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INTERVIEW WITH THE NEW CLAN EXAR KUN SUMMIT
Changes in Exar Kun have led to the other Clans keeping a careful eye on them. We met the Exar Kun summit, and they were kind enough to give us their opinion on the latest developments. Q: Consul Chi Long, there have been troubles within the Clan in the recent past. As soon as you took over, things calmed down. How did you achieve that? Will. Force of will. The people of Clan Exar Kun are highly energetic and extremely active, but they were lacking focus... they were lacking will. Only by strengthening our will can we take full mastery of the Dark Side. Q: Some rumors claim your first responsibility is not Exar Kun, but to hunt down Mike Halcyon. What is your response to that? Mike Halcyon has violated and polluted my very house. I SHALL capture him... and when I do he shall learn the true power of the Dark Side. That being said, I am nothing if not patient. I have taken control of Clan Exar Kun to shape them into a power in the Brotherhood. Who do you think will be my eyes, ears, and hands in capturing Mike Halcyon? My Clan, of course. Q: You've placed a relatively inexperienced person in the Proconsul position. How did the Clan react to that? I saw no visible reaction from the members of the Clan. The decision to place Esca as Proconsul was discussed with the Deputy Grand Master, who also agreed that he was appropriate. His inexperience actually makes him perfect for what I have in mind... and that will unravel itself in time. Q: What changes will come to Exar Kun now? Will the Clan now finally do it's share with patrol flights and guard duty? Is there even enough manpower to invoke any change? The Clan is now organized and focused on our tasks. While not at 100% yet, I'm exceptionally impressed with the way the Clan has pulled together. Manpower is increasing already, as more and more join our ranks. Q: Your Clan did terribly in the the latest Krath conflict. Is there a chance for Exar Kun to actually be among the top 3 Clans one day? My Clan was still unfocused during the recent Krath conflict. I believe that we can drive the Clan forward and into the position of First Clan, never mind "in the top three". We'll be in the "top three" sooner than many believe possible. Q: Proconsul Esca, your appointment came as a surprise to many, yet others saw it as a logical step. What were your own feelings on the matter? Well, I feel that I in fact could help the Clan. Even before I had this position, in the times that Khan and Khalin, now Exar Khaland, were Consul and Proconsul, I was Khalin’s Apprentice or Assistant. I would always help out and try to solve problems in the Clan myself, without being told or asked to. I do admit that it was also a surprise to me when I was asked to be Proconsul, but I knew that in receiving this position, my goal of helping the Clan even further would be more than just an idea in the works. Q: What do you see as the biggest challenge to your Clan? The biggest challenge to Clan Exar Kun would have to be getting the Clan fully active in Brotherhood duties and Clan related activities. Activity is one of the ideals that I wish to accomplish quickly and accurately. If we don’t have good activity, than Clan Exar Kun will not be able to rise up in the Brotherhood, and that is something I would like to see. Q: How is the mood in Exar Kun now? Are there still conflicts going on, and if so, how do you prevent more members from leaving? I won’t really say if there are conflicts going on, but if there were, I would, personally, try to figure out what the problem was. Once I found this out, I would speak to the other parties related and figure out the best course of action. If I would need assistance, or any ‘major Clan’ decisions, I would bring Consul Chi Long into it. Q: Is it as hard to work with a former Grand Master as some former members of your Clan claim? I do not think it is hard to work with a former Grand Master. I do not see any reason that there would be. I truly do not see why some think this way, but the position is not what really counts, it is how the person them self is. Q: Your prognosis to where will your Clan stand in one year from now? I feel that if the Clan’s involvement gets better, and more people finally decide to participate in things overall, that Exar Kun could in fact be one of the better Clans in the Brotherhood.
FEATURED ARTICLE: DB SUPREMACY?
THE SITH ALCHEMICAL CHRYSTAL
AnalysisBy: Macron Goura The Sith Tradition has a long history of skilled alchemy and chemistry. One interesting alchemical aspect of the Sith tradition is the use of red lightsabers, the color of blood that the Sith so dearly love to spill. These lightsaber crystals as well as the infamous red pyramidal Sith Holocrons are fashioned in a similar manner. The interested alchemist must build their own forge using plans available from Sith Holocrons, old Sith texts or from a qualified Master. Rarely, a Master may allow a learner to use his or her forge, but this is generally not the rule. These forges are a very complicated matter. The Sith alchemist must build a device capable of reaching high temperatures with precisely controlled conditions. These forges operate in two manners. The more modern method uses much more sophisticated equipment, and crystals must be polished and cut after they are synthesized. The second and older method involves using the Force directly to shape the growing crystal. The first method type uses a flux melt of different elements and a base powdered crystal of some sort. This forge consists of a pressure vessel, a furnace, a raw element supply system and an advanced data processor and control unit. Under high pressure and temperature the elements gradually combine to form a fluid melt. A piston with a fine point is immersed in the liquid and slowly drawn out over a period of weeks. This slow cooling rate and constant withdrawal allows the molecules to collect on a seed crystal placed on the tip of the piston. As the flux is depleted, the new synthetic crystal grows to an acceptable size. A relatively large crystal can be produced this way, and is the primary method used to form the base crystal for the Sith Holocron. A second method of synthetic crystal production involves direct use of the Force by the alchemist involved. This is the first method fallen upon by the Sith when they began to construct lightsaber crystals. This unit is a much simpler and smaller device that has only a pressure vessel, raw materials, a heating unit, and very basic controls. The operator literally uses meditation and the Force to lay down every single molecule in the growing crystal structure with the power of telekinesis. This requires a high level of skill, control, and stamina. Once the process has begun it cannot be terminated without ruining the crystal. This can take several days. It is a true test of the power of a darksider to fashion a crystal in this manner. These crystals are perfect when completed, and require no further treatment. Darth Maul used this method to fashion the four perfect crystals needed for his double bladed lightsaber in the novel “Shadow Hunter”. In short, the alchemical forge is a necessary part of any dark Alchemist’s repertoire. All synthetic red Sith crystals are fashioned using one of these forges. The Sith forge is an ancient and fascinating aspect of Dark Side Alchemy. Build yours today! We will analyze the political power of the DB with the three objects that were named earlier. The DB has a territory. It claims to have control of eight systems, one by each of the Clans, plus Antei, the Dark Council’s system. We can safely assume that Antei is under the full control of the DB, as there are no life forms on the planet. Most Clans don’t have records of their systems, so we can’t analyze their power there. So far, only Clan Tarentum and Clan Scholae Palatinae (and supposedly Clan Arcona, although their records were not accessible at the time I wrote this document) have made a description of their home systems. Clan Scholae Palatinae is dominating a system, but in fact, they are dominating no one. According to their records, there are no sentient life forms on their planets. Their presence in the Cocytus system is only for having a base. Clan Tarentum is more interesting to analyze, as they are dominating over roughly 10 million individuals in their Yridia system. Their records don’t state how they are dominating those worlds, and if they even dominate them. However, the system is still exploited by them to serve as their main base. The borders of the DB’s territory are shown on the star map available here http://dominion.darkjedibrotherhood.com/. They have been set by an unilateral decision (as they are in the Unknown regions) while Clan Tarentum is in the Minos Cluster, a disputed region between the Rebel Squadron (New Republic) and the Emperor’s Hammer faction (Imperial Remnant), making it possibly an occupied region (jurisdictional border). Thanks to the DB’s diplomacy corps, the treaties with the Star Vipers and the Rebel Squadron make the DB a recognized territory by the New Republic and an Imperial faction. The DB’s behavior over its systems, and the behavior of the other States over them (no one has attacked the DB to claim the systems), have made the borders mostly official. The DB has a territory and a population. However, a study should be made to know if the population under the DB’s control feels like it is part of the DB, under occupation or aware at all of the DB’s presence. Without a study like that, we cannot claim or deny if there is a “Dark Brotherhood’s nationality”. The final object, political authority, is more delicate. The DB has an executive, legislative and judiciary powers, but they are for its membership only. Nothing is made to its population. The rules set by the Grand Master and executed by the Dark Council are for the DB members alone. The Justicator’s jurisdiction is, so far, only over the DB’s members. Is that showing that the DB has no political power over the various systems under control? We can’t claim that we have no power, but we can’t claim that we do too. The answer to the question “What kind of power is dominating the DB”, we claim that the DB is a feudal system with a theocratic basis. In fact, the Grand Master appoints the Consuls, the Consuls appoint the Quaestors, who appoint the Battleteams’ leaders. In addition, the Grand Master is selected by his peers, something seen in primitive feudal systems. However, the various Grand Masters were selected by the former one, who was his Master. We could see some kind of hereditary position in that form of selection. Feudalism is a society characterized by hierarchy of the lands and individuals (Clans and Dark Jedi), the parceling of the lands (DB’s systems) and of the authority (again Clans and Houses, Dark Council), and also by the domination of the warriors (the Dark Jedi) over the rest. The hierarchy of the lands and individuals, a central point in feudalism, is not quite clear in the DB. The DB’s history records say that the Grand Master (name) divided his power (which is surprising) to form the Clans and Houses, unlike a feudal system, where the free men were doing an oath of loyalty to a mightier man in order to get his protection. However, Clans like Scholae Palatinae, who doesn’t have any population under their direct command, nor enough military capabilities to repel a small invasion task force, would be exterminated quickly by other States if they were alone. United with other Clans and the Dark Council, they survive. As for the hierarchy of the individuals, it is quite like any systems with a hierarchy; the higher you are, the mightier you are. The DB is not different from it. The DB is a theocratic feudal system for one main reason: the Force. In fact, in order to be in the DB, an individual has to be a Dark Jedi. If you’re not Force-sensitive, you can’t be in the DB. Some people could argue that the Krath are the “clergy” of the DB, but we claim that the Sith or the Obelisk are not less mystical than their intellectual counterparts. Everyone needs to be strong in the Force and in combat in order to survive in this harsh organization. Finally, the DB’s military might is decentralized. No where it is said that a private army serves the Clan, so we cannot know if the Clans have any form of control over the planets they own, like a police force or any kind of security force. The fact that no reports or rules is made over the civilian populations shows, at the very least, that the DB doesn’t care about it, and thus the civilians can do whatever they want, even if it offends the Darksiders. Maybe the DB can show its might if the organization really wants to do so, especially since no other States compete it in the region. However, if a strong organization, with a decent military, attacks the DB, it could succeed since the army is decentralized. Conclusion The lack of proper information doesn’t help to do an analysis. Most Clans keep their secrets, or don’t make records at all, and that’s a problem. Without any records, we cannot do any critics, and without any critics, we cannot improve our organization in order to make it strong and terrifying. I would recommend doing a big push in the back of the Consuls to create archives to study. I would also recommend a bigger army to the Dark Council so it can enforces its decisions on every Clan. It would also be a good idea for the DC to think about the civilian population. We cannot survive as an organization without proper power over the systems we control. We cannot expect to fight and win a war against any major enemies if we don’t have any support in our own territory. We need to enforce our rules over every territory. In order to do that, I’m suggesting the creation of a professional army under our command. We have enough pilots, but not enough ground troops. We need to get the loyalty of our systems. Without proper power, we cannot conquer the galaxy. I would like to thank Grand Master Chi-Long for his help. (Editing the text and getting info) And I would also like to thank Dark Jedi Master Gui-Long for some help as well. (Order of battle)
TACTICS: DEFEATING JEDI AS A HUNTER
By: Archpriest Muz Ashen Keibatso As a Jedi Hunter, you have taken a large step toward furthering the goals of the Brotherhood. Every Jedi you will claim as your prey is one less that we all must face, and another Adegan crystal salvaged for our own dwindling supply. And while the task may seem daunting, you must remember that you hold almost all the advantages. "What advantages? The Jedi has training, experience, and a saber." So what? You have all the important advantages at your disposal. Surprise, stealth, and deception all lie neatly in your toolbox, waiting for you. "So how do I use these tools?" Know your enemy. You know the target's name and face, yet he does not know you. Go in secret. Find out as much as you can before committing to the kill. Find out what habits your prey has, what patterns in behavior. Where he goes, what he does, who he sees. Does she get drunk every third night? Does he enjoy watching pod races? Or does he retire to bed early on training days? "What if there is no obvious ways to attack?" Well, obvious ways to attack aren't the ones you want to use anyway. Jedi are cunning prey, sometimes setting up elaborate traps and decoys to expose someone as a darksider. You must be vigilant, and avoid the easiest, most obvious chances for a kill. Besides, it lacks in style. Know what you can do. A great warlord in ancient times said that if you knew yourself and you knew your enemy, you would never have to fear the outcome of a thousand battles. He was right. By training, you learn what your skills are. Dictate the Terms. You should, by now, have a good understanding of what your Jedi prey can do. Contrasting this knowledge with what you know you can do, you can further stack the odds in your favor. Manipulate the situation, choose the battleground, but most importantly, make sure that YOU dictate the terms under which you will fight. Jedi are among the most dangerous game to hunt. Only strike superior opponents when you have done all you can to tip the balance in your favor. Overwhelm your enemy. After weeks or months of stalking lethal prey, you'll see your chance. Using the key tactics of surprising and stealthiness, you'll catch your Jedi off guard. When you do, press the advantage. Attack, attack, attack, then attack some more. Do not give them a chance to do anything except defend and dodge. Overwhelm their senses. Be ruthless and vicious. Do not stop until your prey is dead. Evacuate. You just killed a Jedi Knight, a symbol for truth, fairness, and all sorts of other weak paradigms that fail in reality. Collect your trophy and get out of there as soon as possible. Anyone seeing you with the corpse is a liability to you, to your future hunts. People like Jedi, especially other Jedi. And other Jedi have a vested interest in catching Dark Jedi, especially Jedi Hunters. Leave no witnesses. Leave no trail. Claim your prize, then fade back into the protective shroud of secrecy. Eventually, you'll stop being anxious about the hunt and come to crave it, the thrill. And that will be yet another step in your journey down the Dark Side of the Force. A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A ROYAL GUARD MEMBER By: Dark Jedi Master
Arania
SCHOLAE PALATINAE NOT CONNECTED TO LIGHT JEDI
Distribution is free and without prejudice pursuant to the articles of the Dark Covenant of the Brotherhood. All articles are completely fictional. The opinions expressed herein are the responsibility of the writers and do not reflect the opinions of the Brotherhood, the Dark Council, the Office of the Oracle, or the Dark Voice Staff, unless otherwise denoted. |