If it has blood, you can make it bleed. If it has eyes, you can blind it. If it has a mouth, you can make it scream…
—Inscription found on an ancient Sith lanvarok
The Sith League Military, alternatively known as the Sith League Armed Forces, was the military arm of the Sith League following the successful conquest of Ziost during the Korriban-Ziost War.
History
Based around the idea of a professional standing army, the Sith League Military replaced the earlier draft-based system of selective service first employed by the regional government of Korriban to mobilize armies in time of need.
Upon reorganization, the bulk of the Sith League Military was composed of Massassi caste warriors from Korriban and Ziost, though the ranks of the armed forces were open to select members of the Kissai and Zuguruk castes.
Professional soldiery was considered a highly honorable and respectable line of work for the Sith, as the warrior lifestyle was believed to be a close reflection of the Sith'ari ideal that guided and shaped Sith society; the idea of the perfect warrior-priest living in harmony with his both good and evil instincts, and in total command of his instincts and desires.
The mastery of the traditional Sith weapon used by all Sith League soldiers, the lanvarok, a weapon requiring fast reflexes and a sharp eye to wield properly, was considered a reflection of the Sith'ari ideal, as both weapon and worldview required a quiet, disciplined mind and subtle self-mastery.
Despite the lanvorak's continued importance to the Sith, most members of the Sith League Army and Navy wielded the ubiquitous Dreshdae Systems Arms Workshop SL-17 slugthrower, a projectile assault rifle whose projectiles were Force-guided in much the same manner as the lanvorak's.
Organization
The Sith League Military consisted of both a Navy and an Army, each with a separate Korriban-based military academy for the training of officers and support staff. Starships, arms, and weapons for all branches were provided via Dreshdae Systems, which, though initially a starship manufacturer, eventually expanded into military research and development.
Army
The Army included separate sub-branches under its umbrella, including but not limited to the Sith League Army Air Corps, for atmosphere-based fighter warfare and air-to-ground infantry support, and the Sith League Army Military Intelligence Agency (ARM-MIL-INTEL), which supervised the collection, dispensation, and application of intelligence information.
Individual armies were organized into legions, each containing 20,000 soldiers and assorted support staff, led by a legate. Legions were further divided into ten cohorts of 2,000 soldiers apiece, commanded by cohort commandants. Cohorts were further subdivided into battalions and companies.
The Sith League Navy incorporated a separate sub-branch as well, the Sith League Navy Marine Corps, which primarily assisted Navy personnel in starship defense. The Marine Corps occasionally journeyed planetside to supplement Army soldiers, freeing up needed reserves for combat by taking over asset protection and guard duties. The navy utilized Dwomutsiqsa-class carriers, Derriphan-class destroyers, and Woyunoks-class frigates in its fleets.
The Navy eschewed the traditional Army system of legions/cohorts in favor of smaller unit sizes. Companies were the most frequently seen on Naval vessels, as the small size allowed for closer camaraderie and better direction and cohesion in ship-board firefights.
Heraldry and pageantry
The Sith League Military was rife with heraldry and pageantry. Sith military units proudly bore their specific standards aloft with them into battle, while not bearing them in frequent military processions on Korriban or Ziost. Triumphs, great processions of Sith legions en masse to commemorate a conquest, were common sights on the streets of Dreshdae during the era of the Sith League, and the great victories of the League were marked with many a statue and monument on the worlds of the Sith.
The motto of the Sith League Military, "Through Strength," was prominently displayed on the official Battle Standard of the Sith League Military, resting above and beneath the sigil of the Sith, the black Quad-Sun, upon a blood-red field.