History Literature / OutboundFlight

* {{Retcon}}: ''Film/AttackOfTheClones'' had just established that Jedi knights were not allowed to fall in love, which conflicted with the lack of such rule in Luke's new Jedi order from earlier EU books. ''Survivor's Quest'' solves this, by mentioning that Yoda had told Luke about this rule offscreen during his training on Dagobah in ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack''. Ultimately, Luke decided this rule wouldn't apply in his new order.

At the same time, the domineering Jedi Master Jorus C'baoth seeks to approve Outbound Flight, an ambitious expeditionary project that sent a mission of six Jedi Masters, twelve Jedi Knights and 50,000 men, women and children beyond the borders of the Galactic Republic into the Unknown Regions where they hoped to pierce the edge of the galaxy and seek out extragalactic life. Unwittingly with a little help from Darth Sidious, who is all too happy to get as many Jedi out of the way as possible, he succeeds and they launch.

Sidious's agent, Kinman Doriana, is sent with a Trade Federation battle fleet to intercept and destroy Outbound Flight some time after they leave Republic space. They encounter Commander Thrawn, who curbstomps them despite having a much smaller force, and captures the survivors, including droids. Doriana gets Thrawn in contact with Darth Sidious, who tries to convince him that Outbound Flight is a threat to the Chiss. Thrawn is cautious, but when Outbound Flight shows up and Thrawn uses it to destroy the Vagaari forces, C'baoth screws up everything and Outbound Flight is destroyed. Fifty-seven people and one Jedi survive, and Thrawn's brother aids this Jedi in a HeroicSacrifice, causing Outbound Flight to crash in such a way that the survivors keep surviving, to no one's knowledge.

** ''Outbound Flight'' is basically one of these between Thrawn trying to stop the Vagaari, Palpatine's minions trying to stop Outbound Flight, the Chiss leadership trying to reign in Thrawn, and C'Baoth trying to defend his control Outbound Flight from both external threats and internal resistance to his authoritarian leadership, all while Car'Das just wants to go home.

** Admittedly, [[Literature/TheThrawnTrilogy Joruus C'baoth]] was already crazy from being a [[CloningBlues flawed clone]], but it's pretty easy to see where he got his, well, ''everything'' from.

* GrumpyBear: General Drask in ''Survivor's Quest''. He's not happy with his mission, or hanging out with all the aliens. [[FireForgedFriendship Fighting the Vagaari]] loosens him up a lot.

--->'''Doriana''': *puts blaster down* Don't be absurd, Vicelord. I would sooner shatter a thousand-year-old crystal as kill a being such as this.\\

** The last seen with Luke and Mara can also be seen as such. It's cute how Mara is lovingly telling Luke that she'll always be with him, til the end of time. And sad when you consider her death in "Sacrifice". She *was* there for Luke and Ben as a force ghost when they needed guidance a couple times, but couldn't be there with Luke physically.

* CreatorCameo: The Japanese cover for Outbound Flight makes Jorj Car'das look very similar to a young Creator/GeorgeLucas.

* EurekaMoment: Mara gets a sense that something is wrong when she sees the second of two transmissions from the Geroon ship, but doesn't realise it until later: [[spoiler:the children playing in the background did the exact same actions twice, showing they're just a backdrop recording hiding something]].

* FantasticRacism: In ''Outbound Flight'', Doriana knows about his master's kneejerk distaste for nonhumans, but he thinks that Thrawn just might be impressive enough to make Sidious overlook species. In ''Survivor's Quest'', Mara Jade is told that the stormtroopers are from the Five-Oh-First, thinks back to her time working with them as Emperor's Hand, and remembers that the Emperor's xenophobia rubbed off on them. The Empire of the Hand's 501st is not the original 501st remaining in the Imperial Remnant, but if they decided to take the name they might also have taken the attitudes. Then she and Luke discover, to their shock, that at least one of the stormtroopers ''isn't human''.

* And like father, like son. Anakin and Luke were both fascinated by Jorus and his clone, respectively. But the clone was more obviously unhinged, and Luke has always been more good, so unlike his father, Luke rejected whatever C'baoth was trying to teach him.

* TheManBehindTheMan: In ''Survivor's Quest'', Aristocra Formbi believes that [[spoiler: the Vagaari have allied themselves with someone more powerful and dangerous]]. While it's never outright confirmed, [[spoiler: the Vagaari's pack of Wolvkils and swarms of Schostri are reminiscent of [[Literature/NewJediOrder Yuuzhan Vong]] biots. The absence of either creature during Car'das' time on Vagaari ships in ''Outbound Flight'' supports Formbi's fears, suggesting the Vagaari are being backed by the Vong to help weaken the Chiss Ascendancy in preparation for the imminent invasion.]]

* SparingTheAces: Complete with ''Film/ThePrincessBride'' reference.
* TheSociopath: The Vagaari are basically an [[AlwaysChaoticEvil entire race of these]], each being completely self centered and [[EvilCannotComprehendGood incapable of seeing why anyone would care about someone besides themselves]].

* AdultFear: At one point during Outbound Flight the Jedi (or more accurately, C'baoth) start enforcing their policies on everyone, and actually start trying to take children away from their families while their parents are sleeping.

* AuthorityInNameOnly: Outbound Flight's military commander, Captain Pakmillu, is increasingly sidelined as C'boath exerts total authority, and after a certain point he doesn't even appear anymore, even for important matters like the parlay with Thrawn.

* FallenHero: C'boath does have some good and noble deeds behind him, as well as a warmer side to him, and a goal which does have some potential, but lets himself get DrunkWithPower and picks a fight that Thrawn would have preferred to avoid, and has the capacity to win.

** Chas, Pressor and several of the other dissidents against C'boath attempt to approach Thrawn during his parlay visit to the ships (Chas on a speeder bike, the rest on a shuttle) to prove that not everyone supports C'boath and/or request asylum. C'boath easily senses what they're doing through the force and uses his telekinesis to immbolize Chas and keep the shuttle door from opening (casually releasing his magic once Thawn is gone, causing Pressor and the pilot to poor out with such force that they'd evident been shoving pretty hard).
** Just before the final battle of Outbound Flight Justyn M'Nang calls out C'boath for his abuses of power, and states that the other Jedi onboard are forming a Judgment Circle that will probably make him step down from the leadership role he's been exerting over the colonists. The CurbStompBattle that follows ruins any chance of that.

* ObstructiveBureaucrat: C'baoth sees every bureaucrat as an obstructive bureaucrat, and that the Republic would be so much better run by Jedi.

* SiblingYinYang: Downplayed with Thrawn and Thrass (although both are portrayed sympathetically). Thrawn is a military commander willing to preemptively seek out conflicts when necessary to eliminate threats. Thrass is a politician who seeks to preemptively ward off a threat by keeping the fight from breaking out by stealing and disposing of the empty Dreadnoughts the Chiss factions are login to fight over (which also involves saving the surviving Colonsits once he discovers them).

* WastelandElder: Forty-seven years after the people of Outbound Flight are largely slaughtered while trying to colonize uncharted space, Chas Uliar, Brace Trakosa, and Jobe Keely fill this role among the stranded survivors. They are the only remaining adult male survivors of the original tragedy who aren’t bedridden. The trio’s stubbornness and anti-Jedi biases cause some problems, but ultimately they never endanger the main characters.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: It is never revealed what happens to the crew of the ''Darkrevenge'', the only surviving Trade Federation ship from Doriana's task force, after they return home [[spoiler: minus their captain, after he dies trying to kill Thrawn]].

* TheFundamentalist: Jorus C'Baoth is the closest we've seen to a fundamentalist Jedi so far in the EU. He believes that the Jedi connection to the Force makes them superior to other beings and thus, they deserve to lead. He's confronted by some non-Jedi members of the Outbound Flight crew who call him out for his attitude, but before he can respond, the project encounters Thrawn's forces.

* InTheBlood: Admittedly, [[Literature/TheThrawnTrilogy Joruus C'baoth]] was already crazy from being a [[CloningBlues flawed clone]], but it's pretty easy to see where he got his, well, ''everything'' from.
** And like father, like son. Anakin and Luke were both fascinated by Jorus and his clone, respectively. But the clone was more obviously unhinged, and Luke has always been more good, so unlike his father, Luke rejected whatever C'baoth was trying to teach him.

---> '''Doriana''': *puts blaster down* Don't be absurd, Vicelord. I would sooner shatter a thousand-year-old crystal as kill a being such as this.
---> '''Thrawn''': So I was indeed right about you.

* FallenHero: C'boath does have some good and noble deeds behind him, as well as a warmer side to him, and a goal which does have some potential, but lets himself get DrunkWithPower and picks a fight that Thrown would have preferred to avoid, and has the capacity to win.

** Chas, Pressor and several of the other dissidents against C'boath attempt to approach Thrown during his parlay visit to the ships (Chas on a speeder bike, the rest on a shuttle) to prove that not everyone supports C'boath and/or request asylum. C'boath easily senses what they're doing through the force and uses his telekinesis to immbolize Chas and keep the shuttle door from opening (casually releasing his magic once Thawn is gone, causing Pressor and the pilot to poor out with such force that they'd evident been shoving pretty hard).

* WhamLine: "They aren't [[spoiler:Geroons. They're Vagaari]]."

* HopeSpot: Chas, Pressor and several of the other dissidents against C'boath attempt to approach Thrown during his parlay visit to the ships (Chas on a speeder bike, the rest on a shuttle) to prove that not everyone supports C'boath and/or request asylum. C'boath easily senses what they're doing through the force and uses his telekinesis to immbolize Chas and keep the shuttle door from opening (casually releasing his magic once Thawn is gone, causing Pressor and the pilot t o poor out with such force that they'd evident been shoving pretty hard).