Carden Mannux

"Your words frighten me not, you insipid fool. Only a foul waste of flesh such as yourself would underestimate the power I posses."

- Carden Mannux

Carden Mannux, also known as Darth Lettow, was a Dark Lord of the Sith during The Great Sovereign Crusades and a fierce rival of Ussej Padric Bac III. During the later years of his life, he created The Dark Guardians of Lettow, a fierce group of warriors that would later go on to serve Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader. His missions and the creation of the Dark Guardians of Lettow are touched upon in Shadows of the Jedi: The Legend of Ussej Padric Bac III and documented in Lettow: The Curse of Carden Mannux, both by Brandon Rhea.

Early Years
The story of Carden Izar Mannux was a delicate one, his mind being one that would require much thought just to begin to understand. Thirty-three years before the re-emergence of the Sith Order under the Dark Lord Viscerus, a young unmarried Chiss teenager gave birth to a bastard son within the refugee sector of Nar Shadda whom she named Carden Izar Mannux. When Carden was three, his mother formed a relationship with a fellow refugee that quickly turned violent. When Carden was five years old, he witnessed his mother’s violent lover brutally behead her in front of him. Fearing for his own life, he ran throughout the complex and stowed away on a ship that eventually found its way to Thule. In the ancient Thulian city of Kessia lived the Dark Jedi Master Conrath. Sensing his strong Force Signature, Conrath took him in as an apprentice. He also found another homeless child, a girl named Rajani Zahara, and took them in. Conrath built a Dark Jedi sanctum in Kessia, but when Carden was thirteen they abandoned it.

In their new temple on Ruusan, Carden and Rajani trained for years in an attempt to become Conrath’s one, true apprentice. A love was eventually sparked between the two young disciples. At first, it was more of a physical relationship but it soon became a true, genuine love. But, that love eventually ended in betrayal.

After years of rigorous training, their final task was upon them. The victor would become Conrath’s apprentice and the loser would be outcast, sentenced to face the outside world alone. Rajani was much more powerful than Carden. She managed to infiltrate the Republic Embassy on Mon Calamari and assassinate all of the senators and ambassadors in attendance. Carden, luckily, was much better with technology than Rajani was. During her mission, he followed her and forged a new security video with him as the assassin, wiping Rajani out of the picture. He returned it to Conrath with Rajani as a witness and he, not her, became the apprentice. Rajani left that day, the anger of the betrayal still seething in her heart.

Powers of the Sith
Seven years later, Carden killed Conrath and proclaimed himself to be a Dark Jedi Master. He traveled through the galaxy before being captured by Darth Zios, the last living Sith Lord. Zios, and his minions, took Carden to Ruusan. They sedated him, weakening his powers in the Force so that he could not escape. One night, the sedation wore off and Carden broke free of his chains. With just a knife, he killed every single one of his captors. He took the Dark Lord’s crimson blade and placed it on his belt. Though, something was not right. If this Sith truly was the last Dark Lord as he had proclaimed himself to be there should have been a tremor in the Force. Furthermore, Carden should have been the Chosen One spoken in a Jedi Prophecy and the Sith’ari spoken of in a Sith Prophecy, told to Revan by Yuthura Ban on Korriban. There was obviously a greater power at play and he was determined to find out. The anger and hatred for what the Sith did to him swelled throughout his body and he was determined to kill any Sith that was still alive. He later found out that he was exposed to immense powers of the Sith, making him stronger than any Dark Jedi in existence. This would later help him, though he did not know it yet.

He wandered the galaxy for three years, fine-tuning his skills. One day, there was a large attack on the Galactic Senate. Witnesses saw a female force user assassinate many Senators along with the Senate Vice-Chair, as well as attempt to assassinate Supreme Chancellor Eric Dukat. The attack on the Supreme Chancellor himself failed but there were still numerous casualties. Carden flew to Coruscant and witnessed the destruction himself, knowing damn well that only one “female Force user” would have the courage to mount such an attack: Rajani Zahara. He rescued her from a Jedi Master and his Padawan, but she still claimed that she rescued him.

As anyone could imagine, Rajani was not happy to see Carden. She assumed that he was there to take credit. Though the thought had crossed his mind, he was not about to lower himself to that level again. They argued, of course, but eventually went back to a Dark Jedi sanctuary Rajani built on Ruusan. She attempted to poison him, but he outsmarted her. She left the planet and, somehow, disappeared on Thule, where Carden followed her.

The Obsidian Guard
It was on Thule that Carden found the new Dark Lord of the Sith: Darth Dire. He wanted to kill the Dark Lord out of anger because of what Darth Zios had done to him, but Dire made him an offer he could not refuse. Carden was dubbed Lord Lettow, Dark Commander of the Obsidian Guards, a new faction that was allied with the Sith Order. The Obsidian Guard contained soldier that were considered the best of the best, and it was an honor to the newly crowned Lord Lettow to lead them. It was there that he first came up with the idea of a new faction dedicated to serving only the Dark Lord of the Sith and his apprentice, though he knew that even if he was able to create them it would be years before it happened.

After overseeing countless Trials of Fear and training sessions, the Sith Temple on Yavin IV was invaded by the Forces of the Orders of the Jedi, Bendu and Shadourians. Lord Lettow stayed in his throne room, awaiting one with enough courage to face him. That person came. It was Bendu High Priest Ussej Padric Bac III, grandson of the legendary Jedi Master Ussej Padric Bac who turned to the Dark Side and became the ever-more legendary Sith Lord Darth Mantus. Not knowing who the Obsidian Guard were or what they were capable of, High Priest Bac knew he would have to be cautious. The throne doors slammed shut and locked and the fight between Ussej Padric Bac III and Lord Lettow had officially begun.

The duel was not the fiercest to be put in the history books, nor was it the longest. A burst of lightning shot at Ussej III but was deflected back into the hands of the Dark Commander. Lightsabers ignited, the two crowning forces of good and evil clashed in a spectacle of talent that would amaze even the strongest of Jedi, Bendu or Shadourian. Lord Lettow was quickly thrown into a wall, knocked unconscious. A Bendu trick was used on him to weaken him.

By the time he awakened, everyone was gone. Lord Lettow vowed to have his revenge on the Bendu High Priest and went to Thule to ask for forgiveness. The Dark Lord of the Sith would grant it at the completion of a new mission. The Dark Lord was interested in the Mustafarian technology and wanted Lord Lettow to retrieve it for him.

Lord Lettow traveled to Coruscant and posed as a Senator from Alderaan, breaking into the senator’s office. He sent a message to newly-elected Supreme Chancellor Cos Dashin and, as the senator, requested that the Senate Defense Committee be moved to Mustafar to discuss possible plans of actions to be used against the threat of the Mandalorians.

Upon arrival at Mustafar, he killed two of the Senators and held the rest for ransom. His ransom was given: one hundred million credits and one Republic Capitol Ship. Upon receiving the ransom, and downloading the Mustafar technology, he killed the Senators anyway and escaped. A very large bounty was placed on his head and he soon made the top of the Galactic Republic’s Most Wanted List. He returned the ransom to Lord Dire and made his way to Tatooine for an arsenal of weapons.

On Tatooine, he met a woman named Milla Bloodhuv, aka. Bloody Mary. She was an arms dealer, or if you ask her an arms hijacker. He felt that she would later become a very valuable contact in the fight against the Republic, as she was completely neutral to any conflict as long as you pay her enough money. However, Milla was later killed before the Dark Commander could give her a job.

Lord of the Sith
Lord Lettow was summoned back to Thule. It was there that he found Darth Dire, Darth Ruinus and Darth Mortis waiting for him. He kneeled before him and was dubbed Arch Duke Lettow, Chosen of the Sith. His first task as third in line for the throne was given to him. He would travel to the Outer Rim world of Barab I and dominate the primitive culture. While primitive, they were dangerous and ferocious warriors. They also happened to have immense armor factories for personnel which the Sith Lords desperately wanted.

A plan was agreed upon between now Arch Duke Lettow and the three Sith Lords as to how Barab I would be taken over. Lettow was chosen to lead the mission and soon arrived at the primitive world, ready to carry out the plans he designed and presented to the Dark Lord and his apprentices. The Barabels were impressed with him, but did not yet gain his trust. Luckily, he had backup. He signaled an attack on the planet and then had his fleet destroy the fake fleet bombarding the surface. Unfortunately, Jedi Master Tsar, friend of High Priest Bac III, was there and was able to see through his guise. Luckily, it was only this Barabel Jedi Master that could do so. The Barabels were ready to sign the treaty, though Tsar was ready to prevent it. The Arch Duke would do whatever it took to make sure this treaty passed. They soon were engaged in combat, but Tsar barely escaped with his life. The treaty was then signed.

During his mission to Barab I, the combined forces of the Sith Order and their Kaleesh Warriors invaded the Jedi Temple, killing most resistance in sight. It was later blamed on the Jedi's unwillingness to act. More disturbingly, he was informed that his most hated foe, High Priest Bac III, escaped with his life. Though, it was no matter to Arch Duke Lettow. He still vowed to that day to destroy him. During the battle, a betrayal occurred. Darth Ruinus killed Darth Dire during a moment of confusion, usurping the mantle of Dark Lord of the Sith for himself.

After the Sith returned to Thule, Arch Duke Lettow was summoned. It was there that he was knighted Darth Lettow, Apprentice to the Dark Lord of the Sith. Because of his clever and deceptive actions on Barab I, Lord Ruinus tasked Lettow to travel with Mandalore and take over the planet Duro, using the combined forces of the Sith Order and the Mandalorians. Soon, Duro would be theirs.

After the invasion of Duros, a shift in the Dark Side could be felt yet again. He could feel Lord Mortis summoning him and he made his way back to the Throne Room. Upon entering, numerous Sith disciples were standing in awe as Darth Ruinus lied dead on the floor and Darth Mortis sat upon the throne. He moved past the disciples and took his place at the side of the new Dark Lord of the Sith.

The Dark Lord Mortis soon sent him to the icy world of Khar Delba to capture War Behemoths, a gargantuan race of quadrupeds that stand twelve to fifteen meters tall and weigh, at average, ten thousand pounds. Upon the successful completion of the mission, the two Sith Lords used the ancient powers of Sith Alchemy on them, twisting them at their will.

Soon, he called his three most trusted minions, one of whom was Darth Lettow, to the Obsidian Throne. It was here that the Dark Lord decreed that but a few of his minions would become part of an organization known as the Black Hand. Darth Lettow was made the leader of this cult, acting as the Voice of the Dark Lord. He was beginning to become more and more powerful. This was something that he enjoyed immensely.

Dark Lord of the Sith
Soon, the Dark Lord Mortis began acting in erratic behavioral patterns. He would lock himself in his chambers for days without a word of why and when he finally did surface he would speak of visions and "power beyond all imagination". Darth Lettow knew that the Dark Lord was growing senile, so he took it upon himself to rid the Sith Order of this liability. When he was summoned to the Dark Lord's Chambers, he engaged the Lord Mortis and bested him. He pulled a sword from his sheath, swinging it through the neck of Darth Mortis. Finally, all of his hard work had paid off....Darth Lettow was now the Dark Lord of the Sith. He howled to the Dark Side in his newfound powers, but a vision struck him that disturbed him immensely. In this vision, the Blood God told him to seek out the Blood Armor, the Mark of Blood, the Blood Steed and the Crown of Yore. What this meant was still a mystery....

After dubbing Arch Duke Thorodon as Darth Artyr, Apprentice to the Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Lettow had another vision. It was nearly identical to the first, though this time he was told to have a shrine built in honor of the Blood God. Now holding a greater understanding of these tasks, the Dark Lord prepared two of his minions to head out and find two of the artifacts. Scurge, a Dark Side Devotee, would be responsible for locating the Blood Armor within the Valley of the Dark Lords. Volpe, a newly recruited Dark Side Devotee, would be responsible for seeking out the Mark of Blood in an unknown location. Darth Artyr would be responsible for overseeing the construction of the Shrine of Blood, and Darth Lettow would locate the Crown of Yore and the Blood Steed. Only when these artifacts were recovered would the Dark Lord of the Sith be able to summon the Blood God, thus bringing about the Era of Blood and the impending Storm of Chaos.

Months past as the Dark Lord of the Sith continued his research into the summoning of the Blood God, all while using the writings of his former master Darth Mortis to do so. Though, the research of his predecessor was found to be somewhat incomplete. After rigorous study and meditation, the Dark Lord Lettow believed he found the key to the summoning. After the pieces of the puzzle were collected, the Dark Lord called Lord Artyr and young Volpe to the Shrine of Blood and opened a portal, one that led to the hell he had first seen in his vision. It was there that his vision played out, and the Blood God first appeared before them.

It was soon revealed that the figure he saw was not in fact the Blood God, nor was he a God. He was an undead creature named Netharion, a former disciple of the Dark Lord Invidius who had been trapped in the Netherworld of the Force for almost eighty years. Once Netharion realized that he had been found out, he disappeared. Unbeknownst to Darth Lettow, Netharion traveled to Ziost and began setting up an off-shoot Sith Order in which to launch a campaign to claim the throne, which he believes is rightfully his. But, before he left, he attempted to kill Darth Lettow. In an effort to save his master, Darth Artyr died true to his name, becoming a martyr for the good of the Sith Order.

Dark Guardians of Lettow
Months went by before Darth Lettow was able to find a new Heir. But, he soon found one and dubbed him Darth Calamity, Heir to the Dark Lord. With Darth Lettow's blessing, Calamity began a plan to capture the Cloud City on Bespin in order to gain fuel for the Sith Fleet. Once the first phase of the plan was complete, the Dark Lord sent his Heir to Corellia to steal cloning material for yet another plan Darth Lettow had set in motion. It was time to do what he had set out to do from the start: create an order dedicated to the protection of the Dark Lord of the Sith. This order would be called the Dark Guardians of Lettow, named after their first true master. He sent Darth Calamity to Corellia to steal the equipment necessary to fulfill this task, and when he returned he managed to place the equipment aboard his ship without his Heir noticing.

The next morning, he summoned both Netharion and Darth Calamity to the Obsidian Throne. It was time for Darth Lettow to give up the Obsidian Throne, as he knew that he no longer needed the Sith and the Sith no longer needed him. The one reason he had pressed to become the Dark Lord of the Sith was to gain the resources necessary to create his new order, and now that he had them he no longer had any use for the Sith Order. He left Netharion and Calamity to fight for the throne as he teleported to his starship, once again taking on the name of Carden Izar Mannux. Leaving Korriban, he set his sights on Coruscant where he intended to kidnap the daughter of the Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic.

He arrived on Coruscant and was easily able to take the First Daughter hostage. In the Supreme Chancellor's Office, he met up with his arch enemy Ussej Padric Bac III once again. After the former Dark Lord fled to his ship, the two engaged in a small battle amongst the stars. Using a maneuver he had learned over two decades ago, he made it appear as if his vessel had been destroyed when, in reality, it shot into hyperspace. While the High Priest mourned the "death" of the woman he loved, she was really being transported back to former Dark Lord's hidden stronghold on Mustafar where he would unleash the next phase of his plan.

Weeks passed by as Carden worked feverishly on his experiments and manipulations of the Force, preparing Isabella Dashin for his next phase. However, many of his experiments were postponed by the arrival of Netharion, now Dark Apprentice Darth Nefarius, who offered the former Dark Lord the chance to rejoin the mighty Empire of the Sith as one who would train Sith Acolytes as well as one who would perform experiments and manipulations on behalf of the new Dark Lord Udun, the one who had usurped the mantle from Carden’s former Dark Apprentice. After finally accepting the offer, he traveled to Korriban where the pact was sealed with Lord Udun. Now that he was part of the Sith Empire once more, he helped oversee the sealing of the pact with Matron Tiera Qel of the House of EbonClaw and General Fey of the Mandalorian Clans, thus giving birth to the Triple Galactic Alliance.

After making his way back to Mustafar, he found that his experiments were ready. He placed a fetus with the DNA of Isabella Dashin and Ussej Padric Bac III, along with material to speed up the pregnancy, into the womb of the First Daughter of the Republic. For weeks he watched as she grew larger and larger until finally the day had come. When Isabella went into labor, he placed her atop an alter ignoring her pleas for mercy from the extreme pain. He then performed a ritual to commence the birth and when the child was born, so was the future of the Dark Guardians of Lettow. He wiped the memory of the First Daughter when the rituals were completed and placed her into a shuttlecraft, hoping that she would be picked up by the Bendu High Priest as bait.

Downfall
'''This section is still being RPd. It will be updated upon completion of the RP.'''