Outbound Flight Project

The Outbound Flight is an Expanded Universe novel that will come out on October 25th 2005. It is written by Timothy Zahn, bestselling author of the Thrawn Trilogy. It tells the story of the mysterious Outbound Flight Project mentioned in Heir to the Empire.

The Outbound Flight project was an expeditionary project that sent a mission of 6 Jedi Masters, 12 Jedi Knights and 50,000 men, women and children beyond the borders of the Galactic Republic into the Unknown Regions. It was the brainchild of the famed Jedi Master Jorus C'baoth who planned to expand the bubble of the Force. But even this influential Jedi Master needed to influenced the Galactic Republic's bureaucracy to get the project underway. With the thwarting of an assassination attempt, C'baoth gains the support to get the Outbound Flight Project into action. In secret, this assassination attempt was craftily engineered by Darth Sidious, the shadowy Sith Lord who wants Outbound Flight to begin, and ultimately, to fail. The Outbound Flight Project is doomed from the start, for lurking within the Unknown Regions is the Chiss Ascendancy, along with the brilliant alien strategist who will  become the infamous Grand Admiral Thrawn. Not even the presence of the Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and his young Padawan Anakin Skywalker in the huge vessel can prevent disaster.