Rogue Planet by: Greg Bear

Summary:   An unforgettable journey stretching from the farthest reaches of known space to the battlefield of a young boy's heart, where a secret struggle is being waged that will decide the fate of billions. That boy is twelve-year-old Anakin Skywalker. The Force is strong in Anakin...so strong that the Jedi Council, despite misgivings, entrusted the young Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi with the mission of training him to become a Jedi Knight. Obi-Wan -- like his slain Master, Qui-Gon -- believes Anakin may be the chosen one, the Jedi destined to bring balance to the Force. But first Obi-Wan must help his undisciplined, idealistic apprentice, who still bears the scars of slavery, find his own balance. Dispatched to the mysterious planet of Zonama Sekot, source of the fastest ships in the galaxy, Obi-Wan and Anakin are swept up in a swirl of deadly intrigue and betrayal. For there are others who covet the power such superfast ships could bring. Raith Sienar, a brilliant but unscrupulous weapons and ship designer, has the brains to decipher the Zonama Sekot ship design. Commander Wilhuff Tarkin has at his disposal the forces of the mighty Trade Federation with which to extract the secret. Together they make a formidable foe, one a small and undeveloped planet can hardly hope to stand against. But as Tarkin's fleet strikes with all its brutal power, Obi-Wan and Anakin sense a disturbance in the Force unlike any they have encountered before. It seems there are more secrets on Zonama Sekot than meet the eye. The search for those secrets will threaten the bond between Obi-Wan and Anakin...and bring the troubled young apprentice face-to-face with his deepest fears -- and his darkest destiny. Review:   Zonama Sekot... a planet that makes LIVING ships. What an interesting concept... and the Far Outsiders that young Vergere ran off with... If you haven't read the NJO yet I recommend reading this first. It will lead you into that long, sad story. Who could have known that this planet would mean so much for the future of the galaxy. However, as good a lead-in as this book is for the NJO it doesn't make it any less boring. It's a very slow read but worth it to get some background to Vergere, Zonama Sekot and, of course, the Yuuzhan Vong. Back to the Rise of the Empire Era. Back to Star Wars Eras.