Steward of Ziost

The Steward of Ziost was a governmental official in the ancient Sith Empire. He (no female on record ever held the position) was the primary aide to the Dark Lord of the Sith and his primary confidante.

Powers and Duties
During the reign of a Dark Lord, he would appoint a fellow Sith Lord, usually a less powerful one (to avoid a power struggle) who was already a close friend, to the position of Steward. The Steward was responsible for overseeing the Royal Treasury and controlling access to the Dark Lord by other officials; as such, the position was a mix of Chief of Staff and Treasurer, though without the policy-setting authority of the latter.

During the interregnum between the death of the Dark Lord and the election of his successor, the Steward became a much more powerful official. In order to stave off one faction or another trying to immediately wrest control of the Empire, the Steward assumed the ruling authority over the Sith as a people. He had the power to make expenditures from the Treasury, continue and command an already established war, and direct the government bureaucracy. Additionally, he had the duty to oversee the funeral arrangements for his deceased on Korriban, and preside over the election of the new Dark Lord.

The Steward, however, was not the Dark Lord, and did not have the power to declare (or end) war, appoint government officials, enact laws, or exercise the Dark Lord's judicial authority. Additionally, his office ceased immediately upon the coronation of the new Dark Lord.

Historical Usage
Dark Lords would often select lifelong friends, and sometimes family members (though almost never siblings), to serve as their Stewards. The most important criterion for most Dark Lords was that the Steward was of lesser ability in both battle and the Force, so that his loyalty might never be questionable. As weaker Dark Lords sometimes had to contend with rebellion or plotting, the Steward often served as his master's only trusted confidante, and often had a hand in rooting out conspirators. It was often said that the Steward knew the workings of the Royal Palace better than his master.

As part of the coronation of a new Dark Lord, the Steward would surrender the keys to the Royal Treasury; the presentation of these keys was part of the installation of the next Steward. It was instinctive to dismiss the previous Steward, as one Sith Lord rarely had so close a relationship with two consecutive Dark Lords. Occasionally former Stewards were quietly assassinated, but by and large they retired in peace.

The Dark Lord almost always had a Steward, but it was not actually required. Naga Sadow, who was a notorious micromanager, elected not to have a Steward. However, his rival Ludo Kressh appointed a man to this position after declaring war on Sadow.

Later Use
Like most elements of Sith culture, the position of Steward fell into disuse and faded from memory after the Republic conquered Sadow's Sith forces, and the Empire with it. Millennia later, the Dark Lord Khrado Ragnos gave the title to his apprentice Tak Sakaros. As they were the only Sith (they knew of) at the time, this was essentially a symbolic gesture. However, decades later after Ragnos had died, Sakaros would still use the title to establish himself with other descendants of his race.

Behind-the-Scenes
The title Steward of Ziost is based on the concept of the Steward of Gondor in the Lord of the Rings series. Both positions wield many of the powers of a monarch in his absence, but must surrender them immediately upon the return of a legitimate successor.