Christie Golden's novel, Fate of the Jedi: Omen, made its debut on June 23, 2009. Serving as the second installment in the Fate of the Jedi series, it was initially released as a hardcover edition. Originally slated to be named Enigma, the title was altered to align more closely with the narrative's essence. An excerpt from Fate of the Jedi: Abyss is included at the conclusion of the book. Marc Thompson lends his voice to the audiobook adaptation. The paperback version became available on May 25, 2010.
The Jedi Order finds itself in a state of turmoil. Jacen Solo's descent into becoming the Sith Lord Darth Caedus has cast a shadow over those who use the Force for good: Two Jedi Knights have fallen victim to an inexplicable and perilous mental breakdown, Luke Skywalker has exiled himself due to accusations, and Natasi Daala is using anti-Jedi sentiment to weaken the Order's influence within the Galactic Alliance.
Unable to interfere directly, Luke embarks on a mission to discover the truth behind Jacen's fall to the dark side and what is turning Jedi into raving lunatics. Finding answers will require venturing into the Kathol Rift and negotiating with an alien species as likely to kill outsiders as deal with them. Despite the danger, time is of the essence, as events on Coruscant continue to escalate. Jysella Horn, stricken by the same dementia that infected her brother, Valin, faces a grim fate after her capture by Natasi Daala's forces. Han and Leia Solo foil another deranged Jedi, and even Kenth Hamner appears willing to bow to Daala's will at the expense of the Jedi Order.
An even greater threat looms. Millennia ago, a Sith starship crashed on a low-tech planet, leaving the survivors stranded. Over generations, their numbers have grown, and the ways of the dark side have been nurtured. The time is approaching when this Lost Tribe of Sith will reclaim their destiny as rulers of the galaxy. Only one thing stands in their way: Skywalker.
In 41 ABY, Dician, a Sith, and her vessel, the Poison Moon, are positioned in orbit around the planet Ziost. They are tracking a Sith Meditation Sphere known as Ship instead of eliminating Alema Rar, the Home, and the Millennium Falcon. Dician attempts to persuade Ship to join the One Sith, but Ship declines, deeming them too weak for choosing to hide from the galaxy.
Eventually, Ship arrives on Kesh, where a stranded Lost Tribe of Sith remains isolated. Ship takes a particular interest in Sith Tyro Vestara Khai and offers to instruct her in the ways of the dark side of the Force. Days later, Vestara is summoned to the Circle Chambers before the Circle of Lords. She informs them that she and Ship have shared thoughts. The Lords then reveal that they will use Ship to learn more about the Sith and to fly offworld. Vestara is appointed Sith apprentice to Lady Rhea and will be trained by Ship. Ship reveals to the Lords that the Sith do not rule the galaxy and are few in number, shattering the Lost Tribe's belief that the Sith have ruled the galaxy for thousands of years.
Two years later, in 43.5 ABY, Jysella Horn struggles to cope with the loss of her brother Valin, who has been encased in carbonite after contracting a mysterious illness. While at the New Jedi Temple with Jedi Master Cilghal, Jysella is suddenly afflicted with the same illness. Believing that everyone is an imposter, she flees and is pursued by other Jedi. During her escape, Jysella begins to flow-walk (an ability she should not possess, and which was also harnessed by Jacen Solo) and avoids capture based on what she sees in the future. She escapes the Temple and battles Bazel Warv and Yaqeel Saav'etu, two of her friends. However, she is caught by GA security. Chief of State Natasi Daala arrives and announces that Jysella will be encased in carbonite alongside her brother.
Meanwhile, on the Jade Shadow, Luke Skywalker and his son Ben continue their journey to gather information about Jacen Solo's five year sojourn. Cilghal contacts them and informs them about the recent events. Luke is concerned that each Jedi who has contracted the illness has displayed Force powers that they hadn't learned, and furthermore, powers that Jacen had possessed. Luke speculates that Darth Caedus may have flow-walked into the past and planted a kind of "Force bomb" that would trigger the illnesses if he did not succeed in his quest for power during the Second Galactic Civil War. Luke and Ben decide to travel to the Kathol Rift in order to find the Aing-Tii, a xenophobic species with strange time altering Force powers. Jacen was known to have visited these beings, and the Skywalkers suspect that this is where he learned to flow-walk.
Upon reaching the Rift, the Skywalkers encounter an Aing-Tii ship. After receiving directions, Luke and Ben arrive at a small moon and find an Aing-Tii craft waiting for them. The lone Aing-Tii presents them with a challenge: to communicate with him via the Force. While using the Force, the Skywalkers are shocked to find that the monk shines in it just as brightly as Luke, but the Aing-Tii's presence differs from any other Force-user that they have felt before. The encounter is too much for Ben, and he is forced to give up. Luke, however, maintains contact for quite some time and passes the test. They learn the Aing-Tii's name is Tadar'Ro. Tadar'Ro gives them the coordinates to the Aing-Tii homeworld.
Arriving at the coordinates, the Skywalkers find it is a rocky and mostly barren world. They are greeted by the Aing-Tii with a mixture of aggression, welcome, and neutral disinterest. Tadar'Ro tells them via an Aing-Tii translation device that the monks' peaceful society is being torn in two. Recently, a prophet who had made many accurate prophecies proclaimed that Those Who Dwell Beyond the Veil (god-like figures in the Aing-Tii religion) would return in his lifetime, then he died. This has led to much controversy, which is tearing apart the Aing-Tii's society. Tadar'Ro agrees to tell the two humans about Jacen's visit, teach Luke the ability to teleport objects using the Force, and teach Ben the ability to flow-walk. In return, the two Skywalkers must collect relics, various sacred artifacts that have a residue of Force power in them and ordained by Those Who Dwell Beyond the Veil to be collected, but the Aing-Tii are culturally forbidden from touching them.
Back on Coruscant at the Livestock Exchange and Exhibition, the Solo family and Jedi Knights Radd Minker and Natua Wan are all attending. Han and Leia also wish to search for a pet for Allana. After viewing the tamer animals Allana decides she wants to see the more ferocious and dangerous creatures. As they enter the exhibit holding the dangerous species, Wan suddenly contracts the same mysterious Force illness that has presented itself in the Horn children and Seff Hellin. The Falleen Jedi flees to the command center of the station and locks all of the doors of the dangerous animal exhibit. She starts to retract the bridges over the cages leading to the doors and opens the animal pens. One spectator is injured and a child is almost eaten by a boar-wolf. He is saved by Leia, who in turn chases Wan, who throws her voice using the Force, another ability of Jacen's. Leia, Jaina, and Radd engage Wan and render her unconscious. Unfortunately for the Jedi, much of what happened was recorded by journalist Javis Tyrr.
Tyrr also manages to infiltrate the lower areas of the Temple and record Seff Hellin's imprisonment. Tyrr broadcasts both events on the HoloNet. Daala demands a meeting with the Jedi, where she humiliates them and tries to detain Hellin and Wan. The Jedi refuse but grant the GA full access to the two Jedi so a cure can be found. In return each of the Jedi who had been in on this plot, namely those involved in Darkmeld, has to be named and interviewed on the HoloNet. The exception is Tahiri Veila who had resigned so Jaina did not give her name in. That night Jaina returns very tired to her quarters and finds Jagged Fel waiting for her. Jag then asks Jaina to marry him, which she happily accepts.
On the Aing-Tii homeworld, the monks are becoming restless and Tadar'Ro decides that even though the Skywalkers are not ready, they must travel to the Embrace, a series of caverns where the relics are stored. The Aing-Tii hope that the two humans will be able to discover an item that would solve the species' problems. After a two day hike the trio arrive at a cave. Inside the Skywalkers find thousands upon thousands of items.
On Kesh, Vestara Khai has flown and learned from Ship, as have many others. The Lost Tribe of the Sith have destroyed various ships and then repaired them. They have now acquired the equivalent of a small fleet. Vestara has been put on the Eternal Crusader under her master Lady Rhea. While hauling back two new ships Rhea feels a great presence in the Force at the same time as Luke touches a relic called the Codex.
Inside the Embrace, Luke is temporarily stunned after the Codex enhanced his powers tremendously. He says afterward that he felt a disturbance in the region of space called the Maw and that he and Ben must travel there. Upon returning to the surface the Skywalkers stand in front of the Aing-Tii crowd and tell them that though they have learned much, none of the relics have said anything that can guide the species. Therefore, the Aing-Tii must decide on their own whether to believe that the prophet was right; to accept the new beliefs that time was pre-ordained or return to the old ways. Though briefly enraged, the Aing-Tii finally accept the advice and step closer to filling in the rift between them. Luke and Ben express gratitude to Tadar'Ro and tell him they were going into the Maw. The monk warns them against it and reveals that Jacen also touched the Codex and felt a disturbance. The Skywalkers are warned of the Mind Drinkers who dwell there. But before the Skywalkers leave the planet, Ben goes to the spot where Jacen was taught to flow-walk. He finds that even though his late cousin was not his dark side self yet, he was inevitably going down that path, and there was nothing that Ben could do to stop it. Though experiencing great emotional pain at having failed to seek closure over his cousin falling to the dark side, Ben rejoins his father as they lift off in the Shadow, not knowing exactly what awaits them in the Maw.
On Kesh the leaders of the Lost Tribe of Sith discuss Luke Skywalker--they had all felt his presence when he touched the Codex and his Force powers were tremendously magnified. Lady Rhea describes her experience and how the Grand Master had felt alone and unprotected. Vestara suddenly cries out, feeling Ship abruptly leave Kesh. The Lords' discussion ends as they decide to track down and recapture Ship rather than dedicate their fleet to stopping Luke.
On Coruscant Allana opens up for the first time after the excitement at the Exhibition. She expresses her wish for a nexu cub that had lost its mother to Leia in the fray.
Tahiri Veila is sitting in her apartment contemplating the events of the past few days when she hears a knock at her door. She opens it to find armed GA officers who declare that she is under arrest for treason and murdering Grand Admiral Gilad Pellaeon two years earlier.