The Old Republic: Deceived is a novel penned by Paul S. Kemp. This book serves as a companion piece to the Star Wars: The Old Republic massively multiplayer online game. Its initial release date was March 22, 2011. A paperback edition, which was made available on May 29, 2012, features an introduction to the Fate of the Jedi series, including character portraits and the inaugural chapter of Fate of the Jedi: Outcast.
The moment we have been waiting for is here. For a period of three centuries, we made preparations; we became more powerful while you were secure in your position of authority, under the illusion that your people were safe and well-guarded.
You were entrusted with the leadership of the Republic, yet you were misled, as our command of the dark side has clouded your judgment….
You were deceived, and as a result, your Republic is destined to collapse.
—from The Old Republic: Deceived
The second novel situated within the Old Republic timeline, drawing inspiration from the expansive multiplayer online game Star Wars: The Old Republic, intensifies the excitement and introduces readers directly to a Sith warrior who rivals the most malevolent Dark Lords of the Order—Darth Malgus, the enigmatic, masked Sith featured prominently in the widely acclaimed "Deceived," "Hope," and "Return" game trailers.
Malgus orchestrated the downfall of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant through a savage assault that sent shockwaves throughout the galaxy. However, while war may have established him as the most formidable of the Sith heroes, peace would transform him into something far more abhorrent—a transformation that Malgus would resist, yet be unable to prevent, much like his inability to halt the approaching rogue Jedi.
Her name is Aryn Leneer—and the lone Knight whom Malgus vanquished during the intense conflict for the Jedi Temple was her Master. Now, she is determined to uncover the truth behind his fate, even if it requires flouting every established rule.
The story commences with Darth Malgus spearheading the assault on the Jedi Temple, preceding the Sacking of Coruscant. Amidst the clash between the Jedi and Sith within the Temple, Malgus confronts and eliminates Jedi Master Ven Zallow by running him through with his lightsaber. Subsequently, the Jedi are vanquished, and the Sith Empire initiates its attack on Coruscant. The Jedi Temple is then reduced to rubble, entombing the fallen within its ruins. Malgus anticipates a comprehensive bombardment of Coruscant, but the revelation from Darth Angral evokes profound disdain and resentment: the Empire is forging a peace treaty with the Galactic Republic. Throughout the day, he starts to secretly suspect that his superiors, including the Sith Emperor, have doomed the Empire by pursuing peace. Malgus is convinced that only through conflict can one truly understand the Force.
On Alderaan, where the Jedi and Sith are trying to finalize the peace treaty, the Jedi delegation senses the atrocities committed by the Sith on Coruscant through the Force. Nevertheless, precisely because of this, as the Sith are leveraging the capture of Coruscant in the peace negotiations, the talks proceed, much to the frustration of Jedi Knight Aryn Leneer, who had sensed her Master Zallow's demise in the Force. Aryn then secretly abandons the Jedi Order to journey to Coruscant, uncover Zallow's killer, and exact vengeance. To reach the recently-captured Coruscant, she enlists the aid of former Republic soldier, now spice runner, Zeerid Korr. Zeerid, concurrently, needs to reach Coruscant to deliver a shipment of engspice for a criminal syndicate known as The Exchange. Unfortunately for Zeerid, he is observed by former Imperial sniper Vrath Xizor, who is in the employ of the Hutts, rivals of The Exchange. Aware that Zeerid is slated to deliver the engspice to Coruscant, Vrath arrives in Coruscant to inform Darth Malgus, now in charge of 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 thanks to Aryn's use of the Force, and they land on Coruscant's surface.
Despite Zeerid's failure to deliver his shipment of engspice, he agrees to aid Aryn in her investigation into Zallow's murder. They venture underground through the Works and follow the late Zallow's astromech droid companion T7-O1 to access the underground recordings of the Temple during the attack. Aryn discovers that Malgus killed Zallow and vows to avenge her Master. Zeerid, in the meantime, desires to find a spacecraft to return to his home planet of Vulta so he can get to his daughter, Arra Yooms, before The Exchange reach her. Arra and her aunt, Natala, could be in danger because of Zeerid's debts to The Exchange and because Vrath Xizor learned of Zeerid's family by spying on him.
As Aryn returns to the destroyed Jedi Temple, she is confronted by Darth Malgus, who had been awaiting her since learning of her quest for vengeance for Master Zallow's death. Their duel is interrupted before a victor can be determined when Zeerid arrives to retrieve Aryn, as killing Malgus in vengeance will lead Aryn down a dark path. Aryn only agrees so that she can get a greater vengeance on Malgus by targeting his Twi'lek lover, Eleena Daru, so that he will know the pain that Aryn suffered when Master Zallow died. Both Aryn and Zeerid find their respective goals at a spaceport, where Aryn prepares to kill Eleena, but finds that killing her would disgrace everything that Master Zallow taught her. She again confronts Malgus just as Zeerid leaves with a ship of his own, which just so happens to be the ship owned by Vrath Xizor. Zeerid and Vrath get into a fight in the ship's cargo hold, and Zeerid wins the fight by beating Vrath to a bloody pulp. After Zeerid takes over the ship, the Imperial blockade allows him to leave under Malgus's permission 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 overpowers Aryn in their second encounter, but instead of ending her life, he permits her to depart Coruscant after she spared Eleena's life. Malgus then murders Eleena after declaring his love for her, viewing her as a liability he can no longer sustain.
In the aftermath, a peace accord is ratified between the Republic and the Empire, and the latter terminates its occupation of Coruscant. Disheartened by the prospect of peace prevailing throughout the galaxy, Malgus intends 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 lives with him now while Natala has a place of her own. Aryn eventually finds Zeerid, telling him that she quit the Jedi Order so that she can be with him.
- ISBN 9780345511386 ; Released on March 22 , 2011 ; Published by Del Rey ; US hardcover edition [8]
- ISBN 9780345511355 ; Released on September 25 , 2012 ; Published by Del Rey; US mass market paperback edition [9]
- ISBN 9780593498941 ; Released on November 1 , 2022 ; Published by Del Rey; US trade paperback, The Essential Legends Collection edition [10]