Dark Forces: Soldier for the Empire

Kyle Katarn, a highly esteemed graduate of the Imperial Military Academy, would willingly give his life for the Empire. However, he is unwilling to sacrifice his father's life, a sacrifice the Empire has already demanded. Driven by a desire to avenge his father's death, Kyle is prepared to undertake any action—a resolve that the Rebel Alliance intends to exploit. Embark on a journey with Kyle Katarn in this entirely new, action-packed narrative filled with adventure and suspense.

This novella, inspired by the widely acclaimed Star Wars: DARK FORCES and Star Wars: JEDI KNIGHT interactive games, is brought to life by the talented author William C. Dietz (The Final Battle) and features illustrations from the award-winning artist Dean Williams (Tarzan: The Lost Adventure).

Shortly after graduating from the Imperial Military Academy on Carida, Kyle Katarn is informed of his father's premature passing, prompting him to return home. During his journey, Kyle forms a bond with a Rebel operative, uncovers the grim truth surrounding his father's demise, and vows vengeance against the Empire. His chance for retribution arrives when the Alliance presents him with a perilous mission: infiltrate the Imperial Research Facility on Danuta, retrieve the Death Star plans, and safely extract them.

This fresh adventure enriches the lore of, and integrates elements from, the LucasArts DARK FORCES and JEDI KNIGHT interactive games, paving the way for the subsequent installments: Dark Forces—Rebel Agent and Dark Forces—Jedi Knight

Kyle Katarn, a distinguished alumnus of the Imperial Military Academy, is prepared to lay down his life in service to the Empire. However, upon learning of his father's untimely death—and the horrific manner in which he was killed—Kyle pledges to exact revenge on the very Imperial forces he was about to join.

His opportunity arises when the Rebel Alliance extends a special mission to him: to breach the Imperial Research Facility on Danuta, secure the Death Star plans, and bring them out.

Most would deem it a suicide mission. Kyle views it as an act of vengeance.

This novella-length prose story, which expands upon and incorporates elements from the bestselling Star Wars: Dark Forces and Jedi Knight interactive games, is crafted by the esteemed author William C. Dietz (Steelheart) and features stunning illustrations by the award-winning artist Dean Williams (Tarzan: The Lost Adventure).

On the moon of Sulon, Morgan Katarn is engaged in tinkering within his workshop, accompanied by his adaptable droid, WeeGee. While strolling and observing the planet Sullust on the horizon, he contemplates how financial constraints led his son, Kyle Katarn, to enlist in the Imperial Military Academy.

Aboard the Imperial Star Destroyer Vengeance, the Inquisitor Jerec instructs Captain Thrawn to dispatch a dropship to apprehend Morgan Katarn alive. An Imperial Army special operations unit, the Ghost Battalion, under the command of Lieutenant Brazack, assaults the Danga family's farm using a camouflaged Corellian light freighter, resulting in the deaths of the inhabitants. By disguising themselves as rebels, the Rebel Alliance will be wrongly accused of the attack. Brazack's forces invade Morgan's residence and obliterate his droid, WeeGee. From a nearby hill, Morgan witnesses the raid and realizes he cannot return home. Due to Lieutenant Brazack's failure to capture Morgan, Jerec grants Thrawn and Brazack another chance to prove their worth.

Following the assault, Morgan attends a gathering of the Sulon rebel cell, where they commit to defending the Geothermal tap with all their resources. However, an Imperial probe droid monitors the meeting, relaying all information to Jerec. As the rebels prepare for the impending battle, the rebel information officer Candice Ondi attempts to console Morgan by informing him that footage of the Imperial assault on the Sulon farmers will be broadcast to the public. Morgan, aware of their disadvantage in firepower, maintains a courageous facade.

Major Noda commands the Imperial ground assault forces, which include several AT-AT and AT-ST walkers. The rebel forces manage to destroy two AT-STs using missiles. Rebel fighters Trol and Vester use an SLM missile to shoot down the Imperial Corellian light freighter. Despite the rebels' valiant resistance, Jerec's Imperial forces ultimately defeat them.

Thirty-seven rebels are taken as prisoners. While most face execution, the leaders are detained for interrogation. Major Noda captures a wounded Morgan and presents him before Jerec. Jerec orders Morgan's execution and the display of his head in a public area. He also sends a message to Emperor Palpatine, informing him that Sulon has been pacified.

Stormtrooper Cadet Leader Kyle Katarn participates in a military exercise known as Omega Exercise, which entails live combat against rebel forces. Under the supervision of Sergeant Major Hong, he and his fellow cadets disembark from assault boats and assault a rebel base on the asteroid AX-456. They engage in combat with the rebels, resulting in several casualties.

Despite incurring significant losses, the Imperials succeed in storming the comm center, where they encounter several rebel officers who surrender. Kyle Katarn persuades his unit, including a reluctant Hong, to spare the rebels. He develops an interest in a young woman with dark brown hair and eyes. They manage to plant explosives before rebel reinforcements can enter the base. While the Imperials are resting and eating, rebel reinforcements attack them.

Upon returning to the Imperial Military Academy, Cadet Leader Kyle Katarn is recovering from injuries sustained during the Battle of AX-456. Kyle learns that after he was knocked unconscious, two rebel ships arrived, loaded the surviving personnel, and departed. The first ship successfully escaped, but the second was shot down. Only six members of his unit survived. General Rom Mohc praises Katarn for his bravery and invites him to dine with Jerec.

On graduation day, Katarn marches alongside his fellow cadets, including the arrogant Nathan Donar III, across the Military Academy's parade grounds. During the graduation ceremony, General Mohc awards the newly appointed Second Lieutenant Katarn the Medal of Valor for his courage and valor in combat.

Following the ceremony, he meets Jerec but feels uneasy due to the dark side presence emanating from the cloaked figure. Jerec suggests that Katarn is Force-sensitive and encourages him to advance, join those with power, and claim what is rightfully his. Katarn's classmate and friend Meck Odom invites Katarn to a celebratory dinner with his affluent family.

Later that night, Katarn is devastated to learn that his father, Morgan, was allegedly killed during a rebel raid. Unaware that Jerec was responsible for his father's murder, Kyle questions why the rebels would target his father, who was sympathetic to the Rebellion. Reflecting on the Battle of AX-456, Katarn reconsiders his decision to spare the rebels on the asteroid.

After obtaining compassionate leave from the Imperial Military, Kyle travels to the orbital transfer station off Dorlon II, where he boards a shuttle to the galactic liner Star of Empire. Katarn interacts with fellow alumni Nathan Donar, his mother Madame Donar, Governor Dol Donar II of Derra IV, and Lando Calrissian, who invites them to a game of sabacc.

While traversing the liner, he spots the female rebel he encountered on AX-456 and follows her to the lower decks. He is captured by the rebel soldier Rosco Ross, a human man with a blond crew cut. Rosco intends to kill Kyle, but the rebel woman recognizes him as the Imperial stormtrooper who spared her and her rebel comrades' lives on AX-456. She introduces herself as Jan Ors. Rosco informs Kyle that he possesses additional information and arranges to meet with Kyle at the library in an hour's time.

During their meeting in the library, Jan introduces Kyle to the protocol droid A-Cee, who was assigned to the rebel correspondent Candice Ondi. A-Cee plays back a recording revealing that the Empire orchestrated a false flag attack on Sulon, using it as a justification to eliminate local rebel forces and murder Kyle's father, Morgan. Adding insult to injury, Morgan's head was displayed on a pike in public. Enraged by the Empire's deceit, Kyle Katarn tears the bar representing his Medal of Valor from his uniform and discards it in the recycling bin, symbolically joining the Rebellion.

Determined to join the Rebellion, Kyle Katarn successfully convinces Jan to grant him passage aboard her starship, Truly Sorry, by repairing her damaged hyperdrive motivator. Jan intends to separate from the Star in two days. However, they are being monitored by a microdroid belonging to the Rodian bounty hunter Slyder, who reports the presence of rebels to Governor Donar. Slyder desires Kyle's Medal of Valor.

After receiving a message from Nathan advising him to avoid Jan and prepare for questioning, Kyle realizes that the Imperials are aware of the rebel presence and alerts Jan. They arrange to meet on the hangar deck. Slyder pursues Jan and A-Cee, managing to shoot the droid, but Jan escapes. Upon reaching Truly Sorry, Kyle and Katarn board the ship but are unable to obtain permission from Hangar Control to depart. Kyle opens fire on a nearby SoroSuub shuttle, creating a diversion. Jan manages to board the ship before Imperial forces can apprehend her. They are also joined by another rebel agent named Ris Waller.

Following the rebels' escape, Slyder is present when the Imperials examine the captured rebel protocol droid A-Cee aboard Governor Donar's yacht. However, the Imperial technicians inadvertently activate the droid's self-destruct mechanism. Disgusted by the Imperial failure to take precautions, Slyder eliminates the Imperials with his blaster. While awaiting the countdown, he transfers his trophies to his mother. Meanwhile, Kyle and Jan witness the Governor's yacht explode. Kyle believes that Nathan is among the casualties.

Jan and Katarn meet the rebel leader Mon Mothma aboard the Dreadnaught-class heavy cruiser New Hope. Mothma is familiar with Kyle's father, Morgan, whom she knew through a Jedi named Qu Rahn. She informs Kyle about an Imperial superweapon known as the Death Star and tasks him with stealing the Death Star plans from the Imperial research facility on Danuta. During the briefing, he recognizes his friend Meck Odom in a video. Despite his concerns about potentially having to kill his friend, he accepts the mission.

In secret, Mothma instructs Jan to monitor Katarn, as she distrusts the former Imperial officer. Mothma is aware that the officer in the holorecording is Kyle's friend Odom. Jan defends Kyle, but Mothma wants to eliminate the possibility that Katarn is an Imperial spy and tasks her with killing him if he proves disloyal to the Rebellion. She also informs Jan about rebel plans to steal a different set of the Death Star plans from Toprawa, which contain the battle station's hull design and life support infrastructure. The Danuta plans contain additional engineering schematics and potentially a map of the offensive and defensive weapons emplacements.

After overcoming some obstacles, Kyle Katarn locates an old ship called the Moldy Crow for his mission to Danuta. Jan departs with a teenage female co-pilot named Jes. After a five-day journey, Kyle arrives at Danuta, where he successfully passes through Imperial customs by impersonating a spacer named Dan Drexel. Meanwhile, Jan settles into a rented apartment on Danuta, while Kyle scouts the Imperial research facility, struggling with the prospect of having to kill Odom.

Struggling with the thought of having to kill Kyle, Jan visits a temple run by an Ortolan monk. While visiting the Blue Moon cantina, Kyle reunites with his old friend Odom. Kyle learns that the Empire is seeking him on charges of desertion, treason, and murder. Kyle admits to Odom that he is guilty of the first two but not the latter. When Odom asks how he is involved, Kyle explains.

Jan, who has been following Kyle, later confronts him outside the Blue Moon and inquires about his relationship with Odom. Kyle assures her that he is not a traitor to the rebels but that he wanted to protect Odom and keep him uninvolved. After informing Jan that he has brought Odom into their cause, the two settle down for dinner.

Odom assists Kyle by temporarily disabling the collateral security systems, enabling Kyle to infiltrate the Danuta research facility. Kyle's objective is to steal the partial Death Star plans, while Jan is responsible for extraction. Kyle then uses an air shaft to enter the facility's interior, where he engages in combat with Imperial commandos and stormtroopers. He utilizes the Force to gain an advantage over the Imperial defenders.

Meanwhile, Jan heads to the Moldy Crow to facilitate the extraction but is pursued by Imperial forces. Following a gun battle, she manages to take off in the light freighter. In response to the breach, Major Horst deploys Imperial reinforcements. Following a blaster battle, Kyle reaches the computer laboratory where the partial Death Star plans are stored and steals the matrix containing them. He encounters his friend and mole Odom and stuns him to divert suspicion from Odom.

Having acquired the plans, Kyle escapes down a turbolift that leads to a courtyard where Jan awaits him aboard the Moldy Crow. After evading stormtroopers, the two escape into space aboard the Moldy Crow. Kyle and Jan are relieved to have survived the mission and successfully stolen the partial Death Star plans.