History Literature / AftermathLifeDebt

* PragmaticVillainy: But at the same time, Rax also orders the deaths of several corrupt and brutal high-ranking Imperials, like [[spoiler:Perwin Gedde]], in order to cement his control over the Imperial Remnant.

** KickTheSonOfABitch: But at the same time, Rax also orders the deaths of several corrupt and brutal high-ranking Imperials, like [[spoiler:Perwin Gedde]], in order to cement his control over the Imperial Remnant.

[[AC:Breaking away from their official mission and racing toward the "Millennium Falcon"'s last known location, Norra and her crew prepare for any challenge that stands between them and their missing comrades. But they can t anticipate the true depth of the danger that awaits them or the ruthlessness of the enemy drawing them into his crosshairs.]]

[[AC:The Emperor is dead, and the remnants of his former Empire are in retreat. As the New Republic fights to restore a lasting peace to the galaxy, some dare to imagine new beginnings and new destinies. For Han Solo, that means settling his last outstanding debt, by helping Chewbacca liberate the Wookiee s homeworld of Kashyyyk.]]

[[AC:Breaking away from their official mission and racing toward the "Millennium Falcon" s last known location, Norra and her crew prepare for any challenge that stands between them and their missing comrades. But they can t anticipate the true depth of the danger that awaits them or the ruthlessness of the enemy drawing them into his crosshairs.]]

''Life Debt'' is the second novel in the Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse Expanded Universe's [[Literature/StarWarsTheAftermathTrilogy the]] ''[[Literature/StarWarsTheAftermathTrilogy Aftermath]]'' [[Literature/StarWarsTheAftermathTrilogy trilogy]] by Chuck Wendig, taking place a few short months after the Battle of Akiva in ''[[Literature/StarWarsAftermath Star Wars: Aftermath]]''. Norra Wexley and her band of rebels are busy hunting down high-ranking Imperials with Admiral Rae Sloane at the top of their list. Sloane, increasingly wary of her commanding officer - the mysterious Fleet Admiral - desperately searches for a means to save the crumbling Empire from oblivion. Meanwhile, out in the Unknown Regions and the Outer Rim secret plans are being made and the foundation being laid for the Empire's rebirth as the First Order.

''Life Debt'' is the second novel in the Franchise/StarWars [[Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse Expanded Universe]]'s [[Literature/StarWarsTheAftermathTrilogy the]] ''[[Literature/StarWarsTheAftermathTrilogy Aftermath]]'' [[Literature/StarWarsTheAftermathTrilogy trilogy]] by Chuck Wendig, taking place a few short months after the Battle of Akiva in ''[[Literature/StarWarsAftermath Star Wars: Aftermath]]''. Norra Wexley and her band of rebels are busy hunting down high-ranking Imperials with Admiral Rae Sloane at the top of their list. Sloane, increasingly wary of her commanding officer - the mysterious Fleet Admiral - desperately searches for a means to save the crumbling Empire from oblivion. Meanwhile, out in the Unknown Regions and the Outer Rim secret plans are being made and the foundation being laid for the Empire's rebirth as the First Order.

* CanonImmigrant: Phantom Squadron was a one-off group from the ''[[ComicBook/StarWarsLegacy Legacy]]'' [[Franchise/StarWarsLegends Roleplaying Campaign]], made in the image of Wraith Squadron from the ''[[Literature/XWingSeries X-Wing]]'' series. Like in ''Legends'', Phantom Squadron is made up of [[RagtagBunchOfMisfits washouts and misfits]], but they replace Wraith Squadron's place in new canon, since the Wraiths don't exist here.

** Mas Amedda dismisses the rumor that Palpatine is alive and using droids to deliver messages instructing the Imperial military to attack certain star systems. He's half-right, as anyone who's read ''ComicBook/ShatteredEmpire'' can attest to.

** [[spoiler: [[FridgeBrilliance Which makes his reaction to Poe's crack about his mother in]] ''Film/TheLastJedi'' [[FridgeBrilliance extra meaningful]]... [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments and also a whole lot funnier]].]]

* CanonImmigrant: Phantom Squadron was a one-off group from the ''[[ComicBook/StarWarsLegacy Legacy]]'' [[Franchise/StarWarsLegends Roleplaying Campaign]], made in the image of Wraith Squadron from the ''[[ComicBook/XWingSeries X-Wing]]'' [[ComicBook/XWingSeries series]]. Like in ''Legends'', Phantom Squadron is made up of [[RagtagBunchOfMisfits washouts and misfits]], but they replace Wraith Squadron's place in new canon, since the Wraiths don't exist here.

* BittersweetEnding / WhamEpisode: [[spoiler: Kashyyyk is liberated from Imperial control, and the Wexley's are finally reunited as a family after [[LongLostRelative the family patriarch, Brentin]], has spent an untold number of years as a prisoner in [[TheAlcatraz Ashmead's Lock]] [[AndIMustScream as a living battery for the prison]], '''BUT''' it was all [[JustAsPlanned part of]] [[BigBad Fleet Admiral Gallius Rax's]] EvilPlan to cripple or damage the fledgling New Republic by using the newly freed prisoners as {{Manchurian Agent}}s to assassinate several of their key political & military leaders, whilst also solidifying his own control over [[TheRemnant what's left of the]] [[TheEmpire Galactic Empire]], which results in [[BigGood Chancellor Mon Mothma]] being wounded, former Imperial General (and rival) [[TheAce Jylia Shale]] being murdered, & the escape of Yupe Tashu from New Republic custody, with everything pointing toward [[AntiVillain Grand Admiral Rae Sloane]] as the architect behind the atrocity, and it worked thanks to [[TheMole Adea]].]] '''WHELP!!!'''

* AmbiguousGender: The pirate Eleodie Maracavanya is referred to as male, female and the gender neutral "zhe" or "zher". It's unclear whether zhe just has another gender identity, or this reflects zher species' biological sex, which is possibly wholly different from male or female.

* CanonImmigrant: Phantom Squadron was a one-off group from the ''ComicBook/{{Legacy}}'' [[Franchise/StarWarsLegends Roleplaying Campaign]], made in the image of Wraith Squadron from the ''[[ComicBook/XWingSeries X-Wing]]'' [[ComicBook/XWingSeries series]]. Like in ''Legends'', Phantom Squadron is made up of [[RagtagBunchOfMisfits washouts and misfits]], but they replace Wraith Squadron's place in new canon, since the Wraiths don't exist here.

* AmbiguousGender: The pirate Eleodie Maracavanya is referred to by male, female and the gender pronoun "zhe" or "zher". It's unclear whether zhe just has another gender identity, or this just reflects zher species' biological sex, which possibly isn't a real match to either male or female.

* AmbiguousGender: The pirate Eleodie Maracavanya is referred to by male, female and the

* CanonImmigrant: Phantom Squadron was a one-off group from the ''ComicBook/{{Legacy}}'' [[Franchise/StarWarsLegends Roleplaying Campaign]], made in the image of Wraith Squadron from the ''[[ComicBook/XWingSeries X-Wing]]'' [[ComicBook/XWingSeries series]]. Like in ''Legends'', Phantom Squadron is made up of [[RagtagBunchOfMisfits washouts and misfits]], but they replace Wraith Squadron's place in new canon, since the Wraiths don't exist.

** Tagge's flagship, the SSD ''Annihilator'' shows up. [[OhCrap It's now in pirate hands]].

* DragonAscendant: After the deaths of Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader, many Imperial officers are vying for control of what is left of the Empire. By the start of ''Life Debt'', power in the Empire has been concentrated in two rival figures, Fleet Admiral Gallius Rax and Grand General Kenner Loring. [[spoiler:Rax emerges as the de facto leader of the Imperial Remnant by the end of the book]].

** Emperor Palpatine, Gallius Rax and Mas Amedda invested a considerable amount of time and resources setting up a secret Imperial research facility on Jakku; in addition to searching the planet for something really important.

** KickTheSonOfABitch: But at the same time, Rax also orders the deaths of several corrupt and brutal high-ranking Imperials, like [[spoiler:Perwin Gedde]] in order to cement his control over the Imperial Remnant.
* LivingLegend: General Hodnar Borrum, one of the members of Rax's junta, is viewed as this. He's one of the eldest officers in the Imperial Military, having begun his service in the Grand Army of the Republic. His long career has numerous campaigns and victories under its belt, including leading the assault on the last fortress of the Jedi at the end of the Clone Wars.
* MadeASlave: We find out that [[spoiler:Gallius Rax was born into slavery on Jakku]].

* OrbitalBombardment: [[spoiler:The Empire tries to institute Base-Order-Delta-Zero against the Wookie homeworld of Kashyyyk when it becomes clear that they're losing the planet]].

* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: More than few high-ranking Imperials decided to cut their losses and run after the Battle of Endor. The team gets sent after one such ex-Imperial, Vice Admiral Perwin Gedde.

''Life Debt'' is the second novel in [[Literature/StarWarsTheAftermathTrilogy the]] ''[[Literature/StarWarsTheAftermathTrilogy Aftermath]]'' [[Literature/StarWarsTheAftermathTrilogy trilogy]] by Chuck Wendig, taking place a few short months after the Battle of Akiva in ''[[Literature/StarWarsAftermath Star Wars: Aftermath]]''. Norra Wexley and her band of rebels are busy hunting down high-ranking Imperials with Admiral Rae Sloane at the top of their list. Sloane, increasingly wary of her commanding officer - the mysterious Fleet Admiral - desperately searches for a means to save the crumbling Empire from oblivion. Meanwhile, out in the Unknown Regions and the Outer Rim secret plans are being made and the foundation being laid for the Empire's rebirth as the First Order.

It is followed by ''[[Literature/AftermathEmpiresEnd Aftermath: Empire's End]].''

''Life Debt'' is the second novel in the ''Aftermath'' Trilogy by Chuck Wendig, taking place a few short months after the Battle of Akiva in ''[[Literature/StarWarsAftermath Star Wars: Aftermath]]''. Norra Wexley and her band of rebels are busy hunting down high-ranking Imperials with Admiral Rae Sloane at the top of their list. Sloane, increasingly wary of her commanding officer - the mysterious Fleet Admiral - desperately searches for a means to save the crumbling Empire from oblivion. Meanwhile, out in the Unknown Regions and the Outer Rim secret plans are being made and the foundation being laid for the Empire's rebirth as the First Order.

* BastardBastard: [[spoiler:We find out that General Hux, who is a war criminal by the end of ''The Force Awakens'', was born out of wedlock to Brendol Hux and an unnamed mother.]]

* BittersweetEnding / WhamEpisode: [[spoiler: Kashyyyk is liberated from Imperial control, and the Wexley's are finally reunited as a family after [[LongLostRelative the family patriarch, Brentin]], has spent an untold number of years as a prisoner in [[TheAlcatraz Ashmead's Lock]] [[AndIMustScream as a living battery for the prison]], '''BUT''' it was all [[JustAsPlanned part of]] [[BigBad Fleet Admiral Gallius Rax's]] EvilPlan to cripple or damage the fledgling New Republic by using the newly freed prisoners as {{Manchurian Agent}}s to assassinate several of their key political & military leaders, whilst also solidifying his own control over [[TheRemnant what's left of the]] [[TheEmpire Galactic Empire]], which results in [[BigGood Chancellor Mon Mothma]] being wounded, former Imperial General (and rival) [[TheAce Jylia Shale]] being murdered, & the escape of an Imperial Adviser, Yupe Tashu, from New Republic custody, with everything pointing toward [[AntiVillain Grand Admiral Rae Sloane]] as the architect behind the atrocity, and it worked thanks to TheMole.]] '''WHELP!!!'''

* ColdBloodedTorture: [[spoiler:Jom Barell gets captured by Tolruk's forces and gets interrogated personally by Tolruk, which involves amongst other things, getting one of his eyes cut out]].

** [[WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars Ryloth]] has been abandoned by the Empire, and Cham is mentioned.

** Mas Amedda dismisses the rumor that Palpatine is alive and using droids to deliver messages instructing the Imperial military to attack certain star systems. He's half-right, as anyone who's read Shattered Empire can attest to.

* DragonAscendant: After the deaths of Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader, many Imperial officers are vying for control of what is left of the Empire. By the start of ''Life Debt'' power in the Empire has been concentrated in two rival figures, Fleet Admiral Gallius Rax and Grand General Kenner Loring. [[spoiler:Rax emerges as the de facto leader of the Imperial Remnant by the end of the book]].

* JustTheFirstCitizen: Rax prefers taking titles that avoid overtly displaying how much power he wields. He refers to himself as an "adviser" to Sloane, despite the fact he is her commanding officer, and towards the end of the book, [[spoiler:he takes the title of Counseler of the Empire, even though some of his more die-hard supporters are calling him Emperor Rax]].

* VillainousBreakdown: After Han, Chewie and the team manage to deactivate the killswitch biochip the Imperials implanted the Wookiee slaves with, Tolruck completely loses it. He gets extremely high on hragathir and [[spoiler:orders the planet's destruction]].

* YankTheDogsChain: For a little, while it looks like Temmin will be reunited with his dad and the Wexleys will be one big happy family again. [[spoiler:Too bad Rax had other plans]].

* BittersweetEnding / WhamEpisode: [[spoiler: Kashyyyk is liberated from Imperial control, and the Wexley's are finally reunited as a family after [[{{LongLostRelative}} the family patriarch, Brentin]], has spent an untold number of years as a prisoner in [[{{TheAlcatraz}} Ashmead's Lock]] [[{{AndIMustScream}} as a living battery for the prison]], '''BUT''' it was all [[{{ThePlan}} part of]] [[{{Big Bad}} Fleet Admiral Gallius Rax's]] [[{{ThePlan}} plan]] to cripple or damage the fledgling New Republic by using the newly freed prisoners as {{Manchurian Agent}}s to assassinate several of their key political & military leaders, whilst also solidifying his own control over [[{{TheRemnant}} what's left of the]] [[{{TheEmpire}} Galactic Empire]], which results in [[{{BigGood}} Chancellor Mon Mothma]] being wounded, former Imperial General (and rival) [[{{TheAce}} Jylia Shale]] being murdered, & the escape of an Imperial Adviser, Yupe Tashu, from New Republic custody, with everything pointing toward [[{{ReasonableAuthorityFigure}} Grand Admiral Rae Sloane]] as the architect behind the atrocity, and it worked thanks to TheMole.]] '''WHELP!!!'''
* BlatantLies: There are still Imperial splinter factions that continue to insist the Emperor is alive despite the events of the last six months.

** Rax makes sure that Brendol Hux takes his young son with him when he evacuates to the Unknown Regions.

** The same technology used on [[spoiler:[[ManchurianAgent the clones]] for [[ThePurge Order 66]] is used on Norra's husband and many others in an attempt to assassinate Mon Mothma.]]
** Tagge's flagship, the SSD ''Annihilator'' shows up. [[OhCrap It is now in pirate hands]].
** Mas Amedda dismisses the rumor the emperor alive and is using droids to deliver messages to attack certain areas of space. He's half-right as anyone who read Shattered Empire can attest.

* DragonAscendant: After the deaths of the Emperor and Darth Vader many Imperial officers are vying for control of what is left of the Empire. By the start of ''Life Debt'' power in the Empire has been concentrated in two rival figures, Fleet Admiral Gallius Rax and Grand General Kenner Loring. [[spoiler:Rax emerges as the de facto leader of the Imperial Remnant by the end of the book]].

* HeroicComedicSociopath: Mr. Bones is back and if you thought he couldn't get more funny, and more violent, you would be wrong.
* InsaneAdmiral: Lozen Tolruck, Grand Moff of Kashyyyk. Likes hunting Wookies for sport, pretends the Emperor is still alive, [[spoiler:willing to completely level the planet when it becomes clear he is losing]].

* JustTheFirstCitizen: Rax prefers taking titles that avoid overtly displaying how much power he wields. He refers to himself as an "adviser" to Sloane, despite the fact he is her commanding officer, and towards the end of the book [[spoiler:he takes the title of Counsel of the Empire, even though some of his more die-hard supporters are calling him Emperor Rax]].
* KarmicDeath: [[spoiler:Vice Admiral Perwin Gedde made a career of testing biological weapons on innocent civilians for the Empire and ends up being poisoned by the new Imperial leadership because they consider him a lose end]].

** KickTheSonOfABitch: But at the same time Rax also orders the deaths of several corrupt and brutal high-ranking Imperials, like [[spoiler:Perwin Gedde]] in order to cement his control over the Imperial Remnant.
* LivingLegend: General Hodnar Borrum, one of the members of Rax's junta, is viewed as this. He is one of the eldest officers in the Imperial Military, having begun his service in the Grand Army of the Republic. His long career has numerous campaigns and victories under its belt, including leading the assault on the last fortress of the Jedi at the end of the Clone Wars.

* ManchurianAgent: [[spoiler:Using the same sleeper technology that was used on the clones for Order 66, the Empire makes several prisoners including Brentin Wexley in an attempt to kill Mothma when they get rescued. It fails, though several politicians and officers are killed by the agents as well. Madine might be among the casualties. ''Maybe''.]]

* MoleInCharge: Sloane entrusts her aide Adea Rite with [[spoiler:keeping her investigation into Rax's background and other clandestine activities a secret from Rax. What Sloane doesn't realize is that said aide is secretly Rax's lover]].
* OrbitalBombardment: [[spoiler:The Empire tries to institute Base-Order-Delta-Zero against the Wookie homeworld of Kashyyyk when it becomes clear that they are losing the planet]].
* RageQuit: When Tolruck sees that the Empire is losing control of Kashyyyk [[spoiler:he orders his fleet to blast the planet into a radioactive wasteland]].

* ShadowDictator: [[spoiler:By the end of the book Rax has seized control of most of the Imperial Remnant but continues to remain in the shadows and makes people like Sloane the public face of the Empire]].

* StateSec: We find out that the Imperial Security Bureau has its own warships, fighter squadrons, infantry and armor units. They are the only Imperial forces left on Coursant as both the Imperial Army and Navy abandoned the planet as being too costly to defend.

* TheUnfettered: Grand Admiral Gallius Rax will do anything to win and dominate, there is no tactic or strategy for him that is too cruel or under-handed. [[spoiler:He even orchestrates an attack under the cover of peace talks]].
* UnwittingPawn: [[spoiler:Sloane refuses to become one to Gallius Rax and plans to retake the empire from his grip]].

* VisionaryVillain: Rax intends to ''reform'' the Empire into something much more capable and effective. [[spoiler:By the end of the book it is pretty clear that he is one of the founders of the First Order]].
* WeAreStrugglingTogether: On the Imperial side Sloane doesn't trust Rax, for more reasons than one, and Rax is fully aware of this.
* YankTheDogsChain: For a little while it looks like Temmin will get reunited with his dad and the Wexleys will be one big happy family again. [[spoiler:Too bad Rax had other plans]].

''Life Debt'' is the second novel in the ''Aftermath'' Triology by Chuck Wendig, taking place a few short months after the Battle of Akiva in ''[[Literature/StarWarsAftermath Star Wars: Aftermath]]''. Norra Wexley and her band of rebels are busy hunting down high-ranking Imperials with Admiral Rae Sloane at the top of their list. Sloane, increasingly wary of her commanding officer - the mysterious Fleet Admiral - desperately searches for a means to save the crumbling Empire from oblivion. Meanwhile, out in the Unknown Regions and the Outer Rim secret plans are being made and the foundation being laid for the Empire's rebirth as the First Order.

''Life Debt'' is the second novel in the ''Aftermath'' Triology by Chuck Wendig, taking place a few short months after the Battle of Akiva. Norra Wexley and her band of rebels are busy hunting down high-ranking Imperials with Admiral Rae Sloane at the top of their list. Sloane, increasingly wary of her commanding officer - the mysterious Fleet Admiral - desperately searches for a means to save the crumbling Empire from oblivion. Meanwhile, out in the Unknown Regions and the Outer Rim secret plans are being made and the foundation being laid for the Empire's rebirth as the First Order.