Lost Tribe of the Sith: Secrets

Sith doctrine places paramount importance on the individual, viewing them as the magnificent epicenter of existence, eclipsing all other lives in significance. However, the Lost Tribe of the Sith's adopted world is a remote backwater, far from any center of the universe. Moreover, the Tribe's revered founders were, in reality, little more than enslaved beings!

The Lost Tribe's rediscovery of their long-forgotten origins precipitates a surge of frustration and resentment, threatening the very foundations of their society. Yet, the past conceals additional secrets – knowledge that, if wielded wisely, could steer the malevolent rulers of Kesh toward a grander destiny among the stars…

Secrets unfolds in 3000 BBY, taking place a mere two weeks following the events chronicled in Pantheon. The narrative is presented from the perspective of the Sith historian, Varner Hilts. During the Great Crisis, Hilts, accompanied by his Keshiri assistant Jaye Vuhld, journeys to the Kesh Sith Temple in a quest to uncover secrets capable of rescuing the Lost Tribe of Sith from self-annihilation. For centuries, the Sith Temple had remained untouched, ever since the Tribe's founder Yaru Korsin's daughter Nida Korsin commanded the Tribe to abandon it. Overcoming considerable obstacles posed by the challenging terrain, Hilts and Jaye successfully gain entry into the Temple's grounds. Shortly thereafter, they encounter a disheartened Iliana Merko, the former leader of the Sisters of Seelah, a Sith sect that modeled themselves after Seelah Korsin, Yaru Korsin's estranged spouse.

Hilts persuades Iliana to collaborate in their pursuit of Yaru Korsin's hidden knowledge, hoping to safeguard the Tribe from destruction. The trio of explorers eventually penetrates the dilapidated Omen, the ancient vessel that conveyed the Lost Tribe's ancestors to Kesh. The Omen lies entombed beneath the Keshiri Sith Temple. However, the explorers notice that Korsin's command throne is missing from the ship's bridge. Hilts and his comrades ultimately uncover the presence of other Sith, including Korsin Bentado, Edell Vrai, and Neera. These Sith, once bitter adversaries prior to the Great Crisis, had united after considerable bloodshed to obliterate the Omen in an attempt to expunge the Tribe's "shameful history."

Hilts and his group eventually ascend to the cupola situated above the Sith Temple's roof, where they locate Korsin's throne. They realize that the cupola's ceiling functions as a planetarium and discover a fragment of transparent film inscribed with an ancient phrase in the Tapani language. This document contains a message from Yaru Korsin's mother Takara Korsin to her son, sent prior to his ill-fated expedition to Phaegon III. She foresees that Korsin's descendants will one day govern a great people and be liberated from the Red Sith. Nevertheless, Hilts posits that this text does not constitute Korsin's true secret, asserting that the planetarium was designed to mislead future explorers into believing that Korsin intended the Tribe to return to the stars.

Drawing upon their understanding of the Lost Tribe's past, Hilts and Jaye deduce that the dying Korsin recorded his final Testament within a chamber beneath the Sith Temple. Hilts and his companions ultimately gain access to the chamber, discovering both Korsin's throne and a map room. The other Sith eventually detect their presence and fatally wound Jaye. Before they can harm the others, Hilts employs the Force to remove the blank slates concealing the room, revealing a vast map depicting the existence of a second continent in addition to Keshtah Minor. This previously unknown continent, several times larger than Keshtah, is separated by a vast ocean. Hilts leverages the discovery of 'Keshtah Major' to unify the Tribe and bring an end to the centuries-long internal conflicts that have nearly led to their demise. Ultimately, the other Sith leaders choose Hilts as Grand Lord, and Iliana assumes the role of his Grand Consort. Under Hilts' leadership, the Tribe dedicates itself to rebuilding Keshtah Minor and devising a means to reach Keshtah Major.

• ISBN 9780345519450 ; March 5 , 2012 ; Del Rey ; eBook