Star Wars: Outbound Flight

A novel which takes place when Anakin Skywalker is a teenager. An easy read but content is only fair as compared to other novels and series in the star wars environment. It does provide an introduction to Thrawn for future adventures in the galaxy

I have read many genres and many Star Wars books in my life. But THIS one has always been my favorite. Zahn is a genius and he has woven together a fascination-filled tragic piece about a doomed pioneering voyage to the Unknown Regions.
I can't really explain how a book I hesitated to buy because its story and cover were devoid of Luke Skywalker became my favorite of all fiction books.
Attempting to not spoil the story, I'll say little else. Except that I read Survivor's Quest prior to Outbound Flight and, though you can read either first, I was glad I went with that order.
Thrawn's Chiss Ascendancy in Wild Space is beyond intriguing to read about and I love seeing where the future Grand Admiral first learned about the corrupt Republic, Jedi, and the Basic language.
I listened to the Halo 2 soundtrack while reading this book and it was officially become my Outbound Flight soundtrack. ;) High Charity, Orbit of Glass, & Heavy Price Paid are the BEST and most fitting tracks for the climax.
As with all Zahn's prior Star Wars books, there is no language or sensual content, for which I'm grateful. I'm currently reading it out loud to a younger sibling who seems to be enjoying it.
Sorry for a vague review; I just don't want to spoil it!

Another fantastic Star Wars novel from Timothy Zahn, and easily the best of his standalone novels in the universe. Outbound Flight is a page turner with fascinating backstory on the historic Outbound Flight, the future Grand Admiral Thrawn, as well as Jorus C'baoth Jorj Car'das and a few new characters. The story culminates in an incredibly long and gripping climax that had me glued to the pages for over four hours straight. Although this serves (in limited fashion) as a prequel to the Heir to the Empire trilogy and Hand of Thrawn duology, I would recommend reading those novels first if you haven't, so that you have a better appreciation for the significance of this story.

As with most things in life, it's not quite perfect. Part of the multi-faceted story follows Obi-Wan and Anakin, and since Zahn has perfectly captured their dynamic from the prequel films, these scenes are quite painful. Zahn mostly spares us from the bombardment of 'sardonic smile's that laced his earlier novels, but still occasionally is lazy with his prose and clumsily uses the same word multiple times in a sentence when he should have sought a synonym (if you don't know what I'm talking about, you don't need to worry about this criticism), and loves putting apostrophes in names a little too much.

Despite a few minor complaints, this is one of the best Star Wars novels in the galaxy, and highly worth a read!

It isn't a secret that I rather dislike Timothy Zahn's "Star Wars" books; they've just never been quite what I've wanted to see in the EU. However, after reading "Survivor's Quest," I found that I was intrigued with the story of the ill-fated mission known as Outbound Flight. "Outbound Flight" fills in the gaps and tells that story...kind of. Spoilers follow.

"Outbound Flight" takes place sometime before the Clone Wars, during the time of the Old Republic. There are three main plots that all come together at the end: the story of Outbound Flight, Thrawn's first contact with humans from the Republic, and Doriana's attempts to ensure Outbound Flight's destruction.

Despite being the title of the book, Outbound Flight isn't the primary plot of the novel. The first hundred pages or so that deal with it are actually spent on a side mission in which C'boath and Lorana (eventually joined by Obi-Wan and Anakin) mediate a civil conflict on another planet. Afterward, the project is given the go-ahead and all supplies and personnel C'boath demands are provided. Not long after the gigantic craft launches, however, C'boath takes over, ruling in an arbitrary, cruel manner and sparking discontent among his fellow Jedi and Outbound Flight's colonists. The ship is soon confronted by the Chiss and almost destroyed, ending up in the position "Survivor's Quest" finds it (crashed with marooned survivors that hate Jedi).

The second plot, the one concerning Thrawn, gets the most attention. Jorj Car'das and his shipmates, Maris Ferasi and Dubrak Qennto, are captured and find themselves entangled in Chiss military politics. Their captor is none other than Thrawn, at this time commander of the Chiss Expansionary Defense Fleet. Curious about one another, culture and language classes ensue and the situation becomes more difficult when a group of pirates, the Vagaari, become a threat to the Chiss. One thing leads to another and Thrawn's military genius and Doriana combine to destroy Outbound Flight. The first meeting of Thrawn and Sidious also occurs.

The third and by far least important story is that of Doriana, aide to Palpatine and servant to Darth Sidious. He's out to annihilate Outbound Flight before it can reach the Unknown Regions. Really, all he does is try to foil C'boath's negotiations early in the book, confront Thrawn with a Nemoidian fleet, provide Thrawn with the equipment to fight the Vagaari and Outbound Flight, and constantly praise Thrawn for being such a noble commander. He's more background than anything else, providing the tools necessary to move the plot along, and that's about it.

Unfortunately, I'll have to start my opinion of the overall story with a pretty big complaint. The title of book is "Outbound Flight," it claims to tell the story of a somewhat famous mission by the same name; however, most of the book is dedicated to Thrawn. It is very apparent that Zahn loves this character (more on that later), and anyone who has read his other books knows that Thrawn is associated with Outbound Flight, so he is expected to appear at some point in the story. Instead, he dominates the book with his story comprising at least half of the pages. Outbound Flight, the tale I wanted to read, is secondary to the author's pet character.

For the most part, the story of Outbound Flight itself is fairly interesting, at least as far as seeing how it leads to what is seen in "Survivor's Quest." It's actually pretty neat to watch the whole story unfold when you know what happens forty or so years down the road. There is one major problem with this story, however: Jorus C'boath. The whole plot hinges on C'boath being an obvious villain and the Jedi Counsel being completely stupid. Perhaps had Zahn dedicated more of the book to Outbound Flight, we could have seen a more fleshed out, ambiguously realistic C'boath and his fall to the Dark Side. Instead, this plot feels rushed and therefore doesn't live up to its potential. It also doesn't help that the first hundred pages or so aren't spent on Outbound Flight at all, but rather on a side mission for C'boath to get the funding and approval for the project, which could have been easily shortened or even skipped.

Writing-wise, Zahn has vastly improved since "Survivor's Quest." The writing itself was actually very enjoyable to read, largely because the phrases that the author used to repeat ad nauseam are absent from "Outbound Flight." Characters don't quirk eyebrows, wince, or comment wryly on things; no one ends an argument with "Point" or "Agreed." The action scenes were well written (though I would have appreciated more of them) and most of the dialogue is well done. Honestly, I can't really complain about the writing itself.

Characters are another story entirely and vary greatly.

My usual complaint with Zahn's books is that he tends to ignore movie and other book characters in favour of his own. Oddly, the opposite issue is present here. This is one case where the author probably could have used his own cast entirely with it still being connected to the "Star Wars" universe through Palpatine, the Jedi Counsel, the Republic, and other such entities. However, perhaps because it seems to be a necessity for prequel novels, Obi-Wan and Anakin are awkwardly shoved into the story, only to be conveniently removed just before Outbound Flight's destruction. The two aren't necessary at all, and it feels like Zahn was really stretching to include them. In regards to the characters themselves, they're really quite well-written; I could picture Obi-Wan actually saying his lines, and Anakin's hero-worship of the powerful C'boath is a nice little bit of foreshadowing of what is to come. Very in-character, yet so unnecessary.

As mentioned above, Zahn likes Thrawn (and by extension the Chiss) a little too much. He's simply too perfect. Seriously, the guy is almost never wrong (and when he does make a mistake, it's more the fault of others involved). While reading the large portions of the book devoted to this character, I got the impression that this plot line was written primarily to show just how brilliant Thrawn is, whether its his uncanny ability to pick up on languages, his masterful deductions from art, his prowess on the battlefield, or his carefully laid and perfectly executed plans. If you like Thrawn, then this probably won't be much of a problem, but I find him to be too perfect, almost Mary Sue-like. As if the majority of the book being devoted to this figure wasn't enough, several characters (Maris, Car'das, and Doriana) repeatedly praise the Commander for how noble, honourable, and honest he is. He's not a horrible character to read about on his own, but Zahn's tailoring of the situation to demonstrate Thrawn's brilliance, his dominance of the book, and other characters' praise of him make him almost unbearable.

There are a couple other character duds, the worst being C'boath's one-dimensional, evil persona, but I've already discussed that. Maris, Doriana, and to an extent Car'das seem present strictly to praise Thrawn and be convenient for the plot. Not all are bad, though.

I found Lorana Jinzler to be an intriguing character. The general opinion on her seems pretty mixed, but I enjoyed seeing her struggle with her confidence issues brought on by her Master's oppressive personality and, later, discovering her family. She wasn't a perfect Jedi and demonstrated character growth. She also seemed to illustrate a problem within the Jedi Order: how an inadequate Master can stunt a Padawan's potential. Along with Lorana, the various non-Jedi characters aboard Outbound Flight were also interesting, though I would have liked to see more of them. It also would have been nice to see more of Thrass, Thrawn's brother. Car'das, while sometimes falling victim to Thrawn-worship, does manage to do some useful, brave things that make the story that much better. As with most of Zahn's books, the cast is pretty large, and some of the characters really do shine.

On a random note, despite disliking the dominance of Thrawn, I very much enjoyed the language sessions and thought they were amusing and...dare I say...cute.

"Outbound Flight" is a great follow up to "Survivor's Quest" and answers a lot of questions that were presented in the previous book. Zahn's writing has improved and is very enjoyable, and the story of Outbound Flight itself is mostly interesting. However, Zahn's love of Thrawn really overpowers this novel and forces other plots (like that of Outbound Flight) to race to the finish, rather than telling their full story. There are some great characters and some that are a little flat, but the good ones really are good. The overwhelming obsession with Thrawn puts this book in the two-and-a-half star range, but finally getting to know the story of Outbound Flight, good writing, and some very intriguing characters bumps "Outbound Flight" to a solid 3 stars.

A while ago, Timothy Zahn wrote a little novel called Heir to the Empire that brought Star Wars back to the forefront in a big bad way. This is where Outbound Flight was first given birth. Who could have imagined that Zahn would have taken something that was just a bit of background to set up a certain character and turn it into a really fun Star Wars adventure a couple of decades later. Not only that, but Zahn takes what he came up with and manages to make it fit within the Prequel Timeline and foreshadow The New Jedi Order and somehow make it all fit and make sense, almost like it had been planned the whole time. It's a credit to Zahn that he's able to pull this off.

Zahn once again proves to be a bit of a master at taking multiple storylines and bringing them together in a satisfying way. A good bulk of the novel consists of the man who will become Grand Admiral Thrawn coming into contact with a group of smugglers who have somehow wondered into Chiss Space while fleeing from a vile Hutt (is there any other kind?). Thrawn keeps the smugglers with him to help him better understand the people and ways of the Galaxy we know as the Galaxy far, far away. Zahn does a bang up job of really reintroducing Thrawn for what is basically the first time he really appears in the grand scheme of things. The character is just as intriguing as always and maybe even more so that he's not yet the great military leader we come to know him as. However, we do see the seeds of this becoming the case and Zahn is very smart to keep the reader a little in the dark as to what Thrawn's plans are so we can all marvel as his military genius is finally put on display for all to see.

The Outbound Flight portion of the book seems to be more secondary to the Thrawn portion of the story, despite the title of the novel. The great and probably off-his-rocker Jedi Master Jorus C'Baoth has a grand plan to bring a group of Jedi and a shipfull of normal folk to the edge of the galaxy and beyond in a mission to establish a Republic presence in the great beyond. The Jedi Council are a little leery of C'Baoth and his plan, so they send Obi-Wan Kenobi and his still young Padawan, Anakin Skywalker along to keep an eye on the boisterous one. C'Baoth himself is an interesting character because as off putting and egocentric as he comes across, other characters seem to admire him even against their best judgment. He's forceful and charismatic in his own way. He also manages to become somewhat of an influence on the impressionable Anakin, who really digs his tendency to take charge just because he can; while C'Baoth's apprentice Lorana Jinzler comes to appreciate Kenobi's style.

There's plenty of interesting conflict among the flight. At the forefront is the big question of whether Jedi have the right to rule a populace simply because they are the more powerful. Jinzler sort of becomes the eyes we see this portion of the story unfold before and it becomes her struggle between what she believes is right and allegiance to her Master that really drives this part of the plot. Lines are drawn and tension mounts as Outbound Flight heads towards the outer galaxy near Chiss Space where a Trade Federation fleet under the direction of Darth Sidious's minions awaits to take it down.

It's all well done and laid out as the book breezes along at a highly readable pace. There was a lot of expectation from me going into this novel and I'm very happy to say Zahn delivered big time. The plotting is what we've come to expect from the man and the characterization keeps you invested. Watching all the threads from different eras as well as the different threads of the plot of the book tie together is watching a master craftsman confidently ply his trade. It's probably one of my more favorite Star Wars EU novels and easily my favorite Star Wars book that Zahn has penned since the Heir trilogy. Very fun and highly satisfying.

Spoilers:

Timothy Zahn returns to tell the fleshed out tale of the Outbound Flight Project, based on a mention in his first "Star Wars" novel, "Heir to the Empire." This novel reunites readers with younger versions of Thrawn, Jorj Car'das, Jorus C'Baoth, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Anakin Skywalker. Set about five years after "Episode I: The Phantom Menace," "Outbound Flight" fits nicely into a relatively unexplored area in the realm of "Star Wars" adult-age novels: the period shortly following Obi-Wan's acceptance of Anakin as his Padawan and the election of Palpatine as Supreme Chancellor.

More the tale of Thrawn's origins, than about the Outbound Flight Project, itself, this story builds a sympathetic side to Zahn's mastermind villain, and we are given a taste of Thrawn's previous life as a part of Chiss society. Jorus C'Baoth, a pompous and passionate Jedi Master, is shown to be uncompromising and self-righteous in his efforts to begin training new Jedi outside the Republic- even if that means taking children from their parents by force. Obi-Wan is a wonderful contrast to C'Baoth, as he, even as a younger Jedi Knight of about 30, has learned much about patience and the need for diplomacy. Anakin, sadly, is caught in the middle of Obi-Wan's guidance and C'Baoth's insistence that Skywalker is living proof that older children can be successfully trained as Jedi. Anakin and Obi-Wan are not the focus here, however, for Darth Sidious, upon learning of Anakin's enlistment with the Outbound Flight team, immediately sets about to have him removed so that he can be useful later.

Sidious has fascinating intentions in this story. He wants Anakin out of harm's way, as he intends to destroy Outbound Flight, and also because he wants several Jedi to die in the catastrophe he has arranged. Sidious' grander motivation, however, is his awareness that beings with organic vehicles and a bend for conquest exist in the Unknown Regions. Outbound Flight's mission would possibly have alerted the aliens we know to be the Yuuzahn Vong to the existence of the Republic, which lacks a military (the clone army is still being secretly grown on Kamino). Sidious intends to prevent contact with the Vong as long as possible; at least until his Empire has been formed, and a full military developed. "The New Jedi Order" series was completed by the time of this book's publication, so it's fun to hear the Vong mentioned in a prequel to their eventual invasion.

Back to the core of the book, however. Thrawn is a man with military vision well beyond the rules of his people. His ability to analyze opponents through art and architecture, as well as his penchant for charm and class make his lethal strikes stand out severely against the backdrop of his ultra-cultured nature. Thrawn falls from grace with his people, and we know that he will end up in the service of Darth Sidious, but the book does not show the formalization of that aspect, merely its beginnings. As always, Zahn keeps you guessing just what Thrawn is up to until the last minute, and every move is a stunning surprise that leaves you breathless and eager for more.

I was drawn to read this prequel after the Thrawn Trilogy, which I read earlier this year. If you're a Star Wars compleatist or were drawn in by the better Thrawn Trilogy, this book is worthwhile background material. The project of Outbound Flight was an intriguing side note in the Trilogy. Regrettably, this novel doesn't live up to its predecessors, but really, how could it, given that the Trilogy was credited for basically reinvigorating cultural, or at least geek cultural, interest in the franchise in the 1990s. Even by the sketchy standards of character development, Outbound Flight scrapes along the bottom. When sketchy is done right, such story elements can seem mythical, but here the reader never really gets a sense of the main characters or their motivations, C'Baoth and Thrawn, and their ultimate confrontation conceived as a Force choke through space is awkward. The coda with the death of Jedi Jinzler and Thrawn's brother is also awkward, and unncessary. From a narrative standpoint, it would have been far better for Jinzler and Thrass to careen off into interstellar space with Outbound Flight, like Darth Vader in Star Wars IV leaving a question open to the imagination, and beef up the Thrawn/C'Baoth throwdown. Zahn should have gone all in with Palpatine, Kenobi, and Anakin, involving them somehow in the final confrontation, both to make their inclusion more relevant, rather than coming and going, and that device would have built maybe a neat parallel with the beginning of Star Wars III, with Palpatine doing the rescuing. We can go on with rewrites all morning long, but the upshot is that this could have been a much more satisfying part of the Star Wars mythos. As it is, the book represents a lost opportunity.

I read the original Thrawn series when I was in high school and absolutely loved it. Great characters, intriguing plot, and a lot of twists and turns. Unfortunately, none of that is present in Outbound Flight. To be honest, I stopped reading halfway through because I made an important realization when it comes to Star Wars: I don't particularly enjoy the Old Republic and its level of seriousness. The Jedi, in particular, are so serious about everything that it's really not fun. Maybe if they weren't so serious, they might see all the signs that the Sith are running rampant.

Two major things I've always enjoyed about the Star Wars universe are the complex characters (especially the psychological aspects) and their witty yet subtle humor. None of that was present in Outbound Flight. From the original series, we know that Thrawn is quite complex, but it's almost forced here. C'baoth is just a one-dimensional egomaniac who, other than disarming a missile with the Force, doesn't have much of any redeeming value. There's just too much seriousness for me to enjoy this book. Star Wars is supposed to be fun, right?

While it's key to the overall story, I get tired of the Palpatine/Sidious back and forth. I actually prefer when he's just the Emperor and nailing people with lightning bolts for their treachery. In the end, I just really like the period from the Revenge of the Sith through the end of the original Thrawn series (I haven't read past that yet). Maybe I need to branch out more but I just really like the characters, plots, and twists in that time.

Overall, if you like the Old Republic and context for later stories, you'll probably enjoy this book. If you're more into the original Star Wars trilogy and its key characters, twisting plots, and lighter sense of humor, you should probably pass on this one.

With "Outbound Flight", Timothy Zahn explains the doomed project of the Republic and develops the early of the character commonly known as Thrawn. The story takes several paths to complete the tale, even being visited by some of the more familiar Jedi. In the end, readers will be reminded why Zahn is among the elite writers in the Expanded Universe.

Outbound Flight is a pet project of Jedi master Jorus C'Baoth. After settling a dispute in the empire, his project quickly regain traction and seems rushed to an extent. Families and Jedi crowd the six dreadnaught arrangements, but many quickly find distaste in the management of the journey.

As Outbound Flight launches, readers are introduced to Thrawn. A military genius by most counts, Thrawn does not fit the mold of a typical villian. Thoughtful, encouraging of others, and and more rationally minded than certain protagonists in the book, readers may find themselves liking Thrawn. With a quest for knowledge, his first interest is not to detroy enemies. This will be put to the test as conflicts with antagonistic aliens and the arrival of Outbould Flight, bring the potential for conflict on a massive scale.

As I read reviews for Stars Wars: Expanded Universe books, I am often struck by how negative many of the reviews are. Yet the reviews for this book are strikingly positive. Though it took longer to read than I would have liked, I was certainly drawn in by the Thrawn character. I find myself wanting to re-read some of the Thrawn books I have already read.

After so many previous references to the infamous Outbound Flight, I guess Zahn figured that instead of alluding to it, he actually had to write a book about the event. As is the case with most novels that are intended to tie-up loose ends, there is an inherent lack of originality present.

The insertion of Obi-Wan and Anakin seemed perfunctory, and the portion of the book that they occupy could have been drastically shortened. The interplay between the Jedi Master and a teenaged Skywalker was interesting, though, as was the foreshadowing in Anakin's affinity for power and dominance, as shown in his admiration for the character of Jorus C'baoth.

Unlike other reviewers, I had no problem with Lorena Jinzler. It was nice to see a genuinely timid, hesitant Jedi. Her character illustrated that like in all walks of life, some individuals just aren't as good at their chosen occupation as others. Her pairing with a domineering force like C'baoth was an obvious attempt by the Jedi Council to shore up her confidence.

Mostly, though, Outbound Flight was the vehicle that introduced the early Thrawn, before he became a Grand Admiral. An exceedingly complex character, he is portrayed as a moral, upright figure, which contrasts with his decidedly darker persona in the Thrawn Trilogy.

Overall, a good book, but one that should have been pared by about 100 pages to pick the pace up a bit. Recommended, but with reservations.

Where to begin? Well, Outbound Flight was my re-introduction to SW EU novels after 5 years absence due to discontent and the utter ridiculousness of the direction and characterisation of most people in the books at that time. Outbound Flight is very slow moving. It doesn't even launch until mid-book. Jedi Master Jorus C'baoth is a disgrace not only to Jedi Ideals but to the Republic as well. His arrogance is not only stifling but practically beyond tolerating. It's beyond my comprehension why everyone cowers before this madman.

Anakin and Obi-Wan shouldn't have been included in this book. They do nothing yet endlessly report information that's already known. In the case of Ani, he has a severe case of hero-worship of Jorus that is pathetic.

Personally, I think this novel would've been both stronger and much more interesting if all of it was seen through Chiss eyes. I am a very late comer to Commander Thrawn. I met the Grand Admiral just prior to quitting EU in 2007 and didn't get past the middle of Dark Force Rising before I closed the book in utter frustration. After consulting fellow fans regarding how best to read Thrawn's arc so it makes sense...I started HotE again. 120 pages in, I went with my initial gut feeling and switched to Outbound Flight. I'm glad I did. Not only has the writing quality marginally improved but also Thrawn actually is very likeable. I'm beginning to see that even fairly early he was a maverick, given to aggressive actions that the Chiss as a people don't condone but even so, Mitth'raw'nuruodo is a fascinating character. I appreciate that Thrawn didn't know Basic in the beginning. The language lessons were neat and rather cute. Many, complain that this slow the novel down. I completely disagree. It's a glimmer of realism amid Thrawn's string of impressive feats. He's from the Unknown Regions, that Chiss know Basic would've been silly since they seem rather homebody-types staying near their space. I was rather surprised to see that Thrawn got injured and related signs of stress as the story moved along. This inclusion is good because it shows that for all his ability to interpret data and anticipate reactions he is still fallible.

His genuinely curious, willing, and direct but civil manner is rarely found especially in first contact situations so that was refreshing. Considering the first Humans he met, Thrawn was wise to confer most with Car'das which is also sensible and mostly likeable. I also rather like Maris. She was spot on for advocating being honest with Thrawn from the start...which brings me to two things that concern me about this novel. One is the strong implication that females are incompetent and stupid and the other was the lack of respect for blood-based familial bonds. Don't misunderstand, I'm not one that thinks blood alone determines love or loyalty but the absence of basic empathy and respect between both Thrawn and Thrass and Lorana and Dean was quite jarring.

Outbound Flight is a mission to explore the galaxies beyond the one Star wars is set in. It's the first book in the Star Wars chronology to include Thrawn - one of the most famous characters in the Extended Universe, and it's for this reason that I chose to read it. And it was a good decision.

The characters were generally done well. I liked Jorus C'Baoth's Apprentice, Lorana, and Thrawn's guest Car'das quite a lot. Then there was the Chancellor. Palpatine is an incredibly complex character, and a very important one. And I've never seen him portrayed better. But there was also the two main players in the book. Thrawn and C'Baoth. I wasn't amazed by C'Baoth, but I think that's more because I didn't like him as a person, than didn't like how he was written. But Thrawn I did like. I haven't actually read the trilogy he was first written about in, but after reading this book I will be. He's a fascinating character, and I found myself looking forwards to those chapters about his storyline. The only thing he didn't have was any flaws. He was a little too perfect. But that didn't mean I didn't enjoy reading about him. He was extremely well written.

I felt that the inclusion of Anakin and Obi-Wan was rather unneccesary. I felt like it was done just because they were famous characters, rather than because they would add anything to the story. They weren't major characters, didn't do an awful lot, but hung around where all the important stuff things happened, disagreeing and agreeing with C'Baoth respectively. I didn't really understand what they were there for.

But it was an excellent story otherwise, two main storylines that merge towards the end of the book, but full of moments that make you think "that was clever". The two masterminds of the book are facinating to read about, and some of the tactics and technology of the various groups was extremely interesting. Especially the methods of the Vagaari, which were brutal, but again were a clever idea. And it manages to link into much of the other stories in the star wars universe. It has ties to the previous books, "The Phantom Menace" and "Rogue Planet". It also links into the Thrawn books, by the same author, by introducing their eponymous character. and then it hints at the events in the New Jedi Order, which is set over fifty years later.

There was one thing that I felt the story could have done with, was a small bit of back story about Vergere, a missing Jedi. It wasn't an important plot point, just mentioned a couple of times as an indirect mission of Outbound flight. It could be picked up by the end of the book that she had gone missing, and where, but it would have been handy if there had been a brief paragraph about what she was doing when she went missing, or perhaps a bigger mention of Obi-Wan's search for her (This is the subject of the book set before outbound flight, "Rogue Planet").

From a technical point of view, I couldn't see anything wrong with the writing at all. No typos, no weird formatting. Not even any badly worded sentences. Zahn is a brilliant writer, and this work reflects that. Although reading Rogue Planet before hand might be useful for that one thing, this is a really good entry to the Star Wars saga and a highly interesting read.

Reading this book after reading the Legacy of the Force is like getting into a nice hot tub after shovelling snow. Zahn has the advantage of course of only writing one book (well, two, if you count Survivor's Quest) and not having to split the writing task with two other writers. And this novel still drops hints that the Jedi aren't all they're cracked up to be, but it's not overwhelming. [Edit: I take that back, it IS overwhelming.]Zahn set the standard for Star Wars books with his Thrawn trilogy, which I read several years ago, so it's not fresh in my mind and I can't compare this book to that (fat lot of help I am!) We get to see a younger Thrawn before he gets exiled from the other Chiss, and he seems like a nice guy, until you get to the end of the book.

I have a bit of a philosophical problem with this book, though. ***spoilers*** Apparently, Palpatine knew the Yuuzhan Vong were coming (in here, they're called Far Outsiders) so he created the Empire in order to defend the galaxy from them. Then, our "heroes" screw all that up by killing Palpatine and setting up the New Republic. Thanks to the ineffectiveness of the Jedi and the New Republic, 350 trillion sentient beings die. See my discussion "Do you want to be a Jedi?" Now, with this book, things are even worse. Apparently, Palpatine was the hero all along. How messed up is that? (Is Lucas even paying attention to these books? Seriously?)

[Edit: I recommend that you read this one before Survivor's Quest.]

5 stars. I'm a little snobby when it comes to these Star Wars books, but if any Star Wars book deserves 5 stars, this one does, in spite of the issue I brought up.

OUTBOUND FLIGHT is quite the addictive page-turner.

I wanted as much as I could get of the back story of the prequels as well as the Clone Wars (and the preceding events) without the literary overkill or having to read a Star Wars novel that was written just to fill in a vacant gap and make an extra few bucks.

I read Terry Brooks' novelization of PHANTOM MENACE and was very pleased (though very disappointed with the film). I tried ROGUE PLANET, but it lost me after a few chapters. But everyone seemed to be raving about OUTBOUND FLIGHT. I knew it was written by Timothy Zahn, who resurrected the long-dormant "expanded universe" in 1991 with his now classic HEIR TO THE EMPIRE. And it provided a back story for two of its principal characters: Jedi Master Jorus C'Boath and Grand Admiral Thrawn.

I was not disappointed.

OUTBOUND FLIGHT is not just a Star Wars story to fill in some timeline gaps. It's an edge-of-your-seat thriller with the most unpredictable twists and turns around every corner. Though flavored with Star Wars, it at times even takes on a storytelling all its own. But it also offers a great deal of bearing on prequel events and dynamic insights into the principal characters. Of course the most fascinating character in OUTBOUND FLIGHT is Commander Thrawn. Throughout the story, he achieves the upper hand in a wide variety of impossible situations simply by being smarter than everyone else and thinking far ahead. In space battles, he often approaches the problem like a chess grand master, anticipating each of the various possible moves of his opponents before making his own brilliant move.

OUTBOUND FLIGHT also offers insights into the morality of war, and without taking sides, gives credence to different characters with different viewpoints. One quote that really stayed with me was found on page 185 (hardcover) in which Thrawn is debating the issue with his brother Thrass. "I agree we can't protect the entire galaxy," Thrawn said. "But it's foolhardy to always permit our enemies to choose the time and place of battle."

Surprisingly, linguistics plays a prominent role througout OUTBOUND FLIGHT. This subject has never been of much interest to Star Wars fans. (We usually leave that kind of thing to LORD OF THE RINGS fans and Trekkies.) There is an unusual amount of emphasis on the different alien languages spoken and how characters learn and teach each other these languages. For awhile this may make the pace of the story tedious and even a little cheesy. But there is a huge payoff as this later becomes a major mover and shaker of the plot.

OUTBOUND FLIGHT is not just a great Star Wars novel. It's a great science fiction novel as well.

Star Wars: Outbound Flight, by Timothy Zahn

In "Outbound Flight," Zahn gives background history on the Chiss and Commander Thrawn, the enigmatic strategic powerhouse made famous in the "Heir to the Empire" trilogy, back in 1992.

Zahn also gives the origins of the Outbound Flight, a space project meant to explore the next galaxy, crewed by potential settlers and a group of Jedi Knights. Jorus C'baoth, a Jedi Master familiar to readers of Zahn's other books, is the force behind the Outbound Flight, and his descent into madness is described in this book. C'baoth is a sort of Jedi megalomaniac, who thinks that because the Jedi can draw on the Force, they are the rightful rulers of the ordinary people.

The portrayal of C'baoth is perhaps a little heavy-handed, as it's hard to believe the Jedi Council would let him continue on his power quest. Especially since some members of the Council, such as Mace Windu, question C'baoth's motives. Windu sends Obi-Wan and Anakin to covertly watch the Outbound Flight and its Jedi leader before it leaves the galaxy.

But the real star of the story is Commander Thrawn, who I loved learning more about. We get to see Thrawn's military genius, and his initial contact with Darth Sidious. I would have liked to see even more about the Chiss, as the glimpses given of their protocol and rituals was fascinating.

"Outbound Flight" was mostly a good read, with fast action, space battles, and good characters. I had a few quibbles, such as an annoying character or two, but they weren't enough to distract from an otherwise enjoyable installment in the Extended Universe.

4/5.

The premier writer of Star Wars novels, Timothy Zahn, returns to form with his newest book, 'Outbound Flight'.

The story revolves around one of the most ambitious, and ultimately tragic, projects ever embarked upon by the Jedi: Outbound Flight. A small group of Jedi with roughly 50,000 colonists embarked on a mission to explore and colonise another galaxy, the first step of which involved exploring the Unknown Regions of their own galaxy, which is where their mission tragically ends.

The story itself dovetails neatly with that of "Survivor's Quest", and it could be said that 'Outbound Flight' is the prequel, released, in true Star Wars fashion, after the sequel story.

I found the writing to be top-notch, with plenty of action and political intrigue. This is typical Zahn. I initially found the story of "Survivor's Quest" to be a little disjointed with some unusual characters, but now, having read 'Outbound Flight', I can appreciate the sequel story much more.

Two of the key characters, the two that have dominated Zahn's writing over the years, are Thrawn and Jorus C'boath. Both are true to form in this story, and are explored in a lot more detail. I found the character of C'boath, and particular his overbearing and arrogant views of the Jedi's place in society, to be very interesting. Thrawn is his usual self, and again shows his phenomenal tactical acumen.

My one objection to the story is the role of Anakin and Obi-Wan, and generally the rest of the Jedi Order. While I enjoyed the role that the pair played in the story, I disliked how they simply vanished from the story after leaving Outbound Flight. I feel that some follow up would have been necessary, even if it was just Obi-Wan reporting his findings back to Yoda and Windu, and C'boath's visions of the future.

On a similar note, I feel that Master Yoda should have been included in the story, particularly during the beginning when Outbound Flight was gaining approval. Given that Yoda was effectively the head of the Jedi Order, I feel that his perspective on the project was important. In particular, a scene between Yoda and C'boath may have enhanced the story somewhat.

But overall, this is a fantastic story. I think there's still more to explore with the whole Thrawn story, particularly how he came to serve the Emperor, and I hope to see a few more Tim Zahn books come out in the not to distant future.

I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in Star Wars.

Many looking at purchasing Outbound Flight have probably read or are at least familiar with the Thrawn trilogy that Timothy Zahn originally wrote. Personally, I think those books represent some of the best Star Wars material ever released; right up there in the pantheon with the movies. Zahn created an interesting and complete character in Grand Admiral Thrawn. With that expectation, I picked up Outbound Flight.

Outbound Flight, for those who don't know, is a Jedi colonization expedition led by Jedi C'baoth, who from the very beginning of the book seems to be walking the line between Dark and Light. As has happened in Zahn's previous work, a number of plotlines are ongoing along with this look at Outbound Flight - with a convergence in the finale.

I found the portrayal of Outbound Flight and the Jedi handling of it to be very interesting; in the context of how the general populace would see the Republic and the Jedi in a light that is quite more developed than in the films. In the films, the Jedi are really only portrayed as being right and just. Here in Outbound Flight, a much more realistic [as realistic as a fictional universe can be, I suppose] portrayal. It's obvious how Darth Sidious could undermine what the Jedi stood for through his master strategy.

I also enjoyed the development of Thrawn, as a character outside of the subject of the Empire that we have previously seen. Thrawn, with this backstory, is what Darth Vader always should have been - a fully realized character whose acceptance of the Empire [while only hinted at] can be understood. I never felt that Anakin's betrayal was done in a believable manner. The book did leave me with a desire to read more on the subject of Thrawn. He is a fascinating character and I hope that there are more books coming.

I gave the book 4 out of 5 stars - the plot is interesting, the characters are mostly compelling, and I was left was a desire to read more of Thrawn's rise. He is a fascinating character and makes the book worth reading. As far as the writing goes, it's primarily functional and on par with Zahn's other work.

There are many complex plots and events that revolves around Outbound Flight that unfold in the most fascinating writing that I have come across in a long time. The characters are rich and vibrant and very believable. I can identify with them immediately, to the point where I can admire some and despise others with a passion. The writing is also well thought out and descriptive.

The portrayal of Replubic heroes Kenobi and Anakin, as well as Darth Sidious and Palpatine are quite true to how they are portrayed to the movies, I can even hear their voices as their words breathe life in the storyline. This is the first book I read of Timothy Zahn, and I am most impressed and overjoyed. I cannot put this book down.

Being a techno-geek, I did find one oversight on page 250, describing how the genius of Thrawn overcomes encryption of the droids, would not be possible if the Trade Federation utilize encryption techniques within the last 30 years of our technically primitive world. Any encryption, especially of military importance, would have ways to circumvent "replay attacks" that Thrawn used. For specifics, encryption keys are rotated quite often, so when the signal is re-broadcasted, it would be different data because of different encryption from the rotated out key).

Overall, I loved the book, and I'll use my active imagination that Thrawn just had some other brilliant way to foil the Trading Federation.

Outbound Flight is an intriguing story of space exploration and, more importantly, it serves as our introduction to Commander Mitth'raw'nuruodo of the Chiss Ascendancy, better known to Star Wars aficionados as the brilliant mastermind Thrawn. He is one of the most interesting characters in the entire saga as he exhibits time after time that he is functioning on a higher intellectual plane than most everybody else he comes in contact with. Mr. Zahn's book also gives us an excellent look at the workings of Jedi minds and at some of the not always smooth relationships among our lightsaber-wielding heroes.

Jedi Master Jorus C'baoth has a plan (called Outbound Flight) for a huge undertaking using a massive vessel for a mission to contact intelligent life and colonize undiscovered worlds beyond the known galaxy. This mission would last for years and would involve six Jedi Masters, twelve Jedi Knights, and fifty thousand men, women, and children. In the first part of the book the bureaucracy that is such a part of Coruscant has bogged down C'baoth's efforts. The Senate seems reluctant to commit the necessary resources, and the Jedi Council is not convinced of the validity of the idea. Then our favorite nefarious Supreme Chancellor gets involved behind the scenes as usual. Palpatine and C'baoth work out a quid pro quid arrangement in which C'baoth resolves a mining dispute on Barlok in exchange for Palpatine's efforts to get Outbound Flight moving again. Of course, the hand of Darth Sidious is ever active in all of these arrangements.

Outbound Flight does finally get underway and the real troubles begin. Master C'baoth rules the ship with an iron fist despite the misgivings of the other Jedi who are along on the voyage. These Jedi include Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker who are on the ship but are not planning to stay for the entire trip. The interplay among the Jedi is extremely interesting and very believable. The reactions from the passengers on the voyage to the machinations of their Jedi Master leader are also extremely believable. Not everyone is a fan of the Jedi.

To complicate matters, Thrawn is defending the Chiss boundaries from incursions by the evil Vagaari. His battle tactics are fascinating, and his skill at winning political squabbles with his Chiss peers is equally interesting. All of these forces come together at the edge of Unknown Space - Jedi, Chiss, Vagaari, Outbound Flight, Obi-Wan, Anakin, Darth Sidious, and a three-person crew of a smuggling ship from the Republic that ends up in the wrong place at the wrong time. We also are treated to hints of what appears to be an invasion force - the Far Outsiders gathering at the edge of the galaxy.

Many excellent possibilities were introduced in this book and good reading awaits in future tales.

Timothy Zahn, often considered the Father of Star Wars Expanded Universe, returns to the Galaxy Far, Far Away to detail the story behind Outbound Flight, Jorus C'baoth, and, most importantly, Thrawn. Since he is my favorite author, I definitely couldn't miss this one.

Plot:
Jedi Master Jorus C'baoth has come up with the ultimate mission: to send a group of beings out beyond the Republic, to the Unknown Regions to colonize and perhaps penetrate to the next galaxy. After winning approval from the Senate, he begins his mission. Unbeknownst to him, Darth Sidious fears this mission will flush out hidden enemies that the fragmented Republic is not prepared to fight so he sends team to destroy Outbound Flight.
Meanwhile, Jorj Cardas, Maris Ferasi, and Dubrak Quennto flee a Hutt's wrath and end up smack dab in the Unknown Regions at the mercy of the Chiss Defense Fleet, commanded by the mysterious Thrawn who has many schemes up his sleeve.

Good:
One word: Thrawn. He is a brilliant military mastermind, able to penetrate people's thoughts and desires and determine rather accurately how they will react to a certain set of circumstances. In my opinion, he is the best part of the book.
Some people aren't fond of how Obi-Wan and Anakin appear in this book, and while they are trivial, I was very impressed with how Timothy Zahn was about to translate Obi-Wan to the written word. Anakin is flat, but what do you expect for a fifteen year old Padawan?
Jorj Cardas is another good character. He is a rather real guy, someone you can sympathize with and relate to. I found his parts more enjoyable in many aspects than any of the others (but part of that was because it was through his parts I learned more about Thrawn).
I enjoyed reading how Maris admired Thrawn. It would have been cool had Zahn spent more time on a perhaps romance between the two (although that would probably have disrupted the storyline and dragged it down some).
Zahn also did a grand job with the plot (minus a few hiccups at the beginning). He weaves the story between the Jedi (Lorana and Obi-Wan), Jorj, and Doriana, Palpatine's duplicitous aide. Through their eyes, we get to see how they all intertwine and the fate of the Outbound Flight. The ending is powerful, bittersweet and reminiscent of Revenge of the Sith (I half wanted to cry at the end!). Although I discovered partially how the tragedy unfolded (but then, everyone had a vague idea), I read on intrigued and hoping that it wouldn't yield the grim results I speculated.
Lastly, Zahn does a great job with the dialogue, the pacing, and other narration. Obi-Wan talked like Obi-Wan. Palpatine was Palpatine. His own characters (Jorj, Jorus, Thrawn, etc.) are more "malleable" in the sense that his books are the ones in which they primarily turn up, but their characters are pretty much the same as in other materials. Zahn knows how to evenly pace his story, not jolting you through many, many years over 5 pages and slowing to a halt to cover a few days in 200+ pages. Further, his narration is delightful to read.

Bad:
I hadn't thought that Jorus C'baoth would have been a jerk. I understand why his clone was crazy, and I guess I knew that he was likely crazy, but somehow, I expected Jorus to be different than in this portrayal.
Also, I found Lorana a little difficult as a character. Here, she has been C'baoth's Padawan for 10+ years, putting up with his arrogance, self-importance, and rudeness, and she becomes a mediocre Jedi? I would have thought she would have been as arrogant, self-important, and rude as her Master, not a wimpy doormat!
Lastly, although it is important that Thrawn learn Basic, the whole concept of the language lessons at the beginning is a little corny.

Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence:
Typical Star Wars made-up "colorful language" or alluded to. Maris and Quennto are said to share a room. Violence is typical Star Wars fare (although aliens are told to have been cut nearly in half by laser fire and are used as human shields).

Overall:
Zahn, pat yourself on the back. Another job well done! My only complaint? Where's the story about Thrawn's rise to power?

Brought to you by:
*C.S. Light*

OK, let me explain the title. I have heard about Timothy Zahn. I know he wrote a lot of books in the New Republic series. I have read Survivors Quest which was ok. I just seem to prefer the Prequel books. That's why I like this one.

Jorus C'Boath is a Jedi master with a project called Outbound Flight, which will seek out new worlds and colonize them, and possible find new perspective Jedi. C'boath is sort of a cross between Qui-Gon Jinn and Anakin Skywalker. He is hardheaded like Qui-Gon and his lust for power and control over everything is a bit like Anakin. The council does not trust him so they send Obi-Wan to keep an eye on him.

Meanwhile in the unknown region, a band of smugglers manages to trespass on Chiss air space and get caught by Thrawn. Thrawn is seen as a tyrant in the later books but in this book he seems like a brilliant military strategist with impeccable manners. He treats the smugglers with dignity and respect, and more like guests and prisoners.

Sidious has a new assistant and his plan is to destroy Outbound Flight. However, they fail at this mission and ask Thrawn for his help. Thrawn is reluctant to do is and only relents when C'boath puts a choke hold on him and tries to kill him.

I am a serious SW fan but one has to wonder who th enemy is in this book. C'boath is engaging in all sorts of unethical practices, including taking some of the passenger's children by force to train them as Jedi. All of them are way too old to begin training. He also is assuming total control and domination over the entire project, using the force as a weapon to get what he wants. Anyone that questions him is subject to punishment. There are other things in this book that he does that are clearly insane but I wont get into that. Sidious tried to convince Thrawn that the Jedi are evil and want to rule over the galaxy, but he doesn't have to try very hard becuase C'boath makes his case for him. If you read this book you will see what I mean.

As far as I am concerned, Thrawn is a cool dude in this book. He was just trying to protect himself and his people from attack.

This "Star Wars" story is a prequel to "Survivor's Quest" and among other things it tells the story of how the Old Republic first encountered Commander Mitth'raw'nuruodo - better known by the rank to which Emperor Palpatine was to appoint him, and by his "core name" which humans can pronounce, as Grand Admiral Thrawn.

Timothy Zahn is one of the most original science fiction authors writing today. His contributions to the "Star Wars" universe, particularly the novels in which he brought to life Grand Admiral Thrawn and his race, the Chiss, are perhaps his best work.

This story is set about four or five years after "Star Wars Episode One" at a time when Palpatine has become Supreme Chancellor but before the start of the Clone Wars in Episode two - Attack of the Clones." Anakin Skywalker is 14 years old in this book and has been Obi-Wan Kenobi's Padawan for the intervening four or five years. It becomes clear that Supreme Chancellor Palpatine already has plans for his future ...

In "Survivor's Quest", set well after "Return of the Jedi," Luke Skywalker and his wife Mara Jade go on an expedition to find what had happened to the Outbound Flight expedition many years before. This book tells the story of Outbound Flight from the viewpoint of the people involved: including what involvement Palpatine, Thrawn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Anakin Skywalker had in the expedition.

It's a good story, well told and enjoyable. If you are thinking of reading it and have not yet read "Survivor's Quest" I would recommend tackling "Outbound Flight" first. For all that it is written as a prequel, I found that because I had already read "Survivor's Quest" the knowledge of what is going to happen did to some extent reduce my pleasure on first reading this book.

Nevertheless it is an enjoyable and well written addition to the "Star Wars" canon, and I do recommend it.

Outbound Flight was a terrific novel! A lot of the beginnings to characters and fleeting mentions of names in Zahn's previous novels are given a back story here and it is terrific. Of course, this novel has Thrawn in it, a cunning military tactic genius. He is by far one of the most interesting characters in the Star Wars Expanded Universe. There are also ties to Darth Sidious here, ties to the New Jedi Order series about the Yuuzhan Vong, andit also features Obi-Wan and Anakin for a little bit. All in all, a great novel for fans of the Thrawn trilogy or for any person looking to be interested in Star Wars novels.

In Survivor's Quest Luke and Mara find the remains of the Outbound Flight. This is of course what this book is about. Jedi Master C'Baoth wants to take a ship off for colonization and answers questions raised on in Survivor's Quest. After years of debating the Jedi Council have finally agreed to it but they want Obi Wan to accompany C'Baoth because they are concerned about C'Baoth. After reading the book the Jedi were right to be concerned. C'Baoth was as crazy in live as he was as a Clone in his "afterlife". The people chosen for this colonization is all have children who are strong in the Force and C'Baoth wants to take them from their parents and train them personally whether their parents want to give them up or not. The book puts an interesting light on how Jedi are brought into the Jedi Order and separated from their families without ever knowing them that has never been explored I had hoped it would be even more explored in this one. The Jedi except for Anakin are brought into the the Jedi order as babies their for they never actually get to make the decision for themselves if the Jedi was really where they wanted to be. I really though this was where the story was going to go because we have one Jedi Lorana who's been sensing someone in the Force following her only to learn its her brother Dean who has always resented his sister because of the way his parents placed Lorana in an exalted place and always above Dean. I had hoped this would be explored a little more on both sides like how Lorana felt about meeting a brother she never knew or ponder things a bit but there's none of that which disappointed me. Sure the book was still really good but I think it would have been even better to have explored this gray area in the Jedi. She could have had a little bit of a struggle about learning about a brother the way we've seen Anakin struggle with his own mother and would have made for an interesting conversation at least to the two discuss it before Anakin got off the ship.

First, I should say I have never read Zahn's original Heir to the Empire books, so for me Outbound Flight was not just a "prequel" to Thrawn and the Chiss, but very much my first encounter with them, so to speak. Other reviewers have already touched on most of my observations, but the one thing that bugged me most about this story was the fetishistic portrayal of Thrawn and all things Chiss. I imagine there's probably some term or expression in the publishing industry that describes this, but when you're working in a shared universe with contributions from dozens of writers, there must be a sort of "authorial ego" phenomenon. Authors want *their* particular contributions to the shared universe -- be they characters, civilizations, weapons, or whatever -- to somehow be more noteworthy than their in-universe counterparts. I distinctly got this impression from the portrayal of Thrawn and the Chiss civilization while reading Outbound Flight. I found it went beyond a plausible competence on the part of Thrawn, and drifted more into something akin to a group of kids constantly one-upping each other while playing with their imaginary weapons/armor/magic ("oh, well this is, like, magic armor and it's immune to that"). The Chiss just had a too-convenient countermeasure to every weapon and tactic used against them, by a civilization the Chiss had never even encountered before. Some of you might want to say "So? They're that good", but I couldn't help interpret it as more an author wanting to make his own creation smarter/stronger/cooler than all others in the shared universe.

Like others, I also found the portrayal of the Jedi did not square with what we know from the films. I haven't read too deeply into the Star Wars EU, but I have noticed cynicism and revisionism with respect to the Jedi seem to figure prominently in a lot of the stories. That's not necessarily bad, because true enough the Jedi's own moral failings factored into their vulnerability to Darth Sidious' machinations, so they are thus worthy of being plot elements. But I think the phenomenon has been taken too far in a lot of cases, to the point that the Jedi are not portrayed in the spirit of Star Wars, and often this is done simply as an expedient to the author's story, as is the case with Outbound Flight. I just don't think C'baoth could have carried on the way he did without rebuke from the Jedi Order.

Finally, the subplot at the beginning of the story was basically a self-contained throwaway device to show why C'baoth was allowed to proceed with his pet project, Outbound Flight. Did it really contribute anything to the story that couldn't have been explained away by the reader filling in the blanks? It might have worked better as a short story separate from the main story, like a lot of other Star Wars books have done before.

Still, I give it a respectable 3 stars because it was interesting enough to read all the way through, and it does serve its ultimate purpose which is to let you indulge your inner-geek in a bit of escapism in the Galaxy Far, Far Away.

I've been reading the novels in order, re-reading those which I've already read, and I've got to say this one was one of my favorites in that era, though I can't say I didn't enjoy any of them.

You can pretty much gather that there is a lot of back history on Thrawn thrown into this one, and this also provides you with a deeper understanding of the mind and motives of Jorus C'baoth.
In the original Thrawn trilogy, Luke's research reveals to him that Jorus liked to be in the public eye, and we get the idea that perhaps he was a bit cocky and self assured...

...which gives us a better understanding of his clones alter ego considering that the clone was suffering from clone madness.

I was also interested in the fact that even though he was not a member of the Jedi Counsel, he was able to use his weight to get what he wanted.

As for Obi-Wan and Skywalker's presence in this novel...

...well let's pretend you grew up on an island and were reading the novels in order and were not aware of anything that followed in the time line after this novel...

...well I think you would have a sence of "is Obi-Wan and Anakin going to die!??!", but then you see that they are pulled from the mission in order to fulfill there fate in the Star Wars galaxy. I dunno, I liked how they were tossed in there only to be taken off the ship, it only made this suicide mission seem all that much darker in the knowledge that bad things were to come in the events to come, and that Palpatine was behind it all.

I have read a number of Timothy Zahn novels, and this is one of his better ones (not the best, but very good). I enjoyed reading about the roots of Admiral Thrawn, what his people are like, their rules of engagement, and cultural idiosyncrasies. And I really enjoyed reading about Jorus C'Boath (the "real" one!) and how just belligerent and turgid he was, bullying his way around everywhere, telling people what to do and how to do it. You'll just love to hate him.

In typical Zahn fashion, there is much detail and character development. Finally, though I read this book prior to reading the "Hand of Thrawn" duology (which is actually chronologically correct), Zahn was very careful to dovetail many, if not all, the details presented in his earlier works with this prequel.

All in all, it was quite enjoyable to read.

This book describes extreme Jedi Master C'baoth's formation and leadership that led the Outbound Flight to turmoil and eventual destruction after encountering Thrawn and the Chiss. The pacing of this book flows going from character to character, from trader Car'das to Obi-Wan. This book also brings out the moral dilemma of Jedi training, taking children away from their parents and family and forbidding them from having any contact with them. Star Wars fans may argue about how noble the Jedi are, but the author does a good job of questioning their roles and policies, especially with a character who is extreme in nature like C'baoth.

The reader does get a good view of Thrawn's first encounter with those from the Old Republic and how the Chiss are organized to fight threats to their worlds.

The flow is much better than Survivor's Quest and overall an entertaining book.

For a while, this was my favorite Star Wars novel. Timothy Zahn delivers a brilliant character, his antagonist, Thrawn. Thrawn was originally introduced as Grand Admiral of the Imperial Navy in Heir to the Empire--this book tells a bit of his backstory. It also tells of arrogance among the Jedi, an ambitious experiment, and the training of Anakin into the Jedi he'll become during the Clone Wars. Set in an almost-empty era between Episodes 1 and 2, this book fills the gap with an entertaining tale of beginnings and suitable companion to the much later-set book, Survivor's Quest.

Much like everyone else who has discovered Timothy Zahn's Star Wars novels, I have the opinion that NO OTHER AUTHOR has captured the very *essence* of the Star Wars Universe quite like him. Every word spoken by the original characters seems to be EXACTLY what they really WOULD say...more than that would seem to be Mr. Zahn's amazing talent to reach into this universe and write stories on par or I would venture to say way beyond the entertainment value of the original trilogy by George Lucas himself. It seems odd that someone who had no close association with Episode's IV, V & VI could not only capture all the characters so well, but actually improve upon the storyline, but Timothy Zahn did just that with his truly spectacular original trilogy that began with 'Heir To The Empire'. All I can say is, WOW. I'm not sure if many people realize this, but there was a LOT of info from those books that George Lucas adopted when he went back to write the less-than-stellar prequel films.

Nobody who has written a Star Wars novel has even come CLOSE to creating original characters that are on par with those created by Zahn...namely Mara Jade...Talon Karrde...and the best character of them all: Grand Admiral Thrawn. It is MY opinion that Thrawn was hands down the absolute greatest creation in ALL the Star Wars Universe...better than Vader, Palpatine, Luke, Leia and even Han Solo. He is simply put the bad guy that you wouldn't mind seeing win now and again. Depth and intelligence that far surpass Vader and the Emperor, Thrawn was one of those 3-dimensional so-called Bad Guys that you couldn't help but root for. My ONLY complaint about this character was how he met his demise in 'The Last Command'...it just seemed anti-climatic after all was said and done. A rather lame way to go if you ask me. But you didn't, so who cares, right?

On with the review: Outbound Flight is a topic I had been hoping Zahn would go into since the first time I recall it being mentioned in his original trilogy. Now, after many years of waiting, he finally tells the story of Jedi Master Jorus C'Baoth and the events that led to this monumental trip beyond the Known Regions of Republic Space. It was entirely different than I had expected it to be -- and entirely better than I had hoped, too. The masterful plotting of this story that moved at a very quick pace is best appreciated as you reach the end of this novel. How all the loose ends are tied together and how everything that at first seemed a bit confusing suddenly becomes totally clear, it was simply put a wonderful way to spend some hours of leisure time (what pitifully little time I actually have these days...).

I in particular enjoyed every single page that featured Thrawn and his tactical genius and his sometimes over-zealous desire to protect the Chiss from any and ALL possible threats, real or imagined. Where Thrawn differs from his entire species, is he actually has a conscience in regards to those who are being bullied about by others -- even though they may not be threatening the Chiss directly, his moral obligation compels him to take action to assist those who cannot help themselves. The Chiss on the other hand believe that helping others is not their responsibility -- as long as what is happening isn't directly affecting them. All of the plot threads that weave together the tale of Thrawn's trouble with his own people creates a wonderful picture of the Star Wars Universe that has up to this point not been told. How C'Baoth's tremendous ego puts him on a dangerous intersection with the Dark Side...how his own Padawan struggles with her warped perception of the man she looks up to so much -- but at what cost? The Civilians aboard Outbound Flight and their own problems dealing with the mad Jedi Master who has manipulated so much in order to gain absolute power over 50,000 people all to serve his own purposes. I in particular enjoyed the small but critical manipulation of Darth Sidious in pushing Outbound Flight through the horrible beaurocratic mire of the Senate.

In short this story is worth the time of EVERY true Star Wars fan...especially if you count yourself one of the millions of fans of Timothy Zahn's work. I still believe he reached his apex with his original trilogy, but Outbound Flight is a worthy addition to his already impressive collection of stories within the Star Wars Universe. I now await the story of Mara Jade in full novel form of how she became The Emperor's Hand. If Mr. Zahn ever reads this, at least give it some thought, will ya? How 'bout a novel detailing Thrawn and his initial induction into the Empire and his association with the Emperor himself? Hey, it's just an idea...but one I would thoroughly love to see developed in more detail. HIGHLY recommended. Oh, and one more thing: Mr. Zahn? Please don't make us wait so long for the next Star Wars book, okay? Now, I'm off to re-read all of his other books again...

Despite the title the book is really much more about Thrawn and first Republic contact with the Chiss than it is about the Outbound Flight Project. Outbound Flight is the central mechanism around which the plot unfolds, of course, but isn't the prime feature of the story. Nevertheless, this is a very good book, well worth reading (as are pretty much all of Mr. Zahn's works). The only thing I didn't like was the superfluous inclusion of Anakin and Obi Wan but they only play minor roles and leave before the ship reaches the Unknown Regions so it's not that big of a deal (though it's somewhat inelegant that Palpatine leaves after the project's launch only to show up at the last stop before the Unknown Regions to personally pull them off the Project too).

Now that I've gotten that off my chest, the pacing is great, the plot is complex (especially Thrawn's scheming and masterful military machinations), and the characterizations are first rate (except for Anakin and Obi Wan as mentioned previously). There is some great insight in to Sidious's overreaching plans, a foreshadowing of the Yuuzhan Vong's impending invasion, a first look at the evil nomadic Vaagari, an introduction to Thrawn's genius (and a foreshadowing of why he ultimately sides with the Empire later on), and a look at the fall of Master Jorus C'baoth to the Dark Side.

Jorj Car'das, is introduced in a very interesting and likeable way (all Correllians seem to be cool, huh?). Jedi Knight Lorena Jinzler, C'baoth's former padawan is well done as well. I like the way she is torn between loyalty to her friend and former master yet conflicted as his excesses become greater and greater over time. Great interplay amongst the jedi and non-jedi crew demonstrates what happens when the focus goes from serving and guiding to leading and ordering. And Thrawn is at the top of his game. He's one of my favorite Star Wars characters so I really appreciate learning more about him. Good stuff.

Overall this is a well-written, fast paced, and very enjoyable book. A very good read.

With Outbound Flight, Timothy Zahn completes his two-book series examining an expedition into unknown space during the time of the Republic in the Star Wars universe. He also gives us the first meeting of Grand Admiral Thrawn (one of first book-only creations for the Star Wars universe) and gives us a demonstration of how he became one of Emperor Palpatine's greatest military minds. Unfortunately, while the book is enjoyable, it suffers from two major characters being shoehorned in and a main plot that isn't really that interesting.

In Survivor's Quest, Luke and Mara Jade Skywalker are brought in to explore the remains of Outbound Flight after being thought destroyed for fifty years. In Outbound Flight, we see the beginning of the expedition, spearheaded by Jedi Master C'Baoth. The Senate is cutting funding for the project, which brings C'Baoth to the office of the Supreme Chancellor, Palpatine, to demand that he fight for it. Palpatine, with his own motives for getting the expedition off the ground, lures him to the planet Brolf to solve a trade dispute. Events on that planet will enhance his stature and make Outbound Flight almost a certainty. However, he doesn't foresee Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker being added to the Jedi crew by the Jedi Council. Meanwhile, a smuggler on the run from an infuriated Hutt is forced beyond known space by a hyperdrive malfunction, and they stumble upon a Chiss warship, commanded by a very intelligent Commander Thrawn. All of this comes together in a battle of wills and intelligence, with three sides all facing off against each other. Who will win? And how does Outbound Flight end up where Luke and Mara find it?

Outbound Flight is an interesting story, and it dovetails nicely with the events of Survivor's Quest. It was also enjoyable seeing Thrawn for the first time, when he's still unfamiliar with the area of space we're all familiar with. They've never heard of droids, so he's fascinated by the warrior droids that the Trade Federation has (which are obtained in a fight with the Trade Federation ship sent to destroy Outbound Flight). He demonstrates his superior intelligence many times in this book, and while we don't see the invitation to join Palpatine (I believe that happened after he became Emperor), we do see what most likely prompted it. Thrawn, as always, is a fascinating character, keeping plans within plans, so nobody is ever sure exactly what's happening until things go his way. The only problem I have with him (and it's one I've had with him from the beginning) is that he's almost too perfect. He never seems to miss anything, and if things seem to be going against him, you know it's a trick.

The part of the story dealing with the smugglers and their interaction with Thrawn is what keeps the book going. Unfortunately, the story of Outbound Flight itself isn't nearly as interesting. C'Baoth is an arrogant fool, and while it's nothing that we haven't seen before with him, he just didn't hold my attention. An attempt to humanize most of the C'Baoth scenes is made by including his Padawan, Lorana Jinzler, but that doesn't work. While she is a nice character, she doesn't help. The beginning of the book has Obi-Wan and Anakin (who is 14 years old and still quite impulsive) keeping an eye on him, and they help somewhat. Zahn does capture their relationship wonderfully and I could almost hear Ewan McGregor speaking Obi-Wan's lines.

However, they bring up one of the other problems with the book. First is a bit of false advertising on dust jacket. It implies that Obi-Wan and Anakin are around for the entire book and that they're involved in the inevitable confrontation between Outbound Flight and the Chiss. That's not the case, as would be obvious to anybody who's read the first book. They can't be on the ship when disaster strikes, as they have to be around for the subsequent movies. No, they're dumped off before Outbound Flight leaves Republic space and the scenes on the ship slow down even more. Their role in the book feels extremely forced, as if we need them around to make the story interesting. The problem is that it ends up being true.

It's also sad that when the action moves to the ship, it's just Obi-Wan and Anakin reacting to C'Baoth's obvious descent to the Dark Side. It's treated like a revelation toward the end, but all of the prideful statements, arrogant boasts, accumulation of power by C'Baoth, there's no doubt that's what's happening. The fact that this is considered a startling development is just annoying.

The book culminates in a thrilling climax that makes the rest of the book worth getting through. Three sides face off and C'Baoth's arrogance finally gets the best of him. Thrawn's plans are finally revealed and we see exactly how things finally work out. It sets up Survivor's Quest beautifully. My only problem with the ending was the misdirection Zahn employs by hiding the thoughts of one of the characters. We see his thoughts, and his thoughts seem to point to events occurring one way, but then Zahn reveals that he was part of the plan to begin with and everything's the exact opposite. I know this can be an effective writing technique, but it annoys me all the same. Otherwise, though, the last one hundred pages are wonderful.

It's too bad that it took so long to get there, though. The book moves quickly, however, which makes it an easy read, thus making getting to that ending a lot more enjoyable than it might have been otherwise. For those of you tired of Thrawn, it's not a good thing that he's the main reason to read the first three-quarters of the book, but that's what Zahn excels at. Just for the further information in the Star Wars universe, Outbound Flight is well worth reading.

David Roy

Jedi Master Jorus C'baoth argues with the Appropriation Senate to support his project to send fifty thousand colonists to another galaxy accompanied by Six Jedi Masters and twelve Jedi Knights along with the crew for six Dreadnaught vessels tied together around a central core. Just as it looks like his project will not go forth, Jorus stops a deadly conspiracy that he finds too convenient and lucky to occur at this moment; he wonders who, perhaps evil Sith Lord Darth Sidious or even manipulative Palpatine, orchestrated the potentially lethal incident but also ponders why. Still Jorus gains supporters in influential circles and the mission is on.

When the Outbound Flight reaches the edge of Unknown Space, the alien Chiss Ascendancy attacks the ship wanting to repel the "invaders". Meanwhile brilliant strategist Thrawn has his own agenda that could include destroying the mission or worse. Thus instead of the peaceful first contact with alien races and colonization of unknown worlds that Jorus envisioned, the Outbound Flight project members face hostilities and all out war with survival in question.

This is an exciting tale that brings to life one of the most legendary sidebars in the Star Wars mythos. The action-packed story line showcases Timothy Zahn at his best as the readers will see glimpses of the varying personalities in the early days of power struggles that make up the latter years conflict. Though the inclusions of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker on the flight itself even if they depart before the non political challenges arise seems an unnecessary pampering sidebar to garner readers this is one escapade that does not need extraneous albeit short force as fans will appreciate Mr. Zahn providing the rest of the story.

Harriet Klausner

Outbound Flight is the seventh of Timothy Zahn's Star Wars books, but the first in time chronologically. As with the other six books it is linked so that there is now effectively a Zahn septology involving the story of Grand Admiral Thrawn. Alternatively this book can be considered to be the opening of a duology comprising it and Survivor's Quest.

This book takes us back to the period between Episodes I and II - four years after The Phantom Menace, when Anakin was a fourteen-year-old Padawan. We meet classic Zahn characters in their earlier days - Jorj Car'das, Jorus C'baoth, Doriana Kinman and, of course, Mitt'hraw'nuruodo himself.

Car'das is just a young man starting out in the smuggling trade when circumstances lead him into the Unknown Regions and his first contact with the Chiss, including Thrawn. Thrawn and Car'das teach each other their languages and learn a bit about each others' cultures then each have their first contact with the Vagaari (to be heard from again in the final book of the Septology/Duology, Survivor's Quest).

In the meantime, Jorus C'baoth is getting the Outbound Flight Project (which involves taking several thousand people and a couple of dozen Jedi to the edge of the galaxy and, it is planned, beyond it into the next galaxy) up and running whilst being required by the Jedi Council to deal with other disputes and finalising the training of his Padawan, Lorana Jinzler. The Jedi Council are not entirely sold on the need for Outbound Flight but agree to it progressing as long as Obi-Wan and Anakin are taken along in the early stages to search for Vergere (and try to keep an eye on C'baoth). They have a starfighter onboard to enable them to leave before the project reaches the outer limits of the galaxy.

In continuing this review I am assuming that people will have read the others of Zahn's books, but for those who haven't, what follows contains spoilers.

As the story progresses we find out why things went wrong on Outbound Flight (including why the Jedi became so hated as well as how it came to be lost for so long), how and why Thrawn first came into contact with Darth Sidious, why he took such drastic action against Outbound Flight and why he was likely to be exiled by his people.

I found the book to be rather slow-moving but nonetheless a very interesting and satisfying read. The background to all of those parts of the story we have previously read was handled very well, including nice cameos by several of the Prequel movie characters.

The involvement of Anakin and Obi-Wan has been strangely controversial with many people suggesting that they add nothing to the storyline and that their involvement is gratuitous. I find this point of view to be somewhat ironic given that the predominant argument against Zahn's work in the past (including from me) has been that he deals mainly with his own characters to the exclusion of most others. Here he has included the two major characters of their era and, in my opinion, has done so in a way that helps to develop his own characters, especially Lorana Jinzler. Their inclusion also adds a little to the tapestry of Anakin's attraction to characteristics generally considered by the Jedi to be negative, and gives us a nice little sub-plot involving Palpatine.

Overall I enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to both long-term Star Wars EU readers and first timers, the latter being able to start the story from the very beginning rather than getting it in the slightly out-of-synch order experienced by the rest of us.

My only real criticism is that I found the portrayal of Thrawn as a hero rather incongruous with his characterisation in the original Thrawn trilogy (although there were indications in the Hand of Thrawn Duology that this was how he could be perceived). I plan sometime soon to re-read all seven books in chronological order to reconsider what new insights this book might add to the whole story.

With Outbound Flight, Timothy Zahn completes his two-book series examining an expedition into unknown space during the time of the Republic in the Star Wars universe. He also gives us the first meeting of Grand Admiral Thrawn (one of first book-only creations for the Star Wars universe) and gives us a demonstration of how he became one of Emperor Palpatine's greatest military minds. Unfortunately, while the book is enjoyable, it suffers from two major characters being shoehorned in and a main plot that isn't really that interesting.

In Survivor's Quest, Luke and Mara Jade Skywalker are brought in to explore the remains of Outbound Flight after being thought destroyed for fifty years. In Outbound Flight, we see the beginning of the expedition, spearheaded by Jedi Master C'Baoth. The Senate is cutting funding for the project, which brings C'Baoth to the office of the Supreme Chancellor, Palpatine, to demand that he fight for it. Palpatine, with his own motives for getting the expedition off the ground, lures him to the planet Brolf to solve a trade dispute. Events on that planet will enhance his stature and make Outbound Flight almost a certainty. However, he doesn't foresee Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker being added to the Jedi crew by the Jedi Council. Meanwhile, a smuggler on the run from an infuriated Hutt is forced beyond known space by a hyperdrive malfunction, and they stumble upon a Chiss warship, commanded by a very intelligent Commander Thrawn. All of this comes together in a battle of wills and intelligence, with three sides all facing off against each other. Who will win? And how does Outbound Flight end up where Luke and Mara find it?

Outbound Flight is an interesting story, and it dovetails nicely with the events of Survivor's Quest. It was also enjoyable seeing Thrawn for the first time, when he's still unfamiliar with the area of space we're all familiar with. They've never heard of droids, so he's fascinated by the warrior droids that the Trade Federation has (which are obtained in a fight with the Trade Federation ship sent to destroy Outbound Flight). He demonstrates his superior intelligence many times in this book, and while we don't see the invitation to join Palpatine (I believe that happened after he became Emperor), we do see what most likely prompted it. Thrawn, as always, is a fascinating character, keeping plans within plans, so nobody is ever sure exactly what's happening until things go his way. The only problem I have with him (and it's one I've had with him from the beginning) is that he's almost too perfect. He never seems to miss anything, and if things seem to be going against him, you know it's a trick.

The part of the story dealing with the smugglers and their interaction with Thrawn is what keeps the book going. Unfortunately, the story of Outbound Flight itself isn't nearly as interesting. C'Baoth is an arrogant fool, and while it's nothing that we haven't seen before with him, he just didn't hold my attention. An attempt to humanize most of the C'Baoth scenes is made by including his Padawan, Lorana Jinzler, but that doesn't work. While she is a nice character, she doesn't help. The beginning of the book has Obi-Wan and Anakin (who is 14 years old and still quite impulsive) keeping an eye on him, and they help somewhat. Zahn does capture their relationship wonderfully and I could almost hear Ewan McGregor speaking Obi-Wan's lines.

However, they bring up one of the other problems with the book. First is a bit of false advertising on dust jacket. It implies that Obi-Wan and Anakin are around for the entire book and that they're involved in the inevitable confrontation between Outbound Flight and the Chiss. That's not the case, as would be obvious to anybody who's read the first book. They can't be on the ship when disaster strikes, as they have to be around for the subsequent movies. No, they're dumped off before Outbound Flight leaves Republic space and the scenes on the ship slow down even more. Their role in the book feels extremely forced, as if we need them around to make the story interesting. The problem is that it ends up being true.

It's also sad that when the action moves to the ship, it's just Obi-Wan and Anakin reacting to C'Baoth's obvious descent to the Dark Side. It's treated like a revelation toward the end, but all of the prideful statements, arrogant boasts, accumulation of power by C'Baoth, there's no doubt that's what's happening. The fact that this is considered a startling development is just annoying.

The book culminates in a thrilling climax that makes the rest of the book worth getting through. Three sides face off and C'Baoth's arrogance finally gets the best of him. Thrawn's plans are finally revealed and we see exactly how things finally work out. It sets up Survivor's Quest beautifully. My only problem with the ending was the misdirection Zahn employs by hiding the thoughts of one of the characters. We see his thoughts, and his thoughts seem to point to events occurring one way, but then Zahn reveals that he was part of the plan to begin with and everything's the exact opposite. I know this can be an effective writing technique, but it annoys me all the same. Otherwise, though, the last one hundred pages are wonderful.

It's too bad that it took so long to get there, though. The book moves quickly, however, which makes it an easy read, thus making getting to that ending a lot more enjoyable than it might have been otherwise. For those of you tired of Thrawn, it's not a good thing that he's the main reason to read the first three-quarters of the book, but that's what Zahn excels at. Just for the further information in the Star Wars universe, Outbound Flight is well worth reading.

David Roy

Jedi Master Jorus C'baoth argues with the Appropriation Senate to support his project to send fifty thousand colonists to another galaxy accompanied by Six Jedi Masters and twelve Jedi Knights along with the crew for six Dreadnaught vessels tied together around a central core. Just as it looks like his project will not go forth, Jorus stops a deadly conspiracy that he finds too convenient and lucky to occur at this moment; he wonders who, perhaps evil Sith Lord Darth Sidious or even manipulative Palpatine, orchestrated the potentially lethal incident but also ponders why. Still Jorus gains supporters in influential circles and the mission is on.

When the Outbound Flight reaches the edge of Unknown Space, the alien Chiss Ascendancy attacks the ship wanting to repel the "invaders". Meanwhile brilliant strategist Thrawn has his own agenda that could include destroying the mission or worse. Thus instead of the peaceful first contact with alien races and colonization of unknown worlds that Jorus envisioned, the Outbound Flight project members face hostilities and all out war with survival in question.

This is an exciting tale that brings to life one of the most legendary sidebars in the Star Wars mythos. The action-packed story line showcases Timothy Zahn at his best as the readers will see glimpses of the varying personalities in the early days of power struggles that make up the latter years conflict. Though the inclusions of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker on the flight itself even if they depart before the non political challenges arise seems an unnecessary pampering sidebar to garner readers this is one escapade that does not need extraneous albeit short force as fans will appreciate Mr. Zahn providing the rest of the story.

Harriet Klausner

Outbound Flight is the seventh of Timothy Zahn's Star Wars books, but the first in time chronologically. As with the other six books it is linked so that there is now effectively a Zahn septology involving the story of Grand Admiral Thrawn. Alternatively this book can be considered to be the opening of a duology comprising it and Survivor's Quest.

This book takes us back to the period between Episodes I and II - four years after The Phantom Menace, when Anakin was a fourteen-year-old Padawan. We meet classic Zahn characters in their earlier days - Jorj Car'das, Jorus C'baoth, Doriana Kinman and, of course, Mitt'hraw'nuruodo himself.

Car'das is just a young man starting out in the smuggling trade when circumstances lead him into the Unknown Regions and his first contact with the Chiss, including Thrawn. Thrawn and Car'das teach each other their languages and learn a bit about each others' cultures then each have their first contact with the Vagaari (to be heard from again in the final book of the Septology/Duology, Survivor's Quest).

In the meantime, Jorus C'baoth is getting the Outbound Flight Project (which involves taking several thousand people and a couple of dozen Jedi to the edge of the galaxy and, it is planned, beyond it into the next galaxy) up and running whilst being required by the Jedi Council to deal with other disputes and finalising the training of his Padawan, Lorana Jinzler. The Jedi Council are not entirely sold on the need for Outbound Flight but agree to it progressing as long as Obi-Wan and Anakin are taken along in the early stages to search for Vergere (and try to keep an eye on C'baoth). They have a starfighter onboard to enable them to leave before the project reaches the outer limits of the galaxy.

In continuing this review I am assuming that people will have read the others of Zahn's books, but for those who haven't, what follows contains spoilers.

As the story progresses we find out why things went wrong on Outbound Flight (including why the Jedi became so hated as well as how it came to be lost for so long), how and why Thrawn first came into contact with Darth Sidious, why he took such drastic action against Outbound Flight and why he was likely to be exiled by his people.

I found the book to be rather slow-moving but nonetheless a very interesting and satisfying read. The background to all of those parts of the story we have previously read was handled very well, including nice cameos by several of the Prequel movie characters.

The involvement of Anakin and Obi-Wan has been strangely controversial with many people suggesting that they add nothing to the storyline and that their involvement is gratuitous. I find this point of view to be somewhat ironic given that the predominant argument against Zahn's work in the past (including from me) has been that he deals mainly with his own characters to the exclusion of most others. Here he has included the two major characters of their era and, in my opinion, has done so in a way that helps to develop his own characters, especially Lorana Jinzler. Their inclusion also adds a little to the tapestry of Anakin's attraction to characteristics generally considered by the Jedi to be negative, and gives us a nice little sub-plot involving Palpatine.

Overall I enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to both long-term Star Wars EU readers and first timers, the latter being able to start the story from the very beginning rather than getting it in the slightly out-of-synch order experienced by the rest of us.

My only real criticism is that I found the portrayal of Thrawn as a hero rather incongruous with his characterisation in the original Thrawn trilogy (although there were indications in the Hand of Thrawn Duology that this was how he could be perceived). I plan sometime soon to re-read all seven books in chronological order to reconsider what new insights this book might add to the whole story.

As a casual reader I pick up what looks interesting. I'm by no means a star wars book reader except for a few here and there. Outbound flight was one of those books that looked like it had a good story. I was happy to find out I was correct. It was interesting to see Thrawn in his early days when he first finds out about the Republic, the Jedi, and his first meeting with Palpatine. I was a little disappointed in the Obi-wan, Anakin relationship as I really didn't notice it. Obi-wan played more of a moral voice of Jedi reason to the crazy jedi master in charge of Outbound Flight. Anakin just played a minor role, always close by but never much to say. One reviewer pointed out that they seemed out of place in the story. I didn't feel that strongly about it but Obi and Skywalker were suddenly pulled out of the story before it ended and the author never went back to them. When you get to the ending you will know why but I would have liked to see some kind of closure with Obi-wan maybe reporting back to Mace and Yoda or something to that regard. It was a fun read and I highly recommend it.

This was a solid Star Wars read. Timothy Zahn is perhaps one of the best authors in the extended series (as his Heir to the Empire novels showed), and this book has the hallmarks of his work: eminently accessible prose, good characters, and an action-packed plot line. Even better, our favorite Grand Admiral (Thrawn, the red-eyed, blue-skinned art connoisseur with uncanny tactical and strategic genius) is back in a starring role. In Outbound Flight, we see him as a young, even idealistic commander chafing against a huge bureaucracy. We also watch as then-Chancellor Palpatine plants the first seeds of their future association.

On the other hand, though, this book was definitely not Mr Zahn's best work. The dialogue seemed stilted in places, particularly in sections related to Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker. These two serve very little plot function and seem to appear almost gratuitously (as if every novel related to this time period has to involve them in some way.) As much as I might like them, their portrayal in this book is rather weak (although the lightsaber action with them is quite satisfying, I can't quite justify it to myself . . .)

If you like Timothy Zahn's work, you will enjoy reading this book. If you're into Star Wars universe novels, you will find it quite satisfying and much better than your average mass-produced thriller. If you have not already done so, however, make sure you read Mr Zahn's Heir to the Empire series: you will find everything you like about this book in there and more.

Overall this was a good book and definitely worth a read, but it does not fall into my collection of SW books I'd read again. For a book about outbound flight, it spends more time away from it then it does on it. I found no connection to most of the Characters and felt like C'Boath wasn't explored enough. If you're a Thrawn fan, then this book is for you. It felt more like a book used to develop the character of Thrawn then a book meant to be about its title or Jedi. Being a Zahn book its still def. Worth a read, but again not my favorite.

Even though this was Timothy zahn's eighth star wars novel, it is the first chronologically. It shows the original c'baoth and thrawn's introduction to the galactic alliance. This is a direct prequel to survivor's quest do we get to see what happened to the titular outbound flight so many decades before.

The pacing an character arcs were fantastic. It answered many questions while providing an excellent and suspenseful book. This was part of a duology but can be enjoyed on its own as well.

First off, Timothy Zahn is a fantastic writer, and this book is absolutely one of his best. The story unfolds in a complex, but fun way, giving you a desire to hang on with tight fists. I had no idea when I picked up the book that the great Thrawn character would make an apparence. This book is basically his prequel episode and it was good enough to make me pick up Zahn's first book, "Heir to the Empire" where he first introduced Thrawn.

The other big point of the book was the discussion about the Jedi's all-powerful approach to maintaining peace. It was a great debate for today's times wrapped in a Star Wars/Jedi universe.

Great read, no questions.

I really enjoyed this book. I wasn't sure I would. I didn't enjoy all the Thrawn novels before and didn't like some Timothy Zahn's novels, but I really got into this book. It has a dual story that comes together at the end. I'm not going to go into a long plot summary. the store and other reviewers have already did that. I liked how we finally got to see how Thrawn got involved with the Republic. I was intrigued by C'boath's Jedi philosophies and how he relates to others. I agreed with a lot of the reviewers that I felt Anakin and Kenobi were thrown in there just to say they were there. They didn't really lend anything to the story. I recommend this book to Star Wars fans and it does make Survivor's Quest more understandable.

When I first started listening to this book, it sounded like an adaptation of the Tales of the Jedi Zero comic from Dark Horse. But when the traders outrunning a Hutt get lost in the outer reaches, they don't find the Sith, they find Thrawn.

What follows is an incredible cross between Star Wars and Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea.

Thrawn shows trader George Cardass the wonders of his world, and on this trip, Cardass' ethics are challenged with each new encounter with slavers and pirates.

Very cool.

Back in the early 1990's, Tim Zahn wrote a series that opened up the floodgates for the expanded Star Wars universe. He introduced perhaps the most complex and interesting character ever created for science fiction: Grand Admiral Thrawn. Over the last 15 years, readers have been treated with small glimpses of the destruction of Outbound Flight and the personality of Thrawn but with the exception of a short story, the Grand Admiral has not shown up again. Now he does with a vengeance. The history of Outbound Flight, the totalitarianistic ideals of Jorus C'Boath, the Chiss, Obi-wan and Anakin, Palpatine and most importantly Thrawn all appear in this book set approximately 5 years after Episode I. The characters come to life with startling clarity and at the head is Thrawn himself and his genius for combat. What Zahn does not do is give too much about Thrawn away. Even though the reader learns much about this fantastic character, Zahn still keeps him shrouded in mystery. He never commits the cardinal sin of letting us inside Thrawn's head in the way that so many other bad guys have been ruined (Boba Fett & Darth Maul to name a couple). Overall this is a great read, a fantastic addition to the Star Wars universe and a fine book.

Ever since I began reading the prequel novels last summer, I have have read countless reviews about the genius Timothy Zahn has proved himself to be. I wanted to read the books in order so I hadn't quite got to the Thrawn Trilogy that started it all, so this book was a great starting point into the mind of Mr. Zahn. I must say, Commander Thrawn (later Grand Admiral Thrawn) is now my favorite non-jedi character in the EU. He is a miltary mastermind, specifically a brilliant strategist and tactician. Even "The Negoiator" himself, Obi Wan Kenobi would admire the cunning commander. His pressence was enough to make me forget about the limited action of Obi Wan and Anakin. I'm happy I finally got to experience the latest novel of EU mack daddy Timothy Zahn, and I am looking forward to the Thrawn Trilogy and his upcoming projects. Read, Read, Read.

In his previous six Star Wars novels author Timothy Zahn has been alluding to some Jedi project in the past called Outbound Flight. Now, as I have only read the first three Thrawn books Zahn has written, I don't know what he does with Outbound Flight in the duology or Survivor's Quest. But, now, with Outbound Flight, we get the story of exactly what this project is and how it connects to Luke Skywalker's time. In short, the project is the brainchild of Jedi Master Jorus C'Boath (we later meet his Dark Side Clone) and it takes 50,000 civilians and a handful of Jedi out into the Unknown Regions of space to hide out and gain strength and increase the number of Jedi until a time when the Republic needs them. What C'Boath doesn't know is that he is being manipulated by Chancellor Palpatine...better known as Darth Sidious, the future Emperor. This novel takes place in between Episodes 1 and 2.

Like most Star Wars authors these days, Zahn is telling multiple stories at once. He also tells of some human smugglers escaping the Hutts and ending up in Chiss territory. The Chiss inhabit the Unknown Regions and up until this point neither the Chiss nor the Republic knew about each other. The Chiss military commander these humans meet happens to be Thrawn (shocking, Timothy Zahn writes a novel about Thrawn). Thrawn is the non-human Grand Admiral we meet in Heir to the Empire as one of the great threats to the New Republic after Return of the Jedi. This novel shows us how he learned of the Republic, where he met Sidious, and why he might want to ally himself with the Empire. The two storylines of Thrawn and Outbound Flight comprise the core of this novel and eventually they will intersect, as one can imagine.

Yes, but is it good? I guess so. Maybe it is because I still have three more later volumes to read which should pique my interest in Outbound Flight even more, but I had the feeling of "Oh, is that all?" It felt like Outbound Flight should have been this grand thing, and all we have is the fall of a Jedi, some infighting, and the military genius of Thrawn. And? And nothing. This is one of those novels I finish and think that everything that happened just doesn't matter. Outbound Flight serves to tie things together and illuminate events and individuals that were only referenced novels written years ago, but it doesn't seem to have importance.

Yeah, I'm disappointed. I've read some really great Star Wars novels. This isn't one of them. It's not one of the bad ones, but in the grand scheme of things...I'd just as soon skip this one.

-Joe Sherry

I love Zahn's work... but can't stand his audiobooks being abridged. I won't purchase abridged works... you miss too much. I don't care if it takes 27 hours of listening to to finish it... I'd rather have the full story. (For those who ask "Why not just buy the book?"... I listen to them during long drives, dentist visits, or even set them up to fall asleep to with the help of an app with a sleep timer.) Places where a paperback wouldn't work well.

While "Outbound Flight" is not very action-packed(there are still several well-written battles sprinkled throughout the book, however), I still found it to be a very engaging and well-written prequel-era EU novel. The book spends a lot of its time examining a younger Thrawn, whose actions and firm beliefs about launching pre-emptive attacks against potential threats (sound familiar?), set the stage for his eventual exile from his people who, although militaristic, have a firm code against such attacks. Events in the storyline also bring Thrawn to the attention of Palpatine/Darth Sidious, who is secretly helping advance the "Outbound Flight" project for his own nefarious goals, specifically helping thin the ranks of the Jedi since several Jedi Masters are part of the expedition. It also examines in greater detail the character of Jorus C'Baoth whose personality and behavior, as we discover by the end of the book, are not too far removed from his deranged and power hungry clone who plays a major role in Zahn's original "Thrawn Trilogy". Curiously, Zahn does not provide an explanation for nor even suggest exactly how a clone of C'Baoth actually gets created so we can only continue to speculate how it actually happens. The story brings in Anakin and Obi-Wan, both of whom end up briefly traveling on "Outbound Flight" until they are personally pulled off of it by Palpatine (who, of course, doesn't want to lose his prospective apprentice) just before its tragic end. Although their presence in the story is ultimately negligible (and largely unnecessary-they were probably added to try to bring more readers in), it does serve to further illustrate, albeit in a very small way, Anakin's admiration of "strong" leaders like C'Baoth. "Outbound Flight" answers some of the many unanswered questions raised in "Survivor's Quest", especially why the survivors have a seemingly irrational hatred and fear of Jedi and Dean Jinzler's stormy relationship with his Jedi sister, Lorana, one of the central characters in the story. It also introduces the Vaagari race, who also end up playing a major role in the events of "Survivor Quest". In regards to the audiobook presentation, Jonathan Davis, who seems to have become the "chosen one" for narrating Star Wars audiobooks, does his usual excellent job portraying the various characters and bits of familiar Star Wars music and sound effects litter the audiobook presentation. The only criticism that I have of the audiobook presentation is that it is slightly more abridged than I would've preferred. Although the audiobook rightly skips over the assassination plot whose outcome results in C'Baoth's victory to get "Outbound Flight" fully funded by the Republic, I was disappointed that they did not include Lorana and Thrass' sacrifice to save the lives of the rest of the colonists, as well as the heartwarming good-bye between Thrawn and Card'as. However, all-in-all, it is an excellent novel with an equally intriguing story and a well-done audiobook presentation! Highly recommended for Star Wars fans, particularly fans of Zahn's "Thrawn Trilogy".

First of all, in regards to my reviews title: The paperback version of outbound flight comes with a short story that is worth buying the paperback for even if you already have a copy of the hardcover (like I did). I can't tell you much about it or I'd give away what was for me a really cool revelation at the end, but it involves Booster Terrik running from imperial forces and ending up on a planet on the outer rim.

Now, Outbound Flight itself was *excellent*. Timothy Zahn is definitly the best Star Wars novelist there is. Outbound Flight is a fascinating account of Thrawn before he becomes the all-powerful grand admiral that he is in Zahn's 'Heir to the Empire' trilogy. The other plotline, regarding Outbound Flight's startup with Jorus C'Baoth isn't as interesting to me, and I really dislike C'Baoth, but Thrawn's first contact with the Republic is fascinating, as is the fact that his backstory intersects with Cardas. A very well written novel, I read it in a couple of days because it was impossible to put down.

Zahn has a mastery of the Star Wars story telling formula which makes this novel an interesting read.

"Outbound Flight" is a prequel story to events that occur in the "expanded universe" that exists after "The Return of the Jedi." I read the "Heir to the Empire" trilogy when it first appeared in the early 1990's and have not kept up on the Thrawn backstories, but I found this novel an enjoyable read nonetheless.

I was fascinated by the character of the fallen Jedi Master C'Boath and did not expect for him to fall to the dark side in a moment of ultimate weakness, but is character is kind of the anti-Yoda (or Jedi Council for that matter). It was intriguing to read about a Jedi Master who thinks and acts in a different manner than most of the Jedi that have been put on film.

The basic plot is that Master C'Boath convinces Supreme Chancellor Palpatine to fund the Outbound Flight project - a long range exploration/colonization mission to the uncharter galaxy beyond that of the Republic. Darth Sidious works beind the scenes to sabatoge the mission and take out the two dozen or so Jedis that are on board. The story is relatively suspsenseful and the characterization of the major players is appropriate.

Other reviews seem to be put off by the inclusion of Obi-wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, but I found their addition to the story helps ground the adventure in the overall sequence of events in the Star Wars universe. Anakin is not yet as rebellious and bratty as he is portrayed in "Attack of the Clones" and this story help flesh out the bond between he and Obi-wan (who, incedently is my favorite character in the SW universe followed by Han and Chewie).

Bottom line - of you are looking for an enjoyable Star Wars story to get lost in for a few hours, pick up a copy of "Outbound Flight."

While I wait for a copy of "Survivor's Quest" to become available at the library (the novel that "Outbound Flight" prequels) I am going to give "Jedi Trial" a read.

I have to say, as much as I love Timothy Zahn's books (and I think he is the best Star Wars writer out there), this book, for the most part, just didn't work for me. The inclusion of Kenobi and young Skywalker didn't add much to the plot, although I think Zahn was just trying to foreshadow Anakin's easily impressionable nature when it comes to mentor-like individuals of the completely wrong ilk (here C'Baoth and later Palpatine); otherwise, the two didn't have much of a role.

SLIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD

Some reviewers, notably Nic below, had problems with one-dimensional characters and/or improbable characterizations and I have to say that I mostly agree with their assessment. I didn't mind Thrawn - I always liked him and his "perfectness" and military brilliance didn't bother me. It was actually quite interesting to learn more about him, his beginnings and the whole Chiss race. I was, however, nearly crawling out of my skin whenever the book covered C'Baoth, and not in a good way either. It was just too unbelievable that no one really noticed that here was a dude who acted more like a Sith than an actual Sith! I can't believe that the Jedi Council could be THIS blind and not see that the guy has long crossed the line to the dark side. I understand that the whole concept of the book hinged on the fact that Outbound flight must happen, but darn, putting C'Baoth in charge of the thing was beyond ridiculous. Even later, during the flight, I couldn't believe that the other Jedi Masters just stood by and did nothing while this nutcase went even nuttier. I actually think that the clone C'Baoth was much more normal than the original! And this was not all. Just as annoying was C'Baoth padawan, Lorana - ugh, I just wanted to slap that girl from here to Corellia - seriously, she must have been the most inept Jedi EVER! Stupidity doesn't even cover it. She only started to think coherently in the last pages of the book. If the Jedi were really as pathetic as they were shown here, than it's really no wonder that Palpatine could take over without them realizing it until it was too late.

I guess my problem is this: if most characters annoy me beyond endurance or commit actions that are completely beyond reason (unless they are all psychiatric patients), then I can't review the book in a favourable light, since I didn't enjoy reading it. This was the case with Outbound Flight. I guess it's an essential read for Star Wars fans who are dutifully plodding through all the novels in the Star Wars universe and want a complete picture of the ever-expanding story; but for the casual SW reader, I would probably not recommend read it.

I wasn't a big reader of the Star Wars books until I was introduced to Zahn's Heir to the Empire trilogy. They are utterly phenominal, and made me a big enough fan to grab anything that Zahn has written in the Star Wars universe, including this book.

I would recommend reading at least the Heir to the Empire trilogy before trying this one. It introduces us to a villan (Thrawn) who is entirely different from but just as fascinating as Vader. It's much like the prequel movies in that if you see what the villan ultimately becomes, it's far more interesting to learn about how he started out. Despite the title, this is Thrawn's book, and he is central to the events that unfold.

Zahn has a style that is easy to read, and very lifelike characters. My only complaint is that the story almost seems rushed. Perhaps it's the fact that I love the Thrawn character talking, but we go from some political wrangling on a planet in the Republic to Unknown Space rather quickly in the "First Act." I feel some of the characters who are part of the major action we barely know.

The "Second Act" takes place when Outbound Flight arrives in Unknown space and encounters Thrawn, who is involved with trying to wipe out another race entirely, and learning about the Republic from Car'das and his crew.

My point is, there's a lot going on, and it's all very interesting, I wish it would have been fleshed out more, maybe over the span of two books (we would have bought them, it's Zahn's Star Wars.) This colonization project (Outbound Flight) was of epic scope, and I think a lot of interesting things happened that weren't delved into. In the Heir to the Empire trilogy especially, and also in the Hand of Thrawn series, it didn't feel like anything was left out or missing. It does here.

This is a very good book, and is well above some of the other Star Wars books I've read, I just wish it would have been two. Anyone who digs Thrawn needs to check this out.

All in all, an entertaining reading about a master military tactician.

Fast paced and very well written novel, which does not require a deep knowledge of the Star Wars Universe. I particularly liked the fact that this story is not focused around main movie characters. Obi-Wan and Anakin do appear, but are not at the center of the plot, and it's not necessary to know their background.

On the other hand, long time fans and readers of Mr. Zahn's novels set in this galaxy will also find exciting to learn about the first encounter of the Republic/Empire leadership with the Chiss... I don't remember very well the events of The Thrawn Trilogy Heir to the Empire (Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy, Vol. 1), set aproximately 40 years later, but it was fun to remember (or meet for the first time?) those characters Mr. Zahn added to the mythos, such as Thrawn and Jorus C'Baoth.

My only dissapointment was that the ending hinted for a sequel... If you do not follow all SW adventures, you won't mind. If you do, that might make you happy, or not, if you expected to know more about how this encounter led to other events

Having not read the Thrawn books I think I was missing alot, but this was a pretty good book anyway. I loved how Palpatine used his mechanations to keep Anakin safe for his future plans by getting him off the Outbound Flight. The story overall was very intersting and different than alot of Star Wars books. I loved Thrawn and look forward to getting around to the other novels he is in. Maube then this story will mean more to me.

Will someone please tell me why they are still churning out pre-empire stuff after Revenge of the Sith?

I just don't like the concept of Outbound Flight and frankly I couldn't care less about what happened to the members of the expedition. I am proud to consider myself a Star Wars Geek and the vast majority of this book bored me to death.

Another odd thing here was the use of Kenobi and Skywalker. Whats the use of including them in the story if they are just going to leave Outbound Flight and disappear from the narrative?

There are two points I liked A. The evolution of the Darth Sidedious character and just how deep he was into everything. I mean he didn't just move behind the scenes in one or two spots he was directing everything.

B. The thing that made the book readable for me was Thrawn. He always was a well drawn character and a brilliant tactician and I'm glad to see that the trend is continued here.

Star War book tie-in's suffer from the need to absolutely bring in the movie characters, whether needed or not, and this book is a perfect example of it. The plot of the novel has been outlined elsewhere, so I'll just provide my take on this type of novel.

The story itself is mildly interesting and Zahn does the usual pedestrian effort that any author does when they are writing a tie-in novel according to the specifications provided to him or her. Obi-Wan and Anikan are dragged in, as he and the others always are, they do a couple of things that really don't matter, and then leave. Their affect on the story is nill. The rest of the story and the introduction of the Chiss is, as I mentioned before, mildly interesting, but hardly original.

My objection to these stories is the deus ex machine requirement to bring in the main characters - Luke, Leia, Han, et al into every book regardless of whether it makes logical sense. This limits the books because they (the characters) must be shoehorned in no matter what. This makes for awkward story telling at best. Most of the time all you really get is a mediocre, pre-digested book, written by authors who have sold their writing abilities and given up their creativity.

Overall, the genre is hurt by this pabulum that faceless corporate executives think is SF. Get your self-respect back. Read good SF. Start with Iain M. Banks and discover intelligent SF

Zahn did an amazing job of accurately describing Outbound Flight and its fate. This book is also a great precursor to the stories of Grand Admiral Thrawn, Jedi Master Jorus C'baoth, and Jorj Car'das. I recommend this book to any Star Wars fan, whether just a normal person or a complete geek.

I thought it impossible for Timothy Zahn to leave me unimpressed, but that's precisely what he did in Outbound Flight, his latest Star Wars novel.

I realize that's due to the nature of the story he's telling--he needs to get from Point A to Point C--points established in his previous work--and that doesn't leave a lot of room for the book to surprise you. If you've read Zahn's other works, you can probably guess at what's going to happen here.

Someone reading this is probably going to wonder how Zahn handles the young Thrawn. No fear--Thrawn is still a bad-ass, even as a young guy. You know why I like Thrawn? It's because he's not evil. He has a reason for everything he does, he values his duty to his people above everything else, and he's completely unflappable. From Thrawn's perspective the things he does aren't good or evil--they're simply right.

Well, it's Zahn, so it's well-written, he has pretty well-drawn characters. I even think he does a nice job with Obi-Wan and Anakin. Jorus C'Boath was something of a surprise, though perhaps that's because I kept comparing him mentally to the clone we saw in the Thrawn trilogy.

It's just underwhelming, because I wasn't ever surprised by the story. I wanted something more, and it just wasn't there. The space battles are handled well, the characters are well-drawn, but the plot never surprises. I'd call Outbound Flight Timothy Zahn's weakest Star Wars novel, yet it's still better than most.

Lovely cover, though. Very pulp sci-fi-ish.

i love this book. you get to see another side of the greatest military mind in the star wars universe: mitth'raw'nuroudo...(!!!) zahn's ability to create the signature wheels within wheels plot movements, and jaw dropping tactics and strategy certainly haven't suffered; our favorite chiss is as deadly as ever, but now with the softer side of the selfless hero that would gladly give his life for the safety of his people... i was a bit disapponted at how things turned out with the jedi and people of the outbound flight, but i suppose it all had to tie in with survivor's quest. and the original c'baoth turns out to be just as (if not more) dangerous than the clone from zahn's original trilogy... and the inclusion of jorj car'das was somewhat suprising, since vision of the future never stated that he even knew thrawn, let alone that they'd become good friends; but the outcome is very enlightening, and succeeds in "humanizing" the thrawn character, so to speak. i found myself sharing his feelings throughout the book. i literally couldn't put it down... the only thing that felt out of place here was the inclusion of obi-wan and anakin. the story could have moved along just as well, if not better, without them. but the book doesn't suffer due to their inclusion, so i still give it 5 stars

and i want more of thrawn's story! something after his exile!

Mr. Zahn, you've done it yet again! Outbound Flight is truly a magnificient Star Wars novel by any standard.

Exceptional characterisation, especially on Thrawn and the Chiss. A well-planned and well-research storyline of engaging space opera I've read in years. Best of all, Outbound Flight had my favourite Star Wars character in it: Obi-Wan Kenobi as well as the "usual suspects" - Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, Anakin Skywalker and Jorus C'baoth. It was definitely a treat to read about their exploits in the novel.

The only issue I'm concerned about was the last 2 chapters of the book. I have to agree with some of the other reviewers that the ending was a tad rushed.

Nevertheless, Outbound Flight is still an amazing read for fans of Star Wars and for those who can't get enough of Timothy Zahn's imaginative creations. A highly recommended piece of sci-fi literature for anyone who just loves to read an extremely well-written novel.

I used to love reading the Star Wars Novels as a kid. My favorites were the Timothy Zahn trilogy. So imagine my suprise when I found out he wrote another Star Wars book going into more depth about the Thrawn character. I picked up Outbound flight immediatly. This is probably one of the Star Wars books where I was more interested in the development of the non-Jedi characters over the Jedi. The story line is somewhat linear, and its not as good as a read as the previous Zahn trilogy, which is why I only gave it 4 stars. But the book did keep me interested to the point where I wanted to keep reading more.

The Chiss encounter smugglers and brings them aboard. Thrawn is interested in the Vagaari, but according to Chiss law they cannot strike first. Thrawns own brother fights against him! In the Republic Jedi Master Jorus C'baoth launches his project "Outbound Flight"--but what is the real reason behind this? A fast paced book with lots of background info for Star Wars fans!

This was a really good book that sort of fizzled at the end. It felt like Zahn was just trying to wrap things up and was in too much of a rush at the end. It left me feeling a little unsatisfied. The first 3/4 of the book are awesome, however. And I would recommend this and ALL of Timothy Zahn's books to anyone interested in the Star Wars extended universe.

What I am REALLY curious about is whether there is a plan for more books about Thrawn. I really want to know how he goes from the man in this book to the man in the Thrawn Trilogy. Would the Thrawn of the Thrawn Trilogy have given a damn what people thought about his actions in the final battle? I don't think so. He is, perhaps, the most intriguing character in the Extended Universe, and I really hope Zahn will write more books about him. I know he has some other Star Wars releases on the docket, I hope they incorporate this great character.

Just finished this book, I loved its pacing and the connections to both the Prequels and Zahn's Thrawn Trilogy. After reading the Heir to the Empire series, I always wondered what Juros C'baoth was like as a Jedi. Zahn does a great job of connecting C'baoth to the Star Wars universe while also introducing Thrawn.

Not once have I been disappointed in a Star Wars novel written by Timothy Zahn, and this one is no different. Using many of the characters he has established in his previous books, as well as several from the Clone Wars era, he creates an exciting story that also manages to fill in several blanks, both in his own literary history and in the Star Wars universe in general. Zahn paints very vivid scenarios, and captures the voices of the characters perfectly. I remain a huge fan of his work, especially with some of the lackluster offerings in the Star Wars Expanded Universe.

If you read Zahn's original Thrawn Trilogy (Heir to the Empire) and liked the Sherlock Holmes-like sleuthing and deduction that made Thrawn the great military tactician in that original trilogy, then you will undoubtedly fall in love with his insight in Outbound Flight. I believe Zahn did a better job of elaborating the military tactics of Thrawn in Outbound Flight than in the original Thrawn Trilogy. Hands down this was one of the best, and most well written, single-story Star Wars novels I have read. I couldn't put this book down. Amazing story telling. My favorite single book by Zahn yet. It's a must read for any Star Wars fan.

this book gives me chills when i think about it. Its these kind of books that want you to read more. This one is about c'baoth leaving to find intelligent life and settle the worlds. Thousands of people are taken on this flight. Everything is not what it seems though. The whole event is being orchestrated by an evil force hidden in plain sight!

First off, I wasn't a big fan of The Hand Of Thrawn duology or Survivor's Quest. I was fully prepared to hate this book (or at least gain some more ammo in my kill-Thrawn-dead crusade). But I decided to give Tim Zahn another chance. He deserved it for helping to revitalize the Star Wars expanded universe in 1991.

I'm glad I did.

I'm no richer than most people, and don't have a lot of extra money to toss away on a questionable Hard Cover. But I enjoyed this book ... for the most part. Obi-wan and Anakin were included in an ultimately unimportant adventure. The first 1/3 of the book seemed to focus on everything EXCEPT Outbound Flight.

Having said that, it is a good novel. The man writes with style, and I actually caught myself reading it until the wee hours... something I haven't done with a Zahn book since The Last Command. I'll buy his next book.

Zahn is pure genius. He writes Star Wars characters as if he came up with the idea of Star Wars. His characters are unforgetable. And with Outbound Flight we get to read more about the mastermind that is Thrawn. Too bad he got killed in Zahn's first trilogy. He would have been an excellent villian for many stories. However we are treated to stories from his deep and dark past.

One of the things that I liked about Outbound Flight is how it ties the prequel era characters to the new jedi order characters in hints that Palpatine was aware of the Yuzhann Vong, and was preparing the Empire for them. That subplot tied into the NJO series that certain characters felt Palpatine would have been better off against the Vong.

Another great twist in Outbound Flight is the inclusion of Jorj Car'das. Another of Zahn's great characters that was left with lots of questions and not a lot of answers. Now I have more questions and some answers. The character of Aristocra Frombi is one of my questions? Why did he take on a different persona in Survivor's Quest? Did Thrawn's actions have a deeper impact on him or did something tragic happen to him to change his thinking.

After reading this it only makes me want to see another book or series come out with Thrawn. Perhaps dealing with his exile...Days with the Empire...or a clone on another unkown region planet which could tie into the ending of the Dark Nest trilogy. If Zahn writes only one more Star Wars book, however. I would like to see him write the backstory of another of his great and loved Star Wars characters. And that would be Mara Jade.

If nothing else it is another view of Thrawn and how he is truly one of the hero's of Star Wars. For readers of other Zahn works, you learn more about Thrawn and the Chiss culture. Read after Survivors Quest and a lot of interesting features and questions of that book are answered. Most importantly it sets the stage for a wide variety of different elements in the star wars novels.

The book itself is a fun easy ready that brings to life many characters and interesting views of the jedi and the role they have in the galaxy.

I am no critic. Just a fan. The following is just my thoughts on the book so take them for what they are worth.

Timothy Zahn is generally regarded as one of the premier Star Wars authors, and he doesn't dissapoint. Outbound Flight weaves the threads of several storylines together in the fashion we've become accustomed to in many of the Star Wars novels. While we all know how the book ends, (at least we do if we read Survivor's Quest) it is full of interesting twists and leaves the details of the known outcome relatively unpredicatble until revealed at the very end.

It was great to get to hear the tales of the Jedi we never got to meet - Jorus C'Boath, Lorana Jinzler and the rest of the lost Jedi - and even learn our favorite Jedi Obi-wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker have a part in this tale. Of course, Thrawn - the genius enemy we hate to hate, has some light shed on his past with the Chiss.

At the end it left me wanting more. I hope this novel leads to more stories surrounding the Chiss and their introduction to the Empire, and that we get a story detailing the life of Jorg Car'das. It certainly left me with the feeling there is more to be said.

Read it, but only if you've read Survivor's Quest already. If not, buy them both and read them in the order they were printed! Both are great stories.

This book is probably my new favorite work of Zahn. He is truly a Master. The Thrawn trilogy was my first foray into Star Wars EU novels, and the Hand of Thrawn duology was next. What amazed me was the ability of Mr. Zahn to tie together the threads of those stories, along with Survivor's Quest and Allegiance (connected only after careful perusal)in this one book. The irony of the smuggler's alliance in this, the trilogy, and the later duology was masterful. I liked Card'as as a charachter in the duology, very happy to see him here. I cannot get enough Thrawn either! I really would have like to have seen his character incorporated into the NJO series, but I guess that would have made the battles too short, the war too easy. I can only hope that the character is somehow brought back, or that there is more fiction about him...maybe his rise to power after becoming an imperial? Maybe about his voyages in the unknown regions? This book is wonderful. One word of caution, though. You should probably read the books in order of their release to fully enjoy them to the maximum level, to see what magnificent tapestry that Mr. Zahn has woven for us. This helps you see the characters later, including the some of the races included in the other novel. You also are allowed to see how characters portrayed one way in a later novel came to that way of thinking. Thanks for reading my review, please read this book. 'Nuff said.

I'm not usually a fan of these franchised series books but there are some authors who consistently produce good stories despite the limitations of the form, and Timothy Zahn is one of them. We return once again in Outbound Flight to Thrawn, one of those villains who you can't help but admire (much like Maris, one of the characters in this novel). These are the early days, however, when he was still "just" a commander in the Chiss fleet.

Wisely, Obi-Wan and Anakin are secondary characters in the story, Zahn focusing on Thrawn and the events that lead up to his joining the Emperor.

It's good space opera, good Star Wars, and good Zahn. So, if you like any or all of those three categories, you'll enjoy this book.

If nothing else it is another view of Thrawn and how he is truly one of the hero's of Star Wars. For readers of other Zahn works, you learn more about Thrawn and the Chiss culture. Read after Survivors Quest and a lot of interesting features and questions of that book are answered. Most importantly it sets the stage for a wide variety of different elements in the star wars novels.

The book itself is a fun easy ready that brings to life many characters and interesting views of the jedi and the role they have in the galaxy.

I am no critic. Just a fan. The following is just my thoughts on the book so take them for what they are worth.

Timothy Zahn is generally regarded as one of the premier Star Wars authors, and he doesn't dissapoint. Outbound Flight weaves the threads of several storylines together in the fashion we've become accustomed to in many of the Star Wars novels. While we all know how the book ends, (at least we do if we read Survivor's Quest) it is full of interesting twists and leaves the details of the known outcome relatively unpredicatble until revealed at the very end.

It was great to get to hear the tales of the Jedi we never got to meet - Jorus C'Boath, Lorana Jinzler and the rest of the lost Jedi - and even learn our favorite Jedi Obi-wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker have a part in this tale. Of course, Thrawn - the genius enemy we hate to hate, has some light shed on his past with the Chiss.

At the end it left me wanting more. I hope this novel leads to more stories surrounding the Chiss and their introduction to the Empire, and that we get a story detailing the life of Jorg Car'das. It certainly left me with the feeling there is more to be said.

Read it, but only if you've read Survivor's Quest already. If not, buy them both and read them in the order they were printed! Both are great stories.

This book is probably my new favorite work of Zahn. He is truly a Master. The Thrawn trilogy was my first foray into Star Wars EU novels, and the Hand of Thrawn duology was next. What amazed me was the ability of Mr. Zahn to tie together the threads of those stories, along with Survivor's Quest and Allegiance (connected only after careful perusal)in this one book. The irony of the smuggler's alliance in this, the trilogy, and the later duology was masterful. I liked Card'as as a charachter in the duology, very happy to see him here. I cannot get enough Thrawn either! I really would have like to have seen his character incorporated into the NJO series, but I guess that would have made the battles too short, the war too easy. I can only hope that the character is somehow brought back, or that there is more fiction about him...maybe his rise to power after becoming an imperial? Maybe about his voyages in the unknown regions? This book is wonderful. One word of caution, though. You should probably read the books in order of their release to fully enjoy them to the maximum level, to see what magnificent tapestry that Mr. Zahn has woven for us. This helps you see the characters later, including the some of the races included in the other novel. You also are allowed to see how characters portrayed one way in a later novel came to that way of thinking. Thanks for reading my review, please read this book. 'Nuff said.

I'm not usually a fan of these franchised series books but there are some authors who consistently produce good stories despite the limitations of the form, and Timothy Zahn is one of them. We return once again in Outbound Flight to Thrawn, one of those villains who you can't help but admire (much like Maris, one of the characters in this novel). These are the early days, however, when he was still "just" a commander in the Chiss fleet.

Wisely, Obi-Wan and Anakin are secondary characters in the story, Zahn focusing on Thrawn and the events that lead up to his joining the Emperor.

It's good space opera, good Star Wars, and good Zahn. So, if you like any or all of those three categories, you'll enjoy this book.

Once again Zahn breathes life into one of the greatest characters of the Star Wars universe, Thrawn the Chiss and future grand admiral of the empire. He rewinds the clock for many great figures of the Star Wars stories, and does more than just fill in empty sections of the map.

First off, I'll admit I've only listened to the abridged book-on-tape version. So bear that in mind when reading this review.

That having been said, I wasn't that impressed. Like many Star Wars fans I read the original Zahn trilogy back in the 90's. I enjoyed them, as did most folks. But they never became as iconic for me as they did for some (maybe connected to the fact that I never really became enthralled and immersed in the EU).

So my expectations were high, but not out-of-this-world unmeetably high.

But even then, my expectations were not met. In short, the book feels contrived. Here are my reasons:

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1. Though it didn't irritate me to the core or anything, the whole Kenobi and Skywalker set of issues bothered me. By that I mean: they felt maybe slightly forced into the story (in a roll that shouldn't have even existed had the Jedi Council been acting like they had a brain), and their inclusion is advertised heavily but in the actual book their role isn't so substantial.

2. The big issue with the book for me: Jorus C'Baoth - poorly concieved one-dimensional character written in such a way so as to guarantee the outcome of the book.

Basically the whole plot hinges on the character of C'Baoth and what he does, right? It's his mission, and his antics that cause all the problems (kidnapping the kids, pitching fits, acting out of arrogance, etc.). In fact, late in the book, Thrawn wouldn't have done what he did if C'Baoth wasn't acting so totally and completey un-Jedi-like (which he'd been doing since the beginning of the book).

So the book hinges on C'Baoth. But the problem is he's one dimensional. He's written as a messed up guy pretty much from the get-go. Some have commented that Thrawn is sometimes written as too perfect (I agree). Similarly, I think C'Baoth is written too imperfect. He never acts like a true Jedi master through-out the entire book. (But he acts exactly as he needs to in order for events to unfold as Zahn wants them too.) He simply isn't an interesting character. I'd say he is more of a caricature than a character.

So apparently the clone of the later books wasn't so much an insane version of the original C'Baoth as he was...well....pretty much just like the original.

And this makes things too easy. All this crazy stuff happens because the Jedi in charge was a loon.

3. Yet the Council, though suspicious a bit, just lets this clearly unbalanced Jedi go ahead with this huge project. As some have said, they were either blind, weak, or stupid to go along with it. I argue that this shows they were just poorly written. If they stop the project, then no rest of the book (or a significant chunk of the EU for that matter). They have to let it go through. And so they do. (Kenobi and Skywalker going along as powerless baby-sitters notwithstanding)

4. Thrawn - too perfect

In many of the so-called impressive displays of his amazing brilliance, it seems Thrawn could have just as easily been wrong. He was as lucky as he was insightful and intelligent.

I'll admit, I'm not impressed with these displays of Thrawn's brilliance. Maybe that's because it feels like Zahn made up these situations that were clearly tailored to show Thrawn's brilliance.

The only major time Thrawn messes up is when he assumes that all Jedi are like C'Baoth.

So, for me anyway, it feels contrived.

So that's the big three for me. You have a one-dimensional, un-Jedi like Jedi Master going on a mission approved of by an ineffectual, un-Jedi Council-like Jedi Council, where they encounter an improbably perfect military genius who just so happens to react negatively to said Jedi Master's said amazingly un-Jedi-like behavior.

If any of those three pieces (basically evil yet still trusted Jedi Master, amazingly blind or unconcerned approving Jedi Council, perfectly brilliant tactician who's only mistake is to judge an entire group of people on the actions of one disgruntled guy) isn't there, the great tragedy of the Outbound Flight Project just doesn't happen.

I wanted a book where Zahn doesn't make things easy on Thrawn by having C'Baoth be so one-dimensional, a book where Zahn doesn't make things easy on Thrawn by having the guy almost never be wrong, a book where the Jedi Council have enough intelligence and wherewithal to not let some whacko in charge of this huge project.

Give me a C'Baoth that is more like what a Jedi of his status would really be like (i.e. basically a good guy who wishes to serve). Make him flawed if you want to. Make his flaw (or flaws) the thing that ends up turning the tide in favor of the bad guys. Sure. But make him more balanced.

Give me a Thrawn who makes mistakes. Who makes mistakes and misjudgements beyond the one needed to make the book end as it's suppossed to.

Give me a Jedi Council that doesn't let crazies run amok with Jedi projects.

A few other things I didn't like:

1. Too much Thrawn for my taste - It's like the book unnecessarily includes (and sucks up to) this character that Zahn seems clearly fond of. (In fairness, maybe he knew there are tons of Thrawn fans out there who wanted to see their boy when he was...well...closer to the age of a boy).

2. What's up with Palpatine wanting to save the galaxy from the Far Outsiders? Am I the only one who's very uncomfortable with Palpatine, even if deep down it's still serving his needs, looking out for the welfare of the galaxy?

But Zahn is still a way better writer than I.

I have to first say that I am reading the Star Wars books in order of sequence. I avoided all Star Wars books until Episode 3 came out. Now I'm reading them all in chronological order. I know this book is relevant to the future story...but I don't know how and so this book is rated by a person that doesn't know the future story line beyond episode 6.

It's very well written and flows quite well. The story and action is easily comprehendible and it almost plays out in your mind as a movie. I would recommend this to all Star Wars fans.

After reading Zahn Trilogy, Thrawn was a character I much associated with that of Vader, one who was mislead in the beginning by noble intentions. This book allows you insight into Commander Thrawn of the Chiss Ascendancy and how he begins to embark on that wrong path which will eventually lead him into the ranks of Grand Admiral of the Imperials. When I read any of Zahn's books that involve Thrawn, I cannot put them down while the pages and chapters are focused on Thrawn. He's an amazing military statistician, so cunning in his decisions. Outbound Flight is a must read not only for this alone but to understand Jedi Master C'Boath's slide to the dark side, that his clone in the Thrawn trilogy's is described in.

Genius, i get lost in these novels and don't want to come back. This is the infamous introduction of Thrawn. The only non human grand admiral and for good reason too. Read this book to find out why. Thrawn is a good villain. You know those villains that you read about and you think to yourself that guy is awesome. Well read this...

zahn has created yet another masterpiece of star wars literature. this story is kind of like the origins of thrawn and c'baoth; if you have read the thrawn trilogy you know what i mean. i had just one problem: when obiwan and anakin leave outbound flight to mediate that planet's negotiations, it just cuts them off from the rest of the story. it doesn't even mention them again. but other than that tiny issue, this book (and all of zahn's others) are highly recommended

This book is awesome. I would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Grand Admiral Thrawn. This book traces the origins of Grand admiral thrawn. He uses more of his brilliant battle tactics and genius to destroy any who would pose a threat to his people, including the jedi. This volume also contains the first meeting between thrawn and Empire palaptine (Darth Sidious). Master C' boath pushes the bonudaries of the jedi code to get the outbound flight project moving. He also gains the attention and respect of anakin skywalker.

Since I had enjoyed the vast majority of the Thrawn Trilogy, I was excited to finally have the chance to read a prequel-era novel by Zahn. As with the prequel movies with respect to the originals, I knew Outbound Flight would include part of the back-story of his six post-Jedi novels, and I was happy that Zahn would have the chance to retcon a few continuity discrepancies that crept up due the prequel films contradicting a few things in his previous novels. And Thrawn was such a cool villain! But what I was really looking forward to is Zahn having a chance to use Obi-Wan, Anakin, Palpatine and Sidious in a story.

But I was very disappointed as this wasn't a story about Star Wars movie characters. Zahn was completely self-serving to his own novels. Obi-Wan and Anakin have no important purpose to the story, appearing only as far as Zahn's plot allowed. Jedi Master Jorus C'Boath was a total dill-hole before he crossed-over to the Dark Side, which explains the personality of his insane clone in the Thrawn Trilogy, but doesn't jive with the Jedi created by Lucas. There is no way that Jorus C'Boath could be a Jedi Master with that attitude.

To Zahn's credit, I actually sympathized with the character of Thrawn. But then I realized that Thrawn was created as a villain! I want to revile Thrawn! But by end he is portrayed as a renegade Chiss hero who saved his people by defeating C'Boath's Outbound Flight and the Vagaari. This novel may be good for the fans of Zahn's post-Return of the Jedi novels and specifically the character of Thrawn, but not so good for readers who like books that focus on movie characters.

Outbound has NOTHING to do with the stories of the prequel movies. Instead of this book, I highly recommend the following 5-star novels that are extremely relevant to the film saga:

Cloak of Deception (Star Wars)
Shadow Hunter (Star Wars: Darth Maul)
Labyrinth of Evil (Star Wars, Episode III Prequel Novel)
Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader (Star Wars)
Shadows of the Empire (Star Wars)

Timothy Zahn meets all expectations and beyond with his latest chapter in the Star Wars saga, touching flawlessly once more on established characters in the movie saga, as well as providing insight into where some of his own creations began. The story reveals how a brilliant commander, the man who will eventually become Grand Admiral Thrawn, of an alien force comes into contact with the Republic for the first time and is drawn into the conflict with the Trade Federation. The story is split between following the path of the blue-skinned leader, and those of some of the Jedi aboard the ill-fated Outbound Flight, and stands to flesh out quite well names that have been used in past Zahn books and helps to put a person with them. While the ending is somewhat dark, similar to Episode III in that respect, this serves as an excellent story that I couldn't put down, and left me with only one complaint- you want to know what happens next.

This book was excellent. It answered questions from Survivor's Quest and the other Zahn adventures. You get to know Thrawn in another light. I would like to see Zahn write a Star Wars book that did not have to do with Thrawn in any way, but I really enjoy his writing. This is one of the best Star Wars novels released in recent years. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves Star Wars or just a good book.

Thrawn is introduced as a genius like Sherlock Holmes. Very good read. I especially liked the trailer. Didn't like the other Jedi ignoring the domination of their leader. It didn't make sense to me.

Zahn's Star Wars books have always been my favorites, and this is one of his best. He manages to tie together his own characters and storyline (Thrawn, Outbound Flight, etc.) with the politics and intrigue of the Old Republic from the prequels and even provides a lead in for the New Jedi Order books (I don't hold that against him, however).

If you haven't read any of Zahn's other Star Wars books, Outbound Flight may not be as much fun, since the main point of the book is to flesh out characters and history that we've been reading about for years.

I like the Old Republic era books, but this was a bit of a disappointment, just because I thought the Outbound Flight would make it there and have adventures and stuff. Instead it was just politic intrigue and the introduction of Thrawn. Still a worthwhile read, just not what I expected.

I like this story, at least I think some of the action and characterizations were close to the quality of Zahn's best star wars works, but it doesn't live up to expectation. I appreciate that Zahn gave us a view into Thrawn's earlier days, but this story was supposed to be about Outbound Flight not Thrawn. C' Baoth's character was well done, but Zahn could have used him as the main character by making him more balanced, for the purpose of making the tragic failure of the project epic.

The actual legendary project, just isn't as epic as expected with Zahn's focus on Thrawn.

This novel is a great follow up from the orginal Thrawn series. The reader gets more insight into Thrawn as well as Master C.B. I think the use of Obi Wan and Anakin is well done and the story is full of great Star Wars moments. Recommended!

Good telling of the "Outbound Flight" back-story but this is too history-ridden and back-story-detailed for anyone but us DIEHARD Fans to enjoy I'm afraid. Zahn is a great storyteller though.

-Ken Knight(Author of THE MIDNIGHT OIL)

what a great book ! I'd heard good things about it and they were true -- this is the first of Zahn's books I've ever read, and it wasn't a disappointment
good story, good pace, and nice twists -- I recommend highly

This is an ABRIDGED version of the noble, colorful music and sound efects enhance Jonathan Davis' voice. The characters are vividly personified. This is a great story in the Star Wars universe, esencial to those followers of Thrawn and the Thrawn trilogy.

This book did not impress me in the least. I could be wrong, but it goes against the books that were written later in the series. I had a completely different opinion of Outbound Flight before reading this book, and quite frankly, I liked that opinion much better.

I read it because it is Star Wars, and I would recommend it to someone else, but I think that if you have an opinion of Outbound Flight already, and like it, don't read this book. Or at the very least, don't take it to heart.

This book is an amazing read and I would recommend it to any Star Wars fan. Timothy Zhan is a great writer and helped spark a new Star Wars revolution. His writing is perfectly formed and it really captures the essence of Star Wars. If you want an amazing Star Wars back-story definitely buy this book.

Ever since I read the Thrawn trilogy I had wanted to know a little more about the Grand Admiral and this book delivered big time. It makes Thrawn a very likeable character and creates many connections between Outbound Flight and his other star wars novels. It fills in lots of holes and should satisfy anyones curiosity about Thrawn and Cardas and tells an amazing story, easily one of my favorite star wars novels of all time.

The story is great, however, the narrator killed the vibe, he can't imitate any of the voices properly and even pronounces a few of the characters last name improperly. Timothy Zahn is one of my favorite authors, him I give 5 stars but as an audible book, the narrator failed to deliver and that's why I'm giving it a 1 star rating.

If you read the thrawn trilogy and enjoy zahn, this is a must read. It gives tremendous insight on thrawn's background and was great throughout the story. The C'boath element was enlightening as well. Simply put, if you enjoyed the thrawn trilogy, this is a must read.

Great book where Timothy Zan's comes back to his original way of writing 3 distinct stories that link to each others at the end. I was deceived by the last book "Survivors quest" but this one just revived the love I had for his books. Can't wait for the next one to come out!!!!

Timothy Zahn's OUTBOUND FLIGHT receives Jonathan Davis' extensive background both in New York theater and in previous Star Wars readings as he narrates an exciting science fiction action story set before the Clone Wars. Six Jedi Masters and twelve Jedi Knights set out on a mission to contact intelligent life, with unexpected results.

Great read! It was so nice to finally get the whole story on what happened with Outbound Flight! And of course, any story with Thrawn and the Chiss is great! Timothy Zahn is easily my favorite Star Wars author. I loved the way that he weaved so many of the characters from other books into this story.

This is the best bbok i have read in a loong time, Zahn realy knows how to do it.

I enjoyed every aspact of this book, tho i felt it was too shor...haha i am a fast reader when it comes to Zahn Star wars books...can't put it away.

I say this book and its follower boon Survivours Quest is a Must read for star wars fans !

I do wish Zahn will keep making staries about Thrawn :)

Having recently read and disliked the origial Thrawn trilogy after all these years since it's appearace way back in the early 90s, this book only too happily followes in the footsteps of diminishing Star Wars and the cool Jedi. The sheer annoyance of the two main characters(C'Baoth and Thrawn), makes them just as unlikable as any star wars characters' as there are out there. Probalby the worst of all of them, next to Windu. C'Baoth's character single handedly tears down the likability of the Jedi as a whole in the Star Wars universe, which Karen Travis seems to follow and latch on to with her republic commando series. Evey move and word and action on C'Baoth's part is meant to portray arrogant superiority. I know this is the authors intent, becuase he says it each time he has C'Baoth speak. He says something to the effect almost in all of his descpription of him. All other Jedi are weak-willed pawns in this grand scheme. It gets soo boring and annoying for a mid-30's star wars fan of the books movies and comics.

Also, there is no "Star Wars" stuff to this story, no grand space battles, no lighsaber fights, no grand advanture, no narrow escapes, no comradarie between friends, no swaschbukling darring dos, etc, etc. The story as a whole seems like it was just done to fill in the gaps of the things mentioned in the origianl trilogy, but nothing interesting and/or necessary to anything. It was soo drab and unnecessary.

The Thrawn characters is portrayed just as sure of himself, but with the authors intention of giving him fake humilty by cloaking him with honor and nobility; also referred to quite frequently by the way. The fact that Thrawn can deduce just about everything from art and culture(like in the origianl trilogy)is just plain dumb. Oh, it's explained quite conveniantly, but it's still dumb. Between Thrawn and C'Baoth, it's hard to like anybody since the other characters are minor pawns and/or sideshow characters. Obi-Wan and Anakin are there, but Obi is still a young Master, incapable of standing up to C'Baoth on any matter, not matter how dumb. Anakin is also there, fawning over C'Baoth's power and comprehension of the Force. Both Thrawn and C'Baoth make this book soooo aweful, the author just seems to want to make all of the Star Wars universe revolve around both of them characters, both here and in the original trilogy. Just see if you can notice the oh too many similarities.

If I wasn't a completist, I'd have avoided this book knowing it came from the same author of the original Thrawn triolgy. I do thank the author for reviving the Star Wars universe back in the early 90s. If the original trilogy hadn't been as successful, we'd probably have mediocre books and probably a lot less to choose from. However, this story was too dumb and annoying. The author does do a good job starting out in different settings and plotlines and eventually getting them all to click and come together at the end, but that's what you'd expect from a professional writer.

Outbound Flight has a facinating premise, a Jedi expedition to discover strange new worlds, seek out new life and new civilizations etc, etc. But never delivers.

Instead the story disolves into a predictable confilict between a 1-dimensional fallen Jedi and a Mary Sue-like invicible alien. Logic and drama are cast aside for an utterly predictable climax with most of the cast quietly killed off-camera.

This was the firsst Star Wars novel that I read. I loved it! I could not put it down for the last one hundred and fifty pages.

It takes place when Anakin is in his mid teens (between episodes two and three). He and Obi-wan are asked to be part of a Jedi plan to colonize other plantes and travel to another galaxy. Although most of the book does not deal with the two it is a very good read.

It answers a lot of questions you might have had when reading Survivor's Quest, or any novel dealing with the Chiss character Thrawn. A definate must read!

This is a big let down. The Brolf situation is so boring I haven't read much. but right now I want to return it. When will we get to outbound flight. The Chiss what is happening with them. I reccomend not reading this book.

do you hear me? i don't accept it. escpecially when i send you an outline almost twenty years ago about this subject and you send me a form letter! Thanks to Youtube I won;'t be the onlly one you hippocriatye!

What an incredible ride! I wanted to read Outbound Flight for the introduction to possibly the best adversary in the Star Wars universe, Grand Admiral Thrawn. Here we meet him serving in the Chiss Defense Fleet. His remarkable skills as military tactician confound more than one group of adversaries. Set in the framing story of the doomed Outbound Flight project, headed by the supremely arrogant Jedi Jorus C'Boath, the ill fated mission is heartbreaking for the other Jedi and humans aboard. While Obi-Wan Kenobi and young padawan Anakin Skywalker make an appearance, this show belongs to Thrawn. The Sherlock of Star Wars without the psychotic personality, you wind up rooting for him. A thrilling adventure that is a great precursor to the new novel Thrawn. Outbound Flight is a must read for serious Star Wars and Thrawn fans. I can imagine what would've happened if Thrawn had been in command of the Old Republic forces in the wars against the Sith Empire.