The Crystal Star

The Crystal Star is a 1994 bestselling novel written by Vonda N. McIntyre and published by Bantam Spectra. The novel is set ten years after the Battle of Endor.

Editions

 * ISBN 0553089293; Bantam Spectra, December 8, 1994, 309-page hardcover
 * ISBN 0553471945; Bantam Doubleday Dell Audio Publishing, December 8, 1994, Abridged cassette
 * ISBN 0553745719 & ISBN 0553700820; Bantam Doubleday Dell Audio Publishing, December 8, 1994, Audiocassette
 * ISBN 055340878X; Transworld Publishers, November 9, 1995, 352-page paperback
 * ISBN 0553571745; Bantam Spectra, December 4, 1995, 413-page paperback
 * ISBN 0001050826; HarperCollins Publishers, December 4, 1995, Audio book

Publisher's summary
''Princess Leia's children have been kidnapped. Along with Chewbacca and R2-D2, she follows the kidnappers' trail to a disabled refugee ship, from which children are also missing. Here she learns of a powerful Imperial officer with a twisted plan to restore the Empire. Meanwhile, Han Solo and Luke Skywalker are cut off from Leia by the death of a nearby star, which has caused a disruption in the Force. They have gone to the planet Crseih to investigate a report of a lost group of Jedi. Instead they find a charismatic alien named Waru whose miraculous healing powers have attracted a fanatic following. As Leia follows the path of her children across space, Luke and Han draw closer to the truth behind Waru's sinister cult. Together they will face an explosive showdown that will decide the survival of the New Republic…and the universe itself!''

Background
Jacen Solo and Jaina Solo are now five years old, and their brother, Anakin Solo, is three. Therefore, they are at the age where they are easily manipulated and unable to make responsible decisions. Furthermore, space anomalies are common in the Star Wars universe, so it is not uncommon to see a mass influence in the Force. Finally, cults in Star Wars are often associated with the Force or some other mysterious power.

Summary
On Munto Codru, Jacen, Jaina and Anakin are kidnapped by a man named Hethrir. Their mother, Leia Organa Solo, immediately dispatches a rescue operation. Meanwhile, Han Solo and Luke Skywalker go to Crseih Station and learn of a secret cult (formed around Waru, a being from another dimension) that influences the Crystal Star.

Hethrir continues to manipulate the children for several days. He leads the Empire Reborn, an organization looking to resurrect the Galactic Empire. Eventually, Leia and Chewbacca manage to rescue the children, but Hethrir is still connected to the events that transpire around the Crystal Star. After an intense series of events, Hethrir is killed, and the threat to the Galaxy is halted.

Behind the scenes
The Crystal Star was a New York Times bestseller, and the sixth consecutive Star Wars novel to reach the bestseller list.

In the novel, when Luke Skywalker activated his lightsaber, it filled Han's room with blue light. However, at the end of The Last Command he gave his first blue lightsaber to Mara Jade and carried his self-constructed green lightsaber with him.

Cover gallery
This is a gallery of the different cover variations of The Crystal Star.