Notes of a Zabraki Sith - nesta

[Joslae]

A desk would be made visible as the holorecording was turned on, revealing not much more than the desk and the chair behind it. Once the holocom had fully gone online, a Horuset acolyte entered the scene, taking a seat in the chair behind the desk. He was clad in the standard acolyte robes, with a weather-resistant cloak worn over it, the hood put up over his head.

“The Acolyte Trials. The second-last step to becoming an apprentice. I am so close to getting myself out of my current position as acolyte. I do have the feeling, however, that the first Trial was but the easiest one. The other Trials will be much harder, so I must prepare. End log.”

Ned would stand up and turn around, walking out of view of the holorecorder, before returning with a datapad and sitting down again, the recording terminating soon after.

[Joslae]

Thunder rolled as the holorecording began to film. Seated behind his desk, with the hood of the black Acolyte robes raised over his head, was Nedhorroc, a worried frown on his face.

“Lord Sanguinis has raised Valkará to apprenticehood, which, to be honest, confuses me, as I thought that he only took on one apprentice at a time. Why he has broken his own rule is a mystery to me.
In other news, the Acolyte Trials are over, and I have yet to prove myself to my potential master, mostly due to the false accusations Acolyte Alencia is throwing at me, possibly to slow my ascension to Apprenticehood. Regardless of her intentions, it is a pathetic accusation, for she only saw me make a holocall during the attack on the Th’Asidra, which in no way means that I am connected to the attack, and it is foolish to believe I am.

“I will see how this plays out in the grand scheme of things. End log.”

With a ‘click’ the holorecorder stops filming, and uploads the recording to Ned’s private archive.

[Joslae]

A number of thoughts regarding peace and the orthodoxy of the Sith.

The Sith Code states that “Peace is a Lie.” This is something every Sith is meant to believe in with almost fanatical confidence. This applies to much of Sith Philosophy, but above all the Sith Code, which is called on for everything a Sith does, even for governing our great Empire. Every Sith is expected to believe in the teachings of the Sith Code with almost a fanatical belief, if they wish to remain orthodox, which is the generally accepted tradition or practice. Thus, we can conclude that the orthodoxy of the Sith means not thinking--not needing to think, only believing what you are told. The orthodoxy of the Sith is unconsciousness.

Yet this goes against every principle of the Sith Order, and sounds more like the Jedi. After all, each Sith has autonomy, while the Jedi have to abide by the restricting rules of their order. If the Sith are orthodox, are we not alike the Jedi? Fanatically believing in our own beliefs, while denouncing the other group as heretics, or traitors. We denounce peace as a fabrication of the Jedi and the Republic, yet I fear we have all been interpreting ‘peace’ the wrong way. The Sith argue that there is no peace, as there is constant change. The world is not stagnant, they argue. The world is ever in flux.

The Jedi, in turn, argue for peace - harmony - in all things, yet if all we desired was peace for all, then we - or at least intelligent beings - would still be scratching for food from rotted tree-stumps.
Yet the Sith require peace as much as the Jedi. Without peace, you cannot keep your mind clear. Without peace, you forgo technique for brutal yet ineffective hacking and slashing, with no clear driving force but blind rage.

The Sith argue that peace is a lie, but have we not been at peace - true peace, not the lies the Treaty of Coruscant enforces as ‘peace’ - with the Republic for almost 2000 years following the founding of the Sith Empire by the Jedi Exiles until the Great Hyperspace War in 1,347 BTC?

Yes, the original Sith Empire was founded on the principle of war with the Republic, but its founders, the Dark Jedi exiles, never lived to see the war they prepared for.
Peace plays an important role in war, too. For what purpose have we sacked Coruscant in the Great Galactic War, other than to ensure favorable terms in the Treaty of Coruscant that followed?

It is foolish to dismiss ‘peace’ as a fabrication, as it has played a significant role in the history of both the Sith Order and our glorious Empire. Yet, the Sith refuse to see ‘peace’ for what it is: A driving force behind galactic affairs.

[Joslae]

A number of thoughts regarding absolute loss and its place within the Sith Order

Despair, is what most call it. Despair is absolute loss. Or rather, the end of it. The Sith feed on emotion, yet they cannot feed on despair, for its presence alone creates an emotional void, akin to the state the Jedi wish to attain. Since there are no emotions to feed on, there is no power to be gained, and thus, in the eyes of the Sith, it has no use.

It is through the creation of an emotional void that despair - absolute loss - is different from damnum, loss, in High Galactic. One can draw power from loss, particularly the loss of a loved one, or such a thing. The power one can unlock through loss is absolute, yet it is short-lived. It is akin to a Mark IV interceptor; if it can get its guns to bear, it is devastating, but it’s easily destroyed.
One can also draw power from dread, the knowledge and anticipation of despair.

Since despair creates an emotional void, I consider it stagnant, as there is no change, not even a fluctuation, through that despair is absolute, and through this stagnation, I have no use for it.
The Sith, too, do not have a use for despair, as one cannot draw power from it. Therefore, this state of mind has no place in the Sith Order, nor the Empire as a whole, although there are most likely Sith who refute this fact.
They are Heretics, nothing more, nothing less. And I will destroy every single one of them, if that be required of me, although I would rather deceive them to serve me, as even Heretics have a use.

[Joslae]

A number of thoughts regarding Purity in its various forms.

Purity can be interpreted in various ways, many of which are prevalent in the House of Horuset and its allies. Racial purity, oft called Racism, is openly present and generally accepted within the Houses, and the Empire as a whole.
It celebrates the idea that one species - within the Houses, it is the Sith Pureblood, within the Empire it is both the Sith Pureblood and the Human - is superior to all others.
The Empire has a general sense of xenophobia, in that it sees aliens as cancer, something that needs to be cut away. Hence, Sith such as acolyte Sovernus Nova and myself are seen as lesser, only because of our alien heritage. The Sith Purebloods that are the pride of the Houses see themselves as superior to us, simply because of their ‘pure’ heritage, their traditionalist views, and their natural affinity for the Dark Side.
Racial purity is present in every galactic society and/or species. My own species, for example, holds up a facade of xenophilia, while viewing the weaker of their race as lesser beings. This is internal purity, also known as elitism.

I am reminded of an encounter acolytes Sovernus Nova, Zena Vici and myself had with a Sith Pureblood apprentice when we had only just joined the Horuset Powerbase. If I remember correctly, we were discussing the prophecy of the Sith’ari, (The Sith’ari will be free of limits, the Sith’ari will lead the Sith and destroy them, the Sith’ari will raise the Sith from death and make them stronger than before.) which acolyte Vici made fun of, at which the apprentice entered the scene. She chastised Vici for making fun of the prophecy, stating that “Traditions are something that should be taken seriously.”.

It is here where we see a discrepancy in the apprentice’s zealous behavior, as acolyte Nova subsequently asked the apprentice about Bloodsoup (a delicacy of the Sith Purebloods), at which the apprentice giggled, and stated that it is her favorite delicacy as if to unnerve acolyte Vici. As the apprentice giggled, acolyte Sovernus asked whether Bloodsoup had greater traditional and symbolical value than simply being a delicacy. The apprentice stared him down, stating that "Oh, you were serious."
Why would an apprentice tell acolytes not to make fun of traditions, and then attempt to use those same traditions to unnerve one of the acolytes? Isn’t that hypocritical, and by extension heretical behavior?

Following, acolyte Sovernus asked me whether or not the traditions of old should be taken seriously. I answered his question, stating that they should be respected and taken seriously at all times. It is now, several months - perhaps a year later, that I realize that Sovernus was chastising the apprentice in his own, deceitful ways, exposing her hypocrisy and heresy.
As the apprentice heard Sov chastising her, she decided to recover what she could and leave the room, after saying something I don’t remember. This apprentice’s behavior could be worth using to my own advantage and warrants further investigation.

One of the other kinds of Purity found within the Houses is purity of thought, or orthodoxy, as it is more commonly known.
I have previously recorded my thoughts on the subject matter, (refer to entry #3 of this journal) and concluded that - and I quote: “The orthodoxy of the Sith is not thinking. Not needing to think, just believing what you are told. The orthodoxy of the Sith is unconsciousness.”
This purity of thought is frightening, as it is easily corrupted, and then does not serve its original purpose. This same principle can be applied to language, and language alone can change thoughts, or make them impossible to express. Thought can also corrupt language, and it might have disastrous consequences if it does. Thus, we come to the conclusion that if thought corrupts language, language also corrupts thought.

One of the many types of purity I rarely encounter in the Houses, however, is purity of information. This is natural, of course, as information is never pure, being tainted by political views, alignment or other factors once it is transferred verbally, or written down. Hence, so-called 'objective' information does not exist, those who claim that it does are fools. This is exemplified quite well by the Sith Order, where you are more likely to encounter half a truth or a lie, instead of the (subjective) truth. This is, of course, necessary for any true Sith to survive the ruthless pecking order that exists within the Order, and one needs to hone their skills of lying to perfection if they wish to achieve a rank deserving of respect. After all, the gift of a good liar is making people think you lack a talent for lying.

[Joslae]

A number of thoughts regarding the importance of acolytes.

Sith Acolytes are perhaps the most important resource that the House of Horuset and Sith society as a whole possesses. They are the foundation on which the Sith Order is built, the cattle from which only the strongest and most cunning survive to live. The latter is done through three Trials (known as the ‘culling period’, according to my fellow acolyte Sovernus Nova), which attempts to mold them into beings truly worthy to be Sith. However, it does not secure apprenticeship, but the acolytes who have passed three Trials (usually seen as the senior acolytes) are eligible to be taken on as apprentices to Sith, Sith Lords, or Dark Lords of the Sith.
For a description of the position of Sith Acolyte we again turn to acolyte Sovernus Nova, as quoted from his entry into the Acolyte Competition, as held by apprentice Annabelle:


“Aspirants of the Dark Side, they are colloquially referred to as initiates contending to establish their worth as a Sith. Often these are hopefuls and unforged candidates with varying limits and degrees of knowledge- whether practical or theoretical. This hinges on their lineage and legacy, which may vary from promising applicants from esteemed Houses or decrepit slaves with the fortunes of fate of being a force-sensitive.

“As with unmolded clay, these aspirants are tempered through harsh and grueling climates and adversity to develop their untrained competency and mastery of the Force. These acolytes are expected to immerse within the studies of the Sith, dedication to theoretical philosophy, conceptual tactics and understanding the revered Sith Code. Overseers provide ample opportunities for these acolytes to consolidate their development through guidance, yet a promising acolyte should be sufficiently aware that their studies should not be reliant on instructors.”

These passages alone give the reader a clear image of what the position of acolyte entails while establishing that acolytes are on the lowest rung of the ladder, subservient to everyone above them - at least in the Sith Order. This fact is important. Sith apprentices and up are able to order acolytes around, give them tasks, or punish them if the Sith in question sees fit to do so. They are simply a resource to be exploited, used, and then discarded. However, without acolytes, the Sith Order could not continue. It is from the pool of senior acolytes that Sith can choose their apprentice(s), and without acolytes, much of what the Empire has achieved would be impossible.

Hence, even acolytes who fail the Trials have a role to play in the grand scheme of things, for they might not be able to advance to apprenticeship, yet their experience in the Trials proves invaluable in establishing their superior- and seniority over newer, weaker, and younger acolytes, even if they have failed the Trials. Their seniority and experience oft proves valuable to their superiors as well, since more experienced acolytes know how to obey their superiors, and follow orders to the letter. Senior acolytes are able to bend the Force to their will, and control their lightsaber better than junior acolytes or new arrivals, and are thus able to complete the missions their superiors give them with more precision and efficiency.

Thus, I conclude this entry with the message that the position of Sith Acolyte is one of the most important - if under-appreciated - roles within the Empire, and that without the humble role of Sith Acolyte, Sith society as it is now, would most likely not exist.

[Joslae]

In an explosion of light the form of Nedhorroc would appear, clad in the standard robes of a Horuset acolyte. He was standing in the wilderness of Dromund Kaas - what appeared to be a valley surrounded by trees. Ned’s hood was raised over his head, so that his face was only illuminated by the lightning that ever flashed in the sky over the Imperial Capital. As he began speaking, his voice was filled with thinly-veiled passion. Passion of a bestial sort.

“I have received my task,” The Zabrak would growl, passion slowly being replaced by calm - peace. “I am to make contact with a sith of lord rank or higher, and arrange a meeting for the one who gave me the task.
Were I to successfully complete this task, more will follow, and once I complete those I will undoubtedly be elevated to the rank of Sith Apprentice.”

Once the Zabrak finished, he would turn around and raise his right arm, sending a force shock at a tree which had seemingly felt the ripple of electricity before, judging by the scorch marks on its barks. While doing so, Ned would start speaking again.

“I have been betrayed by the one I have broken. They must have told acolyte Valqine of what transpired, otherwise they would not have dared betray me.
Acolyte Valqine has officially graduated from an annoyance that I humor, to a fully fledged nuisance or perhaps a threat. He had the audacity to attack me without a reason, while there were Sith present, and dared break one of my horns. I will do well to rid myself of him. His… accomplice, acolyte Nobrcer is an outright fool and a blemish on the pride of both House Horuset and the Sith order as a whole. Rumor circulates that he dueled with acolyte Sovernus, and that Nobrcer lost, but Valqine dared interfere and save Nobrcer from the fate he deserves: death.

This shows their blatant disregard for Sith teachings, which decree that only the strongest shall survive. In losing to acolyte Nova, Nobrcer showed his and Valqine’s weakness, their over-reliance on each other. Were Valqine to be removed from the picture, I think Nobrcer would collapse, and the other way around, for they are dependent on each other. This shows another weakness, for the Sith aim for full autonomy; no self-reliance on others. I will see how this plays out in the grand scheme of things.

When the Zabrak stopped speaking, he would fix his piercing gaze at the holorecorder, staring unflinchingly at those that could be watching. After a number of seconds, the recording would stop, the image fading into nothingness.