Dark Force Rising

Grand Admiral Thrawn holds a blockade over Myrkr, while General Covell co-ordinates an instructive assault on smuggling Lord Talon Karrde's already-evacuated base. Having seen the kind of art Karrde collects, Thrawn correctly induces that Karrde is surveilling the operation for information.

Aboard the Wild Karrde, Mara Jade senses danger and errantly prepares the ship for departure, vindicated moments later as an Interdictor drops out of hyperspace. They escape before the gravity well generator powers up, but Mara feels uneasy about her premonition, fearing another imminent cycle of self-destructivism. 

Thrawn is intrigued by the implications of the escape, noting it for later. He leaves orders for Covell to commend troopers for reassignment to Mount Tantis on Wayland. Captain Pellaeon reports on Joruus C'Baoth's impetuously frequent contact; he is impatient for the delivery of the promised Skywalkers to Jormark. He smoulders over his unremembered past; all that matters to him is his connection to and dominion over the Force. 

With hours ticking away since Admiral Ackbar’s arrest, Luke’s status as a civilian has him grounded at Sluis Van; his X-Wing has no priority to receive Sluissi repairs, and despite Wedge tacitly offering up his own X-Wing, Wedge would face a court martial to hand over military property to a civilian.

Lando — given his stable condition — is similarly unlikely to see medical care soon. As he talks to Luke, he notices the signature scent of an old associate lingering on Luke’s clothing; professional ship thief Niles Ferrier. Using a Jedi memory-enhancing technique, Luke leads Lando in pursuit of Ferrier. After a brief firefight, they convince Ferrier and his crew to leave Sluis Van for another mark, receiving intel on an Imperial bounty for captured warships as well as slicer codes that might be used to sordidly expedite Luke’s repairs.

Admiral Ackbar is under house arrest on suspicions of treason. On the day of the attack on Sluis Van, money had been transferred into his account on the crossroads planner of Palanhi — known for its fence-sitting during the Galactic Civil War. 

Han arrives back to Coruscant and is quickly shepherded by Leia to a special hearing of the New Republic Council. Mon Mothma presides as Han recounts his experience over Sluis Van. During Fey'lya's allegations against Ackbar, Han blurts out his uncorroborated discovery that the Imperials are being led by a Grand Admiral. The council suspends further inquiry to investigate this new claim and continue with Han's Sluissi testimony.

Han, Leia, and Chewbacca visit Ackbar. Ackbar doubts that the old Imperial files will contain useful information; the position of Grand Admiral was one of Emperor Palpatine's efforts to exercise direct control over both military and political spheres.

Since landing, Han senses unease in Chewbacca, but Leia is not yet ready to speak about their time on Kashyyyk.

Luke is back on Coruscant. While looking through the Palace Archives for information on C'Baoth, Winter interrupts him to deliver Leia’s summons. They discuss the digressive Jedi and his place in both Galactic and Alderaanian history.

Winter leaves Leia, Luke, and Han to discuss the conspiracy surrounding Ackbar, and (if any) throughlines with Fay'lya and the Bothans. With nothing left to contribute on Coruscant, Han and Luke will investigate New Corv, in the Churba Sector where the Bothans were involved in a brief-but-violent skirmish during the Galactic Civil War.

It’s at this point that Chewbacca exposes Leia’s rendezvous with the Noghri. With Han and Leia staring expectantly at each other, Luke excuses himself.

Leia and Han argue in earnest, but ultimately her idealism wins his support for her mission. Han insists that she take the Falcon and Chewie as a pilot.

Karrde has retreated his organisation to Rishi. Mara bickers with him over having chosen such a populus location, and to avoid addressing her past she pushes Karrde to elaborate on a deferred conversation. He shares a memory of stumbling upon what he suspects to be the Katana Fleet, a scandalous fleet of several hundred slave-circuited warships lost sometime before the outbreak of the Clone Wars. With an Imperial bounty on warships, he believes it may be pertinent to delivering them from Imperial ire.

They are interrupted with a request for supplies, which Karrde sends Mara to collect from one of their caches. On her way, Mara tracks, then is ambushed by a bounty hunter. With her reemerging Force-powers, she manages to distract him long enough to turn the tables.

Returning to the store house, Mara tells Karrde of her run-in and they promptly order the retreat.

That night, Mara experiences a relapse of harrowing Force-induced dreams.

Economic and psychological pressure; Thrawn is pleased with the disarray sewn amongst the Republic political structure. He has been receiving intel from inside the Imperial Palace. Even Pellaeon doesn't know details on the informant designated Delta Source.

Thrawn and Pellaeon butt heads as they oversee a raid on New Republic supply lines through Sarka. C'Baoth has disregarded direct orders at Taanab, something that Pellaeon is particularly sensitive to. However, Thrawn dismisses the threat that the clone could face in the grand scheme of things. Regardless, Thrawn plans to deliver a message personally to the Noghri people to impress the importance of success in their mission to abduct Leia Organa Solo.

On Jormark, C’baoth awakens to sense the approach of a messenger from the village. He muses over the dynamics of his relationship with the Empire, reflecting on how he has been regarded by the various peoples he has subjugated. He relishes the challenge of manipulating Skywalker to his surreptitious machinations. 

Leia and Chewbacca arrive in the Endor system a day before their appointed meeting with the Noghri Khabarakh. As the Falcon orbits the Forest Moon, Leia blacks out. After she comes to, it takes little to surmise that Leia had felt an echo in the Force from the moment of the Emperor's death.

On the hostile jungle-world of New Cov, Lando and Han arrive at the armoured city of Ilic. Upon clearing customs, Han spies Bothan Tav Breil’lya, identifying him by his neckpiece as one of Fay’lya’s aides. Han hurriedly sends Lando to meet Luke below while he tails Breil’lya to the warehouse district, only to be ambushed by a short, greying woman — just as sirens start to blare.

At the tap-cafe Mishra, Lando meets Luke as he is called upon to dispense a Jedi’s wisdom on a heated dispute between a Barabel and a Rodian: the Barabel was not told that he would be paid for a job in Imperial Credits. As Luke enhances his senses to read the Rodian for any signs of deception, he catches a whiff of Carababba tabac and Armudu spice: Niles Ferrier is here. While initially obstinate, the crowd’s support for Luke as a Jedi compels Ferrier’s aid to facilitate an unofficial exchange of Imperial and New Republic monies.

With the situation deescalated, Luke’s reflects on this previously-unconsidered responsibility of a Jedi. The crowd seems unperturbed by the blare of sirens, with one of the crowd informing them that it signals an Imperial raid. Lando suggests that such raids are commonplace on borderworlds as a tacit oblation, suspecting that this routine raid will turn unpleasant after the Imperials find their ships on the landing record.

They split up, with Luke off to find Han, while Lando heads to the hangar to meet up with R2 and attempt to erase the landing logs.

Han is disarmed at blasterpoint by the short, greying woman and invited to a holding room for interrogation with another, taller woman; Sena. Breil'lya is invited into the interrogation and accuses Han of being an imposter and Imperial spy. In his zeal, his accusations unravel, much to Sena’s amusement. Sena and Irenez (the shorter woman) belong to another independent group; relayed by messages, their commander instructs them to assist Han’s escape from the Imperial raid on Ilic. 

Luke is intercepted by the group’s picket line and escorted to Han’s location. Together with Irenez, they rendezvous with Lando in the Imperial-occupied hangar. Han orchestrates an escape into New Cov airspace in the confusion caused by the Lady Luck’s beckon call and blaster fire from Luke’s X-Wing. 

A Star Destroyer and its complement of TIE fighters move to intercept their escape. Luke peels off to engage the TIEs, buying time for Han, Lando, and Irenez to make their escape with the rest of Irenez’s group. Three dreadnaughts arrive from hyperspace to escort the escapees, along with a personal invitation from the Commander; an old friend or a ruse to ensnare Han?

Alone in unfriendly skies, Luke and R2 jump to hyperspace, headed to Jormark.

While initially wary, Khabarakh accepts Leia, C-3PO, and Chewbacca board his ship after understanding that Chewbacca has given a life debt to Leia; like Wookiees, Noghri culture holds honour in high regard.

During the four-day flight, Khabarakh mostly isolates himself in the cockpit, giving Leia little to prepare for her embassy and an ambivalent impression that told her their arrival to Honoghr was unannounced.

They arrive over Honoghr; a world covered in greys and browns, a decidedly sickly looking planet — and over it the distinctive arrow-head of an Imperial Star Destroyer. Chewbacca rushes to the cockpit, slamming on the door; Khabarakh opens the door to reassure them of his trust, but Chewbacca can only be stopped by a stun trap. Khabarakh signals the all-clear, citing his delay to equipment malfunction, and decides to take them to his home, away from the visiting Imperials.

At the Capital of Nystao, as the Imperials are being received in a traditional welcoming ceremony by the many Clan Dynasts. Captain Pellaeon is passed a report from lieutenant Tschel about the incoming ship. Thrawn halts the ceremony to travel to Clan Kihm’bar, wanting to receive the returning operative from the failed abduction on Kashyyyk.

Khabarakh's ship lands at the Kihm'bar village. Leia, Chewbacca, and C-3PO stay on the ship while (in accordance with Noghri law) Khabarakh announces the arrival of the outsiders to the clan maitrakh. Chewbacca disappears into the ship to sabotage the electronics to obfuscate their presence, leaving Leia to anxiously wait until Khabarakh's return.

Without Chewbacca, they hurry through to an inauspicious meeting with the maitrakh. Despite obvious tensions, the Kihm'bar clan will honour Khabarakh's promise of refuge and diplomacy, obscuring their presence deeper in the village.

The Imperials arrive to extract an explanation from Khabarakh for his month-long absence after the failure of Commando Team Twenty-Two on Kashyyyk. The sabotage to Khabarakh's ship is undetected and the ship is taken with the Imperials back to Nystao for repairs. Thrawn suspects there is more to be learned about Khabarakh's reclusion, but that is all secondary to the capture of Organa Solo.

Han and Lando arrive at an encampment on an undisclosed planet that vaguely reminds both of them of the old Rebellion bases during the Galactic Civil War. Sena takes Han through to meet a Corellian political figure from his childhood, Garm Bel Iblis. After becoming acquainted, they move outside to give full introductions and discuss what might happen next.

  Over Honoghr, Thrawn and Pellaeon review the footage where “old acquaintances” clash with Star Destroyer Relentless over New Cov. Thrawn is certain they are Corellian in origin, and makes contact with Captain Dorja of Relentless. Ship thief Niles Ferrier was caught smuggling Cov Biomolecules. Thrawn sentences him to steal the dreadnoughts from the recording within three months, hoping to capture the dreadnoughts rather than risk their destruction by simply routing the Corellian faction.

Pellaeon then presents the analysis from Khabarakh's ship: Wookiee hair, everywhere. They both conclude that Khabarakh's month-long absence must have owed to his capture, and subsequent interrogation and release. Thrawn orders to prepare for a show of force on the surface -- to remind the Noghri of their loyalties lie.

Leia wakes up on Honoghr. Directed to the Dukha by some Noghri children. She learns from clan Kihm’bar’s Maitrakh more of the Noghri, their history, and their indentured servitude with the Empire.

The Maitrakh implores Leia to leave until such time that the Noghri would not be trading one over-clan for another. Leia agrees, but as she does, they are alerted to an approaching Imperial ship. 

TIE Scimitar bombers patrol the skies as an Imperial Shuttle closes in on the Dhuka. Cornered, Leia and Chewbacca cram into the meditation room and Leia uses her Jedi skills to eavesdrop as the Grand Admiral reappears to confront the Maitrak, accusing Khabarakh of perjury. The Grand Admiral claims he is beholden to a law higher than Noghri law — his Imperial law — and will arrest Khabarakh immediately. When the Maitrak objects, the Grand Admiral orders a show-of-force that (with her Jedi-enhanced senses) dazzles Leia.

As Leia regains her senses, the Grand Admiral leaves granting an “allowance” of public humiliation to Khabarakh for three days in the capital of Nystao.

Luke arrives to Jormark, and follows his intuition to C’baoth’s castle. The Jedi Master is  authoritative but not at all what Luke expects. C’baoth wastes no time in beginning his tutorship with Luke. Leaving R2-D2 with the X-Wing, they travel to the village at the foot of the hill.

Within one of the houses, they sense a disturbance and enter to intervene. C’baoth’s decree is swift and decisive. Luke — taken aback by the lack of nuance — leaves open an opportunity for the convicted to dive for a weapon. Before Luke can react, C’baoth unleashes cascades of Force Lightning, subduing the aggressor and — in his own words — leaving a lasting lesson.

At the end of the day, Luke goes outside to confide in R2 that, while he needs instruction, he has doubts about the elderly Jedi Master’s sanity.

Bel Iblis regales Han and Lando with the exploits of his militia, however Lando is in a less than generous mood. When Han notices that Lando is still on his first drink, a tense negotiation surfaces. They learn that Bel Iblis doesn’t trust the development of the New Republic, suspicious that power has been too centralised around Mon Mothma.

As Bel Iblis must attend to other matters, Han and Lando walk to prepared accommodation. Lando points out obvious falsehoods in Bel Iblis’s claims; the base is not nearly as mobile or active as stated. Their bickering continues in their room where Lando makes an alarming discovery: the decore has been taken from what-could-only-be the lost Katana Fleet. They head back to the headquarters lounge to investigate further.

Han and Lando go back to investigate the headquarter lounge for confirmation that the furnishings of the Perigrine’s Nest are indeed from the Katana Fleet. Lando completes his inspection just as Irenez returns. She marches them out of the lounge and to Sena in a waiting speeder. A terse discussion of intentions devolves into a frank plea for Han to encourage the New Republic to extend an invitation to Bel Iblis to rejoin. In a forgotten corner of history, Bel Iblis was actually a founding member of the Alliance to Restore the Republic but was shouldered out by Mon Mothma’s charisma after the death of Bail Organa at the destruction of Alderaan. Scorned, he has been fighting his own private war since then. Their own operations had ceased almost three years earlier in preparation should Mon Mothma’s hold over the New Republic become autocratic; something Han knows is not going to happen.

Han and Lando offer an ultimatum: they will talk to the New Republic Council if Sena gives up information on the Katana Fleet. She tells them the location of the contact from whom they acquired their six ships on and agrees to convey them offworld. They make to leave, but Bel Iblis is already waiting for them on the landing platform. With understanding, his facade crumbles, leaving a hollow man. Han gives one last attempt to convince the Commander of his value should he join the New Republic. En route back to New Cov, Han shares with Lando his worries about Leia’s mission.

Over Honoghr, Pellaeon presents Thrawn with intel of the Millenium Falcon having been found over Endor. Together, they suspect that after extracting information from a captured Khabarakh, the Rebellion is using his release as a diversion to uncover information about the location of Mount Tantiss. Thrawn decides to leave Khabarakh on Honoghr to acquiesce the Noghri Elders to their traditions.

Mara collects Karrde’s ship impounded from the Obrigado-Rae spaceport freed by Wedge on behalf of Han Solo. As she leaves, she is intercepted by a Star Destroyer. To avoid detainment, she dons her old Imperial demeanour, identifying herself with a high-level Imperial recognition code and demanding to be taken to the Grand Admiral himself. 

To her horror, their rendezvous is over Endor. In Thawn’s chambers aboard the Chimera, Thrawn thoroughly verifies her previous identity as the Emperor’s Hand. Dodging the question of her return to the Empire, Mara experiences a psychic echo of the Emperor, demanding that she kill Luke Skywalker. Thrawn seeks information about Skywalker's escape from the planet Myrkr wanting to know how much is attributed to Karrde, but Mara deflects again to offer information about the Katana Fleet in exchange for immunity. Mara overplays her hand and Thrawn reveals she was only one of many Hands. He grants her eight days to return with the location of the Dark Force before releasing her with one final jab about her desertion from Imperial service. 

As the Millennium Falcon is brought aboard, Pellaeon and Thrawn discuss the reemergence of the Katana Fleet. They know it has been found independently by at least two parties. Thrawn has no interest in actually honouring Jade’s offer, instead ordering the Chimaera to track her back to Karrde’s hideout, telling Pellaeon that she is unworthy of Imperial grace. In pursuit of the ex-Emperor’s Hand, they reroute Niles Ferrier to track down Solo and Calrissian to interrupt the possible merger of the two Rebel groups.

Imperial decontamination droids dot the Honoghr Klohm-grasslands; a constant reminder of the Noghri’s indenture to the Empire. Looking over the grasslands, Chewbacca gives his estimate that it has been eight years since the ecologically disastrous starship crash; the height of the Galactic Civil War. The recovery of Honoghr’s arable land seems to always stay outpaced by Noghri population recovery. 

With the Grand Admiral's sudden vacation from Honoghr, Leia and Chewbacca plan to abscond the planet. The complication remains that with Khabarakh held for public humiliation, a blade hangs over the heads of Clan Khim’bar and the Noghri people. Leia is scarred by guilt for the destruction of Alderaan and declares that she shall not let her actions come to harm the Noghri people. 

The Maitrakh’s growing coldness of the past few days towards Leia thaws, and she agrees to accompany Leia in her escape to assist in liberating Khabarakh. Leia knows that should they fail, she alone would be captured alive: presented to the Grand Admiral upon his return, and her twins taken from her. 

During their return to New Cov, Han and Lando make contact with Winter. While the situation on Coruscant remains deadlocked, she passes on an unencrypted message signed as “Luke” that requests a meeting planet-sdie on New Cov at the “quote, money-changing center, unquote”. The message, however, was left by the money-changer Niles Ferrier.

They barely disembark before they enter into a tense negotiation with the ship-thief; Ferrier offers to pool resources and intel to find The Dark Force, and he accidentally lets slip the name of the Imperial Grand Admiral. Lando believes Ferrier to be suspect and cuts the meeting. As they leave, Lando is proven right, finding a tracking device secured to their hull, and they plan to ditch it at an intermediate system on their way to Pantolomin. On the ground, Ferrier confirms with his Wraith companion that a second beacon was placed somewhere it would not be found.

An uneasy feeling grips Karrde as he watches Mara return to their safehouse. Despite having given the all-clear, the Imperials are upon him without warning. He is surprised that his thoughts contain no animosity for Mara, only a slight satisfaction to understand more about her mysterious past.

Aboard the Chimera, Mara is livid at having been deceived by Thrawn. Her anger gets the better of her, but Thrawn’s Noghri bodyguard Rukh intercepts her assault. Still smouldering, she reaches out with the Force to choke him. All her rage cannot fuel the power necessary to close his airways. He stares her down, until she exhausts herself. 

Thrawn offers her two options, join Skywalker as Mad Jedi C’baoth’s plaything, or accept an officer’s position with his Empire. Thrawn warns that an Imperial officer hoping for her own command must not have split loyalties and as such must disown Karrde. Mara adopts a subservient posture and accepts; however, after she is dismissed, she resolves to find Skywalker and to ask for his help to free Karrde. 

Using the Emperor’s backdoor to hack into a terminal, she retrieves information related to the cell block where Karrde is being held, the planned course for the Chimera for the next few days, and the  location of C’baoth. She logs off just in time and is taken back to the planet’s surface.

Mara is received by Karrde’s Chief Aide Aves. Her ostensible betrayal leaves him ambivalent, but she manages to convince him to supply her with a ship and an ysalamir with a nutrient frame.

C’baoth and Luke give their council to the people of Jormark. C’baoth is dissatisfied with Luke’s progress under his tutelage; they have some fundamental differences in point of view. C’baoth sees the universe as jealous and unwelcoming, while Luke has felt respected and hopeful. C’baoth seems suddenly overcome with exhaustion and sends Luke to retire for the evening.

Mara awakes from her recurring nightmare of the Emperor’s final moments as she exits hyperspace. During Mara’s approach from orbit, she experiences an eerily similar sense of exhaustion herself. Remembering her flight trainer’s warnings against inattention and fatigue, she chides herself for her carelessness. 

Or is it her carelessness? 

As she approaches her ysalamir at the back of the craft and finds herself beyond C’baoth’s influence. On her final approach, her ship is pelted by rocks. Her repulsorlift is knocked out and the skipray plummets to the ground. 

With the repulsorlift damaged, Mara stabilises the Skipray in a controlled glide. Activating the sublight drive at the last minute, she puts her craft down in the crags of the mountain, though not as close to the summit as she would have liked. She shoulders her ysalamir and begins to ascend the mountainside. She doesn’t make it two metres before R2-D2 intercepts her in Luke's X-Wing. Sliding back down to the Skipray, she tells R2 that she has come to warn Luke of C’baoth’s allegiance to the Empire, and the droid agrees to take her the rest of the way up.

In a clearing at the edge of the mountaintop castle, the mad Jedi Master is waiting. C’baoth wants to keep Luke to himself, but Mara feels confident to take him under the protective bubble of her ysalamir and with C’baoth at blasterpoint. C’baoth boasts of his prophetic power, gloating that one day Mara will submit herself to him willingly.

Allerted by a disturbance in the Force, Luke arrives. Luke doesn’t seem to need convincing to help Mara in her quest to release Karrde. C’baoth dismisses Mara’s intentions, belabouring the grand importance of his mentorship. Seeing Luke’s tiredness, she moves closer — and as the bubble of the ysalamir’s influence covers Luke, he awakens from the influence of the Jedi Masters.

The mad Jedi lashes out to subdue his would-be mentees, but in the ensuing clash, Luke’s X-wing is forgotten and R2-D2 uses the laser cannons to knock the Jedi Master unconscious. While Mara wants to execute the treacherous old Jedi, Luke stays her hand. He instead delivers the old man back to his castle, believing that he could one day be healed of his madness.

Luke sends R2 back to Coruscant with his X-wing and journeys with Mara to infiltrate the Chimaera and free Talon Karrde.

Disguised as a cargo shuttle, Mara and Luke land aboard the Chimaera. After confirming they have a few hours before they will be released, Luke uses his lightsaber to cut through their own hull and the decking into the flight prep area.

Luke steals three flight suits to blend in as they make their way to the detention area. While Mara leverages her backdoor access into the Star Destroyer’s main computer, Luke makes his way through the garbage compactor to the detention level. 

Between the shift changes, Luke releases Karrde from his cell. Karrde is sleep-deprived but otherwise in fair condition to make the escape back through the garbage compactor. They meet back up with Mara and make it all the way to the elevator without being discovered. Mara suspects they have enough time to seal the hull of their stolen cargo shuttle before they get clearance to leave.

On the bridge, Captain Pellaeon is overseeing the bridge deflector control overhaul as Thrawn walks in to hear a final report for the evening. A report from Endor prompts Thrawn to assign the appropriated Millenium Falcon to deep storage. Pellaeon shares another report from the surface where a dead ysalamir piques their interest. From the design of the ysalamir nutrient frame, Thrawn divines that they have been boarded. A call to the detention area confirms Karrde’s escape and he orders a ship-wide lockdown — and suspecting that Mara possesses hardwired access codes, orders the shutdown of the Chimaera’s main computer.

The turbolift stops as the Chimera goes on alert for intruders. Mara disables the other Imperials in the car and Luke cuts them out into the turbolift shaft. With Karrde, they make their way to find Mara a terminal to hamper their would-be captors.

In the maintenance room, they discover that the central computer has been shut down; Karrde reckons that Thrawn has surmised that Mara possesses a hardwired way into the system. They neutralise a reconnaissance team and head back into the shafts. Based on their location, Karrde suggests they make their escape through the less-obvious starship deep storage area.

On the bridge, without the main computer operational reports are coming in by comm. From damage reports that clearly indicate the weapon profile of a lightsaber, Thrawn knows that Skywalker is working with Mara Jade. He orders the turbolifts to be reactivated in order to herd the escapees towards the hanger. Thrawn predicts that with Karrde in charge of the escape, and orders a squad of stormtroopers be sent to guard the Millenium Falcon in deep storage while the ysalamiri of the ship are placed around the hanger.

In deep storage, Luke runs upon the Falcon and orders Karrde to commandeer it while he gets Mara back aboard. In a flurry, they make their escape, safely making the jump to Coruscant. 

Pellaeon is irate, but between the data from Imperial Intelligence digging into Karrde’s past and Ferrier’s report pointing to the Pantolomin system, Thrawn is confident that they know exactly who has been selling the Katana dreadnaughts to the Corellian faction. Thrawn anticipates Karrde’s natural tendencies to maximise his own stake in a negotiation will leave open the opportunity for the Empire to claim the Katana Fleet for themselves.

The brightest of Honoghr’s moons is full and Leia is more-or-less prepared to steal Khabarakh out of Nystao. Lost in thought, Leia is too busy to pay any mind to C-3PO’s concerns over an unusually curious decon droid. Reflecting together on their family histories, the Maitrakh tells of when her fisrtsons were conscripted by the Empire. Leia reels from the revelation that Khabarakh is not the maitrakh’s third-born son, but her great-grandson; meaning the calamity happened during the Clone Wars and the Empire has been reaping the sons of Honoghr, turning them into death commandos for almost half a century! She is indignant at the injustice and is determined to bring it directly before the Dynasts.

She orders Chewbacca to test not the soil, but the khlom-grass itself. The Maitrakh leaves herself to send word ahead that the deliverance of the Noghri is at hand. They leave the village by speeder under the cover of night. Much of their journey is under cloud-cover, but when the clouds break even Chewbacca is surprised at the congregation that has followed them from each village they had passed to arrive at Nystao.

They are met by a vanguard and brought to the Grand Dukha to face the waiting Dynasts. Speaking for the Dynasts, Vor’corkh is defiant to allow an alien interfering with their politics. Leia calls her green-bladed lightsaber forth with the Force to demonstrate her authority as the mal’ary’ush to Lord Vader’s authority. Having brought a spontaneous convocation of Noghri from the surrounding villages, Dynast Ir’khaim steps forward supported by a supermajority of dissenters to hear Leia’s proclamations.

Leia holds up the analysis of the supposed khlom-grass to show that they are genetic forgeries created by the Empire to suppress other vegetation and that the decontamination effort by the droids is merely a languid removal of an issue created by the Empire. 

It is then that she sees an overly-curious decon droid peeking out from behind the Grand Dukha. She decrees to the Noghri that if they can catch the droid, she will deliver definitive proof. In an admission of guilt, the droid tries to escape but is no match for even the adolescent Noghri hunters. The droid is brought before Leia, she slices it open with her lightsaber to reveal the internals of an espionage droid and a tube of decon fluid. With a single drop on the plant, it dramatically shrivels up, demonstrating the true function of the decontamination droids.

Vindicated, the Dynasts agree to a cover story of Clan Khimbar conspiring to free Khabarakh and their escape from Honoghr. Leia frees Khabarakh and promises to return with more herbicide for the imitation khlom-grass. To save precious time before the window to sow this season’s crops closes, Leia decides to return straight for Coruscant, intending to leave the Falcon in orbit around Endor.

Among the coral reefs of Pantalomin, Han and Lando have searched the eight exquisite gambling halls of Coral Vanda in search of the Senna’s contact. As they are about to flog their professional prides to lure in a desperate gambler, they see one of Niles Ferrier’s cigarras. It doesn’t take any effort to spy the ship thief himself standing in a doorway and he signals for them to follow. 

High above, aboard Chimaera, Thrawn and Pallaeon oversee the bombardment of the coral reef to force the luxury cruiser to surface.

As turbolaser fire rains into the surrounding water and the Vanda is thrown into disarray, Han is grabbed by Ferrier’s Defel into a liquor storeroom and separated from Lando. Despite Han’s attempt to bargain, Ferrier is adamant to let Lando be killed in the ensuing firefights and make good on his deal with the Empire. He leaves Han guarded by his Defel to close the deal. When the ship rocks again under the assault from above, Han shoves a crate at the Defel and ignites the alcohol that has been spilt everywhere. It is a short-lived distraction, but enough for him to escape.

Han meets up with Lando who has found himself targeted by the many men Ferrier had planted around the ship. The odds are overwhelming, and they struggle with the reality of having been outmanoeuvred. With the mission in shambles, they abandon ship.

From one escape pod among many bobbing on the ocean, Han and Lando watch the Imperials make away with their prize. It is of little consolation that they will be able to forewarn the Republic of the imminent threat.

With everyone at Coruscant, an emergency council meeting has been called; Mon Mothma, Fey’lya, Han, Leia, and Luke, in attendance as Karrde discusses the handover of the Katana Fleet. Despite multiple lines of evidence, Fey'lya is highly  resistant to the validity of the Dark Force. He claims concerns of diverting too many resources in order to salvage the fleet.

 Leia raises the idea of sending an investigatory team to verify the authenticity of the intel. Without obvious objection, Fey’lya agrees to talk to Admiral Drayson and requisition an appropriate team to be sent in the morning. 

Karrde gives Leia a look before announcing his intention to retire for the night. Mon Mothma disbands the meeting and Han pursues Fey’lya into the halls, leaving Leia to follow Karrde. Fey’lya is hostile towards Han, who tries but fails to pull Fey’lya out of his rigid framing of the situation. 

In the guest quarters, Mara dwells on her softening vendetta as she waits for Karrde to return. A troubled Karrde gives one data card to Mara, instructing her to rendezvous with their group in the Trogan System with a high-level recognition code and instructions for Aves to meet at the Katana Fleet. Karrde also wants his specialist slicer Ghent sent to Coruscant to uncover details that may exonerate Admiral Ackbar of the treason charges. 

Leia arrives for a surreptitious discussion. Karrde requests a fast, long-ranged craft for Mara to take off-world; and, in the face of Fey’lya’s obstinance, Karrde suggests another tech team leave before the official party (one that would be hand-selected by Fey’lya). Karrde impresses Leia that his actions are not one of allegiance, but of gratitude to Luke and to ensure the continued independence of his group.

Leia agrees, receiving a second data card from Karrde. She takes Mara to acquire a Y-wing, and moves quickly through the night to muster another group headed by Han and Luke, accompanied by Wedge’s squadron of X-wings. By morning, they are spaceward — and news has reached Fey’lya.

The Bothan is outraged. He petitions Mon Mothma for an arrest warrant for Solo and Skywalker and declares himself head of the mission. Karrde agrees to have him along, but reminds him that until the Katana Fleet has been claimed, Karrde is the owner of — and has authority over — the handling of the fleet.

Luke, Han, Lando, Chewbacca, and Wedge arrive at the coordinates. Luke is guided by the Force, and directs the boarding party to the fleet’s flagship and namesake, the Katana. Luke and Han lead one team to the bridge, while Lando and Chewbacca head another to engineering. The Katana is eerily pristine, with only the occasional maintenance droid to be seen. In spite of that, the sublight drives are inoperable, indicating a cumbersome recovery operation.

Fey’lya, Karrde, and Leia arrive in the command suite aboard Escort Frigate Quenfis. From the bridge, Captain Virgilio hails Han and informs him that his team is to surrender and turn themselves into their custody. When Wedge challenges the directive, Fey’lya responds citing the authority of the Council and Mon Mothma. As a superior officer, Virgilio commands Wedge to stand down, and Han encourages him to back down before cutting his own comm.

It’s at this moment that the Imperial Star Destroyer Judicator drops out of hyperspace, immediately launching their own boarding party. As Rogue Squadron moves to engage, Fey’lya demands Captain Virgilio to recall their own X-wings and prepare to retreat. Before Leia can add her voice, Fey’lya cuts the intercom to the bridge and presses his authority on the mission; brandishing a blaster for emphasis.

On the Katana, Han fires a single turbolaser lance through the grouped Imperial dropships before the batteries overload. Without recourse, everyone aboard the Katana regroup towards the hangar to repel the remaining incoming Imperials.

Aboard Quenfis, Fey’lya admonishes Leia for her sentimentality for soldiers. Karrde, reading Fey’lya’s game, drops a datapad on the console beside her, a surreptitious message to turn on the intercom. Leia uses her Jedi powers to activate every comm unit while Karrde sets up Fey’lya to confess his political self-interest. With Fey’lya’s cold denouncement of the lives of soldiers, Captain Virgilio orders the Quenfis to full battle readiness, and has Fey’lya placed under guard.

The Chimaera is waiting at a nearby staging area when it receives the engagement report from the Judicator. Before they can jump to assist, C’baoth arrives in a hijacked Lancer Frigate, holds hostage the mind of their navigator, and demands to presently speak with Thrawn. The Peremptory is ordered to go in the Chimaera’s stead. Pellaeon and Thrawn share quiet concerns that C’baoth is becoming ungovernable.

With Fey'lya out of the picture, Gold Squadron joins Rogue Squadron, commencing the Battle for the Katana Fleet. Wedge leads a partially-successful engagement against the boarding transports and defending TIEs.

Aboard the Katana, the defenders booby trapped the hallways leading out of the hangar and give ground to overwhelming Imperial numbers. Luke can sense something is amiss with the boarding party troopers. Through the Force, he senses they are attempting to outmaneuver them, so Luke and Han look for a way to slow their progress while Lando and Chewbacca fall back to the bridge.

From his command post aboard the Judicator, Captain Brandei is still waiting for Peremptory to support, but the tide of the battle is not looking fortuitous. As he orders the Judicator into combat range, Karrde's smugglers drop out of hyperspace behind them. He orders the remaining recon and bomber squadrons to engage them.

With her specialist knowledge of Imperial hardware, Mara is able to destroy the lower-aft sensor package, allowing the smugglers a free run at the underside of the Star Destroyer. Mara radios with Karrde, morose in her assessment that, even with both sides expecting aid, a second Star Destroyer would spell disaster.

Bel Iblis arrives unexpectedly, tipping the calculations in the New Republic's favour. Leia enthusiastically accepts his aid, and Bel Iblis uses the ion cannons of his dreadnaughts to enfeeble the Judicator. Having completed a sensor scan of the Fleet, Karrde points out that there are only fifteen of the original two-hundred-odd ships left: the Imperials must have arrived earlier and started moving them out.

The Peremptory drops out of hyperspace, splitting the New Republic front, outgunned despite the six dreadnaughts from Bel Iblis. Mara is hit and forced to eject, spitefully angling her ship at the hangar bay, putting her ejection in line with Bel Iblis's ion bombardment. She loses all electronics, including life support, and blacks out; her last thoughts begrudging Skywalker.

Back on the Katana, Luke senses Mara is lost, frustration building. He singlehandedly defeats their assailants by destroying the anteroom to the bridge, spacing the Stormtroopers. Looking out at the struggle with the two Star Destroyers, he champs at their lack of recourse. Han makes a last ditch effort by taking remote control of the Katana Fleet. A single functional dreadnaught responds and Han uses it to ram into the Peremptory, sealing victory. Acknowledging defeat, Brandei orders the retreat.

Luke uses the Force to achieve the impossible task of locating Mara among the debris of the space battle. She is barely alive and rushed to a medical frigate by Karrde's people. Luke wonders why she was so important to save. Although already on his way back to the Katana, Han radios to hasten his return. They look down at the dead Imperial soldiers of the boarding party, suddenly understanding how the Empire plans to crew their new dreadnaught fleet.

Elsewhere aboard the Chimaera, Thrawn and C'baoth bristle over their current alliance. To place himself in a position that he cannot be overlooked or discarded, C'baoth declares himself overseer of the Mount Tantiss Project: the Imperial Spaati cloning operation.