Darth Malgus

Darth Malgus was born as Veradun on the Sith capital of Dromund Kaas, where his early life was shaped by an inherent and chilling ruthlessness. After killing a servant on his father's estate to test his own limits, he was sent to the Sith Academy and quickly rose through the ranks as a powerful warrior and a deep thinker of the dark side. During the Empire's return to known space, he served under Lord Vindican and was instrumental in reclaiming the Sith homeworld of Korriban. It was there that he executed his own master after Vindican was wounded by Jedi, a move that signaled his transition from a mere apprentice to a prominent figure in the Sith military hierarchy. He spent the following years on the front lines, refining a combat style that favored overwhelming physical power and a cold, tactical intellect.

Malgus achieved his greatest fame during the Sacking of Coruscant, where he led the vanguard in the destruction of the Jedi Temple. He personally struck down the Jedi Master Ven Zallow, an event that solidified his reputation as one of the most dangerous combatants of his era. Shortly after the assault, he realized that his love for his Twi'lek companion, Eleena Daru, was a potential vulnerability that his rivals could exploit. In a display of brutal resolve, he murdered her to ensure his connection to the dark side remained untainted by sentiment, a move that certainly wouldn't win him any awards for loyalty outside of a Sith context. His resentment toward the Dark Council deepened when they chose to sign a peace treaty with the Republic, a decision he viewed as a cowardly betrayal of the Sith's true purpose of total galactic domination.

Following the presumed death of the Sith Emperor, Malgus seized the opportunity to create his own vision of a perfect Sith state. He retreated to the world of Ilum and utilized a hidden stealth fleet to declare himself the new Emperor of a reformed Empire. This New Empire was built on the principle of meritocracy, openly recruiting aliens and non-humans who had previously been marginalized by the Empire’s xenophobic policies. Malgus believed that the old Empire had grown weak through internal bickering and that only a unified, merit-based force could truly dominate the galaxy. This rebellion was his ultimate attempt to strip away the politics of the Sith and return the order to its roots of pure, unadulterated strength, setting the stage for a civil war within the Sith ranks.

Appearance: Darth Malgus has pale, heavily scarred skin on his face and scalp. His eyes are yellow with dark, sunken rims. A large, mechanical respirator mask covers his nose, mouth, and jaw, featuring two tubes that connect to the collar of his suit. A black hood is pulled up over his head, casting a shadow over his brow. He wears a heavy suit of dark grey and black armor. Large, curved pauldrons cover his shoulders. The chest plate features a central circular mechanism and small red rectangular lights. Ribbed, segmented armor plating protects his abdomen and torso. A long black cape hangs from his shoulders, draping down to the floor behind him. His arms are encased in textured sleeves with armored gauntlets on the forearms. Small red lights are visible on the wrist armor. His hands are covered in black gloves. A wide belt with metallic pouches and a central buckle sits at his waist. His legs are covered in segmented armor with horizontal ridges running down the thighs. Heavy, plated greaves protect his shins. His feet are clad in thick black armored boots.

Personality: As Emperor, Malgus embodies a cold and tactical intellect that prioritizes raw strength over the petty political bickering he loathed in the old Sith hierarchy. He is a visionary pragmatist who believes the Sith must return to their roots of total galactic domination through a meritocracy that values results regardless of a warrior's species. His personality is stripped of all sentiment, a deliberate choice he made by eliminating his own vulnerabilities to ensure his focus remains purely on the dark side. He carries himself with a stoic and intimidating authority, viewing his New Empire as a tool to excise the weakness and xenophobia that he feels has crippled the Sith for too long. His speech is blunt, formal, and devoid of humor, often delivering commands or philosophical truths with a gravelly finality that leaves no room for debate.

Equipment and Abilities: Malgus wears a heavily reinforced suit of black combat armor designed to withstand significant punishment while augmenting his already formidable strength. This armor integrates a life support system and a specialized respirator mask that covers the lower half of his face, which became a necessity following the severe facial injuries he sustained earlier in his career. His primary weapon is a single bladed lightsaber with a distinctive and angular hilt that he wields with crushing force. During his reign on Ilum, he also commands a massive stealth fleet, which serves as a technological marvel that allows his new empire to strike from the shadows with total impunity.

His Force abilities are a direct reflection of his philosophy, focusing on the raw and destructive power of the dark side. He is exceptionally proficient in the use of Force lightning, often unleashing cascades of blue energy to incapacitate or execute multiple foes at once. Malgus also utilizes Force choke and advanced telekinesis to manipulate the battlefield, frequently throwing debris or crushing the windpipes of his enemies with a mere gesture. His physical prowess is enhanced by his mastery of the Force, allowing him to perform acrobatic feats and deliver blows with enough strength to shatter bone or break through traditional Jedi defenses.

In combat, Malgus employs a brutal and aggressive style that favors power over finesse, often relying on his sheer size and the weight of his strikes to overwhelm opponents. He is a master of lightsaber combat, specifically utilizing a form that emphasizes powerful counterattacks and relentless pressure. This approach is fueled by his constant state of controlled rage, which he channels to sustain his physical form despite the numerous injuries he has accumulated over decades of war. His ability to withstand pain and continue fighting makes him a juggernaut on the front lines, a living embodiment of the Sith ideal that only the strongest are fit to lead.

The Cold War is a galaxy-level astropolitical tension between the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire and their respective allies after 3653 BBY. The Treaty of Coruscant ended the Great Galactic War, sealing the Sith Empire's partial victory and its annexation of almost two thirds of the known galaxy. Peace was gained, but tensions between the Empire and the Republic remained high, especially as the Empire began seizing more planets in the Core Worlds. In the ten years after the war, fear and uncertainty gripped the galaxy. Border skirmishes and proxy wars between the Empire and Republic erupted, and the uneasy truce between the two foes appeared to be on the verge of collapse, as it finally did in 3641 BBY. As a result of the immense power that they held during the Cold War, this was well-regarded as having been the time in which the Sith were at their mightiest.

The New Empire is a Sith Empire established by the rogue Sith Lord Darth Malgus. The new government was created due to disgust at the True Sith Empire's policies. Malgus had established a loyal army of droids, mercenaries, soldiers and Sith of a wide variety of species.