AUTHOR'S NOTE:
I've always found Imperial flying ace/defector [and future in-law to the Solo family] Baron Soontir Fel to be one of the most interesting characters to come out of the Legends EU, but a crucial piece of his tale- his reunion with his wife and reenlistment with Thrawn's Empire of the Hand- has never been told. Supposedly Zahn and Stackpole wrote the story but couldn't sell it back in the '90s, so we never got to see it. I wanted to tell that story, and decided it was a good place to add the rogue stormtrooper squad from Zahn's Allegiance and Choices of One. I wanted to flesh out some more of the Empire's fabled Grand Admirals. Along with Thrawn, I decided to work with two admirals only described in source material, specifically Grand Admiral Makati (who I turned into tragic hero) and Grand Admiral Grant (who's more of a dick).

All those ideas ended up snowballing until I ended up with a nice long tale of war, espionage, and politics that ties together all sorts of threads from the Legends EU, explores characters new and familiar, and finally tells one of that saga's most important untold tales. It's a bridge between the X-wing comics and novels, a third installment about the Hand of Judgment, and (for good measure) a prequel of sorts to the Thrawn Trilogy and I, Jedi.

And, if you're really anal about chronology, it takes place after the X-wing comics and The Shadows of Mindor, before the X-wing novels, and during the events of Dark Forces: Jedi Knight.

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

THE GALACTIC EMPIRE
Ysanne Isard, regent and Intelligence director (human female from Coruscant)
Grand Admiral Afsheen Makati (human male from Cartao)
Grand Admiral Octavian Grant (human male from Fondor)
Grand Admiral Thrawn (Chiss male from Csilla)
Captain Dagon Niriz, Grey Wolf (human male from Alsakan)
Grand Moff Ardus Kaine (human male from Sartinaynian)
High Inquisitor Jerec (Miraluka male from Coruscant)
F-4GR, Makati's protocol droid

HAND OF JUDGEMENT
Daric LaRone, squad leader (Human male from Copperline)
Saberan Marcoss, executive officer (Human male from Shelkonwa)
Korlo Brightwater, scout (Human male from Agamar)
Taxtro Grave, sniper (Human male from Contruum)
Joak Quiller, pilot (Human male from Entralla)

THE NEW REPUBLIC
Admiral Ackbar, Supreme Commander (Mon Cal male from Dac)
Mon Mothma, councilor (human female from Chandrila)
Leia Organa, councilor (human female from Alderaan)
Borsk Fey'lya, councilor (Bothan male from Kothlis)
Admiral Willham Burke, Third Fleet (human male from Corellia)
General Airen Cracken, NRI Director (human male from Contruum)
Winter, NRI agent and Leia's aide (human female from Alderaan)

ROGUE SQUADRON
Commander Wedge Antilles, Rogue Leader (human male from Corellia)
Xarcce Huwla (Tunroth female from Saloch)
Avan Beruss (human male from Illodia)
Captain Tycho Celchu (human male from Alderaan)
Lt. Wes Janson (human male from Taanab)
Feylis Ardele (human female from Commenor)
Lt. Hobbie Klivian (human male from Ralltiir)
Nrin Vakil (Quarren male from Dac)
Soontir Fel (human male from Corellia)

ALPHA BLACK
Admiral Hiram Drayson, program director (Human male from Chandrilla)
Reyan Dey'rylan, squad leader (Bothan male from Thoran)
Kasck Frei'leir, (Bothan male from Bothawui)
Sho-tev Ekhrine, (Em'liy male from Shalyvane)
Devin Torr, (human male from Esseles )
Jekk Karr, (human male from Generis)

CIVILIANS
Syal Antilles Fel, former actress and fugitive (human female from Corellia)
Leonia Tavira, former moff and pirate (human female from Eiattu VI)
Van Tyrac, former Jensaarai and pirate (human male from Susfevi)