The New Jedi Order: Dark Journey, which holds the position of the tenth installment in the New Jedi Order series, presents a narrative crafted by Elaine Cunningham. Del Rey released it as a paperback on January 29, 2002. Readers could also find an excerpt from The Approaching Storm within its pages. Furthermore, the Science Fiction Book Club distributed an exclusive hardcover version.
The saga of The New Jedi Order moves forward, portraying Jaina Solo's internal conflict with fury and hopelessness after the Jedi Knights' intense experience within enemy territory.
Despite the Jedi's successful and perilous incursion into Yuuzhan Vong territory, triumph came at a steep cost: not all survived. In a daring escape plan, the skilled pilot Jaina Solo commandeered an enemy vessel, rescuing her fellow survivors—but leaving a significant part of herself behind.
With the enemy relentlessly pursuing them, Jaina is compelled to seek refuge in the vulnerable and hostile Hapes Cluster. Here, the Jedi are blamed for a past catastrophe, and the royal family harbors ominous intentions for their renowned Jedi guest. The Yuuzhan Vong's motives are even more sinister, as they desperately seek to capture Jaina for a gruesome ritual.
Consumed by sorrow and driven by vengeance, Jaina remains oblivious to these looming threats and the overwhelming darkness that threatens to engulf her. In the impending chaos, Jaina's battle will be not for triumph or retribution, but for her very existence…
Set directly after the events of The New Jedi Order: Star by Star, Jaina Solo, accompanied by the remaining survivors from the Jedi Myrkr strike team, which includes Lowbacca, Zekk, Ganner Rhysode, Tenel Ka Djo, Tahiri Veila, Tekli, Alema Rar, and Tesar Sebatyne, make their escape from the Yuuzhan Vong worldship they were dispatched to with the purpose of eliminating the voxyn, Vong-engineered Jedi hunters. Their escape is facilitated by commandeering Executor Nom Anor's ship, the Ksstarr. During this escape, Jaina's elder brother, Jacen, is captured by the Vong. His execution is postponed to allow for Jaina's capture, reflecting the Vong's cultural emphasis on twins engaging in a fight to the death. The survivors also carry the body of Jaina's younger brother, Anakin, to ensure he receives a proper burial.
Meanwhile, back on Coruscant, the conflict between the New Republic and the Yuuzhan Vong continues. During the battle, Kyp Durron's X-wing squadron and the Ksstarr join the ongoing fight. Following the Republic's defeat, the surviving members of the battle, including Kyp, Han Solo, Leia Organa Solo, Luke Skywalker, and Mara Jade Skywalker, along with the Ksstarr, flee the captured New Republic capital planet.
The battle's survivors seek refuge in the Hapes Cluster, a region still recovering from the loss of its primary fleet in the Battle of Fondor almost two years prior during the war against the Yuuzhan Vong. The Cluster is now receiving refugees from the Yuuzhan Vong War, and on Hapes itself, Prince Isolder has faced multiple assassination attempts due to his leadership during the defeat at Fondor. Queen Teneniel Djo of Hapes is losing her will to live due to the loss of her unborn child during the Battle of Fondor, and former queen mother Ta'a Chume is looking for someone to replace Djo. As for the strike team survivors, they all sense through the Force that Jacen Solo has died at the hands of the Yuuzhan Vong, with the exception of Leia, who is convinced Jacen is still alive, and Jaina, who also strangely did not sense her twin's death. Jaina believes her anger and rage over Anakin's death clouded her perception of Jacen, though she now has little regard for the dark side of the Force. She reasons that the Jedi and the New Republic's hesitation during the war has resulted in minimal action compared to what they could have achieved had they not engaged in, what Jaina considers, pointless debates over war-related matters.
Jaina, with Lowbacca's assistance, eventually gains an understanding of the Ksstarr and establishes contact with Warmaster Tsavong Lah of the Yuuzhan Vong. Upon discovering the frigate's nature, she realizes it is a tribute to Yun-Harla, the Vong's Trickster goddess, as Nom Anor is a follower of Yun-Harla. In an act of defiance against the Vong, Jaina renames the Ksstarr the Trickster, drawing from Yun-Harla's nature and how Eminence Harrar and Khalee Lah connect her deceptive abilities to Yun-Harla. This act could be viewed as blasphemy within Yuuzhan Vong culture if Harrar took it seriously, potentially leading to his dishonorable execution. When the Trickster finally arrives on Hapes, Anakin is cremated, and Jaina and Lowbacca begin working on methods to scramble the Trickster's location.
Recognizing Jaina's warrior spirit, Ta'a Chume devises a plan to have Jaina marry Isolder, hoping she will lead Hapes into war against the Yuuzhan Vong. Given Tenenial Djo's weakened state, making her unfit to lead Hapes into war, and Chume's own granddaughter, Tenel Ka, pledging greater allegiance to the Jedi than to Hapes, Jaina appears to be the ideal candidate for queen mother of Hapes. Amidst these events, Jagged Fel of the Chiss Fleet arrives at Hapes to support the New Republic, following his failure at the Battle of Ithor earlier in the war. Kyp Durron joins Jag's fleet, and to gain a better understanding, Jaina becomes Kyp's apprentice, despite her previous disdain for him before the fall of Coruscant. Ultimately, Tenenial Djo dies from poisoning due to Ta'a Chume's schemes, and despite the former Queen Mother's efforts, Jaina declines the position of the next queen mother of Hapes. Ta'a Chume's granddaughter, Tenel Ka, becomes the new queen. Jaina's attempts to scramble the Trickster's location are successful, leading to two Vong defeats when Hapes confronts them, and even resulting in Khalee Lah's suicide out of shame.
The novel incorrectly states that Tenel Ka "held her mother's hands in both of hers." However, Tenel Ka lost one arm in Young Jedi Knights: Lightsabers. At one point, the floor of the Trickster is described as duracrete. However, Yuuzhan Vong vessels are constructed from living organisms and do not incorporate inorganic materials.