Your Highness Lord Darth Firefox, Your Eminence Lord Jac Cotelin and Your Excellency Master Corran Force,
I request for the Honourable Warlord Malik Sadow to be recieve the Strikes of the Accounting and be elevated to the status of Overlord of the Sith Order.
I am recommending this not only upon my own recommendation, but on behalf of the Emissary whose intention I believe it was to make such an award but whose commitments outside the Brotherhood have made it hard to do so, and after a recommendation made by the outgoing Commander of the Guard Halcyon some time ago- a recommendation I should have acted on far earlier.
I appreciate that this request may come a little early considering Malik's time as a Consul but I feel he is long overdue for an award from someone who has effectively been his direct superior for his entire time in the Brotherhood. I have passed him up too many times for promotion through unfair comparison to the time usually asked of others, and I feel it is time I made amends. The Excellent Adept Halcyon made a specific request for Malik's promotion to Overlord way back in December, I really have sat on it for far too long now...
Malik has been a tremendous leader and member of Clan Naga Sadow for so many years now, I believe he joined around the same time as myself. Sadly he has always seemed to be passed up for promotion, in his own words it is the "story of his life". I recall he was an Acolyte for months- despite being active- something I have never fully understood. Perhaps the blame rests on the oppression the old Imperial Order wrestled on us, but I believe the blame partially lies on myself and a few others for simply always forgetting about Malik when he should have been elevated along with the rest of us.
As far as leaders go I can think of few better than Malik. He has been solidly devoted to the Summit of Clan Naga Sadow for the best part of the last two years. Two full years in leadership, thats a long time, and one hell of a commitment. I know, I've been there. When I left Consul I really worried about the future of the Clan, but, together with the Honourable Jonuss Rai, Malik has been sure to keep things running. Sure Naga Sadow may not be the largest Clan in the Brotherhood, but it pulled off fourth place in the Third Sith War and put up a fight to the last minute for Third place against Clan Taldryan. That alone is worthy of recognition. When Jonuss Rai left as Consul I feared for the future of my old Clan, but my lack of faith was misplaced. Since coming to Consul Malik has managed to find a good Proconsul in the Right Honourable Tissaya Argat. During his sabbatical last month the Clan has held together even without him in constant contact.
Has Clan Naga Sadow seen better times? Yes, but so has every other Clan. That is not the fault of Malik or any Consul, that is simply the world we live in at the moment. But Malik is one of the few who looks to the future and embraces new ideas. He is open to change, enjoys new platforms such as Galaxies and is not stuck in the past. At the same time he understands the need for tradition, as we can see in his Clan's retention of three Houses.
Most important of all, is that Malik has never lost his hold as a good leader. It is hard to run a Clan these days, and often it is so easy to lose faith and abandon hope. But what is important is to look optimistic, not to whine about the problems we are facing but to remain hopeful, as that hope will pass onto those below you. I know how hard that is to do, and in that sense perhaps it is better that Malik is Consul of Naga Sadow today rather than myself, for he has that spark, that ability to keep going despite the hardships.
For someone who held his House together even during the worst of times for the Sith Order, and someone who remains the Consul of one of only two Clans to retain a Sith House, I believe his services to the Sith Order are exemplary. That is not to mention his work as effectively the sole Eclectic Pedagogue of the Sith courses of the Shadow Academy, administrating half a dozen courses, along with other non Sith courses, all on his own. I firmly believe that Sith Overlord should only be bestowed on those who have not only helped their Clan but done a service, a lasting service, to the entire Order. Malik has more than accomplished this. Fictionally we are the Keepers of Traditions, I'm pleased to say that Malik has certainly succeeded in ensuring the tradition, the spirit and the image of the Sith doesn't whither away and die. He is one of the few keeping it alive.
The Sith Order is without enough Overlords, and I am pleased to say that I feel glad to be able to come to welcoming in another. Perhaps to some this promotion will come early, but what we all must remember is that life as a Sith is not an easy one, harder yet is life as a Consul. Too often do we forget the word these noble few put into holding the foundations of the Brotherhood together, and so it is about time we acknowledge one of those few for the work he has done.
My congratulations to your my friend, may I finally fulfil my promise to get you Sith Warlord, well now Sith Overlord, that I made so long ago. Long may you continue to serve the Final Way.
In the Glory of Lord Darth,
His Excellency, Adept Xanos Zorrixor
Son of Sadow, Chosen of Serpentis
Master Malik Sadow, 2004-05-08 22:00:00 UTC