Lords of the Sith

"First, as is apparent from that spectacular cover, the book features Vader and Palpatine. It also features a character who I'm not allowed to name just yet, but who appeared in The Clone Wars animated series. In terms of where it fits in the timeline, Lords of the Sith is set after the Revenge of the Sith film and before the forthcoming Rebels television show."

- Paul S. Kemp

Lords of the Sith is a novel written by Paul S. Kemp. It was released on April 28, 2015 and takes place in the time frame between Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith and Tarkin.

Back cover
Witness the power of the dark side.

Internal flap
"It appears things are as you suspected, Lord Vader. We are indeed hunted."

''Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Knight, is just a memory. Darth Vader, newly anointed Sith Lord, is ascendant. The Emperor's chosen apprentice has swiftly proven his loyalty to the dark side. Still, the history of the Sith Order is one of duplicity, betrayal, and acolytes violently usurping their Masters&mdash;and the truest measure of Vader's allegiance has yet to be taken. Until now.'' ''On Ryloth, a planet crucial to the growing Empire as a source of slave labor and the narcotic known as "spice," an aggressive resistance movement has arisen, led by Cham Syndulla, an idealistic freedom fighter, and Isval, a vengeful former slave. But Emperor Palpatine means to control the embattled world and its precious resources&mdash;by political power or firepower&mdash;and he will be neither intimidated nor denied. Accompanied by his merciless disciple, Darth Vader, he sets out on a rare personal mission to ensure his will is done.'' ''For Syndulla and Isval, it's the opportunity to strike at the very heart of the ruthless dictatorship sweeping the galaxy. And for the Emperor and Darth Vader, Ryloth becomes more than just a matter of putting down an insurrection: When an ambush sends them crashing to the planet's surface, where inhospitable terrain and an army of resistance fighters await them, 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 if the brutal bond they share will make them victorious allies or lethal adversaries.''

Exposition
Eight years after the beginning of the Clone Wars, the Emperor and Darth Vader rule the Galactic Empire. The Empire faces several pockets of resistance including the Free Ryloth movement led by the former Twi'lek freedom fighter Cham Syndulla. While Ryloth is a nominally independent protectorate, the planet is occupied by Imperial forces which view Ryloth as a vital source of spice. After meditating aboard the Imperial Star Destroyer Perilous, Vader is informed by Captain Luitt of an incident at the Yaga Minor shipyards.

Meanwhile, Cham and his lieutenant Isval are on the bridge of a starship when they receive word that their comrade Pok have stolen an Imperial freight as part of their mission to hijack an Imperial weapons shipment. However, Pok's stolen freighter is pursued by several Imperial V-wing starfighters led by Darth Vader in his personal Eta-2 interceptor. Under Vader's orders, the pilots fire on the freighter's aft shields and disable the ship's engines. The Sith Lord then ejects himself from his starfighter and boards the ship by ramming his starfighter into its last remaining gun turret.

Once aboard, Vader orders the squadron leader to escort the disabled freighter. He then makes his way through the ship and systematically kills the Twi'lek hijackers. Vader fights his way to the ship's bridge and personally kills Pok. Cham and Isval listen to Vader's murderous rampage aboard the freight via the intercom and order their forces to return to Ryloth. Reeling from the loss of his friend Pok, Cham decides to shift from "half measures" and to take out the Empire's leadership: the Emperor and Darth Vader.

Plots in motion
Back on Coruscant, Vader and the Emperor hold an audience with Ryloth's collaborationist Senator Orn Free Taa, who is widely regarded as a puppet of the Empire. Due to the disruption to Ryloth's spice trade caused by the activities of the Free Ryloth rebels, the Emperor and Lord Vader have decided to accompany Senator Taa on an official visit to Ryloth to investigate matters there. The Emperor has arranged for Senator Taa, his staff, Vader, and himself to travel to Ryloth aboard the Star Destroyer Perilous. Following Taa's departure, the Emperor reveals to Vader that his visit was merely a ruse to expose a traitor who has been leaking information to the Free Ryloth movement.

Later on Ryloth, Cham receives an encrypted message that Senator Taa will be traveling to Ryloth aboard an Imperial Star Destroyer with the Emperor and Vader. Cham discusses this news with Isval via comlink. The two decided to contact their Imperial spy Colonel Belkor Dray in order to ascertain the reliability of this information. If Belkor is aware about Vader and Palpatine's visit, Cham thinks that it would be a trap. But if he is not aware, Cham sees it as a perfect opportunity to topple the Empire's leadership and to free Ryloth from Imperial rule.

Meanwhile, Colonel Belkor visits Moff Delian Mors, the governor of Ryloth, who lives at a luxurious command center on Ryloth's largest moon. Belkor resents Moff Mors for her decadent lifestyle, indolence, and her dealings with criminal elements like Nashi the Hutt. During the visit, Belkor and Mors discuss the recent failed attempt by the Ryloth rebels to steal an Imperial weapons shipment. The two discuss how deeply embedded the Free Ryloth movement is into the fabric of Twi'lek society. Belkor is aware of Orn Free Taa's upcoming visit and plans to arrange his assassination in order to discredit Moff Mors.

Later that night, Belkor travels for a secret meeting with Cham near Ryloth's cave network. After exchanging pleasantries, Orn Free Taa questions Belkor about Senator Taa's upcoming visit to Ryloth. Belkor is aware of Taa's upcoming visit but does not know about the Emperor and Vader's planned visit. During the course of the meeting, Belkor threatens to end his relationship with Cham and to release a data disk on the Free Ryloth movement's bases and leadership in the event of his death.

However, Cham outplays the Imperial officer by threatening to disclose recordings of their previous meetings; thus exposing him as a traitor to the Empire. In the end, Belkor agrees to provide information to the Ryloth rebels in return for Cham using Taa's assassination to discredit Mors and to boost his own political career. Based on the information they could glean from their meeting with Belkor, Cham and Isval decide to proceed with their plan to assassinate the Emperor and Vader.

Later, Isval travels to the Octagon, a district in the heart of the Ryloth city of Lessu. There, she encounters a Twi'lek escort named Ryiin and a drunken Imperial officer. After assaulting the Imperial officer, she spirits Ryiin away into a new home where she will be safe from the sex trade. A former escort, Isval wants to save other Twi'lek girls from the sex trade. For the next nine days, Cham and his rebels including Gobi Glie, Xira, and Kallon prepare their trap for the Perilous. Their trap includes space mines and a swarm of former Separatist Vulture droids.

Springing the trap
Ten days later, the Perilous arrives in the Ryloth system with Vader and the Emperor at the helm. Gobi and Cham quickly activate their mines which damage parts of the Star Destroyer. However, the shields are still up. Vader orders the Perilous to deploy its V-wing starfighter contingent. In response, Cham and his team activate a second wave of mines which "bleed" the Star Destroyer's remaining shields. Gobi then deploys several hundred Vulture droids against the Perilous. A dogfight ensues with Vader flying his interceptor alongside the Imperial pilots. Despite the efforts of the Imperial defenders, the Perilous begins to take damage from the mines and Vulture droids. The ship's guns are soon knocked out of commission.

In addition, the Free Ryloth movement has put teams of operatives aboard three repair shuttles, which will board the Perilous in order to hunt down and kill Vader and the Emperor. Meanwhile, Vader uses the Force to rip open the bellies of vulture droids and blow them up and their buzz droids cargo. At the Imperial headquarters, Colonel Belkor learns about the Ryloth rebels' attack on the Perilous. At Cham's command, he puts out a call for all available Ryloth repair ships to render assistance to the Perilous. Belkor had also arranged for the ambush by diverting patrol craft and flight clearances in a way that allowed Cham to move his ships into position using Mors's authorization. When contacted by Mors, Belkor feigns shock and dispatches repair ships to aid the Perilous. In secret, Belkor contacts Cham and expresses anger and shock that Cham is planning to kill the Emperor and Vader. Cham blackmails Belkor into helping him by threatening to expose his dealings with the Free Ryloth movement.

With the Perilous stricken by the Vulture droid attack, Cham proceeds with phase two of the assault. Isval and the other operatives board the Star Destroyer disguised as rescue personnel from the ship Repair Eighty-Three. They make their way to the engine room and plant explosives and kill Imperial personnel. At the command bridge, Vader attempts to Force choke Senator Taa but is restrained by the Emperor. Vader deduces that there is a spy among Taa's crew with the Emperor ordering his men to confine Taa's staff to their quarters. Vader intends to interrogate them once they reach Ryloth.

Using the Force, Vader hunts down and kills several of the Free Ryloth infiltrators with his lightsaber. Vader then heads to the hyperdrive chamber where Isval and her team including Eshgo and Faylin drill charges into the hyperdrive slab. Vader uses his lightsaber to force his way into the hyperdrive chamber but Isval's team manages to escape. Vader discovers the charges in the hyperdrive chamber and orders Captain Luigi to order 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 manage to escape minutes before the Perilous blows up.

Hunting the Sith Lords
With the Perilous stricken, Isval and her team continue their hunt for the Emperor and Vader amidst Ryloth's crowded space. Cham deploys two dozen Droid tri-fighters to harass the Imperial V-wings and gets Belkor to send the Free Ryloth rebels the ship IDs of the Emperor's shuttle and Mors's transport. Belkor also aids Cham by ordering Imperial forces to delay rescue efforts and to do a full scan of the area first. Moff Mors learns about the Perilous and develops a plan to shift blame onto Colonel Belkor in order to protect herself. While tri-fighters attack Imperial escape pods and Mors's transport, Isval and her team hunt for the Emperor's shuttle while corresponding with Cham.

Pursued by Isval's escort shuttle, Vader takes command of the Emperor's shuttle and Force chokes Isval and Eshgo. Isval manages to avoid death by ramming her ship into the Emperor's shuttle. The impact damages both ships and they plummet into Ryloth's atmosphere. While flying the stricken shuttle, Vader is haunted by memories of Ahsoka Tano, Mace Windu, Plo Koon, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Padmé Amidala but uses his anger to burn these memories away. Vader manages to crashland the shuttle in Ryloth's equatorial forest. Several of the crew and guards are killed during the landing but Vader, the Emperor and two Royal Guards, the captain and Sergeant Erstin Deez, make it out alive. Vader and the Emperor see their situation as a test of their Sith powers.

While supervising rescue efforts, Belkor secretly resolves to kill the Emperor, Vader, and Moff Mors. Meanwhile, Isval and several of her fellow operatives survive the crash-landing but Eshgo, Drim, and Crost are killed. Isval vows to complete her mission to kill the Sith Lords so that her friends don't die in vain. Meanwhile, Cham and the surviving Free Ryloth ships fly to the night side of Ryloth to plan the next stages of their operation. Cham has exhausted most of the Free Ryloth movement' since resources taking down the Perilous but is still determined to kill the Emperor and Vader. Cham contacts and they decide to destroy the Imperial communications station on the equator to impose a communications blackout.

Putting his plans into action, Cham contacts Belkor and tells him to allow an Imperial escort ship carrying Free Ryloth rebels to land at the Equatorial Communications Hub. In return, Belkor gets Cham to transmit the trajectory of Moff Mors ship since he wants to ensure that his political rival is actually dead. After learning that another rebel team led by Nordon has located the Emperor's wrecked shuttle, Isval and her remaining team fly their escort boat to the equatorial communications station and proceed to bomb the station's communications dishes. Their actions create a communication blackout which disrupts a Imperial efforts to rescue the Emperor, Vader, and Moff Mors.

Later, the Sith Lords and their Royal Guards are pursued by two Free Ryloth freighters. Vader and the Emperor use their dark side powers and Force lightning respectively to attack the freighters and cause me to crash into the forest. Meanwhile, Moff Mors survives her crash-landing only to discover that her pilot Breehld did not survive the crash. Mors comes to suspect that Belkor had a hand in the attack on the Perilous and that the Colonel diverted her to rescue operations in order to prevent her from taking command and to kill her. Mors flies her shuttle to Equatorial Command Hub and manages to establish contact with Major Steen Borkas. At the base, Mors and Borkas go over the recent events and deduce that they have a traitor within their ranks: Belkor. The two mobilize all available Imperial forces on Ryloth to find the Emperor and Vader and to foil Belkor and the Free Ryloth movement's plot.

Meanwhile, Isval and her team land their escort boat near Nordon's wrecked freighter; which had been downed by Vader and the Emperor. They discover that most of Nordon's team were killed during the crash and their bodies being devoured by large insectoid predators called gutkurrs. Isval and her team are attacked by the creatures and narrowly manage to escape back to their ship; losing four members. Elsewhere in the equatorial forest, Vader, the Emperor, and their two Royal Guards settle down in a forest clearing for the night. While meditating with his master, Vader is still haunted by his past as Anakin Skywalker but resolves to put these memories behind him. Shortly later, the Imperial party comes under attack from a pack of lyleks, vicious apex predators native to Ryloth.

In the skies above Ryloth's equator, Colonel Belkor leads a handpicked search-and-rescue team consisting of V-wing pilots whom he had managed to convinced that Moff Mors was the one conspiring with the Free Ryloth movement to bring down the Perilous. Belkor is traveling in a small search-and-rescue recon craft with his pilot Ophim. Approaching the damaged Equatorial Communications Hub, Belkor learns from the acting base commander Captain Narrin that Moff Mors, Borkas, and a squad of stormtroopers have embarked on a rescue mission to find the Emperor and Vader. Belkor convinces Ophir that Borkas is part of Mors' conspiracy and orders his team to hunt down Moff Mors and her forces. Meanwhile, Vader, the Emperor and the two Royal Guards fight off an entire horde of lyleks. The creatures heard them into a cave and the two Sith Lords and two Guards proceed to kill hundreds of lyleks including the queen.

Development
The novel was announced on April 25, 2014. It was composed with input from the Lucasfilm Story Group, making it part of the new canon. The novel takes place between Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith and Tarkin. It also features Cham Syndulla, a character from the Star Wars: The Clone Wars television series.

As of May 14, 2014, Kemp finished writing the first draft of the novel's Act One. On June 23, Del Rey announced that the book's release date had been moved from March 3 to April 21. On October 24, it was announced that the novel would be released on April 28.

The paperback edition of the novel also includes John Jackson Miller's short story Orientation as bonus material.