The Force: Dark Jedi
Darkside@forceacademy.com

The Sith and the dark side are often confused as one of the same thing. Many Jedi believing that knowledge of the Sith was knowledge of the dark side. Trained and advised against learning of the Sith way, Jedi associated the two together. But have the two merged into one, the question is one which has been asked of the Academy before.

Ancient Sith teachings, written before the Sith were corrupted by dark Jedi, are not as one would suspect. The writings and scriptures tell of sorcery not of a truly evil nature. Yet latter Sith writings seem bent with evil and plagued with anger against enemies of their race. This is not to say that Sith magic was of a truly good nature to start with. It can be unquestionably said that it is wholly possible to turn a true heart to one of evil, but to turn a whole race seems improbable.

Evidence then that the Sith were corrupted and bent to the will of a dark Jedi? Or are the writings just a natural progression from early dark side philosophy to that of a true dark nature. Did the dark side and Sith ideals meet to achieve a common goal?

These answers are difficult to find, much of the Sith empire has been lost, either through an attempt to purge the evil records by the Jedi, or hidden by dark siders to secure following generations chance to learn knowledge of the ancient Sith. To reach an answer one must go back to a time before the Dark Sith Lord Naga Sadow reigned. Sith as a race still existed at this time, but not as a large group. Sith philosophy at this time dictated that they live in small tribal groups, rarely interacting with those outside of their tribe. They performed magic rituals and spells, at the command of a tribal ‘sorcerers’. But can we say that this ‘sorcerer’ was tapping into the dark side?

This would seem the logical answer, however, could it be that the sorcerers were tapping into the light side. The rituals performed would have to be of a truly evil nature for the magic to be of dark side origin. So could it be that the Sith were using the light side to begin with?

This is entirely possible, the progression of the Sith is somewhat similar, yet in the opposite direction to that of the Jedi. Yet any speculation on this fact is entirely unfounded, for when Naga Sadow discovered the Sith they were tapping into the dark side power and controlling it in ever increasing complexity.

So what turned this progression in the opposite direction, if indeed it was heading towards that of the Jedi in the first place? The answer lies during the lifetime of the fallen Jedi Naga Sadow. It would seem that Sadow found the Sith after falling to the dark side. Recognizing the vast power the Sith commanded Sadow became determined to learn how to use it to his advantage. Sadow had learned the subtle connections between the Sith’s magic and the dark side, and how to use them. In the most despicable act of treachery he turned their hard won knowledge against them and turned them into slaves.

In this way the Sith became servants of the dark side, and thus the question is answered. The Sith, in loosing their identity as a race and their individual use of the force fell to the dark side. The distinction between the two became so clouded that it was intangible.

Force Master