Survivor's Quest, a novel penned by Timothy Zahn, was brought to readers by Del Rey in 2004. The paperback edition of this book includes a bonus short story, Fool's Bargain, also written by Timothy Zahn, which had previously been exclusively available as an eBook. The abridged audiobook version of Survivor's Quest was narrated by Jonathan Davis, but in 2023, an unabridged version of Survivor's Quest was released, with Marc Thompson as the narrator.
Luke and Mara Jade Skywalker are on a perilous quest to recover a relic from the Jedi's past, which could potentially rewrite their own history….
It often seems that a Jedi's work is never truly finished, a sentiment that Luke and Mara Jade Skywalker understand all too well. Despite their Force-forged connection, the Jedi Master and his wife are still navigating the complexities of marriage after three years, struggling to find moments together amidst their relentless duties. However, everything is set to change when they find themselves united on an unexpected mission, where they must combine their extraordinary abilities to confront a devious adversary and reclaim a piece of Jedi heritage.
The adventure begins with a message originating from an unlikely source: Nirauan, the very planet where Thrawn, the dangerous disciple of Emperor Palpatine, once held dominion, and from which Luke and Mara barely escaped with their lives. The content of the message is astonishing. After half a century, the remnants of Outbound Flight, a pioneering Jedi expedition brutally annihilated by Thrawn, have been discovered on Nirauan. Now, the fiercely honorable aliens inhabiting the planet wish to entrust the remains of the ill-fated mission to the New Republic. Accepting this offer will necessitate a lengthy journey into the perilous star cluster where the thousands of souls aboard the Outbound Flight vessel met their tragic end. But it could also signify something more…something that has ignited an inexplicable sense of unease within Mara.
Whatever challenges lie ahead, the Skywalkers will not face them alone. Accompanying them on this strange and solemn voyage are an officer from the post-Palpatine Empire, guarded by a contingent of Imperial stormtroopers; a delegation of diplomats from a gentle alien race that venerates the fallen Jedi for rescuing them from bloodthirsty conquerors; and a New Republic ambassador harboring his own hidden agenda.
Before long, suspicion, secrecy, and a hidden saboteur spread like wildfire aboard the isolated vessel. However, the most profound danger lurks within the decaying walls of Outbound Flight itself, entombed for fifty years on a desolate planetoid. As the stranded hulk reveals astonishing revelations and unforeseen terrors to its visitors, Luke and Mara find their beliefs and their very existence under brutal assault. Their ultimate trial will be surviving the deadly trap meticulously crafted by enemies renowned for their ruthlessness…and determined to complete the task Thrawn initiated: the extermination of the Jedi.
Fifty years have passed since the destruction of Outbound Flight, a pioneering Jedi expedition decimated by the alien warlord Grand Admiral Thrawn, and its wreckage has been located on Nirauan. The inhabitants of Nirauan desire to return the remnants of this doomed mission to the New Republic. Accepting this offer means undertaking a long and perilous voyage into the treacherous star cluster where the thousands of souls aboard the Outbound Flight vessel met their demise.
As Luke and Mara Jade Skywalker embark on this peculiar and somber journey, they remain unaware that the greatest threat lies within the derelict confines of Outbound Flight itself. As the marooned hulk unveils shocking revelations and unexpected horrors, Luke and Mara find their principles and their very lives facing a brutal challenge. Their ultimate test will be to survive the death trap meticulously prepared by adversaries infamous for their ruthlessness…and determined to finish what Thrawn started: the eradication of the Jedi.
The story begins with a meeting involving Talon Karrde, Luke, and Mara Jade Skywalker. Karrde's organization had previously intercepted an urgent communication, directed to Luke, originating from Admiral Voss Parck on the planet Nirauan. However, before the message could be delivered, it was stolen by Dean Jinzler, a member of Karrde's own team. Suspecting that the message might be related to the unknown menace that Parck and Baron Soontir Fel had warned them about two years prior, Luke and Mara decide to travel to Nirauan.
Upon arrival, they discover that the message was actually sent by Chiss Aristocra Chaf'orm'bintrano (known as "Formbi"). The Chiss have stumbled upon the remains of the Outbound Flight project, a pioneering Jedi expedition that was brutally destroyed by Grand Admiral Thrawn many years ago. The Chiss now wish to return their discovery to the New Republic, and Luke and Mara join a diverse group that includes a squad of stormtroopers from the 501st, a surviving group of the Geroons, an alien race who owe a strange debt to the people of Outbound Flight, and a fake New Republic Ambassador, all of whom will journey to the site of the tragedy.
As they travel aboard the Chaf Envoy deeper into Chiss space, through a dangerous cluster of stars called the Redoubt, Luke and Mara become increasingly uneasy. Instances of sabotage and theft only heighten their suspicions. Furthermore, Mara finds herself conflicted between her loyalty to the New Republic and her complex respect for the Imperial Remnant.
The expedition reaches its destination: the remnants of the Dreadnaughts that comprised the Outbound Flight project. The ships are not only relatively intact, but Mara can sense life. There are survivors, potentially hundreds of them. Suddenly, everything culminates in a series of rapid events. The seemingly peaceful Geroons are revealed to be the bloodthirsty Vagaari, seeking revenge against the Chiss and Outbound Flight for their defeat at the hands of Grand Admiral Thrawn years before. Luke, Mara, the Chiss, the Imperials, and the embittered survivors must now collaborate against the Vagaari if any of them hope to survive.
They succeed in defeating the Vagaari, who in turn sabotage the Chaf Envoy and seize control of one of the Dreadnaughts. The Vagaari then head back through the Redoubt to attack the Chiss command center, leaving Luke, Mara, and the others virtually stranded. However, after discovering a Delta-Twelve Skysprite, Luke and Mara quickly pursue the rogue Dreadnaught. They catch up to it and board the ship. They discover that the main Vagaari "colony ship" is actually a starfighter carrier that is overwhelming the Chiss defenses. Using a fake signal, Luke and Mara deceive the Vagaari into believing the Dreadnaught is a friendly vessel. However, after a showdown with a droideka and the fanatical Vagaari Estosh, Luke and Mara use the Dreadnaught under their control to assist the Chiss fighters and defeat the remaining Vagaari forces.
The survivors are placed under the care of the Empire of the Hand, and Luke and Mara finally have the opportunity to relax and enjoy their marriage. However, Mara is troubled by a thought: the entire affair, which resulted in a significant victory for the Chiss, seems too much like something orchestrated by Thrawn, a master of manipulating both his allies and enemies. When Luke points out that they (unintentionally) killed Thrawn's clone beneath his base on Nirauan, Mara argues that it was possible, even probable, that Thrawn had prepared other clones and scattered them throughout the Unknown Regions.
The book was conceived as a counterpart to Tatooine Ghost, focusing on Mara Jade and Luke instead of Han and Leia. Zahn also intended for Survivor's Quest and the semi-prequel Outbound Flight to mirror the format of the original trilogy and the prequel trilogy (with the former being created first).
- ISBN 0345459164 ; February 3 , 2004 , Del Rey , 368-page hardcover.
- ISBN 0739303201 ; February 3, 2004 , Random House Audio , Abridged CD.
- ISBN 0345459180 ; December 28 , 2004 , Del Rey, 480-page paperback.
- ISBN 9780593600610 ; August 15 , 2023 ; Random House Worlds ; US trade paperback, The Essential Legends Collection edition [3]
- ISBN 8324123105 ; Amber , 368-page Polish paperback ( Rozbitkowie z Nirauan ).
- ISBN 1844136809 ; February 3, 2004 , Century , 358-page UK hardcover.
- ISBN 0099472635 ; February 3, 2005 , Arrow Books Ltd. , 420-page UK paperback.
- ISBN 8025201503 ; 2005 , EGMONT ČR , 320-page Czech paperback ( Pouť pozůstalého ).
- ISBN 9545284889 ; 2005 , Trud, 376-page Bulgarian paperback ( В търсене на оцелелите ).
- ISBN 9634971665 ; 2005 , Szukits Kiadó, 512 page Hungarian paperback.