Star Wars: The Hand of Thrawn: Specter of the Past

Timothy Zahn is the master of the Star Wars novel. His trilogy ( Heir to the Empire , Dark Force Rising , and The Last Command ) did almost as much as the movie trilogy's re-release to create new interest in Luke, Leia, and Han Solo. Specter of the Past is the first of a new series, The Hand of Thrawn. Princess Leia is trying desperately to hold the loose coalition of interests known as the New Republic together long enough to see the evil Empire finally vanquished. But in a stunning setback, Han Solo and Luke Skywalker discover that the pirate ships raiding New Republic transports are staffed with clones under the command of someone who claims to be Grand Admiral Thrawn, the Empire's most powerful warlord, believed dead for 10 years. Thrawn's plan for destroying the fragile New Republic seems well on the way to completion--unless Han, Leia, and Luke can stop it. From Library Journal In the first of two new novels, Zahn (Heir to the Empire, Bantam, 1991) turns in his usual high-caliber performance in the ongoing Star Wars space-opera saga. A few remaining Imperial officials seek to negotiate a peace with the New Republic, but calls for vengeance against the Bothans for their compliance in destroying the Caamasi planet and pirate raids on supply ships threaten to tear apart the New Republic government, with Leia, Han, and Luke trying to maintain the peace. The second novel, Vision of the Future, will be published in 1998. For sf collections with the series.Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. From the Publisher Praise for the Star Wars(r) novels by Timothy Zahn: Specter of the Past: "Unusually sophisticated...Longtime fans should get considerable pleasure from this addition to the saga." --Publishers Weekly Heir to the Empire: "Moves with a speed-of-light pace that captures the spirit of the movie trilogy so well, you can almost hear John Williams's soundtrack." --The Providence Sunday Journal "A splendidly exciting novel...read and enjoy. The magic is back." --Nashville Banner "Chock full of all the good stuff you've come to expect from a battle of good against evil." --Daily News, New York Dark Force Rising: "Continues [Zahn's] remarkable extrapolation from George Lucas's trilogy." --Chicago Sun-Times "Zahn has perfectly captured the pace and flavor of the Star Wars movies. This is space opera at its best." --The Sunday Oklahoman The Last Command: "Filled with characteristic Star Wars technology and cosmic battles...the detail and plot development far exceed what are possible in a two-hour movie." --The Indianapolis Star From the Inside Flap ard-winning author Timothy Zahn, whose unprecedented bestselling trilogy continued the saga of George Lucas's blockbuster films and became a landmark in the history of science fiction publishing, comes a dramatic new chapter in the greatest science fiction epic ever told.xa0xa0Now Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Han Solo must battle to safeguard the fledgling New Republic from a dead Imperial warlord--and from itself.Once the unquestioned master of countless solar systems, the Empire is tottering on the brink of total collapse.xa0xa0Once commanding an invincible armada of Star Destroyers, its fleet has been reduced to a skeleton force.xa0xa0Day by day, neutral systems are rushing to join the New Republic coalition.xa0xa0But with the end of the war in sight, the New Republic has fallen victim to its own success.xa0xa0An unwieldy alliance of races and traditions, the confederation now finds itself riven by age-old animosities.Princess Leia str Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Slowly, silently, its lights a faint glitter of life amid the darkness, the Imperial Star Destroyer Chimaera glided through space. Empty space.xa0xa0Oppressively dark space.xa0xa0Long, lonely light-years from the nearest of the tiny islands that were the star systems of the galaxy, drifting at the edge of the boundary between the Outer Rim worlds and the vast regions of territory known as Unknown Space.xa0xa0At the very edge of the Empire. Or rather, at the edge of the pitiful scraps of what had once been the Empire. Standing beside one of the Chimaera 's side viewports, Admiral Pellaeon, Supreme Commander of the Imperial Fleet, gazed out at the emptiness, the weight of all too many years pressing heavily across his shoulders.xa0xa0Too many years, too many battles, too many defeats. Perhaps the Chimaera 's bridge crew was feeling the weight, too.xa0xa0Certainly the sounds of activity going on behind him seemed more muted than usual today.xa0xa0But perhaps it was merely the effect of being out here, so far from anywhere at all. No, of course that had to be it.xa0xa0The men of the Chimaera were the finest the Fleet had to offer.xa0xa0They were Imperial officers and crewers, and Imperials didn't give up.xa0xa0Ever. There was a tentative footstep at his side.xa0xa0"Admiral?"xa0xa0Captain Ardiff said quietly.xa0xa0"We're ready to begin, sir." For a moment Pellaeon's mind flashed back ten years, to another very similar moment.xa0xa0Then, it had been Pellaeon and Grand Admiral Thrawn who'd been here on the Chimaera 's bridge, watching the final test of the prototype cloaking shield Thrawn had recovered from among the Emperor's trophies inside Mount Tantiss.xa0xa0Pellaeon could remember the excitement he'd felt then, despite his misgivings about the insane Jedi clone Joruus C'baoth, as he watched Thrawn single-handedly breathing new life and vigor back into the Empire. But Mount Tantiss was gone, destroyed by agents of the New Republic and C'baoth's own madness and treason.xa0xa0And Grand Admiral Thrawn was dead. And the Empire was dying. With an effort, Pellaeon shook the shadows of the past away.xa0xa0He was an Imperial officer, and Imperials didn't give up.xa0xa0"Thank you," he said to Ardiff.xa0xa0"At your convenience, Captain." "Yes, sir."xa0xa0Ardiff half turned, gestured to the fighter coordinator in the portside crew pit.xa0xa0"Signal the attack," he ordered. The officer acknowledged and gestured in turn to one of his crewers.xa0xa0Pellaeon turned his attention back to the viewport-- Just in time to see eight SoroSuub Preybird -class starfighters in tight formation roar in from behind them.xa0xa0Cutting tight to the Chimaera 's command superstructure, they passed over the forward ridgeline, raking it with low-power blaster fire, then split smoothly out in eight different directions.xa0xa0Corkscrewing out and forward, they kept up their fire until they were out of the Star Destroyer's primary attack zone.xa0xa0Then, curving smoothly around, they swung around and regrouped. "Admiral?"xa0xa0Ardiff prompted. "Let's give them one more pass, Captain," Pellaeon said.xa0xa0"The more flight data the Predictor has to work with, the better it should function."xa0xa0He caught the eye of one of the crew pit officers.xa0xa0"Damage report?" "Minor damage to the forward ridgeline, sir," the officer reported.xa0xa0"One sensor array knocked out, leaving five turbolasers without ranging data." "Acknowledged."xa0xa0All theoretical damage, of course, calculated under the assumption that the Preybirds were using full-power capital-ship turbolasers.xa0xa0Pellaeon had always loved war games when he was younger; had relished the chance to play with technique and tactics without the risks of true combat.xa0xa0Somewhere in all those years, the excitement had faded away.xa0xa0"Helm, bring us around twenty degrees to starboard," he ordered.xa0xa0"Starboard turbolasers will lay down dispersion fire as they make their next pass." The Preybirds were back in tight formation now, once again approaching their target.xa0xa0The Chimaera 's turbolasers opened up as they came, their low-level fire splattering across the Preybirds' overlapping deflector shields.xa0xa0For a few seconds the opponents traded fire; then, the Preybirds broke formation again, splitting apart like the fingertips of an opening hand.xa0xa0Twisting over and under the Chimaera, they shot past, scrambling for the safety of distance. "Damage report?"xa0xa0Pellaeon called. "Three starboard turbolaser batteries knocked out," the officer called back.xa0xa0"We've also lost one tractor beam projector and two ion cannon." "Enemy damage?" "One attacker appears to have lost its deflector shields, and two others are reading diminished turbolaser capability." "Hardly counts as damage," Ardiff murmured.xa0xa0"Of course, the situation here isn't exactly fair.xa0xa0Ships that small and maneuverable would never have the kind of shields or firepower we're crediting them with." "If you want fairness, organize a shockball tournament," Pellaeon said acidly.xa0xa0"Don't look for it in warfare." Ardiff's cheek twitched.xa0xa0"I'm sorry, sir." Pellaeon sighed.xa0xa0The finest the Imperial Fleet had to offer..."xa0xa0Stand by the cloaking shield, Captain," he ordered, watching the faint drive glows as the Preybirds regrouped again in the distance.xa0xa0"Activate on my command." "Yes, Admiral." There was a sudden flare of drive glow, partially eclipsed by the Preybirds themselves, as the enemy kicked into high acceleration.xa0xa0"Here they come," Pellaeon said, watching as the single glowing dot rapidly resolved itself into eight close-formation ships.xa0xa0"Lock Predictor into fire control.xa0xa0Stand by cloaking shield." "Predictor and cloaking shield standing by," Ardiff confirmed. Pellaeon nodded, his full attention on the Preybirds.xa0xa0Nearly to the point where they'd broken formation last time...xa0xa0"Cloaking shield: now. " And with a brief flicker of bridge lighting, the stars and incoming Preybirds vanished as the cloaking shield plunged the Chimaera into total darkness. "Cloaking shield activated and stabilized," Ardiff said. "Helm, come around portside: thirty degrees by eight," Pellaeon ordered.xa0xa0"Ahead acceleration point one.xa0xa0Turbolasers: fire." "Acknowledged," an officer called.xa0xa0"Turbolasers are firing." Pellaeon took a step closer to the viewport and looked down along the Chimaera 's sides.xa0xa0The faint blasts of low-level fire were visible, lancing a short distance out from the Star Destroyer and then disappearing as they penetrated the spherical edge of the Star Destroyer's cloaking shield.xa0xa0Blinded by the very device that was now shielding it from its opponents' view, the Chimaera was firing wildly in an attempt to destroy those opponents. Or perhaps not quite so wildly.xa0xa0If the Predictor worked as well as its designers hoped, perhaps the Empire still had a chance in this war. It was a long time before the Chimaera 's turbolasers finally ceased fire.xa0xa0Far too long.xa0xa0"Is that it?"xa0xa0he asked Ardiff. "Yes, sir," the other said.xa0xa0"Five hundred shots, as preprogrammed." Pellaeon nodded.xa0xa0"Deactivate cloaking shield.xa0xa0Let's see how well we did." There was another flicker from the lights, and the stars were back.xa0xa0Mentally crossing his fingers, Pellaeon peered out the viewport. For a moment there was nothing.xa0xa0Then, from starboard, he spotted the approaching drive glows.xa0xa0Seven of them. "Signal from Adversary Commander, Admiral," the comm officer called.xa0xa0"Target Three reports receiving a disabling hit and has gone dormant; all other targets have sustained only minimal damage.xa0xa0Requesting orders." Pellaeon grimaced.xa0xa0One.xa0xa0Out of eight targets, the Chimaera had been able to hit exactly one.xa0xa0And that great feat had required five hundred shots to achieve. So that was that.xa0xa0The wonderful Computerized Combat Predictor, touted by its creators and sponsors as the best approach to practical use of the cloaking shield, had been put to the test.xa0xa0And to be fair, it had probably done better than simple random shooting. But it hadn't done enough better.xa0xa0Not nearly enough. "Inform Adversary Commander that the exercise is over," Pellaeon told the comm officer.xa0xa0"Target Three may reactivate its systems; all ships are to return to the Chimaera. I want their reports filed within the next two hours." "Yes, sir." "I'm sure they'll be able to improve it, Admiral," Ardiff said at Pellaeon's side.xa0xa0"This was just the first field test.xa0xa0Surely they'll be able to improve it." "How?"xa0xa0Pellaeon retorted.xa0xa0"Train the Predictor to be omniscient?... Read more