James Luceno 2003 – Del Rey 29 years after The Battle of Yavin Site Rating =  Buy Now From Amazon.Com

SPOILER ALERT: This Will Spoil The Plot of the Book!

Held in a prisoner camp on the world of Selvaris, Pash Cracken and Judder Page have taken to looking after their fellow captives. A Ryn worker from a nearby village brings the prisoners food, along with a hidden holowafer that contains a complex mathematical equation for Galactic Alliance Command.

Three Bith prisoners, along with a Jenet, memorize the equation that instant it is displayed, before the wafer self-destructs. The four escape through a tunnel that the prisoners built over a long period of time and take off on hidden speeders, with Yuuzhan Vong guards in close pursuit.

Han and Leia, sent to retrieve the prisoners, make a daring rescue, while being chased across the planet by Yuuzhan Vong warriors. After the surviving Jenet is on board the Falcon, they quickly leave. Malik Carr, commander of the Selvaris prison, is furious and as punishment, puts the surviving prisoners into the local droid immolation pit, leaving them under the harsh Selvaris sun for a few afternoons.

Over at Alliance Command, the message is decrypted with startling results: the Yuuzhan Vong are planning a massive sacrifice of all the prisoners on Coruscant.

On the surface of Yuuzhan’tar, Supreme Overlord Shimrra chastises the throngs watching him for their doubts in his leadership and for them not giving enough to win the war.  Warmaster Nas Choka is present and prepared to take on his new responsibilities.  Shimrra introduces four seers that will help determine if his decisions are correct.  He also brings out a hybrid group of warriors priests called slayers.  In a challenge put forth by those disgusted at their design, Shimrra has two slayers dismantle eleven standard warriors.  He also shows they are impervious to lightsaber attacks.  He tells some that the time of gods has past and Shimrra is the present.

Luke, Mara, Corran, Saba, Jacen are waiting on Zonama Sekot.  Since its attack by Nom Anor the planet has undergone terrible changes.  Its hyperspace jump landed it too close to a sun and forest fires have ravaged much of the planet and it’s been raining for weeks.  Sekot tells them Zonama will recover soon, but is now having second thoughts about entering the war.  Danni Quee appears and tells the others that Harrar is alive and is with Tahiri and Tekli.

Several Galactic Alliance squadrons are on a rescue mission to intercept the Peace Brigade ships that have many prisoners of war.  Alliance spies have disabled the hyperdrives on several ships, and filling one POW ship with coma gas.  Han and Leia along with several troops enter the ship and run into an Alliance spy that tells them the prisoners were offloaded onto a Vong ship.  They find a way to the connector between the two ships walk into the middle of a battle.  After gaining the upper hand in the battle they free the prisoners.  Unfortunately Vong reinforcements appear from hyperspace.

Outside the ship, Jaina notices that many of the coralskippers appearing are unlike anything she’s ever seen including having the ability to jump from hyperspace on their own.  These new ships run through all the Alliance ships destroying many of them.  The Millennium Falcon is taking much of the abuse and Jaina begins to fear for its survival.  Han and Leia both know the situation is dire, and at the last second the jump to light speed.  Several of the new coralskippers jump right after them.  Jaina knows there’s little she can do to help her parents at this point, so they fall back to protect the freighters and go back to the rendezvous point.

Harrar tells Luke Shimrra’s story.  His predecessor, Quoreal, revealed the discovery of a living world that foretold the end of the Vong species.  Shimrra seized on the chance to overthrow Quoreal and united the Vong by promising a new home would be found.  He then erased all records of the living world and headed towards the New Republic.

Jacen believes he has now uncovered why the Vong appear to not exist within the Force.

As the Jedi and Danni go to question Harrar, they are intercepted by several Ferroans who demand to be part of the questioning.  Harrar recounts that each of the Vong that came there had their own agendas.  They speculate as to Nom Anor’s motives but Harrar assumes it was to win back favor with Shimrra.  Harrar asks Luke if he may work with them to help bring about a resolution to the war.

The Millennium Falcon comes out of hyperspace into an out-of-the-way planet called Callula.  They are immediately attacked again by Vong ships, but they make contact with the Callula station and head towards it.

Shimrra is disappointed that only half the expected captives were returned to them for use in a massive sacrificial ceremony blessing their next war effort. Nas Choka suggests that they double their efforts on Callula to make up the difference.

Once inside, the base commander tells Han that they’ve been under attack for a month and that the Vong appear to be more interested in taking captives and occupying the world than just simply destroying it.

Nom Anor, again in disguise, returns to the Shamed Ones, and they are thrilled to see their Prophet return.  He tries to convince them to alter their plans to attack during the sacrificial ceremony, but everything he says is twisted into a rallying cry for further attacks.

Han and Leia get word that the Falcon has been repaired enough to make the trip to Mon Calamari, but Cracken and Page decide to stay behind and continue the defense of the planet.  As they encounter several Vong, they are saved by none other than Boba Fett who has taken up the cause.  As they fly away, Fett contacts Han and says his fight was always with the Jedi and it was never personal.

The group of a dozen Jedi meets to discuss the current situation.  News had come from Coruscant that the Prophet is actually Nom Anor and he has been seen there recently, which means he did not return with Corran and Tahiri.  They decide if they have not heard from Luke within a week they may have to send a team to investigate.

Flying over the surface of Zonama, Harrar is overwhelmed at the planet they the Vong have been searching for but were never able to recreate.  Luke asks how the Vong came to be as they are now if they started off on a planet like this.  Harrar says that they were invaded by a more technological civilization, and they asked the gods turn living things into weapons.  Once they conquered their invaders, their quest for power continued unchecked.  They enter an old lava tube and Sekot speaks to them and inquires about the one they he cannot perceive yet has ancient memories of.  Harrar tells them that they were banished from their home world for becoming too warlike and Luke supposes that these gods they referred to are actually the Force.  When they broke the symbiosis with their home of the planet they were also banished from the Force.  Harrar is overcome at the thought of this revelation.

The grand ceremony is beginning on Yuuzhan’tar.  At the end of the procession that ends with Shimrra’s entrance, the captives are brought in for their sacrifice.  Several explosions go off beneath the captives and hundreds of Shamed Ones begin pouring into the area to rescue them.  Shimrra begins to yell out to the crowd and Nom Anor notices one of the slayers behind him creeping away. He supposes that it is actually Onimi in disguise.

As the Millennium Falcon returns to Mon Calamari, it is met by an armada of Alliance ships from all corners of the galaxy.

At a meeting presided over by Admiral Kre’fey, the heads of various militaries around the galaxy discuss their plan.  They have learned of the heretic uprising that disrupted the sacrifice that was being used to bless the Vong armada heading in their direction.  They plan to split their battle group in half, one half to stay on Mon Calamari, while the other heads for the real prize – Coruscant. With yammosks placed at the nearby worlds of Callula and Toong’l, Kre’fey hopes that when the Vong learn that Coruscant is under attack they will return to these planets.  He hopes to send teams there to disable the yammosks so there return will be thwarted by mass chaos.

Warmaster Nas Choka begins to plan out his attack on Mon Calamari.  One report he receives says the surrender at Callula came a little too easily.

Posing as scientists, Han, Leia, and Kyp arrive on Callula and meet their Ryn and Rodian guides who have stashed food and weapons along the route to the yammosk.

They run into a Vong ambush.  Han and Kyp suspect it is a trap as the warriors’ armor was inferior and they fell will little difficulty.

Jaina has been keeping a close eye on the approaching Vong armada and as she travels through hyperspace back towards Mon Calamari she realizes that the end of the war is at hand.  When she reaches the system, the vast Vong armada is right behind her.  After initial attacks seem to go as planned, Vong unleash a huge blast that levels fifty Alliance ships instantly.

Back on Callula, the team encounters a much tougher Vong squad.  Han is bitten by and amphistaff and falls unconscious.  They are all taken back to the Vong base where a shaper tells the slayers to return to Yuuzhan’Tar and report that this planet is making all the Vong sick.

Things are still going poorly in the attack; Jaina’s ship is hit hard enough to nearly disable it.  Part of the Vong fleet breaks off and jumps away to hyperspace.

Inside the yammosk chamber on Callula, the strike team is encased in blorash jelly that seems to be liquefying over time.  All Vong life appears to be infected as even the yammosk dies before them.  Lando, Talon Karrde and Shada D’ukal enter the room and say almost all Vong presence is gone from the surface.  Han is able to walk on his own.  Kyp recognizes with horror the reason for the Vong deaths – Alpha Red has been unleashed.  He explains the secret history of the weapon to those there, but one in the group knew it was being tested on the planet and thus the planet was handed over easily.  The Vong that left the planet to give word of the sickness would be taking the disease back to Coruscant with them.

Luke and Jacen take an opportunity to talk about the Force.  Luke tells Jacen that he has been afraid of delving too deeply into the Force, but together they can seek out the Unifying Force and bring it to the New Jedi Order.

Kre’fey is concerned since it has become obvious that they misjudged where the Vong would be heading as he sees the entire armada make a jump back towards the core. He wonders if they know the plan.

Nom Anor is settling in for a nap, when to his great surprise, the planet is beset by problems as Zonama Sekot returns nearby!

Back on Mon Calamari, the Han and Leia are checked for any remnant of Alpha Red.  The test clean and talk to Luke who tells them to meet him on Zonama Sekot.  The Alliance forces unite to plan the next attack.  Many Jedi are also in route to the planet.  When the Falcon reaches it, they are told the must leave the ship in orbit and come to the surface in a Sekotan ship.  All the new visitors are in awe of the planet.  The Jedi gather around Luke and he teaches them the lessons he’s learned.  Jabitha tells them that Sekot will create living ships for each of the Jedi.  Jaina is no selected by any seed partner. Luke also introduces Harrar and says he will help them win the war.

Nom Anor is summoned to Shimrra and Onimi.  Shimrra says the gods have saved Zonama Sekot.  He promotes Nom Anor and has him tell the priests to pray only to the trickster goddess Yun-Harla in hopes of creating a civil war among them while he destroys Zonama Sekot and the gods for good.

Luke returns to meet with the Alliance leaders who are planning an all out assault on Coruscant.  Luke tries to persuade them to hold off on their plans until Zonama Sekot, which is explains is a living being, has time to take action of its own.  He also warns that the World Brain will make the planet uninhabitable if attacked.  Several Jedi suggest that they take back other weak systems while the Vong are in disarray and then they’ll be able to attack from several spots at once.  They receive word that the great Admiral Ackbar has died.

Much to Nom Anor’s surprise, Shimrra tells the tale of Zonama Sekot to the followers including its connection to the Yuuzhan Vong.  He tells them of the ship that is infected with Alpha Red and his plans to crash it into Zonama killing it as the infidels had hoped to kill the Vong.

Sekot tells Jacen that to uncover the full power of the Force he will need to give in completely to it and no longer seek to control all things around him.  Jacen tells Luke that he hasn’t been able to contact the World Brain since Shimrra’s taken control over it.

Luke explains the Alliance plans to those gathered with him.  Harrar says he will assist them in getting to the World Brain.  They receive word that the fight will be coming to them as several other squadrons are being repositioned for the attack.

Nas Choka speaks to the shaper on the infected ship who tells him that he doesn’t know if the ship can complete the journey before dying.  Choka sends another ship to assist him in the mission.

The Battle for Coruscant begins as Twin Suns, Rogue Squadron, and others begin their runs to the surface.  Jagged Fel is leading the charge with minor victories on each side.  Jag’s ship, however, is struck and he crashes down to the surface!

Lando and Talon are overseeing the battle when they notice several Vong ships escorting an unremarkable ship into hyperspace and heading towards Zonama Sekot.  He is rescued by several of those that had been rescued from the sacrifice by the Shamed Ones as well as other Alliance members.

While the Jedi inspect their new living ships, Luke breaks the bad news that the Vong are in route.  Following Luke’s lead, the Jedi all raise their lightsabers in the air and Luke says the coming battle will long be remembered.

Shimrra is informed that coralskippers have been met by living vessels at Zonama Sekot.  He also learns that several ships are beginning to evade the dovin basals and are making it to the service of Yuuzhan’tar.  Some in the room begin to wonder if the prophecies were incorrect and the gods are now aligned with the Jedi, but Shimrra has them killed for their heresy.  The High Priest and others enter to inquire about living ships.  Shimrra says they will not be allowed to win over the galaxy until they have rid themselves of heretics and Shamed Ones.  He orders Nom Anor to take a brigade of warriors kill all of them.

As fires begin to burn on Yuuzhan’tar, Harrar tells the Jedi that Shimrra has instructed the World Brain to burn the planet.  Killing Shimrra will not stop its actions and the Brain will need be be killed.  Jacen plans to talk it out of it instead.

As Nom Anor leads his band of warriors, they begin killing hundreds and thousands of Shamed Ones and heretics.  He then notices the fires that have begun breaking out and understands that it was Shimrra who was responsible for this.  He runs to the top of a rubble pile and proclaims himself as Yu’shaa and the time of the Shamed Ones is at hand.  With that, Shamed Ones begin their stand against the Yuuzhan Vong.

Inside the Millennium Falcon, the Skywalkers and the Solos manage to land on Coruscant and are met by several Alliance members including Jag.

In orbit over Zonama, Kyp and Corran are still trying to get the hang of their living ships, as several of the other Jedi have already become one with theirs and are performing incredible maneuvers.

While making their way towards the Vong Citadel, Luke and the Jedi along with the Alliance troops run into a group of Shamed One’s and  change one’s and former residents of Coruscant that had been living underground.  They report that a battle that is raging between Vong warriors and Shamed Ones and Luke sends troops and Mara and Tahiri to assist.

The Millennium Falcon does a flyby the seemingly impenetrable hub of the World Brain.  It can also become an enormous escape pod for the World Brain should an invasion occur.  As they circle around the building Harrar points out a hedge tunnel lined with poison thorns that leads into the hub.  It happens to be just wide enough that they can fly the Falcon straight through.  They burrow through the maze, blasting their way deep inside before eventually being slowed to a halt by the vines as the reach the main entrance.

In the Vong/Heretic battle, Nom Anor has taken up sides with the Shamed Ones when he sees Alliance troops and Jedi reinforcements coming to assist.  He does his best to hide from Tahiri and Mara, but eventually Tahiri gets a hold of him.  He breaks free and makes a run for it through the frenzied battle.

Lando is overseeing the battle and relaying vital information to Star Destroyers and the Jedi pilots.  He sees ships similar to those on Callula and he realizes that it is the infected ship heading toward Zonama Sekot.

Luke, Jaina and Jacen are battle various beasts in route to the Citadel and Jacen decides to see if his connection to the World Brain and moves forward only to be picked up by a creature and held over a giant drop off!

After battling outside the Falcon, R2 lowers the landing platform too far and Vong overwhelm them entering the ship and capturing Han and Leia.

Mara chases Nom Anor and corners him in a room.  After he empties his blaster, the two fight hand to hand until she finally bests him.  He begs her not to kill him as he is a changed being and can help her win the war.  He tells her of Shimrra’s plan to kill Zonama Sekot and she roughly takes him with her.

As Han, Leia and Harrar are being prepped for sacrifice, a group of Shamed One’s enters the room lead by The Prophet, Nom Anor.  A group of Vong warriors enter the room, but instead of attacking the Shamed One’s they come to their aid and attack the others in the room!  Harrar says the tide has indeed turned.  They are able to escape and follow a Master Shaper towards the World Brain.

The beasts that are holding Jacen kick a hole in the building and allow the Jedi inside.  As they head inside the Citadel, the run up many flights of stairs fighting off Vong attacks along their way to Shimrra’s chamber.  Jacen can feel the World Brain is growing confused and reaching through the Force he realizes his parents are about to destroy it.

Han tells the shaper to control the World Brain or it will be destroyed.  The Brain stands down and Leia says that Jacen must have played a part in this.  The shaper mocks the idea and says Shimrra is responsible as he is also responsible for the impending destruction of Zonama Sekot (which Nom Anor confirms).

Over Zonama, the Vong are beginning to take control of the battle.  The Jedi’s new ships have stopped responding and they are concerned that perhaps the infected ship has already crashed on the planet.

Luke, Jaina, and Jacen reach Shimrra’s lair and are faced by fifteen slayers and Shimrra himself, the largest Vong Luke has ever seen.  Shimrra is also protected by a dovin basal that forces Luke to his knees, but Jacen overcomes them with his Vong sense. The Jedi and the Slayers begin a battle to the death.  The Jedi take the upper hand, but the room begins to shift violently back and forth as the World Brain has now sided with the Jedi.  Shimrra seems unfazed by the movement and heads off one direction and they notice Onimi heading further up the tower.  Jaina chases him into another chamber and she senses his coming attack, but she is unable to stop it.  He attacks and bites her and she begins to pass out, but not before realizing that she was able to sense him through the Force!

Jacen and Luke are both taking several hits during the battle, before Shimrra finally decides to enter the fray.  He knocks Jacen to the ground and grabs Luke with his amphistaff.  Luke fends off the head as Shimrra reveals Anakin’s lightsaber.  Using the Force, Luke pulls the blade from Shimrra’s hand and using both his own and Anakin’s he decapitates the Supreme Overlord, but not before being bitten himself!  As he lays dying, Luke tosses the blade to Jacen who misses the blade as he did during his vision on Duro and he runs after Jaina.

Nom Anor leads Han and the others towards the top of the Citadel to find Luke and the twins.  Nom Anor is overwhelmed at seeing Shimrra’s dead body.  They find Luke who has been poisoned by an amphistaff and is nearing death and tells them the twins went after Onimi.  The building begins shaking violently and Nom Anor tells them that the room is an escape pod that should only answer to Shimrra.  He begins to wonder if the Supreme Overlord is really dead.

Jaina has been captured by Onimi who is preparing to launch and angrily refers to her as Yun-Harla.  He questions why he has been punished for learning the truth of the eighth cortex and that the Yuuzhan Vong are doomed to extinction. He tells her that he was once a Master Shaper that experimented by placing yammosk cells into his own.  Like the yammosk, he was now able to control the minds of others on an even more effective level.  The cost was dire as he became a Shamed One.  Knowing that the New Republic galaxy was his chance, he has been using Shimrra as his puppet.  He sees Vong gods in several of the Jedi.  Jaina looks on helplessly as he proclaims that he will exterminate everything in the galaxy.

As Luke is carried out, Harrar announces to those gathered including many high Vong officials that Shimrra is dead.  They look to the sky as Shimrra’s escape vessel launches into the air.

Jacen arrives at the bridge of the ship and is greeted by Onimi who is directing the ship as a yammosk would.  Jacen realizes that it was Onimi that had made the building move, not the World Brain, and that he is the true Supreme Overlord.  The two are now open to each other as Onimi had regained the Force!  Jacen then realizes with astonishment that he can touch Zonama Sekot with his Vong sense!  Jacen hears a voice telling him to stand firm and understands that it is the voice of his grandfather, Anakin Skywalker! Onimi throws objects at Jacen but he easily blocks them.  He then attempts to use his tears as poisons as Vergere could, but Jacen has now truly released himself to the Force and his Vongsense and has become more powerful than he could ever imagine and more than he will ever be again.  He now understands that Yuuzhan Vong once lived in symbiosis with their homeworld, but their thirst for war had separated them from it and the Force.

Han, Leia, and the others enter the room and see Jacen standing in a ball of blinding light as the Force and his Vongsense merge into one.  Onimi is pressed up against a wall.  Before their eyes, the power Jacen has ages him five years and his youth vanishes completely.  Onimi’s body begins to heal, but then his body dissolves away into liquid on the floor!  But because its owner is dead, the ship is dying.  Nom Anor leads them to an escape pod, but tries to poison them in the process.  Jacen blocks the poison and Leia cuts off Nom’s hand.  The Solos get on board the pod, but Nom Anor decides that he will stay behind.

From space, Nas Choka watches as Shimrra’s ship heads towards them, but to his horror it disintegrates.  He contacts all his subordinates and tells them the war is over.  They are welcome to kill themselves, but he chooses honorable surrender.

On Zonama Sekot, the Jedi pilots along with Lando and others, watch as unknown living ships escort the coralskippers to the surface, all but he infected one.  Sekot is welcoming home the Yuuzhan Vong.  The Vong that arrive have all their weapons and armor run off into the woods.

The escape pod is dying fast, and they are picked up by the Millennium Falcon.  Luke is still in bad shape, and Jacen kneels beside him.  Mara begins to cry and Jacen combines them with his own and presses them against Luke’s wound, healing it!

Admiral Kre’fey returns to Coruscant and ponders the 365 trillion that have lost their lives in this war.  The Vong had not yet surrender, but many had either killed themselves or escaped to parts unknown.  Cal Omas sends his congratulations.

A week later on Zonama Sekot, Luke was nearly healed and Jacen helped him learn his healing ability.  The Ferroans are working on healing the planet.  Sekot tells Luke, Jacen and Harrar that Zonama Sekot is a seed of Yuuzhan’tar (a planet that was most likely destroyed through the Vong’s violence).  Sekot had the choice of taking the Alpha Red to itself or sending it back to the Vong, but instead it chose neither and opted for peace.

Nas Choka and his commanders arrive and are greeted by many of the Alliance leaders that had fought against them including Jedi.  Although he is expecting death in return, Luke tells him that instead it is time for them to change their ways as they will be placed under the watchful eye of Zonama Sekot!  Danni Quee, Tahiri, and Tekli all return with Sekot who believes one will eventually be the Magister.

The World Brain agrees to reverse most of the destruction on Coruscant, but some will remain among the newly built cities.  The Alliance capital, now on Denon, will return once the restoration is far enough along.

Many Vong held worlds still need to be liberated, and Boba Fett and the Mandalorians assist in the battles.

Luke announces that a new Jedi Academy will be set up on Ossus.  He tells the Jedi that they must learn the Unifying Force and forget about the simple view of light and dark.  The Jedi will be free to follow their own will and are no longer bound to simple keep the peace in the galaxy.

Jag asks Jaina to return to Csilla with him, but she says she needs time.  He will become the new Chiss ambassador to the Alliance.

After many years of search, Leia finally receives the fable Alderaanian painting, the Killik Twilight, from Pellaeon.

Rather than remain, Jacen plans to travel and visit other Force sensitive groups and learn more about the Force than he can from Luke and the Jedi.

As during the end of the Empire, celebrations erupt throughout the galaxy and the Skywalker and Solo families meet on Kashyyyk where Han places Anakin’s lightsaber on a statue of Chewbacca.

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