Darth Thanaton

Born as Teneb Kel, the individual who would later become Darth Thanaton was a male Human born in the year 3695 BBY within the borders of the Sith Empire. Initially, Kel existed as an Imperial slave, but his inherent sensitivity to the Force was eventually recognized by the Sith Lord known as Calypho. Calypho liberated the young man from his enslaved state and took him on as an apprentice, instructing him in the ways of the Sith Inquisitors and imparting the discipline of assassination. Kel's Master was a specialist in the art of divination and foresight, teaching his student that the capacity to gain insight into the future was at its peak when the recipient was nearing death. Beyond training in assassination and visions, Kel immersed himself in the study of Sith history and philosophy, preparing for his future responsibilities within the Empire's Sphere of Ancient Knowledge.

In 3681 BBY, the Empire, concealed within the Stygian Caldera since the conclusion of the Great Hyperspace War, revealed its presence to the galaxy and initiated the Great Galactic War against the Galactic Republic and the Jedi Order. During the conflict's initial year, the Empire reclaimed the ancient Sith holy world of Korriban and reestablished the Sith Academy on its surface. It was at this location that Kel underwent training under Calypho, enduring numerous trials within the ancient tombs and caverns concealed beneath the Valley of the Dark Lords. Throughout his trials, Kel spent days trapped within these crypts, fighting for his survival with a training saber and the power of the dark side of the Force. He ultimately succeeded in escaping the tombs and returning to the academy, only to discover that his trials had been in vain. Lord Calypho had been plotting against the Empire's governing Dark Council and had exceeded his authority, leading Councilor Darth Marr and other Sith Lords to condemn and apprehend him. Kel witnessed Calypho being taken into custody and was also arrested in accordance with Sith tradition, which dictated that the students of corrupt Masters typically shared their teacher's fate. However, considering that Kel had not completed his training under Calypho at the time of the arrest, the young Sith was spared imprisonment and instead sentenced to an extended period of service alongside the Imperial Military in its campaign to defeat the Republic and reclaim ancient Sith worlds.

Near the beginning of the war, Kel journeyed to the forested world of Cholganna in the Outer Rim Territories and participated in a skirmish there. Imperial forces emerged victorious in the engagement and promptly executed their adversaries, but Kel chose to show mercy to an Abyssin warrior named Qawohl. Kel took the elderly alien as a slave, forcing him to accompany and serve the young Sith on his missions and adventures across the galaxy. Unable to speak or comprehend Qawohl's native language, Kel compelled the Abyssin to communicate solely in Basic Standard and renamed him "Maggot," thus stripping him of both his culture and his true identity. Despite this, Kel developed a close but formal master-slave relationship with Maggot, who vowed to protect his owner and obey his commands.

In the year 3678 BBY, Kel and Maggot joined the Imperial Army for their invasion of the planet Begeren, located in the Esstran sector. The world, a cherished possession of the previous Sith Empire that had been transformed into a mining colony by the Republic, was attacked by ten thousand Imperial soldiers in an assault primarily directed at the Republic governor's cliffside palace. Kel and an Imperial commander devised a strategy in which the Sith apprentice would infiltrate the palace and eliminate the Advozse governor while Army forces below engaged the Republic defenders. Although Kel utilized his assassination skills to infiltrate the palace undetected, his presence was discovered by the governor's guards, who swiftly escorted him to safety in a sealed blast shelter. This development thwarted the young Sith's plan, and he was forced to scale the side of the building to evade the palace security forces. At the top of the structure, he intercepted the governor as he fled to his shelter with two guards. While his target barricaded himself in the blast-proof command room, Kel swiftly employed the Force and his double-bladed lightsaber to eliminate the two guards and breach the barrier.

The young Sith condemned the Advozse governor for his involvement in the Republic's desecration and exploitation of Begeren, declaring that the world rightfully belonged to the Sith as he plunged his lightsaber into the governor's chest. With his objective accomplished, Kel signaled Imperial High Command to inform them of his success. Although his actions secured the battle for the Empire, losses were substantial, and the forces fighting outside the palace were largely decimated by Republic bombing runs. Kel surveyed the scene after the battle, where he discovered a severely injured Maggot amidst piles of dead Republic and Imperial soldiers. He retrieved his slave and assisted the Abyssin back to the Imperial camp, where he permitted the surviving Imperial forces to celebrate their hard-won victory. However, his own elation was cut short when an Imperial major approached him with news from the Dark Council: Kel's service on the battlefront was over, and he was to face the Dark Lords once more for further punishment. Kel and Maggot surrendered themselves to the major's soldiers and were transported back to the Empire's capital world of Dromund Kaas.

Kel arrived on Dromund Kaas during a period of celebration, as the Empire celebrated its recent military victories in its capital Kaas City with parades and ceremonial observances. The Sith and his slave observed the festivities from their air taxi as it transported them to the Sith Sanctum in the Imperial Citadel, where Kel would face the Dark Council. Deep within the Citadel, Kel encountered the Council chambers, where he found his former Master, Lord Calypho, severely beaten and completely subdued on the floor before him. Although Calypho greeted his apprentice with trust, the assembled Dark Councilors, including Darth Marr and Darth Vowrawn, ordered Kel to kill his Master. The apprentice complied without hesitation, immediately striking the elder Sith with Force lightning. Calypho quickly recovered and drew his own lightsaber, engaging in a brief duel with his apprentice. Kel swiftly overcame the tortured and exhausted Calypho but was prevented from killing his Master by the Council, who insisted that the renegade Lord still possessed valuable knowledge. While Calypho was dragged away by Honor Guards, Kel was left with the Council to answer for himself and his Master.

Although one of the Councilors suggested that he would be granted an apprenticeship under a member of their body, Darth Marr quickly dismissed the idea and informed Kel that he had been summoned to Dromund Kaas to learn of his next assignment for the Empire. Before him appeared a hologram of a Sith woman named Exal Kressh. She had been the apprentice of the Sith Emperor himself until a few months prior, at which point she abandoned the Empire and fled towards Republic space. Her execution had been ordered as a defector, and it was Kel's duty, as determined by the Dark Council, to hunt her down and end her treason. Although he was perplexed by Kressh's reasons for desertion, Kel accepted his orders and followed Darth Marr to face a final test before being accepted for the assignment. He trailed the Dark Lord even deeper into the Citadel until he was brought before the Emperor himself. Deep in his sanctum, the Emperor evaluated Kel and informed him that he could still sense Kressh's psychic presence in the Lenico system. Kel eagerly agreed to find her, and when the Emperor touched his head, the power of the dark side overwhelmed the young Sith, rendering him unconscious for an entire day. Kel's body was brought to a Fury-class interceptor, where he was found and cared for by Maggot. He awoke the next day and immediately began preparations for his departure to the Lenico system, insisting that he and Maggot make the most of their temporary grant of freedom.

Teneb Kel and Maggot arrived in the Lenico system and immediately began searching for Kressh, but they had little luck. Together, the two traveled to each of the six space stations orbiting Lenico IV, repeatedly coming up empty-handed. They eventually made their way to Lenico Colony Blue, a medical facility administered by Baron-Surgeon Ybann, a Hutt. In the Hutt's chambers, Kel and his slave were confronted by Ybann's two guard droids, which drew their weapons and fired on the young Sith. Although the onlooking crowd of Ybann's alien clientele were certain he would be killed, Kel outmaneuvered the droids and used the Force to make them fire on one another.

After defeating Ybann's guards, Kel was able to obtain information from the Hutt that Kressh had come to Lenico Colony Blue some weeks before but had long since disappeared. Determined to find his quarry, Kel continued to search the colony while Maggot recreated with other patrons. The young Sith eventually happened upon a chamber of medical stasis pods, where his approach triggered security measures to wake the one patient within: Exal Kressh. The sleeping Sith quickly arose and armed herself, hiding among the chamber's labyrinth before fiercely assaulting Kel. The assassin was barely able to protect himself against Kressh's Force attacks and verbal abuse and was forced to retreat, but his reprieve was short-lived as he was forced to dodge medical droids spewing toxic gas as well.

Although he sought strength in recitations of the Code of the Sith, Kressh pursued Kel and continued to sow doubt and confusion into the young Sith's mind. He was ultimately overwhelmed by his opponent's use of Force lightning, but Kressh chose not to strike him down; instead, she hinted at her reasons for betraying the Empire and the Emperor's mysterious plans before allowing Kel to flee the scene. Their battle caused heavy damage to both Kel and Lenico Colony Blue, which soon fell out of orbit and began to lose power. Defeated and broken, Kel hurried to his interceptor to escape the system with Maggot, but the ship had been jarred away from the Colony's docks and was connected to the station only by a tether of debris. Because the hangar bay's containment field failed and vented Colony Blue's atmosphere into space, Kel had to call upon the Force to allow a short but deadly space walk along the tether to reach his ship. The effort nearly killed him, but Kel successfully escaped aboard his interceptor, narrowly avoiding death aboard the plummeting satellite.

Severely injured, Teneb Kel requested Maggot to find shelter. With the ship damaged, Maggot was forced to land upon the surface of Lenico IV. Although still grievously wounded, Kel left the safety of the ship to try and salvage some of the wrecked pieces of Lenico Colony Blue to repair their ship. After defeating a large terentatek, Kel began to weaken from his wounds and made camp to rest. While meditating Kel had a Force vision of Exal Kressh accompanied by Darth Thanaton, a masked Sith who was to guide him in his Force vision. The two led him through an Ortolan colony as Kressh recounted to Kel her history with the Emperor and hinted at the Emperor's plans. Kel saw that Kressh was one of many Children of the Emperor, silent agents mentally linked to their Master's will. After Kressh's image dissolved, Thanaton's vision confronted Kel and destroyed him.

Kel awoke from his vision only to be confronted by Jedi Master Jerbhen Hulis. After a brief duel, Hulis revealed to Kel that he was also on Lenico Colony Blue to search for Exal Kressh. Hulis convinced Kel to aid him in rescuing the surviving colonists on Lenico IV's surface. After aiding the colonists, Kel traveled back to his ship. Upon ascending the ship's entry ramp, Kel impaled Hulis' Padawan, who had been talking with Maggot. Kel then commenced travel to Korriban as he realized that Kressh had traveled there to disrupt the Emperor's plans.

Upon his arrival in the Horuset system, Kel discovered that Republic forces were engaged in an assault on Korriban. Navigating the conflict zone with expertise, Maggot guided Kel's vessel to the Sith Academy. While Republic assault teams clashed with the Academy's defenders, Kel gained entry through a concealed passage. Within the Academy's ancient burial chambers, Kel encountered Exal Kressh, who was plotting the Academy's destruction. Kressh unveiled the Emperor's scheme to Kel: the development of numerous initiates to act as extensions of the Emperor's will.

Subsequently, Kel and Kressh engaged in a lightsaber duel once more. Throughout their confrontation, Kressh displayed her superior combat prowess, maneuvering Kel towards the Academy's perimeter. At that moment, Maggot intervened, firing upon Kressh, which served to distract and injure her. Kressh retaliated by unleashing a torrent of Force lightning upon Maggot. Kressh then redirected her focus towards Kel, attacking him with lightning, resulting in the destruction of Kel's lightsaber. Now unarmed, Kel found himself paralyzed by Kressh's Force choke. As Kressh prepared to deliver the final blow, Kel employed his telekinetic abilities to summon a fallen Sith's lightsaber, using it to fatally stab the unsuspecting Kressh from behind, thus completing his assigned task.

Following the duel's conclusion, Kel discovered Maggot was still alive. However, he eliminated him upon learning that the slave had overheard Exal Kressh discussing the Emperor's designs during their battle. The young Sith then journeyed back to Dromund Kaas to convene with the Dark Council. During this assembly, he refused to kneel before them, instead demanding the title of Dark Lord of the Sith in return for revealing information regarding the Emperor's scheme: a plan undoubtedly involving the preparation of the Dark Council members as vessels for the Emperor. He declared that henceforth he would be known as Darth Thanaton; indeed, Teneb Kel now identified himself as the mysterious Sith he had witnessed in a vision on Lenico IV. Ultimately, the Dark Council acquiesced to his demands.

Darth Decimus held a deep dislike for Thanaton. Post the Treaty of Coruscant, Thanaton ascended from an insignificant apprentice to a Sith Lord of some influence. However, he manipulated the Sith teachings for personal gain, displaying open disdain for lower-ranking Sith he deemed disrespectful.

As his ascension to the Dark Council neared, Thanaton's subordinate, Darth Skotia, was found murdered. He accused another servant, Lord Zash, of the crime, unaware that her new apprentice, an aspiring Sith Inquisitor (and, unbeknownst to all at the time, the heir to the legacy of Sith Lord Aloysius Kallig), was responsible under Zash's orders. Zash denied any involvement, claiming to have been at a gathering in the Nexus Room Cantina. Despite facing reprimand, Zash emerged as a Darth, although Thanaton confined her to Dromund Kaas.

As Zash's apprentice traveled the galaxy in search of the artifacts of Tulak Hord, Thanaton contacted them via holo, warning that Zash was headed for disaster and that Kallig should not be dragged down with her. He advised Kallig to forge their own legacy, revealing his knowledge of Kallig's acquisition of the Cult of the Screaming Blade's allegiance, but cautioned that a Sith could not thrive in the Empire without a power base.

Later, Zash met her end at the hands of her own apprentice, but not before becoming a Lord of the Sith. Displeased that a former slave had risen to prominence so rapidly, Thanaton summoned Kallig to the tomb of Darth Andru to discuss their place within his power structure. Upon their meeting, Thanaton began to emphasize the importance of upholding tradition within the Empire. He then tasked the Inquisitor with retrieving some of Andru's writings, expecting his adversary to fall victim to the deceased Dark Lord, as had others he despised. However, he did not anticipate the intervention of Kallig's ancestor, Aloysius Kallig, who revealed to his descendant the Force walk, enabling them to bind a Force ghost and seize their power.

When Kallig returned to Thanaton seeking revenge, the latter expressed disappointment that his foe had not perished as intended. Kallig rejected his insincere pity and prepared for battle. Instead of confronting the Sith Lord directly, Thanaton commanded his apprentices to attack, but they were swiftly defeated. Deciding to intervene personally, Thanaton initiated a Force ritual, but Kallig withstood it with a Force Shield, forcing him to resort to a more potent ritual that seemingly killed his adversary. He then departed for Malachor III, instructing a servant to dispose of Kallig's body. However, as soon as Thanaton was out of sight, Corrin and Kaal, Zash's, now Kallig's apprentices, rescued their master. It was then that Kallig revived, the two ghosts bound to the Sith Lord kept them from dying. As Zash in Khem Val's body explained it, Thanaton would have needed to purge the ghosts in order to kill Kallig.

Upon learning of Kallig's survival, Thanaton began to systematically dismantle Kallig's power base, including Zash's other apprentices, but not before they provided their master with the key to Thanaton's private meditation chamber. Eventually, after gaining control of four ghosts, Kallig confronted Thanaton once more on Dromund Kaas.

Within his meditation chamber, Thanaton criticized Kallig's transparent attempt to assassinate him and usurp his position. Rather than immediately engage his nemesis, he meditated, delegating the task to his apprentice, Rolan, who was slain by Kallig. Unfortunately, the combined power of four ghosts proved overwhelming. Kallig became enveloped in a Force storm. Thanaton activated his lightsaber and attempted to intervene, but an involuntary burst of Force lightning sent him hurtling across the room, colliding with a wall. Forced to retreat, he grasped what happened during the confrontation and had the journals of Darth Vilus and Darth Iratus hidden in his private library and replaced with duplicates, as those Darths too suffered similar problems. Zash realized the switch upon noticing that two entries in Vilus' journal were the same. Kallig stole those journals and left to find a cure on both Belsavis and Voss. By then, Thanaton had assumed Darth Arctis's seat on the Dark Council after he died under unknown circumstances.

Kallig secured allies within the Imperial military after successfully testing the Silencer weapons project, which annihilated an entire Republic fleet, enabling Kallig to establish a power base rivaling Thanaton's. Thanaton called a Kaggath on Corellia to resolve their conflict once and for all.

Thanaton was present during the duel between Darth Baras and his former apprentice, which revealed the former combatant as the false Voice of the Emperor. He rose to acknowledge the Emperor's Wrath.

Once the Kaggath commenced, Thanaton exerted every effort to dismantle Kallig's power base. Upon Kallig's initial landing, Thanaton severed all rocket tram transportation in and out of Incorporation Islands. However, Kallig managed to reactivate the trams with the assistance of Darth Charnus, as well as forcing Thanaton's apprentice, Lord Skar, to divulge his Master's plans.

Kallig thwarted Thanaton's attempt to detonate a fuel refinery in Labor Valley, essential for Kallig's fleet arriving at Corellia. Thanaton intended to discredit his rival, as a Sith incapable of safeguarding their own resources is easily despised. Despite the plan's failure, Thanaton mocked Kallig for allowing him to escape, triggering explosives to conceal his retreat.

In retaliation, Kallig prepared to launch an assault on Thanaton's base of operations in Axial Park, situated on a former Republic military installation. After disabling the shield generators, the base was obliterated via orbital bombardment. While Kallig was occupied, Thanaton launched an attack on Kallig's ally, Moff Valion Pyron, who narrowly survived. Thanaton contacted Kallig via holo, taunting him for failing to protect his allies. He invited his nemesis to Capitol Square, where they could settle their dispute definitively.

The Kaggath reached its climax in a final confrontation within the government plaza, where Thanaton intended to execute Kallig before an audience of Sith and Imperials. He announced to the assembled crowd that Kallig was a slave to a corrupt Master, who was now deceased, and that all who served Zash must also perish. Kallig refuted his claims, urging the crowd to rebel against Thanaton and his ilk, who expected them to blindly obey if the Empire was to conquer the galaxy. With nothing left to say, Thanaton first dispatched Darth Kallous and then his two cyborg guards to eliminate Kallig, but they all fell before his rival. With no remaining allies or pawns to sacrifice, Thanaton recited the Sith Code and finally engaged Kallig in single combat. When defeat seemed imminent, Thanaton fled to Korriban, seeking the Dark Council's assistance in killing Kallig; this had always been his contingency plan.

Thanaton stationed Darth Enraj as a guard outside the Dark Council chamber while he addressed the Council, but Kallig anticipated his plan, killed Enraj, and entered the chamber, interrupting Thanaton's plea. The Dark Council refused to assist Thanaton against a mere Lord of the Sith whom he seemed incapable of defeating: Darth Ravage even threatened to "silence" Thanaton himself. In a last-ditch effort to survive, Thanaton unleashed his full power upon his rival. Harnessing the dark side and the combined strength of powerful spirits of deceased Sith Lords, Kallig overwhelmed Thanaton with their lightsaber and lightning, ultimately defeating him into submission bare-handed. Dying, he slowly crawled to his fellow Council Members; seeing that Thanaton had lost the Kaggath, Darth Mortis remorsefully used the force to break Thanaton's neck, killing him.

Following Thanaton's death, Mortis offered Kallig the vacant seat on the Dark Council, along with responsibility for the Sphere of Ancient Knowledge. Ravage objected due to Kallig's rank in the Sith Order; in response, Darth Marr proclaimed Thanaton's victorious rival Darth Nox.

Upon becoming Darth Thanaton, Kel assumed the role of enforcer, ensuring that lower-ranking Sith remained in their place, particularly Darth Zash. He was a rigid traditionalist who held anyone who disregarded tradition in utter contempt, considering them deserving only of death. He primarily relied on his servants and allies to carry out his tasks, only resorting to direct action as a last resort. However, shortly before his battle with Darth Nox on Corellia, he expressed regret that their conflict had escalated, as Nox had demonstrated the same reverence for the Sith Code that he did.

Thanaton used "tradition" as a means to maintain his power, but he was actually afraid of powerful upstarts. He sought to destroy Darth Zash's power base, which included Kallig. He proved to be a hypocrite when he was defeated by Kallig on Corellia. He continued to invoke tradition before the Council as he attempted to avoid facing a superior opponent.

Prior to becoming a Darth, Teneb Kel was a Sith assassin who was regarded as having great potential. He gained notoriety for single-handedly raiding the fortress of leaders of Begeren and assassinating them.

Kel possessed proficiency in telekinesis, employing such powers to choke, push, levitate, and disarm opponents. He also utilized the Saber Throw technique to strike at his opponents from a distance and eliminate them. During a confrontation with Exal Kressh, Kel employed the Force Throw technique to hurl countless shards of crystalline permaglass towards Kressh, although this attack was deflected by the renegade Sith apprentice. He ultimately defeated Kressh by using Force Pull to impale her through the chest with a lightsaber. Furthermore, Kel demonstrated the ability of Force Flight, which he used to move through the air with great speed.

Kel was exceptionally skilled in the use of Force lightning, utilizing it to destroy structures, overwhelm powerful opponents, ascend to higher platforms, and transform it into various forms, such as a sphere of dark side energy for protection, with the added effect of inflicting pain upon anyone who touched it.

At some point, Kel constructed a body armor for personal use that incorporated life-support systems and combat stimulant injectors to enhance his combat capabilities. He eventually shifted his focus towards the curriculum of Sith sorcery to refine his talents in the dark side and become a formidable Force-user, worthy of attaining a position on the Dark Council. After ascending to the Dark Council under the alias Darth Thanaton, Kel oversaw the ancient knowledge sphere and concentrated on the teachings of legends such as Ajunta Pall, Marka Ragnos, Tulak Hord, and Naga Sadow. Despite his considerable strength, he met his match in Kallig. During his final stand against Kallig, he unleashed a Force Lightning Storm upon his opponent and transformed it into a vortex of destructive energy using sorcery, but Kallig was able to wield the combined might of multiple Force ghosts.