Ruling over the reconstituted Sith Empire from his capital of Dromund Kaas, the Emperor
and Dark Lord Vitiate allowed his government and servants to administer the realm while
he stayed in the background, focusing on the higher pursuits of the Dark Side and Force.
Though most greatly feared the Emperor, seeing him as a terrifying, all powerful god.
Yet even so, dissent and betrayal was an inevitable facet of Sith philosophy, allowing some few
to peek beyond the veil of his shadowy persona, and brave the dangers of his immense power
to attempt rebellion and overthrow this powerful leader.
In 4606 BBY, a subtle but dangerous threat to his power emerged when the Sith Kel’eth
Ur started exploring the light side, developing and preaching a philosophy which embraced
peace and love for long term stability, over the powerful short-term strength of passion
and wild emotions.
Becoming a Light Sith, his ideas ventured toward those of the ancient Jedi, and so Kel’eth
Ur was killed before his teachings could spread, with his remains sealed away in the Dark Temple.
Before it was locked down and abandoned, this temple not only served as a home for the Emperor’s
deceased enemies, but also stored dangerous items and artifacts, like the Ravager, a torture
device so powerful it could infiltrate the mind of great Sith Lords like the Dark Councillors.
Among the most prominent dark side threats to Emperor’s rule, was the rebellion of
Vodal Kressh, a descendant of the legendary Sith Lord Ludo Kressh who challenged Naga
Sadow for leadership of the Empire before their defeat in the Great Hyperspace War.
Failing to overthrow the Emperor, Vodal fled to the planet Athiss where he spent the rest
of his life raising an army of slaves.
The Kressh bloodline then continued their campaign of rebellion when Exal Kressh, a
female descendant of Ludo Kressh was selected as the Apprentice of the Emperor and trained
as a powerful Sith Lord.
Though she was content in her position, her master planned to make her the first of his
Children, individuals that would surrender their physical bodies to the Emperor’s will.
Unwilling to be a mindless slave-puppet, Exal Kressh rebelled and fed information to her
master’s enemies in the Great Galactic War until she was finally killed while attempting
to sabotage the Sith Academy on Korriban.
Of the Empire’s many failed rebellions, one of the most infamous came when the Dark
Councilor Darth Lokess rallied support from all colleagues who all agreed to face their
enemy together.
However, the Emperor knew they were coming and so easily killed 11 of the 12, leaving
only their leader to be thoroughly tortured before her death.
Though some did attempt to overthrow the Emperor, others ambitious Sith focused on more achievable
goals, like in the year 4043 BBY, when the Dark Councilors Darth Qalar and Darth Victun
declared a Kaggath, a ritual duel to the death in which the winner claimed the possessions
and prominence of the defeated.
However one of the only rules for the Kaggath, declared the fight must not harm the Empire.
This rule was broken when the duel of Qalar and Victun accidentally destroyed the Imperial
Citadel, causing the rest of the Dark Council to combine their powers and eliminate both
the Sith Lords.
Placing Darth Nostrem in charge of the project, a new citadel was built to the Emperor’s
exact specifications.
When it was complete, the Emperor tested it’s defensive labyrinth by trapping Nostrem in
the building’s depths, where he died unable to find the exit.
Despite the numerous attempts to end his reign, the vast majority of people accepted the Emperor’s
right to rule as the strongest force user alive, including other powerful Sith Lords
like Raptus, Bestia, Brontes, Calphayus, Styrak, and Tyrans, who worked together and developed
a variation of battle meditation, allowing them to induce fear among entire armies.
Presenting their findings to the Emperor, he was pleased and gave them the each the
title Dread Master, allowing them to serve as advisors and generals of the Empire.
Haunted by memories of the Great Hyperspace War, many of those individuals who fled the
original Sith Empire held great hatred for the Jedi and Old Republic that defeated them.
Yet after a thousand years under the rule of a seemingly all powerful Emperor, knowledge
of these ancient events was lost, with newer generations entirely unaware of these former
adversaries.
But Vitiate never forgot and from the beginning of his reign planned to one day take vengeance
upon their light side enemies.
Although the ultimate truth behind the Emperor’s motivations were not entirely understood,
his goals seemed to evolve over time, becoming less attached to traditional light vs dark
side teachings, exploring larger ideas and possibilities.
Fundamentally, the Emperor seemed to have three main objectives which framed every action
he took throughout his life.
First and foremost, he sought immortality, not because of some philosophical need to
master life and death, but rather because of a primal and visceral fear of dying.
Secondly, he sought to become and remain the most powerful being in existence with complete
mastery over the force and creatures of the galaxy.
His final goal was far less ambitious and extreme then the others, yet went on to give
him the most difficulty, as he had an unyielding desire for entertainment.
A need to keep himself active, seeking moments of pleasure and fulfillment to help pass the
endless years of his life.
Through the ritual on Nathema, Vitiate came close to achieving his first two goals, becoming
seemingly immortal and immensely powerful.
However there are those who believe the energy absorbed by the Emperor did not provide true
immortality, and instead simply extended his life by centuries or millenia, granting large
but finite levels of power, which is why he occasionally had to renew his strength by
consuming other worlds.
As a result of this need, some came to believe the ultimate goal of the Emperor was to consume
all force energy in the galaxy, granting him true immortality and untold powers.
After which he might venture into other galaxies and continue his conquest.
However, there are others who believe Vitiate instead planned to consume individual planets
only when necessary, while at the same time ruling over the rest of the galaxy as an all
powerful god-emperor.
With these larger goals in mind, Vitiate spent the many centuries of his reign building up
the Sith Empire so they might conquer the Old Republic, and when he felt ready in 3978
BBY, began the early stages of the invasion by sending an emissary to contact Mandalore
the Ultimate, leader of the Mandalorian people who prized battle above all else.
Explaining that the Emissary’s master had a vision of Mandalorian victory over the republic,
the Sith agent used the force to manipulate the Mandalore’s mind, convincing him to
wage war against this galactic superpower.
Although the Emperor knew they had little chance of success, he used the Mandalorian
Wars to test Republic defences, watching from afar and learning all he could about their
capabilities and tactics.
Invaded by a powerful enemy, the brave and highly skilled Jedi heroes Revan and Malak
emerged to lead Republic defences, growing ever-more ruthless throughout the conflict,
leading them away from the light side and toward the dark.
When the masterful and brilliant warrior Revan at last defeated and struck down Mandalore
the Ultimate, the dying leader spoke of what started the war, revealing the involvement
of a larger, greater power, manipulating events from the shadows.
Investigating this larger danger alongside his best friend Malak, they eventually learned
about the hidden Sith Empire and all powerful Emperor seeking to conquer the galaxy.
Thought of as war criminals by the Jedi Order who disagreed with how they waged the Mandalorian
Wars, Revan and Malak chose not to inform the High Council about what they learned,
and instead chose to end the threat themselves by travelling into the Unknown regions in
search of Dromund Kaas.