New Jedi Order 9: Star by Star
	Troy Denning
	2001
	27 Years After The Battle of Yavin
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SPOILER ALERT: This Will Spoil The Plot of the Book!

The Jade Shadow with Mara Jade Skywalker and Jaina Solo on board is in an uncharted unnamed part of the galaxy. They encounter an unknown ship that has some strange disturbances in the Force. A smaller ship approaches Mara suggests they wait and watch things play out.

On board the refugee filled Nebula Chaser, Alema and Numa Rar, both Jedi Knights, who have been leading a resistance on another world prepared to be boarded by the approaching Yuuzhan Vong ship. The Jedi sisters disguise themselves while the Vong interrogate Captain Pollux. The Vong release a voxyn, a disgusting creature, to search the ship for any Jedi on board. The voxyn senses the Rar's presence even though they're 10 floors above it and begins to look for them. The Jedi plot their escape, but are intercepted on the way to an escape pod by two Yuuzhan Vong warriors. The warriors are fooled by the disguise, but the voxyn finds them as the reach the escape pod. The voxyn blasts Numa with a acidic mucasy substance, but Alema is able to deflect a second blast using the Force. She is able to pull Numa’s dead body into the escape pod but not before she is also severely injured by the voxyn's attack.

From her position Jaina notices the escape pod heading towards the planet. She and Mara agree to go down and pick them up as they had been searching for the two troublemakers themselves.

While overseeing construction of several new ships, Han Solo and Leia Organa Solo are meeting with General Muun to persuade him to loan Leia twenty ships to assist an evacuation, but the General is not willing to oblige. They are interrupted by C-3PO, who tells them that a Yuuzhan Vong emissary wishes to speak with Leia.

The emissary arrives and is placed in a room separating him from Leia. He reveals himself to be Nom Anor. Nom Anor displays a small creature that transforms into an image of the Nebula Chaser and suggests they may want to make a trade. He wishes to trade the lives of the 10,000 refugees for the location of the Jedi base. Warmaster Tsavong Lah hopes that this arrangement will be pleasing to everyone. Leia says they are not interested, and the hologram of the Nebula Chaser begins to take heavy fire. Leia can see the refugees' bodies spilling out of the holes in the hull. He continues by telling them that they Talfaglio surrounded and will not allow any refugees to leave until the Jedi have surrendered. Han presses the void button in the room and all the air begins to be sucked out of the room where Nom Anor is standing. He begins to panic and just as the door is opening farther Leia shuts it again. She tells Nom to go back to Tsavong Lah and tell him that any further emissaries will not be treated as kindly as he was and they accept no responsibility for any refugees’ deaths.

Luke Skywalker watches over Alema in a bacta tank. Many Jedi including most of the Solo children are all in discussions on whether or not they should run the blockade on the captured planet. Jacen speaks out that they must not let that many people die. Many worry that his philosophical nature still stems from the vision he had on Duro of the balance of the galaxy tipping to the wrong side. Luke says there will be no surrender by the Jedi, but they will bide their time before revealing their plan to the Yuuzhan Vong.

Nom Anor tells Tsauvong Lah, along with his new aide, Vergere, that he is confident that the Jedi will fall for their trap. Vergere, Nom's rival in New Republic intelligence, disagrees with his assessment of the situation. Nom tells them that Leia would not fall into the trap of taking blame for any future deaths. They discuss how they will continue to use the refugees is a wedge between the New Republic and the Jedi.

While waiting for the unreliable Booster Terrik, a disguised Han and Leia, followed a smuggling ship back to a well guarded Coruscant. After the ship refused to comply with orders from Wedge Antilles and Rogue Squadron, Han and Leia intercept and board the ship. Leia senses that voxyn are on board and she is not disappointed. Using her lightsaber, she is able to kill them despite their best efforts to kill her.

Kyp Durron is again causing problems for Luke. He is incensed that the Jedi continue to talk and not fight the enemy at every corner. He storms out of a Jedi meeting along with his pilots.

Leia, along with her “bodyguard” Jacen Solo, meet with Fey’lya and other senators including the always nefarious Viqi Shesh. Jacen proposes a plan to save Talfalio, but it does not pass with enough votes to be implemented. Fey’lya instead suggests that they meet with an envoy of Tsavong Lah to discuss the matter. Leia storms out of the council room and tells Jacen that she is through with politics and will now follow her Jedi instincts. Fey’lya just proved he is the enemy. What could he bargain with? The Jedi.

After the meeting Shesh contacts the Nom Anor and comments on their use of the vornskrs she sent them. Lah sends Anor to meet with the Senate.

Jedi Master Cilghal encounters a group of the Jedi upset over the deaths of many that have fallen to the voxyn. She is trying to learn more about the weaknesses of the voxyn which are partly this galaxy and partly from the Yuuzhan Vong. After a brief discussion they realized that the voxyn and are actually all clones of one original! The plot to destroy the Queen voxyn begins!