Troy Denning 2001 – Del Rey 27 years after The Battle of Yavin Site Rating =  Buy Now From Amazon.Com

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

The Jade Shadow with Mara Jade Skywalker and Jaina Solo on board is in an uncharted unnamed part of the galaxy. They encounter an unknown ship that has some strange disturbances in the Force. A smaller ship approaches Mara suggests they wait and watch things play out.

On board the refugee filled Nebula Chaser, Alema and Numa Rar, both Jedi Knights, who have been leading a resistance on another world prepared to be boarded by the approaching Yuuzhan Vong ship. The Jedi sisters disguise themselves while the Vong interrogate Captain Pollux. The Vong release a voxyn, a disgusting creature, to search the ship for any Jedi on board. The voxyn senses the Rar’s presence even though they’re 10 floors above it and begins to look for them. The Jedi plot their escape, but are intercepted on the way to an escape pod by two Yuuzhan Vong warriors. The warriors are fooled by the disguise, but the voxyn finds them as the reach the escape pod. The voxyn blasts Numa with a acidic mucasy substance, but Alema is able to deflect a second blast using the Force. She is able to pull Numa’s dead body into the escape pod but not before she is also severely injured by the voxyn’s attack.

From her position Jaina notices the escape pod heading towards the planet. She and Mara agree to go down and pick them up as they had been searching for the two troublemakers themselves.

While overseeing construction of several new ships, Han Solo and Leia Organa Solo are meeting with General Muun to persuade him to loan Leia twenty ships to assist an evacuation, but the General is not willing to oblige. They are interrupted by C-3PO, who tells them that a Yuuzhan Vong emissary wishes to speak with Leia.

The emissary arrives and is placed in a room separating him from Leia. He reveals himself to be Nom Anor. Nom Anor displays a small creature that transforms into an image of the Nebula Chaser and suggests they may want to make a trade. He wishes to trade the lives of the 10,000 refugees for the location of the Jedi base. Warmaster Tsavong Lah hopes that this arrangement will be pleasing to everyone. Leia says they are not interested, and the hologram of the Nebula Chaser begins to take heavy fire. Leia can see the refugees’ bodies spilling out of the holes in the hull. He continues by telling them that they Talfaglio surrounded and will not allow any refugees to leave until the Jedi have surrendered. Han presses the void button in the room and all the air begins to be sucked out of the room where Nom Anor is standing. He begins to panic and just as the door is opening farther Leia shuts it again. She tells Nom to go back to Tsavong Lah and tell him that any further emissaries will not be treated as kindly as he was and they accept no responsibility for any refugees’ deaths.

Luke Skywalker watches over Alema in a bacta tank. Many Jedi including most of the Solo children are all in discussions on whether or not they should run the blockade on the captured planet. Jacen speaks out that they must not let that many people die. Many worry that his philosophical nature still stems from the vision he had on Duro of the balance of the galaxy tipping to the wrong side. Luke says there will be no surrender by the Jedi, but they will bide their time before revealing their plan to the Yuuzhan Vong.

Nom Anor tells Tsauvong Lah, along with his new aide, Vergere, that he is confident that the Jedi will fall for their trap. Vergere, Nom’s rival in New Republic intelligence, disagrees with his assessment of the situation. Nom tells them that Leia would not fall into the trap of taking blame for any future deaths. They discuss how they will continue to use the refugees is a wedge between the New Republic and the Jedi.

While waiting for the unreliable Booster Terrik, a disguised Han and Leia, followed a smuggling ship back to a well guarded Coruscant. After the ship refused to comply with orders from Wedge Antilles and Rogue Squadron, Han and Leia intercept and board the ship. Leia senses that voxyn are on board and she is not disappointed. Using her lightsaber, she is able to kill them despite their best efforts to kill her.

Kyp Durron is again causing problems for Luke. He is incensed that the Jedi continue to talk and not fight the enemy at every corner. He storms out of a Jedi meeting along with his pilots.

Leia, along with her “bodyguard” Jacen Solo, meet with Fey’lya and other senators including the always nefarious Viqi Shesh. Jacen proposes a plan to save Talfalio, but it does not pass with enough votes to be implemented. Fey’lya instead suggests that they meet with an envoy of Tsavong Lah to discuss the matter. Leia storms out of the council room and tells Jacen that she is through with politics and will now follow her Jedi instincts. Fey’lya just proved he is the enemy. What could he bargain with? The Jedi.

After the meeting Shesh contacts the Nom Anor and comments on their use of the vornskrs she sent them. Lah sends Anor to meet with the Senate.

Jedi Master Cilghal encounters a group of the Jedi upset over the deaths of many that have fallen to the voxyn. She is trying to learn more about the weaknesses of the voxyn which are partly this galaxy and partly from the Yuuzhan Vong. After a brief discussion they realized that the voxyn and are actually all clones of one original! The plot to destroy the Queen voxyn begins!

In a stunning move, Fey’lya browbeats Nom Anor during his visit to the Senate calling the Yuuzhan Vong murderers and cowards. Just as surprising, Fey’lya throws his support solidly behind the Jedi. After the meeting, Lah, Shesh, and Nom Anor plot to assassinate him.

Lando Calrissian shows off his new droids designed to hunt Yuuzhan Vong to Fey’lya and the Solos. The droids have self-healing metals that repair after taking a hit. Suddenly they are attacked by several Vong going after Fey’lya. Using her Jedi skills, Leia and the droids fight off the attack.

On the hidden Eclipse Station, the gathered Jedi all discuss the latest developments as they’ve been scouring the galaxy looking for voxyn corpses and try to identify where the Queen voxyn is located. Cilghal announces that she has discovered that the Queen is most likely on Myrkr, a dangerous planet deep within Vong territory. They discuss the best way to get there. It appears Luke is now open to attacking the Yuuzhan Vong. Anakin suggests they fake a traitor in their midst who will turn them over to the Vong. Once they reach a certain point however, they will take over the ship and head to Myrkr from there. Anakin wishes to lead the mission, but Han is livid at the idea. The Jedi each voice their opinion as to sacrifice the lives of the refugees or seek to destroy the voxyn. Eventually the vote comes down to Han who changes his mind and sides with the attack. All the Solo children will be on the strike force, with Ganner Rhysode as the “acting” leader, and Lando Calrissian will be the one to turn them over.

Yuuzhan Vong board the Lady Luck as the Jedi are all sitting down to eat. Lando talks with them about the plan and promises there will be more Jedi delivered as long as Talfaglio (the imprisoned planet) is spared. The deal is made and they head towards the Jedi. Lando’s crew enters into the room with the Jedi and as planned stuns several of them. Ganner is playing the leader of the group and he tells the rest to follow their orders. The plan goes as scheduled, and they go to meet their would be captors. Once in the corridor the Jedi are ordered into an access bay. Anakin uses the Force to retrieve their weapons and that Lando seals off the Yuuzhan Vong from behind. In order to give the wardroids time to escape and attach to the ship, they attempt a distraction and begin fighting the Vong. After one of the Jedi, Ulaha Kore, is wounded, Anakin begins to question whether this was such a good plan after all. Maybe they would all die and again it would be his fault.

With Nom Anor again in front of the Senate, he informs them that several Jedi have been captured included several named Solo. When Shesh tells Anor that two of the Solos are twins, he is taken aback by this for a moment. With Luke and other Jedi watching through a monitor, Fey’lya attempts to arrest Anor who instead releases a black gas into the room and makes his escape.

During a Yuuzhan Vong attack on Arkania, Jedi Trainee Danni Quee is able to gather enough information on the yammosk war coordinator that she believes she can help predict what they will do next.

After a successful distraction, the Jedi are now “captives” of the Yuuzhan Vong. They torture Ulaha and Anakin until Jaina reveals that the Jedi base is hidden in the Core.

Anakin sends a signal to the war droids to commence the escape plan. Suddenly there’s a burst from behind them as explosions begin rocking the ship. The war droid comes through and begins blasting the Yuuzhan Vong warriors and protecting the Jedi from any further attacks. As air escapes the ship, the Jedi don breath masks and head out into the corridor to attack what was left of the Yuuzhan Vong. One of the Vong leaders has Ganner by the throat, but three Jedi blast his head off!

Orbiting the planet Myrkr, Nom Anor tells Tsavong Lah and Vergere about the twin Solos. Twins are highly unusual in the Vong world. Supreme Overlord Shimrra was a twin who fought and killed his twin and since then all twins have been forced to do the same. Nom Anor suggests going after the ship, but Vergere has a differing opinion. He is supposed to be bringing the Solo twins to Simra, a Vong higher up. Tsavong Lah thinks it will be a good idea to send both Nom and Vergere out on this mission despite their protests.

On the trip, many Jedi relationships are defined. As they approach Myrkr, Anakin senses the world ship that is orbiting the planet has Jedi aboard it. So much for just blowing the ship up! As their ship grows closer to the planet they realize that they’re being led into a trap. Ulaha volunteers to stay with the ship while the rest of them escape. Yuuzhan Vong ships start blasting tentacles to attach to the ship as they head in. As the hull tears apart, the escape pods of the Jedi head towards their projected drop zone. They land safely and believe that they have been undetected by the Yuuzhan Vong.

The time for the New Republic Talfaglio rescue mission arrives. Failure in this endeavor would be crippling to the galaxy. Luke and Mara lead the fleet into battle and are able to defeat the Vong soundly. Danni Quee, along with Jedi scientists, captures the yammosk.

As they reach the main spaceport, Anakin can sense where the voxyn are being held. The spaceport is a giant cavernous hole on the surface. They all use the Force to lower themselves. As they approach a detention center, they easily dispatch a couple of Yuuazhan Vong, but as they enter the detention center there are several more Vongs torturing two prisoners against the wall. They dispatch all but one of the them that is now enshrouded in a force field of some kind. Anakin realizes that one of the prisoners is actually the source of the energy and is using it to torture and kill the shaper. Anakin tries to get the woman to stop, but by the time he reaches her to knock her unconscious she has shredded her victim literally into pieces on the floor! Alema approaches the woman and asks if she can learn this new technique. Anakin says that won’t be a good idea. They learn, much to their dismay, that the captives are Dark Jedi who once led an attack on the Jedi base on Yavin 4. The woman’s name is Lomi Plo. She agrees to help the Jedi track the voxyn and gives information about its location to Anakin. While Anakin is still puzzling over how the woman knows his identity, Ganner and Jacen contact him to that Nom Anor is route!

Having won a decisive victory, Fel’lya tells Luke that the New Republic will now coordinate all war efforts with the Jedi. He also puts Shesh in her place and she is forced to withdraw all her protests.

While preparing for an upcoming assault on Coruscant, Tsavong Lah speaks directly with Shimrra who tells him that the gods will grant him victory there, he must repay the gods by giving them the twin Solos.

They watch as Nom Anor and Vergere enter the complex. Vergere gives the Jedi a cold stare despite the fact that there’s no way that she could actually have seen them from the glass between them. Jacen says that she must’ve sensed them. After a few moments, Jaina reveals that she knows that it’s Vergere. The name registers with all of them from their previous encounter with her. They briefly discuss whether Vergere is actually friend or foe and why, if she is Force sensitive, do the voxyn not attack her. Anakin and the Dark Jedi arrive, and they plan their next move.

The Vong journey to Coruscant goes through several other planets. Some Vong ships attempt to follow refugees to the hidden Jedi base, but they are destroyed.

As Han, Leia and Ben enter their Coruscant apartment, Viqi Shesh plants a spy worm on 3PO. Killing the Skywalker heir would be a sweet delight.

Under Lomi’s direction, they head towards the voxyn cloning facility. While heading through a crowd of slaves, they are attacked by five men in disguise throwing various objects at them. They are actually Yuuzhan Vong imposters! Jaina gets trapped against a wall; Anakin saves her, but is stabbed in the stomach by an amphistaff. With the Force by their side Anakin and Jaina fight off the remaining warriors.

Han and Leia head out on a recon mission, but instead run into the approaching Vong fleet heading to Coruscant. They contact the New Republic and are able to defeat a sector of the attackers, but the rest continue on.

Anakin’s injuries worsen, but eventually he and the strikeforce arrive very near to where the voxyn is being kept. As they wait to make the next move they see their escape ship flying off overhead as the Dark Jedi have taken it. Their hope of escaping in the ship is lost and Anakin’s situation is now growing dire. The have no choice to continue on and they attack a large group of Vong warriors.

Shesh returns to kill Ben Solo, but is interrupted by C-3PO who tells them she is expected. Realizing her game is up she jumps out the window saving herself, but the Vong with her are killed by the Noghri bodyguards.

During the battle, Anakin heads towards the voxyn location and see Lomi come through the door. He realizes it must be another imposter! The membrane door opens and forty more warriors pour in. Anakin opens himself fully to the Force and lets of flow into him. The Jedi can sense that the voxyn is on the move. Anakin tells Jacen to lead the charge after it. Anakin, now fully one with the Force continues on in battle. He receives several more wounds and urges his brother and sister to continue on while he holds them off. Anakin sees the Lomi imposter carring a cargo pod full of voxyn tissue towards an exit. Again pleading with his siblings to leave, Anakin tosses his last thermal detonator towards the impostor who is revealed to be Nom Anor. Anakin uses what’s left of his Force ability and strength to push the detonator towards the cargo and destroy all the surrounding attackers. Anakin’s bravery pays off in battle, but he has sacrificed his own life in the process.

On Eclipse, Han hears Leia’s screams. While she is not able to say the words, Han realizes that Anakin is dead. Luke, Mara, and Ben also feel the shock.

The Yuuzhan Vong fleet arrives at Coruscant initiating a planet wide evacuation. New Republic ships mobilize to defend the planet, including Wedge Antilles. The Vong deviously use refugee ships to work over the planet’s shields. After the intense pressure, the yammosk that Danni had taken starts talking again.

Jacen and Jaina suffer with the guilt of leaving Anakin’s body behind, Jaina and a few others returns for him as Jacen continues the search for the Queen.

As the Jedi and go back to retrieve Anakin’s body, they find Vergere with Anakin’s light saber. After many Vong are killed one remains and uses Anakin’s body as a shield. She opens herself to the Dark Side and her hatred for the Yuuzhan Vong begins a spill forth in powerful ways. With a blast of force lightning, she blows through the helpless Vong warrior! Vergere witnesses this display in disbelief. Jaina retrieves Anakin’s body and they all head towards an escape shuttle

As the scene on Coruscant worsens, the Solos and 3PO head towards the Falcon. Shesh finds them again and attempts to disguise herself as a refugee in hopes of getting aboard their ship. Leia is not fooled and Shesh is forced to run away with Leia and Han in hot pursuit. While Leia injures her with her lightsaber, Shesh escapes. When they return to the Falcon (which is unable to fly of course), 3PO has already departed on another outbound ship along with Ben. While they frantically search for help with repairs, Mara and Luke learn that the Vong have trapped Ben and 3PO’s escape ship and go to assist. Mara’s ship is shot down and Luke follows her as she crashes back to the planet. Lando boards the ship and recovers Threepio and a still sleeping Ben hiding in a locker.

Jaina comes to the aid of Jacen and the others but comes under heavy fire herself. After several nearby explosions, Jacen’s comlink is filled with the voice of Vergere who tells the Jedi that they have nothing to fear from her and she points them in the direction of the Queen.

While Jacen goes off alone to attack the Queen, Jaina is able to rescue the other remaining Jedi. Jacen and the Queen fight fiercley and Jacen is poisoned. The Queen falls over an edge and hangs over the dovin basal. Using the Force, the weakend Jacen pushes her off the wall and into the crater. Vergere rescues Jacen and uses her tears to help him heal, but tells him the price for his victory has just begun.

Overhead, Jaina and the others come under heavy fire from a Yuuzhan Vong fleet and she is forced to jump away from the worldship and leave Jacen behind.

Fey’lya is distraught over the fall of Coruscant, but manages to destroy the planet’s important data so it will not fall into enemy hands. He also ensures that the Falcon is repaired. As many of the fleet attempts to retreat, Leia makes a passionate plea to them to remain and fight.

As the Vong take over his palace, Fey’lya attempts to speak with Tsavong Lah but is rebuked and instead is poisoned by a Vong invader. Knowing his situation is hopeless, Fey’lya activates a bomb that he had prepared and it destroys the palace, all its important information, and as many as 25,000 Yuuzhan Vong. Lah looks down from space and can see the explosion.

On the surface, Luke and Mara are rescued by the Falcon with Han telling Leia if they make it off the planet he’s refit Chewbacca’s old chair to fit her. Lando reports that Ben is safe. Luke adds congratulations to Danni and Cilgal for their work with the yammosk as it gives him hope for the future. Leia sense there is trouble with twins but trusts in the Force that they will return safely.

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