ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Many thanks to Shelly Shapiro and Sue Rostoni for their guidance and patience throughout the writing process, and to Kathleen O’Shea David, who holds down the front line. I’ve appreciated the comments, suggestions, and attention to detail provided by LFL’s keen-eyed guardians of continuity. Thanks to all the folks who batted around brainstorming e-mails, or simply shared information: Troy Denning, Greg Keyes, Mike Friedman, Matt Stover, Walter Jon Williams, and Aaron Allston. To Chris Perkins and Dave Gross over at Star Wars Gamer magazine, who gave me the opportunity to write a few more tales about Jaina and her friends. Thanks to the Star Ladies for their upbeat presence, and to Fred Espenchied, who makes a tremendous contribution to the online community. Thanks to Andrew Cunningham for all the discussions about black holes, dark matter, and Star Wars technology, and to Sean Cunningham, who shares my affection for Tenel Ka.

Finally, to R. A. Salvatore, who threw my name into the hat. Thanks again, Bob.