Invincible (Star Wars: Legacy of the Force, Book 9)

From School Library Journal Adult/High School—Although this book is the conclusion to the series, it is engaging for anyone familiar with the original Star Wars films. Readers become reacquainted with familiar characters such as Luke Skywalker, Boba Fett, Han Solo, and Princess Leia. The story picks up where Karen Traviss's Revelation (Del Rey, 2008) leaves off, with Jaina Solo, daughter of Han and Leia Solo, training alongside Boba Fett in preparation for the greatest battle of her life; Jaina is being sent to destroy Darth Caedus, the Sith who was once known as Jacen Solo, her twin brother. As she pursues him across the galaxy, Jaina and her family struggle to separate the Jedi warrior they knew as Jacen from the Dark Lord that he has become. The novel follows the battle between the Jedi and the Galactic Alliance from the perspectives of Jaina; Jacen; and their cousin, Ben Skywalker, creating a fusion of plots dealing with political dispute, inner struggles, and warfare. This is an entertaining and quick read, although the ending seems to wrap up prematurely with several plotlines left unanswered, presumably to be explored in a future series.— Kelliann Bogan, Colby-Sawyer College, New London, NH Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Troy Denning is the New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars: Tatooine Ghost, Star Wars: The New Jedi Order: Star by Star, the Star Wars: Dark Nest trilogy: The Joiner King, The Unseen Queen, and The Swarm War, and Star Wars: Legacy of the Force: Tempest and Inferno, as well as Pages of Pain, Beyond the High Road, The Summoning, and many other novels. A former game designer and editor, he lives in western Wisconsin with his wife, Andria. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. What’s the difference between a lightsaber and a glowrod? A lightsaber impresses girls! –Jacen Solo, age 14 ( shortly before he cut off Tenel Ka’s arm in sparring practice )HE HAD MADE A FEW MISTAKES. CAEDUS COULD SEE THAT NOW.He had fallen to the same temptation all Sith did, had cuthimself off from everything he loved–his family, his lover, even hisdaughter–to avoid being distracted by their betrayals. He could seenow how blinding himself to his pain had also blinded him to hisduty, how he had begun to think only of himself, of his plans, of his destiny . . . of his galaxy.Self-absorption.That was the downfall of the Sith, always. He had studied the livesof the ancients–such greats as Naga Sadow, Freedon Nadd, ExarKun–and he knew that they always made the same mistake, thatsooner or later they always forgot that they existed to serve the galaxy,and came to believe that the galaxy existed to serve them. And Caedus had stepped into the same trap. He had forgottenwhy he was doing all this, the reason that he had picked up a lightsaberin the first place and the reason that he had given himself over to theSith, the reason that he had taken sole control of the Galactic Alliance.To serve. Caedus had forgotten because he was weak. After Allana had betrayedhim by sneaking off the Anakin Solo with his parents, his painhad become a distraction. He had been unable to think, to plan, tocommand, to read the future . . . to lead. So he had shut away his feelingsfor Allana, had convinced himself that he was not really doing thisfor her and the trillions of younglings like her, that he was doingthis for destiny–for his destiny.It had all been a lie. Even after what Allana had done, Caedus stillloved her. He was her father, and he would always love her, no matterhow much she hurt him. He had been wrong to try to escape that.Caedus needed to hold on to that love whatever it cost him, to cling tothat love even as it tore his heart apart.Because that was how Sith stayed strong. They needed pain to keepthe Balance, to remind them they were still human. And they neededit so they would not forget the pain they were inflicting on others. Tomake the galaxy safer, everyone had to suffer–even Sith Lords.And so there would be no angry outbursts when he confrontedthe Moffs over their unauthorized adventures, no demonstration killings,no Force chokings or threats to have his fleets attack theirs, nointimidation of any sort. There would be no consequences at all, forhow were they to know of the worrisome things he had been seeing inhis Force visions lately–the Mandalorian maniacs and the burning asteroids,his uncle’s inescapable gaze–if he failed to tell them? Whetherblunder or master stroke, the taking of the Roche system was as muchhis doing as the Moffs’, Caedus saw now, and he was beyond punishingothers for his mistakes. Starting today, Darth Caedus was going torule not through anger or fear or even bribery, but as every true SithLord should, through patience and love and . . . pain.Caedus finally crested the winding pedramp he had been ascendingand found himself looking down a long tubular tunnel coated inthe gray-yellow foamcrete the Verpine reserved for their royal warrens.At the far end–guarding one of the shiny new beskar -alloy blasthatches that had done absolutely nothing to stop the Remnant’saerosol attack–stood a squad of white-armored stormtroopers. Theirgray-striped shoulder plates identified them as members of the ImperialElite Guard, and the two tripod-mounted E-Webs set along thewalls suggested they were serious about preventing unauthorized accessto the chamber beyond.The stormtroopers were still turning in his direction, no doubttrying to decide whether the single black-clad figure striding towardthem was anything to be alarmed about, when Caedus raised a glovedhand and made a grasping motion. The squad leader raised his ownhand as though returning the greeting–then was knocked off his feetas both E-Web supply cables tore free of the power generators andcame flying down the corridor with weapon and tripod bouncingalong behind them.The remainder of the squad swiftly moved to firing positions,dropping to a knee in the middle of the corridor or pressing themselvesagainst the tunnel wall, and brought their blaster rifles to theirshoulders. Caedus sent a surge of Force energy sizzling down the corridor,reducing the electronic opticals inside their helmets to a blizzardof static. They opened fire anyway, but most of the bolts went wide,and those that did not Caedus deflected with the occasional flick of ahand.He was still ten paces away when the squad leader pulled his helmetoff and, bringing his weapon to bear, began yelling for the othersto do the same. Caedus raised his arm, catching the leader’s bolts onhis palm and deflecting them harmlessly down the tunnel. As the secondand third man prepared to open fire, he flicked a finger toward theleader’s blaster and sent it spinning into them. It slammed the secondman into the wall and knocked the third’s weapon from his hands.Caedus summoned the leader forward with two fingers, using theForce to bring the astonished soldier flying into his grasp.“I have no intention of harming anyone beyond that door,” Caedussaid, making his voice deep and commanding. “But I have no timeto waste, so I won’t hesitate to kill you or your men. I trust that won’tbe necessary?” The sergeant’s eyes bulged as though his throat were actuallybeing squeezed shut–which it was not–and his face paled to thecolor of his armor.“N-n-no, sir. N-not at all.” The sergeant motioned for his men tolower their weapons. “S-s-sorry.”“No apologies necessary, Sergeant,” Caedus said. “Obviously, youhaven’t been informed of the new chain of command.”Caedus set the sergeant’s boots back on the tunnel floor, thenturned to look at each of the others in the squad. He made it appearthat he was requiring each man to look into his yellow eyes, but actuallyhe was Force-probing their emotions, looking for any hint ofanger or resentment that suggested there might be a hero in thegroup. He was down to the last two when he sensed a fist of resolvetightening inside one.“Don’t do it, trooper,” he said. “There aren’t enough good soldiersin the Alliance as it is.”The fist of resolve immediately began to loosen, but the trooperwasn’t too surprised to say, “With all due respect, Colonel, we’re not Alliance soldiers.”“Not yet.” Caedus gave him a warm smile and turned toward theblast hatch, presenting his back to the entire squad. “My escorts willbe along shortly. Don’t start a firefight with them.”When he felt the squad leader motion the hero and everyone elseto lower their weapons, Caedus nodded his approval without turningaround. Then he circled his hand in front of the blast door, using theForce to send a surge of energy through its internal circuitry until a seriesof sharp clicks announced that the locking mechanisms had retracted.A moment later, a loud hiss sounded from inside the heavyhatch, and it slid aside into the wall.Caedus stepped through without hesitation and found himselflooking down on a sunken conference pit where a couple dozenImperial Moffs–most of the survivors of the slaughter aboard the Bloodfin –were rising to their feet, some reaching for their sidearmsand others looking for a place to take cover. Across from them, a smallswarm of insectoid administrators from other Verpine hives squattedon their haunches, their shiny heads cocked in confusion and theirmandibles spread wide in an instinctive threat display. “No, please.” Caedus extended his arms toward the Moffs andmotioned for them to return to their seats–using the Force to compelobedience. “Don’t get up on my account.”The Moffs dropped almost as one. Most landed in the chairs theyhad been occupying, but a couple missed and landed on the floor. Severalof the aides standing behind the Moffs’ chairs were pointing holdoutblasters in his direction, looking to their superiors for some hint asto whether they should open fire or stand down. Caedus swept his armup and sent them all flying out of the conference pit onto the surroundingservice floor.“I’m afraid this will be a confidential conversation,” he said.“Leave us.”When the aides did not instantly obey, he gestured at one of thosewho had been pointing a blaster at him and sent the man tumbling outthe hatch. “Now.” The remainder of the aides scrambled for the door, many withoutbothering to stand. Caedus watched them go, his attention dividedbetween them and the Moffs, ready to pin motionless anyone whoeven thought about raising a weapon. Once the aides were gone, asimple glance was all it took to send the Verpine administrators scuttlingafter them, leaving him and the Moffs alone with a single hugeVerpine with age-silvered eyebulbs and a translucent patch on her thoraxwhere the carahide was growing thin. She showed no inclination torise from her position at the far end of the conference table, where... Read more