Dark Force Rising | Chapter 24 | The Lost Holocron

11/27/24 • 70 min

The Lost Holocron

Chapter 24 of Star Wars: Dark Force Rising (1992) (EU: 9 ABY) by Timothy Zahn.

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## The Story So Far ##

Leia captured one of her attempted Noghri abductors on Kashyyyk. In the interrogation, the operative Khabarakh identified her as Lord Vader’s heir. Leaning on his people’s reverence for Vader, Leia offered Khabarakh his freedom in exchange for an embassy on his home planet.

Leia, Chewbacca and C-3PO go to Endor in the Millenium Falcon. They transfer to Khabarakh’s ship and he takes them to the devastated world of Honoghr. They try to avoid Imperial detection but Khabarakh’s ship is confiscated. After analysis reveals Wookiee hair throughout the ship, Khabarakh is taken into Imperial custody for treason, then left in the capital of Nystao. The Imperial Grand Admiral mysteriously disappears, so Leia plans to break into Nystao and escape with Khabarakh.

During her stay, the Khim’bar Maitrakh shares the history of the Noghri people and how they came to be in the service of the Empire after a calamitous space battle wreaks planet-wide ecological collapse. Chewbacca's estimations of the decontamination effort place the disaster at the height of the Galactic Civil War, and Leia feels guilt at the untold collateral damage caused by their struggle against the Empire.

## Chapter 24 ##

Leia is more-or-less prepared to steal Khabarakh out of Nystao. Leia is too busy to heed C-3PO’s concerns over an unusually curious decon droid. The Maitrakh tells of when her fisrtsons were conscripted by the Empire, revealing that Khabarakh is not her third-born son, but her great-grandson; meaning the calamity happened during the Clone Wars almost half a century before! Indignant, Leia is determined to bring it directly before the Dynasts.

She orders Chewbacca to test the khlom-grass. The Maitrakh leaves herself to send word ahead. They leave the village by speeder under the cover of night. A large congregation follws them from each village they pass.

They are brought to the Grand Dukha. Dynast Vor’corkh is defiant to allow an alien interfering with their politics. Leia calls her lightsaber forth with the Force to demonstrate her authority as the mal’ary’ush. Dynast Ir’khaim and a supermajority of dissenters call to hear Leia’s proclamations.

Leia holds up the analysis of the supposed khlom-grass to show that they are genetic forgeries created by the Empire and that the decontamination effort a ruse.

An overly-curious decon droid is skulking behind the Grand Dukha. Leia orders its capture in exchange for proof. The droid is no match for the Noghri hunters. She opens the droid to reveal an espionage droid and a tube of decon fluid. With one drop, the plant shrivels up, demonstrating the true function of the decon droids.

Vindicated, the Dynasts agree to a cover story of Khabarakh's escape. Leia promises to return with more herbicide for the imitation khlom-grass. To save precious time season’s end, Leia decides to return straight for Coruscant, intending to leave the Falcon in orbit around Endor.

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Chapter 24 of Star Wars: Dark Force Rising (1992) (EU: 9 ABY) by Timothy Zahn.

All links are available in this chapter’s document

Share this link to find your preferred podcast player

## The Story So Far ##

## Chapter 24 ##

Leia holds up the analysis of the supposed khlom-grass to show that they are genetic forgeries created by the Empire and that the decontamination effort a ruse.

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Previous Episode

Dark Force Rising | Chapter 23 | The Lost Holocron

Chapter 23 of Star Wars: Dark Force Rising (1992) (EU: 9 ABY) by Timothy Zahn.

All links are available in this chapter’s document

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## The Story So Far ##

As the war drags on, both the Empire and New Republic are in need of warships. Before the Clone Wars, a fleet of two-hundred ships known as the Katana Fleet went missing in interstellar space. Smuggler Talon Karrde knows where to find them.

Han Solo and Lando Calrissian have met with the leader of a Corellians. Even without convincing the faction to join the New Republic, they are given a new lead on the warships. They are on their way to Pantolomin, tailed by ship thief Niles Ferrier.

Grand Admiral Thrawn has little respect for ex-Imperial Mara Jade. He tricked her into leading his flagship Chimaera to capture Karrde for interrogation. After being dismissed, Mara is determined to liberate Karrde with the help of Luke Skywalker, leveraging her hard-coded Imperial backdoor to query Skywalker’s location and the Chimaera’s flight schedule for the next few days.

On Jormark, Luke Skywalker has been training with an old Jedi Master, Joruus C’baoth. Unknown to Luke, C’baoth is actually a clone of the original Jedi Master. When Mara arrives to ask for Luke’s help under the protection of an ysalamir, C’baoth’s oppression through the Force is uncovered. After a brief struggle, C’baoth is neutralised and left in his castle. Luke sends R2-D2 to Coruscant, while Mara and Luke head to Wistril to intercept the Chimaera during a resupply.

Disguised as a supply ship, Mara and Luke infiltrate through to the detention centre and liberate Karrde. A report of a crashed Skipray Blastboat with a dead ysalamir alerts Thrawn to the possibility that they have been boarded, and after discovering Karrde’s escape, he orders the Chimera on high alert.

## Chapter 23 ##

The turbolift stops as the Chimera goes on alert for intruders. Mara disables the other Imperials in the car and Luke cuts them out into the turbolift shaft. With Karrde, they make their way to find Mara a terminal to hamper their would-be captors.

In the maintenance room, they discover that the central computer has been shut down. They neutralise a reconnaissance team and head back into the shafts. Based on their location, Karrde suggests they make their escape through the less-obvious starship deep storage area.

From damage reports via comm that clearly indicate the weapon profile of a lightsaber, Thrawn knows that Skywalker is working with Mara Jade. Thrawn predicts that with Karrde in charge of the escape, and orders a squad of stormtroopers be sent to guard the Millenium Falcon in deep storage.

Luke runs upon the Falcon and orders Karrde to commandeer it while he gets Mara back aboard. In a flurry, they make their escape, safely making the jump to Coruscant.

Pellaeon is irate, but between the data from Imperial Intelligence digging into Karrde’s past and Ferrier’s report pointing to the Pantolomin system, Thrawn is confident that Karrde will stall the Republic's arrival to the Katana Fleet long enough for them to get there first.

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Dark Force Rising | Chapter 25 | The Lost Holocron

Chapter 25 of Star Wars: Dark Force Rising (1992) (EU: 9 ABY) by Timothy Zahn.

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## The Story So Far ##

The long-lost Katana Fleet has been rediscovered and, at this critical period in the twilight of the Galactic Civil War, whoever claims the fleet will determine the temperature of the War for years to come. Han Solo and Lando Calrissian have met with an independent Corellian faction, whom were sold six of the Dark Force warships. Not willing to outright join the New Republic but understanding the tensions that exist, they give the location of their seller, a hapless gambler who frequents the underwater casino on Pantalomin.

Niles Ferrier is a professional ship thief that has been lifting warships for the generous bounty offered by the Empire. He also has a contentious history with Lando. More recently, Lando has thwarted Ferrier from stealing Republic ships at Sluis Van, and was involved in pressuring Ferrier into facilitating a currency exchange at New Cov.

After running afoul of Grand Admiral Thrawn, Ferrier and his crew are under threat of death to locate information on what the Admiral knows to be the Katana Fleet. Ferrier lures Han and Lando into a meeting in order to place a tracker on their craft.

With Imperial Intelligence investigating a connection to smuggler Talon Karrde’s past and Han and Lando’s projected course from Ferrier, the Empire is confident they have triangulated where and who the hapless gambler is that knows the location of the Katana Fleet.

## Chapter 25 ##

Among the coral reefs of Pantalomin, Han and Lando have searched the eight exquisite gambling halls of Coral Vanda in search of the Senna’s contact. As they are about to flog their professional prides to lure in a desperate gambler, they see one of Niles Ferrier’s cigarras. It doesn’t take any effort to spy the ship thief himself standing in a doorway and he signals for them to follow.

High above, aboard Chimaera, Thrawn and Pallaeon oversee the bombardment of the coral reef to force the luxury cruiser to surface.

As turbolaser fire rains into the surrounding water and the Vanda is thrown into disarray, Han is grabbed by Ferrier’s Defel into a liquor storeroom and separated from Lando. Despite Han’s attempt to bargain, Ferrier is adamant to let Lando be killed in the ensuing firefights and make good on his deal with the Empire. He leaves Han guarded by his Defel to close the deal. When the ship rocks again under the assault from above, Han shoves a crate at the Defel and ignites the alcohol that has been spilt everywhere. It is a short-lived distraction, but enough for him to escape.

Han meets up with Lando who has found himself targeted by the many men Ferrier had planted around the ship. The odds are overwhelming, and they struggle with the reality of having been outmanoeuvred. With the mission in shambles, they abandon ship.

From one escape pod among many bobbing on the ocean, Han and Lando watch the Imperials make away with their prize. It is of little consolation that they will be able to forewarn the Republic of the imminent threat.

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