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| - The former Echani General and current leader of the Echani people in the Republic Senate, Yusanis sighed wearily as he walked into his Senatorial apartment. In the fourteen months since the end of the Mandalorian Wars, the Senator had spent most of his time caring for his daughters and seeking peaceful resolutions to war. The Mandalorian Wars had changed him as they had in all that had fought in them. The once feared Mandalorians were reduced to refugees, forced to work as mercenaries and bounty hunters to make a living. The Jedi had lost nearly a fifth of their number and what remained behind after Revan's disappearance beyond the Outer Rim were uncertain of where their place was in the universe. Taking a moment to linger outside his youngest daughter's room, Yusanis sighed, staring at the sleeping teenager. "I don't think they know what danger they are in," he murmered to himself. Yusanis took a deep, calming breath. He had recently been pressing the issue of the Echani joining the Republic and Jedi's war effort against the newly emerged Sith threat. His old friend Revan had already taken twenty systems along the Rim and was moving even further, threatening to engulf the Echani and their allied worlds. Making his way to the kitchen area of his apartment, Yusanis made a cup of Jawa juice and seated himself on a chair in his common room to review the latest movements of the Sith fleet. Yusanis awoke to a pair of glowing crimson eyes. "What the-" "Threat: Cease all movements or be terminated," the rust-colored droid responded, leveling a blaster rifle at the Echani. Yusanis calmed his breathing and eyed the assassin droid as it stood motionless across from him. "Like my new toy?" a deep voice cut through the dark room. Yusanis' breath caught for a moment before he turned his wide eyes to the armored man standing in the dimly lit hallway with his arms crossed over his chest. "Revan," Yusanis breathed. Revan remained motionless, staring at the Echani. "Do you remember your promise?" Yusanis nodded, standing. His rise ceased as the assassin droid charged its blaster. "HK-47 Stand down." The droid's eyes flashed as the blaster rifle powered down. "Now then, lets discuss this new bill before the Echani as to what actions are to be taken against the Sith Empire," Revan started as he stared down at the Echani Senator through his mask. Within his mask, the advanced sensors woven into the crimson and obsidian mask picked up the increased heartbeat of the Echani as he looked down to the datapad he had been reading before he dozed off. "What do you want, Revan?" Yusanis asked in a tight tone. Revan turned his head from Yusanis and looked towards the area of the apartment his children slept in. "I want you to pass a new bill, Yusanis." "I can't do that!" Yusanis snarled. Revan raised an eyebrow beneath his mask as its sensors picked up one of the Echani's children stirring. "Do you wish for me to unleash the full might of my fleet upon your people?" Revan hissed. Yusanis glared at the Dark Lord, "Let them come!" Revan laughed eerily as he turned from the Echani. "If you don't..." Revan turned in time to see HK-47 move to restrain the enraged Echani. "You haven't fallen so far that you've forgotten your honor have you!" Yusanis nearly yelled, frightened to wake his children with his rising voice. Revan laughed loudly, shaking his head. "I give you another option. Fight me, tonight. You and I. Your death will be all I need." Revan motioned to HK and turned to leave, stopping as he neared the doorway. "Meet me on landing pad 34-A In the Alpha-89 docking port." Revan turned and gave Yusanis a pointed look through his mask. "Come alone and tell no one. If you do I will go room to room in this house and kill each of your children, all but your precious Brianna. She, I will take with me." Revan stalked towards Yusanis, glaring into his hateful blue eyes. "And she will die very slowly if you cross me, I can assure you." Revan turned to leave, but Yusanis' voice stopped him. "If I fight you... will you leave them be." Revan's shoulders dropped slightly. "I will..." his voice was barely a whisper, but Yusanis heard and nodded, standing and leaving the room as Revan and HK-47 vanished. "Query: Master, why do you give the meatbag Echani a chance to escape?" HK asked. Revan chuckled at the usage of the term 'meatbag.' Ever since hearing Malak arguing with the assassin droid and the droid referring to him as a meatbag, Revan had programmed the rust-colored droid to continue using the term when speaking to any type of organic lifeform. "Curiosity my metal friend. I wish to see if he still holds to his honor. If not I'm sure you wouldn't mind killing about six miniature meatbags?" HK's eyes gleamed with hope at the promise of eradicating more life. "Request: May I kill the miniature meatbags anyways, Master?" HK asked hopefully, or as hopeful as a droid could ask. Revan shook his head firmly. "Only if he does not come alone." Revan scowled towards the droid. "Sometimes that thing is a little too sadistic," Revan scoffed as he waited on the landing pad. A strong wind swept through the obscure spaceport, causing his cloak and robes to flutter. Turning, Revan saw Yusanis slowly approaching, clad in his Echani armor. "No one knows I am here," Yusanis snarled as he pulled his double-bladed Echani Brand from his sling. Revan tilted his head in acknowledgment and turned to HK. "HK prepare the ship for departure." HK's eyes dimmed slightly in disappointment as it boarded the small transport and prepared the ship's preflight protocol. "You and I have a promise to keep, Yusanis." Revan activated his crimson saber, stalking towards the Echani Senator like a feline preparing to pounce on its prey. Yusanis let out a war cry and charged Revan, striking air as the Dark Lord vaulted himself upwards. Yusanis' eyes followed the Dark Lord as he rose into the air before he spun and brought his double-bladed sword to deflect Revan's crimson blade. Revan kicked off the ground to add speed to his dodge as Yusanis skillfully slashed for the Dark Lord's form. Revan twisted away from the counterattack and spun his saber, thrusting backwards and hearing a chocked gasp from his opponent. "Yo- You're better," Yusanis coughed as he sank to his knees and his blade dropped from his hands. Revan made no move to acknowledge he had spoken as he held his saber in the same position. "Goodbye, my friend," Yusanis coughed as he fell forward and his vision darkened. Revan turned and drove his saber into the man's heart swiftly to cease his pain. He eyed the wound he had made through the man's stomach and sighed as he called Yusanis' Brand to him with the force. The Dark Lord tested the weapon for a moment before driving one of the blades into the landing platform. "This should remain with your family..." Within moments, the Dark Lord had vanished into his transport and the transport was shooting into orbit. Nearby a scavenger looted the famed war hero and Senator before throwing his body over the platform and watching it fall into the Coruscant undercity. Darth Revan eyed the news holo with a vicious glare as it revealed the current affairs of the Republic. "And in other news, The Echani Senator, Yusanis' body was recovered from the Coruscant undercity, stripped of all valuables and killed with what appears to be a lightsaber. Reports state that a dark figure was seen fighting with the Echani Senator on a landing pad and many believe it to have been a Sith. The man leaves behind six teenage daughters who have been taken into the care of Jedi Master Atris of the Jedi Council." Revan continued to glare at the holo. "If I ever find who desecrated his body..." Revan clenched his fists tightly as he turned his smoldering gaze to a nearby guard. "Prepare my fighter," Revan snapped. The guard hastily saluted and vanished. The holo continued and the Dark Lord calmed slightly at the news. "The Echani government had officially cut all ties with the Republic as their worlds have begun to decay into a bloody civil war. The passing of Senator Yusanis marks the end of the shaky truce the Echani crafted to view the Sith threat." "At least something went as planned," Revan snarled as he stalked to the corner of his room and activated his assassin droid. HK-47's eyes flashed as he powered up. "Exclamation: Master! How wonderful to see you! Is there someone you would like me to kill?" It had been a week since Revan had returned from Coruscant and he had heard rumors of the Mandalorians attempting to regroup under a new Mandalore. Eyeing the silver armor that only the true Mandalore could wear, Revan snarled, "It is my right to be known as Mandalore. Only I, or someone I appoint can be called Mandalore." Revan turned to his assassin droid and smirked darkly. "Yes, there are quite a few, HK." HK's eyes gleamed in anticipation as Revan began stating off his demands. "Lelin-Der of Serroco has been a bit troublesome. He will have to go immediately. Mimas Yoon of Corellia is also being quite the bother." HK sealed the targets deep within his memory core, preparing for it to be erased. "There is also the matter of the new Mandalore. Find him and kill him," Revan stated firmly. HK acknowledged and prepared for Revan's next command. "You did a fine job capturing those Jedi," Revan complimented his creation. HK's eyes again shined with pride as Revan wiped the assassin's memory core and programmed the targets. No matter how useful HK was for capturing Jedi, there were other things that Revan needed done and HK-47 was one of a kind. After he finished his programming, HK swiftly vanished form the room and boarded a transport, preparing to assassinate his new targets. "Why don't we just kill them all?" Malak's mechanical voice cut through the silence of the torture chambers of Korriban. Revan turned to his apprentice and former friend with a contemptuous look beneath his mask. "Because, fool. True power is not having your enemies lying at your feet dead and broken, but having them stand by your side, willingly." Revan leered for a moment at the torture cells that contained nearly a dozen Jedi that had been individually captured in their newly captured territory. "What if they lie? What if they are not loyal?" Malak questioned. Revan turned to his shadow and smiled. "Because I know how to break Jedi." Malak shuddered despite himself. "Keep your friends close," Revan began, causing Malak to tense. Revan elbowed Malak's ribs painfully, causing the apprentice to grunt and turn a glare to his former friend."And your enemies closer," Revan finished as he waved Malak away. "Now leave me, I must get to know our new apprentices." Malak turned and left quickly, casting one last glare over his shoulder. The message in Revan's words was clear and he no longer blamed his old friend. "One day I will return this favor." Malak ran his hand across his metallic jaw covering and scowled mentally. If Revan would view him as an enemy, so be it. "Its not like I'm your friend." Malak ignored the pain that settled in his stomach at those words. He had thought he had cleansed the love he held for his childhood friend through the hatred he felt at Revan's betrayal of him. "His lesson," Malak corrected mentally. The Sith Lord let out a mechanical sigh as he rubbed his aching side. "Must have broken a rib with that blow," Malak said aloud, only to feel the burning hatred return and block out whatever pity or sorrow he felt when looking at Revan when a machine and not his own voice spoke. Revan had returned to the way he had been during the Mandalorian Wars, distant and detached. Malak would have been concerned if he had viewed Revan as a friend, but he merely shrugged the thoughts away. The Dark Lord's mental condition was none of his concern. Revan had made it clear what his position was when he had taken Malak's jaw and called him a coward and a traitor for wanting to run from the Yuuzhan Vong. "And look what he is ding now, exactly what I said!" Malak's internal voice chanted. "Someday, Revan you will lie broken before me and I will be certain that my debt to you is repaid."
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