Fate of the Jedi: Ascension

Ascension by Christie Golden is the eighth novel in the Fate of the Jedi series and was released on August 9, 2011. At the end of the book, it has an introduction to Apocalypse. The audio version is narrated by Marc Thompson. The paperback is set to be released sometime in 2012.

Back cover
'''How long can the Jedi remain in power? How far will the Sith go to rule supreme? What chance do both stand against Abeloth?'''

Internal flap
As Luke and Ben Skywalker pursue the formidable dark-side being Abeloth, the Lost Tribe of the Sith is about to be sundered by an even greater power&mdash;which will thrust one Dark Lord into mortal conflict with his own flesh-and-blood.

''On Coruscant, a political vacuum has left tensions at the boiling point, with factions racing to claim control of the Galactic Alliance. Suddenly surrounded by hidden agendas, treacherous conspiracies, and covert Sith agents, the Jedi Order must struggle to keep the GA government from collapsing into anarchy.''

The Jedi are committed to maintaining peace and ensuring just rule, but even they are not prepared to take on the combined threats of Sith power, a deposed dictator bent on galaxywide vengeance, and an entity of pure cunning and profound evil hungry to become a god.

Plot
The novel begins when the Circle of Lords have a meeting to determine whether or not they should accept Abeloth's bid for alliance to destroy Luke Skywalker and the New Jedi Order. The various members of the Lords are divided, but in the end, despite his reservations over Abeloth's intentions, Grand Lord Darish Vol decides that the Lost Tribe of Sith need Abeloth for the good of their future. Vol then contacts Gavar Khai, who is returning with his fleet, Abeloth, and Ship to Kesh, and tells him that they must delay Abeloth's arrival on the planet. This is in order to prepare a celebration for an ally like Abeloth, since she would be a valuable asset in defeating the Lost Tribe's enemies. After Khai informs Abeloth of this, the latter is skeptical and suspicious of Vol's motives, but accepts the conditions. Abeloth then tells Khai that he and everyone in his fleet should return to Kesh to visit with family members; Khai doesn't feel that this was merely a suggestion on Abeloth's part. Later, Gavar Khai contemplates with his wife the implications of their daughter's actions in regards to her siding with the Skywalkers. Gavar kills Tikk as a result.

Eventually, Abeloth is officially welcomed to Kesh through a parade and a masquerade. Through this, Grand Lord Vol closely observes Abeloth to understand her motives. After all of the festivities are done, and Vol proceeds to go to sleep, he is assaulted in his dreams by Abeloth. However, Vol lures Abeloth into a mental trap, from which he uses to attack the entity. But when Abeloth is attacked, she sends out a Force shock-wave equivalent to that of a tsunami that destroys Kesh's city of Tahv, killing millions of citizens, Sith and non-Sith alike. Vol is weakened while Ship picks Abeloth up and leaves with her, taking with them the members of the Sith who remain loyal to Abeloth. Those loyal to Abeloth are Gavar Khai and his forces, and they leave with Abeloth and Ship through hyperspace.

Luke, Ben, Vestara, and Jaina Solo discuss a list of the possible of Ship's retreat, including a number of historically Sith-associated planets. Jaina suggests that they investigate Korriban first, and proposes that Vestara accompany the Jedi on the investigation, despite Luke's misgivings over the idea of bringing an arguably trustworthy Sith to a planet so entwined with the dark side of the Force. When they do investigate Korriban, specifically in the Valley of the Dark Lords, they're confronted by dog-like guardians. Vestara speaks to the guardians in the ancient Sith language to ward them off, as well as asking them to lead them to where there may be other Sith on Korriban could be. While the guardians fulfill their first demand from Vestara, they're unable to fulfill her second request due to the fact that there are no Sith left on Korriban. When she reports all of this to the Skywalkers and Jaina, she neglects to mention that she had a third demand for the guardians; if there are any more Sith who come, the guardians must tell them to hide for their safety.

On Coruscant, Galactic Alliance General Merratt Jaxton is replaced by former GA Secretary Wynn Dorvan as part of the governing triumvirate that includes Kuati Senator Haydnat Treen and Jedi Master Saba Sebatyne. The triumvirate and their chief advisers are doing their best to manage the Galactic Alliance's duties, especially in the wake of former Chief of State Natasi Daala's downfall from power and the governments throughout the galaxy ruled by ex-slaves, which wish to become part of the Galactic Alliance. This is all convenient for the machinations of Imperial Moff Drikl Lecersen and his co-conspirators, which include Treen, Jaxton, Coruscanti Senator Fost Bramsin, and others.

Meanwhile, as Daala remains on the loose in the galaxy thanks to Boba Fett, the latter reveals to the former what he and the Mandalorians have discovered since they carried out her orders of putting down slave riots whilst she was still Chief of State. The discovery was that Lecersen was responsible for giving form to the Freedom Flight specifically so they could cause enough trouble to overstress Daala and lead her to the coup that she experienced in the previous novel.