In 1979 Random House published STAR WARS: THE MAVERICK MOON, a storybook wonderfully illustrated by Walter Wright. I recently ordered it (I had the book as a kid, but it's lost in the basement). It had been years since I had read it (or in the interest of full disclosure, had it read to me). As I read through it several things occurred to me. There was no Han and Chewbacca. No mention of Darth Vader or the Empire. In fact, no war.

STAR WARS: THE MAVERICK MOON takes place at "the Academy" and Luke Skywalker is a member of the "Planetary Pioneers". The villain of the story is a moon that has somehow gotten out of it's gravational pull and begins plummeting toward the planet. Luke and other Planetary Pioneers board their X-Wings to take care of the problem (R2-D2 goes with Luke and C-3PO also makes an appearance). Luke hears "a powerful voice" that tells him the Force is with him.

Oddly, the author's name doesn't appear, it's simply Random House with illustrations by Walter Wright. Whoever the penner of this short story was he/she must have imagined that "Star Wars", at least the wars part, ended with the destruction of the Death Star. Han and Chewbacca had gone off to pay Jabba the Hutt and Luke and Leia, with the droids, continued on. There mission had changed frone one of war to one of exploration. Of course, this is a children's book, and perhaps this storyline was simply to avoid blasters and lightsabers. While it lacks these elements, I was never bored with it as a child (although I do remember wondering where Han and Chewbacca were).

The book is a rare look at peace-time for four of our heroes. If you haven't read it yet, it's a treat.