Rescue of Bastila Shan Bastila Shan was rescued as part of a compulsory mission during the Jedi Civil War that was thrust upon Revan and Carth Onasi due to the attack on the Republic cruiser " Endar Spire " . Shan was a Jedi in command of the " Endar Spire " with Onasi , a former pilot , acting as an advisor . Revan — at the time of the attack was unaware of his history as former Dark Lord of the Sith — was also stationed on the vessel as a common soldier . During the attack , Shan ' s lifepod vanished somewhere on the surface of Taris . After crashing in the Tarisian Upper City themselves — and knowing the importance of Shan to the Republic war effort — Revan and Onasi sought to find her . Eventually , the pair traveled into the Lower City , where they met the young Twi ' lek Mission Vao , and her partner , the Wookiee Zaalbar . Through this encounter , Revan and Onasi were directed to the Hidden Bek Base and spoke with the leader of the Hidden Beks swoop gang , Gadon Thek . Thek informed the pair that Shan had been captured by the Black Vulkars , a rival swoop gang led by Brejik , and was being held as prisoner . He added that the Human gang leader , once Thek ' s protegé , planned to offer Shan as the prize for the Tarisian Season Opener , the first major swoop race of the season . Gadon Thek offered Revan the chance to race in the Season Opener — thereby winning Shan ' s freedom — if he retrieved a prototype accelerator that the Vulkars had stolen . Accepting the deal , Revan and Onasi proceeded into the Undercity to enter the Black Vulkar Base . Thek suggested that Vao be of service due to her advanced knowledge of the Undercity sewers . She agreed to assist Revan if Zaalbar , who had been recently captured , could be rescued from Gamorrean slavers . Revan agreed to the barter , and the trio proceeded into the sewers . After freeing Zaalbar , Vao helped Revan get into the Black Vulkar base , where the party found the prototype accelerator , but a firefight ensued to acquire it . Successful , the party returned the engine to Gadon Thek and Revan was allowed to compete in the Season Opener . After Revan won the race , Brejik called foul and claimed that the prize would not be given over to the winner . Brejik and his comrades then initiated a brawl , but were defeated by Revan and Shan . Due to his newly acquired fame , Revan was approached by Canderous Ordo about fleeing Taris . If Revan could steal the blockade codes from the Sith Military Base , then Ordo would provide a ship to leave the planet . Revan agreed , but needed assistance in breaching the security system of the base . Ordo told Revan to acquire T3 - M4 from Janice Nall at his request and , with the droid ' s help , Revan broke into the base and stole the launch codes after a duel with the Force - sensitive Sith Governor . With the codes in hand , Revan and Ordo proceeded to the estate of crime lord Davik Kang to steal his flagship , the " Ebon Hawk " . Revan and his team commandeered the ship and , having successfully rescued Bastila Shan , fled the planet surface as the Destruction of Taris commenced . Prelude . In an attempt to gain the upper hand in the war against the Republic , Darth Malak , Dark Lord of the Sith and head of the Sith Empire , launched a pursuit of the Jedi Bastila Shan . Malak feared Shan ' s power of battle meditation , which had been used to help the Republic successfully fight back against the Sith . Eventually , the Dark Lord of the Sith tracked the young Jedi aboard the Republic Navy ' s " Hammerhead " - class cruiser " Endar Spire " , which she commanded . An attack was launched against the vessel over the planet Taris in an attempt to capture the Jedi , but Shan managed to escape the " Endar Spire " . The lifepods that were jettisoned from the ship , one of which contained Shan , crashed onto the surface of Taris — many falling deep into the Tarisian Undercity . During her pod ' s respective crash , Shan was incapacitated and lost her lightsaber . As a result , she was apprehended by the Black Vulkars , a swoop gang of the Lower City . During the waning moments of the attack on the " Endar Spire " , an amnesiac Revan — believing himself to be a simple Republic soldier — was contacted by Carth Onasi via communicator . Onasi , a former Republic pilot who was acting as an advisor aboard the " Endar Spire " , guided Revan to the ship ' s lifepods . After they met up , Onasi and Revan boarded an escape pod together and crashed onto the surface , landing in the Upper City with Revan taking injury . Onasi , however , was not badly wounded and pulled Revan from the pod before a Sith inspection team came to retrieve it . While fleeing , Onasi stumbled upon an abandoned apartment and secured it for safe refuge . Mission . Gathering information . While Revan remained unconscious , Onasi began to inspect the surroundings and gather some information . He learned that most of the pods had crashed into the Undercity , and speculated that since they had survived , a Jedi such as Bastila Shan could have survived as well . Onasi then surmised that it was imperative they find her in order to continue helping the Republic war effort . Concurrently , Revan — unknowing of his true past identity as the Sith Lord — experienced visions through the Force about the attack , led by Shan , aboard Revan ' s former flagship . Onasi remarked that Revan had been thrashing about as he slept for a couple of days . Agreeing that their situation — being separated from Bastila Shan and marooned on Taris — demanded immediate action , Revan and Onasi set forth from their apartment and began to search for her . Immediately upon exiting their apartment into the main concourse of the complex , the pair encountered a Sith inspection team who were in an argument with Ixgil and another Duros who co - owned the property . Revan ' s and Onasi ' s presence , coupled with Ixgil ' s remarks , caused a scuffle to ensue . During the fight , Ixgil was killed by blaster fire . Revan and Onasi then preceded to defend the other Duros landlord , killing the inspection team . The leaser was grateful and said that he would hide the bodies before other Sith teams arrived . After the encounter with the Sith patrol , Onasi remarked that it would be best to remain discreet and not draw any unnecessary attention to their presence since they were Republic personnel . Continuing in their search for more information , Revan and Onasi checked the local cantina and other locations in the Upper City . Eventually , the pair found an elevator to the Lower City , which was guarded . The elevator guard informed them that only Sith were allowed to use the elevator and access the lower levels . Realizing the need for a disguise , Revan and Onasi continued their search through the Upper City . In the North Apartments of the Upper City , the pair stumbled upon a Sith interrogation of an Aqualish black market dealer . A Sith guard tried to usher Revan and Onasi along , but the pair stopped and tried to defend the unarmed dealer . The other Sith interrogators where none too pleased by this development , and another fight ensued . After Revan and Onasi defended the Aqualish by defeating the Sith investigators , it came to light that the dealer had been in the process of acquiring Sith armor on behalf of the Hidden Beks , a Lower City swoop gang , so that the Beks could move between levels about without being stopped . The Aqualish was unable to provide Revan with armor , but encouraged him to steal from the bodies of the deceased inspectors . As the dealer fled the scene to go incognito , the pair took the armor off of one of the bodies . With Sith armor as a disguise , Revan and Onasi were granted access to the Lower City via the guarded elevator . Rescuing Bastila Shan . Alliance in the Lower City . The disguise worked as Revan and Onasi had planned : the elevator guard was convinced that Revan was a Sith soldier sent to patrol the Lower City . After taking the elevator down to the Lower City , the pair was ambushed by members of the Black Vulkar gang . After dispensing with the attackers , they made their way into Javyar ' s Cantina , a haven for a variety of individuals , including bounty hunters , pazaak players , gang members , entertainers , and other citizens . Among the regular patrons that Revan and Onasi encountered was Mission Vao , a Rutian Twi ' lek and native of Taris , and her partner , the Wookiee Zaalbar . The bubbly Twi ' lek viewed herself as Revan ' s and Onasi ' s " welcome party " to Taris , and proceeded to answer all of their questions . As the conversation wound to a close , Vao decided it was time to leave . As Zaalbar had not finished eating , Vao suggested they see what food they could get at the Hidden Bek Base and departed . Revan and Onasi later followed suit and headed over to the base as well . Inside the Hidden Bek Base , Revan and Onasi approached Gadon Thek , the swoop gang leader . After being abruptly introduced to the jumpy Twi ' lek Zaerdra , Thek ' s bodyguard , Thek was willing to strike a deal to help the pair in their pursuit of Bastila Shan . Thek revealed that she had been captured by the Black Vulkars and had been placed as the prize in the annual season - opening swoop race by their leader , Brejik . In order to rescue Shan , Thek surmised , Revan would have to win the swoop race and claim his prize . Thek offered Revan the chance to run in the race on behalf of , and sponsored by , the Hidden Beks , if he could retrieve a prototype accelerator that had been stolen by Vulkar gang members . Access to the Black Vulkar Base was restricted and the only way in was through the Undercity sewers . Thek suggested that Mission Vao lead Revan through the sewers , stating that she knew every inch of them better than anyone else . Vao and Zaalbar , however , had just recently left to do more exploring in the Undercity . Thek suggested that Revan and Onasi catch up with them there . Access to the Undercity was restricted to all individuals unless they had the proper security papers . Unlike the guard in the Upper City , a simple disguise was not sufficient to gain them access . In an exchange , Thek gave Revan the proper security papers that had been swiped from a Sith patrol in exchange for the Sith armor that he used initially . With the proper security papers in hand , Revan and Onasi proceeded to the elevator that led to the Undercity . Rakghouls and Gamorreans . Upon exiting the elevator to the Undercity , Revan and Onasi were approached by two men , who demanded that they pay a five - credit toll for using the elevator . An Outcast woman named Shaleena , however , came rushing to the elevator to scatter the panhandlers . Shaleena informed the exploring pair of Gendar , the Outcasts ' leader , and suggested speaking with him . The Outcasts , according to Gendar , were the descendants of those who were exiled from the Upper City for crimes against the people . They were plagued by the rakghoul s and other marauders such as swoop gang members from the Lower City who came through to scavenge remains . They were kept safe from the rakghouls by a large gate on the northeast side of their village . Revan then asked Gendar if he knew of Mission Vao . He replied affirmatively , but only that she usually went into the sewers to explore . He then pointed the pair into the direction of the sewer entrances . Upon leaving the Outcast village through the main gate , Revan and Onasi were immediately attacked by rakghouls . They had to fend off numerous attacks as they approached the sewers . While working their way through the rakghoul - laden region , Mission Vao appeared , running toward the pair and pleading for help . Zaalbar had been captured by Gamorrean slavers , but Vao had escaped . Revan and the young Twi ' lek came to an agreement that Vao would help the pair get into the Black Vulkar Base if Revan would help rescue Zaalbar . With this agreement , the trio entered into the Lower City sewers . Immediately upon entering into the sewers , Revan , Onasi , and Vao encountered a few Gamorrean raiders . The Gamorreans had patrols and warriors stationed throughout the sewers and as the trio searched for Zaalbar , they continued to face more and more of the slavers . Eventually , Zaalbar was found and , after the trio defeated the Gamorrean chieftain , freed . In an act of gratitude , Zaalbar pledged a life debt to Revan , one of the highest honors in the Wookiee culture . With Zaalbar promising to be at Revan ' s side , his Twi ' lek companion also pledged her support to Revan , as well as agreeing to uphold her promise to help get him into the Black Vulkar Base . In order to lead him there , however , Vao had to open a force field that was blocking passage into the depths of the sewers . Incursion into the Black Vulkar Base . As Revan ' s party was led by Mission Vao into the depths of the sewers , the team continuously encountered more rakghouls and Gamorrean slavers . Eventually they were able to fight their way to the entrance of the Black Vulkar base , which was blocked by a rancor that had taken lair in the sewers . Vao remarked that she had been able to sneak by it before using stealth techniques . Revan and his party , using the input and advice from their team and surroundings , slew the rancor and opened the entrance to the swoop gang ' s base . Inside the immediate entrance area were two Nikto guards , whom Revan defeated before entering the base . Inside the Black Vulkar base , Revan and his party began to scope out the location of the prototype accelerator . The party attempted to access the garage , but it was guarded by gun turrets . Needing to find the controls , the party proceeded to further search the base . Throughout the base , however , there were numerous patrol droids and other gang members who attacked Revan on sight . He eventually accessed the main control terminal and disabled the turrets . With the way clear , the party entered the garage still looking for the accelerator . The search for the prototype accelerator came to a climax inside the garage . The engine was heavily guarded by Vulkar enforcer Kandon Ark and three of his bodyguards . Ark initially taunted Revan and Mission Vao , urging them to kill Gadon Thek and join the Black Vulkars . As further incentive to scheme against Thek , Ark promised that Revan could compete in the Season Opener and be awarded 500 credits . Revan refused , and a skirmish ensued ; Revan and his party eventually defeated Ark and his bodyguards , taking the prototype accelerator upon leaving . With the engine in hand , they returned to the Hidden Bek Base and returned the loot to Thek . Swoop bikes , blasters , and vibroblades . Gadon Thek kept his word to Revan . Upon the return of the prototype accelerator , Thek sponsored Revan in the race . Thek noted that the engine was only a prototype and not entirely stable . On the one hand , if the engine malfunctioned , the swoop would explode and kill the racer . On the other hand , the engine promised to increase the speed of the vessel during the race . With Revan as a participant , the gang leader decided to protect his regular racers from possible injury and have Revan race with the prototype in his swoop bike . After a night of rest , Revan was taken to the track to register . Upon meeting with the registrar and his mechanic , Revan began learning how to run a swoop . He picked up the skill quickly , however , and had a successful first run . His time was not the fastest , having been surpassed by the heralded Black Vulkar Redros , and he had to compete again . Revan would turn in the best time by race ' s end , defeating Redros and Anglu , a Hidden Bek Twi ' lek racer . The prize for winning the race was for the winner to take Bastila Shan as his or her personal slave . Brejik , however , protested and refused to turn the unconscious Jedi over to Revan . In fact , Brejik was still unaware that Shan was a Jedi . Releasing herself from a neural suppressing restraint supposedly keeping her incapacitated at that instant , Shan attempted to free herself from the cage in which she was being held . Realizing Shan as a Jedi , a fight ensued , with all nearby members of the Black Vulkars battling Revan and the now alert Shan . The gang members attacked the pair with blasters , vibroblades , and bare hands . The two fought through the onslaught , and defeated all those who stood against them . Included in the death - toll were Redros and Brejik . The first primary objective — finding Bastila Shan and retrieving her from the swoop gang — had seemingly been accomplished . Shan , however , was spiteful of Revan and refused to acknowledge that he had come to rescue her . She scolded him , saying that the entire endeavor was a poor attempt at a rescue . When Revan mentioned that Carth Onasi was still alive , however , she apologized for her initial response , believing she may have misjudged him if Onasi was confident in Revan ' s abilities , and immediately shifted her attention to meeting with Onasi in order to leave the planet . The two proceeded back to the Upper City apartment , where they met with Onasi and began to discuss how to escape the Sith blockade around Taris . Escape . Unlikely alliance . Revan , Onasi , and Shan needed a viable plan for escaping Taris . Having come only to the consensus to keep searching , the party left the apartment looking for a way off the planet . Upon leaving the apartment , Revan was approached by a Twi ' lek messenger sent by Mandalorian mercenary Canderous Ordo . Ordo requested that Revan meet him in Javyar ' s Cantina , for he had an offer that Revan " couldn ' t refuse . " Revan traveled to the Lower City cantina and met with the mercenary . Impressed with Revan ' s victory in the Season Opener and the ensuing skirmish , the Mandalorian thought the soldier was a perfect fit for his own goal of fleeing Taris . Ordo said that he could provide a ship to leave the planet if Revan could provide the blockade codes from the Sith Military Base . Due to the blockade of Taris , any vessel without the proper clearance codes would not be allowed to leave the Tarisian system . According to the mercenary , once the codes were brought to him , Revan and his team would be able to use the flagship of crime lord Davik Kang , the " Ebon Hawk " , as a means of escaping the planet . Further explaining the plan , Ordo mentioned that the Sith Base had a special security system that would require an astromech droid to unlock and open . The Mandalorian told Revan to speak to Janice Nall , a Twi ' lek droid builder in the Upper City , and to say that Canderous Ordo had sent him . By mentioning Ordo ' s name , the mercenary assumed that Revan would be able to easily acquire the pre - ordered droid from Nall . This droid had originally been ordered by Kang and was available for pickup . Seeing no other alternative , Revan agreed to the scheme and departed the cantina . Revan proceeded to Janice Nall ' s droid shop and spoke with her about the astromech droid Ordo mentioned . Telling Nall that Ordo sent him , she agreed to sell the droid to him for 2000 credits . Revan purchased T3 - M4 from Nall and proceeded to the military base . Raid on the Military Base . T3 - M4 , the newly purchased astromech droid , used his skills against security systems and opened the main door to the military base . Revan and his team proceeded down the elevator to the main reception area . There , they were abruptly challenged by the receptionist at the front desk . She did not want to fight Revan and agreed to not hit the security alarm if she could freely escape . Revan permitted her and continued deeper into the base . Throughout the base , sentry droids prowled the corridors and Sith soldiers filled the rooms . In one of the scuffles , Revan acquired a Sith ID passcard . A challenging obstacle , however , was stationed in the elevator entranceway . There , a security droid with a formidable shield was stationed . This droid had been recently repaired and was working at full capacity . Earlier that day , the transformer in the elevator was fixed by a technician , causing the glitches within the droid ' s shield to be eliminated . Nevertheless , Revan and his companions neutralized the repaired shield and destroyed the droid . After defeating the droid , Revan used the passcard found in one of the rooms to open the elevator shaft . Stepping out of the elevator , the team stumbled upon the room of the Tarisian Sith Governor . The meditating governor was interrupted by Revan ' s entrance , but he was further shocked to find that Revan was Force - sensitive . Thinking this would be his chance to earn his lightsaber from his superiors , the dark side adept attacked Revan . Throughout the brawl , the governor used the dark side of the Force to gain an edge over the intruder . Revan overcame his combatant , however . Having defeated the governor , Revan grabbed the launch codes from within the governor ' s quarters and fled the base . Encounter with the Exchange . Revan and his team fled the Sith base and traveled to Javyar ' s Cantina to meet up with Canderous Ordo , per the prearranged plan . Even before their arrival , word had already reached Ordo that the Sith base had been broken into and raided . Knowing this , he chided Revan upon his arrival , saying that he knew the codes were in Revan ' s possession . Ordo proposed that he bring Revan to the estate of the Exchange crime lord Davik Kang as a potential recruit . He reasoned that Kang would have Revan stay on the estate grounds while background checks were conducted . During this period of waiting , Ordo suggested to Revan that the team advance toward the " Ebon Hawk " and flee the planet . Bastila Shan was none - too - thrilled with the plan , for she did not trust Ordo . Acknowledging this , the mercenary responded that he did not like the idea of teaming with them either . Agreeing that no other alternative seemed viable , the uneasy alliance left the cantina and proceeded to Kang ' s estate . Inside Kang ' s estate , Davik Kang and bounty hunter Calo Nord met Ordo and Revan . At first , Kang and Nord were surprised that Ordo had someone with him . Ordo suggested that Revan would be a worthy recruit for the Exchange due to his exploits thus far ; most notably , winning the Tarisian Season Opener . At Ordo ' s recommendation , Kang agreed to look into the prospect of bringing Revan into the fold of the Exchange . The crimelord then took Revan and his companions on a tour of the estate , showing them most prominently the " Ebon Hawk " and what Kang referred to as its impregnable security systems . Lastly , they arrived upon a room that was set aside to be Revan ' s quarters while Kang performed background checks . Kang ' s instructions to Revan were to not venture beyond the guest area or disturb the other guests . If he or his companions did , the guards would attack and attempt to subdue him . The slave quarters , however , were available if Revan sought food or other amenities . Once Kang departed , Canderous Ordo stated that Revan should begin looking for a way to disable the " Ebon Hawk " security system and capture the ship . Advancing deep into the estate , he came upon guards and security droids who were stationed throughout . Alerted to his presence , the guards attacked Revan as Kang had stated they would . Revan defeated the guards , however , and used a computer to disable the security systems of the hangar . Nevertheless , Revan still needed the launch codes to the " Ebon Hawk " . In one of the rooms , two K - X12 probe droid s tortured an imprisoned man . Revan destroyed the droids and freed the man , named Hudrow , who had been Davik Kang ' s pilot for the " Ebon Hawk " . As gratitude for saving him , Hudrow provided Revan with the launch codes for the ship and fled the base . With the launch codes in his datapad , Revan and Ordo proceeded to the hangar . At that moment , explosions were heard and the estate began to crumble . The Sith fleet had begun the process of bombarding the planet from orbit . While inside the hangar , Kang and Nord spotted the pair trying to flee . In the ensuing shootout , Revan and Ordo killed Kang , and part of the hangar collapsed onto Nord . Believing that both men had been defeated , Revan boarded the " Ebon Hawk " and took off . While the bombardment continued , he picked up his companions in the Upper City and fled the planet surface . Aftermath . Once Revan and his team left the surface , they became entangled in the destruction of Taris . Sith fighter s attacked the ship as it tried to flee the blockade . After Revan shot a number of the fighters down , Carth Onasi piloted the ship away from Taris . The " Ebon Hawk " jumped to hyperspace and traveled to the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine . While there , Revan would begin retraining as a Jedi Padawan , and ultimately searched for the Star Forge superweapon the Sith had been using to aid their war effort ; he was at this time still unaware of his prior identity as Darth Revan . Back on Taris , the planet was bombed extensively , Onasi later remarking that not a building taller than two stories was left standing . Nord managed to survive the devastation , however , and would later team up with Darth Malak in an attempt to kill Revan . Behind the scenes . Creation and purpose . The Rescue of Bastila Shan was a player - controlled mission on Taris that appeared in " " . The rescue is a plot - device that formally introduces the characters of Bastila Shan , T3 - M4 , Mission Vao , and Zaalbar . Additionally , the rescue further acquaints the player with Carth Onasi and his background . Other characters introduced through cut - scenes include Darth Malak and Admiral Saul Karath of the " Leviathan " . Another purpose of the events on Taris is to further acquaint the player with aspects of the game and to begin offering hints toward Revan ' s identity . Shan , however , must be rescued for the plot to continue . Gameplay options . Personnel used at any given moment in gameplay is fluid , although some party members are required for certain actions . Mission Vao , for example , is required to travel into the Undercity sewers with the player in order to open the force field . T3 - M4 is required as a party member to break into the Sith Base and Canderous Ordo must stay as a party member to get into Davik Kang ' s estate . During each of these missions , the third party member is selectable by the player . While Revan is considered the principal character in gameplay , whomever the player is controlling can dispatch enemies in combat . In gameplay , numerous side - quests can be completed concurrent to the main objective of rescuing Shan . These side - quests , such as fighting in the Taris dueling ring or completing some of the Hutt Zax ' s bounties , can provide a means of more credits . Others , such as assisting Tarisian locals or providing a cure for the Rakghoul plague to Zelka Forn , can sway the character ' s alignment either light - sided or dark - sided . Similarly , other actions , such as responses to characters , can change an alignment as well . For example , killing Hudrow in Davik Kang ' s estate after initially saving him gives the player dark side points . The mission objective of obtaining the Sith armor can be achieved through an alternative means . While in the cantina , Revan can choose to converse with Sarna — or Yun Genda if the player is female . While conversing with her , she will reject his empathetic comments as being terse . If Revan chooses to continue the conversation , he can flirt with Sarna and be invited to a party in the North Apartments . If he attends , the party - goers pass out due to debauchery with Tarisian ale and their Sith armor is available for confiscation . Other than the ability to converse with Yun Genda instead of Sarna , no other objective is altered if the player chooses to play as a female , rather than the canon ical male character . Before proceeding to the Undercity sewers , the player has an option to speak to the Outcast Rukil , who asks if Revan was the one chosen to lead the Outcasts to the Promised Land . After explaining the Outcast legend , Rukil then asks Revan to look for his apprentice ' s journal while he searches the sewers . Completion of this optional side - quest causes the remaining Outcasts to begin their journey to the Promised Land and is part of the light - sided angle of the game . The orbital bombardment of Taris is experienced regardless of the player ' s actions while rescuing Shan . Interpolated scenes are periodically shown during the rescue and escape missions indicating that Darth Malak was preparing to destroy the planet while Shan was being rescued . Tarisian Season Opener . In the Tarisian Season Opener , the player has a limited number of heats that can be run . It is possible to complete the challenge in two heats . After the third heat , however , the Hidden Beks ' s mechanic will inform the player that the temperature of the swoop engine was of concern and that a simple cooling system was added to enable at least one more run . After the fourth heat , the mechanic reroutes the cooling system ' s power to the accelerator hoping to give the swoop an extra boost . He tells the player that this modification is liable to cause the swoop to eventually explode . If the player does not complete the race within thirty - eight seconds during the fifth heat , the swoop explodes , killing Revan and prematurely ending the game .