By:  Kevin J. Anderson Published by Bantam Books October 1994 Suspended helplessly between life and death, Luke Skywalker lies in state at the Jedi Academy.  But on the spirit plane, Luke fights desperately for survival, reaching out psychically to the Jedi twins.  At the same time, Leia is on a life-and-death mission of her own, a race against Imperial agents hoping to destroy a third Jedi child--Leia and Han's baby Anakin--hidden on the planet Anoth.  Meanwhile, Luke's former protégé, Kyp Durron, has pirated the deadly Sun Crusher on an apocalyptic mission of mass destruction, convinced he is fighting for a just cause.  Hunting down the rogue warrior, Han must persuade Kyp to renounce his dark crusade and regain his lost honor.  To do it, Kyp must take the Sun Crusher on a suicide mission against the  awesome Death Star prototype--a battle Han knows they may be unable to win...even with Luke Skywalker on their side!

    On a bier at the end of the room lay Luke Skywalker--like a body stretched out for a funeral.
    Leia's heart thumped with dread.  She wanted to turn around and leave so she wouldn't have to look at him--but Leia found her feet carrying her forward.  She walked with a rapid step that became a run before she reached the end of the promenade.  Han came carrying the twins, one in each arm.  His eyes were read as he fought to keep tears from flowing.  Leia already felt a wetness on her cheeks.
    Luke lay in repose, swathed in his Jedi robe.  His hair had been combed; his hands were folded across his chest.  His skin looked gray and plasticlike.
    "Oh, Luke," Leia whispered.
    She reached out to touch him.  Using her abilities with the Force, she tried to reach deeper, to brush against his life force--but she could only feel a cold hole, an emptiness, as if Luke himself had been taken away.
    Not dead.
    He could not be dead. . . .