1—Introduction

Alright students, calm down. We have a lot of ground to cover today and precious little time to spare. Today I shall lecture you on the foundations of the Sith Empire. It is my hope that by learning about our ancient history, you will come away with a new respect and better understand of those who have come before you.

One thing to keep in mind is that this lecture deals with very ancient history that has been told and retold on countless worlds for thousands of years. While I have made every effort to ensure the validity of this information the simple fact remains that the events I'm going to cover with you today are so ancient that it is virtually impossible to know what truly transpired.

I've compiled the best information taken from what we do know today. Some is known as established fact, while the legends of many worlds that are accepted as being as close to factual as possible. Legends often contain an element of truth, even if time and the constant retelling of these legends have inflated certain events while downplaying others.

Now please, keep your questions until I've reached the end of the lecture, as I said we have a lot of ground to cover and we haven't a moment to waste.

2-Formation of the Jedi Order

The original Jedi Order was formed from a group of individuals who had on their own learned to touch and use the Force. The order began many thousands of years before the foudnation of the Galactic Empire.

Most scholars agree that the Jedi Order has its formal beginnings in the same era as the formation of the Galactic Republic, circa 25,000 BBY. Very few, if any, specific details are available to us today. However, legend tells us is that the Force was first used on the planet Tython, and it is there that the galaxy's best scientists, priests, and warriors came together to discuss their discoveries in what was called Ashla; what we know today as the light side of the Force.

At the same time, dissidents involved in Bogan, or dark side of the Force, rose to challenge the users of Ashla, sparking what would become known as the Force Wars of Tython. From these wars, the early Jedi were born; employing a custom called "Jedi Forge" from which they would direct their Force energy into metal swords in order to give them great strength. This would later lead to the invention of the modern lightsaber as these Jedi faced off-world threats.

With the founding of the Galactic Republic, the Perlemian Trade Route was mapped out, linking Coruscant with Ossus. Ashla followers left Tython and moved to Ossus where they built their first temple, officially founding the Jedi Order; there they declared that they were the protectors of the galaxy. In short order, the Jedi Order would join the Galactic Republic in an alliance to defend the galaxy from tyranny

3-The First Great Schism

Around 25,400 BBY, the First Great Schism of the Jedi Order occurred. The Legions of Lettow, a group established by dissident Jedi, believed the true nature of the Force was learned not through meditation and peace, but through raw emotion.

Tensions between the Jedi and the dissidents, whom the Jedi referred to as Fallen Jedi, grew until full scale conflict erupted. The Legions of Lettow, led by General Xendor and Arden Lyn, rumored to be Xendor's lover, waged all out war upon the Jedi Order.

Records from this period have been lost to the ages. All that is known today is that the war ended when Xendor was slain by a Jedi named Awdrysta Pina. After slaying Xendor, Pina used the Force to simply stop the beating of Arden Lyn's heart (though the mysterious woman did not die).

It is unknown what happened to the Legions of Lettow following the demise of General Xendor and Arden Lyn. Shortly after Xendor's death the Legion seemingly vanished from the galaxy as if it had never even existed.

For the next 15,000 years the Jedi Order would grow and prosper teaching its students the ways of the Force. The lessons learned facing Xendor would be forgotten, just as Xendor himself slipped into obscurity. The Jedi Order would become complacent and again the dark side of the Force would make itself known and once again ensnare disillusioned Jedi within its grasp.

4-The Second Great Schism

Conflict and division once again enveloped the Jedi Order in 7,003 BBY. A growing sect of rogue Jedi began to again take up studies in the dark side of the Force. These Jedi realized that by allowing their emotions to boil to the surface, they were able to accomplish incredible feats of power with the Force.

They also learned a terrifying new power: the power to use the Force to bend and shape life to their will. Using their newfound power, they experimented on all manner of animals to create new species and predators with their will. They saw nothing wrong with using the Force in this way; they even came to believe they could use this power to cheat death and revive dead worlds. Other Jedi within the Order looked on these new powers with suspicion and revulsion, fearing it would lead only to abuse.

All conflicts are bred of passion and this one was no different. In an attempt to protect their new power, this sect of rogue Jedi tried to convince others to join them on their quest for eternal life. Some were convinced, but many were not and tried to distance themselves from these rogue Jedi. Conflict broke out and these rogues were exiled, taking their knowledge and newfound power with them. Thus began a war that would last for the next hundred years

5-The Hundred Year Darkness

The exiles retreated from Jedi held worlds, raising an army of abominations created through the dark side. They reanimated the corpses of dead Sith slaves, precursors to the "Korriban Zombies," to fight for them.

At first, the Jedi gained ground against the necromantic armies of the Dark Jedi, easily overwhelming the animalistic zombies. The Dark Jedi were soon surrounded, but refused to surrender. Jedi versus Dark Jedi single combat would frequently end many of the battles fought during the war.

The Dark Jedi were being driven back and their morale was low. They were outnumbered and could see no way to win the war. They refused to surrender, however, and began to research a more fearsome dark side abomination.

This new creature they created was the Leviathan. The Leviathans were bio-engineered super-weapons that fed off the life energies of their foes, sucking the energies into a series of blisters that dotted the creature's back.

With their newly created army, the Dark Jedi began to attack again in force. Armies led by the Jedi fled in terror at the sight of the Leviathans. Those who remained on the field of battle witnessed their comrade's life essences being devoured by the creatures.

However, the Jedi were ever persistent and continued to take the fight to the Dark Jedi, eventually pushing them back to the world of Corbos where the Dark Jedi would make their last stand. The Dark Jedi succumbed to infighting amongst themselves and orbital bombardment by the Jedi army, eventually surrendering to the Jedi.

The defeat of the Dark Jedi on Corbos brought an end to the war and any surviving Dark Jedi were rounded up by Republic armies and stripped of their weapons. Many in the Republic sought to execute the Dark Jedi, but the Jedi Council, not wanting more lives to end needlessly, pushed for exile. They hoped that sending the Dark Jedi into the unknown would force them to reflect and come to see the error of their ways.

On a barren world, the Exiles, as they came to be known, were put on board several unarmed transports and sent into the unknown galaxy. Republic fighters accompanied the transports to ensure they departed Republic space. As the last transport ship slipped into hyperspace toward the unknown, the Hundred Year Darkness was at and end and the Jedi Order had survived its Second Great Schism.

6-The Sith Empire

In 6,900 BBY, the Exiles landed on the planet Ziost, a desolate planet populated by a primitive, but curiously Force sensitive, race know as the Sith. The Exiles amazed the Sith with their knowledge of the Force and used it to elevate themselves to almost god-like status within the Sith society. The Exiles established themselves as the rulers of the Sith and set to building an empire.

Over the years, the Exiles and the Sith married and interbred with each other, thus causing the blood of the original Sith race to become very weak. The Sith, as a unique race, ceased to exist and the term Sith came to refer not only to the Sith race, but also to their Dark Jedi masters.

The Sith Empire was born with Ziost as its capital and Korriban became a sacred mausoleum where the fallen rulers of the Empire would be entombed for all eternity. The Sith grew incredibly rich and powerful through their dark Force mastery and Force fueled technologies, technology which is speculated to have been adapted from the ruins of the Infinite Empire that had conquered the Sith worlds almost 30 millennia ago. At its height, the Sith Empire encompassed some 120 worlds spread across a large swath of the galaxy still unknown to the Galactic Republic.

Centuries passed and the Sith forgot about the Galactic Republic, just as the Republic in turn forgot about the Exiles and the Second Great Schism. Each civilization grew prosperous, isolated, and unaware the other even existed.

7-The Great Hyperspace War

The Great Hyperspace war began in 5,000 BBY when two siblings, Gav and Jori Daragon, stumbled upon the world of Korriban while trying to discover a new hyperspace route. Their arrival on Korriban couldn't have come at a worse time, as they landed in the middle of a fight for control of the Sith Empire.

Naga Sadow and Ludo Kressh were locked in mortal combat for the mantle of the Dark Lord of the Sith, recently left vacant after the death of Marka Ragnos. The Daragons were captured and brought to Ziost for interrogation. During the interrogations, the Sith once again learned of the Galactic Republic they'd forgotten so many centuries ago.

A group of Sith led by Ludo Kressh declared the Daragon siblings as spies and pressed for their execution to ensure they didn't return to their Republic and report on the Sith Empire. Naga Sadow disagreed, believing they had stumbled upon the Sith by chance and that the Republic was unaware of their existence. In his mind, he dreamed of vast new wealth and planets ripe for conquest within the Republic.

When Naga Sadow could not convince the other Sith Lords to go to war with the Republic, he hatched a cunning plan. He stole the captives from Ludo Kressh and locked them away in his fortress on Khar Shian. At the same time, he planted evidence to suggest they were rescued by Republic agents.

Sadow kept the siblings isolated from one another and began teaching Gav the secrets of Sith magic, all the while making excuses to his sister Jori as to why they could not return to the Republic just yet.

Ludo Kressh quickly discovered the ruse and gathered his forces to attack Sadow's fortress on Khar Shian. When Kressh's fleet arrived, Sadow arranged for Jori to escape without her brother, telling her to warn the Republic of the impending invasion. Once Jori's ship had escaped to hyperspace, Sadow unleashed a massive attack force that overwhelmed and destroyed Kressh's forces, including Kressh's flagship. Kressh was presumably killed in the process.

With Ludo Kressh out of the way, Naga Sadow proclaimed himself Dark Lord of the Sith and set about making plans to invade the Republic. Sadow had planted a homing beacon on Jori's ship and he used it to begin his invasion of the Republic.

Sadow invaded numerous Republic worlds all at once while he himself was aboard his flagship, near the red giant star Primus Goluud. From within his meditation sphere, he used his battle meditation to aid his forces. The Sith invasion, spurred on by Sadow's battle meditation, easily overwhelmed the unprepared Republic forces.

Gav Daragon was given command of a fleet that was to attack Koros Major, his home system. While the battle raged, Gav searched for his lost sister at the shipyard of close family friend, Aarrba the Hutt. Gav's guards struck down Aarrba just as Jori entered the room. Thinking that Gav had killed the Hutt, Jori lashed out in rage and attacked her brother. Gav fled the battle and returned to Sadow at Primus Goluud. With their leader gone, the Sith forces fell into disarray and were easily defeated by the Republic defenders.

Jori had managed to finally convince the Republic to mobilize and forces led by Empress Teta entered the Primus Goluud system to confront Naga Sadow. Sadow, seeing that his forces were being defeated, gave command of his fleet to Gav Daragon and fled. As he fled, Sadow used a Sith weapon to implode the nearby star to help cover the escape of his fleet.

Gav was disgusted by the betrayal of Naga Sadow and gave the hyperspace coordinates of the Sith Empire to the Republic forces. At the same time, he warned Jori and Empress Teta to flee the system. Just as Jori and Teta went into hyperspace, the Primus Goluud star went supernova, destroying Gav Daragon's ship.

On Korriban Naga Sadow discovered Ludo Kressh, whom he thought dead, waiting for him. Ludo Kressh, now proclaiming himself as Dark Lord of the Sith, attacked Sadow and the fleets of the two Dark Lords entered a full scale battle During the chaos of the battle, Naga Sadow ordered one of his vessels to ram into Ludo Kressh's flagship, killing Kressh.

With the two Sith fleets having fought each other to exhaustion, the arriving Republic fleet had little trouble destroying what was left, despite the fact that the Sith Fleets united against the Republic forces. Naga Sadow made the decision to sacrifice his entire fleet in order to ensure his own survival, and he fled on his damaged flagship to Yavin IV.

In the ensuing months, the Republic destroyed the remaining Sith fleet and rid the galaxy of the remaining Sith. It was commonly believed that the Sith Empire ended shortly thereafter due to the infighting amongst the survivors and the Republic's efforts to eliminate the Sith. However, the Sith Empire had not collapsed, but had instead retreated into the Unknown Regions where the Dark Lords of the Sith waited for over a thousand years for the time of their vengeance.

8-Freedon Nadd

Freedon Nadd was a gifted student studying under the guidance of the Jedi circa 4,400 BBY. Ultimately, he would fail his first true test and was denied that which he sought, to become a Jedi Knight. In his rage, he reached out into the dark side and, in his anger, struck down Jedi Master Matta Tremayne in a lightsaber duel.

His subsequent fall to the dark side would lead him on a quest into the ancient Sith territories.From there he was directed to Yavin IV and discovered Naga Sadow, who 600 years prior had placed himself in form of suspended animation.

Sadow worked to finish Nadd's training, drowning the Jedi in the dark side of the Force. Inevitably, Freedon Nadd fell completely to the dark side, and when his training was completed, Nadd thought himself strong enough, and worthy enough, to claim the Sith Throne. He destroyed Naga Sadow once and for all.

Afterwards, he would make his way to his homeworld of Onderon where he proclaimed himself king. With his knowledge of the dark side, he led his planet to numerous victories in the Beast Wars, convincing the citizens he was fit to be a king. All the while, victorious as Nadd's followers were, none ever realized that Nadd did nothing but shroud the entire planet in the dark side of the Force.

Freedon Nadd died many, many years later of old age; something even he could not defeat. However, his spirit, which was strongly connected with the dark side, continued to corrupt the new kings and queens of Onderon, with the hope and intent of resurrecting himself (the Naddist Uprising is covered in History of the Sith Empire II).

9-The Third Great Schism

The Jedi had no knowledge of Freedon Nadd's exploits on Onderon and would again forget about the Sith. In 4,250 BBY, a Third Great Schism of the Jedi Order would take place on Coruscant. Eventually, once again, the Dark Jedi would be defeated, and they fled Coruscant to Vultar. In their efforts to rebuild and expand, a cosmic turbine was discovered. Later, the Dark Jedi would accidentally activate that turbine, destroying themselves and the entire Vultar System.

10-Conclusion

As you've just learned, the Sith Empire and the Jedi Order have had a checkered history together. From the earliest days of the Force there have always been those few who sought gain more power through learning arts the Jedi deemed as forbidden.

These early Dark Jedi form the entire foundation for our Order today, without their research, guidance, and teachings it is likely the Jedi may have extinguished the flame of the dark side many millennia ago.

We still have much to cover as we delve deeper into the rich and varied history of the glorious Sith Empire. In our next session we'll be covering events that changed the face of the galaxy, as well as discussing in detail the things we learned from beings such as Darth Revan, Darth Malak, and the mysterious Jedi Exile.

When you're ready take out your datapads and key in your personal student ID number and begin the examination.

Information for this course was researched using Wookieepedia.

Take the Test: HERE