Outbound Flight Project

The concept for Outbound Flight originated with the renowned Jedi Master Jorus C'baoth. Initially conceived in 29 BBY, it was envisioned as a large-scale expedition into the Unknown Regions, with the ultimate goal of reaching beyond the Galactic Rim to another galaxy. Families were intended to accompany the expedition, with the hope of establishing colonies on worlds within the Unknown Regions, thereby extending the influence of the Galactic Republic's. Although officially presented as a proposal from the Jedi Council, the determined C'baoth took command of the project, becoming its primary advocate. It was C'baoth who successfully persuaded the Senate to provide support and funding for the endeavor.

The recruitment process for crew and passengers commenced in 29 BBY. Colonists were chosen based on their technical skills, although families with Force-sensitive children were secretly given preferential treatment. Recruits were sent to Yaga Minor for training, which served as the mission's launch site. Six brand new Dreadnaught-class heavy cruisers were acquired from Rendili StarDrive to form the vessel itself, also named Outbound Flight.

As time passed and the political landscape of the galaxy shifted, the enthusiasm among the project's participants waned, and both the Senate and the Jedi began to withdraw their support from Outbound Flight. Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, reluctant to allocate excessive resources to such ventures during a period marked by growing discontent with the government and rumors of secession, maintained a low profile for the mission. The Senate Appropriations Committee implemented a series of budget cuts and voted to exclude the families and colonists from the mission, leaving only the ship's crew. The Jedi Council also experienced second thoughts, with Masters Yoda and Mace Windu declining to send more than a pair of Jedi on the journey. Given that one of the Jedi's main objectives was to locate Vergere, many within the Order believed that a smaller expedition would suffice, rather than C'baoth's ambitious undertaking.

Despite these obstacles, C'baoth remained resolute in realizing his vision. During a meeting with Palpatine in 27 BBY, he struck a deal with the Chancellor: if he could successfully negotiate a resolution to a dispute between the Corporate Alliance and the Brolfi of Barlok, Palpatine would exert pressure on the Appropriations Committee to reinstate full funding and allow the colonists to return onboard.

Although hyperspace travel to other galaxies was long considered impossible due to a hyperspace disturbance beyond the edge of the galaxy, C'baoth believed that the Jedi could harness the Force to smooth the path and enable the vessel to pass. He demonstrated this technique at the briarpatch border of the Unknown Regions, and then advocated for the inclusion of eighteen Jedi, including himself, in the mission.

When C'baoth thwarted an assassination attempt on the Alliance and Brolfi representatives, orchestrated by the Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Sidious through his agent Kinman Doriana, he was able to expedite the negotiations, and the political influence he gained within the Senate empowered him to push Outbound Flight through committee with all of his original proposals intact. Even the Jedi yielded to the political pressure, granting him permission to take as many Jedi as he deemed necessary. Final assembly of the Outbound Flight commenced, and as promised, Palpatine approved Measure 4213.0410 on 8:2:11 GrS, sponsoring Outbound Flight and enabling its eventual launch.

Given the multitude of participants involved in the project, Outbound Flight had numerous objectives, some public, others concealed, and many conflicting with one another.

C'baoth's initial proposal, as presented to the Senate, aimed to discover new life forms and Force-sensitive individuals in regions beyond the Republic. One of his personal motives, and a key reason behind the Jedi Order's support, was to search for Vergere, who had been captured by the Far Outsiders—also known as the Yuuzhan Vong—from Zonama Sekot in the Unknown Regions two years prior. As turmoil within the Republic intensified, C'baoth also began to discuss establishing Jedi colonies in the Unknown Regions, beyond the reach of the Republic, an idea that concerned some Jedi, including Mace Windu and Yoda.

The Senate had its own motivations for supporting the project. According to the original plan, colonies were to be established in the newly explored territories identified by Outbound Flight, thereby enabling the Republic to establish a presence in the Unknown Regions and expand its influence. The prospect of identifying potential threats from beyond the galaxy before they could pose a danger also appealed to security-conscious Senators.

Palpatine also harbored a personal agenda. In his guise as Darth Sidious, he sought to dismantle the Jedi Order and recognized the advantage of eliminating a significant number of Jedi in a single attack far from public scrutiny. He was also aware of the Yuuzhan Vong threat and wished to prevent their discovery before the galaxy was adequately prepared to confront them. For Palpatine, Outbound Flight was always intended to fail, becoming a deadly trap for the Jedi onboard.

Outbound Flight consisted of a central storage core surrounded by six Dreadnaught-class heavy cruisers designated D-One through D-Six. The primary control center for Outbound Flight was situated within D-One.

Each dreadnaught was connected to its adjacent counterparts and the core via pylon turbolifts, facilitating movement between dreadnaughts and the core. To Obi-Wan Kenobi's astonishment, Outbound Flight also utilized swoops and speederbikes for transportation within individual dreadnaughts. These speederbikes and swoops were managed by a control system located on the command bridge of Dreadnaught-One, resembling a podracer control and monitoring system that Anakin Skywalker had employed during his time on Tatooine.

Robots were primarily responsible for handling repair and maintenance tasks on Outbound Flight. For example, there were robots designed for major repairs, such as welding large plates to patch up walls, as well as robots for performing simple tasks like clearing debris.

Outbound Flight commenced its journey from Yaga Minor in the Outer Rim, under the command of Captain Pakmillu. For a period of three weeks, it remained within Republic territory, traveling to Lonnaw, Argai via the Glythe sector, the Kokash and Mondress sectors, and making a final stop at Roxuli. Situated 230 light-years from the edge of Wild Space, Outbound Flight intended to pause to calibrate its navigational instruments before venturing into the Unknown Regions for colonization purposes. After traversing a large circular path through these regions, it would eventually proceed to the edge of the galaxy.

Onboard were 45,000 colonists, 5,000 crew members, six Jedi Masters, twelve Jedi Knights, and one Padawan. Among them were Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, two last-minute additions to the roster assigned by Mace Windu to monitor C'baoth. Upon reaching the edge of the galaxy, they were scheduled to depart in a two-person Delta-12 Skysprite and return to known space. As the voyage progressed, Obi-Wan began to contemplate remaining aboard for the duration of the mission; however, he departed sooner than anticipated. Palpatine learned of their involvement in the project and, desiring to keep Anakin Skywalker alive, arranged to meet Outbound Flight at Roxuli. There, he removed Kenobi and his Padawan from the flight, ostensibly to mediate a mining dispute. As C'baoth refused to alter his schedule, the Outbound Flight departed without the two Jedi.

The plan was for Outbound Flight to return at the conclusion of its mission. Although the exact timeframe for this return was uncertain, the vessel was provisioned with supplies for ten years of travel, with the option to restock on any habitable planets encountered along the way. Some colonists were also to be left behind in settlements, with one of the Dreadnaughts detaching from the main vessel to provide protection and, if necessary, transportation.

During the expedition, Jorus C'baoth relieved Captain Pakmillu of command and implemented extremely strict and unfair measures towards the non-Force-sensitive population. He abducted children during the night for training, prohibited any form of decoration, and imposed severe punishments for accidental infractions. The crew grew to despise him and began to contemplate rebellion and escape. C'baoth's former Padawan, Lorana Jinzler, who disagreed with her master's methods, attempted to appease the disgruntled passengers. Obi-Wan Kenobi advocated for leniency and allowing parents to choose whether or not to enroll their children in the onboard training facility, but C'baoth refused to listen and was pleased when Kenobi departed at Roxuli.

Palpatine, under his identity as Darth Sidious, dispatched Kinman Doriana to lead a Trade Federation task force consisting of fifteen ships under the command of Vicelord Siv Kav into the Unknown Regions to await Outbound Flight in ambush. However, Doriana's fleet initially encountered Chiss Expansionary Defense Forces led by Mitth'raw'nuruodo (better known as Thrawn). Utilizing superior tactics, the Chiss swiftly subdued the task force in the battle, destroying all vessels except for the flagship Darkvenge.

Thrawn made contact with the Darkvenge, and Doriana explained the purpose of their mission, asserting that the Jedi posed a threat to Chiss space. Thrawn remained unconvinced, and Doriana was brought aboard Thrawn's ship. There, he revealed the true threat: an extragalactic species he referred to as the Far Outsiders, whose real name was the Yuuzhan Vong. According to Doriana, if Outbound Flight succeeded in its mission, the Far Outsiders would be alerted to the Republic before adequate defensive preparations could be made. He argued that the Jedi were too arrogant to recognize or respond to the threat and therefore had to be eliminated.

Thrawn was already aware of the Far Outsiders, as the Chiss had previously engaged one of their reconnaissance parties. Doriana arranged for Thrawn to contact his master, Darth Sidious, who reiterated the threat posed by the Far Outsiders and Outbound Flight. Thrawn resolved to disable the vessel and compel it to return to the Republic or exit the galaxy via an alternative route, resorting to destruction if necessary.

Thrawn began positioning Doriana's droid starfighters on an asteroid in preparation to intercept Outbound Flight. Meanwhile, Thrawn's "prisoner," Jorj Car'das, departed the Chiss fleet and contacted the Vagaari, a nomadic and dangerous adversary of the Chiss, in an attempt to incite them to attack the Chiss forces and liberate his friends. This was, in fact, a ruse orchestrated by Thrawn, who saw this event as an opportunity to eliminate both the Vagaari and Outbound Flight. Utilizing a Vagaari ship net stolen from a previous engagement, he positioned it along the projected path of Outbound Flight and between the Vagaari's last known location and the Chiss Crustai base.

Outbound Flight was forced out of hyperspace by the Vagaari ship net's interdiction field. Thrawn contacted C'baoth and boarded the Outbound Flight for a meeting. Negotiations failed, as the Jedi Master refused to return home or take an alternate route out of the galaxy, while the Chiss Commander insisted that he could not risk allowing the Jedi to come into contact with the Far Outsiders.

Shortly thereafter, the Vagaari were pulled out of hyperspace en route to attack the Chiss base. When the Vagaari threatened to attack Outbound Flight, C'baoth and the other Jedi employed their battle meld to disorient the Vagaari warriors. Thrawn seized this moment to activate the Vulture droids to engage the confused Vagaari, as well as activate battle droids and droidekas that he had strategically placed on the Vagaari ship prior to the attack (with Car'Das delivering them, feigning betrayal of the Chiss). With the Vagaari gunners dazed by the Jedi, the droid fighters were able to approach closely enough to disable most of the Vagaari ships without harming the prisoners they were using as human shields, and the Vagaari themselves were killed by the battle droids and droidekas.

Thrawn anticipated that the Jedi, while invading the Vagaari's minds, would experience their pain. The Jedi were distracted and overwhelmed by the disturbance in the Force caused by the deaths of the Vagaari whose minds they were manipulating. During this distraction, C'baoth and his fellow Jedi failed to detect the approaching Chiss forces, and Thrawn systematically destroyed the weapon emplacements of the Outbound Flight, killing almost every Jedi aboard, with the exception of Jorus C'baoth and Lorana Jinzler.

Enraged, C'baoth succumbed to the dark side and Force-choked Thrawn, nearly killing him. In a panic, Kinman Doriana redirected the Vulture droids from the Vagaari and sent them crashing into the ship, breaching its hull. The special radiation bombs on some of the droid ships (which Thrawn had intended to use against the Vagaari) then detonated within each Dreadnaught of Outbound Flight, enabling some of the Vagaari to escape.

Only Lorana and fifty-seven colonists, whom Jorus C'baoth had imprisoned in the core, managed to survive.

Lorana, along with Thrawn's brother, Thrass, directed the ship into lightspeed and crashed it onto a planetoid that later became part of the star cluster The Redoubt. Outbound Flight entered the gravitational field of the nearby planet, and with the craft's thrusters burnt out, Thrass and Lorana were forced to crash-land the vessel. A stone-filled trench was selected to absorb the impact of the landing. Moments before impact, Lorana and Thrass realized that the fifty-seven survivors had relocated from the central storage core to D-4, the Dreadnaught on the opposite side of D-1, their location. Lorana and Thrass knew they would have to land on D-1 to save D-4, and sacrificed their lives to give the remaining colonists a chance of survival.

Fifty-seven of the original forty-five thousand colonists survived the destruction of Outbound Flight. The injuries they sustained during the attack and the harsh living conditions within the wreckage took a heavy toll on the survivors. By the time the crash site was rediscovered in 22 ABY, only ten members of the original survivors remained. C'baoth's arrogance and draconian behavior were largely responsible for the survivors' resentment and hatred towards the Jedi. In an effort to organize themselves, a Managing Council was established to make policy decisions for the survivors. Individuals suspected of being Force-sensitive were relocated and quarantined to a separate dreadnaught. Traps were also set to thwart any attempts to infiltrate the colony, such as concealed turbolifts.

For a period of forty-nine years, the fate of Outbound Flight remained unknown. Obi-Wan Kenobi is known to have researched hyperlanes into the Unknown Regions in preparation for leading a search for the lost ship, although this endeavor proved unsuccessful.

Following Grand Admiral Thrawn's assassination during the Battle of Bilbringi, his private notes were recovered by the New Republic, revealing Thrawn's involvement in the destruction of Outbound Flight. In 10 ABY, New Republic historian Arhul Hextrophon mentioned the Galactic Republic's extragalactic exploration during a guest lecture at the Brionelle Memorial Military Academy on Chandrila. He stated that the Old Republic had made several attempts to contact other galaxies, but all previous attempts were deemed failures, and the Outbound Flight Project was the most recent extragalactic expedition. According to Hextrophon, Thrawn's notes revealed that his objective was to eliminate the six Jedi Masters. He also explained that Palpatine had ordered the destruction of Outbound Flight.

In 22 ABY, a CEDF patrol discovered the wreckage of the vessel. After conducting a long-range fly-by to confirm their findings, they reported back to the Nine Ruling Families, who decided to declare the region off-limits. Aristocra Chaf'orm'bintrano, also known as Formbi, contacted the Hand of Thrawn base on Nirauan with instructions. They forwarded a message to Luke and Mara Jade Skywalker, stating that the Chiss wished to atone for the destruction of Outbound Flight and, as it had been a Jedi project, wanted to invite the head of the New Jedi Order.

Formbi had another, secret objective in mind. Desiring to provoke the Chiss into a confrontation with the Vagaari, but knowing that they would not initiate an attack, he used Outbound Flight as bait to lure them into taking aggressive action against the Chiss.

The colonists, wishing to distance themselves from the New Republic due to its association with the Jedi, chose to join the Empire of the Hand, although many were reluctant to abandon the wreckage of Outbound Flight. While it would take considerable time to excavate and extract any data from the ship's computers, Luke hoped to eventually uncover records of the old Jedi Order that he could use to rebuild his new one.

There were six Jedi Masters, twelve Jedi Knights (including the newly knighted Lorana Jinzler), and one Padawan aboard Outbound Flight. Among them were:

• Master Jorus C'baoth
• Master Evrios
• Lorana Jinzler
• Obi-Wan Kenobi (disembarked at Roxuli)
• Master Justyn Ma'Ning
• Anakin Skywalker (disembarked at Roxuli)
• Two Duros

• Algrann
• Jobe Keely
• Captain Pakmillu
• Dillian Pressor
• Jorad Pressor
• Katarin Pressor
• Sivv
• Brace Tarkosa
• Chas Uliar

The Essential Chronology and The New Essential Guide to Characters indicate the project departed before 29 BBY, but the subsequent novels provide a more accurate date, superseding this information.