As the rebels seek to consolidate their newfound military legitimacy, the Empire is busy regrouping from its embarrassing public defeat. Darth Vader searches for Luke while overzealous commanders hoping to smooth the path to promotion become so eager to exterminate rebels that they ignore any civilians who happen to get in their way. Small-time bureaucrats are taking advantage of the confusion, too, making shortsighted grabs for power and adding to the chaos and confusion.

When it becomes obvious the pirates are trying to pass off their crimes as rebel activity, Leia heads to her meeting alone, leaving Luke and Han to investigate the network of thieves and cutthroats. Unfortunately, they are not the only ones looking for the mastermind behind the crime wave. A mysterious group of soldiers is demolishing pirate operations, while an attractive Force-adept spy—Mara Jade, one of Emperor Palpatine's personal assassins—is in the mix, too. For Luke and Han, solving the mystery while avoiding capture will require hard work and fast talking ... and the assistance of some very unlikely friends.

Musings on loyalty and honor

Though author Timothy Zahn does an admirable job of expanding on the lives and activities of the major Star Wars characters in his novel Star Wars: Allegiance (which is set just after the events of Episode IV: A New Hope), what really makes this novel delightful is the squad of idealistic stormtroopers who have ended up on the wrong side of their own commanders. When one of them refuses to murder unarmed civilians, his entire squad deserts; then, remaining true to the spirit of the oath they swore to defend the Empire and its citizens, they go on a crime-fighting spree. This squad offers a beautiful lens for the novel's in-depth thematic examination of allegiance. Underlying the sometimes-amusing antics of the runaways is a serious question: How blindly should soldiers follow orders ... and what should they do when the government they serve descends into irrational cruelty?

As the book reaches its climax, Vader is hot on Luke's trail, the deserters' do-gooder activities have brought them to Mara Jade's attention, Leia faces betrayal and capture, and a bloodbath seems inevitable. Zahn's deft plotting brings the story's major players together in a final confrontation—with each other and with the corrupt officials who are behind the wave of piracy.

Suspenseful, funny and chilling by turns, Star Wars: Allegiance is a convincing portrait of the fallout of one pivotal skirmish in the rebel uprising against the Empire. It is a book that illustrates the political and personal costs of war, reminding readers that there is a price to be paid both by the losing side and by those who emerge from battle victorious.