Arc 91Mandalore and the Shadow Collective

Gal Saxon seized Mandalore after Pre Vizsla’s coronation collapsed, while the Zann Consortium maneuvered around Darth Maul’s Shadow Collective and Tang Xiao’s plans. The story left Tang Xiao confronting the return of Dark Side corruption as Mace Windu learned that Luna-Phantom and Luna-Dream had long been in contact with him.

  • Jango Fett’s attacks on supplies helped collapse Pre Vizsla’s forces, and Bo-Katan Kryze’s Rebel Alliance advanced toward Sundari City as Pre Vizsla prepared to be crowned True Mandalor.
  • Darth Maul awoke on Savage Opress’s hidden base, learned how the galaxy had changed, and joined Savage’s plan to bring Black Sun under their control.
  • During the Battle of Sundari, Gal Saxon seized the Darksaber, killed Pre Vizsla, and proclaimed himself Mandalore’s ruler as Bo-Katan Kryze’s forces fell into chaos.
  • Gal Saxon crushed Bo-Katan Kryze’s resistance and gained broad support with reforms backed by the Zann Consortium, while Shen-Jon and Tiber Zayne revealed that Saxon’s rise had been engineered.
  • Adi Gallia returned as Death and clashed with Asajj Ventress on Mandalore, while Darth Maul and Savage Opress killed Black Sun leader Xomit Kosomite-Glenset and installed Ziton Moj in his place.
  • Kira met Darth Maul on behalf of Crimson Dawn, fought Savage Opress, and accepted Maul’s offer to become his apprentice and liaison to the Shadow Collective.
  • Tyber Zann admitted that he had sent Darth Maul against Black Sun to expose its backers, while Tang Xiao planned to exploit the coming Imperial crackdown on Felucia and prepare for Operation Zero.
  • Tang Xiao learned of Sanya Tagge’s danger from her sons and saw his Dark Side corruption returning, then Mace Windu slaughtered Imperial troops on Haruun Kal and discovered that Luna-Phantom and Luna-Dream had secretly been communicating with Tang Xiao.
Chapters 2273–2297 Vol. 23 Read

Ch. 2273Mandalorian Civil War (VII)

The Vizsla government forces abandoned Secundus City after Jango Fett's attacks destroyed their supply fleet and exposed Pre Vizsla's failure to sustain his army. As Pre Vizsla tried to regroup his scattered troops, Bo-Katan Kryze's Rebel Alliance counterattacked toward Sundari City, with only five days left before the coronation.

  • The Vizsla government forces retreated from Secundus City after running out of ammunition and water, destroying the city's water supply facility and dust-shield controller as they withdrew.
  • Jango Fett and his Super Soldiers repeatedly attacked supply spacecraft and convoys, then destroyed a transport fleet and triggered the collapse of the more than 90,000 troops in Secundus City.
  • News of the defeat exposed Pre Vizsla's supply failures, and people who had hesitated to rebel raised the banner of resistance.
  • Pre Vizsla began withdrawing his forces from more than a hundred battlefields to loyal cities so they could reorganize and rest.
  • Bo-Katan Kryze's Rebel Alliance counterattacked starving, undersupplied Vizsla government forces and used Bric-Arol-class airspeeders to push toward Sundari City.
  • The Rebel Alliance advanced toward the capital as Pre Vizsla's coronation ceremony drew within five days.

Ch. 2274The Black Hand Stirring the Situation

Tiber Zayne manipulated Pre Vizsla’s coronation plans while expanding the Zann Consortium’s operations on Saleucami. On Dathomir, Darth Maul awakened after nearly twenty years and learned that Savage Opress had helped build a hidden Shadow Empire under Darth Tenebrus.

  • Tiber Zayne ordered Urai Fen to send Pre Vizsla limited supplies so he could proceed with his coronation, where Jango Fett or Bo-Katan Kryze might kill him.
  • Tiber Zayne learned that Silri had prepared to act against Black Sun with Savage Opress and revealed his interest in bringing Darth Maul into the conflict.
  • The Zann Consortium processed warship wreckage on Saleucami, giving it a vast supply of materials for recycling and refitting.
  • Savage Opress awakened Darth Maul from a Bacta tank and explained the major events of the twenty years since Maul’s defeat on Naboo.
  • Darth Maul despaired that Darth Sidious and Darth Malthael controlled the galaxy, but Savage Opress claimed they had become a hidden variable and built a Shadow Empire.
  • Savage Opress identified Darth Tenebrus as the force behind their rise, and Darth Maul realized the hidden base did not feel like the Dathomir he remembered.

Ch. 2275I Am Not a Puppet!

Darth Maul agreed to help Savage Opress build the Shadow Collective by taking control of Black Sun, while privately plotting to avoid becoming Darth Tenebrus’s puppet again. On Mandalore, Pre Vizsla prepared for his coronation as True Mandalor and learned that Bo-Katan Kryze was assembling a large force against Sundari City.

  • Darth Maul questioned whether Darth Tenebrus was using him, then told Savage Opress to create their legion and asked about their mission to bring Black Sun under their control.
  • Savage Opress said Night sister Silri had gone to Nal Hutta satellite and that Darth Tenebrus would reveal his plan after Black Sun joined them.
  • Pre Vizsla brooded over Mandalore’s failing campaign, his reliance on Zann Consortium supplies, and his coming coronation as True Mandalor.
  • Gal Saxon reported that the Rebel Alliance west of Sundari City had been defeated, and Pre Vizsla praised him as his Grand Strategist.
  • Gal Saxon told Pre Vizsla that Bo-Katan Kryze was gathering about twenty thousand troops with airspeeders and fighters, and he promised to secure Sundari City’s skies for the coronation.

Ch. 2276An Ominous Beginning

In 11 BBY, the Duchy of Dawn and the Galactic Empire began negotiations while Pre Vizsla prepared to restore the Mandalorian Crusaders on Mandalore. Bo-Katan Kryze launched an assault on Sundari City, beginning the Battle of Sundari.

  • Hutt Space’s civil war abruptly halted as the Goresla Family began planning a unified regime.
  • The Galactic Empire and the Duchy of Dawn traded accusations and closed their borders, but Francis Underwood later traveled to the Empire to negotiate reopening the Rendili Trade Route with Koruya-Van D'ron.
  • Pre Vizsla announced his coronation as True Mandalor and the restoration of the Mandalorian Crusaders, while Bo-Katan Kryze vowed to resist and march on Sundari City.
  • Bo-Katan Kryze assembled 20,000 troops and prepared to attack Pre Vizsla’s 100,000-strong force outside Sundari City.
  • Bo-Katan Kryze ordered her troops to charge as Jango Fett, twenty Super Soldiers, and John 117 joined the assault, beginning the Battle of Sundari.

Ch. 2277Blood-Stained Sundari

Pre-Vizsla staged a sacred ceremony to proclaim himself True Mandalor while the Rebel Alliance and Mandalorian Restoration Army attacked Sundari. As the War God Priest prepared to crown him, someone grabbed the helmet first.

  • Pre-Vizsla climbed to the altar as Gal Saxon's troops and Death Watch warriors forced Sundari's residents to watch his ceremony.
  • The Rebel Alliance began bombarding the Vizsla government forces, and its Scyk fighters attacked their corvettes.
  • Jango Fett, John-117, and the Night Owls broke through the government forces' positions and advanced toward the city.
  • The War God Priest completed the ritual and raised the Mandalorian helmet to proclaim Pre-Vizsla True Mandalor.
  • As Pre-Vizsla knelt to receive the helmet, a hand reached from behind and seized it first.

Ch. 2278Humiliating Death

Gal Saxon betrayed Pre Vizsla during the Mand'alor ceremony, denounced his rule, and rallied the crowd by invoking Mandalore’s history of humiliation. After beheading Pre Vizsla, Saxon’s forces clashed with Death Watch, plunging Sundari City into civil war.

  • Gal Saxon stunned Pre Vizsla with an electroshocker and took the Darksaber ceremony platform.
  • Gal Saxon condemned Pre Vizsla and the Kryze family, urging Mandalorians to reject submission and restore their strength.
  • Gal Saxon seized the Darksaber and beheaded Pre Vizsla, then raised his head and declared that the Mandalorians would be great again.
  • The crowd rallied behind Gal Saxon as Death Watch warriors tried to attack him or flee.
  • Gal Saxon’s troops and returning Kom'rk-class fighters opened fire on Death Watch, and fighting spread through Sundari City as civilians fled in panic.

Ch. 2279A Sudden Turn for the Worse

Shen-Jon maneuvered to place a strong ruler over Mandalore after chaos discredited its existing leaders. Just as Bo-Katan Kryze’s forces neared victory, a mysterious transmission disabled their vehicles and turned the battle into a massacre.

  • Shen-Jon concluded that Mandalore’s people would follow whoever could restore strength and planned to bring that leader before them.
  • Bo-Katan Kryze’s Rebel Alliance broke through the government forces’ defenses and prepared to advance into Sundari City.
  • Gal Saxon killed Pre Vizsla and proclaimed himself king, adding another contender for Mandalore’s rule.
  • Bo-Katan Kryze ordered Jango Fett and the Mandalorian Restoration Army to capture the Sundari Royal Palace.
  • A mysterious transmission caused Rebel Alliance starfighters and airspeeders to malfunction, plunging its forces into chaos and killing soldiers and civilians.

Ch. 2280The Real Pawn

Gal Saxon crushed Bo-Katan Kryze’s Rebel Alliance, seized power on Mandalore, and slaughtered the Vizsla forces on Concordia. With the Zann Consortium’s investment behind him, Gal Saxon became the sole ruler, while Shen-Jon and Tiber Zayne revealed he had been their intended pawn all along.

  • After the Rebel Alliance’s weapons and vehicles malfunctioned, Gal Saxon’s forces routed Bo-Katan Kryze’s army, and fewer than two hundred soldiers escaped with her.
  • Mandalore Engine Company told Bo-Katan Kryze it was loyal to Gal Saxon, who then abolished the political system and proclaimed himself Mandalore Governor.
  • Gal Saxon declared the Vizsla and Kryze families traitors and led his forces in a massacre on Concordia that nearly wiped out Pre Vizsla’s supporters.
  • Gal Saxon announced reforms and a five-billion-credit investment from the Zann Consortium, prompting cities across Mandalore to support him.
  • Shen-Jon and Tiber Zayne revealed that Gal Saxon had been their real pawn, and the Zann Consortium committed to backing Mandalore’s development.

Ch. 2281Harbor of the Soul

Bo-Katan Kryze grieved over the failure to stop Gal Saxon, but Vitaly Orlov helped her regain resolve and urged her to prepare for the Zann Consortium’s next move. Meanwhile, Mace Windu and Olegar arrived at Haruun Kal, where Windu sensed the planet was awakening.

  • Vitaly Orlov comforted Bo-Katan Kryze and explained that Gal Saxon’s rise had been engineered by the Zann Consortium.
  • Vitaly told Bo-Katan about his conflicted relationship with his brother Yuri Orlov and reconsidered how Yuri’s weapons had helped people resist oppression.
  • Vitaly asked Bo-Katan whether resisting tyranny was wrong, and she firmly rejected the idea before leaning against him and falling asleep.
  • Vitaly resolved to wait for the Zann Consortium to reveal its plans while preparing to defend Mandalore’s people when they needed help.
  • Mace Windu arrived at Haruun Kal with Olegar, who said Windu could resolve the planet’s powerful anomaly as the Son of Haruun Kal.

Ch. 2282Pure Light

Mace Windu revealed his plan to destroy the galaxy and make the Dream Sisters its gods before departing for Haruun Kal, while Olegar headed for the Mandalore star sector. Tang Xiao investigated Mandalore’s sudden unification under Gal Saxon and learned that Olegar was also moving toward the sector.

  • Mace Windu told Olegar that he sought revenge against the Dark Side and intended to destroy the galaxy, leaving only ten thousand people under the Dream Sisters’ rule.
  • Mace Windu took a shuttle toward Haruun Kal, while Olegar ordered his destroyer to the Mandalore star sector.
  • Tang Xiao learned that Gal Saxon had unified Mandalore and asked Salatan Morse to investigate.
  • Salatan Morse reported finding no leads on Darth Maul or the Shadow Collective, assessed that Savage Opress was likely hiding on Dathomir, and described Black Sun’s current leadership.
  • Salatan Morse reported that Olegar had visited Tangrene, where Blood Knights killed a Ghost Agent, and that Olegar’s warship was now heading toward Mandalore.

Ch. 2283An Ominous Premonition

Tang Xiao assessed the danger posed by Mandalore’s sudden unification and suspected Darth Maul’s Shadow Collective was behind it. He ordered preparations and surveillance, then used his altar to reach toward a mysterious presence on Taris.

  • Tang Xiao, Sefrans Tann, Helmut Zemo, and Salatan Morse discussed Mandalore’s new regime and the risks of intervening or allowing the Galactic Empire to act.
  • Tang Xiao ordered Tann to keep her fleet on standby and secretly prepare Stargate components, while Morse increased surveillance on Black Sun and warned Dryden Vos to stay alert.
  • Tang Xiao considered the Shadow Collective’s threat, Mandalore’s strategic position near Korriban, and the mystery of Gethzerion’s resurrection.
  • Tang Xiao entered the hidden chamber behind his office and used the altar’s Death Force to pierce through space.
  • On Taris, a pair of scarlet eyes suddenly opened in the Lower City.

Ch. 2284Death

Adi Gallia awakened from death as Death and received orders to go to Mandalore, where an unknown assassin had killed ten of Gal Saxon’s warriors. Asajj Ventress examined the bodies and identified the killer as the Archangel of Death.

  • Adi Gallia recovered her memories in Taris, embraced her identity as Death, and vowed revenge on Darth Sidious and Anakin Skywalker.
  • A B-1 battle droid delivered Tang Xiao’s orders for Death to monitor Mandalore, watch Olegar, and kill Darth Maul if he appeared.
  • A Rodian captain led Zann Consortium pirates to a Deceiver-class destroyer, where they received a new mission before returning to their ships.
  • Gal Saxon found ten Mandalorian warriors dead outside the royal palace and requested aid from Tiber Zayne.
  • Asajj Ventress arrived with ten Nightsisters, inspected the corpses, and identified the assassin as the Archangel of Death.

Ch. 2285As Far as the Eye Could See

Asajj Ventress warned Gal Saxon that the Duchy of Dawn might be interfering in Mandalore, while Imperial pressure and a military standoff left both powers waiting to see what happened. The chapter then shifted to Nashadda, where Black Sun leader Xomit Grensit met with Silri to discuss the Zann Consortium’s offer of cooperation.

  • Asajj Ventress told Gal Saxon that the Duchy of Dawn was likely interfering in Mandalore, possibly through one of Tang Xiao’s subordinates.
  • Gal Saxon reported an attack on Mandalorian warriors to the Galactic Empire and blamed Tang Xiao, prompting the Empire to send ten Imperial-class Star Destroyers to Mandalore.
  • Wilhuff Tarkin warned Emperor Palpatine that the Duchy of Dawn was infiltrating Mandalore, but the Imperial Senate recommended keeping a military presence there and waiting.
  • On Nashadda, Xomit Grensit met with Silri, who told him that the Zann Consortium wanted to cooperate with Black Sun.

Ch. 2286Black Sun Changes Again

Silri offered Black Sun a partnership with the Zann Consortium, but Kosomite-Glenset demanded compensation for past attacks. Darth Maul and Savage Opress stormed Black Sun’s headquarters, and Ziton Moj helped them kill Glenset and take control of the negotiations.

  • Silri pitched cooperation to Kosomite-Glenset and six Black Sun Vegos, while they accused the Zann Consortium of attacking their fleet and stealing their business.
  • Silri invoked Hutt Jabba as a potential partner, and Kosomite-Glenset demanded compensation before Black Sun would consider an alliance.
  • Darth Maul and Savage Opress attacked Black Sun’s headquarters, killing Guardians as they fought their way inside.
  • Kosomite-Glenset tried to flee, but Ziton Moj and Black Sun guards turned against him and blocked his escape.
  • Darth Maul forced Glenset to the floor, and Ziton Moj shot him before Maul welcomed Moj as Black Sun’s new leader and left to discuss cooperation.

Ch. 2287Death vs. Ventress

Tang Xiao learned that Darth Maul was forming the Shadow Collective and considered whether to recruit or eliminate him. On Mandalore, Asajj Ventress confronted Death, whose black mist drained life, and the fight continued as a Night sister’s arrow struck Death in the back.

  • Salatan Morse reported Xomit Grunseit's murder to Tang Xiao, who identified Darth Maul as the likely culprit and weighed the threat and opportunity posed by the Shadow Collective.
  • Tang Xiao considered contacting Dryden Vos to reach Darth Maul and decided the matter required a sharp response.
  • On Mandalore, Death attacked two Night sisters investigating a corpse, but Asajj Ventress arrived and blocked her strike with her Lightsabers.
  • Death and Ventress fought as Death spread black mist that strengthened her and drained Ventress's life force.
  • Ventress ordered the Night sisters to attack, then joined the melee, and one Night sister shot an arrow into Death's back.

Ch. 2288Crimson Dawn

Asajj Ventress and the Mandalorians failed to stop the resurrected Adi Gallia from attacking their forces, prompting Shen Qiaoen to send reinforcements and plan a response to the Duchy of Dawn. On Corellia, Kira left a weapons shipment to meet Dryden Vos, who told her the Zann Consortium wanted an alliance with Crimson Dawn.

  • Adi Gallia escaped Asajj Ventress and the Mandalorian warriors after killing several Night sisters.
  • Ventress identified Adi Gallia as a Jedi Master resurrected by Darth Malthael and warned Shen Qiaoen that the Duchy of Dawn had begun investigating them.
  • Shen Qiaoen said Darth Maul had reported Ni Yongxiao's gang probing Black Sun territory, and he offered to send IG-100 MagnaGuards to Mandalore.
  • Kira left a Turbolaser shipment at Corellia's industrial harbor to meet Dryden Vos aboard the Frist Light.
  • Dryden Vos told Kira that the Zann Consortium wanted to form an alliance with Crimson Dawn.

Ch. 2289Two Halves of a Gold Coin (Part 1)

Dryden Vos sent Kira to sound out the Zann Consortium as he weighed seeking help from the Sakorian Big Three to survive Darth Maul’s expansion. After Vos left, Kira watched his ship depart and recalled how she and Han Solo had vowed not to let the mysterious giver of their gold coin turn them against each other.

  • Kira questioned Dryden Vos about the Zann Consortium, and Vos ordered her to approach it cautiously while he delayed making a decision.
  • After Kira left, Dryden Vos feared Darth Maul would kill him whether he submitted or resisted, and considered asking the Sakorian Big Three for help.
  • Dryden Vos boarded the Frist Light and flew toward space while Kira watched from her speeder bike.
  • Kira touched her half of the gold coin and remembered meeting the mysterious person with Han Solo during the Clone Wars, when a Lightsaber led her to kill for the first time.
  • Kira recalled that she and Han Solo had each received half a coin with a promise of one wish, and that they had vowed not to fight over it.

Ch. 2290Two Halves of a Gold Coin (Part 2)

Kira recalled how the gold coin had helped her escape execution and rise within Crimson Dawn, and wondered whether Tang Xiao might aid the organization in its crisis. After learning that Celonians had seized a weapons shipment, she ordered her subordinates to withdraw and rode toward the meeting with the Zann Consortium.

  • Kira and Han Solo had used a canister of Coaxium to try to escape Corellia, but the customs officer let Han Solo leave while Madam Proxima's men captured Kira.
  • Kira claimed that her gold coin came from Tang Xiao, and Madam Proxima took it to Dryden Vos, whose Force-sensitive confirmed that it carried a faint trace of the Dark Side Force.
  • Madam Proxima and Dryden Vos sold Kira to Crimson Dawn, where she trained in Teräs Käsi and rose into the organization's top ten.
  • Kira considered whether Tang Xiao might support Crimson Dawn and realized Dryden Vos had likely assigned her to the Zann Consortium negotiations as a test.
  • A subordinate told Kira that Celonians had reported and surrounded a weapons shipment, so she ordered her crew to withdraw temporarily.
  • Kira restarted her speeder bike and rode toward the agreed negotiation site with the Zann Consortium.

Ch. 2291Exceptional Talent

Kira represented Crimson Dawn in negotiations with Darth Maul’s Shadow Collective and proved herself in a fight against Savage Opress and Maul. Dryden Vos accepted the alliance and appointed Kira as its liaison, while Maul offered her a chance to become his apprentice.

  • Kira arrived at Dryden Vos’s manor to represent Crimson Dawn and met Darth Maul, Savage Opress, and Silri.
  • Savage Opress challenged Kira, but she used her high-voltage batons and combat skills to fight him off.
  • Darth Maul defeated Kira and offered to make her his apprentice, revealing that he represented the Shadow Collective rather than the Zann Consortium.
  • Dryden Vos appeared by hologram, accepted Maul’s proposal, and named Kira the liaison between Crimson Dawn and the Shadow Collective.

Ch. 2292The Sakorian Big Three's Move

Dryden Vos warned the Sakorian Big Three that Darth Maul and the Zann Consortium threatened their control of the Corellian Trade Worlds. The Big Three planned to undermine the Zann Consortium and use an Imperial crackdown on Felucia spice smuggling to weaken Dryden Vos's rivals.

  • Dryden Vos told the Sakorian Big Three that Darth Maul intended to expand into the Corellian Trade Worlds with backing from the Hutts, Black Sun, the Neimoidians, and the Zann Consortium.
  • The human, Celonian, and Drallian members debated the threat and agreed that they should not openly take over Crimson Dawn.
  • The Celonian proposed warning the Zann Consortium, and the human said he would arrange Deputy Minister Gerard Mael's downfall.
  • The Drallian warned that Tiber Zayne should keep the Zann Consortium out of the Core Worlds.
  • The Celonian planned to indirectly protect Dryden Vos by exploiting the Galactic Empire's coming crackdown on spice smuggling on Felucia.

Ch. 2293Tyber Zann's Concerns

In February 11 BBY, Tyber Zann refused to halt the Zann Consortium’s starship-wreckage salvage business despite an Imperial investigation, then identified Black Sun and Crimson Dawn as the likely cause of the pressure. Shen-Jon challenged Tyber’s judgment, and Tyber revealed that he planned to use an impending Imperial operation on Felucia to force their hidden opponents to act.

  • Tyber Zann learned that Gerard Mer had been suspended and was urged to pause the Consortium’s starship-wreckage salvage operations.
  • Gerard Mer offered to compensate the Consortium through other businesses, but Tyber refused and insisted the salvage business would continue.
  • Shen-Jon confronted Tyber and nearly choked him to death until Tyber blamed Black Sun and Crimson Dawn, suspecting the Galactic Empire backed them.
  • Tyber admitted he had sent Darth Maul against Black Sun to draw out the forces behind them, and Shen-Jon rebuked him for acting without investigating.
  • Tyber told Shen-Jon that an Imperial cleansing operation on Felucia would soon target the Neimoidians first.

Ch. 2294The Dark Side's Corruption

Shen-Jon planned to provoke a war between the Galactic Empire and the Duchy of Dawn so they would stop investigating his group. Meanwhile, Tang Xiao learned that the Dark Side's corruption was returning and resolved to prepare the Duchy for a decisive war before it overtook him.

  • Tiber Zayne told Shen-Jon that the operation against Felucia might be tied to Corellia Engineering Company and Crimson Dawn, and Shen-Jon ordered him to monitor Darth Maul while planning to force the Galactic Empire and the Duchy of Dawn into conflict.
  • Sanya Tagge prepared to leave Tang Xiao, promising to return if her family-related gamble succeeded, and Tang Xiao asked her to watch Mandalore and the Zann Consortium.
  • Tang Xiao saw a new black line on his cheek and recognized that the Dark Side's corruption was returning to his body.
  • Tang Xiao decided to end the war before losing control, while continuing preparations for Operation Zero, scheduled for 8 BBY.
  • Tang Xiao reflected that Sanya Tagge's visit was an advantage, recalling that she had first come to him after her heart protruded from her chest despite remaining healthy.

Ch. 2295The Tagge Family's Transformation

Sanya Tagge relied on Tang Xiao as she uncovered her sons’ plot to seize control of the Tagge family and faced growing suspicion from Emperor Palpatine. She prepared to return to Tepasi and confront her eldest and third sons, while Tang Xiao considered how to help her; then a transmission arrived from Haruun Kal.

  • Sanya Tagge continued receiving treatment from Tang Xiao, who had removed the toxins that had been poisoning her and gained her trust and political allegiance.
  • Sanya discovered that her sons Orman Tagge, Silas Tagge, and Yurik Tagge were suspected of poisoning her and seeking control of the Tagge family, while Cassio Tagge was away in military service.
  • With help from Tang Xiao’s Ghost Agents and Salarian special forces, Sanya fought her sons’ influence but could not eliminate all three without risking the family’s future.
  • Sanya told Tang Xiao that Orman and Silas had gained support from Imperial leaders and that Emperor Palpatine suspected her secret dealings with the Duchy of Dawn.
  • Sanya planned to return to Tepasi and kill Orman and Silas while sparing Yurik, and Tang Xiao offered only his Ghost Agents and Salarian special forces.
  • A transmission from Haruun Kal reached Tang Xiao.

Ch. 2296The Demise of the Illusion

An Imperial investigative team discovered that the apparently active 114th Escort Fleet station on Haruun Kal was a decaying ruin concealed by an illusion. As the station’s true state emerged, a mysterious attacker armed with a blood-red Lightsaber slaughtered the Storm Commando Team.

  • A major ordered his cruiser to dock at the unresponsive Haruun Kal station and sent Storm Commando Team soldiers inside to investigate.
  • The soldiers found staff frozen in place, unaffected by their attempts to touch or move them, while the station’s objects remained movable.
  • The major and captain discussed earlier reports when the lights dimmed, the station became a ruined, corpse-filled wreck, and the cup in the major’s hand turned into a blackened skull.
  • The team realized the 114th Escort Fleet had vanished long ago and that its reports had been lies.
  • An attacker with scarlet eyes and a blood-red Lightsaber appeared and effortlessly slaughtered the Storm Commando Team despite their blaster and rocket fire.

Ch. 2297The Sleeping Planet

Mace Windu rescued Luna-Phantom and Luna-Dream from Haruun Kal’s dream and learned that the planet’s will had transformed their connection to the Force. After discovering Luna-Phantom had remained in contact with Tang Xiao, Windu confronted the sisters as the cruiser left the station.

  • Mace Windu fought through the Imperial soldiers and reached the cruiser’s bridge, where Luna-Phantom and Luna-Dream were waiting.
  • Windu freed the cruiser from the docking bay and asked the sisters about their recovery from Haruun Kal’s dream.
  • Luna-Dream explained that Haruun Kal had awakened them, while Windu recalled contacting the planet’s powerful, childlike will in the dream.
  • Windu said Haruun Kal had returned to sleep and that its Sons might become part of it when it awakened again.
  • Windu saw Tang Xiao’s hologram on Luna-Phantom’s communicator and realized she had been secretly communicating with him.
  • Luna-Dream identified Tang Xiao as Sith Lord Darth Malthael and Grand Duke of Dawn, and told Windu that the sisters had always been in contact with him.
Arc 91 of 118