Star Wars

These Shattered Stars

The Sith Empire

Scale: 2

While Naga Sadow is the titular head of the Sith Empire, and is the name most-recognized by people on the front lines of the War, he is really only the warlord of the Sith, a fact recognized by a few Jedi and Republic intelligence personnel. Nobody, save but the hapless and now-nameless hyperspace explorers who stumbled upon them three years ago, have ever been to the core worlds of the Sith Empire.

Most Republic worlds that have been conquored by the Sith experience little change, with the exception that there is a Sith overlord at the reins of planetary (or sector) government instead of local political leaders and a popularly-elected senator, though the Sith do practice slavery, which is used as judicial punishment as well as a state that the financially destitute might find themselves in. Slavery is also used as a personal punishment imposed by the Sith lords. Interestingly, there is a solid judicial system in place, not entirely unlike that of the Republic. Crimes committed by commoners are judged by a magistrate appointed by their Sith lord; slave criminals are tried by their owner under a special code of laws. Commoners may appeal to their Sith lord, but more often than not Sith justice is as much whim as it is due consideration.

It is "known" that the Sith embrace the Dark side of the Force, just as the Jedi embrace the Light side. "Darksider" is a common epithet given to the Sith and their ilk. Make no mistake, the Sith are capracious and callous, and while they have a viable interstellar government, the Sith lords themselves are no strangers to the extremes of power that their positions lend them, and take every opportunity to exercise that power.

Fhazil Taas

Scale: 4

Corellian expatriate. Despite having some potential for awareness with the Force, he was never taken in by the Jedi Order, instead choosing to pursue a more secular career. Graduated from the Corellian Security Academy and served one tour as a ranger, a sort of detective, with CorSec. Served as an observer aboard a Republic Guard cruiser, when he came into contact with the Sith during the early days of the war. He was taken back to Corellia for debriefing, and during that time he is believed to have come into contact with a member of the Sith equivalent of the Watchers. He hijacked a droid freighter and made his way to the Sith Empire, where he disappeared from view for half a year. He next appeared as the apprentice to Lord Ghang S'yiul aboard the battleship Malice, where he served with distinction as a fighter squadron commander. He was instrumental in several (purely) military raids.

Taas has never shown anything other than an odd (for a Sith) sense of glory and honor, seeking to make his name known. He attempts to earn loyalty rather than beat it out of people, which makes him a unique addition to the Sith. He fancies himself a swashbuckler, in apparent defiance of the staid and dour attitude generally taken by the ruling Moot of the Sith Empire. He does not like to kill needlessly, in part because he prefers people -- even enemies -- to be alive to tell tales of him when he has moved on.

His goal seems to be to make a name for himself, though he is somewhat particular of what he becomes known for. He has no desire to be reviled and feared, and Sith Lords reportedly develop little patience for him; he appears to be nigh-immune to most threats. He did not have the patience or the desire to be a Jedi, and it is certain that his flamboyance would not have endeared him to many in the Order. It is not believed that he had any knowledge of any minor lightsider Force tradition which would have suited his demeanour. According to Jedi Dal Kuuna of Ryloth, who first reported on Fhazil Taas a year after the war with the Sith began, Taas is "highly competent, courageous to a fault, and is Sith apparently because it allows him more emotional freedom than being a Jedi would."

The Dark Lord of the Sith

Scale: 3

The title "Dark Lord of the Sith" is given to the most senior, powerful, and/or influential member of the Imperial Moot, and is specifically named by that body to be the chief of state and titular head of the Sith Empire. The purpose of the Dark Lord is mainly to inspire, though he is much more than a figurehead. The Dark Lord appoints the warlords who pursue acts of conquest and pacification throughout the Empire and beyond.

Naga Sadow is the current reigning Dark Lord, having taken the position after the death of his predecessor, Marko Ragnos. He has the portfolio of Dark Lord of the Sith, Lord of Khar Shian/Khar Delba, Proctor of Korriban, and Master of the Gokalis Smithy. One of his first duties as Dark Lord was to declare war upon the Republic for the stated reasons of financial, military, and ideological aggression. To this end, his longtime friend Shen Ravos was named one of the Warlords who were to take the war to the Republic. Naga Sadow's current political position is unknown, but it is believed that he has the strong support of the Moot.

Note: The following information is Scale: 4 or 5. The title arises from the early Dark Jedi, meant to be a recognition of the mastery of the Dark Side. This title was translated into the Sith language as "Dark Lord," and in translations to Aurabesh the "noble" connotations have been retained.

The Moot

Scale: 3

The ruling body of the Sith Empire is known as the Moot. The Moot is made up of a number of very senior Lords. It is, in essence, a combination of the Republic Senate and the Jedi Council, in that it rules both the Empire and the Hierarchy. Not only are all matters of state the ultimate responsibility of the Moot, but also all matters of the Sith tradition.

The Lords of the Moot are above the Lords of Smiths, War, and State, who form the next highest division beneath the Moot. The Moot confirms the Dark Lord's appointments of the warlords, and it is from the ranks of the Moot that the Dark Lord of the Sith is named. The Moot meets on the frozen world of Ziost, the capitol of the Sith Empire. There are believed to be twelve members of the Moot, including the Dark Lord of the Sith.

The Shadowguard

Scale: 4

The Shadowguard of Ziost serves as both guards of the Moot, and the Empire's intelligence agency. In theory, they are completely neutral arbiters in the choice of the new Dark Lord; in practice, they are as much suspected of being praetorians as the Jedi Templars are. The Shadowguard has been remarkably effective in penetrating Republic counterintelligence efforts. In part this is due to the very diversified nature of the Republic, and also because, in contrast to Republic Intelligence, the Shadowguard is composed almost entirely of acolytes of the Sith tradition. While this would make them akin to the Jedi Watchers, the Shadowguard has no limitations on the ways and means they acquire their information or confound the enemy. Assassination, while not a common tool, has been used on several occasions against heads of planetary governments, and Shadowguards are believed to have been instrumental in the inciting of the (few) popular uprisings which resulted in governments which capitulated to the Sith.

The praetorian aspects of the Shadowguard is somewhat more nebulous. Naga Sadow is believed to have acquired his position through political acumen, though it is agreed amongst the Republic's political intelligence community that he would not have been permitted to maintain that position had not the Shadowguard believed he was the right Lord for the job. There are rumors that the highest levels of the Shadowguard consult with the spirits of the interred Dark Lords on Korriban, but there is no evidence to back up these rumors, as in theory the only persons permitted traffic to or from Korriban are the Lords of Smiths and the Moot (and their retinues of Soulguards.)

Fear and the Sith

Scale: 4

"Fear. Fear attracts the fearful. The strong. The weak. The innocent. The corrupt. Fear. Fear is my ally."

Many Jedi will talk about how fear is aligned with the Dark Side. A traditional Jedi catechism goes, "Fear is the path of the Dark Side. Fear leads to hate, hate leads to anger, anger leads to suffering." But what, truly, does fear mean to a devotee of the Dark Side?

To understand what fear means to a proponent of the Dark Side of the Force, one must understand what it meant to the Bendu. The dialectic of "Serenity balancing Emotion" is the root of this question. To the Bendu, Serenity -- the absence of emotion in favor of calm, rational, and objective thought -- was important, but so was Emotion -- the capacity to feel and to make subjective decisions, and fear was a part of this equation. The Bendu believed that a completely unfeeling being would always do what was most efficient or most advantageous for the most amount of people. Such a being would also deny themselves the most basic qualities of what made them a living being within the Force. True Serenity could do untold harm. "Irrational" actions such as courage, self-sacrifice, even love, could only arise out of Emotion, and were as much a part of the Force as Serenity. So, too, would self-preservation only arise from emotion, and there were many things to rightly be afraid of and take appropriate action against to counter or avoid.

When the Syncretic Assembly sought to promulgate the dualist concept of a Light Side and Dark Side -- Ashla and Boghan -- of the Force, and focus upon the Light Side totally, they relegated Emotion to the Dark Side, denying their id any chance of acting upon rash or emotion-laden feelings. Their decision is perhaps understandable, but it would have far-ranging and dangerous consequences. The Dark Jedi heresy -- few by then realized how much that phrase was a contradiction -- would result in irrational decisions on both sides. The Order itself refused to acknowledge the "Dark Side" as a legitimate pursuit of research. To them, emotion led eventually and ultimately to the surrender to the beast of the id, and in all things the Jedi did not want rash, emotional, dramatic use of the Force. There had already been too many cases where Jedi who had given in to their emotions let loose with the Force. The Jedi collectively had a dangerous "dagger of the mind" available to each and every one of them, and to release one's serenity, to let one's emotions take hold, would be to put that weapon in the hands of the beast of the id, something which happened frequently but quietly enough to be an embarrassment. In defense of the Order, they were entirely right, in that someone who had given themselves totally over to Emotion, Caregiving, Creativity, and Chaos (rather than the other four motivations which encompassed Ashla) would be prone to irrational, dangerous actions, with the power of the Force behind them. A lover's quarrel could turn lethal if the wrong words were spoken, and a moment's avarice could lead to lead to sad consequences.

The "Dark Jedi" started as Order scholars who were experimenting with meditation techniques involving the literal half of the Force that Bendu writings had spoken of, but which the Jedi Order had relegated to the "Dark Side." Their initial aim was to once again bring balance to the Force, to bring the aspects of Ashla and Boghan into balance. Their research was cut off and they were ordered to cease. When they refused -- the Order at this time really had no large-scale mechanisms in place to enforce it's will upon it's members -- the threats escalated, as did the counter-threats returned back to the Order as a whole.

Finally, the scholars were declared heretics. This sparked off a surge of emotions of which neither side was fully innocent, and a number of battles were fought. These battles culminated in the climactic battle at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. Failing to breach the defenses of the Temple, the Dark Jedi fled accross the Galaxy to the worlds which would eventually become the Sith Empire.

During these battles, the scholars themselves abandoned the Light Side aspects of the Force, seeing the strength that they wielded with the Dark Side as their ally. It was considered curious by some as to why the Dark Side was so strong. The Bendu monks, when questioned, refused for the longest time to answer, though ultimately they did respond, saying that the Boghan aspects were not stronger, only easier. When one was in the throes of emotion, that emotion fueled the use of the Force; indeed, when control of the Force was relegated to the subconscious, it took little effort to use the Force. This, of course, placed control of the Force clearly in the hands of the id. The Dark Side adept was not neccessarilly capable of more, rather he was capable of the same things an advocate of the Light Side, but could exert less effort in doing it.

It is not known fully what happened next. Perhaps the scholars, with what seemed like the entire galaxy aligned against them, abandoned the Light Side for the ease of power offered by the Dark Side. Perhaps they recognized the overabundance of proponents of the Light Side and made a conscious, deliberate, and (to them) noble and tragic decision to embrace the Dark Side in order to balance the Light. Or perhaps some of them became tainted by the Dark, inured against horror by the deeds they wrought initially out of pure survival against the Order's perceived betrayal.

Fear is, of course, a very powerful emotion, and in those dark days there was plenty of fear to go around. The Jedi Order had not experienced such incredible resistance from "heretics" before. For their part, the scholars were faced with the overwhelming numbers of their former companions in the Order. The trick, as the scholars learned, was to turn fear into a weapon. Fear, they realized, is a universal emotion; few species encountered ever truly did not experience fear. Fear would resonate a group of beings and would feed off of itself. They sought to make their opponents fear them, more than they themselves feared their opponents. Their opponents fear would then be easily manipulated. Atrocities committed by the Dark Jedi and, later, the Sith, would be efforts to instil rank fear in their opponents, rather than any perversion or insanity on their part. (This does not excuse their actions.)

It should be pointed out that for the most part, the Jedi Knights held to their precepts, and tried very, very hard to remain serene in the face of the chaos sown by the Dark Jedi. Many Jedi would achieve great status in their efforts to protect their fellow Knights and innocents from the actions of the Dark Jedi. Later histories would lionize these Jedi, and the Jedi Templars would be formed in the memory of many of them. These histories, sadly, would overlook the events which would lead to the "heresies" initiated by the Dark Jedi, though these events would trigger not only the Dark Jedi heresy, but others, in a period of time that would become known as the Heresy Wars.

Sith Swords

Scale: 3

When they first appeared, the Sith did not use lightsabres or variants of same. Instead, they used swords which have been enhanced by their Dark Side alchemy. Not only does this allow the blades a preternatural sharpness, but it also allows them to do the impossible: to parry the blade of a lightsabre. These blades embody the Sith way of fighting: larger-than-life, playing upon the opponent's (and the self's!) fear and aggression. In addition, these swords are often empowered by the Dark Side, preventing the proper healing of the wounds they cause.

In appearance, a Sith sword is an elaborately-decorated weapon with a darkened blade. (While this makes it useful for assassinations, Sith generally prefer to not use the sword for this but rather a variety of poisons, droids, and sorcery.) The blade generally has a somewhat oily sheen to it; the blade itself is not oiled, but this is rather a visual effect of the way the sword interacts with most forms of energy, permitting it to deflect concussion and blaster bolts and parry lightsabre blades. The hilt is usually a cross-quillion design with a ring pommel, though Naga Sadow's sword is known to have a minor holocron embedded in the pommel. Other Sith Lords have elaborate swords with unique properties. Unlike a Jedi's lightsabre, a Sith rarely makes his own sword, instead purchasing one from the darkside smiths on the tomb world of Korriban and attuning himself to it. Sith Lords often have blades specially forged for themselves and their favored minions, while Sith acolytes must make do with what the smiths are offering.

In the years since the Great Hyperspace War began, the Sith have developed an interest in the lightsabres of the Jedi. Sith converted from the Jedi usually keep their lightsabres. Some Sith have even attempted building their own lightsabres, using techniques peculiar to the Sith, such as the darkside forging of certain components. However, the Sith have discovered that their alchemy is sufficient to provide opposition to the Jedi lightsabres, in the form of cortosis. This material is one of the few materials known, and the only one workable into any form, that is resistant to the blade of a lightsabre. The Sith favored cortosis for a variety of other properties that it has, and forged ceremonial armor for themselves from it. With the discovery of it's nigh-unique properties against lightsabres, the darkside smiths and alchemists have been producing cortosis armor in quantity. It will be the rare acolyte and apprentice, however, that has cortosis armor. (As a side-note, the blades of Sith swords are not themselves cortosis.)

Oath of Fire

Scale: 5

The usual Sith goal is the conquest and domination of worlds. A Sith lord is not satisfied until he or she has at least a full sector as their demesne. In contrast, the Jedi have noticed that some Sith go out of their way to destroy Jedi wherever they might be found. And these Sith tend to travel in packs.

The Oath of Fire is a Sith society dedicated to revenge against those who cast them out thousands of generations before. They are the only ones within the Sith Hierarchy who have any knowledge at all of the origins of the Sith, of the Jedi who came to the Sith homeworld so long ago after being cast out by the Order. They are dedicated to the eradication of both the Jedi and other Force traditions which have been tolerated (or not) by the Jedi. Much of the inner workings of the Oath of Fire are unknown, even to the Dark Lord of the Sith. (It is believed that Naga Sadow is not a member.) It is known that there are seventeen degrees within the Oath, and those who have achieved the seventeenth degree are known as They of the Dark Hands. (The name in Sith is much more ominous to the ear; to be the "Hand" of a Sith is to be able to act with that person's complete authority. The etymology as it relates to the seventeenth degree of the Oath of Fire is unknown at this time.) Oath of Fire alchemists are at the forefront of research into technologies and sorceries to use against the Jedi.

[NEW] From evidence on Marnaas, the Oath of Fire began early in the exodus of the Dark Jedi. While the Heresy Wars raged around them, they were harried by the forces of the Red General. (This is in conflict with the belief of most historians that the Dark Jedi were long gone and presumed extinct before the Heresy Wars proper were going on, and well before the Red General came to power.) The holocron record of Ku Radama (there is believed to be some relation to the world of Ord Radama) indicated that at least some of the Dark Jedi Brotherhood swore an oath of vengeance against the Jedi. This oath was likely, judging by the holocron recrod, sealed by the searing of the forearm (or similar appendage) with some sort of fire. Referring to their studies of the Dark Side as the "Path of Night" and "the Shadows," Ku Radama's missive is perhaps the most telling account of what took place during the Heresy Wars, and gives some indicator of how the Oath of Fire was first sworn.

Ku Radama was a Jedi of some note prior to the Heresy Wars. A student of the arts, he frequently travelled to Ossus, the spiritual home of the Order, and studied much of the poetry and songs that had been written by Jedi over the previous five millenia. He became known in some circles as the Luminous Bard, and his performances on various worlds was well-attended by many Jedi and officials of the Republic. His descent to the Dark Side is recorded in his own compositions; his performance of the beautiful but haunting 'The Thousand Shadows" is considered by many historians to mark (some would say 'celebrate') his first study of the Boghan, or dark side teachings. At this point, like most of his Brotherhood, he was seeking a balance between the light and the dark of the soul. His last (public) composition, 'Coruscant Prayer,' would not be well-receieved by the Jedi, as remarkably well-done as it was. 'Coruscant Prayer' seems to belie his total consumption by the Dark Side; shortly after, he was involved in the careful and calculated destruction of an entire moon, which sent local forces and Jedi to paroxysms of terror, enabling him and hundreds of his fellows to escape and begin the wars which would culminate in his exile.

It is also noteworthy that Ku Radama referred to the Jedi as the "Exalted Order of Jedi Knights," which was one of the names used for the Order at the time, but never by the Order itself. It is likely he used it in irony.

Ku Radama's body had with it a shattered sword of Echal steel, originally forged on Ossus, as were most swords of Jedi. His particular sword was awarded to him by the Proctors of Ossus, and bore the Bendu wheel on the pommel. When found, the pommel had been deliberately broken, instead of shattered by the crash or by Ku Radama's own hand. This is believed to be not uncommon amongst many of the Brotherhood as a sign of their breaking from the Order.

Several names were mentioned during the holocron's missive. Darth Sulhan was one of the strategists of the Brotherhood, who devised most of the plans for their large-scale actions. It was Sulhan and his legion who led the failed attack upon the Jedi Temple. Cultural intelligence indicates that, even now, "Darth" is an albeit uncommon first name or title of some sort in the modern Sith Empire. The Helmcrest was mentioned as being the "brave and proud" warship belonging to Ku Radama's liege. Records do not show a Helmcrest belonging to the Brotherhood, but this should not be surprising, since the Brotherhood would often take over ships and rename them. From extrapolated evidence, namely the location of the battle which saw the loss of the Helmcrest and the apparent proximity of Darth Sulhan's legion, it is believed that the Helmcrest was originally the Merryweather, a Stavrograd-class frigate that once belonged to Alderaan's defense fleet. It was one of the first ships hijacked and taken over by the Brotherhood, crewed by volunteers, conscripts, and empressed merchant mariners, and the Brotherhood managed to hold on to it during their flight from the Republic, at least until the battle at Marnaas. (It should be noted, that Marnaas did not have that name until relatively recently. Prior to colonization in the late tenth millenium after the founding of the Republic, it was known only by a catalog number which has long since itself been forgotten. It was only by cross-indexing the records left over from the Heresy Wars with the information discovered in the Radama Holocron, that the specific incident in official Republic and Jedi records was discovered, confirming much of the information on the holocron.)

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