Mission to the Maw

This mission to the Maw was undertaken by a joint alliance of Jedi and Sith in 44 ABY. The Jedi hoped to stop the dark side being Abeloth from continuing to cause a mysterious psychosis among several Jedi Knights, while the Sith secretly planned to force Abeloth to join them, and then kill the Jedi.

Luke Skywalker suggested that they wait for the assistance of his friend, businessman Lando Calrissian, as Calrissian owned a Colossus I Beta Series asteroid tug, the Rockhound, which they could use for assistance in navigating the Maw. The Sith agreed, and the fleet decided to wait at Klatooine. While there, the Sith's leader, High Lord Sarasu Taalon, discovered the Fountain of the Hutt Ancients and became obsessed with a desire for it. Meanwhile, the Force-sensitive Dyon Stadd, who was accompanying the Skywalkers, succumbed to the psychosis Abeloth was causing. Ben Skywalker and Sith apprentice Vestara Khai managed to help capture him, and Stadd was sedated and placed aboard the Jade Shadow.

The Jedi and Sith eventually decided to stay no longer, deciding to await Calrissian just outside the Maw. Taalon convinced Skywalker to allow him to leave two of his ChaseMaster frigates behind to wait for Calrissian and let him know where they had gone, although their actual intent was to take wintrium samples from the Fountain of the Hutt Ancients. Their attempt went poorly, however, and the Starstalker was apprehended, its Captain and entire crew put on trial by the recently-arrived Calrissian and Jedi Knight Jaina Solo, and condemned to death. Calrissian, Solo, and the second Sith frigate then met up with the rest of the fleet and entered the Maw.

To their surprise, they found their first stop, Sinkhole Station, to be completely destroyed. The procession then traveled straight to Abeloth's planet, where the Skywalkers, Taalon, Sith Saber Gavar Khai, and Captain Leeha Faal walked beyond shadows. They failed to locate Abeloth; however Vestara Khai placed a homing beacon on Stadd and then let him go, allowing the Jedi and Sith to follow him to Abeloth. Eventually finding Abeloth, the strike team attacked her. Meanwhile, Solo found and attacked the Sith Meditation Sphere Ship in her StealthX. Shortly into the battle the Sith suddenly betrayed the Jedi&mdash;Gavar Khai attacked Luke Skywalker and the rest of the Sith began using a control web to attempt to capture Abeloth.

Ben Skywalker intervened with Khai, however, dueling the Sith Saber, while Skywalker fought the others. Abeloth suddenly repulsed them all with a gaint Force blast and began to escape; and the Jedi and Sith ran after her. Luke Skywalker found her first, and quickly killed her. Immadiately after her death, Ship fled, breaking off his duel with Solo, and the psychosis that had affected Jedi throughout the galaxy was terminated. The Jedi and Sith then agreed to repair their alliance, ordering Calrissian, Solo, and the entire Sith flotilla to leave while the Skywalkers, Khais, and Taalon remained to investigate further into Abeloth. They eventually discovered that Abeloth was not, in fact, dead.

Prelude
"Are&mdash;are you proposing a formal alliance?''" "''Precisely."

- Luke Skywalker and Sarasu Taalon

In 43.5 ABY, several Jedi Knights who had lived at Shelter in the Maw during the Yuuzhan Vong War began to suffer from a mysterious psychosis that caused them to believe that everyone they knew had been replaced by impostors. This led to tensions between the Jedi Order and the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances, as the Galactic Alliance decided to encase the afflicted Jedi in carbonite, while the Jedi Order desired to have the affected Knights available for study in the Jedi Temple. Meanwhile, Jedi Grand Master Luke Skywalker was exiled for dereliction of duty for failing to prevent Jacen Solo's fall to the dark side during the recent Second Galactic Civil War; he then embarked on a quest with his son, Ben, to find the cause of Solo's fall. Their journey eventually led them to the Mind Walkers&mdash;beings who used a technique called Mind Walking to separate their minds from their bodies in order to enter the realm they called beyond shadows&mdash;at Sinkhole Station, a space station in the Maw. While beyond shadows, the Skywalkers saw a mysterious dark side being whom they later speculated might be causing the psychosis that was plaguing the Jedi Order.

Meanwhile, the Lost Tribe of Sith, descendants of a group of Sith who had been stranded on the remote planet Kesh thousands of years previously, dispatched a strike team to recover the Sith Meditation Sphere Ship&mdash;who had spent the past two years helping the Tribe build an armada, before suddenly deserting the Sith&mdash;as well as to kill the Skywalkers in order to pave the way for an invasion of the galaxy. The strike team's mission took them first to a planet in the Maw, where they encountered a powerful being known as Abeloth&mdash;the same dark side being whom the Skywalkers had seen beyond shadows. After finally recovering Ship, the Sith continued their mission, attacking the Skywalkers at Sinkhole Station. However, only one of the strike team's members, the Sith apprentice Vestara Khai, survived their battle with the Jedi.

The Skywalkers then tracked Khai to the planet Dathomir, where they found her under the protection of the Raining Leaves Clan, a clan of Dathomiri Witches. Khai, meanwhile, had contacted her Tribe and alerted them to her location. The Sith then sent a large fleet of ships to Dathomir to retrieve Khai and a group of Nightsisters, a faction of dark side Witches. The Sith Lord Viun Gaalan led a group of Sith to the surface and captured the Nightsisters before being confronted by the Skywalkers and their Force-sensitive friend, Dyon Stadd, while Khai went to retrieve one last Nightsister. The Jedi dueled and defeated the Sith, although Gaalan managed to escape. Taking Khai hostage, Stadd and the Skywalkers prepared to leave Dathomir, but were confronted in orbit by the Sith fleet, consisting of eleven ChaseMaster frigates under the command of High Lord Sarasu Taalon.

To the Skywalkers' surprise, however, the Sith did not attack; rather, Taalon offered to form a joint alliance between them in order to eliminate Abeloth. Taalon lied that the Lost Tribe's own apprentices had begun suffering from the same psychosis that afflicted the Jedi Knights, and Luke Skywalker, although dubious and reluctant at first, accepted Taalon's offer. In reality, however, the Sith were planning to force Abeloth to serve them, and then betray and kill the Jedi.

Klatooine
"We'll rendezvous at Klatooine. It's close to the Maw, part of the Si'Klaata Cluster."

- Lando Calrissian, planning his rendezvous with Luke Skywalker

Luke Skywalker then contacted his old friend, the businessman Lando Calrissian, for help in navigating the Maw. Calrissian responded that he could supply a Colossus I Beta Series asteroid tug, the Rockhound, although he added that he would need approximately two weeks to prepare the vessel. Skywalker urged Calrissian to move as quickly as possible, as he did not want to remain in the company of the Sith any longer than he had to. The Jedi and Sith then agreed to travel to the planet Klatooine, where the Skywalkers planned to restock the supplies of their ship, the Jade Shadow, and await Calrissian's arrival.

While on Klatooine, Ben Skywalker and Khai traveled down to the surface with Stadd to restock on their supplies. However, while there, Stadd developed the psychosis and stole a speeder bike, fleeing toward the Fountain of the Hutt Ancients&mdash;a sacred Fountain of wintrium located in the Derelkoos Desert on Klatooine. Skywalker and Khai managed to stop him from entering the area surrounding the Fountain that was forbidden to all modern technology, and Stadd, Skywalker, and Khai were all apprehended by Klatooinian guards and brought to the Detention Area in Treema, Klatooine's capital city. As they were underage, Skywalker and Khai were detained until their parents, Luke and Sith Saber Gavar, arrived to free them. The Skywalkers also took possession of Stadd, placing him under heavy sedatives in the Jade Shadow.

Meanwhile, Taalon's second-in-command, the Keshiri Leeha Faal, informed him of the existence of the Fountain, and he became obsessed with a desire to possess it. Still, as the Jedi and Sith became restless with waiting, they decided to move their fleet from orbit over Klatooine to wait for Calrissian just outside the Maw. Luke Skywalker informed Calrissian of the decision, and Taalon convinced Skywalker to allow him to leave two frigates behind, the Starstalker and the Winged Dagger, under the premise that they were to wait there in case any problems arose. Taalon then promoted Faal to the position of Captain of the Winged Dagger, replacing Captain Syndor, and gave her orders to retrieve a wintrium sample from the Fountain of the Hutt Ancients.

Incident at the Fountain
"Captain Holpur, you have been accused of violating the no-technology zone of the Fountain of the Hutt Ancients, of killing several guards who attemtped to defend it, and most disturbingly of all, of physically damaging the Fountain itself."

- Darima Kedari, presenting the charges against Captain Vyn Holpur

The Sith and Jedi then left orbit, continuing their mission and leaving the two frigates behind. Faal then passed on her orders to Vyn Holpur, Captain of the Starstalker. Holpur and his crew carried out the mission and managed to retrieve wintrium samples, although they were attacked by Klatooinian guards who were armed with primitive weapons such as swords and arrows. Despite losing one Sith Saber to an acid weapon, the Sith managed to hold their own against the Klatooinian guards. Meanwhile, Calrissian arrived at Klatooine with the Rockhound and spoke with Captain Faal, who informed him that they could continue their mission as soon as her crew finished their pre-flight check.

However, several Hutts suddenly arrived in-system. The Hutts had entered into a treaty with the Klatooinians thousands of years previously, ensuring the permanent servitude of the Klatooinian species to the Hutts in turn for the Hutts' protection of the sacred Fountain. The arriving Hutt forces apprehended the Starstalker as well as the Winged Dagger just as Jedi Knight Jaina Solo arrived in her StealthX starfighter. Solo, who was hoping to help the Skywalkers, met with Calrissian, and the two were requested by Klatooinian Chancellor Darima Kedari to mediate the situation between the Hutts, Klatooinians, and Sith.

During the hearing, it was found that the wintrium samples were missing, and Faal blamed Holpur and his crew for acting independently. Solo and Calrissian knew she was lying but were unable to prove it, as Holpur upheld her lie. After considering the issue and hearing from each side, Solo and Calrissian declared Holpur and his crew guilty of violating the Fountain; the entire crew of the Starstalker was thus condemned to death by Klatooinian law. The mediators went on to anounce that, although the Hutts had failed to prevent the violation of the Fountain, they had done everything within their ability to protect it, thus upholding the treaty. Despite this ruling, however, Klatooinains across the planet had already begun to riot and revolt against their Hutt rulers, resulting in a violent planetwide uprising. Solo and Calrissian then left the planet with Faal and the Winged Dagger and met up with the Skywalkers and the rest of the Sith fleet just outside the Maw.

Into the Maw
"Sinkhole Station was not in the best shape when we left it. Before we approach Abeloth's world, I want to go to the station again. I believe we will find information there that will help us.''" "What kind of information?" "I'll have a better idea when we're there." "''Very cryptic of you, Master Skywalker. You'd have made a fine Sith."

- Luke Skywalker and Sarasu Taalon, shortly before entering the Maw

Upon the Rockhound arrival just outside the Maw, Luke Skywalker met with Solo and Calrissian aboard the tug. There, they informed him of the incident on Klatooine as well as the increasing tensions between the Jedi and the government on Coruscant, including Daala's recent siege on the Jedi Temple. Solo then offered her assistance to Skywalker and he accepted, even though such cooperation with another Jedi bordered on violating the terms of his exile. Upon his return to the Jade Shadow, Skywalker contacted Taalon, informing the High Lord that he was aware of the occurrences on Klatooine and blaming him for instigating the resultant uprising, although Taalon insisted that Holpur had acted on his own. Skywalker then requested that they stop at Sinkhole Station before continuing on to Abeloth's homeworld, as he hoped that they could find helpful information there.

After arranging the formation in which the ships would travel under the protection of the Rockhound, the fleet entered the Maw, passing safely through Stable Zone One between two black holes. However, as the procession neared Sinkhole Station, the Skywalkers began to discover that they could no longer sense the Mind Walkers. After nearly colliding with a piece of debris, the Skywalkers realized that the Station had been completely destroyed. While most of the fleet kept away from the debris field, two ChaseMaster frigates moved forward into the remnants of the station. The Rockhound used its tractor beams to attempt to catch the frigates, successfully stopping one of them. However, it was unable to stop the other ChaseMaster from colliding with the debris and being obliterated immediately.

As the Rockhound moved the frigate it had saved away from the debris field, Vestara Khai and the Skywalkers deduced that Sinkhole Station had been created to contain Abeloth, but that she had grown so powerful that she had been able to destroy it. The fleet of Sith and Jedi then decided to go straight to Abeloth's planet. Upon their arrival there, Khai and Ben Skywalker felt and recognized the presence of Ship. The Skywalkers decided to land the Jade Shadow, although they were concerned that Abeloth might try to free Stadd; so Khai went back to check on the psychotic Force-sensitive, and Luke Skywalker told her to give Stadd another dose of the drug.

Arrival at Abeloth's planet
"Just find us somewhere safe to land.''" "''That's a relative term here."

- Ben Skywalker and Vestara Khai, upon their arrival at Abeloth's planet

Meanwhile, Abeloth had been calling to Stadd, urging him to find his way to her. However, Khai arrived and began to trick Stadd&mdash;she lied to him that they were all impostors, but reasoned that that meant that she was not really a Sith. She instead said that she was opposing those who had replaced the Jedi, claiming that everyone who had chosen to serve as an impostor for a Sith was doing so. Stadd still didn't believe her, but she insisted that all of the impostors of the Sith were really on Abeloth's side, and added that the Sith were associated with the Meditation Sphere Ship; and since Ship was serving Abeloth, it made sense that the Sith were serving her as well. Khai asked if Stadd would lead the Sith to Abeloth, and he replied that he would. She then gave him an antidote to his sedative and used the Force to scramble the machine that had been monitoring him, so that it would appear on the monitor that she had given him an extra dose of the sedative, rather than the antidote. Khai then told him to pretend to be unconscious if the Skywalkers came in to check on him, promising that she would come back to unlock his stun cuffs when the time was right.

Meanwhile, as the Jade Shadow entered the planet's atmosphere, they passed the Eternal Crusader, the deserted ship of the Sith strike team originally sent to kill the Skywalkers, still in orbit. As they landed the Jade Shadow, the Skywalkers realized that every location they had seen while beyond shadows at Sinkhole Station corresponded to an actual location on Abeloth's planet. The Jedi then met with Gavar Khai, Taalon, and Faal, and the elder Skywalker suggested that they try Mind Walking to locate Abeloth. Taalon agreed to the proposal and ordered Khai and Faal to accompany him beyond shadows with Skywalker. Ben, meanwhile, remained behind to monitor Skywalker's body and keep watch over Vestara. However, upon returning to the Jade Shadow, Vestara Khai spoke with Stadd, letting him know that Skywalker was going to Mind Walk to try and find Abeloth. She told him that he should try to escape while Ben Skywalker was busy monitoring his father's body.

The elder Skywalker met with Gavar Khai, Taalon, and Faal beyond shadows at the Lake of Apparitions, a lake where deceased beings could be viewed in the water's surface. After warning the Sith of the dangers of taking a misstep in the lake&mdash;which would lead to a fall into the Depths of Eternity, from where one could be neither saved nor retrieved&mdash;the four set course for the Mists of Forgetfulness, a misty area across the lake where Skywalker had seen Abeloth during his previous trip beyond shadows. While walking in the lake, Skywalker began to stumble, but he was steadied by Khai. Soon after, however, Faal slipped and fell. Quickly recovering, she began to stand, but was suddenly grasped by the hands of her many deceased enemies from the water and dragged down into the Depths of Eternity. Back on the Winged Dagger, Faal's body spasmed and her brain activity ceased, causing the ship's command to be handed back over to Syndor.

Finding Abeloth
Taalon was furious at Faal's death, but he decided they should press on. Skywalker, however, was hesitant to continue into the mists, as the last time he had been beyond shadows, his wife had warned him against doing so. He had yet to see her in the lake on this trip, but after calling sofly for her, she arrived. Skywalker spoke briefly with Jade Skywalker, and revealed to her that he had felt her presence aboard the Jade Shadow throughout the mission thus far, confiding in her his comfort that she had been with him. However, Jade Skywalker revealed to him that she had not been with him; and whoever he had felt had not been his wife. Skywalker was shocked, realizing that the presence he had felt had been a trick of Abeloth's. As Jade Skywalker disappeared back into the lake, Skywalker told Taalon that they needed to leave the realm immediately.

Back in the Jade Shadow, while Ben conversed with Vestara, Stadd suddenly jumped up and charged for the door. Ben quickly shouted for Vestara to stop Stadd, but instead she simply stepped aside, letting him go free. Luke suddenly returned to his body and woke up, and Ben told him what had just happened. As the Skywalkers confronted Vestara, she revealed that she had convinced Stadd that she was on Abeloth's side, revealing that Stadd had known where to find Abeloth, and deeply desired to find her. Vestara added that while she had been reassuring him that the Sith were supporters of Abeloth, she had placed a tracking device on Stadd, so that they could follow him to Abeloth. When Ben questioned why she hadn't told them her plan, she replied that she hadn't thought the Jedi would trust her. Vestara and the Skywalkers then went to meet up with Taalon and the other Sith so they could follow Stadd.

Meanwhile, Stadd himself found that the planet's deadly flora were refraining from attacking him, allowing him to move freely across the terrain. He sensed Abeloth in a volcano near the beach where the Sith and Jedi convoy had landed. Upon finding Abeloth in a cave on the volcano, he was overcome by her desire for him and vice versa. They spoke briefly, coming closer together, and Stadd told her that he wanted to be with her. Abeloth responded that he would be with him as long as she lived, which would be forever. Then she began to draw upon Stadd's life energy, causing him extreme pain and finally making him realize that she was not what she seemed to be. Stadd began to feel himself wither up, and Abeloth told him that he had served her well and that they would soon be one. However, Abeloth then sensed the Sith and Jedi coming and left Stadd for dead.

The Skywalkers and twenty-two Sith followed the tracking device to the cave, although two of the Sith were killed by some of he world's plants en route. Taalon doubted that Abeloth was in the cave; since Vestara had first encountered her there, he thought it was too obvious a place for Abeloth to be. Still, the Jedi and Sith decided to go to the cave and find out if she was there. Upon entry, however, they found only Stadd on the cave floor, barely clinging to his life. Awakening, Stadd apologized to Ben for his actions, revealing that now that he was aware of Abeloth's treachery, he was able to resist her influence on his mind. Stadd told them what had happened to him, and that Abeloth had sensed them coming and fled down a tunnel in the back of the cave. Stadd and two Sith stayed behind at the cave entrance while the Jedi and the rest of the Sith entered the tunnel.

Appearances

 * Allies