A Princess Leia Adventure: Moving Target is a young adult novel that came out as part of the Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens series of books. Written collaboratively by Cecil Castellucci and Jason Fry, the novel recounts the escapades of Princess Leia Organa in the period between Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi. Disney–Lucasfilm Press released it on September 4, 2015, and it runs for 240 pages.
The story's opening takes place not long before the events of The Force Awakens, where General Leia Organa is reluctantly recording the story of her life. This prompts her to recall a specific mission that she was involved in between the events of Empire and Jedi.
As she recounts the tale, the narrative shifts back to that era. We encounter Leia aboard her flagship, a Nebulon B frigate called the Remembrance, which is under assault by Imperial forces. The ship manages to evade the battle, but at the cost of one of its escort vessels. The primary objective of this small fleet is to safeguard Leia, as she represents a high-value target for the Empire. The most effective strategy for ensuring her safety is to keep her constantly on the move. The fact that people are dying to keep her safe is something that deeply troubles her.
Following the battle, C-3PO informs Leia that Mon Mothma has called for a gathering of the rebel leadership on the planet Zastiga. To transport her to this crucial meeting, they enlist Nien Nunb and his ship, the Mellcrawler.
Upon arriving on the planet, she attends the meeting, where she learns that the Empire is constructing another Death Star above Endor. The meeting extends late into the night as they attempt to formulate a plan, eventually resulting in the basic strategy for the Battle of Endor. They decide that the Rebel fleet will converge near Sullust to exploit a clandestine Imperial hyperspace lane, which will enable them to reach the Outer Rim much more quickly than would otherwise be possible.
Leia proposes an additional element to the mission. As a means of diverting the Empire's attention from the gathering Rebel fleet, Leia will lead a small team to various planets, deploying message beacons that summon Rebel ships to rendezvous at Yellow Moon in the Corva system, a location far removed from Endor. Mon Mothma expresses reservations but agrees to consider the proposal.
Later that night, Mon Mothma pays a visit to Leia. Following an in-depth conversation about Leia's motivations and emotional state, the mission, designated Operation Yellow Moon, receives approval.
The following day, the Rebels discreetly depart from the planet. Leia meets her crew at the Mellcrawler. In addition to Nunb, who serves as the pilot, she has recruited Kidi Aleri as the communications technician, Antrot, the "tinkerer," as their engineer, and commando Major Lokmarcha as Leia's personal bodyguard. She outlines their mission, omitting the crucial detail that the codes used to encrypt the beacon messages have been compromised by the Empire.
Their initial destination is the planet Basteel. They meet their contact, a man named Yoff, within his underground residence. He informs them that the optimal location for deploying their beacon is through an intricate network of tunnels connected to his chimney. They venture into the tunnel system and position the beacon near the surface. Following a perilous climb, an encounter with hostile creatures, and a close brush with patrolling TIE fighters, they escape aboard the Mellcrawler.
As the situation calms down, Kidi realizes that the codes they have been using have been deciphered. The crew discovers that a Star Destroyer is now in orbit around Basteel and is in the process of subjugating the planet. Despite the purpose of their mission, Leia is overwhelmed by a profound sense of guilt.
Their next stop is Sesid, a world covered in water. After purchasing garish vacation attire, they hire a boat and plant their beacon on the slopes of a volcano. During their return journey, their boat is pursued by Imperials. They are rescued by a local group of pirates, who turn out to be their contacts on the planet. Once again successful, Sesid soon suffers under the control of the Star Destroyer Shieldmaiden.
The crew proceeds to the primitive agricultural planet Jaresh and sets up another beacon. They learn that the local population intends to publicly denounce the Empire. Leia attempts, but fails, to dissuade their leader from this course of action. Her unease becomes too much to bear, and Leia reveals the true nature of their mission to her crew. She formulates a plan to defend the local populace, and they engage in a battle against the Empire. Leia is aware that they will return, but the locals are at peace with their decision.
According to the original plan, their mission is now concluded. However, Leia cannot reconcile herself with the idea of abandoning any Rebel ships that respond to their beacons. She resolves that they will travel to Yellow Moon to warn off any potential arrivals. They are successful in this endeavor but are subsequently captured by the Shieldmaiden.
The crew is imprisoned and prepared for interrogation. Lokmarcha makes the ultimate sacrifice, enabling Leia and the others to escape. They make their way back to the landing bay. Prior to the rendezvous, Leia had instructed Antrot to rig the Mellcrawler with explosives. He realizes that the bomb will not inflict sufficient damage to disable the Star Destroyer, so he runs off, sacrificing himself to save the other three.
Leia, Nien, and Kidi commandeer the Imperial shuttle Tydirium and escape amidst a space battle. Rebel ships that have rendezvoused at Yellow Moon are attacking the Shieldmaiden in an effort to protect Leia. She manages to escape, but at the cost of more lives.
Leia makes contact with Luke. New intelligence regarding Han's whereabouts has surfaced; he is on Tatooine. They begin to organize a rescue operation. Returning to the present, Leia concludes her story. Major Ematt informs her that news has arrived from Poe on Jakku.
Moving Target: A Princess Leia Adventure portrays Leia Organa receiving information about the Death Star II. However, Dark Droids 1 depicts Leia as already aware of the Death Star II, despite the events of Dark Droids 1 occurring before Moving Target.
- ISBN 9781405277877 ; September 4 , 2015 ; Egmont UK Ltd ; UK paperback [9]