Second Empire Cover Introduces The Dark Side Of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

The Empire has descended on Empire Magazine.

Only 24 hours after rallying the Rebels – Felicity Jones’ daring Jyn Erso included – the outlet has now directed attention to the dark side of the Force with its second cover for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Placing Ben Mendelsohn’s glowering Director Orson Krennic front and center, here we see Rogue One‘s big bad flanked by two Death Troopers, kitted out and ready to lay siege to the ‘Rebel scum.’

With the Death Star nearing completion, it’s clear the Galactic Empire will be nearing the height of its power by the time Rogue One makes a break for theaters in December. That only lumps more pressure on Jones and her ragtag “band of misfits,” who hatch a plan to steal blueprints for that all-powerful WMD before it can blow planets to kingdom come.

As for Empire’s Star Wars rollout, much like its treatment of The Force Awakens, this second cover precedes the unveiling of the subscribers cover, which is set to hit the interwebs on Monday, August 22.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, also starring Jiang Wen, Riz Ahmed, Alan Tudyk, Ben Mendelsohn, James Earl Jones and Genevieve O’Reilly as a young Mon Mothma, lands in theaters on December 16.