Chapter Summaries

The chapter described Planet Ord Mantell and the Republic’s Eighth Army, whose Northern Sector jurisdiction had been thrown into chaos by the Plague Titan and the Geth. It left the Geth as a growing threat attacking Republic and Separatist worlds alike.

• Tang Xiao traveled toward Planet Korriban and was not directly involved in the events on Planet Ord Mantell.
• The chapter explained that Planet Ord Mantell served as the Eighth Army’s command center, though the Republic did not control the planet itself.
• The Eighth Army struggled to manage Ord Mantell, where Republic and Separatist forces coexisted under a publicly neutral regime.
• The Plague Titan warship raided the Core Worlds and caused chaos in the Eighth Army’s jurisdiction.
• The Geth ravaged the Northern Galaxy, turning captured people into Corpse Puppets and targeting both Republic and Separatist planets.

The Galactic Republic struggled to understand the Geth’s origins after losing planets and fleets to them, and scientists developed a detailed theory that the machines were remnants of the extinct Kilik Swarm. The Republic’s confident speculation left the Geth’s true history unresolved.

• The Galactic Republic intercepted communications and learned that its mysterious mechanical enemy called itself the Geth.
• The Geth defeated Sass Tiin, who later became an adviser to the Republic’s Eighth Army.
• Republic investigators traced the Geth’s operations to an uncharted planet in the Northern Galaxy but could not identify its location.
• Scientists theorized that the Geth were a Gestalt-consciousness species with insect-like designs, possibly created by the extinct Kilik Swarm.
• Republic scientists invented a story that the Geth had awakened from an ancient factory and were rebuilding the swarm, with Alderaan as their ultimate target.
• Tang Xiao would have laughed at the theory, since he had not worked out how to explain the Geth’s existence himself.

The Galactic Republic struggled to protect the Northern Territory from the Geth while the Eighth Army faced limited resources, Separatist threats, and deadly Geth ambushes. After helping repel a Geth attack near Mossk, Sass Tiin reported to Governor Fan Ke, who still faced a worsening crisis.

• Residents of the Northern Galaxy bought fake Kilik Swarm charms, hoping the Geth would spare them.
• The Galactic Republic abandoned plans to evacuate threatened planets and told residents to organize their own defenses.
• Governor Fan Ke and Sass Tiin struggled to counter the Geth, whose ambushes and attacks strained the Eighth Army while Separatist forces threatened its territory.
• Eight Hunter Class Battlecruisers returned to Ord Mantell for repairs and resupply, and Sass Tiin arrived separately in an Eta-2 Interceptor.
• Sass Tiin told Fan Ke that Republic forces had repelled the Geth near Mossk, destroyed seven warships, and stopped their landing force after it attacked one remote town.

Fan Ke and Sass-Tiin discussed the Republic’s order for the Eighth Army to attack Makito despite the Geth threat, and considered the political motives behind it. Sass-Tiin suspected the directive came from powerful figures pursuing a larger plan involving the InterGalactic Banking Clan and the Fourth Group.

• Fan Ke chewed refined Thyssel tree bark and told Sass-Tiin that Geth attacks had cost the Northern Territory seven planets and over a hundred million lives.
• Fan Ke said the Supreme Strategic Command had rejected sending the Ninth and Tenth Armies to confront the Geth and instead ordered an attack on Makito to pressure the InterGalactic Banking Clan.
• Sass-Tiin condemned the plan to lure the Geth toward Makito, while Fan Ke suggested the order reflected a political effort to move against the InterGalactic Banking Clan.
• Fan Ke explained that the InterGalactic Banking Clan’s coming co-chairman election and its tensions between Muunilinst and Scipio, along with the Fourth Group’s ties to Grosse Shelbia, were driving the Republic to force both organizations to choose sides.
• Sass-Tiin concluded that the plan to involve the Geth might serve a broader purpose than he and Fan Ke understood.

Sass Tiin set out to find the Geth’s lair, while Fan Ke secretly ordered a deception near Makito. Sass Tiin discovered a Geth-infested spaceport, and a Geth fleet ambushed a convoy approaching Namadii Planet.

• Sass Tiin and Fan Ke agreed that protecting the Northern Territory from the Geth took priority, and Sass Tiin planned to search for their mainframe using Hook Planet as a supply point.
• After Sass Tiin left, Fan Ke secretly ordered the Intelligence Department to stage false signs of major transport operations near Makito.
• Sass Tiin traveled toward Hook Planet, doubting that destroying the Geth mainframe would stop their individual units but resolving to fight for living beings.
• Sass Tiin found a spaceport covered in hive-like structures and saw an insect-shaped Geth vessel docked there.
• A seven-ship convoy arrived near Namadii Planet, where a Geth warship emerged from hyperspace and more insect-shaped ships followed.

The Geth fleet ambushed a Galactic Republic convoy, seized its ships, and invaded Namadii Planet. The captured convoy ships later restarted at minimal power and began broadcasting distress signals.

• A Geth frigate attacked an armed cargo ship, pierced its hull, and boarded it while the CR-70 frigate fled.
• The Geth hunted down the cargo ship’s crew and killed its security team before taking control of the vessel.
• The Geth disabled the other convoy ships, leaving them drifting dark and powerless as the cargo ship’s captain hid on the bridge.
• Dozens of Geth warships descended on Namadii Planet and attacked its surface while Geth fighters pursued targets in the air.
• The captured convoy ships restarted at minimal power and began broadcasting distress signals over the public channel.

Sass-Tiin witnessed the Geth’s genocide of the Yamrii on Hook Planet and found evidence that they were dissecting corpses to develop Yamrii Corpse Puppets. Suspecting the Geth were not created by the Kilik Swarm, he escaped the planet and headed for Caladan Planet to pursue the truth.

• Sass-Tiin learned from intercepted communications that the Geth had nearly conquered Hook Planet and left only its capital resisting.
• Sass-Tiin infiltrated a factory and discovered tens of thousands of Yamrii corpses, with Geth units dissecting bodies and impaling them on metal spikes.
• Sass-Tiin concluded that the Geth were studying Yamrii to improve their Corpse Puppet production and that the Yamrii’s Kilik Swarm ancestry challenged the accepted theory of the Geth’s origins.
• Sass-Tiin decided to uncover the truth about the Geth and find their nest, then secretly launched his masked Eta-2 fighter from Hook Planet.
• Sass-Tiin escaped pursuing Geth fighters by entering hyperspace with a ring, bound for Caladan Planet.

Jedi Master Sass Tiin reached Caladan Planet and discovered that the Geth were living peacefully alongside the Separatists, leading him to conclude that the Separatists had created and unleashed the mechanical lifeforms. After he accused Count Dooku and the other Separatist leaders, a Geth destroyer detected his fighter and turned toward him.

• Sass Tiin traveled from Hook Planet to Caladan Planet in his fighter, troubled by what he might find there.
• He entered Caladan Planet’s orbit and saw Geth ships and other vessels operating alongside the Caladanians.
• Sass Tiin realized the Geth had not attacked Caladan Planet because the Caladanians were Separatists, and he concluded that the Separatists had activated the Geth.
• Sass Tiin denounced Count Dooku, Nute Gunray, San Hill, and Tang Xiao for unleashing an intelligent mechanical lifeform.
• An alarm sounded as Sass Tiin lost contact with the hyperspace ring, and the Geth destroyer turned toward his fighter.

Sass Tiin suspected the Separatists had created the Geth and escaped into Caladan’s jungle to find evidence and a way to report his discovery. Meanwhile, Governor Fan Ke refused to send reinforcements to the Seventh Army and ordered Intelligence to lure the Geth to Makito within a week.

• Sass Tiin concluded that the Geth were allied with the Separatists and might have spared Caladan because they cooperated with its inhabitants.
• Sass Tiin evaded pursuing Geth and Caladanian fighters, crashed his fighter in a jungle, and escaped on foot.
• Sass Tiin decided to search Caladan for the Geth’s home-base location and a powerful hyperspace transmission array so he could report his findings.
• Governor Fan Ke learned that the Geth had destroyed Namadii Planet’s orbital defenses and refused Governor Marcellin Wessel’s request for reinforcements.
• Governor Fan Ke ordered the Intelligence Department to make the Geth appear on Makito within one week.

Researchers at the Thonner experimental base tested powered armor, and a reactor failure killed the prisoner wearing it. Meanwhile, Rory Swann mocked Zhang Jiarui over the rejection of his Thor design, and Zhang punched him.

• A prisoner's CMC-300 powered armor reactor malfunctioned during a test, killing him in a fire.
• Researchers identified a failure in the J-11 laser confinement device and planned to report that the reactor was not ready for battlefield use.
• Researcher B proposed adding an electrode to kill prisoners inside the armor remotely, and Researcher A agreed to build it.
• Rory Swann taunted Zhang Jiarui over the army's rejection of Thor, his turbolaser-equipped machine.
• Zhang Jiarui punched Rory Swann after telling him to stop laughing.

Zhang Jiarui abandoned Doctor Octopus’s pursuit of the Ark Reactor and set out to get the Army Department to approve his Thor project. Meanwhile, the Army Equipment Update Meeting began reviewing transport aircraft, with Halo Weapon Systems Group introducing its Pelican.

• Zhang Jiarui beat Rory Swann, then discovered the Army Department had rejected Thor and decided to appeal the decision.
• Zhang Jiarui argued with Doctor Octopus over whether the Ark Reactor could be built, insisting that the military needed practical equipment during the war.
• Zhang Jiarui defied Doctor Octopus’s attempt to stop him and left for the Army Department; Rory Swann also departed, while Doctor Octopus shut himself inside the laboratory.
• Chief of Staff Qi Jian reviewed transport aircraft proposals at the Army Equipment Update Meeting on Dawn Star Planet.
• A Tyran Heavy Industries representative presented the G-226 Medical transport aircraft, and Qi Jian questioned its ability to survive Galactic Republic V-19 fighters.
• A Halo Weapon Systems Group representative introduced the D77-TC Pelican Transport as a solution focused on maneuverability and survivability.

Qi Jian reviewed proposed upgrades to frontline transports and selected Halo Weapon Systems Group’s D77-TC Pelican over Tyran Heavy Industries’ G-226 medical transport. The meeting then turned to Tyran’s Hercules Dropship and its capacity for rapid, large-scale landings.

• The Halo Weapon Systems Group representative described the upgraded Pelican’s increased payload, shields, engines, and weapons, and compared it with the Republic’s LAAT/I.
• The Tyran Heavy Industries representative defended the G-226 medical transport, but Staff Department officials questioned its battlefield treatment system and its risks.
• Qi Jian designated the Pelican as the next-generation frontline transport, rejected the G-226, and ordered APOD-33 transports gradually withdrawn from frontline units.
• The Tyran Heavy Industries representative presented the Hercules Dropship as a large landing craft capable of carrying a combat battalion or three Thor Mechs and unloading its cargo within two minutes.
• The representative explained that the Hercules combined its cargo compartment with an escape pod system so its troops and vehicles could land safely if the craft was shot down.

Tyran Heavy Industries won conditional approval to add the Hercules Dropship to the procurement list, and Halo Weapon Systems Group presented its M-808 Scorpion tank for military consideration. The chapter ended with Johnson arguing that the Scorpion’s low cost and easy production could let the army field it in large numbers.

• Representative Nolas explained the Hercules Dropship’s unloading system and its role alongside medical transport aircraft, but Qi Jian stopped him from revisiting rejected proposals.
• Qi Jian conditionally approved the Hercules Dropship for the procurement list if it passed live prototype tests, with funding redirected from Diamond-class cruisers and C-9979 landing craft.
• Johnson introduced the M-808 Scorpion tank, describing its two-person crew, armor, mobility, and multifunction cannon.
• Johnson reported the Scorpion’s low simulated win rates against the AT-TE and TX-130, and Qi Jian questioned its battlefield advantage.
• Johnson argued that the Scorpion cost far less, required fewer crew and production hours, and could be manufactured on planets with weak industrial bases.

A military review approved plans to produce Scorpion tanks and criticized Tyran Heavy Industries for failing to submit several promised projects. Zhang Jiarui interrupted the meeting to argue that the Thor Mech had been evaluated against the wrong target, and Qi Jian stopped when he heard it was designed to fight an Acclamator-class assault ship.

• Johnson explained that Scorpion tanks could be manufactured widely by producing their engines and energy systems at core factories, with simplified versions available for blockaded planets.
• Tom Vance and Cheng Shitao discussed how Scorpion tanks and M-9 Wolverine anti-aircraft vehicles could strengthen planetary defenses and support future fleets.
• Qi Jian approved a formal Scorpion tank order after live-unit testing, then demanded answers from Nolas about Tyran Heavy Industries' missing CMC-300 armor and mechs.
• Nolas said Doctor Otto Gunther Octavius had abandoned the projects and could not be reached, prompting Qi Jian to threaten a financial audit of Tyran Heavy Industries.
• Zhang Jiarui burst into the meeting and demanded a review of the Thor Mech, insisting that its intended target was an Acclamator-class assault ship.
• Qi Jian turned back after hearing Zhang Jiarui's claim and asked him to repeat what he had said.

Zhang Jiarui got another chance to present the Thor Mech and argued that equipping it with two J-1 Proton Cannons would let it threaten Republic Acclamator-class assault ships supporting ground invasions. The officers challenged the mech’s cost and vulnerabilities, and the chapter ended with Zhang insisting it could detect and strike transports before they could attack.

• Zhang Jiarui stopped Qi Jian from dismissing him by explaining that the reviewed Thor Mech was an energy model with modified circuits designed for J-1 Proton Cannons, and Qi Jian gave him one more chance.
• Zhang Jiarui resumed the presentation, describing the Thor Mech’s weapons and modular design, but General Cheng Shitao and Major General Tom Vance argued that it was costly, vulnerable, and outperformed by existing weapons in key roles.
• Zhang Jiarui explained that the prototype’s heavy Turbolaser cannons used energy circuits adapted for J-1 Proton Cannons, which Nolas realized explained why the prototype’s barrel had burst during its trial.
• Zhang Jiarui argued that two J-1 Proton Cannons could destroy Acclamator-class ships supporting Republic invasions, citing the Battle of Ombara as an example of the threat such ships posed.
• Qi Jian questioned the Thor Mech’s cost, ability to survive an Acclamator’s attack, and usefulness if the Republic used other transports, while Zhang Jiarui insisted it would detect and strike them first.

Qi Jian allowed Zhang Jiarui to take the Thor Mech prototype to Onderon and prove its battlefield value. The Galactic Republic launched a six-front counteroffensive, but its progress varied as the Fourth Civilization held its ground and Separatist forces disrupted several advances.

• Qi Jian rejected the Thor Mech project for now, but Zhang Jiarui asked to pilot its prototype to Onderon with two J-1 Proton Cannons, and Qi Jian agreed to consider adopting it if Zhang proved its value.
• The Republic 16th Legion captured Allanteen VI without resistance and advanced toward Planet Gamo and Milagro planet.
• The Fourth Civilization stood firm against the Republic 17th Army, and Ling Liang sent Xuanwu to Malastare, deterring the Republic from advancing toward Kira planet and Paks Planet.
• The Republic 20th Army stalled at Yag'Dhul, while the Republic 4th Army advanced toward Rusan Planet after capturing Atahox and Belasco.
• Sefrans Tann used Destruction and a powerful fleet to raid Republic supply lines and lightly defended planets, disrupting the Republic 3rd Army's advance.
• The Republic northern and northwest offensives made limited progress as the Geth threatened the north and the 7th and 8th Armies struggled to defend themselves.

Onderon’s residents endured harsh droid controls as Regent Sanji Rush struggled to contain a growing rebellion and asked Count Dooku for reinforcements. General Kalani arrived at the Unifar Temple, leaving Sanji Rush to face the unfamiliar droid commander.

• The Galactic Republic launched a major counteroffensive while the Confederacy of Independent Systems relied on planetary droid defenses and Sefrans Tann’s mobile fleet to slow its advance.
• Onderon’s shipbuilding industry expanded under the InterGalactic Banking Clan and Tyran Heavy Industries, while Sanji Rush seized power and imprisoned King Ramses Dundup.
• Sanji Rush’s rule tied Onderon to the Confederacy’s war effort, and strict droid patrols and restrictions on daily life fueled the Rebel Alliance’s attacks and sabotage.
• Sanji Rush requested help from Count Dooku, who questioned his ability to govern the planet and protect its Behemoth-class production facilities.
• A minister announced that General Kalani had arrived, and Kalani entered Sanji Rush’s throne room escorted by MagnaGuard and B-2 super battle droids.

General Kalani arrived on Onderon to take command from Sanji Rush and investigate the Rebel Alliance’s growing activity, suspecting that someone inside the regime was leaking intelligence. Meanwhile, Stila and her team returned to a rebel hideout after raiding an information center, bringing the intelligence they had stolen.

• General Kalani confronted Sanji Rush and demanded a report on the Rebel Alliance’s escalating operations.
• Akhenaten Tandin reported that rebels were using EMP grenades to destroy robots, while Rush blamed former king Ramses Dundup.
• General Kalani rejected Rush’s speculation, suspected that intelligence was coming from within the regime, and left to investigate.
• Sanji Rush ordered his guards to bring Ramses Dundup to him, prompting a disappointed look from Akhenaten Tandin.
• Rebels gathered in a concealed warehouse near Aiziz and celebrated when Stila and her team returned without pursuers.
• Stila told the rebels that her team had raided an information center and stolen the intelligence they needed.

The Rebel Alliance on Onderon decoded THOR as a reference to a thunder god and prepared to attack the secret cargo, while Anakin Skywalker urged Saw Gerrera to think strategically. At the end of January, 20 BBY, Doctor Zhang Jiarui arrived in Aiziz with the Thor Mech prototype.

• Saw Gerrera and Stila Gerrera led the Rebel Alliance team away from their hacked robot base before General Kalani’s forces arrived.
• A Rebel technician identified THOR as a word meaning “god of thunder” from Dawn Star Planet, and Ahsoka Tano linked it to the Separatists’ plans for Onderon.
• Saw Gerrera insisted that the Rebels destroy THOR and use the attack to inspire civilians, while Anakin Skywalker warned him against reckless tactics.
• Robot patrols on Onderon faced frequent Rebel attacks using EMP grenades as the robot forces reduced their patrols.
• Doctor Zhang Jiarui arrived in Aiziz aboard a transport ship with his Thor Mech prototype.

Sola and Stila Gerrera led the Rebel Alliance in an attack on a factory on Onderon, while Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano observed their growing influence and debated their methods. Lux arrived with intelligence about THOR, a massive new weapon being tested on Onderon, and the Rebels saw his connection to Senator Mina Bontri as a chance to learn more.

• Sola and Stila led the Rebels in destroying a factory, but the attack caused civilian casualties and cost two Rebel fighters their lives.
• Stila warned that the Rebels’ violence was making Onderon’s people fear them, while Sola argued that victory would make them understand.
• Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano discussed the Gerrera siblings’ leadership and the threat posed by Separatist general Sefrans Tann.
• Sola rallied the Rebels to target the warship factories on Dukson Satellite, and they cheered for freedom.
• Lux told Sola and Stila that THOR, a huge new weapon from Tyran Heavy Industries, would be tested at an Onderon factory and that his mother, Mina Bontri, had provided blurry images.