Outbound Flight is a novel set in the Star Wars

Star Wars

Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...

galaxy

Star Wars Galaxy

Star Wars Galaxy may mean:* Star Wars Galaxies, a Star Wars themed MMORPG platform for Microsoft Windows* Star Wars galaxy, the fictional galaxy where the setting of the Star Wars saga occurs...

 that was released on January 31, 2006. It is written by Timothy Zahn

Timothy Zahn

Timothy Zahn is a writer of science fiction short stories and novels. His novella Cascade Point won the 1984 Hugo award. He is the author of nine Star Wars Expanded Universe novels, including seven novels featuring Grand Admiral Thrawn: the Thrawn Trilogy, the Hand of Thrawn duology, Outbound...

, bestselling author of the popular Thrawn Trilogy

The Thrawn trilogy

The Thrawn trilogy, also known as the Heir to the Empire trilogy, is a series of best-selling novels written by Timothy Zahn. The novels are set in the Expanded Universe of the Star Wars galaxy approximately five years after the events depicted in the film Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the...

, to which this novel is a prequel

Prequel

A prequel is a work that supplements a previously completed one, and has an earlier time setting.The widely recognized term was a 20th-century neologism, and a portmanteau from pre- and sequel...

. The book was released by Del Rey

Del Rey Books

Del Rey Books is a branch of Ballantine Books, which is owned by Random House and, in turn since 1998, by Bertelsmann AG. It is a separate imprint established in 1977 under the editorship of author Lester del Rey and his wife Judy-Lynn del Rey. It specializes in science fiction and fantasy...

, first in hardcover, then in paperback in January 2007. The cover art is by Dave Seeley.

Story

The book, which is set five years after Star Wars—Episode I: The Phantom Menace

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace is a 1999 American epic space opera film written and directed by George Lucas. It is the fourth film to be released in the Star Wars saga, as the first of a three-part prequel to the original Star Wars trilogy, as well as the first film in the saga in terms...

, tells the story of the mysterious Outbound Flight Project mentioned in Heir to the Empire

Heir to the Empire

Heir to the Empire is the first book in a trilogy of novels known as The Thrawn Trilogy, all written by Timothy Zahn.-Description:The book is set five years after the events of Return of the Jedi...

, Specter of the Past

Specter of the Past

Specter of the Past is the first of the two Hand of Thrawn novels by Timothy Zahn. Chronologically, it is the fourth in the Thrawn series.-Setting:...

, Vision of the Future

Vision of the Future

Vision of the Future is the second of the two Hand of Thrawn novels by Timothy Zahn. This, the final book written by Zahn that relates to Grand Admiral Thrawn, takes place 10 years after The Last Command, in 19 ABY.-Summary:...

, and Survivor's Quest

Survivor's Quest

Survivor's Quest is a 2004 novel set in the Star Wars galaxy. The book was written by Timothy Zahn, and is the eighth, and, chronologically, the final book in his eight-book Thrawn series.-Setting:...

.

Characters

Characters featured in the novel include:

• Palpatine
  Palpatine
  Palpatine is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the Star Wars saga, portrayed by Ian McDiarmid in the feature films.Palpatine first appeared as the unnamed Emperor of the Galactic Empire in the 1980 film Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back...
  
  
• Kinman Doriana
• Commander Mitth'raw'nuruodo/Thrawn
  Grand Admiral Thrawn
  Grand Admiral Thrawn is a fictional character and major antagonist from the Star Wars galaxy. He first appeared in Timothy Zahn's Thrawn trilogy, published between 1992 and 1994...
  
  
• Admiral Ar'alani
• Aristocra Chaf'orm'bintrano
• Syndic Mitth'ras'safis
• Jedi Master Jorus C'baoth
• Jedi Knight Lorana Jinzler
• Obi-Wan Kenobi
  Obi-Wan Kenobi
  Obi-Wan Kenobi is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe. He is one of several primary characters in the Star Wars series. Along with Darth Vader, R2-D2, and C-3PO, he is one of the few major characters to appear in all six Star Wars films...
  
  
• Anakin Skywalker
• Jorj Car'das
• Dubrak "Rak" Qennto
• Maris Ferasi

External links

• The official Star Wars site's "First Look"
• Podcast - TFN
  TFN
  TFN is a three-letter abbreviation that can mean:* Thanks for Nothing , multiple uses* Tallahassee Free Net, Internet Service Provider for Florida, Georgia, and Alabama.* The Fight Network MMA digital cable television channel...
  
   podcast including Timothy Zahn
  Timothy Zahn
  Timothy Zahn is a writer of science fiction short stories and novels. His novella Cascade Point won the 1984 Hugo award. He is the author of nine Star Wars Expanded Universe novels, including seven novels featuring Grand Admiral Thrawn: the Thrawn Trilogy, the Hand of Thrawn duology, Outbound...
  
  talking about his upcoming Outbound Flight novel

• Official CargoBay Listing