video; un: darth imperius

[drawsghosts]

I feel like I should just say this so that it's out there and we can skip any awkwardness.

Some of you may be wondering just what species I am. I've told some of you, but I don't make it a habit to broadcast it, since my people were common during my time.

I'm a Sith pureblood, the native species of Korriban.

Yes, the Sith were a race once upon a time. Then we had relations with Dark Jedi and from there came the Sith as an organization. Actually, pureblood is a bit of a misnomer, because most Sith like myself have at least some human in them, but it's an easy identifier if you're talking about a member of the Sith species.

Comments

[ezra_of_lothal]

[As always, with these sorts of informative post, especially from people native to his own native slice of the cosmos, he's mentally taking notes.]

Korriban got a mention is some of my Archive materials. But not that Sith was originally a name for a species.

Dark Jedi is also a new one on me, but - [He makes a face.] Self explanatory, I guess.

So does that make Sith as a school of philosophy a schism from Jedi teachings? Or, hmm, I'm sure your ancestors had their own culture too, yeah?

[drawsghosts]

Dark Jedi mainly refers to Jedi who have gone to the dark side, but don't follow the Sith philosophy. The term isn't widely used anymore.

Our ancestors once had our own culture yes, but in time it was mixed in with the Dark Jedis' and their own beliefs in the Force. There was a time when the Sith race looked less human than they do now, but generations of mixing with humans changed them.

[He waves a finger at his face for emphasis.]

[ezra_of_lothal]

Huh. A contrast, from my point of view, because the Empire in my time was kinda...speciest? Biased towards humans above all, then near humans, and then well...fur? Non-hand appendages? Anatomy that doesn't suit speaking Galactic Basic without assistance?

Sentients with those sorts of traits, much more likely to forced into labor camps. The lack of non-humans high up in the military or in Imperial governorship, really noticable.

I thought it was at least partly the Emperor's prejudice filtering down, but maybe he was just - ['Just' in audible air quotes.] Taking advantage of existing divisions between groups.

[drawsghosts]

Oh, species-ism was a thing in my Empire too. Much like your Empire, it was quite human-centric, and aliens weren't treated kindly. At best, most Imperial officers tolerated aliens, but for every open-minded Imperial there were fifty who toss around the words 'alien scum' like it's a standard greeting.

We Sith purebloods are exempt because we aren't considered aliens within the Empire. Even then, the Dark Jedi initially enslaved us, but obviously things changed.

[ezra_of_lothal]

Well that's...sobering. All this time, and the same problems keep coming back around.

[drawsghosts]

I certainly seems that way. Still, I can't say I'm pleased that your Empire seems to have the same problems as mine, and the only real difference is the number of Sith and Jedi.

[ezra_of_lothal]

Imperius is your chosen name. Or, um, was chosen for you?

At any rate, am I right in thinking that's because your hopes for the Empire were important to you?

[drawsghosts]

It was given to me by Darth Marr. He said it was in honor of my service to the Empire.

[ezra_of_lothal]

[Ezra nods slowly.]

Service you're still proud of?

[drawsghosts]

I won't pretend that my Empire isn't full of corruption, but I served it proudly, yes. I just have to root out the corruption, and I was in a position to make that easier before I got taken here.

[ezra_of_lothal]

Fair enough.

[History in Ezra's timeline suggests that might have been a fool's errand, but hey, infinite universes, right? And he himself has never truly been of the delusion that 'goodness' guaranteed victory of any kind, much less a definitive one.

Every attempt to make positive change matters, and he's not going to debate the particulars with Tawlyn, here and now.]

What do you think about being here, now that you've had a chance to settle in?

[drawsghosts]

I still miss my galaxy. I miss being able to kick back on the Fury, have my chats with my crew, and just the little things that I took for granted. But I've carved out a home here, and I've settled in for a long stay. Having access to books helps.

[ezra_of_lothal]

[Ezra breaks into a small smile.]

I'll cosign that. Including missing my family and friend and the Ghost, but here being home until the Force takes me elsewhere.

[He does not, in fact, believe it will take him anywhere, but back to the sea and whatever squid do in Mariana's depths.]

[drawsghosts]

Sometimes it's the little things I miss, like hearing Khem sharpening his blade or brewing a good jogun fruit tea.

Video; un: darkness

[survivalthroughhate]

That should help clear up any confusion for those already arrived, but you'll probably have to repeat it every month or so. I can't tell you how many times I've had to explain to people I'm just a different species and not a demon.

[drawsghosts]

When I first got here I was asked if I'd had body modifications done.

So many worlds out there seem to only have humans and no other sapient race.

[survivalthroughhate]

Yes, it appears many worlds are human-centric. I've met a number of them that have never heard of a single other sapient species. And a number of these worlds are also all focusing on the planet Earth. It's strange but it explains the small-mindedness some of them have.

[drawsghosts]

That it does. At first I wondered if Earth was an esoteric little planet that simply never saw alien life, but now I believe that the planet doesn't even exist in our galaxy. And that's not even getting into how there seems to be multiple versions of Earth across the multiverse.

[survivalthroughhate]

That is the most interesting part to me. Why is it this one planet that keeps cropping up time and again in different universes? Why this particular one out of the trillions in so many galaxies and not any other?

[drawsghosts]

Perhaps whatever power draws us here is strongest on Earth, or has the strongest connection to Earth. It also makes me wonder if perhaps there are other versions of Korriban or Dromund Kaas out there too, where things happened differently.

[survivalthroughhate]

It would make sense. The original half-Pthumerian who drew Sleepers to Deerington was born on Earth, so much of what she was familiar with were those from the same planet as well.

I've thought about the same thing as well. Are there other universes with versions of myself in them? I once experienced a vision of myself as a Jedi during my training. It was an experience that has stuck with me ever since.

[drawsghosts]

You, a Jedi? I suppose anything's possible in another dimension. Perhaps there's an alternate version of me who became a Jedi instead, or a version who went full Dark Side in my actions.

[A beat.]

Or a version who was never taken to Korriban and spent the rest of his life in servitude.

[survivalthroughhate]

Yes. That particular vision was caused by inhaling the ashes of fallen Sith warriors on Malachor. A very curious thing.

[#JustSithThings]

There are so many things that shape our destinies, many of them beyond our control.

[drawsghosts]

I'll be sure to wear a breathing mask should I ever visit Malachor, then.

[He's heard and experienced stranger things than that.]

If I were a Jedi I might say something about the Force willing certain things to happen. Personally I think luck, the right circumstances and free will play a bigger part.

[survivalthroughhate]

I don't believe in that nonsense about the Force willing this or that to happen. It sounds too close to predestination, as if all the pain and suffering I endured had already been fated to happen no matter what I did. You're right in thinking free will has a part to play. It's the choices that are made which decides which way our lives are destined to go.

[drawsghosts]

The Jedi would probably argue that your pain was indeed the will of the Force. Or that my life before Korriban was the will of the Force. At least, the Jedi of my era would. They can be stubborn like that.

[survivalthroughhate]

That sounds far too much like absolving everyone else around a person of their role in shaping someone's life. As if just saying "Oh, of course all the pain and suffering heaped on you by your master was just the will of the Force." Just saying that sounds condescending to my ears.

[drawsghosts]

I couldn't agree more. In a sense, the Force is the reason I'm no longer a slave, but only because Force sensitives are highly valued within my Empire.

[survivalthroughhate]

You were a slave? [That was one piece of Imperius' past that he hadn't heard before.] Is that why you didn't begin to learn how to wield the Force until you were older?

[drawsghosts]

Yes. Purebloods like myself are treated better than aliens, but we can be made into slaves just as any others. My great-grandparents were sold into slavery to avoid dying on the streets, and my family has been slaves ever since.

Sometimes Sith will comb the slave dens and communities looking for anyone with Force sensitivity, which is how I was found.

[survivalthroughhate]

I can sympathize.

[He'd never said it out loud but he was practically a slave in all but name to his master, which just made his desperate desire for the man to love him all that more twisted.]

I assume you were glad to get out of that position and become an apprentice?

[drawsghosts]

I was, yes. I had to compete with others for the position, and I was lucky that Lord Zash liked me best.

[He still feels bad for those who failed. They didn't deserve to die.]

cw: child killing others mention

[survivalthroughhate]

Interesting. Darth Sidious did something similar when he chose me as his apprentice. He always had his eye on me, of course, but he wanted to see if I'd be tough and brutal enough to be worthy of being his apprentice.

[To that end, he'd turned the young child into a killer fueled by rage, even from such a tender age. His plan had worked out magnificently as Sidious' plans usually did.]

[drawsghosts]

You know, I've always told my fellow Sith that if we weren't constantly killing each other and forcing apprentices to kill each other, then we'd outnumber the Jedi by now.

[survivalthroughhate]

That is the truth. Though I suppose the Sith wouldn't be the order they are without the constant backstabbing and murder attempts.

[drawsghosts]

I guess not. Still, I am on the Dark Council and I hope to change that.

[survivalthroughhate]

If you do, perhaps it will last for a time.

[Though clearly all the backstabbing and mistrust of the Sith had caught up with them by the time Maul had been inducted into the cult.]