The New Jedi Order - Book 3: Dark Tide 2 - Ruin

Author: Michael A. Stackpole
Cover Artist: John Hariss

Publisher: Del Rey
Release Date: June 1, 2000
Media Types: Paperback
Pages: 304
ISBN: 0345428560

Era: New Jedi Order
Timeline: 25 ABY

In the book, we are introduced to Yuuzhan Vong Commander Shedao Shai who first appeared in the epilogue for Dark Tide I: Onslaught, and his underling, Deign Lian, who seems to be quite weak for a Yuuzhan Vong. Luke Skywalker and Anakin Solo set off on a quest to find a rogue Jedi named Daeshara'cor, who was infatuated withMiko Reglia, a Jedi killed early in the war against the Vong at the Second Battle of Helska in Vector Prime. Daeshara'cor plans on destroying the Vong out of vengeance, which would lead to the dark side of the Force, by collecting plans for a new space station with enough power capable of destroying the entire Yuuzhan Vong, similar to that of the two Death Stars, the Sun Crusher or the Eye of Palpatine. Meanwhile, Senator Elegos A'Kla plans to make peace with the Vong by letting himself be captured and meet with Shedao Shai, the current leader of the Vong.

After the Battle of Dantooine in the previous novel, the New Republic fights on against the Vong. Jacen Solo, Corran Horn and Ganner Rhysode, along with a few Noghri commandos, travel to Garqi in order to destroy another Vong base. When a fight ensues between the strike team and the Vong and their slaves residing at Garqi, the Vong's vonduun crab armor closes in on them and shuts off their air supply because of a certain spore which the crab armor is allergic to. Corran orders the spores destroyed so the Vong won't know what can breach their armor. However, the Vong discover it otherwise and plan to destroy the main source of the spores at the peaceful planet of Ithor.

Before the Vong invasion begins at Ithor, Shedao Shai realizes through Senator A'Kla that he is friends with Corran Horn, the Jedi who killed Shai's kinsmen on Bimmiel in Dark Tide I: Onslaught. So Shai then kills Elegos by strangling him to death and gives the senator's body parts, coupled with Vong jewels, to Corran in vengeance. When Corran receives the package, he vows vengeance on Shai and plans to kill him. Meanwhile, it is revealed that Deign Lian has ulterior motives in the war as he actually works for Warmaster Tsavong Lah of the Yuuzhan Vong and they plan on Shai's death.

Just before the Battle of Ithor, the Jedi and X-wing squadrons, including the Imperial Remnant now lead by Grand Admiral Gilad Pellaeon, plan on a defense against the Vong. The Chiss Expansionary Defense Force joins the New Republic in the war at Ithor, and Jaina Solo meets their leader, Colonel Jagged Fel. Senators from the Republic, including Chief of State Borsk Fey'lya, come to oversee the battle, along with Leia Organa Solo. Daeshara'cor, now brought back from her vengeance journey against the Vong thanks to Luke Skywalker and Anakin Solo, decides to join the battle.

When the Battle of Ithor finally occurs, many warriors on the New Republic's side and on the Vong's are killed, including Daeshara'cor, who is mortally wounded by saving Anakin from Vong warriors. During the battle, Corran Horn meets up with Shedao Shai via a villip choir and they make a deal: in the next week, the New Republic and the Yuuzhan Vong will temporarily call off the war and then Corran and Shai will duel on Ithor over who gets the planet. The truce is settled immediately, and Anakin listens to Daeshara'cor in a medical unit that it wasn't his fault that she nor Chewbacca, who was killed back in Vector Prime, had died. Daeshara'cor then passes away into the Force.

When the fight between and Corran and Shai comes, Luke and Deign Lian are witness to the fight. In the end, Corran kills Shai by impaling his lightsaber in him and the two Jedi tell Lian to have the Vong leave. However, Lian, who now took over Shai's place of the Vong army, orders the entire planet of Ithor to be poisoned to death. When the New Republic realizes this, they destroy Lian and all the Vong on the worldship known as the Legacy of Torment, but not without a price. After Ithor is destroyed, the Jedi are blamed by the New Republic senate for Ithor's destruction, especially Corran Horn, who is deemed the "killer of Ithor" because of his acts in destroying the planet. For all of this, Corran exiles himself to his home planet of Corellia and will remain there until he is called into fighting the Vong again, and when that time comes, then he knows the war will be out of control for the New Republic.