Michael Reaves's Coruscant Nights II: Street of Shadows serves as the second book in the Coruscant Nights trilogy. Its publishing date was August 26, 2008. Before settling on the final title, the book was initially planned to be named Chiaroscuro, and later Sins of the Father. A sneak peek of the book saw publication within Coruscant Nights I: Jedi Twilight.
With the Jedi Order decimated following the tragic events of Order 66, the Empire's dominance appears absolute. However, a solitary Jedi Knight persists in his struggle for justice — defying overwhelming odds and persevering against all hope.
Nestled deep within Coruscant's underbelly, Jedi Jax Pavan earns a living as a private eye; a reliable, resourceful individual for those in need. Now, a captivating Zeltron beauty named Deejah seeks Jax's assistance with a perplexing case: to uncover the identity of her artist lover Volette's killer, brutally slain just hours after the triumphant unveiling of a striking new light sculpture featuring clear allusions to lightsaber pyrotechnics.
Identifying Volette's murderer will prove challenging — rife with hidden truths, numerous potential culprits, and a multitude of underlying motives. Nevertheless, with the aid of the droid I-5YQ, and ex-reporter Den Dhur's remarkable investigative talents, the inquiry quickly evolves into a highly efficient operation.
Regrettably, a considerably more efficient entity is hunting Jax. It's a perilous game of pursuit, with the countdown initiated toward the climactic, explosive confrontation… to determine who will strike first and who will meet their demise.
The story commences in 19 BBY on Naboo, where Gregar Typho, formerly the bodyguard of the late Padmé Amidala, is visiting her burial site. The narrative discloses his deep affection for Padmé, and his vow to locate and bring her killer to justice, thereby avenging her passing.
Advancing in time from the preceding novel, Jax Pavan, Laranth Tarak, Den Dhur, I-5YQ, and Haninum Tyk Rhinann are depicted residing as private investigators within the depths of Imperial Center. They encounter a fresh case when Dejah Duare approaches them, leading the group to her residence to discover that her partner, Ves Volette, has been murdered.
Darth Vader assigns Aurra Sing, a Force-sensitive bounty hunter, with the mission of locating and capturing Jax on Imperial Center.
During their investigation into Ves Volette's murder, Jax and I-Five deduce that Volette was killed by an Umber 3PO unit belonging to a wealthy family who collected Volette's artwork. The 3PO unit self-destructs to protect its owners from suffering consequences. The droid's motive for murdering Volette stemmed from its concern that the Caamasi (Volette) was engaging in an affair with the affluent woman, potentially jeopardizing the family's marriage. This prompts I-Five to contemplate the concept of sentience, which he aspires to achieve, given that this droid transcended its programming to safeguard its masters' honor.
Gregar Typho discovers that Darth Vader bore some culpability for Padmé's demise, along with the "death" of Anakin Skywalker. Consequently, he resolves to assassinate Vader on Imperial Center as retribution for her death. However, Vader ambushes Typho and demands an explanation for his pursuit. Typho reveals his intention to avenge Padmé, and, to a lesser extent, Anakin. Vader admits to murdering both Padmé and Anakin, and uses the Force to choke Typho to death. Nevertheless, Typho dies knowing that he inflicted a deeper wound on Vader than any physical act of vengeance could have achieved for Padmé.
Having resolved the case of her partner's murder, Dejah Duare decides to depart Imperial Center for her home, accompanied by Jax and his associates. However, they are ambushed by Aurra Sing. Jax and Sing engage in combat, resulting in Sing's defeat, if not death (subsequent sources suggest Sing may have survived her encounter with Jax). As a result of the Jax-Sing confrontation, Dejah opts to remain with him. This prompts Laranth, who Den knows harbors feelings for Jax, to leave the group, with Dejah assuming Laranth's position.
The narrative concludes with Rhinann plotting to abandon Jax's group and seek reinstatement with Vader.
The name "Deejah" is incorrectly spelled on the back cover of Coruscant Nights II: Street of Shadows, while the correct spelling "Dejah" is used throughout the book.
Near the conclusion of Chapter 8, Rhinann encounters a record dating back nearly two decades, which the novel describes as a period during the "waning years of the Clone Wars." The novel is set in 18.8 BBY, merely a few months after the Clone Wars concluded. This is likely a mistake.
In Chapter 10, Jax reflects on the fate of any surviving lightsabers. The book mentions his thoughts on Anakin Skywalker's involvement in Operation Knightfall, a fact he would not have known until later in the series.