Third Battle of Yavin

Previously, Jedi Padawans Jacen, Jaina, Lowbacca and Tenel Ka embarked on a short journey to Kashyyyk, the homeworld of the Wookiee Lowbacca, to accompany his younger sister Sirrakuk, who was undergoing a rite of passage close to Thikkiiana City. However, their journey was disrupted by a raid conducted by the Second Imperium, led by their former friend Zekk, now a Dark Jedi. The raid resulted in the theft of several guidance and tactical computer units. During the raid, Zekk disclosed to his former companions that the Jedi Praxeum on Yavin 4 was the next target of the Second Imperium.

Having survived their ordeal within the perilous Shadowlands of Kashyyyk's jungles, the Jedi Padawans hastily returned to the Jedi Praxeum aboard their starship, the Shadow Chaser, after completing its repairs. Upon reaching their destination following a two-day voyage, they swiftly notified Master Luke Skywalker and the other Jedi trainees about the impending assault. Luke also dispatched Lowbacca in his T-23 skyhopper to retrieve Tionne Solusar and Raynar Thul, who were engaged in a training exercise at the Massassi Temple near the lake.

Skywalker also directed Tenel Ka to assemble as many students as possible and provide them with an accelerated course in ground combat, leveraging her prior experiences battling Imperium troops, Dark Jedi, and Bartokk assassins. While Jacen monitored the communications channels, Jaina and Luke proceeded to prepare the shield generators for the impending battle. Earlier, Han Solo had delivered a shipment of shield generators from Coruscant as a temporary solution before the arrival of further reinforcements. The merchant Peckhum also arrived aboard his transport, the Lightning Rod, just as the Imperium fleet appeared.

By this point, the Shadow Academy had entered orbit above Yavin 4's jungle moon. From Brakiss's perspective, the assault on the Jedi Praxeum represented the Imperium's ultimate battle and Emperor Palpatine's retribution against Skywalker's revitalized New Jedi Order. The Imperium's strategy involved a dual-pronged attack, jointly led by the Nightsister Tamith Kai and his prized student, the Darkest Knight Lord Zekk.

An Imperial commando unit, consisting of two TIE stealths piloted by newly recruited Commander Orvak and his backup Dareb, was tasked with planting explosives at the shield generators and the Great Temple, where the Praxeum was located. These modified TIE fighters were equipped with stealth hull plating and damped ion engines, enabling them to infiltrate a gap in the shield generator, thereby exposing the academy to aerial assault. Simultaneously, a fleet of Star Destroyers had been assembled through the utilization of hyperdrive and computer units seized during earlier raids on Coruscant and Kashyyyk. This fleet was intended to engage any New Republic or Imperial Remnant reinforcements dispatched to aid the Jedi Praxeum.

Above Yavin 4, the cloaking device of the Shadow Academy was deactivated, revealing its presence in space. Two TIE stealths emerged from one of its launching bays. These modified TIE/LN starfighters circled the jungle moon before descending towards the equator, following the coordinates of the ancient Massassi temple ruins where the Jedi Praxeum was situated. Orvak and Dareb were among the Human youths who had been recruited into the Second Imperium's stormtroopers and subsequently the TIE fighter pilot corps.

While flying through the skies above Yavin 4's jungles, the long-range sensors of the TIE stealths detected the energy shields that enveloped a section of the jungle near a river and an ancient Massassi pyramid. However, the energy shield's coverage did not extend all the way to the ground, leaving a shallow five-meter gap between the jungle foliage and the force field. This gap was sufficient for a small starfighter to pass through.

The two TIE stealths descended and dove through the gap. Unfortunately for Dareb, his TIE fighter overcompensated during the dive, causing its wing to collide with a branch and resulting in the fighter's crash. Dareb perished in the ensuing fire, leaving Orvak as the sole operative to continue the mission. Upon approaching the shield generator, Orvak landed in a small maintenance area that could accommodate only a small fighter.

After entering the shield generator station, he retrieved two thermal detonators and attached them to the generator's power cells. After setting the timers, he quickly departed just as the station exploded in a brilliant blaze. Now, only the Great Temple, which housed much of the Jedi Praxeum's facilities, remained. Meanwhile, Lowie had retrieved Raynar and Tionne in his T-23 skyhopper. Sensing danger, Tionne directed them to disembark from the aircraft at the edge of the jungle rather than approaching the Great Temple's hangar bay or landing field.

Simultaneously, Jaina witnessed the blast that destroyed the shield generator station. Upon returning to the communications console, she discovered that the Jedi Praxeum's long-range communications were being jammed, preventing them from communicating with the galaxy. In response, Skywalker summoned all the Jedi Padawans to an emergency assembly and ordered an immediate evacuation of the Great Temple. The Jedi trainees were to retreat into the surrounding jungles in order to draw and disperse the Imperium's ground assault forces. In anticipation of the attack, Jacen also released his numerous pets, including mucous salamanders, piranha beetles, and stintarils, from his room in the Great Temple, setting them free into the surrounding jungles.

At the Shadow Academy's hangar bay, the Second Imperium's ground attack force was boarding a massive Battle Platform, which would be used to transport troops and coordinate air-to-ground attacks. Tamith Kai would lead the Imperium's contingent of stormtroopers, while Lord Zekk would command the Dark Jedi force.

As it descended into Yavin 4's atmosphere, the battle platform flew toward the Jedi Praxeum. Tamith Kai and the crew occupied the upper command deck, while the Stormtroopers occupied the first level. Zekk and his Dark Jedi were stationed on the bottom level, near the drop-doors. Upon reaching their target, the drop-doors opened, and the Dark Jedi activated their repulsor packs for a descent to the Praxeum. After landing in the thick jungle foliage, the Dark Jedi dispersed to begin their mission of hunting the Jedi trainees.

Meanwhile, the TIE pilot Qorl would lead a wing of twelve TIE/LN starfighters in the air attacks on the Jedi. All of the other pilots were inexperienced recruits who had not participated in any real combat, having only practiced flight simulations. Prior to embarking on the mission, he had a brief but heated altercation with the rebellious trainee Norys, who rudely demanded that he be given command of the fighter wing. Qorl reprimanded his subordinate and then informed his fighter wing of recent developments on the ground, including the destruction of the shield generators and the departure of Tamith Kai and Zekk's ground attack force.

By this time, the Praxeum's Grand Audience Chamber was under attack by TIE fighters and TIE/sa bombers. The front of the hangar bay was struck, and the entrance was covered in rubble, blocking the entry or departure of the starships within. Unable to communicate via HoloNet, Jacen and Peckhum boarded the freighter Lightning Rod to escape into hyperspace and seek assistance, while Skywalker went to ensure that the other Jedi trainees had evacuated the Great Temple.

Meanwhile, Tenel Ka and Lowbacca, along with his translator droid M-TD, boarded their T-23 Skyhopper and entered the battle to confront Tamith Kai's battle platform, having sensed her presence in the Force. Since Kai commanded half of the ground attack force, neutralizing her would be crucial in shifting the battle's momentum. Unfortunately, the T-23 was shot down by TIE fighters, but the crew managed to escape and continue their mission. As their target hovered ten meters above them and the surrounding jungle floor, Tenel Ka used her grappling hook and fiber cord to latch onto the hovercraft. She and Lowie then climbed up the vessel, using the Force to levitate her and Lowie when her arm and legs became tired.

Other small groups of trainees collaborated to defeat members of the Second Imperium. Three Cha'a and three avian trainees worked together to ambush Dark Knights from the river flowing alongside the Praxeum. Deeper in the jungles, a tree-like trainee also 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, forcing them to surrender. Kyle Katarn also confronted 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.

While inspecting the damage to the shield generator station, Jaina discovered Orvak's still-intact TIE stealth, which she then commandeered. Ascending into the sky, she observed six other TIE fighters bombing the ancient Massassi temples. Using her fighter's comm channels, she deceived them into believing that she was a fellow pilot. Jaina then used her fighter to launch a rear attack, destroying three of the fighters before being forced to flee when the remaining fighters turned around and pursued her.

Meanwhile, Master Skywalker received a message from Brakiss via his comlink, who suggested that they meet alone, away from the fighting, at the Temple of the Blueleaf Cluster. Seeing it as an opportunity to bring his former trainee back to the light side and end the conflict, Skywalker accepted Brakiss's offer. Upon arriving, Brakiss engaged his former master in a duel but was defeated after Skywalker disabled his lightsaber. Despite Skywalker's attempts to redeem him from the Dark Side, his former pupil escaped using his repulsorpack.

In the skies above the jungle moon, the Lightning Rod was pursued by four TIE fighters. While attempting to call for help over the comm system, Jacen encountered a gleeful Norys—the leader of the Lost Ones street gang, with whom he and Zekk had a negative encounter in Coruscant's lower levels. Norys's TIE fighter began strafing the Lightning Rod's rear engines. However, Qorl—who had received Jacen's distress message and was disgusted by Norys's sadism and insubordination—came to the freighter's rescue and destroyed Norys's fighter, eliminating him.

Having landed amidst the thick jungle foliage, Zekk and his team of Dark Jedi attempted to use their combined Force powers to generate a Force storm to attack the Jedi fighters. However, they were distracted by Zekk's angst upon seeing the Lightning Rod under attack and the presence of a lone Jedi trainee—Raynar Thul. Underestimating the Dark Jedi, the spoiled and boastful 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.

In the midst of the fighting, Orvak planted the seven remaining thermal detonators in the abandoned Great Temple. Upon entering the hangar bay, he was ambushed by R2-D2 but managed to escape up the turbolift into a lecture hall at the top of the ancient pyramid. There, he proceeded to plant his explosives. The bombs would destroy the top of the pyramid, and the resulting shockwave would travel down to the lowest levels, disintegrating the entire structure. However, as he was about to leave, Orvak was bitten and rendered unconscious by a crystal snake. He would only awake just seconds before the explosion and thus perished in the ensuing blast.

In the space surrounding Yavin 4, Jaina continued to evade her pursuers in her stolen TIE stealth, shooting one down in the process. By this time, a fleet of New Republic naval reinforcements had emerged from hyperspace in the form of Corellian gunships and corvettes, which were among the fastest vessels available. With the remaining two TIE fighters closing in on her, she sent a distress signal to the nearest Republic ship. Fortunately for her, the corvette was captained by Lando Calrissian and Admiral Ackbar, with whom she was close. They promptly destroyed Jaina's pursuers and even invited her to come aboard the vessel for the duration of the conflict.

Upon arriving onboard, she was warmly received by the crew and soldiers, including Calrissian and Ackbar, who were impressed by her skills and prowess as a fighter pilot. By this time, the New Republic fleet was closing in on the vaunted Shadow Academy and was preparing to dispatch boarding parties. However, this was interrupted by the arrival of a second Imperium force consisting of Star Destroyers, which had been hastily fitted with the stolen hyperdrive cores, turbolaser batteries, and computer systems seized in earlier raids.

The Imperium ships quickly opened fire on the New Republic ships, which were unable to return fire since the former broadcast friendly ID signals, preventing the latter's computers from firing back. However, Ackbar simply initiated an override signal, deactivating his foe's computer systems and preventing them from firing back. In the New Republic counterattack, several Star Destroyers were destroyed, while the survivors were forced into a retreat. In the ensuing space battle, Qorl's TIE fighter was struck in the crossfire, sending the fighter plummeting into the depths of Yavin IV. However, Qorl survived the crash and would continue to eke out an existence in the unexplored jungles of that moon.

Back on the ground, Tenel Ka and Lowie had managed to board Tamith's battle platform and crawl their way undetected to the command deck. There, the pair of Jedi trainees confronted several surprised Stormtroopers and an enraged Tamith Kai, who had believed they had perished on Kashyyyk earlier. While the Hapan/Dathomiri girl engaged the Nightsister in a fierce duel, Lowie fought his way through the remaining Stormtroopers, using his immense strength and lightsaber skills. As the fight continued on the deck, Tenel Ka was strafed by a nearby TIE bomber. However, the young Jedi used The Force to hurl her lightsaber at the bomber's side, severing a stabilizer device and gashing a hole in the armored hull.

The TIE bomber then spiraled out of control and crashed on the command deck, killing Tamith Kai and disintegrating the battle platform in a series of explosions. The resulting debris settled at the bottom of a nearby river. Fortunately, Lowie and Tenel Ka had jumped overboard into the surrounding jungle. During the descent, Lowie managed to cling to a branch, but Tenel Ka was knocked unconscious on a passing branch. The Wookiee then dove down the canopy to save her, succeeding at the cost of a dislocated shoulder and knee. Luckily, the pair was rescued by a party of Jedi trainees, including a reformed Raynar Thul, who were routing the remaining Dark Jedi.

With the battle turning against his forces, Brakiss fled on his shuttle to the safety of the Shadow Academy. There, he demanded to see Emperor Palpatine to question him about the disastrous outcome of the battle. Two of the Royal Guards attempted to block his entry into the Emperor's chamber, but he cut them down with his lightsaber and then entered the chamber. There, he discovered a third Royal Guard working on a bank of controls, computer screens, and holographic generators, realizing that the Emperor had never returned.

In reality, the Royal Guards had created this illusion so that they could control the Second Imperium. Unfortunately, the fourth guard used his "Emperor's" override controls to activate the Shadow Academy's self-destruct systems, destroying the space station and killing all onboard. The fourth guard then managed to escape on a shuttle and headed for parts unknown. Unfortunately for him, he would later be killed by the anti-Human Diversity Alliance after he refused to reveal to them the location of the Emperor's plague storehouse.

Back on the ground, the remaining Imperial forces witnessed the destruction of the Shadow Academy in low orbit. Many surrendered, while others, like Zekk, fled for the safety of the jungle. When Jaina and several other Jedi gathered around the Great Temple, Zekk reappeared and blocked their path. Jaina believed that he wanted to duel her, though Zekk wanted to protect his friends by preventing them from entering the temple. By this point, Zekk had recognized the errors of his ways. Suddenly, the bomb exploded, destroying a large portion of the building. In the ensuing explosion, Zekk was knocked unconscious by several rocks, but no one else was injured due to his efforts to shield them from entering the building. Jaina's anxieties about the fate of her twin, Jacen, and Peckhum were alleviated by the sudden arrival of the Lightning Rod, which requested that the group of Jedi clear the area to allow the freighter to land.

Following the battle, the Imperial pilot Qorl would return to a simple life on the jungle moon, refusing to surrender to the New Republic because of his indoctrination. There, he would remain sequestered until he encountered Anakin Solo years later during the Yuuzhan Vong War following the Peace Brigade capture of the Praxeum.

Reconstruction would also take place on the Jedi Praxeum. The Jedi trainees would also participate in the clearance of debris and search for shards of carved stone blasted from the ancient structures, cataloging them so that the pieces could be reassembled. Off-world engineers, architects, and laborers would also be called in to assist in the restoration efforts. New Republic military forces and planetary shields would also be installed on the Praxeum to defend it. On one notable occasion, Anakin Solo returned to Yavin IV and helped to rebuild the Great Temple. He viewed its rubble as a huge puzzle to be solved. Unfortunately, the Great Temple would later be destroyed by the Yuuzhan Vong during their invasion of the galaxy.