The New Jedi Order - Book 11: Dark Journey

Author: Elaine Cunningham
Cover Artist: Steven D. Anderson

Publisher: Del Rey
Release Date: January 29, 2002
Media Type: Paperback
Pages: 301
ISBN: 0345428692

Era: New Jedi Order
Timeline: 27 ABY

Taking place just after Star by Star, Jaina Solo and the rest of the survivors from the Jedi Myrkr strike team, including Lowbacca, Zekk,Ganner Rhysode, Tenel Ka Djo, Tahiri Veila, Tekli, Alema Rar, andTesar Sebatyne, escape the Yuuzhan Vong worldship they were sent to in order to destroy the voxyn, Jedi hunters created by the Vong, by escaping in Executor Nom Anor's ship, the Ksstarr. Along the way, Jaina's oldest brother, Jacen, was captured by the Vong and his execution is delayed until Jaina could be kidnapped, due to how much the Vong take it seriously for twins to fight to the death in their culture. The survivors take the body of Jaina's youngest brother,Anakin, so he can have a proper funeral.

Meanwhile, back at Coruscant, the New Republic and the Yuuzhan Vong are still fighting, and during the battle, Kyp Durron's X-wing squadron and the Ksstarr join the fray. When the battle is lost to the Republic, the survivors of that battle, including Kyp, Han Solo, Leia Organa Solo, Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade Skywalker, along with the Ksstarr, all escape the captured New Republic capital planet.

The survivors from the battle escape to the Hapes Cluster, which had lost its major Fleet in the Battle of Fondor nearly two years before in the war against the Yuuzhan Vong and is still recovering. The Cluster is now opening itself to refugees in the Yuuzhan Vong War, and on Hapes itself, PrinceIsolder has had several assassination attempts on him due to his leading of their loss at Fondor. Queen Teneniel Djo of Hapes is losing her will to live because of the loss of her unborn child during the Battle of Fondor, and former queen mother Ta'a Chume is seeking a replacement for Djo. As for the survivors of the strike team, they all feel through the Force that Jacen Solo is now dead from the Yuuzhan Vong, except for Leia, who is certain that Jacen is still alive, and Jaina, who also strangely did not feel her twin's death. Jaina suspects that her anger and rage over Anakin's death had distracted her sense of Jacen, though she now cares very little of the dark side of the Force. Her reasoning is that because the Jedi and the New Republic dithered during the war, she finds that this has caused very little action in comparison to what all of the Jedi and Republic could have done had they not had, in Jaina's opinion, nonsense arguments over the matters of the war.

Jaina finally begins to understand the Ksstarr with Lowbacca and contacts Warmaster Tsavong Lah of the Yuuzhan Vong. She discovers the frigate's nature, she realizes it is in tribute to Yun-Harla, the Trikster goddess of the Vong, since Nom Anor worships Yun-Harla. In an attempt to mock the Vong, Jaina renames the Ksstarr the Trickster after Yun-Harla's nature and how Eminence Harrar relates her deceptive talents to Yun-Harla. This would be considered blasphemy among the Yuuzhan Vong's culture if Harrar took this consideration seriously, and may even lead to his dishonorable execution. When the Trickster finally arrives on Hapes, Anakin is cremated and Jaina and Lowbacca begin to find ways to scramble the Trickster 's location.

Ta'a Chume, seeing how much of a warrior Jaina is, plans to have Jaina marry Isolder so she can lead Hapes to war against the Yuuzhan Vong. Since Tenenial Djo is too weak to lead Hapes into war against the Yuuzhan Vong and Chume's own granddaughter, Tenel Ka, pledges her allegiance more to the Jedi than to Hapes, Jaina seems to be the proper candidate for queen mother of Hapes. During all this, Jagged Fel of the Chiss Fleet arrives to Hapes to support the New Republic after his failure at the Battle of Ithor early in the war. Kyp Durron becomes a member of Jag's fleet and in order to understand the more, Jaina becomes Kyp's apprentice, despite her disregard for him prior to the fall of Coruscant. In the end, Tenenial Djo dies from poisoning thanks to Ta'a Chume's machinations, and despite the former Queen Mother's attempts, Jaina refuses to become the next queen mother of Hapes. Ta'a Chume's granddaughter, Tenel Ka, becomes the new queen. Jaina's attempts at scrambling the Trickster 's location succeeds in defeating the Vong twice when Hapes is pitted against them.