#yoda dark rendezvous

[amarcia]

Morning Tea

@jedijune 01 Fun / Joy / Comfort

✨🌙 ART LOG -> @404ama

[legends-expo]

Would you want to see Dark Side Yoda? Check out the full panel video from "A Clone Wars Novel" with Sean Stewart and Matthew Stover next week!

Transcript: "And Yoda takes a step towards the Dark and basically says 'How much do you want this to happen?' and Dooku goes 'Ohhhhhhhhhh... Dark Yoda would be annihilating. Let's totally not, I was sort of joking... let's let's... would you like that?' Because there's a moment, and it's, it's one of those things, it's very important to me in the book; (if you haven't read it, think about it) is the moment at which everybody gets a good long look at what Dark Yoda would be like and decides that maybe they don't want to see that."

[jewishcissiekj]

Since Asajj Ventress appeared in recent media and is set to appear in future shows and Star Wars content, I've seen a lot of people starting to read Dark Disciple. but besides that book, there are so many stories featuring Asajj over her 22 years of existence. So if you are looking for some recommendations and entry points to Asajj outside of the TV shows, here are some recommendations to get to know her a bit better, in both the Canon and Legends timelines:

(for anyone looking for a definitive list of everything she's ever been in, I also have that)

for anyone looking for just the list of recommendations without all my babbling, scroll down to the bottom, it'll be there.

Canon

Dooku: Jedi Lost Audiodrama - Script by Cavan Scott, preformed by full cast (also available in Script format) Starting off, this masterpiece. Telling the dual story of Asajj and Dooku, Jedi Lost is genuinely some of the best Star Wars content out there, in my opinion. Taking place early in The Clone Wars, it tells Asajj's journey battling her ghosts and uncovering her Master's history. It requires only the context of the prequels and The Clone Wars, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who likes the Prequels, Dooku, or Asajj.

Brotherhood - by Mike Chen Continuing with the book that serves as an introduction to Asajj in canon (chronologically), Brotherhood presents an interesting take on her first meetings with Anakin and Obi-Wan. She's far from the main character here, only supporting the book's plot as the villain and the initiator behind some of the troubles Obi-Wan faces on Cato Neimodia. This Asajj is more calculated, working behind the scenes while still facing off face to face against Obi-Wan and Anakin, and it uniquely handles her character. The book is a Clone Wars adventure taking place before and it requires only the movies' and TCW's context, once again. *While technically taking place after Hyperspace Stories #5, it contradicts that issue's events and makes more sense if it takes place before, so I listed it first (for more info on the contradictions you can go here)*

Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories #5 - Written by Amanda Deibert, with art by Riccardo Faccini (Variant cover by Cary Nord) Taking place shortly after Anakin's knighting, before The Clone Wars show, this is a short and interesting comic story for Asajj. While tying into an over-arching plot of the series, this issue stands alone well. Simply put, Asajj is sent to retrieve a mysterious item by Count Dooku and encounters Anakin and Obi-Wan in the process. It has fun art, fun dynamics, and it's really good.

Worthless - a short story from Stories of Jedi and Sith - written by Delilah S. Dawson with an illustration by Jake Bartok This one is not as set on the timeline, but we do know it takes place while Asajj is still working for Dooku. In short, without too many spoilers, Asajj falls into a pit and has to trust on a Clone Trooper's help to get out. The story is a part of an anthology, but it completely stand-alone on its own. If you can read it on its own, I recommend it, but the rest of the book is also very much worth it if you want to buy it for the story. Dawson captures a version of Asajj that rarely gets attention, before the Nightsisters, and manages to show her identity and tell a wonderful story without that tool that's often overly used (in my opinion).

Star Wars Adventures: Return to Vader's Castle #3 - Written by Cavan Scott with art by Francesco Francavilla & Nick Brokenshire Jumping forward in the Timeline, we have another Asajj story by Cavan Scott! It has Bounty Hunting, A baby Sarlacc, pretty art, fun coloring, and Asajj. So what's not to love? Like Hyperspace Stories, Return to Vader's Castle also has an over-arching plot, but that's 4 framing pages of Vaneé being a bitch and has no effect on the rest of it. Solid stuff. (it is also the source of the first picture in this post)

Sisters - a short comic story from the Age of Republic Special - written by Jody Houser with art by Carlos Gómez Next, we have a wonderful short story taking place just before The Clone Wars episode "To Catch a Jedi". In just a few pages, Jody Houser brings conflict and personality to Asajj's time on Coruscant. And there's gorgeous art.

Legends

While Legends, and especially the comics, have some of my favorite stories with Asajj, it's hard to recommend individual issues. They can be stand-alone but still connected and ingrained in the ongoing story of the comics. But I tried to hand-pick the best for introduction and knowledge of who Asajj is a character there. So I won't recommend the 12 issues she's in, I set myself the limit of sticking with the same number of recommendations I had for canon.

Star Wars: Republic: The New Face of War - 2-issue Comic arc - written by W. Haden Blackman with art by Tomás Giorello Although I'm assuming you all have at least a passing familiarity with Asajj's character, introductions are still important. And, yes, Asajj first appeared in a different comic and after a month or so in Clone Wars (2003), but chronologically, in-universe, this is her first appearance. The Face of War is comprised of issues #51 and #52 of the Star Wars: Republic comic series, and although Asajj is only in the last page of #51, it's necessary context. This one isn't a must for me, but it sets the ground for her. And it's good. Giorello's art brings a unique perspective to Asajj's character, and by that I mean it may not be to some people's taste. So take your pick with this one.

Star Wars: Republic #53 - written by W. Haden Blackman, with art by Brian Ching If the last one isn't a must, this one is. It is a stand-alone adventure, almost feeling like a (better) TCW episode. Obi-Wan is off to infiltrate a Techno Union base with a team of all-star legendary Jedi that are introduced, and everything goes wrong when they run into the Confederacy's best, Durge and Asajj Ventress. I say it's a must because it establishes the nature of the rivalry between Obi-Wan and Asajj, and gives us such a sense of who those people are. It also lays the foundations to my next comic recommendation.

Dark Heart - short story by August and Cynthia Hahn This one, a 1784-word story, originally published on Wizards.com as a part of The Living Force roleplaying campaign, is definitely not a must, but it's barely 2k words, just read it. In all seriousness though, it captures Asajj's essence and I just. love it. You can read it right now, that's the link in the name, it's up online for free legally. While it is a part of the RPG campaign, I read it individually and had no trouble at all.

The Cestus Deception - by Steven Barnes (The Japanese cover is prettier and has Asajj, ok?) Obi-Wan Kenobi and Kit Fisto head to the planet Ord Cestus to try and convince Ord Cestus's government to ally with The Republic. But under the surface, a mysterious scheme had developed and it gets messy. Never ask me to write a publisher's summary. Asajj is the villain of this one, and I don't have much to say about it, but it is good. Fair warning: it hasn't aged the best in my opinion, and not even in a politically correct sense, some of the descriptions and relationships were questionable at best. If you like Kit Fisto and political adventuring and Clone Wars fights and a mascarade ball, if I remember correctly, this one's for you. It's not much of a story for Asajj but it is a fun read.

Star Wars: Republic #60 - written by W. Haden Blackman with art by Tomás Giorello I have never ever not once said it but this right here is my favorite Asajj story of all time ever. It does require context, though, so here's it: after the battle of Jabiim, Alpha-17 (Legends Arc Trooper, you may have heard of him) and Obi-Wan (a staple in Asajj's stories, he needs to gtfo women's business) are blown up and declared dead. Turns out Asajj Ventress has been holding them in her castle on the planet Rattatak and this is the daring story of their escape. In this issue, Asajj's origin story is revealed, before the Nightsisters had anything to do with her. More than any other Legends issue, it differentiates greatly from anything you know about Asajj in TCW/Canon. She's a warlord, with armies at her beck and call, a military commander, And it's fun. Her origin story is told in this issue, and it's such a great story that shifted my understanding of her a lot. The art, once again, is by Giorello, keep it in mind.

Yoda: Dark Rendezvous - by Sean Stewart (Japanese cover, once again) Last but certainly not least, the Legends Clone Wars book I've heard the most positive reviews of, and was not disappointed in the slightest. It is as good as they say. The story doesn't focus on Asajj, and she isn't even the main antagonist, but she gets a meaningful role in it and has her place and her arc in the story. It's also my favorite approach to how Asajj would act when she has to deal with children. Worth the hype and an excellent book to read unrelated to Asajj.

Alright, that's all! I hope you check out at least one of these, they're all great. As said before, I also have a complete list of everything Asajj in chronological order. Feel free to ask me anything about the list and the things in it. I can also give a complete comic reading list for her, since it's a bit more than just the issues she appeared in. For anyone struggling with the accessibility of these recommendations, I have a hopefully comprehensive guide in the complete appearances post. And now just this list because I promised that:

Canon 1) Dooku: Jedi Lost Audiodrama - Script by Cavan Scott, preformed by full cast (also available in Script format) 2) Brotherhood - by Mike Chen 3) Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories #5 - Written by Amanda Deibert, with art by Riccardo Faccini (Variant cover by Cary Nord) 4) Worthless - a short story from Stories of Jedi and Sith - written by Delilah S. Dawson with an illustration by Jake Bartok 5) Star Wars Adventures: Return to Vader's Castle #3 - Written by Cavan Scott with art by Francesco Francavilla & Nick Brokenshire 6) Sisters - a short comic story from the Age of Republic Special - written by Jody Houser with art by Carlos Gómez

Legends 1) Star Wars: Republic: The New Face of War - 2-issue Comic arc (Star Wars: Republic #51-52) - written by W. Haden Blackman with art by Tomás Giorello 2) Star Wars: Republic #53 - written by W. Haden Blackman, with art by Brian Ching 3) Dark Heart - short story by August and Cynthia Hahn 4) The Cestus Deception - by Steven Barnes 5) Star Wars: Republic #60 - written by W. Haden Blackman with art by Tomás Giorello 6) Yoda: Dark Rendezvous - by Sean Stewart

tag list: @thechaoticfanartist @charmwasjess @metalatl @redsandspirit @slutshartsstuff @housepartyfortwo @karma-malfoy @thelivingforce

[xplore-the-unknwn]

"Eight hundred years has Yoda survived, through dangers you could not dream"

"I know how to kill!"

"Yes, but Yoda knows how to live!'

"Yoda a darkness carries with him," the Master said,

"...and Dooku bears a light. After all these years! Across all these oceans of space! All these bodies you have tried to heap between us-

and yet call to me still, this little Dooku does."

"Your new Master calls. Dooku ask yourself: Which of us loves you better?"

-Yoda: Dark Rendezvous by Sean Stewart

Part 1

Review:

I just love how the book emphasizes their relationship! Yoda and Dooku mirror Obi Wan and Anakin's tragedy.

Yoda's "When you fall, catch you I will" "Dooku, which of us loves you better" is as tragic as

Obi Wan’s “You were my brother Anakin I loved you.”

Now I get how sometimes, Yoda is cautious with Anakin, because it reminds him of his mistakes and of how he lost his padawan, his little Dooku.

It’s like poetry it rhymes.

BONUS

I think I found my favorite line in the entire book. lol! 😂😂

[rainintheevening]

Just this. This. This.

[charmwasjess]

Why do these two passages on Masters and Padawans loving each other as a family feel so parallel? One's from Legends, the other new canon, but they almost feel continuations of the same conversation.

Darth Sidious had given him a curious look, then, one that passed through him like a flush of fever, a weakness inside. “Do you still love him?” his Master said.

Dooku had laughed and braved it out. The idea was ridiculous.

“Ridiculous?” his Master had said, in that soft, terrible voice of his. “I hardly think so.” And then, his voice like honeyed poison, “A good student always loves his teacher.” 

There was always a risk, talking with Sidious. Sometimes the conversation would go badly, and Dooku would fail to please somehow. It was a terrible thing, failing to please his Master.  - Dooku POV, Yoda: Dark Rendezvous, by Sean Stewart * "We still love our Masters, and they love their Padawans –I mean, somebody brings you up for ten years, unless they’re a total jerk, you’re gonna love them. That’s just how people are.” - Rael Averross, Master & Apprentice, by Claudia Gray

[redsandspirit]

Matthew Stover ruined Dooku

It is perhaps generally accepted that Revenge of the Sith novelization by Matthew Stover is one of the best books ever written in the Star Wars universe, if not the best. It's not hard to see why, since in many ways the story is head and shoulders above the movie, and Anakin Skywalker is, in my opinion, better captured by the author than anywhere else in the Expanded Universe. Still, I can't say that I was completely satisfied with the novel. Count Dooku is one of my favorite EU characters and I was saddened by how he was portrayed by Stover.

Xenophobia

Matthew Stover's Darth Tyranus is a terrible xenophobe, who never fails to remind the reader of this even during conversations with his colleagues such as Grievous and Darth Sidious. He deeply believes that creating the Empire of Man is what he was born to do? Seriously? Dooku is so evil in this book that it seems as if he would have been able to carry out all of Palpatine's plans exactly to the smallest detail without the participation of Palpatine himself. I think Stover here erases the complexity of the character that Jude Watson and Sean Stewart were able to create, and that's something we'll come back to.

A government clean, pure, direct: none of the messy scramble for the favor of ignorant rabble and subhuman creatures that made up the Republic he so despised. The government he would serve would be Authority personified. Human authority. It was no accident that the primary powers of the Confederacy of Independent Systems were Neimoidian, Skakoan, Quarren and Aqualish, Muun and Gossam, Sy Myrthian and Koorivar and Geonosian. At war’s end the aliens would be crushed, stripped of all they possessed, and their systems and their wealth would be given into the hands of the only beings who could be trusted with them. Human beings. Dooku would serve an Empire of Man. And he would serve it as only he could. As he was born to. - Revenge of the Sith, 2

In the novels written before Revenge of the Sith, we saw many important episodes from Dooku's past, and there were no premises for xenophobia. As a child, he was constantly dealing with other sentient species in the Jedi Order, and his father figure was a literal gremlin. One of Dooku's childhood friends was Eero Iridian, who is also not human. Darth Tyranus shows some remorse due to the fact that he and Darth Sidious took advantage of the Troxans (a non-human species) to drain the Republic's resources. This definitely doesn't fit with the way in RotS Dooku gleefully imagines crushing non-humans under the new government.

“These are the envoys from Troxar,” his Master said. How could he know? Dooku didn’t ask. Darth Sidious knew. He always knew.“They are considering surrender,” Dooku said. “They claim they have a resistance planned, ready to rise in insurrection when the clone troops withdraw.” “No!” the flickering figure said sharply. “The war has already damaged the planet too much to make it worth saving. Its only value now is to chew up more troops and resources. Tell them they have to fight on. Promise them reinforcements—tell them you will be deploying a new fleet of advanced droids to retake the whole system within a month, if only they can hold on. Explain that such weapons will not be put in the hands of those who surrender.” “And when the month passes, and no reinforcements arrive?” “Help will come within another month at most. Promise them that, and make them believe it. I’ve shown you how.” “I understand,” Dooku said. How casually we betray our creatures. The hooded figure cocked its head. “Having an attack of conscience, my apprentice?” “No, Master.” He met the hooded figure’s hideous eye. “It was their own greed that brought them to you,” he said. “In their heart of hearts, they always knew what they were getting into.” - Yoda: Dark Rendezvous, 1

Technophobia

The next uncharacteristic trait that was added to the character is technophobia. Anakin Skywalker's prosthetic arm disgusts Dooku, and he almost spits bile while talking to Grievous. The aristocrat hates not only cyborgs, but also ordinary droids, calling them “repulsive” and hoping that they will be destroyed along with the General.

“Which is precisely,” Dooku said meditatively, “why it might be best if I were to kill him, instead.” “Are you so certain that you can?” “Please. Of what use is power unstructured by discipline? The boy is as much a danger to himself as he is to his enemies. And that mechanical arm—” Dooku’s lip curled with cultivated distaste. “Revolting.” “Then perhaps you should have spared his real arm.” “Hmp. A gentleman would have learned to fight one-handed.” Dooku flicked a dismissive wave. “He’s no longer even entirely human. With Grievous, the use of these bio-droid devices is almost forgivable; he was such a disgusting creature already that his mechanical parts are clearly an improvement. But a blend of droid and human? Appalling. The depths of bad taste. How are we to justify associating with him?” - Revenge of the Sith, 2

Dooku nodded judiciously to himself, frowning down at the translucent blue ghosts slinking toward Palpatine. “Sound the retreat for the entire strike force, General, and prepare the ship for jump. Once the Jedi are dead, I will join you on the bridge.”“As my lord commands. Grievous out.” “Indeed you are, you vile creature,” Dooku muttered to the dead comlink. “Out of luck, and out of time.” He cast the comlink aside and ignored its clatter across the deck. He had no further use for it. Let it be destroyed along with Grievous, those repulsive bodyguards of his, and the rest of the cruiser, once he was safely captured and away. - Revenge of the Sith, 3

Why doesn't this make sense? As with xenophobia, the previous books and comics do not contain any hints that Dooku has disdain or hatred towards people with prosthetics and cyborgs. Moreover, when Grievous proposed using Geonosian technology on the Jedi Padawans for experimental purposes, Dooku approved the idea. Not to mention, the Sith Lord enjoyed Grievous' training.

Grievous had been a delight to train, as well. - Labyrinth of Evil, 22

Love and friendship

Next, Stover gaslights the reader by talking about the friendship between Dooku and Lorian Nod. Because if we go back to Legacy of the Jedi, it turns out that Dooku wasn't such a bad friend. He cares about Lorian and tries to be careful with his words so as not to hurt his feelings. Then after Lorian betrayed Dooku by blaming him for stealing the holocron, did Dooku worry about his reputation? Sure, but what unsettled him was that he was betrayed by someone so close to him. Even after what happened, he considers Nod his friend and cannot decide to refuse his request.

He doesn’t remember quite when he discovered this; it may have been when he was a young Padawan, betrayed by another learner who had claimed to be his friend. Lorian Nod had said it to his face: “You don’t know what friendship is.” And he didn’t. He had been angry, certainly; furious that his reputation had been put at risk. And he had been angry at himself, for his error in judgment: trusting as an ally one who was in fact an enemy. The most astonishing part of the whole affair had been that even after turning on him before the Jedi, the other boy had expected him to participate in a lie, in the name of their “friendship.” - Revenge of the Sith, 3

His best friend had betrayed him. Throughout the years at the Temple, he could always depend on Lorian. They had shared jokes and secrets. They had competed and helped each other. They had quarreled and made up. The fact that this person could betray him shocked him so deeply he felt sick. Legacy of the Jedi, 3

Dooku didn't know what to say. He wasn't prepared to lie, but he couldn't say no to his friend. So he said nothing, and, after a long while, the two friends fell asleep. Legacy of the Jedi, 3

Was Dooku the perfect friend? Of course not, and his pride played a role in escalating the conflict, as did Lorian’s envy, but to reduce everything to the words that “Dooku was different and did not understand friendship” I think is a monstrous simplification. The loss of his friend played a big role in Dooku's life, and that's how the story ends.

Lorian had been wrong. Dooku's heart hadn't been empty. He had loved his friend. But he had changed. Lorian had betrayed him. He would never believe in friendship again. If his heart was now empty of love, so be it. The Jedi did not believe in attachments. He would fill his heart with nobility and passion and commitment. He would become a great Jedi Master. Legacy of the Jedi, 6

We further learn that Dooku cannot care about the feelings of other beings and does not even see those around him as entirely real. Now, I don't by any means think that characters with these traits are a bad thing, or that you can't do something interesting with them, but that's not Dooku. We've seen how important his relationships with some of the other characters are to him (there's a whole novel written about him and Yoda), and that he cares to some extent about the feelings of those around him. Moreover, Stover will not explore these new traits, because Dooku will die in the next chapter anyway.

He is entirely incapable of caring what any given creature might feel for him. He cares only what that creature might do for him. Or to him. Very possibly, he is what he is because other beings just aren’t very … interesting. Or even, in a sense, entirely real. For Dooku, other beings are mostly abstractions, simple schematic sketches who fall into two essential categories. - Revenge of the Sith, 3

Jedi Order

Stover's Dooku ideal Jedi Order would forcibly remove Force-sensitive children from their families. Perhaps it's just my opinion, but it seems strange in light of the fact that his rejection trauma, as described by Sean Stewart, is related to his parents and the Jedi Order.

And that Fist would become a power beyond any Jedi’s darkest dreams. The Jedi were not the only users of the Force in the galaxy; from Hapes to Haruun Kal, from Kiffu to Dathomir, powerful Force-capable humans and near-humans had long refused to surrender their children to lifelong bound servitude in the Jedi Order. They would not so refuse the Sith Army. They would not have the choice. - Revenge of the Sith, 2

Ultimately, I can make the case that the ending of Yoda: Dark Rendezvous may have served to develop Dooku and make him even more bitter, but that doesn't justify the radical personality transplant Matthew Stover performed. And now, I often see these lines used to say that Dooku was always pure evil, had no good intentions and was always pretending, and also see questions like "as a human supremacist, what did Dooku think of Yoda?" And how can we know? All of these things were added to the character at the last minute and didn't match anything we'd seen before. This is not my Dooku.

[vaguely-concerned]

new dream star wars project: a tom stoppard-esque play about Solis and Fidelis playing space chess together for ten years. just a two hour long absurdist dialogue between two old droids. nothing else happens. you leave the play with a deep indefinable grief, unable to say which of them is the tragedy -- the one who still has their reason for functioning, or the one who lost it. is it better to be devoid of inherent meaning and free, or to belong to something and be trapped by it. maybe love is a little like that too. literally no one else in the galaxy cares tho just the two of you to everyone else you're scrap metal waiting to happen. goodnight

(they're from yoda: dark rendezvous and they are my favorite depiction of droids in star wars. there's such an air of melancholy and existential dread around them and it's so fucking GOOD. they're both footman droids, another absolute winner concept -- they're basically the galaxy's most lethal butlers and all-round caretakers, and the ethical ramifications around sentience and hardcoded loyalty they bring up... delicious. do you like magneto and professor x having meaningful chess matches against each other. well solis and fidelis are basically doing the low-key droid freedom and sentience philosophy version of that. solis I stan you to a galaxy far far away and back)

[christinethalassinou]

Just re-read this story after a few years. I didn't remember it being so brain-dead, but Force, it's so endlessly entertaining I just can't even... I love this book with all of my heart, it's funny, it's interesting, it's so positive and full of fuzzy feelings, the way the characters are written... everything. Especially Yoda, there's maybe one other story where I like Yoda as much as I do in this book.

[incorrectstarwarslegendsquotes]

Count Dooku: You're violent. Yoda: Yes, but so short I am that it's adorable.

[dapurinthos]

[amarcia]

*Based on a true story 😂

I think Scout is the type to use tape to fix her saber as long as it works, much to the horror of the fellow padawans!!!

✨🌙 ART LOG -> @404ama

[legends-expo]

20 Years of “Winning the Hard Way”

Yoda: Dark Rendezvous turns 20 years old today, and as it is my absolute favorite Star Wars book, I wanted to take some time to talk about it and what it means to me. I cannot recommend this book enough to any Star Wars fan. It really has something for everyone, and is a great place to start in the Expanded Universe because it is a stand alone novel and the only characters you are expected to know are Yoda and Dooku. In addition to being a great Star Wars book, it is a rare gem in that it also has something meaningful to say about life itself.

As it was told to me, Lucasfilm wanted a Yoda centric book as part of their Clone Wars Multimedia project in the years between the release of Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. The people at Del Rey hemmed and hawed over who could even write such a thing and do it well, before they eventually landed on Sean Stewart. In my mind he was the perfect pick for a Yoda book, as he has a background of studying Eastern philosophy, which is what George Lucas based the Jedi philosophy off of. He only had four months to write the book, and was still able to deliver something poignant and deeply meaningful, as a Yoda book should be. I think that if someone who did not have this understanding had been picked, there is no way they would have been able to deliver such a book in four months. Sean Stewart was able to stand on the shoulders of the great philosophers who came before to help him write something that was truly worthy of Yoda. I think that many writers (across media types and eras of publishing/producing) forget that the Jedi have Buddhist/Daoist roots, and their writing suffers for it.

Much less impressive, but still relevant, I took a general education class in college titled “Religion and Society in India.” I got a terrible case of pneumonia during the Buddhism unit, and as much as I did try to keep up with the readings, my brain was soup and I was not able to really ingest the text. When it came time for the assignments and test, I just wrote my answers under the philosophy of WWYS (What Would Yoda Say?) and still pulled a decent grade for the unit. Outside of the movies, I pulled much of that WWYS from this book.

Yoda: Dark Rendezvous delves deep into topics of loss, failure, and struggling for the best possible outcome when the deck is stacked against you. I first read the book when I was 13 or 14, and it has always stuck with me as one of the most meaningful books I have read. When there is darkness in my life, it is something I pick back up to renew hope, and really, that’s what Star Wars is about isn’t it?

(read the rest of this essay on our Ko-Fi)

[jewishcissiekj]

[xplore-the-unknwn]

If you fall, catch you I will.

No. Not if but when. Yoda had said, When you fall, catch you I will. Had he known even then, seventy years ago, that this day would come?

Surely even Yoda could not guess that his star pupil would fall so very, very far.

"Come," Yoda said urgently. He put his hand once more on Dooku's arm. "Catch you, I said I would."

"Believe you must: more forgiveness will you find from your old Master than from the new one."

-Yoda: Dark Rendezvous by Sean Stewart

Part 2

Review:

This book brings a whole new light to Yoda's character! Seeing how fleshed out he is in the book, I find that I understand more of how right he is and have a newfound respect for him!

We are familiar with the Jedi’s non attachment and controlling of their emotions. With this it may seem like Yoda and the Council lacks empathy or care. But then this book gives us passages like this one from him:

Sometimes we forget that in Yoda's 800 years, he has lost more and endured more than Dooku would want to see. It doesn't mean he completely wiped out his emotions. Yoda even still carries the grief and loss.

Although, Dooku did have noble intentions, he wanted swift action to the injustices. He was not wrong to question the suffering all over the galaxy. A padawan also states the same-

And Yoda acknowledges it. There is darkness in everything, and it is a choice on what you do about the darkness. "Be the candle or the night."

This is how Dooku gets manipulated by Palpatine. Dooku by following the easy way(Dark side) became the coming darkness he always warned about. He served the Master who killed his padawan, his son. In the end, he killed more than he could've saved. It's tragic.

AND THIS is my favorite part of the book.

-After all these years, Yoda still gave him the choice to come back home to him. Because that is the Jedi way. That is the light. It is forgiveness as much as it is love. The Jedi, love! 🥺

#also it just occurred to me, throughout the book, Yoda pokes his fellow Jedi with his stick like the troll grandpa he is. But when it comes to Dooku he reaches for him with his arms. 🥺🥺

[rainintheevening]

Excerpts from the best Star Wars book not written by Stover...

I really have nothing else to say.