The Raid on Coruscant, orchestrated by Grand Admiral Thrawn, was a clandestine operation with the objective of abducting Leia Organa Solo and her twins. This action was intended to satisfy the desires of the Dark Jedi known as Joruus C'baoth. The mission was executed by a team of fourteen individuals from Imperial Intelligence, under the command of Major Molo Himron. An additional, covert goal was to "neutralize" Mara Jade, either through assassination or by damaging her reputation.
Joruus C'baoth grew increasingly impatient due to the failure of the Noghri Death Commandos to successfully kidnap Leia Organa Solo and her twins. He insisted that Thrawn immediately launch an assault on Coruscant, with the intention of personally seizing his targets. Thrawn initially declined, deeming a full-scale attack impractical, but he suggested that a commando raid could be a viable alternative. This particular abduction attempt differed from previous ones in two significant aspects. Firstly, Leia had already given birth to the twins, ensuring their presence on Coruscant for the foreseeable future. Secondly, the Noghri would not be involved in this operation.
Thrawn meticulously selected a team of fourteen Imperial Intelligence commandos, placing them under the leadership of Major Himron. After carefully devising the plan for the operation, seemingly accounting for every possible contingency, he instructed the team to focus on discrediting Mara Jade, rather than eliminating her. Major Himron also planned to delay their arrival on Coruscant slightly, in order to create a more believable trail for their transport.
The evening chosen for the raid coincided with the Sarkan reception held within the Palace. The commando team gained entry to the Palace through a concealed private entrance, and swiftly adopted the disguises of a standard Security team. They initiated comlink jamming to disrupt communications, and proceeded towards the Solo's quarters, intending to use an electronic lock-pick to bypass the security systems. The plan might have succeeded, were it not for the intervention of Mara Jade.
Sensing an imminent threat, Mara Jade departed from her own quarters and observed four members of the commando team advancing down the corridor. Mara recognized the distinctive bent diamond formation and the hand signals employed by the team as standard Imperial protocols, and attempted to follow them. However, she was intercepted by Lando Calrissian and Garm Bel Iblis, who had detected the comlink jamming and were investigating its source. Mara Jade quickly briefed them on the situation, and Lando moved to retrieve his blaster. Jade used the Force to send a message to Leia, alerting her to the danger.
Upon receiving Mara Jade's message, Leia awoke to the sound of the electronic lockbreaker. Reacting quickly, she discharged her blaster at the wooden door, triggering the activation of the secondary metal security door. Han and Winter were awakened by the commotion and decided to delay the commandos by relocating to Winter's room, forcing the intruders to search both rooms instead of just one. They barricaded the room while a firefight erupted outside.
Lando, Jade, and Bel Iblis were ambushed by the team's rear guard and engaged in a firefight. Lando conceived a plan to use the Millennium Falcon to extract the Solo's from the window and headed towards the hangar. Meanwhile, Palace Security forces arrived and deployed an E-web heavy repeating blaster to quickly neutralize the team. Unfortunately, it wouldn't arrive in time to prevent the commandos from taking hostages. Mara Jade, utilizing her knowledge of the Emperor's hidden passages, decided to ambush the commandos from an unexpected direction. She eliminated several commandos before sending a second message through the Force, urging Leia to surrender.
Inside the rooms, Leia decided to use her lightsaber to create an exit through a wall. Han expressed his doubts, suggesting that Thrawn had likely anticipated such a move. Leia, asserting that Thrawn was not infallible, prepared to breach the window. At that moment, the Millennium Falcon appeared outside and began transmitting a signal, which C-3PO identified as a gambler's code. Uncertain whether it was a trap, Leia began to cut through the window just as the team breached the door. Hearing the message, Leia chose to surrender. Her surrender caused a momentary pause in the fighting, allowing the commandos to move in and apprehend her. This provided Mara Jade with the opportunity to swiftly eliminate the remaining members of the team from behind.
The entire team was killed, with the exception of Major Himron, who had one final maneuver to execute. He identified Mara Jade as the individual who had facilitated their entry into the Palace, thereby discrediting her in the eyes of the New Republic leadership. However, many individuals, including Leia, did not believe his accusations.
Upon learning of these events, Joruus C'baoth once again demanded an attack on Coruscant, to which Thrawn finally agreed. Ultimately, Thrawn committed one of his rare, yet critical errors. By choosing not to eliminate Mara Jade, she would ultimately lead the New Republic to Wayland, bringing an end to the war.