The webcomic series titled Star Wars: The Old Republic, Blood of the Empire serves as a complementary narrative to the Star Wars: The Old Republic massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) created by LucasArts and BioWare. Alexander Freed, a designer for the game, penned the story, and Dark Horse Comics released it online every other Friday on the official website, StarWarsTheOldRepublic.com.
As the Republic staggers under the relentless attacks of the Sith Empire, its ancient adversaries, the Jedi struggle to maintain their defenses. However, the Empire's triumph is not yet assured.
Teneb Kel, a sharp and resourceful young man, is chosen for a clandestine mission by his Sith masters after a life of servitude. This mission involves the Emperor himself and a potential threat to his grand, thousand-year scheme. Facing certain doom if he fails and expendable even if he succeeds, Teneb must decipher the plots surrounding him to take control of his destiny and reshape the course of history.
Following his victory on Begeren in 3678 BBY, the Sith apprentice Teneb Kel is summoned back to Dromund Kaas to face the Dark Council. Kel is compelled to battle his master, Lord Calypho, who has violated the laws of the Empire and the Dark Council. Subsequently, Kel is assigned the task of tracking down the Emperor's apprentice, Exal Kressh. Accompanied by his Abyssin slave, Maggot, Kel follows the Emperor's directives to locate Kressh within the Lenico system. However, upon encountering Kressh, she easily overpowers him and destroys the space station they are on before fleeing. Kel manages to reach his ship, but Maggot is forced to crash-land the damaged vessel on the desert planet of Lenico IV. Still wounded, Kel ventures out to salvage the wreckage of the destroyed station in an attempt to repair his ship, but he collapses and is compelled to set up camp. Kel then experiences a Force-induced vision of an armored figure named Darth Thanaton and Kressh, who reveals how the Emperor intends to create unwitting agents of his will throughout the galaxy.
Upon waking, Kel is confronted by the Jedi Master Jerbhen Hulis, who is also in pursuit of Kressh. The two briefly form an alliance to rescue the surviving colonists and recover the necessary parts for Kel's repairs. The Sith assassin then pursues Kressh to Korriban, where Kressh has provided the Republic with inside information to facilitate an attack on the planet, allowing her to infiltrate the Sith Academy and destroy the machines the Emperor plans to use to create his "children." Kel and Kressh engage in another battle deep within the Academy, with Kel emerging as the victor. However, he kills Maggot after the Abyssin overhears their discussion of the Emperor's plans to maintain secrecy. Upon his return to the Dark Council, Kel uses his knowledge of the Emperor's children to blackmail the Council into granting him the title of Darth—Darth Thanaton.
Blood of the Empire represented the second story arc in the Star Wars: The Old Republic comic book series. Given its development timeline closer to the game's launch, its artistic style and narrative components exhibit a closer resemblance to the game compared to Threat of Peace. Authored by Alexander Freed and illustrated by Dave Ross, Blood of the Empire was divided into three issues, each released over several months in 2010. The game's official website released seven pages every other Friday, resulting in a total of 28 pages per issue. Dark Horse later compiled and published the three issues of the webcomic as a comic book in the months following the webcomic's conclusion.
Blood of the Empire marked the initial appearances of the X-70B Phantom, Darth Marr, Darth Vowrawn, and several other characters who would later feature in The Old Republic. The concept of the Emperor's Children plays a significant role in Act III of the Jedi Consular storyline, and Teneb Kel recurs as Darth Thanaton, a prominent antagonist for the Sith Inquisitor. Furthermore, Blood of the Empire provided the first visual representation of the Sith Emperor. However, some confusion arose due to his depiction as a Human, contradicting Drew Karpyshyn's assertion that the Emperor was biologically a Sith Pureblood. This inconsistency was later addressed with the introduction of the Emperor's Voice, the host body utilized by the Emperor to preserve his true form.
- Online Comics: Blood of the Empire on The Old Republic's official webpage (backup link)
- Concept Art – Blood of the Empire Webcomic on The Old Republic's official webpage (link obsolete; content only found on older version of webpage: backup link)
- " Alexander Freed: From A to Z " — Star Wars Insider 226
- Navigating a Larger World: The Old Republic in Comics and Novels on The Old Republic's official webpage (backup link)
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