Takara Hilts

Takara Hilts was the only daughter of Iliana Hilts, a Grand Consort, and Varner Hilts, a Grand Lord. They were the rulers of the Lost Tribe of Sith, the Human rulers of Kesh. She was descended from ancient Human slaves of Naga Sadow, the Dark Lord. These slaves had been stranded on Kesh while transporting Lignan crystals—crystals utilized in the construction of lightsabers—to the Sith Empire during the Great Hyperspace War around 5000 BBY. Under the leadership of Yaru Korsin, a Captain, these Human settlers asserted their dominance over Keshiri society by claiming to be the legendary Protectors from an ancient Keshiri myth about the Great Calamity. Over the subsequent millennia, these Human Sith's descendants attained a privileged status on Kesh. However, due to physiological differences, the Humans and Keshiri were unable to interbreed. During the Time of the Rot, Kesh was plagued by significant civil conflicts and turmoil as rival factions of the Lost Tribe vied for power following the disappearance of Lillia Venn, the Grand Lord, in 3960 BBY.

After almost a millennium of conflict, Varner, Takara's father, assumed leadership of the Lost Tribe in 3000 BBY and brought an end to the fighting. Hilts, a historian who had dedicated himself to studying the history of the Lost Tribe, implemented a series of reforms known as the Hilts Restoration, which aimed to return to the system originally established by Korsin. Hilts established a meritocratic power structure that allowed the Sith on Kesh to channel their ambitions without resorting to violence. To avoid the succession struggles of the past, Hilts made the position of Grand Lost an elected office rather than a hereditary post. Since the Human Sith were a demographic minority on Kesh, Varner stressed that the Tribe had to avoid civil infighting in order to survive. To reduce conflict within the Tribe, her father also sponsored a marine exploration program to explore uncharted lands and seas beyond the main continent Keshtah Minor. This led to the construction of a fleet of wooden sailing ships and the colonization of the continent of Alanciar.

As a result of her father's policies, the Lost Tribe's marine explorers discovered the continent Alanciar, a new frontier that was rich in lumber and new lands to house Keshtah's surplus population. These enabled the Tribe to construct a large fleet of wooden sailing ships to enable further maritime exploration efforts. The Doomed—the descendants of stranded ancient Jedi and Dark Jedi that had caused the Great Calamity millennia earlier but had since relocated to the frozen continent of Eshkrene in the South Pole—also observed these developments on Keshtah through ice mirrors created by the Force. In 3000 BBY, the Doomed had considered intervening in order to stop The Rot but changed their minds after Hilts managed to restore order to the Tribe. Takara was born at some period after 3000 BBY and presumably had a comfortable and privileged childhood due to her father's high social status. Meanwhile, her mother Iliana served as the commander of the Tribe's military forces which were constantly on the guard against various rebel elements.

Because her father Varner believed that hereditary power fostered greater corruption and instability, he took measures to ensure that power within the Tribe was not inherited. Varner avoided nepotism by not appointing his daughter Takara to powerful positions. Instead, he encouraged her to start from the bottom and work her way up. When she reached adulthood, Takara joined the Tahv Constabulary, an internal security police force based in Tahv, the Tribe's capital. Over the years, the young woman advanced through the ranks of the Tahv Constabulary to become the Prefect of Police, the highest-ranking police officer in her city. By 2974 BBY, Takara had apprehended and eliminated numerous local criminals and rebels. Like many other members of the Tribe, Takara was also skilled in lightsaber combat and wielded a red-bladed Sith lightsaber, a specialty of her Tribe.

During her tenure with the Tahv Constabulary, one of her targets was Parlan Spinner, a young Human anarchist and outcast. He was the leader of a gang of outlaws known as "Spinner's Web," who carried out a series of hit-and-run acts of mischief against the state. These included the attempted assassination of all local Keshiri cake decorators prior to High Lord Nikoll's wedding and an attempt to fly a tethered airship into the southeastern aqueduct. He was a descendant of Ermon Parrah, the relief navigator aboard the Omen—the ship that brought the Tribe's ancestors to Kesh—and one of the first Humans to be exiled from the Tribe. Parrah and his future descendants were enslaved as punishment for trying to steal the Omen and return to the stars. They were ordered to spin a cord that would reach the stars in exchange for being readmitted to the Tribe. They became known as the Spinner family and labored for centuries in a desperate attempt to fulfill the command. Since achieving such a feat was physically impossible, Parlan's descendants were kept in a perpetual state of poverty. However, the young Spinner rejected this fate and left Eorm, even dropping his first name and adopting the moniker "Death Spinner."

In 2974 BBY, Takara cornered Spinner while he was attempting to desecrate the Keshiri Burial Cairns, a vast network of catacombs beneath the Circle Eternal, the heart of the Tribe's power base on Tahv. Takara wrote a report titled Enemy of the Order: The record of Parlan Spinner, vandal and would-be revolutionary, in which she concluded that Spinner was disdainful of tradition but lacked any political aim in his activities. His actions were not guided by a specific set of goals or a coherent philosophy but were instead motivated by a desire to harass the authorities through "minor acts" of mischief. Because the Tribe considered him a low-level offender, her father, Grand Lord Varner, assigned the task of pursuing Spinner to Takara and her Constabulary guards. The elite Sith Sabers and Sith apprentices were instead used to quell armed rebellions and powerful Force-users who opposed the Hilts establishment.

Takara learned through an informant within Spinner's gang that Spinner was planning to disrupt the annual commemoration of the Lost Tribe's arrival on Kesh. She presented her report to her father, Varner, who suggested capturing Spinner rather than executing him. Ultimately, the reformist Grand Lord chose to spare the youth's life by capturing him because he intended to give him a second chance in life as a mariner exploring Kesh's uncharted seas and lands. During the celebrations, Spinner and at least two other accomplices donned jesters' masks and deliberately walked into a parade by members of the Lost Tribe. Some Keshiri onlookers initially mistook them for part of the celebration, but their presence aroused anger from the Sith participants. One Lord scolded one of Spinner's accomplices for going too far by disrupting the Founding celebrations. Spinner himself managed to break free from several Constables, loudly proclaiming that only a fool would celebrate being stranded on what he called a "festering lump of a world." Before the guards could stop him, Spinner discarded his mask and headed towards the sedan carrying Lord Hilts, deriding the man as the "Head Fool."

To the horror of his mates, Spinner unsheathed his dagger and jumped into the sedan while shouting that he was the "Death Spinner" and was tired of waiting. However, the sedan chair proved to be a decoy, and the youth encountered Prefect Takara herself, the daughter of Varner Hilts. She used the Force to knock the dagger out of his hand. Surrounded by several constables, Spinner refused to concede defeat. As a finale, the youth threw a minlohku dart at a Keshiri constable, grazing his shoulder. However, Spinner was quickly overpowered by the constable's comrades. Still defiant, the youth attempted to goad the Prefect by exclaiming that they could not break his spirit because he was the "Death Spinner."

However, Takara Hilts retorted that she did not want to break his spirit but rather his body. She ordered her constables to rough him as part of the night celebrations. Spinner was taken to the palace of Grand Lord Hilts, where he was beaten and roughed up by the constables for several hours. However, Takara ensured that her subordinates did not permanently maim or cripple him because her father, Grand Lord Hilts, had ordered that he be captured alive and brought into his presence. However, Spinner's accomplices were not so fortunate because the Grand Lord's wife, Iliana, had ordered their summary execution. She disagreed with her husband's decision to spare Spinner's life since she regarded him as an assassin. However, Varner insisted that he get to meet the youth for himself.

At dawn, a beaten and disheveled Spinner was brought before Takara's father, Grand Lord Hilts. He explained to Spinner that he had not been present at the celebrations because he had little interest in state functions, which took away time from his research. Unlike his Sith compatriots, Hilts believed that time was more valuable than power since nobody had ever broken the chains of time. Spinner regarded Hilts as a stereotypical "absent-minded" professor who did not fit conventional definitions of a "proper" Grand Lord. Her father was examining a Keshiri tapestry that detailed the ancient history of the Keshiri people. Varner explained the historical origins of the Tribe and how their ancestors had gained lordship over the Keshiri by co-opting ancient legends of the Great Calamity and convincing the superstitious Keshiri that they were the ancient Skyborn.

Spinner responded that this action sickened him because he believed that Sith should not want to protect but rather to destroy. The anarchist also managed to untie his bonds and attempted to strangle the Grand Lord from behind. However, Takara caught him in the act and hit him on the head with an ancient urn before he could carry out his attempted murder and escape. True to his absent-minded personality, Varner merely asked his daughter if that urn had belonged to someone important. Takara then revealed that further investigations had confirmed that "Death Spinner" was actually the vagabond and slave Parlan Spinner. Spinner then angrily responded that her tribe was to blame for casting out his families many generations earlier and reducing them to pauperism. He reiterated that they still remained Sith who could use the dark side of the Force.

Takara, however, had little sympathy for the outlaw youth, dismissing him as a vandal who had earlier been convicted for attempting to desecrate the Keshiri Burial Cairns beneath the Circle Eternal. She described Spinner as an irreverent miscreant who would kill anyone for any reason. Takara's hostility towards Spinner was joined by her mother Iliana who chided her daughter for bringing an assassin into her husband's parlor, adding that Spinner should have been executed in the street along with his coterie. However, Lord Hilts was unconcerned and merely explained to the youth that killing him would be unwise since Spinner lacked the necessary qualities to succeed him as landlord. Hilts further lectured Spinner and his family about the complex power structure his ancestors had established to channel their ambitions, the destructive Time of the Rot, and finally his own efforts to restore the old order through his reforms.

The uneducated Spinner remained unmoved by Hilt's words and commented that the current political order only benefited the elite while the masses remained powerless. Grand Lord Hilts sensed that Spinner was impatient but reiterated that he could be put to good use. Following the conquest of Alanciar in 2975 BBY, the Grand Lord had commissioned the construction of a new fleet of wooden ships as part of a program to explore new frontiers in the continent of Alanciar. His wife Iliana chided her husband for allowing his enemies to live since that would threaten the family's grip on power. Takara also privately disagreed with her father's decision to spare Spinner but accepted his decision and escorted Spinner out of the palace chambers.

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Lord Hilts commanded Takara, his daughter, to pilot an uvak to the newly constructed docks situated west of Berav. Her mission was to locate a Keshiri sailor known as the Southern Star, who had recently arrived from Alanciar. The ship's Keshiri captain, Chegg, was scheduled to embark on a surveying expedition. Varner instructed Takara to inform Chegg that Spinner would be joining his crew, courtesy of the Grand Lord. However, Iliana, still wary of Spinner, instructed Takara to eliminate him should he cause any more trouble. At that moment, Spinner discerned that Varner and Iliana Hilts were Takara's parents. He then voiced his astonishment that the daughter of such esteemed nobles was engaged in patrol duties, a menial task typically assigned to Keshiri. Takara clarified to Spinner that this practice reflected her father's belief that tribal power was not inherited but earned through merit. She elaborated that the High Lords elected the Grand Lord to prevent infighting among the ruling families. Spinner sarcastically inquired whether Lord Hilts was safeguarding her or his "precious tribe."

Takara responded with indifference, stating that adhering to Sith principles was challenging due to her father's meritocratic policies. Spinner then seized the opportunity to mock the Prefect, noting that despite authoring a treatise on being thwarted, he was still determined to leverage his new role as a sailor to elevate his social standing. As a final jab, Spinner remarked that Takara could continue to be her parents' pawn while he amassed wealth as a mariner. Chegg, a stern and demanding leader, despised the arrogance displayed by many Human Sith on Kesh. He saw Spinner's employment as a chance to exploit the Human youth by assigning him to manage the ship's sails and rigging. Chegg capitalized on Spinner's position to take advantage of the young Human. The majority of Humans he had encountered as a mariner were either slaves or criminals exiled by the Tribe.

Despite their initial animosity, Spinner and Takara were destined to meet again. Dissatisfied with her role as a Prefect in Tahv, Takara resolved to begin a new life on Alanciar. Considering it a recently conquered Sith territory and a vast continent abundant in lumber and land, Takara believed she could establish herself in the frontier and gradually gain control of the region. Her plan involved stowing away on the Southern Star and disembarking upon reaching Alanciar. However, she was unaware that Lord Hilts had tasked Captain Chegg with exploring and surveying Eshkrene, Kesh's frozen southern continent and the location of the planet's south pole. The Southern Star served as an exploratory vessel within the Lost Tribe's naval forces. Takara secretly boarded the Southern Star and concealed herself within a cargo container for several days. One day, while Spinner was below deck sharpening his daggers, he discovered Takara, who had stowed away on the ship. She explained that she had grown weary of her duties as a Constable and, like Spinner, desired a fresh start in Alanciar. Upon reaching the ship's deck, Spinner bluntly informed the Sith princess that they were actually heading towards the South Pole.

At that point, Captain Chegg encountered Takara. Unaware of her true identity, he presumed she was another Human castaway who had stowed away on the Southern Star. He sternly reiterated that everyone aboard his vessel had a duty to fulfill and that stowaways were considered slackers. Spinner attempted to defend Takara, trying to explain her importance. However, Takara claimed she was merely another passenger. Due to the privileged status of Humans in Keshiri society, Takara insulted the Captain by telling him to mind his tongue, as he was a Keshiri. Chegg, however, was not amused by the Human girl's insolence and reminded her that the only "gods" above his ship were the surveyors and straw bosses among his crew. Everyone else was an indentured servant. He then ordered his two Human charges to begin working, emphasizing that with their course set for uncharted waters, he needed all hands on deck to make landfall.

Spinner and Takara were then assigned to work on the sails and rigging. The polar climate made the work arduous for the crew on the exposed deck. Growing weary of his labor, Spinner questioned Takara why she did not reveal her true identity to Captain Chegg, as it could have returned them to warmer regions. Takara replied that her parents would not grant her the advantage of her family name and that she would not exploit it for personal gain. Given his impoverished background, Spinner felt that Takara was squandering her power and privileges. The Sith princess retorted that he could forge his own path while she forged hers. She reiterated that she was a Sith and had devised a plan: to stow back aboard the ship and sail back to Keshtah, abandoning the Captain and his crew. Upon landing on the frigid shores of the South Pole, Chegg and his surveying team began unloading supplies and equipment, intending to establish a camp and explore the area in the coming days.

Displeased with his polar assignment, Captain Chegg derisively named the newly uncharted land "Frozen Pit." Despite the presence of various wild animals and trees, Chegg believed the land lacked sentient life and questioned the Tribe's rationale for tasking him and his crew with surveying the South Pole. He instructed his men to set up shelters in anticipation of an approaching snowstorm. Meanwhile, Spinner and Takara attempted to sneak back onto the Southern Star but were apprehended by the crew. For Chegg, this confirmed his initial suspicion that Spinner was trouble from the moment he boarded, and he ordered his crew to kill the two "mutineers." After fending off several Keshiri crew members using their Force abilities, the two Humans fled towards the forest. Chegg, in turn, promised double rations to whoever killed the ringleader and triple rations if both were captured alive.

As they ran, Takara scolded Spinner for disrupting her plans by following her. Takara had intended to sneak aboard silently and eliminate the guards one by one. However, Spinner had wanted to strike the Captain and emphasized that there was no point in winning if their opponents did not witness it. After escaping the forest, they headed towards a large hill where they stumbled upon the skeletons of a massive creature, identified as a leviathan, a monstrous and gigantic Sithspawn from the Hundred-Year Darkness. Takara slipped and lost her lightsaber. By that time, Chegg and his men had caught up with the mutineers and seized Takara's lightsaber. While the Keshiri lacked the Force abilities of the Human Sith, they knew better than to lose their weapons in the snow. After mocking the Human "Protectors," claiming they would die like Keshiri, he and his crew were about to kill the Humans when they were struck down by arrows fired by cloaked figures on the horizon.

Takara attempted to fend off the strangers with her lightsaber but was quickly disarmed. The leader immediately recognized Takara as the daughter of Grand Lord Hilts and instructed her followers to lower their bows and arrows. She and her companions then removed their cloaks, identifying themselves as members of the Doomed, the stranded descendants of Jedi and Dark Jedi veterans of the Hundred-Year Darkness who had reconciled and settled in the South Pole. Their leader was a S'kytri woman named Kaliska, and her followers included a male Wookiee, a male Ithorian, and a female Chagrian. She explained that her people shared Kesh with the Sith tribe before explaining that her were people were known as "The Doomed" and that the two travelers were now "doomed" as well.

Following the capture of Takara and Spinner, the Doomed also apprehended the remaining Keshiri crew at the shore and confiscated the Southern Star. The Doomed were unwilling to release their captives, fearing they would reveal their existence to the Lost Tribe. Since they could not join the Doomed, Kaliska intended to execute the entire group but planned to speak with Takara and Spinner first. The prisoners were taken to the main settlement on Eshkrene, home to the descendants of the Jedi and Dark Jedi veterans. The settlement featured a towering structure. While walking through the settlement's streets, Spinner and Takara were surprised to encounter individuals from various species, including Rodians and Twi'leks. The Lost Tribe castaways had been primarily Human, and members of other species aboard the expedition had gradually perished through violence or natural causes.

They were also surprised by the absence of Keshiri slaves. Spinner correctly deduced that the Doomed had constructed the settlement themselves. Spinner also attempted to flirt with Takara, but she rejected his advances and reminded him to address her as "Takara" rather than "Red." She also threatened to sever his hand if he touched her again. However, Spinner pointed out that she no longer possessed her lightsaber, as their captors had confiscated it. Spinner also sensed that while the dark side was potent on Eshkrene, it was not palpable in the people. Takara simply stated that it was too cold for people to sense anything in the Force. However, she agreed that the inhabitants were null. Nevertheless, both Humans sensed power around them and desired it. Takara then noticed a dagger wielded by a Twi'lek member of the Doomed.

The two Humans then attempted to escape from their captors. Spinner engaged in combat with several members of the Doomed, even punching a Rodian in the head. Meanwhile, Takara attempted to flee back to the ship and alert the Lost Tribe to the presence of the Doomed. However, they were quickly disarmed and separated. Kaliska, using her wings, personally intervened and seized Takara by her arms, carrying her on a flight over the city. The older woman reprimanded Takara for her actions and reminded her that Eshkrene was at peace. She then introduced herself as the leader of the Doomed and explained that the remaining Keshiri crew were already in their custody. Takara expressed her surprise that the winged S'kytri woman had used the Force to lift her into her hands. Kaliska admitted she could use the Force but said that it gave her no joy to do so. After explaining the identity of the Doomed to both Spinner and Takara, she took them to the Hall of Regret, which contained the history of the Doomed.

There, Kaliska explained to both Humans that they could not afford to allow the Tribe's explorers to find Eshkrene. However, she reiterated that they could not allow any harm to come to Takara or her "protector," Spinner. Kaliska was then unaware of the poor relations between the two Humans, and Takara took that as an insult. Meanwhile, Spinner expressed his surprise at the vast amount of metal on Eshkrene and criticized his captors for wasting it on lanterns. The Twi'lek guard replied that while the light itself was not valuable, what was valuable was what the light that revealed. He explained that the lights were known as glowbacters and revealed images that had been sketched onto the ice murals on the walls. These murals documented the history of the Doomed. As a local custom, all members of the Doomed came every day or night to commemorate their original landing on Kesh during the aftermath of the Hundred-Year Darkness and the exile of the Dark Jedi into the Stygian Caldera. As the leader of the Doomed, Kaliska explained the historical origins of the community to her two Human captives.

Following the defeat of the Dark Jedi at the Battle of Corbos which ended the Hundred-Year Darkness, the Dark Jedi had been exiled to Korriban, a world in the Stygian Caldera which was home to the red-skinned Sith species. There, these Dark Jedi established themselves as Sith Lords, dark side wielding dictators who ruled the Sith. Several of these new Sith rulers including the former Baron Remulus Dreypa decided that it was time to take their revenge on the Jedi Order and the weakened Galactic Republic. They then assembled a strike force, gathering their new armies and their twisted Sith beasts. Those Sith Lords left their recalcitrant brothers behind them and ventured out of the Calder. But Dreypa and his forces came across a Jedi patrol composed of Corbos veterans looking for the Exiles, to make sure that they were unable to try to seek revenge on the Jedi and Republic. After a pursuit across the galaxy, the Jedi and Sith ships crash landed on Kesh, where the space battle became a tremendous clash of lightsaber and Force-powers.

Unable to call for reinforcements due to the strange magnetic field of Kesh, the Jedi and their former brothers fought with a unparalleled ferocity, devastating the planet by using all the weapons at their disposal. But, horrified by the extent of damage and the impact of their conflict on the planet and its inhabitants, both sides formed a truce and the Sith sealed, into one of his own oubliettes, their darkest weapon, Dreypa himself. Seeking atonement, the Jedi and the Sith dedicated themselves to find the true neutrality between the Dark and Light sides of the Force, settling at the south pole of the planet, in Eshkrene, where they formed a new community, "The Doomed." For thousands of years, the Doomed and their descendants watched over Kesh and the Keshiri, mounting guard initially on the prison of Remulus Dreypa and later monitoring the influence of the Lost Tribe of Sith on Kesh.

After Kaliska completed her account of the Doomed's history, Takara realized that the Doomed had inhabited Kesh for a significantly longer period than the Tribe. She inquired whether the Doomed had been spying on her people. Kaliska confirmed that the Doomed had been observing developments in other regions of Kesh through ice images. While the Doomed had considered intervening during the Time of the Rot a generation earlier to protect the Keshiri, they had dismissed the idea after her father, Varner Hilts, assumed leadership of the Tribe. Kaliska commended Varner Hilts as a wise leader who had restored peace and order, thanking Takara on his behalf. However, Takara was more critical of her father, believing that he had done nothing for her.

She also criticized Kaliska for expressing concern about the Sith's treatment of the Keshiri, reiterating that her people enjoyed a privileged position on Kesh. At that moment, Kaliska sensed Takara's strong ambition, noting that it was a common trait among the Lost Tribe. Despite their initial differences, Takara began to respect Kaliska and empathize with the Doomed. In contrast, her enemy, Spinner, alienated his hosts by expressing his desire to wield the "Great Weapon" while disparaging the Doomed for their inaction. Kaliska ordered her followers to confine Spinner with the sailing ship's crew. However, she allowed Takara to remain, as the Sith princess expressed her interest in staying with the Doomed and learning more about them. When Spinner derided her as a "traitor" to the Tribe, Takara retorted that she wanted to learn more about the Doomed and remarked that the anarchist belonged in prison.

After Spinner's departure, Kaliska and Takara left the Hall of Regret. Kaliska guided the Sith princess on a tour of the Doomed's settlement, eventually leading them to the local stables, which the S'kytri woman considered Eshkrene's "greatest treasure." These farm animals were the descendants of ancient offworld livestock brought by the Jedi and Dark Jedi, with some originating from remote regions of Kesh that the Tribe had not discovered. Due to the harsh and frigid conditions on Eshkrene, these animals served as the Doomed's primary food source. While Takara was initially uninterested in the animals, Kaliska taught the Sith to connect with them by calming them through the Force. This Force ability was unknown to the Tribe, who were unable to calm their uvak steeds, reptilian avians that served as the Tribe's main mode of transportation.

When Takara wondered if she could use her newfound Force ability to calm the uvaks, Kaliska responded that she already knew the answer. Kaliska also reiterated her belief that all life on Kesh formed a single system, with all its inhabitants living in symbiosis. Kaliska's comments about order saving everyone strongly resonated with her father's worldview. However, their conversation was interrupted by a loud horn. Kaliska and Takara quickly discovered that Spinner and the Keshiri crew had escaped from prison and stolen the "Great Weapon." They had also commandeered the Southern Star and sailed away while the city was still in morning meditation.

An exasperated Kaliska regretted not destroying their sailing ship and ordered all warriors to the harbor. Takara quickly realized that Spinner intended to use the "Great Weapon" to destroy her Tribe and convinced Kaliska that Spinner was never her friend but rather an enemy she had been pursuing for a few years. Takara and Kaliska agreed that they would fly to the Southern Star and attempt to reason with Spinner and the crew. The S'kytri woman then lifted Takara and flew her towards the coast. Despite their decision, Takara still felt that Spinner was unwilling to listen reason but expressed her desire to kill him.

Shortly later, the pair caught up with the Southern Star, which was already sailing through the icy ocean. Takara and Kaliska landed on the ship's deck and confronted Spinner with Takara claiming that the "Great Weapon" had been sealed for a reason. However, Spinner disregarded her warnings and reiterated that he was no longer the Tribe's slave and thus did not have to take orders from anyone, least of all his former pursuer. Spinner claimed that there was no weapon he could not use and expressed his curiosity about the weapon that even the Jedi were afraid of. Despite Kaliska's objections, Spinner broke open Dreypa's oubliette with a hammer which unleashed a small explosion and a cloud of gas.

Baron Remulus Dreypa emerged from the broken oubliette and proclaimed that he still lived despite spending four thousand years confined within his prison. Spinner and the Keshiri crew immediately pledged their allegiance and services to the ancient Dark Jedi. Outnumbered and unarmed, Takara and Kaliska were quickly taken captive by the crew and imprisoned below the Southern Star's hold. Unwilling to comprehend the ignominy of being a captive of her former prey, Constable Takara struggled against her captors and had to be restrained. By contrast, Kaliska did not resist her captors and instead entered into a state of meditation. During the voyage, Spinner managed to convince Lord Dreypa to spare his captives since Takara was the daughter of Grand Lord Hilts and could provide an important bargaining chip.

After several days of voyaging, the Southern Star arrived at the port time of Eorm. During the voyage, Spinner briefed Dreypa about the existence of the Lost Tribe. While Lord Dreypa was more interested in returning back to the larger galaxy than taking over Kesh, he still agreed to put on a demonstration of his Force powers at Eorm. The sailing ship's arrival coincided with the local Sith Lord Galathos razing several houses in retaliation for the locals not meeting their quota of producing sailcloth material for the Tribal fleet. Dreypa intervened and killed Galathos and his men by calling down Force lightning upon them and the surrounding buildings. The Dark Jedi's display of Force powers awed the local population.

Spinner initially viewed Dreypa as a liberator who would overthrow the ruling Tribal order. However, Dreypa was unwilling to fight for the rebels but offered to lead them so that they could avenge their former oppressors. Dreypa's spellbinding oratory awed the mixed crowd of Keshiri and Human outcasts who began arming for a peasant uprising against Tahv, the Tribe's capital. Both Takara and her new-found friend Kaliska were present. Takara personally found Lord Dreypa to be a charismatic and effective communicator. Kaliska agreed but warned that Dreypa's ability to organize a peasant uprising was nothing compared to his sorcerous powers which had once threatened Kesh's existence during the Great Calamity.

Kaliska explained to Takara that Dreypa had been the dreaded weapon her ancestors had sealed within a device of his own making. Since they were unable to destroy it, they had guarded it for millennia. Since the oubliette had been broken, they were unable to imprison him again. The Doomed leader also warned the Sith princess not to underestimate Dreypa's powers and abilities. However, Dreypa overheard their conversation. He remarked to Takara that Kaliska was descended from the Dark Jedi forces who had betrayed him by imprisoning him within the oubliette. Dreypa explained that he had been able to survive and preserve his sanity through an ancient amulet.

Dreypa also recalled that there was something he was looking for in the ancient past but could not remember what exactly it was. He asked Kaliska whether she knew if that knowledge was with her people in Eshkrene. Kaliska feigned ignorance and claimed that the Doomed were only concerned with the fate of the Keshiri natives. She added that while on Eorm, Dreypa would have to deal with the Human Lost Tribe. Dreypa then boasted that his ambitions were limitless and that the Tribe would serve him once he had shown them what it meant to be a "true" Sith. However, Takara angrily responded that Kesh was her people's world and that the Tribe would resist his insurrection.

Lord Dreypa replied that he would willingly meet any challenge and vowed to kill her father, whom he mocked as a "feeble fool" who had been elevated as the leader of the Tribe. Shortly later, Spinner arrived with several lightsabers he had stolen from the Tribe's local guardhouse. Earlier, Dreypa had made a pact with Spinner and promoted him to the title of Sith Lord. Dreypa then ordered his men to bind Kaliska and Takara as prisoners since he intended to use the latter as a hostage for leverage. Dreypa then ordered Spinner to arm the rebels and to march on Tahv immediately.

Takara then hatched an escape plan which involved stealing lightsabers under the guise of pretending to chat with Spinner. She confronted the anarchist over his decision to betray the Tribe. However, Spinner was unmoved and rejected the Tribe as his people and claimed that he was only working with Dreypa because he wanted to overthrow the Tribe. Takara then taunted Spinner by claiming that Dreypa would take the glory for himself even if they succeeded. While Spinner was preoccupied with their conversation, she stole two lightsabers from his knapsack. Before they parted, Takara insulted Spinner by telling him to scurry back to Dreypa's side and that he would always be a slave.

Takara and Kaliska were then led away to the uvak stables by three Keshiri men armed with spears. The older woman Kaliska warned Takara not to waste her breath on Spinner and prophesied that he would betray everyone. Kaliska replied that she had not expected to change his mind and then unleashed her lightsabers on their captors, quickly killing them within seconds. The two women then headed to the nearby uvak stables which was home to Eorm's entire herd of uvaks. Kaliska had planned to fly the uvaks back to Eshkrene and bring the Doomed to Keshtah so that they could stop Dreypa's plans. Kaliska and Takara used the Force to calm the uvaks and to convince them to fly them back to Eshkrene. Kaliska explained to Takara that these reptilian avians were capable of flying much farther than the Sith knew.

Takara and Kaliska then left Eorm with the town's entire herd of uvaks, depriving Dreypa's forces of an air force. After several days of flying, Kaliska and Takara arrived back at Eshkrene. There, Kaliska succeeded in rallying the entire population of the Doomed. Since they were facing a powerful Dark Jedi who in the ancient past had wrecked much death and destruction during the Hundred-Year Darkness, Kaliska gathered all members of her community for the mission. While this intervention would break their historic promise not to go to war near the Keshiri again, the Doomed believed they had a duty to preserve the peace on Kesh by stopping Dreypa at all costs. Kaliska was also aware that the Dark Jedi had hidden several monstrous Sithspawn known as Leviathans within Sessal Spire, a large volcano at the edge of Keshtah's southern coast overlooking the Southern Ocean.

Meanwhile, Dreypa and Spinner instigated an uprising against the Lost Tribe. Despite some initial gains at the Marisota Floodplain, the Tribe's superior Skyborn Rangers, an aerial unit of uvak riders, decimated Dreypa's forces. Consequently, Dreypa commanded his troops to fall back to Sessal Spire, with the intention of unleashing his secret weapon and fleeing Kesh. After failed negotiations with Iliana Hilts, the Tribal military leader, Dreypa summoned several Leviathans that had been dormant inside the volcano. These monstrous Sithspawn swiftly killed numerous members of the Tribe and rebels alike. Dreypa also discarded his former ally Spinner, deeming him no longer useful to the Dark Jedi. As a result, Spinner abandoned Dreypa's cause.

Amidst this chaotic slaughter, Kaliska and the Doomed reached Sessal Spire. Doomed archers focused on the Leviathans' weak spots, their blister traps, while attempting to avoid engaging the Sithspawn in close combat. Dreypa retaliated by unleashing Force lightning upon the attackers. As Spinner attempted to discreetly leave the battlefield, Takara intercepted him, flying her uvak and slamming him to the ground. She declared that this action was retribution for betraying his people to the Dark Jedi enemy. Spinner retorted that the Tribe was not his people and attempted to provoke Takara by claiming she was enslaved to her parents. During their confrontation, he drew several glass daggers while Takara ignited her red-bladed lightsaber. However, Takara skillfully evaded his attacks and kicked him in the face, knocking him down. After subduing Spinner, Takara announced the tribe's guilty verdict and prepared to execute the young anarchist with her lightsaber. However, the cries of her mother, ensnared by a Leviathan, distracted Takara.

Takara quickly moved to rescue her mother, slashing at the monster's tendrils. However, she herself was captured by the Leviathan. At that moment, Spinner intervened and attacked the Leviathan, using his daggers to rupture its blister traps. Freed, Takara threw her lightsaber to Spinner, who then used it to kill the beast. Takara was astonished that Spinner, her former enemy, had willingly aided her, considering she had been about to execute him. Spinner responded by stating that while he had no desire to help her, he had ambitions that would be thwarted by the Leviathans' destruction of his society. Although Spinner and Takara saved Takara's mother, the Leviathan had aged her. Iliana, once a middle-aged warrior queen, was now an elderly woman. Spinner explained that the Leviathans drained the life force of their victims, but they had intervened before the process was complete.

The Doomed were busy distracting the Leviathans which allowed the three Humans to escape the battlefield before more Leviathan larvae hatched. Takara and Spinner then loaded the debilitated Grand Consort onto an uvak. By this point, Dreypa had gained the advantage over the Doomed through the use of Force lightning and the Leviathans' formidable powers. One of his Leviathans captured a Rodian member of the Doomed in one of its blister traps. As the Sith Lord controlled the Leviathans, he absorbed their knowledge and quickly discovered that the Doomed were descendants of the Jedi and Dark Jedi who had imprisoned him in the oubliette. Dreypa then remembered that his ancestors had concealed a Last Hope beneath the Keshiri Burial Cairns in Tahv.

Spinner, Takara, and Iliana were the only Sith to survive the Sessal Spire onslaught. Kaliska, a S'kytri woman, was the only Doomed survivor on Keshiri, as Dreypa's Leviathans had devoured all her comrades. During their return journey to Tahv, Kaliska engaged in a brief conversation with Takara and Spinner. Given that Dreypa's Leviathans were too powerful for the Doomed and he was rapidly learning their secrets, Kaliska suggested combining their forces with the Tribe's remaining troops. However, Spinner dismissed this idea, believing that the Tribe's leadership would view her as a "freakish" alien, similar to the Leviathans. While Takara's mother, Iliana, could have led the Tribe's forces, she was debilitated and had to be flown back to Tahv on her uvak, where she hoped the Tribe's sages could heal her.

Kaliska proposed to Takara that, as a Sith Princess, she was positioned to lead her troops. She reminded Spinner and Takara that Dreypa had to be stopped, as he would pose a threat to the wider galaxy if he ever escaped offworld. Spinner then interrupted, asking the S'kytri woman if the "business about the stars" was merely poetry. Kaliska responded that she was not interested in the Human youth, as his actions had unleashed the threat of Dreypa. While she disliked Spinner's opportunism, she was surprised that he had stayed with them. Spinner then inquired about an earlier comment she had made about her people not leaving, despite their ability to use the Force. He and Takara had assumed she meant the Doomed could not leave the South Pole. However, he concluded that they had not left the planet, even though they possessed a starship.

Takara overheard Spinner's and Kaliska's conversation and questioned Kaliska about the matter. Kaliska confirmed that a single Last Hope had survived the Great Calamity for centuries, but her ancestors had hidden it within the Keshiri Burial Cairns beneath the Circle Eternal, the center of the Tribe's government on Kesh. Her ancestors had preserved the spacecraft because destroying it would have alerted the Lost Tribe to their presence. Now that Dreypa had finished extracting the memories of the slain Doomed members, the Sith Lord had recalled the existence of a way offworld. To prevent Dreypa from seizing the starship and threatening the Galaxy, Kaliska emphasized that the vessel had to be destroyed. It had been the Doomed's last hope of escaping the planet, but it would become dangerous if it fell into the wrong hands.

Kaliska explained to the two Human Sith that she could not enter the chamber because it was too narrow for her large wings. Takara was hesitant to enter the catacombs, as it would take days to reach the vessel. However, Spinner had previously entered the cairns in less than a day and was deemed the most suitable person for the task. As a former grave robber, Spinner knew how to quickly reach the Last Hope. Takara then persuaded him to return to Tahv with her mother and their uvak, presenting it as an opportunity for the former anarchist to redeem himself. While Kaliska was reluctant to trust the young man, Takara convinced her to accompany Spinner and Iliana, while the Sith princess remained behind to confront Dreypa, remarking that as a Sith she was unwilling to let herself be controlled by fate. At that moment, one of Dreypa's Leviathans, which had caught up with them, attacked the group.

Spinner and Iliana managed to escape on their uvak. As the young man had never ridden an uvak before, he had to learn how to control the winged beast. Kaliska was unable to join them, as she had been captured in one of the Leviathan's tendrils. Takara attempted to rescue her, but it was too late, as the beast had drained all her life energy and information. While Takara stayed behind to delay Lord Dreypa, Spinner and Iliana arrived in Tahv. Having devoured the last remaining member of the Doomed, Dreypa learned that the Last Hope was located on Tahv. As he was more concerned with escaping offworld and seeking revenge against the Jedi and the Republic, he was willing to allow his Leviathans to devour Kesh. However, Takara overheard him and confronted him, taunting him that Kesh would "feed on him" instead.

The Sith princess ignited her lightsaber and declared that Kesh belonged to the Tribe. She vowed to kill him and bury him for good. Lord Dreypa mocked her, claiming that the Tribe had already sent its best forces after him and that she was the only one left. However, Takara retorted that she was the Tribe and that her Tapani ancestors had broken their chains from earlier Sith despots. Finally, she vowed to break the Dark Jedi herself. Takara was referring to Yaru Korsin's Red Sith Purge, which marked the Tribe's extermination of the last remnants of Naga Sadow's Sith Empire. Despite her training and rhetoric, Takara was no match for Dreypa, who disarmed her and took her captive, intending to hold the Sith princess as his hostage.

By then, news of Dreypa and his Leviathans had spread to the Tribe's seat of power, causing widespread fear and panic. The Tribe mobilized all its forces, including Sith, Keshiri, and even slaves, to meet this new threat. Iliana was brought by a court official into the presence of her husband, Varner, who was shocked by the effects of the Force-induced accelerated aging process on his wife. After the tenders had taken the uvak back into the palace stables, Spinner seized the opportunity to slip away and enter the burial cairns. Within minutes, he navigated the catacombs and located the Last Hope. However, he broke his promise to destroy it and instead activated its engines, intending to escape Kesh for good by heading into hyperspace.

Following Spinner's escape, Dreypa used a holo-emitter to contact Spinner, demanding that the Sith outcast return the Last Hope or he would destroy the Tribal capital, Tahv, with his Leviathans. However, Spinner initially remained unmoved, claiming he did not care about the Tribe. Dreypa then presented the captive Takara Hilts, held in the grip of a Leviathan's tentacle. By accessing the late Kaliska's memories, the Dark Jedi had discovered that Spinner secretly cared for Takara and recognized this as his weakness. Spinner attempted to deny his affection for Takara, claiming they were sworn enemies. However, Dreypa dismissed Spinner's lies, noting that Kaliska's memories indicated he had helped her mother.

As one of the founders of the Sith Order, Dreypa was disgusted that the Tribe on Kesh had deviated from true Sith teachings, asserting that caring for others made one their slave. Dreypa then offered to trade Takara and her homeworld for the ship, instructing Spinner to meet him at Tahv. Unable to endure the humiliation of being defeated and captured a third time, an exasperated Takara declared that she was no one's weakness. While struggling to break free from her Leviathan captor, Takara angrily told Spinner to leave Kesh for good, as no one on Kesh knew or cared about who he was. Takara's plight affected Spinner, and he decided to abandon his quest to explore the galaxy. Instead, he chose to destroy Dreypa's Leviathans and free Takara from the Dark Jedi. Spinner then returned to Tahv and requested the Last Hope's computer to provide a quick tutorial on operating the vessel's weapon systems and tractor beam projector.

Dreypa's Leviathans inflicted significant damage on Tahv, forcing the Tribe's Sith Sabers to retreat. Takara's mother, Iliana, led the beleaguered defense of the city, while her scholarly father, Varner, attempted to salvage historical documents. One Leviathan even breached the Grand Lord's palace just as the scholarly Varner Hilts had begun evacuating the Tribe's prized tomes. As the monster was about to devour the elderly Sith Lord, Spinner's Last Hope arrived over the palace. Spinner then used the ship's tractor beam projector to pull the Leviathan into the sky. He then used the ship's turbolaser cannons to destroy the beast. Spinner also used the starship's intercom system to announce to the Grand Lord that he had come to help the Tribe. Spinner then eliminated several of the remaining Leviathans by strafing them with his turbolaser systems.

Lord Dreypa was enraged to see his "pets" being destroyed by Spinner's Last Hope. Soon, the Sith Lord was left with only one Leviathan, but Takara was still trapped in the beast's tentacle. Dreypa then ordered his Leviathan to climb atop a tall building to meet Spinner and his starship. The Dark Lord reiterated his ultimatum and threatened to kill the Sith princess. However, Spinner remained defiant, telling the Sith Lord that he was "going to send him back to his coffin in pieces." At that moment, Takara seized the opportunity created by Dreypa's distraction and used Force lightning to attack the massive Leviathan, decapitating the monster. As the beast fell to its death, she and Dreypa leapt onto the hull of the Last Hope. Realizing that he had both Takara and Dreypa onboard, Spinner steered the starship on a rapid course towards the Southern Ocean.

Due to its advanced engine systems, the vessel reached the shores of Keshtah within seconds. Spinner then halted the vessel and hovered over the ocean before opening the cockpit's canopy. He declared that he was ready to confront the Sith Lord and apologized for destroying his monstrous "critters." He offered the Sith Lord the chance to leave Kesh for good in exchange for accepting his deal to rule the planet. However, Dreypa threatened to kill both Spinner and Takara for the trouble they had caused him. Before he could act, Spinner grabbed Takara, and they jumped from the vessel into the ocean below. Spinner had previously reset the ship's computer to set the vessel on a collision course with Sessal Spire's caldera and locked the course program to prevent Dreypa from altering it. As planned, Dreypa re-entered the ship's cockpit, only to be trapped on a one-way journey to Sessal Spire.

The doomed ship crashed into the crater, resulting in a fiery explosion. With that, Lord Dreypa perished, and the ancient Dark Jedi's threat to the Lost Tribe was eliminated. However, the Last Hope, the only means of escaping Kesh, was also destroyed. Consequently, no information about Kesh and the Lost Tribe reached the wider galaxy until after the Second Galactic Civil War. Following the battle, Takara initially reprimanded Spinner for destroying the Tribe's only means of leaving the planet. She also questioned Spinner's decision to destroy his only way offworld when he had the power to leave Kesh forever, asking what kind of Sith he was. A cheerful Spinner simply replied that he was just a vandal who wrecked stuff. He also remarked that his actions that day had saved Kesh and rightfully believed that his former oppressors would welcome him as a hero.

As a result of their experiences at the Siege of Tahv, the two former adversaries, Takara and Spinner, developed a romantic relationship. The Tribe subsequently rescued the two Humans and brought them back to Tahv. The former outcast, Spinner, was quickly elevated to hero status for saving Tahv. His past transgressions were conveniently overlooked, and the grateful Grand Lord Varner even offered Spinner a position as one of his Hands, an elite spy. The Tribe also dispatched a second exploratory mission to Eshkrene to gather more information about the enigmatic Doomed. All members of that Force order had perished during Dreypa's rebellion, and little trace of their former settlement remained on Eshkrene. This led Lord Hilts to conclude that their Force powers were the only thing protecting their city from the elements.

During the reconstruction efforts in Tahv, Takara encountered Spinner and expressed her surprise that he had not been imprisoned. By then, the Sith princess Takara had bathed and changed into new clothes. In contrast, Spinner remained in the same clothes he had worn for the past few days and had not cleaned himself. Spinner joked that he was fortunate the planet did not have enough metal to make chains and explained that he had been placed in charge of the rebuilding effort. Takara commented that she was pleased he had found a new purpose in life.

During a private conversation in the palace gardens, Spinner explained that the Grand Lord had offered him the position of becoming his new Hand, but he needed time to consider the offer. Hilts explained that her father had offered her the same position in the past, but she had declined. She also cautioned him to be careful in his dealings with the various Lords before suggesting that he pay attention to his personal hygiene by bathing. Spinner jokingly warned her to respect his newfound celebrity status as the hero who had saved Tahv. The young man was thrilled about his newfound opportunity to work for the Tribe, which would allow him to improve his social standing.

Meanwhile, the two Hilts parents observed the warm, developing relationship between the two former enemies. The Grand Consort Iliana remained skeptical about appointing an outsider as her husband's special agent while overlooking their own daughter, Takara. In response, Varner assured his wife that it was likely that both Parlan and Takara would become his personal Hands. It can be assumed that Spinner and Takara would develop a close romantic relationship, marry, and produce successors.

Like many Sith, Takara Hilts was driven by ambition and the pursuit of power. Despite her high social status as a Sith princess in Keshiri society, Takara remained dissatisfied with her position as a Prefect of Police, which she considered insignificant. She initially believed that her father, Varner Hilts', meritocratic power structure prevented her from fully realizing her potential. This motivated her fateful decision to stow away on an Alanciari sailing ship and start a new life on Alanciar, where she hoped to seize power. Ultimately, this decision led her to encounter her enemy, Parlan Spinner, and set in motion a series of events that nearly threatened the Tribe's existence.

As a Human on Kesh, Takara enjoyed a privileged social status. She held a condescending view of the indigenous Keshiri, a purple-skinned humanoid species native to Kesh. She attempted to use her species' status to intimidate the Alanciari Captain Chegg. However, Chegg was unmoved by her rhetoric and forced her to assist Spinner in operating the sails, as they were going to land on Eshkrene. Later, Takara became angered when the Doomed leader, Kaliska, questioned her people's treatment of the Keshiri.

Despite her desire for power, Takara was more receptive to learning about the Doomed, the descendants of an earlier group of stranded Jedi and Dark Jedi who had landed on Kesh following the Hundred-Year Darkness. Through her friendship with Kaliska, Takara gained knowledge of the Doomed's origins and beliefs. She also learned how to use the Force to calm animals. Her warm relationship with Kaliska led her to sympathize with their cause, which centered on preventing the Dark Jedi Remulus Dreypa from escaping Kesh and endangering the galaxy.

Takara initially had an antagonistic relationship with Parlan Spinner, a Sith outcast and anarchist who sought to overthrow the Lost Tribe. However, they became allies after Spinner rescued Takara and her mother, Iliana, from being devoured by a Leviathan, an ancient Sithspawn. The two would then play a crucial role in the defeat of Lord Dreypa, whose actions nearly annihilated the Lost Tribe. Their shared experiences led them to develop a romantic relationship following Dreypa's defeat.

Despite her ambitious nature, Takara still demonstrated love and affection towards her parents and, subsequently, Spinner. Unlike other women, Takara disliked being dependent on male protagonists to rescue her. As a constable, Takara regarded being captured by others as a great disgrace. On two occasions, she confronted her captors and succeeded on the second occasion when she managed to slay Dreypa's last surviving Leviathan.

As a Sith apprentice in the Lost Tribe of Sith, Takara possessed proficiency in dark side powers, such as Force lightning. Like most other members of the Tribe, she was also skilled in lightsaber combat but was no match for powerful Dark Siders like Remulus Dreypa. She also knew how to ride an uvak, a winged reptilian creature commonly used as a riding animal on Kesh. Under Kaliska's guidance, Takara learned to use the Force to tame animals.

As the Prefect of Police in Tahv, Takara was adept at police work, which she used to capture Parlan Spinner. As a member of the ruling elite, she was also well-educated and regularly wrote reports.

John Jackson Miller created Takara Hilts as one of the two primary protagonists of the Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith comic series, which premiered on August 8, 2012. This five-issue comic series continued until December 12, 2012. Andrea Mutti provided the illustrations, Pierluigi Baldassini did the inking, and Michael Atiyeh handled the coloring. Along with the Lost Tribe outcast Parlan Spinner, she was one of the two main point-of-view characters in the stand-alone series.