I'm trying to work out situations and names to go with a Star Wars plot I'm working on. I love to write, but this is one of those projects that will never see light of day except maybe in another form (It is an idea I want to use later). It's basically practice right now, but I want to make it as cool as possible. So, I need a little help.

We have the names of three Dark Lords of the Sith: Darth Vader, Darth Sidious, and Darth Maul. It seems safe to say "Darth" is a Sith title. Well, the story I am writing takes place only about forty years before "The Phantom Menace," but it stands to reason Maul and Sidious will not be involed with the Sith forty years ago*, and I will (at least by Part II) need the names of two Darths (master and apprentice). The problem is I can't come up with anything good.

Vader, only means something because of the plot. Vader is Dutch for father, and anyone out there knows the Vader is Luke and Leia's father. Sidious, I assume is adapted from the word insidious, while Maul is obviously like "What's that Lassie, you mauled Timmy--" basically to deform, slash, destroy.
Other than the somewhat funny names I've come up with in the thread, I've come as close as Darth Havoc, but I don't like it.

Thanks.

And please don't remind us of Kyp Durron, the scourge of literature, wrought by the evil demon Kevin J. Anderson...

it doesn't get any more evil.

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I'm the only one who understands me, and I ire of my company.
--Paul Cargile

First, I'm trying not to include too much Tales of the Jedi stuff until I see how it fits with the movie. I do have the Tales of the Jedi Companion from West End Games, and stories from Dark Horse Comics.

Here are my thoughts (and this is speculation until the movie comes out, but I'm waiting until after the movie to write this anyway).

Obi-Wan says the Jedi have been around for more than a thousand generations. If we assume this to mean 1000 times 60, that gives us 60,000 years of Jedi history. The Dark Side being so seductive, dark Jedi began about this time. What we have little information on is when these dark Jedi began meeting, exchanging secret handshakes and calling themselves the Sith. I've heard some information implying there may have been only a species called the Sith to begin with, but it eventually became an identifier for a group of species allying themselves to the Dark Side.

Given Maul's reveal/revenge statement, and given a Mace Windu quote something to the effect of "I do not believe the Sith could have returned without us knowing," I have a partial theory of basic Sith behavior in terms of when and how they show up.

The Sith have been around for some significant fraction of Jedi history. They have risen and fallen as foes of the Jedi numerous times over thousands of years. It doesn't matter too much how they started, but every couple of generations, some Dark Jedi gets it in is head to study Sith literature, grab a pack of his friends and form a new Sith threat; the Jedi come together to decimate the Sith. Or it's possible the Sith are never truly destroyed completely. Every few generations the Jedi smash the Sith, but enough are left to bring up the new Sith generation.

I don't know how long it takes for the Sith to get ready to reveal themselves and exact revenge, but (unless another theory I have is true) I figure it could possibly take a few years to a few decades to work up a power base in the Sith heirarchy. My story takes place as the Sith build to the point they are in Star Wars I.