Cover Artist: Ian Keltie

On Coruscant, with the young Jedi apparently cured of their recent affliction, Valin and Jysella Horn are roused from their carbonite imprisonment. All appears well, but they are still under the influence of Abeloth and are hiding it until they know more about what's going on around them. Meanwhile, Luke Skywalker, Ben Skywalker and Vestara Khai track Abeloth to a space station where Luke learns that she moved on to Nam Chorios and wants her slave Jedi back. With the battle with the Sith forces all but over, the Jedi regroup on the Errant Venture and begin execution of their plan to infiltrate the Senate Building. While Masters Kyp Durron and Octa Ramis are maneuvered into the building, a plan by Senator Haydnat Treen and her cohorts to discredit Galactic Alliance Security and get her closer to the head of the Galactic Alliance is put into place, with an apparent poisoning supposedly orchestrated by Jedi Knight Seha Dorvald. On Nam Chorios, Luke and his team find evidence that a doctor has been experimenting with drochs, and that he disappeared when Abeloth arrived on planet. As they fly to investigate, Ship, the Sith meditation sphere, intercepts them and forces them to land with significant damage, but at least they reached their destination. Unfortunately, it becomes apparent that all the so-called evidence was nothing more than a plot to get them out of the way to give Abeloth more time to carry out her plans. Back on Coruscant, Treen's group begins their efforts to assume command of the Alliance by manipulating Chief of State Daala into sending mercenaries to ruthlessly suppress a slave revolt. As the information leaks to the public, Admiral Parova moves in to arrest Daala, but is forestalled by the Jedi, who feel that this is their best chance as well. The Jedi succeed in their coup, and Senator Treen brings the senate in to support them, realizing this is her only chance to take advantage of the change in plans and hopefully still come out on top. In the confusion of the coup, Valin and Jysella persuade a news anchor to provide them with a ship, and they take her with them as they make their way to Nam Chorios. On the planet surface, Luke and his team make their way back to Hweg Shul and learn that Abeloth has got a foothold on the planet and so they begin looking for her, but now the Sith have arrived on planet and are interfering in his search. With the Galactic Alliance under the control of the Jedi, Leia Organa is sent to Klatooine to mediate for the anti-slavery groups, and brings Hapan Queen Tenel Ka Djo in to help. At the same time on Coruscant, Admiral Daala is placed in protective custody in the same prison as Tahiri Veila who is finally convicted and sentenced to death. While Daala is meeting with someone who looks like her lawyer, she is broken out of prison by Boba Fett, and Tahiri uses the opportunity to make her own escape, against the advice of her lawyer. On Nam Chorios, Luke, Ben and Vestara infiltrate the facility where Abeloth is located and Luke has Vestara inform the Sith about their location to bring their extra strength in to help. When they finally find Abeloth, Valin is present and she appears is Callista Ming. Valin keeps Ben and Vestara busy while Luke uses the Force and what he has recently learned to rip Callista's consciousness away from Abeloth, finally freeing her to join the Force. When he recovers he finds that the Sith have surrounded them. They duel and it looks like they are going to lose when Vestara kills one of the tsils, stunning all the Sith around them and allowing them to escape to the surface, where they find the Jedi starfighters fighting off the Sith forces. On Klatooine, C-3PO is stolen by the Sith who plant a bomb inside him and send him to kill Tenel Ka Djo, but Dei, the local leader of the Sith realizes suddenly that Allana is the daughter of Tenel Ka. Deciding to kill both mother and daughter, he reaches for the remote that is no longer there because Allana has taken it. He chases her, but is attacked by Anji, and then confronted by Leia, who kills him in a duel. The danger is averted, but Tenel Ka has to leave without spending any more time with her daughter. On Nam Chorios, the Jedi escape and give the Sith a real beating, Valin and Jysella and the locals are restored to normal, but Abeloth escapes with her injuries to meet up with the Sith and convince them to work with her.