Dark Disciple

Dark Disciple is a canon novel. It features Asajj Ventress and Quinlan Vos as its main characters. Christie Golden penned the novel, which was released by Del Rey on July 7, 2015. Being based on an eight-part story arc intended for the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series, this novel is a component of the The Clone Wars Legacy multimedia project. The story arc includes the episodes "Lethal Alliance," "The Mission," "Conspirators," "Dark Disciple," "Saving Vos Part I," "Saving Vos Part II," "Traitor," and "The Path." Due to the show's cancellation, these scripts were never made into episodes. Katie Lucas, one of the original episode writers, wrote the foreword for the novel, which is geared toward mature audiences. Marc Thompson narrates the book's audio edition. ## Publisher's summary ### Hardcover #### Back cover To defeat the Sith's most dangerous warrior, an alliance with the dark side might be the only option. #### Internal flap Yoda stated solemnly, "Dooku persists in his attacks. We must stop him..." Mace then inquired, "The question we face is—who will deliver the killing blow?" The Republic and the dark side forces are locked in a galactic war. Count Dooku, a former Jedi Master who has become a ruthless Sith Lord, has escalated his brutal tactics. The Jedi's abilities and their clone army's military strength are not enough to stop the rising death toll. The Jedi Council decides to take drastic action after Dooku orders the slaughter of a group of defenseless refugees. They will target Count Dooku, the one responsible for the war's atrocities. Dooku is a difficult target, even for the most skilled hunters. Therefore, the Council makes a daring choice: to combine the powers of both sides of the Force. They pair the impulsive Jedi Knight Quinlan Vos with the notorious former Sith acolyte Asajj Ventress. The Jedi still deeply distrust the cunning killer who once served Dooku, but Ventress's hatred for her former master is even stronger. She is eager to use her considerable skills as a bounty hunter and assassin to aid Vos's mission. Ventress and Vos are the best chance to eliminate Dooku, but their growing feelings for each other could jeopardize their mission. Ventress is determined to get revenge and finally leave her dark Sith past behind. She aims to win on all fronts, balancing her complicated feelings for Vos with her warrior spirit. However, her deadly enemy and her own doubts will severely test this vow. ### Paperback The Republic and the dark side armies are fighting for control of the galaxy. Count Dooku, a former Jedi Master turned merciless Sith Lord, has increased the brutality of his tactics. When he commands the massacre of innocent refugees, the Jedi Council sees no other option than to take extreme measures: targeting the Empire's most cold-blooded disciple for assassination. Dooku is a dangerous target, so the Council decides to use both sides of the Force by pairing the daring Jedi Knight Quinlan Vos with the infamous former Sith acolyte Asajj Ventress. Despite the Jedi's deep distrust of the cunning killer who once served Dooku, Ventress's hatred for her former master is even stronger. Determined to seek vengeance and abandon her Sith past, Ventress must balance her growing feelings for Vos with the intensity of her warrior spirit, and she resolves to achieve victory in every aspect. Her deadly enemy and her own doubts will severely test this vow. ## Opening crawl ## Plot summary ### Exposition Ashu-Nyamal, a Mahran refugee from Mahranee, flees her family on a Republic ship, seeking vengeance against the Separatists. She bypasses a Clone trooper and arrives at the bridge, where she sees Jedi General Chubor pleading with Count Dooku via hologram to allow the refugees to escape. Dooku, knowing the conversation is being broadcast to the Jedi Council, orders the ships destroyed. Witnessing the Atrocity on Mahranee, the Jedi Council, led by Master Mace Windu, makes the morally ambiguous decision to assassinate Count Dooku in order to end the Clone Wars. Despite his reservations, Master Obi-Wan Kenobi suggests Quinlan Vos for the task. ### Partnering with Asajj Ventress Meanwhile, Master Vos, disguised as "Tal," and the Mahran Jedi Knight Akar-Deshu disrupt a black-market operation in Otor's Hub run by the Koorivar merchant Sheb Valaad. While en route to Coruscant, they learn of the Separatist attack on Mahranee and receive a message from Kenobi requesting Vos to attend a meeting with the Jedi Council. At the meeting, the Jedi Council informs Quinlan of their plan to assassinate Count Dooku. Vos accepts the mission but insists on having a companion. Yoda suggests the Nightsister and failed Sith apprentice Asajj Ventress as Vos's partner. Vos reluctantly agrees to the mission and promises to contact Ventress. After the meeting, Vos goes to Coruscant's level 1313 to find Ventress. The undercover Jedi encounters several bounty hunters at a shady bar who know Ventress, including the Trandoshan Bossk and Jango Fett's son Boba Fett. Fett reveals that Ventress is on the planet Pantora, hunting a Volpai fugitive named Moregi. Vos travels to Pantora, where he finds Ventress's hunt. Moregi escapes because of Quinlan's arrival. After a tense reunion, Vos and Ventress team up to capture Moregi. Later, Vos meets Ventress on her starship, Banshee. The undercover Jedi pretends to be a bounty hunter who wants to partner with her. Ventress believes Vos has potential despite his annoying behavior and reluctantly agrees to accept him as her partner. Vos spends the next two weeks on Ventress's ship, training and doing hunts together, typically involving underworld contracts and outlaw targets. Vos once saves Ventress's life by using the Force to disarm a Weequay target, allowing Ventress to kill him. On their fifth hunt, the two bounty hunters work together to capture the estranged former first mate of the Blood Bone Order's captain Lassa Rhayme. Ventress uses her charm to lure the fugitive. Rhayme gives them a bottle of Tevraki whiskey as payment, which they enjoy together. While drinking, Vos tries to get information about her training, but she remains secretive. They also begin to develop feelings for each other but are not ready to admit it. Later, while Ventress is having modifications made to the Banshee on Coruscant's Level 1313, Vos meets with Kenobi to discuss their mission's progress. Kenobi urges Vos to find a way to motivate Ventress against Dooku, as Vos has built a rapport with her. While on Coruscant, Ventress takes a job from the Pyke Syndicate, a powerful cartel of drug-runners and spice-dealers based on the rocky planet Oba Diah. The Pyke Syndicate boss Marg Krim tasks the two bounty hunters with rescuing his wife Tezzka Krim and their two children Laalee and Vram, who have been kidnapped by the rival Black Sun crime syndicate. Black Sun is holding his family prisoner at their fortress on the volcanic world of Mustafar. They travel to Mustafar, rent two lava fleas, and visit a bar called The Last Resort. There, they confront a Falleen Black Sun guard and force him to reveal information about the Pyke hostages. The two hunters infiltrate the Black Sun fortress through an exposed balcony. They rescue Krim's two children but cannot find their mother. Pursued by Black Sun sentries, the two hunters and the children escape on their lava fleas through the lava flow. While Ventress and Laalee jump onto their lava flea-mount, a blaster bolt hits Quinlan's back, causing Vram to fall into the lava flow. However, the undercover Jedi uses his Force-powers to levitate the boy to safety. After returning to the Banshee, the two bounty hunters make a plan to rescue Tezzka, while Ventress treats Vos's blaster wound. Vos touches Laalee's locket using his psychometric powers and discovers that her mother Tezzka is still in the fortress, a prisoner of the Black Sun leader Ziton Moj. Ventress enters the fortress disguised as a negotiator, while Vos frees Tezzka from her cell. After a struggle with Moj and his men, the two hunters escape Mustafar on the Banshee with Krim's family. After returning to Oba Diah, Marg Krim rewards Ventress with double pay. As they leave the planet, the two hunters see a Black Sun fleet exiting hyperspace to attack the Pyke Syndicate. Vos and Ventress cannot help the Pykes and have no choice but to flee into hyperspace. ### Joining forces against Dooku Quinlan Vos, burdened by guilt for not protecting Krim's family, reveals to Asajj Ventress that he is a Jedi Knight. However, Ventress already knew this, having seen him use his Force-powers to save himself and Vram on Mustafar. Vos also tells Ventress that the Jedi Council sent him to kill Count Dooku and wants her support. Ventress agrees to help, respecting Vos and seeing a chance to strike back against her former Master. However, she warns Vos that killing the Separatist leader will require using the dark side of the Force. Vos later informs Kenobi of this new development in their assassination plot. Kenobi warns Vos to be cautious of Ventress's manipulative nature, but Quinlan insists that he can trust her for now. Ventress takes Vos to her adopted homeworld of Dathomir, a planet strong in the dark side, to begin his training in the dark side. Vos learns about her past, including her enslavement, apprenticeship to the stranded Jedi Knight Ky Narec, her subsequent apprenticeship, her falling-out with Count Dooku, and the loss of her Nightsister comrades. Vos develops a romantic relationship with Ventress during his training but struggles to avoid fully embracing the dark side of the Force. Ventress claims that Dooku murdered his later Master Tholme to push Vos closer to the dark side, but she was the actual killer. Under Ventress's guidance, Vos undergoes a rigorous training regime to expose him to Nightsister culture while increasing his strength, endurance, fighting spirit, and Force-powers. Ventress later learns from her informant, the Gossam Sumdin, that Dooku plans to visit Raxus Secundus, a planet in the Tion Hegemony and capital of the Separatist movement. Vos must kill The Sleeper, a near-extinct crustacean creature living in pools near the former Nightsister village, as his final trial. Despite his initial hesitation, Vos kills the Sleeper and passes the trial, completing his dark-side training. Kenobi meets with Yoda to discuss his fear that something has happened to Quinlan after Vos fails to meet at their pre-arranged Level 1313 bar. Yoda assures Kenobi that Vos has done many undercover missions and knows what he is doing. He also says that sometimes one must walk a dark path to better appreciate the light side. Meanwhile, Ventress and Vos travel to Raxus Secundus, where they meet her informant Sumdin. Vos is horrified when Asajj kills Sumdin to prevent any secrets from leaking about their mission. The two hunters go to a large public square, where Count Dooku is giving a patriotic speech to a large crowd. General Grievous, the Separatist military commander, accompanies the Count. After the speech, they separate while attending a large public feast. Ventress sneaks up on her estranged former master Dooku, who is mingling with the crowds. Not wanting to cause a public disturbance, she challenges Dooku to a fair fight on the overlook later that night. Dooku agrees, and they split up. However, Dooku secretly contacts General Grievous and orders him to meet him on the overlook with reinforcements. Quinlan attacks Grievous before he can join the Count, overpowering him and his battle droids. Ventress and Vos engage Dooku in a lightsaber duel at the overlook. Dooku knocks out Ventress by throwing her against a stone bench, and Quinlan attacks the Sith Lord, who taunts him about his flirtation with the dark side. Vos is defeated by Dooku, who incapacitates him with Force lightning after a fierce duel. Grievous arrives with droid reinforcements to capture the intruders, but Asajj escapes into the sewers. Dooku takes Quinlan prisoner. ### Rescuing Quinlan Vos Quinlan Vos is taken to Serenno as a Separatist prisoner. He is locked in a cell and tortured by Count Dooku, who plans to complete Vos's journey to the dark side. Vos's Jedi colleagues at the Jedi Temple become concerned about his safety, fearing that he has died or strayed from the light side. Asajj Ventress travels to Chalmun's Spaceport Cantina on Tatooine, where she enlists the help of several bounty hunters, including Boba Fett, Bossk, Latts Razzi, C-21 Highsinger, and Embo, to rescue Quinlan. Dooku turns Vos against Ventress on Serenno by showing him a hologram of her murdering his late Master Tholme. Vos's psychometric abilities confirm Dooku's version of events when he touches Tholme's lightsaber. Shortly after, Asajj and her bounty hunter allies arrive on Serenno to rescue Quinlan Vos. The bounty hunters create a diversion by attacking Dooku's battle droids. Ventress enters Dooku's palace, where she finds a vengeful Vos in his cell. Vos, enraged that Ventress lied about her role in his master's murder, attacks her with his lightsaber. Ventress tries to reason with her former disciple, telling him not to let the dark side control him, and reminds him of their mission to kill Dooku. Ventress cannot rescue Vos and is forced to retreat with her bounty hunter confederates. As they leave, she sees Vos walking with Dooku, indicating that he has become Dooku's newest Sith apprentice. Distraught, Ventress returns to Coruscant and informs Kenobi about Quinlan's fall to the dark side. Asajj spends the next few months taking on various bounty-hunting jobs. Ventress turns to alcohol to cope with Quinlan's rejection. Vos becomes Dooku's new right-hand man in the Separatist hierarchy and is nicknamed "Admiral Enigma." Quinlan's Jedi comrade Desh contacts Asajj, having been sent by Kenobi to bring her to a Jedi Council meeting to discuss rescuing Vos from the Separatists. The Jedi Council has intelligence that "Admiral Enigma" was last seen on a Providence-class Dreadnought. The Jedi offer to pardon her for her crimes against them and the Republic in exchange for recovering Quinlan. Some Jedi, particularly Mace Windu and Anakin Skywalker, are against including Asajj. However, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda defend her. Ventress agrees to the deal and participates in the rescue mission. Ventress and the Jedi rescue team free Vos from his cell in the brig after a struggle with Dooku and his battle droids. Ventress finds an emaciated and half-naked former Jedi hanging from shackles. While Quinlan Vos's Jedi companions are happy to rescue their comrade, Ventress sees fury in Vos's eyes and realizes that he has fully embraced the dark side. Ventress attempts to attack her former lover but is restrained by Kenobi. After freeing Vos, Ventress and the Jedi escape the Separatist dreadnought aboard her starship Banshee. Ventress is formally pardoned for her crimes by Yoda after returning to the Jedi Temple. However, Asajj is saddened because none of the Jedi believe that Vos has changed sides with the Separatists. Vos tries to reconcile with Ventress, but she rejects him. Skywalker discusses his suspicions about Ventress with his secret wife Padmé Amidala. Still suspicious of the former Dark Sider, he suggests that Ventress seduced Vos to the dark side and doubts her ability to love. ### Enemy in the Ranks While Quinlan Vos's Jedi comrades debate in private whether he has succumbed to the dark side, Vos and his Jedi comrades participate in a mission to steal medication, weapons, foodstuffs, and ship repair parts from a Separatist asteroid base. Vos is accompanied by his friend Akar-Deshu, Kenobi, Skywalker, and the Clone Commander Cody for this mission. However, the Separatists have already booby-trapped the asteroid with explosives. Vos and his Jedi and Republic comrades escape, but all the supplies are destroyed. After the failed mission, Vos meets Asajj Ventress in a Coruscant bar, where he reaffirms his love for her and forgives her for killing Master Tholme. He promises to formalize his relationship with her after helping the Jedi destroy Count Dooku. Later, Quinlan participates in a mission with Kenobi, Skywalker, and Cody to destroy a Separatist listening post. However, they find the station abandoned upon arrival. Meanwhile, Desh visits the site of the former Separatist asteroid base and discovers evidence that there is a traitor within the Jedi ranks leaking information to the Separatists. Yoda suspects that these two incidents are not coincidental and arranges a private meeting with Vos. He senses that Vos has fallen to the dark side. Yoda discusses his findings with his fellow members of the Jedi Council, who devise a plan to test Vos's allegiance by sending him on a mission to kill Count Dooku. Kenobi is instructed to watch over Vos and execute him if his true loyalties are revealed. After receiving his assignment, Vos tells Ventress about his new mission to kill Count Dooku. After some arguing, Vos agrees to let Ventress accompany him. At the Jedi Council briefing, the Council agrees to allow Asajj to accompany Vos on his mission after she reveals that Dooku will be traveling to Christophsis on a Separatist dreadnought. Vos and Ventress travel on the Banshee to Christophsis, where they find Dooku's dreadnought among the Separatist fleet. Meanwhile, Skywalker and Kenobi follow Vos from a captured Separatist shuttle and infiltrate Dooku's dreadnought. After boarding the dreadnought with the help of reprogrammed battle droids, the two Jedi see Vos engaging Dooku in a lightsaber duel. However, Vos fails to kill the Count and instead forces Dooku to lead him to his mysterious master, Darth Sidious. Realizing that their suspicions about Vos's loyalties have been confirmed, Skywalker and Kenobi have no choice but to arrest Vos and Dooku. Kenobi and Skywalker capture the two darksiders and bring them to the Venator-class Star Destroyer Vigilance. Despite Commander Cody's efforts to secure the prisoners, Vos tricks Desh into approaching him and steals his lightsaber. He uses it to free himself and Dooku. During their escape, Vos kills his former friend Desh and the Chagrian Jedi Knight Kav Bayons. Vos and Dooku escape with Ventress aboard the Banshee. ### Showdown on Christophsis Ventress attempts to land the Banshee on Dooku's dreadnought, but the Vigilance chases them and damages the ship. As a result, Asajj is forced to crash-land the Banshee on Christophsis. Kenobi, Skywalker, and several clone troopers search the wreckage of the Banshee and conclude that the fugitives have survived. Ventress, Vos, and the seriously wounded Dooku travel across the crystal-covered landscape of Christophsis to reach a nearby Separatist base. Kenobi secretly contacts Ventress and informs her about Vos's fall. He also tells her to convince Quinlan to surrender, or they will kill him. When Ventress confronts Vos, he convinces her that he is close to completing his mission but does not reveal its goal. Meanwhile, Windu orders Kenobi and Skywalker to execute the fugitives. Ventress, Vos, and Dooku arrive at the Separatist base built into a giant crystal pillar. They learn that Darth Sidious wants to speak with his apprentice Dooku. Dooku pleads with his master to send a ship to Christophsis to evacuate him during the brief hologram conversation. However, Vos fails to learn Darth Sidious's true identity. Shortly after, the Separatist base is bombarded by Republic clone troopers and Aggressive ReConnaissance-170 starfighters. Despite Windu's orders, Kenobi insists on getting the fugitives out unharmed. Despite Anakin's objections, the former master and apprentice venture into the Separatist base to find Vos and Dooku. Ventress is badly wounded by artillery fire and falling debris during the Republic bombardment. Vos helps his wounded lover as they try to follow Dooku and complete his mission. Meanwhile, Skywalker and Kenobi order a ceasefire to sneak into the fortress and kill Dooku. Back in the fortress, Asajj confronts Quinlan about his fall to the dark side and alignment with Dooku. After some hesitation, Vos admits that this is true. Shortly after, Dooku attacks Vos with Force lightning. However, Asajj shoves Vos away in a selfless act of sacrifice, taking the full force of Dooku's attack. Dooku tries to provoke Quinlan into killing him, but Vos refuses to give in to the dark side and affirms that he is a Jedi. While Vos reconciles with Ventress in her final moments, Dooku escapes. ### Denouement Quinlan Vos surrenders to Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker following the events on Christophsis. They bring him back to Coruscant. Vos confesses in the presence of the Jedi Council that he embraced the dark side and joined Count Dooku to use Dooku to get to Darth Sidious and eliminate the two Sith Lords. He accepts responsibility for all the crimes and damage he committed under Dooku's service and for killing his two Jedi comrades Desh and Bayons, as well as the clone troopers aboard the Vigilance. Vos also defends the late Asajj Ventress for bringing him back to the light and giving her life to save him from Dooku. During the hearing, Kenobi says that the Jedi Council was foolish to consider using assassination to eliminate Count Dooku, as it only led one close to the dark side. He also defends Ventress as a "friend" of the Jedi. Following the proceedings, Vos is pardoned for his crimes against the Jedi and the Republic. Kenobi accompanies Vos to Dathomir to bury Ventress. The two Jedi lay the Nightsister to rest in a dark pool near the abandoned Nightsisters' village. As Ventress's body enters the waters, the pool turns green, and the voices of the spirits of the deceased Nightsisters are heard, welcoming Ventress back. ## Development The novel's initial announcement occurred on July 25, 2014, during San Diego Comic-Con, by [Del

During a Star Wars panel by Rey, the novel A New Dawn was given significant attention. Christie Golden was revealed to be the book's author; she had adapted scripts originally co-written with Series Producer George Lucas for the unproduced seventh season of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars television show before it was cancelled. Jennifer Heddle stated the novel was geared towards mature audiences, and Pablo Hidalgo added that it allowed for deeper character exploration than the TV show permitted. The initial illustration for the novel was created as concept art for the animated series. A new section on StarWars.com was launched on September 25, 2014, dedicated to The Clone Wars Legacy, a project releasing unmade The Clone Wars scripts in various formats. The site announced the title of Golden's novel as Dark Disciple, named after one of the adapted episodes, and also featured a gallery of concept art from those episodes. While the gallery indicated a four-part story arc, Shelly Shapiro, Del Rey editor, later clarified that the novel drew from a total of eight episodes. Golden confirmed this on Twitter, explaining that the eight episodes formed a single, extended story arc. The episodes were entitled "Lethal Alliance," "The Mission," "Conspirators," "Dark Disciple," "Saving Vos Part I," "Saving Vos Part II," "Traitor," and "The Path." These episodes were penned by Katie Lucas, Head Writer Matt Michnovetz, and Series Supervising Director Dave Filoni. Golden was provided with animatics for the initial four episodes along with scripts for all eight. Erich Schoeneweiss, a Del Rey editor, initially announced that the novel would be released in 2015 in July. Amazon.com listed the novel's release date as July 7, while the British version was slated for release on July 9. The cover art for the novel, created by Matt Taylor, was revealed on December 9, 2014, via StarWars.com. Golden announced on January 16, 2015, that she had completed the novel and submitted it to her editor, and as of February 24 she was working on the second draft. In an interview made public on March 11, Shelly Shapiro mentioned she had just finished her work on the novel. Katie Lucas, a writer for the original episodes, provided a foreword for the novel. Additionally, Golden authored a prequel short story titled "Kindred Spirits," which appeared in Star Wars Insider 159 and was later included in the paperback edition of Dark Disciple.