A History of Darkness PDF Print E-mail
Written by Darth Thantos   
Saturday, 09 August 2008 16:46

The Story behind the Hands


There are many rumours and myths around the secret order that is ‘The Hands of Darkness’. They are a secret cabal that exists with the dark corners of the galaxy. Officially in the Empire they do not exist.  Any mention of their name has been scrubbed from the records held on Dromund Kaas, even their leaders openly deny any involvement.

The exact time when the brotherhood was first created is shrouded in mystery however it’s speculated that this incarnation of the Hands came into being during the Great War. During that war the Hands of Darkness saw many Imperial leaders and members boost their ranks all from different corners of the mighty Sith Empire, but all united in one common goal; destruction of the light side of the Force and the total annihilation of the Jedi Order. Yet even though they serve the Empire Their true allegiance is not to the Emperor but to the Dark side of the Force, doing only it’s bidding…

During the height of the Great War the Hands of Darkness helped destroy many strategic targets, even aiding when it came to seize Coruscant in the final push.  But when the Emperor decided to halt the war and sign a treaty with Republic. an act that would leave the Imperials in the Hands of Darkness outraged. Now that the war was over the Hands of Darkness once again retreated back into the shadows plotting and preparing to finish that which should have been finished during the war. Their loyalty to the Emperor was even more tenuous than before but as long as they feel Emperor does the bidding of Dark side they shall support his rule, seeing him as a necessary figure head of the Dark Side.  

 
One of the leaders of the Hands of Darkness is a male Sith Lord called Darth Mynock.

Often Lord Mynock is simply referred to as the Lord of Power. He had earned his name from a constant lust and craving for more power, meditation and control were parts of the force he didn’t care to master. His master, Darth Neferius, often called his apprentice by his nickname; Mynock. As he too recognized the constant hunger for power in his student. Mynock learned much from his master but as with all Sith eventually Darth Neferius betrayed Mynock and nearly killed him. Why? Well thats a different story...

Mynock spent his time bettering himself in lightsaber skills as well as knowledge of the dark side in order to take revenge on his master. After he had slain his old master and taken the Darth title as his own he discovered Neferius’ Holocron. In it Darth Neferius mentioned the rumors around a powerful brotherhood which had knowledge and powers that were long thought lost. This so called brotherhood used them to destroy all those whom opposed them and enact the will of the Dark side. He called it ‘the Hands of Darkness’. It became clear to Darth Mynock that his master believed the secret order to be real and his holocron had records recording his spend time on finding them within the Sith Empire. Darth Mynock became obsessed with finding the secret knowledge they held and started his own quest to find ‘The Hands of Darkness’.

It took him several years but eventually he found what he was looking for….. he was taken into the brotherhood after slaying his own commander as a sign of loyalty. Over time he became one of the most powerful members of the Hands. Driven by his craving for power he challenged the leader of the ‘Hands’ and after a brutal duel he managed to slay him.

Darth Mynock didn’t care whom he had killed but it was clear that the Sith whom had ruled the Hands of Darkness was a powerful one and most likely held office in the court of the Emperor himself. Now under the guidance of Darth Mynock the Hands of Darkness have adopted a new more aggressive approach in starting a new war to finish the Jedi once and for all!

However Lord Mynock would soon find out that power attracts corruption….


The other leader is the shadow clad dark lady of the Sith known as Darth Derriphan.

Born to Nobles of the Mecetti House and members of the Sith cult the Mecrosa Order from an early age felt the corruption of the dark side touch her. Abandoned by her cultist parents to the harsh Anzati Sith lord Darth Terros who had been in hiding amongst the bamboo forests and ruins of Anzat, Terros offered them in exchange knowledge and secrets of the Sith that would help topple the rival noble house Pelagia, sadly her parents did not survive the encounter with the Dark lord.

Taken on as the apprentice of the cruel Sith Lord at a young age she learned much of the Dark side and how to drain the very force from those around her project it back out as pure dark side she soon took the title Darth Derriphan. It was when curiosity finally got the best of her she discovered her Masters Secret and the reason he had been in hiding. On searching his belongings she had found a data pad filled with records of his time amongst the galaxy, reading further she discovered he had once been a member of a brotherhood of Sith known as the Hands of Darkness remnants of Sith Lords from The last Great Sith War. In his own bid for power he had faced the head of the order but was defeated and cast out into exile, it was Anzat he fled to awaiting the time he could train an Apprentice and strike back at the Hands that had tossed him aside.

She knew his secret now she had the upper hand over her master. Finally the day had come she had learnt all she could from her lord and as all Sith do she betrayed her master murdering him. Abandoning her master’s lifeless body she returned to the Tapani Regions re-establishing her Noble heritage and her place within the Mecrosa order, now with their spy net under her command she would seek out the Hands of Darkness that pursued her Master.

Using her Assassins, Derriphan scoured the galaxy infiltrating the Sith Empire constantly searching for any clue that could lead her to the Hands of Darkness. It was during the Sacking of Coruscant she found the answer, in the bowls of the Jedi temple she found information gathered by Jedi Shadows, an order of Jedi whose task it was to eradicate all manifestations of the dark side, that named the head of the Hands as the enigmatic and power crazed Darth Mynock. Knowing what she now knew she would seek him out with a simple offer in exchange for her resources he would give her the place her master had once desired as joint head of the Order…


A few days after the order had been giving to retreat from Republic Space and leave Coruscant the ‘Blackhole’ was traveling through hyperspace on a rather important mission. It was to intercept another Sith battleship called… ‘Vengeance’. Lady Derriphan was sure this time she would find the Sith Lord she had been searching for, The one called Darth Mynock. Their paths had crossed before on a few occasions but then she saw him as nothing more but another nuisance in the Sith Empire, just another Sith Lord. Now she knew the secrets her master had kept from her this Sith Lord would proof to be vital in her plans to bring death and destruction to the Jedi.

Official reports from the siege of Coruscant had mentioned how Darth Mynock’s forces were ‘reluctant’ to obey the order to retreat and from the unofficial sources she had found out that Lord Mynock had been enraged with the decision to withdrawl from republican space. Her spynet had only taken a few days in locating the ‘Vengeance’ after it withdrew. Darth Derriphan was sure that meeting Mynock so fast after this recent ‘defeat’ it would be easier to deal with the power crazed Sith Lord. As the 'Blackhole' dropped out of Hyperspace it saw the battle damaged ‘Vengeance’ stationary near a small asteroid which appeared to have a small outpost on it. Derriphan grinned, she had found her secret brotherhood, and without a second thought she hailed the ‘Vengeance’.



A dark cloaked figure walked into a brightly illuminated room. In it there were 6 droids that appeared to be browsing in archives, perhaps even researching items. The figure walked up to one of them and waved his hand using the Force to attract the attention of the droid.

Greetings master, Archival Droid TeeVee-Six (TV-6) at your service. What would you like to research?

The figure uttered a short phrase; ‘give me the history of the Hands of Darkness.’

Searching…… file found…… Accessing Darth Derriphan’s archival records….

The Hands of Darkness is a secret brotherhood on which many stories exist. Most of them are myth and legend however at the request of Lady Derriphan they are archived. Would you like to access them?

The figure appeared to think for a moment before he spoke again.

‘No….give me the real story of the origin of the brotherhood….’

Of course master.

It is unclear when the Hands of Darkness was exactly created but it’s believed to have been around for far longer than most of it’s members realize. The brotherhood was instrumental during the great war. It destroyed many Republic and Jedi targets, it used shadowy tactics and never really openly attacked in the name of the Hands of Darkness but rather used the banners of Pirates or Renegade Jedi. Their methods were designed to sow doubt within the Republic but the Jedi soon discovered the real source behind the vicious attacks was in fact the Hands of Darkness. The rumors of this secret order reached the Sith Empire which in turn believed them to be nothing but lies created to make the Sith turn on themselves rather than on the Republic.

So the Jedi know of the Hands of Darkness?

Affirmative. It was this Jedi knowledge that led the Lady of Corruption to ‘the Hands of Darkness’. Lady Derriphan found information on the brotherhood in the Jedi Temple during the siege of Coruscant. She took action and sought out the recently appointed leader of the brotherhood, Darth Mynock.

The retreat from Coruscant had left Darth Mynock enraged but he knew that openly defying the Emperor would not only destroy himself but the entire Hands. Mynock retreated to a secret asteroid outpost where he planned further steps against the Republic and the Jedi. It was here that the two Dark Lords met. Darth Derriphan had used her extensive spynet to locate the Lord of Power and made him a proposition. Retrieving records from the exchange between the Dark Lords….accessing….

Voice of Derriphan: Greetings, Lord Mynock. I have came here with a proposition that would benefit us both. I know you are leading a powerful brotherhood called ‘the Hands of Darkness’. I know that’s out to destroy the Jedi and their allies even if it means defying the Emperor.

Voice of Mynock: Lady Derriphan, you are quite bold to came here. Consider yourself lucky that I have not yet destroyed your ship. As for your proposition I have no idea what you are talking about. But know this I will not let you spread lies about me or my men being disloyal to our great Emperor. This is my last warning, leave now before I order the destruction of your vessel.

Voice of Derriphan: Lord Mynock, let’s not play games. I know you are the current head of a ‘the Hands of Darkness’. Rest assured that I am not here to threaten your position I am here merely to discuss joining your organization. You would find that I have many things to offer you and there is only one thing I want in return…

Voice of Mynock: Join me on my asteroid outpost Lady Derriphan, we shall discuss your….proposition in person.

Lady Derriphan would soon after be tested by the Hands of Darkness. It was clear that Mynock had no intention of letting Derriphan live with the secret she had discovered after she and her aides arrived on the outpost they walked into a trap. Her aides were brutally slain within seconds of arrival yet Darth Derriphan proved not as easy to kill. Many adepts of the Hands were send to destroy her but again and again she either defeated or evaded them. It took her some time but in the end she reached Lord Mynock’s personal chamber. When she entered the chamber Darth Mynock smiled. He felt her power and instantly knew she was worthy of being part of the Hands. Mynock was greatly impressed by her skill and determination. He allowed her to explain her presence and her proposition. Derriphan’s offer of using her assassins and spynet would greatly increase the power of the Hands, though the price she asked was high. Darth Derriphan demanded nothing less than joint leadership of the Hands. Lord Mynock knew he would be a fool to pass up this offer and for the time being he decided to accept her proposition. Their alliance has had far reaching consequences, as the alliance between the Lord of Power and the Lady of Corruption touched many.

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Last Updated on Tuesday, 03 August 2010 21:31