The Last Command

A best-selling sensation, Heir to the Empire reached the top spot on the New York Times list and became the year's most significant science-fiction publishing event. Dark Force Rising enriched the thrilling escapades of Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, and the beloved characters from cinema's most cherished trilogy. Now, the saga culminates with The Last Command, the final book in a trilogy sanctioned by Lucasfilm Ltd. and crafted by Timothy Zahn, an author recognized with a Hugo Award.

Set five years following the events of Return of the Jedi, the fledgling New Republic is struggling under the relentless assaults of Grand Admiral Thrawn. He has not only united the scattered Imperial forces but also pushed back the rebels using a dreadful innovation: cloned soldiers.

As Thrawn prepares a decisive assault on the Republic, hopes dwindle. Han and Chewbacca are striving to forge a precarious alliance among smugglers for a desperate counterattack against the Empire, while Leia endeavors to maintain the Alliance's unity and anticipates the arrival of her Jedi twins. However, the Empire possesses overwhelming numbers of ships and clones. The Republic's only chance hinges on dispatching a small team, led by Luke, into the heart of Thrawn's cloning operations.

A final menace awaits them there. The Dark Jedi C'baoth, hidden within his secluded fortress, orchestrates the battle against the rebels, nurturing his madness, and amassing power to fulfill his original goal: the annihilation of Luke Skywalker.

This third and final installment of The Last Command is a fast-paced, action-packed odyssey filled with shocking revelations and a final showdown. It encompasses a galaxy consumed by conflict, presenting a tale of Good versus Evil "a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...."

Following their triumph in the Battle for the Katana fleet, Grand Admiral Thrawn initiates the subsequent phase of his strategy to dismantle the New Republic. Simultaneously, the deranged Dark Jedi Joruus C'baoth is eager to acquire Leia Organa Solo, her unborn children, and Luke Skywalker as his apprentices, a reward Thrawn promised for his assistance. During the Battle at Ukio, C'baoth senses Organa Solo's presence above Filve and dispatches the Imperial battle group to pursue the Millennium Falcon. Using the Cracken Twist, Han, Leia, and Rogue Squadron successfully evade capture.

Concurrently, Luke is on a quest to locate Thrawn's cloning facilities. He encounters Talon Karrde on Berchest. Skywalker persuades the information broker to provide the New Republic with intelligence concerning Imperial troop movements.

Meanwhile, on Coruscant, Mara Jade is recuperating from wounds sustained during the battle for the Katana fleet. Winter, Princess Leia's aide, is acting as her hostess during her stay at the Imperial Palace. Jade recognizes Winter as the Targeter, a code name she briefly used, during a short conversation. This prompts Winter to investigate Jade's past, suspecting her of being an Imperial agent.

At the same time, Luke has tracked the clones to the Inner Rim planet Poderis. Imperial forces on the planet attempt to capture him using Ysalamiri, but the young Jedi detects the blank spots created by the creatures and jumps onto a roof. Fashioning a protective wrapping for his hand with a piece of cloth, Luke uses his lightsaber to cut a groove on the outside of the shield-barrier connected to the roof he was on and sticks his hand in it. Holding the lightsaber in front of him, Skywalker begins his descent by digging out a slanted path for his hand to follow. After going about 100 meters across the wall, he cuts a hole in the shield-barrier and goes back into the city. Reaching the spaceport, Luke leaves Poderis and, after a brief skirmish with the Chimaera, jumps to hyperspace. When his X-wing's power cells are depleted, Skywalker decides to replace them on Honoghr, the Noghri homeworld. Upon arriving on the planet, the Noghri lead him to a place they refer to as The Future of the Noghri. There he encounters Khabarakh. While waiting for the power cells to be delivered, Nystao he experiences a vision of Leia and the twins being in danger. While Luke is on Honoghr, Leia goes into labor during a meeting of the Provisional Council. After 10 hours delivery, with Han by her side, she gives birth to Jaina and Jacen Solo.

Meanwhile, Karrde, after an unplanned meeting with fellow smuggler Gillespee, organizes a gathering of top smugglers on Trogan. The meeting at Whistler's Whirlpool Tapcafe, is attended by Brasck, Billey, Par'tah, Ellor, Dravis, Mazzic, Lishma, Gillespee, Niles Ferrier and others. Karrde's purpose is to create an alliance to discover the location of the clone breeding facilities. Initially, the smugglers wish to remain neutral in the war, but after the Imperials attack the meeting, resulting in Lishma's death, they decide the Empire must be taught a lesson, leading to the formation of the Smugglers' Alliance. Ferrier orchestrated the attack on the meeting, hoping to gain Karrde's trust in order to betray him to the Grand Admiral. However, Thrawn was displeased, as he did not want the smugglers turning against the Empire.

Returning to Coruscant, Leia is enjoying a brief respite from politics following the birth of Jaina and Jacen. When Winter voices her concerns about Mara Jade, the Princess visits Jade in her quarters at the Palace. She directly questions Jade about being a spy, and Jade reveals that she was once the Emperor's Hand, a special agent who received orders directly from Palpatine. Jade also informs Leia of her intention to kill her brother. After suggesting that perhaps she is not the one who wants Luke's death, Leia departs. Frustrated, Jade attempts to contact Karrde but discovers the network is down. Sensing danger, Jade finds that the Imperial Palace is infiltrated. Lando Calrissian, who is on Coruscant attempting to persuade the New Republic to aid his Nomad City after it was nearly destroyed by the Empire, draws a blaster at her, thinking she is up to something. With Calrissian's assistance, she determines that the Imperials' true target is the Solo twins. Reaching out with the Force, Mara warns Leia of the danger. Using her knowledge of the Palace's secret passages, Jade helps Organa Solo thwart the kidnapping attempt. The leader of the strike team Major Molo Himron identifies Jade as the Imperial agent who allowed them into the Palace, thus discrediting her in the eyes of the New Republic leadership. However, Leia does not believe him. Organa Solo visits Jade, who is under house arrest, to express her gratitude for her help. Before leaving, the Princess casually mentions that Thrawn is using clones in his campaign. Upon hearing this, Jade recalls a trip with the Emperor to a planet called Wayland, where he had stored cloning technology among other useful technologies. Jade offers to provide the coordinates of the planet, and Organa Solo instructs her not to share this information with anyone. During this conversation, Luke returns to Coruscant. Sensing his sister's shock in the Force following Mara's revelation, Luke and Han rush to meet Leia. Later that night, Luke, Leia, Han, Chewbacca, Lando, and Winter gather in Leia's office to discuss and decide what to do with the information provided by Mara. They decide that Luke, Han, Lando, Chewbacca, Mara, R2-D2, and C-3PO will go to Wayland.

At the same time, Karrde, aboard the Wild Karrde, witnesses an attack on the Bilbringi Shipyards by Mazzic and Ellor. The attack results in the destruction of a nearly completed Star Destroyer. The attack itself was the two smugglers' revenge for their friend's death. Just before the raid begins, Karrde counts twenty-two asteroids, which the Grand Admiral would later use to attack Coruscant. Unfortunately for the smugglers, the Grand Admiral is present during the attack and recognizes Mazzic and Ellor's styles. While discussing his plans concerning the smugglers, Thrawn is interrupted by the enraged Master C'baoth, who has discovered that the latest kidnapping attempt failed. He demands to fly to Coruscant to take his Jedi. Thrawn agrees to take him to the Galactic Capital after the special cargo is loaded onboard. C'baoth, believing that Thrawn intends to destroy Coruscant with Organa Solo and the twins still on the planet, seizes control of the Chimaera's crew. Thrawn manages to calm the insane Jedi down and, with the asteroids onboard, departs for Coruscant.

Back on Coruscant, Leia's chosen bodyguards arrive: ten Noghri, including Khabarakh, disguised as Jawas. The same night, Luke and Lando break Mara out of her quarters. They board the Millennium Falcon and leave for Obroa-skai, the last stop Mara and the Emperor had made before reaching Wayland.

Later that night, Thrawn's forces attack Coruscant. Before the attack, C'baoth demands to return to Wayland to await his wanted Jedi. Thrawn gives him the Draklor and places it under General Freja Covell's command. After C'baoth departs, the Imperials launch the attack. Before withdrawing his forces, Thrawn orders the launch of asteroids equipped with cloaking devices. In addition to the twenty-two actual asteroids, Thrawn also stages 265 false launches. Because the cloaked asteroids are undetectable to Coruscant's sensors, it is impossible for the New Republic to distinguish a real asteroid launch from a fake one. He allows the New Republic forces to disable the cloaking device on one of the asteroids so they can see what's out there and then orders it destroyed. In this way, the Grand Admiral forces the Coruscanti to permanently activate the planetary shields, preventing anything from entering or leaving. This would ultimately lead to Thrawn's victory by starving his enemies into submission.

During the attack, Leia helps Mon Mothma and General Garm Bel Iblis to mend the rift that had formed between them years ago when Bel Iblis left the Rebellion to fight his own personal war against the Empire. With this resolved, the general assumes command of the defense of the New Republic capital. After the Imperial forces jump out of the system, Mara Jade's absence is discovered, but Leia manages to convince Mon Mothma to keep it a secret and pretend that she is still their prisoner. Meanwhile, Ghent, the slicer who had remained on Coruscant to watch over Mara while she was hospitalized, manages to break the pulse transmitter encrypt code used by Delta Source. Using the code, Leia, Winter, and Bel Iblis attempt to uncover Delta's identity. By conducting pre-arranged conversations and relying on Winter's perfect recall, they successfully neutralize Delta Source.

Meanwhile, Karrde has established a new base in an ancient fortress on the planet Hijarna. The coalition he is trying to build is crumbling due to financial difficulties. Karrde calls a new meeting to discuss the continuation of their operations with the other smugglers if he provides the credits to pay them. However, Mazzic is captured by the Imperials and brought before the Grand Admiral. Thrawn, exploiting the flimsiness of the attack on Trogan, sows doubt in Mazzic's mind that Karrde is behind the attack. Mazzic leaves the Grand Admiral's flagship determined to discover the truth, and Ferrier is sent to incriminate Karrde.

Around this time, Mara manages to pinpoint the coordinates to Wayland. Jumping out of hyperspace, she confirms that this is the correct planet. Landing in the forests, the team encounters a pack of garrals and must hike to Mount Tantiss. After several hours of hiking, Mara asks Luke about the Emperor's final moments, and Luke reveals that he was not the one who killed the Emperor. Over the next several days, Luke helps Mara sharpen her abilities in the Force, preparing her for what is to come when they finally infiltrate Mount Tantiss. The plan is to destroy the cloning facility that Thrawn is using for his military forces. Mara learns of Luke's parentage and the real reason why Palpatine wants him dead from the Noghri that had followed them—to extract revenge on his murderer. At this moment, she decides that killing Skywalker has to be her own decision, not because of her dead Master. At this moment, C'baoth tries to force her under his control, but his contact is abruptly ended.

Meanwhile, the New Republic plans to seize a crystal gravfield trap from the Empire and use it to clear Coruscant's space. New Republic Intelligence has located one on Bilbringi. To mislead Imperial Intelligence from the real target, the New Republic concentrates ships and personnel within striking distance of the planet Tangrene, where another gravfield trap is located.

When the smugglers rendezvous at the fortress, Mazzic accuses Karrde of orchestrating the attack on Trogan to turn them against the Empire. However, Ferrier is exposed as the real traitor aboard the Wild Karrde. After Karrde learns of the New Republic plans, he decides that his Alliance could obtain a gravfield trap and sell it to the New Republic. Falling for the feint set by the Republic, Karrde and his group target the gravfield trap that is the Republic's real objective. When the plans for the operation are made, Karrde goes to Coruscant to get back his second-in-command Mara. Reaching orbit around Coruscant, he communicates with Leia and asks about Mara's arrest. When Leia answers, he insists on knowing why he can't land. Leia tells him about the siege Coruscant is under, and the smuggler reveals that the number of asteroids they have destroyed matches the total number of asteroids, meaning they can lower the shields. When Karrde mentions his time spent in the prison cells of the Chimaera, Leia grants him permission to land. With the mention of Karrde's rescue, Leia finally figures out how Thrawn is breeding the clones so quickly and realizes that her brother's mission is endangered. After she explains that to Bel Iblis, he says that he'll try to convince Mon Mothma to send some ships to help Luke and Han. Knowing that the New Republic lacks the resources for two separate attacks, Leia decides to ask Karrde to take her to Wayland. She meets him at the spaceport and tells him where Mara is. During the conversation Mobvekhar, one of Leia's bodyguards, captures Borsk Fey'lya who is eavesdropping. Fey'lya begs Karrde to take the Princess to Wayland so Mount Tantiss can be destroyed. Sensing the counselor's anxiety, Karrde makes him pay him, thus securing the credits to pay his allies. With Leia onboard, the Wild Karrde sets off for Wayland.

As Luke's team nears Mount Tantiss, he discovers that he cannot sense the mountain in the Force. Initially, Han suggests ending the mission, thinking it is a trap, but Luke argues that the ysalamiri have been placed there to confine C'baoth. When a group of Myneyrsh approaches them, Skywalker asks two of the Noghri to accompany and help them do as much damage as they can. At the same time, a well-armed group of Psadans attacks the main entrance. This proves to be a useful diversion. The team infiltrates the mountain through an air intake vent after Artoo deactivates the sensors.

By that time, Leia and Karrde had arrived on Wayland. Karrde suggests using his pet Vornskrs Sturm and Drang to find Mara.

Han and the others find the cloning chamber, and Mara suggests going to the throne room, saying that the Emperor had probably built in a self-destruct mechanism. If such a mechanism exists, its controls would be in the throne room. While Luke and Mara make their way to the throne room, Han, Lando, and Chewie begin setting the explosives just in case. After Luke and Mara have left, Threepio warns Captain Solo that Artoo has discovered where the Imperials are keeping C'baoth—the throne room itself. Han sends the droid to tell Lando and Chewie and goes after Luke.

Meanwhile, Thrawn's forces and the New Republic clash in the Battle of Bilbringi. The Smugglers' Alliance ships are caught between the Imperial and New Republic forces. Initially, Mazzic decides that Karrde has betrayed them, but when they see the alignment of Imperial ships, the smugglers realize that it's a trap for the New Republic Navy. After that, they decide to continue according to plan and use the New Republic attack as a diversion. Aves contacts Wedge Antilles, and Antilles decides to help the smugglers out of the shipyards. This way, he gets the Rogues in the shipyards.

Back in the battle in Mount Tantiss, Luke and Mara reach the throne room and face off against C'baoth. The Dark Jedi has sent the Imperials from the Draklor, whom he has put under his control through the Force, to destroy the ysalamiri in the mountain. Once his connection with the Force is restored, C'baoth attacks Mara with Force lightning. Luke intercepts them with his lightsaber. C'baoth reveals his extra card—a clone of Skywalker made from the hand he had lost at the battle of Bespin. The clone, Luuke, is armed with Skywalker's old lightsaber, the one he had lost at Bespin. While Luke and his clone duel, C'baoth tries to force Mara into serving him. Meanwhile, Han and Leia meet on their way to the throne room. Using the Emperor's private turbolift, Han, Leia, and Karrde reach the throne room in the middle of the duel. When Solo tries to shoot C'baoth, the insane Jedi Master goes berserk. To stop him, Luke suggests staying with him if C'baoth lets the others go. Karrde contacts Lando and tells him that C'baoth is on the loose, and Calrissian decides to blow up the entire facility by overloading the power reactors. C'baoth, however, is not content with getting only one Jedi, and Luke and the clone resume the duel. Luke leads Luuke into a trap where Mara, using Organa Solo's lightsaber, kills the clone, thus fulfilling the Emperor's dying wish to kill Luke Skywalker. C'baoth then tries to bring the entire complex down, but Mara uses the same lightsaber which she used to kill Luuke to end C'baoth's life. The Dark Jedi disappears in a flash of light, just as the late Emperor did back aboard the second Death Star during the Battle of Endor. The explosion has made a huge hole in one of the walls, and Karrde orders the Wild Karrde to come and pick them up.

Back at Bilbringi, Chimaera receives a message from Mount Tantiss' garrison of the attack and that there are Noghri participating in it. Before Pellaeon can finish reading the report Thrawn's bodyguard, Rukh, betrays and kills the Grand Admiral by impaling him with his own dagger saying that this is a revenge for the Galactic Empire betrayal of the Noghri and the devastation of their homeworld. While Thrawn is himself avenged when Rukh is killed moments later, elsewhere aboard the Chimaera, Captain Pellaeon, aware that without the Grand Admiral's tactical brilliance the Imperial forces have effectively lost the battle, orders a withdrawal. With Pellaeon ordering all remaining Imperial forces in the Bilbringi system to retreat the Thrawn campaign is over with a triumph of the New Republic.

The novel concludes with Luke and Mara, back on Coruscant, forming a tentative friendship. Luke gives Mara the lightsaber that he had retrieved from Wayland. Before Luke returns to the negotiations between the New Republic and the Smugglers' Alliance, she asks him to wait for her. Together, they leave the Imperial Palace's roof.

• ISBN 9780553091861 ; April 1993 ; Bantam Spectra ; US hardcover [1]
• ISBN 9780553095005 ; May 1993; Bantam Spectra; US hardcover, limited edition [5]
• ISBN 9780553564921 ; January 1994 ; Del Rey ; US paperback [2]
• ISBN 9780307796202 ; June 28 , 2011 ; Del Rey; US eBook [3]
• ISBN 9780593497036 ; September 7 , 2021 ; Del Rey; US paperback, The Essential Legends Collection edition [6]