Luke and Mara watch as a tractor beam brings Jacen's craft inside the New Republic Annex.  Luke senses that a turning point has come and Jacen's destiny will be the key to winning the war.  Jacen Solo exits the craft a much older and wiser looking person than when they last saw him.  Mara asks Vergere about her tears, but Vergere doesn't want to give up that secret.  Jacen tells them that she is a Jedi from the Old Republic and has been living with the Yuuzhan Vong.  When Luke questions her, she is still unwilling to speak further.  Jacen and Vergere meet with the now retired Admiral Ackbar, but also they are told that New Republic intelligence to must debrief both of them for allowing them to walk about.

Han and Leia meet with Grand Admiral Pellaeon of the Imperial remnant.  Pellaeon passes on the news that Jacen is safe and allows them both to send him a message.  Leia requests the Imperial maps of the Deep Core, a closely guarded secret; in return the New Republic will give them the key to Yuuzhan Vong communications. While he does agree to the exchange, he is less receptive to them forming an alliance to help rid the galaxy of the Vong.  He tells her that the Moff Council is interested in retaining any world's it helps retrieve from the Vong for the Empire.

After infiltrating a heretical group of shamed ones and workers, Nom Anor encounters Onimi off the main road far away from Shimrra's palace and decides to follow him.  He follows him to a shaper complex that is heavily guarded.  Inside he learns the Shaper Nen Yim has been working on heretical projects under Onimi’s watch and therefore the gods that Shimrra speaks of are most likely false as well.

After being summoned back, Farlander and Jaina meet with Kre'fey.  After commending both of them on the battle, he lets Jaina know that Jacen has returned.  Kre'fey also tells them that Bothawui has now declared all out war on the Vong, a state of war that they've only reached two other times in their history, both ending in the total extermination of their enemies species.

Cal Omas announces his candidacy for Chief of State as well as his plan for a new Jedi Council. 

Luke questions Vergere about leading Jacen into captivity so many times and not helping him escape sooner.  While Luke's patience with her grows thin and he chastises her methods, through their conversations he begins to see her words have true meaning.   She asks the same question she asked of Jacen.  If the Yuuzhan Vong are alive and all life is in the Force, are the Vong the problem or is it Luke's and the Jedi?  After getting a briefing on the Senate vote, Luke returns and sends Jacen on vacation before returning to Vergere to continue their discussion on the Vong's place in the Force and whether emotion, such as anger and passion are really to be avoided as Luke suggests or to be understood and used wisely as Vergere.

Luke meets with Lando Calrissian and Talon Karrde about some rumors that Rodan has ties to smugglers.  Lando and Talon devise a plan that will help Cal's campaign.  Karrde also shows him a small droid that will be able to eavesdrop on the Vong as well as seek any of them out who are in disguise.

Luke, Mara and Jacen again meet with Admiral Ackbar who tells them that he's been working on a strategic plan for the war and after hearing Jacen's information he now believes that victory is possible.

While training with her Twin Suns squadron Jaina overhears a distress signal and heads out to give assistance.  Upon arrival she is engaged by numerous coralskippers.  After seeing reinforcements for the coralskippers, Jaina is forced to make a hyperspace jump in retreat, but at that moment a fleet of A wings comes in to rescue them.

Luke returns to talk to Vergere and asks her how she was able to conceal her identity from the Vong.  She demonstrates by having him attempt to attack her using his mind and he is not able to do so despite being able to slightly since her presence in the Force.  She tells him that she makes her awareness as small as a molecule therefore making her very difficult to hit.  Luke realizes this is also how she rearranges her tears to become whatever she wants.  She tells Luke that she hopes that others will be able to learn if they are willing to.  She also asks him why he is not permitting the Jedi to release their aggression on the Vong and Luke says that he knows how easy it is to be tempted down the Dark Side.  Luke says he feels responsible for any of their negative actions.  Vergere mocks Luke and insists his ego is governing his actions and ideas.  He is not responsible for the actions and fates of all of his students anymore than Yoda is responsible for Luke cutting off Darth Vader's hand.  Luke gets frustrated and angry he realizes that is what she was hoping for.  She asks him if the darkness in his anger was from him, from her, or from the Force.  Luke wonders if lack of self-knowledge is be part of the Dark Side, why was Palpatine dark when clearly he had self-knowledge?  She says that some people simply invite the darkness in.  It doesn't necessarily have to come from anger or other emotions.  The Force finds what's inside you already.  Luke leaves and recommends to her captors that she be released and walks out to the planet's surface with his mind full of new thoughts.

Lando and Talon meet in secret with several Senators and record the conversations as each of them accepts bribes in return for government contracts for their new droids.