''The Black Fleet Crisis'' is a trilogy set in the
''Star Wars'' expanded universe. The books take place 16 years after ''
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope''. All three novels were authored by
Michael P. Kube-McDowell
Michael Paul Kube-McDowell (born August 29, 1954), also known as Michael McDowell or Michael P. McDowell, is an American science fiction and non-fiction author.
Background
Born Michael Paul McDowell on August 29, 1954 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvani ...
and published by
Bantam Books
Bantam Books is an American publishing house owned entirely by parent company Random House, a subsidiary of Penguin Random House; it is an imprint of the Random House Publishing Group. It was formed in 1945 by Walter B. Pitkin, Jr., Sidney B. ...
under the imprint
Bantam Spectra
Bantam Spectra is the science fiction division of American publishing company Bantam Books, which is owned by Random House.
According to their website, Spectra publishes "science fiction, fantasy, horror, and speculative novels from recogniz ...
between March 1996 and November 1998.
Books
# ''Before the Storm'', published March 1, 1996
# ''Shield of Lies'', published August 1, 1996
# ''Tyrant's Test'', published December 1, 1996
Plot
The Black Fleet Crisis begins in a time of peace for the
New Republic, and the first time a chance occurs for the
Rebel Alliance
The Alliance to Restore the Republic (colloquial: Rebel Alliance; the Rebellion; the Alliance; or the Rebels) is a fictional stateless interstellar coalition of republican dissidents, imperial defectors, revolutionary factions and anti-imperial ...
to turn their attention to more personal concerns.
The outbreak of the Black Fleet Crisis ends a period of relative
peace
Peace is a concept of societal friendship and harmony in the absence of hostility and violence. In a social sense, peace is commonly used to mean a lack of conflict (such as war) and freedom from fear of violence between individuals or groups. ...
in the
galaxy
A galaxy is a system of stars, stellar remnants, interstellar gas, dust, dark matter, bound together by gravity. The word is derived from the Greek ' (), literally 'milky', a reference to the Milky Way galaxy that contains the Solar System. ...
.
Yevethan forces (former
Imperial
Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor, or imperialism.
Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to:
Places
United States
* Imperial, California
* Imperial, Missouri
* Imperial, Nebraska
* Imperial, Pennsylvania
* Imperial, Texa ...
slaves
Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
who overthrew their masters) using captured Imperial ships begin a
genocidal
Genocide is the intentional destruction of a people—usually defined as an ethnic, national, racial, or religious group—in whole or in part. Raphael Lemkin coined the term in 1944, combining the Greek word (, "race, people") with the Latin ...
campaign to conquer the Koornacht Cluster by killing all non-Yevethans. The
New Republic is forced to fight in its own defense, as well as to rescue hostages held by the Yevethans (including
Han Solo
Han Solo is a fictional character in the '' Star Wars'' franchise created by George Lucas. The character first appeared in the 1977 film '' Star Wars'' portrayed by Harrison Ford, who reprised his role in ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980) an ...
). After obtaining an image of Han as a battered hostage,
Chewbacca
Chewbacca ( ), nicknamed "Chewie", is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. He is a Wookiee, a tall, hirsute, bipedal, intelligent species originating from the fictional planet of Kashyyyk. Chewbacca is the loyal friend and firs ...
goes on a desperate rescue mission.
Luke Skywalker
Luke Skywalker is a fictional character and the protagonist of the original film trilogy of the ''Star Wars'' franchise created by George Lucas. Portrayed by Mark Hamill, Luke first appeared in ''Star Wars'' (1977), and he returned in ''The ...
travels with Akanah Norand Goss Pell to seek out what he's told are mother's people, the Fallanassi, to learn about them. Luke finds that the Fallanassi are a mysterious and secretive sect of
Force
In physics, a force is an influence that can change the motion of an object. A force can cause an object with mass to change its velocity (e.g. moving from a state of rest), i.e., to accelerate. Force can also be described intuitively as a p ...
users who are total
pacifist
Pacifism is the opposition or resistance to war, militarism (including conscription and mandatory military service) or violence. Pacifists generally reject theories of Just War. The word ''pacifism'' was coined by the French peace campaign ...
s. Luke learns new Force techniques and
philosophies
Philosophical schools of thought and philosophical movements.
A
Absurdism -
Action, philosophy of -
Actual idealism -
Actualism -
Advaita Vedanta -
Aesthetic Realism -
Aesthetics -
African philosophy -
Afrocentrism -
Agential realism - ...
from them, and gains their help to aid the New Republic in one battle.
Leia is the only person who doesn't have a chance to rest, who because of her
fame, what others expect of her, and her sense of
duty
A duty (from "due" meaning "that which is owing"; fro, deu, did, past participle of ''devoir''; la, debere, debitum, whence "debt") is a commitment or expectation to perform some action in general or if certain circumstances arise. A duty may ...
and
obligation
An obligation is a course of action that someone is required to take, whether legal or moral. Obligations are constraints; they limit freedom. People who are under obligations may choose to freely act under obligations. Obligation exists when the ...
, she has become a prisoner of the
Presidency
A presidency is an administration or the executive, the collective administrative and governmental entity that exists around an office of president of a state or nation. Although often the executive branch of government, and often personified by a ...
. But she is far too tired, stressed beyond her limits, and emotionally fragile, and she is only two steps away from a serious personal crisis of her confidence. Nil Spaar, the
Machiavellian
Viceroy
A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the French word ''roy'', meaning "k ...
of the Yevethan
Protectorate
A protectorate, in the context of international relations, is a State (polity), state that is under protection by another state for defence against aggression and other violations of law. It is a dependent territory that enjoys autonomy over m ...
, sees that as an opportunity he can exploit and an opportunity to destroy the New Republic from within.
See also
*
List of Star Wars Books
''Star Wars'' is an American epic space-opera media franchise, centered on a film series created by George Lucas that includes ''Star Wars'' (1977), ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980), and ''Return of the Jedi'' (1983). The series depicts the a ...
References
External links
The Black Fleet Crisis FAQ
{{DEFAULTSORT:Black Fleet Crisis
Book series introduced in 1996
Star Wars Legends novels
Bantam Spectra books