Fresh from the killing fields of Jabiim, where the Empire has virtually wiped out the populace of that world, Imperial Lieutenant Janek Sunber is sent to the quiet prison base on Kalist VI. But, unbeknownst to the Empire, the Rebels have designs on Kalist Base both for its desirable fuel supplies and for the presence of a very important prisoner - one of their own who has already attracted the interest of Darth Vader. Sunber doesn't know it, but he's on a collision course with an old friend who is with the Rebels, and he finds himself wondering which of them is on the wrong side of the war....

These are dark times indeed, when even the noblest of undertakings must rely on stealth, deception, and possibly the betrayal and abandonment of friends and loved ones. Jedi Dass Jennir and his companion Bomo Greenbark survived the Clone Wars, but the fate of Bomo's wife and daughter remains a mystery. The two friends are determined to find them, but their path leads them from danger to darkness - where each of them stands to lose more than they may hope to gain. Meanwhile, Darth Vader must deal with some unpleasant realities - and memories - of his own. Though he is a Dark Lord of the Sith, even he must bow before the power of the Emperor....