Balance Point
Authors: Kathy Tyers
The New Jedi Order series boldly ventures into uncharted
Star Wars
territory, bringing an element of dark tragedy and suspense into the adventures of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Leia Organa Solo, and the other legendary figures of that galaxy far, faraway. Now veteran
Star Wars
author Kathy Tyers continues the epic struggle between good and evil as the New Republic, led by the battered but still unbroken Jedi, braces for the next onslaught of its merciless alien foe.…
A Del Rey
®
Book
Published by The Random House Publishing Group
Copyright © 2001 by Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™.
All Rights Reserved. Used Under Authorization.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. Published in the United States by Ballantine Books, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York, and simultaneously in Canada by Random House of Canada Limited, Toronto.
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eISBN: 978-0-345-44691-6
v3.1
To the persuasive, literate ladies who invited me into this galaxy and then expertly piloted the projects
,
Janna Silverstein and Shelly Shapiro
.
Thank you!
To George Lucas first, of course.
Then to Martha Millard, Scott Bach, Shelly Shapiro, Sue Rostoni, Allan Kausch, and Lucy Autrey Wilson for professional guidance; to all of the
Star Wars
authors who keep expanding this universe, especially James Luceno, Michael Stackpole, R. A. Salvatore, Timothy Zahn, Aaron Allston, Troy Denning, Dan Wallace, and Bill Smith; to Robert Flaherty, Cheryl Petersen, and Matthew Tyers for specialized assistance; and to Mark Tyers, who kept me upright when it would’ve been easy to collapse.
Introduction to the
Star Wars
Expanded Universe
Excerpt from
Star Wars: The New Jedi Order: Edge of Victory I: Conquest
Introduction to the Old Republic Era
Introduction to the Rise of the Empire Era
Introduction to the Rebellion Era
Introduction to the New Republic Era
Introduction to the New Jedi Order Era
Introduction to the Legacy Era
Anakin Solo; Jedi Knight (male human)
C-3PO; protocol droid
Darez Wuht; admiral (male Duros)
Droma; spacer (male Ryn)
Han Solo; captain,
Millennium Falcon
(male human)
Jacen Solo; Jedi Knight (male human)
Jaina Solo; Jedi Knight (female human)
Leia Organa Solo; New Republic ambassador (female human)
Luke Skywalker; Jedi Master (male human)
Mara Jade Skywalker; Jedi Master (female human)
Mezza; refugee (female Ryn)
Nom Anor; executor (male Yuuzhan Vong)
R2-D2; astromech droid
Randa Besadii Diori; refugee (male Hutt)
Romany; refugee (male Ryn)
Tsavong Lah; warmaster (male Yuuzhan Vong)
Viqi Shesh; senator (female human)
They appeared without warning from beyond the edge of galactic space: a warrior race called the Yuuzhan Vong, armed with surprise, treachery, and a bizarre organic technology that proved a match—too often more than a match—for the New Republic and its allies. Even the Jedi, under the leadership of Luke Skywalker, found themselves thrown on the defensive, deprived of their greatest strength. For somehow, inexplicably, the Yuuzhan Vong seemed to be utterly devoid of the Force.
The first strike caught the New Republic unawares, as it struggled to deal with rebellion sown by Yuuzhan Vong spy Nom Anor and his agents. With the New Republic force thus occupied, the alien advance fleet launched their first assault, which destroyed several worlds and killed countless beings—among them the Wookiee Chewbacca, loyal friend and partner to Han Solo.
During a brave attempt to contact and make peace with the enemy, Senator Elegos A’Kla was murdered by Yuuzhan Vong commander Shedao Shai, who delivered the body to Elegos’s close friend, Jedi Corran Horn. Horn then challenged Shai to a duel—the prize being the planet Ithor. Horn bested Shai, but the Yuuzan Vong destroyed Ithor nonetheless.
The New Republic government unraveled a little more with each setback. Soon the Jedi Knights splintered under
the strain. Chafing under what some perceived as Luke’s excessive caution, a renegade group of Jedi under the leadership of Kyp Durron advocated using every available resource to defeat the Yuuzhan Vong—including unbridled aggression, which could lead only to the dark side. The philosophical dispute drove a wedge between the Solo brothers, Jacen and Anakin, while sister Jaina focused instead on her new role as a pilot with the elite Rogue Squadron.
Consumed with guilt for failing to save Chewbacca, Han Solo turned away from his family, seeking expiation in action—and foiled a Yuuzhan Vong plot to eliminate the Jedi. Han returned with what seemed to be an antidote to the debilitating illness Mara Jade Skywalker endured. But not even that victory could erase the loss of his dearest friend—or mend his marriage to Leia.
Leia, too, was beset with guilt. By disregarding a vision of the future, Leia feared she had condemned the Hapan fleet to ruin at Fondor. A pitched battle at the shipyards was shattered by a weapon of uncontrollable destructive power fired from Centerpoint Station—a weapon armed by her younger son, Anakin.
Now, as the Yuuzhan Vong tighten their noose and press inward toward Coruscant and victory, Luke and Mara, Han and Leia and their children, as well as the New Republic itself, must find the balance they have lost—before there is nothing left to lose.
Lieutenant Jaina Solo rolled her X-wing fighter up on its port S-foil and shoved her throttle forward. A seed-shaped Yuuzhan Vong coralskipper had been harrying her wingmate. As it went evasive, a minuscule black hole appeared just off its tail and gulped down every splinter of laser energy Jaina poured into it.
She matched her X-wing’s speed to the skip’s and pursued. There’d been dozens of battles since Colonel Gavin Darklighter invited her to join Rogue Squadron. Her pride hadn’t faded, but the thrill sure had. Too many midnight scrambles. Too much death, too little sleep.
But I’m in Rogue Squadron
, she reflected, feathering her throttle,
not because of who my parents are, and not because the Force is strong in my family
.
But based on her own piloting skills. Besides, Rogue Squadron ought to include at least one Jedi Knight.