Backlash (Star Wars novel)

Backlash

Author	Aaron Allston
Country	United States
Language	English
Subject	Star Wars
Genre	Science Fiction
Publisher	Del Rey
Publication date	March 09, 2010
Media type	Hardcover
ISBN
Preceded by	Abyss
Followed by	Allies

Backlash is a novel by Aaron Allston that was originally scheduled for release on January 26, 2010 but was moved back to March 9, 2010 to give the author more time to recover from his 2009 heart attack. It is the fourth novel in the Fate of the Jedi series and published as a hardcover. It was published in paperback in February 2011.

Picking up where Abyss left off, Vestara Khai hypothesizes what the Dathomiri blood mark is on her, so instead of returning to her homeworld of Kesh where she would have inadvertently led the Skywalkers to, she instead travels to the planet of Dathomir. The Skywalkers follow her there, and in their search for Vestara, they call out for the help of the Solos. The Solos arrive in time to join the Skywalkers in the search party, and they soon run into a Dathomiri Witch tribe known as the Raining Leaves. The Raining Leaves are preparing to marry into a freed male slave tribe known as the Broken Columns following a series of tournaments which would last for several days. Among the Raining Leaves, Vestara claims to have renounced for Sith ways, though the Skywalkers doubt her honesty. Nevertheless, the Skywalkers and Solos, in honor of what Luke, Han, and Leia did for them so many years earlier during the fledgling days of the New Republic, are invited to get involved in the tournaments. However, the tournaments take a tragic turn when members of both the Raining Leaves and of the Broken Columns are attacked through mysterious means, and these means are by the hand of the Dathomiri Nightsisters. The Nightsisters, who remain loyal to the traditions of Dathomir, don't want freed male slaves to become legitimate citizens of the planet, and the attacks on the Raining Leaves and the Broken Columns are supposed to threaten the tribes into disengaging. However, this simply unites the two tribes even further as they prepare to face off against the threat of the Nightsisters, with the Skywalkers and the Solos on their side.

Meanwhile, as Han and Leia's granddaughter, Allana, is left aboard the Millennium Falcon under the care of C-3PO, Allana goes off on a journey throughout Dathomir's spaceport in order to find the missing R2-D2. She soon finds R2-D2 under captivity of the corrupt dealer known as Monarg. With C-3PO's help, Allana frees R2-D2, and the three of them get away from Monarg and his friends by successfully piloting the Millennium Falcon into Dathomir's forests. Afterwards, they call Han and Leia to inspect the Falcon, which hasn't suffered any irreparable damage under Allana's hands. Then the Solos are called back to Coruscant by Chief of State Natasi Daala, leaving the Skywalkers alone with the Raining Leaves and the Broken Columns to face the Nightsisters.