The Red Engine was a relic of the ancient Sith, crafted by the Sith Lord known as Tulak Hord. This unholy device, fueled by malice and blood, held within it the concealed wisdom of its maker. It resided within the Tomb of Tulak Hord, and tales spread that upon his demise, anyone who could decipher its mysteries would inherit Hord's knowledge. Despite this, countless scholarly investigations proved fruitless in revealing the secrets of this dreadful contraption, every endeavor blocked by its intricate and malevolent design.
During the period of the Cold War, the investigator Ephran Zell gave an assignment to an unnamed Sith: journey into Tulak Hord's machine vault to activate the Red Engine, and power it by slaughtering nearby lifeforms.
The Red Engine made its debut in the 2011 BioWare-LucasArts video game Star Wars: The Old Republic, specifically in the heroic quest entitled "The Hate Machine" found on Korriban.