This article contains spoilers for Justina Ireland's Path of Deceit.The latest Star Wars: The High Republic novel may have secretly revealed the Sith Lord of the High Republic Era. The future of Star Wars lies in the past; specifically in the High Republic Era, centuries before the events of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. This was a time when the light of the Jedi shone at its brightest, and the Sith were believed extinct. In reality, Darth Bane had redefined the Sith; they now operated in secret, manipulating events to bring about the ultimate downfall of the Jedi.
Star Wars: The High Republic Phase II is set 350 years before the prequel trilogy, and it may have just secretly introduced the Sith Lord of that time. Justina Ireland's novel Path of Deceit introduces readers to a Force cult called the Path of the Open Hand, who believe any use of the Force disrupts its balance. They are now led by the Mother, a mysterious prophet who communes with the Force and gives the cultists their instructions. She acquires a Force predator only the Sith could survive, a creature that will become known as the "Nameless" due to its ability to inspire a nameless dread within Jedi. The Nameless, also called "Levelers" by Mother, consume the Force from any Force-sensitives, literally calcifying them; only a Sith could hide their presence from these creatures. And it is entirely possible Mother is one such Sith.
Path Of Deceit Hints Mother Could Be A Secret Sith
The Path of the Open Hand believe the Force must be free, and have precious little interaction with Force users - understandably so, given they believe every use of the Force is an abuse. This naturally means they would not necessarily recognize a subtle use of the Force if they saw it, and there are indeed subtle hints the Mother possesses dark side powers. She is unusually compelling, and those with weaker wills seem almost dazzled by her presence. Some of her agents seem to have become almost dependent on her, as though she were some sort of drug they could not live without; one such agent finds himself compelled to return to Mother's side, uncomfortable with being apart from her for too long.
The Path of the Open Hand has based itself on the planet Dalna. When Jedi arrive there, they note there is something decidedly odd about the Mother; she avoids them, as though fearful of being identified or, perhaps, recognized. This naturally raises the possibility she is a Sith, for the Sith remained hidden during the High Republic Era. Meanwhile, it is interesting to note Mother has her agents collect Force artifacts, including an ancient dagger used by the Sith to strip enemies of the Force; she claims to be setting them aside so they cannot be used, but could easily have her own agenda.
If Mother is indeed Force-sensitive, then it is striking the Nameless do not react to her. This would only work if she possessed the ability to hide her presence in the Force - a power associated with the Sith, notably with Palpatine, who had so mastered the technique that he was able to use the dark side in the Jedi Temple without detection. Mother may not have been confident she could fool a Jedi, explaining her reluctance to see them.
Why The Sith Would Be Behind The Path Of The Open Hand
The Sith have always tended to operate through proxies, and the Path of the Open Hand could be useful fools - agents who cause trouble across the galaxy, and who will then be abandoned when they are no longer needed. The Nameless could be rather more important, however; they were first mentioned in Claudia Gray's novel Master & Apprentice, which contains a prophecy apparently tied to that of the Chosen One. "Only through the sacrifice of many Jedi will the Order cleanse the sin done to the Nameless," it reads, in words that seem to hint at Palpatine's Order 66. It looks as though the Jedi response to the Nameless will somehow create an imbalance in the Force, one that only grows worse as the centuries pass and the dark side grows dominant. If this is indeed the case, then the tales told in Star Wars: The High Republic Phase II will greatly benefit the Sith - and it wouldn't be a surprise to see they were the ones responsible for engineering them altogether.