Shadows of the Empire (novel)

Shadows of the Empire is a 1996 novel written by Steve Perry. It describes the events between the films The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. It was part of the Shadows of the Empire multimedia project.

Hardcover
His name is Xizor, Underlord of a galaxywide criminal organization called Black Sun. He seeks to displace Darth Vader as Emperor Palpatine's right hand. To do so, he will hatch a brilliantly evil plan to discredit Vader in the Emperor's eyes. But in the meantime he will join the Dark Lord in an unholy alliance whose common target is the young Rebel hero, Luke Skywalker.

While Vader and Xizor bait their trap for Luke, Han Solo is being held captive, flash-frozen in a carbonite slab. Mourning the loss of the man she loves, Princess Leia mounts a rescue mission to free Han. She enlists the aid of Luke, who is sharpening his skill in the Force at Ben Kenobi's home on the edge of Tatooine's Western Dune Sea. Skywalker organizes a crack fighting force, including Wedge Antilles and his famous X-wing squadron; Lando Calrissian; and the mercenary Dash Rendar. Yet the fierce battle that ensues to rescue Han will not go according to plan. For the Empire's spies are everywhere.

What's worse, though he is cold and reptilian, Xizor has a certain predatory charisma that not even Leia can totally resist. Against the judgment of Chewbacca, who has promised Han to keep her from harm, Leia walks willingly into Xizor's lair in a dangerous play of passion and willpower to get the information she needs to defeat him. At the same time, Luke stands in the crosshairs of a conspiracy of assassins and bounty hunters recruited by Xizor's lieutenant, the beautiful but lethal human replicant Guri. As the struggle between Xizor and Vader intensifies, Luke finds himself the potential prize of the two most evil entities in the galaxy — one who wants him alive, and one who wants him dead.

In a final, explosive showdown, the Rebels must infiltrate Xizor's impregnable stronghold and fight the combined forces of Black Sun and the Empire in deep space. With death and betrayal looming on every side, Luke, Leia, Lando, and Chewie must use every weapon and resource at their disposal, including the Rebel fleet and some intriguing new allies, if they are to prove victorious. In Shadows of the Empire, Steve Perry adds an exciting new chapter to the Star Wars saga and introduces important new characters and situations no Star Wars fan will want to miss.

Paperback
It is a time of crisis. Han Solo, frozen in carbonite, is being taken to the vile gangster Jabba the Hutt. As Princess Leia mounts a rescue mission and Darth Vader scours the galaxy for Luke Skywalker, another sinister figure emerges. Cunning and ruthless, leader of a powerful crime syndicate, he will pit himself against Vader for the favor of their mutual master&hellip;The Dreaded Emperor.

Characters

 * 4-LOM; bounty hunter, protocol droid (Masculine programming)
 * Wedge Antilles; (male human)
 * Big Gizz; (male humanoid)
 * Bossk; bounty hunter (male trandoshan)
 * Boushh; bounty hunter (male                              )
 * C-3PO; protocol droid (Masculine programming)
 * Lando Calrissian; (male human)
 * Chewbacca / Snoova; (male Wookiee)
 * Clezo;
 * Mayt Duvel;
 * Elite Stormtroopers
 * Boba Fett; bounty hunter (male human)
 * Green;
 * Guri; human replica droid (Feminine programming)
 * Hoff;
 * Howzmin;
 * IG-88; assassin droid, bounty hunter (Masculine programming)
 * Wes Janson; (male human)
 * Kile;
 * Kreet'ah;
 * LE-BO2D9
 * Z. Limmer;
 * Lonay;
 * Koth Melan;
 * Okins; admiral
 * Palpatine; Emperor, Galactic Empire (male human)
 * Perit;
 * R2-D2; R2-series astromech droid (Masculine programming)
 * Dash Rendar; (male human)
 * R04;
 * Evet Scy'rrep;
 * Skahtul;
 * Luke Skywalker; Jedi Knight (male human)
 * Snoova;
 * Han Solo; captain, Millennium Falcon (male human)
 * Leia Organa Solo / Boushh; (female human)
 * Avaro Sookcool; (male Rodian)
 * Spero;
 * Sprax;
 * Durga Besadii Tai; (Hutt)
 * Jabba Desilijic Tiure; gangster (male Hutt)
 * Tuyay;
 * Darth Vader; Dark Lord of the Sith (male human)
 * Vekker;
 * Benedict Vidkun;
 * Wumdi;
 * Xizor; Prince, Falleen, Black Sun (male Falleen)
 * Dellis Yuls;
 * Zuckuss; bounty hunter (male Gand)

Species

 * Humans
 * Droids
 * Trandoshans
 * Wookiees
 * Hutts
 * Rodians
 * Falleens
 * Gands
 * Ho'Dins
 * Quarren

Locations

 * Bespin
 * Bothawui
 * Coruscant (Imperial Center)
 * Gall
 * Kothlis
 * Rodia
 * Tatooine
 * Vergesso Asteroid Field
 * Zhar

Vehicles/vessels

 * Falleen's Fist
 * IG-2000
 * Millennium Falcon
 * Outrider
 * Palpatine's Skyhook
 * Slave 1
 * Stinger
 * Suprosa
 * Swoops
 * Virago

Organizations

 * Black Sun
 * Ororo Transportation
 * Rogue Squadron
 * Xizor Transport Systems
 * Alliance to Restore the Republic
 * Galactic Empire

Other items

 * Boontaspice
 * Giju stew

Cover gallery
This is a gallery of the different cover variations of Shadows of the Empire.

Behind the scenes

 * When asked about cut or disputed content of the novel, Steve Perry explained, "I wanted to have Luke and Lando stop at the SW's equivalent of a gas station to use the phone, but nobody thought that was funny except me. At first, everybody was leery of having droids fly the FALCON, didn't want to do it, but I begged them to let me try and toss it if they didn't like it. They decided they liked it."