Specter
of the Past
By: Timothy Zahn
Published by Bantam Books
December 1997
Once
the unquestioned master of countless solar systems, the Empire is tottering
on the brink of total collapse. Once commanding an invincible armada
of Star Destroyers, its fleet has been reduced to a skeleton force.
Day by day, neutral systems are rushing to join the New Republic coalition.
But with the end of the war in sight, the New Republic has fallen victim
to its own success. An unwieldy alliance of races and traditions, the confederation
now finds itself riven by age-old animosities.
Princess Leia
struggles against all odds to hold the New Republic together. But
she has powerful enemies. An ambitious Moff Disra leads a conspiracy
to divide the uneasy coalition with an ingenious plot to blame the Bothans
for a heinous crime that could lead to genocide and civil war. At
the same time, Luke Skywalker, along with Lando Calrissian and Talon Karrde,
pursues a mysterious group of pirate ships whose crews consist of clones.
And then comes the most startling news of all: Grand Admiral Thrawn--believed
to be dead for ten years--is reported alive. The most cunning and
ruthless warlord in Imperial history has seemingly returned to lead the
Empire to triumph.
As Han and Leia
try to prevent the unraveling of the New Republic in the face of this fearful
and inexplicable threat from the past, Luke sets out to track down the
rogue pirate ships. To do so, he will team up with Mara Jade, with whom
he will share his growing mastery of the Force and the ever-present threat
of the dark side. All the while, lurking in the shadows is the enigmatic
Major Tierce, a disciple of Emperor Palpatine, sharing his long-dead master's
lust for power, schooled in the devious stratagems of Thrawn himself, and
armed with his own dark plans for the New Republic and the Empire.
Excerpt
I don't think
you fully understand the political situation the New Republic finds itself
in these days. A flash point like Caamas--especially with Bothan
involvement--will bring the whole thig to a boil. Particularly if
we can give it a proper nudge."
"The situation
among the Rebels is not an issue," Tierce countered coldly. "It's
the state of the Empire you don't seem to understand. Simply
tearing the Rebellion apart isn't going to rebuild the Emperor's New Order.
We need a focal point, a leader around whom the Imperial forces can rally."
Disra said,
"Suppose I could provide such a leader. Would you be willing to join
us?"
Tierce eyed
him. "Who is this 'us' you refer to?"
"If you join,
there would be three of us," Disra said. "Three who would share the
secret I'm prepared to offer you. A secret that would bring the entire
fleet onto our side."
Tierce smiled
cynically. "You'll forgive me, Your Excellency, if I suggest you
couldn't inspire loyalty in a drugged bantha."
Disra felt
a flash of anger. How could this common soldier--?
"No," he agreed,
practically choking out the word from between clenched teeth. Tierce
was hardly a common soldier, after all. More importantly, Disra desperately
needed a man of his skills and training. "I would merely be the political
power behind the throne. Plus the supplier of military men and materiel,
of course."
"From the Braxant
Sector Fleet?"
"And other
sources," Disra said. "You, should you choose to serve us, would
serve as the architect of our overall staregy."
"I see."
If Tierce was bothered by the word "serve," he didn't show it. "And
the third person?"
"Are you with
us?"
Tierce studied
him. "First tell me more."
"I'll do better
than tell you." Disra pushed his chair back and stood up. "I'll
show you."
Disra led the
way down the rightmost corridor. It ended in a dusty metal door with
a wheel set into its center. Gripping the edges of the wheel, Disra
turned; and with a creak that echoed eerily in the confined space the door
swung open.
The previous
owner would hardly have recognized his onetime torture chamber. The
instruments of pain and terror had been taken out, the walls and floor
cleaned and carpet-insulated, and the furnishings of a fully functional
modern apartment installed.
But for the
moment Disra had no interest in the chamber itself. All his attention
was on Tierce as the former Guardsman stepped into the room.
Stepped into
the room . . . and caught sight of the room's single occupant, seated in
the center in a duplicate of a Star Destroyer's captain's chair.
Tierce froze,
his eyes widening with shock, his entire body stiffening as if a power
current had jolted through him. His eyes darted to Disra, back to
the captain's chair, flicked around the room as if seeking evidence of
a trap or hallucination or perhaps his own insanity, back again to the
chair. Disra held his breath . . .