Star Wars Jedi Knight: Mysteries of the Sith

Star Wars Jedi Knight: Mysteries of the Sith (commonly abbreviated to MotS) is the expansion pack for the first person shooter Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II. It was released January 31, 1998.

Set five years after the events of Jedi Knight, players had the opportunity to play as Mara Jade, one of the most popular Star Wars Expanded Universe characters. It could be argued that this game is in fact the prequel of Jedi Outcast because of the suggestion in Outcast of Kyle Katarn switching off the lightsaber as it were, abandoning the Force and the mantle of Jedi, as he was fearful of what he almost became - a Sith, as shown at the end of the MotS.

This expansion significantly improved the original Jedi Knight engine by adding aesthetic features such as colored lighting, new enemies and force powers. There were several under-the-hood changes as well; the most significant being that COG, the programming language that Jedi Knight used to create scripted in-game events and interactivity (doors, elevators, weapons, in-game cutscenes, enemy behaviour, etc.) was expanded with new functions and capabilities, which the Sith engine took full advantage of.

MotS also featured new multiplayer modes, and included several new weapons, such as flash grenades, a seeking railgun, and a carbonite gun. The multiplayer never was as popular as Jedi Knight multiplayer due to the fact that MotS was typically sold separately from Jedi Knight and was often difficult to come by unless it specifically came bundled with Jedi Knight.

Plot and setting

Mysteries of the Sith takes place five years after the events in Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II. Kyle Katarn has taken on an apprentice, Mara Jade, who like him does not wish to be taught under Luke Skywalker. Along with practicing Jedi techniques, they also work for the New Republic at one of its bases. As the game begins, the base on Altyr 5 is attacked by the Remnants of the Empire using bombardment by weapon stations, disguised as a pair of asteroids. For levels 1-4, Kyle fights his way through the invaders and lands on one of the Imperial asteroid stations, and after bypassing the defenses destroys it and its companion.

After escaping the asteroid and returning to Altyr 5, Kyle reveals to Mara that he has discovered references to the location of a Sith temple on Dromund Kaas. He leaves Mara and the New Republic behind to investigate the Temple, telling Mara that he has taught her all he can.

Mara is left to grow in the Force and work on New Republic assignments without Kyle. Her first job is to assist in a munitions deal with Ka'Pa the Hutt. After refusing to even listen to Mara, she finds an alternate route into Ka'Pa's palace (level 5) Mara corners Ka'Pa and makes a deal with him: if she can steal surveillance equipment from Takara, Ka'Pa will supply the New republic with weapons. Mara tries to infiltrate Takaras organization through his lieutenant Abron Mar in the Katraasi space port (level 6-7), but is caught and placed under arrest. Breaking out of Takara's prison, Mara locates the surveillance equipment and escapes, but not before fighting a Rancor (level 8). Mara then is tasked with guarding the new shipment along with a Jedi holocron through an unguarded sector. The New Republic vessel is attacked by pirates and its cargo stolen, the Holocron meant for the pirate leader's art collection. Mara then infiltrates the pirates organization by means of their ship and shipping docks (level 9-10). Kaerobani turns out to be the leader of the organization but his guards are no match for Mara as she steals back the Holocron and escapes (level 11).

With Ka'Pa, Takara and Kaerobani all out of the way, Mara follows Kyle to swampy Dromund Kaas where he has been turned to the Dark side. Mara progresses through the swamps (level 12) and the notably spooky Sith temple (levels 13-14). Finding Kyle, she learns that he could not resist the power of the Temple and let it begin to corrupt him. Mara ultimately turns him back from the Dark Path.