Tales of the Jedi: Knights of Selani Sector


Factions: The Sith

Colonized shortly before the Great Hyperspace War, there were no great fleet actions in this area. Consequently, the area had an intact building infrastructure (though poor and mostly undeveloped) and relatively formidable defenses that induced the pirates and raiders of the Hundred Years Darkness to seek weaker and/or wealthier targets. A fugitive Sith Master fled the Sith Empire purssued by a Republic battlegroup and did venture through the sector (and reputedly tried to hide in Betorok's orbit) but did not make planetfall before fleeing out of the sector Rimward. Rumors about the Masters' reputed Sith amulet proliferated during the Silver Age of the Sith, but was deemed ficticious by the Jedi who investigated the rumors during the period.

As the Republic stabilized and again rose to prosperity following the Darkness, Selani proved to be the strongest sector in the region, and the Republic acknowledged that by stationing then one of the most modern and strong task forces, which would form the backbone of a strong Sector Fleet and discourage mercenary activities in the region. The so-called “Silver Age of the Sith” saw only a minimal amount of activity in Selani Sector, mostly by the deployment of elements from the Selani Sector fleet.

The Fall of Corrin U'Majna and rumored Sith amulet

Corrin U'Majna's fall again brought attention to the tales of the renegade Sith Master and his rumored amulet. Jedi Master Alec Mest-Krym sent his apprentice to investigate, but the apprentice was killed with Master Macen in orbit of Betorok. After Macen's death, and Mest-Krym's own arrival in the region, he himself reported to the Jedi Council of the Great Library on Ossus that he deemed the rumors unfounded.

The Cult of the "Circles of Thrak"

The discovery of a Sith based cult on the worlds of Selani Sector drew Master Mest-Krym's attention after he discounted the rumors of a Sith Amulet. With the aid of Jedi Knight Thaara Munaro and the other Jedi Knights of the Selani Jedi Temple, Master Mest-Krym has taken it upon himself to investigate and destroy the cult.

Master Mest-Krym has hypothesized that the origins of the Circles of Thrak are in the Krath coup of the Empress-Teta (Koros) System in the Deep Core.. Satal Keto has been identified by the Republic Security Organization as the leader of the Krath and he has claimed rulership of the Tetan worlds after the patricide of his father, the rightful Lord Keto (who was embedded alive in molten carbonite in Satal's presence). Kranus Keto, 2nd cousin to Satal, and his nephew Kerus left Koros Major 4 days before the coup on an extended traveling vacation to the Expansion Region and Galactic Frontier of the Republic, despite an earlier well-publicized scorn for "the bumpkins on the ass-edge of the space" that aroused some controversy in rimward Gabarzeen Sector. Kranus and Kerus deny any knowledge of the Krath coup and claim no knowledge of the Sith-influenced cult.

Organization

The Circles of Thrak are organized in "circles" reminiscent of the loose semi-tribal organization of the Ancient Sith. One of the most intruiging aspects is their near complete anonymity from each other outside of their cult identities. Explicit and public knowledge of a fellow cultist is not only discouraged, but usually punished severely, if not fatally. Most indicative of this practice is their semi-ceremonial masking of their faces.

Initiates are the lowest level and not true members of the Circles. Members of the 3rd Circle clandestinely recruit small groups of prospective members, often masking their activities in the "rave" scene of post-adolescents and young adults of Selani sector. After selection, these initiates are then admonished to prove their worth by accomplishing the menial and often highest profile dangerous tasks of the cult. They're usually considered disposable by their 3rd circle Acolyte. Initiates wear plain black cloth masks, usually with holes for the eyes though one-way transparent fiber has been witnessed on occasion.

3rd Circle cultists are analogous to the Acolytes of the Sith Empire. With the aid of the Dark Side, the cultists are usually consider an analogy to a Jedi apprentice who has been trained in rudimentary Force use. Members of the 3rd Circle usually operate on their own, though sometimes in twos and rarely in three or more. Each fosters their own set of Initiates, hoping to gain enough power to rise to the 2nd Circle. There seems to be no set ratio of 3rd Circle cultists to Initiates as they have been observed with as many as two dozen initiates to as few as three. The 3rd Circle emphasis Fear in those below them and in their enemies. Junior members of the 3rd Circle wear simple and unremarkable black or gray ceramic and plastic masks, often with a cloth mask underneath. Senior members have hand decorated and/or ornamented their simple masks

2nd Circle members are considered to be equivalent to the Sith Adepts of the Empire. The rush of Dark Side power has made them analogous to a junior Jedi Knight, though they lack the experience and depth of skill attained by Jedi apprenticeship. They can be quite dangerous, however, especially before their full attainment of the Dark Side, when they're still heady with the rush of their new power and the experience in using it hasn't yet taken it's toll. The 2nd Circle operate individually from each other, usually leading their own cabal of 3rd Circle minions. It is very rare for two or more members of the 2nd Circle to gather. The cultists of the 2nd Circle have embraced Fear and now harness their Anger. Their entry into the 1st Circle can not yet be conjectured due to a lack of data. There seem to be three to six 3rd Circle cultists for every member of the 2nd Circle, though ironically many 2nd Circle cultists apparently pit their 3rd Circle minions against each other in competition of (if not contradictory) accomplishment of objectives in a crucible of worthiness to weed out the weaker. Those of the 2nd Circle tend to wear far more individualized masks from faces of mythological figures to caricatures of creatures.

The 1st Circle is the leadership of the Circles of the Thrak. Identification of these individuals has been difficult but been possible in a few cases. Junior cultists of the 1st Circle ironically tend to be weaker than their senior 2nd Circle underlings. In such individuals, the Dark Side has taken it's toll and withdrawn its seductive allure and the individuals usually not yet gained the experience to offset this loss. Observation of a few of these senior individuals has shown they have great power, and are rougly equivalent to a Sith Master, typically more skilled than the average Jedi Knight but not yet to the level of a Jedi Master. They have moved beyond Fear and harnessed their Anger and use their Hatred to attain further power. In near every case, there have been three minions of the 2nd Circle for each observed member of the 1st Circle. Cultists of the 1st Circle appear to go to great lengths to keep their 2nd Circle minions ignorant of each other, often keeping them apart and ignorant of each other's presence even when their strengths could be combined to more easily accomplish their assignments. It appears they desire to be completely anonymous from the 3rd Circle and Initiates. The masks of the 1st Circle have not significantly differed from those of the 2nd Circle, often making identification difficult if a leadership role cannot be discerned.

The investigations of Master Mest-Krym and Jedi Thaara Munaro, along with data confiscated by Mest-Krym's apprentice Kwal Sinor, and the other Jedi Knights of Selani sector a rough idea of the scope and leadership of the 1st Circle of Thrak, along with location and general observation :


Observed Membership of the Circles is thought to be:

Master Mest-Krym also hypothesizes at least one cell on Betorok and up to 10 to 12 more in the sector, though more likely half of that.

Observed Activities