Ascension (Star Wars novel)

On their home planet of Kesh, the Lost Tribe of the Sith gathers to decide how best to use Abeloth, the powerful Force entity, for their own uses. They meet successfully with the arrogant female deity and announce a welcome parade and masquerade in Tahv, the "City of Glass", their capital. Abeloth takes advantage of the festivities to dazzle the Sith with her shape-shifting powers, then slips into Grand Lord Darish Vol's dreams, threatening to kill him for taking advantage of her. Vol uses the Force to uncover the being's desperate need for love and companionship, and uses it in the Force as a psychological weapon. Abeloth loses control of her powers as a result, lashing out in extreme pain and destroying Tahv and its inhabitants via the Force. Gavar Khai, father of Vestara Khai, survives the assault by spending the night on his ship, mistakenly believed to have turned against the Lost Tribe. Khai flees Kesh with the other survivors, effectively in exile. Abeloth, while weakened, holds control of Ship, the Sith meditation sphere, using him to gather information from around the galaxy. One newsvid catches her attention, an interview with a Jessar leader Rokari "Roki" Kem, who liberated her people from the enslavement under the Minyavish. Roki speaks as a gentle, truthful being who wants the best for her people, taking on the role of liberator and then Senator of the Galactic Alliance out of need, rather than ambition.

Aboard the Jade Shadow, Luke and Ben Skywalker, Vestara Khai, and Jaina Solo pick up Jedi Natua Wan from Coruscant for help in finding planets the ancient Sith were known to have occupied, in hopes of finding Ship and taking him back from Abeloth. Their first one is Korriban, a desert planet steeped in dark-side energy. The group find no Sith, nor any trace of Ship, but when they face a pack of tuk'ata, or "Sith hounds", Vestara orders them not to harm the group in the ancient Sith language, which the beasts understand. Next, on Dromund Kaas, they enter an ancient Sith settlement and are cornered by a group of Sith and Gavar Khai, furious at his daughter for falling in love with Ben, and threatening to kill her. Vestara kills him to save herself, and lies on the Jade Shadow in horror at what she did that night. Ben finds her writing a letter to her imaginary "father", reacting with angry suspicion until he understands the situation. Vestara finally asks him to help her become a Jedi, to his delight.

Han, Leia, and Allana Solo travel to Roonadan to meet Sligh, Emala, and Grees, a trio of Squibs who have known Han and Leia for decades. The creatures strike a deal with the Solos for some "information", but are interrupted by unknown attackers wielding blasters. Upon Luke's return to Coruscant from exile, Jaina and Jagged Fel rejoin the Solos. Han and Leia become suspicious of the Squibs' youthful appearance, persuading them to reveal their part in the testing of Moff Tol Getelles' youth serum illegally developed from drochs.

Leia is suddenly arrested by GAS on trumped-up charges. Vestara reveals to Luke and Ben that one of the new Senators, Kameron Suldar, is really High Lord Ivaar Workan of the Lost Tribe, exposing the Sith infiltration of Coruscant. The Jedi are instructed by Luke to vacate Coruscant to lure the Lost Tribe, who head for the Jedi Temple to explore and take it for themselves.

Moff Getelles accepts a dinner invitation from Jag Fel and attempts to assassinate him, reporting to the escaped Daala until Jag reveals himself, alive, having been warned of the attempt by Getelles, who faked it. Daala flees to the moon Boreleo and destroys it, pulling the pieces into a makeshift blockade. Jag gives up on attacking her and instead tricks Getelles by taking a sample of the youth serum.

Lord Workan meets the Senate and Roki Kem, planning secretly to discredit her, until he realizes she is putting on a mask to appear kind and compassionate, but in reality is sly and devious. He warns Grand Lord Vol, causing the latter to plot her murder. However, Roki kills Vol and persuades Workan to help her become "The Beloved Queen of the Stars", and then a goddess. Workan organizes an election to make her Chief of State, but it is nearly abandoned with a long speech from interim Chief of State and Klatooinian Senator Padnel Ovin, until Roki causes him to die of a heart attack. Roki is elected, but is incensed to hear of Han, Lando Calrissian, Wynn Dorvan, and Taryn Zekk breaking Leia out of prison. Dorvan is captured in the attempt and brought before Roki, who reveals herself to actually be Abeloth.

Luke, Ben, Vestara, Natua, and many of the Jedi land on Upekzar to explore its caves, which are former sites of Sith rites of passage. The tunnels contain rhak-skuri, also known as "Dream Singers", insect-like creatures that induce terrifying hallucinations. Ben, Vestara, and Natua encounter a gargantuan, mutated form of a Dream Singer that communicates with Vestara, telling her to join it and sacrifice Ben to it. Vestara kills Natua in place of her boyfriend, and that night realizes that she can never be a Jedi, and she must someday kill Ben.

Ascension reached 7 on the New York Times bestseller list on August 28, 2011.[1]

• Cassada, Jackie (2011-07-01), "Golden, Christie. Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi; Ascension.(Brief article)(Book review)", Library Journal, Library Journals, LLC, 136 (12): 76, ISSN 0363-0277
• Green, Roland (2011-08-01), "Ascension: Star Wars; Fate of the Jedi.(Brief article)(Book review)", Booklist, American Library Association, 107 (22): 35, ISSN 0006-7385