Six years after Return of the Jedi, the Rebel Alliance has established a New Republic over three-fourths of the galaxy. The surviving Imperial forces are torn by civil war and harassed by rebel attacks. One of these raids ends in disaster: Luke Skywalker and Lando Calrissian are shot down over the former Imperial City. When news reaches Han Solo and Leia Organa, they rush to the rescue (along with Wookiee Chewbacca and droid C-3PO, of course!) But there's something else rushing toward the Imperial City…something that wants Luke.

In Star Wars: Dark Empire, the Rebel Alliance once again fought and defeated the forces of the Empire. Or did they? Now, as Luke Skywalker searches the galaxy for clues to the history of the Jedi, Han and Leia lead the Rebel Alliance against a terrible new threat as a group of "Dark Jedi" fulfill the Emperor's final mission: Operation Shadow Hand, a devastating plan carried out by the deadliest dark side mind of all! Dramatized; 2 hours on 2 cassettes or 2 CDs

A war for the planet Calamari erupts over that planet's surface, already threatened by the massive World Devastators. While Lando and Wedge take on the Imperial stormtroopers, Leia is tormented by visions of Luke being sucked into the darkness. Meanwhile, it seems that Han has run into some "old friends"!

Betrayed by their friends and pursued by everyone's favorite bounty hunter, Han and Leia try to escape from Nar Shaddaa. Meanwhile, the Rebels in combat over the planet Calamari receive aid from an unexpected source, and Luke falls deeper into the grip of the dark side!

Captured by the Emperor, Leia discovers that he holds hostage an even greater treasure: a mysterious and intelligent artifact called the Jedi Holocron. With both the holocron and Luke Skywalker under his control, there's no limit to what the Emperor can do! Dark Empire is written by Tom Veitch, with painted art by Cam Kennedy and a painted cover by Dave Dorman. Don't miss out on the hottest series this side of Tatooine!

Left behind on Byss, Luke travels with the newly powerful Emperor Palpatine to capture his sister Leia. Meanwhile, the Jedi Holocron delivers a thousand-year-old prophecy to Leia, which tells of her battle against the young Emperor! And as the Battle of Calamari rages over the waters of that world and the Mon Calamari Rebels wonder when their savior Luke will shut down the killing machines, a battle begins above them that overshadows the outcome of their more conventional war… The key to their survival all comes down to the data carried inside one brave little robot.