User:Splinter Smile/Revan

Revan, born Revenna Sapyr, was a charismatic Jedi Knight and General during the Mandalorian Wars. At the end of the Mandalorian Wars, she took the title of Darth Revan, the Dark Lord of the Sith, and led her followers in a campaign against the Republic that would later be known as the Jedi Civil War or Sith War.

After two years of this war, Darth Revan was betrayed by Darth Malak, and captured by a Jedi strike team lead by Bastila Shan. Though she was considered dead by the entire galaxy, Revan survived the attack thanks to Bastila's intervention.

Revan's mind, however, was broken. Unable to restore Revan's memories, the Jedi Council instead programmed her with the identity of Faith Mukan, a smuggler turned Republic recruit.

In the year that followed, Revan and the crew of the Ebon Hawk engaged in a mission tasked to them by the Jedi Council: finding the Star Maps, and the source of Malak's fleet. When she gained the knowledge of her identity, Revan rejected her legacy and the darkside. She defeated Malak and ended the war.

A year later, departed for the Unknown regions in search of the True Sith. Although Canderous Ordo accompanied her as far as the Outer Rim, she ultimately left behind her crew taking with her only her droids for company. She was later joined in her quest by the Jedi Exile.

Early life
Revan was born as "Revenna Sapyr". Her parents were Sain and Asynja Sapyr, a pair of Corellian explorers. She was their second child and the niece of Queen Miriette of Corellia. However, her older brother, Raythe Sapyr, was not Force-Sensitive.

Sain and Asynja decided to take their two children off of Corellia when Revenna was still fairly young, in an attempt to prevent the Jedi discovering their daughter. Asynja's father had been a failed Jedi Padawan, and neither wanted that for their child.

They went past the Outer Rim, into Wild Space. There they found an uncharted planet with a small but self-sufficient colony. Settling on this unnamed world, they set to making charts of the planet and its Star Systems, but also began farming.

Visits to Nukreet, the only true town of the colony, were frequent, and trips to Corellia happened two or three times a year, as both of Revenna’s parents wanted her to come to love her people and culture, even if she could not yet dwell on the planet itself. All in all, Revenna lead an uneventful life for those first years of her early childhood.

When Revenna was six years old, however, all that changed. Slavers from a nearby star system invaded Nukreet and destroyed the Sapyr homestead, killing both of Revenna’s parents. Eleven year old Raythe attempted to buy his sister time to run, and died protecting her. However his efforts were in vain. Revenna was captured not long after, though not before attempting to shoot one of her pursuers with her father's blaster.

She was sold to a spaceport owner in the Outer Rim, where she befriended a fellow slave, a Falleen by the name of Genesis Hreesh. Genesis often hid Revenna, keeping her out harm's way as much as possible. Whether because of Genesis's intervention or because her owner was intending to preserve her and sell her for a profit when older, Revenna never experienced physical harm other than beatings. Her owner was always careful to leave no lasting marks, as the young child showed signs of growing to be a great beauty when she was older.



When Revenna was seven, Genesis began making escape plans. Stealing what supplies and credits they could, Revenna and Genesis ran away in the middle of the night, hoping to escape their cruel owner and the destitute lives they would surely lead if they remained.

They lived in the streets of the city for a few weeks, stealing and getting by how they could. They were eventually found by Jedi Master Arren Kae. Kae recognized Revenna's great Force potential, and offered the young girl a place at the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine. Revenna refused at first, but was persuaded by Genesis to take the opportunity. Revenna gave the condition that Kae find a new, safe home for Genesis, and the Jedi Master agreed.

Jedi Training
Revenna was taken to the Jedi Enclave, as promised, and entered into the order as a youngling. She was very shy and kept to herself for the first few months after her arrival. However, she showed a great interest in the history of the Order. She was particularly fascinated with the tale of Nomi Sunrider, who became her hero and role model.

She met Alek Squinquargesimus during one of her classes with the other younglings. She was unsure what to make of the brash but cheerful apprentice from Quelli. He noticed her as well, and attempted to draw her into conversation. His efforts failed, but Revenna did give him her name.

From that point on Alek focused largely on befriending her, at times neglecting his studies in order to do so. After an incident they both later forgot, Revenna was won over, and with Alek as her confidant and source of support, she began slowly emerging from her shell. She became more outgoing and headstrong. Revenna seemed to put her past behind her, at least outwardly. When she had nightmares or became depressed, she turned to Alek for comfort.

Some of the Masters at the Enclave disapproved of their relationship, viewing it as the beginnings of the attachment forbidden to Jedi. Despite this, Master Vandar Tokare took the opposite stance, believing any healing that resulted from the two's friendship was worth the risk.

As the two grew older, they became a tag team, balancing one another. They were known to refer to each other as “Squint” and “Rev” /“Reven” or “Squint” and “Venna”. They also became well-know as pranksters at the Enclave, due to their practical jokes, most of which were performed on Master Vrook. While Alek would always come up with the original idea and urge Revenna on, it would be Revenna who worked out planning and technical details needed for the duo to succeed. She also participated in the execution of the pranks.

However, Revenna also made other friends, including Cariaga Sin, Nisosta, Tavlon Esan, Xaset Terep, and Aleksa Tirava. Aleksa in particular was close to Revenna, and Alek’s closest rival for Revenna’s attention, although not until later would this become an issue.

At the age of eleven, Revenna became a Padawan under her former rescuer, Arren Kae, with Shallis Halcyon monitoring her growth as a Corellian Jedi. Kae was expelled from the Order when Revenna was thirteen, and Revenna was placed under the care of Jedi Knight Kha-Liim Dardray. By the age of fifteen, she was making semimonthly trips to Coruscant, studying under Master Dorak in her spare time.

Revenna accompanied Kha-Liim on a scouting mission to one of the three moons of Hirsi, in the Outer Rim. They were seeking information to confirm or disprove reports of Mandalorian activity in that sector. Traces of the Mandalorians were found within a day after planet fall.

However, Kha-Liim had a Force-premonition which caused her to seek out the Mandalorians on her own, sneaking out of the camp while her Padawan was still asleep. This lead to a confrontation between Kha-Liim and the Mandalorian troops, which Revenna witnessed via Force visions that came to her in her slumber.

Kha-Liim was killed in the battle and Revenna woke weeping after seeing her Master struck down. Revenna risked her own life to retrieve Kha-Liim’s lightsaber (Kha-Liim’s body having gone to the Force), and then commed an Nine Thirteen Code. She was extracted by Aleksa and Aleksa’s Master, Suulas Vierre-Ti. Upon her return to Dantooine, she spent the next month grieving.

Following Kha-Liim’s death, Zhar Lestin was elected to be Revenna’s next trainer after Shallis Halcyon turned down the position so that he could continue an undercover operation in conjunction with CorSec agents. Lestin remained Revenna’s Master for the rest of her training.

At some point during her training as a Jedi Sentinel, she constructed two lightsabers. While both were originally yellow, she changed out the crystals given to her with ones from the crystal caves so that the blades shone green.

Knighthood


Revenna took her trials and became a Knight at the age of twenty-two. This caused a brief fight between Revenna and Alek, who thought she was leaving him behind. When Alek later took his trials, he ashamedly admitted that he had been jealous of Revan's ability. The two made up quickly, and then turned their energy from squabbling to other matters.

Being from Wild Space and the Outer Rim respectively, both of the young Jedi felt strongly about the Mandalorian’s advances in the outer reaches of the galaxy. Revenna was disgusted by what she saw as inaction and apathy on behalf of the council. She heard their pleas for time to attempt the instigation of negotiations or another peaceful course of action to deal with the Mandalorians, but after witnessing Kha-Liim’s death did not believe such a path was possible.

Revenna did acknowledge, however, that there was a secondary threat lurking behind the current crisis. Despite this, she pressed for the Jedi to take action against the Mandalorians first and foremost, because she was of the opinion that if the Mandalorians were not stopped nothing would be left to protect from the Council’s ambiguous enemy.

She approached both the Jedi Council on Dantooine and the Grand Council on Coruscant with this proposal multiple times, and became frustrated when they refused to immediately take her prescribed actions. She was not alone in her discontent, and after her fourth audience with the Grand Council, Revenna turned to tacitly rally support among her friends and other young Jedi and Padawans. Her considerable influence among their ranks hastened the spread of this new philosophy and she gained many followers.

As she began to move into the public sphere with her campaigns, scouting out Mandalorian troop movements, visiting devastated worlds, and putting pressure on political leaders such as her own aunt, Queen Miriette, Revenna was deemed by the media to be “the Jedi’s own crusader”. Her followers had begun to address her by the honorary title of “Master”. All this was done against the wishes of the council, leading to some members of the Order, chief among them Jedi Masters Atris and Vrook, to proclaim that Revenna needed to be brought back into line, and quickly, before she lead a generation astray.

But Revenna ignored the council’s repeated warnings. She continued to visit many planets with a small group of her most trusted followers. One such destination was Taris, where Revenna freed Juhani from slavery. While she also had looked to do further recruiting at the Jedi Academy there, she found no one willing to disobey the Tarisian council and advance her cause.

After Taris, Revenna left her followers on Surja so that she could investigate events on Onderon and Dxun, with the sole exception being Aleksa, whom she sent to gather information on Bakura. She then reported her findings from Dxun to the Jedi Council. However, the council maintained that there was no place for Jedi in the conflict. They commanded her, once again, to take the Jedi who followed her and withdraw from her role in the conflict. The council was giving her a final chance to return to the Enclave and submit to the authority of the Masters there.

In response, Revenna reunited with her "learners" and began taking an even more active role in the war. The media-entitled “Revanchist movement” grew, and the reporters began to call her "the Revanchist."

Feeling that this was crossing the final line, the Jedi Council established an arrest warrant for the Revanchists, Revenna, Alek, and Aleksa in particular. Revenna took this as a final push towards separation. Rather than surrendering herself over to the council, she cut her last ties to it and its authority.

She shortened her name to simply “Revan”, taking advantage of the similarity between her media-earned title and her childhood nickname, "Reven". Later scholars would argue that this final act of defiance was what marked her true entry into the Mandalorian Wars.

The Mandalorian Wars
Revan became the driving force behind the Republic war effort. Proving themselves powerful leaders, Revan and Alek, who now was known as "Malak" shot rapidly through the ranks of the military, and came to spearhead a third of the Republic fleet.

Under Revan's leadership, the tides of war began to change and the Mandalorians were pushed back. Together, Revan and Malak fought Cassus Fett (Mandalore's primary strategist) at Jaga's Cluster, liberated Taris (where Revan also freed Juhani from slavery), and lead the Republic forces to defeat much of the Mandalorian army at Althir.

However, a marked change had begun to occur in both of the Knights. They began to despise weakness and indecisiveness, a quality similar to the Mandalorians they were fighting. Revan’s tactics and influence over her soldiers were precise as ever, but her friendships had begun to erode. Eventually, only Malak and Aleksa were willing to name her as a friend. Aleksa had begun to worry about her friends’ new way of thinking, but stayed with them because of the strong bond between her and Revan, as well as a feeling of mutual need.

At some point in the year 3,961 BBY, Revan found a Rakatan Star Map on Kashyyyk. This lead her to the ancient Sith world of Malachor V, a planet feared and considered taboo by the Mandalorian culture.

She departed for the planet with Jedi Commander Harel Gr'dal and Shlomi, a Force-sensitive Republic scout, accompanying her. When they landed, the three were assaulted by the dark Force-currents of the planet. Shlomi immediately gave way to the hunger of the planet, unable to bare or shield herself from the strength of it as she had no formal training. After several minutes of dementia and agonized screaming, her heart gave out.

This first assault, which was the planet's natural defense, then temporarily faded. Gr'dal and Revan were both left shaken and unexplainably agitated. They made their way to the Trayus academy, and split up to search the deserted building.

What exactly Revan found here remains unknown. However, the results of her findings were the final reasons for her conversion to the Darkside. On Malachor V, Revan took up the mantle of Dark Lord of the Sith in order to prevent a greater evil. She later claimed to have been having Force-visions about this evil for many months previous.

On her way back to the ship, Revan was assaulted by Commander Gr'dal who had also succumbed to the Darkside. He called Revan a traitor and a liar, challenging her to a lightsaber duel. Revan accepted and easily won, leaving him dead on Malachor.

Revan later used what she had learned on Malachor to lure the Mandalorians into a trap and end the war.

The Jedi Civil War
The Jedi Civil War, also known as the Second Sith War, the Old Republic Insurrection, and by the Mandalorians as the War of the Star Forge, was a devastating war that began when Revan founded her new Sith Empire and declared herself the Dark Lord of the Sith. The war began in 3,959 BBY.

Revan later revealed in a holocron that by the beginning of the Jedi Civil War, she was serving as the acolyte of the mysterious Sith power Kalyeris. Her purpose was not to destroy the Republic, but rather to strengthen the galaxy under her own rule, to prevent its collapse at the hands of the True Sith. She had decided that in order to save the galaxy, she must become like the thing she hated most. Revan did not believe she could hold the Galaxy if she were not Sith, because the majority of her plans were centered on the use of the Star Forge and her ability to anticipate her opponents' thinking.

The Reign of Darth Revan
"Revan understood one thing–the real battle was going to be fought between the Jedi on both sides. That was the only battle that mattered. [&hellip;] Whoever had the most, the strongest Jedi were going to win the Civil War. If Revan couldn't convert Jedi, then Revan would kill them."

- Atton Rand

In the year 3,959 BBY, Revan began her campaign to overthrow the Jedi and the Republic. Seizing control of Korriban, she instituted a new Sith Academy there as a place of gathering and training for both fallen Jedi and untrained Force-sensitives.

The war devastated many worlds. However, it was designed not to destroy, but to topple the Republic government while leaving intact its industrial infrastructure, so that Revan could reunite the conquered territory under her banner and turn back the True Sith. Many senators and other important political and military figures were assassinated if Revan deemed them as potentially harmful to her plans, and therefore the survival of the galaxy.

This included Lelin-Dor of Serroco, Senator Mimas Yoon of Corellia, one of her aunt's advisors, and Yusanis of the Echani, who unbeknownst to her was her former master's lover.

Revan's goal was to strengthen the galaxy under her own rule, and so she tried to preserve as much of the military and economy as her plans allowed.

However, Malak, now her Sith Apprentice, did not seem to appreciate or practice his Master's strategies. His answer to the Darkside was to embrace brutality and might, rather than Revan's manipulations and intricate planning.

This could cost him dearly when it defied Revan's plans. An example would be the destruction of Telos IV. Though Revan had intended to conquer Telos and convert it to a Sith base, Malak instead decided to test Saul Karath's loyalty by ordering him to destroy the planet.

Revan was infuriated, and demanded to know why Malak had defied her. In response, her former best friend activated his lightsaber. He taunted her saying she was still far too merciful, and therefore weak. A lightsaber duel followed in which Revan completely removed Malak's jaw. It was the end of their once close relationship.

The Dark Lord also sought to turn more Jedi to her side. She established a special group of Sith assassins for this purpose, whose job it was to abduct, torture, convert, and/or kill Jedi. She also designed HK-47 during this time period.

In 3,957 BBY, the Republic was desperate to end the war, despite the aid of Bastila Shan's battle meditation. Following a plan proposed by Commander Ruuv Nelo and Jedi Knight Srik Sarant, the Jedi set a trap for Revan and Malak, luring them into battle against a small fleet. Bastila then lead a small strike team onto the Discordia, Revan's flagship. Support for both Revan and the Jedi was soon cut off.

As Revan prepared to fight Bastila and the other Jedi, Malak betrayed her by firing on the ''Discordia’’’s bridge. He hoped to rid himself of Bastila, the Jedi, and his former best friend all at once. Unknown to Malak, however, both Revan and Bastila survived the attack. Bastila, for reasons known only to herself, saved Revan's life and unconsciously formed a deep Force-bond between the two. She fled to Dantooine, taking the critically injured Sith Lord with her.

There was much debate as to what should be done with the broken woman. Atris and Vrook both favored turning Revan over to the Republic for judgment. In the end, though, the High Council decided to reprogram Revan's mind, in order to draw out her hidden memories and the secrets of her fleet.

Living as Faith Mukan
When Revan next woke, it was as Faith Mukan, a skilled Deralian smuggler who had enlisted in the Republic Navy and was serving onboard the ‘‘Endar Spire’’. She believed she had been recruited for her experience in infiltrating Mandalorian territory during the Mandalorian Wars as the captain of the Bright Prayer, and had agreed for the promise of amnesty.

She stayed all of four days onboard the ‘‘Endar Spire’’, closely monitored by the Jedi and a volunteer ensign by the name of Trask Ulgo. Bastila made many attempts to approach and talk to Faith during these days, but her courage always failed. Carth Onasi also took an interest in Faith, after seeing the way she was watched by Jedi command and realizing she was a last-minute transfer to the ship.

On Faith's fourth night onboard the Endar Spire, the ship came under attack by the Sith. By the time Faith was woken by the explosions, most of the crew was dead. Trask Ulgo entered her room just as she woke, finding her dazed and having obvious memory issues.

After telling her to get dressed and grab a weapon, Ulgo continued to lead Faith through the ship, towards the bridge. Together they fought off and killed many Sith, while Trask watched Faith closely for any sign of Revan's memories. She exhibited none. When it was discovered that Bastila was not on the bridge, Ulgo sacraficed himself to get Faith to safety, knowing she was the key to the preservation of the Republic.

Faith proceeded the rest of the way alone, eventually making it to the escape pods, where she met Carth Onasi. Wasting no time for introductions, they climbed into the last remaining escape pod, and plummeted to Taris's surface.



Personality
"She had enough purpose for three."

- Aleksa Tirava, about Revan

Revan's true nature was a source of debate among many people.

As a very young child, Revan was known to be easily excited, cheerful, and playful. When her family was killed and she was sold into slavery, however, she became frightened, angry, and withdrawn.

As a Padawan, she allowed Alek Squinquargesimus to eventually draw her out of the shell she had formed around herself; both with her emotions and the Force. Her friendship with him allowed her to slowly gain closure and healing over the violence of her early childhood.

However, after her time as a slave Revan was also very quick to jump to the defense of anyone she saw as being downtrodden or unfairly treated, a trait that remained with her through out her life. She had a strong sense of what was right and would go to any length to remedy the perceived injustice.

During the Mandalorian Wars, Revan began to change. She was constantly strained, more moody, abrupt, and harsh. Her questioning of the council became full-blown defiance. She was persistent as ever. However, some  Jedi and a few of her followers noted that the more she fought the Mandalorians, the more she slowly came to share their despise of indecisiveness and adapt their tactics for her own use.

By the end of the Mandalorian Wars and during her reign as a Sith Lord, Revan became callus, cruel, and manipulative, cutting any ties she could not use to her own end. However, there was also a kind of desperation in her that she kept hidden from those she knew. Her sins were in fact inspired by a strong sense of duty which the Darkside had warped into the unthinkable. She, at times, did show regret for what she was doing, but only when alone. When this happened, she promptly forced herself to shove the feeling away.

"I do not believe the Jedi Council changed Revan, as they claimed. They merely stripped away the surface, and allowed the true self to emerge again - someone who was willing to wage war to save others."

- Kreia

When the Jedi council imprinted the false persona of Faith Mukan into Revan's mind, her own personality overrode the one they had programmed for her. However, instead of her darker side, the Revan that returned was a private but tenacious and compassionate being, at times even maternal. She had a healthy sense of humor, but also a sense of weariness at having her actions censored by the Jedi Council, which she saw more as a committee than anything else. Also returned was her strong sense of duty.

Always intuitive, Revan trusted heavily in her gut feelings. She was also very intelligent and curious, hating few things worse than lack of knowledge or understanding. After living as Faith Mukan, the older Revan came into a strong sense of caution to balance her fear of inaction.

Powers, Skills, and Abilities
Revan was skilled at repair work, leadership, and tactical planning, but couldn't cook anything more complicated than Dantooine flapjacks. She generally needed droid assistance for domestic activities such as cleaning.

Force Skills "Revan was power. It was like staring into the heart of the Force."

- Kreia

Revan always had a strong affinity with the Force, and studied all known Force techniques- Jedi, Sith, and otherwise- relentlessly. She had a strange mixture of beliefs traditionally belonging to proponents of the Living and Unifying Force, as well as many other Force traditions. These opinions were gathered from holocrons, mentors, and experience.

Her strongest ability was Force Sense, in all its different forms and manifestations. Revan relied heavily on her Precognition and Battle Precognition, even while living as "Faith Mukan", and even as a child had a very strong ability with Force Empathy. She also had the rare ability Shatterpoint, which served her well as a military commander.

Under the tutelage of Arren Kae, a Jedi Guardian, Revan also became skilled in many more physical or combat-related Force techniques. Most prominent of these were Force Deflection, and Telekinesis.

She was not a healer, but relied heavily on Healing Trances and various meditation methods.

Polyglot

"Between that and your facility with languages, I'm lucky you're here."

- Carth Onasi

Revan could fluently speak, read and write Basic, Huttese, Mando'a, and Olys Coresilli (Old Corellian). She read the Sith Language and Classical Ossan, and comprehended Ithorese, Rakatan, Droidspeak, Sullustese, Shyriiwook, Selkath, Archaic Selkath, Durese, Twi'leki, and Rodese.

Ships
Revan started out piloting Jedi snub fighters in her teen years, and continued this practice until the Mandalorian Wars began. Then she began piloting an Aurek strikefighter, which she dubbed the Valkyrie. While it started out as a normal Republic issue ship, she quickly modified it and painted it black with bronze wingtips.

Two years into the Mandalorian Wars, her duties forced her to all but abandon the Valkyrie. She relocated to her flagship at the time, the End of Glory, and it remained her primary vessel for the rest of the war.

After returning from the Outer Rim as a Sith Lord, Revan's flagship changed from the End of Glory to the larger, more powerful Discordia. This was the ship the Jedi sent Bastila's strike team aboard. It was destroyed when Malak fired upon it, and all of its crew were killed.

As “Faith Mukan” she was stationed briefly aboard the Endar Spire as a Republic scout, before it was destroyed over Taris. She then stole the Ebon Hawk from Davik Kang, and it served her through out the rest of her adventures leading up to the Star Forge. When she left, she took the Ebon Hawk with her into Unknown Space. However it was later returned to Kreia, and eventually the Jedi Exile, by T3-M4.

Later as the head of the Thorn Jedi, Revan acquired a small fleet of ships, including  the Battle Hymn, the Justice’s Means, the Rimmer Aubade , and the Bright Prayer (named for the smuggling ship of her false memories).

Legacy
"Most of the time once I tell someone that I'm a Corellian-blooded Jedi who spent half her life fighting against the Mandalorians and the rest of it fighting with them, people leave me alone. I don't even have to get into the whole Dark Lord thing. Not that I'm allowed to forget it, mind you."

- Revan

Revan became one of the most well know historical figures of her time. Ultimately, she was best known as a misguided but brilliant woman. When later Jedi Masters wanted to teach their Padawans that actions have consequences, no matter what ones intentions, she was almost always brought up as an example.

Darth Bane later tried to emulate her Sith teachings, which he learned from a holocron.

Etain Tur-Mukan was possibly one of her decedents.

Behind the scenes
"Revenna", shortened as "Reven", is meant to be a play on the name "Revan"."Faith" is a play on "Julie". Mukan is a tribute to Karen Traviss's Etain Tur-Mukan

Appearances
KotOR: Hush (Story)