He is human – they are a lesser species. Over the decades, the dark side has exacted too great a toll on his body. He is a hollow shell of what he once was.

By its very nature, the dark side invites rivalry and strife. This is the greatest strength of the Sith: it culls the weak from our order.

The vile beverage packed plenty of kick; he hadn’t had a hangover this bad since his wedding night. His head was spinning, his eyes were blurred, and his mouth tasted like he’d been chewing on bantha fur.

Set wasn’t interested in ruling the galaxy. Or destroying the Jedi. It sounded like a lot of work.

He walked slowly up and down the rows, glancing at titles and authors, hoping to find something useful. He was so intent in his search that he failed to notice the dark, hooded figure that entered the archives and stood silently in the doorway, watching him.

One Master and one apprentice; one to embody the power, the other to crave it.

The best cure for one’s own grief and pain was worrying about the well-being of someone else.

If they managed to kill you, then you weren’t worthy of serving me,” Nyriss explained. “If you killed them, then you proved that they were a waste of resources. Either way, I would be left with the most suitable candidate for the job.

Destroying your enemies – even destroying a planet – was understandable. But this wasn’t simple destruction. It was annihilation; obliteration. The very fabric of the Force had been shredded. Anyone capable of turning an entire planet into a nihilistic abomination had to be completely mad.

What happened to the others?” she wanted to know. “I killed them,” he replied. Zannah seemed to think about this for a moment before shrugging indifferently. “Then they were weak,” she said with simple conviction. “And they deserved to die.