"Darth Malgus has long been a paradox to his fellow Sith; a staunch proponent of the Empire's superiority who also questions some of its oldest values. Born under the name "Veradun" in the years before the Empire's return, Malgus distinguished himself during the war as a warrior and general. He was eventually entrusted with securing the Empire's interests on distant worlds, where he encountered the soldiers of many alien cultures and found them worthy of respect. As Malgus grew in prominence, fighting at the Battle of Alderaan and later during the Sacking of Coruscant, his travels and alliances with aliens–including a relationship with his Twi'lek slave - marked him as an unorthodox figure. Caring nothing for the power plays common to Sith, Darth Malgus has spent the last few years strengthening his ties to alien groups. He has often claimed that the Empire's ancient prejudices against aliens and constant infighting are weaknesses; to be victorious, Malgus says, the Empire must change." ―In-game Codex (Persons of Note) [src]

Darth Malgus, born under the name Veradun and later nicknamed The False Emperor, is a male human Sith Master of the Sith Empire during the Great Galactic War, Cold War and the Second Great Galactic War. He was born under the name Veradun within Imperial space on Dromund Kaas, and raised by his adoptive father. While still young, Veradun killed a Twi'lek servant on his father's estate, revealing the dark will behind his sensitivity to The Force. The young boy was subsequently sent to the Sith Academy on the Imperial capital of Dromund Kaas, where he became a Sith Warrior and a successful commander of the Imperial Military. During a trip to the Outer Rim world of Geonosis, Veradun discovered the Twi'lek slave girl Eleena Daru and took her as his own. Although she was technically his slave, the two fell in love with one another and fought side by side in many battles during the Great Galactic War against the Galactic Republic. Veradun later eschewed his birth name and adopted the Sith moniker of Malgus.

In the beginning, Malgus and his Master Vindican had led the victorious recapture of the Sith world Korriban, before the former struck down the latter for being injured at the hands of Jedi Master Kao Cen Darach. At the height of the war, Darth Malgus led a surprise assault on the Core World of Alderaan; though initially successful, Malgus and his forces were defeated in a concentrated Republic counterattack led by his nemesis from Korriban, future Grand Master Satele Shan. The Sith Lord was heavily wounded during the battle, and was forced to wear a respirator for the remainder of his life. In 0 BTC, the Empire entered into sham peace negotiations with the Republic, which were truthfully nothing more than a distraction from the Sith's true target: the Republic capital of Coruscant. Malgus was chosen by his superior Darth Angral to participate in the attack on Coruscant as the leader of a strike team that would invade the Jedi Temple. Malgus succeeded in killing a substantial number of Jedi defenders - including Jedi Master Ven Zallow, who has been recognized as Malgus's most notable kill - before the Sith fleet arrived to lay waste to the rest of the world. By the end of the engagement, the Sith had destroyed the Jedi Temple, killed half of the members of the Jedi High Council, and disgraced the Jedi Order in the eyes of the Republic.

Although Malgus had been under the impression that the Imperial armada was going to raze Coruscant and destroy the Republic once and for all, the battle was ultimately used only as leverage in the peace negotiations on Alderaan. While the Alderaanian summit progressed, the Sith settled into an occupation of Coruscant. Malgus was placed in charge of orbital security, but the Sith Lord defied his orders and traveled back to Coruscant's surface to strike against the renegade Jedi Aryn Leneer, who was targeting Malgus for his murder of her Master, Ven Zallow. Although Leneer ultimately failed, the conflict caused Malgus to become disillusioned with the Empire and to review his relationship with Daru as a weakness. Thus, he was forced to kill his lover to preserve his own power, which he later used to cleanse the Empire of the politicians whom he blamed for allowing the Republic to survive. During the Cold War years that followed the successful peace negotiations, Malgus led Sith forces into the Unknown Regions, claiming previously-unknown territories for the Empire.

Towards the end of the Cold War, following the presumed death of the Sith Emperor, Malgus came to the fore and declared a new Empire, one free of the infighting of the Dark Council. However, in time, he was tracked down to his secret base and defeated by a strike team.

Biography

Early life

"I think you'll be a great warrior, Veradun. A tremendous asset to the Empire." ―Veradun's adoptive father [src]

Veradun was a Force-sensitive Human male born three centuries after the Jedi Civil War. He was raised by an adoptive father in a region of space controlled by the Sith Empire,[1] which had been in hiding from the larger galaxy for several millennia. His guardian served the Imperial Science Corps as a biologist and was a collector of countless animals. He had maintained a private zoo with the funding from the Empire. Veradun tended to the creatures in the menagerie from a young age, feeding the animals and cleaning their cages. The young boy also participated in lessons on the Force with a number of instructors, all of whom recognized his great potential in the Force.[1]

Learning the ways of Sith

Sometime in his youth, a female Twi'lek servant on the estate committed a minor offense; although the offense itself was meaningless to Veradun, he killed the woman to prove to himself that he was capable of doing so. His father was pleased with his son's actions,[2] and so contacted the Sith Academy on the Imperial capital world of Dromund Kaas. Veradun was to leave the estate and train at the academy to become a Sith Warrior.[1] The day prior to Veradun's departure, his adoptive father took him on a tour of the zoo to teach him three lessons on personal conduct, deception, and expectations. The lessons, which his father crafted through the use of the animals and their behavior, had a profound impact on Veradun and shaped his philosophies for later in life. The next day, Veradun was taken to Dromund Kaas,[1] where he became a Sith Warrior and further developed his philosophies regarding the Empire and its relationship to the Force. He was trained by a Pureblood Sith Master, Vindican. During a trip to the Outer Rim world of Geonosis, Veradun discovered the young Twi'lek slave girl, Eleena Daru. Upon seeing that Daru was abused and physically beaten by her owner, Veradun killed her master and took the Twi'lek as his own. Although she remained his slave, the two became lovers [2] and he eventually came to treat her as a wife, despite the Empire's anti-alien policies.[2]

The Great Galactic War

In 28 BTC, the Sith Empire emerged from hiding and launched a series of assaults against the preeminent interstellar government, the Galactic Republic, in what would come to be known as the Great Galactic War.[3] As the conflict progressed, Veradun became a commander of the Imperial Military and saw much success through the use of surprise assault tactics.[4] The Empire installed puppet governments on Belkadan, Sernpidal, and Ruuria. Korriban was next.[3]

Fall of Korriban

"They've escaped ,Master. You've failed." "No, Malgus. This...is only the beginning!" "Yes. After a thousand years, Korriban is our again. Welcome home." ―Malgus and Lord Vindican [src]

During the Fall of Korriban, Lord Vindican and Malgus were selected to infiltrate the Republic space station and slaughter the inhabitants of the station, preventing the Republic from discovering the Empire's recapture of the ancient birth world of the Sith. When the Sith attacked the station, Jedi Master Kao Cen Darach, his padawan Satele Shan, Trooper Jace Malcom and Smuggler Nico Okarr managed to get in the hangar bay and attempted to escape the Imperial fleet to warn the Republic. However, before any of the Republic defenders could board the vessel, a Fury-class Imperial interceptor landed in the hangar and the two Sith disembarked. Shan and Darach engaged Malgus and Vindican in a duel while Malcom and the Okarr rushed onto the freighter to prepare for lift-off with the Captain's astromech droid, T7-O1.

On the landing bay floor, the Jedi and Sith fought fiercely, with Malgus and Shan engaging one another while their Masters dueled a short distance away. During the melee, Malgus was able to outmaneuver Shan, ultimately disarming her before delivering a powerful knee thrust into her abdomen. While the young Jedi doubled-over from the impact, the Sith apprentice moved to finish her with an over-handed lightsaber swing. Just as his weapon was descending to kill Shan, Master Darach, who was himself engaged in combat with Vindican, broke from his own struggle long enough to hurl his lightsaber in Malgus's direction. Malgus, who did not see the incoming blade, was caught off-guard by the impact of the Zabrak's lightsaber against his own. Shan used the borrowed time to kick the Sith away from her and reclaim her lost weapon. She proceeded to make an attempt at attacking the Sith Lord, but Vindican swatted her away with a blast of Force lightning. In response, Shan's Master Force-pushed the Sith Pureblood across the hangar so that he might regroup with his Padawan.

Meanwhile, Captain Okarr managed to bring his vessel online and lift off from the hangar bay. Malcom descended the ship's boarding ramp in an attempt to collect the two Jedi, but was instead met by Vindican, who was attempting to halt the starship with waves of Force lightning. The trooper responded with an ineffective shot from a missile launcher before turning his attention back to the Jedi. While he called for them to join him, Shan and Darach conferred; the Zabrak informed his apprentice that their paths were about to deviate, and that she must flee on the freighter while he remained behind to hold off the Sith. The young Jedi complied and furnished her Master with her own double-bladed lightsaber before leaping into the departing smuggler ship. While the freighter narrowly escaped the hangar, the Jedi Master re-engaged the two Sith. Wielding both his lightsaber and that of his apprentice, he drove the two back while expertly defending himself against their Force attacks.

After slashing Vindican across the face, Darach deactivated one end of Shan's weapon and continued to perform agile flurries of strikes. Darach was eventually able to maneuver himself into a position that allowed for him to activate Shan's weapon through the Inquisitor's abdomen, thereby incapacitating him for the remainder of the battle. Malgus seized the opportunity to appropriate his fallen Master's weapon and reciprocate his opponent's usage of three blades with his own. Although the Zabrak attempted to prevent the apprentice's advance by hurling large chunks of debris toward Malgus, the Sith apprentice was undeterred, and cut through all obstacles with ease. Upon reaching the Jedi Master, the two engaged one another for a short time, but the young Sith ultimately prevailed. Malgus cut Darach in half horizontally, killing him.

Meanwhile, Shan, Malcom and Okarr managed to escape the Imperial Fleet in orbit of Korriban. When Malgus was informed of their escape, he confronted his wounded Master and accused him of failure. Although Vindican disagreed that the battle was a failed venture, the apprentice disregarded the elder Sith's words and instead took the opportunity to kill his teacher.[5]

First Pilgrimage to Korriban

After recapturing Korriban from the Republic, Darth Malgus made his first pilgrimage to the ancient planet and felt a profound sense of holiness as he walked in isolation through its rocky deserts, through the dusty canyons lined with the tombs of his ancient Sith forebears. He had felt the Force everywhere, had exulted in it, and experienced a Force vision in which the galaxy and its ruling government burned.[2] From then on, Malgus believed that he would be responsible for the fall of the Republic and its Jedi Order.[2]

Defeat on Alderaan

Malgus was chosen to lead Imperial forces in a surprise attack on the tranquil Republic Core World of Alderaan. After the Republic Navy was drawn away from the planet in a successful feint, Alderaan quickly fell to the Imperial forces. Malgus initiated the orbital bombardment of the planet before traveling to the surface, where he trekked across the countryside with his armies, burning cities to the ground. In the final leg of his campaign, the Sith Lord led his forces in a march towards the capital city, but a guerrilla counterattack was launched as the troopers of the Republic's Special Forces Havoc Squad emerged from the forest surrounding the city to engage the Sith under the command of Jace Malcom.[6]

The invaders fought back; Malcom encountered Malgus, witnessing him killing Republic Special Forces soldiers.[7] The soldier fired several rockets towards the Sith Lord with his rocket launcher. One rocket hit Malgus and engulfed his body in a large and blinding explosion. The other rockets exploded nearby destroying anything on contact. However, Malgus's defensive abilities proved to be too strong; the Sith Lord survived the impact and stood his ground. But he was injured and his face was deformed. Malcom charged towards the Sith Lord, knocking off two Sith Marauders from their feet in the process. However, Malgus subdued Malcom with Force lightning. The invaders seemed to have gained the upperhand, and Malcom was captured. He was about to be executed by 3 Sith Marauders when Satele Shan, a Jedi Consular by that time,[8] landed near him, and unleashed a blast of energy which killed those 3 Sith simultaneously — saving the life of her old companion in the process.[7]

After many years, Shan finally encountered Malgus again and charged towards him. She destroyed a battle droid and killed 4 more Sith Marauders before reaching Malgus, and the two engaged in a vicious duel.[7] The skills and powers of Shan had significantly improved by this time and she used her surroundings to her advantage.[7] Malgus used his great strength to put Shan on her knees but she used the Force to destroy the trunk of a nearby large Tree from below and forced it to the ground between herself and Malgus, managing to free herself from his grip.[7] Shan and Malgus jumped on the fallen Tree and dueled again with rapid blows but Malgus drew on the Force and drove the Jedi into another large tree nearby with a Force push. He quickly jumped towards Shan to land a killer blow but Shan evaded his move with stunning display of speed and acrobatics and landed on his back. But before she could make a move, Malgus instantly turned and split her double-bladed lightsaber in to two and attempted to stab her. Shan instantly used her hands to absorb the energy of his lightsaber.

Amidst the struggle, Malcom attempted to save Shan by distracting Malgus and detonated a grenade on his face. The resulting explosion swept Malcom off his feet and sent him flying several yards backwards from the Sith Lord's position, knocking him unconscious for a brief period. Malgus was able to hold his ground again and tolerated this explosion but was further injured.[7] Shan then seized the moment to throw Malgus into a mountain of rock. When Malgus attempted to resist her powerful force attack, she followed by releasing a surge of Force energy that shattered the enormous boulder into tiny pieces around him.[7]

The Sith forces were on retreat, as reinforcements arrived from the Republic in the system to help the battered Republic defendants.[7] Shan played a vital role in giving hope to the overwhelmed republic forces on the ground.[7] Malgus survived the encounter and was picked up by his personal shuttle.[1] Frustrated and enraged by the defeat, he payed little attention to his wounds. His breathing sounded like a rasp over wood. His skin stung from burns. His lungs were damaged. Lacerations and contusions made a grim mosaic on his flesh.[1] However, Malgus felt no pain.[1]

As he departed Alderaan, Malgus sensed the presence of a Jedi within a ruined city on the planet. Desiring revenge against those who had deprived him of victory, Malgus ordered his shuttle's pilot to turn the craft around and hover over the city. Against the protests of the pilot, Malgus leaped from the craft to confront the Jedi within the city's ruined streets. Upon reaching the ground, the Sith called upon the Jedi. A Zabrak Jedi came out from one of the buildings and recognized him, igniting his two lightsabers in the process to face him — making his familiarity with Niman/Jar'Kai lightsaber combat style apparent.[1] Malgus rushed towards the Zabrak Jedi to engage him, but was caught off guard when his opponent used the Force to bring down two buildings (made of duracrete and steel) from the either side of the street on the Sith Lord in an attempt to kill him.[1]

Malgus was trapped under a mountain of rubble and used the Force to prevent himself from getting crushed.[1] Dust made his already troubled breath more difficult. Malgus was so lost in his thrist for revenge that he failed to properly evaluate the power of his new Jedi opponent.[1] With an effort of will, he contained his anger, controlled it, and made it in to a tool to sharpen his power. Using the Force, he blew tons of rubble up and away from him. It fell with a crash on adjacent buildings. Malgus jumped over the heap and landed on the street. The Zabrak Jedi was stunned. Malgus again charged towards his opponent and engaged him in a fierce duel.[1] Malgus unleashed a blizzard of lightsaber strikes, which prevented the Zabrak Jedi to perform any counterattack. The Jedi retreated before the offensive, desperately intercepting Malgus's blows. Malgus's lightsaber traced glittering red arcs through the air, and he continued to push towards the Jedi. His opponent continued to give space. Maglus soon realized that the Zabrak Jedi was actually baiting him.[1]

Malgus augmented his Force sense and felt a faint sign of the presence of another Jedi nearby.[1] This Jedi was hiding in the ruins and was using the Force to suppress his signature.[1] Malgus unleashed a barrage of overpowering strikes on the Zabrak Jedi and performed a force-augmented spinning side kick to knock him out of the way. He then Force gripped the second Jedi, pulled him out of the hiding, and crushed his windpipe.[1]

The murder of the second Jedi enraged the Zabrak Jedi and he charged towards Malgus. However, the Sith Lord unleashed a powerful barrage of Force lightning, which overwhelmed the defences of his opponent and began to burn his flesh. But the Jedi staggered towards Malgus slowly under the cover of his lightsabers taking one step at a time regardless of his burns. Malgus channeled more power and forced the Jedi to his knees, who screamed with pain. Malgus's lightning spiraled around the Jedi, blasting dark holes in his body and his lightsabers fell on the ground.[1] The Zabrak Jedi was ruined by his attack but was still alive. The Sith Lord took a moment to observe the look of failure in the Jedi's eyes, and then impaled him. He remembered his third and final lesson from his foster father — sometimes there was just an empty cage — while rejoining his forces in retreat.[1]

Following the battle on Alderaan, Malgus was nursed back to health by Daru, but jaw wounds he received during the battle forced him to don a respirator mask,[2] that covered his nose, mouth, and neck.[2]

Ord Radama

"The strength of my scream buckled the bridge's transparisteel viewport and left the crew's ears bleeding. More gratifyingly, my raged overloaded the fuel slugs of an incoming wave of Aureks. The bright bursts of their deaths raised a smile." ―Darth Malgus, describing the anger that he felt after sensing the death of Darth Venemal [src]

During the latter stages of the war, Malgus led a campaign against the Republic in the Outer Rim and he kept a record of his experiences inside a personal journal. 129 days into his campaign, Malgus's forces attacked the planet Ord Radama, and Malgus and the Sith Lord Darth Venemal supervised the landing of Sith forces on the world. Malgus and Venemal then led a group of Sith infantry in an assault on a Republic gun emplacement that was located at the base of a cliff. While Venemal and a group of commandos disabled the guns, Malgus led his remaining troops along a mountain pass, and he used the Force to roll a large boulder along the trail, to detonate a number of mines that lay in their way. Once he had reached the crest of the mountain, Malgus rejoined Venemal's team, and he congratulated the commandos after he learned that they had taken out a Republic stronghold. More Sith troops landed on Radama and a few days later, Malgus gathered together his soldiers and gave them a speech, to raise their spirits in preparation for an attack on Livien Magnus, the capital city of Ord Radama.[9]

Malgus' forces besieged Livien Magnus, in an attempt to starve the city's inhabitants. A week into their attack, Lord Adraas,[9] a rival of Malgus,[2] was sent to Ord Radama by the Emperor's advisory Dark Council, to provide Malgus with assistance. Malgus was angered by Adraas' presence on the planet and when Adraas suggested that they send some Mark I and Mark II Sith war droids to clear a path to the city, Malgus and Venemal did nothing to dissuade him, despite having misgivings about the droids' abilities. Under Adraas' orders, the droids attacked the city's southern gate and Malgus watched on as the droids were destroyed by the Republic defenders. However, the failure of the droids sufficiently distracted the Republic forces to allow Venemal and his commandos to enter the city and blast a whole in the wall. Livien Magnus quickly fell to Malgus' troops and Adraas subsequently tried to take all of the credit for the victory, which led Malgus to further despise his rival.[9]

In spite of their initial success, Malgus' forces were not resupplied and Malgus feared the Sith would loose control of Ord Radama. While the Ministry of Logistics was responsible for providing Malgus' troops with supplies, Malgus lack sufficient influence over Minister Khamarr, the leader of the Ministry, to compel her to help him, and instead, he sent some requests for resources to War Minister Shareis. However, Shareis did not respond and Khamarr failed to send Malgus any supplies, and the Republic eventually sent a number of Hammerhead-class cruisers and Thranta-class corvettes to attack Malgus' ships in orbit of Ord Radama. From the balcony of a palace in Livien Magnus, Malgus observed as Republic ships engaged his fleet, so he boarded his personal shuttle and flew up to assume command of the dreadnaught Lindworm. However, by the time Malgus arrived on the Lindworms bridge, the Sith had already lost the battle, and he watched as a stricken Sith Harrower-class dreadnought plummeted into the atmosphere of Ord Radama and crashed into the center of Livien Magnus. Through the Force, Malgus felt the deaths of Venemal and a hundred thousand of the city's inhabitants, and he screamed out in anger. The power of his scream buckled the bridge's viewport and cause the crew's ears to bleed, and it also destroyed a wave of Republic Aurek-class tactical strikefighters that were passing the vessel. Realizing that the Sith had no hope of defeating the Republic ships, Malgus ordered his remaining forces to depart the system and jump to the heart of Sith Space.[9]

Republic advance and the fall of Serenno

"We must now defend the heart of our own territory. I am enraged that the Dark Council allowed war to reach Ashas Ree, yet I must allow some measure of admiration for the way the Republic has outmaneuvered us." ―Darth Malgus [src]

After his withdrawal to Sith Space, Malgus' forces were pursued by the Republic and a Republic fleet attacked the Sith world of Ziost. Malgus participated in the battle and the Sith failed to halt the advance of the Republic, which soon launched a strike against the planet Ashas Ree. Malgus was dispatched to help defend Ashas Ree and once he arrived on the world, he took command of a line of siege tanks and used them to hold off a series of attacks from Republic vehicles. The Sith forces were eventually victorious on Ashas Ree and in recognition of the role that Malgus played in the battle, the Dark Council informed him that he would never again have to face shortage of resources like he had at Ord Radama.[9]

After receiving word from Imperial Intelligence that Jedi Master Ven Zallow—the commander of the Republic forces that had participated in the Battle of Ashas Ree—was headquartered on the world Serenno, Malgus activated a Cipher Agent, a high-ranking Serenno noble who worked for Imperial Intelligence, and the agent informed him the Republic was planning to move to a new forward base on the planet. In preparation for a Sith attack, another Cipher Agent was ordered to assassinate Zallow, to disrupt the Republic command structure, and Malgus planned to lead a force of warships to Serenno once the agent had completed the assignment. When Malgus received word that the agent had been successful, he ordered his fleet to jump to Seronno and he scattered a number Republic vessels that were orbiting the planet. Malgus then secured control of the villa of House Palerma, which the Republic had been using as a command post, and he was angered to discover that Zallow had killed Malgus' infiltrator and fled the world. The Serenno families House Comprassi and House Teramo objected to the presence of the Sith on their planet and they hired a group of mercenaries to attack the villa. However, the mecenaries' attack was unsuccessful and Malgus observed from a parapet while some Sith assassins defeated the attackers.[9]

The Reconquest of Ord Radama

"The Sith Emperor has ordered us to recapture Ord Radama. I will lead the attack. There are rumors that some blame me for the death of Lord Venemal and the defeat suffered there. This campaign shall restore my honor and prove the fitness of the Sith Empire." ―Darth Malgus [src]

A number of rumors circulated that claimed that some among the Sith blamed Malgus for the death of Darth Venemal, and when the Sith Emperor ordered Malgus to recapture Ord Radama, Malgus believed that the attack would give him an opportunity to restore his honor. Leaving nothing to chance, Malgus planned to lead a regiment of Sith Warriors in an assault on New Raido, Ord Radama's new capital city, with droids, troopers and commandos to join him once he had breached the city's defenses. The battle waged on for a number of weeks and Malgus suffered a number of setbacks as a result of the actions of the Jedi. However, he reveled in the bloodbath of the battle, despite the fact that the slow pace of the assault cost him his favor with the Dark Council. He remained certain that he would achieve victory on the world and that his triumph would earn him a place in Sith army that was gathering to attack the Republic's capital world of Coruscant. Malgus also suspected that the power source of the Dark Reaper, a superweapon used during the Great Sith War, was located on Ord Radama.[9]

Malgus later began to assemble a task force in preparation for an assault on Republic-controlled space in the Core Worlds, and the Dark Council placed at his disposal 4 Harrower-class dreadnoughts, 48 Fury-class interceptors and 192 ISF interceptors.[9]

Sacking of Coruscant

In 0 BTC, twenty-eight years after the war's beginning, the Dark Council contacted the Republic Senate, expressing their wish to negotiate an end to the conflict. While delegations from the Empire, the Senate, and the Jedi Order prepared to meet on Alderaan to form a peace agreement, the Sith made preparations for their strike on Coruscant.[10] The high-ranking Sith Lord Darth Angral was placed in charge of the entire operation while Darth Malgus was chosen to lead an early attack on the Temple of the Jedi Order. Under the impression that the Empire would invade Coruscant and proceed to wipe it clean of life via orbital bombardment, Malgus eagerly accepted the responsibility, believing it to be the fruition of his vision on Korriban that foretold his destruction of the Republic. Malgus's attack plan involved him entering the Temple, wherein he would distract the Jedi while a force of fifty Sith Warriors infiltrated the ancient edifice[2] and destroyed the planetary defense grid mainframe within.[11] Although Malgus requested that he be the preliminary attack's sole leader, Angral insisted that Malgus' rival Lord Adraas, a political ally of Angral's, act as the second-in-command by overseeing the fifty-man infiltration team.[2]

Attack on the Jedi Temple

"You were deceived. And now, your Republic shall fall." ―Darth Malgus to Ven Zallow (audio)Listen (file info)

In the months leading up to the attack, Malgus and his team diligently practiced and planned for their mission and the Sith Lord personally viewed computerized models of the assault thousands of times. When the negotiating parties began their peace summit on Alderaan, the Sith's plan was set in motion; Malgus, accompanied by Eleena Daru, arrived on Coruscant and proceeded on foot to the Jedi Temple, passing through crowded plazas filled with Coruscanti citizens unaware of the impending attack. The two used the opportunity to discuss their views on both their life of battle and the Force, sharing a passionate kiss on the way. Before reaching the Jedi Temple, Malgus received a confirmation from the Mandalorian[2] bounty hunter Shae Vizla[12] that Coruscant's defensive grid had been disabled in preparation for the Sith assault.[2]

Arriving at the Temple, Malgus let his anger build with each step he took towards the Temple's entrance. The Force responded to his emotional state, caught him up in its power until he was awash in it. A squad of Temple security guards attempted to stop his advance. He sensed fear growing in the guarding soldiers’ guts. The three guards spread out into an arc as Malgus and Daru approached them, their movements cautious, blaster rifles ready. Malgus advised Daru to not interfere. Malgus drew on the Force and augmented his speed. He crosscut the guard before him, leaving a hole in his chest, continued the swing through the guard on his left, and with his left hand used a blast of power to drive the third guard into the Temple wall hard enough to crush bones and kill him.[2] Malgus felt the sudden surge of terror in the two remaining soldiers up on the ledge to his left, felt them take aim in sweaty hands. Before they could open fire, Malgus flung his lightsaber at them, guided it with the Force to cut both of them down, then recalled his lightsaber to his hand and deactivated it, and continued his advance.[2]

Vizla, observing the sight from a recess in the face of the Temple, took this as her cue and infiltrated the Temple via a maintenance hatch as her colleagues strode in through the main entrance.[2] The Great Hall of the Jedi Temple was several hundred meters long. The construction was elegant, and the environment was peaceful. However, this was about to change soon.[2] The two strangers were looked upon by curious Jedi. While Padawans gathered on the upper mezzanines to watch the action unfold, ahead, 6 Jedi Knights dropped from the balconies to confront the strangers. Another Jedi descended the grand staircase at the end of the hall. His Force signature radiated power, confidence — a Master.[2]

As one, the seven Jedi moved towards Malgus and Eleena, and Malgus and Eleena moved towards them. The adversaries halted at a gap of 2 meters from each other and remained motionless. The Jedi spaced themselves around their adversaries in a position to minimize maneuvering room. They eyed Malgus cautiously, the way they might a trapped predator. There was a sudden silence. Zallow and Malgus stared into each other's eyes but exchanged no words. None were necessary. Both knew what would unfold next.[2] The chrono on Malgus's wrist began to beep, indicating the approach of a hijacked NR-2 light transport towards the Jedi Temple. The beep panicked the Jedi knights inside; they ignited their lightsabers, backed off a step, and assumed a fighting stance. However, Zallow held his ground before Malgus. Malgus credited him for it and inclined his head in a show of respect.[2]

From behind, another sound broke the silence. The Jedi Knights were surprised by the approaching vessel, and took another step backwards. Daru pressed her back against Malgus. The drop ship finally breached the Jedi Temple's main entrance, skidded along the Temple floor, gouging stone, trailing fire, toppling columns, collapsing balconies, and crushing victims beneath it.[2] However, Malgus and Zallow remained motionless until it came to a halt directly behind them. The craft's hatch blew open to reveal Lord Adraas and the team of fifty Sith Warriors who proceeded to ignite their lightsabers. The sound heralded the fall of the Temple, the fall of Coruscant, the fall of the Republic. At that moment, Malgus recalled his vision on Korriban, smiled, and activated his lightsaber. The reinforcements joined Malgus, Daru, and the bounty hunter Vizla in attacking the Jedi and their security forces.[2] From afar, a Jedi Knight Aryn Leneer felt dizzy and sensed a disturbance in the Force, realizing that something was not right.[2]

Zallow and his knights leapt twenty meters backwards where several other Jedi rallied behind them. At that moment, Adraas and Sith Warriors charged towards the Jedi. Malgus's emotions fed his power and he joined the assault. Some Republic troops arrived at the scene and joined the Jedi in their struggle against the Sith. 3 Republic troops opened fire on Malgus who perceived dozens incoming blaster fire with perfect clarity and deflected those bolts back at the attackers, killing them all. Eleena also assisted by killing more troops. Malgus was in pursuit of Zallow but was yet to meet him. His next target was a Jedi whom he struck down after a brief duel. Another Jedi, a Zabrak female, then caught his attention who was attempting to get close to Daru and kill her. Daru's skills were useless against this opponent, therefore Malgus intervened. He drew on the Force and with a blast of power drove the Jedi across the hall and into one of the towering columns of stone, where she collapsed, blood leaking from her nose. The battle seemed to have turned more chaotic by this time.[2]

Adraas suddenly leapt into the middle of a squad of Republic soldiers and punctuate his landing with an explosion of Force energy that cast the soldiers away like dry leaves. Malgus then unleashed a blast of Force lightning which engulfed and 2 Jedi Padawans and 1 Jedi Knight simultaneously, killed them, and badly burned their bodies. Adraas and Malgus exchanged a mocking salute after these two impressive feats.[2]

Daru traded fire with another bunch of Republic troops, which caught Malgus's attention. Before he could intervene, Vizla fired two rockets at the troops and killed them. She then hovered above another group of troops with her jetpacks and used her flamethrower to kill them. Malgus now realized that the tide of the battle has turned in the favor of his forces. He again attempted to locate Zallow but got swarmed by 3 more Jedi; one male, one female, and one Togruta female. He used his dueling abilities in conjunction with acrobatics to outwit them. The female went down to him first whom Malgus knocked out by slamming her on the floor with his force-enhanced strength. He then jumped behind the Togruta female, countered her lightsaber strikes and drove her across the lying rubble with a blast of power. Finally, he dodged a lightsaber strike of the male, grabbed him by his throat, lifted him up in the air, and squeezed him to death.[2]

Duel with Ven Zallow

"Zallow is mine!" ―Darth Malgus to Lord Adraas [src]

Malgus was now more enraged then ever before. He finally spotted Zallow, an opponent he considered to be worthy among all he has fought in a day. Zallow's dueling abilities were impressive and he cut down two Sith Warriors quickly while Malgus watched him. At that moment, Adraas landed right behind Zallow and attempted to kill him. Zallow dodged his attacks and send him skidding across the hall backside with a blast of power. Malgus then charged towards Zallow and caught attention of both Daru and Zallow in the process. Daru opened fire on Zallow to help Malgus. Zallow without even looking at Daru, deflected her bolts with his lightsaber, and sent them back at her. Two struck her, and as she collapsed, Zallow used a blast of power to drive her body against a column.[2]

Malgus stopped for a moment and looked at Daru. His anger overcame him. He let his anger loose and power went with it, shattering a nearby column and sending a rain of stone shards through the room. He focused his attention on Zallow again, his rage and power surging before him in a palpable wave. At this moment, another Jedi confronted Malgus. The Sith Lord without even focusing on him, simply extended a hand, pushed through the Jedi's defences, and choked him to death, tossing his body aside as he charged towards Zallow. The Jedi Master also charged towards Malgus. A Sith Warrior confronted Zallow at this juncture but was cut down by him. Malgus and Zallow finally came face-to-face and halted, studying each other for a moment. A Jedi Knight interrupted Malgus by attempting to stab him. Malgus dodged and punched the Jedi, knocking him off-balance. He then landed a killer blow on the Jedi but Zallow intercepted his blade. The two locked eyes and began exchanging blows for a brief moment. Malgus performed a Force-augmented kick on the chest of Zallow, which send him flying backward about 10 meters. Zallow landed on his feet but near two more Sith Warriors. They attacked him but he cut them both down with impressive speed. Malgus then threw his lightsaber at Zallow, guiding its trajectory with the Force. However, Zallow leapt in to air above it in an attempt to dodge the attack. While Zallow was still in the air, Malgus unleashed a blast of energy that caught the Jedi unprepared and sent him crashing downward into a pile of rubble. He lay there, prone.

Malgus then leapt 20 meters high in to air towards the position of Zallow, recalling his lightsaber in the process, took a reverse two-handed grip, and prepared to pin Zallow to the Temple floor. But Zallow rolled out of the way at the last moment and Malgus’s blade sank to the hilt in the stone of the Temple’s floor. Zallow leapt up and over Malgus, landed in a crouch, reactivated his lightsaber, and pelted across the floor back at Malgus. Eschewing speed and grace for power, Zallow unleashed an impressive barrage of lightsaber strikes. Malgus countered his moves but was unable to find an opening. Zallow managed to slam the hilt of his saber into the side of Malgus's jaw inflicting a minor wound on his adversary. Seeing an opening, Zallow stepped forward and aimed for Malgus's throat. However, Malgus was ready; he turned his blade vertical to parry the blow and spun out of the blade lock. Reversing his lightsaber during the spin, he rode it into a stab that pierced Zallow's abdomen.[2] Zallow's expression fell, as he hung there, impaled by the Lightsaber of his opponent. In his eyes, Malgus saw the flames of the burning Temple reflected and the approach of Imperial naval forces.[2]

Imperial assault on Coruscant

The Sacking of Coruscant had begun, and while Sith forces led by Darth Angral took control of the Senate Building and killed the Republic's Supreme Chancellor,[13] the Sith armada had begun their bombardment of the capital[2] on the command of Adraas, who had bypassed Malgus to issue the order. Within the Temple, Malgus basked in the destruction, congratulating the surviving Sith before tending to Daru. He had Adraas send for a medical team from the Imperial Medical transport Steadfast before dismissing him for his insubordination in ordering the bombardment. Malgus watched from the Temple's ruined entrance as Imperial bombers brought destruction to the city-planet, taking the opportunity to contact Darth Angral aboard the Oppressor-class battlecruiser Darkness and inform him of the battle.[2]

When the medical team arrived, Malgus ordered them to care for the wounded, Daru included. Despite the her initial protests about leaving Malgus's side, the Twi'lek went with the medics to the Steadfast in orbit when the Sith Lord informed her that he would travel to the medical ship once he was finished on Coruscant. Adraas approached Malgus and questioned him on the fate of the Jedi's bodies; as Malgus believed that they had fought honorably, he decided to make the Temple their final resting place, using the remaining explosives in the drop ship to destroy the structure. As the remaining Sith joined Malgus twenty meters away from the Temple, he took in all the building's features before activating the detonator. The ancient symbol of the Jedi Order fell in on itself, spewing debris in every direction. Malgus and the others created a wall of Force energy that shielded them from the destruction, allowing them to watch the entire process in safety as they cheered.[2]

Disillusionment

"Do you know your own Order betrayed you, Jedi? They informed us that you might be coming here."

"I no longer belong to an Order."

"Then we have more in common than anger." ―Darth Malgus and Aryn Leneer [src]

As the battle across Coruscant continued to rage, Malgus's warriors returned to their orbiting warships. The Sith Lord chose to remain at the ruins of the Jedi Temple so that he could watch the orbital bombardment firsthand. After waiting for several hours and witnessing a gradual reduction of Imperial forces, Malgus contacted the Darknesss captain, Jard, demanding to know why the orbital bombardment had not yet commenced. The captain revealed to Darth Malgus that Lord Angral had ordered the Empire's forces to shift into occupational procedures, as the negotiations on Alderaan were continuing. Enraged, Malgus quickly traveled to the Senate Building, where Angral had commandeered the offices of the Republic's Supreme Chancellor, who was killed during the initial invasion. While en route, Darth Malgus learned that the Sith leaders had chosen to use the occupied Coruscant as political leverage in the negotiations instead of outright destroying the planet. In the Sith Lord's eyes, this directly contradicted both his purpose and the purpose of the Empire, and prevented his vision of destroying the Republic from coming to fruition.[2]

Upon arrival at the Senate, Malgus was escorted to the Chancellor's office by Captain Roon Neele. Within, he quickly began to question the change of plans in an emotional outburst before his superior. Unknown to Malgus, Adraas had beaten him to Angral's command post, and the inferior Lord's presence made the meeting into a major embarrassment for Malgus. The angered Sith was unpracticed in Imperial politics unlike his two contemporaries, who hoped to use Darth Malgus's love for Eleena Daru and disapproval of the Emperor's policies as political leverage against him. As their tense conversation progressed, Adraas revealed that he had refused Daru treatment aboard the Steadfast and instead redirected her to one of the civilian hospitals on Coruscant's surface. Upon hearing his rival call Daru a "mongrel," Malgus drew his lightsaber and crossed blades with Adraas's own. Angral ended the fight and sent Malgus away to find his lover, but kept Adraas in his offices in a clear showing of where his favor lay.[2]

Darth Malgus was provided with the location of Daru's hospital and traveled there immediately to collect his lover. The facility was overwhelmed by victims of the Sith attack, and had become so inundated that doctors, nurses, and the wounded spilled over onto the hospital's roof and the street outside. Malgus's shuttle set down in the middle of the street, where he was met by an irate mob of Coruscanti. As the citizens jeered and heckled the Sith Lord, one of the individuals in the crowd threw a chunk of duracrete at Malgus. Although he was able to crush the rock with the Force, Malgus was still enraged by the act and demanded to know who threw it. When no one came forward, the Sith Lord attempted to disperse the crowd, but instead received only pleas for assistance. In response, he emitted a wave of Force power that pushed everyone in his vicinity away from him violently, resulting in more injuries and destruction. The path cleared, Malgus entered the hospital and demanded that a nurse direct him to Daru. Upon finding his lover, Malgus removed her from the hospital and carried her back to his transport. While they traveled up to the Valor in orbit, the Sith Lord contemplated Angral and Adraas's intent to use Daru against him, and found difficulty in reconciling his love for the Twi'lek with his duty as a Sith. Without hesitating, Malgus stabs her in the heart with his lightsaber and carries her body to his ship.[2]

He was eventually contacted by Darth Angral, who ordered him to remain in orbit aboard the Valor in order to oversee the blockade fleet. Although Malgus saw the job as menial, he complied and remained on the bridge of his cruiser while Adraas and Angral handled matters on the surface. The day after the invasion of Coruscant, the fleet intercepted a Dragonfly-class dropship bound for the planet. The owner, bounty hunter Vrath Xizor informed Captain Jard that he was in possession of information that would be valuable to the commander of the blockade. Darth Malgus eventually consented to meet with the man, who informed the Sith that a smuggler would soon try to run the Imperial blockade with a Jedi Knight in tow. Although Malgus was skeptical of Xizor's claims, he raised the Valors alert levels and intensified the scans of incoming supply superfreighter convoys. When an anomaly was detected within one of the incoming convoys, Malgus dispatched a flight of Imperial Shuttles to conduct visual searches of the freighter's hulls. Upon discovering an XS stock light freighter attached to the aft section of the superfreighter Dromo, the shuttles moved to destroy the craft, but were prevented from doing so when the intruder remained close to the superfreighter. In an attempt to draw the XS light freighter out from cover, Darth Malgus ordered that the convoy disperse so that the Valor could get a clear shot.[2]

During the commotion, Malgus was contacted by Darth Angral, but put off answering the communication until he was finished with the spice runner. Malgus instead hailed the intruding freighter and ordered the pilot to power down or be destroyed. When the smuggler, Zeerid Korr, refused, Malgus returned to Angral's communication. The superior Sith Lord informed him that the Imperial delegation on Alderaan had received information from their Jedi contemporaries; a Jedi woman by the name of Aryn Leneer had apparently left the negotiations without permission, and so was in danger of disrupting the imminent peace. The leader of the Jedi delegation, Master Dar'Nala, indicated to the Sith that Leneer's actions were not to be attributed to either the Order or the Republic, and that she was to be treated as an independent hostile agent.[2]

The False Emperor

"Fellow Sith, citizens of the Empire, too long the strength of the Empire has been beholden to the infighting of the Dark Council and the disappearance of an apathetic Emperor. Sith, children of Sith, warriors everywhere, I declare a new Empire opened to all who long the conquest, freedom from inhibition and the right to follow that passion. The Dark Council is dissolved, those who will join Darth Serevin and supporting me, cast aside your titles and let me lead you to victory." ―Darth Malgus [src]

Following the presumed death of the Sith Emperor on Dromund Kaas, Darth Arho invaded Ilum as retaliation. But his striving was thwarted by Darth Malgus who helped the Republic into defeating him in order to see his rival cast aside. He also served as a military consultant on behalf of the Dark Council, observing Imperial attempts to secure Adegan crystals to create an invincible stealth armada. He advocated the need for alien alliances and reforms in the Empire, ideals that were rejected by staunch traditionalist Grand Moff Ilyan Regus. But once Malgus had the crystals, he delivered a great speech announcing a new Empire and declared himself the new Emperor, which would be free of the infighting of the Dark Council, tempered by alien alliances and tolerance. In a message to the Empire he defected from, he explained that he used the Foundry's power to create a droid army, similar to Revan's, but much more powerful. He sent his ally, Darth Serevin, on Ilum to fulfill the invasion began by Darth Arho. But Serevin was defeated and the strike team secured a stealth command ship from the invading fleet and flew it to the coordinates of Darth Malgus's hidden stealth space station.

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