DARKER

by blueenvelopes

Did you ever hear the tragedy of Darth Malgus? Darth Malgus was a Sith lord so powerful and so ambitious that even among his own kind he was distrusted. He had such a knowledge of the Dark Side but his true distinction lay in his ideas that were far ahead of his time. This Sith lusted for change as much as he lusted for power. But he lusted for a woman most of all.

1. Chapter 1

FOREWORD

I usually write notes at the conclusion of my stories, but since this tale began only to languish unfinished for months, I feel as though I owe readers an explanation.

After The Last Jedi came out, I got sidetracked on two Reylo stories (Tied on a String and Son of Darkness). But Reylo is out of my system, and it is time to return to the Old Sith Empire and to one of my favorite Siths, Darth Malgus. His story really captured my imagination when I ran across his name in one of those "Who is Snoke?" internet speculation posts. One theory had Malgus as Snoke. A few clicks later, I was convinced that idea was wrong but I was enthralled by Malgus himself. While I am a longtime SW fan, I have never read any of the EU materials and I do not play videogames. Malgus wasn't in the movies, so I had no idea who he was. But as I learned more, I couldn't wait to write his story.

Thank you to anyone who has waited patiently for this story to resume. All in all, I think the hiatus from this story will improve it. I rush my Reylo. It's easy to write and easy to rush. But this story will not be rushed. I want to devote time to make it meaningful. So bear with me as it unfolds. I am rewriting a bit as I go. Nothing major—but some tweaks, to be sure. The revised chapters will be posted before the new stuff comes.

Okay, stop reading now and go watch the "Deceived" LucasArts trailer for the Old Republic video game starring Darth Malgus. I'd put a link here but the site won't let me do it. Just google "malgus and deceived" and it will pop up. Seriously, go do it. Get an impression of the man as the Lucasfilm guys envisioned him.

That's our hero and his Sith posse attacking the Jedi Temple in the Battle for Coruscant. Malgus calmly walks in. That's pretty much how he enters every room. And, when it's over, he calmly walks out.

Malgus is not a man taking shape. He is a man fully formed with decades of experience navigating his life. He's made mistakes—big ones. And he has regrets, too. But they do not define who he is or what he wants. He also has success, even if there are plenty of goals left to achieve.

Malgus wants what a Sith always wants: power. He has plenty, but it's not enough, of course. Malgus wants to defeat the Republic in the Great Galactic War so the Sith can rule the galaxy. But little by little as his frustrations grow, Malgus finds a new, even bolder goal: He wants to rule the Sith. When we meet him, he's trying to advance up the ranks from within. By the time my story ends, he will begin to abandon that strategy.

The sacking of the Coruscant Jedi Temple shown in the trailer is a turning point in Malgus' life. It will occur near the end of my story. The fallout from that battle—both personally and professionally—will set Malgus on a new course. This story is about the events leading up to that moment. About a Sith stalled in his war, frustrated in his career, and in a rut in his personal life. It's an ordinary day for Malgus until suddenly everything changes for the worse. Of course, it all begins when our Sith meets a girl.

'Girl meets Sith' is my favorite storyline. History buff Darth Ren meets his girl when he's visiting an old battlefield looking for answers (Ghosts of the Past), Senate candidate Darth Sidious meets his girl when he's feeling a bit rebellious and wanders into a strip club (Red), Darth Plagueis meets his girl when he is disturbed at meditation in his Naboo temple by a Jedi who accidentally barges in (Fifth Wife). And Darth Malgus? Our hero meets his girl when she unwittingly tries to kill him. That always gets a Sith's attention.

This story is my own alternative universe loosely adapted from various synopses of the EU legends material. Details will be left out or rearranged. Some things will outright change. Don't let my inconsistencies, timeline variations, and eccentricities trouble you. This is a Sith legend, and the truth of the matter as told in my tale will not be how things unfold in the canon materials.

SW canon tells us that Darth Malgus discovered a young, abused Twi'lek slave girl named Eleena Daru who he took for his own. Malgus and Eleena ultimately became lovers, companions, and comrades in arms. It was a twisted relationship, with suggestions of emotional and physical abuse. Malgus feared his love for Eleena was a weakness unbecoming a Sith. His rivals knew of the relationship and used it against him. To resolve the issue, Malgus killed his lover by driving a lightsaber through her heart. She was his greatest weakness in life, but his greatest strength in death. For the self-inflicted pain of her loss fueled the rage of Darth Malgus, increasing his power and making him DARKER. Love for power trumped love for Eleena in the end. At least, that's what Lord Malgus would want you to believe. Malgus the public Sith and Malgus the private man are not the same, you see . . .