The Force is strong in Anakin Skywalker . . . so strong that the Jedi Council, despite misgivings, has entrusted the young Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi with the mission of training Anakin to become a Jedi Knight. Obi-Wan - like his murdered master, Qui-Gon - believes Anakin may be the Chosen
One, the Jedi destined to bring balance to the Force. But first Obi-Wan must help his undisciplined, idealistic apprentice, who still bears the scars of slavery, find his balance.

Dispatched to the mysterious planet of Zonama Sekot, the source of the fastest ships in the galaxy, Obi-Wan and Anakin are swept up in a swirl of deadly intrigue and betrayal—for the Trade Federation is interested in Zonama Sekot as well.

As the Trade Federation strikes, Obi-Wan and Anakin sense a disturbance in the Force unlike any they have encountered before. It seems there are more secrets on Zonama Sekot than meet the eye.

The search for those secrets will threaten the bond between Obi-Wan and Anakin . . . and bring the troubled young apprentice face-to-face with his deepest fears and his darkest destiny.

Greg Bear is the author of more than 25 books, which have been translated into more than a dozen languages. He has been awarded two Hugos and five Nebulas for his fiction. He is married to Astrid Anderson Bear, and they are the parents of two children, Erik and Alexandra.