The Old Republic: Deceived

Summary Provided by the Publisher

Back Cover Text

The moment we have been waiting for is here. For a period of three centuries we made preparations; we grew in strength while you were complacent in your seat of power, under the false assumption that your people were secure and safe.

You were entrusted with the leadership of the Republic, however, you were misled, as the powers we command from the dark side have rendered you blind….

You were deceived, and as a result, your Republic is destined to fall.

—a passage taken from The Old Republic: Deceived

Inside Flap Description

This is the second novel that takes place during the Old Republic era, drawing inspiration from the massively popular online game, Star Wars: The Old Republic. It intensifies the excitement and introduces readers to a Sith warrior who rivals even the most sinister Dark Lords of the Order—Darth Malgus, the enigmatic, masked Sith prominently featured in the widely acclaimed game trailers "Deceived," "Hope," and "Return."

Malgus orchestrated the downfall of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant through a ruthless assault that sent shockwaves throughout the galaxy. While war may have elevated him to the status of the most formidable Sith hero, the advent of peace threatens to transform him into something far more monstrous—a fate Malgus desperately seeks to avoid, yet finds himself powerless to prevent, much like his inability to halt the approaching rogue Jedi.

Her name is Aryn Leneer—and the solitary Knight that Malgus struck down during the intense conflict for control of the Jedi Temple was none other than her Master. Now, she is determined to uncover the truth behind his demise, even if it necessitates disregarding every established principle.

Synopsis of the Story

The narrative commences with Darth Malgus spearheading the assault on the Jedi Temple, an event that precedes the infamous Sacking of Coruscant. Amidst the intense clash between the Jedi and the Sith within the Temple's confines, Malgus engages in combat with and ultimately slays Jedi Master Ven Zallow, impaling him with his lightsaber. Subsequently, the Jedi forces are decimated, paving the way for the Sith Empire to initiate its attack on Coruscant. The Jedi Temple is then reduced to rubble, entombing the fallen within its depths. Malgus anticipates a full-scale bombardment of Coruscant, but he is met with disappointment and resentment upon learning from Darth Angral that the Empire is pursuing a peace treaty with the Galactic Republic. Throughout the day, he harbors suspicions that his superiors, including the Sith Emperor, have jeopardized the Empire's future by seeking peace. Malgus firmly believes that only through conflict can true understanding of the Force be attained.

On Alderaan, where Jedi and Sith representatives are engaged in peace treaty negotiations, the Jedi delegation senses the atrocities committed by the Sith on Coruscant through the Force. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, as the Sith are leveraging the capture of Coruscant as a bargaining chip, the negotiations proceed, much to the dismay of Jedi Knight Aryn Leneer, who felt her Master Zallow's death in the Force. Aryn then secretly abandons the Jedi Order to journey to Coruscant, determined to identify and eliminate Zallow's killer. To reach the recently-conquered Coruscant, she seeks the assistance of Zeerid Korr, a former Republic soldier turned spice runner. Meanwhile, Zeerid also requires passage to Coruscant to deliver a shipment of engspice for a criminal syndicate known as The Exchange. Unfortunately for Zeerid, he is observed by Vrath Xizor, a former Imperial sniper working for the Hutts, who are rivals of The Exchange. Aware of Zeerid's impending delivery to Coruscant, Vrath travels to Coruscant to inform Darth Malgus, now overseeing the Imperial blockade, of Aryn and Zeerid's imminent arrival. Malgus acts on Vrath's information, and upon Aryn and Zeerid's arrival, Zeerid's ship, the Fatman, is targeted by the Sith fleet. It manages to reach Coruscant but is shot down. Aryn and Zeerid survive due to Aryn's Force abilities, landing on Coruscant's surface.

Despite his failure to deliver the engspice shipment, Zeerid agrees to aid Aryn in her investigation into Zallow's murder. They navigate through the Works, Coruscant's underbelly, and follow Zallow's astromech droid companion T7-O1 to access underground recordings of the Temple during the attack. Aryn discovers that Malgus was responsible for Zallow's death and vows to avenge her Master. Zeerid, on the other hand, seeks a spacecraft to return to his home planet of Vulta to protect his daughter, Arra Yooms, from The Exchange. Arra and her aunt, Natala, are at risk due to Zeerid's debts to The Exchange and Vrath Xizor's knowledge of Zeerid's family.

As Aryn returns to the ruined Jedi Temple, she confronts Darth Malgus, who has been anticipating her arrival, aware of her quest for vengeance. Their duel is interrupted by Zeerid's arrival, as Aryn recognizes that killing Malgus in vengeance would lead her down a dark path. Aryn agrees to leave, intending to exact a greater revenge on Malgus by targeting his Twi'lek lover, Eleena Daru, inflicting upon him the same pain she experienced upon Master Zallow's death. Both Aryn and Zeerid achieve their respective goals at a spaceport, where Aryn prepares to kill Eleena, but realizes that doing so would betray Master Zallow's teachings. She confronts Malgus again as Zeerid departs in a ship that happens to belong to Vrath Xizor. Zeerid and Vrath engage in a fight in the ship's cargo hold, which Zeerid wins. After Zeerid takes control of the ship, the Imperial blockade allows him to leave under Malgus's orders after Aryn threatened to kill Eleena if he didn't let Zeerid go. Afterward, Zeerid kills Vrath by shoving him out of the ship's air lock so that he could not tell The Exchange or anyone else about Arra and Natala's relation to Zeerid.

Malgus defeats Aryn in their second encounter, but instead of killing her, he allows her to leave Coruscant after she spared Eleena's life. Malgus then kills Eleena after confessing his love to her, deeming her a weakness he can no longer afford.

In the aftermath, a peace treaty is signed between the Republic and the Empire, and the latter relinquishes its occupation of Coruscant. Disheartened by the prospect of peace prevailing throughout the galaxy, Malgus plots to seize control of the Empire, beginning with the assassination of his political rival Lord Adraas. Zeerid, meanwhile, purchases a farm and prosthetic legs for his daughter Arra, who now resides with him, while Natala lives independently. Aryn eventually reunites with Zeerid, informing him that she has left the Jedi Order to be with him.

Media Details

Available Editions

• ISBN 9780345511386 ; Released on March 22 , 2011 ; Published by Del Rey ; US hardcover version [8]
• ISBN 9780345511355 ; Released on September 25 , 2012 ; Published by Del Rey; US mass market paperback version [9]
• ISBN 9780593498941 ; Released on November 1 , 2022 ; Published by Del Rey; US trade paperback, as part of The Essential Legends Collection [10]

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