"Deneba Campus: Histoy of the Sith Empire III"
I-Introduction
Welcome once again, students. In the past two courses you learned about the history of the Sith Empire from its formation to the end of the Triumvirate. This, my friends, is where we pick up in this third and final course.
II-Civil War
It is first important to explain to you that before the Triumvirate went through killing Jedi, there was a Sith Civil War around 3,956 BBY. Several higher ranking Sith tried to take what they thought they deserved from Korriban after Darth Malak was killed and the Second Sith War ended. Of course, the lower Sith fought back and this led to a civil war that almost wiped the Sith out.
Years later, when the Jedi would finally travel to Korriban to hunt down the remaining Sith, they would find it empty. The only thing left was the temples and tombs. It is in this state that the Jedi Exile discovered the planet when she was searching for the Jedi Council members.
Years later, when the Jedi would finally travel to Korriban to hunt down the remaining Sith, they would find it empty. The only thing left was the temples and tombs. It is in this state that the Jedi Exile discovered the planet when she was searching for the Jedi Council members.
III-Fourth Great Schism
Over the next two thousand years the Sith remained in the shadows. The Republic rebuilt itself and the Jedi Order returned to prominence. The years 4,000 BBY to 3,950 BBY had been full of constant war and struggle in the Republic. From the Great Sith War to Sith Civil Wars to the Triumvirate and Jedi Civil War, it was probably the hardest fifty years in Republic history up to that point. Then, there was peace, or at least peace from the Sith.
As usual, though, all things must come to an end. In 2,000 BBY, the fourth and final schism of the Jedi Order would occur. After falling to the Dark Side, a Jedi split from the Jedi Order and he took the name of Darth Ruin. Joined by fifty followers, he created a new Sith Order. However, his attacks on the Republic failed and his followers turned on him and destroyed him.
As usual, though, all things must come to an end. In 2,000 BBY, the fourth and final schism of the Jedi Order would occur. After falling to the Dark Side, a Jedi split from the Jedi Order and he took the name of Darth Ruin. Joined by fifty followers, he created a new Sith Order. However, his attacks on the Republic failed and his followers turned on him and destroyed him.
IV-New Sith War
By 1,020 BBY, the Sith Empire was virtually gone. The few followers that remained were forced to retreat from Jedi hunts as the Republic regained the Mid and Outer-Rim systems. The New Sith Wars occurred from 2,000 BBY to 1,000 BBY. However, the Wars in the nine hundred-year period known as the Draggulch Period consisted of small battles between the Jedi and Sith. The final one hundred years engulfed the galaxy in the Dark Age of the Republic. It was during this latter period that Jedi exile Lord Kaan reorganized the remaining Sith forces into the Brotherhood of Darkness, a group of over 20,000 Sith.
These new Sith fought against Lord Hoth's Army of Light. By 1,002 BBY, the Brotherhood of Darkness was less than two thousand in number. The entire war ended with a two-year campaign on Ruusan, made up of seven separate battles. The Army of Light and Brotherhood of Darkness fought each other repeatedly on the planet, continually decreasing their numbers. The seventh battle was understood as the one that would decide the overall victor.
Lord Kaan, as he was now called, had become all but desperate to win the "Light vs. Dark" war on Ruusan. His troops were losing the enthusiasm they once had and many had started to lose faith in their "leader," despite the belief that the Brotherhood of Darkness had no leaders.
Darth Bane took this opportunity to push his plan forward. After leaving the Sith Academy and traveling to the Lehon, otherwise known as the Unknown Planet, Bane discovered a lost holocron of Revan. Once the holocron's secrets were unlocked, Bane absorbed the vast information sealed within. It was during this time that he formed all of the ideas he would use to keep the Sith alive. These ideas had already been forming in his mind, but until he found the holocronm they had been but questions that no one in the Brotherhood of Darkness could answer. Revan answered them, and Revan decided that the Brotherhood was corrupt, and needed to be eliminated.
It is here that he formed his plan. Revan had taught him how to create the thought bomb, an ultimate weapon of dark side energy that sucked the souls of all those within range to live forever in a void. He sent these instructions to Kaan. At first, Kaan was not sure if he should use the weapon. He knew how powerful it was, but after another battle he decided that it was the only option left. He and his followers fled to the caves, where most of the Jedi followed. Here, they activated the thought bomb. Unlike what Kaan had thought, both Sith and Jedi were killed instantly. A group of Jedi survived, but only because they had been out of range. Bane, who was on the planet, also survived, but only because he had intentionally stayed out of range. He knew they would die, and had played them all like fools. It was also on Ruusan that Bane found his first apprentice, Darth Zannah. It was here that he created the new Sith Order, one that would stay hiding in the shadows until the events leading up to the Clone Wars.
The Sith were believed to have been annihilated once again and the Republic and Jedi thought they would never have to deal with them again. The Republic and Jedi Order once again rebuilt and peace ensued. There would be no major war in the Republic for another thousand years with the eruption of the Clone Wars.
These new Sith fought against Lord Hoth's Army of Light. By 1,002 BBY, the Brotherhood of Darkness was less than two thousand in number. The entire war ended with a two-year campaign on Ruusan, made up of seven separate battles. The Army of Light and Brotherhood of Darkness fought each other repeatedly on the planet, continually decreasing their numbers. The seventh battle was understood as the one that would decide the overall victor.
Lord Kaan, as he was now called, had become all but desperate to win the "Light vs. Dark" war on Ruusan. His troops were losing the enthusiasm they once had and many had started to lose faith in their "leader," despite the belief that the Brotherhood of Darkness had no leaders.
Darth Bane took this opportunity to push his plan forward. After leaving the Sith Academy and traveling to the Lehon, otherwise known as the Unknown Planet, Bane discovered a lost holocron of Revan. Once the holocron's secrets were unlocked, Bane absorbed the vast information sealed within. It was during this time that he formed all of the ideas he would use to keep the Sith alive. These ideas had already been forming in his mind, but until he found the holocronm they had been but questions that no one in the Brotherhood of Darkness could answer. Revan answered them, and Revan decided that the Brotherhood was corrupt, and needed to be eliminated.
It is here that he formed his plan. Revan had taught him how to create the thought bomb, an ultimate weapon of dark side energy that sucked the souls of all those within range to live forever in a void. He sent these instructions to Kaan. At first, Kaan was not sure if he should use the weapon. He knew how powerful it was, but after another battle he decided that it was the only option left. He and his followers fled to the caves, where most of the Jedi followed. Here, they activated the thought bomb. Unlike what Kaan had thought, both Sith and Jedi were killed instantly. A group of Jedi survived, but only because they had been out of range. Bane, who was on the planet, also survived, but only because he had intentionally stayed out of range. He knew they would die, and had played them all like fools. It was also on Ruusan that Bane found his first apprentice, Darth Zannah. It was here that he created the new Sith Order, one that would stay hiding in the shadows until the events leading up to the Clone Wars.
The Sith were believed to have been annihilated once again and the Republic and Jedi thought they would never have to deal with them again. The Republic and Jedi Order once again rebuilt and peace ensued. There would be no major war in the Republic for another thousand years with the eruption of the Clone Wars.
V-The Rule of Two
Darth Bane was smart, learning from the Sith's previous mistakes. They caused civil wars and death from within and he understood that such a practice was not successful. Thus, he knew that to ensure the Sith Empire's survival, he had to change the Sith practice and thus formulated the Rule of Two. This rule stated: "Two there should be. No more, no less. One to embody power, the other to crave it."
However, where Darth Bane came up with this concept is another story. Hundreds of years before, during the Jedi Civil War, Darth Revan had used an early version of this rule by only training Malak. Other Sith Lords usually held two or three apprentices at once, which was the problem. While Bane was exploring Rakata Prime, he came upon one of Revan's temples he had built to hold Jedi captives. Here he found a holocron created by Revan that explained his ideas and views. It is also believed that the rule came also from Jedi customs of having only one master and apprentice at a time, since he had seen how this rule had kept the Jedi Order alive despite so many attacks against them. Overall, Bane understood the problems of the Sith Empire and knew how to fix them.
Darth Bane's new Sith Empire was much different from the past ones. Apart from the Rule of Two, the master and the student were both given the title of Dark Lord of the Sith, and thus both were known as Darth. These new Sith were also very cunning, strong, smart, and, above all, patient. The one thing Bane knew was that now was not the time to attack the Republic, nor would it be anytime soon. This is why he had patience, and knowing the right time to strike, one of the key skills of the new Sith Empire.
Over the next 1,000 years, the Sith secretly went about their business, staying alive but out of sight, constantly planning. Each and every time, more or less, the apprentice would rise up, kill the master, and then become the master and take on his or her own student. This was how Bane had envisioned it and planned it. Everything had worked out exactly as he had wanted it to.
However, where Darth Bane came up with this concept is another story. Hundreds of years before, during the Jedi Civil War, Darth Revan had used an early version of this rule by only training Malak. Other Sith Lords usually held two or three apprentices at once, which was the problem. While Bane was exploring Rakata Prime, he came upon one of Revan's temples he had built to hold Jedi captives. Here he found a holocron created by Revan that explained his ideas and views. It is also believed that the rule came also from Jedi customs of having only one master and apprentice at a time, since he had seen how this rule had kept the Jedi Order alive despite so many attacks against them. Overall, Bane understood the problems of the Sith Empire and knew how to fix them.
Darth Bane's new Sith Empire was much different from the past ones. Apart from the Rule of Two, the master and the student were both given the title of Dark Lord of the Sith, and thus both were known as Darth. These new Sith were also very cunning, strong, smart, and, above all, patient. The one thing Bane knew was that now was not the time to attack the Republic, nor would it be anytime soon. This is why he had patience, and knowing the right time to strike, one of the key skills of the new Sith Empire.
Over the next 1,000 years, the Sith secretly went about their business, staying alive but out of sight, constantly planning. Each and every time, more or less, the apprentice would rise up, kill the master, and then become the master and take on his or her own student. This was how Bane had envisioned it and planned it. Everything had worked out exactly as he had wanted it to.
VI-The Phantom Menace
The rule of Darth Sidious, one of the most patient and greatest strategists in Sith history, begins with Darth Plagueis. It is unknown who exactly trained Darth Plagueis, or how he found Palpatine, the man who became Darth Sidious. Nonetheless, Plagueis knew he had found one strong enough to carry out the plan that had been in the works for centuries.
Plagueis taught him almost everything he knew, and eventually, just like the Sith before him, Sidious turned on his master and killed him. Not, however, before his master had taught him the first steps of learning how to not only end life, but also create it and prevent death. Later, Palpatine would reflect to himself that his master had been foolish enough to sleep, something he knew never to do.
By now, Palpatine had already been training his first apprentice, Darth Maul. By 52 BBY, Palpatine inserted himself into politics by being elected Senator for his home world of Naboo. The first phase of the Sith's plan had started. From here on out, he would lead two lives. One as the politically smart Palpatine, and the other has the secretive Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Sidious.
He succeeded in politics by bringing back the issues of the galaxy that many had forgotten, and trying to cause as much havoc, but not enough to turn the spotlight on himself, as he could. He started this by staging the Invasion of Naboo, where Darth Sidious allied with the Trade Federation to invade his home world. The Battle of Naboo ended the invasion, as well as resulting in the death of Darth Maul. While his plan was for the occupation to last for a few months, or better yet a few years, the Sith had planned for problems like this, and he changed his plan accordingly.
Plagueis taught him almost everything he knew, and eventually, just like the Sith before him, Sidious turned on his master and killed him. Not, however, before his master had taught him the first steps of learning how to not only end life, but also create it and prevent death. Later, Palpatine would reflect to himself that his master had been foolish enough to sleep, something he knew never to do.
By now, Palpatine had already been training his first apprentice, Darth Maul. By 52 BBY, Palpatine inserted himself into politics by being elected Senator for his home world of Naboo. The first phase of the Sith's plan had started. From here on out, he would lead two lives. One as the politically smart Palpatine, and the other has the secretive Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Sidious.
He succeeded in politics by bringing back the issues of the galaxy that many had forgotten, and trying to cause as much havoc, but not enough to turn the spotlight on himself, as he could. He started this by staging the Invasion of Naboo, where Darth Sidious allied with the Trade Federation to invade his home world. The Battle of Naboo ended the invasion, as well as resulting in the death of Darth Maul. While his plan was for the occupation to last for a few months, or better yet a few years, the Sith had planned for problems like this, and he changed his plan accordingly.
VII-The Clone Wars
Darth Sidious took on a new apprentice, Darth Tyranus, or Count Dooku as he was known to the Republic. Being a Jedi exile, he was helpful due to his knowledge of certain information and certain passwords, and he was able to help exploit Republic and Jedi weaknesses; one such action was erasing a planet from the Jedi Archives. Meanwhile, Palpatine was elected to Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic and he pushed his secret plan forward.
Over the next ten years, Darth Sidious and Darth Tyranus slowly pushed the Galactic Republic towards war. Count Dooku formed the Confederacy of Independent Systems, otherwise known as the CIS, and they waged war on the Republic. The Clone Wars, as they were called, lasted three years, taking countless Jedi lives and lowering the weak Jedi Order of only ten thousand strong even lower. You see, while this is a high number, one must remember that it took them one thousand years to reach it, and that it still did not match up to what the Jedi Order was before the Great Sith War. We will not be going into depth of the Clone Wars, since that does not exactly fit into this course.
By the end of the third year, it all came down to a battle above Coruscant. Palpatine (Darth Sidious) feared that the Jedi were close to identifying him as a Sith, so he staged the entire battle, even going so far as to allow himself to be captured and taken aboard the Confederacy's flagship.
When Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker boarded the ship, they dueled Count Dooku and Anakin killed him. They freed Palpatine, thus falling once again into Sidious' plan. Dooku's death had been planned, as had Anakin's success. Sidious had been watching Anakin since his victory at the Battle of Naboo ten years earlier, and was planning to one day make him his apprentice. As such, he would have to get rid of Tyranus.
Over the next ten years, Darth Sidious and Darth Tyranus slowly pushed the Galactic Republic towards war. Count Dooku formed the Confederacy of Independent Systems, otherwise known as the CIS, and they waged war on the Republic. The Clone Wars, as they were called, lasted three years, taking countless Jedi lives and lowering the weak Jedi Order of only ten thousand strong even lower. You see, while this is a high number, one must remember that it took them one thousand years to reach it, and that it still did not match up to what the Jedi Order was before the Great Sith War. We will not be going into depth of the Clone Wars, since that does not exactly fit into this course.
By the end of the third year, it all came down to a battle above Coruscant. Palpatine (Darth Sidious) feared that the Jedi were close to identifying him as a Sith, so he staged the entire battle, even going so far as to allow himself to be captured and taken aboard the Confederacy's flagship.
When Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker boarded the ship, they dueled Count Dooku and Anakin killed him. They freed Palpatine, thus falling once again into Sidious' plan. Dooku's death had been planned, as had Anakin's success. Sidious had been watching Anakin since his victory at the Battle of Naboo ten years earlier, and was planning to one day make him his apprentice. As such, he would have to get rid of Tyranus.
VII-Order 66
Over the next weeks events happened quickly. Anakin found out that Palpatine was the Sith Lord they had been searching for, and reported him to the council. A group of Jedi led by Mace Windu confronted Sidious. Windu succeeded in defeating Palpatine, but Anakin finally chose his faith and succumbed to the dark side, thus becoming Darth Vader. He intervened and sliced Windu's hands off with his lightsaber. This gave Palpatine the opening he needed to strike Windu with force lightning and kill him. Windu's death marked the start of the Great Jedi Purge.
Their next plan, as Sidious had planned all along, was to get rid of the Jedi for the last time. He executed Order 66, a secret command that had been placed in all of the clones that served as the Republic Army's soldiers. Without warning, they turned on their Jedi commanders, with Anakin (Darth Vader) personally leading the force that invaded the Jedi Temple. Within a day, the once ten thousand strong Jedi Order had been decimated to less then one hundred known survivors. Though most of these survivors would be hunted down, a few survived. Perhaps most importantly, Obi-wan Kenobi and Yoda survived. They would go on to train Luke Skywalker who would be instrumental in ending the Sith Empire.
Meanwhile, Sidious brought down the Galactic Republic and turned it into a dictatorial Galactic Empire. Once again, the Sith ruled the galaxy, and this time it seemed it would last.
Their next plan, as Sidious had planned all along, was to get rid of the Jedi for the last time. He executed Order 66, a secret command that had been placed in all of the clones that served as the Republic Army's soldiers. Without warning, they turned on their Jedi commanders, with Anakin (Darth Vader) personally leading the force that invaded the Jedi Temple. Within a day, the once ten thousand strong Jedi Order had been decimated to less then one hundred known survivors. Though most of these survivors would be hunted down, a few survived. Perhaps most importantly, Obi-wan Kenobi and Yoda survived. They would go on to train Luke Skywalker who would be instrumental in ending the Sith Empire.
Meanwhile, Sidious brought down the Galactic Republic and turned it into a dictatorial Galactic Empire. Once again, the Sith ruled the galaxy, and this time it seemed it would last.
IX-The Galactic Civil War
Within months, a rebellion known as the Alliance to Restore the Republic, or more commonly the "Rebel Alliance," formed, something that had actually started before the events of Order 66, and started to wage war on the Empire. The Galactic Civil War, as it was called, lasted twenty years, but it wasn't until the last few years in which Luke Skywalker, son of Anakin Skywalker, rose to prominence. Luke Skywalker destroyed Emperor Palpatine's, as Darth Sidious was now known, super weapon the Death Star, and two years later helped kill the Sith Lord. Luke Skywalker's father, Darth Vader ended Palpatine's rule. For you see, one thing had been unexpected and unplanned for in Sidious' plan. Never had he expected his apprentice to revert back to Anakin Skywalker and to turn on him. Vader became Anakin Skywalker once again, and killed Sidious, sacrificing himself in the process.
X-Sidious
While Darth Sidious and his apprentices had grown up on the Rule of Two, they broke it various times. Darth Sidious and Darth Tyranus trained a force sensitive known as Asajj Ventress to do their biding, and during Imperial Rule, the two had many followers that were force sensitive. However, none of these was ever given the title Darth, and none was ever considered an apprentice, so Palpatine never thought of it as breaking the rule. It has been speculated that Palpatine even planned to replace all Moffs with Force Adepts, thus turning the Empire into a quasi-theocracy.
There are a number of reasons that Sidious' plan worked. First, of course, is precise planning and perfect patience. Second is Sidious' ability to prepare for and adapt to unexpected events, such as the death of Darth Maul. Third, however, was his knowledge in banding together several cults of Dark Side users. Many of these cults later joined and became the Emperor's personally assassins or inquisitors, and other high-ranking officials. Overall, Darth Sidious had staged everything from the Battle of Naboo to Order 66, and the Republic and the Jedi were his puppets. After all, if the Jedi were not so closely intertwined with the Republic, something they had been since the New Sith Wars, they could have stopped the problem in the beginning. Politics, in the end, is what brought down the Galactic Republic, and the true nature of the Sith is what brought down the Empire.
There are a number of reasons that Sidious' plan worked. First, of course, is precise planning and perfect patience. Second is Sidious' ability to prepare for and adapt to unexpected events, such as the death of Darth Maul. Third, however, was his knowledge in banding together several cults of Dark Side users. Many of these cults later joined and became the Emperor's personally assassins or inquisitors, and other high-ranking officials. Overall, Darth Sidious had staged everything from the Battle of Naboo to Order 66, and the Republic and the Jedi were his puppets. After all, if the Jedi were not so closely intertwined with the Republic, something they had been since the New Sith Wars, they could have stopped the problem in the beginning. Politics, in the end, is what brought down the Galactic Republic, and the true nature of the Sith is what brought down the Empire.
XI-Conclusion
With the Empire defeated, the Emperor dead, and the Sith Order destroyed once again, the Rebel Alliance reformed the galaxy into the New Republic. The history of the Sith Empire seemed to have ended once again, and, as before, it was one of their own that brought it to an end. I suppose you could say that's the irony of this story. Now, there is, of course, more to this story of the galaxy we live in. However, if history is to be our guide, then we know for certain that the Sith Empire, in some form or fashion, will rise again.
Note from the Headmaster: This exam requires Critical Thinking siklls.
Note from the Headmaster: This exam requires Critical Thinking siklls.
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