Rule of Two - an approach that he hoped would prevent the in-fighting that had led to their defeat.

As seen in The Acolyte, the Sith operated in the shadows for a millennium. As ionate as the dark side may be, generations of Sith were prepared to work in secret, carefully orchestrating the fall of the Jedi and the Republic. I've always been fascinated to learn what they were doing over a thousand years... and, to my surprise, an Easter egg in Skeleton Crew episode 5 has just dropped an exciting clue.

Star Wars' "Ancient Pirates" Were Shockingly Close To The Sith

Skeleton Crew Secretly Hinted At The Truth

I first saw the above image in October, when Empire Magazine released official ancient language of ur-Kittât, sometimes known as the Old Tongue. Dating back to before the Jedi Order itself, the Old Tongue was adopted by the Sith. It's steeped in the dark side itself, meaning learning the Old Tongue is a very hazardous pursuit.

You might recognize these runes from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, where they were inscribed on an ancient dagger - one used by Ochi of Bestoon to kill Rey's parents. The movie revealed that the Old Republic forbade the use of ur-Kittât, and C-3PO was unable to even translate it. So it's quite striking to see ur-Kittât on the walls of the pirate stronghold of Lanupa. What's really going on?

All The Evidence Ties "Captain Donner" To The Nihil

Star Wars' Most Terrifying Pirates

So far, so curious. But now we need to take a step back, to understand the broader context of piracy in Star Wars. Skeleton Crew may be the first live-action TV show to really focus on the pirates who ravage our beloved Galaxy Far, Far Away, but other mediums have fleshed them out in far greater detail. Lucasfilm's Star Wars: The High Republic transmedia initiative has revealed that pirates flourished on the outskirts of Republic space - and they resented the Republic's advance Rimwards.

That resentment boiled over into outright war in the High Republic Era, some 200 years before the Skywalker Saga. A series of "Great Works" saw the Republic push toward the Outer Rim, and a group of pirates known as the Nihil objected - violently. The Nihil critically weakened the Republic, even managing to carve a part of the galaxy out as their own using stolen technology. The Nihil logo is eerily similar to that of Captain Donner in Skeleton Crew, surely no coincidence.

Other evidence suggests Captain Donner and At Attin are somehow tied to the High Republic Era. That mention of "Great Works" is significant; At Attin's residents believe they're busy on a "Great Work." The lightsaber in Captain Donner's lair? The gold is a hallmark of the High Republic, and the design is actually similar to one on sale at Galaxy's Edge, one originating from the High Republic. In context, Donner seems tied to pirates who opposed the Jedi at this time.

Were The Galaxy's Pirates A Sith Plot?

Whether Directly... Or Indirectly

Skeleton Crew has given us Sith runes in disturbingly close proximity to High Republic pirates. At first I assumed it was just a coincidence; perhaps Captain Donner found an ancient Sith world, I reasoned, and even speculated that Donner's lair on Lanupa was once a Sith stronghold. That possibility is in itself a chilling one, because it would mean groups such as the Nihil were likely basing themselves at Sith hideouts, steeped in the dark side. I wondered whether they even learned ur-Kittât, knowing the Republic couldn't translate it.

But what if there's another explanation? What if the pirates were themselves a Sith plot? I've long noticed the similarities between the Jedi war with the Nihil and the Clone Wars; the Jedi emergency protocols invoked during the former crisis were the same ones Palpatine took advantage of when he militarized the Jedi. Foolishly, I'd assumed this was merely a coincidence, but Skeleton Crew raises the possibility that the similarities are deliberate. Could the pirates have been a test run for the Sith, a way to learn the weaknesses of the Jedi?

The great thing is, the manipulation wouldn't even need to be obvious. If some pirates were indeed based at Sith strongholds, then the Sith Lords of the High Republic Era would surely know how to get past their defenses and watch. They'd be able to manipulate the pirates through the Force, encouraging their hatred of the Jedi. Even the Force predators known as the Nameless - monstrous creatures used by the Nihil - wouldn't be a problem. Palpatine knew how to hide his Force presence, and The Acolyte confirmed the Sith of the High Republic knew the trick.

If I'm right, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew has just offered an important clue to a mystery that's been bugging me since we were first introduced to the High Republic Era; where are the Sith? They were operating in the shadows, manipulating the pirates, driving conflict against the Jedi. It's a genius solution, and it makes perfect sense.