Kesh

Kesh was a remote planet located in Wild Space. It was the homeworld of the Near-Human Keshiri species. The planet was mountainous and covered mostly in sand, with at least one major ocean. The surface of the planet was composed of three continents: Keshtah, on which the Lost Tribe of Sith laid the groundwork for its planetary domination, Alanciar, which was the largest land mass of the planet and Eshkrene, which was at the South Pole.

In 5,000 BBY a Sith starship, the Omen, crashed onto the planet, and the stranded survivors formed the Lost Tribe of Sith. The Keshiri believed that the Sith were their gods, the Skyborn, and gave themselves over to lives of service to the Tribe.

Geography
Kesh was a remote planet located in Wild Space. It was known to have three continents in its southern hemisphere: Keshtah, Alanciar, and Eshkrene. Keshtah was separated from Alanciar by two bodies of water: a large ocean known as the Endless Sea to the east and a smaller sea known as the Sea of Flames to the west. Keshtah was also separated from Eshkrene by the Southern Ocean. As of 2975 BBY, Kesh's northern hemisphere still remained unexplored though uvak flights and boats had been sent on successful missions.

One Galactic Standard Day was one-second shorter than a normal day on Kesh due to differences in the length of days and years on that planet. Thus by 3,000 BBY, it was estimated that the Keshiri calendar according to the local sandpipes was eight days shorter than the Galactic Standard Calendar. Interstellar travel and offworld communications in Kesh were hampered by a strong magnetic field and a lack of natural metal beneath the planet's surface. Kesh was known to orbit a star and had at least two moons.

Keshtah
Keshtah was a small mountainous continent which was home to several mountain ranges including Takara Mountains&mdash;originally called the Cetajan Mountains. This mountain range was very steep and also covered a peninsula which bordered the Sea of Flames. At the tip of this peninsula lay a a Sith Temple, which had been built by the Lost Tribe of Sith over the crash site of the starship Omen, which had crashed on the mountains during the Great Hyperspace War. Due to its remote location, the Temple was accessible only by air or a hazardous climb up the slopes.

In addition, Keshtah was also home to several settlements including its largest city and capital Tahv. Prior to 5000 BBY, Tahv was a small Keshiri village which had been built to keep the Keshiri safe from dangerous creatures. By 4975 BBY, it had become the capital of the Sith Tribe on Kesh and would remain so for several millennia. After the Lost Tribe of Sith helped the Keshiri either drive away or domesticate Kesh's native beasts, Tahv became a decorative city, focusing mainly on workings of art, often created by Sith artists using the Force. Some buildings in Tahv included the capitol building, which was built on top of a large plaza known as the Circle Eternal, the Korsinata stadium, and the zoo. The city also had a large aqueduct system.

Other prominent natural features included the volcano Sessal Spire, the Marisota River and floodplain, and the Ragnos Lakes. Sessal Spire was located on a peninsula at the southeastern coast of Keshtah and overlooked the Sea of Flames. The Ragnos Lakes was home to several Keshiri settlements including Tetsubal until 4985 BBY when thousands of Keshiri were killed during a mass poisoning outbreak of cyanogen silicate.



Alanciar
Kesh's second known continent was Alanciar, which was also known as Keshtah Major. According to Quarra Thayn, Alanciar resembled the hind leg of a muntok, a reptilian beast of burden. It had six peninsulas on its southwestern coast which were known as the Six Claws and faced the Endless Sea, which was also known as the Western Sea. These Six Claws were known to have six forts which were used to warn the Alanciari of any invasion attempt by the Sith until 2975 BBY. The Shank was the southern region of Alanciar and was home to many canals and farms. Alanciar was home to several mountain ranges including the Eskellon Mountains. Alanciar had a plateau in the center of its northern region. Eastern Alanciar was also home to several forests and settlements. The Northern Slope also contained several industrial cities. Known settlements on Alanciar included the capital Sus'mintri and the towns of Kerebba and Uhrar.

Eshkrene
Kesh's third known continent was Eshkrene, which was located at the planet's south pole. It had an arctic climate and environment and was covered entirely in snow. However, it was known to have some forests and hills on its northern reaches. This continent was first settled by the Doomed, the descendants of stranded offworld Jedi and Dark Jedi who had instigated the Great Cataclysm following the Hundred-Year Darkness. The Doomed resided in a settlement known as the City of the Doomed which was held together solely by their will in the Force. Following the deaths of the Doomed during Dreypa's rebellion in 2974 BBY, the City of the Doomed succumbed to the elements and little trace of it remained.

The Keshiri
The planet Kesh was the homeworld of the Keshiri, a purple-skinned near-Human species. By 5000 BBY, the Keshiri living on the southern hemisphere continent of Keshtah Minor had developed an aristocratic elite known as the Neshtovar, who rode on uvaks, domestic winged reptiles that were also indigenous to Kesh. The Neshtovar used their uvak steeds to develop an aerial circuit system which connected Keshtah's settlements. The Neshtovar regarded themselves as the "Sons of the Skyborn", a race of powerful gods who were believed to have created Kesh during a "Great Battle" with the malevolent Otherside. Until the Sith-takeover, the Neshtovar ruled their communities as a priestly elite and persecuted dissenters like the geologist Adari Vaal who disagreed with their creation account. The Sith took over Keshtah Minor by claiming to be the Skyborn.

Another Keshiri civilization developed on the continent of Alanciar. It was home to several large cities and had evolved into a highly militaristic civilization by 2975 BBY. The Alanciari regarded Adari Vaal as the founder of their civilization and were dedicated to resisting any invasion by the Sith from Keshtah Minor. As a result, they developed a highly complex defense system which consisted of semaphore signal stations, thoughtcriers, ballista, an air force of uvak-riders, seagoing vessels, and a large military. In 2975 BBY, the Sith annexed Alanciar with minimal resistance and gained control of its vast resources and strong industrial base. They were helped by the Alanciari man Jogan Halder, who convinced his people that the Sith did not pose a threat to them.

The Sith Tribe
By 44 ABY, Kesh was ruled by a purely Human Sith Tribe which ruled over the Keshiri. The head of state was the Grand Lord who was supported by a Circle of Lords, which consisted of seven High Lords and thirteen Sith Lords. Other known ranks, from bottom to top, included Sith Tyros, Sith apprentices, Sith Sabers, Sith Master, and the Grand Consort, the spouse of the Grand Lord. The Tribe was the most important social and political organization in Kesh and had been established by Yaru Korsin, the Founder of the Tribe. It was the most important institution for social mobility and was open to both Force-sensitive Humans and Keshiri by 3000 BBY due to the reforms of Grand Lord Varner Hilts.

By 3960 BBY, Sith society on Keshtah Minor was divided into four main social groups: the Tribe, non-Force-sensitive Humans, disenfranchised Human slaves, and a large Keshiri serf class. Human members of the Tribe who fell out with the authorities were often condemned to generational slavery. Many of these slaves resided in the port town of Eorm where they were forced to serve as unskilled tailors, weavers, and laborers. Slavery continued even after the Hilts Restoration and at least one slave uprising was known to have occurred in 2974 BBY. It was also possible for slaves to regain their place in the Tribe if they cooperated with the authorities or did heroic acts, as in the cases of Candra Kitai and Parlan Spinner.

Alien Offworlders
Besides the Keshiri and Human Sith, Kesh was also known to have been home to several alien species. The Doomed, a small Force-sensitive community descended from stranded Jedi and Dark Jedi who had settled following the Hundred-Year Darkness, had individuals from a wide variety of species including S'kytri, Wookiees, Chagrians, Rodians, Ithorians, Twi'leks, and Weequays. They exiled themselves to the southern polar continent of Eshkrene as penance for their role in triggering the Great Calamity. The Doomed committed themselves to finding a balance between the light and dark sides of the Force and watched over the Keshiri and Sith Tribe. This community perished during Dreypa's rebellion in 2974 BBY. In addition, the Sith Tribe which came to Kesh during the Great Hyperspace War included 57 Red Sith and the Houk Gloyd.

The Great Calamity
Kesh was the homeworld of the purple-skinned near-Human Keshiri species. Two Keshiri civilizations were known to have developed on the continents of Keshtah Minor and Alanciar. Due to its remote location and strange magnetic field which inhibited hyperspace travel and offworld communications, Kesh remain isolated from the rest of the galaxy for much of galactic history. Kesh's first known encounter with offworlders occurred during the aftermath of the Hundred-Year Darkness when two rival groups of Force-users, a Dark Jedi faction led by the Sith Lord Remulus Dreypa and their Jedi pursuers, became stranded on Kesh. Dreypa had been part of a group of Dark Jedi who had been exiled to the Stygian Caldera following the Battle of Corbos. He sought to return to the galaxy and seek revenged against the Jedi and the Galactic Republic.

After they left the Stygian Caldera, they were pursued by a Jedi force which had devoted itself to protecting the Republic from the Exiles should they return. After a chase across the galaxy, the two forces crash landed on Kesh, where the Jedi and their former brethren and their legions clashed. These Force-wielders triggered the Great Calamity or "Great Cataclysm" which traumatized the native Keshiri, who later remembered the event as a titanic battle between two rival groups of gods&mdash;the Protectors and the malevolent Destructors. Adari Vaal later speculated that this Great Cataclysm triggered the separation of Keshtah and Alanciar. Ultimately, the Jedi and Sith grew disillusioned with their rivalries and declared a truce. The Dark Jedi imprisoned their fanatical leader Dreypa within an oubliette while the Jedi hid their last remaining hyperspace-capable starship beneath the Keshiri village of Tahv's Circle Eternal plaza.

The former Jedi and Dark Jedi then migrated to the southern polar continent of Eshkrene where they founded a Force-sensitive community known as The Doomed. They dedicated themselves to finding a true balance within the Force and also maintained a constant vigil over the imprisoned Dreypa. They also watched over the Keshiri and the Sith Tribe. The Doomed also built a city which was held together by their Force will. Over the successive millennia, certain species within the community became extinct as their members died out.

The Sith Tribe
Following the Great Calamity, the Keshiri on Keshtah Minor developed an aristocratic elite known as the Neshtovar, an all-male body who served as the political leadership, religious priesthood, and a police force. They used their uvak steeds to develop an aerial circuit system which connected Keshtah's settlements. The Neshtovar regarded themselves as the "Sons of the Skyborn", a race of powerful gods who were believed to have created Kesh during a "Great Battle" with the malevolent Otherside. The Neshtovar ruled their communities with an iron grip and had a penchant for harassing and persecuting religious dissenters like the geologist Adari Vaal, who was taunted by her community and even publicly tried at the Circle Eternal in Tahv.

In 5,000 BBY, during the Great Hyperspace War, Omen, a Sith starship carrying Lignan crystals crashed on this mountainous planet. Though it was not technologically advanced, the survivors of the crash established a community known as the Lost Tribe of Sith, and over millennia they grew into an order of substantial number.

In 41.5 ABY, the inhabitants of Kesh regained space travel for the first time in over five thousand years, when a Sith Meditation Sphere known as Ship arrived on Kesh. The tribe spent the next two years capturing ships and creating a Sith armada.

Two years later, the fleet contained several dozen ships, including the rebuilt Omen. After sensing the presence of exiled Jedi Grand Master Luke Skywalker through the force, a strike team was put together to hunt down and kill Skywalker. It was also at this time that Ship left Kesh.

Behind the scenes
The planet of Kesh first appeared in the eBook Lost Tribe of the Sith: Precipice. However, it remained unnamed until its appearance in Omen, the second novel in the nine-part Fate of the Jedi series.

Appearances

 * Lost Tribe of the Sith: Precipice
 * Lost Tribe of the Sith: Skyborn
 * Lost Tribe of the Sith: Paragon
 * Lost Tribe of the Sith: Savior
 * Lost Tribe of the Sith: Purgatory
 * Lost Tribe of the Sith: Sentinel
 * Lost Tribe of the Sith: Pantheon
 * Lost Tribe of the Sith: Secrets
 * Lost Tribe of the Sith: Pandemonium
 * Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith: Spiral
 * Imprint
 * Omen
 * Abyss
 * Backlash
 * Allies
 * Vortex
 * Conviction
 * Ascension
 * Apocalypse
 * Crucible