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Summary

Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader are dead. The Empire has been toppled by the triumphant Rebel Alliance, and the New Republic is ascendant. But the struggle against the dark side and the Sith Order is not over. Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Lando Calrissian, and their faithful comrades have had little time to savor victory before being called on to defend the newly liberated galaxy. Powerful remnants of the vanquished Empire, hungry for retaliation, are still at large, committing acts of piracy, terrorism, and wholesale slaughter against the worlds of the fledgling New Republic. The most deadly of these, a ruthless legion of black-armored Stormtroopers, do the brutal bidding of the newly risen warlord Shadowspawn. Striking from a strategically advantageous base on the planet Mindor, they are waging a campaign of plunder and destruction, demolishing order and security across the galaxyand breeding fears of an Imperial resurgence. Another reign of darkness beneath the boot-heel of Sith despotism is something General Luke Skywalker cannot, and will not, risk. Mobilizing the ace fighters of Rogue Squadronalong with the trusty Chewbacca, See-Threepio, and Artoo-DetooLuke, Han, and Leia set out to take the battle to the enemy and neutralize the threat before it's too late. But their imminent attack on Mindor will be playing directly into the hands of their cunning new adversary. Lord Shadowspawn is no freshly anointed Sith Chieftain but in fact a vicious former Imperial Intelligence officerand Prophet of the Dark Side. The Emperor's death has paved the way for Shadowspawn's return from exile in the Outer Rim, and mastery of ancient Sith knowledge and modern technology has given him the capability to mount the ultimate power play for galaxy wide dominion. Dark prophecy has foretold that only one obstacle stands in his way, and he is readyeven eagerfor the confrontation. All the classic heroes, all the explosive action and adventure, all the unparalleled excitement of Star Wars come breathlessly alive as the adventures of Luke Skywalker continue.

Author Biography

Matthew Stover is the New York Times bestselling author of the Star Wars novels Revenge of the Sith, Shatterpoint, and The New Jedi Order: Traitor, as well as Caine Black Knife, The Blade of Tyshalle, and Heroes Die. He is an expert in several martial arts. Stover lives outside Chicago.

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Excerpts

CHAPTER 1

TheCorellian Queenwas a legend: the greatest luxury liner ever to ply the spaceways, an interstellar pleasure palace forever beyond the grasp of all but the galaxy’s super-elite—beings whose wealth transcended description. Rumor had it that for the price of a single cocktail in one of theQueen’s least- exclusive dining clubs, one might buy a starship; for the price of a meal, one could buy not only the starship, but the port in which it docked, and the factory that had built it. A being could not simplypay fora berth on theCorellian Queen;mere wealth would never suffice. To embark upon the ultimate journey into hedonistic excess, one first had to demonstrate that one’s breeding and manners were as exquisite as would be the pain of paying one’s bar bill. All of which made theCorellian Queenone of the most irresistible terrorist targets ever: who better to terrorize than the elite of the Elite, the Powers among the powerful, the greatest of the Great?

And so when some presumably unscrupulous routing clerk in the
vast midreaches of the Nebula Line corporation quietly offered for
sale, to select parties from Kindlabethia to Nar Shaddaa, a hint as to
the route of theCorellian Queen’s upcoming cruise, it attracted considerable interest.

Two pertinent facts remained concealed, however, from the winning
bidder. The first pertinent fact was that this presumably unscrupulous
routing clerk was neither unscrupulous nor, in fact, a
routing clerk, but was a skilled and resourceful agent of the intelligence
service of the New Republic. The second pertinent fact was
that theCorellian Queenwas not cruising at all that season, having
been replaced by a breakaway disposable shell built to conceal a substantial fraction of a star fighter wing, led by—as was customary in such operations—the crack pilots of Rogue Squadron.

It was approximately the moment that R4-G7 squalled a proximity
alarm through his X-wing’s sensor panel and his HUD lit up
with image codes for six TIE Defenders on his tail that Lieutenant
Derek “Hobbie” Klivian, late of the Alliance to Restore Freedom to
the Galaxy, currently of the New Republic, began to suspect that
Commander Antilles’s brilliant ambush had never been brilliant at
all, not even a little, and he said so. In no uncertain terms. Stripped
of its blistering profanity, his comment was “Wedge? This plan was
stupid.You hear me? Stupid, stupid, stuYOW—!”

Theyowwas a product of multiple cannon hits that disintegrated
his right dorsal cannon and most of the extended wing it had been
attached to. This kicked his fighter into a tumble that he fought with
both hands on the yoke and both feet kicking attitude jets and almost
had under control until the pair of the Defenders closest on his tail
blossomed into expanding spheres of flame and debris fragments.

The twin shock fronts overtook him at exactly the wrong instant and
sent him flipping end- over- end straight at another Defender formation
streaking toward him head- on. Then tail- on, then head- on
again, and so forth.

His ship’s comlink crackled as Wedge Antilles’s fighter flashed
past him close enough that he could see the grin on the commander’s
face.“That’s ‘stupid plan,sir,’ Lieutenant.”

“I suppose you think that’s funny.”

“Well, if he doesn’t,”put in Hobbie’s wingman,“I sure do.”

“When I wantyouropinion, Janson, I’ll dust your ship and scan
for it in the wreckage.” The skewed whirl of stars around his cockpit
gave his stomach a yank that threatened to make the slab of smoked
terrafin loin

Excerpted from Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor by Matthew Stover, Matthew STOVER
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.