Star Wars Fate of the Jedi: Conviction

By Reggie's Take on September 21, 2011

Plot Summary: Star Wars: Conviction

Taking place just after Vortex, Valin and Jysella Horn are thawed out of carbonite. Their observers believe that they are cured of the Force psychosis that had plagued Jedi Knights in the the series’ first five novels.

However, it turns out that Valin and Jysella are still infected despite Abeloth’s loss of power over the Knights back in Allies. But Valin and Jysella, sharing the continued existence of the Force psychosis and believing that they are the only ones left in the galaxy who aren’t imposters, act like they are indeed normal. Cilghal and Tekli, though, are still skeptical of the siblings’ conditions.

Elsewhere, back at Almania, the battle between the Jedi and Sith forces concludes with the remainders of both forces pulling back now that the Skywalkers, Vestara Khai, Abeloth and Ship have left the system. Meanwhile, the Skywalkers and Vestara track Abeloth and Ship down to the planet Nam Chorios, where the entity plans to rule the world by taking over the Theran Listeners and the tsils. One of the first things that Luke does is learn a new technique from the Theran Listeners that allows him to extract memories from people so that he can either let them die off completely or exchange the memories to someone else. After this, Abeloth finally arrives and causes a Force storm that damages much of the city that the Skywalkers and Vestara are in.

Back on Coruscant, the conflict between the Jedi Order and Galactic Alliance Chief of State Natasi Daala finally culminates. The Errant Venture returns its hostages from the previous novel for the sake of the StealthX wing fleet to Pydyr, and the Venture does this by way of Borleias. A conspiracy circle containing Imperial Moff Drikl Lecersen, Kuati Senator Haydnat Treen, and a few others, move in to overthrow Daala but they are surprised by the Jedi moving in at the same time. The Jedi capture Daala and she is placed in prison with Tahiri Veila, who is awaiting the verdict of her trial for her murder of Grand Admiral Gilad Pellaeon in Revelation. A triumvirate composed of Saba Sebatyne, Treen, and Merratt Jaxton takes power.

On Klatooine, the site of the beginning of the overthrowing of slavery throughout the galaxy, Han and Leia Organa Solo participate to make Klatooine’s freedom from the tyranny of the Hutt Empire legitimate. The overall goal of this is to make Klatooine a member in the Galactic Alliance so that freedom movements everywhere will know that they are being taken seriously by the galactic government. However, Hapan Queen Mother Tenel Ka Djo is needed to help speed the process along, and her journey from Hapes to Klatooine is tracked by a Lost Tribe fleet. This fleet’s intention is to carry out a mission assigned by Sith Saber Gavar Khai in finding out who the supposed Jedi queen foreseen by the Lost Tribe’s late High Lord Sarasu Taalon is. Considering Tenel Ka’s history as a Jedi, she is not unlikely as a suspect. When this fleet follows Tenel Ka’s retinue to Klatooine, their leader, Querdan Dei, eventually figures out the connection between the Queen Mother and Han and Leia’s allegedly adopted daughter, Allana. This coincides as he has C-3PO abducted and a bomb implanted inside the protocol droid’s body without his knowledge right before Allana rescues him. As Threepio attends the summit nearby Tenel Ka, Allana manages to grab the detonator before Dei could touch it, and then Leia arrives to save Allana. Leia and Dei get into a brief duel where she wins by decapitating the Sith. Following Dei’s death, the rest of his team call their mission a failure and leave as the bomb is later taken out of C-3PO. Soon, Klatooine is taken in as a member of the Galactic Alliance and is officially freed from the tyranny of the Hutts. The Solos and the Hapan parties all leave afterward.

On Coruscant, Tahiri’s verdict in her trial is guilty, and her sentence is death. However, as this occurs alongside Chief Daala’s coup, the latter is soon broken out of prison thanks to Boba Fett who wants to see her back in power. They both escape Coruscant so that Daala can look to previous allies for help in leading the galaxy. Tahiri uses Daala’s escape to her own advantage so that she could also flee in the chaos, becoming a homeless fugitive as a result.

Back on Nam Charios, Vestara manages to lead the Sith to the planet so that they can help out her and the Skywalkers in killing Abeloth when they finally confront her. Valin and Jysella are also on the planet since they received Abeloth’s call through the Force to join her under the belief that she can help them. When Luke personally confronts Abeloth, the latter reveals that a big part of her is in fact Callista Ming, who is not just another life absorbed into the creature, but as more of a conscience for Abeloth. Luke, realizing that Callista cannot go on like this, uses mnemotherapy to rip Callista’s soul from Abeloth’s body, allowing the former to finally die in peace and become one with the Force once and for all. Afterward, the four of them are confronted by the Sith that Vestara called over and fight them. Knowing that they cannot win such a battle, Vestara kills a tsil, which causes a Force wave that mentally harms all nearby Force users, to level the playing field and allow herself and the Skywalkers to escape just as the Jedi StealthX wing fleet arrives to once again do battle with the Sith forces. Despite Luke, Jaina Solo, and Zekk’s attempts at trying to destroy Abeloth and Ship in the battle, the latter two escape but are severely wounded, both physically and mentally. The Jedi and Sith again retreat due to Abeloth and Ship’s escape. In the end, however, Abeloth, now grieving over Callista’s loss, meets with Gavar Khai and his Sith fleet and makes a bid for an alliance, whose intention is killing Luke Skywalker and his allies. Khai deeply considers this proposal.

The novel ends back on Coruscant where Tahiri is hiding out in a random apartment building. Since most of the Jedi haven’t returned to the Temple yet, she will have to stay a legitimate fugitive for a while. Despite her situation, she is finally glad that she is free and barefoot, just the way she likes it.

Conviction by Aaron Allston is the seventh novel in the Fate of the Jedi series.