For it was in those days that from among the oppressed sons and daughters of Korriban there arose one named Asmenys, he at whose name the Builders gnashed their teeth; yea, he at whose approach they who had lashed the stars to millstones rent their garments...
—Excerpt from the Galactic Basic translation of the Karzanuowonosa, a Tsis epic poem
Asmenys /æz'mɛn.eɪs/ (Old Sith name meaning "edge of a blade/knife"[1]) was a Red Sith slave of the Infinite Empire born on the planet Azarac. As the primary figure responsible for the Red Sith's uprising and expulsion of the Rakata from Azarac in 25,500 BBY, he was lauded as a hero by his descendants, the Tsis of Azarac, for millennia after his death.
History[]
Little was known of Asmenys' early life, as recovered Rakata records from the late Imperial period simply listed Azarac Red Sith slaves by alphabetical/numerical designation.[2] Like many of his species, Asmenys was likely employed in the construction of Rakata temples and monuments commissioned by Predor Bala'zar during his tenure as Azarac's governor.
The Force-based Rakata-targeting plague that swept across the Infinite Empire during its last days eventually arrived on Azarac in early 25,200 BBY.[3] Bereft of their Force-sensitivity, the Rakata were unable to maintain control over their Red Sith slaves, many of whom rose up against their weakened masters in settlements across Azarac. Asmenys was one of a number of rebel leaders to oppose the Rakata, and his string of successful raids against Rakata outposts inspired many would-be revolutionaries to flock to his banner.
In an attempt to return to Lehon and cut his losses on Azarac, Bala'zar ordered the withdrawal of his soldiers to the capital city of Sferastotazisiv. Along the way, the Rakata butchered any and all Sith they found, sparing only those Force users deemed strong enough to serve as suitable fuel for their Force-powered cruisers.[3] Asmenys and his followers, now in the hundreds of thousands, converged on the capital and fought their way through the city streets to the very gates of the Temple of Azarac. Facing down the Predor and his chief officers upon the temple's steps, Asmenys fought a duel to the death with the Rakata. Though he successfully slew the Predor with the blade of his own Forcesaber, Asmenys suffered a mortal wound of his own and died surrounded by the bodies of his foes.
Legacy[]
Asmenys remained a heroic figure of note among his surviving descendants, the Tsis of Azarac, who looked to his example as the archetype of Sith perfection. Even when reduced to a primitive state by the final act of the Rakata, an extended orbital bombardment that reduced the planet to ash, the Tsis kept alive the legend of Asmenys for some twenty millennia, expanding upon and embellishing his legend in their oral traditions as they evolved and reestablished mastery over their world.[4] Even into the modern age and the establishment of the Tsis Worlds empire, the Tsis continued to revere their ancient hero. In downtown Miestasasmenysiv on Lune, in the heart of the city that bore his name, the Colossus of Asmenys stood in a place of honor, its bronzium figure grasping the severed head of a Rakata oppressor in victory.
Historicity[]
Despite his significance as a major figure in Tsis history, some Republic scholars speculated that Asmenys may not have been a real historical figure. Though the Predor Bala'zar was confirmed to have been killed in battle by the Red Sith, Rakata records from the late Infinite Empire made no mention of the actual events of the conflict. Furthermore, due to the oral traditions and penchant for embellishment by the Tsis storytellers of the Azarac dark ages, it is likely many of the details of his victories over the Rakata were simply invented to establish the character of Asmenys as a near-perfect "messiah" figure worthy of emulation.
Some scholars posited that Asmenys was actually a composite of several major Red Sith emancipators of the time, as accounts of his victories often placed him at wildly different locations across the planet during the same few weeks, at a time when slaves had no access to the Rakata's advanced transportation methods.
Sources[]
- Azarac on Star Wars Fanon
- Dawn of the Jedi: Force Storm 4
- Sith (language) on Starsider wiki (Unavailable as of 5/17/18)
- The Unknown Regions