The Swarm War
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| Author | Troy Denning |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Cliff Nielsen |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series |
The Dark Nest Trilogy Canon C |
| Genre | Science fiction |
| Publisher | Del Rey Books |
Publication date | December 27, 2005 |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Pages | 352 pp |
| ISBN | 0-345-46305-6 |
| Preceded by | The Unseen Queen |
| Followed by | Betrayal |
The Swarm War is a novel set in the Star Wars expanded universe. It is the third and final book in Troy Denning's Dark Nest Trilogy. The book is set 35 years after the events of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.
Plot
The story begins with the Jedi group of Jaina and Jacen Solo, Lowbacca, Zekk, Tahiri Veila, and Tesar Sebatyne on the Killik world of Snevu, watching as the Chiss try to destroy the planet. While there, they discover a bomb that was made by the Chiss, which was meant to exterminate the Killik life on the planet, but the bomb failed to detonate. The Chiss send in infantry to try and vaporize the bomb, in which they succeed. Back on the planet Ossus, Luke Skywalker has called back all the Jedi (except Jaina and Zekk) and delivers an ultimatum. He wants anyone who cannot make being a Jedi their top priority to quit while he becomes Grand Master of the New Jedi Order, dictating that the Jedi will be servants of the Galactic Alliance for now on. The likes of Danni Quee and Tenel Ka Djo agree to this; Danni never considered herself a Jedi, and more of a scientist intrigued to explore the further mysteries of the living world of Zonama Sekot. Tenel Ka, on her part, has too much responsibility as Hapan Queen Mother and as a mother to her own daughter, Allana. Aside from Jacen and Tenel Ka, no one else knows who Allana's father is. Following Luke's conclave on Ossus, he and his family watch another holovid from R2-D2's memory banks where Anakin Skywalker, now Darth Vader, speaks to his wife, Padme Amidala, after carrying out Order 66 in the Old Jedi Temple.
Luke and the rest of the Jedi consider how to end the Dark Nest Crisis and the Swarm War. Killing Lomi Plo won't be enough, Cilghal explains, because a new Gorog would emerge to manipulate the Killiks from behind the scenes; so neutralizing UnuThul as leader of the Killiks, thus dissembling the entire Colony hive mind overall, is the only way to end this conflict. But in order to defeat Lomi Plo, Luke must purge all doubt from his heart and mind so that he can fight and kill Plo to the best of his abilities. Jacen helps him along with that.
Han Solo, Leia Organa, C-3PO, Saba Sebatyne, Cakhmaim, and Meewalh all go traveling throughout the major sectors of the galaxy now involved in the Swarm War. Their mission is to find Jaina and Zekk and bring them back within the Jedi Order's fold. They once again come into contact with Jae Juun and Tarfang, who tell them that Jaina and Zekk are fighting with the Killiks against the Chiss on Tenupe.
After Luke purges all doubt from his mind by watching the last of R2-D2's family recordings that revealed Darth Vader and Padme's last time together on the planet Mustafar, where he witnesses the revelation that Darth Vader had force-chocked her, leaving Luke shocked that his father would do this. He also witnesses Obi-Wan Kenobi and Vader's duel on Mustafar, and Padme giving birth to Luke and Leia. The Grand Master of the Jedi Order travels to Tenupe, where Lomi Plo and UnuThul are. Han and Leia foil the Chiss's attempt to eradicate the Killiks on Tenupe with a biological bomb, similar to the one deployed on Snevu, just as Leia engages Alema Rar in their final lightsaber duel of the trilogy. Leia once again emerges victorious as Alema is caught in the jaws of one of Tenupe's beasts and disappears into the planet's jungle. As this happens, Luke confronts UnuThul and Lomi Plo aboard the captured Admiral Ackbar. There, he briefly fights UnuThul before convincing him to renounce his leadership of the Killiks. He does so and becomes Raynar Thul again, while Luke manages to kill Lomi Plo in their final duel. With that, the Killik hive mind, including that of the Gorog, dissipates into nothingness. The Dark Nest Crisis and the Swarm War conclude, with the Killiks now a harmless race; the Chiss go back to their own business in the Unknown Regions, and the Galactic Alliance returns to its normal duties in peacetime. For all she did as a Jedi apprentice under Master Saba Sebatyne, Leia is promoted from apprentice to Jedi Knight. Then, when asked about what will happen to the Jedi Order should he ever be absent again, Luke replies, "I don't know. I wish I had the answers."
Characters
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