Imperial TIE bombers attack the Rebel base on Aguarl 3, but the Rebels manage to stop all but one of them. The lone pilot carries out the attack as ordered, and returns to the Ravagor badly damaged. The pilot, Ranulf Trommer, survives, but must have a mechanical leg implanted when he loses his biological one. On M'haeli, a local "seer," Ch'no, defends his adopted Human daughter Mora, and then has a vision of an Imperial attack on the planet. Shortly thereafter, Ranulf Trommer is called to Grand Moff Lynch with his father, Admiral Trommer, and given a promotion. He is to go to M'haeli and spy on local Governor Grigor. He and his father speak about the assignment and are overheard by Ambassador Jollie. On M'haeli, Imperials attack a Rebel cell that has been searching for the rumored lost heir to the M'haeli ruling family. The raid prompts two H'drachi, N'ton and R'han, to join the Rebels. At the Imperial garrison, Grigor is informed by Jollie that Lynch has sent Grigor's new aide, Trommer, as a spy. Back in the capital city, N'croth, Mora is hired by two Rebels, Merrik and Jalose, to augment two swoops for guerrilla warfare. Ch'no then takes Mora to see the H'drachi elders, but their presence disrupts the Force-like meditations of the elders. Ranulf finally arrives on the planet after defending an Imperial dreadnought from attack by Rebels, under Leia Organa's command. He is sent by Grigor to ingratiate himself with Mora in an attempt to integrate himself into the "junker" culture on the planet. He takes D-4R5, Grigor's droid, shot by Grigor and thus in need of repairs, to Mora's repair shop, but they are all accosted by stormtroopers seeking Rebels and to eliminate Ranulf for Grigor. Mora saves his life, with the help of Merrik and Jalose who have arrived to get their swoops. The two Rebels have been accompanied by Leia, whom Mora recognizes from her wanted posters, and N'ton, and along with Ch'no, they all board swoops and escape into the night.
They are attacked by Imperials, but make their escape without too much of a problem. Mora and Ranulf are sent to a cave near to the Rebel base, but not the base itself, until they can be sure of Ranulf's loyalty. The other go to the Rebel base itself. In N'croth, the elders decide to turn against Ch'no and let the Empire destroy him, Mora, and the Rebels, thus saving their own selves. Based on Ch'no's information, Mora and Ranulf take off for a dragite crystal mine that Grigor has been running without Imperial sanction. The Rebels could make certain use the information they would gather, which would help them to be trusted. Once there, Mora's presence interrupts the meditations of several H'drachi, and see Imperials (well, scum hired by Grigor and dressed as stormtroopers) beating up R'han, N'ton's friend. Mora and Ranulf manage to disrupt the operation and escape with a handful of dragite crystals to use as proof of the operation's existence. When they reunite with the Rebels, they all rest for the night, but Ranulf believes that if he exposes Grigor to his Imperial superiors, Grigor will leave the planet and his replacement will be less cruel, thus eliminating the need for rebellion on M'haeli, which would allow him to be with Mora, whom he's come to love. He makes his way into the Imperial facility where Grigor is sleeping without incident (using his Imperial credentials) and catches Grigor in his sleep. Ranulf is taken prisoner, though. His former allies are against him for being against Grigor, and the Rebels are warned against him as Merrik arrives back at the Rebel base after seeing Ranulf enter the Imperial compound unimpeded. They fear that they have revealed their base's location to the enemy and prepare to move to a new base.
Ranulf is tortured, but does not reveal the Rebel base's location to Grigor. In his absence, Merrik begins hitting on Mora, which make Jalose mad. At N'croth, the city is blasted apart by Imperials looking for the Rebels. The Rebels decide to assault the mine in retaliation. Back at the garrison, the bounty hunter Glott arrives to fulfill Grigor's orders to find Mora. The Rebels are betrayed by Ph'dan and Glott heads for the mine to apprehend them. In the dungeon, Ranulf escapes thanks to his Imperial training. He arrives at the mine just in time to see the victorious Rebels attacked by Glott. He proceeds to beat Glott up before the Rebels, seeing him in stormtrooper armor, let Glott go and take him instead. Glott orders Mora to be registered and then executed, but when they run her identi-print, they realize that she is the lost heir to M'haeli. As a result, Grigor makes a planetary announcement—he will soon be marrying Queen Mora, thus cementing his power on M'haeli.
In desperation, Ranulf tells the Rebels his entire reason for being on M'haeli, but is willing to help them save her. They assault Grigor's base and rescue Mora. They are pursued by Glott. In the pursuit, Jalose gives her life to save Mora, her queen. Ranulf then kills Glott. Finally, the H'drachi rise in rebellion to the Empire and there is a massive battle in which Grigor is finally killed (Ranulf kicks his gun hand while he's holding Mora hostage and it blasts his own head off). Shortly thereafter, Ranulf's father, Admiral Trommer arrives to congratulate Ranulf in helping bring down Grigor, but when he says that they must now get rid of Mora due to her family's ties to the Old Republic, Ranulf doesn't take that too kindly and he assaults the Imperials holding Mora and the two escape to join the Rebellion. Their first act is to help the Rebels destroy the mine. Merrik dies in the assault, but at least now he is with Jalose.
- Star Wars Omnibus: Early Victories
- Star Wars Legends Epic Collection: The Rebellion Vol. 3