The Dark Lord looked to the data pad, which his subordinate had brought him.

Yinchor, Leia Organa was betrayed by an Alderaanian stormtrooper on this planet, shortly before the Battle of Endor. Yinchor's surface was covered with rocky deserts. She had been shot down during her arrival at the planet, having been betrayed by a group of Yinchori delegates. The Imperials believed that Leia died in the crash, but the trooper found her at the crashsite. He revealed that he was a commoner who joined the Empire because he was disgruntled with the prosperity of the royal family. Despite his anger, the trooper eventually forged a bond with Leia, which was broken when he was shot and killed by Governor Wessel during Leia's escape from Yinchor.

Boring indeed, he thought to himself, but useful nonetheless. The planet was known to have once again reverted to it's original state and would be an easy target to subvert to the Dark Lord's will. This would indeed spread him further in the Galaxy.

Without hesitation the Dark Lord boarded his shuttled, heading for the waiting Silent Death, which he had named long before the vessel was ever actually built.

The Dark Lord's shuttle docked slowly upon the metallic deck of the Silent Death. His guards proceeding him, he slowly stepped upon that deck and turned directly for the hall which would bring him to the command center.

A thought swept his mind, as he looked to the future then the past. First thoughts of his first friend, Teq Qui...

"Your to slow Teq! Punch it up!"...Diete yelled as he raced across the barren wastelands of Dantooine. "You want speed?"...Teq slammed the throttle down, quickly catching Diete and passing him. He laughed out loud as Diete caught him once more...."How long are we going to keep up these games Diete?"...Teq questioned his friend..."Until we are old and grey as the masters I assume!"...Diete laughed also as they sped along. The two continued this game well into the evening, and as the sun began to set, they finally decided to head back to the hut.


The Master, as usual, was disappointed in them. They had once again been out far longer than was their normal time, and had missed meditation hours, a long with the evening meal. "You two had better have a better explanation this time."..the Master said as he seemed to appear in the doorway..."Master, it was I who broke the rules, Teq simply stayed to make sure I was not hurt, and several times tried to talk me into returning."...Diete said instantly....Teq looked at him quickly...."Is this true Teq?"...the Master said again, turning his glance to the boy..."..........Yes Master, it is true."..Teq felt he had no choice now but to agree with Diete's statement. "Then Diete, a day of isolation and meditation awaits you. It begins..now."...Diete looked to Teq, grinned once, then walked to his room to begin his meditation. The Master merely shook his head, feeling the conflict growing inside the boy, and hoping to force whatever anger was inside of him out and cleanse the boy.

The conflict within Diete did not die, however, it lay in wait like a predator, stalking, waiting for the right moment to strike, and some years later, it did just that.....

They years passed, as time has a way of doing. Many things changed with the two boys, many did not. They still remained the best of friends, even with Teq's promotion to Knight while Diete remained a padawan. The master did not feel him ready for the next step, and held him back when the time came. This fed the inner conflict of Diete, fueling his desire to learn at a faster pace, to keep up with his friend and remain at his side. As it is with most things, when placed under to much pressure, things tend to strain and eventually break. Diete was no different.....


Diete and Teq had finally been given a mission, alone. This is what they had trained so many years for. They where to meet a small group of people upon the violent surface of Aeten II and assist them in returning order and peace to the small groups which inhabit that planet. This was surely to be exciting, and could be dangerous.


The people upon the planet of Aeten II, what little of them there were, had been torn asunder by civil unrest. The small factions of natives were at war with one another, and this was why the Guardians of Peace and Justice in the Galaxy were sent, to end the dispute.

As the small craft landed near one of the major encampments, Diete and Teq made their way onto the volatile planet. After discussing the situation with the first of the major factions, Diete and Teq decided it would be best if they split up, and each spoke with one of the groups. Teq stayed with the first group, and Diete left on his own to speak with the other and attempt to end the dispute. All did not go as planned....

Two night passed upon the barren planet, while Diete and Teq each dealt with the problems of each group, trying to get at the heart of the matter. The night dragged on, and Diete began to become weary. He left the group, alone, and headed to the small station where he could bathe and eat his evening meal in peace. As he exited the small bathing quarters, he was attacked, the warriors wearing clothing that clearly identified them as members of the tribe Teq had been speaking with. He was left for dead, his right lung punctured, his face scarred, his leg half severed off. He fell to a state of unconsciousness.

As Diete slowly awoke, he found the people he had been with, caring for his wounds. Slowly his memory began to flash to him, practically reliving the carnage that was placed upon his form by the others. He came to learn slowly, the building he was in was set aflame, his clothing burned and himself barely pulled from the fire in time to save his life. He gratefully accepted the gift of clothing they offered him, though they be black, at this time he felt somehow at home in them. They had given him a breathing device, to aid with his punctured lung until he could have it fixed correctly. His hand raised to his scarred face, feeling his anger rage full for the first time in his life. As soon as was polite to do so, he calmly excused himself from the group, placing his belt and lightsaber about him once more, he headed towards the other encampment, Justice his only goal.....

The battle ensued shortly afterwards, his best friend and training partner new turned against him, his only friend left his hatred and rage. He turned quickly from the light which had betrayed him. The rules which had forced Teq not to interfere. He spat upon them with every breath, his mere existence a testament against them. He despised those and all like them. The weak who refuse to punish the guilty, he would no longer do so....



The Dark Lord allowed his thoughts to return to the present as he exited the turbo-lift and headed for the main bridge. His mind still swimming in the past, this time upon Gash Jiren, as he moved.

Diete's call had gone out to the home of his old brother, Gash, some time before. Now, atlast, the day had finally come for the meeting he had specified. One he was sure his old brother would not turn down.

He came now to wait, within a silent sanctuary known to few, The old training facility of the Imperial Royal Guardsmen. He stalked in silence a moment, before moving to the throne of the former Emperor, Palpatine.

His eyes slowly moved to the doorway, his body otherwise unmoved.

"Greetings, brother."

My friend. It has been too long."

Gash stepped out of the dark shadow obscuring him, running one of his tanned hands along a crystasteel wall. The odd surface refracted light in such a way that at the break of dawn, just when Imperial Royal Guards would gather in the morn, it would create the image of an Imperial Crest on the ground below it.

The Jedi Master smiled at Diete Somir, the man who had become his friend on the inhospitible world of Ziost. No, they had become more than friends... as Diete had put it, they had become brothers.

"We were always fascinated by the Royal Guardsmen, Brother. Noble warriors, fighting for the glory of their Emperor... like us. Fighting for the glory of the ancient Sith.

"Remember?"

"Indeed I remember much. I remember both our bond and the actions which betrayed all of that."

The Sith Lord, Maim, stood from the throne once more and began to pace slowly.

"I have given this much thought, brother. I can no longer afford to spare you and your clansmen because of what once was. I can no longer overlook the shame and disgrace you have brought to me."

Diete's eyes locked upon Gash's.

"I can no longer call you brother with a pure heart. This is your last chance. Join me once more, or I shall be forced to cut ties and declare war upon the Jedi."

"Join you?"

Gash echoed, sitting down against the crystasteel wall. His age showed through his guise of power, his old limbs giving way to fatigue.

"I am not young anymore, Diete. I am not the foolhardy boy who went to Ziost to 'find himself'. No, now I am an old man, an Admiral of the New Republic, the man who rebuilt Ossus, the hero who saves the galaxy..."

The Jedi waved his hands as he counted off his supposed list of accomplishments, adding false bravado to the tired words. He laughed hollowly, looking back up to Somir with those piercing red Zabrak eyes.

"Did I tell you how sick of all of this I am? All of this. Being some hero. A playing of a politician who has never seen a battle. A defender of a Jedi who has mocked the Rogue Jedi, and yet still employs two of us to defend her Republic.

"So what reason have I not to join you? Honor? The honor I broke when I left the Jedi Council?"

Gash locked gazes with Diete, letting the Sith weigh the value of his shocking words. The man had come here for a fight- Gash had not. The Jedi guarded his thoughts carefully, blocking them off from the Dark Lord they called Maim. I'll leave it to him to decipher what game I'm playing at...

Those last words had caught his memory as he seated himself upon the command throne. 'What reason have I not to join you?' Gash had asked him.. What reason indeed.

The Dark Lord's attention was graced to his wife a moment.

"They are awaiting us at the planet."

His answer was kept short and sweet, as he was still deep in silent meditation. His thoughts drifted to his children, Loki for one and how he would preform in this situation, but also the one for which this ship was named. He had sold the last think his son had worked for, for a puny price at that. However, such was the way of things, the way of the Sith.

Some of his children had followed him down the path to the Darkside, while others had chosen the light. Still others chose not to embrace the Force at all. A man's children are his legacy, that and his name itself. For eons to come his name would be passed down in conversations and whispers. His deeds would be spread far and wide, perhaps even past the Galaxies edge and to his own father in the Shadow Empire.

The following confrontation was of little concern, these people would be easily defeated. His thoughts rested upon others. Like his son Nathaniel, and his padawan the young Rhysode. Would they prove to be a nusceance later? Would he be forced to destroy them? At this point, only time would tell.

The Dark Lord felt his body jerk, if slightly, as the ship exited hyperspace and entered normal space. His eyes scanned the horizon of the planet through the dura-plate viewport. Indeed this would be another deed for his legacy.

Once more the Dark Lord's mind roamed, this time to a past meeting with the members of the Naboo Sith Order.


Snack watched as Maim entered the council chambers. He sat forward as the Sith, once apart of the Order, now founder of this new Sith group. Maim spoke, his words sounding of no ill will, or no harmful intent. But the crime was already committed and the Council had already decided the fate.

Snack continued to listen intensively, picking on key words and phrases. When the Sith finished, Snack smiled his evil grin and sat back in his chair.

"You say that together we can expand our grasp on the Galaxy... that we can grow as strong as the "ancient" Sith once were. And you also speak of that if we join you... and what seems to me that if we become a subordinate of you, you say that we can become some of the most powerful Sith in the Galaxy? Only if we join you?"

Snack laughed outloud. His cackle dark and sinister, yet in a jolly showing. It was the biggest piece of humor he had heard since his time as a Sith.

"We already are the most powerful Sith in the Galaxy and we were once united."

His smile turned cold as his jovial face morphed into an expressionless wasteland.

"You slew your loyalty you had with The Naboo Sith Order when you created this new faction. Because of that, we see you and those who follow you whom were once apart of us traitors. You think we take our questioning of new recruits light when we ask of their loyalties?

There is only one Sith conglomerate and we were them. That is how it should be. Your making of a new group is seen as a power play by myself, and in the end can only hurt the Sith as a whole."

Snack paused, looking Maim dead in the eyes.

"Because of that, we fail to recognize you as a Sith faction, but as rogues who do not believe in the true ancient Sith ways. And for that, there will be no merger, no alliance, no team."

The Dark Lord chuckled aswell.

"I do not recall swearing any oath to this group. I did, however, swear one to The Ziost Empire, which is now dissolved. I served this group for a time, and have now moved to my place in the Galaxy. Remain as you are, if that is your wish, I came here out of respect. I shall leave here as I was, your brother in spirit, with no ill will to you or your people."

:: A Dark and Evil presence hits the council room like a shockwave, lesser Sith tremble in fear for what he might do. He is feared through out the galaxy, under his leadership of TNSO the galaxy crumbled. The lights dim and a thick mist forms, covering the ground. The sound of foot steps fills the council chambers. Two glowing red eyes ignite looking over all, the foot steps get closer to the council, as he reaches them the lights go back to normal and there before them stands Darth Phantom The Lord of Darkness. In a deep voice he speaks ::

Snack do you not remember when TNSO was first formed? Do you remember when Mayham betrayed us and started his battle for power? If you do then you also remember that we also allied ourselves with him in the end and we let him continue his fight on Endor, But we shall not be subordinate, not so long as I breath.

"I have not come here to ask for subordinates. I have come to find brothers. I have come to make us one in a single cause. I do not need subordinates, they are a credit a dozen. Subverting more is no large matter. However, Sith of caliber are a rare thing."

With that, the Dark Lord turned to silence, his gaze falling to the Lord of Darkness. It is true, the Lord of Darkness and the Dark Lord of the Sith, had not always been friends. Recently, however, they had come to a mutual respect, an understanding of sorts. Each had his own way, and each was arguably equally powerful. Apart they were threats, together.. together they would be unstoppable.

Zeta kept himself within the shadows of the council chambers, silently observing The Dark Lord of the Sith. Zeta had seen him many a time, powerful in his own right, but Zeta did not like the way he belittled the order he now stood before. He had kept silent, allowing the others to speak, but now it was his turn, and so he would speak.

He stepped out of the shadows, his body completely covered in black. His face was the only thing that could be shown to identify himself apart from the rest of his brethren, who also whore similar black like robes and material.

He spoke, startling some who did not expect him to speak.

"You speak as if we are below you, as if we are not as powerful as the great Dark Lord of the Sith. You come, with offerings..You say we would become some of the most powerful Sith ever to exist, who says we are not.."

Zeta stepped closer.

"You are known as the Dark Lord of the Sith, a title that is not given to just anyone. A title that is passed down into you. I am sure, no one could ever be so bold to call themselves the Dark Lord of the Sith, without earning it in some way shape or form. You are of power, and you have earned your title...."

"..Do not underestimate your brethren, for this order has a long history, just as your empire does. Do not judge until you have been given all the facts, great Dark Lord of the Sith..."

Zeta eyed his Master, trying to read his thoughts on what he thought of what Zeta was saying, yet he could gather nothing, and so, the Sith Knight continued.

"..I have been taught to have respect for my elders, for they are wise and true to the darkness. I was taught to have respect for my brethren as well, in some small way."

His eyes fell back onto the Dark Lord.

"My respect for you, I still give, but I see that you hold none for the brethren before you, for you have belittled this order. Presenting yourself so boldly, Dark Lord of the Sith..."

Zeta gestured to his brethren among him.

"On our own, we too can reign supreme. On our own, we can be powerful and are powerful...However, together, with your empire, and this order, who grow strength in power and in number."

A slight smile formed upon Zeta's lips.

"A sad day it is, Dark Lord, when one such as myself, can acknowledge what can plainly be seen. Yet you, have been around a lot longer than I, yet you choose to think that your actions, and your empire, alone, can make that power unfold and grow, all because of you...."

Zeta laughed, a hint of anger flashing into his eyes. He clenched his teeth, his laughter being cut short. His face hardened, and he stopped clenching his teeth.

"A man, on his own, can be very powerful, but when a group of other men join him, well then, twice the power can be brought forth. However, if that man believes that all that power was brought together because he made it so, and he thinks he rules over those men that came forth to combine with his power, he is no more powerful than when he was on his own..."

He kept his gaze on the Dark Lord of the Sith, a gaze which never seemed to waver, yet seemed confident in it's own right. A gaze that held power, maybe not as powerful as the eyes he locked onto now, that of the Dark Lord, but nonetheless, it held power, power that would one day be as powerful as the eyes Zeta locked onto.



Zeta had impressed the Dark Lord greatly. This one would certainly become strong in the Dark Force. He would certainly be one of the greats, one day. This thought snapped him from his trance once more.

"Send a small group of men into each of the major government complexes. Convey to these people it would be in their best interest I not have to personally visit this planet's surface."

The Dark Lord looked to Athena, his wife.

"This bores me, contact me when the operation has taken the next step."

With that he swung from his seat and moved to the hall which would take him to his meditation chambers.

The Dark Lord's comm beeped.

He snapped in response.

"What?!?"

"We have taken the capital, father. The planet of Yinchorr is now under our rule."

"Good, place some of our men in the capital and insure that it stays that way."

"Yes my Lord."

"You have done well, Lord Loki."

"Thank you father."

With that, the transmission ended. The Dark Lord was pleased with the swift manner in which his people acted. He was pleased with the outcome, but was bored with how easy it had been. This had been no challenge what so ever. It had been like taking candy from an infant.

When would a true challenge face the Dark Lord?

The Dark Lord stood silently within the vast cloning chamber held upon the planet Yinchorr, deep within the belly of the old Royal Guard training facility. Years previous, he had been to several of these cloning chambers. The Emperor kept quite a few of them around, to combat foreseeable events.

Many of the chambers themselves were lined with Ysalamiri nests to aid in the quick production of clones without the clone madness which often ensued from such an endeavor. This chamber was not in any way different than the others he had been to.

The room spanned up and down almost further than the naked eye could see. Cloning cylinders lined the walls like the hive of a bee's nest. Ysalamiri nests nestled next to each of the cloning cylinders insured that the clones would not be effected by duplicating force signatures.

This was all part of his grand plan. Not only would he make use of these cloning facilities in the future, but also.. he would breed these Ysalamiri and place them in locations which required a null bubble in the Force itself. Such as his training facility.

Training in a force-less bubble would give him an edge should he ever be forced to do battle without contact with the dark power he, until now, depended upon. It would hone his natural talents and make him into a fierce warrior in any event.

Maim always liked to plan for every contingency. He did not like to leave things to chance or luck.

____________________________________________________

Some time later...
____________________________________________________


In his exploits to breed the Ysalamiri Maim had conducted many experiments to speed up the process. He had, in the end, found that the cloning chambers themselves would serve nicely for this purpose. Infact, since the Ysalamiri did not touch the Force, cloning them could be done in little time at all. There was no risk of force-madness or any other related defects. Now his plan was in full swing.

Soon he would surround his strongholds with these creatures so that the defenses could make swift work of any Jedi or the likes who may get the bright idea to attack him. When they approached his structures, they would suddenly hit the force-less bubble and become disoriented. At that precise time they would also reach the auto-defenses which would have little trouble cutting them down in such a state.

The plan was a good one, but not perfect. However, nothing ever was, was it?

The Emperor sat within his throne, deep within the training facility upon the barren wasteland of a planet called Yinchorr. The stale air smelled of death. The air was filtered, and refiltered. It was as if all things that may have once been a natural part of it had been removed. It seemed.. false.

The Emperor, however, no longer noticed such things. It was the way it had been for quite some time now and likely, the way it would always be for him. It was a fitting surrounding for the man himself. Trapped in the doorway to death, somewhere in between this life and the next.

His gaze fell upon the turbo-lift doors as they parted..

Dark, imposing, foreboding.. the Dark Lord of the Sith moved silently from the turbo-lift compartment. The sound of his mechanical steady breathing was the only heard in the dank atmosphere of the Emperor's throne room. The silence was almost as foreboding as the man himself.

Held amid death black armor that served not only to protect, but to sustain the man, the Dark Lord moved to his Emperor and dropped to a kneed. His hands lay one atop the other upon his raised right knee. His head faced the dura-steel floor.

"My master..."

"Rise, my friend. You have a report for me?"

"Yes, my master. The construction of your cloning facility is well underway. The ones at Wayland and Byss have already been completed. The one upon Yinchorr will not be as large as those, but it will serve the purpose equally well. Also, because of it's location in the galaxy it might well be the most protected facility from chance encounters with any who may wish you harm, my master."

The Dark Lord now was silent once more, awaiting a reply.

The Emperor rose slowly from his throne, walking very near his apprentice, Lord Vader.

"Let us go and see the progress our men are making. Also, I want you to retrieve a sample from each of our most skilled and loyal guardsmen. Keep them on record here, incase we should ever need to reproduce them."

"Yes, my master."

Then, as they had so many times before, the Master and apprentice began a trek together. A shriveled old man and an imposing figure regarded for his cruel manner and swift deliverance of death. A sight to turn anyone's stomach.

The trek to the cloning chambers was not a long one, but it was riddled with security clearance measures beyond compare. This was, infact, one of the most secure structures in all of the Empire.

The doors slid open and the two finally stepped into the cloning chamber and out onto a platform. The walls extending in both directions, down and up, in and almost endless sea of dura-steal and metal. Upon the walls, which were shaped much like steps of some grand arena, were the cloning cylinders themselves. Lined in a circular pattern in every direction.

The workers charged with this facilities construction continued with their duties, failing to notice the presence of the two men. The had all but completed the construction of the chambers themselves and were not securing the nutrient frames which would sustain the Ysalamiri the Emperor had procured from the planet Myrkr.

"You have done well, Lord Vader."

"Yes, my master."

"My master, the construction will be completed within three lunar cycles. Also, as you ordered, once it has been completed all of the workers involved will have a stellar accident on their return voyage. Their navigation computer will somehow lead them directly into the core of a star."

"Once more, you have served me well, Lord Vader."

"Yes, my master."






The Dark Lord was once more before his Emperor. He spoke of the progress concerning the project on Yinchorr.

"My Emperor. As I said previously, the construction is now completed. We have also received a report that the transport vessel containing the technicians and workers has, indeed, slammed itself into the core of a star.. one that is mere years from going super-nova. All has been completed to your orders."

"You serve me and the Empire well, Lord Vader."

"Yes, my master."