Jealous of the newcomer Ulic Qel-Droma, the Krath leader Satal Keto has him tortured within the depths of Cinnagar's Iron Citadel on the pretext that he is Jedi spy. His cousin Aleema disagrees, believing that Ulic has much to teach them and that it useful to have a Jedi defector on their side. Satal agrees but vows that Ulic will betray the Jedi his way.
In the dungeons, Ulic is tortured by an torture droid. He tells Satal that he is no longer a Jedi and has come to serve learn the ways of the dark side. Not believing Ulic, Satal injects him with a Sith poison, which causes Ulic immense pain and to break free of the torture droid. Infatuated with Ulic, Aleema tends to the seriously wounded Ulic, hoping to turn him into an ally of the Krath. Satal agrees to his sister's request.
On Yavin, the new Sith Lord Exar Kun sets his Massassi subjects to work building Sith temples that would serve as focal points of dark side energies. Beneath the Great Temple, Kun realizes that the guardian creature was guarding something deep beneath the temple. This turns out to be Naga Sadow's ancient battleship and a hidden Sith alchemy laboratory.
Leaving her daughter Vima Sunrider in the care of Master Thon, Nomi Sunrider travels with fellow Jedi Cay Qel-Droma and Tott Doneeta to Koros Major. Nomi intends to contact Ulic in order to ascertain that he is alive. While her fellow Jedi wait in orbit aboard the Nebulon Ranger, Vima travels in an escape pod into Cinnagar.
Nomi allows herself to be captured by Krath warriors by flashing her lightsaber in public. Meanwhile, Ulic advises Satal, Aleema, and the other Krath leaders to upgrade their firepower in order to expand their influence beyond the Empress Teta system. Seeking to test Ulic's loyalty, Satal orders him to deal with the captured Jedi intruder Nomi, who has been brought into the Ketos' court.
Seeking to save Nomi, Ulic proposes that she be sent to the dungeons for interrogation. However, Satal demands her execution. Knowing that Satal and Aleema can read his thoughts through the Force, Ulic manages to prove his loyalty to the Krath by announcing that he will perform the execution at dawn the following day.
Meanwhile, Exar Kun uses Sith alchemy and a machine inside the Great Temple to mutate the Massassi Priest Zythmnr into a monstrous form.
Back in Cinnagar, Ulic programs a servant droid to bring a message to Nomi, telling her to return to Ossus and tell the Jedi Masters that he has learned much about the Krath but that he needs more time. He also adds that Satal and Aleema Keto are behind the death of Master Arca Jeth. Believing that Ulic has proven his loyalty to the Krath, Aleema tries to seduce Ulic.
Meanwhile, Satal and one of his guards Norgor intercepts Ulic's servant droid. Discovering Ulic's holoprojector message, Satal destroys the droid and orders Norgor to send twenty men to bring him Nomi for execution. He also orders Norgor to assassinate Ulic. However, Nomi uses battle meditation to cause the Krath guards to fight and kill each other. Nomi then contacts Cay and Tott to evacuate her and Ulic.
Meanwhile, Norgor attempts to assassinate Ulic but is killed by the Jedi. Aleema reveals that her cousin Satal ordered the attack on the Jedi assembly on Deneba. Elsewhere, Cay and Tott manage to land the Nebulon Ranger near the Iron Citadel and fight their way through the Krath guards. Before Satal can deal with the Jedi intruders, he is confronted by Ulic, who is seeking to avenge his fallen Master Arca.
Ulic and Satal engage in a lightsaber duel. Giving into anger and the dark side, Ulic strikes down Satal with his lightsaber. In his final moments, Satal tells him that the anger has ignited the Sith poison he injected into Ulic's body. Cay and Tott try to convince Ulic to come with them but he uses the Force to drive them away.
Nomi, Cay, and Tott manage to escape on the Nebulon Ranger into hyperspace. The three Jedi are heartbroken about leaving Ulic behind. Nomi is shattered by Ulic's apparent betrayal and madness and believes that he is lost. Meanwhile, Ulic grapples with Freedon Nadd's prophecy that he is "on a path from which there is no return."
Meanwhile, Exar Kun raises Naga Sadow's Sith warship, which he claims as his own. Since Freedon Nadd had managed to warn others about him prior to his destruction, Kun is determined to destroy these dark side rivals.
- Tales of the Jedi: Dark Lords of the Sith (TPB)
- Star Wars Omnibus: Tales of the Jedi, Volume 2
- Star Wars Legends Epic Collection: Tales of the Jedi Vol. 3
- Star Wars Legends: Tales of the Jedi Omnibus