Dark Tide: Ruin

Dark Tide II: Ruin

Author	Michael A. Stackpole
Cover artist	John Harris
Country	United States
Language	English
Series	The New Jedi Order
Subject	Star Wars
Genre	Science fiction
Publisher	Del Rey
Publication date	June 1, 2000
Media type	Paperback
Pages	304
ISBN
Preceded by	Dark Tide: Onslaught
Followed by	Agents of Chaos: Hero's Trial

Dark Tide: Ruin (also released as Dark Tide II: Ruin) is the second novel in a two-part story by Michael A. Stackpole. Published and released in 2000, it is the third installment of the New Jedi Order series set in the Star Wars galaxy.

In the aftermath of the Battle of Dantooine in the previous novel, the New Republic is taking the Yuuzhan Vong threat more seriously. But so are the Jedi, most notably a rogue one named Daeshara'cor, whose lover, Miko Reglia, had perished during the Second Battle of Helska back in Vector Prime. Therefore, she elects to travel the galaxy to find a way to construct a super weapon to equal the power of the Death Stars, the Eye of Palpatine and Sun Crusher among others in order to eliminate the Vong. Knowing that such a genocidal ambition, even against an aggressively violent species, would lead a Jedi down the path of the dark side of the Force, Luke Skywalker and Anakin Solo decide to find Daeshara'cor and bring her back to the Order. With help from a man named Chalco, they succeed in retrieving Daeshara'cor and bringing her to her senses.

In order to rally military support for the New Republic to counter the Yuuzhan Vong, the government sends Leia Organa Solo to negotiate with Grand Admiral Gilad Pellaeon, leader of the Imperial Remnant. Pellaeon agrees to help the New Republic combat the Vong.

Caamasi New Republic Senator Elegos A'Kla decides to allow himself to be taken by the Yuuzhan Vong so that by learning about their culture, he can find a way to bring peace between the New Republic and the Vong. He is taken to Commander Shedao Shai to learn of their ways.

Corran Horn, Ganner Rhysode, and Jacen Solo embark on a mission on the Vong-held planet of Garqi with a group of Noghri commandos. When they battle Vong forces down on the planet, they find that the warriors die off because of a certain pollen that asphyxiates their armor. The Jedi and commandos learn that the pollen is native to the bafforr trees on the planet Ithor. Corran decides for the pollen to be burned, because if the Yuuzhan Vong figure out about the pollen that can asphyxiate their armor, they will invade Ithor as their next target. Despite the burning, the Vong figure out the source of what asphyxiated their armor anyway and elect to target Ithor. During the investigation of the Garqi battle, which Shedao Shai is leading, the Vong figure out that Corran Horn was among the Jedi in the strike force. After Shai figures out that Corran was the one who was responsible for the deaths of his kinsmen in the previous novel on Bimmiel, he also figures out that Corran and Elegos A'Kla are friends. Therefore, he decides to kill Elegos and sends his jewel-decorated remains to Corran to acknowledge their blood feud. Corran vows to avenge Elegos's death at all costs.