Omen (Star Wars novel)

Omen
Author Christie Golden
Country United States
Language English
Subject Star Wars
Genre Science fiction
Publisher Del Rey
Publication date
 June 23, 2009
ISBN 9780345509123
Preceded by Outcast
Followed by Abyss

Omen is a science-fiction Star Wars novel by Christie Golden released on June 23, 2009. It is the second novel in the Fate of the Jedi series and it has been published in hardcover format.

Characters

Plot summary

In 41 ABY the Sith Dician and her ship Poison Moon are orbiting the planet Ziost, having followed a Sith Meditation Sphere called Ship instead of destroying Alema Rar, the Home, and the Millennium Falcon. Dician attempts to convince Ship to come with her to the One Sith, but Ship refuses, believing them weak for choosing to hide from the galaxy.

Ship eventually arrives on Kesh, where a stranded Lost Tribe of the Sith remain isolated from the rest of the galaxy. Ship takes special interest in Sith Tyro Vestara Khai, and several days later, Vestara is called into the Circle Chambers before the Circle of Lords. Vestara tells the Lords that she and Ship shared their thoughts. The Lords then reveal that they will use Ship to learn more about the Sith, and also use Ship to fly offworld. Vestara is made Sith apprentice to Lady Rhea and will also fly and be trained by Ship. Ship reveals to the Lords that the Sith do not rule the galaxy and are very few in number. This revelation completely shatters the Lost Tribe's long-held belief and greatly shocks those present.

Two years later, in 43.5 ABY, Jysella Horn is still attempting to get over the loss of her brother Valin, who has been encased in carbonite after contracting a mysterious illness. While in the New Jedi Temple with Jedi Master Cilghal, Horn is suddenly stricken with the same illness. This mental illness is what in our universe we would call the Capgras delusion. Now believing everyone is an imposter, Jysella flees and is pursued by other Jedi. During her escape, Horn begins to flow-walk (an ability she should not possess) and is able to avoid capture based on what she sees in the future. Horn escapes the Temple and battles Bazel Warv and Yaqeel Saav'etu, two of her closest friends. However, she is caught by GA security. Chief of State Natasi Daala arrives and announces that Horn will be encased in carbonite alongside her brother.

Meanwhile, on the Jade Shadow, Luke Skywalker and his son Ben continue their journey to gather information about Jacen Solo's six-year sojourn. Cilghal contacts them and informs them about the recent events. Luke is concerned that each Jedi who has contracted the illness has displayed Force powers they hadn't learned, and furthermore, they were powers that Jacen had possessed. Luke speculates that Jacen may have flow-walked into the past and planted a kind of 'Force bomb' that would trigger the illnesses if he did not succeed in his quest for power. Luke and Ben decide to travel to the Kathol Rift in order to find the Aing-Tii, a xenophobic species with strange time-altering Force powers. Jacen was known to have visited these beings, and the Skywalkers suspect that this is where he learned to flow-walk.

Once the Skywalkers reach the Rift, they encounter an Aing-Tii ship. After receiving directions, Luke and Ben arrive at a small moon and find an Aing-Tii craft waiting for them. The lone Aing-Tii presents them with a challenge: to communicate with him via the Force. While using the Force, the Skywalkers are shocked to find that the monk shines in the Force just as brightly as Luke, but the Aing-Tii's presence differs than any others they have felt. The encounter is too much for Ben, and he is forced to give up. Luke, however, maintains contact for quite some time and passes the test. They learn the Aing-Tii's name is Tadar'Ro. Tadar'Ro gives them the coordinates to the Aing-Tii homeworld.

Arriving at the coordinates, the Skywalkers find that it is a rocky and mostly barren world. They are greeted by the Aing-Tii with a mixture of aggression, welcome, and neutral disinterest. Tadar'Ro tells them via a Aing-Tii translation device that the monks' peaceful society is being torn in two. Recently, a prophet who made many accurate prophesies, proclaimed that Those Who Dwell Beyond the Veil (god-like figures in the Aing-Tii religion) would return in his lifetime, then he died. This has led to much controversy, which was tearing apart Aing-Tii society. Tadar'Ro agrees to tell the two humans about Jacen's visit, teach Luke the ability to teleport objects using the Force, and teach Ben the ability to flow-walk. In return, the two Skywalkers must collect relics, various sacred artifacts that have a residue of Force power on them and ordained to be collected by Those Who Dwell Beyond the Veil, but the Aing-Tii are also banned from touching them.

Back on Coruscant at the Livestock Exchange and Exhibition, the Solo family and Jedi Knights Radd Minker and Natua Wan are all attending. Han and Leia also wish to search for a pet for Allana. After viewing the tamer animals, Allana decides she wants to see the more ferocious and dangerous creatures. As they enter the exhibit holding the dangerous species, Wan suddenly contracts the same mysterious Force illness that has presented itself in the Horn children and Seff Hellin. The Falleen Jedi flees to the command center of the station and locks all the doors of the dangerous animal exhibit. She starts to retract the bridges over the cages leading to the doors and opens the animal pens. One spectator is injured and a child is almost eaten by boar-wolf. He is saved by Leia, who in turn chases Wan, who throws her voice using the Force, another ability of Jacen's. Leia, Jaina, and Radd engage Wan and render her unconscious. Unfortunately for the Jedi, much of what happened was recorded by journalist Javis Tyrr.

Tyrr is also able to sneak a device into the lower areas of the Temple and get a record of Seff Hellin's imprisonment there. Tyrr broadcasts both these events on the holonews. Daala immediately demands a meeting with the Jedi, where she both humiliates them and tries to detain Hellin and Wan. The Jedi refuse but grant the GA full access to the two Jedi so a cure can be found. In return each of the Jedi who had been in on this plot, namely those involved in Darkmeld, has to be named and interviewed on the holonews. The exception is Tahiri Veila, who had resigned so Jaina did not give her name in. That night Jaina returns very tired to her quarters and finds Jagged Fel waiting for her. Fel then asks Solo to marry him, and she happily agrees.

On the Aing-Tii homeworld, the monks are becoming restless and Tadar'Ro decides that even though the Skywalkers are not ready, they must travel to the Embrace, a series of caverns where the relics are stored. The Aing-Tii hopes that the two humans will be able to discover an item that would solve the problem. After a two-day hike, the trio arrives at a cave. Inside, the Skywalkers find thousands upon thousands of items.

On Kesh, Vestara Khai has flown and learned from Ship, as did many others. The Lost Tribe of the Sith have destroyed various ships and then repaired them. They have now acquired the equivalent of a small fleet. Vestara has been put on the Eternal Crusader under her master Lady Rhea. While hauling back two new ships, Rhea feels a great presence in the Force at the same time as Luke touches a relic called the Codex.

Inside the Embrace, Luke is temporarily stunned after the Codex enhanced his powers tremendously. He says afterward that he felt a disturbance in the region of space called The Maw and feels that he and Ben must travel there. Upon returning to the surface, the Skywalkers stand in front of the Aing-Tii crowd and tell them that though they learned much, the Aing-Tii must decide on their own whether to believe that the prophet was right; to accept the new beliefs that time was preordained or return to the old ways. Though briefly enraged, the Aing-Tii finally accept the advice and are closer to filling-in the rift in their society. Luke and Ben express gratitude to Tadar'Ro and tell him they are going into The Maw. The monk warns against it and reveals that Jacen also touched the Codex and felt a disturbance. The Skywalkers are also warned of the Mind Drinkers who dwell there. Before the Skywalkers leave, Ben performs the ability to flow-walk, as taught to him by Tadar'Ro, and he sees an innocent Jacen being taught. But Ben comes to realize that nothing he will do will change the past, and leaves with closure regarding Jacen's legacy. The Skywalkers then lift off in the Shadow, not knowing exactly what awaits them in The Maw.

On Kesh, the leaders of the Lost Tribe of Sith discuss the matter of Luke Skywalker. Lady Rhea describes her experience and how Grand Lord Darish Vol had felt alone and unprotected. Vestara suddenly cried out, feeling Ship abruptly leave Kesh. The Lords' discussion ends as they decide to track down and recapture Ship.

On Coruscant, Allana opens up for the first time after the excitement at the Exhibition. She expresses her wish for a nexu cub that had lost its mother to Leia in the fray.

Tahiri Veila is sitting in her apartment, contemplating the events of the past few days, when she hears a knock at her door. She opens it to find armed GA officers who declare that she is under arrest for treason and murdering Grand Admiral Gilad Pellaeon two years earlier.

Reception

Omen reached 4 on the New York Times bestseller list on July 12, 2009.[1]

References

  1. ↑ "Best Sellers: Fiction: Sunday, July 12th 2009". New York Times. July 12, 2009. Retrieved 2015-03-16.
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