Believing he can resolve the Galactic conflict by learning the Emperor's darkest secrets, Luke Skywalker has at last taken his father's place as the Emperor's protégé and Supreme Commander of the Imperial forces.

The Emperor, for his part, hopes to push his "young apprentice" over the edge, deep into the seductive embrace of the Dark Side of the Force.

Luke's decision to follow his father's destiny is a dangerous and perhaps foolhardy one, for the Emperor has now launched a massive assault upon the crumbling New Republic.

As the Emperor's inexorable ''World Devastators'' smash the floating cities of Admiral Ackbar's home planet, Lando Calrissian and Wedge Antilles lead Rebel forces in a fierce – and fruitless – attempt to save the gentle Mon Calamari.

Meanwhile, ''Han Solo'' and ''Leia Organa'' embark on a quest to free Luke. Together with ''Chewbacca'' and ''C-3PO'' they journey to Nar Shaddaa, a smugglers' moon orbiting the Hutt homeworld. There they find Han's old friend, ''Shug Ninx'', and old girlfriend, ''Salla Zend'', who owns a ship that can travel the Deep Galactic Core with impunity.

And there Leia meets ''Vima-Da-Boda'', an old woman Jedi overlooked in the great purge, who gives Leia a mysterious gift.

But the highest clan of Hutts, brothers of the dead gangster Jabba, have placed a fabulous price on the heads of Han and Leia... a price that attracts the attention of an old enemy: ''Boba Fett''!