In the fragile wake of the Empire’s fall, the Rebellion struggles to forge a New Republic on the peaceful world of Chandrila. But unity is hard-won—spies, saboteurs, and remnants of the Imperial war machine strike from the shadows, unraveling every attempt at order. When intelligence points to a surviving Grand Admiral, Rae Sloane, Han Solo, Leia Organa, and Luke Skywalker embark on a desperate mission to the shipyards of Kuat. There, they uncover the truth: a vast Imperial fortress preparing to launch Operation: Cinder, a scorched-earth weapon meant to burn the galaxy anew.
Before they can escape, Han and Leia are captured—and Luke’s search to save them leads him into the hands of smugglers Talon Karrde and the mysterious Mara Jade, a woman bound by the Emperor’s last command. With time running out and loyalties uncertain, Luke must forge uneasy alliances to rescue his friends and stop a vengeful Empire from rising again.
