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The Maverick Moon
Attribution
Author(s)	Eleanor Ehrhardt
Cover artist	Walter Wright
Publication information
Publisher	Random House
Release date	January 1979
Media type	Young reader/storybook
Pages	29
ISBN	0-394-84087-9
Chronology
Era	Rebellion era
Timeline	after 0 ABY
Preceded by
Followed by

[Source]

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

Plot summary

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

Appearances

Characters

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

Organizations

• New Academy for Space Pilots
  • Planetary Pioneers

Vehicles and vessels

• landspeeder
• X-wing

Miscellanea

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

New continuity

New characters

• Oleson

New organizations

• New Academy for Space Pilots
  • Planetary Pioneers

New miscellanea

Wookieepedia has a collection of images related to The Maverick Moon.

• medal of honor
• Zukonium ray

Behind the scenes

The time period of this story is unspecified. No mention is made of the Rebellion or the Empire, and the creation of a brand new flight academy and of new colonies implies the war is over. But a subtle romantic element is implied between Leia and Luke in this story (as it was printed before Luke and Leia were revealed to be siblings), and the story makes it clear that Luke's only training in the Force came from Obi-Wan—and even that, Luke "had almost forgotten." The Academy has a complement of X-wings, but the text makes it clear that these are not in active use and that their condition is questionable.

Sources

• "Wasaka Berries and Monster Ships" - Star Wars Insider 74