Lords of the Sith

Lords of the Sith is a novel within the canon, penned by Paul S. Kemp. Del Rey released it to the public on April 28, 2015. The narrative unfolds in the year 14 BBY, forming connections with stories presented in the television programs Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels. Jonathan Davis lent his voice to the audiobook version. ## Publisher's summary "Lord Vader, it seems your suspicions were correct. We are indeed being hunted." The identity of Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Knight, exists only as a memory. Darth Vader, the newly appointed Sith Lord, has risen to power. The Emperor's chosen apprentice has quickly demonstrated his unwavering commitment to the dark side. However, the Sith Order's history is filled with deceit, treachery, and disciples violently overthrowing their Masters. The true extent of Vader's loyalty remains to be tested, until this moment. On Ryloth, a planet of vital importance to the expanding Empire due to its supply of slave labor and the addictive substance known as "spice," a fierce resistance movement has emerged. This movement is spearheaded by Cham Syndulla, an idealistic freedom fighter, and Isval, a former slave seeking vengeance. Emperor Palpatine intends to assert control over this contested world and its valuable resources, employing both political influence and military might, refusing to be either intimidated or denied. Accompanied by his ruthless apprentice, Darth Vader, he embarks on a rare personal mission to ensure his will is carried out. For Syndulla and Isval, this presents an opportunity to strike at the very core of the oppressive regime that is engulfing the galaxy. Conversely, for the Emperor and Darth Vader, Ryloth evolves into something beyond merely suppressing an insurrection. When an ambush causes their ship to crash-land on the planet's surface, amidst treacherous terrain and a waiting army of resistance fighters, their relationship will undergo its most severe trial. Relying solely on their lightsabers, the dark side of the Force, and each other, the two Sith must determine whether their brutal alliance will lead them to victory or transform them into deadly adversaries. ## Plot summary ### Exposition Darth Vader and the Emperor governed the Galactic Empire eight years following the commencement of the Clone Wars. The Free Ryloth Movement, headed by Cham Syndulla, a former Twi'lek freedom fighter, was among the various resistance groups the Empire encountered. Although Ryloth was officially an independent protectorate, Imperial forces occupied the planet, seeing it as a crucial provider of spice and slaves. Vader, while meditating on board the Imperial Star Destroyer Perilous, was notified by Captain Luitt about an occurrence at the Yaga Minor shipyards. Simultaneously, Cham and his Lieutenant Isval were on a starship bridge, receiving information that their comrade, Pok, had commandeered an Imperial freighter as part of the mission to hijack an Imperial weapons shipment. However, Pok's stolen freighter was being pursued by a number of Imperial V-wing starfighters, led by Darth Vader in his personal Eta-2 interceptor. Vader instructed the pilots to target the freighter's rear shields, disabling its engines. Vader then ejected from his starfighter and boarded the ship by crashing his starfighter into the last functioning gun turret. Once on board, Vader instructed the squadron leader to escort the disabled freighter. He then proceeded through the ship, systematically eliminating the Twi'lek hijackers. Vader fought his way to the ship's bridge with the intention of personally executing Pok. Cham and Isval listened to Vader's deadly rampage on the freighter via intercom, and ordered their forces to return to Ryloth. Devastated by the loss of his friend Pok, Cham decided to escalate their efforts, moving beyond "half measures" to target the Empire's leaders: the Emperor and Darth Vader. ### Plots in motion Vader and the Emperor convened with Orn Free Taa, Ryloth's collaborationist Senator, on Coruscant. Taa was widely regarded as a puppet of the Empire. The Emperor and Lord Vader decided to accompany Senator Taa on an official investigative trip to Ryloth due to the disruption of Ryloth's spice trade caused by the Free Ryloth rebels. The Emperor arranged for Senator Taa, his staff, Vader, and himself to travel to Ryloth aboard the Star Destroyer Perilous. After Taa's departure, the Emperor confided in Vader that his visit was a pretense, with the true objective being to expose a traitor who had been leaking information to the Free Ryloth movement. Later on Ryloth, Cham received an encrypted message indicating that Senator Taa, the Emperor, and Vader would be traveling to Ryloth aboard an Imperial Star Destroyer. Cham discussed this information with Isval via comlink. They then decided to contact their Imperial spy Colonel Belkor Dray to confirm the accuracy of this intelligence. Cham's initial reaction was that it would be a trap if Belkor was aware of Vader and Palpatine's visit. However, if he was unaware, Cham saw it as a golden opportunity to overthrow the Empire's leadership and liberate Ryloth from Imperial control. In the meantime, Colonel Belkor visited Moff Delian Mors, the governor of Ryloth, who resided in a lavish command center on Ryloth's largest moon. Belkor resented Moff Mors for her extravagant lifestyle, idleness, and dealings with criminal figures such as Nashi the Hutt. During the visit, Belkor and Mors discussed the recent failed attempt by the Ryloth rebels to steal an Imperial weapons shipment. They also discussed the extent to which the Free Ryloth movement had infiltrated Twi'lek society. Belkor was aware of Orn Free Taa's upcoming visit and planned to orchestrate his assassination in order to discredit Moff Mors. Later that night, Belkor traveled to a clandestine meeting with Cham near Ryloth's cave network. After exchanging greetings, Cham questioned Belkor about Senator Taa's impending visit to Ryloth. Belkor was aware of Taa's upcoming visit but was unaware of the Emperor or Vader's involvement. During the meeting, Belkor threatened to terminate his relationship with Cham and to release a data disk containing information on all of the movement's bases and leadership in the event of his death. However, Cham countered by threatening to reveal recordings of their previous meetings, thereby exposing him as a traitor to the Empire. Ultimately, Belkor agreed to provide information to the Ryloth rebels in exchange for Cham's permission to use Taa's assassination to discredit Mors and advance his own political ambitions. Based on the information they gathered from their meeting with Belkor, Cham and Isval decided to proceed with their plan to assassinate the Emperor and Vader. Later, Isval traveled to the Octagon, a district located in the heart of the Ryloth city of Lessu. There, she encountered a Twi'lek escort named Ryiin and an intoxicated Imperial officer. After assaulting the Imperial officer, she rescued Ryiin and provided her with a safe new home, away from the sex trade. As a former escort, Isval was determined to save other Twi'lek girls from exploitation. For the next nine days, Cham and his rebels, including Gobi Glie, Xira, and Kallon, prepared their trap for the Perilous. Their strategy involved the use of space mines and a swarm of repurposed Separatist Vulture droids. ### Springing the trap The Perilous entered the Ryloth system ten days later, with Vader and the Emperor on board. Cham and Gobi swiftly activated their mines, causing damage to parts of the Star Destroyer. However, the shields remained intact. Vader ordered the Perilous to deploy its contingent of V-wing starfighters. In response, Cham and his team activated a second wave of mines, which weakened the Star Destroyer's remaining shields. Gobi then launched several hundred Vulture droids against the Perilous. A dogfight ensued, with Vader piloting his interceptor alongside the Imperial pilots. Despite the efforts of the Imperial defenders, the Perilous began to sustain damage from the mines and Vulture droids. The ship's guns were soon rendered inoperable. In addition, the Free Ryloth movement had dispatched teams of operatives aboard three repair shuttles, with the intention of boarding the Perilous in order to locate and eliminate Vader and the Emperor. Meanwhile, Vader used the Force to tear open the bellies of vulture droids and detonate them and their buzz droids cargo. At the Imperial headquarters, Colonel Belkor received news of the Ryloth rebels' attack on the Perilous. At Cham's direction, he issued a call for all available Ryloth repair ships to provide assistance to the Perilous. Belkor had also facilitated the ambush by manipulating patrol craft and flight clearances in a manner that allowed Cham to position his ships using Mors's authorization. When contacted by Mors, Belkor feigned surprise and dispatched repair ships to aid the Perilous. Secretly, Belkor contacted Cham and expressed anger and shock at Cham's plan to assassinate the Emperor and Vader. Cham blackmailed Belkor into assisting him by threatening to expose his dealings with the Free Ryloth movement. With the Perilous crippled by the Vulture droid attack, Cham proceeded with phase two of the assault. Isval and the other operatives boarded the Star Destroyer disguised as rescue personnel from the ship Repair Eighty-Three. They made their way to the engine room, where they planted explosives and eliminated Imperial personnel. On the command bridge, Vader attempted to Force choke Senator Taa but was restrained by the Emperor. Vader deduced that there was a spy among Taa's crew, prompting the Emperor to order his men to confine Taa's staff to their quarters. Vader intended to interrogate them once they reached Ryloth. Using the Force, Vader hunted down and killed several of the Free Ryloth infiltrators with his lightsaber. Vader then proceeded to the hyperdrive chamber, where Isval and her team, including Eshgo and Faylin, were drilling charges into the hyperdrive slab. Vader used his lightsaber to force his way into the hyperdrive chamber, but Isval's team managed to escape. Vader discovered the charges in the hyperdrive chamber and ordered Captain Luitt to initiate an immediate evacuation of the Perilous. Despite being pursued by Vader, Isval and her team managed to escape on a stolen Imperial escort boat. Vader, the Emperor, and several Royal Guards managed to escape minutes before the Perilous exploded. ### Hunting the Sith Lords With the Perilous destroyed, Isval and her team continued their pursuit of the Emperor and Vader amidst Ryloth's crowded space. Cham deployed two dozen Droid tri-fighters to harass the Imperial V-wings and persuaded Belkor to provide the Free Ryloth rebels with the ship IDs of the Emperor's shuttle and Mors's transport. Belkor also assisted Cham by instructing Imperial forces to delay rescue efforts and to conduct a thorough scan of the area first. Moff Mors learned of the Perilous's predicament and devised a plan to shift blame onto Colonel Belkor in order to protect herself. While tri-fighters attacked Imperial escape pods and Mors's transport, Isval and her team searched for the Emperor's shuttle while communicating with Cham. Pursued by Isval's escort shuttle, Vader assumed control of the Emperor's shuttle and used the Force to choke Isval and Eshgo. Isval managed to evade death by ramming her ship into the Emperor's shuttle. The impact damaged both ships, causing them to plummet into Ryloth's atmosphere. While piloting the damaged shuttle, Vader was haunted by memories of Ahsoka Tano, Mace Windu, Plo Koon, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Padmé Amidala but channeled his anger to suppress these memories. Vader managed to crash-land the shuttle in Ryloth's equatorial forest. Several of the crew and guards were killed during the landing, but Vader, the Emperor, and two Royal Guards, the captain and Sergeant Erstin Deez, survived. Vader and the Emperor viewed their situation as a test of their Sith abilities. While overseeing rescue operations, Belkor secretly plotted to assassinate the Emperor, Vader, and Moff Mors. Meanwhile, Isval and several of her fellow operatives survived the crash-landing, but Eshgo, Drim, and Crost were killed. Isval vowed to complete her mission to kill the Sith Lords in order to honor the sacrifice of her fallen comrades. Meanwhile, Cham and the surviving Free Ryloth ships flew to the night side of Ryloth to strategize the next phase of their operation. Cham had exhausted most of the Free Ryloth movement's resources in taking down the Perilous but remained determined to eliminate the Emperor and Vader. Cham contacted Isval, and they decided to destroy the Imperial communications station on the equator to impose a communications blackout. To execute his plan, Cham contacted Belkor and instructed him to allow an Imperial escort ship carrying Free Ryloth rebels to land at the Equatorial Communications Hub. In exchange, Belkor requested that Cham provide the trajectory of Moff Mors's ship, as he wanted to ensure that his political rival was actually dead. After learning that another rebel team led by Nordon had located the Emperor's wrecked shuttle, Isval and her remaining team flew their escort boat to the equatorial communications station and proceeded to bomb the station's communications dishes. Their actions created a communication blackout, which disrupted Imperial efforts to rescue the Emperor, Vader, and Moff Mors. ### Sith trials Later, the Sith Lords and their Royal Guards were pursued by two Free Ryloth freighters. Vader and the Emperor used their dark side powers and Force lightning, respectively, to attack the freighters, causing them to crash into the forest. Meanwhile, Moff Mors survived her crash-landing only to discover that her pilot Breehld did not survive. Mors began to suspect that Belkor had orchestrated the attack on the Perilous and had diverted her to rescue operations in order to prevent her from taking command and to eliminate her. Mors flew her shuttle to the Equatorial Command Hub and managed to establish contact with Major Steen Borkas. At the base, Mors and Borkas reviewed the recent events and concluded that they had a traitor within their ranks: Belkor. They mobilized all available Imperial forces on Ryloth to locate the Emperor and Vader and to thwart Belkor and the Free Ryloth movement's plot. Meanwhile, Isval and her team landed their escort boat near Nordon's wrecked freighter, which had been downed by Vader and the Emperor. They discovered that most of Nordon's team had been killed during the crash and that their bodies were being devoured by large insectoid predators called gutkurrs. Isval and her team were attacked by the creatures and narrowly managed to escape back to their ship, losing four members in the process. Elsewhere in the equatorial forest, Vader, the Emperor, and their two Royal Guards settled down in a forest clearing for the night. While meditating with his master, Vader was still haunted by his past as Anakin Skywalker but resolved to put these memories behind him. Shortly thereafter, the Imperial party was attacked by a pack of lyleks, vicious apex predators native to Ryloth. In the skies above Ryloth's equator, Colonel Belkor led a handpicked search-and-rescue team consisting of V-wing pilots whom he had managed to convince that Moff Mors was the one conspiring with the Free Ryloth movement to bring down the Perilous. Belkor was traveling in a small search-and-rescue recon craft with his pilot Ophim. Approaching the damaged Equatorial Communications Hub, Belkor learned from the acting base commander Captain Narrin that Moff Mors, Borkas, and a squad of stormtroopers had embarked on a rescue mission to find the Emperor and Vader. Belkor convinced Ophir that Borkas was part of Mors' conspiracy and ordered his team to hunt down Moff Mors and her forces. Meanwhile, Vader, the Emperor, and the two Royal Guards fought off an entire horde of lyleks. At the Emperor's urging, the four retreated into a nearby tunnel and proceeded to kill hundreds of lyleks in their path. Later that night, Cham and Isval corresponded with Kallon's team via intercom and learned that he had found the Emperor's shuttle. They found the bodies of several fallen Imperial personnel but saw no sign of the Emperor and Vader. Cham and Isval vowed to continue the hunt for the two Imperial leaders. Meanwhile, Belkor and Ophim's recon craft's ship sensors picked up Isval's stolen Imperial escort ship, Cham's native transport, and a wrecked Imperial shuttle in the forest. In an attempt to prevent Ophim from discovering his dealings with Cham, Belkor shot Ophim in the back of the head. After killing Ophim, Belkor contacted Cham to discuss their progress in hunting down the Emperor, Vader, and Moff Mors. Cham ordered Belkor to use his V-wings to hunt down and kill Mors. They also agreed to trick the V-wing pilots into bombing Vader and the Emperor once they had closed in on them. Elsewhere, Mors and Steen's men continued their search and rescue mission at night. Cham and Isval's team eventually stumbled on the Sith Lords' trail but discovered lylek footprints. They followed these footprints into the lylek cave, where they discovered that Vader and the Emperor had slaughtered the entire lylek horde. Following a long and grueling battle, Vader slaughtered the lylek queen at the Emperor's command. Sergeant Deez survived the battle, but the Royal Guard captain was killed. Based on their encounter with the lyleks, the Emperor and Vader deduced that the Free Ryloth rebels planned to cut off the head of the Empire: the Sith Lords themselves. As daybreak approached, Cham ordered his lieutenants, including Faylon and Kallon, to avoid direct contact with the Sith Lords. ### The conspiracy unravels After emerging from the lylek tunnel, Vader, the Emperor, and Deez encountered an adolescent Twi'lek girl named Drua. The Emperor attempted to kill her with his lightsaber, but Vader intervened. Vader convinced the Emperor that Drua could lead them to her village so that they could call for Imperial reinforcements. Meanwhile, tensions arose within Cham's team as the losses from the previous day's operation began to sink in. Cham and Isval revised their earlier assessment that killing Vader and the Emperor would lead to the demise of the Empire. Instead, Isval hoped that by killing the two Imperial leaders, they could ignite a rebellion against the Empire. Cham and his team decided to follow the Sith Lords' trail through the lylek tunnel. Meanwhile, the Emperor, Vader, and Deez arrived at Drua's Village, where they were greeted by Narmn, the head of the village. Apart from blasters, the village lacked any other technologies, including computers and vehicles. When Narmn asked the strangers for their identity, the Emperor introduced his party as "Krataa," "Irluuk," and the Sergeant, respectively. Only Vader and the Emperor knew that these pseudonyms were the ancient Sith words for "death" and "fate." Meanwhile, Cham, Isval, and Goll discovered the Sith Lords' trail. Cham decided that they only had one chance to stop the Sith Lords and that they had to get it right. Back at the Twi'lek village, the Emperor warned Vader that his decision to spare Drua would cost all the villagers their lives in the event of a Free Ryloth or Imperial attack. The two Sith Lords befriended the Twi'lek villagers, including Drua's grandfather Mala, with Vader offering to use his mechanical skills to repair a decades-old communication device. Meanwhile, Cham's team discovered that the Sith Lords had reached a Twi'lek village. Goll observed that the villagers were gathered in the village center for what appeared to be a celebration. While flying the recon craft, Belkor was tormented by his actions and spoke to the corpse of Ophim. Unable to contact Cham, he transmitted his coordinates to the V-wing fighters and decided to find the rebel leader himself in order to extricate himself from his predicament. Meanwhile, Moff Mors and Captain Steen's forces encountered one of Belkor's V-wing fighter pilots, Wing Leader Arim Meensa. Meensa was about to shoot them down, but Mors managed to convince the pilot that Belkor was the true traitor and had withheld information about Vader and the Emperor from them. After winning over Meensa, Mors issued orders for the Wing Leader not to carry out Belkor's orders to give the attack but to instead send the coordinates. Mor intended to land stormtroopers on the ground and told Meensa to inform the five other V-wing pilots that Belkor was the true traitor. Meanwhile, Cham and Isval's forces assumed positions around Drua's Village. Fearing that an impending Imperial crackdown was coming, Cham ordered another lieutenant, Kallon, to initiate an organized retreat of the remaining Free Ryloth forces into the mountains. In order to survive the crackdown, he issued orders for the Free Ryloth rebels to break up into their constituent cells. ### A dark showdown After Vader finished repairing the communicator in the midst of the awed villagers, the Emperor ordered Deez to contact Moff Mors, who he knew was not a traitor. Sergeant Deez contacted Mors and informed her of the Emperor and Vader's coordinates. Mors ordered her forces to travel to Drua's Village. Meanwhile, Belkor was contacted by his V-wing pilots and ordered them to bomb Cham's forces and Drua's Village in an attempt to kill Cham, the Emperor, and Vader. Belkor hoped to conceal his dealings with Cham but was unaware that Mors had reasserted her command over his pilots. On the ground, Cham's forces prepared to launch their assault. Isval insisted on proceeding with the mission, but Cham refused to endanger the Twi'lek villages. As a compromise, Cham agreed to order his men to fire warning shots in order to warn the villages to flee into the mine shaft. Cham ordered Belkor to send his V-wings to bomb the village, but Belkor revealed that he planned to bomb Cham's rebels as well. Before Belkor could put his plans into action, he was approached by Moff Mors's transport and shuttle. Back at Drua's Village, Cham's forces commenced firing their warning shots, and the villagers fled into the mine shaft. Drua tried to lead the Emperor and Vader into the tunnel, but the Sith Lords refused. Deez offered to stay at his Emperor's side. In the end, only the two Sith Lords and the Royal Guard were left standing alone in the village center. Believing their plan had worked, Isval told Cham to give Belkor the orders to launch the V-wing airstrike. Meanwhile, Moff Mors confronted Belkor over his traitorous actions. Belkor tried to defend himself by attacking Mors's character and corruption, but Mors countered that Belkor's actions had led to the deaths of hundreds of Imperials. Mors then ordered Belkor's pilots to destroy the traitorous Colonel's ship, killing Belkor. After seeing Belkor's recon craft explode, Cham realized his plan had fallen apart. Having eliminated Belkor, Mors ordered Captain Steen to land stormtroopers on either side of Cham's forces in the quarry and to dispatch another contingent to secure the Emperor. Mors then ordered the V-wing pilots to shoot anything fleeing into the forest but to avoid the quarry. Mors's shuttle blocked the path of the Free Ryloth forces exiting the quarry and charging into the Twi'lek village. Meanwhile, Streen's transport landed behind the Free Ryloth forces to cut off their retreat. Cham's rebel forces were caught by enemy fire on both sides, with many being gunned down. Meanwhile, Cham and his snipers exchanged fire with the Sith Lords and their stormtrooper reinforcements. Mors watched the battle from aboard her shuttle and saw Vader climbing up the quarry to pursue Cham and his snipers. In an act of sacrifice, Isval stayed behind to hold back Vader while Cham and Goll escaped into the forests. The two narrowly avoided being blasted by V-wing fighters. Unable to capture Cham, Vader instead Force choked Isval into unconsciousness. Meanwhile, Cham and Goll escaped on Faylin's ship. Despite their defeat, Cham resolved to continue the struggle against the Empire and to live for his daughter Hera Syndulla. Back at the village, Isval awoke to find herself a captive of the Emperor and Vader. The Imperial forces summarily executed the remaining Free Ryloth soldiers. Isval briefly confronted the Emperor and taunted him about the loss of the Perilous and the hundreds of Imperial casualties. The Emperor responded that she and her rebel comrades had failed in their goal to spark a rebellion. After a brief exchange, Vader decapitated Isval with his lightsaber. The Emperor then sent his apprentice into the mine shaft to execute Drua and her fellow villagers in order to kill any witnesses to the events. ## Development The declaration of the novel occurred on April 25, 2014. It was created incorporating input from the Lucasfilm Story Group, thus becoming a component of the refreshed canon. The novel's events transpire in the time frame between Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith and Tarkin. It also showcases Cham Syndulla, a character originating from the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series. As of May 14, 2014, Kemp had finalized the initial draft of the novel's first act. On June 23, Del Rey made an announcement.

It was made public that the book's launch was rescheduled from March 3, 2015, to April 21, 2015. Subsequently, on October 24, the official release date of the novel was revealed to be April 28, 2015. Additionally, the paperback and Kindle versions of the novel contain "Orientation," a short story by John Jackson Miller, as supplemental content.