Allegiance (novel)

In this early Star Wars adventure, which is politically charged yet exciting, five Imperial stormtroopers, who are idealistic but disillusioned and led by Daric LaRone, share the spotlight with young Rebel Alliance heroes Han Solo, Princess Leia Organa, Luke Skywalker, and Chewbacca. This adventure comes from Hugo-winner Zahn (Star Wars: Outbound Flight). Darth Vader, Emperor Palpatine's favored Sith, faces competition from 18-year-old Countess Mara Jade Claria, whom Palpatine has trained in the Force to become the special agent known as "Emperor's Hand." Zahn portrays the courageous Rebel quartet and the Alliance's tumultuous development while revealing the human aspects of Daric and his comrades behind their stormtrooper armor. These troopers unexpectedly become allies of Han and his friends after fleeing due to killing a superior officer. The author also highlights Mara Jade's resilient charm and increasing Imperial influence against the backdrop of Palpatine's dedication to Imperial dominance and his subtle manipulation of his followers. This installment will satisfy fans curious about the events that transpired between the original Star Wars trilogy's first and second films.

When the time comes to choose sides and confront the opposition, pledging your allegiance might demand the ultimate sacrifice.…

Timothy Zahn's signature blend of action, politics, and intrigue is more pronounced than ever in this new Star Wars saga. Following the momentous events of Star Wars: A New Hope, the Rebellion's newly established heroes—Luke Skywalker, the fledgling Jedi; Han Solo, the smuggler turned reluctant freedom fighter; and Princess Leia Organa, the courageous leader seeking vengeance for her world—must confront the stark realities of the devastating conflict they've bravely entered. From this moment forward, legends will be forged, betrayals will abound, and lives will be forever changed in the arduous struggle to resist tyranny and restore hope to a galaxy long overshadowed by darkness.

The Rebel Alliance's destruction of the Death Star dealt a significant blow to the Empire, but Palpatine and his formidable enforcer, Darth Vader, remain a formidable threat. The brutal annihilation of Alderaan not only showcased the extent of their deadly power but also served as a chilling reminder of their determination to crush the Rebel uprising. Standing against them, Skywalker, Solo, and the Princess remain uncertain adversaries. Luke is naturally gifted and courageous, but untrained in the power he possesses. Han harbors doubts about fighting in someone else's war—and his rebellious nature adds to Leia's burdens as she struggles to sustain the Rebellion. The three have been dispatched to mediate a dispute between Rebel Alliance factions in the Shelsha sector—complicating matters by forcing Han to contend not only with pirates but also with his most dreaded foe: politics. Meanwhile, Mara Jade—only eighteen and years away from her destined encounter with Luke—serves her malevolent master, Palpatine, faithfully in her role as the Emperor's Hand: investigating suspected treachery within the Empire, potentially in high places—while striving to avoid Darth Vader's attention.

However, the Rebels will prove to be just one of the Empire's concerns. For Imperial Stormtrooper Daric LaRone, his faith in the Empire shattered by the senseless destruction of Alderaan, will commit a sudden and violent act of defiance, taking four other enforcers with him in a desperate attempt to escape their masters' wrath.

Each of these pivotal actions, whether authorized, clandestine, or scandalous, will expose brutality and corruption, ignite upheavals that will shake the Empire to its core, and shape significant events yet to unfold.

Six months following the Battle of Yavin, Han Solo and Chewbacca are assisting the Rebel Alliance. Han insists that this will be the last time they do unpaid work for the Alliance, as they are helping to evacuate a tech team from the planet Teardrop. Unfortunately, their departure coincides with the arrival of the Star Destroyer Reprisal. However, Han manages to deceive them by pretending that the Millennium Falcon is a medical relief ship approaching the planet. They are then curtly ordered to turn around and head home, as Teardrop is now under military interdiction.

The Reprisal deploys a group of soldiers on the planet, led by ISB Major Drelfin. During the drop, Trooper Daric LaRone tries to ignore his growing doubts about serving the Empire. He initially joined the Imperial Army to help maintain order and improve the lives of ordinary people. However, he has increasingly found himself acting as an oppressor, especially recently. The recent rumors that Alderaan's destruction was not caused by any Rebel action have only worsened his feelings.

Upon landing on the planet, LaRone initially believes that the Rebels have already left. However, he is horrified when Major Drelfin orders the extermination of the local civilian town as Rebel sympathizers. Unable to carry out this order, LaRone tries his best to "accidentally" miss his targets. Despite his efforts, he is unable to prevent the town's inhabitants from being wiped out.

Meanwhile, Mara Jade is on one of her first assignments as the Emperor's Hand. Disguised as "Countess Claria" at a lavish reception hosted by Moff Glovstoak, she discreetly leaves the party and sneaks into the Moff's private office. There, she quickly uncovers evidence of his embezzlement. After reporting back to the Emperor, she requests and receives permission to investigate the matter further. She has discovered that some of the priceless artworks in which Glovstoak invested his embezzled funds were missing from his collection, possibly being used to finance further criminal activities in Shelsha sector.

Returning to the Alliance's latest temporary base (after having to abandon Yavin 4), Han continues to question how he was "tricked" into working for the Alliance. This contrasts sharply with Chewie and Luke Skywalker, whose sympathy for the cause deepens with each mission. While pondering this, Han encounters Princess Leia Organa, reminding him of at least one thing he enjoys about working for the Alliance.

Mon Mothma and General Rieekan assign Han, Luke, and Chewie their next mission: escorting Leia to a diplomatic meeting in Shelsha sector with a local leader, Yeeru Chivkyrie, who has promised to provide substantial support to their side.

Back on the Reprisal, LaRone and his four closest friends - Taxtro Grave, Saberan Marcross, Joak Quiller, and Korlo Brightwater - are off-duty, watching the ISB's contingent board the hangar bay. Suddenly, they are confronted from behind by Major Drelfin, who demands to know why they are not in uniform. Upon learning LaRone's identity, he plans to charge him with disobedience. LaRone stands his ground, pointing out that the ISB has no legal authority over Army troopers. A scuffle breaks out, and Drelfin draws a small hold-out blaster, forcing LaRone to kill him in self-defense. Realizing that his chances of a fair hearing are slim to nonexistent, LaRone decides he has no choice but to desert from the ship. Knowing that they will be implicated as accomplices, the other four - who already share LaRone's misgivings about Imperial service, especially after the massacre on Teardrop - agree to join him. They commandeer the ISB's specially-outfitted Suwantek freighter and, by impersonating Drelfin, LaRone manages to deceive the bridge crew into dropping the Reprisal out of hyperspace just long enough for them to escape. Quiller, their pilot, sets a course for Drunost, so they can ensure they have adequate supplies. While en route, the five deserters search the ship for stowaways and are surprised to find a cache of weaponry, espionage gear, and hard currency, enough to keep them supplied for months.

While purchasing supplies, LaRone and Grave witness a Swoop gang attacking a pair of civilian farmers transporting heavy equipment. LaRone - remembering the pirate gangs that plagued the rural inhabitants of his homeworld - angrily calls on the others to use the Suwantek's firepower, allowing the civilians to escape. In a strange twist, the "civilians" are actually Alliance operatives transporting weapons and supplies. One of them, Porter, recognizes the gangers by a patch on their clothing as members of the BloodScars.

Porter's report reaches the Alliance's temporary base, where Leia and General Rieekan are puzzled as to why Imperial troops - whom Porter clearly identified their rescuers as, despite their civilian clothing - would assist Alliance couriers, or if they even realized they were doing so. They also agree that they need more information on the pirate presence before she meets with Chivkyrie. Luke suggests that they assign the task to Han and Chewbacca; their skills are undoubtedly valuable, but they will likely leave soon if the Alliance cannot find specific roles for them.

After leaving Drunost, the former stormtroopers travel to Ranklinge to complete their purchases, only to discover that the spaceport of Janusar is under the control of a corrupt police force. This force is extorting money and goods from incoming travelers and holding the local populace as virtual prisoners. The five rogue stormtroopers feel compelled to stop the corruption, and LaRone believes that a show of Imperial force will be sufficient, even though the patrollers outnumber them by several hundreds. As expected, the sight of fully-armored stormtroopers is enough to intimidate most of the patrollers and inspire the oppressed people. A few well-aimed blaster shots dispatch the corrupt chief, Cav'Saran, and his top lieutenants when they try to resist arrest. LaRone reinstates the former police chief, Colonel Atmino, who asks for their unit number so the people can express their gratitude to the Imperial sector governor. LaRone implies that he and his men are a covert unit, acting without the knowledge of the sector authorities, but _"mostly we're known as the Hand of Judgment." _Atmino provides intelligence that Cav'Saran had connections to a local pirate gang, if they want to investigate further. Privately, LaRone and the others agree that they do. Almost unconsciously, their initial plan to flee to the Outer Rim to avoid punishment has evolved into a plan to continue their sworn duty and enforce Imperial justice on those in the sector who need it most.

Mara's surveillance of the auction house that was handling Glovstoak's illicit artworks leads her to stow away on a pirate ship. When the ship attacks the civilian freighter Happer's Way, she emerges from hiding and subdues the pirates. Because the freighter is fulfilling a military contract, transporting fifty AT-ST scout walkers to an Imperial base, she asks the ship's captain to connect her to the nearest Imperial Navy presence, which happens to be the _Reprisal. _Using her override code as Emperor's Hand, she orders the _Reprisal _to deviate from its current mission, pick her up, and assist her in locating the pirates' base. Unbeknownst to her, Mara's message causes panic aboard the Reprisal among its Captain, Kendel Ozzel, and the deceased Major Drelfin's superior, Colonel Vak Somoril. The two blame each other, but eventually agree that their careers will be ruined if an Imperial agent boards the Reprisal and discovers the desertion of five stormtroopers and the theft of the Suwantek. They work together to cover up the crime, starting with the "disappearance" of the technician and medic who discovered Drelfin's body.

By chance, Han, Luke, and Chewie arrive on Drunost for their meeting with Porter at the same time that the Hand of Judgment returns there to pick up the Bloodscars' trail. As Han and Porter talk, Luke hears Ben's voice warning him of danger. He realizes that a trio of local thugs are preparing to contain a squad of off-duty security guards from Consolidated Shipping while their compatriots rob the bank across the street. Luke insists on thwarting the robbery and creates a distraction with his lightsaber that allows Han and Porter to subdue the thugs. LaRone and Grave, who are also planning to thwart the robbery, notice the distinctive trio talking to one of the "farmers" (Porter) they saved earlier, and wonder if the Bloodscars are connected to a Rebel cell.

Following the same trail, the Falcon and the Suwantek ambush the Bloodscars' next pirate raid in space, forming an uneasy alliance. The two prisoners taken alive in the attack can only offer the information that they are part of a smaller fringe group, one of many that the Bloodscars are absorbing, apparently planning something big in Shelsha sector.

With the reluctant help of a captured pirate, Tannis, Mara takes two Imperial troops from the Reprisal to act as her assistants while she infiltrates the Bloodscars' base undercover, posing as an expert ship thief. What she doesn't know is that the two troopers are ISB Agents, with orders from Ozzel and Drelfin to ensure that she doesn't contact Imperial Center with anything she has learned, until Ozzel and Drelfin can arrange for her death "in the line of duty." With her new crew, Mara takes the Happer's Way to Gepparin.

In space, Leia meets with Chivkyrie and two other Shelshan faction leaders, Slanni and Vokkoli. Chivkyrie explains that his plan is quite simple and already 90% complete: Barshnis Choard, the Imperial Governor of Shelsha sector, plans to secede from the Empire and bring his entire sector and all its resources over to the Alliance. To Leia, it sounds too good to be true, and Chivkyrie assures her that he has proof of Choard's intentions from the governor's own right-hand man, Chief Administrator Vilim Disra. If the Alliance can coordinate simultaneous attacks in other parts of the galaxy to weaken Imperial Center's retaliation when Choard secedes, Shelsha sector can be turned into an impregnable bastion for the Alliance. Leia insists on visiting Choard's capital on Shelkonwa to see for herself.

What none of the Rebels know is that Choard is planning to secede, but has no intention of joining the Alliance. What Choard himself does not know is that Disra, while meticulously overseeing the details of his master's consolidation of power, is preparing to betray the governor to Imperial Center when the time is right, expecting a rich reward for exposing treason.

But when Chivkyrie drags Disra to a meeting with his fellow Alliance members, the Chief Administrator is thrilled to see Leia among them, knowing that any rewards he may earn for exposing Choard will pale in comparison to those he can earn for turning over one of the galaxy's most wanted fugitives to Lord Vader in person. Disra tries to maintain a calm facade during the meeting, but Leia senses something is wrong and cuts the meeting short. Chivkryie starts to reprimand her for her rudeness, until one of his agents in the city informs him that Disra has returned to the governor's palace and locked down the spaceport, trapping them on Shelkonwa. Disra immediately contacts Imperial High Command, delivering his news directly to Vader aboard the Executor.

Leia hides, pretending to be a waitress in a tapcafe, waiting for an opportunity to escape.

Mara, on the other hand, boards a pirate ship and kills or subdues its crew as it attacks a military transport. Calling for help from the Reprisal, she boards the Dreadnaught and borrows two ISB stormtroopers to help her pilot the military transport back to the pirate base on Gepparin. Captain Kendal Ozzel, thinking she is onto him because of the five deserters, aids her, but also takes the Reprisal to Gepparin to attack the base. Mara had infiltrated the pirate base when her ISB stormtroopers betray her, causing the entire base to attack her as well. Just as she defeats most of the pirates who haven't fled, the Reprisal attempts to kill her by blasting the base.

The Hand of Judgment and their Rebel companions have also tracked the pirates to Gepparin, and the Reprisal attacks them as well. Thanks to Chewie's stunt flying in the Falcon, the two ships escape after tricking Ozzel into going to the Alderaan system. Mara Jade, relieved by the attack, takes a pirate ship to travel to Shelkonwa after seeing a transmission from the pirate base to the governor's office there. However, the Hand of Judgment and the Falcon also travel to Shelkonwa, the Rebels to rescue Leia and the Hand to find the pirate connection.

Mara Jade meets with Darth Vader in orbit and informs him of her intentions. Landing on the planet, she is attacked by an AT-ST controlled by a pirate named Caaldra. The Hand of Judgment comes to her aid, leaving Han, Luke, and Chewie to find Leia. Mara commandeers the five men to take down the AT-ST and advance on the governor's palace, correctly believing Governor Barshnis Choard to be a traitor to the Empire.

Han, Luke, and Chewie meet up with Leia and escape the planet while Mara and the Hand of Judgment take down Choard. Mara, although she later learns the story of the deserters, pardons them and tells them to discontinue their actions. The ex-stormtroopers leave the planet as the Rebels escape in the Falcon back to the Rebellion.

According to Timothy Zahn in an interview with TheForce.net, the most notable alteration he was compelled to make to his original Allegiance narrative by Del Rey and Lucasfilm Ltd. involved reducing the length of certain interactions between Mara Jade and Darth Vader, with some dialogue being removed.

The novel is incorrectly placed in the Rise of the Empire era on both parts of the dust jacket that indicate the publishing era. It should be in the Rebellion era. This mistake was rectified in the paperback re-release.

Despite an external summary identifying the Emperor's Hand as "Countess Mara Jade Claria," the book itself never implied that "Countess Claria" was anything more than an alias employed by Mara Jade during her professional duties.

The presence of Stacy in this novel served as a tribute to the fan film Pink Five.

• ISBN 9780345477385 ; January 30 , 2007 ; Del Rey ; US hardcover [1]
• ISBN 9780345477385 ; 2007; Del Rey; US hardcover, Science Fiction Book Club edition (1223380) [7]
• ISBN 9780345477392 ; December 26 , 2007; Del Rey; US paperback [2]
• ISBN 9780307795830 ; June 28 , 2011 ; Del Rey; US eBook [3]

• ISBN 978-80-252-1341-4 ; November 18, 2009, EGMONT ČR , 269-page Czech paperback ( Oddanost )
• ISBN 9788324130498 ; Amber , 376-page Polish paperback