When the Emperor and his notorious apprentice, Darth Vader, find themselves marooned in the middle of insurgent action on a hostile planet, they must rely on each other, the Force, and their own brutality to prevail.

Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Knight, is just a memory. Darth Vader, newly appointed Sith Lord, is dominant. The Emperor's chosen apprentice has quickly proved his allegiance to the dark side. However, the history of the Sith Order is full of deceit, betrayal, and apprentices who violently overthrow their Masters—and the true measure of Vader's fidelity has yet to be demonstrated. Until now.

On Ryloth, a planet crucial to the burgeoning Empire as a source of slave labor and the drug known as "spice," an aggressive temporary uprising has emerged, led by Cham Syndulla, an idealistic freedom fighter, and Isval, a vengeful former slave. But Emperor Palpatine is intent on controlling the embattled world and its valuable resources—through political power or military might—and will not be intimidated or denied.

Accompanied by his ruthless apprentice, Darth Vader, he sets out on a rare personal mission to ensure that his will is not left wanting. For Syndulla and Isval, it is an opportunity to strike at the heart of the brutal dictatorship sweeping the galaxy. And for the Emperor and Darth Vader, Ryloth becomes more than a mere matter of suppressing an insurrection: When an ambush sends them crashing to the planet's surface, where a hostile environment and a legion of resistance await, they will find their relationship tested as never before.

With only their lightsabers, the dark side of the Force, and each other to depend on, the two Sith must decide whether their fierce bond will make them victorious allies or deadly adversaries.

Pages: 368, Dimensions: 12.9x12.9cm