The Kainate

[Darth Carnifex]

THE KAINATE​

The Kainate was the culmination of decades of careful planning, formulated by the Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Carnifex, to succeed all previous iterations of the Sith Empire. Hidden in the uncharted regions of the galaxy, the Kainate quietly assembled military might through refined technological prowess. Rather than relying on conscription, the Kainate engineered its soldiers through advanced gene-replication techniques. Likewise, the shipyards and manufacturing complexes of the Kainate were entirely automated, with self-replicating fabricators producing everything from weapons to star destroyers.

Leading the Kainate was its namesake, Kaine Zambrano, more widely infamous as Darth Carnifex, and Braxus Zambrano widely known as Darth Prazutis. Ruling with an iron fist, Carnifex and Prazutis cultivated a tightly controlled ideological cult with themselves placed at its center. This ideology, known as Eternal Rule, was the guiding belief of the Kainate. Embodying Eternal Rule was the Sith Kabal, which had been recreated by the Dark Lords from the remnants of the Brotherhood of the Sith. Both naturally born and artificially created Sith inhabited the Sith Kabal, each trained to believe in their vision for the galaxy.

Hiding from the nations of the galaxy, the Kainate came to being under the auspices of Malsheem, a gargantuan space station envisioned by Darth Carnifex and Prazutis as the ark to sustain the Sith. Built over the course of four decades, Malsheem housed the nucleus of the Kainate's government, military, and spiritual personnel. It was entirely self-sufficient and contained the vast majority of the Kainate's manufacturing centers and shipyards, from which the bulk of the Kainate's naval force had been constructed.

Eternal Rule

Guiding the Kainate was Eternal Rule.

Eternal Rule was an ideology created by Darth Carnifex and Prazutis following the fragmentation and collapse of the Sith Empire. This ideology was primarily created from a synthesis of the Rule of Order and Eternalism. The Rule of Order was the ideology created by the Zambrano Lords to serve as the guiding light for the Sith Empire he founded alongside other Sith Lords on Bastion. Eternalism was created by the Worm Emperor following his return to the galaxy, and is primarily practiced by his followers; the Eternalists.

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The Rule of Order in itself was a synthesis from Darth Krayt's Rule of One and older Sith ideologies. Its adherents were known as Sith-Imperials, having married Sith and Imperialist philosophies into one cohesive ideology.

• Belief in a single Dark Lord of the Sith.
• Fervent obedience to the Sith Order rather than the individual.
• Adherence to brotherhood, rejecting self-destructive tendencies.
• Rigid hierarchical dogma based on the military ethos of Imperialist doctrine.
• Demarcation between Sith and non-Sith, non-Sith can adopt Sith ideology but can never be a true Sith.

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Eternalism was introduced to the galaxy by the Worm Emperor, having evolved his ideology over centuries of isolation in Wild Space. It deviated from the prevalent Sith-Imperial orthodoxy during an age of intense strife and ideological collapse, briefly supplanting the Rule of Order in the Empire before it collapsed.

• Belief that the ultimate Sith, the Sith'ari, can only exist through the lineage of the Worm Emperor.
• Adherence to an overarching religious authority, known as the Sepulchral, who alone commands the rite of spiritual succession.
• Rejection of brotherhood, instead fanatically embracing struggle and competition for power and authority.
• Loose feudal hierarchy derived from older Sith traditions.
• Belief in that both Force Sensitives and non-Force Sensitives can become Sith, as long as they follow Eternalist doctrine.

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Eternal Rule came about from a synthesis of both of these earlier ideologies, carefully crafted by Darths Carnifex and Prazutis and incorporating their own revised beliefs discovered from new experiences. This new ideology placed by the Zambrano Lords, rather than the order or the individual, at the center of belief.

• Belief that the Sith'ari was already here, embodied by Darth Carnifex as the Supreme Being of the universe.
• Belief that the Shadow Hand and Mortarch, was embodied by Darth Prazutis as the Eternal Sovereign.
• All authority stems from Carnifex's and Prazutis's will, all subsequent authority is granted by his command. They speak as one with one voice.
• Carnifex and Prazutis positions as Dark Lord of the Sith is indisputable and unassailable, but everything beneath them is guided by ambition and subterfuge.
• Rigid hierarchy devised from the Rule of Order, but with greater emphasis placed on the superiority of the Sith.
• Only through Carnifex and Prazutis's blessing can one be made a Sith.

Sith Dyarchy

The Sith Dyarchy was the ruling authority of the Kainate, embodied by the two Dark Lords at its center. The senior Dyarch was Darth Carnifex, known as the Butcher King, the Black Iron Tyrant, and the Eternal Father. It was him that the Kainate derived its name, and through him all its power was exercised. The junior Dyarch was Darth Prazutis, known as the Dark Titan, the Shadow Hand, and the Mortarch. Though Darth Carnifex ruled the Kainate as its public face and the organizer of its governing bodies, Darth Prazutis was the genius architect of its laws and the guiding hand of its ubiquitous intelligence apparatus.

Both Dyarchs ruled simultaneously and wielded unchecked power, but neither were in competition with one another. Darth Carnifex and Darth Prazutis were a unified partnership, working together without friction to achieve their shared goals and ambitions. There was no bond as resolutely forged and unbreakable as the one shared between Darth Carnifex and Darth Prazutis, an immutable union known as the Dark Dyad.

The Dark Dyad arose from an unusual event, during which the powers of Darth Carnifex and Darth Prazutis virtually became one and the same. However, they remained separated into two distinct individuals, retaining their personalities and free will -- but now intimately joined in mind and spirit. Through this union, the Dyarchs could commune and transmit thoughts instantaneously regardless of distance, and could even materialize physically to one another's side through the power of their connection.

Kainate Government

Grand Council

Though both Darth Carnifex and Darth Prazutis wielded power absolutely, neither were particularly keen on navigating the labyrinthine minutia of government; especially one so clandestine as the Kainate. Rather, they established a governing body known as the Grand Council to oversee the affairs of state on their behalf. All members of the Grand Council were directly appointed by the combined decision of the Dyarchy, and could only be dismissed by that same combined decision.

Each of the Grand Council members were chosen for their unique abilities and acumen, often mirroring a function of the Kainate government but embodied by a single individual. When not directly leading a session of the Grand Council, a permanent Seneschal was appointed to organize and lead the council with the authority of the Dyarchy. More often than not, the Grand Council would rarely see the Dyarchy during their official meetings, and would instead receive their instruction through the words of the Seneschal.

• Seneschal
  
  • Leading the Grand Council was the Seneschal, who acted as the Dark Lord's steward in all manner of authority and managerial responsibility. They were in charge of assembling the Grand Council, ensuring that the duties of the Council were carried out, and levying new decrees on behalf of the Dark Lords. They spoke with their voice and acted with their will.
  • Seneschal Darth Imhilmos (Gunnr Zambrano)
• Supreme Prophet
  
  • The Supreme Prophet is in charge of defining, enforcing, and protecting the scripture of the Kainate. Their secondary responsibility is the proliferation of Kainate ideology across the galaxy, planting the seeds of worship across every world so that all could eventually be brought into the Eclipse.
  • Supreme Prophet Darth Isolda (Moira Vu Noi)
• Warmaster
  
  • The Warmaster oversees the Kainate's interests in all aspects of war. They personally design and oversee the defense and security of the Kainate's territory and the planets located therein. The Warmaster is responsible for the planning and executing all military offenses, assuming overall command of all Kainate military and auxiliary units in the name of the Dark Lords.
  • Warmaster Brutus Mallear
• Chief Scientist
  
  • The Chief Scientist controls all alchemical, biological, and robotic sciences within the Kainate. It is the responsibility of the Chief Scientist to further and oversee research programs and make new advancements for the Kainate, often in conjunction with Sith Alchemy and Sith Magic. They deal in everything from cybernetic and physical enhancements, to biological and technology research programs.
  • Chief Scientist Darth Xyrah (Saryn Naberrie Zambrano)
• Spymaster
  
  • The Grand Inquisitor is one of the most secretive members of the Grand Council, given authority to hunt down and root out any corrupting elements both within and without the Kainate. Their authority over the various intelligence agencies is second only to the Dark Lords, who have given the Grand Inquisitor a swath of powers to ensure that any who would seek to undermine the Kainate are properly eliminated.
  • Spymaster Darth Vecivitas (Izaszh Zambrano)
• Lord Arbiter
  
  • The Lord Arbiter is charged with defining and enforcing Sith-Imperial Law across all worlds under the yoke or influence of the Kainate. This is accomplished through the Grand Tribunal, the system of courts and security forces that accompany all Kainate military operations and occupation forces. The Dark Lord's words are law, and all shall obey them.
  • Lord Arbiter [REDACTED]
• High Seeker
  
  • The High Seeker is in charge of the Seekers of Knowledge, those who scour the galaxy on behalf of the Kainate and accumulate any scrap of information and lore they can find. All knowledge is considered sacred, and it's the duty of the High Seeker to collect and catalog everything; only to hoard it for the Kainate.
  • High Seeker Darth Voracitos (Jonathan Boke)
• Grand Lord
  
  • The Grand Lord is the chief instructor of the Sith Kabal, nominal head of all Kainate academies within their territory. Their primary function was the enforcement of Kainate teachings in the training of new Sith, ensuring that each new aspirant dutifully adhered to the tenets of Eternal Rule.
  • Grand Lord [REDACTED]
• Administrator General
  
  • The Administrator-General was the primary bureaucratic official leading the cadre of Sith-Imperial Administrates established by the Grand Council, and was the second non-Force sensitive individual honored with a seat upon the council. Each Administer reported to them, as did any Administer-without-Portfolio.
  • Administrator-General Korrit Zuthrix

Directorate of Sith-Imperial Revitalization

The Directorate of Sith-Imperial Revitalization was the central government of the Kainate and was made up of several Imperial Administrates, the institution of the Kainate Youth, and the Supreme Economic Council. All of these sub-bureaus were organized under the direction of a Select Directory, which was made up of the leading officials from each sub-bureau and led by a Directory Chairman appointed by the Grand Council.

Each sub-section of the Directorate was essential to the function of the Kainate as a whole, and were considered extremely important. Great care and attention was paid to ensure that each segment was running as efficiently as it could, with those who accrued excess inefficiency or caused notable disruption quickly removed from position.

Imperial Administrates

Equivalent to government ministries in other galactic governments, the Imperial Administrates of the Kainate functioned in much the same manner. Each Administrate was headed by an Imperial Administer, who controlled a specialized staff of sub-administer and other bureaucrats beneath them. There were seven Administrates in total, each covering an aspect of governance, society, and economics.

Commerce was the department charged with enforcing financial discipline by various means; such as the observance of commercial laws, supervising financial institutions, controlling the implementation of state budgets, controlling the activities of financial institutions, and controlling the audit functions for internal financial control. Within the Administrate for Commerce was the Trade Association, a sub-department designed to support and expand the business interests of the Kainate across neutral space. To this end, the Trade Authority was given possession of roving tithe fleets, whose presence could be used to coerce unwilling systems into submitting to unequal trade regulations.

Culture was the department whose purpose was to dutifully maintain societal norms within the Kainate, operating with final authority on artistic expression, traditions, and religious beliefs on any world that fell under the Kainate's sway. They maintained austere and stringent regulations on certain forms of cultural practices, outlawing whatever was deemed as degenerative, excessive, or wasteful. To enforce these narrow ordinances, the Administrate for Culture wielded its armed wing, Cultural Protection, like a truncheon to detain violators and destroy anything that did not conform to their standards.

Education was the department in charge of all schools, colleges, and universities either allied with or controlled by the Kainate. Their primary task was to ensure that such learning institutions were aligned with Kainate curriculum and research topics. The Administrate for Education often collaborated with the Administrate for Culture to ensure that Kainate cultural practices were put above any local or regional practices, vigorously stamping out any possible advocates for what was scornfully deemed corrupt and impure beliefs.

Information was the department responsible for the creation and dissemination of various propaganda both within and without the Kainate. All of the Kainate's holonet access fell under the Administrate for Information's jurisdiction, with the Sith-Imperial News Network being an active and prolific advocate for Kainate supremacy across the galaxy. SINN would routinely hijack foreign broadcasts to flood with propagandist holo-reels, often edited to exacerbate anti-Jedi sentiments in the galaxy.

Influence was the department responsible for spreading and maintain Kainate soft power throughout the galaxy. Every Ambassador and Counselor were divided into two branches, Generalists and Specialists. Generalists managed day-to-day functions, from monitoring communications and personnel, solving diplomatic issues, and providing guidance from the Malsheem. Specialists are experts in whatever subject matter best serves to further Kainate interests, such as technological experts, medical experts, or language experts; all depending on the needs of their role.

Justice was the department charged with enforcing the laws of the Kainate, and was given the authority to detain, prosecute, and imprison those found within breach of Sith-Imperial Law. Acting as the Administrate for Justice's armed wing, the Adjudicators were given the power to render judgment during detainment -- freeing the courts to contemplate more serious matters. The Adjudicators were divided into four branches; Judicial Security, Prison Security, Public Security, and State Security.

Science was the department of various groups that each researched and experimented in different scientific fields. Each group was coordinated by a central panel that guided research and approved the development of new technologies for the Kainate. Often, the Administrate for Science pursued military applications over other methods of utilization, as the Kainate forever demanded evolutionary means to sustain its martial existence.

Kainate Youth

The Kainate Youth was an organization designed to educate, indoctrinate, and train the youngest members of the Kainate, whose participation in the organization was rendered mandatory by Sith-Imperial Law. It was chiefly composed of four departments, each one fulfilling a specific task needed to mold young minds and bodies into faithful and obedient soldiers and bureaucrats. Leading the organization was the General Commandant of the Kainate Youth, a position appointed by the Sith Dyarchy and given a seat upon the Grand Council.

Instruction was the first department of the Kainate Youth, its primary purpose was to ensure that each and every member was given a substantial education in the tenets of Kainate ideology. Working closely with the Administrate for Education, Instruction followed a very strict curriculum in accordance with the Administrate's mandates.

Motivation was the second department of the Kainate Youth, its primary purpose was to continually bombard Youth members with propaganda through various mediums. Motivation worked closely alongside the Administrate for Information to create the most effective means of implanting the right thoughts into the minds of the Youth.

Recreation was the third department of the Kainate Youth, its primary purpose was to enrich the daily lives of Youth members with routine exercise, staged games, and various other physical activities. Each activity was carefully constructed to reinforce the ideas of collective unity over individualistic disunity, championing the ideals of giving one's self up for the Kainate.

Recruitment was the fourth department of the Kainate Youth, its primary purpose was to simultaneously seek out new members to induct into the Youth, and to prepare them for eventual dispersal into the Kainate itself. Recruitment closely monitored the progress of each Youth member, classifying them into the role best suited for their attributes once their time in the Youth had come to an end.

Supreme Economic Council

The Supreme Economic Council was the organ of the Kainate state that held complete authority over the management of the economy. It was directed by a panel of technocrats with expertise in multiple fields, such as industry and agriculture, led by a Senior Chairman. While the existence of the Administrate of Commerce alongside the SEC might appear a redundancy on the surface, the distinction lay with their functions. The CoC dealt primarily with the enforcement of financial law, while the SEC set the economic structure for the Kainate as a whole.

Coordination was the agency of the SEC that managed the various state-owned enterprises and authorized corporations under the purview of the Kainate. The agency took great steps to ensure that all these individual groups and organizations worked harmoniously and followed the general guidelines set by the SEC. Coordination also was in charge of carrying out four-year plans, which were designed to achieve certain criteria for each segment of the economy.

Imperialization was the agency of the SEC that oversaw the transformation of previously hostile or neutral enterprises into ones directly controlled by the Kainate government. Their judgment was rendered onto each newly acquired asset on a case by case basis, determining if more amenable groups could be given meager autonomy under Kainate observation, or were to be folded into an existing state enterprise wholesale.

Standardization was the agency of the SEC that set the guidelines for the entire Kainate economy, everything from the value of currency down to the regulation of businesses, fuel purity, weights, and many, many other areas. They were also responsible for the elimination of redundant industries, particularly in regard to new acquisitions. Likewise, they also combed through pre-existing economic structures on new worlds, and either modified them to act in concert with Kainate law or abolished them entirely.

Sith-Imperial Assembly

Despite being ruthlessly governed by the Dark Lord's of the Sith and Their appointed representatives, the Kainate operated a consultative body known as the Sith-Imperial Assembly. Rather than a legislature of any kind, the Assembly was designed to administer the various disparate territories controlled by the Kainate and consult the Grand Council on matters of industry, trade, cultural, and social matters.

The first segment of the Assembly was the Council of Lords. The Council of Lords was a collective of Sith Lords chosen to directly administer and govern territorial holdings across the galaxy. These Sith Lords acted as feudal masters of their territories, possessing executive, legislative, and judicial powers. They could govern as they saw fit, provided they submitted to wider Kainate authority and contributed a percentage of their accumulated and extracted wealth to the Kainate.

The exact number of these lordships and their size varied from one lordship to another, often depending on the personal strength of the Sith Lord and the forces under their control. Often, favorable Sith Lords would be bolstered with strength directly from the Kainate to increase their hold on a vital region. Those who fell out of favor would be sent to govern lesser regions of space, but could rise in favor through political machinations; as the Kainate encouraged such cutthroat politics among it's Sith Lords.

The second segment of the Assembly was the Council of Corporations. Rather than just being comprised of business interests, the Council of Corporations was made to contain the different sectors of the Kainate economy. Seven syndicates were organized to represent these sectors, each one having mandatory membership for all citizens of the Kainate. Representatives for these syndicates were appointed by the Grand Council and given seats on the Council of Corporations, where they would act as a consultative body for the Grand Council.

The seven syndicates were as follows:

• Employers
• Industrial and Agricultural Workers
• Industrial and Agricultural Technicians
• Private Bureaucrats and Administrators
• Teachers and Students
• Lawyers and Doctors
• Civil Servants

Sith Kabal

Unlike the Brotherhood of the Sith from which it was derived, this new Kainate Sith Kabal committed itself to none of the beliefs that the Brotherhood held in high regard. In his observations of the Brotherhood, Darth Carnifex and Darth Prazutis came to the belief that allowing the Sith to pursue their own ambitions was highly flawed, and that the veneer of unity under compatriotship was only a superficial attempt to remedy the Sith’s self-destructive nature. Interests would always diverge, competing egos ensuring that anything built on the Brotherhood’s foundation would inevitably collapse under its own weight.

The Zambrano Lords concluded that only they possessed the knowledge, foresight, and vision to see the Sith brought to the heights of perfection that many only dreamt of. In accordance with his newly established Eternal Rule, the Zambrano Lords purged their new order of ambition and individuality, even going so far as to create artificial Sith with engineered loyalty to themselves and their vision. Any semblance of divergence from this vision would be rectified, violently if necessary.

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In crafting this new Sith Kabal, the Zambrano’s envisioned three Circles that would categorically organize the Sith in accordance with their rank. The highest circle was the Circle of Lords, composed of all Sith who held the rank of Lord or Master. The second circle was the Circle of Knights, composed of all Sith who had progressed beyond the rank of Apprentice and Acolyte, but were not full-fledged masters. The lowest circle was the Circle of Acolytes, composed of all Sith who had been initiated into the Kabal but had not yet advanced beyond their tutelage.

These Circles formed concentric rings of power, with the inner and smallest most Circle containing the greater power, with power diminishing but size increasing the further from the center you travel. Within the ideology of Eternal Rule, only the Sith Diarchy could occupy the exact center of this ring of Circles, their power being absolute and the foundation upon which the Kabal was built. Without the center, all else would crumble away.

Sith Masters were those Sith that survived the Trials of the Chain and were anointed as possessing the Blood of the Exiles. The Blood of the Exiles was a metaphysical concept held by the Kainate, predicated on the belief that those who succeeded in their trials were blood-descendants of the original Dark Jedi Exiles that founded the first Sith Order.

Not only were the Circles demarcated in accordance with rank, but within each Circle was a further division of specialization. These specializations numbered four and were named thus;

• Alchemist - Sith that excelled in the esoteric art of Sith Alchemy, employing their knowledge for dark science and engineering alongside the Artificer’s Guild.
• Arcanist - Sith that excelled in the mystical art of Sith Magic, employing their knowledge to cast wicked sorcery alongside the profuse study of the Sith Code.
• Battlelord - Sith that excelled in the physical power of the Dark Side, employing their enhanced strength as officers and generals of the Imperial Grand Army.
• Shadow - Sith that excelled in the deceptive trickery of the Dark Side, employing their mastery of shadows to eliminate all of the Kainate’s many enemies.

Within the Kabal were five schools of thought, also known as spheres or pyramids, which defined the education of the Sith that learned from them. Each of these schools drew from the Sith Code, embodying an aspect thought to be foundational for the Sith as a whole. These schools were thus;

• School of Passion - Sith within this school learned how to harness their passions to extraordinary degrees, capable of accessing the full spectrum of emotion to empower themselves and allies.
• School of Strength - Sith within this school learned how to harness the Dark Side to magnify their physical strength, becoming powerful warriors or unstoppable berserkers.
• School of Power - Sith within this school learned how to harness the Dark Side to magnify their magical strength, becoming powerful sorcerers or talented alchemists.
• School of Victory - Sith within this school learned how to harness their intellect to maximize their tactical acumen, becoming skilled strategists or cunning assassins.
• School of the Force - Sith within this school learned how to harness their yearning for knowledge, engrossing themselves with the total study of the Dark Side and the Force.

To be considered to have possessed the Blood of the Exiles, a Sith must survive the Trials of the Chain. The Trials of the Chain consisted of five trials, each one focused on breaking the chains that shackled themselves to their previous life.

• Chain of the Body - To break the chain that shackled a Sith’s body, they had to display physical prowess; whether that was strength, dexterity, or endurance. Physical pain was also a component of this trial, as a Sith had to endure, overcome, and embrace pain in order to master the Dark Side.
• Chain of the Mind - To break the chain that shackled a Sith’s mind, they had to rid themselves of all anxieties, doubts, insecurities, and fears. To look into the proverbial mirror and dispel those barriers that held them back from reaching their full potential.
• Chain of the Spirit: - To break the chain that shackled a Sith’s spirit, they had to confront their past, break away from it, and ultimately kill it. To free one’s self from the past was to achieve the discipline necessary to control the Dark Side.
• Chain of the Heart - To break the chain that shackled a Sith’s heart, they had to cure themselves of the poison of morality that inebriated their perception. Hesitation, mercy, and remorse were the hallmarks of a weak individual, and for a Sith to rid themselves of these limiters was intrinsic to the power of the Dark Side.
• Chain of the Faith - To break the chain that shackled a Sith’s faith, they had to commit themselves to the Kainate. To understand that their own individual wants and needs are secondary, even irrelevant, to those of the Kainate. Few ever survive this chain’s breaking, but those that do become the greatest among the Kabal.

Before taking the Trial of the Chains, a Sith holds the rank of either Knight or Apprentice. A Sith Knight was a member of the Kabal that has progressed beyond the tutelage of their Master, anointed as a junior member of the Kabal with a recitation of their oaths to Eternal Rule. A Sith Apprentice was a member of the Kabal that was still serving under a Sith Master, and had not yet been deemed worthy of advancing to the position of Knight.

Forming the lowest rungs of the Sith Kabal were the Acolytes, newly born strand-casts or freshly recruited Force-Sensitives. They had yet to be fully inducted into the Sith Kabal and were still in the process of training. The artificial Sith often outpaced their recruited companions, as they spent most of their gestation being suffused with subconscious Kainate teachings. More strand-cast acolytes finished their training in comparison to recruited acolytes because of this, though the Kainate has not changed its method of recruitment in spite of the data.

Kainate Society

All of Kainite society was governed by the institutions of Eternal Rule, the guiding principle laid forth by Darth Carnifex. All work carried out by individuals was to be put towards the benefit of the Kainate rather than for the individual's material desires. Individuality was routinely curtailed, the idea of social collectivization pursued through targeted education and reinforcement through propaganda. Vices considered impure, such as drinking, smoking, gambling, and other such hedonism, were explicitly outlawed within the Kainate.

While the vast majority of the Kainate's citizenry were forced into compliance with these guidelines, the soldier-aristocracy that comprised the officer corps and the technocrats of the various science divisions often exempted themselves from the strict discipline of the lower ranks. As many of these families came from the various Sith Empires prior to the Kainate's establishment, they were afforded a higher honor in Carnifex's shadow; allowed to circumvent many of the rules that the others had to religiously adhere to.

Through approved holovids and literature, Kainite citizens were informed of the glorious past that they had been robbed of; an Empire that had been the pinnacle of civilization undermined from within by cowardly democratists and vainglorious officers. Instruction in this mythologized past accentuates the need for Kainate citizens to forsake democracy and vanity in exchange for total subservience to the reclamation of this stolen heritage.

Mainline Kainite culture also had a distinct Epicanthix flavor, a consequence of the influx of Epicanthix families into the Kainate coupled with the Dark Lord's own native identity. Great emphasis was placed on the indistinguishability of strict martial discipline woven into all aspects of society, as every member of the Kainate was expected to undergo munitions training, physical education, CQC instruction, and even pass a certain threshold in flight training. To be combat ready at any moment's time was highly prized.

Despite the often utilitarian nature of the Kainate, the Epicanthix appreciation for art has managed to claim several footholds within society. The Epicanthix tradition of assimilating a conquered people's art, music, and literature, carried on into the Kainate. Whenever an unaffiliated people would be absorbed into the greater Kainite sphere, they would undergo heavy scrutiny in order to parcel out what aspects of their prior existence would be beneficial to the Kainate and what could be discarded. Anything that could enhance current military doctrine or technology was readily incorporated, and anything that was either redundant or superficial was erased from all records.

Unlike contemporary ultra-fascist nations, the Kainate held no such imposed restrictions on gender and sexuality. Homosexual, non-binary, and even transgender individuals could be found within the Kainate's sphere. This tolerance chiefly stemmed from the Tenth Sith Empire, which codified pragmatic regulations on an individual's gender or sexuality. Both the Tenth Sith Empire and its Kainate successor prioritized an individual's fidelity and mental/physical aptitude over comparatively trivial concerns such as gender identity or sexual orientation.

Another cultural phenomenon assimilated from the Epicanthix people was the commonality of non-monogamous relationships. Individuals could maintain multiple relationships at any given time, and could be married to multiple individuals simultaneously. This was practiced by most levels of society, primarily the mass citizenry and the ruling Imperial Family, but ironically, the soldier-aristocracy of the old Sith Empire held fast to more traditional beliefs such as monogamy and patrilineal inheritance.

Every citizen of the Kainate, regardless of their station (with the exception of the Sith), were given unity armbands that were to be worn around the left sleeve of their clothing. Though wearing the armband is generally not enforced, the Empire's social zeitgeist has made the act of wearing a unity armband a symbol of pride and status. Those who do not wear the armband are often ostracized by their peers, creating an environment of peer-pressured compliance in wearing the symbols of the Kainate.

The Iron Fist, Kainite Salute, or Sign of the Eternal Sovereigns, is a cultural practice originating within the earlier Sith Empire. It is not known what facet of the nation it started, it has quickly spread like wildfire through every level from citizens to the highest echelons. It is considered to be a display of one's absolute devotion to the Sith Dyarchy by the raising of one's left fist high into the air, symbolizing the iron hand of the Dark Lord's. In times of celebration, parades and many other situations or events it is not uncommon to see the Iron Fist raised high in the air by many who wish to show their loyalty and support.

Kainate Economy

The Kainite economy was tightly controlled within the Kainate, with all investment, production and the allocation of capital goods taking place according to economy-wide plans. All of the Kainate's economy was directed through the Supreme Economic Council and the Imperial Administrate of Commerce, with minimal trade allotted to corporations who had courted the Kainate's favor.

Kainate currency came in the form of credits which were tallied and safeguarded away from the hands of Kainate citizens. Citizens could only accumulate wealth through service to the Kainate, but they could not directly control the wealth they generated. Rather, sums were added or removed depending on their performance, with their necessities being deducted from their total sum automatically.

This system was circumvented by the military aristocracy of the Kainate, such as the noble families who once held great sway in the Sith Empires of old who still remained loyal to their former Emperor. Their wealth, while held by the same institutions as the other citizen's, was not kept to the same limitations or restrictions. They could use their wealth as they pleased, and had the exclusive privilege of trading with foreign corporations at their leisure.

The Kainate amassed tangible wealth through several means. Chief among them was plunder, as the Kainate maintained several expeditionary fleets throughout the galaxy whose sole purpose was to prey upon neutral systems and despoil them of their resources and wealth.

A subsection of the Supreme Economic Council's Standardization Department was the Labor Adjustment Commission, which not only inventoried all Kainate slaves, but also was tasked with acquiring new slaves through trade with existing slavery organizations or direct acquisition. Not only that, but the Labor Adjustment Commission was responsible for the distribution and conditioning of newly seized slaves.

Slaves within the Kainate were sorted into three castes; Labor, Entertainment, and Nutrition. Individuals known as Designators were tasked with reviewing each slave and determining which caste they belonged to. Particularly healthy and physically adept slaves were designated as Labor, their brawn subordinated to the whims of taskmasters in the various extraction pits across the galaxy. Physically attractive slaves were designated as Entertainment, and were mutilated into Decraniated to serve as dancers or household staff for Kainate officers.

But perhaps the darkest fate was reserved for those slaves sorted into Nutrition. The Kainate were close associates with the Makesh Cartel of Raykka, both mutually benefiting from trade with the other. One of the agreements made between the Kainate and the Makesh Cartel was the transferral of particularly hale slaves to Makesh food processing facilities. These slaves were then systematically butchered and repurposed into food for the Cartel's intergalactic restaurant franchise, KalCo Chow 'N' Stuffs. The Kainate received a percentage of all meat processed by the Makesh Cartel.

The Kainate also maintained secret relations with several galactic corporations, such as the Daedalus Corporation, the Arceneau Trade Company, the Trade Federation, Aurora Industries, Spaarti Creations, the InterGalactic Banking Clan, and the Globex Corporation. Publicly, these corporations denounced the Dark Side and the Sith and disavowed dealing with any of their kind. Behind closed doors, these corporations were either shell-fronts for the Kainate and other Sith groups, or were willing to bypass the laws forbidding the negotiation and sale of products to the Sith. Some, like Daedalus and Aurora, actively participated in Kainate technological experiments and contributed to the Kainate's rearmament and practice of slavery.

Secondary methods of economic manipulation consist of raiding trade routes, preferably the neutral routes between galactic powers, and engaging in stock investment and trading on the intergalactic market. Through various shell firms, such as Daedalus Investment Firm, the Kainate analyzes and coordinates the buying and selling of stock to push the market towards a desired state. This not only transfers wealth from one hand into another, but also opens the door for further Sith infiltration of corporations not yet brought into the Kainate sphere of control.

Kainate Science and Technology

The Kainate focused heavily on automation and replication, having taken the technologies pioneered and advanced by the Sith Empire and pushed them to their next stage of advancement. Molecular furnaces were the backbone of the Kainite industrial sector, their ability to break down and transmute any material into any new desired material was indispensable to the Kainate's quiet growth and rearmament. The Kainate possessed a massive database full of technical schematics and chemical formulas, any of which could be accessed by molecular furnaces for use in transmutation and assembly.

Kainate factories were extensively automated, with engineers only present as overseers of the automation cycle. Inputs were carried out by synthetic brains, which could process commands much faster than an organic brain. Mass production was streamlined through the use of prefabricated designs, which could be assembled quickly and placed into storage at the end of the assembly conduit.

Raw resources were collected through two methods, asteroid mining and planetary stripping. Asteroid mining was self-explanatory, Kainate ships would scour asteroid fields and use a combination of mining equipment and tractor beams to break apart the largest asteroids. These more manageable chunks would be placed inside of ionization bays, where the pieces would be broken down into their constituent parts. From there, they would be transported into molecular furnaces, which would recombine them into new material, such as armor components, starship parts, and other items.

Planetary stripping was a far more extensive and insidious method in comparison to asteroid mining. Massive ships called World Despoilers would settle down on a planet's surface and would then methodically scorch the world's surface and draw up dirt, rock, and ore into a massive molecular furnace. A series of grinders at the front of the World Despoiler would churn and grind up the path ahead of the vessel, pulping organic matter and gradually flattening the surface of the world with every pass.

The Kainate had no objections to dispatching World Despoilers to inhabited or uninhabited worlds, provided the world in question could be pacified with a light to moderate military presence accompanying the World Despoilers. To keep a world isolated while the despoiling process was underway, the Kainate military would deploy gravity well buoys along any hyperlane leading to the world, and would position strike squadrons nearby to destroy any intruding vessel. Communications would likewise be severed with the wider galaxy.

The process of utilization of every single resource, wasting nothing was a chief invention of the Mortarch himself. Who came from a determined culture and a harsh world where nothing was wasted, everything was utilized and prioritized.

Kainate cloning technology was highly advanced, drawn from Kaminoan, Khomm, and Spaarti sources. Strand-casting was by far the most commonplace method of organic replication used by Kainite scientists, as it was used to produce the bulk of the Kainate's armed forces. Strand-casting was accomplished through the use of exo-wombs, artificial gestation pods that could be imprinted with any manner of gene-strands to give life to a new being.

Kainate strand-casts were not created from one singular donor, but came from a wide variety of gene-strands either harvested from across the galaxy or donated by loyal families. Gestating strand-casts were flash imprinted with all of the knowledge and information they would require for full functionality once mature, as well as a steady input of conditioned proteins that would hardwire their brains for loyalty to the Kainate.

Most of the Kainate strand-casts were non-Force sensitive, as it was easier to mass produce such individuals without fear of horrendous defects. The Kainate did, however, produce Force-sensitive strand-casts, but they were far more time-consuming to breed and train than their non-sensitive brethren. By imbuing each Force-sensitive strand-cast with the Dark Side of the Force during their gestation, it bound their will to that of the Dark Lord, making them extremely effective and loyal servants once they had matured.

Kainate Military

Grand Army

The Grand Army was the Kainate's principal surface force, used to prosecute land-based operations and to police occupied worlds. It was formed from the remnants of the Sith Empire's Imperial Legion and the strand-cast armed divisions previously employed by the Kainate, with the majority of the army's lower echelons composed of these artificial soldiers while officers and high command were primarily naturally born men and women. Each member of the Grand Army was instructed to display total obedience to the ruling class, particularly towards Darth Carnifex and his family as part of the cult of personality which personified Eternal Rule. Adherence to this ideology was enforced through the implementation of Allegiant-Commissars that proliferated through every level of the Grand Army.

At the head of the Kainate military was the Warmaster, a unique rank that was distributed to a single individual at the discretion of the Dark Lords. The current holder of the title of Warmaster was Brutus Mallear, a long-standing devotee of the Zambranos that had risen through the ranks over several decades of service. The Warmaster held complete authority over the Grand Army and served within the Dark Lord's Inner Circle. They could grant ranks, remove them, and appoint commanders as they saw fit.

Like the military organizations that the Grand Army had been formed from, there existed a strict hierarchical system of ranks. Each rank bracket -- such as enlisted, officer, etc -- was characterized by their own colored uniforms to distinguish them from one another, alongside braided arm-cuffs and more traditional rank plaques that denoted their position.

The majority of the Grand Army's High Command are former officers of the Sith Empire's Imperial Legion, who helped guide and shape the Legion during the seventeen years the Empire was functional. Many of the Legion's innovations and reforms played a hand in informing the composition and doctrine of the Grand Army, with the latter sharing many similarities with the former.

The Grand Army was subdivided into organizational branches, each of which carried out the responsibilities beholden to it:

• Acquisition Corps
• Armor Corps
• Artillery Corps
• Atmospheric Corps
• Chemical Corps
• Communications Corps
• Engineering Corps
• Infantry Corps
• Logistic Corps
• Military Intelligence (Army)
• Medical Corps
• Military Police Corps (Army)
• Office of the Inspector General
• Psychological Operations
• Quartermaster Corps
• Special Forces
• Surface-to-Air Artillery Defense Corps
• Ordnance Corps
• Transportation Corps

At the top of the Grand Army were a series of commands that oversaw large sections of the Army's composition and logistics:

• Forces Command
• HoloNet Command
• Material Command
• Modernization Command
• Training and Doctrine Command

The units of the Grand Army are typically malleable, with the Kainate prioritizing smaller units that can quickly combine into larger groups before splitting apart again.

The Grand Army followed strict adherence to refined combined arm doctrines, with all large-scale formations featuring a harmonious blend of infantry, mechanized units, and fast-moving armor. Emphasis was placed squarely on the outcome of missions and operations rather than how they were achieved, with any means of victory pursued on all tactical levels. Because of this, low-strata and mid-strata officers were allowed greater operational flexibility in the pursuit of victory and to a certain degree could operate semi-independently from larger formations.

Supplementary droids and other automated battle platforms were incorporated at every operational level, their roles varying depending on the size and scope of the unit they're assigned to. Company-level units utilized droids to fulfill supply roles, act as auxiliary personnel, and serve on heavy weapon teams. Assault groups employed an entire Legion of automated troops overseen by a small cadre of organic officers for use in attritional operations. Officers routinely made use of astromechs and protocol droids to smooth inter-unit administration and bureaucracy, with more senior officers maintaining their own dedicated droid staff.

The Grand Army's tactics were based around mobility, with entire units being rapidly deployed from orbit to deliver powerful strategic blows followed up by mechanized maneuver warfare. Combat doctrine was arranged in such a way that made it difficult for the Grand Army's enemies to react to a continually shifting front, with static tactics actively avoided and discouraged among all combat units. When conditions are preferable, the Grand Army will attempt to engage in a single battle of annihilation against the enemy. A battle of annihilation can only be waged against an enemy that is maneuvered into a position for total destruction, resulting in the loss of every enemy combatant.

If victory cannot be achieved within a certain time frame after the initiation of the conflict, then the Grand Army will pull back into orbit rather than engage in a protracted war of attrition. Efforts will then be taken to re-analyze the battlefield for a follow-up strike with the intent to finish what the first battle could not. If conditions are ultimately unfavorable within detailed parameters, then the Grand Army will fully withdraw rather than commit more units to a battle deemed too costly.

Shadow Armada

The Shadow Armada was the naval branch of the Kainate, composed of over a dozen battlegroups sub-divided into squadrons and strike forces. Unlike the Imperial Grand Army, the majority of the Shadow Armada consisted of natural-born commanders and petty-officers. Enlistment in the Shadow Armada was considered far more prestigious than enlistment in the Grand Army, and a greater number of loyalist families enrolled their youths into the Shadow Armada as a result. Strand-casts were not entirely unknown to the Shadow Armada, but were chiefly relegated to minor roles as gunners and mechanics rather than commanders and officers.

Like the Grand Army, the Shadow Armada imposed a strict hierarchical system of ranks. Each rank bracket -- such as enlisted, officer, etc -- was characterized by their own colored uniforms to distinguish them from one another, alongside braided arm-cuffs and more traditional rank plaques that denoted their position.

The Shadow Armada was subdivided into organizational branches, each of which carried out the responsibilities beholden to it:

• Aerospace Training and Education Command
• Fleet Command Engineering Division
• Fleet Command Exploratory Division
• Fleet Command Information, Signals, and Propaganda Division
• Fleet Command Medical Services
• Fleet Logistics Division
• Imperial Marine Corps
• Military Intelligence (Navy)
• Military Police Corps (Navy)
• Military Technological Research and Development
• Starfighter Corps

The units of the Shadow Armada vary in size reflecting the aims and needs of Imperial operations, the amount of warships expanding and contracting accordingly:

• Battle Group | 2+ Fleets | Lord Admiral
• Fleet | 2+ Task Forces | Admiral
• Task Force | 2-10+ Divisions | Vice Admiral
• Division | 2-10+ Flotillas | Rear Admiral (Combat) / Commodore (Logistic)
• Flotilla | 2-10+ Squadrons | Commodore
• Squadron | 2-10+ Elements | Captain
• Element | 1 Vessel | Commander

Insight of the Dark Lord

Alchemist's Guild

TBA

Seekers of Knowledge

TBA

Shadow Mind

All of the Kainate's technological development was concentrated into Shadow Mind, a highly secretive bureau of several technocratic councils bound together within the Insight of the Dark Lord. The councils that comprised Shadow Mind were organized according to scientific fields, such as natural, engineering, medical, and social sciences. Each council was composed of five members, masters of their respective fields, that were all subordinate to a central Chairman. The current Chairman was Saryn Naberrie, a technological savant from Naboo and member of the Dark Lord's Grand Council.

Shadow Mind was concerned with the discovery and advancement of technology for both civilian and military purposes within the Kainate. Their methods were unbeholden to any ethical board and moralistic set of laws, thus they could act without fear of overstepping their bounds. Shadow Mind routinely used captured slaves as test subjects for their various experiments, either as a testbed for new viral strains or chemical concoctions, as target practice for newly developed weapons, or to test the pressurization of new flight suits. Test subjects died frequently, but were easily replaceable.

Within Shadow Mind was the Artificers Guild, was the association of engineers, inventors, technicians, and workers that comprised the production arm of the Kainate. They received what had been researched by Shadow Mind, tested it, and put it into practical application. The Guild was run by the Lord Artificer, who chaired an executive board of Sith and non-Sith, referred to as Guild-Masters and Guild-Patrons respectively. Guild-Masters oversaw various manufacturing sectors and directly ran production operations, while Guild-Patrons were the financiers of production by providing capital in the form of funds and raw materials.

Sith Engineers acted as mid-level managers operating at the direction of Guild-Masters, usually overseeing various production facilities simultaneously. Non-Sith Engineers organized and administered production as delegates of the Sith Engineers, with usually one or two non-Sith Engineers assigned to a single plant. The laborers working in the Kainate were referred to as the Imperial Labor Front, and were organized into smaller sub-sections according to their profession.

Production was principally divided into five sectors;

• Armament - Chiefly concerned with the mass production of armor, ordnance, weapons, and vehicles used by the Kainate Military, Guard Militias, and other combat/police oriented organizations.
• Commodities - The smallest of the sectors, producing items with exchange and use value for the Empire's general populace.
• Infrastructure - Responsible for the expansion and maintenance of the Kainate's cities, resource harvesting stations, roadways, and spaceports.
• Robotics - Operates the Kainate's various droid factories, producing every class of droid for use by the Kainate in both combat and non-combat functions.
• Starships - Runs the Kainate's shipyards and associated manufacturing plants.

Both the scientists of Shadow Mind and the engineers of the Artificer's Guild collaborated with external factions, primarily the various corporate allies and benefactors that supplied the Kainate with their own research and technology. Cooperation was often facilitated through the Council of Corporations.

Secretive among the scientists and technocrats of Shadow Mind were the Clone Keepers, the hallowed custodians of all genetic material accumulated by the Kainate. They operated independently of all other scientific organizations within the Kainate, and were answerable only to the Dark Lord of the Sith. They were led by the Chief Scientist of Genetic Replication, a Kaminoan scientist named Kodro Ma, who defected from the Kaminoan Cloners and brought much of their secrets along with her.

By far the Clone Keeper's greatest task was the creation and maintenance of Vessels for the Dark Lord. It was these Vessels that allowed the Dark Lord to transfer His spirit into new hosts to prolong His life indefinitely. Vessels were the biological children of the Dark Lord, taken not long after birth, and surgically imbued with pieces of His genetic sequence. This allowed the Dark Lord to take control of their bodies at any given point, enabling the safe transference of spirit, and the ultimate obliteration of the original personality. These genes were taken from the ur-Lich, the physical remains of the Dark Lord's birth body that was kept under heavy guard deep within Malsheem.

Should the ur-Lich be destroyed, then the ability to make new Vessels would be impossible.

Reach of the Dark Lord

Imperative

The Imperative was an organization of women whose purpose was to spread the enlightenment of Carnifex throughout the galaxy, forming convents and proselytizing the inhabitants of entire worlds into the Eclipsing Faith. Leading the Imperative was the position of Mother Superior, also known as the Mother Commander, currently held by the former Jedi Master Sochi Ru. The Mother Superior was ultimately subordinate to the authority of the Supreme Prophet Darth Isolda, but was afforded a great range of autonomy to carry out their duties.

Beneath the Mother Superior were lieutenants known as Mother Inferiors, who all commanded their own convents across the galaxy. Each Mother Inferior oversaw a wide range of territory, and was responsible for the upkeep of existing convents and the establishment of new ones. Convents themselves were composed of Sisters and Acolytes, the former being senior members of a convent and the latter being junior members. Each convent was led by an appointed Sister Commander.

Each member of the Imperative was instructed in the power of guile and manipulation. They were taught how to use their bodies, mind, and voice to beguile and coerce the inhabitants of a planet, twisting their perceptions until they became ardent followers of the Eclipsing Faith. Those who could not be manipulated were often viciously discredited among their own community, the weakest among them turned first and used as a bludgeon to castigate those too willful or entrenched until they were either removed or converted.

Besides the induction of new adherents into the Eclipsing Faith, the Imperative’s secondary prerogative was to establish a permanent network of loyal informants across the galaxy. The Imperative’s influence could be felt at all levels of society, as their teachings encouraged class collaboration between the highest and lowest strata. Workers loyal to the Imperative would emigrate to other worlds not yet touched by their presence, passing along information about local cultures, influential figures, and potential enemy presences to their Imperative handlers. The Imperative worked hand-in-hand with the foreign offices of the Saaraishash to strengthen Kainite influence across multiple sectors.

The Imperative consistently espoused zealous anti-Jedi rhetoric in their teachings, encouraging their converts to reject the hypocrisy of the Light in favor of the liberating embrace of the Dark. They promised ascension for any among their flock who could prove themselves worthy, and were supplied with a special elixir that could artificially heighten a being’s Force Sensitivity. However, this potent concoction often had the adverse side-effect of dismantling a user’s genetic sequence, killing them in the process. This was portrayed as proof of unworthiness to the faithful, a flaw in their spiritual character rather than random chance.

Saaraishash

The Saaraishash is the omnipresent internal security apparatus of the Kainate's police state, empowered with the authority to enforce compliance, imprison subversives, and punish dissidents. Born from the remnants of the Sith Empire's own Saaraishash, the Kainate’s Saaraishash adopted much of its predecessor's organization and policies. The Saaraishash was commanded by the Grand Inquisitor, appointed directly by the Dark Lord and only dismissable through their intercession. Each operative wore armored uniforms that set them apart from the central bureaucratic agencies and the military wings of the Kainate, a distinction that made their appearance striking and terror-inducing.

The standard Inquisitors of the Saaraisash carried red-bladed lightsabers and employed practical Force Powers, their skills never deviating beyond the core instructions. Inquisitors traveled in packs for the advantage of numbers and to ensure that no single Inquisitor could break from the system of compliance and control. Each Inquisitor was conditioned in a similar manner to those within the bureaucracy and military, their individuality suppressed through various psychological manipulations and chemical injections.

The Sith of the Saaraishash follow a very simple hierarchy. Force-Sensitive Strand-Casts born into the Saaraishash utilize the alphanumeric designation SR-XXXX.

• Inquisitor - Rank-and-file Sith, apprentice or knight level, that perform missions on behalf of their Sith superiors.
• High Inquisitor - Master-level Inquisitors that work along with non-Force Sensitive Keepers on large-scale operations across the galaxy.
• Grand Inquisitor - Leader of the Saaraishash, holds a position on the Kainate Grand Council, and answers directly to the Dark Lord.

To police the Kainate both within and without, the Sith Inquisitors of the Saaraishash were broadly divided into two camps; Wardens and Justiciars.

Wardens were Inquisitors charged with maintaining the defense of the Kainate through concentrated investigation of personnel, remaining on-site for long periods of time and rarely straying beyond their designated area of investigation. They remain for as long as directed, monitoring for signs of sedition and ruthlessly purging incompetents and malcontents alike.

Each Wardens is charged with four prime directives, each one crucial to their responsibilities as Inquisitors:

• Evaluation: Wardens must evaluate any and all Sith facilities within their allotted ranges, ensuring that they are properly held to standard, well-staffed, adequately defended, and insured against breaches of security. Commanders and officers found in breach of these standards are susceptible to corporal punishment.
• Inquisition: Spies and saboteurs are an expected nuisance to be rooted out and eliminated, and thus Wardens are trained to be eternally vigilant for any such signs. A Warden is given the authority to interrogate personnel to uncover any possible deceit, and the responsibility to destroy those who go against the Kainate.
• Preparation: Complacency is the death of discipline, and Wardens are charged with ensuring that such discipline is not lost or diminished in any way. All Sith facilities must be combat functional, their systems must be properly updated, and their functionaries must not be poisoned with incompetence or dereliction.
• Protection: With eyes and ears everywhere, the Wardens are eager to uncover any plot against the Kainate; regardless of its severity. Once uncovered, the Wardens will rapidly respond, apprehending, interrogating, and executing those found guilty of treason against the Kainate. Few are truly safe from their gaze and reach.

Justiciars were Inquisitors charged with the field work necessary to ensure the Kainate's security was maintained. They are the spies and assassins dedicated to uncovering compromising elements within and without the Kainate, ridding the galaxy of such pestilence with uncompromising tenacity and ruthlessness.

Each Justiciar is charged with four prime directives, each one crucial to their responsibilities as Inquisitors:

• Assassination: The progress of the Kainate must not be compromised, and when individuals or organizations are discovered to be impeding this advancement, then they must be eliminated. The Justiciars commit targeted assassinations not just within the Kainate's sphere of influence, but across the galaxy as well; especially within the territories of the Kainate's adversaries.
• Espionage: The disruption of adversarial elements is paramount to ensure the Kainate's safety, and the Justiciars will routinely investigate such elements and gather intelligence against them. After such a time that direct action must be taken, then they will do so without hesitation. The form this takes is dependent on their threat level and the nature of the foe.
• Evaluation: Justiciars will often be attached to military units both at rest and engaged in the field, vigilant for any signs of dissent or insubordination. If such treason is suspected, the Justiciars are charged with the interrogation of the accused, and if such accusations are proven correct; execution.
• Inquiry: The most common of all Justiciar duties is the establishment and maintaining of contact networks across the galaxy. Either through bribery, extortion, persuasion, or outright replacement, the Justiciars strive to ensure that the Kainate always retains an advantage across every avenue.

Within the Saaraishash was a vast bureaucracy of non-Sith agents, all of whom worked alongside Inquisitors to safeguard the Kainate and eliminate threats both from within and from without.

• Informers - Spies, scouts, and informants who gathered information and related it back to Saaraishash outposts. Informers were often assigned a fixed position they would never leave. NFU Strand-Casts use the designation IN-XXXX.
• Ciphers - Operatives that were skilled in assassination, seduction, infiltration, and sabotage. Ciphers were often the field agents and main attack force of the Saaraishash, adept with poisons, rifles, and gadgets. NFU Strand-Casts use the designation CI-XXXX.
• Minders - Information processors who receive intelligence from Ciphers and anticipate their enemy’s movements. Minders work as internal security, screening the Saaraishash for vulnerabilities, and addressing any breaches. NFU Strand-Casts use the designation MI-XXXX.
• Fixers - Technical agents who were adept at slicing, engineering, and biomechanics. Often processed and made sense of technical data gathered by Ciphers. NFU Strand-Casts use the designation FX-XXXX.
• Watchers - Observers that recover, process, and analyze data, then relay their findings back to the Ciphers. Watchers report directly to Keepers.
• Keepers - High rank leaders of the non-Force divisions of the Saaraishash. Keepers give orders to their operatives, come up with macro-level plans, and work deeply with High Inquisitors.

Beyond the standardization utilized by the rank-and-file Inquisitors, the Saaraishash employed several specialized groups to maintain the Dark Lord's authority.

The first of these groups were the Truthsayers, Inquisitors whose natural affinity for empathy and telepathy had been harnessed through rigorous conditioning to serve as interrogators. This allowed the Truthsayers to accurately determine whether or not another individual was telling the truth or telling a lie, their powers extending to forcefully probing the thoughts of those under their scrutiny.

The second group was the Fleshmenders, Inquisitors gifted in the art of bodily manipulation and healing. Fleshmenders would often accompany standard Inquisitors on missions or stand by during Truthsayer interrogations. They could use their power to expertly mend their wounded allies or prolong a prisoner's suffering and prevent them from succumbing to their injuries during torture.

The third group was the Haemonculi, Inquisitors who were subjected to horrific surgery to replace the majority of their internal organs and extremities with advanced Yuuzhan Vong biomechanical implants. These implants were far more advanced than previous Yuuzhan Vong creations, for though they were biological in nature they could successfully interface with inorganic technology.

The fourth and final group was the Ocissors and was an exclusively female subsect of the Saaraishash. Each member of the Ocissors has been thoroughly instructed in the art of guile and seduction, the ability to enchant and manipulate others a crucial aspect of their organization. Their abilities are magnified through their collective power of shapeshifting, the ability to transform their appearance to resemble anyone across the galaxy, enabling them to infiltrate any organization virtually undetected.

Technologically the Saaraishash benefited from the advances of the Kainate's research, possessing state-of-the-art armor, weapons, and starships that allowed them to travel unhindered throughout the territory of the Kainate and beyond.

Shikkari

The Shikkari are the anointed assassin-priests of the Kissai, bound by an ancient oath to serve the Dark Lord of the Sith and dispatch his enemies across the stars. The exact nature of the Shikkari is shrouded in secrecy even from the other components of the Reach, though they are known for their matchless tenacity and their viciousness in destroying those set in their path. The nominal leader of the Shikkari was the Kas-Kissai, although even this was disputed as the Kas-Kissai's identity was kept anonymous and there existed many theories as to the identity of the Shikkari's enigmatic leader.

Under the Kas-Kissai was a decentralized structure of cells and sub-cells organized by location, as the whole of the Shikkari priesthood was spread far and wide across the galaxy. These cells were grouped together in accordance with various prefectures that the Kainate organized across the galaxy. Therefore, there were six Shikkari Nome, a large collection of cells, across the galaxy. Each Nome was led by a Dut-Kissai, with each individual cell within the Nome commanded by a Quo-Kissai. The rank-and-file Shikkari was simply known as Kissai.

Induction into the priesthood was a highly secretive affair, performed only within the Shikkari's ranks and beyond the purview of prying eyes. Of those outside the priesthood, only the Dark Lord knew the full extent of the rites performed. Once initiated, a Kissai would relinquish their past lives and identities and be appointed a new one in accordance with the old scripture, their new name corresponding to an animal or an object in the ancient Sith language. All records of the Kissai's prior existence were expunged entirely and remission of one's new identity was punishable with death by immolation.

The internal structure of the Shikkari was divided into two sub-sects.

The first was known as the Blades. These priests were the chief assassins of the Shikkari, performing the vast array of duties required of them by the Dark Lord. They were by far the most numerous sub-sect of the Shikkari, making up more than four-fifths of the entire organization. These priests were trained in every school of assassination and infiltration; mastering several different weapons both overt and concealed, capable of concocting any number of poisons while being immune to the vast majority of toxins themselves, and blending into the very shadows they traversed through.

The second was known as the Embalmers. While the Blades meted out death to the enemies of the Dark Lord, the Embalmers took charge of their sacred dead and prepared them for burial. Holders of the ancient knowledge of their forebears, the Embalmers represent an unbroken lineage dating back to the three-hundred-year reign of King Adas of Korriban. They concealed themselves in ritualistic garb, never revealing their face to others outside of their order, and spoke only in the ancient Sith language.

Shield of the Dark Lord

Crownguard

Resplendent in black plastoid and a ribbed multi-layered body glove, the Crownguard cut a striking figure against the backdrop of bright reds and subtle grays of the Kainate. Chosen from among the strongest and most loyal of Force-Sensitive Epicanthix from the remote jungle world of Panatha, each one of these warriors gladly dedicates their entire lives to protecting the Dark Lord and carrying out his will without hesitation or remorse. The trials for selecting a Crownguard aspirant are some of the most grueling in the Kainate, not wholly dissimilar than the tribulations undergone by the Sith in their hallowed temples. Once an applicant survives initiation, they are forced to take upon themselves a vow of silence; their tongues removed by a sharp instrument and their mouths are sewn completely shut. Daily nutrition injections ensure that each member of the Crownguard receives their daily carbohydrates and protein.

After their tongue has been removed and their mouth is sewn shut, they are subjected to a series of ritual modifications that dehumanize them until only a fierce and loyal protector of the Dark Lord remains. Each hair follicle is removed across their entire body, replaced by black tattoos venerating their Dark Lord with sweeping mosaics that leaves little of their original skin untouched. To further sharpen their devotion, each Crownguard is rendered a eunuch as well. A Crownguard's body is considered a living tapestry of their Dark Lord's glory and is routinely kept clean and immaculate when not sealed inside of their armor. In homage to the ancient practices of Panatha, the Crownguard emulates their Dark Lord in coating their hairless bodies with sacred oils before and after every battle.

To converse with one another, the Crownguard have developed their own geometric code language that can be transmitted between one another through their armor's HUD. When that fails, hand gestures, and body language service to convey simplistic actions and intentions.

Koshûtaral Sentinels

The Koshûtaral Sentinels serve as a highly skilled, paramilitary force that provides security for all Kainate Holdings across the galaxy that House Zambrano owns. They earned their name as a highly trained, well equipped, loyal security and garrison force commonly seen in their various holdings. Unlike the various forces serving the Kainate, the Koshûtaral Sentinels are recruited from the children of loyal Sith Households of the Eternal Rule cultists who live aboard Malsheem, who are not force sensitive. These children are taken in from a young age, where they are indoctrinated and transformed into elite, supremely loyal troops.

The Koshûtaral Sentinels are often identified for their iconic look as a face of the Kainate, it seems like they are seen everywhere the banner of the state flies. They are an inclusive organization much like the Blackblade Guard, and the Crownguard. The Koshûtaral Sentinels exclusively serve House Zambrano as one of the family's major security apparatuses. Their headquarters is situated on the worldcraft of Malsheem, however the organization has forces stationed on just about every world, inside every fortress, laboratory, outpost, hidden vault, space station, and generally anywhere else House Zambrano has direct interests. They are by and large the public face most denizens of the galaxy see in places where the infamous family's power is greatest.

The numbers of the Koshûtaral Sentinels have grown to a size comparable to a standing army. There are approximately 9.8 million on Malsheem, and 5.2 million spread throughout various holdings across the galaxy. There are only two ways to join the ranks of the Koshûtaral Sentinels. The primary method is through their avid recruitment of young children who test negative for the force, from the influential Eternal Rule cultist families aboard the Malsheem. These young children are in turn raised under the rigid training, and indoctrination regimen to transform them into highly trained, skilled men and women to provide superb security. The other way to join their ranks is through the Grand Army of the Kainate. Those strand cast troopers who faithfully serve the Kainate with valor, during their long service can retire from active duty and join the ranks of the Koshûtaral Sentinels. This has provided the organization with a supply of members highly experienced in warfare.

Leading the Koshûtaral Sentinels is the Watch Lord Nalassar Decius.

Sword of the Dark Lord

Blackblade Guard

The Blackblade Guard looms menacingly in the minds of the galactic populace, a terrible reminder of the terror and depravity that those swayed to the Sith cause can inflict upon the innocent. Slaved to the ambitions of mad tyrants, the Guard exercises its killing potential against their master's enemies; great and small. Those inducted into the Guard know no fear, no shame, no mercy, they will throttle the necks of babes if such a thing was asked of them. Unmitigated by morality, the Guard surges forth across countless battlefields to bring an end to those that stand in the way of a universe shackled to the Dark Side of the Force.

The Blackblade Guard's lethality and expertise in combat were virtually unmatched, due in part to their long and storied history as Jedi-killers and Mandalorian slayers, but also because of the heightened scrutiny and meticulous research put into the development of the equipment they would use. Their training was excruciatingly taxing, killing more recruits than those that passed, but ultimately providing the Guard with a reliable influx of new blood that would carry on the traditions of the Guard beyond those who came before. Those survivors were then bathed in the power of the Dark Side of the Force, their bodies mutilated and internal organs replaced with biomechanical augmentations.

Leading the Blackblade Guard was the Highlord, the most senior warrior of the Guard who had garnered the favor of the Dark Masters themselves. The Highlord was the Supreme Commander of all Blackblade military operations, his authority subordinate only to the Zambrano sovereigns. Beneath the Highlord sat a cabinet of seven distinguished commanders responsible for the administration, management, leadership, and oversight of all Blackblade operations across the galaxy. In most situations very rarely does the Guard need to field more than a single legion asset. However, the command structure is set up to provide a wide range of flexibility for the Highlord to assign and compose forces as needed for military campaigns across the galaxy. A vast majority of the current Guard are on daily operations ranging from protecting fortresses, securing Zambrano interests, and conducting special operations across the galaxy.

The Blackblades served as the elite mobile shock troop of the Kainate military, fully independent from the other branches with their own line of command and answerable only to the Dark Lord. They were primarily used to perform the coup de grâce to any engagement, leveraging their advanced enhancements and superior skill to overwhelm any further resistance. As mechanized infantry, the Blackblade Guard was exceptionally mobile with their use of repulsorlift vehicles to swiftly maneuver through combat zones or shift from one battle to another, without being reliant on the standard supply or transport chains that the Kainate army relied upon.

While being the most independent of the Kainate military branches, and their most elite soldiers to boot, the Blackblade was not an ever present force in every Kainate operation. By being unshackled to the army and navy, the Blackblades were not beholden to the authority of the field generals and grand admirals that controlled them. The Blackblades conducted their own operations wherever they saw fit, and would only cooperate with the other branches in the event that it was advantageous for them, or if it advanced the ambitions of their Dark Lord.

Dark Legion

The Dark Legion is the result of decades of bioengineering and selective breeding, culminating in the creation of an army so gluttonous, so barbaric, that there were none in the galaxy who could stand as its equal. Discipline and professionalism were concepts utterly alien to the Dark Legion, who prioritized brute strength and raw savagery over cunning and guile. Less a unified front and more a collection of warbands, tribes, and slave castes, the Dark Legion was the largest concentration of Graug warriors in the entire cosmos.

Led by the ruthless tyrant Malgrog the God-Splitter, the Dark Legion seeks nothing else by the violation of other species by the sword and the spear. They pillage, ravage, and upheave worlds to suit their needs. Wherever the Dark Legion goes, entire worlds are left desolate in their wake.

While composed primarily of pureblood Graug, there exist dozens of greater and lesser sub-species born through Sith Alchemy. The Dark Lord of the Sith, whom Malgrog ultimately serves, has taken a keen interest in experimenting with the Graug genome and combining it with other vicious species from across the galaxy. These specializations have led to a wide diversity in physical shape, temperament, mental capacity, and even Force Sensitivity.

Possessing no navy of their own, the Dark Legion has gone to appropriating the ships of lesser species and modifying them to suit their debased needs. The sight of a Graug war fleet is a grotesque amalgamation of a dozen different cultural designs, ugly black metal welded to the hull in various different configurations to primarily designate purpose and status. The Dark Legion's variety of siege weapons and crude vehicles is much more comprehensive, as the Graug blacksmiths are among the most venerated within the Legion and are crucial to the propagation of violence and war.

Dark Valkyries

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Vision of the Dark Lord

Avulsuna

The Avulsuna was the name given to the theocratic institution that was inexorably interwoven within the citizenry of the Kainate. An evolution of the Imperial Mission utilized by previous Sith Empires, the Avulsuna elevated its objective of synthesizing Imperialist ideology and Sith philosophy into Sith-Imperialism. Citizens of the Kainate would be taught the values of Imperialism and instructed in various areas of Sith belief. The Avulsuna's most prolific work was Sith-Imperialism and the Foundations of Eternal Rule, a treatise authored by Darth Carnifex and Darth Prazutis.

Leading the Avulsuna was the High Priest, an individual that both organized the various cells of the Avulsuna and also ensured that the Sith Canon, the body of Sith thought deemed acceptable to be disseminated within the Empire, was properly monitored. The High Priest had the authority to remove works from the Sith Canon as well as add new ones, often at the direction of the Dyarchy.

To ensure that the Avulsuna's edicts were being followed, various Sith agents, known as Correctors, were employed to monitor citizens for any deviation from the lawful canon. These Correctors were likewise accompanied by Thought Hunters, spectral Sithspawn with the ability to probe minds and extract their secrets. Any found in breach of Sith Canon were immediately seized and subjected to reconditioning, carried out through the forceful erasure of memories with chemicals and Sith magic.

Dzunkissai

Talented mentalists and loyal servants of the Dark Lord, the Dzunkissai had spent the majority of their lives training to hone and refine their predisposition in telepathy, mind alteration, dream manipulation, and other abilities confined to the landscape of the mind. They served the Dark Lord in a manner wholly unique, providing a service that went ungifted by His thousands of other minions. They leveraged their monumental might of the mind against those within the vicinity of the Dark Lord, uncovering the desires and intentions of others so that the Dark Lord could determine between ally and enemy.

Beyond serving as a means for the Dark Lord to see the intentions of others, the Dzunkissai could also alter the thoughts of other beings. They could do this through subtle persuasion, incrementally turning another's thoughts through illusion and misdirection. When far greater control was required, the Dzunkissai could outright dominate another being's mind through the Dark Side. This left their victims little more than mindless puppets, their every thought broken and bound to the will of their puppeteers.

The Dzunkissai could also manipulate time and space, capable of slowing down their own perception and that of others. Through such sensitive manipulation, they could render another being catatonic as their mind's perception was slowed down enough to prevent them from acting on external stimuli. They could also fold space and transport themselves and others across the galaxy instantaneously. Gravity manipulation was another one of their powers, allowing them to manipulate gravitational forces to both help themselves and hinder others.

Their most insidious power lay not in the realm of the waking, but in the realm of the sleeping. Through their tutelage under the Dark Lord, the Dzunkissai learned how to manipulate dreams. By ingesting certain herbs and through deep ritual meditation, a member of the Dzunkissai could separate their consciousness from their physical body through astral projection. This astral projection could then infiltrate the dreams of other beings across the galaxy, and through them, they could manipulate others by implanting foreign thoughts or stoking the flames of anger and fear through fabricated illusions.

Eyes

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Hands

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Voice

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