Into the Mind of a Killer: The Asajj Ventress Thread - Current Topic/Challenge: Only Two There Are!

I'm not sure about my sources on this, but I was under the impression that the origin of Sith lore/philosophy was largely a group of Dark Jedi -- ones who schismed off from the Jedi Order and went (just to confuse matters) to a planet populated by a near-human species called the Sith. And I'm a little unclear on the details, but evidently they taught, intermarried, and generally proceeded to merge.

As the term no longer really seems to mean the species, however, I'd say that the definition is mostly a matter of whether you've been taught some of the... hmm... proprietary stuff? *grins* And of having been inducted somehow. Not necessarily a ceremony, but at least having it announced. To you, if nobody else. (I'd actually imagine the Jedi to have been run a bit more like that once; it seems that they are a great more formal/organized now than they used to be.)

So... basically, Asajj is a Dark Jedi because she was given Jedi teaching but fell to the dark side, and not a Sith because the existing Sith are both holding out on her. (I'm of the opinion that "Only two there are" is custom rather than some intrinsic feature.)

And... I've run out now, I guess, because I'm actually more interested in the idea of her redemption than of what she'd do if she were brought into the Sith, and I'm going to run away before I get any more demented plotbunnies. *hops off with challenge gnawing on her ankle*

 

Here's the way I see it.

Asajji is too independent to be a Sith. She would not be able to submit to Darth Sidious and his discipline. I think that Sidious/Palpatine wants to USE Asajji as an assassin, spy and Jedi-hunter. But she is too willful to be his apprentice, and that's why he never considered her for those purposes.

I also think that perhaps Darth Maul was not necessarily Sidious' apprentice. It was useful for Sidious to allow Maul to *think* he was his apprentice. The fact that he was basically a "redshirt" in Episode I makes me think that as far as the chain of master and apprentice goes, the true apprentice of Darth Sidious was Darth Tyrannus, Count Dooku. A Sith apprentice would be almost as formidable and powerful as a Sith Master. He would also be fully involved in whatever intrigues his Master is brewing. Maul was basically just a gifted fighter with limited Force skills and ninja-like stealth ability for spying. I think he was being used, and I think his purpose ended with the killing of Qui-Gon Jinn.

So the chain of Sith during the Saga would go this way:
Pre-Episode I: Master is Darth Plagueis, apprentice is Darth Sidious. After Darth Plagueis reveals the secret of force-manipulation of life to Darth Sidious, Sidious attacks Plagueis as he sleeps. A battle ensues as Plagueis wakes up and fights his treacherous apprentice. But the initiative Sidious seizes as Plagueis slept is too much to overcome, and Plagueis is slain. Sidious, who might have originally been the Jedi Sifo-Dyas, links up with another Jedi who has fallen to the Dark Side, Count Dooku, who has been calling himself Darth Tyrannus. Darth Tyrannus becomes Darth Sidious' first apprentice. One of Darth Sidious' first acts as a Sith Master is to cause the unnatural conception of the future Darth Vader, Anakin Skywalker. Sidious uses force-manipulation to make an ovum of the slave woman Shmi Skywalker quicken into conception. Since unmarried slave women bearing children by ravishment is not unusual on Tatooine, her pregnancy and the birth of Anakin is unremarkable.

Episode I: Master is Darth Sidious, the Phantom Menace. Apprentice is Darth Tyrannus. "Darth" Maul, a talented swordsman but not so talented a force user, is recruited by Darth Sidious to take out Qui-Gon Jinn. Maul is led to believe he is Darth Sidious' apprentice. He never knows about Darth Tyrannus, and neither does the audience...Tyrannus/Dooku is only introduced in Episode II. Maul succeeds in his mission to kill Qui-Gon Jinn, a mission supported by the tremendous powers of Sidious and Tyrannus. After Maul kills Qui-Gon Jinn, the protection of Sidious and Tyrannus is withdrawn from him, (See Battle Meditation) and Obi-Wan can easily kill Maul.

Episode II and the beginning of Episode III: Master is Darth Sidious, apprentice is Darth Tyrannus.

Beginning of Episode III: Darth Tyrannus is slain by the Jedi Anakin Skywalker. Darth Sidious has been cultivating Anakin as someone he can potentially turn. Anakin does not know he is the unnatural "son" of Sidious. He does not even know Sidious is the Sith Master. However, he will learn all in the course of Episode III and its aftermath.

The Dark Times and the Original Trilogy (IV, V, VI): Master is Darth Sidious, apprentice is Darth Vader. When Darth Vader learns that Padme bore twin children and they both survived his force-choking rage, he begins to consider the turning of either Luke Skywalker or Leia Organa, the elimination of Darth Sidious, and his ascent to the throne of the Empire and status as Sith Master, with one of his children as his apprentice. However, Luke Skywalker has other ambitions. He begins to believe that Darth Vader can be turned back from the Sith and be redeemed. Leia has a sense of all which is going on, but she is too involved with her place in the leadership council of the Rebellion to participate in these matters. At the climax of Episode VI, Darth Vader is indeed redeemed, and for a few momen

 

Those are very interesting theories, HardwareStoreJedi, and I must admit, probably the first time I've heard some of them. I have heard the theory on Sifo-Dyas, and although I would have to disagree (see my story "Death from Within" for my theory on that one), it does have a good deal of credibility with a lot of folks. The one I hadn't heard was about Maul. I have never heard of him being merely an assassin, not really an apprentice. I always thought he was a bit narrow minded to be a effective Sith lord, but I figured that was just because Sidious had taught him since early childhood. Either way, interesting perspective. Asajj may be that type of warrior, but I think her overall Force skills would make her more effective of a Sith than Maul.

 

I did make one mistake...I was unaware of the long history between Darth Sidious and Darth Maul, that he was an adopted "son" to Darth Sidious. A quick scan of both Wookieepedia and the official Star Wars databank let me know about that. However, that doesn't change my idea that he was being used, and that Dooku/Tyrannus was Sidious' first true apprentice.

And it doesn't change my view of where Asajji Ventress fits in. Once trained briefly as a Jedi, never trained seriously as a Sith, used by both sides, contemptuous of both. Biding her time, waiting for the end of the Bane line to establish her own. And occasionally creating chaos here and there.

It may take me a while to actually answer the challenge. I have college stuff to finish up. But that's where I'm at.

 

Spring Semester 2006 is almost done at Woodbury so I am giving this thread a bump so it can be seen.

I've been thinking about this a lot, though. I look forward to getting to this at last.

 

Wow been a while since I visited here! I'm still attempting to catch up on everything due to my internet probs (and still having them). Guess I have the worst luck with this

Hope things have been well with you all! Specially you JMT!! How ya been?

I've enjoyed the discussion here so far! Wow heavy stuff there HardwareStoreJedi! I agree about the theories being interesting