Heir to the Empire: The Review

Alright.  Heir to the Empire is the first book in the Thrawn Trilogy by Timothy Zahn.  Zyra informed me that this was the first post-ROTJ, EU book, published back in 1991.  I did not know that!  Considering some of the other authors, books, and story lines that followed it, I don’t think it was such a bad place to start.   

Coincidentally, as much as my memory allows me, I think these books were among the first of the EU books that I read.  I remember being pleased with them.  Pleased enough to buy more books anyway.  I can remember my mild disappointment that, although Leia was pregnant (yay! How exciting!), she and Han weren’t together nearly as much as I would’ve liked.  But then again, this is what drove me to write fanfic, so there has got to be a silver lining in there somewhere, right?

Now on to the plot.  I’ll give my normal warnings here.  #1 – I don’t write very good book reports, so if you want a really good synopsis, check out Wookieepedia or Amazon.  #2 – Although mediocre, my synopsis will contain plot spoilers.  And #3 – I will focus mainly on Han and Leia’s role (or lack of it) in this book. 

So, in the very first chapter we meet Grand Admiral Thrawn and Captain Palleon aboard the Imperial Star Destroyer, the Chimaera.  Both of these characters are Zahn creations.  (Word of note:  this author is not afraid to introduce/invent new characters and does a pretty good job of developing some really interesting individuals.  In writing this review I was surprised to find out just how many characters are introduced in this trilogy.)  Thrawn is a Chiss (blue-skinned, red eyes) humanoid alien that, while a brilliant, tactical genius, had been relegated to the outer rim worlds by the Emperor due to his (the Emperor’s) hatred of aliens.  Palleon (Corellian human) was captain of a Star Destroyer at the Battle of Endor and after everything went to pot, he is the one that issued the retreat order for the remaining Imperials.  Palleon (along with a host of other original characters we will meet here) will actually stick around for a really, really long time in the EU.

Basically, all you need to know is that Thrawn is calculating the ‘complete and utter destruction’ of the New Republic (although he still calls it the Rebellion).  And that he has this interesting Noghri (also new character, name Rukh) bodyguard, that has grey skin and is super stealthy and bad ass.  Oh, and that the Rebellion has no idea that he (Thrawn) exists and is planning this offensive.

Luke and Leia, in the meantime, are on Coruscant and living in the old Imperial Palace.  Luke isn’t happy that the New Republic moved in there and he is struggling with his role of the ‘last remaining Jedi’.  He feels he is not capable to teach a brand new generation of Jedi Knights and he also thinks that Coruscant is steeped in Dark Side energy due to the Emperor’s time spent there (although he cannot feel any proof of that in the Force).  Luke is brooding in his rooftop apartment and Threepio comes to check on him since Leia, now playing around with her new found Force sensitivity, could ‘feel’ that he was upset. 

I remember getting really excited about the fact that Leia was Force sensitive.  Before I started reading the EU, I had read some fanfic but it was mostly pre-ESB era and nothing really post-ROTJ that explored this nuance.  From the onset she is anxious to begin her training (anxious in both good and bad ways, although you do get the impression that she is more afraid of it than excited by it).  I guess that might explain why (future plot spoiler) Leia doesn’t actually seriously train in the Force until, IDK, 20 years later or so when her kids are grown.  But it seems every book has her stressing over her training.  I hate(d) that. 

Moving along, we are still only in Chapter 2 and we get to see Leia!  She is 9 weeks pregnant and having stomach issues.  Winter (also a Zahn creation that is prominent in the EU), her childhood friend is staying with her and checks on her.  Leia expresses her worries about Luke’s distressed state and confides in Winter that he seems reluctant to talk to Leia about what might truly be on his mind.  Winter than suggests that, “Perhaps Captain Solo will be able to draw him out when he returns.”  And we get this response from Leia:

Leia squeezed thumb and forefinger together, a wave of anger-filled loneliness sweeping over her.  For Han to have gone out on yet another of these stupid contact missions, leaving her all alone –

The flash of anger disappeared, dissolving into guilt.  Yes, Han was gone again; but even when he was here it seemed sometimes like they hardly saw each other.

Wow, poor Leia.  If she thinks she and Han are apart a lot now, I’d hate to be the one to tell her about what their future held in store for them.

Anyway, I was surprised by the ‘anger-filled loneliness” and the fact that she called it a ‘stupid contact mission’.  Now, at this point we (the reader) have no idea what he’s doing.  I mean, he could be smuggling spice again for all we know.  But, we have to assume that he’s working or doing something to aid the New Republic which you think she would be happy about.  Of course, she is hormonal and pregnant, and the way her mood swings here, it could just be that.

Right after that quotation, Leia thinks of how much of her time is being devoted to the New Republic and it even hints to the fact that Leia is the only one that is able to do whatever it is she is doing while rebuilding this government.  By the end of the paragraph she is vowing to ‘make it all up to Han’ once things get settled in a ‘few more months’.  So you get the picture that it is her duties and responsibilities that are separating them.  Then it says this:  The guilt faded.  But the loneliness remained.  Awwww.  Come back, Han, dammit!

We do find out what Han is doing.  Han is flying around the galaxy meeting with his old smuggler contacts trying to recruit pilots to fly cargo for the resource-strapped New Republic.  Unfortunately, most smugglers aren’t ‘biting’ and the one we get to see him make contact with is weary of Han since he became ‘respectable’ and even says he knows about his ‘Jedi twins’ on the way.  She’s only 9 weeks pregnant and the entire galaxy knows?  Oh, well.  It is also hinted that the smugglers don’t trust Admiral (It’s a trap) Ackbar, since the Mon Cals were hard-nosed on smuggling, or some such thing.

And…we are not done meeting new characters yet.  Now we meet Talon Kardde, which (according to Han’s contact) is the new head honcho of the smuggling biz since Jabba the Hutt bit the dirt.  Unlike Jabba though, Kardde seems even-keeled and prefers to lay low, which he is doing on some planet called Myrkr.  We meet Kardde’s assistant, Mara Jade (who will become pretty important later on in the EU).  Kardde is impressed with Jade’s abilities and is grooming her for promotion, he just can’t figure one thing out about her – why she hates Luke Skywalker.

Kardde is paid an unexpected visit by a Star Destroyer.  In his business he does not take sides (New Republic or Imperial), so he utilizes the opportunity to offer his assistance.  He ‘meets’ Grand Admiral Thrawn over the comm and helps him to harvest some of the planet’s native species called “Ysalamiri”, which have a special ability:  they repel the Force.  He asks nothing of Thrawn in return and Thrawn makes a note of his gratitude to the smuggler.

Han returns to Coruscant and delivers his report (that he got nothing) and the High Council is less than pleased.  Another new important character alert (seriously – did Zahn create more characters than Lucas?), Borsk Fey’lya (a slimy Bothan) and Ackbar have some words over their differing opinions.  When Han finally gets a few words with Leia he finds out that she has committed them (she, Han, Luke and Chewie) to go on some diplomatic trip to Bimmisaari.  Han is less than pleased, but Leia appeases him by telling him “It’ll be all right, Han.  You, me and Luke together again – it’ll be just like old times.”  (Oh and let me mention here that she squeezes his hand, too.  Because that’s about as much as we get in this book from these two.)

On Bimmisaari, Chewie remains on the Falcon and Han, Leia and Luke (along with 3PO as translator) meet the little, furry Bimms and are led into their city.  Right away there is a problem and the person they are supposed to have met with is said to have fallen ill.  Their guide tries (very obviously) to separate them, inviting Leia to a marketplace and Han and Luke to view some artwork.  This is the very first tabby I placed and IDK, I just liked Han’s reaction here as he obviously smells a trap:

“I like marketplaces,” Han cut him off brusquely, his voice dark with suspicion.  “I like ‘em a lot.”

I can just see Han squeezing Leia's hand possessively/protectively as he delivers this line (although the book doesn't give us any more squeezing here unfortunately - just the line).  

Not feeling any strange vibrations in the Force, Luke takes up the offer to view the artwork and Han and Leia go to the marketplace.  Once at the marketplace, Han and Leia are attacked by some strange, grey-skinned aliens.  Luke is attacked, too but escapes and makes it to the marketplace.  Chewie comes to their rescue in the Falcon and they lift off the planet.

Second tabby (and so quickly) came when, while orbiting the planet and planning their return, Luke asks Leia this:

“What does Han have to say about us putting back down?”

“Han doesn’t have any choice in the matter,” Leia said firmly.  “This is my mission, not his.”

“That’s right,” Han agreed, stepping into the lounge.  “Your mission.  But my ship.”

Yep.  The Falcon had already jumped to hyperspace.  Go, Han!  I remember when I first read this I couldn’t believe what Leia had said, but then Han turned around and did what he did and I thought it was cool.  (Leia was not too pleased, but she got over it.)

Oh, let me just point out here that by this time in the book the author had repeated several lines from the movie already and it continues - not too badly - but continues, throughout the rest of the book.  Now, as the very first EU books, I can forgive him for wanting to tie the movies into his stories, but it did get kind of…old.

I guess I have to introduce yet another character now.  Joruus C’baoth, some insane clone of an old Jedi who practices on the Dark Side.  Thrawn finds him (along with the stash of the fallen Emperor’s treasures which includes some cloaking technology and several Spaarti cloning cylinders) on a planet called Wayland and recruits him (utilizing the ysalmari to subdue him) to coordinate his battles using the Force in return for giving C’baoth four Jedi to train as his pupils.  (You guessed it:  Luke, Leia and her unborn twins).  C’baoth is most interested in Leia’s twins and Thrawn is sending his Noghri elite commandos to try and capture them.

After their return to Coruscant, Leia does try and ask for some time off so that she can work on her Jedi training, which Han is all for so that she would be better able to protect herself.  Her request is shot down by Mon Mothma, however, because Leia is far too valuable to let go.  Oh, and Leia squeezes Han’s arm again.  (Seriously, this is all you’re gonna get.)

Thrawn continues doing some strike and fade stuff on New Republic planets.  Luke decides to go to Dagobah.  Han and Leia take a tour of a planet that has been hit by Thrawn’s strike and fades, and while there, they get attacked by the grey-skinned aliens again, who in an effort to fool and capture them, used a fake Millennium Falcon. 

Fed up and really scared now, Han and Leia decide to try and hide out for a while but will need someone they can trust to ‘slice’ into the New Republic channels so they can keep in touch but remain hidden.  And we’re off to see Lando, because – of course – he knows all the good criminals.  (Oh, let me mention that the New Republic is perplexed as to how several of their secrets, such as Han and Leia’s itineraries, are being leaked and name the leak ‘Delta Source’ although they have no idea what or who it is.)   Also, Luke finds something in that old cave on Dagobah which leads him to look up Lando at the same time.

When the Falcon and Luke’s X-Wing first arrive on Nkllon (Lando’s planet), they aren’t expecting to see each other and after the fake Falcon bit, Han and Leia are suspicious.  Even after Leia talks to Luke over the comm they are still unconvinced that it is definitely Luke.  Han is racking his brains to try and find a way to positively identify Luke when Leia puts 3PO on and has him ‘talk’ to Artoo, easily confirming who the X-Wing is.  The only reason I mention this little aside, is because we then get this from Han:

…He’d known a lot of men back in his smuggling days, who wouldn’t have wanted a wife who could sometimes think faster than they could.

Speaking for himself, Han had long ago decided he wouldn’t have it any other way.

So, not long after the trio meet Lando, a Star Destroyer attacks.  It was just a coincidence since Thrawn was after some mole miner starship things that Lando had, but Han and Leia thought that the attack was aimed at them.  As did Lando.  Let me just say this, if I was friends with Han and Leia I would not look forward to visits from these two.  After the attack, Lando is showing Han and Leia around.  At one point he pulls Leia over to a viewport and puts his hand at the small of her back.  She thinks about it and realizes that Lando has flirted heavily with her ever since she and Han got married.  And then this:

She’d puzzled over that for a while, until she’d noticed that all the attention seemed to annoy Han.

Or, at least, it normally annoyed him.  Right now, he didn’t even seem to notice.

I know he’s probably preoccupied with the attack on Leia and a thousand things are going through his mind, but this bugged me.  Also, you could argue that the longer they are together the more he trusts her and Lando’s harmless flirting wouldn’t bother him.  But he would still notice!  IDK, it just felt to me that the book liked to hint at these stressors in Han and Leia's relationship.  Was it just me?

Alright, a few things.  Luke shows Lando the electronic gadget that he found in the cave on Dagobah and it is some kind of ‘ship caller’ thing that will make your ship come to you no matter where you are, even fighting its way to you.  Luke also ‘hears’ another Jedi calling to him while he was battling the Star Destroyer (which we all know is the insane C’baoth) and he wants to go and investigate the calling.  Chewie offers to bring Leia to Kashyyyk to protect her amongst the Wookiees and Han reluctantly agrees while he and Lando go off on the Falcon flying around and trying to fool everyone that Leia is really with them with a re-programmed C3PO that has Leia’s voice.

Han and Leia don’t even kiss before they say goodbye for, they don’t even know, how long.

Because he is just so absolutely brilliant, Thrawn not only figures out that Leia has gone to Kashyyyk with Chewie and sends a crew of his Noghri to capture her, but he also deduces that Luke was with them on Nkllon and knowing that Luke will be answering the ‘call’ from C’baoth, goes to deep space to intercept him before finding C'baoth (Thrawn trying to keep an upper hand with the insane Jedi).

Thrawn intercepts Luke and Luke escapes, but not after damaging his hyperdrive motors.  Luke makes a quick jump to get away but then comes out in deep space and is stranded.  Thrawn recruits all manner of smugglers and bounty hunters to search for Luke in deep space.  Kardde declines helping.  Han and Lando, wanting to try and find Kardde and his expert slicers, go to meet a contact that might help them find the head smugglers’ hideout.

Leia immediately thinks she sees one of the aliens as soon as they get to Kashyyyk.  After the Wookiees search and come up empty handed, they reassure her and tell her that she is safe.  Then she thinks this:

To safety.  Leia gazed at the house, a shiver running up her back.  And wondered if there would ever be such a thing for her as safety.

I only pointed that out because we all know, sadly, that the answer is no.  Maybe it’s best that she doesn’t know that.

Kardde does end up finding Luke (due to Mara’s Force sensitivity) and takes him back to Myrkr as his prisoner unsure what he is going to do with him.  Luke finds out that Mara Jade hates him but can’t fathom why.  I don’t know what Thrawn is doing right now, but I’m sure it’s something.

Another insignificant thing (plot wise) I wanted to point out happens as the book cuts back to Han and Lando.  The pair is waiting to meet their contact that may lead them to Kardde.  Han and Lando first talk about their favorite topic:  Han's winning the Falcon from Lando.  Lando says that he's gotten over it - mostly.  And Han tells him that if Lando hadn't lost the Falcon to him they probably wouldn't be sitting there right now with the Empire controlling the galaxy after the first Death Star destroyed Yavin.  Lando then says:

"Maybe; maybe not.  With people like Ackbar and Leia running things-"

"Leia would have been dead," Han cut him off.  "She was already scheduled for execution when Luke, Chewie and I pulled her out of the Death Star."  A shiver ran through him at the memory.  He'd been that close to losing her forever.  And would never even have known what he'd missed. 

They then talk about the attack on Leia and Han says that it was because they want the twins.  Lando is startled and asks Han if he is sure which Han replies in the affirmative.  Then Lando says this:

(Lando) “Does Leia know?”

(Han)  “I don’t know.  Probably.”

I found this really sad, too.  Sad for Han and Leia.  I mean wouldn’t they have talked about this?  Or maybe they are both afraid to admit it, I know I would be.  Either way, it was just really heart-wrenching to me, especially when after this, Han just kind of looks around him helplessly.  What a raw deal these two are getting already!  This is supposed to be a happy time for a couple.  And by the way, I don’t have any more tabbies on this book after this point…

In the end, Han and Lando meet their contact and are on their way to see Talon Kardde on Myrkr.  They arrive and are welcomed by Kardde, while having no idea that he is holding Luke in a nearby room.  At the same time, in need of more Ysalamari, Thrawn arrives at Myrkr as well.  Kardde has Mara move Luke so he won’t be found by the Imperials.  This move allows Luke to escape in some small starship with Mara right on his heels.  Kardde doesn’t want Thrawn to know that it’s Luke and makes up some story which Thrawn doesn’t buy.  After Thrawn takes his Ysalamari he leaves a storm trooper contingent on Myrkr to try and find out what was going on.  During all of this, Han and Lando also figure out that Luke was being held there.

Both Luke and Mara crash in the forest surrounding Kardde’s camp.  They head for a nearby village and during their trek get to know each other.  Luke discovers Mara’s story about her being an Emperor’s Hand and finds out that she hates him because she thinks that Luke killed the Emperor and destroyed her life.  Even though her apparent life’s goal at the moment is to kill Luke, she doesn’t for various reasons.

Let’s see, it’s good at this point to know that Thrawn is preparing for a big attack on Sluis Van shipyards.

Back on Kashyyyk, Leia gets attacked again.  She does some pretty good self-defense moves, but in the end one of the aliens grabs her.  While he is holding her, with his nose close to her neck, he suddenly lets her go.  After evading more of the aliens, one Wookiee gets killed and Chewie gets hurt.  Once safe, they return to the captured alien and Leia finds out that although he had been sent to capture her, he had no idea that she was Vader’s daughter (knew once he smelled her) and apparently his entire world in indebted to the Dark Lord of the Sith and thus, he will not harm her.  She request to visit his home world to try and make peace with his people, he is reluctant to agree but they decide on a meeting point above Endor and a time and they let the alien go.

Luke and Mara reach the small village and the storm trooper contingent.  Of course, they escape.  During all of this, Kardde’s deception of Thrawn is exposed and he prepares to evacuate his home base asking a departing Han and Lando to send an empty freighter his way if they have it.

Han, Luke and Lando arrive at Sluis Van just in time for Thrawn’s attack.  Basically Thrawn ‘cloaked’ some freighter making it seem empty on everyone’s scopes and then blew it up and released a zillion Tie-Fighters.  Using the mole miners stolen from Lando, Thrawn has each mole miner attach itself to a New Republic ship and invade the bridge and take the ship over trying to steal a bunch of ships from the New Republic.  The mole miner things kindof drill themselves into the hulls of the ships.

Thinking that they are about to lose everything, Han remembers that the mole miners ran on remote and Lando, of course, knows the codes.  Lando programs all the mole miners to keep drilling until they virtually destroy the ship’s operational functions.  This ends up severely damaging all the New Republic ships but it makes it impossible for Thrawn to steal them.  Thrawn realizes he has lost and leaves.

Han contacts the New Republic and fills them in on what happened.  While he is doing that he receives an incoming call:

“Han?  It’s Leia.”

“Leia!”  Han said, feeling a delighted and probably foolish-looking grin spread across his face.  A second later though – “Wait a minute.  What are you doing back on Coruscant?”

Yes, that was short-lived.  But he was very happy to hear from her.  She tells him to get back right away because Admiral Ackbar had been arrested (apparently some political move by that slimy Bothan Fey’lya).  Luke wonders if the move might lead to a civil war and Han assures him that they won’t let that happen.  When asked how, Han responds:  “We’ll think of something.”

And that’s the end of the book.

I really like Tim Zahn's writing and I remember when I first read this I found all of his new characters interesting and I liked the plot.  I told Zyra that I much prefer this kind of villain over the Vong that we get much later.  If this wasn't solely a Han and Leia Factor rating I could see these books rating higher, but it is a Han and Leia Factor and I give it 3.5 Stars.  It's not that Zahn doesn't write them well, he does.  They are just not together!

Up Next:  Dark Force Rising