Pencils: Chris Sprouse
Inks: Terry Austin
Colors: James Sinclair
Letters: Steve Dutro
Cover Artist: Ralph McQuarrie, Duncan Fegredo

Enroute to a Rebel conference on Circarpous IV, Princess Leia's Y-wing experiences technical difficulties and she and Luke are forced to crash land on Circarpous V (Mimban). While there, they are recruited by a local named Halla to find the Kaiburr Crystal which can intensify one's connection to the Force. They fall afoul of Captain-Supervisor Grammel, who unintentionally brings down Darth Vader upon them. The story culminates in a battle between Vader and Luke and Leia where Luke manages to cut off Vader's arm but isn't given the chance to finish the job. Luke and Leia, with the Droids and Halla, manage to escape the planet and attend the conference.

This story is unique in that it is the first Expanded Universe novel ever written for Star Wars. As it was written several years before "The Empire Strikes Back" was released, there are certain elements that are amusing to read. There are a several places in the story that discuss a budding romance between Luke and Leia that just read awkwardly to me because I know they are brother and sister, something that wasn't known until much later.

I quite enjoy this story. It is a window into what might have been. If Star Wars hadn't succeeded at the box office, it's possible that this may have been the end of the adventures of Luke Skywalker instead of the beginning. This is a good read with some humor, mystery and a whole lot of action.

This story was originally written by Alan Dean Foster and was later adapted for the illustrated page by Terry Austin.