Chapter Sixteen
Whilst the Sith fleet was being torn apart by the Jedi and Republic forces, Lord Scourge was charting the hyperspace route out to Utapau. Amongst the worlds that the Sith "Emperor" had told him were the most likely, he deduced Utapau from the fact that the one called Algethiius was destroyed and it was in the Unknown Regions, too far for a practical colonial force. The other systems that were in Known Space either belonged to the Hutts, the Republic, or were close enough to where Sith activity could be easily reported by either one. Aside from the confirmation the Emperor gave him silently, Utapau was the only one that was in a single hyperspace jump of Republic Space, was not known as a Sith world, and was suitable.
This one has picked a magnificent location to begin the rejuvenation of the Empire Scourge thought. And indeed he had as Utapau was filled with sinkholes deep enough to support entire networks of underground caverns wide enough for anyone to disperse into the heart of the planet itself and never come back. It was perfect for ambushing enemies ill-equipped for night vision fighting and, most important, the caverns probably opened up to dozens more tunnels that allowed an ambush to commence. One could spend a lifetime helping the Empire recover in the darkness of the caverns without ever emerging to meet or greet any Jedi at all. More important, the people respected strength and the Sith would need their ranks replenished as quickly as possible.
When Scourge finally arrived, he saw that the ruling class, the Pau'ans had plenty in their ranks who would provide for fearsome soldiering someday. Combined with a lifespan of seven centuries, a Pau'an who trained ten pupils per year could train many tens of thousands before their life ended. Keeping the chain going, those ten that they trained could each train ten more, bolstering the Sith army into the millions. The Sith would have what they needed to launch another attack against the Republic and even better was that there would be different techniques to it this time. Utapau, Scourge observed, had more in the way of phrik alloy ore than any other planet he had come across in his tenure within and outside the Empire.
The alloy could easily be made into the shields he observed the natives wielding into their warfare as well as the blades, blasters, and body armor of soldiers. Those who ascended the ranks of the Imperial military would get the blades and blasters, having earned the right to them, while the common man wielded more destructible weapons. Doubtless, there would be those among the Sith who needed lightsabers and when that time came, he could also order phrik alloy integrated into the hilts so that the Jedi could not destroy the weapons of their mortal enemies. Most likely, the immortal Emperor who had beseeched his help had this in mind when he encouraged Scourge to consider taking his place if the reports confirmed his passing. Scourge smiled, respecting the man and almost wishing he didn't perish in the ritual though he knew the grim ramifications of his success from seeing Vitiate's power firsthand.
Still, he also saw the other reason that he was needed whether or not the current Emperor succeeded in his ambitions. He was one of the last surviving Sith Purebloods that was neither dead nor living out their days in a Republic holding cell. It would only take about twenty more deaths before the Pureblood species could not longer be sustained without heavy inbreeding and when those twenty had intermingled themselves in the bloodlines of the others, then what? Very soon, he would be all that was left of a dying species, excluding the enchanted Massassi who had no need of such things as long as they stood guard at the various temples they were charged with.
He shuddered to think of what he would see if he didn't order the prominent extermination of the rest of his species upon becoming Emperor. But how to do that without tainting his reign in the blood of his own kin, if distant kin? The only way out he saw was to order every last Pureblood besides himself to go and reinforce the Sith initiative at Nogatan and let the Jedi do the exterminating. On the exterior, he had to make it appear like they were running off to disobey the orders of their liege to reinforce him at Nogatan. This extermination would need guile, cunning, and deceit (all the traits of the Sith he didn't normally profess himself good at).
Then it occurred to him that he didn't even have to think about that at all. Sending reinforcements of any type would give success to the mission and if he said that the Emperor had called for them, he could persuade all Purebloods to leave the system and give their all to the fight. They'd be walking into a suicide yes but they would do so in a manner that aided the vendetta of the Sith. Or did he have to send them on the mission for that purpose? Suppose he wanted to stop the Emperor from becoming immortal? As he looked out to the remnants of the Sith, he counted about twenty-five thousand remaining Purebloods, an adequate force to send in reinforcement... or to help the Republic.
By the legalities of the Empire, the Emperor was banned from performing the ritual of immortality on themselves or any Sith since the abuse of power allowed by Vitiate in his reign. If he turned over the proof he had dug up, including a recorded confession from Lord Crassus, he could legally justify an expedition to help the Republic end him and the extermination of his species. He would deal a mercy killing to his species and stop another immortal from arising to rule the Sith beside himself, he who could be beaten as long as someone was strong enough. With the plans of the would-be immortal in his hand, he would lead the Sith to an even grander time than had been noted in the days of Lord Vitiate.
Looks like you get your wish of all immortals being killed off, Nyriss. Hope you're happy Scourge taunted silently. Nyriss had been a coward as had the rest of the Dark Council of her day, preferring to pawn off their rivals as 'sacrifices' to a higher cause to taking any decisive action. Perhaps they would have brought the Empire to ruination if they had succeeded but it would be the kind of ruination the Sith would inevitably rebuild from where the Jedi had more thoroughly destroyed them than they ever had in the Great Hyperspace War. So it was that he announced his hold on the throne by decree of the current Emperor and vowed that he would do whatever he needed to in order to ensure the Sith returned to a golden age while he ruled.
Yes, he had been granted immortality in return for busting the plot of Nyriss and Revan but he vowed to use it only for the good of the Sith and could be defeated by a worthy foe. That was what he told them before then asking the Sith Purebloods to gather for a special mission. As his first act, he was to enforce the law against Vitiate's ceremony by sending a Pureblood taskforce to help the Republic stop him by putting an end to the forces still loyal to him. Once his destruction was assured, they were then to turn their guns on the Jedi and fight to the last man. This way Scourge would ensure the mercy killing of his species and that his 'predecessor' fell in accordance with Sith legalities.
Meantime, he ordered any remaining texts on Vitiate to be either sealed or destroyed. Instructions for the ceremony were to be burned so it might never be performed again and even powers like Force Drain and Essence Transfer were to be kept under guard until further notice. The knowledge was to be released only when there was assurance that they would not be performed again anytime in the near future. At that time, education into their ramifications, their effects, and their benefits was to be provided as part of the curriculum for all ascending Lords. Vitiate's ceremony, however, would only be known to him and he would carry that knowledge with him to the grave.
And when the Pureblood force left Utapau to ensure the legalities of the Sith were upheld, he turned his sights on rebuilding the Empire of his childhood. First would be the subjugation of Utapau's ruling class to the Sith initiative and through them the rest of the populace. Next would be the active harvesting of necessary materials to forge armor, weapons, and ships for the fleet. After that would be the recruitment of people who would use the materials, forge them, clean and maintain them throughout the rejuvenation of the Sith. Last would be the time to begin looking for Force-sensitives capable of joining the Sith initiative and becoming the new Dark Lords for a whole new generation.
He would also need to restructure the government so that anyone with merit, regardless of gender or species, could ascend the ranks allowable by their connection to the Force. Those with promise would be allowed training in the Dark Side if they wielded the power within them. Even those who didn't wield the connection that showed talent should be allowed to attain the rank that their talent deserved them along with their competence. If the Sith were going to again be a force to be reckoned with, there were going to be need serious reformations. By no means would the Sith be democratic, as allowing the mobs to vote was a sign of weakness and allowed for rulership by the stupidities and dregs of the citizenry.
But a meritocratic monarchy would be the most essential getup the Sith could utilize in a time where Vitiate's plans had fallen apart with no contingencies in place. Not any that hadn't fallen down to either the Eternal Alliance or the Republic in the wake of the Alliance's downfall. The Sith, in addition to that, would also need a more integrated spy network, capable of relaying the news of the Republic's status in real time to the Imperial armada that was to come. There was a lot to do and fortunately for the immortal former Emperor's Wrath, he had plenty of time in which to do it. I will undo what you have wrought upon the Sith and then I will join you in the grave to partake in punishing you myself, Vitiate. For Revan, for everyone that fought to beat you Scourge vowed silently as he began the task of the Sith Empire's ultimate salvation.