With their love for biotechnology, the Arkanians consider themselves the scientific center of the Republic. Now, with the Mandalorians approaching Arkanian space, the charismatic Lord Adasca seeks to secure - and perhaps improve - his people's place by offering a new super-weapon to the highest bidder.
Aboard the ship Arkanian Legacy, Adasca sends invitations to potential buyers - including one to Republic Admiral Karath, who has fugitive Padawan Zayne Carrick in his custody. Also held captive on the ship are two of Zayne's friends: Adasca's former employee Gorman "Camper" Vandrayk; and Camper's protector, the mysterious female warrior Jarael...
The interested parties arrive on the Arkanian Legacy to discuss this new Arkanian development, each at a different time. First, Admiral Karath of the Republic arrives; however, his appearance is disrupted by a sudden kiss from Jarael to Zayne, resulting in his removal from the area being carried away. Alek arrives next, representing the Revanchist Jedi faction in the absence of his Master. Lucien appears next, taking Adasca by complete surprise. Adasca then has to resort to a poisoned drink ploy to dispose of Lucien.
Finally, Mandalore the Ultimate arrives with his Neo-Crusaders, summoned by Rohlan on the grounds that he promised safety for Jarael. After giving Rohlan a new suit of Neo-Crusader armor to change into and seeing a live demonstration of the exogorths' power, Mandalore proposes a military alliance to Adasca, asking his corporation to supply the Mandalorian war effort in exchange for eliminating its competition a proposal which Adasca prefers to Admiral Karath's offer of a seat in the Senate.
Meanwhile, Lucien awakens in a prison cell, tied up back-to-back with his former Padawan and sworn enemy, Zayne. After some unpleasant discussion, in which Lucien accuses Zayne of drifting further toward the dark side and reveals his family's former business ties to Adascorp. The two cooperate long enough to destroy the HK-24 series assassin droids holding them captive and free themselves. However, this cooperation does not last long—when Lucien recovers his lightsaber, he immediately attempts to murder Carrick. However, when he fails and his lightsaber is disabled by Zayne's vambraces, Lucien decides to deal with Adasca first, with Zayne's help, and settle his score with the Padawan later.
In the observation dome, Mandalore further extends his offer to Adasca by granting him stewardship of the Mandalorian war effort which Admiral Karath countered by offering Republic territory for Adasca's own state. Adasca muses that perhaps he could the Mandalorians his army and create his own Jedi Order. After destroying the HK-24 units assigned to guard them as well as the units in the security room, Zayne and Lucien watched in shock as Adasca allied with Mandalore. Carth soon joined in, bringing Zayne's lightsaber with him. Seeing Jarael guarded by HK-24 units, Zayne realizes that she is being use as leverage to force Camper to cooperate and control the exogorths. Lucien suggested killing Jarael to stop Adasca when out of nowhere, Rohlan appears with a blaster at Lucien's back saying to the Jedi Master that he will be dead before he can get near Jarael. Once Rohlan calmed down, Zayne made a plan in order to save Jarael. Using Rohlan's spare armor as a disguise, Zayne started short fight with Carth as well as distracting both Adasca and Mandalore until he was close enough to decapitate the droids guarding Jarael, surprising everyone in the vicinity. Zayne then removed his mask at the same time Lucien emerged from the crowd seemingly to arrest Mandalore. Assuming that Adasca was allied with the Republic and had planned this from the beginning, Mandalore ordered his forces to fire on both Adasca's and Republic forces alike. During the fight, Zayne freed Jarael, contacted Camper on Jarael's bracelet to tell him that Jarael was safe. Meanwhile on board the Last Resort, Camper managed to transfer the ship's systems to a laptop and destroyed the assassin droid assigned to him as well as taking control of the exogorths. Back in the observation dome, the Mandalorians retreated back to Mandalore's shuttle. Enraged, Adasca ordered the Jedi to be killed but one of Arkoh's underling's told him that the exogorths were attacking the Legacy. On Camper's command, the exogorths tore the observation dome apart and killed Adasca. Meanwhile, during the brawl, Admiral Karath was wounded and carried back to the Deadweight by Command Morvis who ordered Carth to Zayne with them but Carth let the Padawan go saying that Zayne wasn't a criminal and he didn't want to be a bad officer. In the hangar bay, Zayne, Jarael, Rohlan, and Alek were contacted by Camper who told them that he was taking the exogorths and removing all of their implants. Despite Jarael's protests, Camper told her that he was going alone, after a tearful goodbye, Camper left with the exogorths for Wild Space. After Camper's departure, Lucien appeared and informed him that there was enough room in his shuttle for all of them but would only take them if Zayne came along. Zayne agreed but suddenly the Moomo Williwaw came out of nowhere and down the ramp came Dob Moomo and to Zayne's surprise Slyssk who informed him that Gryph was still alive and joined the local resistance on Taris. Lucien overheard them and escaped on his shuttle.
- Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Volume 4: Daze of Hate, Knights of Suffering
- Star Wars Omnibus: Knights of the Old Republic Volume 2