ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Sincere thanks to the screenwriters of the Star Wars films George Lucas Lawrence Kasdan Leigh Brackett and Jonathan Hales I am also in debt to Terry Brooks James Luceno Kilian Plunkett Daniel Wallace and the late Brian Daley and Archie Goodwin whose respective Star Wars books comics and radio dramatizations provided provided material for various sequences in this novel Special thanks to Dorothy Windham for research assistance to Violet Windham for never letting me win a lightsaber fight to Anne Windham for helping me in every way to make time to complete this book and to Star Wars fans Titus DosRemedios and Peter Ricci for sharing their ideas and concerns about Darth Vader As ever big thanks to David Levithan at Scholastic and to Jonathan Rinzler and Leland Chee at Lucasfilm
PROLOGUE Darth Vader the Dark Lord of the Sith was dreaming In his dream he saw his own dark form standing upon the open terrace that clung to the curved outer wall of Bast Castle his private fortress on the planet Vjun Freezing acidic rain pelted his helmet and high winds tore at his black cloak with incredible fury as if the weather itself was doing its best to kill him along with anything else that attempted to live on the barren world And yet Vader felt more alive than he had in years Turning from the balcony he entered a vaulted doorway leaving a trail of wet bootprints on the corridor corridor floor The walls were lined with automated heating vents that dried his garments as he strode to the dimly illuminated observatory Although few had ever treaded within his fortress he was not surprised to find the young man who stood at the center of the domed-ceiling chamber
The young man was Luke Skywalker Clad in form-fitting black clothes Luke had his back to Vader as he examined a three-dimensional star map that was suspended in the air above a holoprojector Vader recognized the map as the Coruscant Sector Luke’s arms hung at his sides and Vader noticed that Luke’s right hand clad in a black glove was almost touching the lightsaber lightsaber clipped to his belt A new lightsaber Vader thought And a new hand Silent as a shadow Vader moved forward into the room Without acknowledging Vader Luke raised his right arm into the holographic starfield He moved his cybernetic cybernetic fingers through the tiny glittering orb that represented the planet Coruscant The Emperor is dead Luke said in a low voice All that was his is now yours No my son Vader said The galaxy is ours Luke nodded and smiled Vader was still facing Luke when a low familiar voice muttered unexpectedly from behind You are both wrong It was the voice of Emperor Palpatine Vader saw Luke’s expression become tense but he did not turn to face the Emperor Then the Emperor began to laugh A ring of fire erupted from the floor surrounding Vader and cutting him off from Luke Listening to his Master’s cackle Vader lowered his masked head and thought Why won’t you die
