Star Wars: Vision of the Future

Timothy Zahn finishes the two-part Hand of Thrawn series with Vision of the Future . In the first book, Specter of the Past , Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Han Solo battled the minions of the evil Grand Admiral Thrawn, long presumed dead. In the sequel, our heroes must prevent civil war and ensure that Thrawn's plans for a triumphant Empire are thwarted. Intergalactic intrigue, space battles, and heart-pounding action will thrill Star Wars fans in this eagerly awaited novel. Zahn is one of the most popular interpreters of the Star Wars universe with good reason. Praise for the Star Wars(r) novels of Timothy Zahn: Specter Of The Past: "Zahn returns splendidly to the ranks of Star Wars authors...absorbing reading. Label this one 'not just for Star Wars fans'--for sure!" --Booklist 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 Dark Force Rising: "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 Publisher Praise for the Star Wars(r) novels of Timothy Zahn: Specter Of The Past: "Zahn returns splendidly to the ranks of Star Wars authors...absorbing reading. Label this one 'not just for Star Wars fans'--for sure!" --Booklist 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 Dark Force Rising: "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 of the Future is the second book in the epic two-volume series The Hand of Thrawn from Timothy Zahn, the bestselling, Hugo Award-winning author of the original landmark trilogy based on George Lucas's legendary Star Wars(r) films. Now the story begun in Specter of the Past comes to an explosive conclusion as Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Han Solo are thrust into the middle of an impending civil war--and discover the shocking truth behind the rumored resurrection of the dead Admiral Thrawn.For a beleaguered Empire, desperate times call for desperate measures. Sowing discord among the fragile coalition of the New Republic, remnants of the once powerful Empire make one last play for victory. Having implicated the Bothans in an act of genocide, they now plan an attack on Han and Leia that is also to be blamed on the Bothans. If they are successful, the New Republic will be torn asunder. To prevent inevitable disaster, Luke, Leia, Han, and their friends Timothy Zahn is one of science fiction's most popular voices, known for his ability to tell very human stories against a well-researched background of future science and technology. He won the Hugo Award for his novella Cascade Point and is the author of sixteen science fiction novels, including the bestselling Star Wars(r) trilogy Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising, and The Last Command; the novels Conquerors' Pride, Conquerors' Heritage, and Conquerors' Legacy; and three collections of short fiction. Timothy Zahn lives in Oregon. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. The Imperial Star Destroyer Chimaera slid through the black of space, its only companion the silent gas giant world of Pesitiin far below.Admiral Pellaeon was standing at the forward viewport, gazing out at the dead planet, when Captain Ardiff arrived on the bridge. "Report from Major Harch, Admiral," he said briskly. "All damage from that pirate attack has been repaired. Your ship is back to full fighting readiness.""Thank you, Captain," Pellaeon said, carefully hiding a smile. In the thirty hours since the failed attack on the Chimaera, Ardiff had gone from believing it to be a raid by New Republic General Garm Bel Iblis, to suspicions that it had been engineered by dissident Imperial elements, to similar suspicions involving similarly dissident Rebels, and was now apparently convinced that a pirate gang was responsible.Of course, in all fairness, Ardiff had had the past thirty hours to cogitate on his theories. The techs' preliminary report on the debris from that destroyed Kaloth battlecruiser had certainly influenced his thinking, too. "Anything new from the patrols?"xa0xa0Pellaeon asked."Just more negatives, sir," Ardiff said. "Still no indications of activity anywhere in the system. Oh, and the sensor-stealthed assault shuttle you sent on the attackers' escape vector also just checked in. Still no trace."Pellaeon nodded. As expected, really--anyone who could afford to buy and fly a battlecruiser usually knew a few tricks about hiding it. "It was worth a try," he told Ardiff. "Have them try one more system; we can transmit that far without relays. If they haven't picked up the trail by then, order them back.""Yes, sir," Ardiff murmured.Even without looking, Pellaeon could sense Ardiff's hesitation. "A question, Captain?"xa0xa0he prompted."It's this communications blackout, sir," Ardiff said. "I don't like being so completely out of contact this way. It's like being blind and deaf; and frankly, it makes me nervous.""I don't much like it myself," Pellaeon conceded. "But the only ways to make contact with the outside universe are to either transmit to an Imperial relay station or punch our way onto the HoloNet; and the minute we do either, everyone from Coruscant to Bastion will know we're here. If that happens, we'll have more than the occasional pirate gang lining up to take potshots at us."And, he added silently, it would be the end of any chance for a quiet meeting between him and Bel Iblis. Assuming the general was indeed willing to talk."I understand all that, Admiral," Ardiff said. "But has it occurred to you that yesterday's attack might not have been an isolated incident against an isolated Imperial ship?"Pellaeon cocked an eyebrow. "Are you suggesting it might have been part of a coordinated attack against the Empire?""Why not?"xa0xa0Ardiff said. "I'm willing to concede at this point that it probably wasn't the New Republic who hired them. But why couldn't the pirates have set it up on their own?xa0xa0The Empire has always come down hard on pirate gangs. Maybe a group of them got together and decided the time was right for revenge."Pellaeon stroked his lip thoughtfully. On the surface, it was a ridiculous suggestion--even on its deathbed the Empire was far stronger than any possible aggregate of pirate gangs could hope to defeat. But that didn't mean they wouldn't be foolish enough to try. "That still leaves the question of how they knew we were here," he pointed out."We still don't know what happened to Colonel Vermel," Ardiff reminded him. "Maybe it was this pirate coalition who snatched him. He could have told them about Pesitiin.""Not willingly," Pellaeon said darkly. "If they did what it would take to make him talk, I'll decorate Bastion's moon with their hides.""Yes, sir," Ardiff said. "But that brings us back to the question of how long we're going to stay here."Pellaeon looked out the viewport at the stars. Yes, that was indeed the question. How long should they wait here in the middle of nowhere in the hope that this slow attrition of the Empire could be stopped?xa0xa0That they could end this war with the New Republic with a shred of territory and dignity still intact?That they could finally have peace?"Two weeks," he said. "We'll give Bel Iblis another two weeks to respond to our offer.""Even though the message may not have reached him?""The message reached him," Pellaeon said firmly. "Vermel is a highly resourceful, highly competent officer. Whatever happened to him, I have no doubt he completed his mission first.""Yes, sir," Ardiff said, his tone making it clear that he didn't share Pellaeon's confidence. "And if Bel Iblis doesn't come within that time frame?"Pellaeon pursed his lips. "We'll decide then."Ardiff hesitated, then took half a step closer to his superior. "You really believe this is our best hope, sir, don't you," he said quietly.Pellaeon shook his head. "No, Captain," he murmured. "I believe it's our only hope."The wedge of approaching Sienar IPV/4 patrol ships broke in perfect formation to both sides, and the Imperial Star Destroyer Relentless glided smoothly between the re-forming clusters toward its designated orbital position. "Very impressive," Moff Disra growled to the slim man beside him, hearing his heart pounding in his ears as he gazed across the bridge at the green-blue world framed in the forward viewport. "I trust you didn't haul me all the way out here just to watch the Kroctarian home defense force's maneuvers.""Patience, Your Excellency," Major Grodin Tierce said quietly at his side. "I told you we had a surprise for you."Disra felt his lip twist. Yes, that's what Tierce had said. And that was all Tierce had said. And as for Flim--Disra shifted his gaze to the Admiral's chair, feeling his lip twist a little more. Their tame con man was sitting there, bold as bricbrass in his blue-skin makeup and glowing red eye surface inserts and his white Grand Admiral's uniform. The absolute laser-trimmed image of Grand Admiral Thrawn, a masquerade solidly believed by every Imperial aboard the Relentless from Captain Dorja on down.Trouble was, there weren't any Imperials on the planet below them. Far from it. Kroctar, merchant center and capital of Shataum sector, was deep in New Republic territory, with every bit as much military firepower as one would expect such a world to have. There was no guarantee that any of them would be impressed by Flim's eyes and uniform and acting ability.And if they weren't, this cozy little triumvirate Disra had formed was about to blow up in their faces. Flim might look like Thrawn, but he had all the tactical genius of a garbage-pit parasite. Tierce, a former stormtrooper and Royal Guardsman under Emperor Palpatine, was the military brains of their little group; and if Captain Dorja saw an allegedly lowly major rush over to the allegedly brilliant Grand Admiral to give him advice, this whole illusion would explode into soap scum. Whatever bluff Tierce was running here, it had better work."Transmission from the surface, Admiral," the comm officer called from the portside crew pit. "It's Lord Superior Bosmihi, chief of the Unified Factions.""On speaker, Lieutenant," Thrawn said. "Lord Superior Bosmihi, this is Grand Admiral Thrawn. I received your message. What may I do for you?"Disra frowned at Tierce. "They called us?"xa0xa0he muttered.Tierce nodded, a small but satisfied smile playing around his lips. "Shh," he said. "Listen.""We offer you greeting, Grand Admiral Thrawn," a nasally alien voice boomed over the comm, "and we congratulate you most heartily on your triumphal return.""Thank you," Thrawn said smoothly. "As I recall, you were somewhat less enthusiastic at our last meeting."Disra threw Tierce a sharp look. "During his sweep through this sector ten years ago," Tierce murmured. "Don't worry, he knows all about it."The alien gave a blubbering laugh. "Ah, yes--you remember most clearly," he admitted cheerfully. "At that time the fear of Imperial power and the lure of promised freedoms still held sway over us.""Such lies held sway over many," Thrawn agreed. "Does your choice of words imply the Kroctari have come to a new understanding?"There was a disgusting, wheezy-sounding noise from the comm. "We have seen the crumbling of the promise," the Lord Superior said regretfully. "There is no longer any order emanating from Coruscant; no focused goals, no clear structures, no discipline. A thousand different alien species tug the galaxy in a thousand different directions.""Inevitably," Thrawn said. "That was why Emperor Palpatine first inaugurated the New Order. It was an attempt to reverse the collapse you now see coming.""Yet we were also warned not to trust Imperial promises," Bosmihi hedged. "The history of the Empire is one of brutal subjugation of nonhuman species.""You speak of the rule of Palpatine," Thrawn said. "The Empire has freed itself from his self-destructive anti-alien bias.""Your presence in a place of command is some evidence of that," Bosmihi said cautiously. "Still, others still say the bias ex... Read more