One Sith

History

Darth Krayt's Ascension

Darth Tenebrous foresaw the arrival of "the One Sith" before his demise. Ironically, his predictions aligned more closely with the rise of Darth Sidious, his own apprentice's apprentice, than with Darth Krayt's One Sith.

Formerly the Jedi Master A'Sharad Hett, Darth Krayt spearheaded this new breed of Sith Lords. Witnessing the galaxy's devastation caused by the Clone Wars, the fall of the Old Republic, the ascent of the Galactic Empire, the Galactic Civil War, and the Yuuzhan Vong War; A'Sharad concluded that the galaxy was fragmented and vulnerable, requiring a unified will to restore its strength. Having been taught the ways of the Sith through XoXaan's Sith holocron on their home planet, Korriban, Hett took the name Darth Krayt, inspired by the fearsome creature of his homeworld, and revived the Sith Order under his command. Krayt's Sith differed substantially from Darth Bane's Order of the Sith Lords by abandoning the ancient Rule of Two. Instead, he established the Rule of One, a system where numerous lesser Sith served under the Dark Lord of the Sith's will. He posited that the Sith should progressively grow in strength, while the Jedi Order would become increasingly weakened by their lack of ruthlessness. Consequently, the One Sith maintained secrecy. Once the balance of power shifted sufficiently, Krayt and his Order would implement their plan to reinstate absolute Sith rule over the galaxy.

Krayt's Order emerged around 27 ABY. Agents like Lomi Plo and Welk were active during the Yuuzhan Vong War, and by 40 ABY, their numbers exceeded thirty. The new Sith had no association with former Imperial assassin and Dark Lady of the Sith Lumiya, or her schemes to transform Jacen Solo into a Sith Lord, which led to the former Jedi Knight's rise as Darth Caedus. Although Caedus contested Krayt's claim to the Dark Lord title—unwittingly, as Caedus was ignorant of the One Sith's existence—the One Sith remained concealed and refrained from interfering with Caedus' Sith Order or his conflict against the Jedi.

The existence of two distinct Sith Orders stemmed from Krayt's philosophical disagreements with those who sought to ensure the Sith's continuation. Vergere, a failed Sith apprentice of Darth Sidious, encountered Hett in Yuuzhan Vong captivity before the Yuuzhan Vong War, engaging in philosophical discussions but ultimately parting ways due to differing viewpoints. Lumiya, a former student of both Sidious and Darth Vader, apparently encountered the One Sith during the early Yuuzhan Vong War years but eventually rejected their Sith vision. Lumiya and Vergere both opposed abandoning the Rule of Two, making them incompatible with Krayt's Order. According to the Sith on Korriban in 40 ABY, they believed Luke Skywalker's Jedi Order would also gain strength over time, hindering the new Sith Order's long-term strategy. Therefore, they exploited Solo's fall to the dark side to preempt the Jedi, effectively using him as a diversion.

In 41 ABY, Darth Caedus perished at the conclusion of the Second Galactic Civil War, and his apprentice, Tahiri Veila, found redemption in the light side. With Caedus and Tahiri gone, Lumiya's Sith Order ceased to exist, effectively ending Darth Bane's millennium-long legacy. Once again, the Jedi assumed the Sith were extinct, while the galaxy remained largely unaware of the One Sith or their Master, as the last vestige of the Order of the Sith Lords dissolved after more than a millennium.

Observing the Galaxy

Darth Krayt experienced a vision of a frozen moon a few months after the Civil War's conclusion. His lieutenant Wyyrlok tasked the Anzat assassin Kell Douro with uncovering the truth behind the vision on Fhost. When Kell Douro inquired why the One Sith didn't investigate themselves, Wyyrlok explained that Krayt wanted the Sith to remain dormant. Later, Wyyrlok dispatched two more agents, the Umbaran Nyss Nenn and his sister Syll Nenn, to track the Jedi Jaden Korr for a plot to infiltrate the New Jedi Order, but the plan apparently failed.

In 44 ABY, Jedi Grand Master Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight Ben Skywalker, and Sith apprentice Vestara Khai journeyed to Korriban during the emergence of another Sith Order, the Lost Tribe of Sith. During their visit, the One Sith remained undetected, and their Order secretly continued to grow and strengthen. However, Krayt was later compelled to reveal the One Sith's existence when forming a temporary alliance with Luke Skywalker to defeat Abeloth in the realm of beyond shadows. Despite Skywalker seeing through his lies about belonging to the Lost Tribe, Krayt preserved the mystery surrounding his identity, location, and the motivations of his Sith Order.

For over a century, Krayt secretly nurtured the One Sith on Korriban, meticulously planning to bring its vision of peace and order to the galaxy. While the order grew in secret, Krayt attempted to heal the wounds inflicted upon him by the Vong, undergoing extended stasis treatments and consulting only with his most trusted servant, the first Darth Wyyrlok. At some point, the Lost Tribe also fell, leading the galaxy to once again believe the Sith were gone.

The Sith–Imperial War

Finally, between 127 and 130 ABY, the One Sith emerged after a century of secrecy, openly revealing their presence under Krayt's leadership, resulting in the Sith–Imperial War. Krayt's own holocron documented his orchestration of the Galactic Alliance's downfall and the restoration of the Galactic Empire as the dominant galactic power.

Recognizing the widespread animosity towards the Yuuzhan Vong, Krayt's agents sabotaged the Ossus Project, a Jedi-supported initiative to utilize Yuuzhan Vong terraforming techniques to revitalize a barren area of the once-devastated Jedi fortress world of Ossus. The successful test elicited an overwhelming response, with one hundred worlds selected for the Vong terraforming process. Yuuzhan Vong Shapers, supervised by Jedi escorts, achieved remarkable results. However, due to the One Sith's sabotage, the ecosystems soon deteriorated; vegetation withered, and bony growths resembling those seen on Vong slaves appeared on the inhabitants' skin. The Jedi immediately suspected sabotage but lacked proof. Regardless, the galaxy's lingering resentment towards the Vong, even decades after their defeat and exile, served Krayt's purpose, leading to accusations that the Vong were attempting to reignite their genocidal campaign through other means.

The outcomes aligned perfectly with the One Sith's aspirations. The Jedi, dedicated to truth above all, defended the Vong and urged the Galactic Alliance to support them. The Empire responded accordingly; members of the Moff Council demanded retribution and, invoking the Treaty of Anaxes, declared war on the Alliance. In addition to war with the Empire, the Alliance faced internal discord. Worlds that had suffered most under the Vong directed their resentment at the Alliance; many refused to support the Alliance and actively sided with the Empire, while others remained neutral. Divided, the Alliance was easily conquered. However, Emperor Roan Fel displayed limited enthusiasm; he reluctantly declared war and never fully committed to it, even preventing his Imperial Knights from participating. Because Roan Fel kept the Imperial Knights out of the war, the Empire lacked the strength needed to counter the Jedi, prompting the Sith to join the conflict.

Over three years, the Galactic Alliance was defeated, and the Empire absorbed its former territories, reclaiming Coruscant as the Imperial throneworld. This reversal of galactic order was unforeseen and seemingly impossible. Despite this grand victory, it was merely a stepping stone for Krayt.

The Consolidation of Power

With the Empire victorious, it was time to eliminate the final obstacle to the Sith: their ancient adversaries, the Jedi. Following Coruscant's fall, Emperor Roan Fel called upon the Jedi to surrender and submit to the Empire. However, the Jedi, aware of the Sith's involvement in the war, refused to comply. They withdrew from Coruscant, surrendering their Temple to their enemies, and fortified themselves in their praxeum on Ossus. Krayt dispatched his Hand, Darth Nihl, to launch a devastating assault on the praxeum.

The event known as the Massacre at Ossus fell short of the absolute victory he desired. Although Nihl successfully eliminated several key figures, including Kol Skywalker, a prominent member of the Jedi Council and descendant of the bloodline that had proven both beneficial and detrimental to Sith dominance, the death of even numerous Jedi did not secure victory. The Jedi scattered and fled, but they were not yet defeated.

Nevertheless, the Jedi had been weakened enough for him to proceed to the next phase: claiming the Empire's throne as his own. He initiated a daring palace coup, leading his cohorts into Emperor Roan Fel's audience chamber, assassinating the man on the throne, and taking his place. Addressing the confusion and outrage from the present Moff Council members, he explained that Emperor Fel had never truly desired war. Krayt then declared himself Emperor of the galaxy, asserting that his visionary leadership was necessary to restore intergalactic stability.

With little choice, the Moff Council pledged allegiance to him. For the first time in nearly a century since Darth Caedus, a Sith Lord held the galaxy's seat of power. He immediately began imposing order on a galaxy in dire need, but this victory was also incomplete. The "Emperor" he had killed was not the real one; it had to be a double. Fel, a fully trained Imperial Knight, would have defended himself. Krayt prioritized locating the real Fel before he could recruit allies among the Moffs, the military, or the surviving Jedi.

He also harbored a secret concern shared only with his lieutenant, the third Darth Wyyrlok. Krayt knew his health was failing; he was ruling on borrowed time. However, he had sensed a ripple in the Force during the Ossus massacre: someone, a Jedi, had used the Force to heal someone else, resurrecting them from the brink of death. To ensure his reign's longevity and establish his vision of galactic order, he needed to find this Jedi with the power to restore life and force him to serve the dark side.

For seven years, the Sith began enforcing their rule over the galaxy. Unfortunately for Krayt, unlike under Darth Sidious, the Empire struggled to maintain complete control. Fel had gathered his forces on Bastion, and numerous Jedi survived. The Alliance Remnant launched attacks at every opportunity. The situation deteriorated to the point where the Sith resorted to trickery to lure their enemies into traps. However, the leaders of the three factions were not easily fooled and avoided these traps. Within the Moff Council, Grand Admiral Morlish Veed and his lover, Nyna Calixte, plotted to undermine the Sith and seize control of the Empire.

Upon learning that a Skywalker had survived the massacre, Krayt ordered a full-scale search. When he arrived on Coruscant to rescue Jedi healer Hosk Trey'lis, the Sith captured him and called off the search. Krayt, after torturing Skywalker to use his powers, attempted to turn him to the dark side to harness his healing power and cure himself. This caused some Sith to question their Dark Lord. However, Skywalker escaped with assistance, and Trey'lis joined the Force. Krayt ordered his minions to resume the search for Skywalker.

After Gar Stazi stole the new Advanced Star Destroyer Imperious from the Mon Calamari Orbital Shipyards, Krayt ordered 10% of its Mon Calamari population exterminated. His loyal Sith and stormtroopers initiated the genocide by slaughtering the entire Mon Calamari Council, while the remaining Mon Calamari were forced into labor camps. While the Mon Calamari Rangers organized resistance, the Sith, under Darth Azard's command, created a Sea Leviathan and unleashed it upon the unsuspecting Mon Calamari.

"Death" of the Dreamer

Skywalker later orchestrated a trap for Krayt, leading to the Dark Lord's downfall. After attacking the Imperial base on Had Abbadon, Krayt received a message from another Sith: Karness Muur, an ancient Sith who had possessed the body of the Jedi Celeste Morne. Muur claimed he could heal Krayt and had captured Skywalker, but insisted Krayt travel alone. Ignoring Muur's demand, Krayt traveled to Had Abbadon with Lords Wyyrlok, Maladi, Stryfe, and Talon. Upon arrival, Skywalker sprung the trap, and Jedi and Imperial Knights ambushed the Sith.

Emperor Krayt was stabbed through the chest by Imperial Knight Azlyn Rae, struck with Force lightning by Morne, and thrown off a cliff. After Wyyrlok, who had not participated in the battle, retrieved the injured Sith Lords, he found Krayt still alive. He had finally discovered the information on how to heal himself, taking it from Muur. Wyyrlok, however, finished off the Emperor by blasting the wounded Krayt with more Force lightning, presumably killing the Dark Lord and ruler of the One Sith, claiming that Krayt's dream required his death to succeed.

Wyyrlok placed Krayt's (unbeknownst to him) unconscious body in a special tomb resembling a stasis chamber within Korriban's Sith Temple. This allowed Wyyrlok to maintain the appearance of serving Krayt while secretly controlling the Sith. Lord Wyyrlok's plan was to realize Darth Krayt's vision of a unified galaxy: every being in the galaxy becoming a member of the One Sith.

Schism

Despite Wyyrlok's appointed position as Regent of the Order and his new role as the de facto ruler of the Empire, not everyone accepted his rise to power. Darth Maladi suspected (correctly) that Wyyrlok had murdered the Dark Lord of the Sith and seized control for his own purposes. She shared her concerns with Darth Nihl, convincing him to verify whether Lord Krayt was alive or dead on Korriban. Upon arriving at Krayt's tomb, guarded by Darth Talon, both Nihl and the Twi'lek were shocked to find Krayt's body missing, leaving only his empty Vong armor behind.

Simultaneously, Wyyrlok ordered the execution of the Final Protocol, the extermination of all life on Dac. Although the Galactic Alliance Remnant rescued nearly twenty percent of the planet's population, Wyyrlok considered the genocide a success that would maintain galactic order.

Meanwhile, several Sith Lords from the First Sith Imperial Strikeforce attacked a meeting between Roan Fel and members of the New Jedi Order on Agamar. During the confrontation, Fel escaped the planet, but Princess Marasiah Fel was captured.

After Krayt's body disappeared, Talon vanished from the Temple. Darth Wyyrlok seized this opportunity to frame Talon for Krayt's death and dispatched Darth Nihl to capture her. Nihl found her in the Valley of the Dark Lords, where he also encountered the resurrected Darth Krayt, who had become more powerful than ever after purging his body of the Vong seeds that had plagued him for a century. Krayt revealed a secret chamber to Nihl and Talon, where he had been creating a new breed of Force-sensitive troopers who were unquestionably loyal to him. With these troops, Krayt planned to end the war and impose his vision of peace and order upon the galaxy. He then used his amplified powers to reach out to every being in the galaxy who touched the dark side, announcing his return. The entire One Sith once again pledged allegiance to their Master, except for Darth Wyyrlok, who now stood alone as Krayt's enemy.

Following his return from death, Krayt, together with Nihl and Talon, commenced the execution of his strategy to seize control of the galaxy. Krayt's perspective on mortality had shifted, now viewing it as a gateway to a superior existence. Consequently, he was convinced that the galaxy needed to suffer the agony of death before it could experience rebirth, ultimately achieving serenity. Krayt's primary goal was to regain his position of power and exact vengeance upon Darth Wyyrlok. To achieve this, he commanded Darth Nihl, Darth Talon, and two of his Sith troopers to infiltrate the Sith Temple on Coruscant. Upon discovering Krayt's revival, Wyyrlok exposed his deception to the Sith, falsely claiming that Krayt had succumbed to his illness. He then declared himself as their leader, and the majority of the Sith present chose to support him. Many, including Darth Stryfe, stated their allegiance would be to the victor, as 'might makes right'. Krayt and Wyyrlok engaged in a duel, both demonstrating their exceptional mastery of the dark side. Wyyrlok employed his sorcery in an attempt to overwhelm Krayt by conjuring painful memories from his troubled past, but Krayt had conquered his weaknesses and achieved mastery over them. By feigning vulnerability, Krayt eliminated Wyyrlok and reclaimed his dominion over both the Sith Order and the Empire.

In the aftermath of his takeover, Krayt initiated a sequence of brutal assaults on planets like Borosk, Vinsoth, and Falleen. He also received a communication from Cade Skywalker, who pledged to pursue Krayt and bring an end to his tyrannical rule. Krayt desired Skywalker to undergo the same experiences he had endured and was inflicting upon the galaxy: death and resurrection.

Post-Krayt

Following the demise of the Sith Lord Darth Krayt, caused by the former Jedi Cade Skywalker during the Battle of Coruscant, Darth Krayt's Galactic Empire was unable to continue the fight without its leader. Although his short-lived empire crumbled, Krayt's Sith Order ultimately persisted, albeit in a weakened condition.

With Krayt's passing, command of the Sith-Imperial forces on Coruscant transferred to Darth Nihl, who promptly ordered the annihilation of Darth Krayt's Sith troopers. Lacking Krayt's control, the Sith troopers quickly spiraled into insanity and began attacking indiscriminately, even targeting members of the One Sith. With the war lost and their adversaries victorious, Nihl instructed all surviving Sith to withdraw from crucial planets, including Coruscant and Korriban, to avoid capture or death. As the newly-established Galactic Federation Triumvirate asserted its authority over the known galaxy, the One Sith remained hidden as instructed by Nihl, ironically finding themselves in a situation similar to the Jedi, being hunted and on the run. With their empire destroyed and their power diminished, Nihl directed his Sith followers to infiltrate every planetary government across the galaxy. The Sith would continue their struggle for galactic supremacy through covert means, employing patience, cunning, and secrecy. However, their infiltration would ironically be exposed by a rogue Sith Lord named Darth Wredd, who sought to restore the Rule of Two, when he murdered one of the infiltrated Sith on Ceitia Five, as the start of his campaign against his fellow Sith.

Wredd's objective was the destruction of the One Sith and the re-establishment of the Rule of Two, leading to the beginning of his insurgency. In 139 ABY, Darth Wredd lured out many of the loyal One Sith infiltrators, whom had gathered as an army once more in an attempt to crush Wredd and his allies, where they were killed in the Battle of the Floating World by the arriving forces of the Imperial Knights. Wredd himself was defeated by yet another descendant of Anakin Skywalker; the spacer Ania Solo.

Organization

In contrast to the previous iteration of the Sith, Krayt dismantled the Rule of Two, Darth Bane's ancient decree that limited the Sith to only two members at any given time—a Master and an apprentice. He also moved away from the structure of the Old Sith Empire, where individuals constantly competed for dominance. Instead, he established the Rule of One—with the Sith Order itself as the One, encompassing numerous Sith, all trained to obey the Dark Lord of the Sith without question, even at the cost of their own lives. Departing from the unisex use of Lord by the Order of Darth Bane, the One Sith revived the title of Sith Lady for its female members, such as Lady Maladi, Lady Rauder, and Lady Talon.

Within the One Sith, members of both sexes who demonstrated exceptional power and unwavering loyalty were granted the title and rank of Darth.

Sith Intelligence and Assassination

Sith Intelligence and Assassination was a division within the One Sith responsible for gathering intelligence, conducting interrogations, and carrying out political assassinations to advance the goals of the Dark Lord of the Sith and consolidate its power. During the Sith–Imperial War and the subsequent insurgency, it was led by Darth Maladi and included both Sith Lords like Darth Kruhl and acolytes like Jor Torlin within its ranks.

Hands

Hand was the designation Darth Krayt assigned to his personal assassins. Lord Krayt bestowed this title only upon his most devoted and lethal followers, such as Darth Talon. Darth Nihl also held the title of Hand because Darth Talon's training was incomplete when the previous Hand perished during the Massacre at Ossus. After Lord Nihl's demotion, Krayt appointed Darth Stryfe as his new Hand.

Fist

Fist was the title borne by the Sith Lord who acted as the supreme commander of the Sith military forces. During the Sith-Imperial War, Darth Nihl held the title of Fist, but when he was promoted to Hand, Darth Stryfe assumed the role of Fist.

Voice/Regent

The Sith Lord who held the ranks of Voice and Regent was the second in command of the One Sith, serving as advisor to the Dark Lord of the Sith and as his caretaker and mouthpiece during Lord Krayt's periods in stasis. This title was held by the line of Chagrian Sith Lords known as Darth Wyyrlok. By the time of the Second Imperial Civil War, there had been three Darth Wyyrloks, while the fourth in line, Saarai, underwent Sith training on Korriban.

Following the disappearance of Darth Krayt's body, Darth Wyyrlok promoted Darth Nihl to the position of Voice to maintain his loyalty after his self-elevation as ruler of the Sith and the Empire.

Loremaster

The Loremaster was a Sith Lord responsible for maintaining the collection of Sith artifacts and records acquired by the Order. The third Darth Wyyrlok also held this position and was an expert in the history of the Sith and the Order's various incarnations throughout the millennia.

Inquisitor

Inquisitors were Sith Lords tasked with extracting information from enemy prisoners. They employed various methods, ranging from imprisonment and interrogation to torture. Darth Havok was an Inquisitor within the order.

Troopers

Sith troopers were powerful Force-sensitive individuals, secretly selected by Darth Krayt shortly after their birth and enhanced with cybernetic implants to transform them into servants of unwavering loyalty and obedience to Krayt and the dark side.

Behind the scenes

John Ostrander stated that "We haven't come up with a definite number [for the Sith] but it's certainly over 1,000, probably over 10,000. […] It's not that they outnumber [the Jedi]. They're more cohesive and they have a better power base."

On page 156 of the Legacy Era Campaign Guide, there is an error stating that Krayt's order was secretly growing in power on Coruscant instead of Korriban.