Chapter Summaries

Darth Malthael revealed to the revived Edra Kestis that he was a Sith who controlled her life and soul, then offered her a choice between death and becoming his vassal. Edra accepted implantation of a white Kyber Crystal to survive, but vowed to bring Malthael back to the light.

• A nurse told Tang Xiao that Edra Kestis’s Lightsaber wound could not heal and would kill her within a week.
• Tang Xiao dismissed the nurses, revealed that he was Darth Malthael, and demonstrated his power to pull Edra’s soul from her body.
• Malthael explained that Sith Alchemy had enabled him to create a Kyber Crystal implant that would heal Edra’s wound and bind her as his vassal, and he offered her the choice to accept it or die freely.
• Edra nodded and accepted the procedure, and Malthael implanted the crystal in her chest using a purple spider-like device.
• Edra called Malthael a demon and sensed that he was not a complete Sith, so he inflicted soul-deep pain on her and ordered her to call him Master.
• Edra swore she would bring Malthael back to the light, but he left without looking back.

Ten-year-old Anakin Skywalker scavenged starship parts with his robot Johnson in the impoverished ruins of Mos Espa Port. He brought a haul home to his disabled mother, planned to repair C-3PO, and decided to give some parts to a scavenger whose brother needed medicine.

• Anakin and Johnson uncovered part of a buried starship control console and recovered a working chip.
• Johnson protected Anakin from Otto, and Anakin used his instincts to calm the scavenger and leave with the wreckage.
• Anakin brought the console parts home to his mother, who praised him and asked him to stay with her the next day.
• Anakin sorted the salvage with Johnson and chose to give Otto an energy cable to help him obtain medicine for his injured brother.
• Anakin began repairing the chip and circuit board for C-3PO.

Johnson learned that Otto had been killed after fighting over a blaster, and he brought water and a scavenged energy transfer device to Otto’s dying younger brother. That night, Anakin talked with Johnson about space and his dream of piloting a spaceship before falling asleep under Johnson’s watch.

• Johnson heard locals explain that Tokta had killed Otto and that Otto’s younger brother was sick and injured.
• Johnson gave Otto’s younger brother clean water and the energy transfer device Otto had scavenged, then told him Otto was receiving treatment and had moved away with him.
• Johnson returned home and corrected Anakin’s soldering as they worked to restore a robot.
• Anakin joined Johnson on the roof and asked about space, angels, and whether he could one day fly a spaceship.
• Johnson said his damaged database contained records of three great calamities and suggested they could build a spaceship after finishing C-3PO.
• Anakin fell asleep on the roof, and Johnson carried him to bed and watched over him through the night.

Darth Sidious ordered Nute Gunray to invade Naboo, and the Trade Federation assembled a fleet to blockade the planet. The blockade began as Gunray announced it to nearby ships.

• Darth Sidious rebuked Rune Haako and Nute Gunray’s doubts, insisting that the Republic and Jedi would not stop them from attacking Naboo.
• Nute Gunray ordered the Trade Federation fleet to assemble and depart within twenty-four standard hours.
• Sixty LH-3210 freighters emerged near Naboo, encircled the planet, and launched tens of thousands of Vulture droid fighters.
• Nute Gunray broadcast that the Trade Federation had blockaded Naboo over its alleged breach of contract and the Republic’s taxation of the Free Trade Zone.

Queen Amidala confronted the Trade Federation over its blockade of Naboo and asked Senator Sheev Palpatine to seek Republic action, while Nute Gunray chose to wait rather than send ground forces. The chapter left Naboo preparing under martial law as the Federation leadership remained confident the planet would surrender.

• The Minister of Security reported that Nute Gunray had rejected negotiations and demanded Naboo's unconditional surrender.
• Queen Amidala accused Nute Gunray of violating Republic law, but he denied that the blockade was an invasion and ended the call.
• Queen Amidala asked Sheev Palpatine to secure Senate action against the Trade Federation, warning that Naboo's supplies would not last if its trade routes were cut off.
• Nute Gunray told Rune Haako that the Federation would maintain its blockade and wait for the Queen to beg, while avoiding a ground invasion for fear of violating Republic law.
• Xiao Guanghua silently criticized the Federation's hesitation, while Nute Gunray described the B-1 battle droid fleet and invited him to observe its use.

As the Republic Senate failed to resolve the Trade Federation’s blockade of Naboo, Nute Gunray ordered a covert attempt to kidnap Queen Amidala. The droids’ attack on palace guards triggered an alarm, leaving the kidnapping attempt exposed.

• Sheev Palpatine asked Chancellor Phineas Valorum to contact Lott Dod, but the Trade Federation representative refused to speak outside the Senate.
• Valorum and Palpatine discussed the Federation’s political power and vowed to keep fighting for the Republic.
• The Senate argued for days without reaching a decision, and Fang Zar attacked Lott Dod before Valorum called a one-day recess.
• Nute Gunray ordered Daultay Dofine to send droids to infiltrate Naboo’s Royal Palace and capture the Queen.
• A droid squad attacked two Guardians near the palace, killing one and injuring the other, whose cries triggered the alarm.

Tang Xiao landed on Bal'demnic and followed Cun Te's directions to a buried mine beneath a deserted island. With Edra Kestis, Darth Malthael descended into the sealed mine, where he revealed they had come to find a dead Sith Lord.

• Tang Xiao contacted Cun Te, who explained that a buried mine lay beneath the island and gave him directions to its entrance.
• Tang Xiao and Cun Te wished each other luck before ending their transmission, and Edra Kestis joined Tang Xiao at the cave.
• Darth Malthael ordered Edra to dig through the rock, then used a laser excavator to open a shaft into the collapsed mine.
• Edra sensed an intense concentration of the Dark Side Force below and realized they were seeking a powerful Sith Lord.
• Darth Malthael drew his red Lightsaber and cautiously headed deeper into the mine.

Darth Malthael and Edra Kestis found Darth Tenebrus’s corpse beneath the collapsed mine and fought the Sith Lord’s lingering spirit. Malthael used the spirit of Darth Venamis to weaken Tenebrus, who demanded to know who he was.

• Darth Malthael explained Darth Tenebrus’s place in his Sith lineage while Edra Kestis struggled against the mine’s Dark Side Force.
• Malthael led Edra to a collapsed mining site, where she sensed danger and stopped while he continued alone.
• Malthael found Tenebrus’s preserved corpse and summoned the Sith Lord’s spirit from the darkness.
• Tenebrus’s spirit attacked Malthael, and Edra joined the fight despite struggling to resist its power.
• Malthael unleashed Darth Venamis’s vengeful will against Tenebrus, causing the spirit to howl and demand to know who was attacking it.

Darth Malthael confronted Darth Tenebrus and persuaded him that cooperating was his only chance to escape the dark realm and be resurrected. Malthael proposed that Tenebrus teach him the Force and Proto-Body after Pregas died, while declaring his ambition to become the sole Sith ruling the galaxy.

• Darth Malthael kept attacking Darth Tenebrus until the shadow agreed to speak, while Edra Kestis collapsed unconscious behind him.
• Malthael told Tenebrus that Pregas had another apprentice, Darth Sidious, who would kill Pregas in about a month.
• Malthael explained Tenebrus's failed plan to use Pregas to create a powerful Force lifeform and take over his body, then blamed Tenebrus for Pregas's fate.
• Malthael argued that Tenebrus could escape only by cooperating with him and said he wanted Tenebrus to teach him about the Force, creating life, and Proto-Body.
• Malthael promised to resurrect Tenebrus and declared that the Sith's ultimate goal was the One-Man Sith, challenging Tenebrus over which of them would become that sole Sith.

As the Trade Federation’s blockade left Naboo starving, Queen Amidala and Chancellor Phineas Valorum struggled to find a way to force the Federation to withdraw. Palpatine urged Valorum to pursue a Senate ruling on the legality of the blockade, and Valorum sought help from Master Windu.

• During the month-long blockade, the Galactic Senate debated the legality of the Trade Federation’s invasion while Palpatine steered Valorum toward a legal challenge.
• Naboo’s supplies ran out, famine spread, and Queen Amidala declared she would travel to Coruscant despite Governor Theo Bibble’s warning that the blockade fleet would stop her.
• Security Commander Quarsh Panaka called for Naboo to raise an army, but Bibble warned that fighting would provoke harsher treatment without defeating the Trade Federation.
• Palpatine advised Valorum to seek a vote declaring the Trade Federation’s actions illegal before trying to secure direct intervention.
• After Palpatine left, Valorum opened a communication channel and asked Master Windu for help.

Phineas Valorum secretly enlisted Master Windu to send Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi to Naboo as unofficial envoys. When the Jedi arrived, Darth Sidious ordered Nute Gunray to invade the planet and kill them, leaving the envoys in danger aboard the Trade Federation flagship.

• Phineas Valorum asked Master Windu to intervene on Naboo, and Windu agreed to send Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi as unofficial envoys.
• Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi reached Naboo and saw the Trade Federation's fleet and battle droids surrounding the planet.
• Nute Gunray panicked when he learned the envoys were Jedi Knights and sent TC-14 to receive them while he contacted Darth Sidious.
• Darth Sidious ordered Nute Gunray to deploy the droid army, occupy Naboo, and kill the Jedi, claiming they had no official authority.

The Trade Federation launched its invasion of Naboo as Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi fought their way through the flagship. Xiao Guanghua joined the landing force bound for Theed, while Queen Amidala ordered Naboo’s forces not to resist and prepared to protect her people and resources.

• Nute Gunray released nerve gas and sent B-1 battle droids after Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi, who fought them off and escaped Destroyer droids through the flagship’s ventilation ducts.
• Queen Amidala warned Nute Gunray that the Republic would judge the Trade Federation, but he denied wrongdoing and ordered the invasion to continue.
• Xiao Guanghua reached the bridge, learned that the invasion of Naboo’s cities had begun, and boarded a C-9979 landing craft bound for Theed.
• Trade Federation landing craft descended on Naboo’s twelve major cities, and electronic interference cut off communications across the planet.
• Queen Amidala ordered the local forces not to resist, told Panaka to hide elite troops, and directed Bibble to move Naboo’s valuable stockpiles.

Darth Pregas arranged for Darth Malthael to travel secretly to Coruscant while preparing to advance their plans. At a private meeting, Hego Damask II and Master Dooku persuaded Sifo-Dyas to secretly commission three million Clone Troopers from Kamino, backed by Damask Holdings Group.

• Darth Sidious told Darth Pregas that the Trade Federation was occupying Naboo and promised that he would become Chancellor and appoint Pregas Co-Chancellor.
• Darth Pregas summoned Darth Malthael to Coruscant and ordered him to arrive secretly and wait for further instructions.
• Hego Damask II met Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas and Jedi Master Dooku at a private club and argued that the Republic needed an army as war approached.
• Master Dooku urged Sifo-Dyas to take responsibility for arranging the army, and Sifo-Dyas agreed to act as the Jedi Order's envoy.
• Hego told Sifo-Dyas to approach Lama Su at Chancellor Phineas Valorum's political gathering and promised Damask Holdings Group's financial backing.
• Sifo-Dyas resolved to secretly order Kamino to manufacture three million Clone Troopers for the Galactic Republic.

Darth Malthael watched the political gathering on Coruscant while Darth Tenebrus discussed Darth Pregas and urged him to prepare. At the gathering, Master Dias refused to authorize the Clone Army project, while the Trade Federation occupied Theed City and captured Queen Amidala without the Jedi intervening.

• Darth Malthael arrived on Coruscant and watched reports of Supreme Chancellor Phineas Valorum's political gathering on the HoloNet.
• Darth Tenebrus told Darth Malthael that he could not kill Darth Pregas directly but could use other means, and warned him to remain prepared.
• Francis Underwood spoke with Claire Underwood about political influence and watched Sheev Palpatine at the gathering.
• Hego Damask II pressed Master Dias to authorize the Clone Army project, but Master Dias refused, and Hego and Lama Su left him alone.
• The Trade Federation's droid army entered Theed City, captured Queen Amidala in the Royal Palace, and encountered no resistance as the two Jedi Knights failed to appear.

After Queen Amidala escaped Naboo with Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Sidious sent Darth Maul to help the Trade Federation recapture her. The fugitives reached Tatooine, where they encountered Caladanians allied with the Trade Federation.

• Darth Sidious learned that Nute Gunray had lost Queen Amidala and ordered him to find her and make her sign the surrender treaty.
• Darth Sidious introduced Darth Maul as his apprentice and tasked him with finding Amidala and killing the two Jedi Knights.
• Nute Gunray ordered the Trade Federation fleet to scatter and search nearby star systems while leaving its flagship to control the battle droids on Naboo.
• Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi brought Amidala's damaged ship to Tatooine, choosing Mos Espa Port as a place to hide and seek repairs.
• Qui-Gon Jinn recognized Caladanians from Titan Security's Fourth Group patrolling Mos Espa Port, and he warned Obi-Wan to avoid them.

Qui-Gon Jinn and Padmé searched Mos Espa for a Nubia T-14 hyperspace engine and met Anakin, who offered a broken T-12 engine that could serve as a replacement. At Anakin’s home, Padmé encouraged his dream of racing while Qui-Gon watched him gravely.

• Qui-Gon Jinn led Padmé and Jar Jar Binks through Mos Espa to search the scrap market for a hyperspace engine, but they found no T-14.
• Anakin approached the group and offered to take them to his home, where his robot partner Johnson warned against trusting outsiders.
• Qui-Gon Jinn, Padmé, and Jar Jar followed Anakin and Johnson out of the city after Qui-Gon noticed Johnson was a modified Fourth Group bodyguard robot.
• Anakin explained that he had found a broken Nubia T-12 hyperspace engine that could be used on their ship, and introduced his mother and the protocol droid C-3PO.
• Padmé learned about Anakin’s dream of becoming a speeder racer and encouraged him, while Qui-Gon Jinn watched Anakin with a grave expression.

Qui-Gon discovered that Anakin’s Chlamydiae density exceeded the instrument’s limit and discussed taking him to become a Jedi, while Johnson agreed to care for Shmi if Anakin left. In Coruscant, Darth Pregas ordered Darth Sidious to send Darth Maul after the Jedi and Queen of Naboo, accepting that the Sith would be revealed.

• Anakin admitted he could not repair the Nubia T-12 engine, but offered to combine parts from it and Qui-Gon’s ship’s engine.
• Qui-Gon sent Anakin’s blood sample to Obi-Wan, who reported that its Chlamydiae density exceeded twenty thousand.
• Johnson told Qui-Gon that Titan Security had tried to reclaim him and that he had killed a mercenary to stay with Anakin.
• Qui-Gon told Johnson that Anakin could become a Jedi and asked him and C-3PO to care for Shmi if Anakin left.
• Darth Sidious told Darth Pregas that the Queen of Naboo was on Tatooine with two Jedi, and Darth Pregas ordered him to send Darth Maul to kill them and retrieve the Queen.

Tang Xiao watched events on Naboo unfold while remaining on Coruscant, where Queen Amidala arrived and discussed removing Chancellor Phineas Valorum. Darth Sidious reported Anakin Skywalker’s presence to Darth Pregas, who recognized him as the Chosen One and reacted to his age.

• Darth Sidious sent Darth Maul toward Tatooine to attack the Jedi Knights.
• Tang Xiao learned that Xiao Guanghua had entered Theed City with the Trade Federation army and ordered him to leave immediately.
• Queen Amidala escaped Naboo with Qui-Gon Jinn and came to Coruscant, where Phineas Valorum and Senator Palpatine received her.
• Palpatine urged Queen Amidala to support a vote of no confidence against Valorum, but she objected that Valorum had supported Naboo.
• Darth Sidious told Darth Pregas that Anakin Skywalker was on Coruscant, and Pregas identified him as the Chosen One and recalled what had happened ten years earlier.

Darth Pregas feared that the Chosen One’s birth was the Force’s answer to his failed attempt to create life, and he resolved to make Anakin Skywalker his Sith servant. Meanwhile, Sheev Palpatine accused the Republic Senate of causing Naboo’s suffering, striking Supreme Chancellor Phineas Valorum with a political blow.

• Ten years earlier, Darth Pregas and Darth Sidious tried to create a Force-born Chosen One, but their laboratory experiment failed when the tank exploded.
• Darth Pregas feared the Chosen One had appeared as the Force’s answer to his blasphemy and ordered Darth Maul to kill Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice.
• Hego Damask II went to the Queen’s residence seeking Anakin Skywalker, but learned that Anakin had left to meet the Jedi; he used the Force to make the staff forget his visit.
• At a special Senate session on Naboo, Sheev Palpatine blamed the Republic’s taxes on the Outer Rim Free Trade Zone for the Trade Federation’s oppression of Naboo.
• Supreme Chancellor Phineas Valorum realized Palpatine’s accusation was a devastating attack against him.

Queen Amidala’s appeal led the Galactic Senate to begin impeachment proceedings against Chancellor Phineas Valorum, while Sifo-Dias decided to sign the Clone Army agreement. Valorum then asked Dias to pursue Neimoidian spice smugglers on Felucia and named the candidates for the next chancellor.

• Lott Dod denied the Trade Federation’s invasion of Naboo, while Queen Amidala testified that Naboo had been attacked and rejected the Senate’s proposal for an investigative commission.
• Senator Ainlee Tim and Francis Underwood supported the commission, and Queen Amidala called for a no-confidence vote and impeachment proceedings against Phineas Valorum.
• Phineas Valorum learned that more than seventy percent of the votes opposed him and accepted that he would soon leave office.
• Sifo-Dias told Master Dooku he would sign the Clone Army agreement and sent word of his decision to Hego Damask II and Lama Su.
• Phineas Valorum asked Sifo-Dias to investigate Neimoidians smuggling spice on Felucia and said he would vote for Sheev Palpatine in the coming chancellor election.