Han and Leia struggle to keep the Empire at bay as stunning revelations from the past threaten to eclipse the future of the New Republic. . . .
The deaths of Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine by no means spelled the end of the Empire. In the aftermath, the New Republic has faced a constant struggle to survive. Now a new threat looms: a masterpiece of Alderaanian art—lost after the planet’s destruction—has resurfaced on the black market. It conceals a vital secret—the code used to communicate with New Republic agents undercover within the Empire. Discovery by Imperial forces would spell disaster. The only option is recovery—and Han, Leia, Chewbacca, and C-3PO have been dispatched to Tatooine to infiltrate the auction.
When a dispute at the auction erupts into violence, the painting vanishes in the chaos. Han and Leia are thrust into a desperate race to reclaim it. As they battle against marauding TIE fighters, encroaching stormtroopers, and Tatooine’s savage Tusken Raiders, Leia’s emotional struggle over the specter of her infamous father culminates in the discovery of an extraordinary link to the past. And as long-buried secrets at last emerge, she faces a moment of reckoning that will forever alter her destiny . . . and that of the New Republic.
Leia Organa Solo has learned of the existence of a rare piece of Alderaanian art known as Killik Twilight that once belonged to her adopted family on Alderaan. But not only was the picture a family heirloom, it also contained a secret code to a Rebel spy communication network. And so with the aid of Han Solo, Chewbacca and C-3PO she aims to win the painting back at a black market auction on Tatooine, while evading capture by the Empire and outbidding a representative of Grand Admiral Thrawn who wishes to add it to his extensive collection.
However, being on Tatooine brings back bad memories for Leia. The home of her father Anakin Skywalker, Tatooine cannot help but rekindle old memories and open old wounds, especially when they encounter Anakin’s childhood friend Kitster. And Kitster, not fully aware of who and what Anakin became, slowly shows her the boy that Anakin once was.
Along the way, with Killik Twilight in Kitsters possession, Leia meets Wald, the sister of Beru Lars, encounters Tusken Raiders, Threepio rides on the underside of a Dewback, Han is lost in the Dune Sea on a swoop and Leia hears more of young Anakin’s past. And vitally she learns about Shmi, her grandmother who died three years before she was even born.
Tatooine Ghost is an important story, as it begins to tie together the backstories of the Original Trilogy to that of the Prequels, and does so in a clever way. While not being a galaxy-spanning tale, this is as illuminating as any Star Wars novel could be, as we see through Leia’s eyes the early days of her father Anakin. And also of interest, it is Leia who first learns this and not Luke, as many would expect.
Troy Dennings style is immensely readable and clips along at a brisk pace, signposting certain events and reintroducing familiar characters neatly. Threads are laid for Attack of the Clones, as well as sowing the seeds for the Thrawn Trilogy. And vitally, it brings the casts of the trilogies together, the start of something you suspect will continue for years to come.
This article was first published on www.lightsabre.co.uk on 5th April 2005.
