Ambush at Corellia

Han Solo's return to his birthplace happens at a trade summit on Corellia. Han, Leia, their kids, and Chewbacca arrive on the distant world, only to find it teeming with New Republic Intelligence operatives. He soon discovers he's part of a complex scheme with unclear objectives. The situation is evident: the sector's five inhabited planets teeter on the edge of war, and the once-harmonious coexistence of the three dominant species—humans, Selonians, and Drallans—is now shattered.

Everything that Han, Leia, and their allies have been struggling to protect is suddenly in peril. With jammerships cutting off communication with Luke Skywalker and the rest of the galaxy, Han and Leia are stuck on a planet on the verge of exploding into violence unless they can somehow fulfill the impossible demands of a fanatical Rebel leader....

In the year 18 ABY, Leia Organa Solo is chosen to lead the Coruscant delegation to a trade summit held on Corellia, which is the home planet of her husband, Han Solo. Han decides to bring their offspring, Jaina, Jacen, and Anakin, along for the trip. As Han makes preparations for the Millennium Falcon, he is approached by Lieutenant Belindi Kalenda, who works as an operative for New Republic Intelligence (NRI). Kalenda informs him that half a dozen NRI agents were sent to Corellia to evaluate the political situation, but they have since disappeared. She asks Han to act in a way that draws attention during his visit, in order to divert anyone who might be working against them. After Kalenda departs, Han and Chewbacca take out a probe droid that had been eavesdropping on their discussion. Little does Han know, the droid was deployed by Pharnis Gleasry, an agent of the Human League, who is carrying out a mission for a shadowy figure known only as the Hidden Leader. Gleasry's main objective is to deliver a coded message to Luke Skywalker.

Meanwhile, Mon Mothma gives Skywalker a mission. He is instructed to meet up with Lando Calrissian and accompany him on his quest to find a wife. Kalenda heads back to Corellia before the Solo family, posing as a low-level trader experiencing engine trouble. Upon entering the system, she is immediately met with hostile fire from a Pocket Patrol Boat (PPB), which suggests that the NRI's operations have been compromised. She ends up crashing into the ocean and swimming to the shore.

Skywalker bids farewell to the Solo family and then meets Calrissian at Dometown, his most recent construction project. Calrissian presents Skywalker with a list of potential wives. They embark on a journey to meet the first candidate, which forces Gleasry, who had assumed that Skywalker would be traveling to Corellia, to find an alternative way to deliver his coded message. Calrissian's initial attempt to find a partner nearly results in death, as his potential suitor turns out to be a life-witch.

Upon the Solos' arrival at Corellia, they come under fire from a trio of Uglies, which are subsequently destroyed by a squadron of PPBs crewed by the Corellian Defense Force. Han deduces that the attack and rescue were staged to gain his trust in the CDF, and he decides to play along.

After Skywalker's departure, Gleasry needs a new messenger and selects Mara Jade, who is on her way to the same Corellian trade summit. The Solo family settles into a villa after arriving on the planet. Kalenda, who is stationed in a nearby building, discreetly observes them, as she has made it her duty to ensure the safety of the Chief of State. Leia hires a Drall tutor named Ebrihim to teach the children about Corellia's history, while Han goes to the capital city of Coronet. What he finds is disheartening: the city is run-down and deserted, except for a group of drunken Human League members who knock him out and imprison him. The Hidden Leader orders his release, issuing a cryptic warning to the rest of the family.

The next evening, Han and Leia have a meeting with Micamberlecto, the New Republic–appointed Governor-General of Corellia. The Frozian explains that the native people of Corellia largely ignore him, as the absence of a tyrannical Empire has removed their obligation to obey. Furthermore, the three main races (Drall, Selonians, and Humans) are forming various alliances and rivalries on the Five Brothers, making it difficult to distinguish between factions.

The Solo family spends some time sightseeing, waiting for things to escalate, and Ebrihim takes them to a large archaeological site staffed by people wearing uniforms similar to those of the Human League. The dig is supposedly for uncovering historical artifacts, but the explanation seems unconvincing. During a guided tour, Anakin uses his Force-sensitivity to slip away from the group, and his siblings follow him. They discover a hidden pyramidal chamber that has not yet been found by the diggers. The three children cover the entrance to the vault and rejoin their parents without mentioning their discovery. Han takes his family to Corona House, Micamberlecto's residence and the location of the upcoming summit. He then returns to the villa and confronts Kalenda, whom he realizes has been spying on them. He provides her with food and instructs her to be ready for any potential problems.

Meanwhile, Calrissian's next potential partner takes him to Sacorria, a remote world in the Corellian sector. He is fond enough of the new woman, Tendra Risant, to arrange a future meeting with her before he and Skywalker are abruptly forced off-planet by the local government. Calrissian believes his search is over, so they begin their journey to Corellia to meet up with the Solos.

On the night of the trade summit at Corona House, everything comes to a head. Jade arrives with the encoded message, which is addressed to Leia. It comes from the Hidden Leader, who informs them that if his future demands are not met, he will begin detonating supernova explosions within several stars in the Corellian system. The message includes the coordinates of those specific stars, with Corell itself being the last on the list. The message is considered credible because the first star on the list had already gone nova sixteen days earlier. Uprisings erupt throughout the system simultaneously, hours after the message is decoded. Corona House is attacked, and in the chaos that follows, Han escapes to help Kalenda leave the planet and deliver a distress signal back to Coruscant. She manages to steal a ship, but Han is captured. Chewbacca grabs the kids and escapes in the Falcon with Ebrihim, but the hyperdrive is damaged during the escape. They decide to try to reach Drall at sublight speeds. Leia is left alone, trapped in Corona House, awaiting demands.

The following morning, the Hidden Leader makes his first public appearance on holovid, revealing himself to be Thrackan Sal-Solo, Han's cruel cousin. He announces secession from the New Republic and demands that all non-human species be deported from Corellia. Skywalker and Calrissian are suddenly pulled out of hyperspace at the edge of the Corellian system by an unprecedented interdiction field. The field prevents any rescue attempts from outside forces, so they immediately turn around and begin the journey back to Coruscant to seek assistance.

In Ambush at Corellia, Q9-X2 is described as having black plating, but later illustrations depict the character with white and red plating.

Ambush at Corellia remained on the New York Times Best Seller list for a duration of six weeks.

• ISBN 9780553298031 ; February 2 , 1995 ; Bantam Spectra ; US paperback [1]
• ISBN 9780307796141 ; June 28 , 2011 ; Bantam Spectra; US eBook [6]

• ISBN 3453116194 ; December 1996 ; Heyne ; German-language paperback
• ISBN 9029058773 ; October 1998 ; J. M. Meulenhoff ; Dutch-language paperback
• ISBN 2265068012 ; August 1999 ; Fleuve Noir ; French-language paperback
• ISBN 8372450935 ; 1999; Amber ; Polish-language edition
• ISBN 5699132473 ; September 2005 ; Eksmo Publishing ; Russian-language hardcover