Lost Tribe of the Sith: Pandemonium

Taking place in 2975 BBY, Pandemonium's narrative unfolds twenty-five years following the events detailed in Pantheon and Secrets. The novella presents the story through the perspectives of three key figures: Quarra Thayn, an Alanciari Keshiri woman; Edell Vrai, a Sith Lord; and Varner Hilts, the Grand Lord. After a failed attempt to expel the Lost Tribe of Sith from Kesh in 4975 BBY, Adari Vaal and 300 Keshiri followers escaped from Keshtah Minor to the continent of Alanciar. There, they reshaped Keshiri society, preparing it for a future Sith invasion. Centuries later, in 2975 BBY, Grand Lord Varner Hilts successfully reunites the Lost Tribe after a civil war lasting nine hundred years. He directs the Tribe towards finding a path to Alanciar. After considerable effort, Edell Vrai, a Sith mathematician, manages to construct a fleet of airships, enabling the Tribe's journey to Alanciar.

The narrative commences at Point Defiance, a coastal fort located on Garrow's Neck, a mountainous peninsula on Alanciar's southwestern coast. This fort was part of the Shank, a canal-laced region that culminated in six mountain peninsulas. The initial protagonist introduced is Quarra Thayn, an Alanciari woman holding the positions of Chief military administrator and wardmaster of Uhrar. Despite being a married mother of three, Thayn is secretly involved with Jogan Halder, a soldier within the Alanciari military. Under the guise of inspecting battle-armor factories on Alanciar's Northern Slope, she visits Port Defiance, where her lover is stationed. The Alanciari Keshiri society is structured around military preparedness, focusing on resisting a potential invasion by the Lost Tribe of Sith originating from Keshtah Minor. The continent is heavily defended by land and sea. Thayn and Halder, feeling constrained by their familial obligations and the strict military environment of Alanciari society, seek comfort and escape in their romantic relationship.

Simultaneously, the second protagonist, Edell Vrai, a High Lord and the Tribe's Chief Engineer, leads an advance force composed of three Sith airships: the Candra, Lillia, and the Dann Itra. These airships are propelled by helium gasbags and navigated by uvaks. Edell's plan involves an aerial reconnaissance mission over "Keshtah Major" (the Sith designation for Alanciar), followed by a return journey across the Southern Ocean to the western shores of Keshtah Minor, the Lost Tribe's territory. As the fleet approaches the Shank, it comes under attack from black javelins launched by Alanciari ballista emplacements stationed at Point Vigilance. The Lillia and Dann Itra are destroyed in the assault.

This event marks the initial encounter between the Lost Tribe and the Alanciari Keshiri. The Alanciari defenders successfully ignite the fireglobes, alerting the rest of their population to the incoming invaders. Quarra and Jogan witness the Alanciar anti-air defenses engaging the Sith fleet. Quarra experiences panic, fearing that her husband will discover her affair with Jogan due to her supposed visit to the Northern Slope. However, Quarra's escape is thwarted when her muntok, a six-legged reptilian mount, flees during the conflict.

Meanwhile, Edell's airship, the Candra, manages to penetrate further inland but is attacked by the Alanciari air force, which also utilizes uvak riders. The Candra is eventually forced down, resulting in significant casualties among its crew. However, Edell and four of his crew members (Peppin, Ulbrick, Janns, and the Keshiri scholar Tellpah) survive and manage to land on Alanciar. One of the uvaks, named Starboard, tethered to the Candra, is killed during the battle and crashes onto Jogan, inflicting severe injuries. This incident brings the story's two main protagonists into direct contact.

Quarra attempts to protect her lover and repel the Sith invaders. Despite possessing Force-sensitivity, she is overpowered in a confrontation with Edell. Quarra surprises her captors by revealing that the Alanciari Keshiri speak Galactic Basic Standard, the same language as the Lost Tribe. Quarra manages to persuade her captors to spare Jogan's life. By this point, Edell is joined by two additional Sith. Quarra and Jogan are subsequently taken as prisoners by Edell and his men.

Back in Tahv, Grand Lord Varner Hilts and his wife Iliana Hilts attend a meeting with High Lord Korsin Bentado, who is designated as the military commander of the Lost Tribe's invasion fleet set to invade Alanciar after Edell establishes contact with the continent. The Sith leadership receives this information through thoughtcriers, individuals capable of transmitting information via the Force. While the Hilts prefer to wait for Edell's return, Korsin is eager to initiate war. This invasion force, known as the Ebon Fleet, comprises sixty airships, making it twenty times larger than Edell's scouting party. This group includes several Keshiri translators and numerous supporters of Korsin from the former Korsinite League. Despite their reservations, Varner and Iliana grant Korsin permission to launch the invasion, secretly hoping to eliminate a political rival.

Meanwhile, Edell and his Sith followers successfully seize control of the Keshiri sailing vessel Mischance after a violent encounter with its crew. The Mischance is a fishing boat used for capturing crustaceans. They manage to escape into open water before reinforcements from Garrow's Neck can intercept them. Jogan and Quarra are tied to the ship's mast. Eventually, Edell coerces Quarra into serving as his guide for a reconnaissance mission into Alanciar's military capital, Sus'mintri. In exchange, Quarra convinces Edell to untie Jogan and provide him with medical treatment. Edell agrees, stipulating that they must return within two weeks, or she will never see her lover again. While Quarra appears to collaborate with the invaders, her true intention is to frighten the Sith "back to where they came from."

Edell and Quarra infiltrate Garrow's Neck using a small cove that is unguarded by Alanciari troops. After four days of travel, they reach the town of Kerebba disguised as performers for Observance Day, an annual festival commemorating the arrival of Adari Vaal, the Keshiri woman who fled Lost Tribe-controlled Keshtah Minor. The festival aims to foster patriotism among the Alanciari Keshiri and continuously remind them of the threat posed by the Lost Tribe. Edell plays the role of a Sith "villain" but is angered by the festival's anti-Sith sentiments. Following the festivities, the pair sleeps in a dry culvert near the Kerebba canal station. That night, Quarra experiences a Force vision in which she encounters Orielle Kitai, a former Sith woman, and her Jedi husband, Jelph Marrian, who offer her encouragement. Orielle compares her past life as a high-ranking member of the Sith tribe to Quarra's position in the Alanciar military. She also warns Quarra of the dangers of "living within a dream." Convinced of the inevitable Sith takeover and intrigued by Orielle's peaceful life in the jungle, Quarra decides to remain loyal to her family rather than becoming the consort of Edell Vrai after the Sith occupy Alanciar.

During their time together, Edell and Quarra develop a grudging friendship. Edell learns about Quarra's family life and her affair with Jogan. They also discuss the cultural differences between the Keshiri on Keshtah Minor and Alanciar, with the latter being more adept at constructing practical structures like aqueducts. The pair eventually reaches the Western Shield that afternoon, with Sus'mintri only about two days away. At that moment, Bentado's Ebon Fleet, led by his flagship, the Yaru, arrives over the countryside but is quickly shot down by Alanciari air defenses. The fleet is swiftly decimated, but several Sith manage to survive the landing. They are immediately hunted by the Alanciari military. Edell is furious with Bentado for attacking prematurely without waiting for his return to Keshtah Minor.

Edell and Quarra are quickly caught up in the fighting when the surviving Sith land on the ground. Quarra personally kills a Sith warrior but spares Edell, honoring her agreement with him. However, she makes a detour to her hometown of Uhrar to ensure the safety of her three children. After confirming that her children are safe in the town's shelter, she rejoins Edell, and the two continue their journey to Sus'mintri. Using her Force abilities, Quarra secretly sends a telepathic message to the War Cabinet in Sus'mintri, informing them that she has a Sith Lord with her. The War Cabinet instructs Quarra to bring Edell to them, stating that they know what to do. Quarra is determined to save Jogan and become a heroine for her people.

Edell and Quarra eventually reach Sus'mintri, the capital of Alanciari civilization. The Alanciari War Cabinet is housed within a single-story hall known as Vaal Hall, located next to a tall silo tower capable of relaying communications between the different regions of Alanciar. Quarra and Edell are allowed to enter the building by a lone Keshiri sentry. They soon discover that Bentado and the survivors of the Ebon Fleet have regrouped and infiltrated Vaal Hall, slaughtering the entire Alanciari War Cabinet along with all the bureaucrats and guards present. Due to the centralized nature of the Alanciari government, the various military, industrial, and education directorates are based in one building, making it easy for an enemy force to decapitate the leadership. This development ruins Quarra's plans to lure Edell into a trap and save Jogan.

Edell and Quarra also encounter Lord Bentado and the surviving crew from the Ebon Fleet. Also present is Bentado's Keshiri assistant, Squab. Bentado explains to the protagonists that Sus'mintri contains thirteen communications facilities, including the tall silo tower, which is a signaling station used for transmitting and processing telepathic messages from Force-users. They managed to infiltrate Vaal Hall and slay the Alanciari War Cabinet. Bentado and his men were then able to use telepathic messages to draw the other survivors towards the building. Unknown to the Alanciari military forces scattered across the continent, an enemy force had infiltrated and hijacked the very hub of their government. The Sith continue to use the signal tower to relay instructions to the Alanciari artillery defenses.

Having decapitated the Alanciari government, Bentado then puts his next plan into action: destroying the remaining sixteen ships of the Lost Tribe which were traveling towards Alanciar. Bentado intends to kill Grand Lord Hilts and create a second Tribe on Alanciar. He plans to use the militaristic Alanciari Keshiri and their industrial base to forge a new rival empire. Edell counters that Bentado's plans will fail because his followers will eventually tire of hiding inside the building to avoid detection by the Alanciari Keshiri. Meanwhile, Quarra condemns Bentado for killing the Alanciari leadership and vows that her people will eventually seek revenge. In the end, Edell refuses to support Bentado's plans and attempts to order him to work with Grand Lord Hilts until reinforcements arrive.

Bentado orders his men to seize Edell and Quarra, but the two manage to escape their pursuers. When Quarra wants to escape Sus'mintri and return to the Mischance to rescue Jogan, Edell reveals that the Mischance has received orders to sail to Keshtah Minor. Despite their differences, the two agree to work together to survive and manage to hide for a day within Adari Vaal's secret library. During this period, Quarra discovers Adari Vaal's personal memoirs, which reveal that she succumbed to weakness during an encounter with Yaru Korsin, the founder of the Tribe. Quarra and Edell then decide to disrupt Bentado's communications by taking out the High Lord himself. Quarra also finds Adari's lightsaber in the archive.

Meanwhile, Grand Lord Hilts' airship arrives off the western coast of Alanciar near Port Melephos. In response, Bentado instructs Squab to order the Keshiri uvak "diamond-flak" teams to engage the aircraft. Edell and Quarra manage to enter Bentado's "worldwatch" room through a diagonal tunnel leading upwards from the archive. Upon exiting, Edell engages Bentado in a lightsaber duel while Quarra fights off his bodyguards. However, they are unable to stop Squab from escaping to the tower to relay Bentado's commands. Bentado eventually overpowers both Edell and Quarra with his Force powers. Squab also retrieves Quarra's lightsaber and reveals that Grand Lord Hilt's airship has safely landed at Port Melephos.

In reality, Squab is secretly serving Grand Lord Hilts and has disobeyed Bentado's command to down the Grand Lord's airship. Bentado then attempts to carry on with his plan by ordering Squab to order the Alanciari troops to kill Hilts and anyone with him. However, Squab countermands that order with a new order from Hilts ordering him to kill Bentado. Squab then uses Quarra's lightsaber to stab Lord Bentado through the heart, killing the Sith Lord. This effectively ends Bentado's dreams of creating a Second Tribe and killing his rival Hilts. Squab then hands Bentado's weapons to Edell Vrai, who is designated as the new commander of the Sith forces on Alanciar. Edell then uses the Force to reassert control over Bentado's men and the signaling devices.

Grand Lord Varner Hilt's white airship Good Omen arrives at Sus'mintri after doing a brief stop-over at Port Melephos. The Good Omen encounters no resistance on both occasions because the Sith had used the Alanciari Keshiri Jogan Halder to greet the Alanciari population. Edell and Quarra are both present when Hilts' airship arrives at Sus'mintri where it is welcomed by thousands of Keshiri. Following his arrival in Sus'mintri, Jogan gives a speech where he explained that he had been taken to Keshtah Minor by ship. They eventually reached Tahv where he was greeted by the Keshtah Alanciari who successfully convinced him that the Lost Tribe were actually the benign Protectors and that the Keshiri were actually happy to live under the Sith. Jogan also told them that Bentado and the Ebon Fleet were the malevolent Destructors who had been expelled from Keshtah. He also explained that Edell Vrai and his airships was a "trusted friend" of the Protectors who was pursuing the Destructors.

The Tribe in reality had tricked and coerced Jogan into distorting the events of the Sith invasion in order to win the "hearts and minds" of the Alanciari. This ploy worked and Jogan was welcomed as the new "Herald." Jogan was immediately followed by Grand Lord Hilts, who was disguised as the Bright Tuash, a legendary Keshiri deity. He claimed that Adari Vaal, the revered founder of Alanciari civilization, was his daughter and that she was well-meaning but misguided. He backed Jogan's account and professed to be saddened that the Destructors had attacked and killed the Alanciari leadership. He also assured the Alanciari that the Destructors and their leader had been defeated by his agent Edell Vrai and the Alanciari woman Quarra. To facilitate peace between the two continents, the "Bright Tuash" decreed that both Human and Keshiri relief workers would arrive from Keshtah over the next few days to promote reconciliation and unity.

Grand Lord Hilt's deception worked and the Alanciari Keshiri willingly submitted to Sith rule. Jogan's message was transmitted across the entire continent. In private, Varner confided in Edell that he had been able to manipulate the similar histories of the Alanciari and Keshtah Keshiri to orchestrate this grand deception. He also explained that the Tribe had withdrawn from public view when Jogan visited Tahv while putting their most loyal Keshiri on the streets. Hilts regarded bringing the Alanciari Keshiri willingly into the Sith's service as a greater victory than capturing new slaves in combat. Edell was subsequently appointed as the new de-facto governor of Alanciar. As part of the reunification process, the Alanciari Keshiri publicly destroyed their balliste. New plays focusing on Jogan were also commissioned to replace the patriotic plays associated with Observance Day.

Finally, Quarra attempted to warn the Alanciari of the deceptive nature of the Sith take-over but no one was willing to listen. Instead she resolved to accept her destiny and guide her compatriots through the process of "Unification." She also returned to her husband Brue Thayn and her three children.

• In chapter six, it is stated that Iliana Hilts severed Korsin Bentado 's left hand "half a century prior," implying it occurred fifty years before. However, it should read a quarter of a century , as Pandemonium unfolds 25 years after Lost Tribe of the Sith: Pantheon and Lost Tribe of the Sith: Secrets , during which, in one of the two narratives, Korsin's hand is lost to Iliana. This is undoubtedly an error because, in addition to the numerous inconsistencies it creates, it would suggest Iliana was not yet born, as she is mentioned, earlier in the same chapter, to be forty-nine.