#first appearance the truce at bakura

[swtechspecs]

Ssi-Ruuvi Imperium Swarm-Class Battle Droid

Source: The Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels (Del Rey, 1996)

[oh-no-eu-didnt]

The Ssi-Ruuk were a species of reptilian beings native to Lwhekk, in the Unknown Regions. Industrious and intelligent, the Ssi-ruuk possessed esoteric technology that allowed them to extract captive beings’ life force for energy. They had a complex caste-based society, and their leaders wished to conquer the galaxy.

Source: The New Essential Guide to Alien Species (Art: William O’Connor; 2006)

First Appearance: The Truce at Bakura (1993)

Read more on Wookieepedia.

[aliastov]

hello in case you wanted legends recs (if not, feel free to ignore this lol. i did not mean to type this much):

- all the legends zahn stuff i’ve read is good. the thrawn trilogy is a good starting point for legends in general, since it was basically the first stuff to come out. the hand of thrawn duology is a lot of fun but should be read at least after the trilogy. outbound flight + survivor’s quest are also both VERY good and to this day i do not know which order you should read them in. (survivor’s quest is the last zahn book in the timeline, and i’d say read it after hand of thrawn, though). scoundrels, which takes place right after anh, is the only zahn star wars book without thrawn or mara (unless i’m forgetting a cameo) and it’s a lot of fun where han, chewie, lando, and some other returning legends characters + some new characters do a heist! dayja (who appeared in treason) is there. (i haven’t read choices of one or allegiance yet so i can’t speak about those but i assume they’re also good)

- another good entry point for legends is the x-wing series. these (mostly) take place before the thrawn trilogy. the first four books are written by mike stackpole and follow rogue squadron, the next three are written by aaron allston and follow the new squadron wraith squadron, then the thrawn trilogy happens, then another stackpole rogue book, then an allston book about wedge and co. there’s a tenth book too but that takes place after the new jedi order and actually deals with the fallout from that, so don’t read it yet. IF YOU LIKE: space battles, pranks, wedge antilles, any of the rogue squadron stuff from the thrawn trilogy (after you read the thrawn trilogy), or admiral ackbar saying fish-themed phrases, then this is the series for you!

- if you want to eventually read the new jedi order then there’s a few things you might want to read first (in addition to the thrawn trilogy, hand of thrawn, and x-wing, all of which are pretty foundational): courtship of princess leia is… questionable. it’s the first appearance of dathomir and i love this dathomir but han is Not a good dude in this one. however it’s fun, wraps up a plot from the wraith squadron books, and shows han and leia’s marriage so it makes the list. (probably due to nostalgia). on a slightly better note, the jedi academy trilogy is very silly but starts to rebuild the jedi order, which is pretty important for something called the new jedi order. the corellian trilogy is also very silly but has good jacen, jaina, and anakin content and also introduces centerpoint station which ends up being important in all three big series later on for some reason. (mara and leia hang out in the corellian trilogy, too. i love it so much but that might just be the nostalgia.) also, if you don’t mind young reader books/can find them anywhere, young jedi knights is good for jacen, jaina, and various other young jedi who make up the main njo cast. (also, yjk #4, lightsabers, is the best star wars book ever written.)

- some personal faves that take place before njo but aren’t important outside of maybe one book, if at all: darksaber. if you like crix madine or death stars shaped like lightsabers, then this is the book for you! when the mando s1 finale came out there were some articles from non-star wars people going around like “want to know more about the darksaber? read darksaber!” and no they are not the same darksaber. another is the crystal star which is. bad. do not read this if you’re looking for a good book. but it’s got jacen and jaina and maybe also anakin, and i love it despite its flaws. (that’s almost definitely just nostalgia, though.)

-some personal not faves that are very minorly relevant to njo: truce at bakura which, i’ll be honest, i don’t actually remember reading, but it’s on here because the ssi-ruuvi and p’w’eck show up in force heretic. the black fleet crisis trilogy is also relevant to force heretic and while i remember this one, i did not actually finish it, but that’s just because my rogue squadron books came in the mail and by the time i finished all those i had forgotten the first two black fleet books. the lando plot is really good and the luke plot is really bad (he is searching for his mom. we know who his mom is. he is not on the right track, at all). i remember the main plot was intriguing and the yevetha are very minorly relevant to njo.

- the new jedi order: is the new jedi order. the Big star wars. if you want to read this, definitely try the thrawn trilogy, x-wing, and hand of thrawn first (the thrawn trilogy is really the only “necessary” thing but the more you read the less confused you’d be by the characters, i guess. i don’t think you need to know who everyone is to enjoy, though.) it’s nineteen books by a lot of different authors and not all of them are good. some of them are really good. unfortunately you can’t skip the bad ones (force heretic is three books with no chapter breaks) because important things happen in them. i mean, I guess you could read the plot summary on wookieepedia if necessary. njo is definitely the peak of legends in terms of scale and also probably quality. on an average, at least. i have beef with some of the authors. anyways. very good. absolutely recommend.

- if you want to read stuff after njo too, the big things are legacy of the force and fate of the jedi. neither one is as good as njo but i still like them both a lot (fotj better than lotf for me, but fotj was also like. one of the few star wars things i read as a kid so that might be nostalgia). a major player in both series (9 books each) is luke and mara’s son ben, he’s such a fun character and those are basically the only books he’s in. you should technically also read the dark nest trilogy but it’s… not so good. but it plays a role later on. also, now you could read that last x-wing book, which takes place after fotj but deals with mainly njo stuff. the last legends book is crucible, which i rank about the same as dark nest except it’s not important later on cause there is no later on!! it’s Weird and deals with mortis without actually dealing with mortis, if you’re into that.

- i don’t know about anything before a new hope sorry. except the lando calrissian adventures i love the lando calrissian adventures

in conclusion: read every legends book ever? it would probably be quicker to list the bad ones, actually. let me know if you want that (or if you’re into something specific and want recs based on that?)

omg thank you so much!! my inbox is ALWAYS open to book recommendations, star wars or otherwise, and i so appreciate how detailed you've been! i also had no clue that dayja was anything other than a really minor character in treason - that's so cool that zahn reuses so many of his legends characters!

i have about half of these on my kindle and a bunch more on hold at my library, believe it or not! i had planned to start outbound flight a few weeks ago, but I've hit an absolute reading slump after all of my finals - i haven't been able to finish a book since she who became the sun almost 3 weeks ago😭

i'm sure i'll get back to it in the new year, though, and again thank you so much for the detailed descriptions! legends is super intimidating to get into - i've only read a few old republic books and the movie novelizations - and this is going to be so helpful!

[rggzy-reads]

It’s been a hot minute since I read it, but I gotta catch up eventually- so let’s start with The Truce at Bakura! An overall impression of this book- weird, and does some good stuff and includes some fun lore, but loses me at parts.

A quick story summary, so spoilers for this Star Wars book from 1993 if you care:

Picking up directly after Return of the Jedi, the Rebel Alliance intercepts an old messenger shuttle from Bakura, an imperial-ruled planet on the far edge of the galaxy near the Unknown Regions. News of Emperor Palpatine’s death has not spread there quite yet, and they’re requesting backup for an external invasion. Leia, Luke, and Han decide this may be a good way to flip a relatively important imperial world, so they take a fleet to help out. Lots of politics and interactions with the people on the world later, they finally end up battling the Ssi-ruuk: a species of aliens that look like velociraptors and enslave sentient species to drain their life essence into combat droids and ships. A team-up, or the titular “Truce” is what it takes to drive off the Ssi-ruuvi forces, but the Alliance is also able to defeat the Imperial forces that try to double cross them.

As this is the book that sets the tone for my reading journey, there’s a lot to unpack- first, I really liked the lore drops in this one. There’s implications early on that Leia is looking to restore the “Old Republic” (it’s what they call the Republic before the Empire, I don’t think it’s related to the KOTOR series, though the implications of that would be pretty crazy), but also that Luke is looking to make a new Jedi Order even though he’s still pretty focused on military expeditions at this point. The other wild thing that happens in this book is that a Force Ghost Anakin appears to Leia, as she’s still freaked out about the fact that he is her father, and hasn’t accepted it as Luke has. Super cool moment, and it’s one that I would like to see explored in Canon eventually.

Alright, why do I think this book is weird but fun then? Kathy Tyers does a really good job of dialogue in this book, I found conversations between the main three of Luke, Leia, and Han to flow well, and she gets the way they all push each other’s buttons and pester each other down really well. The weirdness starts in a trend that more Star Wars authors will follow- a love interest character for Luke, in this book her name is Gaeriel. Her presence glitters in the Force for Luke, and she distrusts him because she went to imperial university and doesn’t like Jedi or whatever because of it. It’s just a weak tension that gets resolved once Luke force heals her grandma, and then nothing happens between them.

The other weird part of this book? The ssi-ruuk. It’s not like a saurian species in Star Wars is all that weird, it’s just the fact that they really only appear in this book, and the technology they use involving the force and hypnotism, there was something in the descriptions of their ships that made it feel like a mismatch in the Star Wars universe. I guess anything from the Unknown Regions is going to be weird, but setting up their ambitions of a galaxy-wide invasion and taking care of it by the end of the book lowered the stakes quite a bit.

Overall, this book is fun! It’s strange, it’s weird, it’s seemingly important for lore (and will be referenced later), and is probably only about 300 pages or so. If you get your hands on it I would recommend to read it and see how you feel about some of the weirder elements.

[padawanlost]

Do you believe that Anakin and Padme are reunited in the afterlife? I know some fans say that George confirmed they are but I was reading a blogger gffa's (Lumi) meta talking about how it goes against all the worldbuilding of how non-Force-sensitives cannot retain their consciousness in the Force after death so Anakin would only be able to speak to Shmi and Padme through the memories he has of them. That saddens me greatly tbh and honestly don't believe that considering certain things.

Kind of. But before I get into that let me explain that the idea force-sensitives and non-force-users can’t ‘mingle’ in the afterlife is incorrect. It’s actually supported by movie canon, George lucas and Disney’s canon. Only force-sensitive can become force-ghosts but that doesn’t mean the SW’s version of heaven is for force-users only.  

It was something that was *always* meant to be part of the sw lore.

"In the rough draft Luke is asleep and struggling with thoughts of Vader and the dark side. Yoda and Ben are also present in the dream, and Luke berates Ben for not telling him that Vader is his father. Yoda explains that he'll soon be joining Ben in the Netherworld, and therefore he'll become stronger and will be better able to help Luke. Vader's voice reappears, and Luke awakens" ―First mention of the Netherworld in Episode VI's rough draft

Movie/Disney Canon:

“An old friend has learned the path to immortality. One who has returned from the netherworld of the Force.”  Revenge of the Sith (2005)

Original Canon (EU):

“Anakin, listen carefully,” Obi-Wan interrupted. “You are in the netherworld of the Force, but if you ever wish to revisit corporeal space, then I still have one thing left to teach you. A way to become one with the Force. If you choose this path to immortality, then you must listen now, before your consciousness fades.” Obi-Wan sensed confusion and remorse in Anakin’s psyche, then Anakin answered, “But Master … why me?” “Because you ended the horror, Anakin,” Obi-Wan said. “Because you fulfilled the prophecy. Because you were … and are … the Chosen One.” But Obi-Wan knew in his heart that those were not the only reasons. He added, “Because I was wrong about you. And because I am your friend.” Anakin answered quietly, “Thank you, Master.” [Ryder Windham’s The Life and Legend of Obi-Wan Kenobi]

It does seem George himself said Anakin reunited with his loved ones after death. I couldn’t find the actual sources but I did find many fans claiming it’s true. Either way, there’s plenty of evidence to support this, even though the form they are ‘reunited’ is not the same one would expect from the Christian concepts of heaven and hell.

Every living being that dies goes to the same place: they become one the force. Padmé, Shmi, Qui-Gon, Anakin, Obi-wan, etc. They all go tot eh same place.

"[During the early story sessions for ESB] George Lucas and Leigh Brackett had lengthy discussions about Luke's training with Yoda and decided to turn the lessons into proverbs and commandments. ... The Force also was discussed in great detail. In the story meeting transcripts George Lucas defined the Force as follows: The act of living generates a force field, an energy. That energy surrounds us; when we die, that energy joins with all the other energy. There is a giant mass of energy in the universe that has a good side and a bad side. We are part of the Force because we generate the power that makes the Force live. When we die, we become part of that Force, so we never really die; we continue as part of the Force."  Annotated Screenplays

It seems they don’t maintain their identities unless they are trained and that only lasts for song long. Most people would die and become one with the Force. A few trained force-sensitive swere able to maintain their identities and presence in the physical real for a time. But they too could choose to join the Force with the others later (like Obi-wan and Anakin did). So, in a way, yes, Anakin and Obi-wan were reunited in the afterlife. Just not as ghosts or even themselves (on the ‘traditional’ sense).

“I strengthened the Alliance, although that was not my intent.” He extended a glimmering arm. The mellow voice sounded wrong. The mild, naked face didn’t look as if it’d hidden for decades behind a black breath mask. “Leia, things are changing. I may never be able to return to you.” [Kathy Tyers. The Truce at Bakura]

“Luke?” The voice came softly but insistently. Pausing amid the familiar landscape of Tatooine—familiar, yet oddly distorted—Luke Skywalker turned to look. An equally familiar figure stood there watching him. “Hello, Ben,” Luke said, his voice sounding sluggish in his ears. “Been a long time.” “It has indeed,” Obi-wan Kenobi said gravely. “And I’m afraid that it will be longer still until the next time. I’ve come to say good-bye, Luke.” The landscape seemed to tremble; and abruptly, a small part of Luke’s mind remembered that he was asleep. Asleep in his suite in the Imperial Palace, and dreaming of Ben Kenobi. “No, I’m not a dream,” Ben assured him, answering Luke’s unspoken thought. “But the distances separating us have become too great for me to appear to you in any other way. Now, even this last path is being closed to me.” “No,” Luke heard himself say. “You can’t leave us, Ben. We need you.” Ben’s eyebrows lifted slightly, and a hint of his old smile touched his lips. “You don’t need me, Luke. You are a Jedi, strong in the Force.” The smile faded, and for a moment his eyes seemed to focus on something Luke couldn’t see. “At any rate,” he added quietly, “the decision is not mine to make. I have lingered too long already, and can no longer postpone my journey from this life to what lies beyond.” A memory stirred: Yoda on his deathbed, and Luke pleading with him not to die. Strong am I in the Force, the Jedi Master had told him softly. But not that strong. “It is the pattern of all life to move on,” Ben reminded him. “You, too, will face this same journey one day.” Again, his attention drifted away, then returned. […] The vision seemed to waver and become fainter. “And now, farewell,” Ben said, as if he hadn’t heard the question. “I loved you as a son, and as a student, and as a friend. Until we meet again, may the Force be with you.” […] For a moment he just lay there, staring at the dim lights of the Imperial City playing across the ceiling above his bed and struggling through the sleep-induced disorientation. The disorientation, and an immense weight of sadness that seemed to fill the core of his being. First Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru had been murdered; then Darth Vader, his real father, had sacrificed his own life for Luke’s; and now even Ben Kenobi’s spirit had been taken away. For the third time, he’d been orphaned. [Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn]

What happens after that it’s open to interpretation. George Lucas borrowed a lot of concepts from many religions and if the thought of Anakin and Padmé’s reuniting in their afterlife is comforting to you then that’s what happened. There’s no right or wrong here. There’s only what works for us. Some may see this as the final end and other will see a new beginning.

[jbk405]

The worst retcons in Star Wars

While I’m riding high on the finale to Star Wars: The Clone Wars (No I am not crying....I cried it all out last night) I have decided to compile a list of the worst retcons to the Star Wars franchise.

Why?  I dunno, I’m a crotchety old nerd who likes to complain about decades-old stories.  Do I need another reason?

In no particular order:

Making Emperor Palpatine a Sith

It’s been 21 years since The Phantom Menace came out, so for an entire generation of nerds he’s always been “Darth Sidious”, but we old-timers remember that for the 22 years before that there was no connection between the Emperor and the Sith.  The term “Sith” itself was present from the earliest iterations of the first film and was used in some promotional materials and tie-ins and toys, but it was solely connected to Darth Vader as a Dark Lord of the Sith.  The Expanded Universe built a specific philosophy and history around the Sith as a concept, not just as a catch-all term for darksider, and that history explicitly didn’t include the Emperor.  There was even hate and schism between the Sith and some other Dark Side philosophies, and even those who didn’t use the Force at all.  In The Truce at Bakura, an EU novel that began the day after Return of the Jedi, an Imperial governor initially dismisses the Rebels’ claims that the Emperor is dead as propaganda until they say that Vader is the one who killed him.  That he believes, and even says how foolish it was for the Emperor to have trusted a Sith.

Even without going into what Dark Side philosophy the Emperor did follow, having Vader as a Sith and the Emperor not helped flesh out the universe by showing that even amongst the totalitarian despots there were different factions.  Just like Hitler and Mussolini each had their own brands of Fascism, they can work together while still being distinct.

Introducing the concept of the Chosen One

People often forget that Darth Vader wasn’t the main antagonist of the original Star Wars film, Grand Moff Tarkin was.  Vader filled the role described as “The Dragon”, the enforcer and primary legman, and the threat they had to bypass so that they could destroy the real threat.  He was a lackey.  A cool lackey absolutely, who grew into the primary antagonist in The Empire Strikes Back, but still a lackey.  And despite how cool and badass he is (And don’t get me wrong, he is a fantastic character and one of the best villains in history) there’s nothing “special” about him within the context of the Jedi and Force users in general.  He does not have any significant advantage over Obi-Wan Kenobi in their duel and is obviously completely unprepared for Kenobi to become One with the Force at his loss (And it is debatable if he even “won” at all given Kenobi’s deliberate self-sacrifice).  When he and Luke duel in ESB he definitely has the upper hand throughout their entire fight, but only as somebody with more experience and training, not because he is Magically Superior.  By the time of ROTJ Luke has even surpassed him despite only three years of experience.

In the Original Trilogy Vader is portrayed as a dangerous, powerful, and skilled opponent, but never as somebody POWERFUL.  Never as somebody whose strength or control over the Force is legendary, who is heralded in prophecy.  Yoda performs feats with the Force that Vader never comes close to equaling.

To go back and say that actually his affinity the Force is the greatest that the Jedi have ever seen, even greater than Yoda himself (BTW, I’m including the midi-chlorians under this header) makes no sense.  To say that he was the Emperor’s #2, helping run the entire Empire right from the moment of its founding, contradicts the original film itself where he was lower on the chain of command.

Darth Vader, and by proxy Anakin Skywalker, was a good enough character without trying to shill his background all to hell.

The impending threat of the Yuuzhan Vong

I’ll be upfront, I never liked the stories with the Yuuzhan Vong in and of themselves (When they started coming in is right about when I stopped reading new EU material).  The New Jedi Order just didn’t grab my attention.  But what really riled me up was the way the EU tried to backfill the Vong into the franchise history by saying that the entire rise of the Galactic Empire was to prepare for their arrival.  That Palpatine knew they were coming, and since the Republic would have been incapable of standing against them he took over so that the galaxy could present a strong, unified front against them.

This is something I actually see a lot of in fiction, and it pisses me off each time: The evil despot actually had noble goals because they knew of an even greater threat and they needed to take control in order to deal with it, because a dictatorship gets things done.  You even see this in real life when people try to say that for all Hitler’s faults you have to respect that he made Germany a powerhouse that was this close to conquering the world, and that Mussolini made the trains run on time.  Not only are these examples patently false (Nazi Germany never was “this” close to winning the war, and the trains never did run on time in Italy), but they come with the tacit endorsement that maybe their evilness would be worth it for the benefits.

The Galactic Empire explicitly wasn’t a Super Efficient Society.  We saw time and again how wasteful the Empire was with its resources as it squandered them on inefficient superweapon after superweapon, how it laid waste to planet after planet for the purposes of propaganda.  The Empire was so inefficient that it was able to be toppled by a ragtag band of rebels who had nowhere near the resources, population, wealth, or control it had.  If the Empire couldn’t even defeat the Rebellion, just how was it supposed to stand against the Vong?  And if the explanation is that the Emperor had been seduced by his own ambition and forgotten his original “noble” goals, why would other characters who knew the truth have gone along with his wanton oppression even after his death?

Trying to give the Empire a “reason” for existing was self-contradictory and borderline offensive.

Having the Clones fight for the Republic

I’m very much in two minds over this one, because as bad as the original retcon was other creators have managed to turn it into genius (Looking at you Clone Wars and The Clone Wars).  But I’m nothing if not petty, so...

The Clone Wars were one of the eras that had not been discussed in great detail in the EU before the Prequels came out, instead only being vaguely alluded to.  George Lucas was already talking about making more movies and they didn’t want to contradict what was to come.  But even with only those vague allusions, it was established that the Clones were the bad guys.  The Clonemasters were regarded monsters who unleashed hordes upon the Republic like a swarm of locusts or a plague.  The Clones themselves were often unstable, and regarded by the populace as soulless duplicates overwhelming the galaxy.  The clones were held in such fear by the populace that Mara Jade -- an Old Empire loyalist (Sort-of) -- decided to switch from passively assisting the New Republic because her boss told her to to actively assisting them at the thought of the Empire starting the Clone Wars again.

Even the name of the conflict implies that the Clones were the enemy: People don’t name a war after their own soldiers.  The Droid War, Separatist Secession, Clone & Droid Conflict, Jedi Aggression, etc. all would have made more sense for the war as depicted.

Getting into philosophy, the idea of cloning soldiers expressly for war is morally abhorrent.  It’s mass slavery.  And I am far from the first person to point this out, but that aspect is not even mentioned in the Prequel films.  The Jedi accepting this clone army is repugnant, and some people have used this to show that the Jedi Order was already corrupt at the time of the rise of the Empire, but this wasn’t explored at all in the films that introduced the clones as the Grand Army of the Republic.

Getting into just simple common sense...HOW FUCKING DENSE DO YOU HAVE TO BE TO JUST ACCEPT A MYSTERIOUS ARMY THAT APPEARED OUT OF NOWHERE?!?!

That makes no sense.  It never made sense.  The idea that nobody in the Republic, from the government to the military to the populace at large, questioned the very existence of the clone army....it was too much.  The exploration of just how ridiculous this is made for great fodder in The Clone Wars, but only because they had to paper over the GIANT GAPING CHASMS that the concept created.

Making the Jedi a cult

In the old EU, the Jedi of the Old Republic were described as allowed to have families, even being encouraged to do so.  They were allowed to pursue lives and interests and careers outside of the order itself, and didn’t need to forsake who they used to be.  The Jedi Council didn’t have legal authority over the lives of its members, and didn’t try to mandate personal lifestyle.

People started training in their teens when they were old enough to at least understand the concept, and if they were taken as children it was in unusual extraneous circumstances.

While there were Jedi customs, and Jedi Codes, and they had rules and regulations to follow, but they addressed how they should act as Jedi.  They didn’t care what kind of clothing you wore.

Starting with The Phantom Menace, Jedi were taken at such young ages to begin their training that they could not give any consent to their enlistment, nor were they offered any alternatives when they had grown up and may be able to decide for themselves.  They are indoctrinated into a singular Jedi philosophy, not allowed to even debate the dogma of the Council without ostracism, let alone actually defy it.  The Jedi Council unilaterally makes decisions for the entire Order galaxy-wide without any apparent method for dissent or appeal, or any devolution of authority.

Taking (Abducting) children as infants, not allowing them any contact with their families, mandating an isolated ascetic existence...the Jedi Order became a cult.

That’s a cult, plain and simple.

These changes didn’t make the Jedi “complex”, didn’t make the conflict “shades of grey”, they’re just creepy and nonsensical.

[jadedjo]

Hiya, i was wondering where you would reccomend a star wars fan wanting to get into the EU should start, im particularly interested in mara jade, thanks! I love your blog btw x

HI! I see you’re a recent addition to my randomness! Welcome!

The EU/Legends is a bit hit or miss quite frankly. Since you know about Mara I’ll assume you know about Timothy Zahn’s original Thrawn Trilogy, Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising, & The Last Command. If not, start there. 

As for the rest…. the old EU didn’t have a cohesive story group till much later in its life so the authors would pick and choose from other people’s work and usually get other authors OC’s characterizations wrong. 

There are a few interesting books that spring to mind. The Truce at Bakura, Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor, The Courtship of Princess Leia (goes a bit OOC but the worldbuilding is A++), Tatooine’s Ghost (for your Han/Leia feels), Kevin J Anderson’s Jedi Academy Trilogy if you want to read Luke starting up the Jedi Academy on Yavin IV–doesn’t really hold up for me on reread but a first-timer might find it interesting). Do you like x-wing pilots? Do you like Wedge Antilles? The X-Wing Series by Michael A Stackpole and the Wraith Series by Aaron Allston are fun.

Were you left wanting after watching Solo? Try The Young Han Solo Trilogy, The Paradise Snare, Hutt Gambit, & Rebel Dawn. A much more satisfying back story for my favorite smuggler. There is also another trilogy but its just random adventures set between the other books but they were written first and are more space adventure then character building. 

But, as far as wanting to read more Mara, she only appears briefly in a few books (more like cameos). Has a small part in the Corellian Trilogy, Ambush at Corellia, Assult at Selonia, & Showdown at Centerpoint. 

Otherwise, you have to go back to Zahn go get any good Mara stories. She as a few solo stories and comics: Alliances (novel), Choices of One (novel), Mara Jade -  By The Emporer’s Hand (comic), & if you can get your hands on any of the Tales Of books she has a few short stories in Tales from Jabba’s Palance (Sleight of Hand), Tales from The Empire (First Contact - which is more about Talon Karrde then Mara but it is when they meet) and Tales from the New Republic (Jade Solitare).

Then there is the Hand of Thrawn Duology, Specters of the Past & Visions of the Future where those of us who had to wait for each book to come out finally had our patience rewarded with Luke and Mara getting together LINK as you need the wayback machine to find it. And the last of the EU pre-story group era, Survivors Quest which is Zahn again and is all Luke and Mara sharing an adventure together.

Everything past The Duology is Del Rey as they took over the rights from Bantam Spectr. Del Rey’s era can be broken down into 3 main storylines with multiple books in each.

New Jedi Order (NJO)  22 Books/short stories

Legacy of the Force (LOTF) 15 Books/short stories

Fate of the Jedi (FOTJ) 9 Books

Mara appears in NJO and LOTF SPOILER she doesn’t make it out of LOTF

A lot of fans lost interest at NJO but I love them! They added so much more drama and character building to what had become a stagnant world. You can only fight the Empire so long before it gets old. Other authors had tried to bring in new villains but none lasted more than their own books or were quietly pushed aside when they failed to get readers interested. But an extra-galactic invasion with aliens that use biotechnology was interesting and new! Tested the characters in new and interesting ways and gave them new perspectives on morality and the Force.

The LOTF is where even more fans abandoned ship and is where Disney!canon got most of its inspiration for the Sequal Trilogy but the EU did it better.

FOTJ is kinda weird but if you made it all the way to this point you might as well keep going! 

The last EU book to be published was Crucible which was supposed to be a farewell to the old characters (Luke, Han, Leia, Lando) to make way for the next generation. There were even book on the list that would follow this setup but…

And everything was canceled and the EU turned Legends, was retired and Crucible was like the last hurrah instead. 

I never got into the prequel era so I can’t recommend anything from there, but if you want the full list of books try here. A bit of a daunting list but ask around to see if any are worth your time.

Thanks for the ask! I’m always up for sharing my love of Star Wars Legends!

[deafblindshorty]

SWRES Episode Recap: 2x08- Rendevous Point

Well, Disney stepped up with this episode! I’ve got lots to say about it!

Hmm. Is that Tam chasing/targeting the Fireball?

Who is this “her” they are waiting for?

Ugghh! She came out of hyperspace just as the Colossus jumped?! If only they held out for just a few more seconds! I hate when that happens!

Oh, Lady, why did you engage the FO? What did you think was going to happen?!

Bakura name drop! I guess the planet is canon, but not “The Truce at Bakura” novel.

“I bet Doza lied to us and has been working with the Resistance from the very beginning!”

Nope. Apparently, his wife is.

“You’re trying to contact the Resistance! I can help!”

“Um, how, Kaz?”

“I’m in the Resistance, remember?”

Oh! Did Poe give you a secret frequency to dial in case things go south? ‘Cause that’s the only way you could help, dude. Unless you know of Poe’s father and where he lives. He could have a secret frequency to contact Poe.

“I mean, I was never officially sworn in, but...”

That’s okay. Neither were Finn and Rey. I’m starting to think they don’t “swear people in”. You just...join.

“How could you know this entire time [about Torra’s mom being in the Resistance] and not tell me?”

“For the same reason I didn’t tell anyone of your ties to the Resistance. The fewer people who know, the safer it is.”

Okay, but...Poe knows, right? I mean, Kaz told Poe about his suspicions of Doza, right? Unless Poe didn’t know, either. But, wouldn’t he tell Leia? And wouldn’t Leia set him straight? I mean, it wouldn’t be the first time Leia kept something from him, but still.

Also, if Doza’s wife is in the Resistance, why didn’t he ask her for help protecting the Colossus against the pirates? I thought it was because he was afraid the Resistance wouldn’t help him because he’s ex-Empire, but, his wife is ex-Rebellion (as is Yeager). Wouldn’t they help, anyway? Unless he did ask for help, but “there were no ships to spare”.

“Get that piece of trash out of here!”

Really? One shock and you’re giving up just like that? Geez, talk about incompetence!

So, Tam and Vanisa have met before? Tam must have moved to Castilon over seven years ago. How old is she?

“Destroying planets...”

Tam doesn’t look surprised, so she knows the Hosnian System was destroyed and apparently, she isn’t too bothered by that.

Hmm. Maybe there is hope for Rucklin...and Tam.

“Ooh, like how we escaped Terex?” 

Terex? As in Agent Terex? The same Terex from the Poe comics?! Ha! I wonder if he’ll appear later?

Well, I guess the Stormtroopers learned their lesson from Poe! They shot that TIE fighter immediately.

Awww, Kaz put together a little surprise for Torra’s birthday!

So, I guess they had the holorecording instead of a flashback. Clever use of exposition.

[atamascolily]

An incomplete review of the Star Wars EU/Legends canon

I never thought I would say this, but I'm actually very thankful there will never be another Star Wars EU/Legends book in the old - now non-canon - universe. I've been revisiting those books recently as part of my recent Star Wars kick, and let me tell you, I stopped reading them just at the right time - when Vector Prime came out and they killed Chewie off. It's all downhill from there.

Anyway, the Legends universe is a hot mess, but for me, the five Thrawn Books by Timothy Zahn - Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising, The Last Command, Specter of the Past, and Vision of the Future - are amazing and totally canon in my heart for pretty much everything. Everything else is pretty much "meh" except for a few books that evoke some late '90s nostalgia (because really this blog is all about late '90s nostalgia).

So in my head, Luke and Mara Jade are happily married, and so are Han and Leia; their three children, Jacen, Jaina and Anakin, are all happy-go-lucky teenagers who can use the Force with their besties - Tenel Ka of the Hapes Cluster, Chewie's nephew Lowbaccha, and Tahiri Veila - and getting kidnapped/saving the galaxy every few months. The New Republic is alive and going strong on Coruscant (which never gets invaded by aliens from outside the galaxy), Luke runs the Jedi Academy on Yavin IV; the remnants of the Empire are scattered and disorganized and sue for peace with the New Republic and Captain Pelleaon finally gets the retirement he deserves. It's really great.

But let's face it, I read just about all of the books published prior to 1999 because I was a Star Wars geek and that's just what you did in the late '90s. (They were New York Times best-sellers so I know I wasn't the only one.) In general, I love the art on the books because it looks just like movie posters for films that were never made and that's exactly what I wanted.

Random thoughts on said EU/Legends canon cut below, for length:

-Ben Kenobi's last appearance to Luke in the Legends AU: "You're not the last of the old Jedi... but the first of the new." (TAKE THAT, DISNEY EPISODE 8!) -Awesome things from the Thrawn books: Mara Jade - check. Talon Karrde - check. Art as a major form of military strategy - check. Secret commando ninjas - check. Leia's title as "Lady Vader" - check. Borsk Fey'lya -check. Camaas Document macguffin-thingy- check. Ysalamiri - lizards that block the Force - check. Vornskrs - Force-sensitive predators - check. Insane Jedi master- check. Lots of clones - check. Lawful Evil Imperials - check. Mara fulfilling her orders to the Emperor in the most badass way possible in The Last Command - check, PLEASE. -Jacen, Jaina and Anakin Solo forEVER! -Also, Coruscant and New Republic forever!! -Shadows of the Empire: WTF, Xizor/Leia sex pollen (okay, pheromones) seduction scene???; Dash Rendar is a Han Solo expy, you're not fooling anyone.   -Truce at Bakura: wow, Ssi-ruuvi are full of Fridge Horror, powering their tech with human life force; maybe the Imperials aren't so bad after all; Luke and Gaeriel have no chemistry and also her entire religion is against the Jedi on principle, and she's not interested in changing it for you, Luke, sorry; of course Dev dies after his redemption arc; watching the force-ghost of Anakin Skywalker try to talk to Leia is amazing, because Leia is so not interested in his shit. -The Courtship of Princess Leia: I love the Hapes cluster, but man Han buying a planet in a card game and kidnapping Leia with the Hapan Gun of Command (pretty much what it sounds like) is NOT OKAY; Teneniel Djo is awesome and so is Dathomir in general. Isolder is okay once he gets over Leia, which takes most of the book. Also on the cover on one edition, Leia looks like Sarah from Labyrinth during that dream sequence with Jareth - what? On the other, she's wearing her Endor outfit, as are Han and Luke and there's a Rancor there, too for no good reason that I can recall.   -Jedi Academy Trilogy: Yay getting to see the Kessel spice mines; I'm not so into the Sun Crusher and the Maw Installation, but Qwi Xux and Wedge Antilles are adoreable together, poor Admiral Daala and Imperial sexism (yet another reason Tarkin is an asshole); yay for a Jedi Academy on Yavin IV; Kyp Durron seriously needs to chill, Luke's in a coma for a lot of the series, Exar Kun is not as clever as he thinks himself. -I, Jedi: I'm supposed to like you, Corran Horn, and I'm just not interested and your narrative voice is kinda annoying.... Just sayin'. -The Crystal Star: super weird and trippy, Han and Leia's kids are kidnapped by "The Empire Reborn", which is as dark and terrible as it sounds, Crystal Star explodes, do not read. -The Black Fleet Crisis: super dark and trippy, especially the Yevethan culture; reveal that Luke's mother was one of the Fallanassi - pacifist Jedi who hid when the Empire was formed - only it turns out to be a huge macguffin, which is too bad. -Children of the Jedi: EVEN TRIPPIER AND DARKER THAN THE CRYSTAL STAR, HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE; Luke gets a love interest who's a Force ghost trapped in a ship's computer; sacrifice, body-swapping, creepy song motifs. -Darksaber: Hutts try to build a Death Star, what can possibly go wrong? Luke's new Jedi girlfriend can't live without her force powers when she loses them, so she leaves him. -Planet of Twilight: Luke goes chasing off after Callista and they don't get back together, so that's good. Also dark and trippy.   -The New Rebellion: SUPER DARK AND TRIPPY, LOTS OF MASS MURDER, NOT A FAN. Thank goodness for Mara Jade and Talon Karrde showing up with ysalamiri to turn the force off so Leia can shoot the Evil Dark Jedi behind it all with a blaster. I can't believe I read this. -Ambush at Corellia/Assault on Selonia/Showndown at Centerpoint: also weird and trippy. Han has an evil identical cousin. Luke has to go back and ask Gaeriel for help (she's married now and it's awkward). Lando tries to marry for money and after some awkwardness ends up with Tendra Risant, who is awesome. Lots of things blow up. Kids save the day at the last minute. -I only read one of the Junior Jedi Knights series, Lyric's World, about young Anakin Solo and his friend Tahiri, taking some time off from their Jedi studies to help a friend metamorphose into a new life stage, and I remember it being really charming, despite the inevitable intelligent secret animal sidekick. I later learned that Anakin and Tahiri were kinda an item and then it went horribly wrong in New Jedi Order so I'm glad I didn't read that. -Young Jedi Knights: yay young adult Star Wars novels from the '90s; I  stopped reading after Diversity Alliance, but these were fun - especially Tenel Ka, who was a badass, and I quietly shipped her and Jacen (and then that ALSO ended badly in later books - why can't we have nice things?) Especially good in my memory: Shadow Academy (trying not to get corrupted to the dark side at an academy for Dark Jedi), Lightsabers (Tenel Ka has to deal with losing a hand during a training accident); Diversity Alliance (aliens get pissed off at human dominion in the New Republic government but decide that killing the humans off is the only way to achieve justice).

We're not going to even go into all the stuff that happens post-Vector Prime, because it is truly awful. Go look it up if you're curious.

I did read a few stand-alone books this week, though:

-The later Zahn novels lack the spark and vigor I remember from the Thrawn books. Scoundrels couldn't keep my interest. Allegiance and Choices of One feel very weird to me because Luke and Mara manage to work together without actually meeting each other. Survivor's Quest ought to have been good except somehow Luke and Mara encountering the Outbound Flight expedition was BORING and it shouldn't have been. It's not clear if reading the follow-up novel set during the Old Republic era - titled Outbound Flight - will help with this. -Also, I dislike the retconning so that Mara and Luke make references to Naboo and the Trade Federation, which they didn't do in earlier books, and also Thrawn's major motivation for everything is getting the galaxy ready for the impending invasion of the Yuuzhan Vong in New Jedi Order, which I just - really don't like, especially since NJO was pretty awful. -Also, there are an awful lot of Jedi healing trances in Survivor's Quest, which are only tolerable because the code word that Luke and Mara use to snap each other out of it is "I love you". D'aww. -Also, perhaps this is just me reading too much fanfic, but would it hurt to have at least an allusion to the fact that Luke and Mara have sex on occasion - in addition to snuggling and having Force mind-meld sessions? I'm not asking for porn, mind you, but just anything beyond platonic Force buddies would have been good. -Kenobi, by  John Jackson Miller was another, relatively recent Legends book that ought to have been good. I mean, it's Obi-wan Kenobi hanging out on Tatooine, dealing with Tusken Raiders and moisture farmers - I eat that sort of fanfiction up - but although there were some good bits, it just really didn't work for me. -Those handy timelines in the front - listing every single book and how it fits into the convoluted chronology - is really helpful, though! The only thing that would make it better would be to add authors and dates. But that is what the Internet is for, I guess.

Conclusions and Follow-Up Questions to Research:

-Wow, the '90s were an interesting time. -Bantam Spectra line of EU novels: mostly good, some weirdness. Del Rey line: ARGHHHHH. -Wow, there are a lot more Star Wars books out there then I remember. -Wow, Mara Jade is awesome. -I have a lot of strong opinions on the subject. -Since they stopped putting out Legends novels as of April 2014, I never have to care about keeping up with canon or anything I don't like about this universe ever again. -Has fanfiction spoiled me for the "real" thing? Or is it just a failure of the published works to address the topics I'm REALLY interested in? -Is the Disney EU canon any better? (My guess, given how I feel overall about the direction of the recent movies: probably not for me, but maybe worth checking out.)

[teagrl]

Hey guess what time it is? You know it. Get that Fucking Chapter written out Friday and in honor of it here’s another snippet from my damn fic closet.

This one is from a yet as untitled fic set in Dathomir post Balance Point (so Mara is gonna be knocked up, basically this is the pregnant!Mara fic no one ever wanted). It’s a fluffernutter shippy character study with a bunch o’ worldbuilding because Dathomir might be my favorite setting in the EU. Fucking Force witches, yo. Also Luke pov because goddamn, I am overdosing on Mara pov with my last fics and I need to branch out

For my own reference my fic task schedule is roughly

finish Ricochet

finish fluffernutter established relationship fic set in Dathomir

edit time travel bucket o’angst and post it (the first part anyway)

write second part of time travel fic

crazy Truce at Bakura rewrite

So without further ado here’s my snippet from this self gratuituous trip to Dathomir. 

For context, Luke and Mara are having dinner at the equivalent of a bed and breakfast.

Yeah, whatever. I write what I want.

The brunette witch’s eyes widened. “Must have been difficult being out in the stars alone.”

“It was, at first,” Mara replied. “Then I got used to it.” She smiled and Luke startled when she placed a hand on his arm. “I actually met my husband there.”

More surprise spread through their faces. “He is not Dathomiri?” the host asked.

Mara shook her head.

“He came back with you to Dathomir?” the younger witch gasped.

More humor seeped from Mara and Luke smiled. He didn’t think Mara would have ever come to Dathomir without his intervention. His own humor faded a little, he thought she’d come to enjoy their visits as much as he had, but come to think of it, he wasn’t sure. The politics of Dathomir always placed her at the center and he knew firsthand how stifling such a thing could feel. He’d checked to make sure she didn’t feel pressured, but he wasn’t naive enough to think that the pressure wouldn’t be there regardless. She knew how important the academy was to him; this more than anything had become a clear symbol of how much of his life’s work she’d come to share.

Her hand at his arm squeezed a little, warmth seeping through the bond, dispelling his unease.

“It is rare,” their host looked a bit shell shocked as she stared at Luke. “For an offworlder to learn our ways. I would have never known he wasn’t...”

Mara’s smile turned enigmatic. “My husband is not quite what he appears.”

The witches nodded.

She met his eyes again, and he covered her hand with his, regardless of the general inappropriateness in this setting. Mara had said he wasn’t Dathomiri anyway.

There was a slight teasing note in her voice when she turned to the witches again. “I did pay an incredibly high groom price for him.”

More surprise washed from the witches.

“Groom price?” the host echoed, staring at Luke. He looked over at Mara. This was a new add-on to their story, He suspected Mara for all her love of all things practical and useful had a bit of the storyteller in her, honed over years of thinking on her feet to produce airtight covers, and maybe not a little through teaching Jaina as well. “What was it?”

Mara’s smile turned blinding. “My top of the line starship.”

[oh-no-eu-didnt]

The fft were a species of small lizards native to Lwhekk, in the Unknown Regions. Possessing multiple legs, fft were the main food source for the Ssi-ruuk and P’w’eck species on the planet. Often, fft were slaughtered with a ceremonial knife that shared their name.

Source: The Essential Guide to Planets and Moons (1998)

First Appearance: The Truce at Bakura (1993)

Read more on Wookieepedia.

[ancientgoldboundspirit-a]

💍 my muse is a merperson, and yours is the human they are betrothed to marry, to unite neighboring land and sea kingdoms

There was a reason that the land and water were separate.  Land-dwellers drowned in the rough waves, while residents of the water dried up in the hot sun.  They were completely incompatible.

...Or so Bakura thought.  He'd been told throughout his life that humans were not ones to deal with-- that they'd stay on their land, and the merpeople would stay in the water, creating a sort of truce.  Of course, all this was completely shattered when he was told that he was to be married to a human.

Ah, the perks of being part of a royal family.

As expected, the brash boy did not take the news well.  Unfortunately for him, there was no complaining his way out of this.  The ordeal had already been decided, and there was arrangements for the two to meet on the shoreline, their first and likely only meeting before they were to be married.

After much fussing from his mother over his appearance, and how many pearls were 'too many', Bakura finally swam off to the pre-decided meeting point, perching himself on a rock.  He considered bailing-- maybe he'd live his life on the run, but the sight of a figure approaching blew that plan out of the water.

Better to just get this over with...

[evawinget1232]

Untitled Disney+ Obi-Wan Kenobi Series Might Enter Production Stage Next Month: Reports

Online video streaming platform Disney+ original Obi-Wan Kenobi series will be reportedly going into the production stage as early as next month. According to reports, the web series will star Doctor Sleep fame Evan McGregor in the titular role. In addition to this, one of the world’s leading entertainment companies Lucasfilm during the 2019 D23 event, stated that Evan McGregor would be a part of the Disney+ series.

According to reports, the makers are making plans to cast a younger version of Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia Organa. The Star Wars spin-off series will take place somewhere between Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: A New Hope. The story of the upcoming web series will revolve around McGregor’s character, a Jedi Master called Ben Kenobi on desert planet Tatooine.

The Show Was in Pre-Production Stage in 2019

According to reports on August 15, 2019, the series was in the pre-production stage. However, these reports were confirmed on August 23 at the D23 Expo. Disney’s official fan club heads the D23 event. D stands for Disney, and 23 represents 1923, the year Walt Disney founded the company. Even though the production of the web series was delayed, the makers reportedly planned to reduce the number of episodes in the first season. Deborah Chow will direct the untitled Disney+ series.

According to reports, the shooting schedule of the series was delayed till early 2021. So, there is a possibility that this decision was taken because of some other reason and not because of the coronavirus pandemic. In reports contradicting the state mentioned above, the makers might start production in September 2020. Since these reports contradict each other, we will have to wait for an official confirmation from the makers of the web series.

Obi-Wan Kenobi: A Jedi Master and Mentor

Obi-Wan Kenobi is a part of the Star Wars franchise and is also known as Ben Kenobi. Talking about his character in the original trilogy of Star Wars, Ben Kenobi is a Jedi Master. Kenobi is also a mentor to Luke Skywalker, introducing the young kid to the different ways of Jedi. The Jedi Master goes on to sacrifice himself in a fight against Darth Vader. He then gives guidance to Luke Skywalker in his duel against the Galactic Empire, an autocracy.

In the final chapter of Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader, Kenobi comes across a vital piece of information. The story is set right after the events of Revenge of the Sith when Kenobi realizes that Darth Vader survived their fight on Mustafar, a small planet within the Atravis sector of the galaxy’s Outer Rim Territories.

Kenobi’s Gradual Rise to the Position of a Jedi Master

Suppose we talk about the prequel of the Star Wars franchise, which is set decades earlier. In that case, Ben Kenobi is just an apprentice to Jedi Master Qui-Gon-Jinn and eventually becomes a mentor to Luke Skywalker’s father, Anakin. Anakin goes over to the dark side of the force and becomes Darth Vader. Kenobi was first featured in the 1977 Star Wars film. He is portrayed as a hermit living on desert Tatooine.

Obi-Wan Kenobi’s life before his mention in The Phantom Menace is mostly shown in Jude Watson’s Jedi Apprentice series, which revolves around his journey as Qui-Gon’s Padawan, an apprentice. The Jedi Apprentice series also talks about Kenobi’s adventures with Anakin in the time frame building up to the Attack of the Clones.

The fictional character also appeared as a spirit in many novels with a storyline set after Return of the Jedi. For example, he appeared in The Truce at Bakura and warned Luke Skywalker regarding the threat presented by the Ssi-ruuk. Another example is The Lost City of the Jedi, where he guides Luke to the titular city on Yavin IV.

Eva winget is an avid technical blogger, a magazine, a publisher of guides at and a professional cyber security analyst.. Through her writing, she aims to educate people about the dangers and threats lurking in the digital world.

Source: Untitled Disney+ Obi-Wan Kenobi Series Might Enter Production Stage Next Month: Reports

[oh-no-eu-didnt]

Kurtzen were a species of reptilian humanoids native to Bakura, in Wild Space. Their nomadic culture centered around strong religious beliefs about an all-encompassing life energy, which could be channeled through totems. Kurtzen’s slow population growth allowed humans to colonize the planet as a majority, and although the Kurtzen integrated, they often were second-class or encouraged to adopt human beliefs.

Source: The Essential Guide to Alien Species (Art: R.K. Post; 2001)

First Appearance: The Truce at Bakura (1993)

Read more on Wookieepedia.

[oh-no-eu-didnt]

Bakura was a verdant world located in Wild Space. Colonized by humankind, Bakura became one of the most important settled planets in Wild Space as a spaceport and financial center. The native Kurtzen were able to integrate themselves into colonial life to a degree. During the Clone Wars, the Seperatists established a base on Bakura, and later the planet was under Imperial control.

Source: The Essential Atlas (2009)

First Appearance: The Truce at Bakura (1993)

Read more on Wookieepedia.

[oh-no-eu-didnt]

Quasar Fire-class bulk cruisers were large starships used to transport large cargo. The cruisers were commonly converted into military usage, particularly as starfighter carriers. Their size made them difficult targets in large battles, protecting large numbers of vulnerable ships, as the Quasars unleashed swarms of fighters. The Rebellion often used these starships, to great effect.

Source: Star Wars: Armada - Imperial Light Carrier Expansion Pack Card: Quasar Fire-class Cruiser-Carrier (Art: Darren Tan; 2017)

First Appearance: The Truce at Bakura (1993)

Read more on Wookieepedia.