boxofmisfits | An Inquisitor in the Sith Empire

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An Inquisitor in the Sith Empire

With so few Jedi alive, and with only a crude way to find new Force sensitives, the Grand Inquisitor often had time on his hands. Usually this was spent meditating or training, or searching for any Order 66 survivors. Today, the Grand Inquisitor was studying artifacts, having uncovered an ancient Sith trove. Mostly they were stone tablets in a dead language, but what truly caught his attention was the holocron. Who knew what secrets lay within, should he be able to open it.

After much meditation, he found a way.

All he remembered next was a flash of red light and suddenly he was no longer in the Inquisitor stronghold. He was in a bustling city he didn't recognize. It wasn't Coruscant, Naboo or even Corellia. What he did know what that the Dark Side was strong here.

The Inquisitor had only been on the street for a couple of minutes before a pair of humans in dark robes accosted him.

"Hey you! Alien!"

"What do you think you're doing wandering around like you own the place?"

As the Inquisitor reached for his lightsaber, one of the humans used a Force Push to throw him against the wall, leaving him dazed long enough for a nearby uniformed man to slap a pair of cuffs on him. One of the humans confiscated his lightsaber.

"Probably stole it off some apprentice," He mumbled, before handing it to the officer.

The Inquisitor could only go along for now, as the officer hauled him into a cell, placing his lightsaber in a locker for now. For now, all he could do was meditate, and think of a way to escape.

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"You've become my apprentice," Altair said, tilting his head slightly to the side, "So you can't say that you are not a true Sith any more."

He hadn't been trained as a Sith in the academy, sure. But there were many Sith who hadn't done that either, such as Jedi who had ended up defecting to the Empire. Some younger defectors had ended up going to Korriban, but it wasn't like it was necessary for his new apprentice to do that when a master had already chosen to take him in.

"If you'd like to spend some time in the Sith academy to get used to how things are done here, that's fine- but there is no one in the Empire who would dare openly challenge my authority and call you anything other than Sith."

The way he'd chosen Xalek hadn't exactly been standard either, given that Xalek had ignored the subtleties of murder and had killed another acolyte right in front of him. Altair's fellow Councilors might raise an eyebrow at how he'd acquired a third apprentice to call his own, but even they would not question him.

"I'll be looking forward to where your ambition takes you- though I should also clarify that while I wish for you to strive for victory, the most important part is that you survive any failure along the way."

Not a typical desire for a Sith, he knew. But Altair had already lost two of his apprentices before. He didn't ever want to lose any apprentice of his again.

"Oh, I have no intention of dying, of that I assure you."

Seeing Korriban in all its glory, it would be like a dream come true. The temples, the academy, all still there and still active. How much did history record, and how much was true, he wondered. He would be the envy of his peers and his master if they knew.

"In my time, I lead the Inquisitors. I suppose we would be classified as Dark Jedi, though we didn't call ourselves that. You see, long after your time, a Sith by the name of Darth Bane created the Rule of Two, in the name of ensuring our survival. The rule states that only two Sith may exist at once, no more and no less. Ostensibly, it was to keep the Sith from destroying each other and ensure that they could hide in the shadows, waiting to take revenge."

A silly rule, if he did say so himself. Especially now that the Jedi were gone.

"By not making us full Sith, my master was able to get around the Rule of Two, thus giving him a small army of dark Force users."

"... That... Is the dumbest thing I've ever heard."

Even if he hadn't given them Sith titles, they were Sith in all but name.

"I can understand the fall of the Empire and the Sith Order- I can't say that I much agree with how we're currently doing things and wasting talent which might very well be our downfall- but this Rule of Two that Darth Bane created sounds more useless than a sauna on Tatooine. And any Sith following it afterwards must be intellectually deficient."

Altair understood the need to hide. After all, the Sith had done that before. Being driven on the run, in hiding until they could gather their strength and eventually reclaim Korriban and reclaim their place in the galaxy. But only two being able to exist at a time was impossible to pull of.

"Unless he added a clause for how to deal with the apprentice killing the master or the other way around, no Sith Lord worth their salt is going to waste the time and effort it would take to essentially start from scratch if their first apprentice spontaneously combusts. And no apprentice is going to quietly accept not eventually having their own student to teach their own way of following the dark."

Thus the Inquisitors, Altair imagined.

"I imagine plenty of your fellow Inquisitors would love nothing more than to kill you and take your place, and I imagine this master of yours had plenty of backups in case something went wrong with the first one."

That was what made sense to him, anyway.

"If Darth Bane and this master of yours truly wanted to keep Sith from destroying each other, they would take a decimated Sith Order and put the idea of strength in unity so firmly in their head that no Sith trained under these new rules would ever think to challenge the wisdom that power comes through ruling the galaxy together with an iron fist ever again. Perhaps add a few more lines to the Code that puts in-fighting on the same level of cardinal sin as weakness and self-destruction. If you are essentially handed a blank slate, there are ways of manipulating Sith teachings to your own benefit."

There were, after all, as many different ways to interpret the code as there were Sith. Altair certainly did not teach his apprentices the same slop as the Overseers in the academy taught.

"If the way the Sith are now and the way we will continue to be caused our downfall, then take that failure and beat your apprentices over the head with it until it becomes an ultimate shame."

It was probably a bit scary how much Altair seemed to like the hypothetical of how to lead a Sith resurgence in a world where their ways had been hidden away and mostly forgotten. And how cheery he sounded when describing how acolytes in that hypothetical should be beaten down until they truly believed that power came from unity to the point that rebellion against the idea became a taboo.

Really though.

Sith and those who were not quite Sith sounded more like a recipe for disaster to him even aside from the logistical impossibility of it.

The Inquisitor listened to Altair's rant, nodding along every so often, truly interested in what he had to say. It was actually rather cathartic to hear a Sith of old come to these opinions, and how the Rule of Two was only holding them back in his era. It kept him and the others from being considered full Sith, while Palpatine was allowed to reign as master of the Sith, with only a single apprentice as competition.

"Oh, I have no doubt that many of the Inquisitors under my belt would have killed me and taken my position if they had the chance. They would find that I am not so easily gotten rid of." Hate could be a powerful motivator.

"The Emperor of my time, my master is his third apprentice, I believe. He would train them, then something would happen to them and he'd simply replace them."

"As is the Sith way," Altair commented, since it really was the Sith way to murder to move up in the world. The Inquisitors really were Sith denied their name and only a fool would think otherwise so far as he was concerned.

"And I'm sure those apprentices all had their eye on someone to make into their own students, too. You can't learn the code and not want more."

Everyone interpreted the code a bit differently, of course. It was Altair's belief that there were as many different Sith philosophies as there were Sith. They weren't like the Jedi, after all. Their code wasn't set in stone, it was always shifting and always changing. Murder wasn't technically a requirement for the student to surpass the master, but many Sith interpreted the code like that anyway and the ones who did things differently were fun to study. He gave a soft and thoughtful little hum then, "This conversation is making me ponder the value of murdering Lord Aruk again- that is, the Councilor at the head of the Sphere of Sith Philosophy."

If Marr could essentially lead more than one Sphere, then so could he.

He gestured for the Inquisitor to follow him then- so that he could actually follow through on leading him up to where the guestroom was. Through the hall lined with both statues and artifacts that practically radiated dark side energy, and then up the stairs that were somewhat less oppressive with the amount of plants lining the sides of the stairs- though Altair's dedication to the Empire was clear even there as the Empire's flags decorated the walls as they ascended.

"Oh, I do not doubt that. Darth Tyranus went through two apprentices before his demise." Last he heard, that Ventress woman was a bounty hunter now, and he could guess that Savage had met an untimely end. Maul was still unaccounted for, and as far as he knew, Lord Vader had no 'proper' apprentice.

"Is he that incompetent at this job? Or did he simply insult you in some way?" Just because Altair was reasonable didn't mean he wasn't still a Sith. The Sith found all manner of reasons to murder each other, according to history.

He followed Altair, immediately being hit with the dark side energy that radiated from the decor and taking it in stride. The Inquisitor took a moment to admire some of the statues and artifacts, marveling at all the history within this very room.

"I don't think I've ever spoken so much as a word to him, nor him to me, actually," Altair said, trying to remember if he'd even met the man. Many of the Councilors chose to avoid the meetings of the Dark Council unless participation was mandatory, choosing instead to focus their attention on whatever their Sphere happened to be focusing on or on the ongoing war.

"I do want his seat, though. Thankfully I have many rivalries with my fellow Councilors so if I did go after him, I wouldn't be the first suspect," He added, rather pleasantly. Normally Altair needed more of a reason to go after another Sith but it would be nice to have a say in the shaping of the Order as a whole.

"I figure that if Marr can essentially run multiple Spheres of Influence depending on which seats are left vacant for a time, then so can I."

Marr had been on the Council for a long time, of course. He was trusted, even valued, for the stability and military might he brought to the table.

"Of course I'd like to take over Lord Rictus's Sphere too- too often does the Sphere of Mysteries meddle in Ancient Knowledge's business."

He glanced back at the other man then and smiled slightly, "It is fairly common for Councilors of similar Spheres to form strong rivalries with each other. Out of all of my fellows, I'd say the only one I get on well with is Marr and given that he practically heads the entire Imperial military on his own, it lends me a bit more influence than someone like me usually should have."

Implying, of course, that Marr trusted Altair the way that Altair trusted him.

"Now, if someone was to decide to murder Lord Ravage, I'd be suspect number one. Of course they wouldn't need to look very far if I did murder him since I'd be stringing his entrails up across Kaas City like party streamers afterwards."

"It sounds to me that you wish the Empire was run entirely by yourself and Marr." Altair must have respected Marr a lot, if he was one of the few he didn't wish to kill. The Inquisitor briefly entertained the idea of his new master being the Sith Emperor of this time. Records of the current Emperor were scarce in his time, but what little he'd read he was an absent ruler.

He turned his attention to another statue, wondering what someone like Admiral Thrawn would think of it.

"Do you not think that would overburden you, having so much responsibility? I was under the impression that there are twelve seats in order to allocate the work evenly."

"I would welcome Lord Vowrawn's input as well. It is my understanding that he does an excellent job- when he is fully motivated to work."

Altair supposed that when you'd been on the Council for as long as Vowrawn had and got to be his age at all, one got pickier with the duties one decided to uphold oneself and everything else could be delegated to apprentices and other Lords in one's Sphere. Though he himself thought that he would never tire of doing the work. The Sith had a long and fascinating history to uncover, after all.

As for whether Altair would prefer an Empire headed by himself and Marr, well. His silence spoke more than words given that he didn't deny it. Of course he was careful to not speak those sorts of thoughts out loud even within the privacy of his own home.

"I'm not as close with him as I would like to be though, though I believe he has a close relationship with the Emperor's Wrath."

Altair had- fortunately- never met the Wrath. And would very much like to keep it that way. When it came to Sith to get close to, the Emperor's own attack dog was best avoided. Unless your name was Vowrawn, it seemed. Altair was perfectly content with only having seen the Wrath from a distance- that was more than close enough.

"That does make him what you'd call odd given that most Sith would prefer that Lord Wrath does not become aware of their existence. I suppose I lucked out in that we were of different stations during our days at the Academy and thus our paths never crossed- we did graduate at around the same time though."

He did pause in leading the other man to allow him to stop and inspect the artwork he had on display.

"And I don't have much to say about Lord Jadus either, I suppose- last I heard he had withdrawn somewhere to do his own thing while his Sphere runs itself."

That hadn't gone too well recently, of course, but the Sphere itself endured through fear of its absent master. Intelligence too would restructure itself and return, he imagined. It wasn't as though he had the right to take those matters into his own hands given how wildly different his own focus was from Intelligence work.

"That is the intention, but given that about half the Council tends to be dead at any given time, it rarely ever works out that way. Most of us end up handling work outside our usual duties to make up for whichever one of us kicked the bucket last."

"Hm, the Emperor's Wrath. I've seen the title mentioned in old tomes, and could parse that it was a position close to the Emperor, though sadly any information regarding his identity and official standing within the Empire was lost." It didn't take a genius to figure out that with a title like Wrath, it meant you were essentially the Emperor's living weapon.

Altair made this Wrath sound very fearsome indeed, if the rulers of the Empire didn't wish themselves in his crosshairs.

Jadus was another figure who he only knew by name, but had very little to go on. A figure shrouded in mystery. Whatever possessed him to flee the known galaxy, he couldn't fathom. He imagined it took a lot to make a Sith of this time take such drastic action.

"You make it sound like Dark Council members dying is a common occurrence."

"He's a mystery to most of us, too. The official stance is to not bother him and he won't bother us- unless the Emperor is particularly cross with one of us, that is."

The Wrath could not ignore a direct order from above, after all. Altair was glad he didn't have to live his life carrying out someone else's will. He could befriend and trust who he wanted without the fear that someone else might order him to kill them. Of course there was the chance that he might need to kill a friend regardless, but at least it would be his and their choice to make enemies out of each other.

And the Emperor directly involving himself in the Empire's matters didn't really happen any more. Their ruler was quiet and Altair preferred it that way.

"We've lost six in... Oh, about the last three months or so."

They were usually quickly replaced, but it did further destabilize the Empire when a pair of Lords began fighting over a vacant seat. It was why Altair wasn't opposed to the idea of one Councilor pulling double or triple duty for multiple Spheres.

"A new Councilor often has their tenure measured in days or weeks. I believe the betting pool over how long I'll last is still ongoing."

He was young and he was an alien, after all. Not the sort of Sith anyone expected to last.

"A lot of Sith lost their bets when Malgus died and I didn't on Ilum though. Of course I came out significantly richer," He said with a smile. He had joined the betting pool and put money down on surviving when Malgus had betrayed them, after all.

"That doesn't seem terribly efficient," The Inquisitor mused, turning back to Altair. "If you ask me, the Empire needs a better system for vetting candidates for the Dark Council." That would probably sound insulting, worthy of punishment or death, but the Inquisitor felt that he knew Altair well enough by now that he could speak his mind.

"You will have to tell me that story, of you and Malgus on Ilum, one of these days." The Inquisitor remembered going to Ilum when he was a youngling, getting his first crystal, before he'd been sent to Temple guard training.

Altair couldn't help but let out a soft little huff of laughter at that, "It really isn't- and I don't disagree. Of course it is in our nature to struggle for our place in the world, but I find that the superior Sith is rarely the one that ends up with a seat on the Council- only the one who happens to have the most support during their climb."

Of course some Sith found their way onto the Council on their own, but then got too wrapped up in their own greatness to make the connections that they should.

"There is a world of difference between a Lord asking for assistance from someone of a higher rank and demanding that same assistance from their equals but few hopefuls seem to understand that."

Many a Lord failed to cultivate the sort of base they needed to hang onto their power. Altair hadn't been a Councilor for long but he had learned the limits of how much power he could borrow from his allies and how much he needed to have himself to ensure he didn't lose his seat and his life. Mercy was not a requirement for a Sith and so to beg one's equals for aid without anything to offer in return only invited ridicule.

"It's unfortunate that nepotism is alive and well throughout every strata of the Empire. If the Academy did a better job at educating its students, perhaps we might measure the tenure of Councilors in years rather than weeks."

He smiled then, rather pleasantly, "I think you'll fit right in with my crew of misfits. I happen to enjoy having apprentices who speak their minds."

He followed it up with a vague and dismissive gesture then as he turned his mind to Malgus, "And it wasn't anything so grand as to be called a story. We fought. I won. He lost. It is a pity though- Malgus was misguided, but he had many ideas that would have benefited the Empire had he gone about things differently. Among other things, he thought that the inclusion of aliens would strengthen the Empire rather than weaken it."

Needless to say, that was something Altair agreed with. Aliens should not just be allowed to become Sith, but they should also be made full citizens with as many rights and opportunities as the humans. The Empire would be stronger for it by allowing alien citizens to hold ranks within the military and have influence over their society.

"That is individualism for you though. He didn't know how to affect positive change and so he tried to force it and had to be swatted down like a fly."

"It may take a while for me to get used to being allowed to speak my mind. My previous master favored blind obedience and simply doing what you were told." The 501st Legion often got a new captain every week or so for displeasing Darth Vader, for example.

"The Empire's xenophobia can only hold it back. It is a shame that Malgus did not find a better way to implement change that this Empire so desperately seems to need." Even the Inquisitor was barely tolerated within his own Empire, and was often looked down on for being an alien. But the Jedi didn't discriminate and thus many Jedi who chose to join the Inquisitors after the Clone Wars were aliens.

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An Inquisitor in the Sith Empire

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