Book Four: Jedi Bounty
This book starts out with the Young Jedi Knights at a campout on Yavin four. All are restless, and worried since it has been a few weeks since any had heard from Lowbacca. As the students discuss what Lowie might be going through, they convince themselves that maybe he's being held against his will and is being prevented from contacting them. All of a sudden a rakhmar (a predator from Yavin) attacks, hurting Raynar; the only one without a weapon. Moments afterwards, Lusa arrives to tell the YJK that Tenel Ka's grandmother has arrived with some important information. Consequently, she carries Raynar back to the Temple; an event that shows her slow healing process.
At the landing pad, Ta'Chume says that the Diversity Alliance' "schemes and intrigues are almost worthy of the Hapan government." We also find out that the DA is siphoning off ryll profits to fund their legal and illegal activities. After talking to Lusa, who explains that they shouldn't go because of the danger--especially Nolaa Tarkona's usage of bounty hunters and assassins to kill humans and non-human traitors; Jacen, Jaina, Tenel Ka and Raynar along with Em-TeeDee decide to go to Ryloth to rescue Lowie.
Meanwhile on Ryloth, Lowbacca is feeling uneasy about the situation and wants to leave; but after seeing how the DA entices his sister to stay by offering to teach her to fly, he keeps his mouth shut--because he won't leave without his sister. On Yavin, the twins' flawed logic (in my opinion), involves telling Lusa to keep everything a secret, refusing to wait until Luke comes back. Their intent is based on keeping Lowie safe, not wanting to expose the situation before they can get to him. So what they do is modify the truth--from a certain point of view--leaving room for incorrect assumptions to be made. There's some cute Raynar and Lusa dialogue in here, but this summary is already too long *grin*.
All right: So the kids get to Ryloth and sneak on planet. Their ship is quickly found and impounded, but without the YJK aboard. They are wandering about, not knowing that Nolaa Tarkona and Cossk sense something about the ships sudden appearance and that they are being tracked during their search for Lowie. Suddenly, they hear some Gamorrean guards approach, and duck into a closet only to find huge stores of munitions (which come in handy later.) Meanwhile, Raaba and Sirra spot the Rock Dragon, and Raaba prepares an interception party to catch the YJK before they reach Lowie.
Despite her efforts the YJK are able to spot Lowie, right before they are captured and Em-TeeDee is shut down. While Lowie senses them, he dismisses it as if he is just missing them. Throughout this scene all the YJK use the force--but it is evident that they are not really trusting its judgement, a clear sign of their still being in training. Nolaa realizing their hostage potential sends them down to the Ryll mine thus ensuring that their presence would never become known to Lowbacca.
Unfortunately for her, Lowbacca finds out from his sister that the Rock Dragon is on planet and after Raaba refuses to tell him anything finds out for himself about his friend's predicament. Setting up a diversion, he realizes he has been deceived when he retrieves his friend's lightsabers and his droid. This section is chock full of Lowbacca finding himself moments, when he realizes just how in the dark he had been kept. The group splits up using all sorts of tricks to avoid getting caught again--but eventually, Nolaa Tarkona comes over the intercom exposing their escape and setting the entire base on their trial. Using the munitions, the YJK cause an avalanche, separating Tenel Ka and Jacen from Jaina and Raynar. Both groups decide that their only choice is to use the tunnels to find an exit. Jaina and Raynar are exposed to the day-side, while Tenel Ka and Jacen are on the hot side.
Day: Raynar and Jaina try and find some shade, and are soon reduced to realizing that there is no way they will be rescued. They become intertwined in a fight for their lives as they are threatened with dehydration, and a firefight with Hovrak who is encased in a heat suit. He dies.
Night: Jacen and Tenel Ka trudge through the cold, using TK's hair as a warmer and blanket when possible. Tenel Ka encourages Jacen to use his jokes to keep them awake. Finally finding a cave in their effort to reach the temperate zone--they realize that they are not the only one's stuck out in the icy wilderness. Hidden with them is a former Twi'lck leader, Kur who had been stripped of his title by Nolaa Tarkona and was now barely surviving.
In the outside world, Zekk has a fight with Boba Fett and Dengar, and ends up saving Bornan Thul once again. While he is unable to hold onto the merchant to explain his motives, he is able to position a tracking device on the ship. Instead of going immediately to the ship, Zekk decides to go to Yavin IV instead because he misses his friends and is slowly realizing that being a Bounty Hunter has some moral tangents from his own beliefs.
On Yavin, Master Skywalker and Zekk realize that they have to go find the rest of the YJK. Knowing that Lusa knows what's going on they reach her place of solace in time to save her from being assassinated by a Bothan Diversity Alliance member. Together, Luke, Zekk and Lusa take the Lightening Rod and head out to Ryloth to save the YJK.
(Whew) Meanwhile, back on Ryloth, Lowbacca and Sirra hijack the Rock Dragon and rescue Jacen and TK, while Zekk and Luke save Jaina and Raynar. Together they go to Coruscant where the children are placed into bacta tanks to heal. Lowie is sad though b/c Raaba refused to leave. At the end of the book, Tenel Ka's grandmother comes without having been notified, and Leia and Han scold their children for not trusting them. Jaina, always the impatient one, says that if they hadn't done what they did they wouldn't have been able to realize Nolaa Tarkona's evil plan. After a look from her mother, she realizes that doesn't make the danger they had put themselves in any more intelligent. The next step is to talk to the New Republic Senate.