The war against the Yuuzhan Vong comes to a head. Can Luke Skywalker and Zonoma Sekot end the Vong invasion, or will the brutal invaders finally finish conquering the universe? Read the finale to the New Jedi Order series, The Unifying Force, today!
It has been 29 years since the Battle of Yavin thrust young Luke Skywalker onto the galactic stage. In the days leading up to that fateful battle, Luke began his Jedi training with Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, one of the few survivors of the great Jedi Purge. After Obi-Wan was killed by Darth Vader, Luke’s Jedi training continued under Jedi Grand Master Yoda. After the death of Yoda, Luke began to rebuild the Jedi Order on his own. New initiates included the Solo children: Jacen, Jaina, and Anakin; his wife and former Emperor’s Hand Mara Jade Skywalker; former Hapan consort Tenel Ka; and many others. Four years ago, Luke knew that it was time to rebuild the Jedi Order fully, forming an official Jedi Council. The invasion of the Yuuzhan Vong initially pushed those efforts back, but Luke was able to form a new Council in conjunction with the New Republic. Now, the newly built Jedi Order is up to their greatest task ever: finally repelling an invasion that is lead by those who cannot touch the Force.
It has also been 48 years since the fall of the Republic, when Darth Sidious rebranded it as the a new Galactic Empire. When the Emperor was killed on Endor, the Galactic Civil War took a major turn toward the Galactic Alliance. The Alliance rebuilt itself as the New Republic, governing from Coruscant. When the Yuuzhan Vong came in, they conquered Coruscant and renamed it Yuuzhan’tar. The New Republic moved its forces to Mon Cala, where they were able to form a new, greater governing body by drafting treaties with both the Imperial Remnant and the Hapan Consortium. Now, this new truly galactic alliance faces its greatest task ever: reclaiming Coruscant and saving the galaxy from invaders.
It has been 4 years since the first major Yuuzhan Vong force entered the known galaxy. Over 60 years ago, Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker almost discovered them when they ventured to Zonoma Sekot. A little while later, Darth Sidious and the Chiss Ascendancy worked together to destroy a ship called Outbound Flight in order to not attract the attention of the Vong. Unfortunately, time was up, and the invasion was commanded by the god of the Vong. Many planets, like Ebaq-9, Coruscant, Ithor, and many heroes like Chewbacca and Anakin Solo, fell to the invasion. The Vong were seemingly invincible, with biological weapons and ships, sentient brains that developed war plans, biological creatures developed in order to hunt Jedi, and their secret weapon, an invisibility in the Force. But the tide turned against the Vong: their weapons were being destroyed across the galaxy, the Vong leadership were losing faith in their own religion, and the great Jedi were discovering the secrets of Zonoma Sekot. Now the Vong face their own greatest challenge: finally destroying the Jedi and taking over the entire galaxy.
Early in the war against the Vong, Han Solo saved a Rin who served as a co-pilot, replacing the late Chewbacca. This partnership becomes instrumental in bringing the Rin into the New Republic’s favor, and the Rin provide a code that lets the New Republic spy on the Vong. They learn the Vong are bringing prisoners to Selvaris on the way to Coruscant, so they stage an attack to free the prisoners on the ship. Selvaris is a key Vong world, so a victory there would be huge for the tide of the war. The New Republic free a lot of the prisoners there, but face their own disruptions when New Republic leadership is scattered over the galaxy. Leia learns of a pathogen that kills Vong, but it also threatens to kill all sentient life across the galaxy if they’re not careful. A scout ship of Vong bring the pathogen to Yuuzhan’tar, hoping to see how it could be weaponized against the New Republic.
As Leia, Han, and Lando reconnect during some lingering battles against the Vong, Luke Skywalker and other Jedi are racing through hyperspace on Zonoma Sekot to Yuuzhan’tar. Despite his bluster, and his bluff, Nom Amor’s prophecy of a planet appearing at the end of the war against the Vong is coming true. On the planet, Luke and the Jedi learn why the Vong are unable to be sensed in the Force and their backstory. Back in their own galaxy, the Vong lived on a planet called Yuuzhan’tar, which was Force-sensitive and sentient. The original Yuuzhan’tar grew weary of the growing violence that the Vong were learning to love and stripped their ability to sense the Force away from them. The Vong then re-wrote their religion around violence and death, creating new gods to justify their new way of life. Zonoma Sekot was wounded by those Vong, but now, thanks to the help of Luke Skywalker, wants to help the Vong again.
The arrival of Zonoma Sekot at Yuuzhan’tar pushes the Vong into a losing battle. Shimrra, the current overlord of the Vong, seems to lose his mind. He recants his belief in the current Yuuzhan Vong tradition, even going as far as to disavow the gods that he claimed to serve. He welcomes Nom Anor back into the leadership of the Vong, but Anor’s heresy has grown among the Vong and they stand against the leadership. Shimrra destroys the lineage of the Supreme Overlord, guaranteeing that he will be the only eligible heir to the position. Anor’s prophecy comes true as Zonoma Sekot arrives, making more of the Vong believe their war is over. Shimrra learns of the pathogen brought back with the Vong scout ship, and he promises to use the pathogen to destroy Zonoma Sekot once it arrives. He also commands the world-brain inside of Coruscant to destroy the planet if the Vong were to lose, assuring that no one would be able to rule it if the New Republic were to win.
Finally, the New Republic and the Jedi Order lead the charge to recapture Coruscant from the Vong. Leia and other Jedi try to convince the world-brain to not destroy Coruscant, but they are captured and almost killed. Mara Jade-Skywalker battles Nom Anor, almost killing him, before relenting and leaving him to face the same fate as the rest of the Vong. Luke Skywalker, and his niece and nephew Jaina and Jacen Solo, infiltrate the Vong in an attempt to destroy the Supreme Overlord, Shimrra. Shimrra wields Anakin Solo’s lightsaber against Luke, but Luke regains control of the saber and destroys Shimrra. Unfortunately, the true Supreme Overlord was never Shimrra: it was instead a Vong named Onimi, who was the mastermind behind the use of the biological weapons and technology. Jacen Solo receives a message from the voice of his grandfather, Anakin Skywalker, and battles the real Supreme Overlord. Jacen, bolstered by his grandfather and his sister, becomes one with the Force, similar to the way Anakin Solo was before his untimely death. Jacen is able to – truly and finally – sense the Vong in the Force and overpowers Onimi. He blasts Onimi with pure Force energy, and Onimi succumbs to the toxins in his own body, dying at the hands of the one they hoped would serve them.
Finally, four years after the beginning of the invasion, the Yuuzhan Vong are repelled. With the death of the true Supreme Overlord, and the loss of Yuuzhan’tar and the world-brain within, the Vong are turned toward Zonoma Sekot. Sekot was able to destroy the pathogen threatening its life, and welcomed the Vong to itself. The Yuuzhan Vong across the galaxy are called by Sekot to return to it, as it is a seed from the original Yuuzhan’tar, and travel the galaxy again. Sekot believes that it can help the Vong relearn their connection with the Force and teach them to live in peace with one another once their connection is reformed.
After almost 50 years, the New Republic reigns as the major political force in the galaxy. Its new connections with the Imperial Remnant, the Chiss Ascendancy, and Hapans are cemented by the defeat of the Yuuzhan Vong, and they are able to look forward to a bright future together. Coruscant is reclaimed by the New Republic, but the terraforming unfortunately makes it uninhabitable to any non-Vong lifeform. At least, that is, for now.
And finally, after beginning his Jedi training 30 years ago, Luke Skywalker is able to reconvene an entirely rebuilt and powerful Jedi Order. He stands as the Order’s Grand Master, as other Jedi across the galaxy are brought in under his leadership. Where even four years ago, Jedi were running around the galaxy doing their own thing, Luke now stands as the authority over all of them. The Jedi Order does not look as it did back in the time of the Republic, but it is rebuilt and has a bright future in front of it. This hope is encapsulated on Kashyyyk, where our heroes come together to mourn the loss of Chewbacca and Anakin Solo. The galaxy seems safe, for now.
Or at least, that’s what it seems like. But in the deep recesses of the galaxy, a dark nest harbors a dangerous secret… Rejoin the Legendary Adventures when we return in 2023!
You can follow Chris on Twitter @ChrisWerms, and of course, you can follow the Manor on Twitter @MynockManor and Instagram @mynockmanor!
Legendary Adventures
The New Jedi Order: Vector Prime | Dark Tide Duology | Agents of Chaos: 1 – Hero’s Trial | 2 – Jedi Eclipse | Balance Point | Edge of Victory: 1 – Conquest | Edge of Victory: 2 – Rebirth | Star by Star | Dark Journey | Traitor | Destiny’s Way | The Force Heretic Trilogy | The Final Prophecy
Essential Legends Collection: Revan | Deceived | Darth Bane: Path of Destruction | Darth Bane: Rule of Tw0 | Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil | Darth Plagueis | Shatterpoint | Kenobi | Rogue Squadron | Rogue Squadron: Wedge’s Gamble | Rogue Squadron: The Bacta War | Heir to the Empire | Dark Force Rising | The Last Command