Who You Are in the Dark is the fifth installment in Sakaros's still-Untitled New Sith Wars series. Tirien Kal-Di and Narasi Rican journey to the Outer Rim world of Toprawa to rescue a fellow Jedi and foil a Sith plot to raise a superweapon.
Publisher's summary[]
Excerpt[]
| Source: Who You Are in the Dark | Attribution: Sakaros |
|
Even as Tirien wondered if he could divert Almis, the door opened again and Narasi walked in. This entrance was not as subtle; everyone who looked kept looking, a few nudged their less attentive neighbors, and one slipped out the door behind Narasi's back. Narasi met his gaze for a second, but Tirien warned her with his eyes, and he felt her steel herself. Adopting an impressively disdainful expression, she strode to the bar and took a seat like she owned it. "I'll have a Flameout." Tirien had to keep himself from staring; there was nothing he could do without blowing their covers, so he stared at his own glass and fumed. "Uh…you of age, miss?" the bartender asked. "Are you questioning me?" Narasi demanded. She had moderated her accent a little. The bartender raised his hands. "I'm just asking…" "Because I know a few customers who might pay well for a trained bartender," Narasi threatened. "Do you take my meaning?" The man swallowed. "Yes, uh, ma'am. Flameout." | |
Segments[]
Appearances[]
| Characters | Creatures | Droid models | Events | Locations |
| Organizations and titles | Sentient species | Vehicles and vessels | Weapons and technology | Miscellanea |
Characters
Dramatis personae
|
Other characters
|
Creatures
Events
|
Locations
Organizations and titles
|
Sentient species
Vehicles and vessels
|
Weapons and technology
Miscellanea
Plot Summary[]
Tirien Kal-Di and his apprentice Narasi Rican have been chasing Darth Alecto throughout the galaxy for the better part of a year, though she has eluded them. While they are in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, Tirien Kal-Di finds his apprentice studying Makashi under the supervision of Jedi Masters Honsu Toldin and Argus Z'dar. Z'dar shares his frustration with the course of the war, particularly that Karr Shadeez's Knights were allowed to spread to the wind after the calamitous Battle of Gizer the previous year.
Called before the Jedi Council, Tirien and Narasi are sent to Toprawa to investigate rumors of Sith activity and rescue Jedi Knight Gennic Forgey, who was previously given the same assignment and has since lost contact. Because Toprawa is in Sith space, the two travel incognito, with Tirien playing the role of a spacer and Narasi reluctantly acting the part of a stereotypical Zygerrian slaver. Tirien trawls for rumors in a local bar, but the bartender only parts with information when Narasi (who has quickly become intoxicated drinking a Flameout) subtly threatens him with enslavement. Tirien delivers his apprentice from an attack by a local drunk, and is startled when she blithely admits that she picked a Flameout because it was what her father drank when she was a little girl. After sobering up, Narasi is nervous about what she might have shared and very defensive about her actions, insisting that she was merely playing the part, though inside she is sickened by the memory of how she enjoyed the bartender's fear.
The two Jedi discover an excavation site controlled by Valin Aresh's Dark Vanguard and manage to infiltrate through a subterranean tunnel, though they are attacked by a dianoga on the way and the commotion draws the attention of the Vanguard. Captured, the two Jedi are split up. Narasi is incarcerated with Gennic Forgey, but he believes she is a Sith spy because she is a Zygerrian; she is aggravated, but also suffers self-doubt, wondering if her Zygerrian heritage caused her earlier evil feelings. Tirien, meanwhile, is locked up with another infiltrator—Darth Alecto, sent to identify and seize the Sith superweapon Aresh was seeking. Tirien and Alecto fight briefly before admitting they are too restrained for effective combat, and settle into a sullen stalemate.
The next day, Aresh's guards split Tirien and Alecto up, ostensibly taking Tirien for interrogation while Alecto is to meet with General Eviar Seldec, Aresh's apprentice. However, Tirien overhears two Quarren discussing their instructions to murder Alecto and, after a brief internal conflict, manages to tackle Alecto and warn her of the plan. Thus forewarned, Alecto escapes her captors and kills the Vanguardian sent to investigate, musing on the irony of her survival due to Tirien's mercy.
Tirien is brought before Seldec, who tortures him with the Betrayer's Heart, a Sith amulet which compels Force-sensitives to unleash their powers randomly. He also reveals that the excavation is for the Architect of Betrayal, an enormous war engine which amplifies the amulet's power to the scope of a battlefield. Meanwhile, Alecto retrieves her lightsaber from the mine's power room, slaughters the guards there, and destroys the power generator. Freed from their cell, Narasi and Gennic overwhelm their guards, and Narasi convinces a still-skeptical Gennic to collaborate with her. They find the power room and retrieve their own weapons, after which Gennic leads Narasi to the mines.
Discovered by a Vanguardian, Narasi causes enough of a distraction for Tirien to kick the Betrayer's Heart away from Seldec. A battle erupts in the mine, with Tirien and Gennic dueling Vanguardians and Seldec while Narasi and the last Vanguardian struggle to retrieve the amulet. Ultimately, knowing they are outnumbered, Gennic destroys the amulet, sacrificing himself in the ensuing blast, which causes a mine collapse. The remaining Sith escape while Tirien and Narasi are led to the surface by a freed slave.
Escaping Toprawa aboard the Second Chance, Tirien reflects on what he believes was Alecto's action to save him and Narasi. Narasi at last confides her enjoyment of the bartender's fear and her concerns about her natural tendencies. Tirien reassures her that being a Zygerrian does not determine her destiny, but counsels her to be on guard against the real problem—the temptation of the dark side. Though admonishing her to find her self-worth in her status as a Jedi and a part of the Force, Tirien comforts Narasi by admitting that he thinks she is a good person. The two receive a priority communication from Elata Cazars on Coruscant, who commands them to reroute to Denon and board the Jedi praxeum ship Crescentia.
Behind the Scenes[]
Character is what you are in the dark.
—Dwight L. Moody
This work's title was inspired by Sakaros's slightly-misremembered version of the above quote.
Narasi complains "Something just moved past my leg!", a line from A New Hope. The something is the same in both cases, too.