Join The Infernal Brotherhood of the Scruffy Looking, Nerf Herders as they explore Star Wars lore via their own personal Holocron. In this episode we look at the events leading up to the Great Hyperspace War with the discovery of the Sith Empire.
Transcript
Cold Open
The Jedi thought the Sith were a memory. For nearly two thousand years, the descendants of the Exiles were a ghost story whispered in the dark. Hidden behind the impenetrable dust clouds of the Stygian Caldera, the Sith Empire grew in total isolation, building an empire of blood, sorcery, and dark-side-fueled technology. But in 5000 BBY, two desperate siblings looking for a payday accidentally stumbled through the front door. They didn’t find riches—they found a sleeping giant, and they were about to wake it up.
Intro
Greetings, my fellow Scruffy-Looking Nerf Herders, and welcome back to The Infernal Brotherhood! Today, we go back to the height of the Golden Age of the Sith. While the Galactic Republic was thriving in the Core, the heirs of Ajunta Pall were busy creating a dark mirror of civilization on the world of Korriban. This is the story of Gav and Jori Daragon, the hyperspace explorers who accidentally ignited the Great Hyperspace War. We’re looking at the death of Marka Ragnos, the brutal rivalry of Naga Sadow and Ludo Kressh, and how a single blind jump into the unknown changed the galaxy forever.
Discussion
The Empire at its Zenith
By 5000 BBY, the “Sith” had evolved. They were no longer just the primitive red-skinned natives, nor were they just the Human Dark Jedi who conquered them. Through centuries of Sith Alchemy, the two races had interbred into a single, Force-sensitive aristocracy. Under the 100-year reign of Marka Ragnos, the Empire reached a state of “Golden” stagnation. It was a time of immense wealth and ritual, but the Sith had forgotten there was a galaxy left to conquer.
When Ragnos finally died, the funeral on Korriban wasn’t just a mourning ceremony—it was a powder keg. Two titans of the Sith Council stood over his tomb: Ludo Kressh, the traditionalist who believed the Empire should remain hidden to survive, and Naga Sadow, an expansionist who believed the Sith were destined to rule the stars. They were literally crossing swords when the sky opened up.
The Daragon Gamble
Enter Gav and Jori Daragon. These weren’t grand heroes; they were broke orphans from the Koros System. After their parents were killed in a botched supply run, the siblings inherited a mountain of debt and a beat-up freighter called the Starbreaker 12.
Hunted by a merchant lord named Ssk Kahorr and facing life in a debtor’s prison, they decided on one final, desperate gamble. Using their untrained Force potential—which they just called “luck”—they punched random coordinates into their navicomputer and jumped. They emerged over Korriban, landing right in the middle of the Valley of the Dark Lords. To the Sith, this wasn’t just a first contact; it was a religious omen.
The Ziost Interrogation & Sadow’s Gambit
The Daragons were immediately seized and taken to the icy capital world of Ziost. While they languished in a dungeon, the Sith Lords debated their fate. Kressh argued they were spies for a Republic invasion and must be executed immediately. Sadow, however, saw the maps in their navicomputer as a roadmap to a new Empire.
To win over the Council, Sadow orchestrated a brilliant, bloody deception. He used his alchemically-enhanced Massassi Warriors to “rescue” the Daragons, deliberately leaving behind a Republic-issue blaster to frame the Senate. He even murdered his own mentor, Lord Simus, just to fuel the flames of war. By making the Sith believe they were already under attack, Sadow forced the Council to crown him the new Dark Lord of the Sith.
The Seduction of Gav Daragon
While Jori was kept isolated, Naga Sadow took a personal interest in Gav. Recognizing the young man’s raw Force talent, Sadow began teaching him Sith Sorcery. He played on Gav’s resentment of his life as a “lowly explorer” in the Republic, showing him the opulence of the Sith and promising him power.
Gav was mesmerized. He watched from Sadow’s Meditation Sphere as the Sith built war beasts and mobilized fleets. He truly believed Sadow was his benefactor, not realizing he was being groomed to be the primary weapon against his own people. Sadow even gave Gav command over his flagship, effectively forcing the young man to choose between his old life and his new dark destiny.
The Trap is Sprung
The final move in Sadow’s plan was allowing Jori to “escape.” He made sure the Starbreaker 12 was fueled and ready, then staged a battle that forced her to flee back to Republic space. He knew exactly where she would go: Empress Teta.
Jori returned home screaming warnings of a Sith invasion, but the Republic was too comfortable. They saw her as a criminal and a madwoman. While she was being arrested and ignored, Sadow was following the homing beacon he’d hidden on her ship. The “Golden Age” was over. The Great Hyperspace War was about to begin, and the Republic was walking right into a slaughter.
Outro
The discovery of the Sith wasn’t a grand diplomatic meeting—it was a series of lies, betrayals, and one very unlucky hyperspace jump. Next time, we go to the front lines as the Sith fleet emerges from hyperspace to bring the Republic to its knees.
If you enjoyed this deep dive into the Daragons and the Golden Age, hit that like button and subscribe! Tell me in the comments—was Gav Daragon a traitor, or was he just a pawn in a game played by masters of the Dark Side?
Thank you to my Creator Patrons Aaron Hardy & D. Robert Handy, Developer Patrons Chris Androu and Sam Ruiz, and all our YouTube Members.
Until we convene again, my fellow Scruffy-Looking Nerf Herders… May the Force be with you.