Timothy Zahn

When a mysterious enemy strikes at the very foundation of the Ascendancy by widening the rifts between the Nine Ruling Families and Forty Great Houses, Thrawn and his allies must decide what matters most: the security of their family or the survival of the Ascendancy itself.

On Batuu, at the edges of the Unknown Regions, a threat to the Empire is taking root, its consequences as yet unknowable. But it is troubling enough to the Imperial leader to warrant investigation by his most powerful agents: Lord Darth Vader and brilliant strategist Grand Admiral Thrawn. Fierce rivals for the emperor's favor, the formidable pair seem unlikely partners for such a crucial mission. But in what seems like a lifetime ago, General Anakin...

"After the disastrous attack on the Manticoran home system by unknown forces, the Royal Manticoran Navy stands on the brink of collapse. A shadowy enemy seek to conquer the Star Kingdom from without while from within, forces from Manticore's own government seek to discredit and weaken the Navy for their own political gain. It's up to officers like Travis Long and Lisa Donnelly to defend the Star Kingdom but the challenge is greater than any they have...