Darth Maul Shadow Hunter - Novel - Old Republic

After years of waiting in the shadows, Darth Sidious is taking the first step in his master plan to bring the Republic to its knees. Key to his scheme are the Neimoidians of the Trade Federation. Then one of his Neimoidian contacts disappears, and Sidious does not need his Force-honed instincts to suspect betrayal. He orders his apprentice, Darth Maul, to hunt the traitor down.


But he is too late. The secret has already passed into the hands of information broker Lorn Pavan, which places him right at the top of Darth Maul's hit list. Then, in the labyrinthine alleyways and sewers of Coruscant, capital city of the Republic, Lorn crosses paths with Darsha Assant, a Jedi Padawan on a mission to earn her Knighthood. Now the future of the Republic depends on Darsha and Lorn. But how can an untried Jedi and an ordinary man, stranger to the powerful ways of the Force, hope to triumph over one of the deadliest killers in the galaxy?

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Shadow Hunter is an extremely exciting novel that gives birth to the Episode 1.  It continues on the timeline of exactly where Cloak of Deception left of with the Trade Federations beginnings of the Blockade of Naboo.  Hath Monchar, Nemodian assistant of Nute Gunray, power hungery and driven by deceiving the Sith and his fellow Nemodians.  He plans to sell the plans of the upcoming Blockade of Naboo for his financial benefits.  When Sidious checks on his plans for the blockade, he fears the worst as one of the four Nemodians are missing from their meeting, and sends his Jedi hungry apprentice, Darth Maul, to stop the information from being released, and to "handle" the situation.

Lorn Pavan (previously blogged his legacy) and his droid counterpart I5YQ, or short I-Five are information brokers and in search of their next big score.  They end up mixing up with the Hath Monchar, and are setting up to purchase his holocron with the information regarding the Trade Federations plot over Naboo.  Their intentions are to sell the plans to Yantha the Hutt.

Darsha Assant (left), human female Jedi Padawan to Master Anoon Bondara, Twi-lek male (right), is on the verge of earning her title as Jedi Knight and has one task to earn that role after her many years of training.  She has to go into the Crimson Corridor, in the depths of Coruscants underworld to safely escort a witness in protection in an upcoming trial.  Darsha engages a journey where she doubts her force ability and her role as a Jedi.


Obi-Wan Kenobi also has a large part in this story although he is always a few steps behind the main story line and never quite catches up to Darsha, Lorn, or Maul; As Kenobi is sent to investigate the disappearance of Darsha and her Master.

Michael Reaves is genius with his portrayal of this story.  In Mauls pursuit for destroying Hath Monchar and the holocron, he is out witted by the unlikely Lorn Pavan and I-Five many times.  Lorn and I-Five have a relationship that is similar to if Han Solo was partnered with a Wookie / C-3PO combo.  But I-Five is no prissy protocol droid, removed of his creativity dampers and equipped with firearms, he is almost as deadly as a human assassin. Darsha and the human droid pair team up to elude the Sith through the bowels of Coruscant.  They serve as an unlikely pair due to Lorn's discuss for the Jedi Order.  This book has many turns and digs deep into the red and black tattooed Zabrak that is Darth Maul.  A ruthless, Jedi hating, failure not even an option, Sith apprentice is really bad ass through the entire book.  This book also includes the bonus, only previously available in E-Book format, Darth Maul - Saboteur, by James Luceno. 

There is no death; There is only the Force.

Star Wars Hitchhiker