X-Wing: Starfighters of Adumar

Starfighters of Adumar is the ninth and final installment in the X-wing series of novels, published in 1999 by Bantam Spectra, written by Aaron Allston. Narration for the audio version was performed by Anthony Heald.

American

 * ISBN 0553574183 and ISBN 0553581252; August 3, 1999, Bantam Spectra, 291-page paperback
 * ISBN 0553525697; August 3, 1999, Bantam Doubleday Dell Audio Publishing, Abridged cassette

Foreign

 * ISBN 0553812718; August 3, 1999, Transworld Publishers, 320-page UK paperback
 * ISBN 8324122508; Amber, 240-page Polish paperback

Publisher's summary
'''The X-wing fighter pilots have earned their reputation as the Rebel Alliance's ulitmate strike force by overwhelming enemies with their rapid-fire assaults. But now they are about to embark on a diplomatic mission that will prove to be even more hazardous than all-out combat...'''

''The neutral world of Adumar has decided to pick a side in the war to control the galaxy. Delegates from both the New Republic and the Empire have been invited to Adumar, and each camp will be given a change to plead its government's case. But there is one small catch: since the Adumari prize military skill above all else, they insist that both delegations be composed exclusively of fighter pilots. For pilot Wedge Antilles and his company, it's an unfamiliar exercise in diplomacy - and one that's filled with unexpected peril. For once they arrive, the X-wing pilots are challenged by Adumar's fierce warriors and attacked by Imperial assassins bent on eliminating all competition. But these challenges pale in comparison to the threat posed by a rogue Republic agent...one who is determined to win Adumar's allegiance once and for all - even if it costs the X-wing pilots their lives.''

Plot
The planet of Adumar is an anomaly, settled by anonymous colonists during the early years of the Old Republic and isolated ever since. But now it has been discovered. The Adumari love pilots, so the New Republic's best snubfighter jock, General Wedge Antilles, is dispatched as a diplomat, along with three of Rogue Squadron's finest: taciturn Colonel Tycho Celchu, pessimist Major Derek "Hobbie" Klivian and child-at-heart extraordinaire Major Wes Janson. They are also aided by native guide and blastsword fighting champion Cheriss ke Hanadi, New Republic diplomat and former Y-wing pilot Tomer Darpen, and New Republic Documentarian Hallis Saper, who wears the head of a 3PO as a camera.

Wedge assumes that he will somehow hammer out a treaty and bring the planet of Adumar into the New Republic, but it becomes quickly apparent that all is not as it seems. Firstly, the Empire's best pilot, General Turr Phennir, and three of his best are here too. Secondly, Adumar is not a united planet, and right now Wedge is only talking to its largest nation, Cartann. Thirdly, the Cartannese seem to like nothing better than killing each other for bragging rights, and Wedge is expected to join in&mdash;especially since they try to kill him for bragging rights too. (Phennir seems to have no problem with it.) Fourthly, a certain woman whom Wedge is acquainted with, Iella Wessiri, is on-planet as a New Republic Intelligence operative and has been so for the past six months&mdash;despite the fact that, supposedly, Adumar was only discovered a few weeks before. (It also doesn't help that Wedge would like to be a little more than friends with her.) Wedge must somehow make his way through Adumar's bizarre culture while not offending his or their sensibilities, bring Adumar into the New Republic, and maybe try to get the girl as well.

Red Flight

 * General Wedge Antilles (Red One) (Human male from Corellia)
 * Colonel Tycho Celchu (Red Two) (Human male from Alderaan)
 * Major Wes Janson (Red Three) (Human male from Taanab)
 * Major Derek "Hobbie" Klivian (Red Four) (Human male from Ralltiir)

New Republic Armed Forces, Intelligence, and Diplomatic Corps

 * Iella Wessiri (Human female from Corellia)
 * Tomer Darpen (Human male from Commenor)
 * General Airen Cracken (Human male from Contruum)
 * Captain Geng Salaban (Human male from Bestine)

New Republic civilians

 * Hallis Saper (Human female from Bonadan)

Imperial Pilots

 * Turr Phennir (Human male)

Other characters

 * Admiral Ackbar
 * Jagged Antilles
 * Syal Antilles Fel
 * Zena Antilles
 * Berandis
 * Bugbite
 * General Edor Crespin
 * Kyp Durron
 * Ejector Darpen
 * Perator Escalion
 * Eye Three
 * Depird ke Fanax
 * Jeapird ke Fanax
 * Baron Fel
 * Grembae
 * Grembae's son
 * Corran Horn
 * Ysanne Isard
 * Garatty ke Kith
 * Liak ke Mattino
 * Lady Marri
 * Unidentified Minister of Cognitive Machinery (Cartann)
 * Fiana Novarr
 * ke Oleans
 * Emperor Palpatine
 * Sate Pestage
 * Balass ke Rassa
 * Asori Rogriss
 * Terek Rogriss
 * General Horton Salm
 * Phalle ke Seiufere
 * Thanaer ke Sekae
 * General ya Sethes
 * Eneboros ke Shalapan
 * Buan ke Shia
 * Luke Skywalker
 * Han Solo
 * Leia Organa Solo
 * Grand Moff Tarkin
 * Balass ke Teldan
 * Pekaelic ke Teldan
 * Warlord Teradoc
 * Mirax Terrik
 * Uliaff ke Unthos
 * Unknown Minister of Trade (Cartann)
 * Darth Vader
 * Dyans ke Vasan
 * Irasal ke Voltin
 * Qwi Xux
 * Diric Wessiri
 * Warlord Zsinj

Creatures

 * Coruscant game fowl
 * Bantha
 * Farumme
 * Feed-reptile
 * Turumme
 * Wampa

Droid models

 * Astromech
 * R2 unit
 * R5 unit
 * Gate
 * 3PO protocol droid
 * Whitecap

Events

 * Adumari Civil War
 * Battle of Adumar
 * Battle of Borleias
 * Battle of Brentaal IV
 * Battle of Endor
 * Battle of Selaggis
 * Cartann Ground Championship
 * Battle of Coruscant
 * Gauntlet of Red Flight
 * Battle of Bakura

Locations

 * Adumar
 * Cartann
 * Cartann City
 * Cartann Bladedrome
 * Cartann City Air Base
 * Lovely Carrion Flightknife hangar
 * Garham's-on-the-Downstream
 * Giltella Air Base
 * Home of Cartann's Minister of Trade
 * Royal Residence of Cartann
 * Outer Court of the Royal Residence
 * Third Alabaster
 * Halbegardia
 * Tetanne
 * Thozzelling
 * Yedagon
 * Yedagon City
 * Accolux Township
 * Yedagon City Air Base
 * Alderaan
 * Bakura system
 * Corellia
 * Gus Treta
 * Corporate Sector
 * Coruscant
 * Endor
 * Maw Installation
 * Meridian sector
 * Omwat
 * Unknown Regions
 * Wild Space

Organizations and titles

 * Ace
 * Adumar Central Control
 * Adumari Union
 * Adumari Union Council
 * Blades of the Ice Edge Flightknife
 * Frozen Death Flightknife
 * Sunwhip Flightknife
 * Blood on the Flowers Flightknife
 * Cartann Ground Champion
 * Cartann Guard
 * Challabae Admits-No-Equal Aerial Eruptive Manufacturing Concern
 * Corellian Security
 * Diktat
 * Hero of Lameril Ridge
 * Master of the Golden Yoke
 * Minister of Crawling Into Very Small Spaces
 * Minister of Cognitive Machinery (Cartann)
 * Minister of Notification (Cartann)
 * Minister of Trade
 * Ministry of Justice (Cartann)
 * Galactic Empire
 * 181st Imperial Fighter Group
 * Imperial Intelligence
 * Imperial Navy
 * Grand Admiral
 * Stormtrooper
 * Ghephaenne Deeper-Craters Weaponmakers
 * Lords of Dismay Flightknife
 * New Republic
 * Chief of State
 * New Republic Diplomatic Corps
 * New Republic Intelligence
 * New Republic Military
 * Page's commandos
 * Fleet Command
 * Solo Fleet
 * Starfighter Command
 * Fighter wing
 * Contender Squadron
 * High Flight Squadron
 * High Flight Three Beta
 * High Flight Twelve
 * Lightflash Squadron
 * Red Flight
 * Red Leader
 * Red Two
 * Red Three
 * Red Four
 * Remember Derra Squadron
 * Rogue Squadron
 * Skylight Squadron
 * Solar Wind Squadron
 * Solar Wind Seven
 * Solar Wind Eight
 * Solar Wind Twelve
 * Tierfon Yellow Aces
 * Wraith Squadron
 * New Republic Senate
 * Old Republic
 * Jedi
 * Perator
 * Rebel Alliance
 * Skull-Biters Flightknife
 * Sludgenews
 * Smiter of the Tetano
 * Tarrvin-on-Kallik
 * Yedagon Confederacy
 * Blastpike Flightknife
 * Blastpike Ten
 * Electrocution Death Flightknife
 * Halbegardian elite
 * Holdout Team
 * Meteor One
 * Meteor Two
 * Meteor Three
 * Meteor Four
 * Meteor Five
 * Meteor Six
 * Running Crimson Flightknife
 * Running Crimson Three

Occupations

 * Assassin
 * Bodyguard
 * Comm officer
 * Holodocumentarian
 * Medic
 * Mechanic
 * Pilot
 * Politician
 * Slicer
 * Sniper
 * Smuggler

Sentient species

 * Ewok
 * Hutt
 * Ssi-ruuk

Vehicles and vessels

 * RZ-1 A-wing interceptor
 * B-wing
 * Blade-28
 * Blade-30
 * Blade-32
 * Cutting Lens-class reconnaissance craft
 * Death Star
 * Farumme-class hauler
 * Imperial I-class Star Destroyer
 * Agonizer
 * Allegiance
 * Bay Alpha Two
 * Imperial II-class Star Destroyer
 * Master Stroke
 * Retaliator
 * Imperial shuttle
 * Interdictor-class cruiser
 * Meteor-class Aerial Fort
 * Mon Calamari cruiser
 * Mon Casima
 * Scythe-class bomber
 * Sun Crusher
 * Super Star Destroyer
 * Executor
 * Iron Fist
 * Lusankya
 * Victory-class Star Destroyer
 * Venom
 * TIE Bomber
 * TIE Defender
 * TIE Fighter
 * TIE Interceptor
 * X-wing
 * Y-wing
 * Z-95 Headhunter

Weapons and technology

 * Adumari comlink
 * Adumari dagger
 * Adumari lightboard
 * Astronavigation
 * Blaster rifle
 * Blastsword
 * Broadcap bomb
 * Chronometer
 * Collision alarm
 * Comfan
 * Comlink
 * Comm cable
 * Comm unit scrambler
 * Conveyor belt
 * Datapad
 * Directional sound recorder
 * Ejector seat
 * Flatcam
 * Flatscreen
 * Knife
 * Lightsaber
 * Holdout blaster
 * Holo-recording unit
 * Holocam
 * Holocomm
 * Holoplayer
 * Hypercomm
 * Hyperdrive
 * Inertial compensator
 * Ion cannon
 * Laser
 * Lightbounce system
 * Magcon field
 * Navicomputer
 * Pigment-cloud missile
 * Proton torpedo
 * Repulsorlift
 * Restraining bolt
 * Sensor array
 * Sensor unit
 * S-foil
 * Simulator
 * Solar panel
 * Starfighter
 * Thermal detonator
 * Tractor beam
 * Turbolaser
 * Turbolift
 * Vibroblade

Food and beverages

 * Bantha meat
 * Brewglass
 * Caf
 * Chartash

Miscellanea

 * Antilles Four-Step Instant Speech
 * Bacta
 * Basic
 * Brewtap
 * Brownlung
 * Credcard
 * Credit
 * Dark side of the Force
 * Datacard
 * Duracrete
 * Eyeball
 * Flight suit
 * Gauntlet (Cartann)
 * Flimsi
 * Glowing baton
 * Goggles
 * High Flight Squadron crest
 * Holodrama
 * Hydrospanner
 * Identichip
 * Imperial archives
 * Kep
 * Kitchen
 * Klick
 * Life Day
 * New Republic dress uniform
 * Perats
 * The Protocols (Cartann)
 * Refresher
 * Sabacc
 * Torture
 * Transparisteel
 * Turumme-warrens
 * Vertigo
 * Wishbone

Behind the scenes
In one scene Hobbie says: "Everyone calls me Hobbie. And I'll get back to you on my last name. Lots of people misspell it." This may be an allusion made by Allston to the fact that throughout the X-Wing comic, Hobbie's name was incorrectly spelled "Klivan".

In the Hand of Thrawn duology, Wedge was implied to be married to Iella Wessiri, whereas in other novels (most often the ones penned by Kevin J. Anderson) he was paired with Qwi Xux. This novel neatly resolves that apparent contradiction, beginning with Wedge and Qwi's breakup and ending with Wedge and Iella's engagement.

The novel is celebrated in the Star Wars fandom for author Aaron Allston's use of humor, which is frequent and often genuinely funny. Allston often characterizes the four pilots through their joking styles: Tycho with occasional and devastating one-liners, Hobbie with pessimistic backtalk, Janson with constant irreverences, and Wedge as the smirking straight man.

The book is also noteworthy for being the final Star Wars book released under the Bantam label; the license to publish Star Wars fiction was transferred to Del Rey shortly following its release.

Adumarian society may also be a reference to George Lucas' film THX 1138, as it is a highly rigid society with droves of poor and oppressed living underground, often never seeing daylight. Also, like the title character's job as a nuclear munitions worker in THX 1138, Adumar's primary industry is munitions, manufactured in underground factories.

Cover gallery
This is a gallery of the different cover variations of X-wing: Starfighters of Adumar.