Cover Artist: John Van Fleet

After disrupting the plots of both Lord Daiman and Lord Odion on Chelloa, Kerra Holt makes her way deeper into the Daimanate to the throne world of Lord Daiman, Darkknell. Also on Darkknell, a Bothan infiltrator named Narsk has stolen technical readouts for a new fighter and intends to destroy the research facility as he is escaping the planet, but he is ambushed by Kerra, who steals his stealth suit and sets off his explosives, leading to his capture. Elsewhere on Darkknell, Jarrow Rusher and his mercenary crew are refitting and resupplying their ship when Daiman calls for the leaders of the various mercenary groups to attend him for a job. Wearing Narsk's stealth suit, Kerra infiltrates Daiman's palace with the intent of killing him, but when she decides she can't get to him in his palace, she rescues Narsk to find out what Daiman's plans are. Learning that he is going to Gazzari with his mercenary crews to set a trap for Odion, she releases Narsk and decides to assassinate Daiman on his ship where her likelihood of success is higher. Arriving at Gazzari with no success, Kerra finally finds Daiman's quarters, but before she can carry out her plan, Daiman's bait arrives, a mobile research facility populated by young innocents, including one that Kerra had grown close to on Darkknell. With the bait present, Lord Odion arrives and the battle is joined, with Kerra doing everything in her power to save the innocents. As the battle rages, Jarrow Rusher's crew experiences heavy losses and Kerra manages to save the innocents from the facility and forces them on Rusher. The remainder of Rusher's crew evacuates the planet, and just as they think they will be destroyed, they witness Daiman and Odion's forces turn together and attack the watching Sith Lord Bactra, essentially wiping him out. On the run from Daiman, looking for a safe place to leave the refugees, Rusher suggests Byllura, which is ruled by the Sith children Quillan and Dromika. They decide to give it a try, but while exploring, Kerra learns that it is not a safe place for her charges, what with the Sith children being more unstable than standard Sith. Battling her way to the center of everything, she manages to capture Quillan and incapacitate Dromika, but before they can escape they are accosted by yet another sith Lord, Arkadia Calimondra. Taken to Arkadia's throneworld of Syned, she offers to take the refugees off their hands, in exchange for Kerra performing a favor for her. In order to earn her trust and give her some background, Arkadia explains that the many of the Sith Lords are the grandchildren of Vilia Calimondra and she keeps them at each others throat by promising her legacy to the one that impresses her the most. In order to prove it, Arkadia allows her to witness her grandmother dividing up Lord Bactra's territory and holdings and doling them out to other Sith. After the bequest is over, Arkadia tells Kerra that her price for harboring the refugees will be Kerra's assistance in transporting Quillan to Vilia and then killing her. When Kerra refuses, she is taken prisoner, prompting Rusher to formulate a plan to save her from Arkadia, while Narsk is tapped to carry out Kerra's role in the assassination. Working quickly, Rusher sends Narsk his stealth suit and Kerra's lightsaber, and Narsk uses his suit to free Kerra. He explains to her the plan and gives her a set of coordinates, telling her she needs to meet up with Rusher to complete the coordinates. Puzzled as to why he is helping her, he reveals that he truly works for Vilia, and she didn't ask him to kill Kerra. With Rusher and his crew causing widespread destruction, Narsk manages to escape with Quillan and Kerra is rescued, after dueling with Arkadia, by Rusher who is taking the refugees to Republic space. For their part, they intend to return to Sith space and continue whittling away at the Empire, while Vilia continues to prepare her progeny for their inevitable clash with the Jedi.