Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor is a standalone novel by Matthew Stover that chronicles the Battle of Mindor . It was originally scheduled to be released in hardcover in February 2008 by Del Rey , but was later moved to October 21 before being eventually released on December 30 . The paperback was released on February 23 , 2010 . Publisher ' s summary . Hardcover . Back cover . Overthrowing the dark side ' s empire has made them heroes . But underestimating the fury of the Sith will make them targets . Internal flap . " Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader are dead . The Empire has been toppled by the triumphant Rebel Alliance , and the New Republic is ascendant . But the struggle against the dark side and the Sith order is not over . Luke Skywalker , Princess Leia , Han Solo , Lando Calrissian , and their faithful comrades have had little time to savor victory before being called on to defend the newly liberated galaxy . " " Powerful remnants of the vanquished Empire , hungry for retaliation , are still at large , committing acts of piracy , terrorism , and wholesale slaughter against the worlds of the fledgling Republic . The most deadly of these , a ruthless legion of black - armored stormtroopers , do the brutal bidding of the newly risen warlord Shadowspawn . Striking from a strategically advantageous base at the planet Mindor , they are waging campaigns of plunder and destruction , demolishing order and security across the galaxy — and breeding fears of an Imperial resurgence . And another reign of darkness beneath the boot - heel of Sith despotism is something General Luke Skywalker cannot and will not risk . " " Mobilizing the ace fighters of Rogue Squadron — along with the trusty Chewbacca , Threepio , and Artoo - Detoo — Luke , Han , and Leia set out to take the battle to the enemy at the site of its stronghold , and neutralize the threat before it ' s too late . But their imminent onslaught against Mindor will be playing directly into the hands of their cunning new adversary . Lord Shadowspawn is no freshly anointed Sith Chieftain , but in fact a vicious former Imperial Intelligence officer — and Prophet of the Dark Side . The Emperor ' s death has paved the way for Shadowspawn ' s return from exile in the Outer Rim ; and mastery of ancient Sith knowledge and modern technology has given him the capability to mount the ultimate power play for galaxy - wide dominion . Dark prophecy has foretold that only one obstacle stands in his way , and he is ready — even eager — for the confrontation . " " All the classic heroes , all the explosive action and adventure , all the unparalleled excitement of Star Wars come breathlessly alive here , as the further adventures of Luke Skywalker continue . " Behind the scenes . Matthew Stover stated on his blog that " Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor is my attempt to get the EU back to its pre - Zahn roots - - specifically , to evoke memories of my all - time favorite Star Wars books , Brian Daley ' s Han Solo novels . " Beginning with its structure , with a frame story and an inner narrative , evidence abounds that the bulk of " Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor " , complete with opening crawl , excessively colorful language and a curiously - named villain , is , in fact , the mostly fictional basis for a holothriller or a novelization thereof , penned by one of the characters of the frame story . This would put the majority of the book into a quantum state of being possibly , but not certainly , canonically true . Two interviews with Stover , linked to on his blog , lend credence to this theory . Throughout the novel , C - 3PO ' s name is misspelled C - 3P0 ( with a zero instead of an " oh " ) .