Children of the Jedi (novel)

Children of the Jedi is a Star Wars Legends bestselling novel written by Barbara Hambly and published by Bantam Spectra in April 1995. The novel is set several months after The Jedi Academy Trilogy. It is the first volume of an informal trilogy involving ex–Jedi Knight Callista Ming. The next book in the cycle is Darksaber (1995) by Kevin J. Anderson, followed by Planet of Twilight (1997), also written by Hambly. 
An audio version narrated by Anthony Heald was released in 2007.
==Publisher's summary==
===Hardcover===
Princess Leia, Han Solo, and Chewbacca set out on a mission vital to the survival of the fragile New Republic. They are searching for the long-lost children of the Jedi, a quest that takes them to the once vibrant stronghold of Belsavis—a nearly forgotten frozen world. Leia has heard tales of a Jedi exodus from the dark crypts below the planet's surface. She has also heard that since the time of the exodus no one entering the crypts has returned alive.
Halfway across the galaxy, Luke Skywalker has undertaken an equally dangerous expedition that, if it fails, could have fatal consequences for Leia, Han, and Chewbacca. Haunted by ominous dreams and guided by a force he cannot identify, Luke journeys to a remote asteroid field over the planet Pzob. There he discovers the automated Dreadnaught Eye of Palpatine—from the days of all-out war.
Camouflaged deep within a nebulous gas cloud and dormant for thirty years, Eye of Palpatine is governed by a super-sophisticated artificial intelligence system known as the Will. Taken aboard the Dreadnaught, Luke is counseled by the spirit of Callista, a Jedi Knight who gave her life to stop the ship once before. Now Luke must learn from her how to destroy it once and for all. The Will has awakened. The Eye of Palpatine is on the move. Its mission: the total annihilation of Belsavis.
The mystery of the crypts, the invincible power of the Will, the lost Jedi, and the burgeoning passion between Luke and Callista come together in the stunning climax of Children of the Jedi—the latest chapter in the magnificent Star Wars saga.
===Paperback===
The chronicle of the dazzling universe of George Lucas's blockbuster Star Wars films soars to new heights as the Republic faces its greatest challenge yet in…
Children of the Jedi
Princess Leia, Han Solo, and Chewbacca set out on a mission vital to the survival of the fragile New Republic. They are searching for the long-lost children of the Jedi on the frozen world of Belsavis, from whose dark crypts no one has returned alive. Halfway across the galaxy, Luke Skywalker is on an equally dangerous mission. Taken aboard the enemy Dreadnaught Eye of Palpatine, Luke must find a way to destroy the automated ship before it completes the mission encoded into its super-sophisticated artificial intelligence system: the total annihilation of Belsavis. To succeed, Luke will need the help of the spirit of the Jedi Knight Callista, who gave her life to stop the ship once before. The mystery of the crypts, the invincible power of the Dreadnaught, the lost Jedi, and the burgeoning passion between Luke and Callista come together in a stunning climax worthy of the magnificent Star Wars saga.
==Plot summary==
Twelve years after the Battle of Endor, Princess Leia, her family, and several other New Republic representatives visit Ithor to attend the Time of Meeting, an event that occurs once every three years. During the event, they are accosted by Drub McKumb, an old acquaintance of Han Solo who appears to have gone insane. From his mad ravings, they learn about the Children of the Jedi and the planet where they were hidden, Belsavis. Along with Luke Skywalker are two of his new students, Cray Mingla and Nichos Marr, who were part of the Children. While exploring Nichos' mind for more information, Luke uncovers coordinates leading to the Moonflower Nebula. The trio, accompanied by C-3PO, decide to explore these coordinates while Leia, Han, Chewbacca and R2-D2 head to Belsavis.
During the exploration of the Moonflower Nebula, the ship loaned to Luke, the Huntbird, is attacked by plasma bolts from what appears to be an asteroid base hidden deep in the nebula. This asteroid turns out to be the automated Dreadnaught Eye of Palpatine, one of the Galactic Empire's first functional superweapon. Forced to crash-land on Pzob, a primitive planet colonized by Gamorreans, the group meets Triv Pothman, a former Stormtrooper stranded since 18 BBY. They become embroiled into the conflict between the rival Gamorrean tribes Klagg and Gakfedd before being captured and brainwashed into believing they are Imperial stormtroopers by the Eye. Luke discovers that the Dreadnaught, reactivated after being stopped 30 years earlier by Jedi Callista Masana and Geith Eris, was designed to destroy the Children of the Jedi. On the way, the ship's artificial intelligence, The Will picks up sentient beings from various species, including Talz, Affytechans, Jawas, Kitonaks, Tusken Raiders, Tripods, and Gamorreans. Luke must now find a way to stop the Will and save all the kidnapped beings. He will encounter Callista whose spirit has been trapped in the ship's data banks since her ill-fated mission and the two quickly develop a close relationship.
Meanwhile, Han Solo and Princess Leia investigate the fate of the Children of the Jedi in the domed community of Plawal. They uncovers a vast tunnel network and a conspiracy led by former Emperor's Hand Roganda Ismaren, who plans to establish her son Irek as the new Emperor. Irek, who had a subelectronic converter installed into his brain, can use it to control droids and computers through the Force. Roganda's plan involves using Irek's abilities to control the Eye of Palpatine to impress the powerful lords of the Juvex and Senex sectors and use the superweapon as well as their wealth and influence to turn the tides of the civil war.
However, the plot is foiled when Luke, Cray, Nichos, and Callista manage to destroy the Dreadnaught, resulting in the deaths of Nichos and Cray. In the end, Callista's spirit is revived in Cray's body, as Cray, not wishing to live without Nichos, willingly relinquishes it.
== Development ==
Callista Ming was originally intended to be "the great love of Luke Skywalker's life," as part of an assignment from Lucasfilm to author Barbara Hambly. However, fan reaction over the character Mara Jade from the Thrawn Trilogy had become such that Lucasfilm decided that Skywalker and Jade would ultimately end up together.Wookieepedia interview with Kevin J. Anderson As such, Anderson worked with Hambly to find a way to slowly write Ming out over the course of the next novels, Darksaber and Planet of Twilight, without killing off the character.
==Continuity ==
There is conflicting information on when the story takes place; Various statements within the text date it to 11, 12, and 13 ABY. However, it is officially set in 12 ABY. It says Leia's is "not quite thirty," although in 12 ABY, she would be thirty-one years old.
The novel (along with Darksaber) states that the Clone Wars ended prior to the Great Jedi Purge, and implies that Order 66 may not have been issued until after Palpatine became Galactic Emperor. The prequel trilogy would not definitively establish this chronology for another ten years.
Dannik Jerriko is spelled "Danik Jericho," SoroSuub is spelled "Sorosub," and "Seinar Corporation" was likely intended to be Santhe/Sienar Technologies. Thrawn was said to have been a High Admiral, and the X-34 landspeeder is called a T-70. Furthermore, it's stated that Luke Skywalker destroyed the Sun Crusher, when in fact it was Kyp Durron, and that Luke felt the Destruction of Carida through the Force, while in Champions of the Force he was unconscious at that time.
The character of Triv Pothman and the other stormtroopers scheduled to be deployed aboard the Eye of Palpatine comes into conflict with the later clone troopers of the prequel trilogy; however, they may be early non-clone recruits or GeNode clones.
Finally, there are issues with the description of the members of the Jedi Order as depicted here, specifically their decentralized structure and acceptance of family and relationship ties. Other than brief statements that Plett and Djinn Altis belonged to a "rogue" sect as mentioned in Callista's entry in The New Essential Guide to Characters, this issue has been retconned in Karen Traviss's The Clone Wars: No Prisoners, which details this rogue sect in full.
==Legacy ==
Callista Ming would make subsequent appearances in Karen Traviss' novels Order 66: A Republic Commando Novel and The Clone Wars: No Prisoners. The character would also play a more important role in the Fate of the Jedi series.
The characters of Roganda and Irek Ismaren would make another appearance in the New Jedi Order novel The New Jedi Order: Enemy Lines II: Rebel Stand.
==Media==
===Editions===
* and ; Bantam Spectra, May 1995, 345-page hardcover
*; 1995; Bantam Spectra; US hardcover, Science Fiction Book Club edition Children of the Jedi, Science Fiction Book Club edition
*; Random House Audio, May 1995, Abridged cassette
*; Random House Audio, May 1995, Cassette
*, , and ; Bantam Spectra, June 1996, 409-page paperback
*; Sagebrush Corporation, June 1996, School/Library binding
*; Bantam Doubleday Dell Audio Publishing, 1995, two cassettes
*; June 28, 2011; Del Rey; US eBook
===Cover gallery===
File:COTJ-FC.jpg|Full cover art
File:ChildrenJedi HC.jpg|Hardcover
File:ChildrenJedi audio.jpg|Audio book
File:ChildrenJedi Dutch.jpg|Dutch - Kinderen van de Jedi
File:ChildrenJedi De 2.jpg|German hardcover - Palpatines Auge
File:ChildrenJedi De.jpg|German paperback
File:ChildrenJedi Pl.jpg|Polish - Dzieci Jedi
File:ChildrenJedi Es.jpg|Spanish - Los hijos de los Jedi
File:Children of the Jedi ru.jpg|Russian - Дети джедаев
==Appearances==
==Sources==
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*The Essential Reader's Companion
*Star Wars Year By Year: A Visual History, New Edition
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==Notes and references==
==External links==
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Category:Legends novels