Paul S. Kemp's second published Star Wars novel, published in 2011, was a huge success in exploring the psyche of Darth Malgus, the new badass Sith Lord of the Old Republic era. Synopsis: The second novel set in the Old Republic era and based on the massively multiplayer online role playing game Star Wars: The Old Republic™
ramps up the action and brings readers face-to-face for the first time
with a Sith warrior rival to the most sinister of the Order's Dark
Lords—Darth Malgus, the mysterious, masked Sith of the wildly popular
"Deceived" and "Hope" game trailers. Malgus brought down the Jedi Temple on Coruscant in a brutal
assault that shocked the galaxy. But if war crowned him the darkest of
the Sith heroes, peace would transform him into something far more
heinous—something Malgus would never want to be, but cannot stop, any
more than he can stop the rogue Jedi fast approaching. Her name is Aryn Leneer—and the lone Knight that Malgus cut
down in the fierce battle for the Jedi Temple was her Master. And now
she's going to find out what happened to him, even if it means breaking
every rule in the book.
The novel starts out with Zeerid Korr delivering cargo on Ord Mantell for The Exchange when he's ambushed and flees the planet on his ship, the Fatman. On Coruscant, Darth Malgus and his Twi'lek lover, Eleena Daru, stride up to the Jedi Temple. On Alderaan, Jedi Knight Aryn Leneer attends the peace talks set up between the Sith Empire and the Galactic Republic. On Coruscant, the infamous "Deceived" trailer is fleshed out as Darth Malgus leads the attack on the Jedi Temple with Eleena, an unknown female Mandalorian warrior, and rival Sith Lord, Darth Adraas, as they slaughter the Jedi, including Jedi Master Ven Zallow. During this, Zeerid lets his Exchange handler know about the botched drop and the handler suggests that Zeerid make up for it by performing a spicerun. Aryn feels the conflict brewing on Coruscant and the eventual death of Zallow as Malgus kills him. After the battle, Malgus finds Eleena wounded and demands that she be taken care of, despite the xenophobic ways of the Imperial Medical Corps. Despite the other Jedi on Alderaan, Aryn feels the need to avenge Zallow and disobeys orders and flees to find Zeerid. Zeerid is on Vulta, visiting his daughter and sister when his handler calls and tells him to deliver engspice to Coruscant. Aryn meets up with Zeerid and they go racing off to Coruscant, trailed by an mercenary named Vrath Xizor who alerts the Imperial Fleet above the planet, now commanded by Darth Malgus and gets them shot down. Zeerid and Aryn sneak into the Temple and find T7-O1 and find out from the droid that Malgus killed Zallow. Aryn tells Zeerid to take T7 and get out while she hunts down Malgus' weakness: Eleena. She finds her and uses her as bait to lure Malgus to her. He arrives and they duel, but break off when Aryn threatens to kill Eleena unless Malgus lets Zeerid go free. He does and she keeps her promise and lets Eleena live. Malgus, in a rare move for a Sith Lord, lets Aryn live since Eleena is unharmed. Zeerid is cornered by Xizor who drops the fact that he knows about Zeerid's daughter, but that the Exchange doesn't know. Unable to accept that Xizor won't tell anyone, Zeerid spaces Xizor. Malgus kills Eleena so that no one will ever use her against him again and proceeds to spend a year tracking down Darth Adraas and kills him, proclaiming that Malgus' vision of the Sith Empire will live, even if he has to kill the Emperor Darth Vitiate himself. On Dantooine, Aryn reunites with Zeerid and helps him raise his daughter.
All in all, a fast-paced, action-packed novel that sets the stage for The Old Republic MMORPG game. Sure, Malgus seems like your typical tank--a person who just charges the crap out of things and beats them to death--but, in fact, with his relationship to Eleena, brings him to a more understandable level. Unlike Anakin Skywalker and his screwed up love life, Darth Malgus proves that a Sith Lord can, in fact, have his cake and eat it too.
The novel starts out with Zeerid Korr delivering cargo on Ord Mantell for The Exchange when he's ambushed and flees the planet on his ship, the Fatman. On Coruscant, Darth Malgus and his Twi'lek lover, Eleena Daru, stride up to the Jedi Temple. On Alderaan, Jedi Knight Aryn Leneer attends the peace talks set up between the Sith Empire and the Galactic Republic. On Coruscant, the infamous "Deceived" trailer is fleshed out as Darth Malgus leads the attack on the Jedi Temple with Eleena, an unknown female Mandalorian warrior, and rival Sith Lord, Darth Adraas, as they slaughter the Jedi, including Jedi Master Ven Zallow. During this, Zeerid lets his Exchange handler know about the botched drop and the handler suggests that Zeerid make up for it by performing a spicerun. Aryn feels the conflict brewing on Coruscant and the eventual death of Zallow as Malgus kills him. After the battle, Malgus finds Eleena wounded and demands that she be taken care of, despite the xenophobic ways of the Imperial Medical Corps. Despite the other Jedi on Alderaan, Aryn feels the need to avenge Zallow and disobeys orders and flees to find Zeerid. Zeerid is on Vulta, visiting his daughter and sister when his handler calls and tells him to deliver engspice to Coruscant. Aryn meets up with Zeerid and they go racing off to Coruscant, trailed by an mercenary named Vrath Xizor who alerts the Imperial Fleet above the planet, now commanded by Darth Malgus and gets them shot down. Zeerid and Aryn sneak into the Temple and find T7-O1 and find out from the droid that Malgus killed Zallow. Aryn tells Zeerid to take T7 and get out while she hunts down Malgus' weakness: Eleena. She finds her and uses her as bait to lure Malgus to her. He arrives and they duel, but break off when Aryn threatens to kill Eleena unless Malgus lets Zeerid go free. He does and she keeps her promise and lets Eleena live. Malgus, in a rare move for a Sith Lord, lets Aryn live since Eleena is unharmed. Zeerid is cornered by Xizor who drops the fact that he knows about Zeerid's daughter, but that the Exchange doesn't know. Unable to accept that Xizor won't tell anyone, Zeerid spaces Xizor. Malgus kills Eleena so that no one will ever use her against him again and proceeds to spend a year tracking down Darth Adraas and kills him, proclaiming that Malgus' vision of the Sith Empire will live, even if he has to kill the Emperor Darth Vitiate himself. On Dantooine, Aryn reunites with Zeerid and helps him raise his daughter.
All in all, a fast-paced, action-packed novel that sets the stage for The Old Republic MMORPG game. Sure, Malgus seems like your typical tank--a person who just charges the crap out of things and beats them to death--but, in fact, with his relationship to Eleena, brings him to a more understandable level. Unlike Anakin Skywalker and his screwed up love life, Darth Malgus proves that a Sith Lord can, in fact, have his cake and eat it too.
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