Cover Artist: Dave Seeley

With the Yuuzhan Vong forces bloodied at Borleias and a strike team on the surface of Coruscant led by Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Princess Leia leave to visit worlds and plant resistance cells on those worlds. The first world they visit is Vannix, in the Vankalay system, where an ex-senator favors appeasement with the Vong. Han and Leia manipulate the people of the world to vote against her and for the candidate who favors resistance before moving on. Later, at Aphran IV they are recognized by Peace Brigade sympathizers and captured to be turned over to the Yuuzhan Vong. With the help of C-3PO and R2-D2, they break out of the prison and return to Borleias to help in the upcoming showdown. On Coruscant, Luke's team finds many people hiding in the ruined city but are unable to help them much. After a time, the Jedi are able to track down the Dark Side user they have been feeling, and learn that is is Irek Ismaren. He has been significantly modified by his mother Roganda after a terrible accident nearly took his life. Now lacking the ability to communicate through speech and behave in a rational manner, he stands 3 meters tall and has lightsabers surgically added to many parts of his body. Feeling hunger for something behind a black wall under the remains of the old Jedi temple, he callously wastes many lives until he is able to free a well of sheer Force power that he doesn't hesitate to use. After causing significant destruction to the Yuuzhan Vong forces and the local refugees, he is stopped by Luke, Mara and Tahiri. They then proceed to escape the planet and return to Borleias, but not before they witness the death of Viqi Shesh. Back on Borleias, Wedge Antilles is able to bring about the destruction of the majority of the attacking Vong force, including the worldship that is leading the Vong, as they make a final escape from the planet and move on to fight elsewhere.