Dark Tide: Onslaught

Dark Tide I: Onslaught
Author Michael A. Stackpole
Cover artist John Harris
Country USA
Language English
Series The New Jedi Order
Subject Star Wars
Genre Science fiction
Publisher Del Rey
Publication date
 1 February 2000
Media type Paperback
Pages 304
ISBN ISBN 0-345-42854-4
Preceded by Vector Prime
Followed by Dark Tide: Ruin

Dark Tide: Onslaught (also released as Dark Tide I: Onslaught) is the first novel in a two-part story by Michael A. Stackpole. Published and released in 2000, it is the second installment of the New Jedi Order series set in the Star Wars universe.

Summary

In the aftermath of the Second Battle of Helska, the New Republic believes that the Yuuzhan Vong threat is vanished. But the Skywalkers, Solos and their friends and allies find that this is not so; the Vong have yet to bring a dent of their forces into the galaxy. And in order to wage war against the invaders, the Jedi and their allies decide it'd be best to understand them.

Leia Organa Solo, with her daughter Jaina and Danni Quee, work to bring various forces throughout the Outer Rim territories to unite against the threat of the Yuuzhan Vong, backed up by pockets of the New Republic military.

Luke Skywalker takes his nephew Jacen Solo with him to Belkaden to find out what the Yuuzhan Vong have done there after the late Yomin Carr poisoned it for terraforming in the previous novel. Meanwhile, Jacen's brother, Anakin, takes Luke's wife Mara to the planet Dantooine, to rest and recoup from the Vong disease, brought upon secretly by Nom Anor. There, Mara rebuffs Anakins attempts to help and his use of the Force in every moment of the day, encouraging him to rely on his normal abilities to do work. Mara also attempts to console Anakin, who still bitterly blames himself for Chewbaccas death. Elsewhere, Jedi Knights Corran Horn and Ganner Rhysode are assigned to the planet Bimmiel to find missing university students.

On Belkaden, during Luke and Jacen's observation of Vong behaviors and routines, Jacen, in his sleep, sees a vision of himself saving various people by defeating several Vong warriors. He takes this vision as an omen that he must free the slaves that the Yuuzhan Vong are holding. His attempt to help is ignored by the slaves, and he is easily beaten, and is strapped to the Embrace of Pain, a Vong torture device. He is soon implanted with a slave coral seed, but it isn't long before Luke saves him after fighting through and killing various Yuuzhan Vong warriors and snapping the coral seed out of his face. Luke then tells Jacen that they now must go to Dantooine, where Anakin and Mara are now on the run from Vong scouts. They get there and help them out in defeating the Yuuzhan Vong who intended to kill Mara and Anakin, who had managed to hold off or kill several Vong by not relying on his use of the Force.

On Bimmiel, Corran and Ganner find out that the missing university students are being held by two Yuuzhan Vong warriors, who are treating their slaves as much as those Vong on Belkaden do. The two Jedi go and save the students, but are then confronted by the Vong warriors. Corran orders Ganner to get the students out of there while he will take care of the Vong. He is able to dispatch both warriors, but is critically wounded, though Ganner returns and telekinetically carries Corran to safety.

On Dantooine, refugees from the recently Yuuzhan Vong-conquered Dubrillion are settled down. But it isn't long before the Vong then arrive, launching the Battle of Dantooine, resulting in the loss of fifty percent of the New Republic's forces, but the losses are extensive for the Vong, too. Luke manages to turn the tide by eliminating the Vong War Coordinator, which releases the slave cannon fodder forces, who immediately turn on the Vong and each other. Nevertheless, New Republic flees, evacuating the remaining Dantooine refugees.

Back on Coruscant, Leia and Admiral Ke'frey threaten a coup de'tat against the New Republic Council led by Borsk Fey'la, wresting control of the military from the politicians who were deliberately stymying the military's efforts to fight the Vong, as the appearance of culpability for the Vong invasion and weakness would damage their powerbase.

The novel ends back on Bimmiel, where investigating Yuuzhan Vong, led by Commander Shedao Shai, discover the remains of the two dead Vong warriors, defeated by Corran. Shai takes a ndgin (a Vong creature made to sop up blood) and tastes it for Corran's spilled blood that was the result of his injuries. Shai vows that he will kill the Jedi responsible for his the deaths of his kinsmen (the Vong warriors who were killed thanks to Corran).

Dramatis personae

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