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INTERLUDE AT DARKKNELL (1999) by T. Zahn & M.A. Stackpole
Senator Garm Bel Iblis prepares to give a speech at the Treitamma Political Center on Anchoron that is going to rip the lid off what Emperor Palpatine really intends to do with the galaxy. However, he is called away from the center by an urgent letter from a Rebel named Aach. He is told that “Tarkin’s project” has been located. A “courier” with some inside info on the project will be in Darknell in three days. Bail Organa wants Bel Iblis to get this data tape. As they discuss this, the Political Center is blown to bits by a thermal detonator – taking Bel Iblis’ entire family with it. The Senator is traumatised, but Aach forces him to his senses – he was the bomb’s real target, and he had better get out of sight if he does not want to join his wife and children in death. Bel Iblis has always opposed the Emperor and his policies, but now…. now it is personal. He takes Aach’s offered ship and leaves Anchoron for Darknell…
Meanwhile, at a tapcafe on Darknell, a thief named Moranda Savich steals the datapack from the “courier.” And on Coruscant, Imperial Intelligence head Armand Isard sends his daughter Ysanne to get the datapack at all costs… 
Corsec officer Hal Horn arrives on Darknell searching for the infamous pickpocket Savich. Ysanne Isard arrives as well. Hal shakes down a junk dealer named Seb Arkos for info on Savich’s location. At the same time, Isard arrives. She passes herself off to Horn as “Katya Glase of Darknell Internal Security.” They both come upon Savich in the street. Isard’s partner Trabler moves to kill her, but Horn uses the Force to deflect the blaster bolt. Bel Iblis manages to drag the wounded Savich off in the confusion. Now certain “Katya” is not who she appears to be, Hal nevertheless continues the hunt with her. Moranda is treated by Garm, but asks for a way offworld before she gives up the datapack. He agrees, and she tells him she hid it in Isard’s rental speeder. Isard tries to have Hal killed, but he turns the tables – he will still help her, but he wants no more trouble. She adds one stipulation to that – a choke collar. They decide to resume their search at a nearby bar that stocks Moranda’s favourite drink. “Having been shot the way she was, she will be wanting some fortification.” 
The trip there reveals that somebody’s helping Moranda. Isard decides to hack into Darknell’s computers to track her down. Horn advises against it – the locals, particularly one Colonel Nyroska, would object to the Empire riding roughshod over them. Isard could not care less. Moranda calls Nyroska herself, lets him know what is happening, then offers to give him the datapack for a million credits. Observing Isard and Horn at the ClearSkyes boutique, Bel Iblis spots the choke collar on Horn’s neck. Moranda’s gotten to like Horn over the years, and agrees with Bel Iblis that he should not be sacrificed by Isard. She calls Isard by comlink and sets up an auction between her and Nyroska for the datapack at a warehouse north of town. Isard pulls some strings to send Nyroska’s men out of the way. Horn himself calls Nyroska at the same time, telling him that the lifter’s at ClearSkyes. In disguise, Moranda approaches Horn and disarms the collar. Nyroska arrives, and Horn, Moranda and Bel Iblis finger Isard as the datapack thief!! As he drags Isard off, Bel Iblis gets the datapack from her speeder and heads for the Alliance with it. 
On Coruscant, Armand harangues his daughter for her failure. Ysanne smugly informs him that the Emperor has read her report – the full report of what happened on Darknell. She declares her father a Rebel and a traitor – blowing up the Political Center to ensure Bel Iblis joined the Rebellion, as well as sending her on a suicide mission to Darknell to both get rid of her and ensure the Rebels got the tape about the Death Star. She has the Imperial Royal Guard drag her father off to certain death, and takes over his position at the head of Imperial Intelligence…
This story occurs approximately just after the Battle of Yavin.
Synopsis taken from Christopher G. McElroy's Time Tales, www.theforce.net/timetales.

JADE SOLITAIRE by Timothy Zahn
Mara Jade and the crew of the Wild Karrde are taken prisoner by Ja Bardrin, who tells Jade that he will kill the others if she does not agree to go to Torpris to save his “beloved daughter,” Sansia (and his beloved ship, the Winning Gamble) from the clutches of his arch nemesis, Chey Praysh. She reluctantly agrees and goes to Torpris where she will be taken by Praysh as a slave. As she is being brought in, she is warned off by a Togorian named H’sishi, but continues to play to the guards. When the guards open a container she was supposed to deliver (which holds her lightsaber in a secret area), they toss it away to the local scavengers, and H'sishi picks it up. So much for weapons. Mara is taken to meet Praysh, where she is tested with whips, but plays the part of the victim very well. She is taken to the slime pits where the females are kept. There, she meets Sansia, who tells her that her father is most likely after his incredibly advanced ship, not her. The ship has capabilities such as the ability to automatically figure out a target’s defenses and such, which makes it very valuable to Bardrin. Mara manages to fake an injury so she can use the Force to steal chemicals from the medical center, which she then uses to cause a fire and have acid weapons to help her escape with Sansia. They are caught, though, and taken before Praysh, who already knows that Mara wasn’t there on behalf of the Mrahash of Kvabja as she said she was. His men usher H’sishi into the room, who shows part of the container Mara brought (the part holding the lightsaber inside it) to Praysh. It bears the sear of the Uoti Corporate, an enemy of Praysh, from whom he had recently stolen some valuable new technology. H’sishi then busts open the container, tossing the lightsaber to Mara. As H’sishi takes out hidden gunports, Mara takes out the guards in the room. Pyrash has escaped, though, and so has Sansia. Thinking that Sansia may be deserting them, they race to the landing pad, where they see Sansia use the Winning Gamble’s great weaponry to destroy every other ship before dropping down to pick them up and head off of the planet. Jade, H’sishi, and Sansia arrive back at Bardrin’s headquarters only to find Talon Karrde in charge, with Bardrin suitably subdued. Karrde had called in a favor with Leia Organa Solo and taken the headquarters with some Noghri. He reveals to Sansia that it seems that Bardrin purposely let Sansia be captured, so that the ship could uncover the defenses of Praysh’s base. They would then rescue Sansia and use the information to destroy Praysh’s base and steal the Uoti technology. Sansia is none to happy about being used as bait, so she takes a controlling amount of shares in the family business from her father to give her control of the business and gives the Winning Gamble to Mara. She says she will pay Karrde back for his assistance, and he says he’ll be in touch. Later, aboard the Wild Karrde, Karrde offers Mara the chance to step out of her stressful role in his organization for a little bit and have him help her set up a legitimate business, so that when she returns, if she returns, she’ll be calmer and more ready to resume her command-level duties. She agrees. Karrde also tells her he will be taking H’sishi on as a crewmember. He tells Mara that H’sishi had found the lightsaber in the container and had no doubt that if she got to Mara, Mara would save the day. She is, 775 after all, a Jedi. Mara scoffs at the idea of being called a Jedi, but busies herself with naming her new ship. The Winning Gamble sounds too much like a Han Solo or Lando Calrissian vessel. Remembering her tactics with the chemicals, she christens the ship the Jade’s Fire.
This story occurs approximately 12 years after the Battle of Yavin.
Synopsis taken from Nathan Butler's Star Wars Timeline Gold, http://www.starwarz.com/timeline.

GATHERING SHADOWS (1999) by Kathy Burdette
In an Imperial prison cell, mercenary Dirk Harkness and New Republic Infiltrator Jai Raventhorn are wasting away, their brains scrambled by a mind probe. Nearby, Platt Okeefe and Tru’eb plan a rescue attempt, travelling into the northern mountains of Zelos to find the Imperial garrison Harkness had been investigating – and the remains of the novice Rebel group that had been doing the same. They are startled by an attack from a Sullustan Rebel – which had been dead for a week. It seems the corpse has been animated by several parasitic worms sending artificial signals to the corpse’s body. Sneaking their way into the valley base, they help free Jai and Dirk and capture a major into the bargain. Platt rushes them to Wroona in the Last Chance as Dirk suggests to Jai that she gives up the New Republic and become a mercenary…
This story occurs approximately 4 years after the Battle of Yavin.
Synopsis taken from Christopher G. McElroy's Time Tales, www.theforce.net/timetales.

HUTT AND SEEK (1999) by C. Cassidy & T. Pahl
Corellian smuggler Fenig Nabon finds herself on the bad end of a deal with “partner” Ghitsa Dogder – a plan to con a Hutt, with the unwitting aid of Mistryl assassin Shada D’ukal. She greets Shada and her new apprentice Dunc T’racen as they arrive on Ryloth. They are concluding a deal with the Shak Clan, to ship Twi’lek females to Nal Hutta. Shada objects – she hauls slaves for nobody, not even for 20,000 credits. Ghitsa claims the females are a dancing troupe, en route to Durga the Hutt. An uneasy Shada ups the price to 32,000 credits, and accepts. Shada can sense that Ghitsa’s an Imperial, and keeps a close eye on both smugglers the whole trip. They come upon a relay buoy, meaning a likely trap ahead – but it is too late to back out now. Shada pulls the freighter out of space, and good thing too – a Firespray-class ship is waiting for them. Shada takes it out, but recognises it as belonging to the Karazak Slavers Cooperative. As the ship rushes to Nar Shaddaa, Ghitsa prods Dunc into a fury, telling her they had indeed been slavers after all. Shada realises full well what Ghitsa’s trying to do – push the Mistryl into breaking their contract. Nevertheless, why? Ghitsa will not answer, and will not explain what is really going on. Furious, Shada throws both smugglers into an escape pod and shoots them off. 
Only it turns out the laugh is on the Mistryl – Ghitsa altered the ship’s ID code to read as a slaver ship. The escape pod lands on Nal Hutta, where Ghitsa rushes to Durga’s palace and spins a yarn about his ship being taken by the KSC. He invokes Hutt law and provides the altered ID code to evade execution. Back on the smuggler ship, Shada and Dunc find a message from Fen outlining the whole sorry deal. It seems Ghitsa set all this up to ignite a gang war. Shada returns the slaves to Ryloth while Fenig and Ghitsa fly off into the stars with their ill-gotten gains…
This story occurs approximatley 8 years after the Battle of Yavin.
Synopsis taken from Christopher G. McElroy's Time Tales, www.theforce.net/timetales.

THE LONGEST FALL (1996) by Patricia A. Jackson
The Star Destroyer ‘Interrogator’ travels into the Nharqis’I Nebula in search of Force-sensitive individuals. But this story is about 23 year old Captain Jovan Vharing, and his thoughts and memories in the minute before Imperial High Inquisitor Tremayne executes him, just for being among the (also-dead) staff of (a very dead) Captain Nolaan, who had been asleep when the crew attacked a suspected Rebel cell, only to kill several prominent Imperial citizens, including a high-ranking Kuat Drive Yards engineer. Vharing enters Tremayne’s interrogation room and faces his fate....
This story occurs approximately 4 years after the Battle of Yavin.
Synopsis taken from Christopher G. McElroy's Time Tales, www.theforce.net/timetales.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST (1997) by Laurie Burns
New Republic Intelligence agent Selby Jarrad is sent to Verkuyl, a bacta-processing world, to foment rebellion against its Imperial rulers. She will use the occasion of a refinery-building auction by Governor Parco Ein to confront him and either force him to surrender or kill him. She finds herself attracted to Imperial guard Daven Quarle, whom she learns is grandson of the original ruler of Verkuyl and part of the local resistance. However, when her plan falls apart and her partners are killed, she and Quarle join forces. They decide to carry out the plan themselves. That is, until Selby overhears Quarle conspiring with Ein. She faces him with a blaster - and Quarle explains why he would done what he has, who it is really for - the people of Verkuyl. His grandfather was a tyrant, but Quarle’s own work for the Empire has greatly improved their lives. If the New Republic takes over, he says, the people face hardship and starvation. Does she really want to do that to them? She stuns him. In addition, 34 hours later, Verkuyl is in the hands of the New Republic. Quarle is on the run with Ein and the other Imperials. However, Selby is not feeling too good about herself....
This story occurs approximately 7 years after the Battle of Yavin.
Synopsis taken from Christopher G. McElroy's Time Tales, www.theforce.net/timetales.

NO DISINTEGRATIONS, PLEASE (1997) by Paul Danner
After being caught slicing into Jabba the Hutt's files, Rivo Xarran fled to his brother General Gaege's garrison on Vryssa. Boba Fett comes and slaughters the entire garrison just to get to Rivo. Rivo barely escapes and makes a deal with Fett - let him go, and he will make it appear he died so Fett can collect his bounty, then go into hiding. Fett lets him go, but promises one day he will come for him.... 
This story occurs approximately 1 year after the Battle of Yavin.
Synopsis taken from Christopher G. McElroy's Time Tales, www.theforce.net/timetales.

DAY OF THE SEPULCHRAL NIGHT (1999) by Jean Rabe
A pair of honeymooning bounty hunters, Diergu-Rea Durnes’rd and his wife Solum’ke, have come to the planet Zelos II for a little fun. After several days of gambling, the two Weequay rent a sail barge and head out into the Great Zelosian Sea in search of an ancient treasure hidden within an underwater mountain called Zelosian’s Chine. This hunt happens to coincide with an eclipse of Zelos’s sun – “The Day of the Sepulchral Night,” which scares the natives to death but lowers the tide enough for the treasure to be found. The rented Quohog sail barge comes upon a wrecked boat and a pair of waterlogged survivors they pick up. The treasure is found, but the Quohog and the Corellian survivors (who turn out to have been working with them all along) takes most of the crystal treasure and strands the Weequays on the mountain as the eclipse ends and the tide rises…
This story occurs approximately 1 year after the Battle of Yavin.
Synopsis taken from Christopher G. McElroy's Time Tales, www.theforce.net/timetales.
It is now available for download to Hyperspace members of StarWars.com.

UHL EHARL KHOEHNG (1995) by Patricia A. Jackson
Rebel Captain – and Jedi wannabe – Fable Astin is sent with the Harrier infiltration team to Nysza III to destroy an Imperial communications bunker before it can be completed. The task is completed – but at the cost of technical officer Arecelis Acosta. Even worse, his killer was a Dark Jedi named Vialco who easily humiliated her. Disgusted with herself, she accepts an invitation by co-pilot Deke Holman to check out a stage play called “For the Want of an Empire.” She finds the lead actor in that play, Jaalib Brandl, strangely intriguing – and strong in the Force. She meets with him after the play. That night, she has a horrible nightmare that leaves her awake with a burned hand – the Dark Side is eating away at her. Terrified at what may happen to her – especially if Vialco finds her again – she seeks out Jaalib. She trails him to Trulalis, where she finds him rehearsing the play “Uhl Eharl Khoeng” with his father, former Imperial Inquisitor Adalric Brandl. Jaalib will not help her, but Adalric will. Tutoring her in the ways of the Jedi – both light and dark. Jaalib slowly warms up to her, and takes her on a hike in the Khoehng Mountains. As she is truly starting to progress, Vialco arrives. After a difficult duel, the Dark Jedi lies at her feet, ready for the deathblow. Adalric tricks her into delivering that deathblow, then declares her ready to join the Dark Jedi. She has no way out – her ship has been blown up. However, she does have one last chance at salvation – Jaalib. 
He leads her into the mountains, to where Deke’s ship is waiting for her. With a final kiss, he bundles her off in the ship. As it takes off, he turns to face his father, who almost kills him… then stomps off in disgust. Jaalib rasps out the infamous line from “Uhl Eharl Khoenhg” – “Long… live… the king!” 
This story occurs approximately 1 year after the Battle of Yavin.
Synopsis taken from Christopher G. McElroy's Time Tales, www.theforce.net/timetales.
It is now available for download to Hyperspace members of StarWars.com.

THE LAST HAND by Paul Danner
On Morado, young Nyo loses another hand of sabacc to the Herglic gambler Doune. Down to one credit, he is ready to give up, when a mysterious figure enters the room and challenges Doune to a hand. The man reveals himself to be, by all appearances, the legendary Kinnin Vo-Shay, who should be over 100 years old, or dead. With no credits to wager, Vo-Shay is snubbed by Doune, but Nyo tosses him his last credit. The game is on. When the final hand is complete, Vo-Shay and Nyo walk out with nearly 250,000 credits. Vo-Shay gives Nyo 200,000 of it, since it was based on his credit, and talks with the boy. Nyo had been in the game in order to win enough money to buy a lightsaber, a link to the Jedi he so admires, from a black marketeer on Nar Shaddaa. Vo-Shay confirms that he is the Vo-Shay of legend, but does not reveal any more. The two head together to Nar Shaddaa to purchase Nyo’s lightsaber. En route, Vo-Shay speaks with a mysterious disembodied voice, which Nyo will later hear but receive no explanation for (until later). After leaving Morado, they, aboard the Ashanda Ray, are attacked by forces loyal to Doune, but Vo-Shay and Nyo escape unscathed to Nar Shaddaa. On Nar Shaddaa, they find that the lightsaber has already been sold . . . to Doune. Doune challenges Vo-Shay to another hand of sabacc. If Vo-Shay wins, Nyo gets the lightsaber. If Doune wins, Doune can have the pendant that Vo-Shay wears and which is rumored to be the source of his amazing luck. Knowing that even if they win, they won’t be allowed to leave with the lightsaber, Vo-Shay throws the game. Victorious, Doune simply tosses away the lightsaber (which Nyo retrieves) and heads out with his new pendant. Later, Vo-Shay comments that it’s not a lucky or mystical item at all, but his fiddling with it was simply used to distract his opponents. Doune will be in for a rude awakening when he tries to use it in a “sure” win. Nyo and Vo-Shay return to the Ashanda Ray, where Vo-Shay explains that when the Ashanda Ray was lost in the Tyus Cluster, back when he supposedly vanished for good, it was trapped between the black holes of the area, stuck in a place where time as we know it did not exist quite right. Others had been trapped there as well, including a Jedi Master named Aryzah, who helped Vo-Shay escape. Aryzah’s spirit is the ghostly companion Vo-Shay was speaking with, and she travels with him, continuing beside him on a spiritual plane, so to speak. After Vo-Shay tells Nyo this, he offers him a position as first mate. Aryzah welcomes with a kind “May the Force be with you,” to which Vo-Shay replies “ . . . you’re gonna need it.”
This story occurs approximately just after the Battle of Yavin.
Synopsis taken from Nathan Butler's Star Wars Timeline Gold, http://www.starwarz.com/timeline.

SIMPLE TRICKS (1999) by C. Cassidy & T. Pahl
Smugglers Fen Nabon and Ghitsa Dogder are stuck on the planet Lesvol for a month until some decent repair parts can arrive for their wrecked hyperdrive. Ever the conwoman, Ghitsa decides to take advantage of the opportunity by passing herself off as a Jedi Knight, making judgments for cash. The month quickly passes, and Ghitsa lets the successful con job go to her head. Just as she learns what caused the energy flux that caused the hyperdrive to blow in the first place (sabotage), Fen gets a visitor – Zeth Vost, a Jedi student from the Academy. He is heard about Ghitsa and wants to meet her. Only they find Ghitsa has been kidnapped. 
Working together, they find Ghitsa has been taken aboard the freighter ‘Rook’, at the nearby town of Nad’Ris. They start to open up about each other - but Zeth reveals a little too much, and Fen realises to her horror that Zeth is really Kyp Durron – the most infamous mass murderer since Palpatine. She would love nothing better than to kill him… but she needs his help to get her partner out of danger. Together, they get Ghitsa out of the grip of Counsellor Ral (of the Hutt Desilijic Clan, who wants to know what the heck Durga the Hutt is up to), who takes off only to have his ship destroyed by a hole Kyp put in the hull to allow escape. Kyp flies them to the Jedi Academy, where they arrive at the same time as the injured Luke Skywalker and the newly re-embodied Callista. Fen and Ghitsa take off, studying over what little evidence they have on Durga’s scheme. It is clearly something military in nature. With Ghitsa now reformed from her conning ways, they decide to take their info to Talon Karrde…
This story occurs approximately 12 years after the Battle of Yavin.
Synopsis taken from Christopher G. McElroy's Time Tales, www.theforce.net/timetales.

 

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