The concluding chapter of the Coruscant Nights trilogy, titled Coruscant Nights III: Patterns of Force, was penned by Michael Reaves and made available to the public on January 27, 2009. Readers could find a sneak peek of this book within the pages of Coruscant Nights II: Street of Shadows. Furthermore, the book's conclusion features an introductory excerpt from Fate of the Jedi: Outcast, which serves as the inaugural novel of the Fate of the Jedi series.
Following the Empire's brutal decimation of the Jedi Order, a solitary Jedi Knight persists in defending the defenseless, unaware that he stands on the precipice of an epic confrontation with the Dark Lord himself.
Throughout the galaxy, any captured Jedi is as good as dead, even in the grimiest depths of Coruscant, where Jedi Knight Jax Pavan champions the downtrodden, aided by the cynical reporter Den Dhur and the witty droid I-5YQ. However, Jax is also engaged in a separate quest -- to uncover the truth behind his father's demise and his own origins.
While Jax suspects that I-5YQ holds some of these answers, he is unprepared for the earth-shattering revelation that will thrust him into the heart of a conspiracy to assassinate Emperor Palpatine. To compound matters, Darth Vader's relentless pursuit of Jax is nearing its end... with Vader's victory.
The future that awaits the valiant Jedi and his loyal companions is bleak and short-lived, for it is a well-known fact that few who dare to challenge Darth Vader survive to tell the tale.
The narrative commences with Jax Pavan, Den Dhur, I-5YQ, Dejah Duare, and Haninum Tyk Rhinann lending their assistance to Pol Haus in his investigation into the murder of a Toydarian spice merchant. Sometime afterwards, Jax experiences a dream where he revisits the Jedi Temple on the day Anakin gifted him a pyronium nugget for safekeeping. The dream diverges from reality, with Anakin delivering a mysterious message in a deep voice, before his image transforms into a horrifically scarred version of himself, causing Jax to jolt awake. He confides in I-5 about the strangeness of the Force altering a memory in a dream, rather than providing a prophetic vision as he had previously heard of. Subsequently, Jax and I-5 hear a knock at the door, and Jax opens it to find Tuden Sal, dispatched by Whiplash to locate Jax. I-5 is far from pleased to see Sal and aims a laser at him.
Den enters the scene as I-5 recounts his history with Sal, prompting Jax to realize that Sal was the individual to whom his father, Lorn Pavan, entrusted the Sith holocron and I-5 years ago. Sal apologizes for his past actions, explaining that immediately following Lorn's death, his business empire was subjected to a hostile takeover orchestrated by then-Senator Palpatine. He evacuated his family off-world after a kidnapping attempt on one of his children, then joined Whiplash to combat the Empire. Upon encountering Laranth Tarak and learning of I-5's existence, Sal devised the plan he is now presenting: for I-5 to assassinate Emperor Palpatine. Rhinann dismisses the plan as overly risky, Den points out that I-5 is an outdated droid model unlikely to be found in Palpatine's presence, and Dejah expresses concern that failure would draw Palpatine's attention to Whiplash. She also argues that Jax could be killed if his involvement is discovered, with I-5 suggesting that Jax's responsibility might lie in training new Force-sensitives, thus excluding him from the assassination attempt. I-5 concludes by stating that he wishes to hear everyone's opinions before making a decision, but he will prioritize Jax's viewpoint. However, Jax admits that he is unsure of his answer.
Meanwhile, Kajin Savaros, an untrained human Force Adept, ekes out a living on the streets of Coruscant, striving to survive while evading the Inquisitorius, Darth Vader's personally trained Jedi hunters. This is problematic for Kajin, as he lacks proper training in controlling the Force, and his emotions cause it to accumulate within him, necessitating its release to alleviate his anger. He detects an Inquisitor nearby as he steals food but manages to remain hidden and escape. Simultaneously, Inquisitor Probus Tesla, who has been tracking Jax, receives a new directive from Vader: to prioritize finding I-5 instead. Disappointed, Tesla nevertheless pledges to locate the droid.
Rhinann, in the meantime, has discovered that Tesla's search for Jax has narrowed to an uncomfortably close proximity and ultimately decides that he has overstayed his welcome, arranging transportation for the following day, regardless of whether he has acquired the bota plant extract. Jax finds himself pondering why Laranth departed the group months prior, but before he can delve too deeply into the thought, he senses a potent Force presence and moves towards it. Tesla and Laranth, who are also in the vicinity, have sensed it as well, with Jax encountering Laranth en route to its origin. Tesla arrives at a massive, malfunctioning repulsor field, expecting to find Jax, but instead encounters Kajin. Tesla pursues Kajin into a tunnel, and they engage in a Force-fueled struggle. To Tesla's astonishment, Kajin manages to rip out a piece of repulsor field energy and hurl it back at him, nearly knocking him out of the passage.
He verbally challenges Kajin, then unleashes a bolt of Force lightning at him when Kajin rejects his offer to join the Inquisitorius, but the lightning interacts with the unstable repulsor field and arcs back on Tesla, inflicting severe injuries. Jax and Laranth discover Kajin as he exits the area, and Jax brings the teenager back to the group's dwelling with the intention of training him in the ways of the Force. Upon Dejah's arrival, Laranth abruptly departs to report to the head of Whiplash, while Jax and Dejah discuss Kajin's abilities. Den confides in I-5 that he believes Dejah is manipulating Jax. Rhinann observes much of this and worries that Kajin might be a plant to locate Jax and the others, prompting him to accelerate his plans to leave Coruscant, with or without the bota extract.
Jax commences Kajin's training the next day, attempting to address the issues stemming from Kajin's anger, and Rhinann initiates his inquiries by asking I-5 about the vial's location, though I-5's response is cryptic, stating that he does not want Rhinann to possess any information that Vader would desire, in case Rhinann is captured. Near the day's end, Pol Haus visits the group, revealing both that he knows Jax is a Jedi and that Vader has taken a personal interest in finding the rogue Force-sensitive who injured an Inquisitor. Haus claims to want to find Kajin and deliver him to one of the surviving Jedi that he believes exist, suggesting that the easiest way would be to inform Vader that Kajin was killed in an accident that left no physical evidence.
After Haus departs, Jax seeks Dejah and I-5's opinions on Haus, with Dejah stating that she sensed no malice from him and I-5 suggesting that if Haus is an enemy, he has the means to monitor all their offworld escape routes. Jax brings Kajin out to speak with him but is perplexed when the teenager disappears from his Force sense, even though he can still see him. This recurs moments later, and when Jax inquires how he is doing it, Kajin claims to be doing nothing. As he approaches one of Ves Voltte's light sculptures, Jax and Dejah both lose any Force or empathic sense of him.
Dejah becomes agitated and leaves the room, with Rhinann following her, and I-5 theorizes that the crystal-based power source of the sculpture disrupts the Force from being sensed. Jax contemplates using an enclosure made of the sculptures to shield Kajin's abilities from detection, while Rhinann learns that Dejah believes Ves knew of the sculptures' properties and used them to conceal his true feelings from her. She is hurt by the realization, and Rhinann makes a half-hearted attempt to comfort her, also informing her about the bota extract in an effort to learn from her if she knows who has it. Rhinann then questions Den about the location of the extract, who claims not to have it, with Den and Dejah later discussing who actually possesses it, concluding that they cannot be certain what I-5 has done with it.
Back at the group's dwelling, Kajin's anger gets the better of him and threatens to expose him to the Inquisitorius before Jax manages to calm him down. Jax learns that Kajin harbors anger towards Palpatine, blaming him for his parents' decision to send him away from the Inquisitorius squad that was on their planet. Den and I-5 have gone to arrange a departure for an Ortolan refugee through the Underground Mag-Lev, and Den questions I-5's reasons for not immediately rejecting Sal's assassination plot. Den inquires about the bota, but before they can continue the conversation, I-5 spots a group of Inquisitors advancing towards the area where they sensed Kajin's power emanating from. Jax asks Dejah if Kajin can be moved to Ves Volette's studio, where there are more light sculptures, and Dejah reluctantly grants her permission, even after learning that it may be necessary to modify the sculptures' waveforms. Jax dispatches Rhinann to find a way to transport Kajin to the studio, while I-5 and Den observe the Inquisitors entering the group's residential area. I-5 disguises himself as a Koorivar, with Den posing as a real estate agent, to avoid attracting the Inquisitors' attention.
Upon reaching the conapt, they disguise Kajin as the Koorivar and send him, I-5, and Den to the speeder that Rhinann has hired. Kajin sees one of the Inquisitors and panics, attempting to remove the disguise before they are airborne, and Jax is compelled to reveal himself in the Force to divert the Inquisitors' attention, then he abandons the dwelling and proceeds to Volette's studio normally. Laranth arrives at the studio after Kajin, I-5, and Den, and through her, they learn that the sculptures also make it difficult for her to sense when Kajin actively uses the Force within their fields. Jax and Laranth attempt to further modify the sculptures to shield more of Kajin's power, but Haus contacts them, informing Jax that soon "the client"—referring to Vader—will intervene if Haus fails to provide any information. Jax asks Laranth to arrange a meeting with Thi Xon Yimmon, the head of Whiplash, and seeks her opinion on Sal's plan. When Laranth demands to know if Jax values her opinion, Jax assures her that he does, with Laranth retorting that he didn't seem to care when he left her in the medcenter after she was injured during the battle with Aurra Sing. Jax begins to respond, but they halt the conversation to avoid discussing it in front of Kajin.
Having completed the modifications to the sculptures, Jax has Kajin attempt to deflect fire from a training remote. Realizing that Kajin is only using the Force to enhance his reaction time, Jax blindfolds him and attempts to instruct him on how to use the Force to anticipate the attacks. Kajin succeeds in blocking several shots but is then struck and lashes out in anger, nearly killing Jax with the [duralumin] pole he is using instead of a lightsaber. Jax calms Kajin down, and Kajin apologizes for his actions, imploring Jax and Laranth to teach him how to restrain himself. The remainder of the exercise proceeds without incident, and after Kajin goes to sleep, Jax and Laranth discuss his training. Jax finds himself wondering if he should ask Laranth to rejoin the group when I-5, Den, and Dejah return from sending the Ortolan refugee offworld. Laranth departs, stating that she will arrange the meeting with Yimmon, and I-5 requests that the group now vote on Sal's plan. Den and Rhinann vote against it, while Dejah has changed her mind and now votes in favor of it. Jax remains undecided but promises I-5 that he will have an answer after speaking with Yimmon.
Jax then goes to meet Laranth at a bar so they can meet Yimmon. While waiting for her, he considers her attitude and actions in several instances, including the brief moment of emotional intimacy they shared months prior, when she was injured. He questions whether he has allowed himself to be manipulated by Dejah, then Laranth arrives. She asks him if he is alright, and Jax says he has realized that he has been cocky and has made a serious mistake. Laranth offers the opinion that everyone makes "that kind of mistake once in a while." Jax again senses a connection, but he hesitates and the moment passes. They get up and leave under the pretense of a romantic interlude, and Laranth takes Jax to Yimmon's lair. Laranth begins to leave, but Jax asks her to stay. He finds out from Yimmon that Haus is one of the original Whiplash operatives, and that Yimmon also considers Sal to be a trustworthy member of the group. Jax then reveals that Sal wants I-5 to assassinate Palpatine, which neither Laranth or Yimmon knew about. Jax says that he believes Sal's primary motive is vengeance, and Yimmon then questions if this is also Jax's reason. Laranth supports the plan, but Yimmon questions how assassinating Palpatine would make Jax and his group any different from the Empire. Jax thanks Yimmon for his advice and leaves.
Jax returns to the group and tells them that he can't give his approval of the plan, which Dejah disapproves of. Jax goes to contact Haus, and Jax apologizes to I-5, saying that he wishes his father was there to advise him. This activates a recording Lorn made for Jax just before his attempt to recover the Sith holocron from Darth Maul, where Lorn says that he never considered himself a hero, but felt he owed it to Darsha Assant, the Jedi who sacrificed her life to save him and I-5, and because he wants Jax to be proud of his father. Jax realizes that his father was a hero, and decides to go ahead with the plot to assassinate Palpatine. Jax wonders if perhaps by killing Palpatine there can be a Jedi Order that allows the Jedi to have families, then he and I-5 head back to the abandoned conapt to get a piece of equipment from the sculpture they left there. While Jax and I-5 are out, Rhinann and Dejah take Kajin outside for a walk, but the Inquisitors locate them. Jax and I-5 return to the studio to find Dejah, Rhinann and Kajin gone, and Haus shows up for their rendezvous. Kajin tells Dejah and Rhinann to run, then attempts to make his way past the Inquisitors. Laranth finds him and accompanies him, but soon their path is blocked by Tesla.
Laranth suddenly arrives on the scene, and fires at Tesla. But at the same time, Kajin has Force-pushed Tesla away, and Laranth's shots detonate a vehicle, causing a panic on the street. Kajin, Laranth, Jax and the Inquisitors battle, with Jax crippling one before Laranth kills him. Kajin faces off against Tesla, but both he and Jax see the third Inquisitor attacking Laranth from behind. Kajin hurls a massive Force push against him, disintegrating the man and saving Laranth, but allowing Tesla to escape. Tesla is amazed by the teen's skill, and also realizes that he somehow sensed I-5 in the Force. Back at the studio, Dejah apologizes for taking Kajin outside, saying she was afraid that Haus would arrive while Jax was gone and try to take Kajin. Haus asks if they should send Kajin to Yimmon, and then the group realizes that Den is gone, having intended to head back to Sullust earlier. Jax tells I-5 that he can sense him, and that this means I-5 wouldn't be able to get close enough to Palpatine to assassinate him. Tesla makes his report to Vader and is surprised by Vader's telling him that one of Jax's group is a double agent, and that capturing Kajin is what will be needed to have Jax, I-5 and the bota extract as well.
Laranth goes to take Kajin to Yimmon, while Jax and I-5 meet with Sal and inform him that I-5 somehow generates a Force signature. Sal is determined to carry out the plan, and tries to figure out some way for I-5 to kill Palpatine anyway, but the only way I-5 would no longer show up in the Force would be if his programs were stripped down to his basic level, which I-5 points out would make it impossible for him to kill Palpatine, as it is only his modifications that allow him to kill people. Sal then raises the prospect of I-5 assassinating Palpatine during the next Senate debate in two days time, with Jax accompanying a disguised I-5 while himself disguised as an Inquisitor. On their way to Yimmon's, Laranth and Kajin are drugged and captured by Inquisitors, and Jax has a Force-induced nightmare that worries him enough to go see Kajin. Before he can leave, Yimmon contacts them, saying that Laranth and Kajin were ambushed and taken. Yimmon realizes this means someone who had knowledge of some Whiplash activities must have informed the Inquisitors, but unlike Jax, he doesn't believe it was Haus. Jax alters the plot, changing it from an assassination to a rescue.
Kajin wakes up in a nondescript room, not having any memory of who or where he is. When he heads out into the main area, he meets Tesla, who tells him that Jedi attempted to kidnap him. Kajin decides that must mean he is a Sith and Tesla tells him he is one of the most promising Inquisitorius recruits. Jax, in his Inquisitor disguise, manages to get close enough to the ISB Central Office to sense that Laranth is being tortured, but he cannot sense Kajin. He returns to the others and tells them this, and is surprised when Dejah says they should try and rescue Laranth. Jax decides to offer himself to Vader in exchange for Laranth and Kajin, intending to perhaps play Vader against Palpatine by using the bota extract as a bargaining chip. Rhinann sets up a conversation with Vader where Jax offers to turn I-5 and the bota over to him in exchange for Laranth and Kajin, to which Vader seemingly agrees. Afterward, Vader tells Kajin he was the one that rescued Kajin from the Jedi and shows him the restrained Laranth, causing Kajin to react with anger.
I-5, Dejah and Rhinann arrive at the ISB and are escorted by Inquisitors, one of whom is Jax in disguise, to an abandoned docking chamber control room, faced by the still-bound Laranth, Vader, Palpatine and Kajin. Rhinann wonders why I-5 doesn't go on with the plan and fire at Palpatine, before realizing that Palpatine is only a holograph, which promptly disappears. Vader asks Dejah who has the bota, and she replies that she doesn't know, and then reveals that one of the Inquisitors is actually Jax in disguise. Jax is upset by this and by her reasons for betraying them—a sensual addiction to the energy given off by Force Adepts, which, when she couldn't manipulate Jax into providing her, was indulged by Tesla. Vader demands the bota, telling Jax that if he hands it over, he will let Laranth go. He then demonstrates his willingness to kill them all by momentarily torturing Laranth with the Force, which Jax uses as a distraction to reactivate I-5's personality. Vader again demands that Jax order I-5 to turn over the bota, but I-5 replies that he doesn't have it, firing his lasers at Vader, who blocks them. Vader admits fascination with the fact that he can sense I-5's emotions, then threatens to kill Jax and Laranth if I-5 doesn't give him the bota. Jax catches Laranth's gaze and she signals to him that she has the bota vial, but Vader loses his patience and hurls Jax against the wall. Laranth tells Vader that she has the vial and gives it to him, then Vader asks Jax to "return" the pyronium nugget Anakin gave him years previously. Jax does so, and Vader also demands the Sith holocron, which I-5 informs him they no longer have. Vader reveals that the bota combined with the pyronium will "purify and exponentially increase" his connection to the Force, and that the holocron contained instructions on exactly how to do this.
Vader, however, is confident that he can figure it out without the holocron, and pours the contents of the vial into a receptacle on his chest plate. A frightened Tesla steps forward, but Vader says it is merely an analysis, before he is overcome by the power of the Cosmic Force, causing him to toss out Force energy in random directions. One blast shatters the control room window, a chair pins I-5 to the wall, and the energy surges short out Laranth's bonds, letting her rush to Kajin's side. Dejah attempts to get close to Vader but is hurled into a wall and killed. Another Force blast kills the other Inquisitor, and when Laranth and Jax are both unable to use the Force to contain Vader's power, Jax draws his lightsaber and heads toward Vader, only to be met by Tesla, before Tesla is caught by another burst and thrown into a pile of debris. Jax finds himself face-to-face with Vader, and hears Vader say "You can't."
When Vader is momentarily distracted by the opening of the room's doors, Jax slashes at him, his lightsaber bouncing off the bubble of Force energy hard enough to cause Jax's arm to go numb. Laranth calls for Jax and he sees Yimmon, Sal, Den and other Whiplash operatives, heavily armed, coming into the room. Sal tries to get Kajin, who is frantically trying to reach Vader, and is then grabbed by a tendril of Force energy as Vader heads toward the blasted-out window. Jax pursues them, only to be caught himself by another loop of energy. Rhinann, enraged that the bota extract is gone, hurls himself at Vader and attempts to damage his breathing apparatus, which distracts Vader enough to lose his grip on Kajin and Jax. Rhinann lunges at Vader and they fall out of the window to the hangar, with Rhinann feeling the Force at last as he dies. They realize that Tesla has vanished again, then run as Vader's power erupts again and begins to destroy the control room.
In the aftermath, I-5 is repaired and upgraded with several new weapons, while Den admits that he stayed because he now thinks of Coruscant, rather than Sullust, as his home. Jax and Laranth try to restore Kajin's memories, but when they are unable to, Yimmon suggests sending him to the planet Shili, where the mysterious healers known as The Silent can help him recover, though it is unclear if Kajin will ever use the Force again since Vader removed his memories of it. After Kajin leaves, Laranth tells Jax that Dejah's betrayal wasn't his fault, but Jax argues that he should have anticipated her actions, that he was so certain that the Force allowed him to counteract her pheromone discharges and empathic gifts that he let himself be fooled. He brings up the moment that he and Laranth shared in the medcenter, only for Laranth to dismiss it as the past. Jax refuses to do so, however, and he and Laranth again share their feelings for each other through the Force. Neither of them are sure what is meant by their feelings, and they decide to hold off on any romance for the time being.
Laranth questions why Jax wagered that the bota would affect Vader that way, and he says it was a combination of the bota being twenty years old and Vader not being prepared for the power surge he experienced, although he does not mention that Vader's aura and his comment about "returning" the pyronium have led him to suspect that Vader is Anakin. Jax tells Laranth that he doesn't think Vader is dead, but that he intends to stay on Coruscant, working with Whiplash, regardless. Arriving back at their new residence, Den introduces them to a Mirialan named Chan Dash who has come to them for assistance. Suddenly, Jax is hit with a connection to the Force unlike any he has ever felt, a momentary resonance with the Cosmic Force. He realizes that with the bota gone, the only way this could have happened is by the Force itself granting him the moment, and that what it means is that he was where he is meant to be. Jax then asks the Mirialan how they can help.
On page 285, Jax Pavan makes the statement that I-5YQ has been in possession of the bota "for two decades," despite the fact that the droid only acquired the vial a few years prior from Padawan Barriss Offee at the conclusion of the Battle of Drongar.
The book's cover art depicts Pavan engaged in a lightsaber duel with Vader. However, while they encounter each other in battle, they do not engage in a lightsaber-to-lightsaber duel.
In Chapter 18, the word Sullustan is incorrectly spelled as "Sullistan." Similarly, in the book's concluding paragraph, the word Mirialan is misspelled as "Mirelian."