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"The Courtship of Princess Leia"


Jedi Cool
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chapter 1:

 

After five months of hunting Warlord Zsinj, Han Solo and the Mon Remonda return to Coruscant. As they enter the system, however, they spot several Hapan Battle Dragons in orbit. The Hapans are a wealthy and powerful people normally found only in their fiercely-protected Cluster.

 

Solo orders evasive maneuvers until Captain Onoma points out that they aren’t firing on the planet or any of the other ships in orbit. They are broadcasting as friendlies under the flag of a treaty.

 

Leia had gone to Hapes several months ago in the hopes of opening relations with the reclusive people. Obviously, they are responding. Over the comm., Leia tells him to meet her at the Grand Reception Hall and dismisses any concerns he has about the situation.

 

On the planet, Han is escorted to Mon Mothma who explains that the Hapans wanted to meet exclusively with Leia herself. Since the Hapans have a monarchy under the Queen Mother Ta’a Chume and are distrustful of democracies, she does not feel slighted despite being the elected leader of the New Republic.

 

At the end of the presentation, Leia questions where the gift from Hapes itself is and she is told that the Queen Mother has saved the best for last. Her son, Prince Isolder, the Chum’eda, wishes Leia to marry him.

 

Mon Mothma knows that there has been a relationship between Han and Leia for some time now, but she admits that, with the wealth and power of the Hapes Cluster behind it, the New Republic could end the war with the remnants of the Imperial forces quickly. For that reason, she hopes Leia accepts the proposal.

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  • The time is now 8 years ABY, 4 years after Return of the Jedi. Leia and Luke are 28, Han is 38. This book occurs immediately following Solo Command.
  • At one point, C-3PO refers to Princess Leia as simply Leia. This is unusual for the droid who is normally very careful to address her as Princess or Mistress Leia. He did, however, refer to Han by his first name in The Empire Strikes Back when reunited with R2 in Cloud City , but that was an anomaly. It’s always been Captain Solo or, in this case, General Solo.
  • Additionally, since Han knew Leia had been negotiating with the Hapans for some time, does it seem strange that his first reaction to seeing Hapan ships at Coruscant was to prepare to attack without checking first to see what they were actually doing there?
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There you go! Hopefully, I can make the sucky parts entertaining!

 

chapter 2:

 

On the frozen tundra world of Toola, a Whiphid guide takes Luke Skywalker and R2-D2 to the tomb of a Jedi.

 

Luke finds the footprints of stormtroopers preserved here and the remains of the home the Jedi Master had made, including his lightsaber. But he knows almost nothing about the man save that he escaped Coruscant with the records of a thousand generations of Jedi.

 

Luke hopes he can learn more about the Jedi Order from them, but finds that thermal detonators have done a good job of melting them. Not content to just kill the bodies, the Emperor had wanted the entire knowledge of the Jedi eradicated.

 

R2 finds a cell that is not totally lost and the Force directs Luke to a specific cylinder. On it, Jedi are seen reporting in a throne room to their high master about various missions. One includes Yoda who explains that his team tried to free the Chu’unthor from Dathomir but were repulsed by the witches.

 

Luke tries to make sense of what it means. R2’s astrogation files have nothing about Dathomir in them. Luke suspects this may be a world destroyed in the Clone Wars, as so many had.

 

Topside, he sits in the Whiphid camp, meditating. A vision of a stone fortress surrounded by dark forests under a thundering sky comes to him. The voices of women laughing and the whisper of “the witches of Dathomir”.
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  • I’m surprised R2 would have no information on Dathomir considering the role it played in the “Clone Wars” television show. But, of course, this book was written before the show was aired!
  • And we know of Dathomir as being where clans of Force-sensitive women live. Maul was the son of one of those women who gave him to Palpatine while he visited the world in Darth Plagueis.
  • The records that were destroyed…would they have been copies of some of the Jedi Archives? Weren’t those destroyed the night of Order 66?
  • The throne room Luke sees in the vision would probably have been the Council chambers.
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chapter 3:

 

Leia asks for time to consider the offer. Prince Isolder, in accented Basic, tells her that he understands she is not familiar with the way his people arrange royal marriages and urges her to take time to get to know his people and himself.

 

Leia has a diplomatic mission in a couple of days and asks for thirty days to consider the offer. Isolder agrees and asks for the opportunity to meet with her prior to her departure.

 

Urged by Councilor Threkin Horm, an obese representative of Alderaan who reclines on a repulsor chair, Leia agrees to meet him for dinner tonight aboard her ship the Rebel Dream.

 

When Han is not in her apartments, she knows there’s a problem and takes a shuttle to the Millennium Falcon where he and Chewie, true to form, are working on the ship.

 

She tells him she couldn’t just send the Hapans away after everything she’d done to open negotiations with them in the first place. Han knows that she would do anything to defeat the Empire, even give up her life. He suspects that she would be willing to give up her living breathing body to the Hapans if it meant destroying what’s left.

 

He had hoped the war was over when the Emperor died, but they’ve been following one Imperial official after another ever since then. He’s spent months going after the Iron Fist so they could rid the galaxy of Warlord Zsinj. Though they got rid of the ship, Zsinj could get another one or perfect a cloaking device for Star Destroyers.

 

Han has dreams that he’s fighting a multi-headed beast that keeps growing new heads every time he cuts one off. Leia reminds him that he sees losses on the battlefield, but she sees victories as world after world joins the New Republic. Eventually Zsinj will be worn down by the expense of running his end of the war.

 

Han warns her it might not happen during their lifetimes. Leia tells him they’ll have to win peace for their children then.

 

He turns the subject to the Hapans and the incredible wealth. She admits that their cities and worlds are beautiful and they have a peace about them. He recognizes that she is homesick for Alderaan and, though she may not be in love with Isolder, she certainly sees her world in theirs.

 

There have been efforts to colonize a world with the survivors of Alderaan, but something always gets in the way. The survivors don’t have the money it would take to buy a world or terraform one, as most of them are poor traders and diplomats who were off-world at the time. And, to keep the expensive gifts the Hapans brought, she would have to accept Isolder’s proposal.

 

Han suggests giving them back then as he doesn’t trust the Hapans. Leia thinks he’s just being paranoid. He, however, thinks she’s been overly-charmed by a people she’s only spent a week with. This starts an argument about whether or not the Hapans are feeling threatened or Han is. Leia tells him she was going to invite him to a private dinner with Isolder but thinks he should just stay behind and gnaw on his jealousies.

 

After she storms out, he yells after her that he’ll see her at dinner.

 

Afterwards, he throws himself into working on the ship which is interrupted by a tour Threkin Horm is giving the Hapans. Horm is discreet in describing Solo as a friend of the Princess’s who has saved her many times. Isolder greets this savior of Leia, but is rebuffed by Solo who is more precise in describing his relationship with Leia.

 

Horm is mortified, but Isolder takes no offense as he understands a warrior who wishes to battle for the woman he loves. During a tour of the ship, Isolder compliments Han’s skill and mentions he himself had worked as a smuggler for a few years.

 

He describes one of their battle cruisers to Han and offers him one if he promises to fly far away from here. He admires Han’s principles when the other man refuses. Isolder wonders what Han thinks he can offer Leia who finds, in Hapes, a place where her people can be secure.

 

Han wants to know what this is all about. Why would the Queen Mother choose Leia as a mate for her son, someone who offers nothing to Hapes. A treaty with the New Republic can be had much easier. Isolder would like to explain himself at dinner tonight when both of them are present.

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  • In nearly every other book that describes Alderaanian survivors, we are told of how the nature of commerce allowed a great deal of Alderaan’s wealth to be off-world when the planet exploded which left many survivors enough resources to use to fund the Rebel Alliance. In fact, one of the Imperials in the X-Wing books, General Derricote, had been growing goods from Alderaan on Borleias so that he could appeal to the homesickness of wealthy Alderaanians by selling them pieces of their world for high prices that would prevent some of that wealth from supporting the Alliance. So now we are told that most survivors are poor.
  • In fact, we know from Solo Command that not only is the Iron Fist still perfectly fine, but a type of cloaking device was used to make the New Republic forces think it had been destroyed.
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chapter 4:

 

It is clear that Leia had not expected Han to join them for dinner. When introduced to the prince, Threkin Horm announces Han and Isolder have already met and suggests Solo tell her all about it.

 

Isolder moves in and mentions how they’d found they had privateering in common. Isolder’s older brother had been murdered by pirates and so, as a young man, Isolder worked with privateers searching for the man responsible. He was arrested and imprisoned where he was murdered before he could name his accomplices.

 

The Hapes Cluster attracts pirates, but largely on the rim where there are often bloody encounters. In fact, the Cluster was originally settled by pirates called the Lorell Raiders who pillaged the trade routes, taking beautiful women home with them to be their wives.

 

The women would raise the children until their sons were stolen by the pirates who trained them in the trade. It is obvious the Hapans were bred for this life. The women are tall, beautiful and strong. The men are equally as handsome and strong.

 

After the Jedi wiped out the raiders, the women took control of the worlds, vowing that no man would ever rule them again. The Queen Mothers see to that now. However, many young men, feeling powerless, glorify the old ways and become pirates when they rebel.

 

Isolder explains that Han had asked him why his mother would choose a Princess with no wealth out of all the other princesses in the galaxy. In fact, he himself chose Leia after becoming enamored with her when she visited his worlds. His mother only consented to the match after he requested it.

 

Throughout the dinner, Han fears that Leia is becoming taken with Isolder and, as it ends, warns the prince that he will fight for her.

 

It is difficult for Leia to sleep that night, thinking of Isolder and his courtesy to everyone, including Han, his good nature and profession of love. She tries to distract herself by studying her upcoming mission to the Roche system where the Verpines have upset the Barabels after one of their kind took off with a ship. The Verpines don’t consider those suffering from a mad hive mind as being criminals, much to the chagrin of the Barabels.

 

She has learned that those suffering from such madness all have a set of damaged antennae and wonders if this is the cause. She will have to find out more when she meets with the mad hive queen herself.

 

Then she decides to send a message via homocomm to Luke on Toola. When Luke appears, she explains about the Hapan visit and the proposal. Luke understands that she doesn’t want to hurt Isolder or Han, though she’s beginning to grow fond of the prince.

 

He asks if she’s heard of a world called Dathomir, but she hasn’t. Luke tells her he senses an urgency here and will be on Coruscant in four days. She tells him she’ll be in the Roche system in three. He agrees to meet her there.

 

Luke cautions her to take things slowly until she realizes how she feels. She doesn’t have to decide between the two men in one day, but she should not consider Isolder’s wealth at all since she would be marrying the man, not his wealth.

 

Han arrives afterwards and apologizes. The détente doesn’t last long when he finds out she’s planning to have Isolder stay aboard her ship while she goes to the Roche system. She assures him it gives her the time she asked for before sending Isolder on his way. Han hopes she didn’t fall for that line about loving her the minute the prince saw her.

 

He thinks there’s something wrong with this situation and he’s been around slime long enough to recognize it when he sees it. After all, Isolder had offered him a battle cruiser to leave and not return.

 

Angry at his vague insinuations against the Hapans, Leia argues that he should have taken the offer. Han backs off and tells her he’s just irritated at the way everyone from the very obvious Threkin Horm on down is acting as if the marriage is a done deal. She doesn’t know why they would think that and reminds Han that she loves him for who he is. She just needs some time to herself for a few days.

 

Any thought that Han would believe this is ended when Threkin Horm comms her to ask her to come to a special session of the Alderaanian Council to discuss her upcoming nuptials.

 

In the corridors of the Rebel Dream, Han considers what will happen to Leia after spending a few days alone with Isolder. As far as he’s concerned, needing a few days alone is tantamount to telling him to have a nice life.

 

He needs to get wealth himself so he contacts Dalla the Hutt to take a loan out on the Falcon and get him into a big card game.

 

Prince Isolder is awakened by one of his bodyguards, Captain Astarta, who tells him that they have received a coded message beamed up from Coruscant. It states that the temptress is too interested and that action should be taken. Isolder interprets this as a threat to Leia’s life.

 

Astarta isn’t so sure. Isolder suspects that it is related to his Aunt Secciah, whose daughter is next in line of succession after Isolder, whom he believes is not only responsible for hiring the pirates that kidnapped and killed his brother, but also arranged for the death of his previous betrothed, Lady Elliar.

 

It is possible, then, that Isolder himself is the target.

 

Astarta agrees that an attack on his life right now could be blamed on any number of people, including New Republic factions, Imperial forces or General Solo. Isolder regrets the cunning and avarice displayed by the women in his family. That is why he wanted to marry outside of the viciousness of Hapan society. He orders New Republic security to be notified in the hopes they can help root out an assassin. He also wants half his guard to be place on Leia. Holding a blaster he’s had under his covers the whole time, he explains to his bodyguard that he can take care of himself.

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  • Leia had asked Isolder for thirty days to decide. Now, she’s inviting him to accompany her on a diplomatic mission. Considering that Han has been out hunting Zsinj for five months and she’s barely spent more than a few minutes with him since he returned, I can understand why he may feel that Isolder will be given an unfair advantage.
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chapter 5:

 

Han hasn’t played sabaac in years and is now in the biggest stakes game of his life. On the table are deeds to mining rights of a world, a percentage of the spice mines on Kessel and other huge pots.

 

When he wins the hand, one of his opponents offers another with the stakes being a planet that has belonged to the family for generations. It’s called Dathomir.

 

Much later, Leia finds Han at her door looking dirty, groggy and bloodshot. He gives her a box and tells her to open it. Inside is a holo of the planet Dathomir. When he tells her that the being who lost it said it was in the Drackmar system, Leia knows that can’t be true.

 

She looks it up and finds it’s in the Quelii sector which is currently Warlord Zsinj’s territory.

 

Han is shocked, but Leia appreciates the gesture. She tells him to go get some sleep and not play cards with a Drackmarian anymore. He leaves, feeling horrible, having dreamed that she would be elated with the gift of a world for her people.

 

He has enough credits to get the Falcon out of hock but that’s it. He’d won and lost nearly two billion credits that night.

 

Isolder does not want Leia to meet with a Barabel spy in the underworld, so insists on accompanying her. She accepts as she’s been informed there are possible threats against her life from factions on Hapes who do not approve of the union.

 

Threkim Horn arrives at a convenient time, just as their aircar shows up. But a blaster pokes through the window and kills one of Isolder’s bodyguards as she leaps in front of Leia. Isolder pushes her behind a pillar and pulls out a blaster. He and his remaining guard are protected by personal shields.

 

Leia and Astarta use blasters to destroy an assassin droid firing from the street. Two more assassins jump out of the car. Isolder shoots one and tosses his shield at another, then tries to interrogate the survivor who shoots himself.

 

Leia is pushed back inside the house where the Hapans busily communicate what has happened. She thanks Isolder for saving her. He kisses her and offers to take her to Hapes and see the worlds she will rule.

 

She agrees.

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  • In fact, Han played sabaac aboard the Mon Remonda in Solo Command just one book ago.
  • So Dathomir is accessible to Leia’s search but is not one that R2 was able to find on his astronavigation charts. What gives there?
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chapter 6:

 

In a cantina, Han doesn’t know why he asked C-3PO to come. He had hoped the droid would be able to provide some insight into Leia’s mood the last couple of days. She has spent almost all her time with the prince and now tells him she’s going to Hapes.

 

Han asks what 3PO would do if someone tried to muscle in on the woman he loved. The droid suggests gauging the opposition and seeing what he can offer the Princess that Isolder cannot. For example, Isolder is wealthy, well-mannered and handsome. 3PO realizes the problem when he tries to determine what Han can offer to counter that.

 

Han tells the droid how much he loves Leia but he just can’t seem to tell her. C-3PO has access to a variety of songs and poems. After overhearing a conversation in which a number of cantina patrons have noticed Solo’s appearance and compare it to Isolder, Han just tells 3PO to keep an eye on Leia and tell her he misses her if she asks.

 

The session of the Alderaanian Council turns into a media circus with Leia arguing that she hasn’t even agreed to marry the man yet. Threkin Horm is certain she will make the right decision and they are only planning the nuptials in the event that she does.

 

She tries to protest more but realizes that the truth of the matter is that she is going to be spending six months with Isolder touring the Hapan worlds and giving the people there the chance to see the new addition to the family.

 

C-3PO interrupts and asks to address the Council. Horm’s protests do not go over well with droid rights activists so he yields the podium. Leia regrets encouraging this when 3PO announces they should be planning her marriage to General Solo instead. He has been conversing with planetary computers all morning and has come to the conclusion that, despite hiding his heritage, Solo is, in fact, the King of Corellia.

 

Aboard the ship taking him from Toola, Luke watches the HoloNet transmission with interest. This story has everything the media likes. He sees Han sliding down in his chair, hiding his face. Yet he feels troubled at the forces in array against Leia and Isolder.

 

It appears that Han is a descendant of Korol Solo who lost much of his holdings during the Clone Wars.

 

However, the droid has found that Korol married and had a son named Dalla Solo about 60 years ago who never returned due to the turmoil of the Clone Wars. Dalla changed his named to Dalla Suul during the time of the wars to hide his identity. His son was Jonash Suul and Jonash’s son was Han Suul who changed his name back to Solo.

 

Obviously, General Solo tampered with his records.

 

Threkin Horm points out that Dalla Suul was known as the famous murderer Dalla the Black. He doesn’t think that makes for such a great lineage.C-3PO admits he doesn’t quite understand how the actions of one’s ancestor reflect on a descendant, but does point out that Dalla’s illegitimate daughter was Horm’s mother so the councilor himself may be better able to explain the argument better.

 

By the time it ends, Han has already left, having his lineage dropped from king to kingpin in a matter of moments.

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  • The details of Han’s lineage are, post-prequel trilogy, muddled now. According to 3PO, Dalla Solo/Suul changed his name during the time of the Clone Wars. There are two problems with this narrative. The first is that Han Solo’s age is a pretty fixed number. The novelization of A New Hope puts him at 30, ten years older than Luke & Leia. In an effort to make Luke & Leia younger, more recent sources have tried to claim they were 18 during A New Hope which would then make Han 28 years-old. If so, he would be 36 right now. But whether he’s 36 or 38 it means that his grandfather Dalla was between 22 and 24 when his grandson was born if he was, as 3PO claims, born 60 years ago. That doesn’t work. The chapter implies that Dalla changed his name, then had a family, not the other way around. So, Dalla grows up, the Clone Wars experience causes him to change the name from Solo to Suul, gets married, has a child, then has a grandchild. For a man who was, according toPO, born 60 years ago, that’s a lot to happen! In fact, it really doesn’t make a lot of sense for Dalla to have been born 60 years ago because, in order to have an 8-10 year old grandson at the time of the Clone Wars, he and his son would have had to have become fathers in their early adolescences. I mean, Dalla Solo, if he’s still alive, is only 60 years old and has a 38-year old grandson! How old did the author think Han was in this book anyway? Simple math would have told him that someone born 60 years ago should not have a grandson Han's age. Or even Luke's age! And most of this is because of the other problem: our old friend the bungled Clone Wars timeline. The author,like others at the time, assumed that the Clone Wars had been much further back than they actually were. When this book was written, quite a few authors wrote of the CW as occurring during the time of a character’s grandparents, not parents. Since we now know the Clone Wars ended approximately 28 years ago, it means that Dalla was a 32-year old grandfather when he changed the family name. Since the Han Solo books showed us a very young Han who didn’t even know his last name, this narrative doesn’t work.
  • I’m sure Leia’s six month tour of the Hapes Cluster is happening after her diplomatic mission, right?
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chapter 7:

 

While strolling through gardens on Coruscant containing plants from Alderaan, Leia is contacted by Threkin Horm who tells her that the situation between the Verpine and the Barabels has escalated passed the diplomatic point. Mon Mothma has canceled her mission to the Roche system and will be sending General Solo with a task force there to protect the Verpines. Both Horm and Mon Mothma feel that Leia can best serve the New Republic in other ways so she’s been relieved from duty for the next eight months. She can leave for Hapes at any time.

 

Leia knows that things are better off this way as the assignment was too much for her and the Barabels respect authority so they’ll be glad that Mon Mothma herself has stepped in. But the Verpines can protect themselves so sending a fleet there doesn’t make a lot of sense.

 

Isolder tells her she’s worrying. Mon Mothma has things under control. Leia notes that there’s too much control there. Isolder knows that leaving Coruscant would be a big step for her, so he urges her to take a few days to spend time with her friends and say good-bye. She can even reiterate what she told the Council in that she’s only visiting Hapes. She thanks him for understanding and they embrace. He tells her he loves her.

 

Han tinkers with the transponder he’s swiped from one of Zsinj’s ships and installs it on the Falcon. With any luck, it’ll identify the ship as one of the warlord’s. Leia contacts him and congratulates him on the task force he’s leading to the Roche system. Han doesn’t tell her it’s only a Star Destroyer, knowing that Threkin Horm is behind this blatant attempt to get him out of the way.

 

He agrees to meet Leia for drinks shortly. He doesn’t have much time as 3PO and Chewbacca will be meeting him here later.

 

When he enters her quarters, she knows he’s not happy with the assignment. He admits he’s not going. He’s resigned his commission as of five minutes ago. He’s going to Dathomir. He ordered the Indomitable to conduct quick strike-and-fades against some outposts on the edge of Zsinj-controlled space so he’ll divert ships there. Hopefully, Han will be able to slip in to Dathomir without being noticed. He won the planet after all.

 

She urges him to reconsider. He’s burned out and she offers to pull some strings for him. He tells her they are both burned out and invites her to come with him. After all, she’s planning to go with Isolder. All Han is asking is for her to come to Dathomir. Maybe after a week there, she’ll fall in love with him again.

 

She knows she loved him before. But that seems so long ago. She tells him she is very fond of him, but he knows what that means. He grabs the Gun of Command and uses it to compel her to come to Dathomir with him.

 

The Queen Mother is unhappy to learn that General Solo has kidnapped the princess. Isolder tells her that the New Republic has detectives working and that he has put out calls for bounty hunters. She reminds him that he is the future husband and father of the heirs to the throne. He must forego any desire to hunt down Solo himself and leave the job to their assassins.

 

Isolder insists he will go after Solo himself. The Queen Mother tells him that selfless heroics are of no benefit to him. She is bringing a fleet to Coruscant anyway and warns him she will kill Solo if she meets him first.

 

A low-level corporal named Reezen in Zsinj’s fleet knows that something is going on when the New Republic sets up three strike-and-fades over a nine-day period. Obviously, they are hoping to divert Zsinj’s forces. He checks the charts and something about Dathomir calls him.

 

They want something on the planet. He’d been a teenager on Coruscant, watching a parade with his father, when Darth Vader had stalked by. The Dark Lord had stopped the parade, looked at Reezen and patted him on the head. Vader then told him to trust his sensitivity as he served the Empire.

 

So Reezen suggests reinforcements for Dathomir, knowing that Zsinj is a thorough man.
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  • Obviously, Reezen is Force-sensitive. Odd, then, that Vader would have done nothing else to the young man beyond encourage him. To say nothing of Vader being in a parade.
  • I also realize that the addition of Hapan resources is a boon to the New Republic, but does anyone else think that Mon Mothma has lost her head here when it comes to Leia and Isolder? I mean, Leia is Minister of State, right? Isn’t that like the Secretary of State? Wouldn’t that be the New Republic’s top diplomat? Why would she be pulled from a diplomatic mission that she was already working hard on and had a theory anyway only so that Han and a Star Destroyer could go instead? If she marries Isolder, it’s not like she can be married off to the next royal representative of a planet the New Republic wants to impress, right?
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chapter 8:

 

Leia wakes up in the dark confines of the Falcon’s smuggling compartments. She grabs something metal and bangs on the covering, yelling at Han to let her out. Belatedly, she finds out that she’s banging an air exchanger and has now busted it.

 

Fortunately, 3PO heard the banging and brings Chewbacca with him. She tells them Han kidnapped her. In the cockpit, Han asks them if they found out what the banging noise was.

 

He explains to Leia that he’s locked course for Dathomir and the helm won’t respond to any other order. Chewie tries to alter it, but is unsuccessful, asking Leia instead if she would like him to beat Han instead.

 

Han reminds him that it takes two to bring the ship out of hyperspace. The Gun of Command has, inexplicably, broken so Leia can’t use that on him. He wants her to spend seven days with him on Dathomir. He’s not even asking for equal time with Isolder.

 

Months ago, she told him she loved him and it wasn’t the first time. She made him believe it and it was something he would die to keep. If, after seven days, she doesn’t want him, he’ll return her and serve prison time for kidnapping her. If she still loves him, however, he wants her to drop Isolder and marry him instead.

 

She accepts the offer and hopes he likes prison food.

 

Luke knows there’s a problem as soon as his ship drops out of hyperspace. He contacts the New Republic ambassador by subspace and learns that Han has kidnapped Leia. The ambassador is not much help.

 

Since hyperspace calls on holovid are expensive and he doesn’t have that kind of pull, Luke will have to go back to Coruscant.

 

After four days of candlelit dinners, Han knows Leia isn’t exactly warming up to him. In fact, she is determined to make things as difficult as possible. He confronts her about what she wants. She explains that she forgives the man for his failings, but he betrayed the New Republic. His status as an officer and a hero demands that he hold himself to a higher standard.

 

He doesn’t think it fair to expect him to be bound by the expectations of others, but tells her that he’ll do whatever she wants him to do.

 

When the Falcon drops out of hyperspace four days later, they find Imperial Star Destroyers everywhere. Han considers them trespassers. Unfortunately, his story isn’t bought and he ends up trading fire with a frigate before crashing into it.

 

This causes the Falcon’s motivators to go out and the ship begins its descent in conjunction with that of the frigate. Leia, sensing something dangerous down there, tells Han they can’t go there.
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  • Han had originally asked Leia for seven days with him. He was cooking her dinner for four days when they had their conversation and then arrived at Dathomir four days after that. So that’s eight days. Technically, she should have demanded he turn back, per the terms of their agreement, yesterday!
  • Really? The hyperdrive requires two persons? I’m not sure that’s right. And, even if it is, does Leia not know how to do that?
  • I also have a very hard time believing that Luke Skywalker, the man who destroyed the Death Star and was instrumental in toppling the Emperor, does not have enough pull to make a real-time Holovid communication. I know that we’ve been told those things are expensive, but still….
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chapter 9:

 

Luke searches Han’s small apartment on Coruscant through the Force, trying to sense where his friend may have gone. He follows it to an underworld cantina where he uncovers information that Han had been there and won a planet in a card game.

 

He finds the Drackmarian, Warlord Omogg, being interrogated by three men. Luke uses the Force to disarm them and holds his lightsaber on them. An old woman demands to know what’s going on. The men address their Queen Mother, telling them that the female Drackmarian has information regarding the location of the kidnapped woman.

 

She chastises them for torturing a foreign dignitary and tells them to put themselves under arrest. Then she apologizes to Omogg and tells her that she ordered her men to find her only, not torture information out of her. She needs to know where Han Solo has gone.

 

Omogg knows that Luke wants the same thing but does not want to reveal it to him in front of Ta’a Chume. He tells her to look in his eyes and think it. The name Dathomir comes to mind and he remembers it from the cylinder he’d found on Toola.

 

As it happens, Ta’a Chume already knew the name of the planet as Omogg had run the name on her nav computer. But she doesn’t know why Solo would go there.

 

She met a Jedi once, when she was a child, but he was nothing like Luke. She invites him to dinner aboard her ship. Luke accepts, knowing that there’s something about this woman that is dangerous.
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  • If Ta’a Chume already knew where the planet was, why have her men come find Omogg?
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chapter 10:

 

At least, the crash of the frigate will hide the Falcon’s infrared signature from the Imperials, but the ship has a lot of damage. They’ve landed near a city and could possibly get parts there. After covering the Falcon to keep any gawkers from spotting it at the crash site, they hide inside while Zsinj’s forces demolish the wreckage of the frigate.

 

After a time, the Imperials begin a search through the forest that ends. Leia realizes they must not realize which ship crashed here and who was aboard. Still, she begins to worry that maybe they stopped searching because the planet is dangerous at night.

 

Han decides to go out and check for certain that they’re gone. When he doesn’t return for a long time, Leia decides the other two are too conspicuous and insists on going out herself.

 

She finds him by a lake watching the sun set. He asks her if she loves him yet. She tells him to get back under cover. He’s not worried. Judging by the huge footprint nearby, he doesn’t think Zsinj’s men really stuck around.

 

On the Hapan ship, Star Home, Prince Isolder is disappointed that his mother has found out where Solo has taken Leia before he did. She is deep in discussion with Luke Skywalker who doesn’t seem to be noticing her attempts at seduction.

 

She is intrigued by his search for lost records of the Jedi. He admits he’s been at it for just a few months but it’s discouraging not to find anything of value. Ta’a Chume tells him that there are probably records on dozens of worlds. When she was younger, her mother granted refuge to a group of about 50 Jedi who formed a small academy. But Vader arrived with his dark knights and hunted them down, sealing them in ruins at Reboam. She doesn’t know if there are records there.

 

However, she invites him to come to Hapes when this is over with and one of her counselors will show him the caves. He is very interested in this. As he excuses himself, however, he asks if he could see her face. She lifts her veil and he stares into her eyes. He tells her he sees why her people venerate her and then leaves.

 

Isolder asks her why she lied to the Jedi. Her mother hated the Order as much the Emperor did and would never have given them refuge. She tells him that a Jedi who is distracted becomes vulnerable. They really can’t allow the Jedi Order to rise again after all this time. She has nothing against the young man personally, but they have to make sure that those of them best trained to rule continue to do so.

 

In the docking bay, Isolder finds Skywalker and asks him if he thinks that Solo will take the most direct route to Dathomir. The Jedi tells him that Solo would normally do that but he would not endanger Leia.

 

Isolder explains that he has heard of the Jedi Knights and the things they can do, but he doesn’t believe in magic. He is worried that Leia is really in danger. Luke tells him he senses urgency for her which is why he came. Isolder wants Luke to take him to Dathomir. They might arrive before the Falcon does. He thinks this is important because his mother will kill Solo if she catches him first.

 

Luke understands this and admits he knows she doesn’t intend him good wishes either, despite her friendly appearance. He agrees to meet Isolder on his ship.
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  • Obviously, we know that Ta’a Chume lied about the Jedi, but even if she hadn’t, there would have been too many problems with her story. The idea that the Empire would show up in the Hapes Cluster, hunt down a bunch of Jedi and then leave without any recriminations against the Hapans is ludicrous. Even if we assume that they were intimidated by the wealthy and powerful Hapans, wouldn’t that prevent them from entering Hapan space in the first place considering how protective the people are of their territory? Add to that Darth Vader showing up when Ta’a Chume was “younger” (whatever that’s supposed to mean) with Dark Jedi to handle the school makes it nearly impossible to believe.
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chapter 11:

 

Leia bounds onto the ship, furious that Han’s gotten them into a situation where they’re all going to die. Han, so far as he’s concerned, considers the whole lot trespassers on his planet.

 

Her anger and determination to get out of here spurs him to promise to do just that. He has Chewie scrounge for supplies and weapons. They will walk to the nearest city, steal the fastest ship they can find and get out of here. Maybe they’ll be able to return for the Falcon at some point, but he knows that it could take years to get rid of Zsinj and, by that time, the elements would take over the ship.

 

They change into battle fatigues and put some on 3PO, too. The droid reminds him that his gold will attract attention, he’ll get rusty in this wet and rugged climate and that Zsinj’s men may be able to home in on his circuitry. Han tells him he’s never been one to leave a friend behind. Besides,3PO can help convince Leia to fall in love with him again.

 

Before they exit the ship, the droid comments to Leia about how handsome Solo looks.

 

She doesn’t appreciate it.

 

After several hours, it looks like a storm of some kind might be coming so they seek shelter behind some huge boulders. Chewie and 3PO take the first watch and it isn’t long before the droid comes to wake Han up. An Imperial scout walker is outside.

 

Han takes a moment to push Leia behind a boulder and fires at the window which doesn’t do much. The scouts threaten to shoot the droid and 3PO urges them to save themselves. Chewie is sneaking along a tree and uses his bowcaster against the walker.

 

Leia hits the sensitive hydraulics system and Han grabs the heavy blaster fromPO and tells the scouts to get out. The scouts tell them this is an interdicted planet because the natives don’t like strangers.

 

Chewie knocks them out when the walker radio asks for confirmation that they’ve captured General Solo.
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chapter 12:

 

As it turns out, Luke is able to pilot Isolder’s battle dragon, Song of War, to Dathomir faster than even Hapan astronavigation computers could predict. They emerge to find a frigate falling from the sky into Dathomir’s atmosphere. Luke tells him Leia is aboard that ship.

 

Isolder orders his fighters scrambled even though a Hapan Battle Dragon is no match against two Star Destroyers, especially once their own fighters are launched. He wants Captain Astarta to take over the attack. He is going down to the planet.

 

Luke’s X-Wing didn’t pass a weapons check so he borrows one of Isolder’s. The prince jumps into his own fighter. He notes how much like Solo he is. Both have ships they love, both once worked as pirates, both love the same woman. He doesn’t have to go down there himself. But he wants to because part of him wants to accept the challenge that Solo had thrown down to him.

 

As they fly out, Isolder notes that Astarta has brought the Song of War down to the docks and is strafing a Super Star Destroyer there for repairs.

 

Skywalker tells him he’s going to follow some of the space debris down but wants to take some of the enemy fighters with him. During the engagement, Isolder tries to warn him that his shields are down but Skywalker doesn’t acknowledge him. In the end, he can only watch the Jedi’s corpse bounce around the cockpit. He himself tosses a detonator out of his ship, lets it explode and allows his ship to drift down with Skywalker’s. Hoping they are both thought dead, he knows that his mother had to be behind what was obviously sabotage to the Jedi’s fighter.

 

Through the jungle, they hear something roar and run off. C-3PO guesses that it’s used as a lookout and has gone to communicate with others. It’s not the Imperials which brings up the question as to why Zsinj is using walkers and not speeders to search. Leia suggests that there’s something out here that warrants the use of heavy armor and weapons.

 

Han goes up to take a look and, when he spots something, they start running but encounter four Imperial walkers. The scouts order the droid to drop all the weapons over the trail. Han demands to know what they’re doing on his planet.

 

The scout knows who Han is and tells him he’s in Zsinj’s territory. They are marched off through the forest but Han notices that two of the walkers seem more interested in watching the forest ahead. It would seem the Imperials are just as frightened as they are.

 

It is right before dawn when the patrols are attacked by huge creatures holding clubs: rancors with bits of stormtrooper armor tied to their bodies.

 

They make quick work of the walkers, but what frightens Leia are those riding the creatures. They are women. One of them holds a Force pike and uses the Force to communicate.

 

One of the rancors picks up an injured Chewie. The woman in charge tells Leia to keep her slaves marching. They are being taken to the sisters for judgment.
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  • Is the SSD docked at Dathomir for repairs the Iron Fist? If it is, why wouldn’t Han recognize it? If not, why did Zsinj go to the trouble of liberating the Razor’s Kiss from Kuat if he already had another SSD?
  • Also, does the Falcon, or 3PO for that matter, have no information about Dathomir? I find it hard to believe Han wouldn’t have checked out the planet before heading here. And why does he keep insisting the planet is his? I know he won it in a card game, but considering the number of Imperial ships around it, wouldn’t you think at some point he’d figure out he’d been had?
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chapter 13:

 

Isolder grabs his survival pack and ejects into Dathomir’s atmosphere. When his parachute doesn’t open, he flails about, waiting to crash but he lands easily on the surface of Dathomir’s desert region. Then he sees his ship do the same. Looking up, he spots Skywalker floating down onto the ground, deep in meditation.

 

Luke explains he put himself in a trance so that Zsinj’s men would be fooled into thinking he was dead. He looks up at the space battle above and remembers how he felt called to be out there in the thick of things, too. Isolder feels the same way. Luke warns him about allowing the call of the hunt to beckon him to the dark side.

 

Isolder tells him he hunts Han Solo, but Luke knows he’s hunted before. Isolder admits he hunted the pirate who killed his brother. Luke, peering into Isolder’s mind, can hear the brothers playing together and the older one singing him to sleep at night.

 

He tells Isolder he must forgive the pirate and serve the light side. The prince doesn’t understand how he can forgive someone who is dead. Luke explains that it is happening again. Someone has taken a person he loves away from him. If he indulges the same feelings of loss, he will be ruled by the Dark Side.

 

Isolder thinks it’s pointless as he does not have Luke’s power anyway, but Skywalker tells him that he must serve the light within him regardless of its strength.

 

Leia is about 120 kilometers away. Luke warns him that the path of the light will take him places he doesn’t want to go. The forces of darkness are gathering here.

 

After R2 lands, Isolder gathers his things, knowing Skywalker is asking him to follow his example. He wants to believe this is just some spooky tale, but he cannot dismiss watching Skywalker float from the sky.

 

They walk for a long time before ducking into a crevice to sleep during the heat of the day. After a time, the ground begins to rumble and Luke notes it’s a stampede. Large blue-scaled lizards are racing along. Luke gives one of the creatures some of their precious water.

 

He explains that the creatures race from the hills where they feed to here where they hide from predators. This evening, they will take both Luke and Isolder to the hills.

 

That night, Luke levitates R2 onto one of the creatures. They call themselves the Blue Desert People and they carry the small group to water. Isolder is annoyed that they aren’t being carried the whole way. Luke explains that he doesn’t make anyone do anything. Now that they have water, it isn’t necessary for them to be carried any further.

 

Isolder doesn’t understand how Skywalker can treat everyone the same. This is not how it is done on Hapes. He can see why his mother wants to kill the Jedi. His ideas are dangerous. Luke asks if Isolder serves his mother. When the prince says he does, Luke points out that he is here instead of with her. If he served his mother faithfully, he would be content to marry someone equal to his station. Luke doesn’t think he’s here to find Leia so much as the Force has brought him here to learn about it.

 

Isolder experiences a sense of thrill. He wonders if Luke is led by some mystical energy field or if he just follows his conscience. He wonders where the Force will guide him and knows that it will change his life.

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  • I’m a bit confused here. I realize this book was written before the concept of midichlorians was introduced, but there is some precedent for people to have an adeptness in the Force, more so than others. For example, Corran Horn clearly has some Force-sensitivity, so did Dev Sibwarra. Luke wanted to train Dev and has invited Horn to come learn from him. On the other hand, Tyria Sarkin has some Force-sensitivity but not enough that Skywalker thought she could benefit from Jedi training. Yet, this Prince Isolder, who has shown nothing indicating that he has any Force-sensitivity at all, is being pumped by Luke to learn about the Force. Is Luke actually wanting to train Isolder in the ways of the Force or is this just about justice, equality and democracy?
  • Additionally, Luke doesn’t know it yet, but he has stumbled upon a key component in his father’s fall to the Dark Side. Anakin Skywalker experienced the loss of his mother. The memory of that loss and his inability to move past it fueled his determination not to lose anyone else he loved.
  • I also want to point out here that Luke ejecting from his ship and floating down is phenomenal, especially considering he likely did the same thing to Isolder and Isolder’s ship. Like The Truce at Bakura, we are seeing Luke do some incredible things for someone who is only been doing the Force thing for about 8 years.
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chapter 14:

 

Isolder follows Luke through the wilderness, not speaking. Luke considers how he’s wanted to find talented students to teach about the Force. Yet Isolder has sought him out, despite his little talent. Luke can teach him to follow the light without worrying about him becoming another Vader. He wonders if Obi-Wan was as surprised by Luke’s intrusion on his life as Luke has been surprised by Isolder’s.

 

He cannot feel the power in the Prince but it could be so new that he can’t feel it himself. Luke knows Ta’a Chume lied to him about a Jedi Academy on one of her worlds. Was there ever a Jedi Academy? Maybe the Force just sends students to their masters at a time of its divination.

 

He can sense a darkness here on Dathomir…obviously a perfect place for an academy if times of darkness are what lead students to teachers. They find the wreckage of a ship that Luke recognizes when he sees the name: Chu’unthor.

 

Isolder doesn’t want anything to do with it, but Luke doesn’t want to pass up this chance. The ship shows no blast damage. It might have had a technical problem and let down here.

 

Obviously, something on the ground tried to break in because there are entryways welded shut and heavy scuff marks on the doors.

 

Luke thinks that whoever was on the ship left right after landing and never came back. He feels disturbances in the Force here and knows whatever Yoda encountered is still here. Through the windows, he sees workbenches with tools that only could be used to build lightsabers.

 

He considers that there never was a Jedi academy because it was a spaceborne one to travel among the stars and bring recruits aboard.

 

He starts to cut into it with his lightsaber when he becomes aware of the presence of a woman behind him. She is tall with red hair, dressed in animal skins. She swings a club around fierce enough to knock his saber from his hand. He calls it back.

 

She is amazed and mentions the stories her grandmother would tell about the Jai, a race of unbeatable warriors. She asks if he is one of them. He views her through the Force and sees that she is searching for something. When he realizes what it is, he is too late. She chants aloud and rocks begin falling down on him. He yells that she cannot take men as slaves and mates without permission.

 

She knocks him out and tells him that she is Teneniel Djo and he is her slave.

 

The rancor patrol marches the small group into a village where Han notes that the women are warriors and that there appears to be some type of conflict going on. They are led behind a group of huts where men, young women and children are staring into puddles of water.

 

Han is directed to dig a hole and stare in a puddle, too. After a long time, a large worm called whuffa starts inching out of the puddle and Han struggles to pull the huge thing out. The villagers think this is a great feat and hang it on trees where it dries into some kind of rope. He feels a bit silly knowing he just caught a rope.

 

A female named Damaya calls for him. She explains that Leia has been pleading his case to the Singing Mountain Clan for two hours. His freedom has been won but not his future. They have not yet decided whether or not to be his allies.

 

It is likely that the Nightsiders and their Imperial slaves will want his ship and, since he is a man of some import, probably him, too. He must tell them if he wants their protection and what he will pay for it.

 

On the landing, nine women wait. An older woman approaches him and tells him to tell her where his ship is. He starts to answer when Damaya orders him to tell her nothing. He realizes the old woman is using a form of the Jedi Mind Trick.

 

Damaya advises him that Baritha has a powerful gift that allows her to force minds.

 

Baritha rejects the notion that the Singing Mountain Clan tolerates her people. She knows they have no choice because they are weak. Baritha challenges Damaya to shoot her aunt because her life is meaningless now.

 

Damaya refuses to be goaded and leads Han into the fortress. The women follow. They are all greeted by Mother Augwynne, head of Singing Mountain . Baritha demands that the offworlders be turned over to her and the other nightsisters since they captured them.

 

Augwynne explains only Imperial trespassers captured the off-worlders and on Singing Mountain land. Baritha argues that the stormtroopers were doing her bidding. Augwynne tells her if she wants to interrogate Solo, she can do it now. She asks Solo to tell Baritha why he has come to Dathomir.

 

He produces his holo and claims to own the planet, demanding the nightsisters leave. Baritha will gladly if he gives her a ship. He feels a sudden urge to divulge the location of the Falcon again. Augwynne tells Baritha to tell Gethzerion that Solo wlll remain here as a free man, befitting one who saved the life of a clan sister named Tandeer.

 

They reveal Leia posing as an adopted clan sister from the Northern Lakes region. Baritha claims this is a technicality, but Augwynne points out these are the laws which the Nightsisters have never respected.

 

Baritha demands the slaves or they will be taken. The Singing Mountain sisters interpret that as a threat and begin humming. The Nightsisters pull in togther and Baritha shouts to Gethzerion that the offworlders have a ship and they are not being allowed to take them.

 

They jump up through the window and land on the ground, rushing off. Augwynne tells Han that it’s a good thing Gethzerion wants him alive and welcomes him to Dathomir.

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  • Let’s set aside the fact that there was obviously not an airborne academy where recruits were picked up from planet to planet during Yoda’s time. There would have been something like that in the time of Darth Bane because we know the Jedi were fighting a desperate battle for their lives and resorted to picking up students of all ages, regardless of their level of training (one of the things that I found so very wrong, especially when we consider what it did to Zannah), but, by Yoda’s time, the Jedi would have been firmly entrenched in their Temple…wherever it was located because, as we know, the Temple kept being moved off and then back to Coruscant every few years. But Luke can’t possibly know whether or not there was some kind of training ship since he has little information about the Jedi. However: he has to know about the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. There are just too many people alive from that time who would have known that the Jedi lived and trained there. Surely the displays in the Galactic Museum would have referred to the Temple and, even if it didn’t, Mon Mothma could have told him. So could a heckuva lot of other people Luke’s encountered in the last 8 years.
  • And, in fact, there was an academy on Dathomir millennia ago…a Sith Academy.
  • Okay, so Isolder is not strong in the Force, so it would appear that Luke isn’t helping him because he’s Force-sensitive but because he wants to teach someone about the light side of the Force. He’s also considered that Isolder may just suddenly develop Force powers that are new to him. Did Yoda and Obi-Wan not give him information about how the Force develops in beings? Additionally, he's intepreting Isolder's just showing up in his life to be similar to him showing up in Obi-Wan's? Not the same thing. Obi-Wan was on Tatooine to watch over Luke. It was inevitable that they would cross paths. Obi-Wan probably expected it to happen at some point and would not have been surprised at all. Luke has had no connection or encounter with Isolder prior to this.
  • We met Mother Augwynne in Coruscant Nights: The Last Jedi.
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chapter 15:

 

Teneniel Djo leads the two male slaves and their droid through the forest, sensing the Nightsisters on all sides. The male spell-caster tells her he can sense them, too. If she frees him, he can help her.

 

She wants to know if he will stay with her if she unbinds him. He can’t promise that because he doesn’t know what she wants with him. She explains he will be registered as her property and spawn children by her. He counters that he did not come here for a wife. He causes his weapon to fly to his hands and frees himself.

 

It’s obvious he is very powerful even for a male witch. She asks his name and he introduces himself as Luke Skywalker. His friends are Isolder and R2.

 

They agree to separate. Isolder and R2 will proceed to her clan’s village while she and Luke will draw the Nightsisters off. They will likely not be interested in the other two anyway.

 

Along the way, Luke asks if she always uses verbal chants with her spells. She does, but knows of others who learn to cast silently. She can tell that he is more powerful than she’d originally thought. Certainly, he had the power to free himself the whole time.

 

They evade an Imperial patrol with a strong wind she conjures, but run into Ocheron, a Nightsister who lured them here. Ocheron uses Force lightning to shoot at Teneniel. Luke ignites his lightsaber, takes off Ocheron’s head and deflects the bolts of oncoming stormtroopers before killing them. He grabs Teneniel and drags her into a cave where he tries to assess the damage the lightning has done to her.

 

While she dreams, Teneniel sees the lifeless body of her mother and hears a young girl crying while Nightsisters chant.

 

She wakes up feeling better. The male witch is gone and she wonders at how powerful he must be to heal without a chant. He is not like the other males she has seen from off-world. The stormtroopers are so weak and fawn over the Nightsisters. She knew that there had to be men like Luke out there.

 

He returns with Isolder and R2. The Nightsisters had met where the battle was fought but have left. They may be going for reinforcements. Isolder is worried about the stormtroopers which Teneniel dismisses as being easy to kill.

 

The Nightsisters will not come here anyway because this is the burial place of some of the old ones. She tells Luke that the old ones came from the stars, warriors who built machines that looked like men. They were cast out of the sky and left with nothing.

 

They lived for generations like primitives until Allya was cast down. Luke realizes this was a rogue Jedi exiled by the Old Republic so she would have time to turn from the Dark Side.

 

She tamed the rancors and hunted food, teaching her daughters all she knew and how to hunt for mates. They prospered over time, dividing into clans and engaging in friendly rivalry over men, exiling those who were caught using the spells of the night. They pushed the wild rancors from the mountains and hoped they had peace at least. In Teneniel’s mother’s time, the Nightsisters gathered together. They were few but they were soon joined by those who tried to fight them using their own tactics.

 

She doesn’t understand if it was a disease or the spells themselves that caused the clan sisters to turn. Luke asks how old Allya’s daughters were when she died. Teneniel says the oldest was 16.

 

Luke knows this child was too young to learn the ways of the Force. He explains that the spells are not what gives the sisters power but the Force. Allya’s daughters were too young to master it but they learned how to use it somewhat. But it’s the intent of the heart when the spells are cast that determine what one becomes.

 

Corrupted acts come from a corrupted heart. He reminds her how she tried to cover their escape a few hours ago rather than fight the stormtroopers. That surprised him and shows that her heart is good.

 

But she still thinks she can make men slaves. She protests she hadn’t intended to hurt him. This is how all the daughters of Allya get mates.

 

Isolder asks how the Nightsisters came to work with the stormtoopers. She says that the troopers were sent here eight years ago to build a prison. The Nightsister Gethzerion sought employment with them, helping to catch runaway slaves. The Imperial forces were going to train her until they realized how powerful she was and took steps to make sure she couldn’t leave the planet.

 

The troopers, stranded here, too, are so terrified of her that they obey everything she says. She has promised to free them if they can get her off the planet. Luke understands that she could become a powerful evil in the galaxy if she accomplishes her goal. He asks how many there are. Teneniel tells him about 100. She realizes that this is more than he feared, but guesses there are maybe 25-30 spell-casters in her clan. Maybe that will be enough.

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  • Luke thinks 16 years old is too young to learn the ways of the Force. Yoda thought Luke was too old at 23, right? How old does Luke think someone should be to learn the ways of the Force? We all know that the Jedi trained students from infancy. In context of how little time has passed between the Clone Wars and now, I really think this is something else Luke should know already.
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chapter 16:

 

In the fortress, the women remove their elaborate headdresses, now resembling peasants. Their men serve food quietly as Han eyes a storm on the horizon. Augwynne tells him Gethzerion is angry but she’s too far away and concentrating on gathering her sisters first.

 

She then asks what this deed to Dathomir is really worth. Leia tells her it will be very valuable when the New Republic wins back this sector. When that happens is up for debate.

 

She wants to buy the planet from him. The mountains are full of gems and gold, after all. Han notes that, if he owns the planet, he owns everything on it. Augwynne tells him they have no money but they have power. If he will agree, he may ask for three wishes that they will grant, so long as it lies within their power.

 

Han can’t take this seriously, but he decides to humor them. First, he wants off this planet, then he guesses he would want some gold and gems, but lastly he wants Leia to marry him.

 

Augwynne notes that Leia said he would ask for those three things, but she cannot force Leia to marry him. As for the other two, the gems and gold will be here by dawn and there are members of the clan already headed to retrieve his ship.

 

Realizing they mean it, Han starts to protest, but Leia laughs that he just sold a planet. Augwynne counsels him not to regret this. The price is high for the sisters as Gethzerion probably wants him and the ship, too, and will fight them for it.

 

Han understands that all the time Leia spent in here earlier was done so that all this could be arranged. He asks what she would do with the planet anyway. Augwynne wants to sell land to settlers and bring teachers here to educate their young to be citizens of the New Republic.

 

They are going to have to repair the ship before the Nightsisters attack which will probably happen in about three days. The nearest clans cannot get here for four so it’s essential he be off the planet by then.

 

Han considers blowing up the ship to keep her from getting it, but he cannot do this to Chewbacca, PO or Leia. There’s a chance that Warlord Omogg will talk and either bounty hunters or the New Republic will show up.

 

He mentions it might be best to just give Gethzerion the ship, though he’d rather not. Both Augwynne and Leia explain that she cannot be given access to any ship. Leia believes the Emperor himself is afraid of them which is why the planet is interdicted. Years ago, he was going to build a penal colony here but hadn’t known about the Nightsisters. Once he did, he blew the airfield, stranding hundreds of his own people here rather than give her the chance to escape.

 

The warships in orbit are here as much to keep people on the planet as off. Zsinj has been forced to keep up what Palpatine started.

 

He gives Augwynne the holocube and tells her to keep it. He should have known Leia would never choose a husband based on the wealth he could offer her.

 

He starts making plans to scavenge parts he will need to repair the ship, but Augwynne tells him they all need rest. They are escorted to a room to sleep.

 

After a moment, 3PO offers some relaxing music to the Princess and, when she agrees to one verse, he begins to dance and produce a song dedicated to the virtues of Han Solo.

 

Once 3PO is insulted enough by her reaction to power down, she admits to Han it was a nice thing for him to do, giving the planet away. He asks if that means she loves him. She answers that it only means she thinks he’s a nice guy.

 

In the council chambers, the sisters lament that they let Gethzerion go on for this long without challenging her. Augwynne reminds them they cannot undo what they have done and there was always the hope she would return to them.

 

But now, their choices are limited. They all know that releasing the ship will only bring about Gethzerion’s retribution and giving her the ship will not rid them of her. She will hunt them down because they defied her. They will have to make a stand and the best place to do that is here.

 

In the night, he wakes up and finds Leia standing on the parapet. She calls to him and tells him she won’t let him fall. She is floating in midair but it seems so natural. He’s about to step out when something behind him blurs and cuts Leia across the face. She shrieks and falls to the rocks below.

 

He realizes what is happening as women all bearing Leia’s face crawl across the rock face. The real Leia appears with the determined look in her eyes that he knows is authentic. As the females shoot at the witches below, Leia tells him she knew they would come for him and that they’ll be back.
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  • Leia’s understanding is flawed. Palpatine absolutely knew the Nightsisters were here. He was on Dathomir in Darth Plagueis, after all, and got Maul from one of them.
  • It doesn’t, of course, explain why he would try to build a prison here in the first place only to scuttle the spaceport and strand hundreds of his troopers. And, I suppose that Zsinj would have inherited this problem and that’s why he can’t use any of the ships stationed here.
  • And another thing about Leia’s understanding…what does she mean that the deed to the planet is valid once the New Republic takes over? Really? This planet which, so far as I know, was not a member of the Republic, had Imperial troops stationed on it for the last 8 years (corresponding with right after ANH) and now can just be handed off as a prize in a card game? And the New Republic would honor that? So, would Warlord Omogg have owned it if she hadn’t lost it to Han? See, my thinking on this is that Omogg really didn’t own the planet and just bargained with Han over it, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to do anything with it. How does one confirm ownership of a planet?
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chapter 17:

 

The next morning, Isolder cooks some food and Teneniel thanks him for staying with her. She notes he did not run away when he could have. Artoo makes a mournful note and she interprets that he is asking about Luke. Isolder feels awkward, having Teneniel or Luke doing something strange constantly. She walks over and boldly kisses him, telling him he’s not bad for a commoner. This is not something Isolder has ever been called.

 

However, she pronounces him not as good as Luke. When Luke returns from filling the water canteens, they break camp and travel to Teneniel’s village. The women see her holding Isolder’s hand as if he were a child and hoot at him.

 

Her grandmother, Augwynne, emerges and welcomes her home. She did as she said, following a vision to the old ruins and captured a man, Isolder of Hapes, to be her husband. None of the sisters protest, though Isolder does. Leia rushes to him and Luke and embraces them both, grateful to have been found.

 

She explains that Isolder is not a slave. They don’t take those where she comes from. When Augwynne determines that he should belong to Teneniel then, Leia tries to claim he saved her life. Suspicious that Leia would claim the same about Isolder as Han, she questions Leia further who admits she doesn’t know if the attack targeted her or Isolder. Luke is described as a male spell-caster who killed Ocheron. This causes more than a few concerns among the sisters, especially as he’s also one Leia claims saved her.

 

Augwynne ruefully notes that it seems every man in the galaxy has saved Leia at least once and wonders if people are always trying to kill her. For now, though, she is granting Isolder to Teneniel. Leia appeals to Luke who reminds her that she’s the New Republic representative. Lacking a planetary governor, Leia can only defer to the regional head of government who, in this case, is Augwynne. She does lodge a formal protest. Augwynne asks if she would like to fight Teneniel over the man. This might result in a fight to the death or she could offer to buy him. Teneniel, at this time, is not selling.

 

Isolder knows he should be fighting this barbarism, but he is not too uncomfortable yet. Luke assures Leia this will be alright.

 

Han and Chewie are trying to fix the ship. Luke says his is too damaged, but does not mention Isolder’s intact fighter. To get the prince away from the lusty women, Leia and Teneniel drag him into the fortress. Augwynne urges Luke to go visit his friends but that she would like to see him later. His presence is not an accident.

 

Luke greets Han who is certainly very guilty at this point. His friend explains that he won this planet and, since Leia was about to run off with Isolder, he convinced her to take this trip but got shot down and stranded on an interdicted planet where a bunch of witches are about to fight a war over the wreckage of his ship.

 

As it is, his ship needs a lot of work. Isolder mentions his ship is alright and Han asks him how many it can hold. Isolder tells him two. Han tells him to take Leia and get off the planet as soon as possible. Luke intervenes and says Isolder was testing him. His ship only holds one and they know about the Nightsisters already.

 

Leia stops a possible fight between the two men by telling Isolder she came with Han willingly. Though he saw footage of Solo using the Gun of Command, he will not call her a liar and apologizes to Han. His fleet of several dozen destroyers should be here in a week. This isn’t enough time before the Nightsisters attack. Isolder suggests they put Leia in the fighter and send her away.

 

She will not leave without the rest of them. They should cobble parts from the fighter to fix the Falcon. Some of the parts can be scavenged, but not all. They may be able to get what else they need from the prison but none of the clan has been there.

 

Teneniel suggests Sister Barukka who joined the Nightsisters but has returned. She is forsaken while waiting to see if her petition to rejoin the clan is accepted. She is unstable, but has been inside the prison.

 

Teneniel offers to take them to see her, but she wants to speak with Isolder first.

 

She was confused when he didn’t run from her so she thought he was attracted to her. Now she sees he wants Leia. She could free him but he’ll only be captured by one of her other clan sisters so, until he leaves, he will be free in name only.

 

As the clan sisters plan routes to the prison, Augwynne takes Luke and Isolder to the ancient Mother Rell. She identifies Luke, mentions his founding a Jedi academy and asks after his wife and children, as well as Master Yoda. She also notes Prince Isolder, but thought Gethzerion had killed him. She realizes she’s been dreaming again.

 

Augwynne explains that Rell is 300 years old. Her spirit is strong enough that it will not let her die. She had told Augwynne years ago that a Jedi Master and his pupil would come someday and should be brought to her.

 

She does see the future but can become lost in it, as she becomes lost in the past, too. She had told Augwynne she would let herself die after the Jedi came as it would signal the end of their world.

 

Luke tells them both that Rell saw only one possible future and that nothing is written.
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chapter 18:

 

Teneniel leads the group to their rancor mounts where Luke asks Han if he can sit with Leia. Han would prefer to do that himself but a verbal battle between himself and Leia over how attractive Teneniel is results in Luke riding with her and Isolder using the distraction to hop up on the rancor with Leia. Han is stuck with Chewie.

 

What follows is a journey of climbing mountains and forging canyons during which the two rivals for Leia’s affections keep pulling stunts to diminish the other until Teneniel uses her chants to raise watery foam from the river and douses both of them.

 

Along the way,3PO informs them that R2 detects the arrival of more Star Destroyers, bringing the total in orbit to 14. Isolder knows this is in response to the Hapan Battle Dragon.

 

They take cover in the caves where Barruka has been staying, but she is not there. Teneniel worries that she may have been overcome with loneliness and rejoined the Nightsisters.

 

While they wait, she plays with the rancors and tells the others how the rancor mother is telling the younger ones how the witches taught them how to defend themselves. The witches treat them well, unlike the Nightsisters.

 

Isolder notes how well they treat animals, yet hold men as slaves. Luke tells him that they’ve built a hierarchy based on power the way other cultures do. Leia points out that rule by birthright has always seemed barbaric to her.

 

The prince thinks that ironic coming from someone whose family has led for generations. Despite her title being more honorific, her people still want her to lead them. Leia doesn’t think that means she inherited leadership skills.

 

Isolder thinks it’s no different than breeding animals for specific purposes. Mating the strongest and smartest generally cause the offspring to inherit a dominant position in the pack for that reason. Leia objects to that being applicable to humans, but Isolder observes that she doesn’t know his mother very well.

 

The warlords and the Nightsisters obviously fall within this philosophy.

 

Luke goes on to say that he believes there are genetic components to intelligence, charisma and decisiveness. Leia points out that there are businesspeople being able to lead just as well as a ruler. Isolder agrees that they are leaders in commerce but may not be good leaders in government because they would see everything in terms of profit. It’s better to let them run their businesses.

 

Luke counters that Isolder lumped his mother in with this element just a moment ago. Isolder explains that his mother was a good leader for her time. She helped fend off the Empire when the Old Republic collapsed and then held their worlds together under the pressure of Imperial rule when that was no longer possible. But her time is over. The Hapans need a queen strong, but gentle.

 

Teneniel points out that men hold no power on either of their worlds so how can he call her society barbaric. He counters that he actually holds some power in that he will choose the next Queen Mother.

 

Leia realizes that she fits the perfect Queen Mother so far as Isolder is concerned. She wonders if he only allows himself to fall in love with someone who meets the qualifications.

 

Barruka appears and warns them she is forsaken and cannot help them. She can feel Gethzerion’s summons. Teneniel tells her they need to get to the prison and find parts for a ship.

 

Barruka doesn’t want to risk angering Gethzerion more, she is constantly hearing the rails and curses of the woman. Luke thinks they must have been close. They were. Gethzerion is Barruka’s sister.

 

Luke tells her that Gethzerion used to be her sister but the part she loved is buried. She uses her staff to conjure up the dust into an image of the prison, including weapons placement and guards. She shows them the entrances and the outposts. Gethzerion keeps components to a ship she hopes to build in the basement. They plan an approach through the hills. When she spots an image of her sister in the sand, Barruka crushes it and wonders when her scars will heal.

 

Luke holds her and tells her that using the dark side of the Force to harm others usually costs someone. He will try to help her heal.

 

Leia can’t getPO’s song out of her head, so she tries to concentrate that night on listening to Luke teach Teneniel, Barruka and Isolder about the Force, particularly the importance of not surrendering to darkness.

 

Teneniel laments those who have been lost to the Nightsisters, some of whom were her childhood friends. Even Gethzerion had once been a kind person. Luke assures her that some can be saved, but the dark side is compelling enough that some will not. She should love the parts of them that were good, but not allow them to sway her.

 

Barruka wonders how she can free herself. Luke says she will have to give up her anger, greed and despair. Ultimately, she will have to give up her guilt, too.

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  • From what Isolder said, it sounds like the Empire did hold authority over the Hapes Cluster. That wasn’t the impression I’d gotten earlier. So, did they actually rule the worlds the way they did in the Core or did they just put political pressure on the Hapan government?
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chapter 19:

 

Near the prison, they note Gethzerion isn’t with the stormtroopers. They count a huge number of men and walkers. Teneniel sends a message through the Force to Augwynne, showing her the forces that will arrive within two days. They will have to return to the Singing Mountain clan before then.

 

They leave the droids behind so that they can work on decoding some transmissions between Zsinj’s warships and the prison. Chewie will stay with them, as well.

 

They reach the guard post and find it abandoned. Luke guesses that, on an interdicted planet, no one is going anywhere anyway even if there’s an escape. Leia points out, though, that they would still need to keep dangerous or violent criminals from harming others.

 

Isolder suggests they commandeer one of the harvester droids to take them into the food processing plant located there. Han doesn’t think it’s a good idea because of all the things that could go wrong. Isolder points out that no one will suspect them trying to get into the prison and he happens to know the harvester very well because it’s a Hapan model.

 

They take the harvester into the plant, then make their way to the prison section where prisoners are preparing food or doing laundry. Luke tries to order an old man to open a grate for them using the Jedi Mind Trick which Leia says never works for him.

 

It doesn’t. The old man, though, doesn’t know how they got in but is happy to help them. Han sees the access plate and thinks he can hotwire it. Leia argues he’ll just set off an alarm. He blasts it and then gets it open within seconds.

 

The old man offers to bring them clothing that will allow them to blend in. It seems there are no dangerous prisoners here, only political prisoners and conscientious objectors. Putting them on an out-of-the-way planet keeps them from joining the rebellion.

 

The prisoner gives them guard uniforms and witch’s robes. When two stormtroopers stop by to investigate, Han pretends to have had people infiltrate the prison under their noses and demands the name of their C.O. They don’t buy it and pull their blasters, which he grabs by the muzzle with his hands and pushes up as they fire.

 

Luke and Isolder pull off the helmets and knock them out. Luke uses the Force to wipe their memories of the exchange so that the old man will be spared.

 

He thanks Luke for everything. He remembers the Jedi.

 

Disguised in stormtrooper armor, Luke worries that he has overextended his powers for the day as wiping memories is a hard task. It would have been easier to kill them but he couldn’t do that. He just hopes it won’t be something he regrets.

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  • A couple of things here about Luke’s powers. Leia says the Jedi Mind Trick never works for him. It actually did work on Bib Fortuna, but she didn’t witness that. Beyond Jabba the Hutt, I’ve not seen any case since ROTJ in which Luke couldn’t use the Mind Trick on someone. Of course, there’ve been few opportunities to try it. Secondly, wiping someone’s memory is so taxing that he may have used up his powers for the day? Really? That can happen to a Jedi? I mean, I get that using the Force to do great feats of strength, heal oneself or battle for an extended period of time can ultimately overexert the body, but wiping a memory? And is there actually an implication here that Luke’s power on a day-to-day basis is finite? This is really not something we’ve seen from Luke. In Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter, Darsha Assant was a padawan who used the Mind Trick to give a gang member detailed instructions, up to and including getting a haircut and there was no indication it caused her any problems. And she was, by no means, the child of the Chosen One.
  • Leia conjectures that the prisoners are too valuable for the Empire to lose. Since the prisoners cannot leave the planet and are doing nothing of value for the Empire, it seems to me that they are already lost. I mean, it’s not like the Empire can trade them in a hostage exchange or hold them for ransom. The prisoners can’t be released because they cannot send a ship down to get them off the planet! So why not kill the prisoners and be done with it?
  • I am getting a better appreciation for security forces these last couple of books. The stormtroopers refused to be intimidated by being asked who their C.O. is when Han was trying to bluff them.
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chapter 20:

 

After breaking the Imperial code, 3PO tells Chewbacca that Zsinj knows General Solo is down here and Gethzerion has negotiated to sell him to Zsin’s men. They found the skid marks showing in what direction the Falcon was towed so a trap is being set for Solo when he comes to the city looking for parts.

 

As a guard droid forces the prisoners to their cells, the intruders walk through unencumbered. Leia recognizes a woman who had worked as senior weapons advisor to her father and was presumed killed. Luke reminds her that they can do nothing to help her right now.

 

Then he uses the Force to open a sealed door which takes them to an elevator. They reach the tower and he can sense the Nightsisters. He tells Teneniel how to draw strength from the Force to hide her presence from them.

 

Luke suddenly receives a vision of Dathomir so covered in darkness that he tells the others they cannot leave. Isolder and Han are determined to find the parts, fix the ship and get out of here as soon as they can. They both tell Luke that he is welcome to return with as big a fleet as he can muster if he wants. The Hapan Battle Group will be here in six days. Luke tells them they don’t have that long.

 

Han admits Luke’s been under stress, but he cannot allow his friend to scare the others, so threatens to punch him if he doesn’t stop. Luke gives in and directs them to the basement where they find a large number of destroyed ships, including a light freighter that could pass for the Falcon[/i\]. All they need is a few more cells.

 

But there are sure to be alarms even though it’s not guarded. Han finds an access keypad which is where he would put one. He doesn’t know the code, but port authorities would have their own overrides. Judging by where the ship has been, he guesses a few systems where he used to know some of the access codes back in the days of the Old Republic but none of the Imperial ones. Isolder steps in and enters one of the Imperial codes.

 

He used to know a girl in the specific system.

 

Han goes to run diagnostics, Leia and Isolder are assigned the sensor array window removal and Luke to get some barrels to drain coolant into. Teneniel will keep her eyes open.

 

She wanders along the wreckage, wishing she could enhance her senses with chants, but finds the Force is open to her. She climbs up a pile of molten slag and feels the darkness close in on her. She finds herself amid a group of Nightsisters, including Baritha, who have set a trap. They use their powers to close her windpipe. She tries to sing a chant, but cannot before remembering to open herself to the Force as Luke has taught her.

 

She collapses before she can go further.

 

Luke hears her call in his mind and shouts for Han before running for her. He uses the Force to open her trachea. Then tells the Nightsisters to leave this place. They are not impressed by him, though he tells them he has fought their kind on other worlds.

 

He shoots a blaster bolt at Baritha, which she deflects, then tosses his lit saber at another hag, killing her. They summon Gethzerion and their sisters.

 

Teneniel jumps from the top of the heap, causing Baritha to send the solar panels of ruined TIEs at her. The engines of the freighter ignite and Luke isn’t sure flying it through the planet with Star Destroyers in orbit is a good idea.

 

However, there isn’t much else they can do. As Teneniel curses Gethzerion, Luke warns her not to give into hate and drags her to the ship. Han doesn’t think the ship can lift off, but Luke tells him they have to get out of here. The Nightsister reinforcements are here.

 

After helping Han unstick the throttle, Luke heads back to help Leia and Isolder with the generators. They grab all the parts they need and head to the ramp. Han lowers the ship over the lake and they jump out with the equipment as the Star Destroyers above begin pounding the ship.

 

Han asks for Luke’s macrobinoculars and confirms something he saw. There are thousands of satellites overhead, probably orbital mines. Luke remembers his vision of a completely dark Dathomir and knows this is related.

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  • The sentence where Han mentioned knowing some of the port authority codes back in the Old Republic days is very odd. First off all, Han was no older than 10 when the Old Republic passed. It’s possible that he might have known port authority access codes due to his working with Shrike, but I find that unlikely for a kid under the age of ten. I suppose some of the worlds could have been slow to change to Imperial codes…
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chapter 21:

 

When the droids, Chewie and the rancors show up, Luke and Han explain they already know about the trap. 3PO has R2 show them the latest message in which Gethzerion tells General Melvar that they have captured General Solo and are waiting for the shuttle Zsinj promised in trade.

 

Melvar tells them that the offer isn’t valid anymore as Zsinj’s men have bombed the ship that left the compound. He asks if it was the Millennium Falcon. Gethzerion said it was but it was piloted by stormtroopers who tried to take off with it first.

 

As a result, the witches are a weaker bargaining position. Gethzerion expected this as Zsinj is known even here for not keeping his word. Melvar will take Solo in exchange for not destroying their world. Gethzerion does not think this is much of a bargain. They do not value their lives so he offers them nothing.

 

However, she does offer to serve Zsinj if he releases them from this world. Melvar isn’t sure he can trust them. Gethzerion tells him they will hand over all of their daughters and granddaughters under the age of ten as hostages. Melvar points out that people who don’t value their own lives will have no problem sacrificing their children. But even Gethzerion has limits and tells him no mother would be so evil.

 

They wonder what Zsinj is planning to do to destroy the whole planet and what Gethzerion is playing at, pretending to have Han. Leia notes how badly Zsinj wants to get Han and wonders why this is so personal.

 

Han admits that, after destroying the Iron Fist, he contacted Zsinj via holo vid, took credit for it and told Zsinj to kiss his wookiee.

 

Even Isolder appreciates the bravery that goes into that, but reminds Han that Zsinj’s reputation demands he retaliate.

 

They begin to carry the parts back to the Falcon. After making camp, Luke cannot get the whispers of eternal night out of his head. He wishes he knew more about the Nightsisters and hopes that he can receive some counsel from Ben or Yoda.

 

He questions his use of the Force as ethical since he is drawing energy from the galaxy’s life. He has never been fully tested in terms of the limits of his strength as Vader only sought to turn him, not kill him.

 

This planet is remote and the events here would not even matter to most of the people living on other planets.

 

Teneniel sits with Isolder and tells him she often thinks of people who live on other worlds. He looks up at the stars with her and tells her about life on some of the ones he’s visited. He tells her his mother rules 63 worlds and this surprises her. She’d thought the Queen Mother ruled villages or clans.

 

She wonders if he will think of her when he sees her star from his homeworld. He tells her the star is too dim to be seen from Hapes. He asks what his status to her is. Is he a slave, a mate, a prisoner? She tells him that she would never force him but he might not be happy with a different woman. If he was unhappy with her, he could run away, arrange to be captured by another clan or she could sell him to someone else within her own clan.

 

She is offering him his freedom. Considering the greed of the women on his own world, he is moved by her generosity on this hard world where men became slaves to have protection from the wild. He kisses her cheek and tells her that he will remember her when he is on Hapes and wonder if she is thinking of him.

 

Later, Luke helps Teneniel cool down the rancors and they speak about her anger at the prison. She didn’t see at that moment how the light side of the Force was more powerful than the dark. He tells her that he never said it was. Both can make one equally powerful, perhaps, but the Dark Side replaces good things for bad. It will give you what you crave, but will cost you everything you value.

 

She asks what happens if all she wants is love. He doesn’t know if the Force can lead her to that. She had left her clan to find a husband and rejoin her clan. She’d seen Luke and Isolder in a vison and feels that Luke is the right one for her.

 

Luke believes that love comes slowly after people have built up a history together. Love that comes quickly often dies just as quickly. He has to finish his Jedi training and will have to leave this planet. They will not have time to develop a history.

 

Han thrashes from a nightmare. Luke is concerned enough that he looks over and feels the pressure of Gethzerion. Teneniel announces that the Nightsister will get nothing from her. Gethzerion announces that she already knows enough: that Solo is alive and dreams of getting his ship operational. That is a goal that she supports.

 

Luke reaches out through the Force and she recoils from him. He sees a vision of her on a scout walker and tells the others to wake up. She is moving her army through the night in order to attack the Singing Mountain Clan at dawn.

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  • We know that General Melvar is one of Zsinj’s top advisors from the X-Wing series.
  • Additionally, I’m not sure how letting one’s daughters die when the planet is razed by Star Destroyers is any different from letting them be sacrificed as hostages. I suppose, though, that Gethzerion sees a difference.
  • The events Han described between him and Zsinj occurred in Solo Command. He did tell Zsinj to kiss his wookiee and Zsinj responded quite vehemently. However, I would think that the months he’s failed to kill Solo and what it has cost him in return would be enough for him to want to get rid of him even if Han hadn’t contacted him and gloated.
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chapter 22:

 

As the group travels on rancors through the night, Luke is relieved when he senses that Teneniel has given up on him. The Nightsisters have set fire to parts of the forest and a huge storm is raging in the sky.

 

R2’s sensors pick up Imperial walkers nearby. Luke tells Han to get Leia and the droids to the ship and begin working on fixing it. Han tells him he can still use a blaster, but Luke insists there is nothing he can do here.

 

Leia emphasizes to Han that the best thing they can do for these people is to get the ship fixed and off the planet. She tells Luke to be careful. Even she can sense the evil in the people that are there.

 

The rancors charge the walkers first, demolishing them. Luke tries to appeal to a young Nightsister, using the Force to close her windpipe to get her to agree to leave Gethzerion. The girl acquiesces, then tries another spell. Luke shoots her hand with his blaster and she tries again before a rancor squashes her. He is saddened and shocked by the consumption of that young one by the Dark Side.

 

They drag the generators up into the fortress. Augwynne tells them she and her clan will try to fend off the Nightsisters while Han repairs his ship. She asks for words of wisdom. He urges them to serve only life. Avoid taking life if they can, though he’s already warned Gethzerion.

 

Augwynne agrees. Those who die today will have their own blood on their hands.

 

As the storm begins to rage, the Nightsisters levitate a walker up along the fortress. The clan sisters create lightning and dust that brings the walker back down. Augwynne sends Fenna and Kirana Ti to the front doors.

 

Three Nightsisters cling overhead from the top of the fortress and drop to the balcony. He uses his blaster and saber to battle them until Gethzerion appears. She knows he is a Jedi and is not quite impressed with him. He urges her to abandon the dark side, but she uses the Force to inflict such pain upon him that he can feel the blood vessels in his brain bursting.

 

He wonders now that this is how it would have felt had Vader tried to kill him.
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  • Really? Was Palpatine not trying to kill him with the blue Force lightning? This whole idea that Luke doesn’t know what it would have felt like had Vader tried to kill him is kind of silly.
  • Didn’t they all agree earlier that leaving the planet wouldn’t help the sisters of the Singing Mountain clan because Gethzerion would retaliate against them? Why is Leia thinking the best thing they can do is leave?
  • First appearance of Kirana Ti.

 

 

 

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chapter 23:

 

Chewbacca and Isolder work on the ship as Nightsisters find them. Chewie rips the arm off of one and Isolder shoots her. He sends the Wookiee back into the ship and holds his blaster ready. When more Nightsisters arrive, he closes the ramp to the ship and tells them to save themselves.

He knows that Mother Rell’s vision will come true as a Nightsister slams an invisible hammer into him.

 

Teneniel sends a wind to push the Nightsisters away with such lethal force that Kirana Ti looks at her in fear. The girl tells Teneniel that she’s burst a blood vessel in her face. This is a mark of a Nightsister.

 

She knows she killed them in rage and runs.

 

She finds Nightsisters up high where the Falcon is the only thing of value. She uses the Force to levitate Isolder’s body away from the Nightsister who is claiming him and wills the ship to ignite its engines.

 

When it flames, she feels the pain of the burns while all but one of the Nightsisters is left living, but badly burned.

 

The ship flies around the fortress but the storm buffets it. Threepio reports that the hyperdrive has been filled with coolant. They spot more walkers and Nightsisters approaching so Han drops a couple of proton torpedoes on the road. The explosion eliminates the source of the storm.

Teneniel is still in pain as she crawls to the wounded Nightsister and gives her the last of her energy through the Force as a gift of life.

 

On the horizon, a black spot appears and so do many others. Threepio tells Han that the sun appears to be going dead. This is something not even the Nightsisters can accomplish.

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chapter 24:

 

The sensors on the Falcon are damaged thanks to the flight through the storm. Leia tells him that Isolder is still back at the fortress, possibly killed. Han lands the Falcon, tells Chewie to get to work mounting the generators and then leaves with Leia to go back to the fortress.

 

There, they find Teneniel over the body of a Nightsister, breathing deeply. Isolder is snoring. When Leia shakes him, he wakes up and kisses her.

 

Augwynne appears and sends for a healer. Gethzerion is nowhere to be found and several others are missing, too, along with Luke. The healer arrives and asks Teneniel who she gave some of her energy to. Teneniel indicates the Nightsister whom the healer examines before departing. She may or may not live, that is up to Gethzerion to send a healer as she is needed for her own clan. Leia argues with Augwynne about this until she consents to allow the young woman to be healed.

 

Leia cannot sense Luke’s presence anywhere and wants to go look for him. Isolder and Augwynne point out the dangers involved in searching right now. R2 shows them a transmission from Gethzerion to Zsinj demanding to know what the darkness is about.

 

Zsinj explains that this is an orbital nightcloak that he has in position around Dathomir. If they do not release Solo to him today, he will keep the nightcloak in place, blocking out light and heat until Dathomir freezes and all life dies.

 

As for her offer of service, Zsinj doesn’t think he can find a place for them in his organization. She explains that her Nightsisters could infiltrate New Republic worlds and eliminate his enemies. He will send two transports down. One will be armed and will carry General Solo to him. The unarmed one will carry the Nightsisters to a destination of his choice.

 

Among the clan sisters, an old woman pronounces that the deal is meaningless. Gethzerion does not have General Solo to give Zsinj who obviously has no intention of freeing the planet or letting Gethzerion leave, regardless.

 

Isolder suggests that he take his fighter up and take down a couple of satellites. Since they operate in a chain, that should be sufficient to knock out the nightcloak. It would be dangerous though. The Hapan fleet will arrive in three days but that’s not enough time before Dathomir starts freezing.

 

Han suggests he and Isolder draw straws to see who will fly the ship. It’s not like Luke to keep them hanging but they cannot find him. When Leia starts to weep for lack of his presence, Han holds her. He tries to comfort her, but suddenly he gets a vision in his head. Gethzerion shows him the prison and the guards shooting at a crowd of prisoners. She tells him 50 prisoners are already dead. She will send a Nightsister to retrieve him in one hour or he will watch the deaths of 500 more prisoners. She is counting on his compassion to prevent that from happening.

 

Augwynne notes that he is being contacted by Gethzerion. When the sending is over, he runs off to the Falcon. He tells Isolder to get working on the sensor array window. Then he turns to Leia and tells her that Gethzerion is killing prisoners. All of these innocent people are dying because he came here. They are dying because Zsinj wants to kill him and everything he stands for.

 

He goes to the comm. unit and contacts the prison, telling them he will meet the Nightsister just like Gethzerion requested. Leia tells him he can’t surrender because he will be killed.

 

He pulls out a deadly thermal detonator and hides it under his shirt in the hopes that he can take out Gethzerion and her Nightsisters. Isolder will have to do something about Zsinj. Leia made a good choice.

 

She never considered it a choice. She hadn’t thought of the marriage proposal in days, knowing that she was trying to see if she still loved Han. But she knows that the most expedient thing she can do for her people is to bite the bullet and choose Isolder out of necessity.

 

He kisses her passionately and breaks away, telling her not to say anything that will make him regret this more than he does. He already knows she loves him. He’s always known that.

 

He runs off into the forest while Chewbacca and 3PO stand with her.

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  • Zsinj utilizes a nightcloak in Solo Command to hide a ship called Second Death so that the debris from that would make Han think the Iron Fist had been destroyed.
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