The New Jedi Order: Vector Prime

The next chapter in the Star Wars saga begins with the exciting launch of The New Jedi Order series. Esteemed authors from the realms of fantasy and science fiction come together to propel this legendary story into the next millennium, introducing a diverse cast of characters, including familiar faces like Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Leia Organa Solo, as well as a new generation of Jedi and previously unseen creatures, droids, and deadly agents of darkness. In Vector Prime, the series' opening novel, bestselling New York Times author R. A. Salvatore elevates the Star Wars universe to unprecedented levels of action and imagination, expanding upon the beloved story of a galaxy far, far away…

It has been twenty-one years since the Rebel Alliance's heroes destroyed the Death Star and shattered the Emperor's power. Since then, the New Republic has worked tirelessly to maintain peace and prosperity throughout the galaxy. However, unrest is brewing, with tensions escalating into rebellions that threaten to undermine the Republic's fragile authority if left unchecked.

Amidst this volatile environment emerges Nom Anor, a charismatic agitator who inflames passions and sows discord with his sinister agenda. In an attempt to prevent a devastating civil war, Leia, accompanied by her daughter Jaina, her sister-in-law Mara Jade Skywalker, and the ever-faithful protocol droid C-3PO, embarks on a diplomatic mission to negotiate with Nom Anor. However, he proves resistant to Leia's pleas, and even more disconcertingly, there is a void in the Force where his presence should be.

Meanwhile, Luke is troubled by reports of rogue Jedi Knights who are taking the law into their own hands. This leads him to grapple with a difficult decision: Should he attempt to revive the legendary Jedi Council amidst this atmosphere of mistrust?

As the Jedi and the Republic grapple with internal conflicts, a new and unnoticed threat emerges from beyond the Outer Rim's farthest reaches. An enemy from outside known space appears, wielding weapons and technology unlike anything New Republic scientists have ever encountered. Suddenly, Luke, Mara, Leia, Han Solo, and Chewbacca, along with the Solo children, are thrust back into battle to defend the freedom they have fought so hard for. But this time, their courage, sacrifice, and even the power of the Force itself may not be enough…

Leia Organa Solo travels aboard the Jade Sabre with Jaina Solo and Mara Jade Skywalker to Rhommamool in order to meet with its leader, Nom Anor. Rhommamool and its neighboring planet Osarian are nearing the point of war. The Osarians oppose Leia's visit to Rhommamool, fearing it will bolster support for the planet they consider their enemy. Consequently, they dispatch Z-95's to intercept them. Initially, the Jade Sabre intends to evade the attackers, but Wurth Skidder, a Jedi stationed on the Mon Calamari cruiser Mediator, positioned between the two planets, intervenes and destroys them, seemingly for his own amusement. Leia is angered by this. On Rhommamool, a protocol droid, C-9PO, is captured by the Red Knights of Life and destroyed along with others at the Square of Hopeful Redemption, while Nom Anor observes with amusement.

At ExGal-4 on the planet Belkadan, Yomin Carr, a Yuuzhan Vong operative, awaits the commencement of the invasion. Upon spotting the signal he anticipates, Carr disables ExGal-4's communications and informs Nom Anor that the invasion has begun. On his return journey, he retrieves a beetle, a creature he introduced with the hope of its proliferation, which is indeed spreading rapidly. The other scientists detect the signal and misinterpret it as an asteroid due to its lack of transmissions. One crew member suggests contacting ExGal Command, but they dismiss the idea, believing the object could be from their own galaxy. Carr plays a crucial role in influencing their decision. Nom Anor, situated far across the galaxy, is thrilled to learn from Carr that the invasion has commenced.

Luke Skywalker and Jacen Solo attend a meeting with the New Republic Advisory Council, led by Chief of State Borsk Fey'lya on Coruscant. Luke faces criticism from some councilors regarding the excessive law enforcement actions of certain Jedi. Luke suspects that these complaints stem from Jedi interfering with smugglers, with whom some councilors may have illicit dealings, thus affecting the councilors' interests. Luke and Jacen debate their differing views on the role of the Jedi and the potential re-establishment of the Jedi Council.

Nom Anor reveals to his subordinates that he is responsible for Mara's illness, hoping to gather information on her condition from the meeting. The meeting proves unpleasant for Leia, as Nom Anor is exceedingly rude. After they depart, Anor instructs his subordinates to ensure their route takes them past the Square of Hopeful Redemption. The protagonists express their opinions of Nom Anor and react to the sight of the Square of Hopeful Redemption as they fly over it.

Han Solo and Anakin Solo are working on repairing the Millennium Falcon, which Anakin damaged while trying to emulate Jaina. Han and Luke discuss the meeting and Lando Calrissian's whereabouts with the council. Luke believes that gaining insights from someone in the Outer Rim could sway the councilors to his perspective.

The scientists at ExGal-4 track the "asteroid" to the Helska system, predicting its collision with the fourth planet, an ice planet. They attempt to contact ExGal Command, but their communications are down. The extragalactic "asteroid" is actually a living worldship, commanded by Prefect Da'Gara. Tu Shoolb informs the Prefect that he has consulted his yammosk, the worldship's genetically engineered war coordinator, which is eager to begin. The ExGal scientists detect a tail on the object, assuming it is a comet. Only Yomin Carr knows the truth, and he takes actions to destroy the planet.

Prefect Da'Gara and the 5,000 aboard prepare for landing, donning protective ooglith cloakers and gnulliths to aid their breathing. Guided by the yammosk, they descend into the ice to establish a base. The ExGal-4 scientists witness the "comet" impacting the fourth planet of the Helska system, but surprisingly, there is no explosion. They attempt to contact ExGal, but the communications remain offline. They consider using their unreliable ship, Spacecaster, to send a message but decide to wait.

Leia and Jaina are in the cockpit of the Jade Sabre, near Coruscant. Mara is resting, so Jaina is piloting. Leia contemplates Nom Anor and attempts to contact him again. A massive Mon Calamari Star Defender, the Viscount, recently commissioned by the New Republic, is nearby. As they approach Coruscant, Leia goes to wake Mara as requested. The disease has now affected Mara's womb, causing her great distress.

Jacen speaks to Anakin, who is constantly practicing with his lightsaber, emphasizing that Jedi should not use the Force to correct every wrong or to seek personal glory. They decide to spar to determine whose philosophy prevails. Despite Anakin's greater practice, Jacen wins, stating, "We're not a galactic patrol." Jacen then checks on Han and Chewbacca, finding Chewie in a foul mood.

Mara reunites with Luke, and they share their experiences. They decide to travel to the Outer Rim. Leia informs the councilors of her mission, and Han sends Chewie with her. Councilor Fyor Rodan harasses Chewie, who retaliates by hanging him on a coatrack by his collar. They meet up and inform Leia that they are going to talk to Lando.

Three members of ExGal-4, Danni Quee, Cho Badeleg, and Bensin Tomri, decide to visit the ice planet. They invite Carr, but he declines, citing orders to avoid them. He secretly sabotages the Spacecaster. He then informs Prefect Da'Gara to be wary of Danni. Belkadan is soon to be poisoned, but Carr will survive due to his ooglith cloaker. Yomin goes out with Garth Breise to fix the transmitter. They see some reddish brown beetles. Carr suggests that they may be the source of the problem. They decide to climb anyway. They find the problem. Carr, however, cuts Breise's rope, and Breise falls to his death.

Danni and the other scientists in the Spacecaster see a storm moving toward their ExGal-4 Base. They try to establish contact, but can hear very little. They decide to move on. Nom Anor launches missiles at Osa-Prime, primarily as a distraction for the New Republic, knowing he will have to flee. The Millennium Falcon, Jade's Sabre, and Luke's X-wing (piloted by a thrilled Jaina) arrive at Reecee. Leia manages to leave without her Noghri guard, Bolpuhr, noticing. Luke and Jacen talk about re-creating the Jedi Council.

Han and Chewie go to Riebold's Foam and Sizzle — a place where fights, even deadly ones, are not frowned upon, as long as one cleans up after oneself — to find out about Lando. They find a Sullustan Han knows, Dugo Bagy, and he tells them that Lando is looking for new mining techniques to apply to more profitable areas, like the asteroid in the Hoth system, known as Kerane's Folly, which contains pure platinum. Many have tried mining it, but were killed because of other asteroids. They also learn that Kyp Durron is causing a lot of trouble for the smugglers-Kyp and other pilots, known as The Dozen-and-Two Avengers.

ExGal-4 scientists Jerem Cadmir, Tee-ubo Doole, Luther De'Ono, and Bendodi Ballow-Reese leave the base to investigate the storm Danni told them about as she was taking off. They find it; it isn't a storm. It is a plague, probably caused by beetles, causing a molecular change in the plant life. It fills the air with poisonous gas. They don't have enough air for all of them to get back. They all sacrifice their air so that Jerem will have a chance of surviving.

Danni and the crew in the Spacecaster arrive at Helska IV. They are confused as to why the planet appears to be untouched. They assume that a ball of gas must have been what collided. They detect strange energy from the planet. They begin to circle the planet when they detect hundreds of chunks of debris. They find out that they are ships of some kind. The ships take out the Spacecaster's ion engines and hyperdrive so they can't escape, meaning that the attackers know about the workings of their ship. The Yuuzhan Vong send a villip, and Prefect Da'Gara communicates to them through it. He tells them to follow the coralskippers. They refuse, and are shot down.

Jerem makes it back to base, only to be killed (honorably) by Yomin Carr. Carr takes his sample of the deadly gas and the beetle. He could still do as he was ordered — he would see if the scientists that remained would be able to find a cure of the "Plague." Danni wakes up down on the planet. She watches as the last member of her crew, Bensin, as he is killed by the Yuuzhan Vong. Da'Gara says that Yomin Carr demanded honor for her. He throws her down a hole, and he jumps in after her.

Luke, Leia, Han, and the others go to visit Lando's new venture at Dubrillion, and its twin, less-habitable planet, Destrillion. They give Jaina a test in Luke's X-wing. They have R2-D2 feed her the wrong coordinates; she arrives just a little ways away. She adapts well and finds her way. They meet Lando again here. He shows them his TIE Advanced fighters he uses to run the belt. They are modified to be very safe, and Jaina wants to run the belt. The Solo kids take part in the run here, all making it on to Lando's board of best times. Jaina's run is outstanding.

The plague is spreading at the ExGal-4 base. As the communications are being fixed, Carr re-destroys them, and kills Lysire Donabelle, the person making repairs. Nom Anor and his assistant escape from Rhommamool in a hidden, modified A-Wing. They do considerable damage to the Mon Cal cruiser in the process. Nom Anor contacts Da'Gara, and reports that his next target is Sernpidal. They discuss using the tactic called Yo'gand's Core, which uses gravity to pull a moon and a planet into a collision.

Jacen and Anakin argue again about the Force, using Jaina's amazing flight to debate whether it was a result of the Force guiding her actions or the fact that she practiced piloting a lot. Then Kyp Durron walks in to say hello. He is obviously a little upset that Jaina has taken his record in running the belt, but offers them the opportunity to join his squadron, the Dozen-and-Two Avengers. Kyp leaves, and takes off with his squadron; the kids watch the disciplined and high-profile take-off, complete with music.

Leia, Luke, Lando, and Mara watch the takeoff, too. Lando then offers to let Luke and Mara run the belt. Lando would have loved to have such names on his leader board, but they don't want to fly. They do, however, get Han and Chewie go together in the TIE bomber, in hopes of beating Moss Deevers and Twingo, a pair of cocky smugglers. When they go, there is a malfunction in the communications and shields.

Kyp ponders the future of the Dozen-and-Two. They check for recent traffic. They detect a Spacecaster class vessel coming from Belkadan. They are headed to the Helska system. Kyp sends out a signal for someone to investigate Belkadan, while he takes his squadron to the Helska system. Luke flies into the asteroids to try to rescue Han and Chewie; Luke also has no shields. He finds and rescues them. They were exactly tied with Moss and Twingo when they lost communications, but Lando adds five seconds, so they hold the record for a twosome.

Nearly all of Kyp's squadron is taken out by a squadron of Yuuzhan Vong coralskippers in a skirmish at Helska IV. Kyp escapes to hyperspace, along with another A-wing, but Kyp has 3 grutchins on him. Lando asks Han to go to Sernpidal to run some cargo, and Han reluctantly agrees. Luke and Mara go to Belkadan (as per Kyp's call for someone to go there). Kyp's X-wing has been damaged by the grutchins. He rerouts some power, and began making short hyperspace hops toward Sernpidal, the closest inhabited planet. The Yuuzhan Vong bring a man named Miko Reglia in with Danni Quee. He says that he is a Jedi with the Dozen-and-Two. The Yuuzhan Vong say he is not worthy. Danni and Reglia begin looking for a way to escape.

Da'Gara reports to Nom Anor about the attack. He says that he thinks the two ships that had escaped were destroyed. They are now going to begin "breaking' the Jedi, in order to test the extent of his willpower. More Yuuzhan Vong are on the way soon: one more ship on this day, and one within the week. Danni and Reglia knock out the Yuuzhan Vong that enter their prison chamber, and take their cloakers and breathing creatures. Da'Gara stops them, and takes them to an assembly of Yuuzhan Vong. Another worldship arrives, and Prefect Ma'Shraid enters. They speak through the telepathic war coordinator, the yammosk. Then, they feed Miko to the giant creature.

Han, Chewie, and Anakin arrive at Sernpidal, and something strange is going on. The planet's moon is abnormally close. Their ship is raided, and people make off with some of their cargo. They then take off, and do a reading. They find that something on the planet was pulling the moon closer and closer. The item is just east of Sernpidal City. Anakin volunteers to investigate, and the mayor goes with him, while Han and Chewie round up as many people to take on the Falcon as is possible. The planet has less than seven hours until the moon impacts. Luke and Mara arrive at Belkadan, only to find it covered with gas. They decide to land to see if there are any survivors. They go down, and have trouble locating the ExGal-4 outpost, but eventually, they succeed. Yomin Carr readies his weapons as he watches the Jade Sabre land.

Luke and Mara land. The ground is covered with dead beetles. They get into the compound, and find one living beetle, but it is slowing down. Mara notices some goo at its mandibles. They search through, and all the computers are still on and working. They have R2 begin downloading everything from the main computer, as they split up to explore the compound. Mara finds the journal of a scientist, and a beetle in a bottle. In the journal, it says that Carr kept saying that the disaster was just a weather pattern. It ended saying, "I believe it is linked to." It ends here. She hears a screech from R2 in the other room, and runs there.

Artoo is hit by Yomin Carr. Mara rushes in and fights him. She has many surprises from his fighting tactics and equipment, but ends up killing him. Before he dies, Yomin Carr says that she was worthy. They then regroup, finish the download, and take off. Mara's disease worsens. They think that there might be some sort of connection between the beetles, Belkadan, and her disease. They find two balls there. One of them inverts, and says many things in a foreign tongue. They then look at some of the data Artoo downloaded. They find out that the comet came in the Helska system. They set coordinates for there. Miko struggles. The yammosk doesn't kill him; it just brings him in close many times over again, tormenting him. Danni feels bad for him in his suffering, but is only able to watch.

Anakin and the mayor arrive at a crater, and find a living thing inside, the source of the problem. Anakin shoots at it, but it has no effect. The creature then reverses its pull, resulting in it moving deeper into the ground. The Falcon then comes to pick them up. The mayor refuses to go, and instead takes a thermal detonator and destroys both himself and the creature to ensure that it would not harm any other planet. Da'Gara connects his mind to that of the yammosk, and they exchange thoughts. He then contacts Nom Anor. He says that Sernpidal will die this day, but that several ships are escaping. He has dispatched four full battle groups to intercept and follow them to the next planet. There, open warfare will begin.

Amidst the chaos, Chewbacca secures two younglings within the relative confines of the Falcon, only for falling wreckage to strike a shuttle. He and Anakin collaborate to dislodge the debris, successfully liberating numerous individuals. As the encroaching moon intensifies the winds, Anakin and Chewbacca rescue another young child. With the Falcon positioned too high for Chewbacca to board, he propels Anakin upwards towards Han. Subsequently, the ground beneath them gives way, causing Chewbacca to be flung aside. Reacting swiftly, Anakin maneuvers the vessel to reach Chewbacca. However, just as alignment is achieved, a collapsing structure crashes onto the Falcon. Recognizing the imminent peril, Anakin makes the agonizing decision to ascend, abandoning a defenseless Chewbacca on the doomed world. Luke and Mara then make their arrival at Helska IV. Luke departs in his X-wing for reconnaissance. His systems fail, and he plummets towards the planet, ensnared by some form of tractor beam. Han is devastated by Chewie's apparent demise. He directs his anger towards Anakin, accusing him of abandoning Chewie.

Activating his shields, Luke witnesses their rapid depletion. Nonetheless, this momentary disruption diverts the beam, enabling him to regain a slight upward trajectory. Launching nine torpedoes, Luke manages a safe landing, but several coralskippers begin to converge on him. He struggles to escape in his compromised X-wing. Han, driven by despair, resolves to return to Sernpidal for a futile search for Chewie, when a distress call is received. They are under attack by multiple insects. The vessel explodes, eliminating the attackers as well. Subsequently, Han spots a distant vessel emitting a distress signal. It's Kyp. Han requests Anakin's assistance as a copilot, but while he accepts the offer, he displays no forgiveness.

The Falcon deviates from the convoy to retrieve Kyp's X-wing. Han suspects a trap when several insects appear and assault the Falcon. Anakin rushes to the gun emplacements, but is unable to eliminate all of them, as some cling to the hull. He sprints to the power rerouting station, and places the main cable on the hull. This electrocutes the creatures, causing them to release their grip. He then returns to the gun and destroys them. Subsequently, they attach a tow cable to the X-wing and bring it back to the convoy. The Jade Sabre arrives to collect Luke's X-wing. They decide to return to Dubrillion. Thousands of rock-like ships are present on Helska IV, with an unknown quantity on nearby planets.

Kyp is indeed alive, and he joins Han aboard the Falcon, briefing him on the situation. They then detect some of the rocky starfighters. They must guide all vessels, even the slower ones, to Dubrillion. Anakin performs some calculations. They will arrive before the enemy... but with minimal time to spare. Han's anger is palpable. He attempts to shift blame onto Lando, claiming his presence there was his fault. Lando counters, highlighting that Han saved many lives. He asserts that they possess ample weaponry and ships; the primary challenge will be a shortage of personnel to operate them. Leia attempts to comfort Han. The children empathize with Anakin.

Leia attempts to contact the New Republic for reinforcements. The Rejuvenator is the nearest vessel with significant firepower. It is three days distant. The Yuuzhan Vong ships will arrive in less than two. Luke's whereabouts remain unknown. The children persuade their parents to permit them to commandeer some TIE fighters. They must remain close to the planet, where they can utilize the projected shields. Leia occupies Chewie's seat as copilot of the Falcon. Kyp serves as a gunner. The battle commences. The outer ships encounter difficulties. Eventually, they retreat near the Falcon. The Falcon's screen is saturated with enemy contacts.

The Solo children initiate their engagement within the atmosphere, where Belt-Runner I can provide shielding, as instructed by their parents. Upon the disabling of Belt-Runner I, they conclude that their safety is comparable in space. They ascend and rescue a pilot, but their parents disapprove upon discovering their actions. The coralskippers are overwhelming them. They are instructed to return. Anakin, however, proposes an idea; having navigated the belt previously, they should be able to outmaneuver the enemy. They enter, and connect their minds and senses through the Force, granting each other additional perception. The link is short-lived, and Anakin soon finds himself in a spin. He activates the hyperspace drive to evade being struck. Han and Leia are displeased. They instruct the twins to return to the planet while they search for their youngest son.

The twins land, greeted by cheering crowds. Jacen reflects on their mind connection, acknowledging the need to revise his understanding of the Force. Anakin hopes his siblings are safe; he doesn't want to have caused their deaths. He could accept his own demise, but not that of Jacen and Jaina. He, too, reconsiders his perspective on the Force, contemplating adjustments. The third worldship has arrived. They have assessed the planetary defenses. The yammosk will soon spawn, and they will install the new one on either Dubrillion or Destrillion. Furthermore, Belkadan is nearing completion of its transformation; they will be able to cultivate yorik coral there. They are now prepared to commence the second phase of conquest perpetuation.

Han is enraged. They commence their search for Anakin. Leia senses him; he is alive, at least. Luke and Lando examine the coralskipper, recognizing it as a living entity. Luke then learns of Chewie's passing. Luke informs Lando of his need to reach Helska IV. He knows that's where they are. He inquires about mining vessels capable of traversing ice; Lando laughs. Later, when Luke is alone, he hears Anakin's call; he is safe. He knows that Leia heard it as well, and that she would soon bring him back. Leia and Han locate Anakin through the Force. He returns to the ship. Han embraces him, then reprimands him. A description of the mining craft's functionality is provided.

C-3PO translates Yomin Carr's message. It indicates that his work is complete for now, and the movement of the Praetorite Vong is underway. Threepio is then taken to the coralskipper to ascertain what he can glean from it. He discovers that it is alive, and sustains itself by consuming rocks, which it can eject as ammunition, or as a means of propulsion. The other method involves the thumb-sized creature on the nose, which manipulates gravity fields. Luke deduces that a similar creature was responsible for "draining" the shields from his ship during his initial encounter. There is positive news, however; substantial New Republic reinforcements arrive to provide defense. Mara is skeptical of Luke's mining plan. Luke assures her that everything will be fine. Jacen and Jaina devise alternative plans. They decide to take the mining vessel and its carrier ship, instead of Luke and Mara. They leave a message with R2.

The Star Destroyer Rejuvenator's captain, Commander Warshack Rojo, desires to immediately confront the coralskippers on Helska IV in order to address the "more pressing" concerns of the New Republic. Leia advocates waiting six days, when additional firepower could be deployed to the system. Rojo remains convinced of his capability to manage the situation. At that moment, they observe the mining ship's departure, and R2 delivers a message. Han is initially furious, but Luke explains that they are Jedi; they will soon assume significant responsibilities. They then decide to proceed (at Rojo's insistence), with Han, Leia, Anakin, and Lando aboard the Falcon, Luke and Mara in the Jade's Sabre, and Kyp leading a squadron of fighters.

Jacen accelerates towards the ice planet. He activates a booster jet, potentially alerting the enemy to his presence. Upon entering the planet, he senses a cry for assistance. Jaina is concerned about Jacen's thruster jet. She attempts to conceal her carrier ship, the Merry Miner. She is unsuccessful, and coralskippers begin to converge on her unarmed vessel. Jacen begins swimming, and sees a base in the water. He senses the strange call near him, up near the crust of the planet. Several other swimmers approach him.

Just as Jaina is about to be destroyed, the Rejuvenator emerged from hyperspace to rescue her. Kyp Durron called to her asking sarcastically if she needed help. Jacen is waved toward the end of the line. The person in front of him has many tattoos and scars, and only one eye. The people have progressively fewer marks around their eyes (the only part visible), and Jacen figured that he was last. They get to a small room near the crust, and there are two people in there. Jacen recognizes the Jedi Miko, but he wasn't the source of the call. It was the girl with him. He is grunted at, and it is clear that he, as the lowest ranking warrior, is to wait outside as a sentry. Just as they are to take Miko away to "kill" him, they notice the saber on Jacen's belt. He begins to fight them.

Prefect Da'Gara observes the Battle of Helska IV unfold through the yammosk. A battle ensues. At first things proceed well; then, thousands of coralskippers are launched from the planet. Things go downhill; Republic ships are being taken out. Rojo is taking his Star Destroyer down to the planet, but the brilliant coordination of the coralskippers is causing major damage to his ship. Anakin catches on to the tactic. He knows that the ships are somehow connected, like he and his siblings were earlier, through the Force. Jacen fights down on Helska IV. Danni manages to get one of the Yuuzhan Vong's suits off and send him into the cold water. Then, a thud bug hits her. Rojo has clearly underestimated these forces. The coralskippers take out the Rejuvenator.

Jacen is struggling against the remaining four Yuuzhan Vong. He can defend for now, but cannot concentrate on attacking, or he'll be killed. Two of the Yuuzhan Vong begin struggling, a Human hand on their faces. Miko manages to get to the Vong's noses, the release point of the cloakers, and then he takes them down into the cold water with him as a last, heroic act against the Vong. Jacen is able to take out the other two. He takes Danni, and the two squeeze uncomfortably into the cramped mining ship. The space battle is proceeding badly. The New Republic forces need to retreat, but Jacen is still on the planet. Just as they are getting desperate, Jacen blasts out of the planet. Jaina wastes no time and picks him up in a very impressive maneuver, and, as if in one action, escapes to hyperspace at the same time. The others follow her. Jacen comforts Danni in the small, cramped ship.

The protagonists exchange stories, and they figure out that it was the yammosk that allowed the extremely efficient coordination of the coralskippers. They decide that they have to take it out. They decide to use shieldships, vessels Lando uses on Nkllon, in order to evaporate some ice, thus stealing energy from the planet and destroying it. The commanders of the Republic ranger ships don't want to go in; they want to wait for reinforcements. Luke knows that they need to catch the enemy by surprise, and the way to do that is to go back- immediately. Kyp decides to go with his starfighters.

Some ships are lost coming out of hyperspace, as they have to come in extremely close in order to gain the full surprise. The battle begins. When Da'Gara realizes there is another attack, he rushes to the yammosk. He reckons the only reason they'd come back would be to rescue Danni, who may still be on the planet (his assumption is wrong). He is baffled as to the use of the shield ships. The yammosk thinks the tactic is to reflect energy to take out the dovin basals and surface cannons. Da'Gara wants Danni Quee to remain with him.

Luke (down close to the planet), notices a drop in temperature. Dense fog gives him cover. Jaina is piloting the Jade Sabre with Mara next to her on the guns. She cannot establish a Force link with Han, as he is not Force-sensitive. But he is an excellent pilot, and they fly well together, anyway. She is startled when she makes a run on a coralskipper, and Mara fails to fire; she has passed out. Jaina jumps over to her, and the ship is hit, plummeting toward the planet. Jaina rushes back to the controls, but they keep falling. Luke keeps detecting the temperature dropping. He is dismayed when he sees his wife's ship falling toward the planet. Leia and Han see it, too. Luke rushes to intercept, and just as he passes under it, he flips over, and fires his repulsors, giving the Sabre a lift, and it re-stabilizes. It is getting very cold. Ice crystals are forming in the atmosphere of Helska IV.

The situation is deteriorating for the New Republic forces. Some shield ships are being destroyed. Suddenly, some coralskippers begin colliding. The coordination is clearly lost. Coralskippers begin retreating back to the planet. The planet looked distorted, like they were looking at it through a glass globe. It is the fourth state of matter, the Mezzicanley Wave. Now the ice will begin expanding, and the planet will soon explode. Han has to turn the Falcon around, despite the fact that Luke is still down there, a similar situation, so similar, to Anakin's retreat from Chewie. He has other lives to save on the Falcon; he cannot put them in danger for Luke. Helska IV blows. They are relieved to see that Luke's X-wing has escaped. R2 is quite frozen from that chilling experience on Helska IV. The remaining Vong forces are being hunted by Kyp and others. Mara is losing her fight with her disease, and there is nothing Luke can do directly. But he could study the bug that she felt was connected to it on Belkadan. Mara had discussed going alone to Dagobah, or some other Force-fueled place, to meditate on what was happening inside her.

Leia recognizes the gravity of the threat they encountered and the potential consequences of further incursions. She understands she must assume new responsibilities she does not desire, as Ambassador Leia. Nom Anor is on a small core world, stirring hatred for the New Republic. He knows that there are Yuuzhan Vong warriors running throughout the galaxy, with no way to control them. He knows they would recover, though. Han remembers Chewie here, at the destroyed Sernpidal. He then feels as if the bubble that protects his family is broken, and the galaxy is suddenly a more dangerous place. He now isn't so confident that Mara will survive. Leia tries to reassure him that she would, though.

A sneak peek of the novel's fourth chapter was featured in Star Wars Insider 45, while promotional visuals for the novel made appearances in Star Wars Insider and other publications. Promotional posters and book displays for the novel were also created and given to bookstores and fans. A television commercial promoting Vector Prime was also broadcast, featuring narration by Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, accompanied by a montage of scenes from the original trilogy set to "The Emperor's Theme". Author R. A. Salvatore had a planned 12-city promotional tour for the novel planned, but the tour was cancelled after the death of Salvatore's brother.

Vector Prime quickly became a New York Times Bestseller upon its release, remaining on the list for a total of four weeks. At the time of its publication, Vector Prime was met with controversy among Star Wars fans due to its plot, which included the death of Chewbacca, making the Wookiee the first significant character from the original trilogy to meet a permanent end in the Expanded Universe novels. In the Star Wars Insider 83 article "20 Most Memorable Moments of the Expanded Universe," by Abel G. Peña and Enrique Guerrero, Chewbacca's death was ranked as the most memorable. Chewbacca's death in the novel was widely reported on in news articles, memorials, and tributes in newspapers throughout the United States following the book's release.

Vector Prime's author, R. A. Salvatore, even received death threats from some readers. In an interview with some of the New Jedi Order series' creators, Sue Rostoni, Shelly Shapiro, and Lucy Wilson expressed that the treatment Salvatore received was one of their greatest regrets from the series. Salvatore would later comment in 2015 at the Salt Lake Comic Con that despite some negative fan outcry, the majority of the response to Vector Prime that he received was positive.

Following The Walt Disney Company's acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2012, the decision to discard the Expanded Universe continuity in favor of exploring new story lines was announced in 2014. According to Leland Chee, the keeper of the Holocron continuity database, Chewbacca's death in Vector Prime was a significant factor in this decision.

• ISBN 9780345428448 ; October 5 , 1999 ; Del Rey ; US hardcover [1]
• ISBN 9780345428455 ; July 5 , 2000 ; Del Rey; US paperback [14]
• ISBN 9780345467409 ; June 3 , 2003 ; Del Rey; US eBook [15]

• ISBN 2258053331 ; February 2000; Presses de la Cité ; French-language hardcover
• ISBN 009940995X ; August 2000; Arrow Books Ltd. ; UK paperback
• ISBN 837245311X ; 2000; Amber ; Polish-language edition
• ISBN 8495070278 ; November 2002 ; Alberto Santos Editor ; Spanish-language hardcover
• ISBN 2265076570 ; July 2 , 2003; Fleuve Noir ; French-language paperback
• ISBN 5040084994 ; October 2004 ; Russian-language edition
• ISBN 9788025206522 ; 2007 ; EGMONT ČR ; Czech-language paperback
• ISBN 8495070308 ; Alberto Santos Editor; Spanish-language paperback