The Thrawn Saga - The Last Command

One month has passed since Thrawn took the 'Katana' fleet. Using C'Baoth's Jedi meditation powers and the clones, Thrawn has beaten the New Republic senseless. Attacking Ukio, Thrawn and C'Baoth create the illusion the Empire can now fire through shields. However, C'Baoth abruptly abandons the battle to pursue the 'Millenium Falcon'. Furious when they escape, C'Baoth gives Thrawn only one more chance to capture Leia and her children. Thrawn sends a commando team to Coruscant.

At Leefari, Luke is investigating Thrawn's clones when he runs into Talon Karrde. Skywalker is spotted and reported by the planet's governor. At Poderis, Thrawn gets very close to capturing Skywalker. Skywalker manages to get to Honoghr instead. At Coruscant, Mara Jade finally comes around from her injuries, and Jacen and Jaina Solo are born to Han and Leia.

Increasingly concerned about the way the war is going, Karrde sets out to find out where Thrawn's clones are coming from, and starts to enlist other smugglers. Meanwhile, Thrawn continues to cut a swath through the galaxy. Destroying Nomad City at Nkllon, he prepares to attack Coruscant itself. Thrawn's commando team makes their move for the children, but are defeated by Mara Jade - who is arrested when the team names her as their contact. When she learns of Thrawn's clones, she says she can find where they are. The New Republic military does not bite.

At Trogan, a massive meeting of smugglers is jumped by an Imperial squad (tipped off by Ferrier), that ironically helps pull the disparate groups together. They start attacking Imperial shipyards. The Noghri formally join forces with the Republic. Luke and Han help break Mara out to find Wayland. C'Baoth is already en route there....

The Battle of Coruscant begins, as Thrawn seeds the planet's orbit with cloaked asteroids. Garm Bel Iblis is asked back by Mon Mothma, and he takes over the defence. Karrde's associate Ghent finally catches Delta Source - an intricate system using the Palace's plant life. A second smuggler meeting at Chazwa is an opportunity for Ferrier to blame Karrde for the earlier attack. It backfires, and Ferrier tries to kill the smugglers, but is himself killed. The smugglers formally ally against the Empire.

A Rebel team led by Luke, Han, and Mara arrives at Wayland. Luke helps retrain Mara in the ways of the Jedi, and the Noghri secretly defend the group. To take out the asteroids, the Rebel fleet is going to make it look like they are going to Tangrene to get a crystal grav-field trap, but they are going to fool Thrawn and get it from Bilbringi instead. The smugglers are fooled, and plan to get the CGT at Bilbringi themselves. Thrawn is not fooled. He prepares for an attack at Bilbringi.

Talon Karrde informs the Rebels that the siege is over - the real asteroids have been destroyed. Leia abruptly figures out how the clones are being made so fast - with the Force being blocked away with Ysalamiri to prevent insanity. And with Luke, Han, and Mara walking into that trap - Leia rushes off Coruscant for Wayland.... As the Rebel force reaches Mount Tantiss, Mara makes Luke vow to kill her rather than let her go over to the Dark Side. The native Myneyrshi also vow to help destroy Mount Tantiss. As Han and Lando rigs the cloning tanks to blow, Luke and Mara walk right into C'Baoth's trap. C'Baoth blows up the Ysalamiri on the base and attacks the two with the Dark Side. He has a special surprise for Luke - his own clone Luuke, grown from the hand lost at Bespin and wielding Anakin's old lightsaber. Han and Leia rush in but are knocked out. Luke offers to join C'Baoth if he will let the others go. C'Baoth refuses -he wants Mara too. She seizes Leia's lightsaber, then fights, and kills Luuke.

The Republic fleet finds themselves in the fight of their lives at Bilbringi. The smuggler groups jump into the fray. C'Baoth begins to bring the mountain down on the heroes. With Luke's help, Mara kills C'Baoth. Lando and Chewbacca pick them up from the roof just before the cloning chamber explodes. At Bilbringi, the Republic and smuggler forces are starting to win, and word of Mount Tantiss's fall reaches them - just as Rukh (Thrawn's Noghri bodyguard) stabs Thrawn through the heart. Pellaeon has no choice - he orders the Imperial fleet to retreat.

Days later, on Coruscant, Talon Karrde and the smuggler groups formally organise into the Smuggler's Alliance, with Mara as liaison. Chewbacca helps the Noghri emigrate to their new homeworld on Wayland. In addition, Luke has a gift for Mara - his father's lightsaber....