Penned by Troy Denning, Legacy of the Force: Invincible is a novel belonging to the Star Wars Legends continuity. As the ninth and concluding installment in the Star Wars: Legacy of the Force series, it was initially released in hardcover format via Del Rey on May 13, 2008. The narrative unfolds in 41 ABY, spotlighting the ultimate confrontation between Jaina Solo and her brother who has fallen to the dark side, Darth Caedus.
The cessation of hostilities is inevitable. The protracted and brutal conflict between the New Jedi Order's staunch defenders and the Galactic Alliance's imposing force is reaching its conclusion. With immense stakes and irretrievable losses, retreat is impossible, regardless of the ramifications.
The rebellion suffers setbacks with Admiral Gilad Pellaeon's assassination and Mara Jade Skywalker's demise. Simultaneously, the Galactic Alliance, bolstered by the Imperial Remnant's support and its formidable military, and guided by the newly elevated Sith Lord Darth Caedus's exceptional abilities and sinister intellect, appears unstoppable. Luke, tormented and divided between his obligations and a desire for retribution, has glimpsed a horrifying vision of a galaxy enslaved under a tyranny exceeding even Palpatine's. The last remaining hope seems to lie in uniting the scattered Jedi for a crucial mission: the elimination of Darth Caedus.
This undertaking will be exceptionally challenging and perilous. Caedus, a descendant of both the Skywalker and Solo lineages, possesses Force abilities surpassing even his grandfather Darth Vader. Only one individual, destined to oppose him in a potentially fatal duel, has any prospect of defeating the dark lord formerly known as Jacen Solo.
There is no margin for error. The decisive moments between power and peace are at hand, and the victor of the confrontation with Darth Caedus will determine the ultimate outcome—and the destiny of the survivors.
During the Battle of Roche, Jaina and Boba Fett navigate the interior of Nickel One as Darth Caedus's Galactic Alliance and Imperial Remnant forces attack the asteroid. Jaina and Fett discover that the Remnant is deploying an aerosol nanokiller to eliminate the Verpines working there. Fett orders Jaina to return to the Jedi Coalition, while he remains to defend the Verpines, honoring their mutual-aid pact.
Jaina rejoins the Jedi at their base on Shedu Maad, where she, her family, and the Jedi High Council strategize to infiltrate Coruscant and gather intelligence on Darth Caedus's location. Later, on Coruscant, Ben Skywalker meets with his friend Lon Shevu, a Galactic Alliance Guard spy, who secretly reveals that Caedus is at Nickel One. Ben realizes they are being watched and attempts to flee, leading to the Skirmish on Coruscant. Tahiri Veila and her forces capture Ben and Shevu, who is arrested for aiding Ben's escape. Jaina and her mother, Leia, try to rescue Ben with a stolen medical frigate, but they encounter a GAG ambush, forcing Jaina to abandon Ben on Coruscant and escape with her mother.
Despite Ben's capture, Luke explains to Jaina and her parents that he anticipated it, having foreseen it in his visions while countering Caedus's attempts to cloud them. This was to ensure that Caedus would be unprepared for Jaina's eventual duel with him. Luke's reason for not confronting Caedus himself, despite his superior power, is that he was tainted by the dark side of the Force when he killed Lumiya in revenge for Mara's death. Knowing that Caedus is Mara's actual killer, Luke fears that he would act out of vengeance rather than for the greater good, succumbing to the dark side completely. Luke also foresaw Ben obtaining information from Shevu, revealing Caedus's location at Nickel One to the Jedi Coalition.
Luke, Leia, her husband Han, Saba Sebatyne, and Jaina travel to Nickel One aboard a Skipray 24r Blastboat. While Saba, the Skywalkers, and the elder Solos divert Caedus's forces with help from Fett and the Mandalorians, Jaina infiltrates Nickel One to assassinate her brother. Inside, she joins Mandalorian forces dispatched by Fett to eliminate the Moff Council. As the Mandalorians storm the Moffs' meeting room, battling guards and stormtroopers, Jaina finds a sniping position. Caedus appears but does not give Jaina a chance to shoot him, defeating the Mandalorians. He orders the Moffs and remaining stormtroopers to find safety while he deals with the sniper, unaware it is Jaina. Jaina and Caedus then engage in a lightsaber duel, with Caedus initially mistaking Jaina for Luke. When Jaina cuts off his arm and Caedus paralyzes her with Force lightning, Luke loses his Force connection with Jaina, breaking the illusion. Jaina escapes, failing her mission and wounded, while Caedus believes Luke was physically involved. After recovering, Jaina discovers a blood trail left by Caedus, a technique used by the Nightsisters of Dathomir to track individuals. Luke realizes that Caedus will use this to find and potentially destroy the Jedi Coalition at Shedu Maad if they do not retaliate.
On Coruscant, Tahiri interrogates Ben about the Jedi base's location, using Shevu's life as leverage. Ben complies, but Tahiri accidentally electrocutes Shevu to death. Horrified, Ben escapes, secures Shevu's body, and receives a message to meet someone at Nova Station. There, he meets Hapan Queen Mother Tenel Ka Djo's cousins, Trista and Taryn Zel, who agree to transport him back to Shedu Maad. Caedus's fleet intercepts them, attempting to seize the Zels' ship, the Blue Slipper. Prince Isolder's fleet intervenes, allowing Ben and the Zels to escape, but Isolder's fleet is defeated and captured. Ben returns to Shedu Maad, where he learns that Caedus now knows their location due to Jaina's mark. The Jedi Coalition, aided by the Hapes Consortium, prepares for battle.
As Caedus's fleet arrives in the Maad system and engages the Jedi Coalition, Jaina boards the crippled Anakin Solo. Zekk goes missing during the raid. Caedus discovers that the Moffs plan to use Isolder's DNA to create a nanokiller targeting the Dragon Queen, Tenel Ka's flagship, to eliminate the Hapan royal bloodline. Caedus forbids this, even though he knows they are lying about complying. When Tahiri asks why he cannot use flow-walking to prevent these events, Caedus reveals that his attempts to alter the past have been insignificant. Despite her hatred, Tahiri remains loyal and plants a bomb on Shedu Maad. Caedus then tries to enlist Isolder's help to stop the Moffs, but Isolder doubts him, leading Caedus to kill him. Caedus disposes of Isolder's body in an immolation pit, where Jaina confronts him again. Caedus tries to convince Jaina that he needs to save Tenel Ka and his daughter, Allana, from the nanokiller, but Jaina, like Isolder, believes he is lying. The duel continues, and both sustain severe injuries. Ultimately, Caedus, weakened, chooses to become Jacen Solo again and warns Tenel Ka of the danger. Jaina, realizing what he was trying to do too late, strikes him down, ending Darth Caedus's life.
On Shadu Maad, Ben confronts Tahiri, preventing her from detonating the baradium bomb. Ben redeems Tahiri, who returns to the Jedi's side. Aboard the Anakin Solo, the Coalition defeats Caedus's GA forces and captures the Moffs, concluding the Second Galactic Civil War. They threaten to hand the Moffs over to the Hapans for their nanokiller attack on the Dragon Queen, which killed many of royal bloodline, but not Tenel Ka, unless they allow Jagged Fel to rule the Imperial Remnant. The Moffs agree, and Jag becomes their ruler, promising to help rebuild war-torn planets. The Solos grieve over Caedus's death, and Jaina questions her role as the Sword of the Jedi, regretting her disbelief in Caedus's attempt to save Tenel Ka and Allana.
Later, Jaina recovers from her injuries. Han and Leia observe that Caedus, in a way, achieved his goal, as the Confederation and the Imperial Remnant have united to restore the Galactic Alliance. Natasi Daala becomes the new Chief of State, Zekk remains missing, and Allana is revealed to have survived the nanokiller attack. Jacen's incomplete warning saved Tenel Ka and Allana, and the Queen Mother gave Allana, renamed Amelia, to Han and Leia as a war orphan to protect her from assassination. Jaina welcomes "Amelia" into the Solo family.
Maelstrom and Descent were considered as possible titles for the novel.
Troy Denning, the author, originally conceived an ending where Jacen used flow-walking to travel back to Anakin Solo's final mission in The New Jedi Order: Star by Star (2001), intending to corrupt Tahiri into his apprentice. During his final duel with Jaina, he would have projected an image of their mortally wounded brother, Anakin, to torment her. However, this act of reaching into the past would have resulted in him switching places with Anakin. The events of the past would have remained unchanged; the body in the past would be a disguised Darth Caedus, while Anakin would have been transported to the future and revived by Jaina. Ultimately, this concept was only briefly considered in the outline.
According to The Essential Reader's Companion (2012), the events of Legacy of the Force: Invincible take place in 41 ABY, positioning the novel after Legacy of the Force: Revelation (2008) and before Crosscurrent (2010).
Each chapter in Invincible opens with a joke that Jacen Solo told during his teenage years. Most of these jokes were sourced from the Star Wars: Young Jedi Knights series (1995–1998), authored by Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta. Andria Hayday and Sue Rostoni also contributed additional jokes.
- ISBN 9780345477460 ; May 13 , 2008 ; Del Rey ; US hardcover [1]
- ISBN 9780345510563 ; May 13, 2008; Del Rey; US eBook [4]
- ISBN 9780345477477 ; December 30 , 2008; Del Rey; US paperback [5]