After years of learning and searching, Luke Skywalker decides that the time has come to found a new Jedi Academy. At the same time, Han Solo is on a failed diplomatic mission to the prison world of Kessel. Misunderstanding Han's intentions, the space forces of Kessel shoot him down and send him and Chewbacca to work in the spice mines. While Luke is out tracking down potential Jedi, Lando Calrissian follows another lead that turns out to be nothing more than a gambling cheat. Han, Chewbacca and the slave Kyp Durron manage to escape from Kessel and flee into the Maw, where they are captured at a forgotten Imperial research facility.Upon learning that Han is missing, Luke and Lando travel to Kessel to see if they can find out what happened to him. Han and his group escape from the Imperial facility by stealing a new Imperial superweapon called the Sun Crusher. As they emerge from the Maw, followed by Admiral Daala's Star Destroyers they find Luke and Lando trying to escape from the same space forces in the Millennium Falcon.
I've always enjoyed this series of books. They're not the best Star Wars books ever written, but they're certainly not the worst either. In this book we are introduced to at least a couple characters that are going to have a huge role to play in the future of the galaxy. While they may not be as fleshed out as they could be, this just gives them a chance to grow later.
