Darth Arctis

> "My commitment to the Imperial doctrine is beyond question. Under my watch, the Empire will not falter."
>
> —Darth Arctis
>

**Darth Arctis** is one of the highest-ranking officials in the Sith Empire. Once an emissary of the Dark Council, he rose to become one of the leading figures in the reformed Empire under Darth Acina. Arctis was given control over the Sphere of Military Offense, and is responsible for directing the Imperial Military during wartime.

Arctis has led an impressive career spanning several decades. Even before Zakuul's conquests, he was an influential figure in the Imperial hierarchy. During the Great War, he participated in countless military campaigns that devastated the Republic. Among the most notable of these are his involvement with the Imperial Armada's mission to destroy the *Star of Coruscant* and his victory against invading Republic forces on Ziost. He had a brief stint in the justice system under Darth Mortis, overseeing prosecutors in the Imperial courts.

During the Cold War, Arctis made a discovery on the planet Alzoc III that saw him appointed director of the Special Projects Division of the Imperial Military. The details of the division's operations are unknown and remain classified.

When the treaty was dissolved and war began once again, Arctis was Darth Ravage's first lieutenant in the Sphere of Expansion and Diplomacy. He was later selected to serve as the ambassador to the Sith Imperium. He remained in the post for some time, until the Dark Council instructed him to resign. Arctis subsequently served under Darth Marr until the latter's disappearance and death.

## Biography

### Early Life

#### Childhood

Arctis was born the eldest son of Darth Vessler, a well-established Sith Lord and heir to the Kressh bloodline. His father had lived his life driven by his ambitions; as such, he made many enemies during his rise to power. However, he kept himself several steps ahead of his rivals by earning favor with the Dark Council of the time. At some point, Vessler was granted dominion over Dromund Fels, the fourth planet of the Dromund system, where Arctis would spend the bulk of his younger years. Even as a child, he frequently sat in on lessons in the Force held by his father’s entourage of Inquisitors. It was through these early teachers that he became convinced that sentiments such as compassion and mercy led only to weakness.

#### Darth Vessler's Demise

Vessler eventually came into conflict with Darth Ikoral, one of the most decorated lords of that era. Despite his considerable resources and standing, the authority and power Ikoral wielded dwarfed that of Vessler’s power base. When the two Sith ultimately resolved to end their contention in a duel to the death, Vessler was struck down before the eyes of his young son. Despite his distaste for Vessler, Ikoral believed the legacy of Kressh was to continue — as he strongly valued Sith blood. His belief in the superiority of the pure-blooded prompted Ikoral to take his deceased rival’s son as his own.

#### Apprentice to Darth Ikoral

It was through Ikoral that Arctis received his Sith moniker and was trained in the ways of the dark side. Although his instruction in the Sith arts had begun early, Arctis was one of many apprentices Ikoral had taken under his tutelage. Consequently, he was forced to contend with almost constant challenges from his peers, but the majority of his competition stemmed one other apprentice in particular. Vindican, despite being considered their master’s greatest pupil, despised Arctis — knowing it was he who commanded true respect and favor from Ikoral. Jealousy pushed Vindican to continuously attempt to bar Arctis’ progress, all the while also trying to outperform him. This envy was only furthered by his rival’s response; Arctis simply shrugged off any striving to undermine him and consistently dismissed Vindican as irrelevant. Arctis tolerated because he was rather amused by his actions, but he did truly consider Vindican beneath him. Regardless, it was through this contention that his interest in used his enemies' emotions against them was piqued. Vindican was later forced to abandon the rivalry when Arctis advanced to become a Sith Lord. Though the two parted ways on bitter terms, the two would never cross paths again.

### Great War

By the time the Sith made their return and war with the Republic began, Arctis was well-established in the Imperial hierarchy and had ascended to become a Darth. During the conflict, he would be assigned to the Sphere of Military Offense.

#### Reclamation of Korriban

Arctis traveled to Korriban shortly after Imperial forces secured the planet. Despite their old rivalry, he paid his respects to Vindican, who fell during a confrontation with Jedi Knights aboard the Republic's space station that orbited the Sith burial world.

#### Second Battle of Bothawui

> "Reimagine your strategy and give the Dark Council the swift victory you promised. Failure will find you explaining such a blunder to an audience far less patient than I am."
>
> —Darth Arctis, to Grand Moff Zellos
>

Arctis was dispatched to Bothawui alongside a number of Imperial military personnel to reinforce the depleted army under the command of Grand Moff Zellos. Despite his counsel, the Grand Moff continued to unwisely throw troops into battle in direct assaults against the Republic defenders. Despite their success, the cost of the victory was humiliating: Republic forces under the leadership of Jedi Master Belth Allusis had managed to inflict massive casualties before they were finally killed. In the aftermath of the battle, Arctis ridiculed Zellos for acting so recklessly and wished him luck in explaining his blunder to the Dark Council.

Arctis became an associate of Darth Vengean sometime after the conflict on Bothawui. He later met and befriended one of Vengean's subordinates, Darth Baras.

### Cold War

#### Conspiring with Vengean and Baras

The treaty left much of the galaxy stunned, but it left Vengean particularly infuriated, who believed it an utter disgrace. He and Baras began plotting to destabilize the tense peace between Empire and Republic; Baras ultimately devised a secret operation to assassinate the Republic's top military figures, leaving them practically leaderless when war inevitably resumed. Vengean called on Arctis to join them in their deliberations, as he was the only ally who had earned a degree of trust from them both. He later compiled a list of several candidates best suited to infiltrate the Republic Military as part of Baras' initiative, which had been named "Plan Zero."

#### Sith Academy on Korriban

Immediately after the treaty was signed, Arctis was given a supervisory position in the staff of the Sith Academy on Korriban; his appointment was arranged by Vengean, presumably as a sign of favor. He held a strong degree of contempt for those of the academy instructors who refused to acknowledge the ways of the Sith would inevitably evolve over time. During his tenure, Arctis executed dozens of overseers, giving him a reputation for zero tolerance for incompetence in his subordinates. In an uncommon practice, he oftentimes stepped in to personally administer trials to the classes of acolytes whose overseers he had killed. His talent for instruction led to many Sith Lords in search of apprentices requesting that Arctis train prospective acolytes for them.

Shortly before the Cold War concluded, Arctis returned to the Sphere of Military Offense. He began working closely with Baras, and accompanied him to Korriban when his colleague ventured there in search of a new apprentice. Arctis took to evaluating the performances of the covert operatives placed inside the Republic while Baras selected a class of Sith acolytes and personally oversaw their trials. Baras explained that, once the final stages of Plan Zero were enacted, he would direct this new apprentice in eliminating the Republic military officials he had marked for death. Baras initially favored a Sith acolyte by the name of Vemrin, though Arctis found himself irritated by the arrogant demeanor the young man eventually came to exhibit.

> "Tremel is damaged goods. By all means, eliminate him. But his student may prove useful. The acolyte would make the perfect pawn."
>
> —Darth Arctis to Darth Baras, regarding the Sith acolyte who would eventually become the second Emperor's Wrath
>

The demise of an ancient Sithspawn saturated in dark side energy ― the Beast of Marka Ragnos ― triggered an unusual fluctuation in the Force. The disturbance was strong enough that both Arctis and Baras had sensed it; the two Sith Lords learned an acolyte, one brought to Korriban in secret by the Sith overseer Tremel, had slain the beast. Unnerved at Tremel's disregard for protocol, coupled with his disdain for Tremel's traditionalist stance, Baras declared that the overseer was to be killed. Arctis became familiar with Tremel's stubborn insistence on keeping to obsolete traditions during his time supervising the academy's staff. As such, he concurred with Tremel's "retirement" but was convinced that the overseer's student had shown great promise. Arctis advised Baras to evaluate the acolyte, as he may have stumbled on the exact pawn he required. His counsel was proved correct, as the acolyte superseded the potential of all others training under Baras.

Arctis remained on Korriban for a short while after Baras and his new apprentice departed. He ventured into the Valley of the Dark Lords alone, revealing his true motive for traveling to Korriban: to retrieve a holocron detailing a legend of the fearsome Talz, an alien race native to Alzoc III, that had been brought to the planet over a thousand years prior by servants of Naga Sadow. His prize in hand, Arctis returned to Dromund Kaas.

#### Discovery of the Progenitor Virus

> "Conventional means of war are meaningless in a world where a virus can exterminate an entire population, and leave its wealth intact."
>
> —Darth Arctis, regarding the Progenitor virus' potential as a controlled weapon
>

Arctis commanded an expedition to the icy world of Alzoc III, intent on discovering the subject of the Talz texts he procured on Korriban. Details of the mission remain unconfirmed; the expedition's high level of secrecy and conflicting rumors make an accurate analysis of events near impossible. It is known, however, that the expedition led to the discovery of a volatile pathogen that Arctis would come to name the Progenitor virus.

Following his success with the expedition, Darth Marr appointed Arctis the director of the newly-formed Special Projects Division. Its operations were given the highest level of classification; only the Dark Lords in command of the Imperial Military were aware of it. Its existence became publicly known after the leak of several reports from the division that repeatedly referenced "the Decima Program." However, the jargon used by the reports' authors led to any details that were close to accurate regressing into misconstrued rumors.

### Galactic War

#### Dynasty of Fear

After the betrayal and final demise of the Dread Masters, six powerful Sith Lords with the capability to sow crippling terror through the minds of their victims, Arctis found opportunity in a mysterious figure known as the Warlord, who had once led a legion of Sith assassins but disappeared after the Masters' liberation from imprisonment on Belsavis during the early stages of the war. The Warlord sought to maintain their legacy and begun assembling her own dynasty of fear on Ilum. Taking the Fray Landing, a Republic military installation that was sacked during Operation: Dark Ice, as her base of operations, the Warlord and her assassins sent tremors through the Force in an effort to draw Force sensitives to Ilum and enthrall them. As the disappearances continued, Arctis ventured to Ilum, wanting to investigate the matter personally. Upon his arrival, Arctis quickly discovered the source of the tremors. Dozens of Sith had been drawn to Ilum and bound to serve the Warlord, had they not agreed to join her willingly. Under the leadership of her assassins, the Warlord's new legion of Dread Guards expanded rapidly. Impressed, Arctis presented himself to the Warlord and offered his services. He soon earned the Warlord's respect, prompting her to grant him the title of Dread Guard Commander. In the position, Arctis worked to further the strength of the Dread Guards that had been recruited. He eventually crossed paths with another of the Warlord's commanders, Erasis Citadel, who shared his fascination with the original Dread Masters and ambition to wield the power as they did. Arctis and Erasis quickly began collaborating to expand and empower the Dread Guard. The two organized training exercises in which guardsmen were pitted against one another in single combat. The program effectively separated the strong from the weak, and was later opened to recruits, serving to weed out the weak but grow the number of Dread Guards as well.

Ultimately, the Warlord grasped the power of the Phobis devices, the artifacts from which the original Dread Masters obtained their capabilities. Six of those under her command were then selected to form her second generation of Dread Masters, among them Arctis and Erasis. The others chosen were Rampage, a master of combat, Terrorem, one of the Warlord's assassins, Shavalia, a mysterious but favored servant of the Warlord, and Parasitus, a powerful sorcerer.

Although the Dread Guard continued to grow in size and power, the Warlord had become reclusive. As a result, the Dread Masters began to shift toward pursuing their own agendas. In response, the Warlord selected Shavalia to act as a proxy through which she would direct the other Masters. The solution was only temporary, however, as most of the Dread Masters grew increasingly frustrated with the Warlord's constant absence.

When the tensions finally boiled over, four of the Masters, Erasis, Parasitus, Rampage, and Terrorem, chose to cut their ties to the Warlord and take the Dread Guards under their command. Arctis himself saw little to no gain in the betrayal and opted to remain on Ilum. The Warlord refused to tolerate such treachery and demanded the Masters return and serve her. Ultimately, a massive conflict erupted, pitting the Dread Masters against the Warlord and the forces who remained loyal to her. As reward for his loyalty, the Warlord performed a ritual that disconnected Arctis from the union that bound the Dread Masters to one another. When the traitorous Masters arrived to confront the Warlord on Ilum, she was joined by Arctis and Shavalia, who declared their allegiance to her. In the ensuing fighting, the legions of Dread Guards were decimated and several of the Masters were killed. Arctis himself survived and managed to escape in the aftermath of the battle.

#### Return to the Empire

> "Prophecy is a lie. There is no predestination, Warlord. We must forge our own path."
>
> —Darth Arctis to the Warlord, denouncing the Dread Masters
>

With the Dread Guard scattered and the disappearance of the Warlord, Arctis chose to leave the mantle of Dread Master behind him and return to the Empire, finding a place under the command of Darth Ravage. Arctis soon began working closely with Ravage in his drives to expand Imperial borders and rose to become one of the Dark Council's favored servants.

#### Ambassador to the Sith Imperium

Arctis became acquainted with the Sith Imperium for the first time after after Darth Nostrem, his former apprentice, engaged Erasis Citadel in the Dark Temple on Dromund Kaas, ending with Citadel sustaining heavy injuries and the death of the bodyguards who had accompanied him. The Imperium eventually came to consider the possibility of the Dark Council having sanctioned the attack. Arctis was chosen to head the delegation that would address the High Council of the Imperium and resolve the conflict. One of the Councilors who believed the attack was an Imperial plot insinuated that Arctis himself was implicit due to his status as Nostrem's Sith master. Arctis quickly dismissed the accusation and informed the Councilor that his former pupil's exile made his deeds that of a rogue, therefore relieving the Empire of any responsibility for Nostrem's actions. He went on to remind them that Imperium personnel had entered the temple without proper authorization, and advised them to refrain from conducting covert operations in Imperial territory in the future. He ultimately warned the Imperium that his superiors on the Dark Council would not tolerate an intrusion a second time, but suggested that both the Empire and Imperium dismiss the incident and move on. When the diplomatic tension subsided, he departed.

> "You claim our relations with the Imperium are without tension. Unfortunately, the Dark Council is not convinced. Lord Ravage has tasked me with evaluating the performance of this delegation. You would do well to ensure your staff operates at their very best during my time here. If I am forced to submit a negative report to Lord Ravage, believe me, you won't enjoy the results."
>
> —Darth Arctis, to the Imperial diplomats assigned to the Imperium
>

After Nostrem's attack and several other incidents, the Dark Council had grown concerned of their relations with the Sith Imperium. Arctis, at the time the intermediary whom Darth Ravage's subordinates directly reported to, was once again dispatched to the Imperium's capital to evaluate the performance of Darth Candicia Thul, at the time ambassador to the Imperium, and her subordinates. Arctis was less than pleased with the delegation and made note of that disapproval in his report to the Dark Council. But by the time he had returned to Dromund Kaas, Arctis was angered to learn that Candicia had resigned and defected to the Imperium to marry Emperor Salvatus. Darth Ravage selected Arctis to replace her, with hopes that he would more effectively improve relations with the Imperium. Arctis would remain in this post for several years.

#### Disappearance

During the Sith Imperium's conflict with Alesis Citadel, Arctis felt a particularly bothersome disturbance in the Force and pinpointed its source: the Unknown Regions. Returning to his sanctuary on Dromund Fels, he prepared his personal shuttle for the voyage into deep space, and instructed a trusted officer in the Imperial military to supervise his power base during his absence.

Having fortified his power structure, Arctis departed, alone, with a course set for the Unknown Regions. As his journey progressed, the disturbance grew and he came to find it strangely familiar.

Arctis never returned from his voyage, and any attempts to locate his shuttle failed. With his disappearance, one of the Sith Lord's apprentices attempted to seize control of his power base. The officer left in command, fiercely loyal to Arctis, discovered the apprentice's intent and ordered him burned alive. After the execution of the treacherous apprentice, none moved to take control of Arctis' power structure.

The Imperium assumed Arctis died in the Unknown Regions, although the Dark Council insisted they would have sensed his passing had he died and believed Arctis would ultimately resurface in time.

#### Resurgence

Arctis was indeed alive, though he laid in stasis lock for nearly a decade. The traitorous Asavian was responsible for his imprisonment, although his lingering presence was felt by Darth Erasis Citadel and several of his followers in the Sith Imperium. Arctis was eventually tracked down to Ilum and freed by a group of Sith aligned with the Imperium, led by Erasis himself. Following his release from stasis, Arctis returned to his post as head of the Sith Empire's delegation to the Imperium.

Once the war with Asavian concluded, Arctis was all but confined to Dromund Kaas, working to ease the Dark Council's rage over the Imperium's numerous intrusions into Imperial territory during their war. He soon met with Praetor Si'alla Val'enn aboard the *Sovereign* to discuss the diplomatic tension. Shortly after, he assisted the Praetor, Dread Master Kataret, and several other heroes of the Imperium in a covert mission to scour the ruins of the Reborn Dread Masters' Palace in the jungles outside Kaas City. The ambassador was able to secure transport for the strike team without drawing unwanted attention and ventured into the jungles with them. After cutting through the wild beasts, the group eventually reached the ruined Dread Palace, finding Dread Master Erasis unconscious in a nearby river. Though he was revived by the combined powers of Si'alla and Kataret, it was clear he required medical attention. Colonel Ada Eliasara, the commanding officer of the special operations unit Skull Wing, called for one of her shuttles to extract them. Furious that they had stationed a military vessel near the capital and not informed him, Arctis expressed regret over agreeing to assist the Imperium in an off-the-books mission in Imperial territory and vowed he would never do such again. While the others departed, Praetor Val'enn assured Arctis she would speak with Darth Ravage to alleviate any consequences he might hold for Arctis. Although he was not held accountable for the Imperium's unauthorized passage to Dromund Kaas, Ravage berated Arctis before the Dark Council for his failure to stop the Imperium from violating protocol.

Arctis faced scrutiny a second time during the conflict between the Dread Masters and the High Council. Having witnessed Princess Kharia, the Voice of the Emperor, declaring the Masters were carrying out Salvatus' will, he pledged Imperial support to them. Unfortunately, the tensions would only escalate. During a session of the Council, the Dread Masters threatened the Empress. Darth Candicia called for their deaths, and a final confrontation on Oricon, seat of the original Dread Masters' power, saw the conflict end. Although the Imperium did not express ill will toward Arctis for his support of the Masters, his own superiors condemned his poor judgement.

#### Resignation

Having displeased the Dark Council twice, Arctis' reputation within the Empire had taken severe damage. He attended a session of the Imperium's own High Council in which Salvatus returned and reformed his government. He overheard the Emperor speaking of impending doom, referencing a threat lurking in the shadows which eclipsed all others the galaxy had faced. Assuming that the revelation had come from the Voss Mystics, Arctis immediately returned to Dromund Kaas and reported the details of the conversation to Darth Ravage.

> "Is it a cause for concern?"
> "Yes. I hold no respect for Salvatus or his people, but the visions these Voss experience have proven accurate on many occasions."
>
> —Darth Ravage and Darth Arctis
>

The Dark Council later deliberated on the accuracy of the Voss prophecy, and it was ultimately decided that the Empire was to prepare itself for the possibility of threats on multiple fronts, especially that of their own former emperor. Ravage informed Arctis that the Council was willing to absolve him of his latest errors, but also desired that he return his focus solely to the Empire itself. As such, he was commanded to resign the post of ambassador. Ravage later informed him that Darth Marr had requested Arctis be transferred to his service.

#### Rise of the Eternal Empire

By the time the Eternal Empire began its raids on various Imperial holdings, Arctis was still working under Darth Marr. After the attack on Korriban, he relocated to Dromund Kaas with the remaining Dark Councilors. When Marr departed to pursue Vitiate into Wild Space after the incident on Ziost, he instructed Arctis to remain behind in his stead.

Arctis somehow survived Zakuul's conquest and was one of the few influential Sith Lords left in the Empire. He was later among the first to endorse Darth Acina in her bid for power. After she ascended to become Empress of the Sith, Arctis expected he would be tapped for a major position in Acina's new power structure.

#### Reformations in the Empire

Arctis saw due reward for his support of Acina's rule. He was one of the first Sith Lords chosen by the Empress to serve in her new command circle, appointed to serve on her new Dark Council as head of the Sphere of Military Offense. Acina also reinstated the Special Projects Division, now solely under his command as opposed to previous joint control with the other Dark Lords. Collaborating with Darth Vowrawn, Arctis worked to see the Empire's strength returned. After the ascension of Vaylin to the Eternal Throne, her arrogance and fixation on personal interests allowed Arctis and the military leadership to not only rapidly rebuild their forces, but do so without notice from Zakuul.

Although he worked with Vowrawn most often, Arctis also cooperated with Admiral Myrene Varga on several occasions and the two eventually formed an alliance. He was also familiar with Darth Haar, though only by reputation.

#### Imperial-Midnight Order Clashes

Arctis learned of the existence of the Midnight Order after an attack on Dromund Kaas was traced back to them. He later discovered that his old associate, Si'alla Va'lenn, had risen to take command of the rump state that descended from the Sith Imperium. Regardless, he did not intend to allow their actions to go unpunished. At the request of Acina, he temporarily diverted his efforts from directing the conflict on the frontlines to personally oversee defenses on the Imperial capital.

> "You have my congratulations, Midnight Order. By luck and nothing more, you've managed to drive our forces from Kaeshun. But true victory has eluded you. Unsurprisingly, you're incapable of even protecting your own people."
>
> —Darth Arctis taunts the Midnight Order on his capture of Nezzor
>

Despite their operation on Dromund Kaas, the Midnight Order had not garnered any real attention from Arctis until the Imperial invasion of Kaeshun, a planet under the Order's control. He did not contribute to the operation, having dismissed it as pointless. He did not involve himself until it proved a costly defeat for the Empire.

Arctis intervened once the Imperial forces under the command of Haar began suffering heavy losses; he had remained in a nearby system aboard his flagship, the dreadnought *Regulator*, keeping to the agreements of his partnership with Admiral Varga, who was also invested in Kaeshun but was not directly present. Previously, an intruder was caught attempting to sabotage the *Regulator*'s central reactor core. Arctis was surprised, but nonetheless pleased, at the identity of the would-be saboteur ― Nezzor, a former captain of the Imperial Army who, years prior, had cost Arctis a research installation worth several billion credits on Taral V. He commended the deserter for having eluded the consequences of his blunder for so long, and was even further impressed to learn that Nezzor had become supreme commander of the Midnight Order's armed forces. While en-route to Kaeshun, Arctis left Nezzor in the company of his interrogators. Unfortunately, their continued attempts to extract any valuable intelligence from their "guest" had yielded little to no results by the time the *Regulator* arrived above Kaeshun.

The *Regulator* covered the escape of the last of the Imperial fleet, then moved to extract Haar himself from the planet's surface. Arctis was infuriated over the sheer number of Imperial assets that were lost, prompting him to make an example of Nezzor. With Haar at his side, they hailed the Order's own command ship, with Arctis offering up mock congratulations over their apparent success. Si'alla cursed Arctis for "betrayal" but he coldly dismissed her, and countered that allowing one of her subordinates to direct Nezzor in a mission against him made her claim hypocritical. He signaled to Haar, who brought a battered Nezzor onto the holo. He cruelly remarked that Si'alla was to be reminded of the cost of double crossing him. At that moment, Haar brutally murdered Nezzor before the eyes of his horrified compatriots. Arctis cut the transmission signal after promising the Order they would see him again soon.

#### Disaster on Iokath and Death of Acina

Weary of the Eternal Alliance's growing power, and the threat that power posed to the Empire, Arctis advised Acina to stray from personally directing Imperial activities on the resource world of Iokath. He warned her that another power vacuum could be the Empire's undoing, and that placing herself in such imminent danger was unwise. When his counsel fell on deaf ears and Acina departed Dromund Kaas, he confided in his colleague Darth Vowrawn that he had foresaw catastrophe on Iokath.

His instincts were proven correct when Acina failed to partner the Empire with the Alliance. She was ultimately slain while struggling against joint Alliance and Republic forces. Arctis condemned the fallen empress for her ignorance when he received the report of Acina's death.

#### Ascension of Vowrawn

Much of the Imperial public was surprised to learn that Arctis did not pursue a bid for the throne, but instead backed Vowrawn's claim to succeed Acina. He retained his control over the Imperial Military under the new emperor's reign; he supported Vowrawn's order to impede all operations on Iokath, viewing the planet as a lost cause that would only bring further turmoil to the Empire.

#### Disownment of Darth Nostrem

Arctis delivered an statement on the HoloNet condemning his former apprentice and his attacks on the Midnight Order's capital world of Acheron. He expressed contempt for Nostrem, and went even further in directly addressing the inhabitants of Acheron with a guarantee that Nostrem would be apprehended and executed. However, he nonetheless explained that the Empire cannot be held liable for the actions of rogue elements and asserted that Nostrem acted without sanction and was in no way supported by Imperial officials. The statement did not fully convince the Order, who began investigating the possibility of a prominent Imperial figure who had backed Nostrem and his campaign.

Arctis soon became the investigation's prime suspect, despite nothing to suggest he was linked to Nostrem. Director Akesi'va of the Order's state ministry eventually managed to arrange a meeting between the two parties on the planet Darvannis. Arctis shocked the Order when he appeared to meet with them personally, accompanied by Admiral Varga. Akesi'va was joined by state minister Misa'soma, his direct superior, and war minister Syrena Itera. He was quick to address their suspicions of his involvement with Nostrem, revealing that he and his former apprentice had not even conversed in over a decade. He ultimately dismissed the accusations as baseless, asserting that the Order had not presented any evidence to support their conclusion that he had aided Nostrem in his attack on Acheron. Despite that, he did oblige in answering their inquiries regarding Nostrem and his associations.

Empress Va'lenn soon arrived, unexpectedly, and asked as to whether Nostrem making a return was possible, citing Arctis' personal knowledge of his apprentice. When he replied in the negative, Si'alla suggested the formation of a joint task force with the goal of locating Nostrem. Arctis agreed after a brief moment of consideration, albeit with the stipulation that, if the task force was to succeed, Si'alla would execute Nostrem on Dromund Kaas and deliver his remains to him and the rest of the Dark Council.

After the meeting adjourned, Arctis and Si'alla briefly conversed regarding recent Imperial-Order activities before the Dark Lord rejoined Admiral Varga. The pair subsequently boarded a shuttle to return to their fleet of Harrowers, which promptly departed Darvannis to return to Dromund Kaas.

#### Show of Force

Arctis later made a visit to Admiral Varga's flagship, where she spoke with the Dark Lord regarding a rebellion on Thalassia, a planet in the Outer Rim with significant ties to the slave trade market. Imperial forces there had gone rogue in response to Vowrawn's ascension under the leadership of a Sith Lord, who hoped to inspire other disillusioned Imperials to do the same. The admiral announced her intent to quash the uprising herself, and Arctis informed her that he would be joining her mission.

Varga's fleet arrived above Thalassia, and the assault began immediately. She sent a transmission across Imperial channels decrying the traitors on Thalassia, and warning any others who hid treason in their hearts to observe the price of turning on the Empire. A scan conducted from orbit revealed that they would need to disable ray shields, which protected the traitorous Sith's base of operations from most attacks. Arctis and the admiral decided to contend with the ray shields personally, and shuttled down to the surface. While ground troops engaged the traitor's main force, they moved behind enemy lines and made way towards a cavern system that housed a mine from which Thalassia's slaves extracted energy crystals for the Imperial Military. Amidst the chaos, Varga expressed her enjoyment at taking to the frontlines, while Arctis vaguely referenced an initiative he was developing to replenish Imperial resources.

The pair emerged from the caverns directly behind the ray shield generators, and easily cut through the few treacherous military personnel who defended them. Once the shields had been disabled, Varga called for starfighters to begin bombing runs and troop transports begin landing. Arctis suggested they advance to the traitor's compound, and within they found the rogue Sith's accomplice: an Imperial colonel who had once served under Varga, but was reassigned to Thalassia as punishment for a failure. Despite his clear disadvantage, the colonel and his retinue stood defiant. Though they stood their ground, they were ultimately no match for Arctis and Varga, and were slain. Arctis then deactivated the compound's automated defenses, and, after sensing the presence of the rogue Sith, instructed Varga to secure the facility while he dealt with the traitor.

Arctis located the Sith Lord in a hangar bay on the opposite side of the compound. The traitor immediately engaged the Dark Lord; Arctis toyed with his opponent, initially keeping to a more defensive lightsaber form. The Sith Lord fought aggressively but Arctis saw through his facade, and he proceeded to taunt him for his inability to hide the fear in his heart. When the Dark Lord unleashed a devastating barrage of lightning, the traitor was forced back to evade it. His bodyguard, however, was not so wise: he foolishly stood his ground, only to be electrocuted to death by Arctis' attack. Before the Sith could regain his standing, he found himself lifted into the air. Arctis mocked him again for his failures before telekinetically snapping his neck.

> "Resistance, rebellion, defiance. If the Empire is to attain true strength, these very concepts must not be allowed to persist. This operation is one of many that will eradicate those ideals. Fear shall spread and the rank and file will remember who is in command."
>
> —Darth Arctis, regarding the Thalassia campaign
>

Varga arrived in the hangar bay moments after the traitor's death, and reported that the compound was theirs. This success, coupled with his approval for her decisive work alongside him in the field, prompted Arctis to promote Varga to the rank of Moff. He then commented on how their campaign on Thalassia would serve as a fine example before Varga described her plan to rebuild the Empire's naval strength. Arctis gave his approval, and told the Moff take time to begin her reconstruction efforts, then report to his offices in Kaas City.

## Personality

Cold and calculative, Darth Arctis is known for his total lack of empathy and cruel nature; even as a young adult he was notably uncaring for those around him. He rarely succumbs to rages of emotion and passion many Sith draw strength from, maintaining a chillingly calm demeanor in even the most heated of situations. He is a master of subterfuge and sees manipulation as one of the greatest weapons a Sith can wield.

In his eyes, the ends always justify the means, and thus there are very few, if any, lines he will not cross to see his goals accomplished.

Arctis prefers to command his operations from the shadows, directing affairs through his subordinates while he remains behind the scenes. He maintains residences in Kaas City as well as Dromund Fels, over which he holds dominion.

Having served the Empire for several decades, Arctis firmly believes in Sith ideals and is fiercely devoted to the Imperial cause.