The Truce at Bakura

Star Wars: The Truce at Bakura is a 1994 novel by Kathy Tyers. The novel's events take place immediately after the Battle of Endor depicted in Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi. Narration for the audio version was performed by Anthony Heald.

Dedication
I can't think of Star Wars without remembering the opening fanfare from the original soundtrack. I can't imagine an Imperial Star Destroyer's long, triangular silhouette without hearing ominous triplet rhythms. And who can picture the Mos Eisley Cantina without that inimitable Jazz band? It is with grateful admiration that I can dedicate this novel to the man who composed the musical scores for Star Wars movies: John Williams

American

 * ISBN 0553095412; January 1994, Bantam Spectra, 311-page hardcover
 * ISBN 055347197X, ISBN 0553700650, ISBN 0553745859; January 6, 1994, Bantam Doubleday Dell Audio Publishing, Abridged cassette
 * ISBN 0606082018; January 6, 1994, Sagebrush Corporation, Turtleback
 * ISBN 0553568728; December 1994, Bantam Spectra, 341-page paperback
 * ISBN 0553407589; February 1997, Bantam Spectra, 341-page Paperback
 * ISBN 0517154803; July 25, 1995, Random House, Hardcover
 * ISBN 0739316710; March 2005, Random House Audio, Abridged cassette

Foreign

 * ISBN 0563393718; October 3, 1994, BBC Consumer Publishing, British audio cassette
 * ISBN 902905154X; October 1, 1998, 320-page Dutch book (Wapenstilstand bij bakura)
 * ISBN 2258039258; May 9, 1995, Presses de la Cité, 345-page French/Canadian paperback (Trêve à Bakura)
 * ISBN 2265068039; September 23, 1999, Fleuve Noir, 352-page French paperback
 * ISBN 2265083224; November 15, 2006, Fleuve Noir, 346-page French paperback
 * ISBN 3453503414; Heyne-Verlag, German (Der Pakt von Bakura)
 * ISBN 4884759087, ISBN 4884759095, ISBN unknown; August 10, 1994, Japanese
 * ISBN 8370829171; 1997 and 1999, Amber, Polish paperbacks (Pakt na Bakurze)
 * ISBN unknown; Russian
 * ISBN 8427018517; 1994, Martínez Roca, 320-page Spanish paperback (La Tregua de Bakura)
 * ISBN 059303564X; January 6, 1994, Transworld Publishers, UK hardcover
 * ISBN 0001050818; November 27, 1995, HarperCollins Publishers, UK abridged cassette
 * ISBN 0553505963; February 28, 1997, Transworld Publishers, 352-page UK paperback

Publisher's summary
KATHY TYERS is the author of four previous Science Fiction novels for Bantam Spectra. Her credits also include a travel guide to the Northern Rocky Mountains in the U.S.A.. In addition to writting, Kathy holds degrees in Microbiology and education. She and her husband, Mark, have recorded and released two Folk-music albums. They reside in, beautiful, Southwestern Montana with their son. Matthew.

Paperback
''No sooner has Darth Vader's funeral pyre burned to ashes on Endor than the Alliance faces a new challenge at the far-flung Imperial outpost of Bakura. The Ssi-Ruuk, a race of cold-blooded reptilian invaders, plan to enslave human minds to pilot their invincible machines of war and destruction. With the hope of turning Bakura's loyalties toward the fledgling New Republic with defensive aid, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Princess Leia race to the besieged planet. Yet as the eve of the final onslaught rapidly approaches, Rebel and Imperial forces still must come to terms with each other. And there is already evidence of a traitor hidden in their midst&hellip;''

Hardcover
''No sooner has Darth Vader's funeral pyre burned to ashes on Endor than the Alliance intercepts a call for help from a far-flung Imperial outpost. Bakura is on the edge of known space and the first to meet the Ssi-ruuk, cold-blooded reptilian invaders who, once allied with the now dead Emperor, are approaching Imperial space with only one goal: total domination. Princess Leia sees the mission as an opportunity to achieve a diplomatic victory for the Alliance. But it assumes even greater importance when a vision of Obi-Wan Kenobi appears to Luke Skywalker with the message that he must go to Bakura&mdash;or risk losing everything the Rebels have fought so desperately to achieve.''

Even as the Alliance arrives, the aliens have almost overcome the Bakura Imperial garrison, whose desperate commander will accept help from any quarter&mdash;even Rebel&mdash;against an insidious foe that enslaves Human minds to pilot their invincible machines of war and destruction.

''While marshalling the tattered Imperial forces, Luke, Han Solo, and Princess Leia must win the trust and cooperation of the Bakurans. For although Imperial Governor Nereus has granted the Rebels temporary amnesty there is the possibility of treachery among those whose first allegiance lies with the Empire.''

On the eve of the final explosive onslaught, Rebel and Imperial forces must finally come to terms with each other&hellip;or lose the entire galaxy to the hideous servitude promised by a victorious alien enemy.

Capturing the sweep and excitement of the original Star Wars saga, The Truce at Bakura plants a seed of hope for peace, sees the formation of a timeless love, and stands witness to a Jedi's undying sacrifice to defend Humanity against an alien nemesis.

Synopsis
The novel starts after the Battle of Endor, with the arrival of an Imperial drone to the site of the Second Death Star. Wedge Antilles investigates the drone, but is nearly killed trying to prevent the drone from self-destructing. Luke Skywalker, still convalescing from the Emperor's Force lightning, rescues Wedge and the Alliance seizes the drone for investigation.

The drone contains a distress call for the Emperor from Governor Wilek Nereus of Bakura, which is under attack by the reptilian Ssi-ruuk. With Palpatine dead and the Imperial Navy scattered, the Empire will most likely not aid Bakura. Luke Skywalker, after receiving a vision from the spirit of Obi-Wan Kenobi volunteers to lead an Alliance task force to intercept the alien invasion and save Bakura. Han Solo and Leia Organa also accompany the force in hopes of possibly negotiating with either the aliens or the Imperials at Bakura, although Han also wishes to spend more time with Leia.

The Rebels arrive at Bakura to find the planet under attack. From the bridge of the Flurry, Luke Skywalker helps repel the attack and an unofficial truce is established with Pter Thanas in orbit. After evading Ssi-ruuk vessels, Han, Leia, and Chewie meet up with Luke on the surface as part of a diplomatic entourage to the Bakuran Senate. Leia addresses the body, while Luke finds himself attracted to a Bakuran senator named Gaeriel Captison. Leia and Luke in return learn of Dev Sibwarra, a brainwashed Force-sensitive Human who aids the Ssi-ruuk, who seek to establish a beachhead in the larger galaxy in order to harvest a supply of beings whose life energies can power their entechment technology. The Ssi-ruuk themselves cannot sense the Force, but they know of it through a captured Human, Dev Sibwarra, who is Force-sensitive but untrained (his mother was killed by the Ssi-ruuk) and has been brainwashed into furthering the Ssi-ruuvi agenda.

At a social dinner, Governor Nereus confirms the truce with Leia Organa, the lead Alliance diplomat, marking a historic first truce between the Empire and the Alliance. While Luke discusses tactics with Pter Thanas at the Imperial garrison, Leia struggles to find a way to cope with the revelation given to her on Endor&mdash;that Darth Vader, the being responsible for the death of thousands of beings, is actually her father. The problem is exacerbated when Anakin Skywalker's Force ghost appears to her, asking not for absolution, but for forgiveness. At the same time, she also engages in active diplomacy with the Bakurans, learning that Bakura "joined" the Empire only three years ago and that Bakura chafes under Imperial rule&mdash;as do some of the Imperials, notably ranking officer Commander Pter Thanas&mdash;though Imperial governor Wilek Nereus is too crafty to let dissension spread too far. Leia has to be careful not to attract unwanted Imperial attention for sedition and avoid diplomatic incidents such as the shooting of several Bakurans by Rebels in self-defense.

On a personal level, Skywalker finds himself consistently distracted by one of Bakura's senators, Gaeriel Captison, and by the nascent attraction forming between them, despite her religious objections to the Jedi Order. Luke also encounters the aged and mentally infirm Eppie Belden and heals her mental damage with the Force. Princess Leia and Han Solo also struggle to find some time together and hash out their newly-formed relationship.

However, the Ssi-Ruuk are not so easily defeated and continue to threaten Bakura. The Jedi Knight Skywalker especially intrigues Ssi-Ruuk because his control of the Force can enable the Ssi-Ruuk to enslave beings from a distance once he is enteched. Obi-Wan Kenobi appears to Luke and underscores the danger of the Ssi-Ruuk if they get into the greater galaxy with this technology.

In the end, Nereus attempts to turn Skywalker over to the Ssi-ruuk in exchange for their retreat. Secretly, he has infected Luke with deadly parasites that will kill him and the Ssi-ruuk both when they hatch. Though the kidnapping succeeds, Skywalker fights the Ssi-ruuk off enough to save Gaeriel from capture. Luke, though taken prisoner, fights back and is able to free Sibwarra of his brainwashing. The two of them escape and sabotage the Ssi-ruuk flagship, whereupon Luke decides to take him on as an apprentice, but Dev is injured during the escape and later dies of his wounds.

Meanwhile, Leia, talking with sympathetic Bakuran officials, is arrested by Nereus for sedition and locked away in a remote estate. Han Solo launches a daring, but foolhardy escape attempt while Chewie, joined by Threepio, prepares the Falcon for escape. Han manages to break Leia out of prison and they join the Alliance forces in orbit as the Ssi-ruuk attack. On Bakura, rioting breaks out as resistance forces launch an attack, coordinated by the now recovered Eppie Belden.

Nereus brings Gaeriel Captison to him in an attempt to have her cede total control of Bakura to him. Nereus also reveals his sinister attack on Skywalker to her. They watch as the joint Rebel-Imperial force turns back the Ssi-ruuk, but, to Gaeriel's horror, Nereus then orders Thanas to attack the Rebels, decimating their forces. Surrounded, Han Solo prepares a suicide ramming move to allow the remaining Rebels to escape. At that point, Luke&mdash;who uses the Force to remove the parasites&mdash;uses the alien flagship to distract Thanas's fleet, and the Rebels escape. Thanas ultimately ceases fighting and surrenders.

Back on Bakura, Nereus is overthrown by resistance cells and captured. Han, Leia, Luke and Chewie return to the planet, where Nereus, upon seeing Luke, attempts to attack them but is killed in the process. Bakura decides to join the Rebel Alliance and Commander Thanas defects as well. New Republic Intelligence later referred to the battle as the "Bakura Incident", and believed that it would be best if the New Republic attempted to prevent widespread public knowledge of the Ssi-Ruuk, advice that was taken controversially at best. In addition, Skywalker finally makes his breakthrough with Gaeriel, though he must shortly leave her when the Alliance forces depart at the end of the novel, to continue the ongoing fight against the Empire.

Behind the scenes
Kathy Tyers wrote much of the book while listening to the musical scores from the movies for inspiration. As a result, when she finished the book, she dedicated it to John Williams.

Significant to this novel is the final written appearance of Obi-Wan Kenobi to Luke Skywalker as a spirit. From this point on, he will only appear to Skywalker in dreams until Heir to the Empire. The Truce at Bakura also describes the first meeting of the spirit of Anakin Skywalker, the reformed Darth Vader, with his daughter Princess Leia.

The Truce at Bakura was planned to be made into a comics adaptation, such as was done with Splinter of the Mind's Eye and the Thrawn Trilogy. That plan eventually fell through.

Galoob released vehicle and character figures from the novel as part of their Star Wars Micro Machines "Epic Collections" range. The vehicles were a TIE fighter, the Flurry and a Ssi-ruuk ship; the characters were Gaeriel Captison, Dev Sibwarra and Bluescale.

The events in this novel were expanded upon greatly with the publication of The Truce at Bakura Sourcebook by West End Games. Connections were established within this sourcebook that brought the Marvel Star Wars continuity back into the fold.

Cover gallery
This is a gallery of the different cover variations of The Truce at Bakura.