Sometimes it seems a Jedi’s work is never done and Luke and Mara Jade Skywalker know this only too well. Despite the bond they share in the Force, after three years of marriage the Jedi Master and his wife are still learning the ropes of being a couple — and struggling to find time together between the constant demands of duty. But all that will change when they’re united on an unexpected mission — and must pool their exceptional skills to combat an insidious enemy... and salvage a part of Jedi history.

It begins with a message from a surprising source: Nirauan, the planet where Thrawn, dangerous disciple of Emperor Palpatine, once held sway... and from which Luke and Mara barely escaped with their lives. The message itself is shocking. After fifty years, the remains of Outbound Flight — a pioneering Jedi expedition viciously destroyed by Thrawn — have been found on Nirauan. Now, the fiercely honor-bound aliens who reside there wish to turn over the remnants of the doomed mission to the New Republic. Accepting the gesture will mean a long voyage into the treacherous cluster of stars where the thousands of souls aboard the Outbound Flight vessel met their grim fate. But it may also mean something more... something that has stirred an inexplicable sense of foreboding in Mara.

Whatever may await, the Skywalkers will not face it alone. Joining them on the strange and solemn journey are an officer of the post-Palpatine Empire, escorted by a detachment of Imperial stormtroopers; a party of diplomats from a gentle alien species that reveres the fallen Jedi for saving them from bloodthirsty conquerors; and a New Republic ambassador who harbors his own mysterious agenda.

Soon enough, suspicion, secrecy, and an unknown saboteur run rampant aboard the isolated ship. But it is within the derelict walls of Outbound Flight itself, buried for half a century on a desolate planetoid, where the gravest danger lies. As the marooned hulk yields up stunning revelations and unexpected terrors to its visitors, Luke and Mara find all they stand for — and their very existence — brutally challenged. And the ultimate test will be surviving the deathtrap carefully laid by foes who are legendary for their ruthlessness... and determined to complete the job Thrawn began: exterminating the Jedi.

Published
February 2004
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Star Wars

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Star Wars is an epic science fantasy saga created by [author_link_2955].

1976Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker 1978Splinter of the Mind's Eye 1994The Crystal Star 1994The Courtship of Princess Leia 1994The Truce at Bakura 1995Darksaber 1995Children of the Jedi 1995The Illustrated Star Wars Universe 1995Tales from Jabba's Palace 1996The New Rebellion 1996Shadows of the Empire 1996Tales of the Bounty Hunters 1997Planet of Twilight 1998I, Jedi 2000Rogue Planet 2001Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter 2001Cloak of Deception 2002The Approaching Storm 2003Tatooine Ghost 2004Survivor's Quest 2005Labyrinth of Evil 2006Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader 2006Outbound Flight 2007Allegiance 2007Death Star 2008Millennium Falcon 2008The Force Unleashed 2008Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor 2009Death Troopers 2009501st: An Imperial Commando Novel 2010Crosscurrent 2010The Force Unleashed II 2010Red Harvest 2011Knight Errant 2011Choices of One 2011Riptide 2011Shadow Games 2012Darth Plagueis 2012Scourge 2012Scoundrels 2013The Last Jedi 2013Crucible 2013Kenobi 2014Maul: Lockdown 2014A New Dawn 2014Tarkin 2015Heir to the Jedi 2015Lords of the Sith 2015Star Wars: Lost Stars 2016The Force Awakens 2016Bloodline 2016Ahsoka 2016Catalyst 2016Rogue One: A Star Wars Story 2017Star Wars: Rogue One: Junior Novel 2017Star Wars: Rebel Rising 2017Star Wars - On the Front Lines 2017Phasma 2017Leia: Princess of Alderaan 2017From a Certain Point of View 2017The Legends of Luke Skywalker 2017Canto Bight 2018The Last Jedi 2018Last Shot 2018Star Wars: Most Wanted 2018Solo: A Star Wars Story 2019Queen's Shadow 2019Master and Apprentice 2019Dooku: Jedi Lost 2019Resistance Reborn 2020The Rise of Skywalker: Expanded Edition 2020Queen's Peril 2020Poe Dameron: Free Fall 2020From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back 2021Doctor Aphra 2021Queen's Hope 2022Padawan 2022Shadow of the Sith 2022Star Wars: The Princess and the Scoundrel
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