Betrayal (novel)

Betrayal is the first of nine books in the Legacy of the Force series, which is set in the fictional Star Wars Expanded Universe. The book is written by Aaron Allston and was released on May 30, 2006. The cover artist is Jason Felix. The book takes place 40 ABY. Starwars.com has posted the text from the book's dust jacket. Betrayal is followed by the second book in the series, Bloodlines.

Betrayal marks the first major rupture between the Skywalker and Solo clans. Until now both groups have supported and worked together to better the galaxy. However, significant differences about how to resolve the growing conflict between the Galactic Alliance and Corellia force Han and Leia Solo to make a difficult decision that will ultimately lead them down a path in opposition to Luke Skywalker and the Jedi.

As many have already deduced, the Legacy of the Force series revolves a great deal around Jacen Solo and how the emerging galactic war will drive him to follow an up-until-now unthinkable path.

Betrayal marks the return of Lumiya, the Dark Lady of the Sith, who has not been seen or heard of for several decades. Lumiya is one of Palpatine's former 'Hands', a member of a group of Force-sensitive agents trained in the Sith arts to carry out dark missions, of which Mara Jade Skywalker was once a member.

Betrayal also marks a major change in Jacen Solo's personality. Once sensitive to the flows of the Force and all life around him, he has become distant and cold, no longer hesitant to take life if it furthers the chances for "peace" in the galaxy. It appears that Jacen has also become more adept at using his unique Force-powered ability to visualize the paths of fate and future events. Several times throughout the book, Jacen determines his course of actions based on which "path" he envisions will lead to the most desirable outcome. He has become so reliant on this ability that he has even begun to shun advice from his Uncle Luke and other members of his family who cannot, in his mind, comprehend how their actions can affect future events.

We gain a much deeper insight into the complexities of the Light and Dark sides of the Force. Through Lumiya, Jacen's concepts of the Light being inherently good and the Dark being inherently evil are shattered. As Lumiya suggests, it is not the Light or Dark side of the Force that determines what kind of actions a person takes but what kind of person they were before they learned to use the Force. Lumiya compares and contrasts this theory by using the examples of Darth Vectivus and Darth Sidious (Palpatine). Vectivus began as a good-hearted man who was disciplined in his early life before he began walking down the path of the Dark Side, and as such was able to wield the Dark Side in a supposedly benevolent and peaceful way. Palpatine, on the other hand, was greedy and desired only to control, and as such become an evil and destructive Dark Side user. Lumiya even suggests that wielders of the Light Side can be 'evil' in that they become so adhered to concepts of Justice and Rule of Law that when governments eventually fall into corruption, they will seek to remake the galaxy in their image of order.

He will remake himself

He will ruin those who deny justice

He will choose the fate of the weak

He will choose how he will be loved or I will choose how he will be loved

He will shed his skin and choose a new skin

He will strengthen himself through sacrifice

He will crawl through his cloak

He will know brotherhood

He will make a pet

He will strengthen himself through pain

He will be drawn from peace into conflict or His life will be balanced between peace and conflict

The character name "Lysa Dunter" from the Dramatis Personae and her first appearance is later given as "Lysa Dunton"

Due to the date change from 37 years after ANH to 40 years afterward, an editing mistake accidentally moved Zekk's age from a few years older than Jacen and Jaina Solo to a few years younger. It has been acknowledged as an error.

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