Refugee: Force Heretic II

Once again, we would like to thank many different people for their help in many different areas, among them Kirsty Brooks, Chris Cerasi, Leland Chee, Richard Curtis, Nydia Dix, Sam Dix, Nick Hess, Enrique Guerrero, Eelia Goldsmith Hendersheid, Vanessa Hobbs, Helen Keier, Greg Keyes, Mike Kogge, Jim Luceno, Christopher McElroy, Ryan Pope, Michael Potts, Sue Rostoni, Shelly Shapiro, Matt Stover, Daniel Wallace, Walter Jon Williams, Lucy Wilson, and Sebastian Yeaman. Special thanks go to the members of the Mount Lawley Mafia, for inspiration, and the SA Writers’ Centre, for patience. This novel was inspired by all the people who wondered what happened to the Ssi-ruuvi Imperium after
The Truce at Bakura
, and by Kathy Tyers for bringing those big lizards to life in the first place.

About the Author

Also by this Author

Introduction to the
Star Wars
Expanded Universe

Excerpt from
Star Wars: The New Jedi Order: Force Heretic III: Reunion

Introduction to the Old Republic Era

Introduction to the Rise of the Empire Era

Introduction to the Rebellion Era

Introduction to the New Republic Era

Introduction to the New Jedi Order Era

Introduction to the Legacy Era

Star Wars
Novels Timeline

The man who was no longer a man stood before an alien who was not what it seemed.

“Everything is in place,” the man said.

The alien tasted the air as though sniffing for lies. “Are you certain?”

“Yes, General,” he replied confidently. Nevertheless, he felt extremely self-conscious of how he was standing. The aliens he thought he was dealing with were particularly good at reading body language; the slightest gesture or twitch of a facial muscle might be misconstrued as doubt. “The population has been lulled into a false sense of security—or if not security, then certainly hope that security might one day be possible. Barring the unforeseen, all should proceed according to plan.”

“I am pleased,” the alien said, claws clicking on the floor as it paced restlessly before him.

Inwardly he sighed his relief. Meeting his side of the bargain was literally a matter of life and death. “Does that mean—?”

“When you return, and I am
completely
satisfied that your half of the bargain has been met,” the alien said sharply, “then and only then will you receive that which you desire.” The alien’s tail thumped the ground once:
End of discussion
. It couldn’t have been clearer if it had used words.

He shrugged, nodding his acceptance of the alien’s
terms. There was no reason to believe that things wouldn’t go as expected. He would get what he wanted. He had taken care of everything, after all.

“Then I shall leave you, General,” he said, “with your permission.”

It looked him over briefly as it concurred. “You may depart,” it said in a series of tones too loud for the human ear to endure comfortably, yet possessing such subtlety that few could comprehend it. No human mouth had ever uttered so much as a single word in that tongue.

That he spoke it fluently was simply to be expected. “I shall meet you back here in a matter of days.”

“Be assured that I will be waiting,” the alien said, still pacing the floor. “And remember: we have what you want.”

He bowed, knowing that he could never forget that. As he left the picket ship via the narrow umbilical, his body adapting to free-fall with built-in ease, he eagerly anticipated his return to claim what was rightfully his—the triumphant beginning of his new existence. It didn’t matter how many lives it cost. He would happily stand by a bonfire of bodies if that’s what it took for a chance to warm himself on immortality’s fires.

With a smile, he set a course for destiny.

EXPEDITION

Luke Skywalker scrambled up the rocky slope, his lungs burning with each heavy breath he took. He was relieved to hear his nephew beside him also panting for breath, because that meant his own difficulties with the climb were in no way a reflection of his age or fitness; it was simply that the atmosphere on Munlali Mafir was thin, that was all.

Behind them came the terrible baying of the Krizlaws. The sound was high-pitched and piercing, even through the rarefied atmosphere, and sent a shiver down his spine. With their great rancorlike heads bent low, sniffing for a scent, Luke knew that the smooth- and pink-skinned aliens wouldn’t be too far behind, converging from around the ruined palace to join in the hunt for the landing party.