Emissary of the Void

Star Wars: The New Jedi Order #8.5

by Greg Keyes

This was originally a six-part serial published in two Star Wars periodicals. The first three parts appeared in Star Wars Gamer magazine, issues 8, 9 and 10. The final three parts appeared in Star Wars Insider magazine, issues 62, 63 and 64.

Genres: Star Wars, Science Fiction, Fiction, Short Stories, Fantasy, Childrens, Ebooks

169 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Gregory Keyes is a writer of science fiction and fantasy who has written both original and media-related novels under both the names J. Gregory Keyes and "Greg Keyes".

Greg Keyes was born in to a large, diverse, storytelling family. He received degrees in anthropology from Mississippi State and the University of Georgia before becoming a fulltime writer.
He lives in Savannah, Georgia.

Reviews

[Jim C · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is part of the Star Wars Legends universe and takes place during the Vong war. This was published in six different issues of two different magazines. In this one, a rescue crew comes upon a Jedi who is under attack. Next thing they know they are in the middle of a grand adventure.

I was totally surprised how much I enjoyed this short story. I wish this was a full novel and I believe this might have been one of the better ones in this series. This novel had several things going for it. I liked the characters as they fit in perfectly with the state of the universe now. It also touches upon several themes like not being good enough in a certain specialty or turning dark because of rejection. Even in this short story we have a spaceship battle and a lightsaber duel. I was amazed so much was jam packed into this story. This is also why I couldn't give this five stars. There was so much and at times the pace was too fast. This really would have been a five star rating if it was a complete novel.

Every now and then a story completely surprises you and this did for me. I only read this because I am a completionist. After reading this I am glad of my stubborn ways and making me read this story. It was fun and captured the spirit of this universe.

[Bernard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, did it really take me a year and 10 months to read this story? Well, no, not really, but since I decided to read it "old school," and I have a lot of other stories to read, I didn't really set out to read it all at once. Step one: acquire the original six magazine issues wherein this story was first originally published. Step two: start reading them. But wait! I actually had a few other magazine issues before the ones containing this story. So: read those first! Step three: Actually start reading them. But wait! I didn't want to just read the story segments. I read the magazine cover to cover! Yes, that's right! It's all about Episode II: Attack of the Clones! Some other stuff related to New Jedi Order was sprinkled in. I really enjoyed the collector's articles. Blast from the past! Step four: Actually remember to finish reading them. Yes, after I'd read a magazine, I'd read something else for a while. Step five: Write it up on goodreads!

Ok so 22 months later, I finished. I can see why this story was extracted from the novel where it was originally supposed to appear. It's a nice self-contained story with 95% new characters, but dovetails nicely with the themes of "new" ways to experience/use the Force that Jacen and Luke and Mara and Kyp and Jaina are exploring in the novels. I give it bonus points for using Jedi Master Ikrit! Who is he, you ask? Why, if you'd read the six Junior Jedi Knights books for super young readers you would know! He's a furry little white Jedi who goes into stasis for eons only to be released on Yavin 4 by Anakin Solo and Tahiri during their time at Uncle Luke's Jedi Academy. I love it when stories interconnect!

The story itself: the characters were varied (as they should be given this is a wide galaxy full of aliens) and interesting, and the mysterious new Jedi they encounter round out this crew and their Jedi-exfiltrating adventures.

From a New Jedi Order perspective, this isn't an essential story to track down and read, but from a true Star Wars fan, what are you waiting for? Go to eBay and track down Star Wars Gamer magazine issues 8, 9 and 10, and Star Wars Insider magazine issues 62, 63 and 64. Then read it, old school, like me, and increase the prowess of your super Jedi credentials, while at the same time you find a new way to enjoy the saga of the New Jedi Order series. Now... on to the next book in the series: Refugee: Force Heretic II.

P.S. Bonus coolness. I just found out that Greg Keyes has agreed to come to MY local independent used book store for an autograph signing. He probably thinks he'll be there to talk and promote his newest novel series. Little does he know that there will be one guy in attendance who will be bringing Keyes' three Star Wars Novels and six Star Wars magazines for him to sign. (Or laugh at, given this proof of Star Wars fanaticism!)

[Graham Barrett · Rating 2 out of 5]

(Read in 2004, review from 2025)

Read the final few parts of this as a kid with hardly any context as I hadn't read any of the New Jedi Order books (I knew of the Vong at least). So I was out of the loop with no context for most of this which limited my enjoyment. Still having previously read content summarizing NJO that made the Vong seem unstoppable, it was nice in this book to see the residents of A Galaxy Far Far Away wrack up a win against the Vong. When I get to the NJO books finally as an adult I might give this another go.

[Jesse Fleet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bit all over the place. Really good in some areas, and other areas left me thinking "Really?"

[Meggie · Rating 2 out of 5]

For 2021, I decided to reread Del Rey’s first attempt at a multi-author book series in the Star Wars universe: The New Jedi Order, which was published between 1999 and 2003. This shakes out to 19 novels, two eBook novellas, three short stories, and a tangentially-related prequel era novel.

This week’s focus: “Emissary of the Void,” a six-part serial story by Greg Keyes.

SOME HISTORY:

Unlike Recovery by Troy Denning or Ylesia by Walter Jon Williams, “Emissary of the Void” is the only New Jedi Order tale not to be fully collected in print, or released as an eBook. The first three parts of “Emissary of the Void” were released in Star Wars Gamer issues 8-10, and after Gamer ended, the final three parts were published in Star Wars Insider issues 62-64. The first half of the story was made freely available online at StarWars.com before the second half appeared in Star Wars Insider--and all six chapters were later reprinted online for the now-defunct Hyperspace fan club.

MY RECOLLECTION OF THE SERIAL:

Like Recovery, I never read this story before! I was aware of both Star Wars Gamer and the Star Wars Insider and bought issues from both magazines, but somehow missed out on Keyes’s story.

A BRIEF SUMMARY:

Set during the Yuuzhan Vong War, the story revolves around rescue pilot Uldir Lochett and his crew on the No Luck Required, and their run-ins with the Jedi Klin-Fa Gi.

Disclaimer:

“Emissary of The Void” begins after Edge of Victory I: Conquest with the first four parts taking place before Edge of Victory II: Rebirth. The final two parts of “Emissary of the Void” weave their way throughout the events of Rebirth. (I would read “Emissary of the Void” after Rebirth but before Star by Star.)

The Good:
—We previously saw Uldir Lochett in the prologue to Edge of Victory I: Conquest, and as with his fellows from the Junior Jedi Knights series, I loved getting to see him again. Uldir has a very vague Force sense--mostly limited to useful hunches--and can’t actively use the Force at all. But like Han Solo, he is ridiculously lucky, and things usually turn out well for him. I also found it interesting to follow a character who is not actively seeking combat; instead of joining a starfighter squadron, Uldir uses his flying talents in other, more peaceful ways.
—I really enjoyed the crew of the No Luck Required, particularly Leaft the Dug and Vook Gehu the Duros. Vook has a lot of anger to work through regarding the Vong’s conquest of Duro, and I like when the NJO delves into various survivors’ feelings of rage or regret or guilt. And Leaft is an equal opportunity pessimist and xenophobe, but he also can shoot blasters from all four of his hand-feet. What a delight!

The Meh:
—I wish that we had seen more of the No Luck Required’s missions or usual jobs. They’re rescue pilots, working directly for the Jedi Order, and I think it might have been interesting to see them working within the scope of their duties--so instead of Klin-Fa literally jumping into their lives and disrupting everything, having them actively trying to help and safely extract her from Bonadan while Klin-Fa operates under her own (mostly hidden) set of parameters.
--I also wish that the revelations about Klin-Fa Gi and Yabeley and Bey Gandan hadn’t been something revealed in Part 6--or at least, that their presence and importance in each other’s lives had been established earlier. I just didn’t care about their relationship nuances, and the revelation that Bey had fallen to the Dark Side and was actively working with the Yuuzhan Vong should have been examined more!
--The romance subplot was so awkward and unnecessary. Tired of love triangles? How about a love pentagon! Vega has a crush on Uldir, who has a crush on Klin-Fa, who had some mutual relationship with Yabeley which alienated Bey Gandan. It added extraneous drama to the story, and Uldir and Klin-Fa’s interactions were blundering and cringey. I usually like romance subplots, but this one could have been easily excised from the story without losing much.

My Verdict:

Like Recovery, I enjoyed that “Emissary of the Void” gave us a glimpse into a different side of the Yuuzhan Vong invasion--in this case, part of Luke Skywalker’s “Great River” scheme as well as the Vong’s attempted sabotage of the bacta on Thyferra. I just wish that the Jedi characters had been more fleshed out—it’s hard to root for or against them when we’ve just met them!--and the romance subplot was truly cringe-worthy.


Next up: the third hardcover release in the New Jedi Order series, Star by Star by Troy Denning.

My YouTube review: https://youtu.be/ihaM6N5n6EA

Scanned pdf of all six parts of “Emissary of the Void”: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hsxO...

[Oliver · Rating 3 out of 5]

What's the trouble?
Nothing much. We're just falling into a black hole.

After Star Wars: Chewbacca, Rogue Planet, and Recovery, we come to Emissary of the Void - the fourth in a series of New Jedi Order tie-in material I want to look at as part of this ongoing NJO-era read through. Written by Greg Keyes and published in six parts in the Star Wars Gamer (1-3) and Star Wars Insider (4-6) magazines, this novella, unlike its aforementioned "brethren", has never been officially released outside its initial publication. A shame, as EotV is a fun Star Wars adventure which brings some much needed levity to the NJO's depressing midpoint.

One of the New Jedi Order's most defining aspects is its dedication to bringing back a lot of the scattershot concepts from the Bantam era, and Emissary of the Void might just be the most fascinating evidence of that. Instead of focusing on the SkySolo clan or other prestigious EU characters like Corran Horn, it gives what is for all intents and purposes a D-list character the spotlight: Uldir Lochett. Originally appearing in the Junior Jedi Knights series as a colleague of Anakin Solo's, Uldir wished to attend Luke Skywalker's jedi academy but, due to his apparent innate lack in aptitude in the force, ultimately became a rescue pilot instead. The new, grown up Uldir we see in this novella might not be as sassy as he used to be (which I don't mind, as you wouldn't expect even young adults to behave like they did as a teenager) but nevertheless makes for a compelling lead. Uldir and his crew of pilots - a snippy Corellian, a racist Dug, and a Duros with an inner darkness to himself - are a fun cast of characters, perfect for this pulpy side story. I think that tone, established on the outset, is what makes Emissary as enjoyable as it is - much like the escapist EU stories of the 20th century, it is only interested in giving you a good time.

Of course, there is still a central conflict in this story: A rogue jedi, Klin-Fa Gi, is trying to foil a dastardly YV plan having to do with the planet of Thyferra when she comes across Uldir; an unlikely alliance is formed. I can't help but wonder if the direction Keyes went with her might not have been a bit redundant. It turns out that Klin-Fa's erratic, angry behavior against the Vong is motivated by her past relationship with another jedi who was murdered by them. Given that Octa Ramis' backstory is the exact same - having lost her love Miko Reglia in the war and now ostensibly being on the edge - have fit this role better than this new character? She's a decent character of her own but it's a shame that Octa remains a faceless name for now. The main conflict itself is, again, what you'd expect from an older EU work: an evil plan that could have dire consequences for the entire galaxy, the consequences of which will probably never play a role again. Awesome. The only true weak link is the main villain, who ends up a forgettable caricature, ridiculous in his motives and forgettable due to a lack of page time. Oh well. A fun romp it was, nevertheless.

Emissary of the Void is neither a high point of, nor an essential read for the New Jedi Order series, but it doesn't try to be either of those things. It's a pulpy, feel-good Star Wars adventure that grants us an unlikely look into the SW galaxy during the Yuuzhan Vong war, featuring an even more unlikely protagonist. In short, it is exactly what it tries to be, which is just a fun big of escapism.

[Elwin Kline · Rating 2 out of 5]

"It was okay." - 2 out of 5 star rating.

This has to be quite possibly the strangest entry in all of Star Wars that I have read. First off, you have to piece this together in chunks, as the story as a whole was delivered in separate parts, also known as a "six-part serialized epic." Which... epic is definitely not the word I would use to describe this.

Bottom line is that it is simply too short and feels like an unneeded and unnecessary contribution to The New Jedi Order (NJO) aka Yuuzhan Vong War book trilogy.

This honestly shouldn't even be considered a "book", but more so a collection of magazine articles linked together.

The only reason why I am giving this +1 and as such is listed as a 2-star rating, is there is weaponized-black holes in this... which is pretty awesome. Outside of that, nothing whatsoever pulled me in while reading 'Emissary of the Void.'

Looking forward to Star by Star, coming up next.

[luciddreamer99 · Rating 4 out of 5]

An exceptional story that only suffers for a few typographical errors. I find myself wanting to read more from these characters, but maybe their story is a finite one. The EU Star Wars stories are relegated to out-of-canon status, but there are still nuggets like this one in there that are worth reading. Recommended for any Star Wars fan.

[Adam Kiewel · Rating 3 out of 5]

the emphasis on the JJK series is what im happiest about with Keyes stories. for whatever reason, so much of what came before was more or less ignored until his entries. outside of that, this 6 part story really didn't do much. I'll give him credit for keeping me guessing though

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

A classic pulp adventure story. Has the feel of what inspired Star Wars, while taking a pretty unlikable character from the junior Jedi knights books and making him pretty great.

[Jaime K · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short story focused on Uldir, which is great seeing as he popped up in the NJO with almost no introduction. This IS his introduction.

On a mission he ends up finding a girl named Klin-Fa Gi. She’s a Jedi on a mission for Luke--or so she claims. Uldir senses something off when she uses the Force, and it’s obvious the story is leading her to be the antagonist.

I really like the lines about how the Force needs to be balanced and the way that Klin-Fa is behaving gives Uldir a sense of unbalance.

The constant focus on her attractiveness and OhHeyTheySpooned[ForWarmth] was super annoying.
It’s also annoying that she doesn’t take the time to listen to Uldir. She scoffs when he says he’s a good pilot and just runs ahead without caution. I just want to kick her in the face (and more so later on).

She’s being chased by Corporate Sector security, and there’s a Yuuzhan Vong on the team. Through luck, the Force, and Uldir’s crew, the two manage to get away safely.
I like the crew. It consists of a human with platinum hair named Vega; a Dug named Leaft; and a Duro named Vook.
Even they sense something off about Klin-Fa.

I like the conversion between the crew about why she might be “on a mission” to Wayland, which includes Luke’s response to their query about if Klin-Fa is who she says she is.
She also wants to find her friend Bey, who carries a secret that is to her most important.

On Wayland, Uldir meets a few different beings who are “primitive” but “not stupid.” I love that this is brought up, because it aligns with even more recent non-fiction about what it means to be “civilized.”

I like Klin-Fa’s explanation (speculation?) as to why the Vong are on Wayland is interesting.

The lust triangle is ridiculous. After knowing her for a few days AND after her deception, Uldir still finds Klin-Fa attractive and then she randomly kisses him. When he tells Vega that he’s glad Bey was found but not that she was in a coma, Vega immediately responds that he sounds dumb. Maybe he’s sputtering, but it’s an odd statement after what he says.

Leaft’s reaction to the kiss is bloody hilarious.

Bey’snsecret had to do with the bacta issue in Thyferra, and getting this additional info is quite interesting.

The art in the three Insider issues is a bit off-putting. In the 4th episode, the image is of Uldir and Klin-Fa; in the 5th, it’s Uldir and his crew, but instead of Vega there is an image of Klin-Fa. Why? The last is essentially just of Klin-Fa.

[Joseph · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow, what a struggle to get through and a little harsh with the 1 star, but I wasn't a huge fan. It takes place as a back story with a minor character when the Vong War is happening. Of course completely unnecessary to do, but it was done... Having the love/romance sort of triangle thing going on was dumb.

I found the story online free. If someone wants to read let me know.

One thing in reading this series is that I am less certain this invasion really could be pulled off for a lot of reasons. The galaxy is huge right? Well how many warriors do they really have to be in all these planets. In the beginning it seemed like these warriors were incredible hard to defeat one on one even my the Jedi. Then later in the books the Jedi, well the Solo kids are killing them in battle, and now everyone seems to be doing this. If that is the case there are billions upon billions of people that could fight against them and take some out. This series is starting to feel like the Walking Dead where you are thinking how many more Dead are there out there...

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novella first appeared in Star Wars Insider as a six-part serial about the adventures of Uldir Lochett and his crew of "rescue pilots". Together with a troubled Jedi, Klin-Fa Gi, they try to thwart a devastating Yuuzhan Vong plan to destroy the Republic. The short piece was touted as being the third part Greg Keyes' "Edge of Victory" series, and nicely fills in some of the gap between it and the next full length novel, " Star by Star". I really enjoyed these new characters, in particular the Dug, Leaft, and hope they appear again in further Star Wars novels

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed the story and the characters. I rarely give Star Wars tale five stars. I wanted to read more about these characters, their interactions, and their shenanigans.

[Zan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review on Twitter

https://twitter.com/serswjm/status/12...

(Spoilers)

[Nick Schuessler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short story is amazing, it’s a beautiful send off for a minor character of the Junior jedi knights books

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The love square/romance/jealousy side of the plot is so stupid and unnecessary it makes me want to scream. And the way things end makes the entire exercise in reading this feel pointless.