Callista is a brave Jedi warrior who gave her life to save a sanctuary for wives and children of Jedi knights from obliteration by the Empire. Suddenly, a dreadnought is rearming itself for shelter destruction. Only Luke Skywalker can feel the evil presence and the influence of believed decades-dead Callista.

Luke Skywalker and Han Solo return to desert planet Tatooine so Callista can regain the Force and her link and love for Luke. Trio join Leia, Chewbacca, Artoo, Threepio, and new knights. Durga Hutt, galaxy warlord, rebuilds Death Star superweapon as Darksaber. Lovely Admiral Daala and Pellaeon, second to Thrawn, marshal Imperial forces against Jedi.

New York Times bestselling author Barbara Hambly returns to the Star Wars(r) universe to tell a breathtaking tale of a mysterious world where the battle between the New Republic and the Empire takes a shocking new twist.... Nam Chorios is a barren backwater world—once a dreaded prison colony, now home to a fanatic religious cult. It is here that Princess Leia has been taken captive by a ruthless and charismatic warlord bent on destroying the New Republic. Meanwhile, Luke lands on a mysterious planet in search of his lost love, Callista, only to discover the Force is his own worst enemy. But worst of all, as Han, Chewie, and Lando leave Coruscant on a desperate rescue mission, a strange life-form, unlike any the galaxy has ever seen, awakens...a life-form so malevolent it will destroy everything—both Empire and New Republic—on its path to domination. From the Paperback edition.