{"id":390546,"date":"2025-09-02T00:22:10","date_gmt":"2025-09-02T00:22:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/390546\/"},"modified":"2025-09-02T00:22:10","modified_gmt":"2025-09-02T00:22:10","slug":"darth-vader-and-the-emperor-discuss-darth-plagueis-in-first-star-wars-master-of-evil-excerpt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/390546\/","title":{"rendered":"Darth Vader and the Emperor Discuss Darth Plagueis in First ‘Star Wars: Master of Evil’ Excerpt"},"content":{"rendered":"

The next entry into the dark saga that is Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine hits bookshelves this November, and Star Wars: Master of Evil<\/a> might be the most personal yet. Written by Adam Christopher (Shadow of the Sith), the upcoming novel delves into the mind of Vader in his early days as a Sith Lord.<\/p>\n

Polygon<\/a> has released the first excerpt, which features a conversation between master and apprentice after Vader bled his first kyber crystal (a moment first seen in Charles Soule\u2019s Darth Vader comic). How intertwined these two entries into the Star Wars saga will be remains to be seen, but this new set piece sees Vader confront Palpatine about a promise that led him down the dark path in the first place: the secret to life, as supposedly found by Darth Plagueis.<\/p>\n

\u201cI sense something within you, my apprentice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vader\u2019s masked head jerked up at the words, but he did not answer. He just stared at the back of the throne.<\/p>\n

\u201cDesire,\u201d said the Emperor. He gave a short, low chuckle as the throne turned around of its own accord until the master faced his apprentice. Only the lower portion of the Emperor\u2019s face was visible beneath his wide cowl, but eyes of yellow glittered from the dark shadow within.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have a thirst for power, Lord Vader. This I am pleased with. But it is your thirst for knowledge that I find . . . interesting.\u201d Again, the low chuckle. The Emperor leaned forward, just a little, his voice dropping to a high, sibilant whisper, the voice of an old and wizened man, which he most certainly was not, despite appearances. \u201cPerhaps you saw something in the cave on Mustafar.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vader still did not speak, but he lowered his head in supplication to his master once more.<\/p>\n

\u201cOr perhaps something in that cave saw into you.\u201d<\/p>\n

At this, Vader looked up again. The Emperor\u2019s death-white face was now exposed by the lights, his features pulled back into a rictus grin.<\/p>\n

\u201cPower you already have, my apprentice. The more you have, the more you seek. The thirst for it will drive you, as it drives all the Sith. This is good.\u201d The Emperor paused, and his voice dropped again. \u201cBut knowledge can be a dangerous thing. There are some aspects of the dark side you will not learn until you are ready to learn, and it is I who will decide when the time is right.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI seek only answers, my master.\u201d Lord Vader hesitated, his breathing filling the space again before he continued. \u201cYou promised to guide me along the pathways of the dark side.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTake care, Lord Vader,\u201d the Emperor snapped. \u201cThere are secrets I have shared and secrets yet to be unlocked. Your journey is still in its infancy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, my master.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAmbition is good, but it may also be your downfall.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, my master.\u201d Vader looked down, then his head snapped up. \u201cBut I am ready to learn. You said you could teach me\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

The Emperor stood quickly, his speed belying the apparent frailty of his body. He stepped forward on the dais and looked down at his apprentice, and he laughed, quietly at first before the sound became a bloodcurdling, witchlike cackle.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou were enamored with that story, were you not?\u201d asked the Emperor. \u201cThe tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise? Oh yes, the dark side has the power to hold back death, even to venture beyond it.\u201d He stepped closer to Vader, pointing one gnarled finger at him. \u201cThat is what you want to know, is it not? The secrets that lie beyond. You think they will allow you to be reunited with her, do you not?\u201d<\/p>\n

Vader\u2019s blank gaze did not waver from his master\u2019s glare. \u201cIt is what you promised, my master.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Emperor dropped his hand, his face twisted with sudden anger. \u201cThere is much you must learn, Lord Vader. Including patience.\u201d He walked back to his throne. \u201cPerhaps I should not have let you see the power of the vergence on Mustafar so soon.\u201d He turned back to Vader. \u201cPerhaps you are not as ready as I thought. I have overestimated your ability to understand.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vader finally stood. As the Emperor sank slowly into his throne, Vader stepped up onto the dais, his huge frame towering over his master.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I bled the kyber crystal in the cave, the dark side showed itself to me in a way I did not think possible. I have seen it, my master.\u201d He raised a fist and clenched it in the air. \u201cI have seen the true power of the Force. What you have taught me is only the beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n

A wry smile played over the Emperor\u2019s wizened features. \u201cGood, my apprentice. Good. Your experience on Mustafar was indeed a worthwhile exercise. It is true, there is much to understand about the dark side.\u201d Then his smile dropped, and the Emperor stood. Vader took a step backward as his master held out both hands. \u201cBut beware what it promises.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Emperor\u2019s hands snapped into claws, and from the tips of his bent fingers burst an onslaught of blue lightning, the forks of which seemed to be drawn to the shape of Vader\u2019s body, embracing him in a cradle of crackling, snapping Force energy. Vader was lifted off his feet and fell backward, carried across the room by the wave of lightning. He hit the floor on his side and rolled over, the power still coursing from the Emperor\u2019s outstretched hands, the Emperor\u2019s face twisted into a grimace of pure hatred.<\/p>\n

Head over to Polygon for the whole excerpt. Star Wars: Master of Evil by Adam Christopher will be published by Random House Worlds and is set for release on November 11. The novel is available for pre-order<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The next entry into the dark saga that is Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine hits bookshelves this November,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":390547,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3935],"tags":[12624,77,135394,3943,4242,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-390546","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-movies","8":"tag-darth-vader","9":"tag-entertainment","10":"tag-master-of-evil","11":"tag-movies","12":"tag-star-wars","13":"tag-uk","14":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/390546","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=390546"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/390546\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/390547"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=390546"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=390546"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=390546"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}