Chapter Text
Many Sith Lords have left their mark upon history. Whose great power destroyed armies, their influence controlled star systems, whose very name striked fear into the hearts that heard it.
Lesser Sith are thrown away, forgotten into the recesses of time. Although, there is one that deserves one small mention: Darth Vulpan.
If you asked other Lords of the Sith of their opinion on Darth Vulpan, some might say cunning, sly like the Vulptex of Crait, but most would say coward.
What information that was publicly available of Vulpan was this: he was once a Jedi, who had a fascination with the Midiclorians. He studied and experimented with them under the Jedi council's noses.
When his laboratory was discovered near the Sith Shrine underneath the Jedi Temple, he fled. This is not the act of cowardice the Sith were referring too, however but what came after.
Grace was discovered by a Sith Lord who seduced him to the Dark Side. It is said that Grace joined only for the Sith Empire's resources, to continue his studies and experiments on the Midiclorians.
He passed his trials and was granted the name Darth Vulpan, to then immediately delve into his research. The Empire awaited Vulpan's research, that he would discern some secret of the Force, an advantage against the Jedi they could exploit. Yet Vulpan held his secrets close.
That was the first sign.
It was known as well that Vulpan would teach adepts at the Sith Academy on the ways of the Force. His unorthodox methods of training was concerning, he taught his students to question the very limits of the Force that was borderline...heretical.
That was the second sign.
Although lacking in physical prowess, Vulpan's skills in the Force was great, even mastering the ability to use a lightsaber with the Force alone! However, many speculated where he learned such an ability for there was only one other who displayed such power and skill: Darth Traya.
That was the third sign.
A group of Sith, led by Vulpan's old master, convened together to discuss Lord Vulpan's behavior, his teachings, and lack of clarity concerning his research. They feared that he was conspiring against the Sith Empire and culminating a Sith cult within the academy.
The events that came after were often told in hushed whispers and yet had conflicting retellings but the basics were this: an imperial intelligence officer alerted this council of Darth Vulpan howling in laughter outside of his laboratory, with a odd look that was strange on the Sith Lord's face. He was headed towards the Sith Academy.
The council promptly left to confront Vulpan but arrived far too late: Vulpan was on his knees, lightsaber ignited in his hand, wailing above the dead bodies of his students. When confronted by the other Sith Lord's, he coward beneath them, begging for forgiveness. Such weakness! Such cowardice unbefitting of a Sith!
No one knew what events transpired that led to this moment but official reports claimed, hidden in his quarters, where the teachings of the heretic Darth Traya who believed the Force was an enemy to all and wished to severe the ties that bound everyone to it. They say he was a secret apprentice to her and was raising a Force cult! And that her teachings drove him to madness. Others speculated that, while researching the Midiclorians, he glimpsed some great secret in the Force but his mind could not comprehend such knowledge and temporarily lost his sanity.
The end result was the same however. He was taken, without a struggle, and sentenced to be judged by the Dark Council. No one knows, truly, what Darth Vulpan's mind perceived. Only he could tell this tale.
-An account made by an Imperial Guard circa. 3950 BBY