Authored by Sean Williams and Shane Dix, The New Jedi Order: Force Heretic II: Refugee is the second installment within the Force Heretic trilogy. It was released to the public in 2003 and features a sneak peek at Shatterpoint.
- ISBN 0345428714 ; A 397-page paperback edition was published by Del Rey on May 5 2003.
- ISBN 0553713655 ; Random House Audio released an abridged version on cassette tape on April 29, 2003.
- ISBN 8324116532 ; Amber published a 320-page paperback in Polish entitled ( Heretyk Mocy II: Uchodźca ).
- ISBN 978-80-252-2020-7 ; A 292-page paperback in Czech ( Heretik II: Uprchlík ) was released on November 22, 2011 by EGMONT ČR.
The Yuuzhan Vong, a swift and lethal force, have carved a path of destruction across the galaxy and are now on the verge of achieving complete dominance. However, a small group of brave individuals still dare to stand against them…
The Unknown Regions, filled with hostile cultures and outright adversaries, present numerous dangers for Luke Skywalker and the Jedi as they search for Zonama Sekot. This living planet may hold the key to defeating the Yuuzhan Vong once and for all.
Simultaneously, on the fringes of the galaxy and within the territory of a trusted ally, old adversaries are awakening. The Yuuzhan Vong have reignited long-dormant conflicts that are escalating towards a critical point. As Han and Leia embark on their mission to restore unity to the unraveling galaxy, they will encounter betrayal and deceit…
Nom Anor, disguised as the prophet Yu'shaa on Yuuzhan'tar, is refining the Shamed Ones' heresy against the Supreme Overlord Shimrra during his public appearances. Concurrently, he seeks a competent spy to infiltrate Shimrra's inner circle, but repeated failures have diminished faith in his heretical teachings. Eventually, Nom Anor encounters Ngaaluh, a priestess of Yun-Harla, who enters his sanctuary with the intention of collaborating to overthrow Shimrra. Disillusioned with serving Shimrra during the Yuuzhan Vong War, she agrees to spy for Nom Anor and penetrate Shimrra's court, leveraging the Supreme Overlord's continued trust in her.
Within the Unknown Regions, Luke Skywalker, Mara Jade Skywalker, Jacen Solo, Danni Quee, Saba Sebatyne, and Tekli, aided by the Imperial Remnant, are in pursuit of the sentient world Zonama Sekot. Accompanied by Imperial xenobiologist Soron Hegerty, the group arrives at Munlali Mafir. Luke, Jacen, and a detachment of stormtroopers disembark on the planet via an Imperial shuttle, where they encounter a tribe of indigenous Krizlaw. At Luke's request, the Krizlaw reveal that Zonama Sekot visited their solar system years prior and remained for several months, during which significant environmental disasters occurred. Luke's attempts to explain the causes of these issues are met with hostility, and the Krizlaw attack the Jedi and Imperials. Unable to influence the Krizlaw's dual minds with Jedi mind tricks, the group is forced to flee, pursued by the Krizlaw. During the retreat, Hegerty sustains severe injuries requiring immediate medical attention. All but one stormtrooper are killed, with the remaining one devoured by a Jostran. The surviving members of the mission escape in their shuttle. En route back to the Jade Shadow, they are intercepted by a patrol from the Chiss Expansionary Defense Force, led by Commander Irolia, a female Chiss, who insists on an immediate meeting with Luke. Following a tense discussion in which Irolia questions the motives of the Imperial/Jedi expedition, she provides them with a disk containing instructions for reaching the Chiss homeworld, Csilla, where they must obtain approval to enter Chiss territory. The group then travels to Csilla to examine library records for clues regarding Zonama Sekot's current location. However, Luke and his companions are granted only two days to search the extensive library (comprising solely physical books) for systems in the Unknown Regions that have acquired new planets within the past fifty years. During their stay, Jacen befriends Wynssa "Wyn" Fel, the daughter of Soontir Fel and Syal Antilles Fel, and sister of Jagged Fel, all trusted allies of the Chiss. When a rogue Chiss faction, perceiving Soontir as a growing threat due to his cooperation with Luke, attempts to kidnap Wyn, Jacen intervenes and rescues her. Luke and his party subsequently expose the rogue Chiss to the Chiss High Council. As a result, Luke and his team are granted extended access to the Chiss records in their search for Zonama Sekot. Jacen, nearing despair, realizes that the living planet may be disguised as a moon. Acting on this insight, the search party identifies systems that have rapidly gained moons in the last half-century, estimating that Zonama Sekot is now orbiting the gas giant Mobus. Luke and his group then depart Csilla for Mobus. Han Solo, Leia Organa Solo, Jaina Solo, Jagged Fel, and Tahiri Veila arrive on Bakura to reestablish connections and integrate the planet into the Galactic Alliance. Bakura is undergoing a significant transformation as the Ssi-ruuvi Imperium's former slaves, the P'w'eck, with the Bakuran government's permission, led by Prime Minister Molierre Cundertol, prepare to consecrate the planet. Cundertol has recently been abducted, and Malinza Thanas, the influential daughter of the late Pter Thanas and Gaeriel Captison (friends of Luke, Han, and Leia), and her rebel group, who oppose the P'w'eck's consecration, are blamed. Cundertol unexpectedly returns in an escape pod from a ship that explodes upon entering the Bakura system, claiming to have overpowered his captors. Malinza is arrested for orchestrating the Prime Minister's abduction.
However, Cundertol has secretly betrayed the planet to the Ssi-ruuvi Imperium, intending to place it in a Human replica droid. Simultaneously, one of Cundertol's assistants, Blaine Harris, secretly collaborates with Malinza but plans to betray her by assassinating key Bakuran figures before the Keeramak completes the consecration. Harris intends to bomb specific areas of the arena where the consecration will occur, including Cundertol's location. Elsewhere on Bakura, Jaina inadvertently frees Malinza from prison after hearing her account of Cundertol's abduction. Malinza leads Jaina to her rebel group, but they are betrayed by Malinza's Rodian member, Salkeli, who is secretly working with Harris. Meanwhile, Tahiri meets the next Ryn contact, Goure Conor, to investigate Cundertol. Han and Leia help Tahiri realize that the inner conflict she has been experiencing since before leaving Mon Calamari stems from Riina Kwaad, the Yuuzhan Vong persona implanted by the late Master Shaper Mezhan Kwaad. This persona had been suppressed with the help of the late Anakin Solo, Tahiri's true love, who died on the Mission to Myrkr to destroy the voxyn. As Tahiri begins to move on from Anakin's death, her guilt over his loss and her attempts to move forward allow Riina to resurface. Tahiri separates from Han and Leia to expose Cundertol's treachery with Goure. This leads to Tahiri and Goure rescuing Jaina, Malinza, and her rebel group, while also defeating Harris and Salkeli. However, the bomb intended to kill many in the arena is about to detonate, prompting Tahiri to rush to disarm it. The bomb explodes before she can deactivate it, seemingly fulfilling Harris's plan and killing Cundertol. Despite the bombing, the Keeramak proceeds with the consecration, and the second Ssi-ruuvi invasion on Bakura commences. The P'w'eck are revealed to still be the Ssi-ruuk's slaves. However, the P'w'eck unexpectedly revolt against the Ssi-ruuk, securing victory for the Alliance. The Keeramak is killed by his P'w'eck aide, Lwothin. Cundertol, revealing that he is still alive, executes Harris but is exposed for betraying Bakura to the Ssi-ruuvi. He attempts to flee, but after a brief confrontation with Jaina, who is unable to stop him, she realizes that Cundertol is a human replica droid when she severs his arm with her lightsaber.
Cundertol's failure is punished when the Ssi-ruuvi Imperium general reveals himself to be a Yuuzhan Vong and uses a remote to paralyze Cundertol, allowing the Yuuzhan Vong to kill him. Back on Bakura, it is revealed that Tahiri survived the arena bombing by creating a Force bubble around herself, but she immediately falls into a coma. Goure informs Jaina and her party that their next destination should be Onadax, to continue reestablishing contact with the rest of the galaxy for the Galactic Alliance.
This particular novel stands out within the series as the sole instance where the main characters do not directly engage in combat with the Yuuzhan Vong.
In the fourth section of the narrative, one of Cundertol's arms is severed. The epilogue serves as a reminder of this event, with Cundertol reflecting on his ability to afford a replacement arm. Nevertheless, in the paragraphs that follow, the narrative mentions that he "clenched and unclenched his fists."