Chapter Summaries

Darth Malthael tortured Darth Lilim on Korriban and demanded that she find a darker purpose before he returned in three days. Back aboard the Glory, Tang Xiao learned of Sheev Palpatine’s assassination, Republic troop movements, and General Sefrans Tann’s attack on the Second Systems Army.

• Darth Malthael defeated Darth Lilim, cut her in half, and left her soul to suffer under the Sith spirits’ torment.
• Darth Malthael told Darth Lilim to become darker and stronger, then departed Korriban and gave her three days to change.
• Tang Xiao returned to the Glory, where Helmut Zemo reported that Chancellor Sheev Palpatine had been assassinated and Jedi-led Republic forces had halted operations.
• Zemo reported a major Galactic Senate meeting and confirmed Republic Clone Trooper movements around Centax-2; Tang Xiao ordered him to investigate the meeting.
• Zemo told Tang Xiao that General Sefrans Tann had begun an operation against the Second Systems Army, surprising Tang Xiao.

Tang Xiao explained to Helmut Zemo why the Jedi Order could never be underestimated and described his ambition to master both sides of the Force. Later, Zhang Jiarui demonstrated the repaired Thor Mech to Kuat engineers, though his controls were disconnected and his presentation was only an act.

• Helmut Zemo questioned whether it would be wiser to let Windu establish resistance in the Neutral Systems Alliance, and Tang Xiao warned him that the Jedi Order could recover from any defeat.
• Tang Xiao explained that the Force continually moved toward balance and that merging light and darkness was nearly impossible, though he still pursued that goal.
• Helmut Zemo pledged to help Tang Xiao achieve his ambition, and Tang Xiao sent him to make arrangements before speaking with Count Dooku.
• Zhang Jiarui activated the repaired Thor Mech’s apparent charging sequence while explaining its energy system to Kuat engineers.
• Zhang Jiarui theatrically described the mech’s supposed energy beam, but the red button was connected to nothing.

Zhang Jiarui kept Kuat Drive Yards engineers occupied with a fake Thunder God's Sword test while secretly repairing the Thor Mech and coordinating with General Kalani. Meanwhile, Kryster and the others infiltrated the Industrial Star Ring’s waste processing area, where Kryster gained access to Kuat Drive Yards’ authorization list.

• Zhang Jiarui staged a pretend firing test, convincing the engineers that Thunder God's Sword was complete while they protested that it needed a real prototype test.
• More than half the engineers left to pressure Little Kuat to let their team build the prototype, while Zhang Jiarui secretly inspected the Thor Mech and spoke with General Kalani.
• General Kalani told Zhang Jiarui that reinforcements had infiltrated aboard a garbage ship and advised him to keep the engineers occupied while continuing repairs.
• In the waste processing workshop, Kryster told Zhang Xucheng, Shen Yuanhao, and Xiao Yan that she was trying to contact General Kalani and crack the local systems.
• Kryster unexpectedly logged into Kuat Drive Yards’ authorization list, astonishing Shen Yuanhao.

Shen Yuanhao's group searched for a way to rescue Zhang Jiarui on Quat Planet while Codename 007 and Judgment made their own moves. After 007 secretly contacted the group, he warned them to abandon the rescue and kill Zhang Jiarui instead.

• Shen Yuanhao's group decided to wait until night to contact General Kalani and plan their rescue of Zhang Jiarui.
• Codename 007 plotted to use an incident involving Zhang Jiarui to remove the Security Department minister, while Judgment arrived on Quat Planet with a Republic Navy crew unaware of her identity.
• Kryster detected a covert signal exposing security-system units, and Zhang Xucheng recognized the sender as an ally reaching out through the Force.
• Kryster traced the strongest security presence to the Education Development Department, where the group suspected Zhang Jiarui was being held, though its supply records suggested he was receiving luxuries.
• Codename 007 entered the garbage workshop, gave the group security information and a communicator, and urged them to kill Zhang Jiarui instead of attempting a rescue.

Shen Yuanhao’s group planned to unite with 007 and General Kalani to rescue Zhang Jiarui, despite the low odds of success. Meanwhile, a disguised female soldier entered the Kuat Industrial Ring and unleashed an invisible force.

• Shen Yuanhao reassured Zhang Xucheng that they would try to rescue his father alive, even though 007 had said they might need to kill Zhang Jiarui if the rescue failed.
• Shen Yuanhao identified his group, 007, and General Kalani as the three forces on Quat Planet and proposed joining them together.
• Zhang Xucheng volunteered to link the groups telepathically, while Shen Yuanhao planned a strategy meeting for that night and an operation the following day.
• A female soldier wearing a scarf walked through the Kuat Industrial Ring with a suitcase and greeted a navy soldier.
• The female soldier released an invisible force that spread outward.

Judgment unleashed a controlled Rakghoul plague across the Kuat Industrial Ring to create chaos while she searched for Zhang Jiarui. As the outbreak overwhelmed the station, Shen Yuanhao’s group seized the chance to head toward the site where Zhang Jiarui might be held.

• Judgment infected about a thousand people across the Kuat Industrial Ring and delayed the virus’s activation.
• Judgment triggered the plague, and infected residents transformed into Rakghouls that attacked people and spread the infection.
• The Rakghoul outbreak spread across the Ring, reaching more than ten thousand monsters in half an hour as Kuat Security Forces struggled to contain them.
• Judgment watched the chaos from a rooftop, put on her mask, and leaped from the skyscraper.
• Shen Yuanhao learned that the Ring was under attack, and he ordered his group to take a garbage transport ship toward the place that might be holding Zhang Jiarui.

As Rakghouls spread through the Kuat Industrial Ring, Shen Yuanhao and the children headed for the Education and Training Center to rescue Zhang Jiarui. Their diversionary rescue plan began when Karina broke into the base and tore through Kuat’s security forces.

• Rakghouls overwhelmed the Industrial Ring’s defenses, while Shen Yuanhao piloted a cleared garbage ship toward the Education and Training Center with Kryster and the children.
• Zhang Xucheng sensed that the Rakghouls were tied to a powerful, dark Force user, and Shen Yuanhao decided to seek out another powerful Force user at the center.
• General Kalani told Zhang Jiarui that their preparations were ready and that the Thor Mech could barely function, while Kuat security raised the base’s alert level.
• Kuat soldiers entered the laboratory to retrieve Zhang Jiarui, but found the staff unconscious and the robots disabled before a searchlight revealed the Thor Mech.
• Karina smashed through the wall, reflected blaster fire with her scales, and slaughtered hundreds of Kuat soldiers as fighters and frigates gathered outside to attack her.

Shen Yuanhao’s group fought through the Kuat security base and found Zhang Jiarui, while Zhang Xucheng realized a Jedi Knight was closing in on Karina. Karina faced Blackhole, the Chancellor’s Advisor, who overpowered her and revealed his plans to collect rare beings.

• Xiao Yan, Shen Yuanhao, and Kryster broke into the control center, where Kryster discovered thousands of soldiers were heading toward the base.
• Kryster found Zhang Jiarui in the engineering laboratory, and Zhang Xucheng reunited with his father through their mental link.
• Zhang Xucheng realized the Force interference had stopped and warned Karina that a Jedi Knight was approaching.
• Blackhole attacked Karina with his crossguard Lightsabers and introduced himself as the Chancellor’s Advisor.
• Karina fought Blackhole with her Light Axe, but he wounded her and spoke of collecting her and Arden Lyn.

Zhang Jiarui and his allies fought to escape Kuat’s control while Judgment searched for the captured Separatist engineer, and Karina struggled against Blackhole. Zhang Xucheng’s plea for help exposed him to a second man bearing Blackhole’s markings, but an unknown voice intervened as the man raised his Lightsaber.

• Karina grew to nearly 3.8 meters tall and attacked Blackhole with her Light Axe, but he calmly blocked her blows with his dual Lightsabers and wounded her.
• General Kalani piloted the damaged Thor Mech as Zhang Jiarui directed him to destroy Kuat’s laboratory, then Shen Yuanhao, Kryster, and Xiao Yan arrived to rescue him.
• Zhang Jiarui learned that Zhang Xucheng had stayed behind to maintain their telepathic link, and he ordered General Kalani to smash through Kuat’s defenses and retrieve him.
• Judgment overwhelmed Kuat’s security forces, learned that the captured Separatist engineer was in District 17, and set off with an official to reach the location quickly.
• Zhang Xucheng sensed Karina’s danger and sent a telepathic plea for help, but a young man with markings like Blackhole’s found him in the waste processing workshop and raised his Lightsaber.
• An unknown voice challenged the young man, asking who had given him the courage to harm the speaker’s student.

The Priestess rescued Zhang Xucheng from Blackhole, while Cun Te and the others waited in orbit for the next stage of the operation. At the ruined training base, Blackhole confronted the assembled Separatist fighters and threatened Zhang Xucheng, leaving Zhang Jiarui alarmed.

• The Priestess arrived in a crashing fighter, rescued Zhang Xucheng, and confronted Blackhole, who identified her as Master Depa Barris.
• Cun Te, Sola-A, Oola-Khan, and the Salarian special forces waited aboard the cloaked Lancer while Sola-A reported that the Priestess had engaged Blackhole.
• Blackhole weakened Karina and fought off the Thor Mech before Xiao Yan, Shen Yuanhao, Kryster’s hacked robots, and Zhang Jiarui surrounded him.
• Celeste Morn appeared wearing the Muur Talisman, and Blackhole revealed that he knew about Karness Muur and challenged the Separatists to escape the Kuat Defense Fleet.
• Blackhole warned that Zhang Xucheng was in danger, prompting Zhang Jiarui to react in alarm.

Judgment defeated Blackhole’s apparent body, but he revealed himself as a member of the Dark Prophet and escaped in a mysterious star-like form. Meanwhile, Zhang Xucheng agreed to help the Priestess unite their allies, and his precise psychic signal reached the Dark Templars aboard a hidden frigate.

• Zhang Jiarui and his allies fired on Blackhole, but Judgment redirected his reflected shots and sent them away while she confronted him.
• Judgment fought Blackhole under the Moor amulet’s corruption, gradually shifting toward the Dark Side and overpowering him before cutting off his head.
• Blackhole’s apparent body released a dark, star-filled form that appeared simultaneously beside Judgment and the Priestess, identified himself as an advisor to Chancellor Palpatine and a member of the Dark Prophet, and vanished after threatening the galaxy and universe with destruction.
• The Priestess reassured Zhang Xucheng and asked him to help the group find a chance to escape Kuat Defense Fleet forces; he agreed.
• Zhang Xucheng’s precise psychic connection reached the hidden Astro-class frigate, where Sola-A and Oola-Khan sensed him and Cun Te ordered them to move.

Donald ordered District 7 sealed off to prevent the rescue of Zhang Jiarui as the Star Ring’s authorities contained a Rakghoul outbreak. The rescue team struggled to reach its ship before the district was sealed, and newly deployed IG-86 robots threatened the Rakghouls.

• Donald learned that the sealed districts might contain over five million Rakghouls and ordered District 7 completely isolated to stop Zhang Jiarui’s rescue.
• The Star Ring began closing massive hatch doors over District 7 while the rescue team led Zhang Jiarui toward a factory landing platform.
• Judgment’s Rakghouls attacked Kuat Security Forces as 007 disrupted their command, while Zhang Xucheng maintained contact with the team through a psychic network.
• Shen Yuanhao learned that Cun Te’s group remained cloaked and that Bond’s authority trick was close to being exposed, so he urged the team to hurry.
• Karina charged the security forces but was slowed and injured by their concentrated weapons fire.
• Kuat Security Forces deployed IG-86 Sentry robots, giving them a powerful new weapon against the charging Rakghouls.

Judgment led the rescue team through Kuat Security Forces and used the Moor amulet to help them reach their rendezvous and collect Priestess and Zhang Xucheng. They escaped aboard an Astro-class frigate just as District 7 sealed its bulkhead, leaving them trapped under attack by fighters.

• Judgment used the Moor amulet to transform more than a thousand Kuat Security Forces soldiers into Rakghouls, creating an opening for the rescue team.
• Cun Te flew the team aboard a black Astro-class frigate while Salarian special forces stayed behind to buy them time.
• Judgment helped Cun Te evade pursuing fighters and maneuvered the frigate so Priestess could leap aboard with Zhang Xucheng.
• Zhang Jiarui embraced his son after the rescue team picked him up near the waste processing workshop.
• District 7's bulkhead closed, sealing the Star Ring Sector as more than a dozen fighters attacked the frigate.

Codename 007 seized Commander Donald and forced him to reopen District 7’s hatch so Lancer could escape. The ship broke out of the Star Ring but came under attack from the Kuat Defense Fleet, and Kryster spotted a massive warship in a nearby shipbuilding dock.

• An Intelligence Department officer confronted Donald with evidence that his authorization code had issued disruptive orders, and Donald ordered an investigation and a switch to the backup command system.
• Codename 007 revealed himself, subdued Donald, killed the Intelligence Department officer, and forced Donald to open District 7’s hatch and tell the defense fleet they had captured Zhang Jiarui.
• Zhang Xucheng told the people aboard Lancer that 007 had taken the commander hostage, while Zhang Jiarui comforted his son and left 007 behind.
• Priestess piloted Lancer through the opening hatch as the Kuat Defense Fleet fired, then led the ship out into a storm of anti-aircraft fire and pursuing fighters.
• Kryster spotted a massive warship docked at a shipbuilding facility several dozen kilometers away.

Cun Te and the rescue team escaped the Kuat Defense Fleet by flying the Lancer into the unfinished Eclipse-class dreadnought and taking control of its engines. The Republic forces stopped firing to protect the prototype and sent transports after them as Chief Engineer Lila Blythex watched from Quat Planet.

• Kryster spotted the unfinished 17.5-kilometer Eclipse and found a way to access its control system and open a hatch.
• The Priestess piloted the Lancer toward the Eclipse while Cun Te recognized that the Kuat Defense Fleet feared them reaching it.
• Kryster activated the Eclipse's engines as the Priestess and Cun Te dodged fire and Judgment shot down Republic fighters.
• The Lancer entered the Eclipse through its opened underside hatch, and several Republic fighters crashed into the vessel.
• The Kuat Defense Fleet ceased fire and sent LAAT assault transports into the Eclipse to pursue the rescue team.
• Lila Blythex watched the battle and learned that the fugitives had targeted the engines installed for the Eclipse's thrust test.

Lila Blythex concealed the Eclipse-class prototype ship’s separation system and let it escape, while Kryster remotely maneuvered the ship out of the shipyard. Cun Te, the Priestess, and Judgment fought to survive aboard as the ship’s power systems came under attack.

• Lila Blythex ordered the separation system’s records deleted and told her assistant to inform the Fleet Commander that the Eclipse-class prototype ship could not be stopped.
• Kryster turned the Eclipse-class prototype ship under remote control, wrecking the shipyard and dragging smaller vessels toward the edge of Quat Planet’s gravity well.
• Cun Te and the Priestess piloted the Lancer through the prototype ship, evading LAAT transports while Judgment shot down their pursuers.
• Kryster reported that intruders were sabotaging the ship’s power systems, and Karina offered to go after them.
• Judgment used the Moor amulet to infect and mutate the remaining Kuat engineers into Rakghouls, then withdrew to meditate, troubled by the amulet’s dark power.

The Kuat Defense Fleet Commander ordered the Eclipse-class prototype destroyed rather than let the fugitives escape with it. As the fleet opened fire, the Lancer jumped to hyperspace from inside the prototype, gambling on Depa Barris's experience stabilizing hyperspace.

• The Fleet Commander learned the fleet had no way to stop the accelerating Eclipse-class prototype or deploy Interdictors in time.
• The adjutant laid out the choices: shoot down the fugitives' ship or destroy the prototype, with neither option guaranteed to succeed.
• The Fleet Commander ordered every warship to fire at full strength and destroy the Eclipse-class prototype.
• The Priestess and Judgment foresaw the attack, and the Lancer activated its hyperspace engines while still inside the prototype and within Quat Planet's gravity well.
• The Lancer vanished into hyperspace with some of the prototype's internal components, and the fleet's barrage engulfed the Eclipse-class prototype less than a second later.

James Bond killed Fleet Commander Donald before being shot by the guards, while the Kuat Defense Fleet commander killed himself after learning the fugitives had escaped. Lila Blythex and Little Kuat then discussed using the destruction of the Eclipse-class prototype to persuade the Republic to delay or cancel the project and replace it with the Executor-class.

• James Bond told Donald that Donald’s wife had leaked his authorization, then snapped Donald’s neck before guards shot him dead.
• The Kuat Defense Fleet commander learned that a hyperspace fluctuation had been detected aboard the destroyed Eclipse-class prototype, realized the fugitives had escaped, and shot himself.
• Lila Blythex instructed her staff to tell the Republic investigation team that the prototype had been destroyed before its planned super cannon test.
• Little Kuat summoned Lila and her core technical team to Quart City after punishing the officials responsible for Quat Planet’s security.
• Lila urged Little Kuat to persuade the Chancellor to cancel or postpone the Eclipse-class project and replace it with the Executor-class project.

After the Eclipse-class prototype was destroyed, Lila Blythex proposed the Executor-class as a faster, mass-produced Super Star Destroyer project to Chancellor Sheev Palpatine. Palpatine approved the plan, which promised a huge warship able to destroy Xuanwu, while the new Kyber Crystal main gun remained a future project.

• Lila Blythex persuaded Little Kuat that Kuat Drive Yards should pursue the Executor-class because its design was easier to realize than the Eclipse-class.
• Sheev Palpatine summoned Onana Kuat, angrily reprimanded her over the Kuat Industrial Ring incident, and imposed severe penalties on Kuat Drive Yards.
• Lila Blythex presented the Executor-class plan to Palpatine, claiming its five thousand heavy Turbolasers could defeat Xuanwu and that a Kyber Crystal main gun would be developed later.
• Onana Kuat promised to add hundreds of billions of credits to the project, and Palpatine approved it.
• Palpatine learned from Blackhole that Depa Barris and another Dark Jedi Knight had rescued Zhang Jiarui using the Moor amulet, and he welcomed the Executor-class's enormous size as a weapon of fear.

Edra Kestis endured the Valley of the Dark Lords as Darth Malthael tried to shape her into a tool of his ambition. Lucien Dre appeared to warn her that Malthael's conquest would bring death and destruction.

• Darth Malthael subjected Edra Kestis to the Sith spirits in the Valley of the Dark Lords, filling her with his ambition rather than hatred of the Jedi or Republic.
• Edra Kestis collapsed under the torment and longed to give up, but Lucien Dre appeared and warned her that surrender would leave her trapped among the spirits.
• Lucien Dre told Edra Kestis that he had seen a light in her heart and had wanted to help her resist Malthael.
• Edra Kestis murmured that Malthael would conquer the galaxy, while Lucien Dre warned that his victory would bring death and destruction.