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Synopsis:
For over a hundred years Celeste Morne has been
travelling the galaxy's space lanes with only the Force
ghost of the ancient Sith Lord, Karness Muur, as her
companion. Now travelling the hyperspace lanes of the
Deep Core, she commands the Imperial Star Destroyer Iron
Sun, presumed destroyed by either a mass shadow or
black hole, and its crew long since transformed into
Rakghouls and most of them dead after turning to
cannibalism to survive.
The Mynock, enroute to Abbadon in the Deep Core,
is pulled from hyperspace by an interdictor field and
the crew are surprised to find themselves face-to-face
with the Iron Sun. When scans of the Star
Destroyer reveal internal damage, the Mynock's
crew decide to investigate. Although Shado Vau senses
lifeforms onboard, Cade himself senses a Jedi or a Sith
following a vision of Celeste. Cautiously the Mynock's
crew board the Iron Sun's hangar bay and are
mystified to discover the bones of unknown creatures in
a hundred-year-old shuttle craft. Splitting themselves
up, Antares and Ganner investigate the hangar's
corridors while Cade, Shado, Azlyn and Jariah continue
to search the hangar bay. Just as Cade and his group
decide to leave the hangar and rendezvous with the two
Imperial Knights on level three, they are attacked by
Rakghouls. During the melee both Cade and Azlyn are
bitten and scratched by the Rakghouls before Celeste
commands the monsters to back down. Realising that two
of the strangers have been infected with the Rakghoul
plague, Celeste uses a powerful Force blast to separate
Cade and Azlyn from the others and imprisons them and
herself behind a blast door. Celeste senses the Force
within Cade and Azlyn, and when she tries to explain
what will happen to them, Cade accuses her of of being a
Sith. Through the Iron Sun's records Celeste is
fully aware of the state of the galaxy, but retorts
Cade's accusation explaining that he sensed the Muur
Talisman's Dark Side rather than her own Force
inclinations and that she herself can sense the Darkness
within Cade.
Meanwhile Shado and Jariah are attempting to break
through the blast door even though they are surrounded
by passive Rakghouls. Seeing their colleagues
predicament, Deliah Blue uses the Mynock's
cannons to blast at the creatures while Antares and
Ganner return to assist Shado and Jariah in fighting the
now aggravated Rakghouls.
Realising that Cade's surname is Skywalker she tells
Cade of her encounter with a young Luke Skywalker as she
recalls the story of how she took the Talisman to save a
young Jedi not dissimilar to Luke, Zayne Carrick, four
thousand years ago, but became a prisoner to its Dark
Side effects and how another Skywalker, one Darth Vader,
abandoned her after telling her that the Jedi Order was
dead. However Cade is uninterested in his namesakes and
when Azlyn enquires about the monsters they ask why
doesn't she just bury the Talisman? Celeste warns them
of its power to control and create the Rakghouls and
doesn't want such an army set loose on the galaxy. As
Cade's and Azlyn's transformation begins, Celeste
ignites her lightsaber and apologises for what she as to
do since they have both been infected by the Rakghoul
plague. Realising that he has been infected by a disease
Cade uses his Force lightning technique to expel the
plague from himself and Azlyn.
Sensing Cade's true potential for good, Celeste agrees
join him in his quest to kill Darth Krayt.
With their new found ally, Celeste Morne, Cade his
companions attack the Imperial outpost on Nad Abbadon in
a lure to draw Drath Krayt away from his throne on
Coruscant. During the fighting they encounter a larger
garrison than expected commanded by Sith lord, Darth
Reave, and using the Muur Talisman, Celeste converts the
stormtroopers into Rakghouls and commands them to turn
on their Sith commander. During his escape, Darth Reave
is scratched by several of the Rakghouls and Cade, eager
to confront Krayt, wants to follow him. But Celeste
stops Cade reminding him that the Sith will report what
he has witnessed and thus Krayt will come looking for
Cade and Celeste.
With the outpost secured, Imperial Knight Antares Draco,
forever loyal to his emperor Roan Fel, informs him of
Celeste and the power of the Muur Talisman. Fel believes
that if the Talisman were in his possession, he could
regain his throne from Krayt and orders Antares to bring
Celeste and the Talisman to him.
However fellow Imperial Knight, Ganner Krieg, believes
that the Talisman is evil and reminds Anatares of its
effects on the Imperial garrison they assisted in
attacking. Anatares is enraged, concluding that the
garrison were traitors to the Empire as they served
Krayt, not Fel, and so deserved their fate. Ganner
argues that since the Talisman is of Sith origin, their
Empire and Emperor should shun it. As Imperial Knights,
they serve their Emperor only if their Emperor serves
the light side of the Force. Should Fel fall to the dark
side, it is their duty to bring him back to the light,
or remove him from power.
But it is not only the Imperial Knights who are having
divided feelings about the Talisman, Celeste envisages
that Jedi Knight Shado Vao is tempted by the power of
the Talisman and warns him that control of it is not
easy, her own self-imposed 4,000 year exile should be
enough evidence of that. While Azlyn Rae believes that
Celeste and the Talisman represent a greater threat to
the galaxy than even Darth Krayt and in an assassination
attempt is intercepted by Cade. Reminding her of their
shared experiences as young Padawans, Cade and Azlyn
share a moment together. However, when Azlyn begins to
hear a voice, Cade realises that its source is Celeste
and the Talisman and its effects are being felt by
everyone.
Confronting Celeste, or rather the spirit of Karness
Muur through Celeste, Cade belittles the Sith Lord's
spirit and acting through Celeste, Muur attacks Cade.
After a brief flurry, Celeste regains control and
explains to Cade that Muur's only wish is for a weaker
minded person to kill her, so that Muur can control her
killer and that is why Muur has been tempting others
with the power of the Talisman. Although Celeste can
control Muur, as he is her prisoner, at the same time,
she is also a prisoner of Muur, and at times he can
influence the weak minded and those who lust for power.
However, Celeste has sensed that Cade is different, he
is not tempted by the power of the Talisman, so perhaps
he is the solution to her dilemma.
On Coruscant Darth Reave tells Darth Krayt of his
encounter with Cade Skywalker and Celeste Morne. But
halfway during his debriefing, Reave begins his
transformation into a Rakghoul whereupon Reave is cut
down by one of Krayt's acolytes. Lady Maladi, one of
Krayt's Sith acolytes recognises that Darth Reave was
infected with the Rakghoul virus, but believed that
Rakghouls were extinct. Not long after and via a holonet
transmission, Krayt is contacted by Karness Muur
(communicating through Celeste) and using a captured
Cade as the inducement, Muur demands a meeting between
himself and Krayt on Had Abbadon.
Consulting with scrolls taken from former Sith Lord
Darth Andeddu's tomb, Krayt learns Muur's history: more
than seven millennia ago, and thus pre-dating the
creation of the Sith Order, Karness Muur was a dark side
user who used his powers to twist life itself and create
monstrous creations. However, these dark siders were
hunted by both Jedi and other dark side users and after
the last stand at Corbos, the Hundred-Year Darkness
fell. Survivors fled to Korriban where the native Sith
welcomed them as gods. It appears that Muur's goal, like
so many Sith, was to find a way to defy death and so he
created the Talisman as a means to preserve his mind and
will. Believing that Muur could heal him, Krayt was
implanted with coral seeds by the Yuuzhan Vong during
their invasion of the galaxy 100 years ago and they now
threaten to kill him unless he can find a cure, the Sith
Lord and entourage head to Nad Abbadon.
Once on Nad Abbadon, Muur explains that he wants Krayt
to kill Celeste so that the Talisman can join with him
and begin curing him. Wary, Krayt asks for proof and so
Muur beckons him closer so that the healing process may
start. As Krayt is distracted by the apparent healing
process, Cade breaks his bonds and orders the rest of
his friends to attack - the trap is sprung! From the
shadows, Imperial Knights Antares Draco, Ganner Krieg
and Azlyn Rae, joined by Jedi Knight Shado Vao attack
Krayt's entourage while Celeste regains total control of
herself and the Talisman. The battle is long and hard as
each member of Cade's group face an individual Sith
Lord: Celeste against Krayt, Cade versus Darth Talon,
and Shado fights Maladi. Very soon the Imperial Knights
find themselves cut off from the rest when Celeste's
Rakghouls form a barrier between them and the Sith.
Feeling left out, Anatares turns his attention from
Krayt and the Sith to Celeste and in an determined
effort to secure the Talisman abandons his fellow
Knights and attacks Celeste. However, realising Antares'
intentions of securing the Talisman for Emperor Roan Fel,
Muur regains control of Celeste and with a powerful
Force blast, knocking Antares unconscious. Back in
control, Muur turns his attentions to his own
requirements: he will kill the Jedi and Imperial
Knights, transform Cade and his companions into
Rakghouls and take Krayt's body as his own!
In high orbit above Nad Addadon onboard the Relentless,
Darth Wyyrlok senses that Darth Krayt will soon be in
need of him.
Meanwhile on the planet's surface the battle ensues:
Krayt and Karness Muur, through Celeste Morne, lock
lightabres as Krayt mocks the ancient Sith Lord;
Imperial Knights Azlyn Rae and Ganner Krieg and Jedi
Knight Shado Vao are attacked by Rakghouls; and Cade
Skywalker, having successfully felled Darth Talon, finds
himself fighting a new Sith, Darth Stryfe. However
Stryfe is inexperienced against Cade as a quick Force
kick throws the Sith against a column where Jariah Syn
launches a devastating grenade attack against the Sith.
Celeste regains control over Muur just as Krayt is
joined in his attack by Lady Maladi. As Celeste
struggles to fight two Sith on the outside and one
inside her, Azlyn sees an opening to attack Krayt and
launches herself at the Sith Lord. Landing on top off
Krayt, Azlyn forces her lightsabre through Krayt's
Yuuzhan Vong armour and into his shoulder. Sensing the
opportunity Muur strikes out with a powerful Sith
Lightning strike on Krayt that hits both Azlyn and Krayt.
Azlyn is thrown to the ground unconscious while Muur
grabs Krayt with the Force and throws him off the
landing platform. Krayt falls to the hard rock surface
hundreds of metres below.
Cade is furious with Celeste for striking out at Azlyn
and wants to kill her, but Celeste explains that Azlyn
knew the dangers of facing Krayt and so accepted her
destiny. Perhaps Cade should accept his. But Cade
believes his destiny is his own. However, Celeste,
slowly losing control to Muur after more than four
millennia of being his controller and keeper, once again
senses Cade's true potential: Cade is not tempted by the
power of the Muur Talisman. Celeste is reminded of Zayne
Carrick and his promise 4,000 years ago to help her get
rid of the Talisman: did Zayne send Cade?
Knowing what must be done, Cade hits Celeste with a
single mortal strike from his lightsabre. As the
Talisman attaches itself to Cade's wrist, Celeste's
four-thousand year-old body crumbles to dust.
Immediately Muur attempts to assert his control over
Cade, but Cade has other ideas. Using his Force power
for healing he is able to destroy the Talisman once and
for all. Karness Muur and the Rakghouls die.
Syn and Shado discover that Azlyn is still alive,
barely, and so Cade tries to use his Force healing
powers on her. But it is not working as well as it did
in the past and so the he and his crew along with Shado
will take her to Kiffex. However, the two Imperial
Knights Antares Draco and Ganner Krieg demand to go with
them as Azlyn is an Imperial Knight, but Cade refuses
calling them traitors for attempting to gain the
Talisman for themselves. Antares and Ganner find
alternative transport to leave Nad Abbadon.
Soon afterward, Darth Wyyrlok arrives on the planet and
discovers that Krayt is still alive: he protected
himself during his fall using the Force. Krayt believes
his dream for One Sith will live as he learned from Muur
how to heal himself of the Yuuzhan Vong infection.
However, Wyyrlok has different plans: for the dream to
live, the dreamer must die.
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