Wow. What a chapter. The whole thing is about 9 magazine pages, and definitely worth the $4.95. Not to mention the art. Anyway, the excerpt came with a wealth of new information...

The setting of the chapter, not to mention Lando's apparent home planet is a new locale called Dubrillion, although I may have interpreted that little tidbit the wrong way. The Dubrillion System, for lack of an official name, is also home to Destrillion, a "brown and inhospitable" planet, while Dubrillion is a typical Earthy-sort of planet.

There is also an asteroid field called Lando's Folly. From Dubrillion, Lando runs a company that mines the asteroids using old TIE Advanceds (Vader's fighter in ANH) and TIE Bombers, both equipped with impact shielding to protect the pilots from lethal asteroid impacts.

Perhaps most interesting is the fact hat the shields are powered by remote from a floating station called Belt-Runner 1. Remote fighter shielding has long been attempted by both the Empire and the New Republic, and Luke contemplates that selling this technology may be Lando's real goal with the mining facility.

Navigating the "Belt" has evolved into an ongoing competition between pilots on Dubrillion, and there is a posting board displaying all the top scores. Among those on the board is Kyp Durron, with the top time of eleven minutes, thirteen-point-two-five seconds, and his new apprentice Miko Reilia, a new character. Speaking of Kyp, he is also currently present on Dubrillion, and is the real reason for Luke, Leia, & company's visit to the planet.

Jaina (who is now being taught by Mara Jade) arrives at the planet on board a new X-wing type, the XJ-class. XJs are essentially X-wings for Jedi Knights. The children take turns running the Belt, hence the chapter's name. Jacen goes first and does well, though Anakin does slightly better. A close call with Anakin causes Leia to tell Jaina cancel her run, but Jaina pretends not to hear and goes anyway. She does the best of all, being the first of the children to make it all the way through the Belt.

Both Lando and Chewbacca are present and in good health in the excerpt, so it is still difficult to tell which may die. The additional interview with R.A. Salvatore mentions Chewie quite a few times as continuing his role as the children's bodyguard, playmate, and occasional lecturer, so I still doubt he dies. The mention of Kyp Durron makes him a possibility also; he obviously has an important role in the plot one way or another.

The entire chapter is a very good read, and I strongly recommend you go pick it up, if you can find it.