The Old Republic, Blood of the Empire Act 1: Shades of the Sith
Star Wars: The Old Republic, Blood of the Empire: Act 1: Shades of the Sith represents the initial story arc within the Star Wars: The Old Republic, Blood of the Empire webcomic. This webcomic functions as a narrative precursor to the Star Wars: The Old Republic massively multiplayer online role-playing game created by LucasArts and BioWare. Its chronological setting places it before the events of the other Star Wars: The Old Republic webcomic, known as Threat of Peace. The first seven pages were made available to the public on April 23, 2010 through the StarWarsTheOldRepublic.com website, with the remaining twenty-one pages released in three installments of seven pages each on May 7, May 21, and June 4. Shades of the Sith was later compiled and published in a printed comic format under the title The Old Republic 4: Blood of the Empire, Part 1.
Publisher's summary
Here begins the conflict! A Sith apprentice is set against a Republic military force; an enslaved alien finds themselves in the middle of the conflict; a mysterious pureblood embarks on a journey through the criminal underworld of Peragus spaceport. These characters will be affected by the influence of the Emperor and the Dark Council, and their actions will determine the destiny of both the Empire and the Old Republic.
Plot summary
In 3678 BBY, the Sith apprentice Teneb Kel guides the Sith forces to victory on the planet Begeren. Subsequently, he is summoned back to Dromund Kaas to appear before the Dark Council. Kel is compelled to battle his master, Lord Calypho, who had committed offenses against the Empire and the Dark Council. Following this, 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.