In the Darkness there is Truth
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Intent: Sub Libertas' holocron.
Image Credit: Here.
Canon: N/A
Permissions: N/A
Links: Sith Holocron, Sith Code.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Holocron Name: Testament of Liberty.
Alignment: Dark.
Origin: Darth Libertas.
Affiliation: Darth Libertas.
Gatekeeper: The gatekeeper is modelled after Libertas. Indeed, a piece of her soul resides in the holocron. As a result, the gatekeeper is essentially a mental and physical duplicate of the eccentric Twi'lek Sith Lord and revolutionary radical. Thus the gatekeeper is a Lethan Twi'lek female with extensive cybernetic modifications. All in all, both her legs and arms are cybernetic. The same applies to her spine and one eye. There is also a visible breathing apparatus. She wears a suit of armour. The gatekeeper tends to manifest an affable personality, sometimes to the point of being downright jovial.
Libertas is a dedicated Sith, but the way this manifests is closer to that of a secular, anti-establishment revolutionary whose beliefs are a mixture of Social Darwinism, anarchism and disdain for human dominance. She is almost a Sith anarchist, though not in a chaotic way. Generally, the gatekeeper has an affable demeanour. She deeply believes in Sith ideology, but is flexible about it. From her point of view, she is the breaker of chains, the bringer of...freedom. Just not freedom in the way some would think. She is not a 'kindly Sith' by any stretch of the imagination. After all, those who do not fit into her 'utopia' must be culled.
Interestingly, she will not deny access to a Light Sider per se. Should the prospective user be of the Light, and she believes she has a chance to sway them or make them doubt their cause, she will engage them in dialogue. Rather than preach about the power of hatred or the supposed omnipotence of the Dark Side, she will try to use logic, subtle manipulation and patience. In so doing, she aims to guide them away from the 'flawed' teachings of the Light.
Description: The holocron has the classical pyramid shape normally associated with Sith holocrons. It is etched with Sith symbols, but not overly fancy, lacking gold plating and the like. A dark presence emanates from it, causing minor tremours in the Force when it is activated. The holocron serves as a repository for Libertas' knowledge and her philosophical beliefs. The Twi'lek Sith Lord is well aware that ultimately no one is immortal, no matter their strength in the Force, so she has created the holocron to ensure her beliefs endure when she is worm fodder.
DEFENSES
Accessibility: Libertas' limbs are bionic, so the holocron only opens at the touch of metal into the fingermarks. Trying to use a bare hand will set off a security system and hurt the intruder. Reciting Sith quatrains or similar is not necessary to access the holocron. Instead a potential user has to place a piece of metal or a cybernetic hand on it, and whisper "my chains are broken". Naturally the holocron requires the Force to access. The gatekeeper is openly disdainful of sadistic chaotic beings and will not pass on any knowledge to them. It may mock them a lot though. She also strongly disapproves of people who are frivolous or oversexed. While not racist, the gatekeeper is more likely to be informative if the prospective user is non-human.
Libertas has a soft spot for members of her species, and this has transferred to the gatekeeper. However, she is openly disdainful of Twi'leks who live up to the stereotype of being licentious and promiscuous. In general, the gatekeeper is more positive towards individuals who go against the common trends of species or society - Twi'leks or Zeltrons who don't wear skintight, sexualised outfits and have actual ambition, Eldorai who aren't racist, haughty fools who prattle about the Goddess, Wookiees who reject life debts as slavery and aren't anyone's gopher, non-pacifist Ithorians and so on.
Security: As is typical for holocron, a prospective user must be Force-Sensitive to access it. Libertas has used poison to deter unauthorised access. There are little injecting which can stab each finger with Devaronian blood poison. Moreover, the gatekeeper is extremely strong-willed and very difficult to trick to deceive.
CONTENT INFORMATION
The contents of the holocron are divided into various separate chapters.
Philosophy of Self-Actualisation:
"I will not fall to your temptations, Sith! I will not turn!"
"My dear Jedi, I do not want to turn you and I am not tempting you. I want you to be strong so that you might be a useful force in the galaxy. Good and evil are labels thrown by one side at the other and the performance of Sith and Jedi allow either to be labelled as equally heinous. No, I want you to be useful, because if there is one thing most Jedi and Sith are not...it is useful.
You flee from the idea of the darkness so much and so frantically that you do not see or understand how dangerous the light can be to you and others. But you will. Not by my hand, but by your actions and their consequences. The road to Chaos is paved with good intentions. And you, my dear Jedi, are practically a paver for how many you have laid down. Ask the citizens of Korriban City if the Light's honour matters. Their silence is your answer."
"Some of the bigges haters of Sith are, unconsciously, exemplary Sith and some of the biggest proponents of Sithism do not understand its most basic tenets."
"Human supremacism is the height of ignorance and the symptom of an infantile character."
"It is adversity and struggle that empowers us. Many fail during the climb because it is arduous, but those who complete the ascent, casting all that holds them back aside, are liberated."
"You make your own choices. The Dark Side did not make you do anything. Its power opened a door, and you chose to walk through it. You alone are culpable. So define your code. Take responsibility. There is no power that can offer you absolution."
"I don't hate Jedi. The strong ones, at any rate. The weak, indecisive ones who flounce from one side to the other just deserve my contempt. What has a Jedi ever done to me? Why should I care that once upon a time this or that Sith Empire was wiped out? To usher in the new, the old must be put to rest. The Jedi are our forge and we are theirs. The universe needs balance. Not that childish twaddle about Anakin Skywalker, but strong Jedi opposing strong Sith. Otherwise, there is stagnation."
"Hereditary monarchy is antithetical to Sithism. The Sith govern by the rule of the strong, not the rule of whoever had the fortune of being born into the 'correct' bloodline. Was Darth Bane born a pampered prince? Darth Vader? Darth Lumiya? No, they went out, suffered hardship and earned their power."
"The sentient beast wants to endure. Weakness is easier than strength, and when left to their own devices, sentients will choose passivity. The poor of Nar Shaddaa and Coruscant merely prolong the inevitable by scavenging and bending. The most insidious chain is not one a master puts on us, but the one we do.
It's why revolutions are instigated by a small vanguard with the will to see things through and galvanise the masses into action. And sometimes the vision to push conditions to a breaking point, so that the masses face the stark choice of rising up or going under. Killing is the means, not the goal. Kill only sparingly, and strategically. With the right spark, you can ignite a firestorm. The first foe of the revolutionary is often not the oppressor, but the indolent and the moderate. When you build a support base, don't look for disciples among the pampered, rotten upper classes. Turn to those who have endured hardship. The downtrodden, the outcasts, the slaves, marginalised aliens. They will know what it is like to have your back to the wall. They will know that justice is but a construct of the system in power - a system that has spat on them."
"I know of a death camp where the inmates were being murdered in industrial fashion for asinine ideological reasons. In their heart of hearts, they knew that they were doomed. But they kept hoping that surely their oppressors would spare them if they made themselves useful; that a rescuer would come; that their deity would not forsake them. Some informed on would-be escapees in the hopes that this would avert the worst. Then their oppressors, fearing defeat in a war against an external foe, accelerated the killings. Their victims had nothing left to lose, so they rebelled. Fittingly, the uprising was instigated by the prisoners who had been forced to dispose of the corpses of their dead fellows. They knew there was no hope - and that they would be purged soon, just like their predecessors."
"Forcewielders are above Non-Force-Users, but is folly to disdain the latter. They are the building blocks of any empire. Indeed, in this Forcer-dominated Galaxy, a Non-Force-User will often have to strive harder and use their brain to get a position of influence because they cannot make their problems go away with lightning bolts. They cannot fully join our ranks, but does not need to be Sith in order to adopt the mind set of one. A strong, cunning Non-Force-User who does so is certainly worthier of respect than a stupid Force-User who has nothing to show for themselves save an accident of genetics."
"The old Jedi got one thing right: celibacy. All this obsession with coitus addles the mind, as do liquor and narcotics. A pity so many Jedi are all about hot tubs and sleeping with each other these days. They have the same sickness as many Sith. If you cannot master yourself, how can you master others? Similarly, they were right to disdain luxury. Oh, of course, the Order was not poor by any means. The grand temple and shiny starships cost a lot, after all. But the individual Jedi needed no treasure other than the Force. Shiny baubles are like millstones around our neck."
"The Sith'ari is an idealised state of being. Not a person. Many Sith have proclaimed themselves the Sith'ari, and doubtless many will do so once our present generation has perished one way or another. There are no gods, only people we declare to be gods because we are too cowardly to make our own decisions and would rather have an omnipotent being do the job for us. A Sith who makes a god out of another is no Sith."
"The Jedi would tell you they are guardians of peace and servants of the people. But which people? The ruling caste of these galactic republics. They do their bidding, and in return get a monopoly on Force use in these lands. Many worship harmony so much that when war comes, they either cowardly flee from or commit atrocities the Eldorai's tyrants would approve. The Sith would say they are power incarnate, the embodiment of strength and fredom.
But many fall short of that. These embrace servitude of a different form by becoming slaves to their emotions or emperors they bow before. If the average Jedi fetishises passivity, the average Sith does the same with killing frenzy. Most on either side regurgitate dogma about light and dark without having put a iota of thought into it. Some Sith strive for a higher purpose than butchery, and some Jedi strive to be real knights."
"What does it mean to be a Sith? A Sith determines who they want to be and turns that vision into reality, no matter what obstacles species, society or even their fellow Sith put in their way. Acolytes love to recite the first line of the code - 'peace is a lie, there is only passion'. But passion means more than mere lust. It means having the drive and the will to reject the false peace of complacency and unthinking tradition. Through that we gain strength, and that gives us power. The last line of the Code is my favourite. 'Through victory my chains are broken'. It is a metaphor for the inner struggle to break the chains you have placed on yourself. Empires, corporations, wealth - those are tools. Even the struggle against the Jedi is just a means to an end."
Force Instruction:
As is typical for holocrons, the gatekeeper provides instruction in the use of various Force techniques. Libertas is a Master of the Force and a Sith Warrior. Thus the gatekeeper focuses on providing training in the more martial and destructive applications of the Force. This includes teaching a student about advanced telekinesis, defensive techniques such as Tutaminis, Force Weapon and Force Shield, but also mental powers such as inciting feelings of fear and terror in a target, using the Force to stun or poison them and generate flashes of light to temporarily disable security cameras or disorientate foes. Libertas knows how to manifest Force Lightning, but is not able to actually use it herself anymore because it would damage her cybernetics. The holocron can also teach a Force-Sensitive how use Battlemind, augment their reflexes or manipulate their sense of pain or that of another being. Furthermore, there is information on dark side healing and Force Drain, though Libertas reluctantly admits that it is less effective than the light side variant.
It can teach Battle Meditation, but only on a scaled down, localised level. Basically, it can provide instruction on how to influence small groups, but not entire armies or fleets. This is comparable to the manner the Jedi Exile is said to have employed the power to turn the tide of the battle in the Iziz royal palace's throne room between Queen Talia's and General Vaklu's troops. The gatekeeper is obviously not encumbered by this. Furthermore, she has a degree of knowledge of Sith alchemy. Her skill in this field is focused on metallurgical alchemy, which means she can teach a student how to create swords, talismans, suits of armour and other items that have been enchanted with the dark side. She is no master of the craft, but can provide a useful stepping stone.
The gatekeeper reserves Libertas' most exotic technique for students deemed particularly worthy. This is Enhance Force-Sensitivity, which allows a Forcewielder to boost someone's connection to the Force. It is useful for Faustian bargains. Libertas knows about the theory behind essence transfer, but has not actually learned the power. Thus the holocron cannot teach it. It has scathing things to say about the idea that someone can rule eternally. The holocron contains instruction on what the gatekeeper considers judicious use of the Dark Side. In a nutshell, it emphasises self-restraint, patience and diligence and finds giving into psychopatic urges abhorrent. What she has to say is sensible, but Libertas likes to hear herself talk and is rather full of herself.
Combat:
The gatekeeper provides instruction in the use of various weapons, including guns, traditional melee weapons and lightsabres. Libertas is an offensively minded duellist with a preference on powerful styles like Djem So and Juyo. She favours using a Sith Sword, so she can teach quite a bit about using one in combat. There are also lessons in piloting. Libertas can teach a bit about military tactics and strategy. She has never commanded a large force and is not a particularly innovative commander, but solid. She also stresses the importance of unglamorous but important things such as logistics. She talks quite a bit about common anti-Force-User gear and tactics utilised by Non-Force-Users and how to counter, mitigate or adapt them.
What Is To be Done:
In this section, Libertas discusses her ideals for Sith orders. In this context, she also examines past and present Sith orders, empires and such. Libertas is not an academic interested in ancient history, so she does not discuss every Sith group throughout the eras. She looks at various doctrines that have been prominent throughout Sith history, such as the Rule by the Strong, Rule of Two, Rule of One and the contemporary Sith Order's Rule of Order. For a Sith, Libertas is surprisingly critical of Palpatine, though she acknowledges his immense power and cunning.
She views him as the embodiment of the ego driven leader obsessed with his own power and importance and neither caring or understanding the ruin left behind, or the future. In this context, she also discusses the problem this type represents among the contemporary crop of Sith. The Twi'lek speculates what might have happened if Palpatine had not openly proclaimed himself Galactic Emperor after the destruction of the Jedi Order and kept the hollow shell of the Republic intact.
She has a high opinion of Malgus, Wyyrlok III and Plagueis. She appreciates Darth Marr for his more pragmatic and legalist view, but criticises him for not attempting to overthrow Sith Emperor Vitiate when he was silent for so long. She reviews the teachings of Calypho, who believed that insight and precognition could be gained through ascetic self-denial. Moreover, she examines the teachings of Darth Lumiya, and her views on sacrifice. She does spend some time examining groups like the Jensaarai, the Order of Fire, and the Blackguard, though her knowledge on them varies.
Libertas has respect for the accomplishments of ancient Sith, but cautions against admiring the past unquestioningly. She views traversing dusty, old tombs to find ancient artefacts or commune with the spirits of long-dead Sith Lords as a waste of time that distracts from real growth. Power derived from trinkets or deals with ghosts has not been truly earned. Strangely enough, Libertas reacts with amusement if a user points out that this also means they should take anything she says with a grain of salt. The question of how to balance the Dark Side, which is about strength and power, whilst avoiding the excesses of traditional systems features prominently. Naturally, Libertas rejects democracy because that is not the Sith way. She believes in the rule of the strong, but is also critical of a system that chains the Sith to an immortal emperor figure.
In one of the many ironies she appreciates, she promotes the view of having a small oligarchic council of leaders, who help assign, train and raise up apprentices. Communal means of training is supposed to - theoretically - avoid the entrenchment of a master/apprentice relationsip, which can turn to conspiracy, but also limit needless murder and waste of applicants. Those who are part of the leadership should have earned their place through their power or the resources they have contributed.
Libertas expects an apprentice is likely to challenge the master...because people want power and nature is based on struggle. Working together towards a certain goal is the key, but the fight to break one's chains never stops just because you're a Sith. Life is a struggle to attain true freedom, freedom through strength. At the same time, the holocron discusses the problems this creates. When both fight, there can only really be three outcomes, unless one of the two flees: Both die, which does not help anyone. Indeed, it would have spelt doom for the Sith if it had occured during the Rule of Two. Or the Master wins, which is wasteful because they have wasted years training an apprentice. After all, the Master cannot be foolish enough to let the apprentice live after making the challenge. Finally, the apprentice wins.
This is a net gain for the Sith if the apprentice has learned everything the Master had to teach them. An example for this would be Zannah defeating Darth Bane or Plagueis killing Tenebrous. However, if the apprentice did not truly surpass the Master, everything their teacher knew has been lost. It also cultivates an atmosphere of suspicion and paranoia where the master is not inclined to share all their skills for fear of being assassinated. The gatekeeper considers simply pushing the apprentice out as their own cell when the time is right and let them handle themselves.
In a way, her core tenets are more of a twisting of the Jedi than the Sith traditions. For all their problems the Jedi have a reasonably strong base. It was how they used it which caused such issues. Strength must be balanced by reason; power must be balanced with control; ambition must be balanced with pragmatism; emotion must be balanced with realism. She has no truck with rage mongering Sith who let their passions guide and inevitably destroy them. She is little more understanding of endlessly scheming for an unattainable goal. The gatekeeper rejects the idea of blind submission to an 'immortal emperor', Sith'ari or similar.
Her view of a Sith Order is more akin to a secret society that manipulates social and economic conditions to its advantage, rather than fulfils imperial ambitions. She draws analogies to the cell-based structure of insurgent groups. She recommends recruiting among the disenfranchised of the Galaxy. They are the ideal vanguard of the Sith revolution, if it is presented to them in terms of breaking their chains rather than preaching about being acolytes of darkness.
Darwinian struggle is Nature's law, thus the darkness the Sith use is natural, whereas the Light is not. By contrast, she is scornful of the aristocratic and capitalist elites. Such elements are fundamentally statist and will try to co-opt the revolution to secure their property and status. At best, they are 'useful idiots' and fellow travellers who will 'sell us the rope with which we will hang them'. On another note, she advises against using blatantly evil names such as 'Death Troopers' or 'Dread Master'. Such naming schemes automatically prejudice opinion. 'Freedom Guard' sounds a lot friendlier.
Significantly, Libertas does not look down upon Non-Force Users simply because they lack the ability to use the Force. Control over the Force elevates Force-Users above the muggles, but to her strength has a lot to do with a state of mind rather than mere displays of raw power. Indeed, she stresses that she has found Force blind to be better henchmen at times because they have to work harder for their jobs to make up for their lack of preternatural advantages. Some may be worthy of being offered a Faustian bargain: She will help them achieve their heart's desires, but there is a price.
Chronicle:
The biography of Libertas, essentially. This is not too difficult to get through and is surprisingly brief compared to the other sections because Libertas does not consider her personal story to be that important.
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
Libertas did not fall to the dark side as a consequence of childhood trauma. She was no slave turned Sith. Rather she grew up in an affluent family. Her birth name was Koyi Fenn. Her parents were local notables in a Twi'lek community and successful merchants. However, though she was welloff, she was still confronted with the plight many of her people suffered. These raiders were more canny than the average pirate gang, for they realised that it was better to milk a cow than to slaughter it. So they demanded tribute. When the inhabitants were unable to meet their demands, they took slaves. Young Koyi was disgusted by the fact her parents, who were local luminaries, tried to appease the invaders. One day she lashed out, which also revealed her Force-Sensitivity. To keep the peace, she had to leave her home. First her path led her to the Jedi, who found her to be aggressive and passionate. So she sought out the Sith.
She served the Sith Empire before becoming an independent operator after surviving the destruction of Dromund Kaas. When she returned home, she drove away the slavers and taught her people about 'freedom' - after a fashion. Those who had been taken captive by the corsairs were freed after they slew their captors. Freedom was not an inherent right, but had to be purchased and protected with blood. She called herself Darth Libertas.
Eventually her path led her to the One Sith Empire. When it crumbled, she went underground, taking with her a rather exotic crew of alien minions. It was during this time that she started working on her holocron. It recorded her studies of both Jedi and Sith philosophies. As new Sith empires rose and fell, she examined their doctrines, too. Libertas lacked the knowledge to separate her spirit from her mortal corpus and possess the body of another.
And, in any event, even the mightiest body-hoppers in history, Valkorion and Palpatine, had eventually died for good. So she designed the holocron in part to ensure that her teachings might survive when she inevitably shuffled off the mortal coil. It would serve as a guide a successor could add to. As is typical with holocrons, it reflected her personality. The gatekeeper was committed to Sith ideals, but in an idiosyncratic fashion and manifested a strong disdain of the selfish or chaotic. Libertas bound a sliver of her soul to the holocron's gatekeeper. Unsurprisingly, this meant it thought along similar lines.
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