Star Wars: Jedi Academy - Jedi Search

Author: Kevin J. Anderson {DAYSSINCEBIRTH(birth=1994-02-01,birthphrase=Release)}{DAYSSINCEBIRTH} I read: May 27 - June 4, 2007 Non-spoilery short description:

~11 ABY, Luke wants to find Jedi candidates to train, Han and Leia's toddlers return from hiding, and Han and Chewbacca go to Kessel on a diplomatic mission. Hilarity does not ensue.

Totally spoilery summary:

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|<td>As part of a reconstruction/demolition effort, Wedge runs into an old Imperial torture facility, that also has some old Jedi detection devices which Luke finds useful for his plans. He also inadvertently discovers a simple mental test to perform on someone to determine what sort of Force powers they may hold. After going over his plans with the Senate, he heads off to look for his first candidates. The first is Gantoris, living on a shitty doomed world, who joins him after Luke proves himself worthy. The rest of the people on the shitty doomed planet eventually get shipped off to the relative paradise of Dantooine. The other candidate is Streen, a sort of hermit living in the skies of Bespin, who avoids people because their thoughts intrude on his mind. 
<p>Elsewhere, Leia is receiving Jacen and Jaina from Winter, who'd been their primary caretaker while they hid at an undisclosed location for the first two years of their life. The kids don't take to the transition very well. Baby Anakin remains with Winter. 
<p>Elsewhere, Han and Chewbacca are off to the spice planet Kessel, hoping to establish good relations before some remnant of the Empire does. Unfortunately, they get shot down by the wary folk running the planet now, including Moruth Doole, who has a grudge against Solo for things that properly aren't his fault. Anyway, once they realize they're there for legitimate reasons... they think their odds would be better getting rid of them and sweeping everything under the rug. Han and Chewie end up working the spice mines, where they meet a veteran/kid Kyp Durron, whose family had pissed off the Empire years before, and was still stuck in the same position when power changed. After some troubles with more crazy monsters, they escape on a shitty old Imperial shuttle. Kyp has some Force abilities, and even though their navicomputer is too slow to plot a decent course, he flies them through the dangerous Maw of black holes near Kessel. They try to rest at a safe spot in the middle... and get caught by some 4 Imperial Star Destroyers that had been hanging out there for 11 years waiting for further instructions. Admiral Daala runs the place, ex-subordinate and lover of Moff Tarkin. They developed the Death Star there, and their new toy is the Sun Crusher. Yadda yadda yadda, Han/Chewie/Kyp escape with the aid of Qwi Xux, one of the head scientists who'd previously been fooling herself into believing the awful things were put to good use, due to the traumatic learning experiences that got her into that spot. They escape with the Sun Crusher, a smallish near impervious craft that can make a sun go nova. On the way out they take out one of the Star Destroyers. 
<p>Elsewhere, Lando has lost his Nkklon place and has nothing to do, so he agrees to go check out another potential Jedi candidate that Threepio and Artoo have found. Turns out Dack/Tymmo is just winning these bets because he's a blob cheat, but Lando gets promised part of a reward for helping find him. Returning and learning that Han is missing, he and Luke go off to try and find them. Posing as potential investors, they get Doole to show them around the spice operation until they run into some definitive proof; the Millenium Falcon. Causing a bit of a scene there, they try to escape with the Falcon; I guess Lando loses his ship Lady Luck. Anyway, the navicomputer is gone, so their plan is to try and hide out in the Maw. 
<p>The escape attempts of Han's gang and Lando's gang collide. The good guys make it out of there aiding each other with their navigation troubles, while the hodgepodge forces of Kessel do poorly against the newly emerged Star Destroyers. 
<p>Han's back, they've got a new weapon to check out, Lando finds himself with a million credit reward, and Luke's got several Jedi candidates to be teaching on their new isolated spot at the old Yavin 4 base. Sequel awaits.</td></tr>

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Followed by Star Wars: Jedi Academy - Dark Apprentice.