Legacy of the Force: Sacrifice

Jacen Solo is prepared to give up everything, including anyone, to bring peace and order to a galaxy consumed by war. The moment of decision is now.

A civil conflict is in full swing, pitting the Galactic Alliance—under the leadership of Cal Omas and Luke Skywalker's Jedi forces—against a coalition of dissenting planets that have aligned themselves with the rebellious Corellia. Han and Leia Solo, suspected of involvement in a plot to assassinate Queen Mother Tenel Ka of the Hapes Consortium, find themselves fugitives, pursued by their own son, Jacen. His increasingly authoritarian methods as the head of GA security have caused Luke and Mara Skywalker to worry that their nephew is dangerously approaching the dark side. However, Jacen's sole desire is to ensure safety and stability for everyone—and he is willing to do whatever is necessary to achieve this.

Despite his family's perception of Jacen as embodying the chilling legacy of his Sith grandfather, Darth Vader, he is admired by many frontline troops, and numerous citizens view him as a savior. The galaxy has suffered through too many wars. Jacen's only goal is to establish safety and stability for all–and he is ready to take any measures to accomplish it.

What sacrifice would be considered too great to put an end to the bloodshed and suffering? This is the question that plagues Jacen. He has already made significant sacrifices, embracing the ruthless teachings of Lumiya, the Dark Lady of the Sith. She has taught him that a strong will and a noble purpose can control the dark side's evil excesses, bringing peace and order to the galaxy–but at a cost.

Jacen must undergo one final trial before attaining the full power of a true Sith Lord: He must cause the death of someone he holds dear. Jacen's concern is not whether he possesses the strength to commit murder. He has prepared himself for that, and even worse if necessary. Instead, Jacen struggles with the decision of who should be the sacrifice.

As the threads of destiny tighten across the galaxy, the shocking conclusion will devastate two families... and cast a dark shadow over the future.

Jacen Solo is willing to sacrifice anything or anyone to establish peace and order in a war-torn galaxy. The time for choosing is now.

Han and Leia Solo, suspected of treason, are on the run, hunted by their own son, Jacen. While his family sees Jacen as the embodiment of his Sith grandfather, Darth Vader, many frontline troops admire him, and countless citizens regard him as a savior in a galaxy ravaged by numerous wars. Jacen's only desire is to ensure safety and stability for all—and he is prepared to do whatever it takes to achieve this... even if it means embracing the teachings of Lumiya, the Dark Lady of the Sith. However, Jacen must pass one final test to gain the full power of a true Sith Lord: He must bring about the death of someone he deeply values. Jacen's concern is not whether he has the strength to commit murder, but rather who the sacrifice should be.

The story opens with Mara Jade Skywalker expressing concern for her son, Ben, who had disappeared in the previous book. Her husband, Luke, reassures her that there is no need to worry, as he can sense Ben through the Force. Mara acknowledges that she can sense him as well, but her concerns extend beyond Ben's mere safety.

Ben returns from his mission to Ziost, piloting the Sith Meditation Sphere aboard the Anakin Solo and handing over the Amulet of Kalara to his cousin, Jacen Solo. With Jacen's crew restricting access to the ship, Lumiya decides to take control of the ship and reminds him that the time for his sacrifice is approaching.

On Mandalore, Boba Fett declares the nation's neutrality in the war before embarking with his granddaughter, Mirta Gev, to locate the clone with the gray gloves that she mentioned during their initial meeting. They locate the clone, Jaing, and request a blood sample for experimentation to find a cure for Fett's cell degeneration. The double-aging process in Jango Fett clones had been neutralized in Jaing due to the actions of his late adoptive father, Kal Skirata. Jaing refuses their request, leaving Fett and Mirta empty-handed as they return to their planet. However, they are greeted by the discovery of new beskar deposits uncovered by the Yuuzhan Vong's attack during their war. The Mandalorians decide to use the new deposits to construct invulnerable ships. Thanks to Fett, they decide to support the Verpines on Roche against Murkhana, as Roche accused Murkhana of selling similar products. The Mandalorians seek trade with Roche in return. As Murkhana is a Galactic Alliance state, it appears the Mandalorians will side with the Confederation in the war. Meanwhile, Fett meets the man nicknamed Kad'ika, whose real name is Venku, and he provides Fett with the cure to his degeneration for reorganizing Mandalore as a true leader. Fett's arc concludes when he discovers that his ex-wife, Sintas Vel, was not dead but frozen in carbonite for 38 years.

Within the Galactic Alliance, Jacen decides to consolidate his power by improving weaponry for the Galactic Alliance Guard. He assigns Ben, along with GAG agents Jori Lekauf and Lon Shevu, to assassinate Corellian Prime Minister Dur Gejjen on Vulpter during a meeting. However, GAG discovers that Gejjen's meeting is to discuss peace terms with GA Chief of State Cal Omas without the Alliance government's approval. Jacen and his military ally Supreme Commander Cha Niathal plot a coup against Omas to seize control for the sake of Coruscant and the rest of the GA until the war concludes. On Vulpter, Ben assassinates Gejjen, but before he can escape with Lekauf and Shevu, Vulpter Security begins searching for weapons. Lekauf takes the weapon from Ben and poses as a Corellian terrorist opposed to Gejjen. He retreats to a Corellian shuttle with a hostage, releases her, and then detonates himself, horrifying Ben. Ben and Shevu escape. Following the assassination, Jacen arrests Omas upon his return to Coruscant, and he and Niathal formally declare their takeover, though neither is formally the Chief of State.

Ben, grieving and blaming himself for Lekauf's death, discovers Jacen and Lumiya's collaboration after overhearing their conversation (Jacen couldn't sense him because he taught Ben to hide in the Force). Ben informs his mother, who confronts Jacen to persuade him to return as a true Jedi. Jacen refuses, prompting Mara to plan his assassination. She tracks him through Lumiya and her Sith ship using a tracking beacon. Jacen visits his lover Tenel Ka Djo and daughter Allana on Hapes, and Lumiya senses Jacen's love for them through the Force. Despite this, she doesn't urge him to choose them as his sacrifice, though he attempts to kill her for this knowledge. Mara attacks Jacen in a StealthX X-wing starfighter while Ben captures Lumiya and the Sith ship. However, Mara's StealthX is shot down, forcing her to land on Kavan, where Jacen hunts her down. They engage in combat in a sewer tunnel, and Jacen narrowly wins by killing Mara with a poisonous dart. Despite Jacen's claims of improving the galaxy, Mara accuses him of being as evil as the late Emperor Palpatine and vows that Luke will defeat him before she dies. Her death is sensed by Ben and Luke, plunging them into grief. Lumiya senses a turning point in the Force, indicating that Jacen has made his sacrifice and is now powerful enough to be a Sith Lord. Luke immediately blames Lumiya for Mara's death, tracks her to Terephon, and duels her. He wins by decapitating Lumiya, believing he has avenged Mara. The Sith Meditation Sphere is stolen, and Ben retrieves Mara's corpse to Cilghal for evidence, where he tells Luke that he was with Lumiya when Mara died, meaning Lumiya couldn't have killed Mara. Luke falls into deeper despair, realizing he killed the wrong person for the wrong reasons. In conclusion, Lumiya has hurt Luke more in death than she ever could have in life.

Following Mara's death, Jacen gains new Force abilities, allowing him to direct GA battles with precision. He renames himself Darth Caedus, the new ruler of the Sith.

Some fans, including Shannon McRandle, the model who portrayed Mara Jade Skywalker for the Star Wars card games, voiced their dissatisfaction with Legacy of the Force: Sacrifice due to Mara's death. McRandle stated that she believed only Timothy Zahn, who created the character in Heir to the Empire, should have been able to kill Mara Jade. However, Karen Traviss confirmed that she did not propose killing off Mara Jade and was unaware of the character's significance when she was introduced to her.

• ISBN 9780345477408 ; May 29 , 2007 ; Del Rey ; US hardcover [1]
• ISBN 9780345477408 ; 2007; Del Rey; US hardcover, Science Fiction Book Club edition (1237293) [7]
• ISBN 9780345477415 ; April 29 , 2008 ; Del Rey; US paperback [2]
• ISBN 9780345510525 ; April 29, 2008; Del Rey; US eBook [3]
• ISBN unknown ; September 25 2008 , Amber, 432-page paperback