The Force Shall Free Me Dark Council of the Sith Empire “Peace is a lie; there is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken. The Force shall free me.” —The Sith Code Contents Letter from the Director ................................................................................................... 4 Mandate .......................................................................................................................... 5 Background ...................................................................................................................... 6 History .................................................................................................................. 6 Imperial Government Structure ............................................................................. 8 Key Planets to Know ............................................................................................. 8 Topics for Discussion ..................................................................................................... 10 Imperial Alliances ................................................................................................ 10 Sith and Non-Sith ................................................................................................ 12 Corruption .......................................................................................................... 14 Positions ........................................................................................................................ 16 Letter from the Director Dear Delegates, My name is Andrew Brown, and I’m excited to be your director for the Dark Council of the Sith Empire at WUMUNS XII. I am a junior studying political science and economics, and I have been involved in WashU’s MUN team since my freshman year. I’ve always had a fascination with the Star Wars universe, but I never felt like the films captured what interested me about it so much as video games like Knights of the Old Republic. Getting to see Jedi and Sith fighting on planets with actual civilization on them was something that I felt the films had lacked, and it was amazing to see the civilian side of the Star Wars universe without sacrificing the mystique that the Force offered. The Sith Empire of this committee is a bit different from the Galactic Empire we all saw in the Original Trilogy of Star Wars movies. Based on Bioware’s Old Republic, this Sith Empire coexisted with the Republic almost four thousand years prior to the Battle of Yavin and the destruction of the Death Star in A New Hope. There are still lightsabers and starships aplenty though, even if they aren’t X-wings and TIE fighters. One of the defining aspects of this time period is the sheer number of force-sensitive fighters in the galaxy. Instead of just Darth Vader going up against everyone in the galaxy, there is an entire empire full of Sith ready to fight against the Galactic Republic and the Jedi Order. This time period allows delegates to maximize the number of potential Star Wars crisis arcs they can think of, so I can’t wait to see what you come up with! Don’t hesitate to email me at [email protected] if you have any questions regarding the committee. May the Force be with you. Sincerely, Andrew Brown 4 Mandate To the gathered members of the new Dark Council: The foundation of the Sith Empire will always serve as my greatest accomplishment. It serves as a beacon to the galaxy, a signal that the strength of order remains and that those with the will and ability to excel can have their rightly place as the rulers of the galaxy. Our victory against the Republic in the Great Galactic War will stand as a testimony to the strength of our conviction. When we look back upon the history of this glorious Empire, we will remember the Sacking of Coruscant as the beginning of our Golden Age. You have done well to put the Empire in this position. However, this position must not be squandered. This interim period following the Treaty of Coruscant should have served as the perfect opportunity to grow the Empire’s strength and smother the Republic into extinction. The opposite has happened, as corruption and petty squabbles have eaten away at this Empire while the Republic regained its strength. As Sith, we must seek to increase our strength and power, but that must be done in service to the Empire and your Emperor. I realize I have been away and unable to manage Imperial affairs directly, but I should not have to be for you to keep this Empire afloat. I shall not live forever, and the Empire must continue. To that end, I have adjusted the makeup of this Council. This decision was undertaken to ensure that new voices and visions may offer perspective on the Empire’s shortcomings and potential for expansion. I understand that Sith do not share power gratefully, but remember that you have your power because of my benevolence, and inability to serve this Empire will return any insolent lords back to the dregs from which they came. This Council gathers the strongest in the Empire to serve that Empire, and I will expect no less now. The Empire’s strength has waned due to your negligence. It must surpass its previous glory to eliminate the Republic and take its rightful place in the galaxy. Do whatever it takes to ensure victory. Through victory, our chains are broken. The Force shall free us. THE VOICE OF THE EMPEROR 5 Background History The Sith began as Dark Jedi that were forced out of Republic space by the Jedi Order. They fled to the planet Korriban and began ruling over the native species there - Sith. Over centuries, they interbred and became one, beginning a thriving empire. Both civilizations lost records of the other until 5000 years before the Battle of Yavin (BBY), when two Republic traders accidently stumbled upon Korriban as two Sith Lords fought for the recently vacated title of Sith Emperor. The Sith captured the two and began a war against the Republic, using the “invasion by Republic spies” as justification. The Sith took an early lead in the fight, striking first and using the power of the Dark Side to their benefit. However, the power of succession was left unanswered, and divisions amongst the Sith grew stronger as the war went on. The Jedi soon noticed this trend and were able to take advantage of the division, ultimately winning the war and leaving Korriban a graveyard. Unbeknownst to the Republic, the man who would become our Emperor fled to the Unknown Regions. There he discovered the planet Dromund Kaas and declared it the new capital of the Sith Empire. He would rebuild the Empire for over 1000 years before striking back at the Republic. The Republic would face many trials and tribulations from various forces over the next 1000 years, from the fearsome warrior clans of the Mandalorians to powerful Dark Jedi, but nothing would prepare them for the return of the Sith Empire. The Sith surprised the Republic by retaking their home planet of Korriban, using a fast, all-out attack that the Republic couldn’t counter. The Great Galactic War would continue for 30 years, with the Sith steadily gaining the upper hand. However, the Sith surprised the galaxy with an offer to negotiate with the Republic on the planet of Alderaan. The Sith had a hidden agenda though, as they used the negotiations as an opening to take the Republic capital world of Coruscant. Using a Mandalorian mercenary to take down the planetary security grid and a Sith strike team led by Darth Malgus to destroy the Jedi Temple, the Sith had an opening to completely take over the planet and gain the upper hand in negotiations. The Republic had no choice but to sign the unfavorable Treaty of Coruscant and end the occupation. 6 The Treaty of Coruscant ended the war, but at a great cost to the Republic. The Empire received land concessions like the industrial planet of Balmorra, effectively dividing the known galaxy into two halves, with Hutt Space, the Outer Rim, and the Unknown Regions constituting the independent fringes. The Republic had to bear part of the War’s costs, and the Empire was permitted to place protocol droids around important figures of the Republic’s democracy to ensure no one made plans in violation of the treaty. Republic ships also had to announce their arrival and contents to Imperial officials, even on planets outside of the Empire. The Republic’s sole benefit was an end to the fighting, but even that was conditional, as both the Republic and Empire built up their forces for a potential second conflict. However, the interim period has seen the Empire fall into complacency. Instead of working to keep the Republic down, the Sith turned to more immediate threats, such as other Sith. The Dark Side grants great power, but its users will always crave even more. As a result, billions of credits were wasted on projects designed to promote certain Lords and harm others. While the political landscape of the Empire has remained perpetually in flux as a result, the Empire as a whole has stagnated. Strong, consistent leadership is needed if 7 the Empire is to build its economy back to strength and bring its leadership into one unified whole. Imperial Government Structure The Emperor, as founder of the Empire, ensured that he would have ultimate control over the Empire and its government. His power base is large, and every member, with the exception of the Emperor’s Wrath, is bound through the Force to his will. He has 12 Servants who have forsaken their names carrying out his will directly, utilizing the utmost secrecy. He also has an Imperial Guard which protects both him and key points in the Empire, such as the meeting hall of the Dark Council on Korriban. The Voice acts as a stand-in for the Emperor, announcing his wishes and orders to the Empire so that the Emperor does not have to reveal his body to do such trivial errands. As the only member of Emperor’s power base with free will, the Wrath solves problems that could harm the Emperor before he needs to know about them. All of these individuals are above the law of the Empire, as they serve the Emperor directly.