thirst for power, they were still acting in accordance with Jedi teachings. However the organization was strongly influenced by Sith philosophy, and was deeply rooted in the dark side of the Force due to this. Tyranus cited, during his meeting with Jedi Grand Master Yoda on, that since all beings carried the dark side within themselves turning to it was simply to acknowledge another part of one's self and was not in itself inherently evil. In a separate exchange with Quinlan Vos, Tyranus stated that the Jedi's refusal to use the dark side was motivated by fear of it, and if the Jedi simply stopped fearing it, they could use it to correct the injustices of the galaxy. While Darth Tyranus was the unquestioned leader of the Collective, Master was second in command and had a large following within the organizations ranks. While some members, such as Asajj Ventress refused to bow down to the Weequay, Tyranus trusted his fellow Jedi renuncicate and allowed him to make decisions for the group. Following Bulq's death at the hands of Quinlan Vos, who had secretly infiltrated the group while remaining loyal to the Jedi Order, and the expulsion of Ventress, the Dathomiran Nightbrother Savage Opress took control of the Collective and looked for ways to get out from under Dooku's control.

Prior to Bulq's death, Opress had secretly begun reaching out to the leader of the Mandalorian terrorist group known as Death Watch, Pre Vizsla, and requested to form an allegiance. The Mandalorian warriors had long served as pawns of the Sith and Opress hoped to rekindle old alliances otherwise overlooked by Tyranus and his master. As Vizla and his clan hoped to see the Republic overthrown and the slaughter of the Jedi, it was not difficult for Opress to gain the service of the Death Watch and their super commandos. In the ensuing months Opress traveled to the planet of Mustafar on a scouting mission for Bulq, while secretly planning a visit to the fortress of Black Sun Vigo. Grunseit refused to pledge themselves to the Zabrak and threatened to alert the other Vigos of the Black Sun of the Zabrak's plans of takeover; ignoring the threat Opress removed Grunseit's head and placed the Falleen's chief of security, Ziton Moj, in command of Grunseit's forces. With a major faction of Black Sun secretly under his control, it was only a matter of time before Opress was approached by crime families, such as the influential spice trader Lom Pyke, volunteering to pledge support and their resources. Feeling that the time was right, Opress infiltrated the chambers of the Hutt Grand Council on Nal Hutta and offered them a place at the top of the Collective should they join. Refusing the Zabrak, the Hutts attempted to kill Opress before he slaughtered one of the Councilors and the others fled. Tracking the fleeing Councilors to Tatooine, Opress was able to threaten them into compliance and they quickly pledge to privately support the Collective so long as they were not officially allied.

Attack on Mandalore
"Our combined strength will be rewarded. Mandalore will be yours, and Kenobi, this Sith pretender Dooku and all our enemies...will fall."

- Savage Opress to Pre Vizsla

As all things fell into place, Opress decided it was time to conquer a planet to serve as the Shadow Collective's capital world. With Master Bulq distracted with the war, Opress led his Death Watch allies to Mandalore where they successfully laid siege to the pacifist government. Portraying the Death Watch members as heroes and nationalists instead of terrorists, Opress aided Vizsla and his people gain the public support in overthrowing Duchess Satine Kryze and taking the city of Sundari. With the aid of Black Sun, who overtly launched attacks in the city, the Death Watch members created the illusion of protecting the city from threats the Duchess was ignorant to. Following a month long imprisonment, Kryze was executed to the great joy of her people and Arkus Almec was named as Prime Minister to the new Mand'alor, Pre Vizsla, who took the name of Mandalore the Deliverer to symbolize his act of delivering the Mandalorians from their mundane pacifist lives and restoring the proud warrior traditions of the past. With the planet conquered, Opress and the other leaders began to order weapons of war to expand their armies. As Mandalorian warriors rallied to join the Death Watch supercommandos, they marked their armor with yellow and black patterns and a crown of horns to pay homage to Savage Opress.