Star Wars_ Darth Bane 02_ Rule of Two - Drew Karpyshyn [0]
Copyright © 2008 by Lucasfilm Ltd. & ® or ™ where indicated.
All rights reserved. Used under authorization.
Published in the United States by Del Rey Books, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.
DEL REY is a registered trademark and the Del Rey colophon is a trademark of Random House, Inc.
Originally published in hardcover in the United States by Del Rey Books, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., in 2008.
eISBN: 978-0-307-79586-1
www.delreybooks.com
www.starwars.com
v3.1
To my parents, Ron and Viv,
and my younger sister, Dawn
———
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This book came together in the space of only six months—an unbelievably short time to transform an idea into a finished work on the shelves. I’d like to thank everyone at Lucas Licensing Ltd. and Del Rey Books who was part of this incredible accomplishment, along with a special thanks to my wife, Jennifer. Without her help and understanding I don’t think this would have been possible given the deadlines I was working under. But most of all, I’d like to thank all the fans who bought Darth Bane: Path of Destruction. Without your support, this sequel never would have happened. You have my sincere and humble gratitude.
Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Epilogue
About the Author
Also by this Author
Introduction to the Star Wars Expanded Universe
Excerpt from Star Wars: Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil
Introduction to the Old Republic Era
Introduction to the Rise of the Empire Era
Introduction to the Rebellion Era
Introduction to the New Republic Era
Introduction to the New Jedi Order Era
Introduction to the Legacy Era
Star Wars Novels Timeline
PROLOGUE
Darovit made his stumbling way through the bodies that littered the battlefield, his mind numb with grief and horror. He recognized many of the dead: some were servants of the light side, allies of the Jedi; others were followers of the dark side, minions of the Sith. And even in his dazed stupor, Darovit couldn’t help but wonder which side he belonged with.
A few months earlier he’d still gone by his childhood name, Tomcat. Back then he’d been nothing more than a thin, dark-haired boy of thirteen living with his cousins Rain and Bug back on the small world of Somov Rit. They had heard rumblings of the never-ending war between the Jedi and the Sith, but they never thought it would touch their quiet, ordinary lives … until the Jedi scout had come to see Root, their appointed guardian.
General Hoth, leader of the Jedi Army of Light, was desperate for more Jedi, the scout had explained. The fate of the entire galaxy hung in the balance. And the children under Root’s care had shown an affinity for the Force.
At first Root had refused. He claimed his charges were too young to go off to war. But the scout had persisted. Finally, realizing that if the children did not go to the Jedi, the Sith might come and take them forcibly, Root had relented. Darovit and his cousins had left Somov Rit with the Jedi scout and headed for Ruusan. At the time, the children had thought it was the beginning of a grand adventure. Now Darovit knew better.
Too much had happened since they’d all arrived on Ruusan. Everything had changed. And the youth—for he had lived through too much in the past weeks to be called a boy anymore—didn’t understand any of it.
He’d come