Second Imperium Crisis

The Galactic Civil War, a period of intense conflict, brought about significant shifts in galactic affairs, including the successive deaths of Palpatine clones, the ascent of the New Republic, and a corresponding decline of the Empire. Despite persistent resistance, the Galactic Empire was reduced to a small territory of just eight sectors, often mocked as the Imperial Remnant. Following the official declaration of peace with the signing of the Bastion Accords in 19 ABY between Ponc Gavrisom, the New Republic's Chief of State, and Grand Admiral Gilad Pellaeon, some officers within the Imperial Remnant and "replacement warlords" in the Deep Core decided to take independent action. They rejected the accords as fraudulent and separated from the official Imperial Remnant.

Consequently, numerous Imperials yearned for a restoration of the Empire's former power. Four Imperial Royal Guards (previously Stormtroopers elevated to guardsman status by Admiral Daala) seized upon this discontent, establishing the Second Imperium. By utilizing holograms of Palpatine, from his early days as the Senator of Naboo, to his role as Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic, to his reign as Emperor, they impersonated him, crafting a compelling leader to unite dissenting elements within the Remnant. Driven by their own ambitions and considering the Emperor's history of evading death, many were quick to accept the deception as truth.

Between 19 ABY and 23 ABY, the Second Imperium experienced consistent growth, adopting similar secretive tactics as previous splinter groups like the Empire Reborn. However, unlike the Empire Reborn, the Second Imperium abandoned the traditional Imperial policy of humanocentrism to broaden its recruitment base, as seen with Lowbacca. Despite this, the majority of its members remained predominantly Human even by 23 ABY.

Among those who joined the Second Imperium was Brakiss, a former Jedi and Imperial spy who had become disillusioned following Kueller's defeat in 17 ABY by Luke Skywalker and the New Republic. Brakiss was assigned the task of creating a new group of Imperial Dark Jedi Knights to oppose Skywalker's Jedi Praxeum on Yavin 4. He used funds from the Imperium to build the Shadow Academy, a cloaked space station that served as a mobile training center for his Dark Jedi. It included training facilities for Dark Jedi, stormtroopers, and TIE pilots.

Brakiss hoped that these Dark Jedi would help maintain control over the declining remnants of the Empire. He aggressively recruited from the Nightsisters of Dathomir, forming a leadership group composed of witches like Tamith Kai, Vonnda Ra, and Garowyn. Initial recruitment took place on Dathomir, with potential students sent to the Shadow Academy for indoctrination and training. Recruiting candidates was straightforward after he aided in reviving the Nightsisters on Dathomir under the banner of the Great Canyon Clan. However, by 22 ABY, the number of recruits from Dathomir began to decrease. Additionally, Brakiss's harsh methods of eliminating weak students in his academy resulted in the deaths of at least six students.

In 22 ABY, the Second Imperium gained Qorl, a TIE pilot who had been surviving on Yavin 4 since the Battle of Yavin in 0 BBY. Qorl was put in charge of the Second Imperium's growing starfighter force. He also provided information about Skywalker's Academy obtained from the Solo twins, Jacen and Jaina, after forcing them to repair his damaged TIE Fighter before escaping into hyperspace.

Although he was already aware of the Jedi Praxeum on Yavin 4, Brakiss may have been unaware that Skywalker was training a new, formidable generation of Jedi Knights. Believing that younger minds would be easier to influence than adults, Brakiss decided to kidnap students from the Jedi Praxeum to bolster his new order of Dark Jedi. This information led to a daring plan to abduct some of these students, hoping they would be easily corrupted and that their disappearance would instill fear within the New Jedi Order.

Brakiss's initial targets were the Solo twins because of their immense potential as powerful Force-users and their important sociopolitical position as the children of Leia Organa Solo, the New Republic's Chief of State and the leader of the Imperium's main adversary. Shortly before the raid, the Solos and their Wookiee companion Lowbacca had gone on a field trip to Lando Calrissian's GemDiver Station. It is unknown how the Shadow Academy discovered that the three Jedi trainees would be at the space station, which orbited the gas giant Yavin.

A force consisting of four Skipray blastboats and one modified assault shuttle was assembled under Tamith Kai's command. When the Imperial fleet reached the GemDiver Station, Calrissian and the three students had just returned from an expedition into Yavin's lower atmosphere. The Imperial ships established a jamming field to prevent reinforcements from arriving.

Although the station's alarms were activated and the guards were prepared, the crew aboard the station were surprised and unaware of the fleet's intentions. Jaina Solo, using her knowledge of starship design, identified the ships as Imperial in origin. The Jedi trainees sensed a dark presence within the attack force and realized that they were the intended targets.

As the attack force approached the perimeter of automated defensive satellites, the satellites fired on the Imperials, but their lasers could not penetrate the blastboats' heavy armor. The blastboats used their ion cannons to disable four of the satellites and then destroyed them with their lasers. Meanwhile, the assault shuttle approached the space station and attached itself to an airlock. It then used industrial-grade Corusca gems to bore through the space station's hull.

Led by Tamith, a group of Stormtroopers entered through the hole. Although GemDiver Station's security forces used lethal force to defend the station, the stormtroopers were instructed to set their blaster rifles to stun, to avoid killing or injuring their targets. Four stormtroopers were killed upon boarding the station. Calrissian and the students went to GemDiver Station's shipping chamber, which was located behind heavy, triple-armored doors and an airlock. Calrissian left them there and went outside, where he was later stunned.

The Jedi trainees were trapped because they had not yet constructed their lightsabers and could not find an armory in the shipping chamber. Stormtroopers cut through the doors of the shipping chamber using a heavy-duty laser. The Solo twins and Lowbacca were stunned and kidnapped.

The three Jedi trainees, along with Lowbacca's droid Em Teedee, were kidnapped and taken to the Shadow Academy, where Brakiss and Tamith Kai attempted to convert them to the dark side of the Force. In the immediate aftermath of the raid on GemDiver Station, Brakiss was pleased with the results. Assuming that Skywalker would be searching for the missing Jedi trainees, he planned further raids on the Jedi Praxeum, unaware of how accurate his assumption was.

Both Jacen and Jaina rejected Brakiss's teachings. However, Tamith Kai made some progress with Lowbacca due to his somewhat short-tempered nature. Another aggravating factor was the reprogramming of Em Teedee to be more loyal to the Empire. Although Em Teedee was annoying to begin with, he became even more so when he said things like "The Empire is your friend." Despite this, Lowbacca managed to resist Tamith Kai's sadistic training methods.

After regaining consciousness, Calrissian informed Luke Skywalker about the trainees' disappearance. He noted that the attack force had used industrial-grade Corusca gems to drill into GemDiver Station's hull and that, ironically, his broker was the only person from whom the raiders could have purchased the gems. Upon Skywalker's arrival, Calrissian provided the Jedi Master with an old blockade runner named Off Chance to travel incognito to Borgo Prime in search of the broker.

Meanwhile, Calrissian and Lobot attempted to enhance GemDiver Station's security, including using Corusca gems for defense. The other ideas and whether they were implemented are unknown. Skywalker and Tenel Ka embarked on a mission to find the missing trainees. Due to the nature of the Corusca gem industry, they were able to trace the purchase of the industrial-grade Corusca gems through Calrissian's broker. The trail led them to Dathomir, where they discovered that the Nightsisters had been revived.

Disguised as potential recruits for the new Nightsisters, Skywalker and Tenel Ka were sent to the Shadow Academy, where the missing Jedi trainees were being held. Upon arrival, they found Jacen, Jaina, and Lowbacca in the process of escaping the Shadow Academy. After a confrontation with Brakiss and Tamith Kai, the Jedi stole a shuttle and returned to Yavin 4.

Following the escape, Brakiss had to relocate the Shadow Academy immediately to avoid detection by New Republic scouts searching for the missing trainees. He also abandoned his plans to kidnap more trainees from the Jedi Praxeum on Yavin, instead focusing on recruiting disadvantaged youths to his cause.

Before the Second Imperium could begin its campaign to reclaim the galaxy, it first needed to recruit new members and obtain essential equipment to build a battle fleet. Following the kidnapping of the Solo twins and the resulting failure, the Shadow Academy was moved to the inner Coruscant system to achieve these goals. To accomplish the former, Tamith Kai, her apprentice Vilas, and Garowyn were dispatched to the undercity of Coruscant to find Force-sensitive youths who could be easily swayed to the dark side. Non-Force-sensitive youths were also valuable, as they possessed knowledge of the planet that was considered the heart of the New Republic and could be used as spies or saboteurs, or trained as stormtroopers or TIE pilots.

Among the "recruited" youths was Zekk, who was discovered to be exceptionally powerful in the Force. After discussions with Brakiss, Zekk came to agree that the New Republic should be eliminated and replaced by a new Second Imperium. Zekk accompanied Tamith Kai, Garowyn, and Vilas back to the undercity to recruit the Lost Ones into the Second Imperium. He delivered a speech while the others used the Force to compel the Lost Ones to listen. Everything proceeded smoothly until Jacen Solo and Tenel Ka intervened and confronted Zekk. However, a stun blast quickly resolved the issue. The Nightsisters and Zekk then left with the new recruits before Jacen and Tenel Ka regained consciousness.

To achieve the latter objective, the Second Imperium gathered sufficient data to determine that the Adamant, a bulk cruiser carrying numerous turbolasers and hyperdrive cores, would be stopping at Coruscant before continuing to Kuat Drive Yards, where the components would be used to arm and equip a new fleet of battleships for the New Republic. As the Adamant exited hyperspace and approached a docking zone near one of Coruscant Space Traffic Control's space stations, it was intercepted by several Imperial short-range fighters that seemed to appear from nowhere.

Because the New Republic had recently made peace with the Imperial Remnant during the Bastion Accords in 19 ABY, Coruscant's security forces were caught off guard and unable to respond quickly. The Second Imperium fighters immediately used their ion cannons to disable the Adamant's weak defenses. Qorl then piloted an Imperial Assault Shuttle to board the disabled vessel, using a specially modified cofferdam to cut into the hull outside the bulk cruiser's bridge. An Imperial boarding party of Stormtroopers entered the bridge and quickly stunned the crew, including Admiral Ackbar, who was knocked out by Qorl himself.

With the incapacitated crew loaded into an escape pod, Qorl assumed command of the Adamant while the stormtroopers returned to the assault shuttle and detached it from the Adamant. Qorl then docked the Adamant with the Shadow Academy, and the unloading of its cargo began. The data regarding the Adamant's cargo proved accurate, and it was estimated that the Second Imperium's military strength would double with the use of these components. The escape pod containing Ackbar and the Adamant's bridge crew was successfully retrieved. Security patrols in the Coruscant system were increased to guard against further Imperial attacks on ships traveling to and from Coruscant. Later, a cargo shuttle named Moon Dash, piloted by Captain Narek-Ag and her co-pilot Trebor, collided with the cloaked Shadow Academy's upper docking tower as it accelerated to hyperspace, destroying the vessel and killing its crew.

Unaware of the Shadow Academy's presence, the New Republic's Commissioner of Trade seized upon this incident to lobby Chief of State Leia Organa Solo to allocate more resources to mapping the space debris that had surrounded Coruscant since the Galactic Civil War. Leia was skeptical of the proposal, as the New Republic's resources were already limited. Her daughter, Jaina Solo, overheard her conversation with Han Solo and volunteered herself and her friend Lowbacca to chart the debris. They spent a considerable amount of time charting the debris. When Peckhum visited the Solos' quarters to inquire about his missing friend Zekk, Jaina decided it would be easier to chart the debris from the Orbital Solar Energy Transfer Satellite where Peckhum would be stationed later.

There, Jaina and Lowbacca continued charting the debris. Jaina was reviewing captured news images of the raid on the Adamant, trying to understand how the assault could have occurred without a nearby base, despite the use of short-range fighters. Meanwhile, Lowbacca noticed an anomaly within a debris field that was completely clear of debris. Suspicious, Jaina persuaded Peckhum to focus the satellite's mirrors on the anomalous area while she instructed her brother to inform Admiral Ackbar of the anomaly and her suspicion that it was the Shadow Academy. Her suspicion was confirmed when the mirror focused on the area, revealing the Shadow Academy. Realizing they had been discovered, the Shadow Academy accelerated to hyperspace before a fleet of New Republic warships could intercept it.

The Shadow Academy, having revealed its presence to the citizens of Coruscant and much of the New Republic, was compelled to escape the Coruscant system via hyperspace. The Academy then journeyed to the isolated and inaccessible Deep Core, which was still a haven for the remnants of the Imperial replacement warlords. These "warlords" operated independently from Pellaeon's Imperial Remnant, maintaining their hostility towards the New Republic. The region's challenging hyperspace travel, caused by the intense gravitational forces of numerous stars, had deterred extensive settlement.

As the Second Imperium achieved successes against the New Republic, Jedi Master Skywalker found it necessary to expedite the training of his Jedi students. He instructed them to construct their own lightsabers using personally acquired materials. In one exercise created by Luke Skywalker, the Jedi trainees were required to wear visors that rendered laser remotes invisible. Hapan-Dathomirian Tenel Ka used the Force to deflect the incoming bolts and uniquely bisected her remote.

Tenel Ka then engaged in a lightsaber training session with Jacen Solo. Tragically, during their duel, her lightsaber malfunctioned and exploded in her left hand as Jacen brought his blade down in an attack. With her weapon suddenly gone, Jacen was unable to stop his blade in time, severing Tenel Ka's left arm just above the elbow. Ta'a Chume's Ambassador, Yfra, promptly transported Tenel Ka to her homeworld of Hapes within the exclusive Hapes Consortium. There, she was greeted by her grandmother, Ta'a Chume.

Subsequently, Tenel Ka declined the prosthetic replacement arranged by her grandmother, opting instead to enhance her physical and Jedi abilities as compensation. Soon after, Jacen and the others arrived to offer comfort and to confront Tenel Ka about her concealed royal status. Tenel responded that she feared they would not accept her for herself, despite their prior acceptance. Following apologies, they spent time together.

Regrettably, this tranquility was soon shattered by a bomb explosion at the Fountain Palace, where they were staying. The treacherous ambassador Yfra had planted the bomb in an attempt to seize power. Fearing for their safety, Queen Mother Ta'a Chume, her granddaughter Tenel Ka, and the other Jedi trainees were quickly moved to the isolated Reef Fortress on a remote island. However, Yfra orchestrated the sabotage of their wavespeeder, an ambush by carnivorous eye-flower seaweed, and an attack by a squad of lethal Bartokk mercenaries.

Discovering her ambassador's betrayal, Ta'a Chume returned to the capital of Ta'a Chume'Dan to find that Yfra, believing the Queen Mother to be dead, had declared martial law and initiated a mourning period for Ta'a Chume. Enraged, Ta'a Chume had Ambassador Yfra arrested and tried for conspiring to murder the entire royal family. Afterward, Tenel Ka resolved to return to Yavin IV to continue her Jedi training.

Following their successful recruitment and resource acquisition on Coruscant, the Shadow Academy had, over several months, gathered a force of determined but inexperienced young individuals. Those who displayed any Force sensitivity were trained as Dark Jedi adepts, while non-Force users were enlisted as stormtroopers and pilots. During this time, the former street urchin Zekk excelled in his Dark Jedi training, becoming Lord Brakiss' favored student, much to the dismay of the Nightsister Tamith Kai, who preferred her fellow Dathomiri compatriot Vilas.

Now facing two candidates vying for the prestigious position of the Academy's Darkest Knight—the leader of all Dark Jedi adepts, answerable only to Brakiss and the Emperor—Brakiss and Tamith arranged a duel to the death between Zekk and Vilas. Before the assembled academy, Zekk and Vilas faced off with lightsabers in a zero-gravity combat chamber filled with debris. Vilas mocked Zekk's past as a "trash collector" and promised to only maim him if he surrendered, provoking Zekk and pushing him further into the dark side.

Attempting to deceive Zekk amidst the rubble, Vilas launched a fatal attack. However, Zekk severed Vilas through the torso with his lightsaber, ending his rival's life. As the academy cheered Zekk as their new leader, a holographic image of Emperor Palpatine appeared on a screen spanning the chamber, expressing his satisfaction with Zekk's victory. Brakiss warmly acknowledged the victory, while Tamith Kai remained bitter and resentful towards Zekk.

Now that Zekk had secured his position within the Second Imperium, Lord Brakiss assigned him the task of leading a raid on the Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk, a strategically important member world of the New Republic and a long-time adversary of the Galactic Empire. The raid's objective was to acquire valuable guidance and tactical computer systems from a computer fabrication facility in Thikkiiana City.

These computer systems, along with hyperdrive cores seized during the Coruscant raid, were to be installed on the Imperium's newly constructed battle fleet of Star Destroyers. This would allow the Imperium to complete its fleet of hastily assembled Star Destroyers. The captured computers would be used to transmit signals mimicking the New Republic's secret starship ID patterns, enabling the Imperium's starships to travel through Republic space disguised as Republic vessels.

The raid was initially planned for a few weeks later. However, by monitoring communications between the Jedi Praxeum on Yavin IV and Coruscant, the Imperium learned that the Solo twins and Tenel Ka Djo were accompanying fellow trainee Lowbacca back to Kashyyyk. Lowbacca's younger sister, Sirrakuk, was about to undergo a dangerous Wookiee ritual and needed the support of an older sibling. During their visit, the Jedi trainees visited Thikkiiana City and its computer fabrication plant.

Using holographic image disguisers to infiltrate the facility disguised as Wookiees, an Imperial commando team led by Zekk, Tamith Kai, and Vonnda entered the Thikkiiana fabrication facility's control tower and sabotaged the planetary defense systems. This allowed a small Imperial force to bypass the defensive satellites and land at the fabrication plant, overwhelming the unprepared workers and quickly seizing the computer systems. Meanwhile, in the skies above Thikkiiana, Imperial TIE/In starfighters and TIE/sa bombers bombed the suburbs to distract the defenders.

In an act of petty revenge, Garowyn attempted to "recover" her stolen personal starship "Shadow Chaser" from Jaina and her Wookiee friend Chewbacca but was killed instead. Having received a distress signal from the fabrication plant, Jacen, Tenel Ka, Lowie, and Sirrakuk arrived to find Zekk, Vonnda Ra, and a contingent of Stormtroopers. The Jedi trainees fled through an escape hatch into the dangerous Shadowlands in the lower regions of Kashyyyk's vast tropical jungles, pursued by the Dark Jedi and Imperials.

During the pursuit, the outnumbered Jedi used their Force abilities and the dangerous ecosystem to eliminate most of their pursuers. A giant slug eliminated most of the stormtroopers, while Vonnda Ra met her end in the maw of a carnivorous syren plant. Meanwhile, Jaina encountered her former friend Zekk while searching for her friends in the Shadowlands. Despite his indoctrination, Zekk could not kill one of his former friends and instead warned her of the Second Imperium's impending attack on the Jedi Academy on Yavin IV, telling her to stay away. He then quickly left to rendezvous with a fast transport.

Having achieved its objectives, Zekk's task force returned to the Shadow Academy in the Deep Core. While Brakiss was pleased with his pupil's efforts, Tamith Kai resented Zekk even more over the loss of her two best friends and fellow Nightsisters, Vonnda Ra and Garowyn. Earlier, the "Emperor Palpatine" had arrived on a camouflaged shuttle but refused to meet any of his followers, including Brakiss. Instead, the "Emperor" remained secluded in an armored isolation chamber, guarded by four Imperial Royal Guards.

This isolationist behavior caused Brakiss to worry about his master's health and even question his own role in the future Second Imperium. Having obtained the guidance and tactical systems, the "Emperor" ordered the immediate departure of the Shadow Academy to the Jedi Praxeum on Yavin IV for a confrontation with the Sith Lord's most formidable enemies—the Jedi. Due to the vast hyperspace distances between the Deep Core and Yavin IV in the Outer Rim, this journey would take approximately two standard days.

Meanwhile on Kashyyyk, the New Republic dispatched engineers and soldiers to assist in the repair and relief efforts at Thikkiiana city. The computer fabrication plant was largely destroyed, and significant areas of the city were damaged during the bombing raids. With the repairs completed, the Jedi trainees and Chewbacca left Kashyyyk on their transport Shadow Chaser and fled to the Jedi Praxeum to prepare for the impending attack. Master Skywalker and the Solo's father Han Solo had also returned from a scouting mission. Preparations were also made to send New Republic naval reinforcements under Admiral Ackbar and Lando Calrissian to Yavin IV.

Following a rapid transit of two days through the vastness of hyperspace, the Jedi trainees made their way back to Yavin 4. Working in unison with Master Skywalker, they sounded the alarm and contributed to the preparations of the Academy for the coming assault on the Jedi Praxeum. Tenel Ka provided intensive training in ground-based combat to her fellow trainees, while Lowbacca departed in his T-23 Skyhopper to retrieve Jedi Master Tionne Solusar and trainee Raynar Thul, who were engaged in a training exercise at the Massassi Temple situated near the lake.

Jacen took charge of monitoring the communications channels, while Jaina and Luke dedicated their efforts to ensuring the shield generators were battle-ready. Prior to this, Han Solo had delivered a shipment of shield generators originating from Coruscant, serving as a temporary solution until the arrival of more substantial reinforcements. Adding to the complexity of the situation was the unexpected arrival of the merchant Peckhum aboard his transport vessel, the Lightning Rod, who remained unaware of the unfolding events.

Simultaneously, the concealed Shadow Academy materialized in a low orbit above the Jedi Praxeum. Brakiss envisioned the impending assault on the Praxeum as a coordinated two-pronged offensive, jointly spearheaded by the Tamith Kai and Zekk. An Imperial commando unit, consisting of two TIE stealths piloted by recently recruited Commander Orvak and his wingman Dareb, was dispatched with the mission of planting explosives at both the shield generators and the Great Temple, which served as the foundation for the Praxeum. Despite the loss of Dareb, Orvak successfully managed to disable the shield generators. However, while in the process of planting explosives at the Temple, he was incapacitated by a crystal snake.

With the shield generators now inoperable and communications effectively jammed, Master Skywalker issued the order for the immediate evacuation of all Jedi trainees residing within the Great Temple into the safety of the surrounding jungles. In the meantime, the Second Imperium seized the opportunity to deploy its starfighters and ground troops with minimal opposition. While TIE/LN starfighters and TIE/sa bombers relentlessly bombarded the Grand Audience Chamber, which housed the Praxeum's hangar bay, Tamith Kai oversaw the ground assault from atop a modified sail barge known as a battle platform. Equipped with repulsor packs, Zekk and his Dark Jedi descended into the jungles, engaging Skywalker's Jedi trainees in combat.

Finding themselves unable to communicate via HoloNet, Jacen and Peckhum sought refuge aboard the freighter Lightning Rod, intending to escape into hyperspace and seek assistance, while Skywalker proceeded to verify the successful evacuation of the remaining Jedi trainees from the Great Temple. In the skies above the jungle moon, the vessel found itself pursued by a quartet of TIE fighters. In an attempt to transmit a distress call, Jacen encountered a gleeful Norys, the leader of the Lost Ones street gang, with whom he and Zekk had previously had a negative encounter in the lower levels of Coruscant. Norys' TIE fighter commenced strafing runs on the Lightning Rod. However, Qorl, having intercepted Jacen's distress message and disgusted by Norys' sadistic behavior and insubordination, intervened to rescue the freighter, destroying Norys' fighter and eliminating him.

In a parallel development, Tenel Ka and Lowbacca, accompanied by his translator droid M-TD, boarded their T-23 Skyhopper and entered the fray to confront Tamith Kai's battle platform, having detected her presence through the Force. Regrettably, the T-23 was struck down by TIE fighters, but the crew managed to escape and continue their mission. Subsequently, the two Jedi successfully boarded the modified sail barge by employing a grappling hook to scale the vehicle.

Upon gaining access to the vessel, Lowbacca engaged the stormtrooper guards in combat, while Tenel Ka confronted Tamith Kai, who expressed her fury at their unexpected presence, believing that Zekk had eliminated them on Kashyyyk. During the ensuing confrontation, the sail barge was destroyed, resulting in the deaths of Tamith Kai and all other Imperials aboard. Tenel Ka and Lowie leaped from the vessel into the jungles below and were later recovered by a Jedi search party.

Other small groups of trainees collaborated to defeat members of the Second Imperium. Three Cha'a and three avian trainees combined their efforts to ambush Dark Knights along the river adjacent to the Praxeum. Further into the jungles, a tree-like trainee ambushed a Knight, while elsewhere Tionne Solusar and a group of trainees trapped four Dark Jedi by suspending granite blocks from a temple ruin above their heads, compelling them to surrender. Kyle Katarn also faced the deranged Jeng Droga during the battle. Droga was on Yavin searching, again, for his Master the Emperor. Kyle was victorious, and finally defeated the murderer who had roamed the galaxy for many years.

In the meantime, Zekk and his team of Dark Jedi attempted to harness their combined Force abilities to generate a Force storm, intending to attack the Jedi fighters. However, their focus was disrupted by Zekk's emotional distress upon witnessing the attack on the Lightning Rod and the presence of a lone Jedi trainee, Raynar Thul. Underestimating the Dark Jedi, the spoiled and arrogant youth attempted to force the Dark Jedi to surrender and even tried to use the Force to push them away. The Dark Jedi would have killed him, but Zekk threw him into the mud instead. While this act saved Thul's life, it also cured the young Jedi trainee of his pride and arrogance.

At the wreckage of the shield generator station, Jaina commandeered Orvak's TIE stealth and initiated an attack on six TIE fighters, successfully destroying three. However, when the remaining three retaliated, Jaina became entangled in a fierce aerial dogfight in the upper atmosphere and space surrounding Yavin 4. By this point, a fleet of New Republic naval reinforcements had emerged from hyperspace, consisting of Corellian gunships and corvettes, which were among the fastest vessels available. With the remaining two TIE fighters closing in on her, she transmitted a distress signal to the nearest Republic ship. Fortunately for her, the corvette was captained by Lando Calrissian and Admiral Ackbar, with whom she shared a close relationship. They promptly eliminated Jaina's pursuers and extended an invitation for her to board the vessel for the duration of the conflict.

Upon her arrival onboard, she was warmly welcomed by the crew and soldiers, including Calrissian and Ackbar, who expressed their admiration for her exceptional skills and prowess as a fighter pilot. By now, the New Republic fleet was approaching the formidable Shadow Academy, preparing to dispatch boarding parties. However, this plan was disrupted by the arrival of a Second Imperium force, comprised of Star Destroyers that had been hastily equipped with stolen hyperdrive cores, turbolaser batteries, and computer systems acquired during previous raids.

The Imperium Star Destroyers swiftly launched their TIE squadrons and commenced firing upon the New Republic ships, which were unable to retaliate due to the former's transmission of friendly ID signals, preventing the latter's computers from initiating a counterattack. However, Ackbar executed an override command, disabling his opponents' computer systems and preventing them from firing back. In the New Republic's counteroffensive, several Star Destroyers and TIE squadrons were destroyed, while the survivors were compelled to retreat. During the ensuing space battle, Qorl's TIE fighter sustained a direct hit in the crossfire, causing the fighter to plummet into the depths of Yavin IV. Nevertheless, Qorl survived the crash and continued to exist in the uncharted jungles of the moon.

Meanwhile, Master Skywalker received a message from Brakiss via his comlink, proposing a private meeting away from the ongoing conflict at the Temple of the Blue Leaf Cluster. Recognizing this as an opportunity to redeem his former trainee and bring an end to the fighting, Skywalker accepted Brakiss' offer. Upon arriving, Brakiss engaged his former master in a duel, but was defeated after the latter disabled his lightsaber. Despite Skywalker's efforts to persuade him to return from the dark side, his former pupil escaped using his repulsorpack.

As the tide of battle turned against his forces, Brakiss fled aboard his shuttle to the safety of the Shadow Academy. Once there, he demanded an audience with Emperor Palpatine to question him about the disastrous outcome of the battle. Two Royal Guards attempted to prevent his entry into the Emperor's chamber, but he swiftly dispatched them with his lightsaber before entering the chamber. Inside, he discovered a third Royal Guard operating a bank of controls, computer screens, and holographic generators, realizing that the Emperor had never returned. In reality, the Royal Guards had orchestrated this illusion to maintain control over the Second Imperium. Tragically, the fourth guard utilized his "Emperor's" override controls to activate the Shadow Academy's self-destruct systems, resulting in the destruction of the space station and the deaths of all onboard. The fourth guard then managed to escape on a shuttle, disappearing into parts unknown.

Back on the ground, the remaining Imperial forces witnessed the destruction of the Shadow Academy in low orbit. Many surrendered, while others, like Zekk, sought refuge in the jungle. As Jaina and several other Jedi gathered around the Great Temple, Zekk reappeared, blocking their path. Jaina believed that he intended to duel her, but Zekk's true intention was to protect his friends by preventing them from entering the temple. By this point, Zekk had come to recognize the errors of his ways.

Suddenly, the bomb detonated, causing significant damage to the building. In the resulting explosion, Zekk was rendered unconscious by falling debris, but no one else sustained injuries due to his efforts to shield them from the blast. Jaina's anxieties regarding the fate of her twin, Jacen, and Peckhum were alleviated by the sudden arrival of the Lightning Rod, which requested clearance for landing.

With the destruction of the Shadow Academy, the death of its leadership core, and the defeat of its forces on Yavin 4, the Second Imperium was effectively neutralized. Meanwhile, Luke's New Jedi Order commenced the process of recovery and rebuilding.

During the conflict, several Jedi adepts sustained injuries, including Tenel Ka and Lowbacca, although many would eventually recover from their wounds. For the New Jedi Order, this brief confrontation with the Second Imperium served as a prelude to even more devastating conflicts, including the Yuuzhan Vong War, the Dark Nest Crisis, and the Second Galactic Civil War, during which the Jedi suffered significant losses.

Reconstruction efforts also commenced at the Jedi Praxeum. The Jedi trainees actively participated in the clearance of debris and the collection of fragments of carved stone from the ancient structures, cataloging them for potential reassembly. Off-world engineers, architects, and laborers were also enlisted to assist in the restoration efforts. New Republic military forces and planetary shields were installed on the Praxeum to enhance its defenses.

On one notable occasion, Anakin Solo returned to Yavin IV and contributed to the rebuilding of the Great Temple, viewing its rubble as a complex puzzle to be solved. Unfortunately, the Great Temple would later be destroyed by the Yuuzhan Vong during their invasion of the galaxy.

Despite his recovery from his injuries, Zekk declined the invitation to join the Jedi, eventually succumbing to the dark side once more. Following a brief period as a bounty hunter and an encounter with the anti-Human Diversity Alliance, Zekk ultimately joined the Jedi Order. He would serve as a Jedi Knight during the Yuuzhan Vong War, the Dark Nest Crisis, and the Second Galactic Civil War.

Following the battle, the Imperial pilot Qorl retreated to a simple life on the jungle moon, refusing to surrender to the New Republic due to his indoctrination. He remained isolated until he encountered Anakin Solo years later during the Yuuzhan Vong War following the Peace Brigade capture of the Praxeum.

The fourth guard managed to escape on a shuttle and headed for parts unknown. He was later killed by the anti-Human Diversity Alliance in 24 ABY after he refused to reveal to them the location of the Emperor's Plague Storehouse.

Many of the Second Imperium's adherents were rounded up by the New Republic forces. Some like the former Dark Jedi commander Zekk were convinced sufficiently to join Luke's Jedi.However, the Jedi were unable to convince some like Lomi Plo and Welk to leave the dark side as it had become embedded deep in their minds.By the time of the Yuuzhan Vong War, both had joined the resurgent One Sith order on the ancient Sith burial world of Korriban.

In the opening stages of the Yuuzhan Vong War, Lomi Plo was captured by the extragalactic Vong during a mission to escort the so-called "Dark Lady of the Sith" Lumiya to Korriban. Welk was apparently captured by the Vong on Dathomir though this remains unconfirmed. Due to their control over the Force, the two were incarcerated aboard the Vong worldship Baanu Rass, where the Force-hunting voxyn were being bred to eliminate the Jedi threat. Aboard the Baanu Rass, Welk and Plo were used as live prey in the training of the creatures. Forced to run from the voxyn through the scenarios set up by the Yuuzhan Vong Shapers, Lomi and Welk soon learned their way around the cave warrens and slave cities on the worldship.

During a Jedi mission to Myrkr in 27 ABY the strike team encountered two Dark Jedi. Faced with a common enemy, Lomi Plo and Welk agreed to assist the Jedi in finding the voxyn queen in return for safety and protection. Towards the climax of the mission, they stole a repaired freighter, Tachyon Flier, and fled into the Unknown Regions with the Jedi Raynar Thul and Lowbacca's translator droid M-TD onboard.

Much later, in 35 ABY, it was revealed that the ship had crash-landed on Woteba, setting all three aboard on fire and mutilating them. They were rescued by the Killiks—a species long believed to be extinct for millennia since their disappearance from their homeworld of Alderaan around 30,000 BBY. Eventually, all three were absorbed into the Killik hive mind, thus effectively becoming Joiners. All three also became the leaders of the hives they joined. Raynar Thul became UnuThul while Lomi and Welk became the leaders of the Gorog nest of Killiks, also known as the Dark Nest. On the same year of the Killik rediscovery, Welk was slain by Master Luke Skywalker during a raid on Kr's Gorog hive.

Under the influence of Lomi Plo and UnuThul, the Killiks and their Joiner allies instigated the Swarm War in 36 ABY and waged on both the Chiss Ascendancy and the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances. After a series of fierce battles, Lomi Plo was killed during a duel with Skywalker on her flagship Admiral Ackbar while UnuThul was captured and placed in the custody of the Jedi, thus ending their hold on the Killik hives.

• Raid on the GemDiver Station
• Raid on Coruscant
• Battle of Kashyyyk
• Third Battle of Yavin