Paragon (Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith, #3)

Title: Paragon (Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith, #3)

Author: John Jackson Miller

Published in: 2010

Date read: 4th July 2013

Score: 3/5

Genre: Science fiction, Fantasy

Plot: (Warning, may contain spoilers):
"Paragon" by John Jackson Miller is a short story within the "Lost Tribe of the Sith" collection, part of the Star Wars Legends continuity. It is chronologically the third story in the series, following "Precipice" and "Skyborn."

Set centuries after the initial crash of the Sith mining vessel Omen on the isolated planet Kesh, "Paragon" delves into a significant period of the Lost Tribe's history. The initial Sith survivors have long since established themselves as "Skyborn" deities ruling over the indigenous Keshiri population.

The story primarily focuses on a pivotal moment of intellectual and technological stagnation within the Lost Tribe. The Sith, cut off from the wider galaxy, have begun to lose their advanced knowledge and their ability to innovate. Their technology is decaying, and their understanding of the Force, particularly its scientific applications, is weakening, becoming more akin to superstition.

A key element of "Paragon" is the struggle between those who cling to dogma and tradition, fearing change and the loss of the "Skyborn" mystique, and those who recognise the decline and seek to understand their true heritage and regain lost knowledge. The narrative highlights the challenges of maintaining a technologically advanced society when isolated and without external stimuli or resources.

The story explores the internal conflicts and power dynamics within the Lost Tribe as they grapple with their diminishing capabilities. It sets the stage for future events in the series, illustrating how the Sith on Kesh, despite their isolation, remain true to their nature – constantly striving for power, even against their own kind, and always seeking to restore their former glory, however dimly they recall it. "Paragon" is crucial for understanding the gradual evolution and eventual re-emergence of this unique branch of the Sith.

Comments:
More insight to the Sith before the return to the "rule of two".

Books that we've read by John Jackson Miller (8):
Skyborn (Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith, #2) (2009), Precipice (Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith, #1) (2009), Paragon (Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith, #3) (2010), Purgatory (Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith, #5) (2010), Savior (Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith, #4) (2010), Knight Errant (Star Wars) (2011), Sentinel (Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith, #6) (2011), Lost Tribe of the Sith: The Collected Stories (2012)