Hand of Thrawn Duology 1: Specter of the Past
	Timothy Zahn
	1997
	19 Years After The Battle of Yavin
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SPOILER ALERT: This Will Spoil The Plot of the Book!

The Empire is nearly dead. Admiral Pellaeon is now the Captain of the Chimaera. After overseeing a failed test of a weapon called the Predictor, he decides it is time to finally surrender to the New Republic.

Leia is taking a leave of absence from the Senate and Han is on his way to settle a dispute on Iphigin in her place. He asks Luke to help him out. When on the planet, Han intercepts and destroys a pirate raid. Through the Force, Luke senses that there are clones on board some of the attacking ships. In order to find out who could be hiding clones, they decide to seek out their old friend Talon Karrde.

Leia is on Wayland under the supervision of the Noghri when she is contacted by Lak Jit, an associate of Talon Karrde, who was digging for artifacts on the planet. Leia makes a deal for some data cards he has discovered. One is titled “The Hand of Thrawn”. Lak Jit attempts to escape with one card still in his possession, but he is thwarted by The Wild Karrde with Karrde and Mara Jade onboard. The retrieved data card reveals startling information that Bothans along with Palpatine were involved in the horrible destruction of the planet Caamas, a world whose brutal destruction was perhaps even more infamous than Alderaan’s.

The Moff’s are not pleased with Pellaeon’s thoughts of surrender. Moff Disra meets with him privately and scolds him for his attitude. Pellaeon questions the appearance of many SoroSuub Preybirds ships that Disra has brought through curious means. Also on hand is Major Tierce. Tierce is revealed to have once been on the Emperor’s Royal Guard. Disra reads over the same information about Caamas as Leia and sees it as a big opportunity for the Empire. Tierce has reservations, but Disra tells him he has someone waiting that could become the next great leader of the Empire. He leads Tierce down a corridor and enters a room where Grand Admiral Thrawn, thought to be long dead, awaits them!

Thrawn is revealed to be an imposter named Flim. Disra hopes to float information that the original Thrawn did not die as previously thought and has returned to lead the Empire. Disra also reveals that he has made a bargain with Cavrilhu Pirates to attack New Republic ships. The pirates get to keep the booty and in return the Empire gets SoroSuub Preybirds. He also notes that he has given the pirates use of Thrawn’s Mount Tantiss clones. A new Imperial plan is underway.

Flim makes his first official appearance as Thrawn to several Imperial Captains as Disra tells them of his plan. The test is successful.

Wedge and Lando meet up on Morishim and discover a cache of old Imperial intelligence computers being used by a local. They encounter a Star Destroyer chasing one its own ships. They record some of a garbled audio transmission.

The Senate is in uproar over the new information about the Caamas attack. Two members of the Caamas remnants come to meet with Leia. At the same time Karrde and Han discuss the reasons clones would be running with pirates. They also suggest getting Luke and Mara together as both have been acting strangely lately.

Luke has taken off to track down the pirates and learn where they get their clones. He infiltrates their base in disguise, but is attacked. After a short battle, he is captured. With some Jedi tricks he is able to escape, but Mara Jade and Faughn eventually rescue him. Faughn mentions that Luke and Mara make a good team.

Disra and his partners enjoy the disruption in the Senate. They are concerned that the Senate may discover some once lost information about which Bothans were involved on Caamas and simply punish them thus ending the disruption. One copy of the information is remaining. Zothip, the pirate commander, contacts them. Disra instructs him to have his fleet attack Pellaeon’s fleet disguised as Corellians so Pellaeon thinks that the New Republic has rejected his peace offer. They begin plans for a new riot that will make a bigger impact.