Star Wars - Shadows of the Empire

Xizor, Underlord of the galaxywide criminal organization Black Sun, wants the place at Emperor Palpatine's side that Darth Vader holds. His plan is to discredit Vader in the Emperor's eyes. Until it is ready, he allies himself with the Dark Lord against a shared enemy, the young Rebel hero Luke Skywalker.

While the two build a trap for Luke, Han Solo remains a prisoner, flash-frozen in a slab of carbonite. Princess Leia, grieving for the man she loves, sets out to free him. She asks Luke for help, and he is at Ben Kenobi's home on the edge of Tatooine's Western Dune Sea, working to sharpen his skill in the Force.

Luke gathers a strike team that includes Wedge Antilles and his X-wing squadron, Lando Calrissian and the mercenary Dash Rendar. The assault to recover Han is fierce, and it does not unfold as planned, because Imperial spies are placed throughout the galaxy.

This is a science fiction adventure set in the Star Wars universe, built around a rescue mission and a double-edged scheme of Imperial rivalry. Its tone is that of a military and espionage thriller, with threats closing in from both the underworld and the Empire.