Purgatory (Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith, #5)

Title: Purgatory (Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith, #5)

Author: John Jackson Miller

Published in: 2010

Date read: 19th June 2013

Score: 4/5

Genre: Science fiction, Fantasy

Plot: (Warning, may contain spoilers):
"Purgatory" by John Jackson Miller is the third novella in the "Lost Tribe of the Sith" series (part of the Star Wars Legends continuity), following "Precipice" and "Skyborn." It continues the saga of the Sith stranded on the isolated planet Kesh, focusing on a period of intense internal conflict and a struggle for spiritual and political dominance.

The story is set approximately 1,500 years after the initial crash of the Omen on Kesh. By this point, the initial Sith survivors have established a thriving, albeit volatile, society, ruthlessly dominating the indigenous Keshiri. The descendants of the original marooned Sith, known as the Sith Purebloods, maintain a strict social hierarchy, with the most powerful Force-sensitives at the top.

However, the passage of time and generations has led to significant internal divisions. The rigid adherence to ancient Sith traditions is challenged by newer interpretations of the Dark Side, as well as the ever-present Sith tendency towards ambition and betrayal. The society is riddled with suspicion and paranoia, and the ruling Sith struggle to maintain control over both their Keshiri subjects and their own treacherous ranks.

"Purgatory" delves into a particularly bloody period of civil war and purges within the Lost Tribe. Leaders rise and fall, often through brutal coups and assassinations. The novella explores the philosophical justifications (or rationalizations) for their constant infighting, framed within their twisted understanding of the Dark Side as a tool for constant evolution through conflict. The environment of Kesh, with its unique flora and fauna, often plays a role in their survival and power struggles.

The title "Purgatory" reflects the state of the Lost Tribe – they are neither fully ascended back to galactic power nor entirely destroyed. They are trapped in a cycle of internal conflict and self-purification through violence, constantly testing the limits of their Sith beliefs. The story highlights the deep-seated self-destructive nature inherent in the Sith philosophy when external enemies are no longer a unifying force.

The novella continues to build the complex history of the Lost Tribe, introducing characters who embody different facets of Sith ambition and survival. It's a dark exploration of a society isolated by time and distance, consumed by its own destructive tenets, and constantly seeking a way to prove its strength through struggle.

Comments:
I know that I enjoyed it enough to score it a 4, other than that, I am struggling to remember it in enough detail so that I don't confuse parts with the novella before and after.

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)