Chapter Summaries

Jett sacrificed himself to trigger an artillery beacon, forcing Darth-Lilim to retreat while Republic forces came under attack by three Revelation-class light cruisers. Joel-Drakas evacuated wounded personnel but had to abandon more than two hundred Clone Troopers, while Sefrans-Tann and Edra-Kestis departed.

• Jett used his remaining strength to delay Darth-Lilim, then pressed a button that activated an artillery guidance beacon and killed him in the bombardment.
• Darth-Lilim survived the shelling with an injured head and vowed revenge, while Sefrans-Tann insisted they contact Tatooine about the intelligence held by a Hutt.
• Three Revelation-class light cruisers arrived beyond Siskeen and attacked the Acclamator-class assault ship Mabrus, overwhelming its defenses.
• Joel-Drakas evacuated wounded personnel aboard a shuttle and ordered a retreat, leaving more than two hundred Clone Troopers on the industrial platform.
• Sefrans-Tann and Edra-Kestis departed the industrial platform in their shuttle.

Gaddula-Besadi refused Count Dooku’s request to let either side’s fleets pass through Hutt Space, then learned that Boorka had put a valuable logistics record tied to the “Extractor Project” up for auction on Nal Hutta. The record was worth the equivalent of twenty thousand tons of spice.

• Count Dooku offered to recognize Hutt rule over Hutt Space and rebuild the Hutt Empire if Gaddula-Besadi helped the Confederacy, but she refused to let either fleet use Hutt routes.
• Gaddula-Besadi ended the call with Count Dooku and went to sleep, but Magtan-Scar soon woke her and asked where Boorka was.
• Gaddula-Besadi contacted Boorka, who said he was on Nal Hutta conducting business and invited her to join him.
• Boorka revealed that he had put a logistics record mentioning the “Extractor Project” on Nal Hutta’s black market for the highest bidder, and valued it at twenty thousand tons of spice.

Hutt Boorka sold the Extractor intelligence to Big Boss of Titan Security in exchange for five million Upiupi coins and a promised attack on a Republic outpost. Meanwhile, the Republic formed the 19th Legion under Sulama, and a fleet led by Jedi Masters Green-Betty and Aiden-Ward set out to strike Bespin.

• Big Boss confronted Boorka in his mansion on Nal Hutta and offered five million Upiupi coins for the Extractor intelligence.
• Boorka accepted the deal after Big Boss threatened him, but demanded that Big Boss destroy a Republic outpost blocking his smuggling route.
• Big Boss agreed and left with a squad of Titan Security's Caladanian warriors.
• The Republic divided the galaxy into twenty theaters and formed the 19th Legion, Dark Saber, under Governor Sulama, with its headquarters on Javin.
• After Bespin fell, Sheev Palpatine ordered a counterattack, and Jedi Masters Green-Betty and Aiden-Ward led sixty Hunter Class Battlecruisers from Coruscant toward Javin.

Tang Xiao learned that the Republic had sent its newest warships to Bespin while Dooku refused to spare reinforcements, leaving Matt Horner to face the fleet with limited support. As Tang Xiao prepared to join the battle and target the Jedi, Republic commanders reached Hoth to ready the 19th Legion for deployment.

• Tang Xiao learned from Count Dooku that the Confederacy could not send reinforcements to Bespin because its fleets were committed elsewhere.
• Tang Xiao recognized Palpatine and Dooku’s maneuver and decided he had to destroy the Republic fleet to strengthen his standing in the Confederacy.
• Tang Xiao ordered Matt Horner to win the battle without support from Fleets B and C and said he would personally eliminate the Jedi Knights.
• Tang Xiao told Justin Levis that the Fourth Legion could not be deployed on a large scale against the Republic’s ordinary troops.
• Sulama welcomed Generals Green Beatty and Aiden Ward to Hoth and reported that the 19th Legion’s 200,000 ground troops and available transports were ready.

Jedi Master Green-Betty and Governor Sulama prepared a fleet of sixty Hunter Class Battlecruisers to attack Dawn Star Planet, while Matt Hona’s forces set a trap at Bespin’s outer defensive line. The Hunter fleet emerged from hyperspace as the minefield detonated, bringing both sides to the brink of battle.

• Green-Betty briefed Sulama on the operation, and he promised to provide the support it required.
• Sulama watched the Hunter Class Battlecruisers receive troops and imagined them destroying Dawn Star Planet’s fleet at Bespin.
• Matt Hona ordered his forces to enter combat status and detonate a minefield near the Corellian Trade Route.
• The minefield exploded, and sixty Hunter Class Battlecruisers emerged from hyperspace near Bespin.

Matt Hona led Fourth Civilization, Fleet A into battle against the Galactic Republic fleet near Bespin, as both sides exchanged heavy fire and launched successive waves of fighters. The second Hypermatter Railgun salvo destroyed one Hunter Class Battlecruiser and crippled two more, but Fourth Civilization also lost two immobilized warships as another fighter battle began.

• Matt Hona ordered the Kohl-class Battlecruisers to fire their Hypermatter Railguns, but the Republic fleet avoided the minefield and blocked the barrage with its shields.
• Matt Hona ordered a full-force attack, and both fleets exchanged fire while Republic V-19 fighters clashed with Fourth Civilization Vulture droids and Guard-class anti-aircraft ships.
• Matt Hona deployed the Gauss Fire Platforms, and the Republic sent V-19 fighters and Y-wing bombers to destroy them; a Y-wing pilot blew up one platform with a Proton Torpedo.
• The Kohl-class Battlecruisers fired a second Hypermatter Railgun salvo, destroying one Hunter Class Battlecruiser and disabling two others, while concentrated Republic fire left two Fourth Civilization warships immobile.
• The Republic launched its third wave of fighters, and the brutal air battle resumed.

E-3 Squadron attacked the Separatist Kohl-class Battlecruiser Jianghai amid the brutal fighter battle around Bespin. Squadron Leader Maxto sacrificed himself to land Proton Torpedoes through the ship’s damaged hull, while cloaked Wraith fighters continued slaughtering Republic pilots.

• Republic and Fourth Civilization fighters suffered heavy losses as the second wave of Republic fighters entered the battle.
• Maxto led E-3 Squadron toward the damaged Jianghai despite orders to continue attacking it and heavy anti-air fire.
• V-19 fighters distracted a Garda Flak Frigate, but the Republic lost several fighters when a Hiigaran-class battlecruiser and its point-defense guns struck their formation.
• Stealth Wraith fighters ambushed E-3 Squadron near Jianghai and destroyed most of its fighters.
• Maxto charged Jianghai’s largest breach and launched two Proton Torpedoes into it just before his fighter was destroyed, severely damaging the battlecruiser.
• Matt Hona received Jianghai’s withdrawal request as cloaked Wraith fighters continued destroying Republic squadrons.

The Galactic Republic’s fighter advantage faltered when Matt Hona unleashed stealth-equipped Wraith fighters against its forces at Bespin. Green Beatty ordered a retreat and recognized that the campaign would be more difficult than expected.

• The chapter explained that the Republic’s 60 Hunter Class Battlecruisers carried a huge fighter force, while the Fourth Civilization prepared stealth fighters, Garda Flak Frigates, and another weapon to counter it.
• Matt Hona launched 300 stealth-equipped Wraith fighters, which struck the Republic’s third fighter wave by surprise.
• Green Beatty ordered the Republic fighters to retreat, but fewer than a quarter of the third wave returned to their warships.
• Green Beatty recalled the second-wave fighters, leaving more than 90 Gauss Fire Platforms free to keep attacking Republic ships.
• Admiral Magellan warned Green Beatty about the Kohl-class Battlecruisers’ kinetic cannons and the strain on Republic shields.
• Green Beatty ordered the Wraith fighters’ combat data sent to the Research Department and admitted that liberating Bespin Planet would not be simple.

Admiral Magellan persuaded Green Beatty to force a landing on Bespin, arguing that the Republic needed to use its numerical advantage in fighters to counter the Separatists' stealth craft. The Republic fleet pushed into Bespin's outer orbit and began a full-scale assault on the planet's Floating Cities.

• Admiral Magellan and Aiden Ward discussed how Dawn Star Planet's Wraith fighters had been improved through years of combat and export experience.
• Admiral Magellan proposed forcing a landing on Bespin, and Green Beatty agreed despite warning that the ground forces could suffer devastating losses.
• Gori Beatty pledged that the Jedi would join the battle and protect the landing troops.
• Matt Hona sent the Fourth Civilization fleet to meet the advancing Republic fleet, while the Republic deployed three thousand V-19 Torrent fighters and fifteen hundred Z-95 Headhunters.
• The Republic fleet endured the Separatist barrage, reached Bespin's outer orbit, and launched transport aircraft toward the Floating Cities.

Admiral Magellan launched a Republic assault on Bespin, but Jedi Masters Green Beatty and Aiden Ward uncovered hidden Separatist forces and disrupted their ambush. As the battle spread from space to Cloud City, Tang Xiao’s Stilat and Shriken craft turned into a dangerous new threat to Republic fighters.

• Green Beatty and Aiden Ward sensed over a hundred concealed Separatist Hangar Platforms, and the Republic fleet exposed them with probing fire.
• Matt Hona launched 700 Wraith fighters and 2,400 Vulture droid fighters as the Republic committed its fighters and landing ships to Bespin.
• Republic Y-wings bombed Cloud City's landing zones, Marines began landing, and Admiral Magellan expanded the assault across the Floating Cities.
• A V-19 squadron destroyed one Wraith fighter with support from a Fire Sea Battleship, then encountered five unfamiliar Separatist craft.
• Stilat Class Light Corvettes crippled Republic fighters with engine-disrupting beams, while Shriken Class frigates and Stilat craft revealed themselves as Tang Xiao's specialized counters to Republic fighters.

The Fourth Civilization’s Stilat and Shriken corvettes devastated the Republic’s fighter formations, but Admiral Magellan relied on the Republic’s overwhelming numbers. Matt Hona drove his fleet into the Bespin Life Belt, where the opposing forces had to limit their main guns and leave the battle’s outcome to fighters and ground forces.

• The Fourth Civilization launched 300 Stilat Class and 100 Shriken Class Light Corvettes, whose weapons inflicted heavy losses on Republic fighters.
• Admiral Magellan ordered his fighters to attack despite the casualties, trusting the Republic’s remaining 11,109 fighters to overwhelm the smaller enemy force.
• Matt Hona ordered the Fourth Civilization fleet to charge and fire at maximum strength, and its railguns destroyed two Hunter Class Battlecruisers before the remaining 39 reached the Bespin Life Belt.
• Matt Hona ordered his fleet into the Bespin Life Belt and restricted its main guns to safe power levels to avoid destroying the populated atmosphere.
• Both fleets continued fighting with their main guns limited, leaving fighters and ground forces to determine the battle’s outcome.

Matt Hona negotiated civilian safe zones in Cloud City with Admiral Magellan as Republic forces began their assault on Bespin. The battle spread through the ruined city, where Fourth Civilization troops were ordered to hold their positions despite losing air support.

• Matt Hona designated the levels below 161 as a civilian evacuation zone and negotiated a demilitarized zone on Levels 156 through 160 with Admiral Magellan.
• Magellan agreed to the demilitarized zone but threatened to defeat Matt Hona’s forces, and Matt ended their transmission.
• Republic Marines advanced through Cloud City’s shattered buildings as their six-legged walker returned fire against enemy artillery.
• A Fourth Civilization company commander reported a Republic landing and enemy fighters bombing the southern section of Holiday Avenue, but the rear command denied air support and ordered the troops to hold.
• The company commander told First Company to drive the Republic troops back.

The Fourth Civilization forces repelled a Republic landing force in Cloud City and prepared to move Siege Tanks and Goliath Mechs toward the casino district. Across Cloud City, the Republic’s landings at sixty-two sites suffered catastrophic losses, with more than 18,000 Marines killed in the first hour.

• Republic aircraft attacked a building in Cloud City, but B-1 battle droids and Fourth Civilization forces wiped out the advancing Republic Marines and destroyed their AT-TE walker with War Wolf Mechs.
• A Fourth Civilization officer reported that Holiday Avenue was clear, and headquarters ordered him to escort Siege Tanks toward the casino district and establish artillery and anti-air positions.
• Eight Goliath Mechs arrived by transport aircraft as Siege Tanks emerged from concealed positions and moved toward the target area.
• The Republic’s 19th Legion launched landings at sixty-two locations on Cloud City and several other Floating Cities, but the Fourth Civilization’s prepared defenses inflicted heavy losses.
• More than 18,000 Republic Marine soldiers died during the first hour of the battle.

Republic forces struggled to seize Cloud City as Separatist defenses and superior ground tactics inflicted heavy losses. Matt Hona then prepared to draw out the Jedi Knights so Darth Malthael could kill them.

• Admiral Magellan learned that Republic troops had suffered heavy losses against Cloud City's mobile artillery and well-coordinated Separatist soldiers, and he approved reinforcing the landing force with AT-TE walkers.
• The Republic secured a landing zone after concentrating fighter bombing and landed more than 20,000 troops, while Magellan ordered continued air support and an offensive to seize Cloud City's highest level.
• The Fourth Civilization's fighters and fleet fought the Republic across the Bespin Life Belt as its larger, better-trained ground force gained the advantage.
• Darth Malthael appeared aboard Matt Hona's flagship and offered to kill the four Jedi Knights, whose fighter attacks had destroyed more than thirty Separatist stealth fighters.
• Matt Hona ordered Xiao Guanghua to intensify the attack on the landing zone and committed all robot Legions, then dispersed Fleet A and moved the flagship forward as bait for the Jedi.

Tang Xiao’s forces launched a massive assault on the Republic’s landing-zone defenses as Jedi pilots battled Fourth Civilization fighters above Bespin. When the Separatist fleet advanced on Cloud City in a claw-shaped formation, Green-Betty and Admiral Magellan seized on an opening to attack its exposed flagship.

• Colonel Xiao Guanghua ordered hundreds of thousands of B-1 battle droids and supporting Siege Tanks, Goliath Mechs, and War Wolf Mechs to charge the Republic defenses, and the Republic’s defensive line began to fall.
• Green-Betty, Aiden-Ward, and their apprentices fought Republic pilots’ enemies across the skies, while Ulu-Ulix grew exhausted from the relentless combat.
• Green-Betty saw the Separatist fleet approaching Cloud City as seven Hiigaran-class battlecruisers and thirty-nine Kohl-class Battlecruisers spread into a claw-shaped formation.
• Admiral Magellan warned Green-Betty that the Republic warships could not withstand the Separatist bombardment and identified Warship No. 29, the enemy flagship, as exposed.
• Green-Betty ordered ten fighter squadrons and two bomber squadrons to attack and sink the Separatist flagship.

The Republic fighter group and Jedi Knights breached the Warhound’s shields, but a blood-red stealth fighter ambushed them before they could destroy the flagship. Glyn-Betty and Aiden-Ward reached the crash site and prepared to confront the cloaked Dark Side figure while Ulu-Ulix was stranded elsewhere.

• The Republic fighter group joined the Jedi Knights in attacking the Warhound, and their torpedoes breached its shields near the engines.
• The Warhound began charging its Hypermatter Railgun toward Cloud City, prompting Glyn-Betty and the Jedi to rush to stop it.
• A blood-red stealth fighter destroyed Monta’s fighter and forced Glyn-Betty, Aiden-Ward, and Ulu-Ulix to flee toward Cloud City.
• The stealth fighter hit Ulu-Ulix’s fighter and Aiden-Ward’s fighter; Aiden sacrificed himself to shield Ulu, whose escape pod fell toward Cloud City.
• Glyn-Betty chose to land near Aiden-Ward rather than Ulu-Ulix, and she and Aiden joined forces after he escaped his burning fighter.
• The blood-red ship pursued them to the ground, and a black-cloaked figure emerged holding a blood-red Lightsaber.

Darth Malthael defeated Green-Betty and Aiden-Ward while using their captured apprentice, Ulu-Ulix, to torment them. After Aiden died and Green-Betty was left believing Ulu would fight beside her, Ulu stabbed her through the chest.

• Darth Malthael arrived with Ulu-Ulix captured, and Justin Levis revealed how badly the soldiers had beaten him.
• Darth Malthael taunted Ulu and fought Green-Betty and Aiden-Ward, overwhelming both Jedi Masters with his Force and lightsaber.
• Darth Malthael severed one of Ulu-Ulix's arms when Green-Betty refused to surrender, then resumed fighting her and Aiden-Ward.
• Darth Malthael struck Green-Betty down and killed Aiden-Ward with a single lightsaber stroke.
• Green-Betty turned to Ulu-Ulix for help, but Ulu stabbed her through the chest with his lightsaber.

Ulu Ulix betrayed the Republic, and Darth Malthael resurrected Jedi Masters Green Betty and Aiden Ward to demonstrate his power. Ulu’s surrender order triggered the Republic fleet’s chaotic retreat from Bespin, which became a devastating rout.

• Ulu Ulix accepted Darth Malthael’s offer and fell to the Dark Side after killing his Jedi Master, Green Betty.
• Darth Malthael resurrected Green Betty and Aiden Ward, whose agony left them screaming and unable to resist him.
• Ulu Ulix appeared in a Confederate general’s uniform on the Republic fleet’s command channel and ordered the ships to surrender.
• Admiral Magellan ordered the fleet to retreat and invalidated further commands through the channel.
• The Fourth Civilization pursued the fleeing Republic ships, and only twelve of the fleet’s original sixty Hunter Class Battlecruisers returned to Hoth Planet.

The Republic reeled from devastating defeats at Bespin and Geonosis as Sheev Palpatine rallied support for the Jedi and expanded the war effort. Anakin Skywalker struggled with Padmé Amidala’s coma, then spent the night speaking with Palpatine, who urged him to trust his own potential and act freely.

• The Senate blamed the Jedi Order for the Republic’s early defeats, while Sheev Palpatine defended them, enacted a conscription bill, and ordered more warships.
• Rendili StarDrive launched the Victory Project, the Senate demanded more clones from the Kaminoans, and the 19th Legion’s battered survivors returned to Hoth Planet.
• The Republic reported catastrophic losses at Bespin, and Sheev Palpatine mourned the dead publicly while calling the nation to unite behind the Jedi Order.
• Anakin Skywalker visited the comatose Padmé Amidala, blamed himself for her condition, and prepared to leave with Obi-Wan Kenobi for the Tion Cluster.
• Palpatine summoned Anakin to the Senate Building, reminisced with him until dawn, and urged him to follow his thoughts without letting others bind him.

The Fourth Civilization learned that the Republic’s Extractor Project used Kyber Crystals to unleash immense energy, and its Governor urged Sefrans Tann to obtain it. Meanwhile, Darth Malthael and Tur Ulan led an elite squad to Draay II to search the tomb of Lucien Dray for the ancient Sith artifact Kresh’s Gauntlet.

• The Governor learned that Sefrans Tann had raided a Republic surveillance outpost to secure intelligence from Boorka the Hutt.
• The Governor discovered that the Republic was testing a Wookiee-made Kyber Crystal weapon for tanks and promised Tann the rank of Marshal if she brought him the Extractor.
• Darth Malthael and Tur Ulan arrived cloaked at Draay II with Justin Levis and soldiers from the Fourth Legion.
• Tur Ulan explained that the Jedi Covenant had buried forbidden Sith treasures in Lucien Dray’s tomb after taking them from Sith Lords during the ancient wars.
• Tur Ulan identified Kresh’s Gauntlet, a powerful Sith Alchemy artifact made by Ludo Kressh to protect his son, as the object they had spent ten years locating.