The New Jedi Order: Vector Prime

Vector Prime is the first installment of the New Jedi Order series. It is a science fiction novel written by R. A. Salvatore and published in October 1999.

Synopsis
The Galactic Empire has ended the war with the New Republic, but the galaxy is far from peace. Unrest is spreading everywhere, and threatens to destroy the New Republic's tenuous reign.

Into this fragile moment comes Nom Anor, a mysterious and charismatic firebrand who is sowing seeds of mistrust and anger through his call for a simpler time. Little do his followers know the truth which hides behind his words.

When ExGal 4, a scientific outpost on Belkadan, discovers an odd comet-like object coming through the vast distance between the galaxies, astrophysicist Danni Quee takes it upon herself to investigate. She journeys to the Helska system, unaware of the danger which threatens the survival of the entire galaxy: the Yuuzhan Vong.

Jedi Masters Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade Skywalker, along with the Solo's and Chewbacca are thrust into the middle of the danger once more, forced to fight with all they have to save the galaxy.

But this time, the Force itself may not be enough.

Reaction
At the time of its first publication, Vector Prime was extremely controversial among Star Wars fans in that its plot called for the death of Chewbacca, making the Wookiee the first major character from the original trilogy to be permanently killed off in the Expanded Universe novels. Opinion was sharply divided as to whether this death of a beloved character was a cheap ploy to boost sales and interest in the new series, or if it served the dramatic purpose of declaring that not even the core characters were necessarily "safe" anymore.

Though Chewbacca is the first major character from the original trilogy who dies in a novel, this is not the first time a speaking character from the original trilogy dies in a novel. General Crix Madine, who appears in Return of the Jedi alongside with Admiral Ackbar and Mon Mothma, had died in the novel Darksaber, published in 1995. Being his role in the movies mainly a cameo, his death was not very important for the fans.

Other characters from the movies who had died in novels and tales, include only characters who didn't talk in the movies, like the jawa in the cantina.