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- "The Jedi fear what they do not understand. The Sith are not evil. People are evil. The Sith merely seek to understand the Force in all its forms—is perspective truly a crime?"
- ―Darth Vexatus
Xanos was the son of a Falleen noble, Viscount Haxim of House Zorrixor, and a survivor of the Great Jedi Purge, Maziel. He became a Jedi Knight of the New Jedi Order but fell to the dark side and joined the Shadow Academy on Eos to become a Sith acolyte. Xanos trained under many masters, including Astronicus Sadow, Manesh and Trevarus Caerick, and became a member of the Dlarit Corporation as a mask for his activities as a Dark Jedi.
After the peace treaty between the New Republic and the Imperial Remnant, Xanos helped organise the Great Exodus with the Star Chamber. Following the exodus, he oversaw the establishment of the Dlarit Corporation's operations in the Orian system. Shortly after, Xanos became a Son of Sadow, an heir to the legacy of the Dark Lord of the Sith Naga Sadow.
In 20 ABY, Xanos became a member of the Dark Council and oversaw the Invasion of Antares. Later that year, some of the council's archaeologists uncovered the site of the ancient Star Chamber and accidentally released the Consciousness from its imprisonment. In the war that followed Xanos was nearly killed by Kem-Shu Maeda. His injuries caused Xanos to question the path he was on and he left the Dark Council to seek answers among the ruined worlds of the Sith Empire.
During his exile Xanos discovered the Holocron of Tulak Hord. With it, he hoped to achieve mastery. He returned to the Orian system and sought the aid of his fellow Sons of Sadow to unlock the secrets of the Holocron. In 23 ABY he was named a Sith Master. Mastery, however, did not bring the answers Xanos sought. Throughout the next year he became plagued with visions of Antei on fire. After the council dismissed his concerns, Xanos began to use his remaining personal funds to reinforce the Orian system. Many believed he had become infected with the same madness as his former mentor, Trevarus Caerick. However, when the visions did not go away, the Star Chamber turned its eye on the Sith Master. Nearing the end of 24 ABY, Xanos was taken by Jac Cotelin to serve as his Shadow Hand.
The following year Xanos's visions appeared to have become reality when a clone of Jac Cotelin attempted to claim the throne. However the visions continued even after the clone had been slain. Finally, when reports of the fall of countless worlds to the Yuuzhan Vong began to come in, the truth became clear. Shortly after the Star Chamber had declared Xanos a prophet, news of the invasion of Falleen came through. The realisation that he had failed his people devastated him and Xanos left for Korriban, determined to find the answers he had missed the previous time. On Korriban, the spirit of Naga Sadow declared Xanos a Sith Lord and instructed him to watch over the others. Casting aside what little remained of his original heritage, Xanos declared himself Darth Vexatus and swore to protect the Sons of Sadow.
Biography
- "I fear his abilities may be the death of him."
- ―Maziel of House Zorrixor, shortly after the birth of her son
Born on the planet Falleen in the Mid Rim in 15 BBY, Xanos showed much potential and Force aptitude from a young age. Fearing for their son's future should the Empire learn of his heritage, Haxim and Maziel vowed to keep Xanos’s traits hidden, even from himself.
While Maziel spent most of her time on Falleen, Haxim, as one of the few surviving nobles of House Zorrixor, was frequently called away. Unlike the traditionally insular and isolated upbringing of most Falleen nobles, Xanos came to regard Corellia, Coruscant and many of the other Core Worlds as second homes. Though he still developed a traditionally Falleen sense of superiority, he also developed an equal appreciation for other cultures and ideals.
Jedi orderJedi orderXanos was nineteen when the Empire began its downward spiral. With the death of the Emperor and Darth Vader, Maziel and Haxim decided it was safe to inform their son of his mother’s past. Maziel then began teaching Xanos the basics of the Jedi path, though found it difficult to get him to overcome nineteen years of Falleen arrogance and superiority in exchange for Jedi humility.
- "He takes after you too much. Jedi and nobility shouldn’t mix."
- ―Maziel to Haxim
Four years after Maziel began training him, Xanos was already showing signs of promise. However, despite his strength in the Force, he lacked the attitude of a Jedi. Maziel often remarked in jest how her son took after his father too much and his high cultured aristocratic upbringing. Beneath the teasing, however, Maziel and Haxim both held reservations about what their son might become if he did not shake his pride and overconfidence.
In 8 ABY both Maziel and Haxim were killed in a pirate attack. Xanos survived, though not without scars, both physical and emotional, his right eye was permanently blinded and he suffered numerous cuts and burns. Xanos’s Jedi training was forced to be put on hold while he recovered from the attack and figured out what to do next with his life, now the sole heir and surviving viscount of House Zorrixor. He spent the next few years wandering the galaxy as thoughts of revenge slowly gnawed away at the back of his mind.
When Luke Skywalker opened his Jedi Praxeum, Xanos was quick to enrol, anxious to complete his training and find purpose in his life. Despite his popularity, many of the other students found Xanos somewhat distant and self-absorbed, even worrying in his indifference toward issues such as use of the dark side. Many accepted this as simply the Falleen way of life, but several of the senior Jedi Knights were uncomfortable about how Xanos still harboured a grudge against the pirates who had murdered his parents. In time, they feared, this would inevitably lead him down the dark side. Despite their reservations, and with Master Skywalker’s unreserved belief in the redemption of any who had drifted astray, Xanos’s training continued, though under a close eye.
Xanos as a Jedi KnightXanos as a Jedi KnightWhen the Chistori Dessan abandoned the Jedi Praxeum and turned to the dark side, old uncertainties returned to plague Xanos’s thoughts. He had never accepted why the Jedi feared the dark side or their reluctance to use their powers fully, a question Xanos frequently took up with his instructors.
The attack on the Jedi Praxeum in 13 ABY by the Empire Reborn, led by Dessan and his Reborn warriors, opened Xanos’s eyes. He reasoned that it was not the dark side that had turned Dessan evil, but the very circumstances of the Chistori’s life experiences and upbringing, for Dessan had been a bully at the Praxeum long before he had fallen to the dark side and started calling himself a Dark Jedi.
- "How are the Jedi not hypocrites? They fear what they are just too afraid to embrace themselves. Is a lightsaber any less a weapon than the Force itself?"
- ―Viscount Xanos of House Zorrixor, Jedi apprentice
The revelation further complicated the Falleen’s training. After taking the issue up with the Masters, only to be dismissed, Xanos grew isolated. His anger took root at being dismissed as mistaken and over the following year he made every effort to prove the truth of his words. He progressed faster than many of the other students and was already more powerful than some full Jedi Knights however, despite his abilities, the Masters still chose not to knight him, believing he did not yet have the temperament to be a Jedi.
The resurgence of the Empire Reborn in the form of the Disciples of Ragnos saw those Jedi fit for battle dispatched to Korriban to deal with the threat. There, in the ruins of the ancient Sith Empire, Xanos lost faith in the Jedi order. Having been repeatedly told the dark side was wrong, only to now bear witness to the slaughter of countless Sith cultists for no reason other than for being Sith, he decided upon the inherit hypocrisy of the Jedi doctrine.
- "It is not the dark side the Jedi fear. It is power. They fear the truth: the dark side is more powerful. They are just too proud to admit that they have been wrong all these years."
- ―Xanos
When the battle was over, Xanos did not return to the Jedi Praxeum with the others, he remained behind to search for answers. Tavion, Dessan and Palpatine may all have been mislead, but he was certain the Sith belief itself was not inherently evil.
Embracing the dark side (14 ABY–15 ABY)
- "Why are the Sith evil? Do they not want order and justice the same as the rest of us? Anakin Skywalker was once a Jedi too, does that make all the Jedi evil as well?"
- ―Vykan, Dark Jedi
Xanos found his answer in an Umbaran named Vykan. The prodigal Jedi met Vykan several weeks later whilst scouring the abandoned tombs. Vykan claimed to be on Korriban assessing the damage caused by the Jedi attack and agreed to take Xanos back to Yavin 4. When he left, Vykan gave Xanos a datacard and told him that if he truly wanted answers he should follow its instructions.
Upon his return, the Masters reprimanded Xanos for his actions and accused him of endangering the order. However, despite his errors, recent events had cost too many Jedi lives, and Xanos had at least returned to answer for his actions. Though they recognised how close he already was to the brink of the dark side, they agreed to knight him, hoping it would bind his loyalty more tightly to the Jedi order. The Masters plan paid off, Xanos’s knighthood stopped his imminent departure. However, Vykan’s words had a lasting effect on him and, though the Jedi order now seemed willing to recognise his talents, there were still questions he wanted answered. Central of all, what had become of the Sith?
Xanos’s worries were put on hold when he was sent to mediate a conflict near Eriadu. It was to be a simple arbitration between the planetary authorities and a local smuggling ring. However, when he got there, things turned sour. The meeting had been a setup and the smugglers intended to assassinate several of the representatives attending the meeting, some of whom were in the employ of rival gangs. Xanos successfully pacified the situation, but not before every member of the smugglers’ delegation lay dead.
- "How dare they lecture me about killing? They who devote their life to the extermination of the Sith or any other Force-based sect that disagrees with their teachings? If they think they can cage me they are fools."
- ―Xanos, Jedi Knight
While the Eriaduans were pleased, the smuggling ring swiftly being consumed by internal power struggles, the Jedi were far from happy. Accusing the wayward Jedi Knight of allowing his hatred for pirates and other criminals to get the better of him, they condemned his actions and questioned whether Xanos had already fallen and if they had just been too blind to realise it. Though Master Skywalker conceded that it would be wrong to simply expel Xanos like some of the others suggested, he consigned Xanos to the Praxeum, accepting that it would be against the order’s interests to send him on further missions until he let go of his anger.
- "Fear leads to the dark side. Isn’t that what they always say? Why is it okay for them to be afraid of the dark side then?"
- ―Xanos
Though he would never outwardly betray his emotions, Xanos was furious. As far as he was concerned, he had done what was necessary, had he not the smugglers would have maintained their monopoly on the Eriadu system and gradually tightened their grip, and innocents would have suffered. The Jedi were wrong, he was sure of it. A few days later, using the details left on the datacard Vykan had given him several months earlier, he decided it was time to go in search of answers, alone.
Induction into the Shadow Academy (15 ABY)
- "Those who think the Sith died at Endor are fools. Was Lumiya just an illusion then? Flint? Carnor Jax? The people who want to believe the Sith are gone forever are just too scared to accept the truth: we never left."
- ―Vykan, Sith warrior
Dark BrotherhoodDark BrotherhoodThe details provided by Vykan were suitably cryptic. It took Xanos the better part of two months to follow the various leads and clues to finally track down the answers the Umbaran had promised. Ultimately, they brought Xanos to the hidden training center on Eos called the Shadow Academy.
There, in the secret corridors of one of the last remaining bastions of the dark side, Xanos discovered the truths that had so long eluded him. The Sith had survived. Like Lumiya before him, Kane, one of Palpatine’s surviving Hands, had declared himself Dark Lord of the Sith and founded a new Sith order, this time one not governed by the Rule of Two.
Welcomed into the Shadow Academy, Xanos quickly demonstrated the power he already wielded. Within a few weeks the already experienced acolyte caught the eye of envoys of Clan Naga Sadow. Not long after, Xanos found himself packing his bags and preparing for a new life as one of the many apprentices to Sith warrior Manesh, one of the Clan’s leaders.
The Remnant and the dark side (15 ABY–19 ABY)
- "Perhaps it was fated the remnants of two empires should work together? But do not be fooled, my apprentice, we are the true power behind the throne, regardless what we might tell them."
- ―Trevarus Caerick, Krath priest
Sadow Palace on SifSadow Palace on SifAlready a gifted Jedi Knight when he had enrolled at the Shadow Academy, Xanos climbed the ranks of the brotherhood quicker than most. He was fortunate, perhaps, that Astronicus Dlarit, officially the governor of Sif, and a considerably gifted Sith warlord, had only formed Clan Naga Sadow a year earlier as a home for wayward souls. By all public accounts, the clan was nothing more than a branch of the Dlarit Corporation, specialising in the training of their elite guard.
Less than a year after he joined, Manesh took Xanos as his protégé and shortly after he was inducted formally into the Sith order as its newest warrior. After years of being held back, Xanos’s abilities finally seemed to be getting put to good use. He even caught the eye of the clan’s current consul, its representative on the brotherhood’s ruling body, the Dark Council, Trevarus Caerick. Trevarus, a gifted Krath priest, decided to take Xanos as his apprentice.
The subsequent years saw the brotherhood’s relationship with the Imperial Remnant brought under strain. Torn apart by internal power struggles, what remained of the Empire was slowly unravelling, even as the Sith rebuilt in its shadow. The relationship hit breaking point when Archibald Zoraan, then Dark Lord of the Sith, tried to declare war on the brotherhood’s allies. The coup failed, dismissed as madness by the clans, but the damage was already done.
During this time, Astronicus Dlarit, viceroy of the Dlarit Corporation and overlord of Clan Naga Sadow, received a vision from the spirit of the ancient Dark Lord, declaring the overlord his true heir and naming him Astronicus Sadow. The revelation emboldened the clan, revealed to no longer simply disciples of the ancient Sith Lord, but led by an actual living descendent, the clan began to thrive. By now, Xanos had served both the clan and the Dlarit Corporation as a powerful ally, finally being chosen in 18 ABY to serve as consul himself.
After becoming the clan’s public face, or, more officially, the Dlarit Corporation’s public face, Xanos began to take notice of the rot that was developing at the heart of the Empire’s remains. Even now, the humanocentrism of the Remnant was still apparent, with many dismissing the Falleen as quickly as they might a Wookiee. Like the Jedi and the Republic before it, Xanos’s faith in the Empire began to falter.
- "An alien? When did we start promoting your kind? I guess even the Empire has to make sacrifices."
- ―Unknown Imperial officer, addressing Xanos
After realising that he was not alone in his views, Xanos joined forces with Trevarus Caerick to begin the search for a new base. As luck would have it, Trevarus already had a place in mind: the Orian system, a system he had discovered some years earlier. As they worked to position the clan in order to break away from the Empire, others made similar preparations throughout the brotherhood, at the behest of the Dark Lord himself, Grand Master Firefox. Combining their resources, the former viscount and Astronicus Sadow, the Dlarit Corporation viceroy, began to secretly establish a new capital on the planet Sepros, the ancient home of Urias Orian, a Sith Lord of the old Sith Empire.
The Great Exodus (19 ABY)
Not a year after Xanos’s ascension as consul, Lord Firefox, the reigning Dark Lord of the Sith, together with Star Chamber, the secret council of Dark Lords who had come before, declared the brotherhood’s independence and broke away from the failing remnants of Palpatine’s Empire.
Clan Naga Sadow’s flight from the Phare system proceeded exactly as planned. Months of planning came to fruition when Dlarit Corporation transports, loaded full with supplies, personnel and the clan’s sacred relics, took to the skies, making a hasty withdrawal before the Imperial forces could mount a defense. The Sith had secured their freedom, however, at the back of his mind, Xanos could not help but feel something was missing. He had led his clan to a great victory, sparing them from whatever fate would befall them as the Empire was assimilated into the New Republic, a fate he was all too familiar with from his experiences on Korriban years before. Yet, despite all this, he felt they had failed, the Sith had somehow failed, and that it should never have needed come to this.
- "Are we not to blame somehow? We had the whole Galaxy in our grasp, and yet, still, we let it slip through our fingers. Can we really blame everyone but ourselves for our failure? We must not have been strong enough."
- ―Xanos, Sith warlord
Xanos’s doubts only served to strengthen his resolve that the Sith must become stronger. The Jedi had failed to maintain order, now the Sith themselves were equal in blame. Over the next year, as the new governor-general of Orian, Xanos oversaw the construction of the new city of Seng Karash on Aeotheran. In time the city would serve as the capital of the Dlarit Corporation, and the source of new troops to swell the ranks of the budding Dlarit Security Force. However, it was all still irrelevant to Xanos, the Empire had had more military might than any government in history and still it had failed. Armies and warships were not important, the dark side had been spread too thin, and it was time to replenish it.
Heirs to an empire (20 ABY)
- "You of the future hear me well. You have chosen... now you are the chosen."
- ―Naga Sadow, Dark Lord of the Sith
Clan Naga SadowClan Naga SadowAs the clan continued to rebuild after the relocation from Phare, the Dlarit Corporation began tightening its grip on the Orian system. The ruins of Sepros were excavated, revealing a network of ancient tunnels connecting the temples. The clan leadership established a new Sadow Palace, home to the overlord, his consul and the clan’s ruling household. At the same time, the city of Seng Karash expanded, new mines being opened every day, while in its shadow, on the dark world of Tarthos, a new army of warriors began their instruction.
In the midst of all this, the clan overlord, Astronicus Sadow, received another vision. The spirit of Naga Sadow beckoned his heir to bring his strongest disciples to the Sith tomb world of Korriban. There, in the ruins of the ancient Sith Empire, the ancient Dark Lord bequeathed his legacy to three others, Raistlin Majerus, Trevarus Caerick, and Xanos himself. Casting aside his last ties to a former life, Xanos became an heir to the Sadow name, a Son of Sadow, instilled with the power of the ancient Sith Lord.
The conquest of the Anteian Nebula (20 ABY–21 ABY)
- "Victory is ours, the war is over. The Shroud belongs to the dark side once more."
- ―Admiral Xanos, Sith adept, fleet commander of the Anteian Navy
The Falleen’s strong devotion to the Sith way had not gone unnoticed. In 20 ABY, Lord Firefox called on the warlord to serve as high warrior and warmaster of the Sith order. The elevation saw Xanos join the ranks of the Dark Council on the brotherhood’s homeworld of Antei in the Antei system. As commander of the Anteian Navy, the next year saw Xanos directing the ongoing campaign to bring Antei Prime’s neighbours under the brotherhood’s unified control.
The action culminated in the invasion of the Antares system and the attack on the Antaran shipyards. The Antaran pirates mounted an impressive resistance but it was no match for the combined might of the clans. After almost two years of fighting, the entirety of the Anteian Nebula finally belonged to the brotherhood. For his part in securing the fleet’s victory, Xanos was elevated to the status of full Sith adept.
The war of the Sith kings (21 ABY–22 ABY)
- "We will have revenge on the Lords of the Sith. We will have revenge on the ones who exiled us."
- ―Jac Cotelin, while under the control of Okemi, Sith King of Antei
The brotherhood’s brief spout of order and stability was to be short lived. Unbeknownst to the council at the time, the war throughout the Shroud had awoken Okemi, an ancient Sith Lord who had been exiled from the Sith Empire millennia before. Indeed, it was Okemi who had first formed the Star Chamber and founded the Sith civilisation on Antei. Under the cover of the recent war, Okemi had secretly corrupted several members of the brotherhood leadership, including Jac Cotelin, who was, at the time, filling in for the Grand Master while he was away on business with the Imperial Remnant.
The next six months saw Okemi’s influence spread throughout the brotherhood. Like a parasite, Okemi exerted his Force-presence over anybody his mind came into contact with, dominating them like puppets to further spread his influence. Jac Cotelin and the Dark Jedi Master, Kem-Shu Maeda, served as his primary hosts, corrupting whole swathes of the brotherhood.
Eventually, Xanos managed to get off Antei, having been stuck there since Jac Cotelin ordered the system’s closure, and managed to get word to Lord Firefox. Upon his return to brotherhood space, the Dark Lord assembled a force from the remaining loyalists, those who had not yet lost their minds to Okemi’s control, and launched an assault on Antei. Firefox squared off with Jac Cotelin, chasing him off before finally making his way to Okemi’s hidden chamber and putting an end to the ancient Sith Lord once and for all.
As the Grand Master battled inside the ruins of the ancient Star Chamber, Xanos took up arms against Kem-Shu Maeda. However, despite all his power, the high warrior was bested and left for dead, leaving Maeda free to escape. The war was over, Okemi, the great King of Antei had fallen, but to Xanos it had all been for nothing.
Near death and exile (22 ABY)
- "How could I not be strong enough? Has the dark side abandoned me?"
- ―Xanos, Sith adept
The fight with Maeda had left Xanos near death. The injuries he had sustained had kept Xanos confined to a bacta tank for several days and forced him to renounce his position to allow more time to heal. However, while bacta could heal the physical scars, nothing could erase the memories of failure.
The adept chose not to return to Orian, instead venturing to Korriban in hope that the spirits there would shed some light on his dilemma. However, the halls of the ancient tombs stayed silent and Xanos beheld no visions of Sith Lords or their kin. He feared the dark side had abandoned him, deserting him for his failure to defeat Maeda.
The following months saw Xanos touring the worlds of the old Sith Empire. Vjun, Dromund Kaas, Khar Shian; none yielded any answers. However, upon arriving at the planet Ziost, Xanos sensed something different. Unlike the other worlds, Ziost felt alive. The Sith may have long since died out, but still the planet pulsed with the dark side, the forest that spanned its surface alive with dark energies. The planet called to him, as if welcoming him home, one Sith to another.
- "The dark side is a fickle mistress, my student. Succeed and it shall reward you. Fail and do not expect any aid."
- ―Trevarus Caerick, Krath Master
Despite all the trials he had faced, Xanos finally had made his way to Ziost, the Sith throneworld. There, in the ancient Sith citadel, seat of power of the Sith Empire for millennia, Xanos discovered the holocron of Tulak Hord. At long last, the Sith adept had found what he was searching for.
The holocron, an ancient recording device used to store the maker’s thoughts and memories, contained a vast repository of knowledge detailing the lost lightsaber arts, techniques unused for centuries, and a wealth of other information. With the contents of the holocron of Tulak Hord his to master, Xanos was convinced he would never again suffer like he had at the hands of Kem-Shu Maeda.
- "I am Xanos, Sith adept. I will survive. At any cost."
- ―Xanos, Sith adept, after obtaining the holocron of Tulak Hord
The discovery marked a turning point for the Sith adept. Having come but an inch front death, Xanos vowed he would never again allow an opponent to come so close. His mission was to bring order, to achieve what the Jedi and the Republic could not, to fight the injustice that persecuted the galaxy. For that he had to survive, at any cost.
Xanos’s fall to the dark side was complete. Mastery was within his grasp, however, he recognised he could not unlock the secrets of the holocron alone. He would need help from the vast archives on Antei and for that he required the blessing of the Dark Lord of the Sith.
Favor of the Dark Lords (22 ABY–23 ABY)
- "I have seen the worlds of the Sith Empire; set foot in the halls of the citadel on Ziost. Who among you have done the same? Who of you has the right to challenge me?"
- ―Xanos, Sith adept, upon his re-ascension to consul
Upon his return to the Orian system, members of the clan noticed a distinct change in Xanos. The Sith adept had returned more powerful than ever. Those who still tried to hold his failure to defeat Maeda against him quickly learned the foolishness of doing so. Within a matter of months Xanos had reclaimed the favor of the overlord, becoming his chief advocate again. His goal was simple: to use the resources at his disposal as consul to achieve mastery.
The following year, with the aide of his proconsul, Muz Keibatsu, the two of them worked on unlocking the secrets of Tulak Hord’s holocron. With help from the documents stored in the clan’s extensive library, the academy on Lyspair, Kalekka Tower and the Dark Hall itself, the pair slowly reconstructed the teachings of the lost lightsaber arts. Mononoke Keibatsu assisted with his knowledge of crystals and alchemy.
As each day passed, Xanos came closer and closer to achieving total mastery. His power grew with each new page that was written. Little by little, piece by piece, the knowledge of the ancient Dark Lord Tulak Hord became his.
After nearly a year of toil, Muz and Xanos had documented every passage of the holocron, providing a wealth of new information to be added to the brotherhood’s extensive compendium. For their efforts, they earned the attention of the Star Chamber itself, and after endless years of training and research, Xanos was named a Sith Master.
The approaching storm (23 ABY–24 ABY)
- "I have witnessed the end. I have seen the Dark Hall in ruins and the skies of Antei in flames."
- ―Xanos, Sith Master
23 ABY was a tumultuous year for Xanos with the Sith Master plagued with visions of destruction of Antei. However, the council dismissed is visions outright, either as misinterpreted or as outright lies. Yet the visions did not go away and Xanos was left sleepless night after night.
Throughout the coming year, Xanos used the funds he had remaining from House Zorrixor to fund the completion of the development efforts in the Orian system. The preceding years had seen the establishment of the mining city of Seng Karash but Xanos realised if what he had seen in his visions were true they would need much more than this. The Sith Master commissioned the construction of a hidden baradium mine on Sepros, secret even from the council itself, to begin stockpiling arms and fund the fortification of Seng Karash.
- "I have shown you the path of visions. Do you doubt the Final Way, my apprentice?"
- ―Trevarus Caerick, Krath Master
Many of the brotherhood’s senior elders began doubting the Sith Master’s sanity. He had returned from Ziost changed, that much was certain, but now he was obsessing over things most could not even begin to comprehend. What had he seen? What was he afraid of? These were things few could answer. Trevarus Caerick encouraged his obsessions, causing further alienation between Xanos and the rest of the council.
Despite widespread public denunciation and whispered rumours of the Sith Master’s madness, the Star Chamber turned its eye on the Falleen. Something had roused the hidden council’s interest and they were not prepared to ignore Xanos’s visions of disaster. Toward the end of 24 ABY the he was summoned by Jac Cotelin, the reigning Grand Master, to serve as the Dark Lord’s apprentice.
The Third Brotherhood Civil War (25 ABY)
- "I am Jac Cotelin the Dark Lord of the Sith."
- ―Jaac Cotelin, clone of Jac Cotelin
After becoming Deputy Grand Master, Xanos set about using the knowledge at the Star Chamber’s disposal to unlock the meaning behind his visions and find a way to prevent them from coming to pass. He had seen the Dark Hall destroyed and, though they would never admit it, the Star Chamber was worried.
The brotherhood soon received preliminary reports intercepted from the New Republic HoloNet that Helska had fallen to an unknown alien force. Usually the brotherhood would have dispatched agents to investigate such a report but it was too preoccupied with border conflicts breaking out between several of the clans.
By the middle of the year internal relations within the brotherhood broke down entirely. Many of the clans accused others of sabotage and unsanctioned infiltration. Within weeks the situation escalated with several clans openly declaring war on the others. Into the chaos stepped Jaac Cotelin, a clone of the Grand Master, declaring himself to be the rightful Dark Lord of the Sith. Having been on the brink of conflict for several months, the brotherhood descended into civil war.
Jac Cotelin gathered his forces to Antei as the clone assembled an army and prepared to launch an all out assault. Unable to distinguish one from the other, the clans ended up taking sides. After several months of preparation, Jaac Cotelin launched his assault on Antei, his fleet descending on the ships amassed to defend the brotherhood’s homeworld. After breaking through to the surface, the impostor’s army descended on the Dark Hall, taking the battle right to the steps of the Star Chamber itself. Jac Cotelin eventually slew the usurper, restoring order to the brotherhood, but the damage was done regardless. Much of the Dark Hall stood in ruins.
Xanos’s visions appeared to have come to pass.
The coming of oblivion (25 ABY–26 ABY)
- "The Dark Hall sits in ruins and yet the nightmares do not go away. I fear it was not the clone I foresaw but these invaders."
- ―Xanos, Deputy Grand Master, speaking before the Star Chamber
The brotherhood had survived the civil war but Xanos’s visions did not stop. Even the Star Chamber was no longer certain what to believe. The Dark Hall had been nearly destroyed and yet it still stood—they had changed history, or so they wanted to believe. The Sith Master began to think he was going crazy. He had walked the dark path for so many years; he feared insanity had taken him as it had his master. While few now doubted his visions, none knew what to make of the fact they continued.
In the months following the civil war the brotherhood began paying much closer attention to the events unravelling throughout the rest of the galaxy. Reports of the alien Yuuzhan Vong had now been flooding in for months, but few had paid them much notice while Antei was under siege. Now, with time to reflect, the council recognised the potential threat, but conceded they were in no danger within the safety of the Anteian Nebula.
In 26 ABY the Vong issued a ceasefire with the New Republic in exchange for the heads of the Jedi Knights. The council rejoiced at the announcement, the Yuuzhan Vong would withdraw to the Outer Rim and the Jedi would be dealt with. Xanos, however, found his nightmares getting worse the closer the Vong pushed to the heart of the galaxy.
Though they held private doubts, the Star Chamber could not dispute what Xanos had seen. His visions were getting worse, that much was certain, and he was descending ever closer to madness. The chamber conceded Xanos would not rest until his visions were investigated, but neither did they wish the heir apparent of the Sith throne to exile himself in search of answers. They declared Xanos a prophet and bestowed on him the title of Sith Lord.
With the Star Chamber's blessing Xanos departed to bring an end to his nightmares.
- "Vexatus. My name is Darth Vexatus. I have seen the end of civilisation... but this time I will not fail."
- ―Darth Vexatus, Lord of the Sith
Sith LordSith LordUpon departing Antei the new Sith Lord’s first destination was Korriban. There Xanos hoped to find answers among the spirits of the ancient Dark Lords. He had come a long way since he had last stepped foot on Korriban, lost and alone, fearful the dark side had abandoned him. He was now a Sith Lord, confident in the dark side’s power to restore order to the galaxy. While there Xanos dropped his name in favor of a Sith one, taking the title of Darth Vexatus.
Vexatus was on Ambria when news of the invasion of Falleen reached him. He cursed himself for not having foreseen it. He had allowed disorder to take his parents from him, he would not allow it to take his home. With the full Mastery of the Sith behind him he made haste for Falleen.
- "I may not have been strong enough to save them then, but I am not a child now. I will purge your filth from the galaxy."
- ―Darth Vexatus, speaking to a Yuuzhan Vong shortly before decapiting him
Shortly after the invasion of Falleen, the ceasefire between the Vong and the Republic ended. The Jedi Praxeum on Yavin 4 was invaded and the Vong ever closer to the heart of Sith space and discovery of the Antei and Orian systems.
To be completed.
Titles and Possessions
File:JewelofFalleen.gifJewel of Falleen
- CEC YZ-900 medium freighter Jewel of Falleen
- KSE Alpha-3 Nimbus-class V-wing stafighter Solari
- Master of the Inner Order
- Master of the Sith Order
- Son of Sadow
- Overlord of Kressh
- Former Admiral of the Anteian Navy
- Former Jedi Knight
DJB Facts
Trivia
- The name Xanos was a corruption of the name Xanatos.
- The name Zorrixor was derived from the name Xizor.
- The name Vexatus is derived from the word vexation meaning to annoy or a state of irritation.
- Xanos spent a collective total of 791 days as Consul.
- Xanos joined the Dark Brotherhood on 12th August 1999.
- Xanos originally used the name "Goatham", his surname from real life, but eventually changed it in favour of something more appropriate.