Jacen Solo is alive – but will he escape from the Yuuzhan Vong as the same person? As Jacen goes deep into Vong territory, he may come out an entirely changed man…join the Legendary Adventures today as we read New Jedi Order: Traitor!
For thousands of generations, different groups have viewed the Force in unique ways. From the Jedi Order, founded 25,000 years ago to study the light side of the Force, to the Sith Order, who broke from the Jedi to wield the dark side; or people who wield the Force like magic, like the Sorcerers of Tund or the Witches of Dathomir; to the fringes of society which worship it like a god, many know the Force. Jacen Solo, too, once thought he knew the Force as a powerful Knight of the Jedi Order. But after being captured by the Yuuzhan Vong in a mission that cost the life of his brother, Anakin Solo, he encounters a strange being, a Fosh woman named Vergere. Years ago, Vergere was a Jedi, sent by the Order to investigate a strange planet known as Zonoma Sekot. Somewhere on that mission, Vergere came across the powerful Yuuzhan Vong. She also started to understand the Force without the Dark/Light binary, believing there to be only “The Force.” As Jacen is tortured by the Vong, Vergere teaches him her philosophy.
But her tutelage needs to take second place to her Vong masters’ plans. Nom Amor especially, with his recent vendetta against the Jedi formed at Ithor, and especially because of Jaina, is interested in using Jacen for his own ends. First, Jacen is forced to farm dhuryam for the Yuuzhan Vong. The dhuryam start as seedlings of a sentient plant which are eventually able to terraform entire planets on its own. Right now, the terraforming process is very involved on multiple levels. With the newly farmed dhuryam, the Vong can let the sentient plants turn into World Brains, which can act fairly independently in turning worlds laden with technology into their natural states with blooming plants. Jacen bonds with a specific dhuryam, but is convinced he needs to destroy all of them. Jacen also discovers that non-Vong species are helping the Vong enslave prisoners, forcing them to farm the dhuryam as well. Breaking free of his torture, Jacen is able to destroy many Vong warriors and non-Vong enslavers, hoping to free slaves and prevent more terraforming. As he bonds with Vong bioforms, he is able to turn their own weaponry against them and escape. Second, though, Nom Amor’s plans: Jacen as an agent in the Vong army.
The recently captured Coruscant is now undergoing terraforming, but with oversight, and is now known as Yuuzhan’tar. The Vong’s plan becomes clearer to Jacen as he spends time in their captivity: the Yuuzhan Vong are seeking a new world which they can call home. The Vong captured Coruscant and began the terraforming process, calling it Yuuzhan’tar. They hope to use the dhuryam to finish the process on Coruscant, making it a sort of home world for them. After that, the Vong will be able to move to other parts of the galaxy, claiming them as their own as well.
As Jacen escapes Vong captivity, two people start a battle over his soul: the supposed spirit of Anakin Solo and Vergere. Jacen finds himself on Yuuzhan’tar with Vergere, where the two travel to the former Jedi Temple, thought destroyed by the Empire. There, Jacen discovers his ability to sense the Yuuzhan Vong, a trick gained by a seed planted inside of him by Vergere. As he goes deeper into the Jedi Temple, he senses the Vong, and thinks that he will be able to destroy them with the element of surprise. Unfortunately, it is a trap, and he is surrounded by Vong. He unleashes the dark side of the Force on them, trying to drive them away. After encountering a beast that ate refugees on Coruscant, Jacen is driven deeper into the dark side. Vergere tries to convince him that tapping into the darkness wasn’t a bad thing: it was simply Jacen’s willingness to use the entirety of the Force to turn the tide against the Vong. She also tries to convince him that using the dark side can be a good thing, such as a time when he uses its power to save Coruscanti refugees.
Meanwhile, as Jacen explores the planet, he senses the spirit of his late brother, Anakin Solo. Anakin does not appear as a “traditional” Force ghost, with their combination of ethereal and physical manifestations, and Jacen believes him to be a sort of hallucination. Anakin reminds Jacen that everything is linked through the Force, and life itself flows from the Force, so it makes a lot of sense Anakin could appear to him. Anakin knows what Vergere has been teaching Jacen and is firmly convinced that Jacen cannot tap into the dark side of the Force without being in danger of falling on his own. The fact that Jacen wants to use the dark side for more power is exactly the problem, Anakin thinks, even if Jacen might think he is using it for good goals and ends. Jacen, though he is interested in what Vergere is teaching him, is sympathetic to Anakin’s teaching because of his love and connection with his brother. Both know, to differing degrees, the story of Anakin Skywalker, and Anakin Solo tries to use that as a reminder to Jacen about staying in the light.
Unfortunately, the fact that both parties are teaching him disparate philosophies, while both making convincing points, starts to drive Jacen in half. As Jacen explores Coruscant, and is pulled between two different teachings, he is offered a choice from Yuuzhan Vong agent Nom Amor: join the Vong, act as another physical incarnation of one of their gods, and he can gain his freedom (within the Vong) and gain access to Anakin’s lightsaber. Jacen, with fingers metaphorically crossed behind his back, accepts the offer, planning on turning against the Vong. He is given access to the World Brain, which is hosted within the former Senate complex. There, he and Ganner Rhysode, who travelled across the galaxy following whispers of Jacen’s capture and prolonged life, battle with the Vong forces. Jacen uses his connection with the World Brain, as it is an evolved form of the dhuryam that he bonded with earlier. Ganner is killed in the battle, but Jacen does not ultimately destroy the World Brain. He is convinced by the spirit of Anakin Solo to let it live, and value life, but he does not leave it unchanged. He uses their bond to teach the World Brain to not do its work perfectly, forcing it to imperfectly terraform Coruscant, making it a less than ideal place for the Vong to live.
Now, a transformed Jacen and Jaina Solo hope to use their new positions in battle against the Vong…but are either the Jedi they were when they started the war?
You can follow Chris on Twitter @ChrisWerms, and of course, you can follow the Manor on Twitter @MynockManor and Instagram @mynockmanor!
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