Decades ago, the Jedi protected the Galactic Republic; now, in the darkness of the Yuuzhan Vong invasion, the Jedi have no protection from the slaughter of their ranks. Abandoned by the New Republic Senate, Luke Skywalker's Jedi order stands defiant against the deadly alien menace. They are not entirely alone, however, as Han and Leia Organa Solo risk deadly consequences to bolster the Jedi resistance.
Meanwhile, Anakin Solo and Tahiri have uncovered new Yuuzhan Vong secrets. The two young Jedi are wanted for murder by the forces of the Peace Brigade. To escape, they flee into hyperspace - and into far greater peril...
After years of waiting in the shadows, the evil Darth Sidious is taking the first step in his master plan to bring the Republic to its knees. He meets secretly with his Neimoidian contacts in the Trade Federation to plan the blockade of the planet Naboo. But one member of the delegation is missing, and Sidious suspects betrayal. He orders his apprentice, the deadly Darth Maul, to hunt the traitor down.
On the capital world of Coruscant, the treacherous Neimoidian moves quickly to sell what he knows to the highest bidder. For Lorn Pavan, an information broker, the deal is too good to pass up. He grabs it, unwittingly earning a place on Darth Maul's hit list, right behind the Neimoidian defector himself.
Meanwhile, a young Jedi Padawan by the name of Darsha Assant stands on the verge of ascension to Jedi Knighthood. A single mission will be her test, but a greater challenge awaits her. For in the labyrinthine alleyways and sewers of Coruscant's own dark side, she will cross paths with Lorn, who is fleeing from the Sith stalker, carrying with him crucial information that must reach the Jedi Council at all costs.
The future of the Republic depends on Darsha and Lorn. But how can an untried Jedi and an ordinary man, stranger to the powerful ways of the Force, hope to triumph over one of the deadliest killers in the galaxy?
On the distant planet Dorvalla, precious ore is mined by two competing companies: InterGalactic Ore and Lommite Limited. Neither rival suspects that they are central to a sinister plot masterminded by Darth Sidious, Lord of the Sith, himself. Dispatched by Sidious on his very first solo mission, Darth Maul infiltrates Lommite Limited.
Mired in scandal and baseless accusations, Chancellor Valorum is a well-meaning politician saddled with the hardships of public office. Fortunately, Valorum has a trusted friend and colleague in the form of Senator Palpatine, who helps him maneuver past these political hurdles that continue to plunge the Republic into turmoil.
It is a time directly before The Phantom Menace. Hoping to bring stability back to the government, Valorum has called for an emergency trade summit on the planet Eriadu. At his behest, the Jedi Knights are tasked to protect the delegates from possible terrorist threats.
But something shadowy lurks beneath the surface, moving politicians as pawns in an unfathomable game. A simple peace-keeping assignment can turn into a political firestorm, and set into a motion a chain of events that will forever change the galaxy.
Warmaster Tsavong Lah has called for the heads of all the Jedi, and a galaxy already wary of the new order of knights is listening. The unscrupulous Peace Brigade spearheads a mission to the Jedi academy on Yavin 4, where many young students of the Force reside.
Jedi Master Luke Skywalker asks Talon Karrde to rescue the vulnerable students, but the headstrong Anakin Solo takes matters into his own hands. Rocketing to the jungle moon in his X-wing, Anakin discovers his beloved friend Tahiri has been captured by the Yuuzhan Vong. Rescuing her and other captive students may be far more than this young Jedi can handle.
Poisoned by centuries of technological excess, the planet Duro is an unlivable hell, long abandoned by its own inhabitants, who dwell above their polluted world in orbital habitats. But there is no place else to channel the flood of refugees fleeing the murderous Yuuzhan Vong. So a deal is struck: In exchange for a new home, the refugees will work to restore the planet to health, under the watchful eye of Leia Organa Solo.
As tempers begin to flare between the Duros and the New Republic, and between groups of refugees, Han Solo, his son Jacen, and the Ryn called Droma arrive to keep the peace. They are unaware that Leia is on Duro ... and that Luke, Mara, and Anakin are on their way, searching for a missing Jedi apprentice. And none realize that the Yuuzhan Vong have chosen this embattled planet as the next target in their brutal coreward thrust.
The unrest only strengthens Jacen Solo's growing belief that a true Jedi should not fight but should lead others to peace through a deeper understanding of the Force. Now, as the fragile stability on Duro threatens to collapse into violence, Jacen Solo must face his greatest dilemma: At what point does the use of power become aggression? Whatever he decides, his next step could tip the galaxy's destiny toward the light or toward darkness--with the life of someone he loves hanging in the balance. . . .
Merciless attacks by an invincible alien force have left the New Republic reeling. Dozens of worlds have succumbed to occupation or annihilation, and even the Jedi Knights have tasted defeat. In these darkest of times, the noble Chewbacca is laid to rest, having died as heroically as he lived -- and a grief-stricken Han Solo is left to fit the pieces of his shattered life back together before he loses everything: friends, family, and faith.
Refusing help from Leia or Luke, Han becomes the loner he once was, seeking to escape the pain of his partner's death in adventure ... and revenge. When he learns that an old friend from his smuggling days is operating as a mercenary for the enemy, he sets out to expose the traitor. But Han's investigation uncovers an even greater evil: a sinister conspiracy aimed at the very heart of the New Republic's will and ability to fight -- the Jedi.
Now Han must face down his inner demons and, with the help of a new and unexpected ally, honor Chewbacca's sacrifice in the only way that matters -- by being worthy of it.
Princess Leia, Han Solo, and Chewbacca set out on a mission vital to the survival of the fragile New Republic. They are searching for the long-lost children of the Jedi on the frozen world of Belsavis, from whose dark crypts no one had returned alive. Halfway across the galaxy, Luke Skywalker is on an equally dangerous mission.
Taken aboard the enemy Dreadnaught Eye of Palpatine, Luke must find a way to destroy the automated ship before it completes the mission encoded into its supersophisticated artificial intelligence system: the total annihilation of Belsavis.
To succeed, Luke will need the help of the spirit of the Jedi Knight Callista, who gave her life to stop the ship once before. The mystery of the crypts, the invincible power of the Dreadnaught, the lost Jedi, and the burgeoning passion between Luke and Callista come together in a stunning climax worthy of the magnificent Star Wars saga.
Somewhere in the galaxy, millions suddenly perish in a blinding instant of pain, anguish, and despair--a disruption of the Force so shocking, it is felt by Luke at his Jedi academy on Yavin 4 and by Leia at home on Coruscant. It is a deed that rivals the terrifying power of the Death Star, the long-destroyed weapon of the defeated Empire. But where did it happen? And how? And why?
Then death comes to Coruscant itself. As Leia, head of the New Republic, prepares to address the Senate, a massive explosion rocks the meeting hall, decimating the Senate's ranks. Leia survives and recovers, only to be faced with calls to resign from office. Even worse, some of the Senators lay the blame for the attack on Han Solo.
As Leia works desperately to clear Han's name, Han and Chewbacca journey to the lawless asteroids of Smuggler's Run to track down rumors of a secret plot against the New Republic. And Luke goes in search of Brakiss, a former Jedi Student who has turned his considerable talents to the dark side of the Force and might well have been involved in the unexplained deaths of millions that so disturbed Luke and Leia. But Brakiss is only a small part of the carnage taking place on Coruscant and elsewhere. Luke is being stalked by a master of the dark side who is determined to rule as the next emperor. Luke, Leia, and Leia's Jedi children are targeted to die. Then billions will follow, in a holocaust unequaled in galactic history.
It is a time of tranquility for the New Republic. The remnants of the Empire now lie in complete dissarray, and the reemergence of the Jedi Knights has brought power and prestige to the fledgling government on Coruscant. Yesterday's Rebels have become today's administrators and diplomats, and the factions that fought against Imperial tyranny seem united in savoring the fruits of peace.
But the peace is short-lived. A restless Luke must journey to his mother's homeworld in a desperate and dangerous quest to find her people. An adventurous Lando must seize a mysterious spacecraft that has weapons of enormous destructive power and an unknown mission. And Leia, a living symbol of the New Republic's triumph, must face down the ruthless leader of the Duskhan League, an arrogant Yevetha who seems bent on a genocidal war that could shatter the fragile unity of the New Republic . . . and threaten its very survival.
As Leia must deal with a new threat to the fragile alliance that binds the New Republic, Lando becomes a prisoner aboard a runaway spacecraft of unknown origin. Luke continues his quest to learn more about his mother among the Fallanassi, where his every belief about the use of the Force is about to be challenged. And while Leia ponders a diplomatic solution to the aggression of the fierce Yevetha race, Han pilots a spy ship into the heart of Yevethan space and faces a vast fleet of warships under the command of a ruthless leader--a fleet more than a match for the New Republic's forces . . . .
Faced with an alarming image of Han as a battered hostage of the Yevetha, Chewbacca takes on an urgent mission. Meanwhile, Leia calls upon the Senate to take a stand and eliminate the Yevetha threat-- even at the cost of Han's life. As a former Imperial governor takes his battle to the runaway Qella spaceship, Luke's continuing search for his mother brings him dangerously close to Nil Spaar's deadly forces. And as the Yevetha close in on the forces of the New Republic, Luke takes a desperate gamble at an invisible weapon . . . .
Luke Skywalker expected trouble when he volunteered to follow Princess Leia on her mission to Circarpous to enlist their Rebel underground in the battle against the Empire. But the farm boy from Tatooine hadn't counted on an unscheduled landing in the swamplands of Mimban . . . hadn't counted on any of the things they would find on that strange planet.
Hidden on this planet was the Kaiburr crystal, a mysterious gem that would give the one who possessed it such powers over the Force that he would be all but invincible. In the wrong hands, the crystal could be deadly. So Luke had to find this treasure and find it fast.
Accompanied by Artoo Deetoo and See Threepio - his two faithful 'droids - Luke and the Princess set out for the Temple of Pomojema . . . and a confrontation deep beneath the surface of an alien world with the most fearsome villain in the galaxy!
Princess Leia's children have been kidnapped. Along with Chewbacca and Artoo-Detoo, she follows the kidnappers' trail to a disabled refugee ship, from where children are also missing. Here she learns of a powerful Imperial officer with a twisted plan to restore the Empire. Meanwhile, Han Solo and Luke Skywalker are cut off from Leia by the death of a nearby star, which has caused a disruption in the Force.
They have gone to the planet Crseih to investigate a report of a lost group of Jedi. Instead they find a charismatic alien named Waru whose miraculous healing powers have attracted a fanatic following. As Leia follows the path of her children across space, Luke and Han draw closer to the truth behind Waru's sinister cult. Together they will face an explosive showdown that will decide the survival of the New Republic . . . and the universe itself!
Corran Horn has distinguished himself as one of the best and brightest of Rogue Squadron's elite fighting force. Then his wife, Mirax, vanishes on a covert mission for the New Republic, and Corran vows to find her. To do so, he knows he must develop the latent Force powers inherited from his grandfather, a legendary Jedi hero.
He joins Luke Skywalker's famed Jedi academy to begin training, only to quit in frustration at Skywalker's methods. Now Corran is on his own. Using his Corellian undercover experience, he must infiltrate, sabotage, and destroy a ruthless organization in order to find his wife. But to succeed, Corran will have to come to terms with his Jedi heritage--and make a terrible choice: surrender to the dark side . . . or die.
Luke returns home with Han Solo, hoping to make contact with Obi-Wan Kenobi. Instead, what they find is disturbing news: the Hutts, criminal warlords of the galaxy, are building a secret superweapon, a reconstruction of the original Death Star superlaser, the be called Darksaber. This planet-crushing power will be in the ruthless hands of Durga, a creature without conscience or mercy. And there is trouble on another front: Admiral Daala is very much alive and, in league with Pellaeon, is marsheling forces to destroy the Rebels. Soon they and Luke will face the ultimate test of their power--one in which all the temptations of the dark side of the Force beckon . . . .
A solar system with little more than luxury hotels catering to the underemployed filthy-rich, the Oseon was every gambler's dream come true. And so it was for Lando Calrissian, gambler, rogue, and con-artiste. Until he broke the gambler's cardinal rule: never beat a cop at high-stakes games of chance. Soon Lando and his reckless five-armed robot companion were being stalked by two enemies - one they knew but could not see, and one they saw but did not recognize . . . until it was too late.
Gambler, rogue, and con-artiste, Lando Calrissian was born with a well-developed taste for the good life. More comfortable at the dealer's end of a fast shuffle than at the rear end of a blaster, Lando always had his sensors scanning for the chance to pick up easy credits. So when he heard that the planets of the Rafa System were practically buried in ancient alien treasure, he hopped aboard the Millennium Falcon and brushed up on his rusty astrogation. He never stopped to think that someone might be conning the con man . . .
For a year Lando Calrissian and Vuffi Raa, his five-armed robot astrogator, had roamed space in the Millennium Falcon, seeking or creating opportunities to turn an easy, but not too dishonest, credit. But now their partnership seemed doomed - for Lando's uncharacteristic impulse to help a race of persecuted aliens had suddenly made him and Vuffi vulnerable to several sets of their own enemies . . . not least of whom was the evil Rokur Gepta, the Sorcerer of Tund!
The fabled hoard of the mad tyrant Xim was beyond measure - it was also, as far as Han Solo and his Wookiee partner Chewbacca were concerned, strictly legendary. But the pleadings of an old spacebum who had once saved his life - plus the fact that a trifling misunderstanding had set the deadliest gunman in the galaxy on his trail, making a secret expedition to almost any place seem highly desirable - were enough to grab Han Solo's interest.
But within hours of landing on the planet rumored to hold the treasure, Han's beloved spacecraft Millennium Falcon was hijacked, and his party had to contend with assassins and an army of killer robots. This was no way, Han Solo felt, for a pair of honest smugglers to make a living . . .
Han Solo was a trampfreighter captain, a smuggler and a free-lance law-bender when it suited him. Together with his Wookiee pal Chewbacca, he roamed the galaxy in the starship Millennium Falcon, owing nothing to anyone - human, droid or otherwise. If the Authority took a dim view of some of his activities, well, that was the Authority's problem. Or so Han Solo thought. Then the Authority informed him he would have to bring the Millennium Falcon up to certain specific technical standards. "Safety standards," they had said - but Han knew better. He also knew a safe planet where Doc fixed up starships - no questions asked. Unfortunately Doc had disappeared. His daughter Jessa was willing to make the necessary repairs; she was even willing to provide the waiver that would keep investigators out of Han's starship for a long time. All Han and Chewbacca had to do was pick up some undercover agents at the Authority Data Center on Orron III and then find Jessa's father.
Unfortunately neither Han nor Chewbacca could foresee the incredible twists of fate that would pit them against powerful and ruthless enemies bent on their destruction . . . events that would drive them to a place of rocky desolation, an airless speck few star charts even knew existed - the ominously quiet Stars' End!
There's always work for a space-faring freighter captain who doesn't ask awkward questions, and Han Solo quickly got a job that would pay him a cool 10,000 credits. It would also, he discovered as soon as he made planetfall to pick up his cargo, earn him and Chewbacca summary execution. The Corporate Sector Authority could overlook many crimes, but the slave trade carried with it mandatory capital punishment.
Thanks to the quick thinking of Blue Max, computer-partner of Han's work droid Bollux, Han was able to turn the tables on the slavers and free their captives. But he and Chewie were dead broke, with not many prospects in sight. Figuring that somebody still owed him 10,000 credits, Han kept a rendezvous the slavers had arranged with their shadowy boss. But the lovely girl who kept the date didn't fit his idea of a slave trader. And she wasn't . . . Rather, Fiolla was a full-fledged officer of the Sector Authority . . . most of whose laws Han had already broken. Now he was in real trouble!
