Sean Williams & Shane Dix 2003 – Del Rey 28 years after The Battle of Yavin Site Rating =  Buy Now From Amazon.Com

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

The Jedi, along with help from the Imperial Remnant, lead by Luke Skywalker continue their search for Zonama Sekot.  They land on a planet that is home to a species that had disposed of another racing by consuming them (as in eaten).  The species is not pleased to learn of their search for the mysterious planet and chase them away.   When they retreat to the Imperial cruiser Widowmaker, they are met by several Chiss ships lead by Commander Irolia.  After some convincing, she grants them access to hyperspace routes that will lead to the Chiss homeworld of Csilla.  From there they can seek additional help from the Chiss establishment.

The Millennium Falcon exits hyperspace in route towards Bakura.  Tahiri is still suffering from her mental battle with Riina Kwaad.  Upon arriving in the system along with an escort from Twin Suns squadron among others, they speak with the general in charge of landing but are interrupted by another voice that tells them to go away.  Han notices that one of the ships guarding the planet releases many Ssi-Ruuk fighters that are heading in their direction.  General Panib tells them not to fire upon the ships.  Panib asks them to dock with one of the ships in orbit and says he will meet up with them and explain the situation that has engulfed their planet.  He says the P’w’eck, who were aware one time the slaves of the Ssi-Ruuk have now become their allies.

As they meet with General Panib a lizard creature comes bounding down the hallway towards them. Tahiri flashes to her dreams and believes it’s attacking.  But the general stops them and tells them that creature is Lwothin, a diplomat from the P’w’eck foundation that’s here to meet with them.

In a meeting, Lwothin recounts the history of the Ssi-Ruuk invasion at Bakura some thirty years earlier.  It was repelled by the Imperials and the Rebel Alliance.  He also recounts what entechment is to them (using the life force from a living being to power ships).  He tells them about the Keeramak, an anomalous Ssi-Ruu born and led the revolt of the P’w’eck to take over their former masters.  Panib tells them that a convoy arrived two weeks earlier and proposed an alliance that was accepted by the Prime Minister of Bakura but not without much resistance from the people.  Panib tells them that the Prime Minister has recently been kidnapped.  Another high-ranking member of the Bakuran government arrives and says he was delayed by another civil unrest incident.  They were able to capture the leader of the group named Malinza Thanas. Malinza had once been taken in by Luke and Mara after her parents died.  They decide to continue on with a ceremony to secure the alliance, and they invite Leia and Han to observe what will certainly be a unique and momentous occasion.

As the recently dubbed Prophet Yu’shaa, Nom Anor has grown his tiny group of Shamed Ones into a formidable rebellion against the Yuuzhan Vong.  He tells them that the war is wrong and hopes that word of this will reach the Galactic Alliance.  He begins to send his disciples out to other worlds to spread his message, while he continues his attempts to get a spy near Shimrra’s inner circle.

Elsewhere in orbit, Jagged Fel and others from the Alliance intercept an unauthorized craft that is coming into the area.  The ship explodes, but not before an escape pod is jettisoned.  When Jag makes contact he is surprised to learn that the occupant is the kidnapped Prime Minister who claims to have just killed his attackers before escaping.

After docking the Millennium Falcon, Tahiri notices a figure approaching the ship.  The creature tells her that they should stick around a while as things are not as they seem on the planet.  The creature was a Ryn, the same species that directed them to Bakura in the first place.  She passes the information to Han.

In their quarters Tahiri finds an object containing a message that reveals Malinza has information they will need and details how to reach her in her prison cell.  Jaina follows up and after only a minor hold up is able to get into the cell block to see her.  Malinza tells her about her group called Freedom that has been working against the New Republic, which she believes is just another oppressive empire like the original Empire.  She claims it makes no sense that she would kidnap the Prime Minister since the P’w’eck would be a viable alternative that she would probably support.  While Jaina believes most of what the girl says she also believes the she probably didn’t have anything to do with kidnapping or murder.  Malinza tells her she thinks she’s been locked up because she was on the trail of something that she wasn’t supposed to find out involving a large amount of money being transferred off world to an unknown source.  Jaina suddenly realizes that the guards have left and the door to the prison was left open.

After more nightmares, Tahiri wakes and wrestles with the thoughts that she is someone else inside.  She leaves her room and walks down the hallway wondering if Jaina has returned.  She finds a small item in the shape of Yun-Yammka and she reaches out to grab it.  As she does, the darkness sweeps over her and she passes out.  She wakes up surrounded by Han and Leia.  Leia reveals that she retrieved the pendant from Jag and set it out there intentionally expecting Tahiri to come for it.  Tahiri begins to detail what’s been going on in her mind since her time with the Vong.  She remains insistent that she is who she is and not this other thing the Vong tried to turn her into.  Leia reveals that just before she blacked out, she called her by her Vong name and Tahiri had responded.  Leia also tells her that she yelled at her in the Vong language.

Leia and Han recount the story to Jag and ask him why if he and Jaina suspected there were problems they didn’t bring it up to them sooner.  They are interrupted by the P’w’eck fleet entering Bakuran space.

The Jedi arrive at Csilla and meet with the heads of the Chiss ruling families.  They are skeptical of the search and while they refuse to allow them unfettered access to Chiss space, they allow them two days access into their library to search for information of the Unknown Regions.  The library is not computerized and they have a hard time finding information.  Syal Antilles Fel and her daughter Wyn arrive to meet them.  Syal is fearful that Baron Fel will be drawn to the Alliance’s aid during the war.  Luke and Mara return to the Jade Shadow.  After someone takes Wyn away, Jacen becomes suspicious.  Suddenly they fall under attack!

Back on Yuuzhan’Tar, Nom Anor encounters a Shames one that knows his real name.  Fearing that his cover is blown, he poisons her only to learn that the girl, named Ngaaluh, is actually a priestess of Harrar who had come to join his crusade.  He cures her and she pledges loyalty to him by spying on Shimrra.  From her he learns of the Vong attack on the Remnant and the Jedi mission to the Chiss.

Meanwhile Malinza is leading Jaina away from the prison on the rooftops and down stairways and balconies.  They are intercepted by four members of Malinza’s Freedom group.  They take Jaina back to their hideout to discuss more about their investigation into the missing credits that have been secretly diverted by someone high up in the government.  As they try to slice into more government files, they realize that Malinza has been embedded with a homing device and that’s why her escape from prison was so simple.  Jaina offers to take the homing device and head off in another direction to lead the police away from them.  They agree to send Salkeli a group member with her to her navigate the streets.  After a hectic trip that includes body surfing an aqua duct, Jaina ditches the device, but as they enter an escape pod, Salkeli shoots her in the back!

Tahiri is deep in thought of what may have been with her and Anakin when she is interrupted by Goure, the Ryn that has been giving them information.  He takes her to an area where they can talk in private and tells her that he finds out things that people would normally expect including the fact that Jaina has a warrant out for her arrest.  Goure agrees to help her find Jaina, but she needs a disguise.

When Jaina awakes she finds herself in the office of the Deputy Prime Minister Blaine Harris.  While the two get off on a bad start, it appears that the Deputy doesn’t have the same plan that Jaina thinks he does.  He asks her if she’s noticed the similarities between the Ssi-Ruuk and the Yuuzhan Vong.  He hopes that through this ceremony it will be the first steps to converting Ssi-Ruuk into more of a peaceful group.  And to his dismay the Galactic Alliance has shown up to meddle in his triumph.  Malinza and the others arrive at Blaine’s office.  They believe they been working in conjunction with him but he says his agenda is his own and pulls a blaster.  He hopes to unite the people behind him and will use Malinza’s death and Jaina’s betrayal as the spark.  Malinza makes a run at Harris, but he shoots one of her companions.  He thinks they’ve bound Jaina’s hands, but she used a Force trick to keep them unlocked. Harris leads them off.

In orbit, Jag notices over a hundred flagships, referring to themselves as an honor guard, begin heading in their direction.  They say their motives are honorable, but Jag is suspicious.

At the ceremony to bless the planet before the alliance is complete, both Bakuran and P’w’eck leaders speak.  As the ceremony begins, in the stands, Han is unimpressed and takes a nap.

Tahiri and Goure notice that Blaine Harris is leading Jaina and Malinza into the stadium without any security hassle whatsoever so they sneak behind them and head in.

In a private area, Harris finally reveals his plan to the girls.  He has placed a bomb under the location where the Prime Minister as well as Han and Leia are seated.  He forces Jaina to hit the activate button on a timer thus attempting to frame her for the attack.  The idea is that the Jedi were so determined to keep Bakura in the Galactic Alliance that they would sooner take steps to prevent this union.  Malinza will apparently will show up and try to stop Jaina and will save Harris just in time, but she’ll unfortunately be killed in the explosion.

Across the stadium, Leia feels Jaina through the Force trying to tell her about the explosives.  Han and Leia leave their seats and try to warn others.  Leia also senses Tahiri is nearby.

The time has come and Jaina tosses off her binders and disables Harris with a blow to the head while Malinza takes care of Salkeli.  Unfortunately in the fight, the remote detonator is destroyed.  Jaina tells Tahiri to go after the bomb since she is locked in the room.  She is able to locate the bomb, but time is running out to defuse it.  Jaina pleads with her to leave as it’s too late, but the dark power of Riina pushes Jaina way as Tahiri begins yelling Yuuzhan Vong battle cries until the bomb explodes!  Jaina reaches through the Force, but can’t find Tahiri.  Jaina finally reaches her and finds her inside a Force bubble.  Try as she might, Tahiri was still invisible to her in the Force.  Leia tells her that many are dead including the Prime Minister.

On the Shadow, Luke and Mara are intercepted by members of the CEDF.  They tell them that they don’t trust them regardless of the ruling families say.  Luke and the others easily handle the situation and take the captives to the Chiss powers who are disheartened that their power is fading.

Jacen is forced to chase after Wyn who he knows is kidnapped.  Finally he catches up to them and apprehends her captor before returning to the library.  Jacen is disheartened by the fruitless searching for the planet and decides to rest.   Danni follows him and she opens up to him about her feelings towards him.  She says he is the strongest man in the Alliance and a good friend.  Through her words, Jacen keys upon the phrase “wondering satellites” and begins his search again.

To their surprise, the Keeramak and the P’w’eck continue their ceremony despite the chaos.  As the ceremony closes six P’w’eck ships that Jag had been tailing all descend through the atmosphere near the stadium.  C-3 PO mentions that the Keeramak has just renamed the planet, a fact they surely neglected to tell the Bakurans.  The troopship opens and realization hits Han and Leia. Ssi-Ruuk troops come pouring out and they realized that now that the planet had been consecrated, they were free to attack it in force.  They would never want to die on a planet that was not consecrated and that was no longer a problem.

Above the planet, Jag realizes the so called honor guard ships are actually using tractor beams to hold all Bakuran ships prisoner.  He begins take action and the masquerade is over.

But on the surface Jaina gathers any around her to escape.  Someone demands they take the Prime Minister’s body with them, but when Jaina goes back, it is gone.

After frantically trying to hold off the various attacks eventually the Alliance ships are overwhelmed and each of them are caught in tractor beams including Jag.

They returned and find Malinza guarding Harris and Salkeli.  As they try to find a way out, to their surprise Prime Minister Cundertol walks into the room.  After an exchange of words, he kills Harris and grabs Malinza putting a gun to her head. He reveals his true identity by calling out to any Ssi-Ruuk that are searching for them.  The Keeramak enters and tells them that if they cooperate, he promised that once they are enteched, they will be put to good use.  Leia and Jaina both ignite their lightsabers in response.

A Bakuran captain contacts all the forces in space and tells them they must stand down or the Ssi-Ruu will begin bombardment of the planet.  Jag wants to ignore the order, but is told they have Jaina in custody.

At the side of the Ssi-Ruu, Lwothin raises a pistol and shoots the Keeramak! A P’w’eck revolt against the Ssi-Ruu begins!  With the help of the Galactic Alliance they take back the area.  Lwothin tells them to instruct the ships in orbit to allow themselves be captured.

Overhead, Jag realizes that the tractor beams are slowly being shifted from them, allowing them to regain mobility a little bit at a time. Using a coded message, the Galactic Alliance ships begin to attack along with Bakuran and P’w’eck assistance!

The news of the attack reaches Jaina, but at the same time she realizes that the Prime Minister has escaped.  She catches up to him and the two fight.  He is using super human strength, but she is able to cut off his arm with her lightsaber.  As he eludes her again, Jaina sees that his arm is synthetic and he is actually a Human Replica Droid.  The real Cundertol has been enteched!

They began to receive word that most of the Ssi-Ruuk are surrendering.  Jaina asks about Jag and Leia tells him that he’s currently leading the attack.  She worries for him, despite Leia’s best efforts to convince her otherwise.

Cundertol arrives on an out of the way station to meet his handlers.  His droid body is discarded and his handlers reveal themselves to be Yuuzhan Vong and kill him!

Deep in the Chiss library, Jacen and the others discover the location of Zonama Sekot!

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