Recaps

Tang Xiao postponed large-warship development and redirected Fourth Civilization toward strengthening its military, infrastructure, society, biotechnology, and scientific research. The civilization entered a five-year period of expansion and preparation while its leaders pursued the ambition of reclaiming their former glory.

• Tang Xiao paused large-warship research for five years as Fourth Civilization refitted a captured cruiser into its first aircraft carrier, expanded its navy, and planned an upgrade for the Glory mothership.
• Fourth Civilization established a military academy and developed the Agile Formation doctrine, while Tang Xiao sought ancient Sith-Republic war archives through Hego Damask II.
• Dawn City Hall was slated to become a planetary administrative center, supported by a new administrative AI and a reorganized bureaucracy.
• Fourth Civilization planned a planetary power grid and a massive cold nuclear fusion reactor to supply its growing energy needs.
• Tang Xiao promoted cultural squares and a revised national history, while the Bioengineering Department pursued genetic optimization and researchers expanded theoretical science.

Tang Xiao met with Semir-Tonis to review their growing partnerships and the plan to bring down Hego-Damask II within three years. Semir explained that he needed Hego to consolidate his scattered wealth so he could reach Damask Holdings Group’s core business, and Tang Xiao offered him a data storage device as bait.

• Semir-Tonis reported that the Fourth Group had deepened its cooperation with Damask Holdings Group, the Trade Federation, and the Corporate Alliance.
• Semir-Tonis warned that their plan depended on Hego-Damask II dying within three years, while Tang Xiao said he would ensure it happened.
• Semir-Tonis explained that Hego’s wealth was scattered across more than eighteen thousand companies and that restructuring it would let him enter Damask Holdings Group’s core business.
• Tang Xiao presented Semir-Tonis with a data storage device, and Semir-Tonis reacted with shock when he saw its contents.

Tang Xiao showed Semir Tonis the enormous Ragnarok-class Titan warship design and explained how it would lure Hego Damask II into committing Damask Holdings Group to its construction. He expected the project to outlast Darth Pregas and eventually leave the warship in Tang Xiao’s hands.

• Tang Xiao revealed the 14,100-meter Ragnarok-class Titan warship, armed with a 500-meter electromagnetic cannon, and Semir Tonis was stunned by its scale.
• Tang Xiao argued that Darth Pregas would pursue the design because he was preparing for war and would see the superweapon as irresistible.
• Tang Xiao explained that his earlier remarks about Hutt Jabba had planted suspicion in Hego, pushing him to rely only on Damask Holdings Group for the project.
• Tang Xiao reasoned that the immense technical and industrial demands would delay completion for at least ten years, long enough for Darth Pregas to die before the warship became operational.
• Semir Tonis accepted the plan and agreed that the Ragnarok-class Titan warship was the bait to use.

The Fourth Group launched a sweeping counterattack against Black Sun, striking its operations and allies across several worlds. Ni Yongxiao coerced Black Sun boss Doran into opening fire on his fellow bosses, leaving Black Sun’s leadership meeting in chaos.

• Ni Yongxiao oversaw a black-suited force’s assault on a bar on Nashadda, then left after the gunfire subsided.
• Armed attackers raided a Black Sun spice plant on Ryloth, seized its products, and set fire to the remaining workers in the fields.
• A killer shot a Republic Trade Department official on Coruscant, and the next day authorities received a tip linking him to Black Sun smuggling.
• A squad stormed a Byss nightclub and killed several Black Sun higher-ups, while three Revenge-class light destroyers and Wraith fighters destroyed a Black Sun merchant convoy near Felucia.
• At a secret meeting on Ombara, Ni Yongxiao threatened Doran through a hologram of his family, and Doran returned to the gathering and shot at the Black Sun bosses before they killed him in the gunfight.

Volgograd-Kanidi remained in command of the Ironfang-class cruiser above Tatooine, but his aversion to combat had left him drinking and withdrawing from his duties. Yuri Orlov reunited with Vitaly on Tatooine and revealed that their next moves involved the planet and a coming civil war on Cerea, then landed at a concealed base protected by missile towers.

• Volgograd-Kanidi left combat duties to Buka and daily command to Wang Bin, while he drank and avoided the bridge.
• Wang Bin received word that Santa Claus's ship was approaching Tatooine and ordered the Trojan horse program activated, a safe route calculated, and Kig-Yar pilots sent on patrol.
• Yuri Orlov arrived aboard an Auro-class freighter and reunited with Vitaly, explaining that Black Sun was being hunted and that they would soon go to Cerea together.
• Yuri and Vitaly discussed Gaddula's desperate situation and hinted at a plan for her.
• Yuri and Vitaly landed the freighter in a hidden valley surrounded by concealed missile towers.

Yuri Orlov and Vitaly Orlov arrived on Tatooine to meet Scar, Broderick Shale, and the captive Hutt Gaddula Besadi. Tang Xiao revealed a plan to work with Gaddula, but the chapter ended as Yuri presented their objective without explaining it.

• Yuri reunited with Scar and told him that Tang Xiao was already at war with Black Sun, so they needed to avoid drawing Jabba's attention.
• Yuri showed Scar two STS-32 Foreman-class Salvagers, prompting Scar to question why they had come to mine instead of stir up trouble.
• Yuri and Broderick Shale went deeper into the cave to meet the imprisoned Hutt Gaddula Besadi.
• Tang Xiao appeared through a hologram and told Gaddula that cooperating with him was her only option for survival.
• Yuri introduced the salvagers and projected an image of their objective, which the chapter did not identify.

Tang Xiao offered Gaddula blueprints for a Land Carrier and explained how she could build it by combining resources from Gaddula, his engineers, and the Jawas. Gaddula agreed to contribute her repair yards and engineers, while Shale was tasked with persuading the Jawas to cooperate.

• Gaddula and Shale were stunned by the Land Carrier blueprint, but Gaddula became angry when she learned it had not yet been built.
• Tang Xiao proposed naming the carrier Gaddula and argued that it could help her compete with Jabba.
• Tang Xiao explained that eight Jawa Sandcrawlers could supply the carrier's chassis, with antigravity components and engineering modifications addressing their weaknesses.
• Tang Xiao assigned Shale to persuade the Jawas and explained that STS-32 Foreman-class Salvagers would refine Tatooine's low-quality minerals.
• Gaddula agreed to provide engineers and components from her starship repair yards on Nal Hutta and other planets.

Darth Plagueis and Darth Sidious advanced their plans to destabilize the Republic while discussing Naboo and Black Sun. Tang Xiao brought Hego Damask II evidence of a Ragnarok-class Titan warship, and Hego rushed to examine it in his laboratory.

• Darth Plagueis ordered Darth Sidious to keep the trade summit on track and welcomed his plans to weaken Chancellor Valorum and the Republic.
• Darth Sidious blamed Naboo's King Ars Veruna for backing Black Sun and Gaddula, while Darth Plagueis assigned Jabba and Dooku to handle Gaddula and Bando Gora.
• Darth Plagueis said he would deal with Ars Veruna himself and sent Darth Maul to deal with Black Sun.
• Tang Xiao visited Hego Damask II and reported that he had found a storage device in Vego Kash Garulan's safe after destroying the Black Sun leader's lair on Mulcana.
• Hego Damask II saw the hologram of a Ragnarok-class Titan warship, seized the storage device, and hurried with Tang Xiao to his laboratory.

Tang Xiao gave Darth Pregas the Ragnarok-class Titan warship data and let him draw his own mistaken conclusions about its origins. Impressed by Tang Xiao’s loyalty, Darth Pregas invited him to Naboo to see part of his plan on Yinchorr and named the battleship Malthael.

• Darth Pregas examined the Titan warship data Tang Xiao had found in Kash Garulan’s safe and questioned where it came from.
• Tang Xiao stayed silent about the ship’s real origins, while Darth Pregas speculated that it came from an ancient civilization and an all-out war.
• Darth Pregas concluded that Tang Xiao’s colony ship could build the Titan, but Tang Xiao said he had brought the data to help defeat the Galactic Republic.
• Darth Pregas said he would gradually reveal his plan to Tang Xiao and invited him to Naboo, where he would show him Yinchorr.
• Darth Pregas named the super battleship Malthael as Tang Xiao’s reward.

Darth Pregas accepted Tang Xiao’s Titan warship data and planned to build the ship while continuing Tang Xiao’s Force training. On Coruscant, Francis Underwood negotiated with Senator Orn Free Taa, offering help to block an education bill in exchange for support in forcing Vice Chancellor Batan to retire.

• Tang Xiao celebrated when Darth Pregas agreed to build the Titan warship and named it the Malthael.
• Darth Pregas said the ship’s unfamiliar technology would require extensive research, then excluded Tang Xiao from the construction project and resumed teaching him to control the Force with anger.
• At a private dinner on Coruscant, Claire Underwood charmed Toonbuck Tula by praising and explaining her gown.
• Francis Underwood discussed the education bill with Orn Free Taa, who asked him to secure votes against it.
• Francis offered to gather twenty-one votes against the bill and asked Orn Free Taa to help push Vice Chancellor Batan into retirement.

Francis Underwood won Palpatine’s support for replacing Vice Chancellor Batan with Mas Amedda, entering Palpatine’s political circle. After Francis left, Palpatine told Dooku that his former apprentice Komari Vosa was alive and leading Bando Gora, prompting Dooku to vow to deal with her.

• Francis told Palpatine that the Republic needed balance and proposed impeaching Vice Chancellor Batan and replacing him with Mas Amedda.
• Palpatine agreed to cooperate with Francis and invited him to a gathering for Wilhuff Tarkin’s promotion to Grand Moff.
• Francis accepted the invitation and reflected that he had taken his first step into Palpatine’s circle as part of the Fourth Civilization’s strategy.
• Dooku contacted Palpatine and demanded to know whether his former apprentice Komari Vosa was alive.
• Palpatine said Vosa led Bando Gora and had colluded with Black Sun to destroy a planet, and Dooku vowed to confront her.

Master Dooku confronted the Jedi High Council over Komari Vosa’s survival and blamed the Order for her fate, then left in anger. The Council turned to the growing crisis on Cerea, where Ki-Adi-Mundi planned to mediate as Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi were assigned to investigate.

• Master Dooku demanded that Master Windu explain why Komari Vosa was alive and leading the Bando Gora cult.
• Master Windu said Komari Vosa had been expelled and warned Dooku not to involve himself in her case; Master Yoda also cautioned Dooku against anger and the Dark Side.
• Master Dooku accused the Council of mishandling Komari Vosa and left after expressing his disappointment in the Jedi Order.
• Master Windu proposed having his apprentice, Depa Barriss, increase surveillance of Dooku, and Master Yoda did not object.
• Master Ki-Adi-Mundi reported that Cerea was close to civil war and said he would return to mediate; Windu assigned Master Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi to investigate the forces behind the conflict.

On Cerea, the Technology Movement gathered support by promising young Cereans a prosperous, technologically advanced future while secretly serving Jabba and the Fourth Civilization’s interests. Yifent Mon, Elder Dor Fermi Bomi, and Blon prepared to act in seven standard days and divide control of the planet’s politics and trade.

• The Galactic Republic had gradually gained limited access to Cerea, while many Cereans resisted outside technology and influence.
• Jabba used Yifent Mon to interfere in the Technology Movement, and Yuri Orlov’s weapons smuggling helped the Fourth Civilization take over the supply business.
• Elder Dor Fermi Bomi rallied young Cereans against the Elder Council and urged them to join the Technology Movement.
• After the gathering, Blon praised the movement’s success and credited Yifent Mon and Santa Claus for supplying goods to attract supporters.
• Yifent Mon, Dor, and Blon planned to act in seven standard days, aiming to gain political power and monopolize Cerea’s trade.

Yuri Orlov delivered a huge shipment of weapons to Cerea to help Elder Dor Femi Bongi’s Technology Movement seize control of the planet. The movement began its march toward Tekav City, while Yifent Mon left for Tatooine and invited Yuri to join him after Cerea’s affairs were settled.

• Yuri Orlov and Vitaly Orlov arrived on Cerea with one hundred thousand assault rifles, ammunition, and an assault vehicle, and Yuri urged Elder Dor to treat the shipment as only the beginning.
• Blon welcomed Yuri and explained that success would earn him promotion to Cerea’s plenipotentiary representative.
• Elder Dor gathered the Technology Movement’s supporters at the castle and prepared to lead them toward Tekav City before the Elder Council convened.
• Yifent Mon told Yuri that Jabba approved of the progress on Cerea, then departed for Tatooine to deal with a new problem there.
• Elder Dor led a procession of more than seventy thousand people toward Tekav City, with armed Technology Movement followers at its front.

The Technology Movement’s procession turned violent, and Elder Dor’s forces clashed with the Cerean Elder Council’s army. As Dor’s poorly trained fighters began to retreat, Yuri Orlov delivered assault rifles to the marchers, who surged into battle against the Council.

• The Technology Movement wrecked homes and overwhelmed local peacekeepers, then seized weapons and mounts from the Cerean Planetary Elders Council’s troops.
• Elder Dor-Fermi-Bongmi rejected the Council’s ultimatum, and the Technology Movement routed a probing attack with rubber bullets before warning that it would use lethal force next time.
• The Council’s hundred-thousand-strong army attacked with Yalix cavalry, shield infantry, pikemen, and archers, inflicting heavy casualties and driving the Technology Movement’s untrained troops toward panic.
• Yuri Orlov and Vitaly Orlov arrived with hover trucks loaded with weapons and ammunition, and Yuri told Dor that the rifles were ready to fire.
• The armed marchers charged the Council army, suffering accidental casualties as they fired wildly while bullets shattered shields and brought down Council soldiers.

Yuri Orlov armed the Technology Movement’s civilians, who massacred the Elder Council army, while his brother Vitaly recoiled from the killing and fled. Elder Dor Fermi Bonmi led the victorious force toward Tekav City, intending to seize power at the coming Elder Council meeting.

• Yuri handed assault rifles and a grenade to civilians, including a boy and an older woman, and sent them into battle.
• Vitaly confronted Yuri over arming civilians, then tried to stop a woman from returning to the battlefield before despairing at Elder Dor’s enthusiasm.
• After two hours, the Technology Movement routed the Elder Council army, leaving more than fifty thousand soldiers dead or missing.
• Elder Dor left one thousand people to care for the wounded and marched the remaining force toward Tekav City ahead of the council meeting.

After the Technology Movement won a devastating battle, Yuri Orlov headed to Tekav City to claim the victory. Elder Dor confronted Cerea’s leaders and prepared to make his son Grand Elder, but Jedi Master Ki-Adi-Mundi arrived and objected.

• Yuri Orlov surveyed the battlefield, mourned the dead, and ordered a speeder bike so he could go to Tekav City.
• Two days later, Elder Dor entered Elder Council Hall as Technology Movement supporters surrounded it.
• Elder Dor argued that Cerea should embrace technological progress and join the Galactic Republic.
• Elder Dor offered the Grand Elder position to his son and planned to serve in the Republic Senate.
• Ki-Adi-Mundi entered Elder Council Hall and objected to the election.

Ki-Adi-Mundi confronted Elder Dor-Femi-Bonmi over the massacre, weapons, and Cerea’s proposed alignment with the Republic, while Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi took Blon into custody. Yuri Orlov arrived in Tekav City, found the standoff outside the Elder Council Hall eerily quiet, and saw two robed figures approaching him.

• Ki-Adi-Mundi entered the Elder Council Hall, frightened Elder Dor, and accused him of representing Jabba rather than the Galactic Republic.
• Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi arrived with Blon, and Ki-Adi-Mundi dismissed Blon as the Republic’s representative and demanded to know who supplied the weapons.
• Blon refused to identify the supplier, while Elder Dor defended himself by claiming the Elder Council had started the fighting and that he had recordings to prove it.
• Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi left to pursue the arms dealer, and Ki-Adi-Mundi remained to negotiate because he lacked proof to convict Elder Dor.
• Yuri Orlov reached Tekav City, found the protesters and guards locked in a silent standoff, failed to contact Blon or Elder Dor, and saw two robed figures approach him.

Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi pursued Yuri Orlov, defeated his T-850 bodyguards, and captured him on Cerea. Yuri warned his brother Vitaly to flee, but Obi-Wan arrested him before he could escape.

• Yuri Orlov recognized Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi and fled, leaving his T-850 bodyguards to fight them.
• Obi-Wan deflected the T-850's bullets and destroyed one robot, while Qui-Gon dismantled the other.
• Yuri escaped on a speeder bike as Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan pursued him.
• Yuri called Yifent Mon for help, but Yifent told him to leave Cerea and admitted he could not intervene.
• Yuri warned Vitaly Orlov to flee Cerea, then continued trying to escape alone.
• Obi-Wan stopped Yuri's speeder bike with the Force, threw him off, and arrested him in the name of the Jedi Order.

After Yuri Orlov was arrested by the Jedi, Tang Xiao sent Baron Zemo and Cun Te to arrange his rescue while Darth Pregas promised to protect Tang Xiao from the investigation. On Tatooine, Yifent Mon warned Jabba that the conflict on Cerea might end, and Jabba ordered bounty hunters to bring him Ki-Adi-Mundi’s daughter.

• Tang Xiao learned Yuri Orlov had been arrested, and Darth Pregas warned him to cut losses and keep the matter from reaching Coruscant.
• Tang Xiao contacted Baron Helmut Zemo and Cun Te to arrange Yuri’s rescue.
• Darth Pregas said Tang Xiao’s actions on Cerea had benefited his plans and promised the Jedi would not trace the incident back to him.
• Francis Underwood rejected Claire’s suggestion to ask Palpatine for help and set out for the Republic Court.
• Yifent Mon told Jabba that Ki-Adi-Mundi’s intervention could end the conflict on Cerea, and Jabba ordered bounty hunters to bring him the Jedi Master’s daughter.

After King Ars Veruna abdicated and vanished, Naboo began preparing for an early royal election while its people moved on without him. Darth Pregas and Tang Xiao found Veruna hiding in a remote mountain home, where the terrified former king awoke to Pregas at his bedside.

• Seven standard days after Sojourn Planet was destroyed, Ars Veruna abdicated and disappeared without explaining his decision.
• The Naboo government formed a provisional administration and began choosing a new king two years ahead of schedule, with a young woman from the Naberrie family as the favorite.
• Darth Pregas and Tang Xiao flew past Naboo's defenses and landed at a secluded mountain settlement where Veruna was hiding.
• Pregas cleared the clutter and stench from Veruna's house, then sat beside the sleeping former king.
• Veruna woke, panicked at the sight of Pregas, and begged for help as Pregas gently addressed him.

Darth Pregas revealed his identity and his plan to overthrow the Galactic Republic to Arles Veruna, then used Veruna as a subject for Tang Xiao’s Force experiments. As they left Naboo, Padmé Naberrie became Princess Amidala and governor of Theed City.

• Darth Pregas reminded Veruna how he had helped him become king through the Trade Federation and explained his plans against the Republic and Jedi Order.
• Darth Pregas introduced Tang Xiao as the owner of the Fourth Group and praised the Wraith fighter developed by the group.
• Darth Pregas had Tang Xiao use the Force to create germs inside Veruna and taught him how to make them devour Veruna’s life force.
• Darth Pregas and Tang Xiao left Naboo by shuttle as dawn broke.
• Sheev Palpatine congratulated Padmé Naberrie on becoming Princess Amidala and governor of Theed City.

In 33 BBY, crises across the galaxy deepened as Sith conspirators Darth Pregas and Darth Sidious secretly manipulated the Republic and corporate powers toward collapse. On Coruscant, Sheev Palpatine persuaded Chancellor Phineas Valorum to broaden a planned Commerce Summit and take Vice Chancellor Bota along to help organize it.

• Conflicts and disasters spread across the galaxy, while Chancellor Phineas Valorum lost influence and the Rim Faction Senators and Sheev Palpatine grew more powerful.
• The chapter revealed that Darth Pregas, as Hego Damask II, planned the unrest and Darth Sidious, as Sheev Palpatine, carried it out.
• Phineas Valorum asked Sheev Palpatine whether a Commerce Summit could secure agreement with the Trade Federation and the Corporate Alliance.
• Palpatine proposed inviting the InterGalactic Banking Clan, Merchant Guilds, and other organizations to the summit, and Valorum accepted his plan.
• Valorum asked Vice Chancellor Bota to travel with Palpatine to help arrange the summit, hoping its success would ease Bota's path to retirement.

Sheev Palpatine, as Darth Sidious, arranged for the Nebula Front to seek legitimacy at the Commerce Summit. On Nal Hutta, an Indjori reached the Fourth Group’s headquarters and saw its weapons advertisement featuring Wraith fighters destroying a Galactic Republic fleet.

• Sheev Palpatine told the Nebula Front’s leader that he had put the group’s name before Phineas Valorum and promised protection if the group caused trouble at the summit.
• An Indjori crossed Nal Hutta while fleeing pursuers and killed a drunk who tore away his disguise.
• The Indjori reached the Fourth Group’s new headquarters, presented identification bearing the Damask Holdings Group emblem, and was admitted.
• The Indjori watched a Fourth Group advertisement showing Wraith fighters and warships defeating the Galactic Republic’s forces.

An Indjori tried to buy weapons with a two-million-credit guarantee, while Hego-Damask II explained to Tang Xiao why Indjori were unsuitable for the Clone Army. Hego revealed that their plan was to make the Galactic Republic defeat itself, leaving the path forward unclear.

• A client manager showed an Indjori Wraith fighters, warships, and rifles, but the Indjori grew furious when he learned his guarantee covered only two million credits.
• Hego-Damask II examined an Indjori corpse aboard the Glory mothership and explained how the species’ biology resisted the Force and energy weapons.
• Tang Xiao observed that Indjori seemed ideal as soldiers, but Hego said Kaminoan cloning experts had found them unsuitable for an army.
• Hego explained that the Republic could not openly recruit soldiers because the Senate would oppose conscription.
• Hego told Tang Xiao that their goal was to make the Galactic Republic defeat itself rather than rebuild a Sith Empire and wage another long war.