Star Wars: The Crystal Star

Author: Vonda McIntyre

{DAYSSINCEBIRTH(birth=1994-12-01,birthphrase=Release)}{DAYSSINCEBIRTH}

I read: June 19 - June 29, 2007

Non-spoilery short description:

~14 ABY, Leia is on a diplomatic mission when the kids are kidnapped.  Elsewhere, Han and Luke are investigating reports of... something strange in the neighborhood of a black hole, as it were.

Totally spoilery summary:

<table bgcolor=black border=0><tr><td>So Leia's hanging out on Munto Cudro with Jaina, Jacen, Anakin, and Chewbacca, and the kids are kidnapped.  The folks of Munto Cudro believe it's a local matter; apparently political ransom kidnappings are common there.  Leia doesn't buy this, though, and ends up on a search to find them, eventually teaming up with Rillao who she meets in a derelict slave hibernation ship.

Han and Luke are at Crseih Station near a black hole/crystal star pair, on one hand to investigate some mysterious messages they've been getting; on the other hand to get some vacation if the intel is bogus.  Turns out the messages are from Han's old flame Xaverri.  There's a weirdass mancreaturething Waru there who has a nice cult for himself.  People come to be healed; some are, while others are crushed.  He doesn't seem to be using the Force, though.  In fact, being in the area is seeming to stunt Luke's Force abilities, and it's leaving him pretty weak and crabby.

The kids have been stolen by Hethrir, a man who leads Empire Reborn.  He's been kidnapping all sorts of Force-sensitive youngsters and putting them through his forced education program trying to breed himself a group of powerful loyal followers.  Jaina and Jacen don't take this well, and though their abilities are mostly being suppressed by Hethrir are eventually able to escape... somewhat.  They're on a little mobile world, so all they can really do is keep on the run.  Elsewhere Anakin is being cared for by a Force-insensitive youth Tigris who's sort of like a personal servant to Hethrir.  The three of them are off planet during these escape escapades; they're headed to Crseih Station.

Leia and Rillao rescue Jaina, Jacen, and the other kids, and head off to Crseih.  Turns out Tigris is Rillao's kid.  She's a Jedi, though he hasn't the power.  Well... darkish Jedi, I guess; seems to have been a bit of a side project for Vader, but she wasn't so bad.

All the paths meet up on Crseih.  Turns out Waru was a being from another dimension, summoned forth by Hethrir.  He has... anti-Force abilities, and his killing/healing of people is his power to redistribute people's Force.  Hethrir wants him to transfer Anakin's powers to himself, and in exchange will help Waru return from where he came.  Hethrir was the Emperor's Procurator of Justice, another Vader project, mate of Rillao and father to Tigris, unbeknownst to the latter.  In short, the good guys stop the bad guys.  Tigris is pretty brainwashed into thinking Hethrir was pretty great, though, so he's a bit pissed.

The crystal star is getting pulled into the black hole and is going to blow, so everyone gets to evacuating.  R2-D2 uses Crseih Station's hyperdrive whachamajiggers to send it off to New Republic territory.

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