Crimson Empire 2

Kir Kanos, the last surviving member of the elite Crimson Guard, has potentially found allies in a group of Rebels. However, can they place their trust in someone who formerly served the malevolent Emperor? Furthermore, this issue delves into an extraordinary, previously untold encounter involving Darth Vader alongside the Emperor himself, Palpatine! Adding to the complexity, two distinct factions of Imperials are pursuing Kanos, each driven by their own hidden motives!

Returning to Phaeda, the local who provided assistance to the visitor identifies himself as Tem Markon, revealing his affiliation with the local New Republic resistance. Markon informs the visitor that he has only witnessed such exceptional combat skills in Jedi or Palpatine's Royal Guards. After Markon escorts the visitor to a secure location, the visitor reflects on his predicament: for he is none other than Kir Kanos.

Alone in the safehouse, Kanos is consumed by a vivid recollection of his rigorous training on Yinchorr. During this time, Palpatine and Darth Vader visited him and his fellow trainees. Their arrival coincided with a combat exercise in The Squall, a perilous arena positioned above a deadly pit. The trainees engaged in battles where defeat meant certain death.

Palpatine and Vader arrived to observe and assess the latest group of recruits. Vader requested to meet the most skilled trainee, leading to Burr Danid being summoned. In The Squall, Vader and Danid engaged in a duel – Vader opted to fight without a lightsaber. Danid managed to hold his own for a while. However, Vader ultimately severed Danid's right hand and sent him plummeting into the pit, resulting in his demise. Vader then remarked to the remaining trainees, "If he was your best, you are not yet fit to serve the Emperor." The lesson was effectively conveyed.

On Phaeda, General Wessel is notified about a situation involving a single individual who has eliminated numerous stormtroopers and Imperial officers. Wessel suspects that this incident might be connected to Kanos. Simultaneously, Kanos reunites with Markon and meets Mirith Sinn, the commander of the New Republic forces on Phaeda, along with her second-in-command, Sish Sadeet. Recognizing that Kanos is not aligned with Jax and his forces, Mirith escorts him to their clandestine headquarters.

In a parallel development, Colonel Xexus Shev receives communication from Carnor Jax. Jax informs Shev that he is heading to Phaeda to investigate the massacre of Imperials, attributing it to Kir Kanos. Jax instructs Shev to refrain from engaging the Rebels. However, Shev obtains intelligence from his informant, Tem Markon, regarding the location of the mysterious visitor, Kir Kanos. In defiance of Jax's direct orders, Shev initiates an assault on the New Republic base.

Upon Mirith's return to the base with Kanos, they encounter resistance from her subordinates, including Massimo, who express concerns that Kanos might be an Imperial infiltrator. Mirith engages in a conversation with Kanos, recognizing a scar on his face as a distinctive lightsaber wound. As Kanos listens to Mirith's debate with Massimo about the risks of allowing him into the compound, he is transported back to another memory.

Kanos's final trial before becoming a fully recognized Royal Guard involved a deadly duel with his friend and fellow trainee, Lemmet Tauk, in the presence of the Emperor. Kanos emerged victorious, impaling Tauk with his weapon. Kanos mourned the loss of his friend, but Darth Vader reprimanded him, slicing Kanos's helmet with his lightsaber, creating the scar, and reminding Kanos that he should never underestimate the power of the dark side.

However, Kanos is jolted back to reality as Colonel Shev's forces launch their assault on the New Republic's hidden base, plunging them into chaos...