At the Battle of Endor, it seemed as if the Rebel Alliance would stand victorious forever against the tyranny of the Galactic Empire. Sheev Palpatine was dead – his Sith apprentice, Darth Vader, had been brought to the light side of the Force by his son, Luke Skywalker, and turned against Palpatine, throwing him down a shaft in the second Death Star. The Rebel fleet led an attack on the Imperial forces, destroying the Death Star battle station and major parts of the Imperial fleet. The Rebels celebrated on the moon of Endor, but did not realize – the fight was not truly over. So much more had to be done to take down the Empire, and even more dastardly evils would rise from the ashes of the Empire. As we prepare for the final stretch of the Legendary Adventures, I wanted to give a short(ish) summary of what happened in Legends after the fall of the Empire.
Battles against the warlords: In light of the death of Sheev Palpatine, the evil Darth Sidious, many Imperial Moffs and leaders rose up to take his place, vying to take control of the power vacuum left behind by the death of the Sith Lord. Some Imperial warlords, like Admiral Nataasi Daala or Zsinj, became fairly prominent, and seemed to be the successors to Palpatine. The New Republic raised powerful forces to combat these Imperials, like the Rogue and Wraith Squadrons. Other Imperial warlords, like those based at Bakura, would surrender to the New Republic and even join forces with them. Leia Organa-Solo, new Chief of State, would lead the offensive to completely route the Imperial warlords, while people like Han Solo, Chewbacca, and Admiral Ackbar would lead NR forces against them. Due to both the NR pressure put on the warlords, and the in-fighting that happened between them, most Imperials were defeated. Yet Admiral Pallaeon, a former Republic officer, would take charge and lead the Imperial Remannt.
Related books: The Truce at Bakura | Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor | X-Wing – Rogue Squadron | X-Wing – Wedge’s Gamble | X-Wing – Krytos Trap | X-Wing – The Bacta War | X-Wing – Wraith Squadron | X-Wing – Iron Fist | X-Wing – Solo Command | The Courtship of Princess Leia
Thrawn: One of the most oppressive Imperial warlords, who would end up giving the New Republic the most trouble, was Chiss officer Mitt’raw’nuruodo, or Grand Admiral Thrawn. Thrawn had been aware of Sidious for a few decades, even working with him before the Clone Wars. Thrawn, a genius tactician, came out in force five years after the death of the Emperor to raise the Imperial army against the NR. Thrawn worked with Spaarti clones, making doubles of powerful Jedi like Jorrus C’baoth and even Luke Skywalker himself. Thrawn sought an ancient force, the Dreadnoughts of the Black Fleet, hoping their power would restore the Empire. Thrawn’s hold on the Empire crumbled from within, and he was killed by his own bodyguard. The threat of Thrawn would hang over the galaxy, and people impersonating him would again raise Imperial flags across a war-wearied galaxy. With political subterfuge, the Imperials hoped that Thrawn’s specter would help them rise again. Without Thrawn, the Imperial Remnant may have ended up fading away into nothingness on its own. But under the banner of Thrawn, the Remnant was able to re-amass a fleet – and even more dangerously, rebuild a dream.
Related books: Heir to the Empire / Dark Force Rising / The Last Command | Hand of Thrawn Duology
Rebuilt Jedi Order: While the NR was fighting the Imperial Remnant, Luke Skywalker, one of the few remaining and active and prominent Jedi in the galaxy, would try to rebuild the Jedi Order that was destroyed by Sheev Palpatine 20-30 years ago. While dealing with Thrawn, Luke would meet the former Hand of the Emperor, Mara Jade, a powerful assassin strong in the Force. He would also train Jedi he met as part of the NR, like Corran Horn. Other Jedi were found across the galaxy, in super computers, in hiding, and in surprising locations. (Unbeknownst to Luke, other powerful Jedi like K’kruhk or A’Sharad Hett were also active, waiting for their chance to battle, or succumb to, the darkness.) Maybe the least surprising additions to Luke’s new Jedi Academy were the children of Han Solo and Leia Organa, Jacen and Jaina, twins, and Anakin Solo, their youngest. These kids would go on adventures with other young Jedi, frequently finding themselves kidnapped as political pawns.
Related books: Jedi Search / Dark Apprentice / Champions of the Force | I, Jedi | Children of the Jedi | Darksaber | Planet of Twilight | The Crystal Star
Yuuzhan Vong invasion: Twenty-one years after the fall of the Empire, the galaxy would face one of its biggest threats to date: the Yuuzhan Vong. The Yuuzhan Vong were a powerful theological-warrior race who believed the use of technology was an utter abomination before their gods. They worked with powerful bio-tech, using living ships, weapons, and computers to aid in their devastating conquest of the galaxy. They were able to breed monsters that tracked down Jedi using the Force, and seemed unstoppable. Beyond all of that, they had one major advantage (of sorts): they were completely cut off from the Force. The Jedi could not sense them, and struggled to use the Force to combat them and their fierce warriors. The battle against the Vong was costly, as many Jedi, planets, and even the New Republic capital, Coruscant, was lost. Two major losses marked this era: the loss of Rebel leader Chewbacca and Jedi Knight Anakin Solo. Jacen Solo also spent much time as a prisoner of the Vong, and he underwent torture to mind, body, and soul, changing him forever.
Related books: Vector Prime | Balance Point | Star by Star | Destiny’s Way | The Unifying Force
Legacy of the Force: As Han Solo’s planet Corellia started to rebel against the newly formed Galactic Alliance leadership, Jacen Solo started to embrace the Dark Side, seeing the light side as too weak to deal with the many crises that marked the era. He would turn the Alliance into a dictatorial state, leading major offenses against the Corellians, and even allies, like the Wookiee world of Kashyyyk. As Jacen led a massive Civil War against Corellian-led forces, Jaina Solo trained with the newly restored Mandalorian state to bring him to justice. This fractured the Alliance, leaving them mistrustful of the Jedi and Grand Master Luke Skywalker was exiled from Coruscant, and the seat of Alliance power, as he was believed to be the cause of Jacen’s turn. When Jacen was killed by Jaina, the Alliance was restored under the leadership of Natasi Daala. Unbeknownst to the galaxy, Luke and Jacen both had visions of darkness rising in the far reaches of the galaxy – the One Sith were returning, and with them, a new reign of terror.
Related books: Betrayal | Bloodlines | Tempest | Exile | Sacrifice | Inferno | Fury | Revelation | Invincible | Crosscurrent | Riptide | Millennium Falcon
The galaxy stands on the precipice of disaster. As the most dangerous users of the dark side stand outside of the war-ravaged galaxy, and the Jedi are in disarray, what hope do they have? Or will Grand Master Luke Skywalker, his sister Leia Organa-Solo, her husband, Han Solo, and their daughter, the Sword of the Jedi, Jaina Solo, be able to save a galaxy on the brink of total ruin from an enemy from the past?
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