The New Jedi Order: Enemy Lines II: Rebel Stand

Enemy Lines II: Rebel Stand, part of the New Jedi Order series and second book of the Enemy Lines Duology, is a novel by Aaron Allston, published on May 28, 2002.

Publisher's summary
'''Not since Emperor Palpatine have the Jedi battled such monstrous evil. Unless they succeed against staggering odds, the galaxy is doomed.'''

''Luke Skywalker's daring mission to halt the Yuuzhan Vong's nefarious plot to overthrow the New Republic is struggling on all fronts. And time is slipping away for Han and Leia Organa Solo, trapped on a small planet whose rulers are about to yield to Yuuzhan Vong pressure to give up the Jedi rebels.''

''On Coruscant, Luke and Mara Jade Skywalker have made a shocking discovery that is preventing the Yuuzhan Vong from exerting complete control. But when the enemy tracks them down, Luke and Mara are thrust into a firece battle for their lives. Suddenly, the chances of escaping appear nearly impossible. And in space, another battle rages, one that holds ominous consequences for the New Republic&mdash;and for the Jedi themselves&hellip;''

American

 * ISBN 9780345428684, June 2002, Del Rey, 366-Page Paperback.

Foreign

 * ISBN 978-80-252-1674-3; March 8, 2011, EGMONT ČR, 248-page Czech paperback (Nový řád Jedi. Nepřátelské linie II - Bašta rebelů).

Plot summary
Luke Skywalker, Mara Jade Skywalker, and Tahiri Veila have arrived on the recently-captured Coruscant, and on the planet they find a genetically-engineered monstrous Irek Ismaren masquerading as Lord Nyax. Nyax, his mind having been replaced almost entirely with electronic parts, is bent on opening a Force nexus located beneath the old Jedi Temple. Meanwhile Tsavong Lah, taking Viqi Shesh's advice to heart, discovers a conspiracy amongst members of the shaper caste and of the priest caste who plan to control him through manipulation of his implant. With the help of shaper Nen Yim, Tsavong Lah discovers the traitors involved, and executes them.

Han and Leia Organa Solo are traveling to sectors of the galaxy that are most likely to join the Yuuzhan Vong in order for leniency for their own planets, people, and especially governments. Han and Leia's goal is to make contact with secret resistance cells on each planet in order to support them in making sure that their governments won't align with the Vong, and that they'll also be able to fight the invaders. One particular journey to Aphran IV gets them locked away in a prison cell, which forces C-3PO and R2-D2 to help them escape. Han and Leia fight past the forces holding them and they escape, with the government of Aphran IV unlikely to join the Vong.

Back on Borleias, Wedge Antilles continues to operate the defenses there, holding Czulkang Lah's forces off for the majority of the events and increasing Yuuzhan Vong sentiment that both Jaina Solo was the physical manifestation of one of their Trickster goddess Yun-Harla, and that the pipefighters were capable of being utilized as a superweapon to attack Coruscant's defense fleet.

Luke, Mara, and Tahiri were able to kill Nyax with the help of Wraith Squadron, but not before he was able to open the Force nexus he'd been after. Following Nyax's death and during the strike team's escape from Coruscant they confronted Viqi Shesh, who had been sent to the planet to help capture them. At the same time Denua Ku, the dying Yuuzhan Vong warrior who'd led the Yuuzhan Vong warriors to find the Jedi on Coruscant, caught up with her. Shesh committed suicide to avoid being captured and, most likely, killed by either side.

Upon returning to Borleias the strike team found the Lusankya in a state of horrible disrepair, though this was ultimately part of General Antilles's plan. Using the pipefighters to distract Czulkang Lah's forces from the true weapon, Lusankya was smashed into the Domain Hul worldship, executing Operation Emperor's Spear and fulfilling the objectives Antilles had set for himself and the Borleias defense crew in the war against the Yuuzhan Vong.

The New Republic abandoned Borleias following their defensive victory, though they had ultimately gained the government a great deal of time with which to plan their next moves and alliances, exactly what then-Chief of State Pwoe had instructed the fleet to do.

Behind the scenes
Rebel Stand lists Jaina as Jedi Knight in its Dramatis Personae. However, she is not Knighted until later in the series with Destiny's Way. It could have simply been referring to all Jedi as Jedi Knights, however, she was promoted to apprentice Jedi Knight at the end of Young Jedi Knights.

During Operation Emperor's Spear the narration states the length of Lusankya as being eight kilometers, whereas the vessel should be nineteen as is standard for the Executor-class.

More Zindra Daine is listed also in the Dramatis personae at the beginning of the novel, but she does not appear in it at any point. Allston stated on his website that he included her in the beginning, not knowing where he would take the story, and in the end even though she was with the Twin Suns Squadron throughout the events of the novel, no scene mentioned her specifically.

Also, the Insiders&mdash;who are one of the main themes of the Enemy Lines novels&mdash;are conspicuously absent from later media, only mentioned in two subsequent New Jedi Order books and not even acknowledged in post-New Jedi Order media which portrays an equally callous and authoritarian Galactic Alliance, making it unlikely that the organization had disbanded.

This is the only novel where Nom Anor is not even given a mention. Conversely, this is also the final New Jedi Order novel where he doesn't appear.

As of this novel, the only characters to appear throughout this duology were Wedge Antilles, Tycho Celchu, Jaina Solo, Jagged Fel, Kyp Durron, Luke Skywalker, Mara Jade Skywalker, Tahiri Veila, Han Solo, Leia Organa Solo, Danni Quee, Tam Elgrin, Wolam Tser, Dab Hantaq, Viqi Shesh, Tsavong Lah, Nen Yim, Ghithra Dal, Takhaff Uul, Denua Ku, Charat Kraal, Czulkang Lah, Bhindi Drayson, Garik "Face" Loran, Kell Tainer, Eldo Davip, Corran Horn, C-3PO, R2-D2, YVH 1-1A, Ganner Rhysode, Lando Calrissian, and Iella Wessiri Antilles.

This novel resolves the character arc of Roganda Ismaren from Barbara Hambly's Children of the Jedi by killing her off. Her son and killer, Irek, is made to be the primary antagonist in the Coruscant mission plot of the novel and is also subsequently killed off.

Cover gallery
This is a gallery of the different cover variations of Enemy Lines II: Rebel Stand.