by Jason Fry
The stable doors were open and the stars blazed in Cantonica’s night sky, above the racetrack. Temiri kept sweeping, but it felt like the stars were calling to him. The strokes of his broom slowed, then stopped. He looked down at the ring on his finger that the woman he’d helped had given him, the souvenir he’d managed to hide from Bargwill so far.
Studying the rebel insignia, he wondered what had happened to her. Maybe she was having her own adventures out there, among the stars. Like the ones Temiri kept telling Arashell that they’d have one day.
As he stared up at the stars, the boy absentmindedly turned the broom in his hands until he held it at his side, like a lightsaber.
Jedi Master Luke Skywalker has hidden away on the remote planet of Ahch-To for years. When young scavenger Rey comes to ask for his help, Luke refuses her, believing the galaxy is better off without him.
The First Order is invading the galaxy, and only the Resistance stands in their way. When the evil army attacks, Poe Dameron and BB-8 race to their X-wing to protect the Resistance fleet.
General Leia Organa has always led the Resistance against the First Order. But after a devastating attack, Vice Admiral Holdo is forced to take command. Although Leia and Holdo have been friends since childhood, they have very different styles of leadership.
Worried about their new leader, Poe sends technician Rose Tico and former stormtrooper Finn on a secret mission. Their quest takes them to the beautiful and deadly city of Canto Bight. There they meet a skilled codebreaker called DJ who can help them with their mission.
On Ahch-To, Luke finally agrees to train Rey in the ways of the Force. But a surprising connection to Kylo Ren causes Rey to doubt Luke and his vision for the Jedi.
Rey leaves Ahch-To and travels to the First Order fleet to confront Kylo and save the Resistance.
Meanwhile, Finn and Rose board the same Mega-class Star Destroyer and fight against their First Order foes.
The battle of Resistance vs. First Order culminates on the planet of Crait, where First Order AT-M6s and Resistance ski speeders face off above the ancient salt flats.
Rey uses her formidable Force abilities to rescue the Resistance and lead them to freedom. Although the First Order continues to grow in strength, the Resistance now has a powerful Jedi on their side and hope for a better future.
This book exists because Rian Johnson wrote a wonderful story and was so generous about letting me goof around with it. Properly expressing my thanks would demand at least a short story’s worth of words. Thank you Ram Bergman for helping so many trains run on time. And, of course, none of this would have happened without George Lucas and Kathleen Kennedy.
Carrie Fisher taught me and every Star Wars fan so much about life, love, and loss. May this book honor her memory.
At Del Rey, I’m enormously grateful for my kind, patient, funny editor, Elizabeth Schaefer, who I promise to take to the Tonga Room when it’s actually open. Erich Schoeneweiss has been a dear friend and an unflagging champion, while Tom Hoeler deserves all Star Wars fans’ thanks for his smarts, friendliness, and saint-level patience. And heartfelt thanks to Alex Davis, Nancy Delia, Scott Biel, Scott Shannon, Keith Clayton, Julie Leung, David Moench, and Shelly Shapiro.
At Lucasfilm, I owe so much to so many, starting with Michael Siglain for believing in me and handling a billion things with inexhaustible good humor. Thanks to Jennifer Heddle for keeping me on course and saving me from all too many on-page embarrassments, and to Pablo Hidalgo and Leland Chee for years of lessons about storytelling, lore and genial poise. Thanks also to Matt Martin, James Waugh, James Erskine, Sammy Holland, Phil Szostak, Brett Rector, Caitlin Kennedy, Rayne Roberts, Kiri Hart, Dan Brooks, Andi Gutierrez, Justin Bolger, Dennis VonGalle, Dana Jennings, Chris Argyropoulos, and Anina Walas.
This book is richer and deeper because of contributions from many fellow Star Wars authors, a goofball caravan I’m always happy to hop aboard. Thank you Elizabeth Wein, Michael Kogge, Alan Dean Foster, Claudia Gray, Delilah S. Dawson, Cavan Scott, Greg Rucka, Chuck Wendig, Cecil Castellucci, John Jackson Miller, Rae Carson, Saladin Ahmed, Mira Grant, E. K. Johnston, Gary D. Schmidt, and Alexander Freed. I’ve also been so lucky to get to build on the work of Dave Filoni and Brian Daley.
No author makes it far without tons of kindness, help, and encouragement. I’m grateful to Dan Wallace, Craig R. Carey, Ryder Windham, Frank Parisi, James Luceno, Karen-Ann Lichtenstein, Rob Valois, J. W. Rinzler, Joanne Chan Taylor, Carole Roeder, Sue Rostoni, Kristen Hidalgo, Delia Greve, Scott Chernoff, Jonathan Wilkins, Rachel Barry, Steve Sansweet, Nanci Schwartz, Brian Larsen, Tricia Barr, B.J. Priester, Jay Shah, Chris Reiff, Chris Trevas, Jeff Carlisle, Simon Beecroft, Sadie Smith, Karen Miller, James Floyd, Bryan Young, Cole Horton, Sterling Hershey, Kemp Remillard, Mary Ann Zissimos, Meg Roth, Amy Nathanson, Tom Hutchens, Pete Schay, Allan Carscaddon, Jim and Sarah Jones, and Martha and Robert Bernstein.
Finally, I give thanks every minute for Emily, Joshua, and Mom and Dad.
Acknowledgments come with the terror that you’ve forgotten someone; I’ll be lucky if I’ve only forgotten a dozen people. If you’re one of them, let me know when you want a beer and a groveling apology.
By Jason Fry
STAR WARS
The Essential Atlas
The Clone Wars: Episode Guide
The Essential Guide to Warfare
Star Wars in 100 Scenes
Moving Target: A Princess Leia Adventure
The Weapon of a Jedi: A Luke Skywalker Adventure
The Force Awakens: Rey’s Survival Guide
The Force Awakens Incredible Cross-Sections
The Servants of the Empire Series
THE JUPITER PIRATES
Hunt for the Hydra
Curse of the Iris
The Rise of Earth
JASON FRY has written or co-written more than forty novels, short stories, and other works set in the galaxy far, far away. His other books include the Servants of the Empire quartet and the young-adult space-fantasy series The Jupiter Pirates. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, son, and about a metric ton of Star Wars stuff.
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