Cover Artist: Jon Foster

As Princess Leia and her team arrive at Bakura, they find themselves facing outright hostility that stems in large part from the way the Bakuran defense force was used in the Centerpoint crisis. Prime Minister Cundertol has been kidnapped and there is a large surprise involving the Ssi-ruuk. Apparently their slave labor has overthrown the masters and now desires a peaceful coexistence with the Bakurans. As the ceremony approaches, Jaina Solo finds herself the victim of a plot by the Deputy Prime Minister to overthrow the returned Prime Minister and then appear to save the day. He forces her to activate a bomb, but she sends a message to her mother through the Force that the stands need to be evacuated. Just as the bomb goes off, Tahiri Veila shields the blast with the Force, minimizing the damage but sending herself into a coma where she must finally come to terms with herself. In the confusion, with the Prime Minister believed dead, the Ssi-ruuk complete their ceremony of consecration and launch an assault on the planet. During the fighting, the Prime Minister appears again and when Jaina attempts to detain him he shows that he is considerably stronger and faster than a human should be before he escapes. In the confusion, the P'w'eck slaves finally take the opportunity to overthrow their masters, helping to save the day. While this is happening, Luke Skywalker's team is adventuring through the Unknown Regions until they are intercepted by a Chiss task force. They are asked to go to Csilla, where they can present their request for information in person. After deliberation, they are given two days to gather as much information as possible relating to Zonama Sekot. As the time passes, they are given assistance by Wyn Fel, Soontir Fel's daughter and they begin to make some progress. Before they can find what they want though, Wyn is captured and an attempt is made on Soontir's life. The Jedi assist in repelling the attack and Jacen Solo rescues Wyn, which allows them to complete the search and find the only place where Zonama Sekot could possibly be. On Coruscant, Nom Anor is continuing his work of trying to overthrow Shimrra by spreading the Jedi heresy. He doesn't know just how far the message has spread until he nearly kills one of Shimrra's inner circle who has come to believe his words, the priestess Ngaaluh. Now that he possesses a contact so high up he can finally begin destabilizing Shimrra's entire government and get his revenge.