The latest offering in the ‘Fate of the Jedi’ series. Grand Master Luke Skywalker is still banished and he and his son Ben continue their quest to discover what has been causing young Jedi to flip out and become crazy.

They have discovered a whole planet and culture full of Sith. Ironically they forge an alliance with the Sith in order to address a far more powerful enemy that neither will be able to eliminate alone.

As could be expected there is plenty of intrigue when you add 97 or so capitol ships full of Sith to the mix. The Sith are guaranteed to battle among themselves for supremacy, battle Luke and Ben and everyone else wherever they go.

At the end of the book the alliance is over and there is a new threat rising in the galaxy that could threaten the Galactic Alliance itself.

Meanwhile Galactic leader Natasi Daala is unaware of the new threat and is more concerned about putting down the Jedi and actually have them penned down in the Temple and the Jedi are unable to leave and support Luke and Ben against the rising Sith.       *Top

By Aaron Allston (New York: Random House Pub., 2009, 318 pages)

“Outcast” is the first book in the new Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi series. The war is over, Jacen Solo is dead and gone, and the Galactic Alliance is expanding under leadership of Natasi Daala.

In a move to consolidate her power and to control even the Jedi, Chief of State Daala unleashes a media witch hunt against the Jedi and has Jedi Master Luke Skywalker arrested and charged with negligence for not controlling Jedi Jacen and for standing by and allowing him to rise up and become a Sith lord- Darth Caedus. Luke accepts exile rather than watch the entire Jedi order be disbanded.

Luke does extract a legal right to come back from exile if he is able to account for and explain why he is not responsible for Jacen’s turn to the dark side. This launches Luke and Ben on a journey to seek out and retrace Jacen’s 5 year odyssey seeking alternate force traditions and force users—hoping to find evidence and reasons for Jacen’s change.

Their first stop is the Temple of the Baran Do at Dorin.  At the same time, the Solos along with Allana are having an adventure of their own helping old friend Lando Calrissian save the mining planet of Kessel. Meanwhile, back at Coruscant, Master Kenth Hamner is now in charge of the Jedi order and must deal with a new government order that all Jedi are to be monitored personally by an assigned ‘observer’.

It is an interesting read. Luke and Ben learn a few secrets while with the unwilling Baran Do leaders. Allana is spooked by a force presence from near space trying to communicate with her while on Kessel with the Solos. The Jedi try and cope with tag along observers shadowing their every move and reporting back to the government. Jaina Solo and others find ways to ditch their shadows and get the job done anyway–unobserved.

“Outcast” is the first installment in a series which promises to highlight an on-going struggle between Galactic Chief of State Daala and the Jedi. The Solos will continue to be uncontrollable ‘loose cannons’ in the continuing cold war between the government and the Jedi. Meanwhile, Luke and Ben Skywalker will continue their exiled quest for evidence to exonerate Luke and the rest of the Jedi.  It should be interesting to say the least!