Luke was an eager boy, and was always flying his T-16 skyhopper in the canyons near his home while dreaming of being a starpilot at the Academy. Known as Wormie by his friends, he was a reckless youth whose best friend was Biggs Darklighter. When Biggs went off to the Academy, and later the Alliance, Luke felt that he was being mistreated by his Uncle, who annually refused to allow Luke to enroll.
Fate and fortune intervened, however, when Owen purchased two well-worn droids named Artoo-Detoo and See-Threepio. With their purchase, Luke was catapulted into the midst of the Alliance. Arto-Detoo's escape from the Lars moisture farm brought Luke into contact with Obi-Wan Kenobi, and perhaps saved him from the executions that befell his aunt and uncle. Obi-Wan Kenobi began to instruct Luke in the use of The Force, slowly at first, giving the youth simple lightsaber lessons after returning Anakin's lightsaber to him. Luke then rescued Princess Leia from the first Death Star with the help of Han Solo. Following Kenobi's death, Luke destroyed the Death Star by calling on The Force.
Later, Luke was visited by Kenobi's spirit, and directed to the planet Dagobah, where Luke trained under the Jedi Master Yoda. Following Yoda's death, Luke became the last of the Jedi Knights. He used his new-found strength to defeat Emperor Palpatine and turn Darth Vader from the Dark Side of the Force, returning Anakin Skywalker to the Light Side.
In the years following the formation of the New Republic, Luke was instrumental in the New Republic's defeat of the Ssi-ruuk, the reborn Palpatine, as well as Imperial Admirals Thrawn and Daala. Luke continued his training on his own, and eventually became a Jedi Master. He set up a new Jedi Academy on Yavin's fourth moon, and began teaching the ways of The Force to a new set of Jedi Knights.
During the period following the revelations of the partial Caamas Document found on Wayland, Luke travelled to Nirauan to search for Mara Jade. Mara was reported missing and out of touch, after tracing the paths of several unusual starships. They discovered the Hand of Thrawn complex, and managed to eliminate any potential threat it held to the New Republic. During their escape, Luke and Mara worked together with the Force, and both were opened up to the other's inner thoughts and feelings. This deepened and strengthened their relationship to a point that neither could ignore. Just before leaving Nirauan, Luke proposed to Mara. She agreed, and they were married, first in a solemn ceremony performed by Kam Solusar and witnessed only by the Jedi, and later in a public ceremony when they returned to Coruscant. Luke and Mara then left the Jedi Academy on Yavin 4 in the hands of the new Jedi Knights and travelled the galaxy teaching potential Jedi about the ways of the Force.
Luke proposed to the New Republic that a new Jedi Council be established, but many members of the Senate feared that the Jedi would become too powerful. Shortly afterward, Luke and Mara were forced to bring the Jedi into battle when the Yuuzhan Vong invaded the galaxy. Despite their ties to the Force, the Jedi were unable to defeat the alien invaders. Several Jedi, led by Kyp Durron, struck out on their own to fight the battle their own way, much to Luke's dismay and to the consternation of the Senate.
However, even in battle, Luke was surprised to find that Mara was pregnant with a son. His devotion to Mara, and his deep connection to the Force, allowed Luke to drive out the Yuuzhan Vong disease and help Mara give birth aboard the Errant Venture, shortly after Borsk Fey'lya ordered Luke's arrest. They named their son Ben, in remembrance of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Luke and Mara spent less time with Ben than they had hoped to, when they were pressed into action defending the Eclipse base from invasion and, later, defending Coruscant. With the fall of Coruscant, Ben was separated from them, but was kept safe by Leia Organa Solo and her husband, Han.
After talking with Jacen Solo, who had recently returned from captivity at the hands of the Yuuzhan Vong, Luke decided that the best chance for ending the conflict was to locate the rogue planet, Zonama Sekot. Along with his wife, Jacen, Danni Quee, Saba Sebatyne, and Doctor Soron Hegerty, Luke traveled to Csilla to enlist the help of the Chiss. Along the way, he earned the respect and assistance of Arien Yage the Imperial warship Widowmaker, providing an escort for his mission. Eventually, Zonama Sekot was found, but the living sentience of the planet refused to help without first ascertaining Luke's true motives. When it was satisfied that Luke and the Jedi Knights wanted to find a peaceful resolution to the war with the Yuuzhan Vong, Sekot agreed to come out of hiding and provide assistance. Han, Leia, and Jaina Solo had been dispatched to meet them when Zonama Sekot suddenly emerged from hyperspace near Coruscant, and the extended family was briefly reunited before returning to the war.
Jacen and his sister accompanied Luke to the surface of Coruscant, in an effort to gain access to the Citadel and bring Supreme Overlord Shimrra to justice. Jacen was able to reach the mind of the World Brain which was controlling the planet, and was able to calm it down and put a stop to the destruction it was causing on the surface. Upon entering Shimrra's throneroom, they were beset by a group of fifteen Slayers, and only Jacen's link to the World Brain allowed them any measure of success. When Jaina set out to capture Onimi, Luke found himself facing Shimrra himself, as the surviving Slayers focused their attention on Jacen.
Unable to gain an advantage over the immense Yuuzhan Vong, Luke was quickly captured by the huge amphistaff that served as the Scepter of Power. Caught in its grasp, Luke as only able to free one hand, which he used to keep the Scepter's head from biting him. However, Shimrra commanded the weapon to constrict, driving the breath out of Luke's lungs. As Shimrra produced Anakin Solo's lightsaber from behend his robes and threatened to kill Luke with it, Luke let go of the amphistaff to grab Shimrra's arm. As the creature drove itself into his side, Luke cried out in pain. However, this action momentarily distracted Shimrra's concentration. Luke regained control of his lightsaber, and used the Force to acquire Anakin's former weapon. Luke then drove both weapons into Shimrra's neck, severing his huge head from his body. He and Jacen then set out after Jaina, who had gone in search of Onimi. However, the poison from the Scepter of Power began to act on his body, and Luke was unable to continue on his own. He was brought out of the Citadel by Mara and Kenth Hamner, only to learn from a Shamed Shaper that the poison of the Scepter had no known antidote. Luke retreated into the Force, using the technique discovered by Jacen to reach a deeper state of rapport with the Force. Although much of the poison was neutralized in this way, Luke realized that some part of it had simply been added to his own person.
In the years that followed, Luke was able to begin the rebuilding process of the new Jedi order, establishing a base on Ossus, despite the generous donation of a huge facility on Coruscant by the Galactic Alliance. He split his time between the two locations, trying to handle the duties of a Jedi Master and a member of the Galactic Alliance's Advisory Council.
When the Colony began its expansion in the Unknown Regions, Luke was forced with two enemies that were more than a match for his strength in the Force. Raynar Thul and Lomi Plo had survived the crash of the Tachyon Flier, and had become the conscious and inconscious wills of the Killiks that made up the Colony. This allowed both Raynar and Lomi Plo to draw on the life energies of entire hives of Killiks, giving them seemingly unlimited strength. Added to Luke's dilemma was the insinuation, made by Lomi Plo, that Mara had somehow been involved in the death of Luke's mother, Padme' Amidala. It was Jacen Solo who forced Luke to realize that he needed to understand the truth behind Padme's death before he could confront Raynar and Lomi Plo. Lady Aryn Dro Thul provided Luke with the R2-0 prototype, which helped Ghent unlock several recordings that had been stored in the memory banks of R2-D2 for decades. After learning of Padme's true fate, and that Mara had nothing to do with her death, Jacen correctly surmised that Luke could now abandon his fears and use the full power of the Force to defeat the Colony. In a series of battles near Tenupe, Luke managed to cut Lomi Plo apart before confronting Raynar Thul. He was able to convince the younger man that his continued connection to the Colony would only lead to more conflict, which would ultimately destroy the entire galaxy. When Raynar Thul surrendered, Luke realized that he had to return to Ossus and dedicate more time to the Jedi order. He resigned his position - and removed all positions formerly held by Jedi - from the Advisory Council, and set out to re-establish the Jedi Order.
In the years that followed, Luke worked diligently to ensure that the Jedi were able to meet the needs of the growing Galactic Alliance. When Thrackan Sal-Solo again threatened to secede the Corellian System from the GA, some ten years after the war with the Yuuzhan Vong, Luke found himself questioning the allegiance of the Jedi and the GA. The combat that erupted between the Corellian insurgence and the Galactic Alliance forced the members of the Jedi order to destroy Corellian fighters in order to maintain the stability of the government. These actions, coupled with Jacen Solo's obvious turn toward the Dark Side of the Force, gave Luke and Mara cause for great concern, especially where their son was concerned. They feared that any fall Jacen might experience would drag Ben down with it.
Luke's fears were further heightened when he realized that Lumiya, the Dark Lady of the Sith, might be the Sith Master who was leading Jacen toward the Dark Side. Several attempts were made to reach Ben, each time seeming to force the young man away from his father. Thus, the Skywalkers were surprised and happy to learn that Jacen would agree to meet them on Roqoo Depot, at the boundaries of the Hapes Cluster. They were unaware that the meet was actually part of a trap that had been laid out by Lumiya and her other apprentice, Alema Rar. On the station, Luke and Mara confronted the two Dark Jedi, with Mara facing off against Alema Rar while Lumiya confronted Luke.
Unknown to Luke, Lumiya fully expected to die in the battle, having strapped a number of explosive devices to her body. Although Luke suffered numerous injuries, including the loss of his prosthetic hand, he managed to grab a blaster and fire several shots into Lumiya's chest. He and Mara then fled the station at top speed, barely escaping the explosion that ripped through the station.
Some info gathered with permission from: CUSWE
