Star Wars: Lord of Darness

The Old Republic has stood the test of time for thousands of years. A democratic assembly serving the interests of all the worlds that make up its membership. There are thousands upon thousands of worlds inhabited by sentient life forms. Those life forms have become members of the Old Republic in the interests of peace. The Old Republic has always relied upon the Jedi Order to protect it. The Jedi. They are the mysterious guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic.

Men and women from across the galaxy who are born different from all others. There is an invisible energy known as the Force. It's all around us. There are people born with the ability to tap into that Force and use it in a variety of ways. A person's aptitude in the use of the Force comes directly from the midi chlorans in their body. The midi chlorans are microscopic organisms that inhabit the bodies of those born with the ability to use the Force. The higher the midi chloran count, the greater the ability of the individual to use the Force. The Force is a pathway to many abilities. Using the Force, an ordinary person can accomplish many things.

A Force-user can generate electricity and shoot it out of his or her hands. That's an ability called Force Lightning-cast. Force-users can also move objects using their will alone. It's a power called Telekinesis. Force-users can tap into the Force and increase their physical strength and speed for brief periods of time. Those are the abilities possessed by the Force-users. Force-users are extremely rare. Still, they come in all shapes and sizes. They can be human or alien, male or female. The Jedi Order spends a lot of its time seeking those who have the ability to use the Force. The Jedi Order recruits them at an early age and trains them in the ways of the Jedi. A Jedi's weapon is the energy blade known as the Lightsaber. Jedi Knights are trained to become the guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy. The Jedi Order has been around for thousands upon thousands of years.

The people of the member worlds of the Old Republic have grown used to seeing Jedi Knights come to their worlds and fight against all manners of threats. Jedi Knights battle against tyrants, robots, alien armies and monsters. They also come to stave off certain disaster. The Old Republic has come to trust the Jedi Knights. The Galactic Senate expects daily reports of the Jedi's activities in its name. They are seen as honored heroes and champions of the people. Still, there are many things that the Galactic Senate and the Old Republic does not know about. Such as the secrets of the Jedi Order. One of the greatest secrets of the Jedi Order is their past war against the Order of the Dark Lords of the Sith.

The Sith have been the enemies of the Jedi Order since time immemorial. Who are the Dark Lords of the Sith? The Sith are a secret society of people who have great Force-aptitude. They have trained themselves in mastering the Dark Side of the Force. The Dark Side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities that some considered to be unnatural. The Jedi Knights are sworn to protect the innocent and fight against evil.

The Sith Lords only seek power and control over others. They are not concerned with the good of all. Indeed, Sith Lords think only of themselves. They have mastered the Dark Side, something that the Jedi fear and avoid at all costs. The Dark Side seems to make the Sith stronger. They are already ruthless to begin with but the Dark Side makes them extremely dangerous warriors and almost impossible to defeat.

Once, a long time ago, the Sith and the Jedi fought a very long and terrible war. This war was fought on many worlds. The Sith were ruthless. They wiped out anyone who got in their way. They came very close to destroying the Jedi Order. Fortunately for the galaxy, the Jedi Knights won the war, mostly due to sheer number rather than battle prowess. The Sith have always been better warriors than the Jedi. It's a known fact. The Jedi Order thought they had destroyed the Dark Lords once and for all. They were very wrong.

Of the Dark Lords of the Sith, only one remained. His name was Darth Bane. Darth Bane was a very powerful Sith Lord. He had witnessed the defeat of the Sith at the hands of the Jedi Knights. The Sith were ruthless. They were extremely skilled fighters. They were excellent spies. They were formidable warriors. They had superior technology. How could they lose? They lost because Sith Lords always fought among themselves for power and the Jedi were able to use that to their advantage.

Darth Bane decided that henceforth, the numbers of the Sith would be reduced. There would always be two. Only two. A Master and an Apprentice. Darth Bane trained a young boy named Eli Monk to become a Sith Lord. Eli Monk became a very skilled warrior. Darth Bane taught him the secrets of the Dark Side of the Force. The Sith changed. No more would the Dark Lords quarrel among themselves. The Master and the Apprentice would always work together, never against each other.

They would do everything in their power to preserve the knowledge and power of the Dark Lords and one day, the Sith would have their revenge against the Jedi Order. Darth Bane lived and died. Darth Monk became the Master of the Dark Side. Darth Monk trained Darth Enoch. Darth Enoch trained Darth Tartarus...and so on. For thousands of years, the Sith Lords trained themselves to become the best warriors and Force-users in the galaxy.

They recorded their knowledge. They gathered power and wealth around themselves. They infiltrated governments and empires, they became generals and princes. Wherever power was to be found, there would the Sith find themselves. They wanted to dominate the universe. They wanted to rule the worlds inhabited by sentient beings. They dreamed of an empire, unlike the Jedi who were content to serve in the interests of peace and justice. The power of the Sith grew. The Dark Side of the Force grew stronger.

The power of the Sith increased. The Jedi Knights fought against evil all over the galaxy but the Sith always remained out of their reach. Sith Lords walked among the denizens of the worlds of the Republic, worlds protected by the Jedi Knights and various military forces of the Galactic Senate. The knowledge of the Sith grew. They learned new fighting techniques. New ways of combat.

New pathways through the Force. The Sith were always changing. Always learning. Always in motion. The Jedi were the universe's greatest traditionalists. They learned the varying new technologies that arose in the worlds of the Old Republic but they seldom changed their own ways. The Jedi Knights of today learned the same fighting techniques as those of yesterday.

They learned the same things in the Force. The Sith surpassed the Jedi Order in their knowledge of the Force. The Sith mastered the Dark Side. The Jedi's use of the Force diminished due to lack of improvement from generation to generation. The Sith were always out there, watching and waiting. They were extremely good at manipulation and deception. The Sith controlled the governments of many worlds. They were behind wars and conflicts. Always in secrecy. Rarely did a Sith Lord show himself. They used other people as pawns in their schemes for power. Each new Sith Lord became more powerful than the one before him. Thus, the Dark Side of the Force grew.

The Sith had an ancient prophecy. It was said that a champion of the light would embrace the Dark Side and become the greatest of all the Sith. He would bring balance to the Force and give the Dark Side more power than any that came before him. The Sith awaited this champion. Just as the Jedi Order awaited the coming of the Chosen One, the champion who would bring balance to the Force and destroy the Order of the Sith Lords once and for all. This champion would be the greatest of all the Jedi. Both the monastic Jedi and Sith Orders awaited the coming of their respective champions.

Neither side knew that the prophesized champions of both the light and dark side of the Force could come in the form of one person. One champion, the living embodiment of both prophecies. Light and Dark inhabiting the same champion. The very same person would bring balance to the Force and change the fate of both the Sith and Jedi Orders and alter the very fabric of destiny in any way that he saw fit...

Darth Plagueis was a very great Dark Lord of the Sith. He was quite possibly the most powerful Sith Lord ever. He was so great in his knowledge of the Force that he could control the midi-chlorans and use them to maintain life in those he cared about. Darth Plagueis had a young apprentice named Palpatine.

At the time that they met, Palpatine was a young Senator's aide and an ambitious one at that on the planet Naboo. Palpatine had a lot of Force-sensitivity and potential. Darth Plagueis trained him in the ways of the Force. Palpatine took to the training of the Sith Lord like a bird took to flying. He was a natural. When Palpatine's training was completed, Darth Plagueis ordained him into the Order of the Sith Lords. Palpatine of Naboo became the Dark Lord of the Sith known as Darth Sidious.

Darth Sidious wanted to know of his master's greatest power, the power to maintain life. Darth Plagueis could heal the grievously wounded with a simple touch. Darth Sidious was ambitious and rebelled against his master. He declared himself the supreme lord of the dark side. Darth Sidious and Darth Plagueis struggled against one another. Darth Plagueis was weakening. His former apprentice had grown too powerful.

Darth Plagueis took refuge on the planet Tattooine. That's where he met a young woman named Shmi Skywalker. Darth Plagueis and Shmi Skywalker fell in love. The greatest Dark Lord of the Sith fell in love with an ordinary woman and they had a relationship. Darth Sidious tracked Darth Plagueis down to the planet Naboo and killed him in his sleep. Darth Plagueis was no more. Darth Sidious, also known as Palpatine became the last great Dark Lord of the Sith and the Supreme Master of the Dark Side of the Force.

Darth Sidious had great plans. He wanted to take over the Old Republic. Unfortunately, he had thousands of Jedi Knights and endless politics to contend with. He returned to Naboo and became the mentor of Padme Amidala, a young woman who was being trained to become a Senator. Palpatine was a Senator at the time. He met a young warrior named Zabrak. Zabrak was fearsome and almost primal killer. He had Force-powers without knowing it. Darth Sidious trained Zabrak in the dark arts. Zabrak became a Sith Lord who was completely loyal to Sidious. The Sith Lord known as Darth Maul.

Darth Sidious maneuvered his way into politics. He made alliances with the Trade Federation and supported them when they attacked the planet of Naboo. Palpatine was conveniently off-world at the time. He was traveling with the young Senator Padme Amidala. They went to Coruscant, the capital of the Old Republic. The thousands of representatives from the many worlds that made up the Republic met there regularly. Palpatine was quite nervous about standing in the presence of Jedi Knights.

He feared that they could sense that he was a Dark Lord of the Sith. Fortunately for him, the Jedi's ability to use the Force was diminished. The Dark Side was strong within Palpatine. He met Jedi Master Qui Gonn Jinn and his young apprentice, the future Jedi Knight known as Obi Wan Kenobi. Darth Sidious supported the Trade Federation and the Separatist Movement when they moved against the Old Republic. He sent Darth Maul to destroy the Jedi Qui Gonn Jinn and Kenobi, who were hiding on Tattooine with Padme Amidala because there was a bounty on the young female Senator's head.

Darth Sidious did not want the Jedi to sense the departed essence of his former master, Darth Plagueis. Also, he wanted Padme Amidala out of the way so that he could become even more powerful in the circles of power within the Galactic Senate of the Old Republic.

The Jedi were able to destroy Darth Maul and return Padme Amidala safely to the planet Coruscant. They also brought along Anakin Skywalker. Anakin Skywalker was the son of Shmi Skywalker. No one knew who his father was. Palpatine knew. He could sense that his former master, Darth Plagueis played a hand in the creation of Anakin Skywalker. Anakin Skywalker was the biological son of Darth Plagueis, the most powerful Dark Lord of the Sith. Palpatine had lost his apprentice, Darth Maul.

He needed a new one. Someone powerful enough to be his right hand. Palpatine hoped to turn Anakin Skywalker to the dark side. Unfortunately, the Jedi Master Obi Wan Kenobi had agreed to train young Anakin to become a Jedi Knight. Jedi Masters Yoda and Mace Windu carefully watched Anakin Skywalker. They knew that he had a lot of potential in the Force. He was potentially more powerful than any of them. They sensed that he might be the Chosen One of prophecy. The Chosen One that an ancient Jedi prophet said would destroy the Sith once and for all and bring Balance to the Force.

Palpatine sensed great potential in Anakin Skywalker as well. He thought that Anakin was the champion of light destined to embrace the dark side and destroy the Jedi Order once and for all. Palpatine befriended the young Anakin. He hoped that one day, Anakin would join him as a fellow Sith Lord. In the meantime, Sidious needed a new apprentice. He met Count Dooku of Serenno, a Jedi Master who had grown weary of the Jedi Order and the politics of the Old Republic. Dooku wanted to see strong leaders rule the galaxy, not maneuvering and scheming politicians. Darth Sidious showed himself to Dooku and the two talked about a lot of things. Sidious too wanted to see the galaxy ruled by a strong leader, himself, of course. Dooku agreed to become Sidious's apprentice. Count Dooku of Serenno, a respected and honored Jedi Master joined the Dark Side and became Darth Tyranus, a very dangerous and powerful Sith Lord. Darth Sidious placed Darth Tyranus as the Leader of the Trade Federation and the Separatist Alliance. Darth Tyranus led these powerful galactic organizations against the Old Republic.

Darth Sidious rose in power within the galactic senate in his guise as Palpatine. Padme Amidala and a group of other politicians voted him to become the Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Senate. This was a bold move watched by the Jedi Knights. They weren't happy with that. Palpatine had too much power. Still, no one knew that Palpatine was the Sith Lord known as Darth Sidious. While he led the Galactic Senate, his apprentice Darth Tyranus fought against the very Republic that Palpatine was leading - at Palpatine's order!

The Old Republic had acquired millions of soldiers to fight the war against the Separatists. These soldiers were all genetically engineered clones of a strong and ruthless bounty hunter known as Jango Fett. Darth Sidious had these super-soldiers created by the Bio- Engineers of Geonosha. These soldiers were supposed to be loyal to the Republic but the Sith Lord had them programmed to listen to his orders and his orders alone, when the time came. The Clone Troopers fought on the side of the Old Republic during the Clone Wars. The great Dark Lord of the Sith was waiting for the right time to destroy his enemies once and for all. He would destroy the Jedi Order. He would also take over the Old Republic and unify it under his rule as the first Galactic Empire. As powerful as Darth Sidious was, he knew that he couldn't do the job alone.

He would need the help of a very special individual. Anakin Skywalker. The greatest of all the Jedi. The Chosen One. Why Anakin? Anakin had a habit of making the impossible become merely difficult. He could fight overwhelming odds and defeat foes vastly more powerful than himself. He had a lot more power than most Jedi, mainly because he drew strength from his emotions rather than his Jedi training and his embrace of the Force. Anakin's emotions were like a hot furnace, particularly his anger and hatred. In anger, he killed the Tuskan raiders who killed his mother. In anger, he killed Count Dooku, a vastly more powerful and better fighter than himself. Anakin was different from the other Jedi because of another reason.

The Jedi Masters used the Force which existed outside themselves to accomplish great feats. The Sith Lords also used the Force around themselves, as a weapon and a means to an end. Anakin Skywalker used the Force within, and that's what made him so powerful. Both the Jedi and the Sith tapped into the Force to attain the powers of telekinesis, enhanced reflexes, augmented sensory perception, superior agility and so on. Anakin Skywalker controlled the Force within. Just like his brain controlled his motor functions. It was automatic. Instinctive. Natural. Anakin Skywalker seemed to be made of the Force. He did not merely use it. He merged with it. He became....it. His mind hadn't caught onto that fact yet. But the older Jedi could see it. The Sith Lord could sense it. A presence' so strong in the Force that it caused ripples felt by all Force-sensitive beings.

If Darth Sidious wanted to rule the galaxy, Anakin Skywalker would have to be on his side. Even if Darth Sidious destroyed all the Jedi and only Anakin remained, Anakin would still fight him. People would rally behind Anakin. He would become the Hero With No Fear. He would destroy the Sith. One couldn't destroy Anakin Skywalker. Count Dooku of Serenno, also known as Darth Tyrannus had failed in his attempt at destroying the Chosen One of the Jedi Order.

Anakin had also helped the Republic defeat the Separatists and personally saved the lives of Palpatine and Obi Wan Kenobi. Anakin Skywalker wasn't like other Jedi. He was loyal to people. Not ideals. He cared for Padme Amidala because she was his first and only love. He cared for Obi Wan Kenobi because Kenobi was the closest thing he had to a father and also his best friend. He cared for Palpatine because Palpatine was his friend and confidant. Someone he trusted. Anakin Skywalker would fight for a friend. He'd kill for a friend. He'd die for a friend. Darth Sidious wanted very much to be his friend.

Palpatine needed to be very careful and patient. For that, he needed some advice. Contrarily to common belief, Darth Sidious was not infallible. He was not all-knowing. He was a very smart, adaptable and manipulative man. Also, he had no conscience. He was a very good manipulator. He was a very gifted actor. He was a formidable foe. Still, he wasn't all-knowing, so like any man with issues, he sought advice from a friend. A preferably dead friend...or two. Palpatine went deep underground and went into a secret chamber that he had personally built.

This was the only place where he could be himself. All day he had things to do. He had games to play. He had so many roles to play. He was the strong-willed and competent "rightful" leader of the Galactic Senate. He was also the "friend" of the Jedi Order. He was Anakin's "friend". He was also Count Dooku's "mentor". He was the planet Naboo's favorite "son". So many parts to play. Enough to make any man, no matter how smart or powerful, go crazy. Sometimes, a man needed to be reminded of what he was fighting for.

Palpatine went into a special compartment of the secret chamber and began to activate the mechanical system that would allow him to have access to the Sacred Knowledge of the Sith. Palpatine sat on the ancient chair, and watched the machine come to life and a silvery helmet was lowered upon his head. The helmet was a special device allowing the user to harness the Force itself. The Jedi Order accessed the Force through meditation, learning and concentration. The Sith accessed the Force through passion, especially strong emotions such as anger and hatred. The Sith built machines that could harness the Force, pierce the veil of space and time and access things that were thought lost for centuries or even millennia. Using this device, Palpatine had a special insight into the future due to his extensive knowledge of the past.