Dark Force Rising | Chapter 3 | The Lost Holocron

07/03/24 • 57 min

Chapter 3 of Star Wars: Dark Force Rising (1992) (EU: 9 ABY) by Timothy Zahn.

The Story So Far

The New Republic is beleaguered by numerous Imperial hit-and-fade operations. To fulfil the needs of the victimised member worlds, New Republic warships have been pressed into relief shipping. With many vulnerable capital ships funnelled through Sluis Van, the Imperial Remnants used mole miners stolen from Lando Calrissian’s enterprise to assault the shipyard in an attempt to hijack warships.
Leia Organa Solo has been evading abduction from a mysterious alien task force. Leia and Chewbacca go to ground on Kashyyyk, where another incident occurs. Together with the Wookiees, she neutralises the threat, capturing the Noghri operative Khabarakh, but not before Chewbacca 's childhood friend Salporin is killed.
During the subsequent interrogation, Khabarakh identifies Leia as daughter-and-heir to the revered Lord Vader. Leaning on that reverence, she offers a one-on-one meeting as a show of good faith from the New Republic towards the Noghri people. She returns to Coruscant in the interim to prepare for her meeting in one-month’s time over the forest Moon of Endor.
Meanwhile, from a chance sighting while on Myrkr, Han Solo and Lando are informed by an unforthcoming Talon Karrde of the recent Imperial reformation under a non-human Grand Admiral after he declines to supply the New Republic with logistical support. Han and Lando arrive with Luke Skywalker at Sluis Van in time for Lando’s override codes to foil the Imperial assault. They are alerted to a political emergency on Coruscant and Han leaves ahead of Luke and Lando.

Chapter 3

Admiral Ackbar is under house arrest on suspicions of treason. On the day of the attack on Sluis Van, money had been transferred into his account on the crossroads planner of Palanhi — known for its fence-sitting during the Galactic Civil War.
Han arrives back to Coruscant and is quickly shepherded by Leia to a special hearing of the New Republic Council. Mon Mothma presides as Han recounts his experience over Sluis Van. During Fey'lya's allegations against Ackbar, Han blurts out his uncorroborated discovery that the Imperials are being led by a Grand Admiral. The council suspends further inquiry to investigate this new claim and continue with Han's Sluissi testimony.
Han, Leia, and Chewbacca visit Ackbar. Ackbar doubts that the old Imperial files will contain useful information; the position of Grand Admiral was one of Emperor Palpatine's efforts to exercise direct control over both military and political spheres.
Since landing, Han senses unease in Chewbacca, but Leia is not yet ready to speak about their time on Kashyyyk.

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Chapter 3 of Star Wars: Dark Force Rising (1992) (EU: 9 ABY) by Timothy Zahn.

The Story So Far

Chapter 3 Links, Share, and Support

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Previous Episode

Dark Force Rising | Chapter 2 | The Lost Holocron

Chapter 2 of Star Wars: Dark Force Rising (1992) (EU: 9 ABY) by Timothy Zahn.

The Story So Far

The New Republic is facing logistical strains to fulfil their promises to new member worlds. They have stripped warships to pick up the slack.
While escaping entanglement with Imperial Star Destroyer Chimera, Luke Skywalker’s X-Wing is crippled. Grand Admiral Thrawn puts out a bounty for Skywalker’s capture, knowing that his hyperspace motivator will fail, stranding him in deep space.
After the events on Myrkr, Luke, Han, and Lando make it in time to Sluis Van as Thrawn’s assault begins. With so many warships running materiele through the shipyards, Thrawn uses stolen mole miners in an attempt to hijack them. Having stolen them from Lando’s mining operation on Nkklon, Lando uses his override codes to scupper the whole enterprise. With the capital ships all but ruined, the Imperials pull out leaving the shipyard in disarray.

Chapter 2

With hours ticking away since Admiral Ackbar’s arrest, Luke’s status as a civilian has him grounded at Sluis Van; his X-Wing has no priority to receive Sluissi repairs, and despite Wedge tacitly offering up his own X-Wing, Wedge would face a court martial to hand over military property to a civilian.
Lando — given his stable condition — is similarly unlikely to see medical care soon. As he talks to Luke, he notices the signature scent of an old associate lingering on Luke’s clothing; professional ship thief Niles Ferrier. Using a Jedi memory-enhancing technique, Luke leads Lando in pursuit of Ferrier. After a brief firefight, they convince Ferrier and his crew to leave Sluis Van for another mark, receiving intel on an Imperial bounty for captured warships as well as slicer codes that might be used to sordidly expedite Luke’s repairs.

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Dark Force Rising | Chapter 4 | The Lost Holocron

Chapter 4 of Star Wars: Dark Force Rising (1992) (EU: 9 ABY) by Timothy Zahn.

The Story So Far

The New Republic is beleaguered by numerous Imperial hit-and-fade operations with a recent assault leaving an entire shipyard of capital ships crippled. Admiral Ackbar has been accused by political rival Borsk Fey'lya of colluding with the Imperials due to suspicious financial activity on the day of the assault.

Han Solo, Lando Calrissian, and Luke Skywalker have intel that a non-human Grand Admiral is behind the recent coordination. Arriving ahead of Lando and Luke, Han gives his testimony on the assault and divulges the intel before they can verify it in the ex-Imperial Archives.

Meanwhile, Leia Organa Solo has been evading abduction from a mysterious alien task force. On Kashyyyk, Leia and the Wookiees neutralise another attempt, capturing the Noghri operative Khabarakh, but not before Chewbacca 's childhood friend Salporin is killed.

During the subsequent interrogation, Khabarakh identifies Leia as daughter-and-heir to the revered Lord Vader. Leaning on that reverence, she offers a one-on-one meeting as a show of good faith from the New Republic towards the Noghri people. She returns to Coruscant in the interim to prepare for her meeting in one-month’s time over the forest Moon of Endor.

Luke has been lacking confidence to both train Leia and become the teacher of the next generation of Jedi. Beckoned through the Force to Jormark by a Jedi Master identified by rumour as Jorus C’Baoth, apprehension urges Luke to seek out this possible new mentor to lighten his burden. He is unsuspecting that it is really a Clone of the original C’Baoth in league with the Imperial Grand Admiral.

Chapter 4

Luke is back on Coruscant. While looking through the Palace Archives for information on C'Baoth, Winter interrupts him to deliver Leia’s summons. They discuss the digressive Jedi and his place in both Galactic and Alderaanian history.

Winter leaves Leia, Luke, and Han to discuss the conspiracy surrounding Ackbar, and (if any) throughlines with Fay'lya and the Bothans. With nothing left to contribute on Coruscant, Han and Luke will investigate New Corv, in the Churba Sector where the Bothans were involved in a brief-but-violent skirmish during the Galactic Civil War.

It’s at this point that Chewbacca exposes Leia’s rendezvous with the Noghri. With Han and Leia staring expectantly at each other, Luke excuses himself.

Leia and Han argue in earnest, but ultimately her idealism wins his support for her mission. Han insists that she take the Falcon and Chewie as a pilot.