Star Wars_ Legacy of the Force 01_ Betrayal - Aaron Allston [0]
title page
acknowledgments
the star wars novels timeline
dramatis personae
chapter one
chapter two
chapter three
chapter four
chapter five
chapter six
chapter seven
chapter eight
chapter nine
chapter ten
chapter eleven
chapter twelve
chapter thirteen
chapter fourteen
chapter fifteen
chapter sixteen
chapter seventeen
chapter eighteen
chapter nineteen
chapter twenty
chapter twenty-one
chapter twenty-two
chapter twenty-three
chapter twenty-four
chapter twenty-five
chapter twenty-six
chapter twenty-seven
chapter twenty-eight
chapter twenty-nine
chapter thirty
chapter thirty-one
chapter thirty-two
chapter thirty-three
chapter thirty-four
in his image karen traviss
two-edged sword karen traviss
preview of the star wars: legacy of the force series: bloodlines
other books in the series
also by aaron allston
copyright
acknowledgments
Thanks are due to my partners-in-plotting Troy Denning and Karen Traviss, to my Eagle-Eyes (Chris Cassidy, Kelly Frieders, Helen Keier, Bob Quinlan, Roxanne Quinlan, and Luray Richmond), to Shelly Shapiro of Del Rey, to Sue Rostoni and Leland Chee of Lucas Licensing, and to my agent, Russ Galen.
dramatis personae
Aidel Saxan; Prime Minister, Corellia (human female)
Ben Skywalker (human male)
Brisha Syo (human female)
C-3PO; protocol droid
Cal Omas; Chief of State, Galactic Alliance (human male)
Cha Niathal; admiral, Galactic Alliance (Mon Calamari female)
Gilad Pellaeon; admiral, Supreme Commander of the Galactic Alliance (human male)
Han Solo; captain, Millennium Falcon (human male)
Heilan Rotham; professor (human female)
Jacen Solo; Jedi Knight (human male)
Jaina Solo; Jedi Knight (human female)
Kolir Hu’lya; Jedi Knight (Bothan female)
Leia Organa Solo; Jedi Knight; copilot, Millennium Falcon (human female)
Luke Skywalker; Jedi Grand Master (human male)
Lysa Dunter; ensign, Galactic Alliance (human female)
Mara Jade Skywalker; Jedi Master (human female)
Matric Klauskin; admiral, Galactic Alliance (human male)
Nelani Dinn; Jedi Knight (human female)
R2-D2; astromech droid
Syal Antilles; ensign, Galactic Alliance (human female)
Tahiri Veila; Jedi Knight (human female)
Thann Mithric; Jedi Knight (Falleen male)
Thrackan Sal-Solo; Chief of State, Corellia (human male)
Tiu Zax; Jedi Knight (Omwati female)
Toval Seyah; Galactic Alliance scientist-spy (human male)
Tycho Celchu; general, Galactic Alliance (human male)
Wedge Antilles; general, Corellian Defense Force (human male)
Zekk; Jedi Knight (human male)
chapter one
CORUSCANT
“He doesn’t exist.” With those words, spoken without any conscious thought or effort on his part, Luke Skywalker sat upright in bed and looked around at the dimly illuminated chamber.
There wasn’t much to see. Members of the Jedi order, even Masters such as Luke, didn’t accumulate much personal property. Within view were chairs situated in front of unlit computer screens; a wall rack holding plasteel staves and other practice weapons; a table littered with personal effects such as datapads, notes scrawled on scraps of flimsi, datachips holding reports from various Jedi Masters, and a crude and not at all accurate sandglass statuette in Luke’s image sent to him by a child from Tatooine. Inset into the stone-veneer walls were drawers holding his and Mara’s limited selection of clothes. Their lightsabers were behind Luke, resting on a shelf on the headboard of their bed.
His wife, Mara Jade Skywalker, had more personal items and equipment, of course. Disguises, weapons, communications gear, falsified documents. A former spy, she had never given up the trappings of that trade, but those items weren’t here. Luke wasn’t sure where she kept them. She didn’t bother him with such details.
Beside him, she stirred, and he glanced down at her. Her red hair, kept a medium length this season, was an unruly mess, but there was no sleepiness in her eyes when they opened. In brighter light, he knew, those eyes were an amazing green. “Who doesn’t exist?” she asked.
“I don’t know.