Darth Tenebrous Darth Tenebrous , also known as Rugess Nome , was a male Bith Dark Lord of the Sith of the lineage of Darth Bane . In his public persona as Nome , he was a legendary artisanal starship designer with a reputation spanning the galaxy ; as the Sith Lord Darth Tenebrous , he was a scientific mastermind possessed of a calculating intellect with an obsession on shaping the future , and the master of Darth Plagueis and Darth Venamis . Biography . Apprenticeship . After being selected as an apprentice by a Twi ' lek Sith Lord , Rugess Nome became Darth Tenebrous . Together , he and his Master devoted themselves to the Grand Plan . In the mix , Darth Tenebrous constructed a red lightsaber , and would go on to wield the weapon when he either sparred or honed his lightsaber combat skills . One of the schemes Tenebrous and his Master devised was the development of a targeted virus that would sever the Jedi ' s connection to the Force ; yet despite spending years developing the virus , the project was ultimately a failure . Tenebrous eventually came to see the dark side of the Force not as a kind of malevolent mystic sentience bent on spreading suffering throughout the galaxy but as an energy source , which could , like any energy source , be manipulated . When Nome saw no further use for his master , he killed him . Seeking out an apprentice . Rugess Nome was widely known for creating legendary starship designs throughout the galaxy , whilst hiding his identity as a Sith Lord . In searching for a Sith apprentice , Tenebrous manipulated a middle ranking InterGalactic Bank agent named Caar Damask into meeting his future wife , knowing that if they had a child , their offspring would be strong in the Force . When the expected child , Hego Damask , turned five , Nome traveled to Mygeeto and was able to convince his parents to hand him over . Tenebrous took the child as his apprentice , naming him Darth Plagueis . Living in the profane world . As with many of his predecessors as Sith Lords , Tenebrous worked hard to expand the network of informants and agents that had started with Darth Bane . These agents were the Sith ' s eyes and ears in all corners of the galaxy , providing them with information but also with access to the highest circles of power in galactic politics . As such , he took up the public persona of Rugess Nome , a starship designer whose constructs were delivered only to the elite members of the rising powers of the galaxy . Among these influential beings , politicians were often found in conjunction with entrepreneurs , bankers , industrialists , and any other being possessing enough power that could eventually assist the Sith designs . Tenebrous ' s apprentice , Darth Plagueis , assisted his Master in these efforts in his public persona as Hego Damask , a wealthy financier who eventually set up his own financial lobbying group , Damask Holdings . As the son of the former head of the InterGalactic Banking Clan , Plagueis also inherited the remote moon of Sojourn , and the Gathering s that often occurred there under the stewardship of his father . Originally conceived as a retreat for the wealthy , Caar Damask had used these Gatherings as a means to bring together influential beings and allow them to forment secret agendas for both business and political ambitions . Under Plagueis , Tenebrous used the Gatherings to extend his own influence over the Republic and the galaxy . Among the people Tenebrous brought into his web were the leaders of the rising Trade Federation , which began to have a great deal of influence over the outlying systems and even in the Galactic Senate . The Federation would eventually become one of Damask Holdings ' s most important clients . Also included in Tenebrous ' s plots was the Gran Protectorate , the representatives of the government of the fuel - rich planet Malastare . The Protectorate ' s Senator , Pax Teem , was considered by Tenebrous and Plagueis as a potential candidate they could manipulated into the position of Supreme Chancellor . Tenebrous also tried to bring other beings into his circle of influence . Among them was a wealthy industrialist named Kerred Santhe . Desiring to bring Santhe into his circle , Tenebrous offered him exclusive rights for a Rugess Nome starship . However , Santhe outwitted Tenebrous and agents of Santhe Security successfully stole the blueprints , cutting Nome out of the deal altogether . Santhe used the success of the starship , once it had been manufactured , to expand his holdings by acquiring a controlling share of Sienar Technologies . Narro Sienar , the company ' s Chief Operating Officer , was only able to keep his position by marrying his daughter to Santhe . Seeing a way to have his revenge and gain the friendship of Narro Sienar , Tenebrous sent Plagueis to assassinate Kerred Santhe in his apprentice ' s first mission as an assassin . Demise . In 67 BBY , Tenebrous and his apprentice , Plagueis , traveled to the planet Bal ' demnic to investigate a lode of cortosis ore . However , their M - 2 mining probe droid had been sabotaged by Subtext Mining , and ignited a pocket of lethane gas , causing a massive explosion . Though Tenebrous managed to contain the explosion , Plagueis saw the opportunity to kill his Master , collapsing the ceiling of the cavern on to Tenebrous . Dying , Tenebrous congratulated his apprentice on succeeding him . However , the rockfall had crushed the starship the two Sith had arrived him , and Plagueis was effectively stranded in a place where he required an enviro - suit to survive . When he realized that his apprentice ' s desire to kill him had seriously endangered the continuation of the Sith , Tenebrous expressed disappointment in his pupil . Plagueis , angered by this , broke the Bith ' s neck . As the unconscious Nome slowly died , Plagueis utilized the Force to study microscopic changes in Tenebrous ' body , observing the slow death of his neuron s and midi - chlorians . However , this was not the end of Tenebrous , who ensured the survival of his own consciousness into altered midi - chlorians — which he labeled " maxi " - chlorians . Those maxi - chlorians would then migrate not into the Force , but into Plagueis , the " diseased one " . Not possessing a Bith ' s precision , Plagueis would never suspect Tenebrous ' consciousness was inside his body , infecting cells with maxi - chlorian s that would cut off the host of its Force - sensitivity . In order to fulfill his goals , Tenebrous sacrificed his ability to sense the motion of the future , something he no longer required since he already knew his future . As his body died , Darth Tenebrous entered his apprentice ' s body and slipped into his cells . As the retrovirus propagated , the Bith gained access to Plagueis ' powers of foresight . At that moment , he discovered and felt Plagueis ' own death at the hands of his apprentice , which was only visible as a smear of darkness . That vision horrified him ; Plagueis would die too soon , and Tenebrous would not fulfill his ultimate goal — seizing and becoming the Chosen One when he would appear . Seeking an answer to understand Plagueis ' complacent behavior , Tenebrous threw again his mind at the future , but could see nothing , as the retrovirus infected Plagueis ' every cell ; his apprentice was now robbed of his foresight power . Wholly giving himself to panic , Nome escaped Plagueis ' body to think about a way out , only to discover his mummified remains . Time had passed , but the Sith Lord was unaware of it . He then wondered if his foresight , instead of being eliminated , had been twisted in upon itself , forcing him to endlessly relive his death . At that moment of realization , the Dark Lord wished he still had a mouth with which to scream . Legacy . Plagueis conducted investigations into those responsible for the sabotage of the probe after his Master ' s death . Though he did not ultimately discover the culprit , his interrogation of a group of representatives of Subtext Mining on Sojourn led him to Naboo after one of their number attempted to make amends by informing him of a vast plasma source on the planet . There Plagueis would discover a young Human named Palpatine , his future apprentice Darth Sidious and the very same dark vision that had terrified Tenebrous in the moments of his death . True to his vision , Palpatine would ultimately murder Plagueis and bring the Grand Plan to fruition as Emperor of the Galactic Empire . Personality and traits . Darth Tenebrous was a rationalist in his approach to the Force , which he believed to be nothing more than a very potent tool . Tenebrous had a fixation with comprehending and shaping the future , which his apprentice , Darth Plagueis , considered to be a product of his Bith intelligence , which was grounded in mathematics and computation . He even believed that the Sith Grand Plan could be achieved by mating the powers of the dark side with expert Bith science . Tenebrous felt that with the aid of sophisticated computers and future - casting formulas , the beings of the galaxy could be provided for and the Jedi Order would gradually dwindle and disappear . Tenebrous was fatalistic as to the Grand Plan ' s success , believing that the dark side ' s rise could be predicted , but not influenced or hurried by the Sith . Plagueis disagreed , however , believing visions of the future to be inherently clouded and unreliable , and that the Jedi Order had to be toppled and destroyed rather than left to wither . This difference in opinion ultimately precipitated Tenebrous ' decision to train Darth Venamis to supplant Plagueis . Despite his rationalist approach to the Force , Tenebrous covered his body in tattoos and body markings representing esoteric concepts , which Plagueis discovered shortly before his master ' s death . Powers and abilities . Darth Tenebrous was very powerful in the Force , and a talented lightsaber duelist , a trait that he passed on to his secret apprentice , Darth Venamis . Tenebrous was also proficient in Force speed , using it to attempt to escape the cortosis mine and used the Force to shield himself and Plagueis from a bomb ' s explosion . He could also hold up heavy rocks with the Force , an impressive display of telekinesis , and could fire the rare form of red Force lightning . Moreover , Tenebrous had " extremely " powerful precognitive abilities , able to foresee his own death , something even Darth Sidious and Darth Caedus were unable to do . In addition , Tenebrous designed his own starship and invented his own retrovirus that could turn his midi - chlorians into maxi - chlorian s , as he had great knowledge of the former , knowing which counted belayed great power . The Sith Lord did not possess the " innate gift " of Sith sorcery , but felt Bith science was far more potent . Behind the scenes . Darth Tenebrous ' s name was included in a 2006 entry by Leland Chee , the keeper of the Holocron continuity database , marking the character ' s first mention in " Star Wars " canon . Chee stated that Tenebrous ' s name may have been derived from the word " tenebrous , " a word meaning dark , gloomy , or obscure . In 2008 , author James Luceno indicated that if he were able to , he would choose " Darth Tenebrous " as the name of the first Sith to ever use the Darth title . Tenebrous appeared in Luceno ' s 2012 novel , " Darth Plagueis " , as the Master of Darth Plagueis . His birth name , Rugess Nome , also appeared . When deciding Tenebrous ' s species , Luceno was seeking an existing intelligent and " brainy " species in " Star Wars " canon . The Bith species fit the bill , but Luceno found that he associated Bith with harmless jizz - playing bands rather than menacing Sith Lords . However , cognizant of the fact that many different personality types could be found in a single species , he ultimately said " what the heck . "