Star Wars: The Shadow War

by HandofThrawn45

Leia Organa Solo is finally ready to leave politics and expects a trusted ally to succeed her as New Republic president, but an assassination on the frontrunner's homeworld throws the election into chaos. As Leia's government responds to spiraling violence, investigators, spies, and Jedi descend on Bavinyvar to riddle out a conspiracy that may upend the election- and the galaxy.

1. Introduction

So: A while back I had an idea for a Star Wars political thriller that answers one of the post-RotJ EU's lingering questions of how the hell Borsk Fey'lya got elected head of the New Republic. The result is The Shadow War, a knotty tale of conspiracy and betrayals woven from the Star Wars Legends fabric.

I held off posting the novel when I finished it in 2019 for several reasons. Its focus on politicking and subterfuge is pretty different from standard SW fare, and the main cast is mostly an assemblage of OCs and more obscure EU characters. I was also afraid (god help me) that people would think I was riffing on then-current American politics. Plus it's got a downer ending, even when pre-ordained by the premise.

But I've gotten requests from different people to see it and have decided to oblige. It's mostly the same book as I wrote in 2019, but I cut out some filler and tucked some lose ends. So for anyone interested in a non-standard SW thriller that weaves together all sorts of minute threads from the Legends canon, or is interested in a 'lost' HandofThrawn45 story, here you go.

Dramatis Personae

New Republic Senate

Leia Organa Solo, President of the Senate
Ponc Gavrisom, Minister of State
Behn-Kihl-Nahm, Senator from Bavinyar
Borsk Fey'lya, Senator from Kothlis
Avan Beruss, Senator from Illodia
Celch Dravvad, Senator from Corellia
Pwoe, Senator from Mon Calamari

New Republic Military & Intelligence

Etahn A'Baht, general
Feylis Ardele, quartermaster corps
Ejagga Pakkpekatt, NRI operative

On Bavinyar

Jadesei Syne, politician
Pedric Cuf, Bavinyar Independence League agent
Harbin Kaice, general, Bavinyar Defense Forces
Korr-Mad-Narr, chief, Bavinyar Security Agency
Sham-Vi-Diin, investigator, Bavinyar Security Agency
Aryon Ven, investigator, Bavinyar Security Agency

Civilians

Iella Wessiri Antilles, retired NRI operative
Kenth Hamner, Jedi Knight
Tresk Im'nel, Jedi Knight
Asyr Sei'lar, political activist
Luke Skywalker, Jedi Master
Han Solo, captain, Millennium Falcon
Leonia Tavira, pirate and gunrunner

A Short Guide to Abbreviations

BDF = Bavinyar Defense Force, human-led planetary armed forces
BIL = Bavinyar Independence League, Bavinyari human separatists
BSA = Bavinyar Security Agency, Cerean-led planetary police force
CPF = Cerean Patriotic Front, Bavinyari Cerean separatists
NRDF = New Republic Defense Force
NRI = New Republic Intelligence