The Ravager functioned as a Centurion-class battlecruiser within the ranks of the Republic Navy during the period of the Mandalorian Wars. During the final confrontation of this conflict, the vessel sustained near-fatal damage due to the activation of the Mass Shadow Generator, subsequently remaining in orbit until Darth Nihilus seized control. Employing the Force, the Sith Lord managed to maintain the structural integrity of the vessel, undertaking minimal repairs to render the ship barely habitable for himself and his crew of Force slaves.
Following intelligence regarding a Jedi Conclave, the Ravager journeyed to Katarr, where Nihilus proceeded to drain the planet of life. He then retained Visas Marr, a native of the Miraluka species, as his Shadow Hand. Later, Nihilus formed an alliance with General Vaklu, the leader of the separatists on Onderon, intending to utilize the planet as a staging area for the Sith. However, these plans were disrupted by Meetra Surik, who assisted in suppressing the separatists and eliminating Vaklu, leaving Colonel Tobin as Nihilus's contact. Subsequently, Nihilus piloted the Ravager to Telos IV with the intention of feeding on the planet's Force energies.
In an effort aimed at safeguarding Telos, Meetra Surik, Visas Marr, and Canderous Ordo boarded the Ravager with the goal of assassinating Nihilus and destroying the vessel. They strategically placed proton charges at vulnerable points within the capital ship's structure before confronting Nihilus in a duel on the bridge, ultimately killing him. The strike team then finalized the destruction of the Ravager by detonating the previously emplaced charges.
The Ravager existed in a state of technical unspaceworthiness, rendering it, under typical circumstances, impossible to pilot or inhabit. Its hull exhibited extensive damage, featuring breaches, dents, and areas where it had been torn apart by Mandalorian weaponry. The Mass Shadow Generator had inflicted further damage, crushing the vessel and imposing additional stress upon its retrieval from the intense gravity field. The internal infrastructure was exposed in numerous locations due to the detachment of outer plating. Portions of the vessel were missing entirely, and the original color had long since faded, replaced by the burn marks sustained during its final engagement. Electrical discharges arced across the hull intermittently, pulsating along the surface. The starship featured multiple breaches exposing it to space, with Darth Nihilus maintaining only a minimal atmosphere through the use of particle shields. Despite these significant issues, the flagship demonstrated considerable combat effectiveness. Nihilus's power and will held the ship together, drawing comparisons to ancient tales of spectral vessels found on numerous worlds.
Internally, the ship's condition mirrored its external state. The corridors had been neglected for years, with dust accumulating on the inactive computer displays and within the deserted mess halls. The lighting was dim and yellowed, approaching orange in certain areas, and only functional in limited sections. Electrical sparks emanated from the walls and exposed piping and wiring due to malfunctions and short circuits. The worn metal flooring was rusted, as were the control panels affixed to the walls. Unattended power stations stood idle, having received no maintenance for years. The corridors, characterized by rectangular or rhombic cross-sections, meandered through vacant rooms, with several leading directly into the void of space through breaches in the walls. Nevertheless, most of the doors remained functional, and a single, small docking bay was operational. Armories still contained supplies, although some of their contents had deteriorated due to prolonged disuse. Barracks featured beds and quarters, albeit with frayed bedding and minimal illumination. A solitary, inactive missile bay contained a single missile within its launch tube.
The cell of Visas Marr was uniquely constructed within the rear starboard hull of the ship. It was characterized by the same dullness and dimness as the rest of the vessel, comprising a small bedroom area and two spacious living quarters devoid of furniture except for a table and several chairs secured to the floor. An adjacent meditation room distinguished itself through its roughly spherical shape, contrasting with the squared design of the rest of the ship. Rectangular pillars curved outward along the walls, adorned with glowing blue inscriptions that appeared intermittently at different times. Torn banners were suspended between these pillars.
The bridge also differed significantly from the rest of the ship. Behind the bridge proper lay a command room dominated by deactivated computers in its center, surrounded by dust-covered seating. Beyond this were six additional large rooms arranged in a tight, rectangular "C" shape, connected to the main level via a large, hexagonal elevator that remained operational. The bridge was exceptionally long, featuring indentations along both sides of the main pathway where barely-living zombies, slaves controlled by Nihilus's will, performed their duties mindlessly at the ship's controls. Two additional walkways flanked these indentations. The bridge was dimly lit with red lighting and two thorn-shaped glow lamps positioned at the beginning and end of the central walkway. Illumination primarily came from the large windows above, which formed most of the ceiling but opened into space in many areas, exposing the ship's infrastructure. The center of the ceiling consisted of metal with exposed wiring and components hanging precariously. A bare, clamshell-shaped command station stood at the end, facing a large viewport devoid of any computer terminals.
Originally, the Ravager was part of a Galactic Republic fleet of capital ships deployed during the Mandalorian Wars. This ship, among others, was devastated at the Battle of Malachor V. Initial damage resulted from Mandalorian weaponry, followed by irreparable damage caused by the activation of the Mass Shadow Generator, which crushed and entrapped everything within its area of effect due to a sudden surge of intense gravity. The ship remained adrift near Malachor V until Darth Nihilus claimed it for his own use, imbuing it with the power to fly and destroy as he sought to satisfy his insatiable hunger for power following his escape from imprisonment on the planet.
After Nihilus learned of a planned Jedi Conclave on Katarr, information disseminated by Jedi historian Atris to lure him out, the Ravager quickly arrived. Subsequently, the Sith Lord annihilated all life on the planet, except for one. With two souls aboard, in addition to the twelve Force slaves whose life energy sustained Nihilus, the Ravager traversed the galaxy, seeking worlds for its master to consume. During these travels, Nihilus recruited Sith troopers to protect his flagship.
As they journeyed through the stars, Visas, the Miraluka spared by Nihilus on Katarr, reported sensing a powerful Force-user, but Nihilus dismissed her concerns. Eventually, she was tasked with locating the Jedi and delivering them to the Sith Lord for consumption.
Upon detecting a minor insurgency on Onderon, Nihilus directed the Ravager to the planet to negotiate with General Vaklu's faction, offering support and power in exchange for obedience. After the agreement was made, Nihilus proved too powerful for Vaklu's forces to control, but by then it was too late. Fearing the Dark Lord, they remained loyal.
That loyalty was evident when Colonel Tobin of the Onderonian military learned from Kreia in 3951 BBY about a Jedi Academy located on Telos IV and informed his master. Unbeknownst to him, this was a trap. Nihilus, finding only Atris, intended to drain all life from the world in a desperate attempt to save himself, leading to his own demise and that of Atris. However, they had not accounted for Meetra Surik, who was present on Telos during Nihilus's attack after defeating Atris in a lightsaber duel.
She and her Mandalorian allies devised a plan to destroy the Ravager and its master. A covert team consisting of Meetra Surik, Visas Marr, Mandalore the Preserver, and several Mandalorians boarded the ship, which was escorted by Interdictor-class cruisers, and planted proton charges in vulnerable areas of the hull. They knew that Nihilus had to be eliminated to ensure the ship's destruction, as he possessed the power to prevent it, as he had done for years.
As Surik advanced towards the bridge, she encountered the shell of Tobin, a slave to Nihilus who was slowly being drained of life. After convincing him that serving Nihilus was detrimental to Onderon, Tobin agreed to detonate the charges. Surik proceeded to the bridge, where she confronted the Sith Lord with the assistance of Visas and Mandalore. Surik killed Nihilus and freed Visas from her connection to him. With that accomplished, they detonated the charges, destroying the ship permanently.
During the Mandalorian Wars, the Republic Navy commanded the Ravager. Darth Nihilus then assumed command after recovering the ship from Malachor V's orbit. A skeleton crew of Force slaves under Nihilus's control operated the vessel, with security provided by Sith troopers. After Nihilus attacked Katarr, he brought Visas Marr aboard and made her his Shadow Hand, providing her with quarters and a meditation chamber. When Nihilus sent her to find Meetra Surik, Marr was unaware of the Ravager's location, preventing Surik from finding Nihilus directly. After Queen Talia arrested Vaklu, Tobin became Nihilus's contact and was brought onto the Ravager, where his life was gradually drained. Surik convinced Tobin to detonate the charges, resulting in his death.
Similar to the Leviathan, the Ravager's design resembles the Imperial-class Star Destroyers featured in the Star Wars films.
The Mandalorian crew's assault on the Ravager, with Mandalore's entry, can be seen as an homage to the raid on the Tantive IV, with Mandalore "impersonating" Darth Vader.
Originally, in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, if Surik and her companions defeated Darth Nihilus but did not detonate the final proton core, the Ravager would crash into Citadel Station, similar to the Executor's crash during the Battle of Endor, destroying it. This can be seen in secret movies in the Prima Guide DVD.