Zare Leonis, an Imperial cadet who is secretly seeking to free his kidnapped sister, the Force-sensitive Dhara Leonis, from Imperial custody, has achieved his goal of entering the Arkanis Academy, having received a transfer from Lothal. He knows that somewhere here, the Empire is holding his sister. However, he remains in great danger, as the Grand Inquisitor, the powerful being who kidnapped his sister, suspects him of being a traitor to the Empire. As Leonis begins his training at the Arkanis Academy, he learns that failure to perform academically can have real and deadly consequences for students there. Shortly after his arrival, he learns from Lieutenant Chiron, who has also been transferred from Lothal’s Academy for Young Imperials, that the Inquisitor is dead, killed by a group of rebels. Chiron wants Leonis to investigate a secretive group at the Arkanis Academy known as the Commandant’s Cadets, created by the academy’s leader, Commandant Brendol Hux. Doing so turns out to be key in getting the access he needs to get to his sister. But just when finally gets in, an old friend who has been captured by the Empire reveals him as a traitor.
