The Maverick Moon

The Maverick Moon is a children's storybook released in 1979 and published by Random House. It was both written and illustrated by Walter Wright. It is one of three such children's Star Wars storybooks released that year, along with The Wookiee Storybook and The Mystery of the Rebellious Robot. It takes place at an unspecified time after Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.

Plot summary
Luke is enrolled in a new academy for space pilots on an unknown planet. Luke and his classmates are called the Planetary Pioneers, and they are training to pilot transport ships to create new colonies on uninhabited planets. By colonizing planets with their own people, Luke's instructors hope to establish colonies loyal to peace, justice, good will, and the Rebel Alliance. Leia Organa comes to tour the new academy, and Luke is happy to show her around. He shows her a new weapon that has been developed called the Zukonium ray. The weapon has been modified so that it can be used as a power source. Luke's instructors hope to use it to power the colonies that will be created. Midway through the tour, an alarm sounds and Luke is summoned to General Oleson's office. For unknown reasons, a moon from a nearby system had been knocked out of orbit and was on a collision course with the planet. Luke proposes that he could destroy the moon with the Zukonium ray, and he boards his X-wing, heading into orbit. Luke hears Ben Kenobi's words of encouragement, and he feels better about the upcoming challenge. Luke flies his spacecraft right next to the moon and fires the Zukonium ray. The moon explodes, but Luke's craft is damaged, forcing an emergency landing. Luke saves the day, and Leia presents Luke with a medal of honor.

Characters

 * C-3PO; protocol droid (masculine programming)
 * Obi-Wan Kenobi; Jedi Master, deceased (male Human)
 * Oleson; general (male Human)
 * Leia Organa; princess (female Human)
 * R2-D2; astromech droid (masculine programming)
 * Luke Skywalker; pilot (male Human)

Organizations

 * New Academy for Space Pilots
 * Planetary Pioneers

Vehicles and vessels

 * landspeeder
 * X-wing

Miscellanea

 * The Force
 * Jedi knight
 * medal of honor
 * Zukonium ray

New characters

 * Oleson

New organizations

 * New Academy for Space Pilots
 * Planetary Pioneers

New miscellanea

 * medal of honor
 * Zukonium ray

Behind the scenes
The time period of this story is unspecified, and no mention of the Galactic Empire is present. The creation of a brand new flight academy and creation of new colonies implies the war is over, but the romantic element between Leia and Luke is present in this story (as it was printed before Luke and Leia were revealed to be siblings).