Seduces, deranged, and destroyed by the machinations of the dark lord Sidious, Anakin Skywalker is dead ... and Darth Vader lives. From the site of Anakin Skywalker's last stand, where he sought to destroy his friend and former Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, a fearsome spectre in black has risen. Once the most powerful Knight ever known by the Jedi Order, he is now a disciple of the dark side, a lord of the dreaded Sith, and the avenging right hand of the galaxy's ruthless new emporer. Meanwhile, on the Outer Rim world of Mukhana, Jedi Masters Roan Shryne and Bol Chatak and Padawan Olee Starstone are leading the charge on a Separatist stronghold, unaware that the todehas turned against them. Although the three narrowly elude execution, the deadliest threat still rests in the hideously swift and lethal crimson lightsaber of Darth Vader-behind whose brooding mask lies a shattered heart, a poisoned soul, and a cunning, twisted mind hell-bent on vengance. For the handful of scattered Jedi hunted across space, survival is imperative if the light side of the Force is to be protected and the galaxy reclaimed.
