Three years ago the book "From A Certain Point of View" celebrated the 40th Anniversary of "A New Hope" by retelling the original Star Wars film from 40 different viewpoints. Now the follow-up collection gives the same treatment to "The Empire Strikes Back". The following is my review of each of those 40 short stories
Drone Warfare: It's a futuristic concept that we Earthlings have been living with for over a decade now. When drones are controlled from half-a-world away the humans behind the machine might feel disconnected from the violence that remote robots can bring.
Maela of the Imperial Fleet is one such human. Tens of thousands of Probe droids have been dispatched to hunt for the Rebels on thousands of planets Galaxy-wide. Maela is fortunate enough to be able to experience the beauty of these planets through the eyes of the Probe Droids. But will the harsh reality of her work weigh on her conscience when the beauty of the galaxy is marred by violence?
There are two types of aliens in Star Wars lore: Sentient Species and Creatures (aka dumb animals). But there is also a middle-ground. Kowakian monkey-lizards, for example are considered Semi-sentient. Dianoga (as in the trash-compactor-dwelling squid) were classified as creatures until 2017 when Nnedi Okorafor's story "The Baptist" showed the Dianoga in a new light.
In this collection, "Hunger" makes it clear that the Wampa Ice Creatures have a lot more going in their head than originally guessed. The Wampa in this story (unsurprisingly) is the same Wampa we see Luke face off with on planet Hoth. However, in this tale we learn (unsurprisingly) that all monsters have needs, families, wishes, and desires. We learn lessons here that we have learned before, but often forget, that ugliness on the outside may hide a certain beauty on the inside.
In the original 1977 Star Wars film there are two women with lines, Princess Leia and Aunt Beru. In "The Empire Strikes Back" there is pretty much just Princess Leia, but if you had to cite a second woman with a line it would be Toryn Farr. Farr is the communications officer at Echo Base who is in charge of timing the blasts of the ion cannon, allowing Rebel transports to sneak by the Imperial Navy. Farr was played by German actress Brigette Kahn and the character was previously featured in the short story, "Of Possible Futures: The Tale of Zuckuss and 4-LOM" included in the collection "Tales of the Bounty Hunters". In both stories Farr is ultimately able to escape Hoth on "Bright Hope", the final transport to flee the planet.
There is a meme on the internet which highlights the bickering between Han Solo and Princess Leia. The meme points out the two have been having the same argument for so long that other Rebels no longer give a shit, they just keep walking through the corridors- right through the argument -in order to get where they are going.
Chase Wilsorr is one such Rebel. Chase has places to be. As a glorified errand boy he has a lot of places to be. Not everyone can have the wit, looks, or charm of Captain Solo, but Chase is good enough and can do anything he wants according to his self help tapes. The question remains... is he good enough for Jordan Smythe, the guy who operates hoverlifts and tends to the Tauntauns whom Chase has a big crush on. When Chase's moment to shines finally arrives does he have what it takes to be a hero?
Tauntauns went through several changes during production of "The Empire Strikes Back". The snow creatures were originally designed to look reptilian but later were changed to a more rodent-like design. The final model was a mix of the two and they are currently classified as a reptile-like mammal. "She Will Keep Them Warm" is narrated by Murra, the old matriarch of the Tauntaun clan whom the Rebels have captured. Murra's daughter, Riba, has not returned from her patrol and Murra's is desperate to keep her safe because she is pregnant with Murra's first litter of grandchildren whom she hopes to see delivered safely. Hoth, however, is a cold brutal world and safety is never a guarantee.
"Heroes of the Rebellion" by Amy Ratcliffe
In dark times such as these public servants are pretty much despised by certain factions of society. Our American president has preach to his followers not to trust politicians, not to trust scientists and doctors, not to trust educators, and definitely do not trust reporters.
Reporters have a tough task in this day and age. Not only do they have to cite their sources and get all the facts right, even when they do so two words can take down everything they have worked for: "Fake News". While our firefighters are hailed for charging into disaster zones and our military is hailed for charging into battle, our reporters are despised for doing the same.
During the rein of the Empire, Palpatine relies on his chosen reporters to spread sponsored news. He has dissolved the Galactic Senate and solely controls the military, the government and all sources of "official information".
Corwi Selgrothe has been hired by Mon Mothma to be a counter to Palpatine's propaganda machine. Corwi runs around Echo base desperate for an interview from the "Big 3", the heroes of Yavin: Luke, Leia, & Han. Hell, even Chewbacca would be a big scoop.
So many Books, Comics, Video Games have centered around the exploits of the "Big 3" and no one has ever even heared of Corwi Selgrothe. But it is in the rare short story collections such as this book that we focus in on the tertiary characters. Characters that walk through the shot so quickly that most viewers will miss them completely. And yet so many of these characters are also heroes. And that is the lesson that Corwi will learn by the end of her tale.
"Rogue Two" by Gary Whitta
"Rouge Two" in many ways is Gary Whitta's follow-up to "Rogue One" a movie for which he gave conception to the story and wrote the first draft. Rogue Squadron originally appeared as a group of Snowspeeders in the film "The Empire Strikes Back", but in the 1990s it was also the title of a video game series, a comic series and a book series. The film "Rogue One" gives us the genesis for this squadron and it is revealed in this short story that the Rebellion retired the "Rogue One" designation after the Battle of Scarif in honor of Jyn Erso and her crew. They now use "Rogue Leader" as the commanding callsign, followed by "Rogue Two"
Of course it is actually Zev Senesca (as played by Christopher Malcolm) who first introduced audiences to the title of Rogue Squadron back in 1983. Though ultimately Zev does not survive the Battle of Hoth, his story now does.
Before death some people have the time to reflect back on their life. The choices they made: the rights, the wrongs. Some have months or years to mull over the sum of their parts and see what they amounted to. Other people have only moments.
Admiral Kendal Ozzel is being choked to death by Lord Vader and these are his final thoughts...
"Against All Odds" by R.F. Kuang
In the United States of America during the Trump administration we imprisoned children in cages and separated them from their parents. It was an intolerable act motivated by a racially charged culture. Those parents and children are the direct victims of that culture.
Dak Ralter grew up under an Imperial regime, quite similar to the Trump administration. He managed to escape the penal colony on Kalist VI, but has never forgot. The other Rebels at Echo Base decry the unlivable conditions, but for Dak Ralter, Hoth is much more preferable to the alternative. And in this way Dak finds himself blessed. Blessed to be alive. Blessed to be free. Blessed to be a gunner to Luke Skywalker, hero of the Rebellion. On some days Dak Ralter feels he can take on the whole Empire himself.
Rebellions are built on hope. This truism is passed down to us from Jyn Erso. Where fear is often used to attempt to control, hope is used to motivate people to fight back. Star Wars is a story of hope, hope that against all odds you can conquer anger, fear and suffering. This is a sobering thought in the backdrop of the 2020 election.
Private Emon Kref was born on planet Koshaga, a planet so war-torn that its citizens have forgotten what they are even fighting for. And this is why Rebellions need heroes. Jyn Erso. Luke Skywalker. Princess Leia. Han Solo. Heroes are living symbols of hope that guide us through the darkness. But that hope must turn into action. It takes millions to march against evil. It's the people crawling through the trenches that are the backbone of a movement. You won't see Emon Kref's visage projected over the HoloNet and yet he a working part of the machine and without every cog in place, a machine cannot function. So, I implore you to be like Emon Kref. Be a spark. Be part of the fire. Burn authoritarianism down.
Instead of going on a political tirade about blind loyalty to an authority, let's do a deep-dive into General Maximillian Veers. Let's start with that name: Maximillian. When did Veers get saddled with the first name Maximillian? I don't know for sure, but it seems to have originated in the 2002 book "New Essential Guide to Characters"
Veers was played by Julian Glover. In an early draft of "Return of the Jedi" Veers would have appeared at the Battle of Endor, but Glover was not able to appear due to another project. Glover did eventually reprise his role as Veers in 2012 for the "Empire Strikes Out" Lego Special.
In this short story Veers is ultimately killed after his AT-AT Blizzard One is decapitated by a Snowspeeder. Yet Julian Glover lives on. Since "The Empire Strikes Back" Glover has appeared in "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, he voiced the giant spider Aragog in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and he appeared as Grand Maester Pycelle in "Game of Thrones".
Star Wars is not Science Fiction, it is Space Opera. Or sometimes a Space Western. But certainly not Science Fiction. Those who write and direct Star Wars films and television are concerned with elements such as the Heroes Journey and Good triumphing over Evil. They are not concerned with actual science. However, it is nice to delve into the Science Fiction of the Star Wars universe sometimes and who better than Hank Green to take us there?
"Rendezvous Point" by Jason Fry
Wedge Antilles is a survivor. Throughout the Star Wars Saga he is the only pilot to fly against two Death Stars and live to tell the tale. Wedge also survives the Battle of Exegol, where his wife's son Snap Wexley is killed.
"The Final Order" by Seth Dickinson
The Empire is a system of bureaucracy built to justify atrocities of war, genocide, and violence. Captain Canonhaus is smart enough to see the hollowness and meaninglessness of the system, but what can he do about it? He has seen war. He has seen death and destruction. But what can he do?
Lorth Needa does not receive a tale in this collection. Instead of another droning story from another Imperial elite reader's are fortuitous enough to get a tale from lowly TIE pilot Amara Kel instead. She is far more interesting.
Imperials do not value their soldiers. Soldiers are assigned numbers instead of names. They are given armor that fails to protect, blasters that don't aim properly, and TIE pilots are given... well... TIEs.
This tale is a spiritual sequel (if not a direct sequel) to the story "There is Another" from the first Certain Point of View Collection.
Yoda, on planet Dagobah, is expecting a Skywalker, the ghost of Obi-Wan has told him this, but it is Leia that he is expecting, not Luke. Luke is far too much like his father. He is passionate, impatient, quick to anger. He never has his mind on where he is, what he is doing.
That conversation that Palpatine and Vader have in "The Empire Strikes Back" has always been slightly confusing to me. How and when did Vader learn that his son was the pilot that blew up the Death Star? How and when did Palpatine learn it? Does Palpatine know that Vader wants to overthrow him? Does Vader know that Palpatine wants to replace him? Does Palpatine know that Vader knows that Palpatine knows?
"This is No Cave" by Catherynne M. Valente
Exogorths, it turns out, are ancient beings slowly drifting through the galaxy in rocky shells (not unlike hermit crabs on a beach). Exogorths, it turns out, are also psychic. They witness the wars across the stars over eons.
Sy-O is a young exogorth although he is ancient compared to most galactic beings. In his belly are butterflies, but they are not so fancy. But one day something new happens. When four other beings enter the belly of Sy-O, he feels excited, exuberant, and creates dreams for the future. But these dreams are fleeting as most dreams are. One lesson that ancients must learn- nothing gold can stay.
"Lord Vader Will See You Now" by John Jackson Miller
There are too few characters of color in the original Star Wars trilogy and no females of color as far as I can recall. We never see a single female in the Galactic Empire. The old Expanded Universe sought to correct this with Admiral Daala, but the new Disney universe fills the void of Daala with Rae Sloan.
Sloan was created by John Jackson Miller for the book "A New Dawn" but an older version of the character appears in the Aftermath Trilogy as a Grand Admiral. During the Battle of Hoth Sloan is the Captain of a Star Destroyer, but looking to rise in the ranks of the Empire.
Fresh out of Rebel Pilots and Imperial Officers and creatures that lurk, this book turns its attention to an unlikely background character: The Cave of Evil.
The Cave of Evil has slowly become sentient over many eons of its existence and it has learned to feed. It feeds on the fear of sentients. By showing beings their darkest worries and dreads, the Cave of Evil is satiated, sometimes for years on a single encounter.
This tale is one of my favorite in the collection. It is a treat for any fan who grew up between the Classic Trilogy and the Prequel Trilogy and ready Expanded Universe books such as "Tales of the Bounty Hunters".
The story starts with Bossk hunting down a Wookiee starship made predominately of Wroshyr wood and shaped like a bowcaster. The story re-canonizes some information we knew about Bossk from the old Expanded Universe (that he devoured all of his clutchmates when he hatched from his egg). The story also introduces some new information that is just oh-so juicy, but I won't spoil them here.
And that brings us to the Zuckuss and 4-LOM tale of the collection. The personalities of these characters were first fleshed out in the classic 1996 short story "Of Possible Futures: The Tale of Zuckuss and 4-LOM". Let me tell you from the outset that "STET!" does not really approach the level of quality of the 1996 tale. "STET!" isn't even about Zuckuss and 4-LOM, not really.
"STET!" is told from the point of view of an proofreader droid named TK-7 who is editing an article written by Parazeen Parapa of the Parapa cartel. The tale ends on a twist that is definitely probably not canon (I mean, I hope not). So... this one is more worthy of the classic Star Wars Tales comic series than the Star Wars Tales book collections of the nineties.
I guess the only positive is that we get a nice reference to the Great Hyperspace Disaster, an event that will provide the central conflict in the upcoming High Republic multimedia project. In the meantime I might pick up my old copy of "Tales of the Bounty Hunters" to get my Zuckuss and 4-LOM fix.
Who is Boba Fett? He has been one of the most popular icons in Star Wars and yet fans know so little about him. There have been many attempts to explain the origins of Boba Fett even before the film "Attack of the Clones". And then things changed. We sort of got an answer. Boba Fett was a clone, one raised by the original source of all the clones. So our idea of Fett had to change. Even his voice in "The Empire Strikes Back" changed to fit his new persona.
...no one can stand in his way. No one will stand in Boba Fett's way. Not even Imperial garbage workers. Not even Carl Ashon who expects to retire from the Imperial Navy well into his old age with the barest of pensions. When Carl Ashon discovers the Millennium Falcon clinging to the underside of the Star Destroyer Avenger, he thinks it is his big break. But Fett found it first and Fett is not willing to share. Carl wakes up sealed inside of a scrapped Lamba-Class shuttle drifting out with the rest of the garbage. Fett follows the Falcon to Bespin, but for Carl there is no escape. No reward. No retirement. Carl will float among the stars for the remainder of his life and the rest of his death.
Obi-Wan Kenobi never asked for the life he was given, but in death he can appreciate the irony. As an apprentice he wanted nothing but to be a model Jedi, which is why they gave him a master who questioned everything about the Jedi code. Then, without warning, he was a master. His apprentice was a boy named Skywalker who was rebellious, impatient, and proud. His apprentice would end up killing most of the Jedi and eventually killing Obi-Wan himself. But not yet. First Obi-Wan would have to spend the latter two decades of his life on a force-forsaken planet watching yet another Skywalker- one just as bullheaded as his father. And there it is in entirely... his life. A Jinn and two Skywalkers. All three difficult. All three friends.
Isn't Jaxxon an interesting Star Wars character? He's been in Star Wars longer than Yoda, Boba Fett, or Palpatine. He was based on Bugs Bunny but was initially despised by many fans. He was written out of the original Star Wars comics (possibly at the request of Lucas himself), but then in the decades to follow he began to have a cult following among fandom.
A season one episode of "The Mandalorian" showed us that Devaronians are impervious to fire attacks. This tale tells us that they also are impervious to most poisons and that they enjoy spicy foods.
Food is something that is included surprisingly often in Star Wars films. There is a dinner scene in "A New Hope" and two in "The Empire Strikes Back". For the most part the food of Star Wars resembles food on Earth, except that it is often blue.
A Cinderella Story. Isabalia is Cinderella. Her new outfit is the dress. Boba Fett is the Prince. What she wouldn't give to become a Bounty Hunter. And yet the fairy tale is not a perfect one. What if there is another path?
One of the best things about collections such as these is that they pull Old Expanded Universe lore into the new Disney Universe. Here we get mention of Punishing One (Dengar's ship). This means that the five ships piloted by the six ESB bounty hunter's are back in canon. But I digress...
Dengar is a flawed organic. He should be afraid of the assassin droid that he is partnered with, but he doesn't seem too concerned. He has a vendetta against Han Solo (a fellow Corellian). In the old Expanded Universe it was Solo that was responsible for his injuries that left him scarred and bandaged. That is probably not true anymore. Dengar wants to catch Solo, but if another source of enrichment comes up, he won't shy away from that either. Dengar is an opportunist.
Martha Wells' first foray into Star Wars was the 2013 novel "Razor's Edge". That was before she wrote the best-selling "Murderbot" series. Now Wells returns to the Star Wars galaxy and gives us the tale of an ugnaught named Lonaste and her cousin Beetase as they try to escape Cloud City. The city is now under Imperial control and the two ugnaughts are trying to get their clan out, however most of the transports have already left. How could this have happened. Could their boss Yoxgit have sold them out to the Empire? Afterall, the Empire will need someone to keep the gas mines up and running. Can Lonaste and Beetase find another way off of the city or will Yoxgit foil their escape?
L3-37 is not the first droid whose consciousness has been uploaded to the Millennium Falcon. There was ED-4, a former slicer droid. And there was V5-T a transport droid. Together they form the "Millennium Collective". But they are not the only ones keeping the Falcon up and running. There is Treadwell the WED-15 droid that Captain Solo bought to help with repairs. Then there is C-3PO and his counterpart R2-D2. Between the six of them they should be able to reactivate the Falcon's hyperdrive right?
Willrow Hood is an obscure cult-favorite character from "The Empire Strikes Back". There are so many mysteries surrounding this background character. Who played him? Why is he carrying an ice-cream-maker? What is inside of it? Where is he going?
There have been a few attempts to answer these questions in recent years. The old expanded universe says that ice-cream-maker is a computer memory core that Willrow is trying to get to the Rebellion. However (thanks to The Mandalorian) we now know that the ice-cream-maker is actually a Star Wars style safe called a Camtono. And according to this tale Willrow Hood has taken on a smuggling job to get that Camtono to Batuu.
This tale is about and heiress who is impressed with Princess Leia and her clothing line, but enough about that. What really sticks out to me in this tale is something that I don't think I've known about Bespin- the tibanna gas that is mined on Bespin is created by a creature, a creature called a Beldon.
Beldon are large Jelly-Fish-Like creatures that float among the clouds feeding on chemicals and other small creatures that swim through the atmosphere. There's also a creature mentioned called a Velker (predator of Beldons) which looks like a flying stringray.
What is the opposite of order? Is it chaos or is it freedom? This is what stormtrooper TK-27342 (Deena Lorn) has to grasp with during this tale.
You don't see a lot of female stormtroopers in the classic trilogy (ok there are none), but you do see some female stormtroopers in the 501st (the famous legion of fans who make their own stormtrooper armor). Star Wars comic writer Bria LaVorgna is in the 501st and uses the operating number TK-27342.
Anyway, Deena Lorn decides to defect from the Empire, but her escape attempt leads her to a carbon freezing chamber where she witnesses some... interesting occurrences.
Emperor Norton, was a citizen of San Francisco, California in the 1800s. He proclaimed himself Emperor and was a town celebrity. Though he was poor and died in the streets, 10,000 people attended his funeral.
Yathros Condorius the First thinks he's the rightful ruler of Cloud City. Most people think Yathros is a nut, but Lando has a soft spot for him which is why he sends Security Officer Darbus Mizz to collect Yathros. Mizz has his work cut out for him trying to get the delusional old man off of Bespin before the Empire can capture them. But can King Yathros convince Mizz to stay and fight for the kingdom?
Bespin is now under Imperial control.
Cloud City resident Tal Veridian has a plan and a back up plan. But her backup back up plan is her Imperial girlfriend, Ela. At least I think that's what this is about.
2-1B is a good doctor and a wise droid. Luke Skywalker is a terrible patient.
It is crazy to think how close we are, here on Earth, to having robots perform surgeries. How close we are to having robotic prosthetics such as the one Luke receives near the end of the "The Empire Strikes Back".
But are we close to AI such as 2-1B with the ability to converse in a meaningful way. With the ability to feel emotion and learn? Are we close to AI with the ability to write poetry? No. We are not.
A sequel to the final tale in the original "From a Certain Point of View" where two authors are determining what details to include in the Journal of the Whills.
Skorr the Bounty Hunter? He's out.
Lumpy, Chewbacca's son? He's out.
Wampa Attack on Echo Base? Out.
Wilrow Hood's lines? Out.
Yoda's Lunch? In!
Afternotes
At over 6,000 words this is the longest single post I have ever posted or will ever post on this site. I've been publishing one Mega-Post a month this year, but next year I will probably return to smaller more frequent blogs.
"A Naturalist on Hoth" by Hank Green
The final Hoth tale in this collection gives us insight into why Hoth was chosen as a base in the first place. It asks questions such as "If Hoth is completely frozen why does it snow? There must be evaporation taking place somewhere?". And it answers questions that many of us (those who played hours of The Empire Strikes Back video game on NES) already knew the answer to. Subterranean Caves. That is where most of the wildlife on Hoth lives. It is those subterranean caves that is of great interest to Kell Tolkani, the titular "Naturalist" of this tale.
A good writer leaves readers wanting more and ultimately Hank Green's story is too short for this reader. I would like to stay with Kell Tolkani on his journey of discovery, and yet we must move on to the next tale...
"The Dragonsnake Saves R2-D2" by Katie Cook
"The Empire Strikes Back" has far fewer background characters than "A New Hope". So it is the reality of this collection that many of the tales in this story follow creatures such as Wampas, Tauntuans, and Dragonsnakes.
"The Dragonsnake Saves R2-D2" is the token comic of this collection. But if you are like me and purchased the audio version of this book, you will not see Katie Cook's illustrations. And yet this comic does not leave Cook's story out completely (as Jeffrey Brown's "Far Too Remote" was left out of the first "From a Certain Point of View" audiobook). Instead listeners will experience this story as a short audio drama comprised mostly of sound effects. Which is actually quite effective.
"For the Last Time" by Beth Revis
Kendal Ozzel, Maximilian Veers, Lorth Needa, Firmus Piett. Where do they get their first names? Out of these officers, it is only Piett that survives to appear in "Return of the Jedi".
But why? Why does Vader punish Ozzel and Needa with his death-choke and spare Piett?
A possible answer to this question is set up in this short story. "For the Last Time" seems to suggest that Piett is actually good at his job. He has fought his way to the top instead of relying on connections like so many other officers. Is it possible that Vader distinguishes between failure by an incompetent officer vs. failure by a competent one? Perhaps Vader did not blame Piett for the Falcon jumping to light speed? Or was Vader a changed man after his encounter with his son?
Kendal Ozzel, Maximilian Veers, Lorth Needa, Firmus Piett. Where do they get their first names? Out of these officers, it is only Piett that survives to appear in "Return of the Jedi".
A possible answer to this question is set up in this short story. "For the Last Time" seems to suggest that Piett is actually good at his job. He has fought his way to the top instead of relying on connections like so many other officers. Is it possible that Vader distinguishes between failure by an incompetent officer vs. failure by a competent one? Perhaps Vader did not blame Piett for the Falcon jumping to light speed? Or was Vader a changed man after his encounter with his son?
Piett was portrayed by actor Kenneth Colley in "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi". Colley reprised the role of Piett in 2012 for the "Empire Strikes Out" Lego Special.
Wedge Antilles is a survivor. Throughout the Star Wars Saga he is the only pilot to fly against two Death Stars and live to tell the tale. Wedge also survives the Battle of Exegol, where his wife's son Snap Wexley is killed.
In "Rendezvous Point" Wedge has survived the Battle of Hoth. The only living members of Rogue squadron are his gunner, Wes Janson, and Commander Luke Skywalker who has gone missing. In light of this he is promoted to commander and asked to rebuild his squadron. Feeling survivors guilt (not for the first time) Wedge decides to retire the "Rogue Squadron" title for a the time being and reclaim the Red Squadron title, not used since The Battle of Yavin.
Red Squadron's mission is to clear a group of pirates from the rendezvous point, creating more time for key members of the Rebellion (including Luke, Han, and Leia) to regroup with the alliance.
Fry's "Rendezvous Point" is the longest tale in this collection so far, probably a novelette approaching the length of a novella. Fry is Star Wars veteran, having written several short stories and guidebooks over the past 15 years and having recently written The Last Jedi Novelization. "Rendezvous Point" is a complete story that stands on its own feet and its a good one which reminds us that we can never really get enough of Wedge Antilles.
"The Final Order" by Seth Dickinson
This previously unnamed Imperial Officer is about to be killed by an asteroid. It is a "Lord of the Rings" reference (or whatever the Star Wars in-universe equivalent to Lord of the Rings is) that causes him to make one act of kindness and decency in the moments before his death. Not that he knows that the asteroid is coming for him... for the entire Imperial regime really... but he has a hunch.
Amara Kel's Rules for TIE Pilot Survival (Probably)
by Django Wexler
by Django Wexler
Imperials do not value their soldiers. Soldiers are assigned numbers instead of names. They are given armor that fails to protect, blasters that don't aim properly, and TIE pilots are given... well... TIEs.
TIEs are the barest a starfighter can be. There are no shields, there is no hyperdrive, there is no Astromech to calculate jumps. TIE fighters and their pilots are disposable and Amara Kel knows it. That's why she has her rules for survival. And she follows those rules religiously with no exceptions (probably).
The First Lesson by Jim Zub
Yoda, on planet Dagobah, is expecting a Skywalker, the ghost of Obi-Wan has told him this, but it is Leia that he is expecting, not Luke. Luke is far too much like his father. He is passionate, impatient, quick to anger. He never has his mind on where he is, what he is doing.
It has been a long time since Yoda has trained an apprentice. And he knows that this apprentice will be a very tough charge. Many lessons will the old Jedi Master have to impart. But the first lesson will be a lesson for himself. Because all good teachers are learners and even Master Yoda needs to sometimes follow his own advice.
"Disturbance" by Mike Chen
The new Disney-verse has actually cleared up some of these questions. And this story suggests on more twist in the tale. Palpatine actually had visions of his undoing. But (as Luke said) his overconfidence was his weakness). Palpatine knew what was coming and still fell into the trap. And yet the questions remain.
Did this "disturbance in the Force" cause Palpatine to create a contingency plan? Perhaps knowing that he could be overthrown caused him to create a cloning program in the final year of his life? That final question is not raised nor answered in this short tale, but it is one to ponder anyway.
"This is No Cave" by Catherynne M. Valente
Sy-O is a young exogorth although he is ancient compared to most galactic beings. In his belly are butterflies, but they are not so fancy. But one day something new happens. When four other beings enter the belly of Sy-O, he feels excited, exuberant, and creates dreams for the future. But these dreams are fleeting as most dreams are. One lesson that ancients must learn- nothing gold can stay.
Sloan was created by John Jackson Miller for the book "A New Dawn" but an older version of the character appears in the Aftermath Trilogy as a Grand Admiral. During the Battle of Hoth Sloan is the Captain of a Star Destroyer, but looking to rise in the ranks of the Empire.
Sloan is patient and sloan is cunning. She is able to ascertain from the autopsy of a mynock that the crew of the Millennium Falcon survived the asteroid chase by hiding inside of the belly of an exogroth. After passing this information to Lord Vader, Sloan might even get the promotion she has been seeking.
"Vergence" by Tracy Deonn
Fresh out of Rebel Pilots and Imperial Officers and creatures that lurk, this book turns its attention to an unlikely background character: The Cave of Evil.The Cave of Evil has slowly become sentient over many eons of its existence and it has learned to feed. It feeds on the fear of sentients. By showing beings their darkest worries and dreads, the Cave of Evil is satiated, sometimes for years on a single encounter.
The Cave is all too familiar with the Jedi master who lives in the swamps, but what the Cave does not realize is that Jedi master is a life long teacher and even The Cave of Evil has the capacity to learn something new
"Tooth and Claw" by Michael Kogge
The story starts with Bossk hunting down a Wookiee starship made predominately of Wroshyr wood and shaped like a bowcaster. The story re-canonizes some information we knew about Bossk from the old Expanded Universe (that he devoured all of his clutchmates when he hatched from his egg). The story also introduces some new information that is just oh-so juicy, but I won't spoil them here.
It really is an amazing Star Wars tale.
"STET!" by Daniel José Older
"STET!" is told from the point of view of an proofreader droid named TK-7 who is editing an article written by Parazeen Parapa of the Parapa cartel. The tale ends on a twist that is definitely probably not canon (I mean, I hope not). So... this one is more worthy of the classic Star Wars Tales comic series than the Star Wars Tales book collections of the nineties.
I guess the only positive is that we get a nice reference to the Great Hyperspace Disaster, an event that will provide the central conflict in the upcoming High Republic multimedia project. In the meantime I might pick up my old copy of "Tales of the Bounty Hunters" to get my Zuckuss and 4-LOM fix.
"Wait for It" by Zoraida Córdova
And still we haven't seen Boba very much in the new Disney Universe. Recent Mandalorian episodes only give us the merest glimpse into his life after surviving the Sarlaac pit. So who is Boba Fett?
Watching "The Empire Strikes Back" you would assume that Fett is the most notorious Bounty Hunter in the known Galaxy. However in this tale Boba is still a young buck with something to prove. He is far younger than Bossk or Dengar who still see him as a kid. And Boba is determined to prove his standing among those older bounty hunters. So determined that...
"Standard Imperial Procedure" by Sarwat Chadda
"There Is Always Another" by Mackenzi Lee
Obi-Wan Kenobi never asked for the life he was given, but in death he can appreciate the irony. As an apprentice he wanted nothing but to be a model Jedi, which is why they gave him a master who questioned everything about the Jedi code. Then, without warning, he was a master. His apprentice was a boy named Skywalker who was rebellious, impatient, and proud. His apprentice would end up killing most of the Jedi and eventually killing Obi-Wan himself. But not yet. First Obi-Wan would have to spend the latter two decades of his life on a force-forsaken planet watching yet another Skywalker- one just as bullheaded as his father. And there it is in entirely... his life. A Jinn and two Skywalkers. All three difficult. All three friends.In his afterlife Obi-Wan does not find peace. He finds himself embroiled in an argument between Master Yoda and Luke. Luke is the apprentice that Yoda didn't want and Yoda is the master that Luke did not expect. And when Obi-Wan tries to tell Yoda that Luke is their last hope? Yoda has a gibing comeback.
But what else did Obi-Wan expect? Did he really expect that his afterlife would be any different than the one he lived in corporeal form? Apparently not.
"Fake It Till You Make It" by Cavan Scott
It's safe to say that Jaxxon is now a favorite among many fans. He is a bit outlandish (not unlike Captain Jack Sparrow who is also based on Bugs Bunny) but when used sparingly it's hard not to love Jaxxon. He reminds us that Star Wars can be childlike and fun. He enters the universe in a way that is reminiscent of a kid bringing a Mutant Ninja Turtle into their Star Wars toy collection. He breaks down the strict rules of canon that many adults try (and ultimately fail) to erect. Because Star Wars can be anything.
"Fake it Till You Make It" is Jaxxon's fifth appearance in the Disney Universe. Four of those appearances were written by Cavan Scott.
In this tale Jaxxon is up to his old smuggling tricks and trying to pull one over on Baron Administrator Lando Calrissian. Lando has gone straight in his new position of responsibility. He has grown up. Like Han, a smuggler with a heart of gold. But if Han can do it, and Lando can do it, is is Jaxxon's turn to do something noble?
"But What Does He Eat?" by S.A. Chakraborty
A season one episode of "The Mandalorian" showed us that Devaronians are impervious to fire attacks. This tale tells us that they also are impervious to most poisons and that they enjoy spicy foods.
Food is something that is included surprisingly often in Star Wars films. There is a dinner scene in "A New Hope" and two in "The Empire Strikes Back". For the most part the food of Star Wars resembles food on Earth, except that it is often blue.
Torro Sbazzle is the chef of Cloud City and she is in quite the predicament. She is cooking for Darth Vader, an Imperial tyrant. The unfortunate thing about the Empire is that xenophobic against non-humans. And there are so many non-humans in the galaxy.
Torro is encouraged by her sous-chef (an Ugnaught) to poison the Lord of the Sith. But it is not easy to poison a Sith Lord. And if she were to attempt such a feat.... what does he even eat?
"Beyond the Clouds" by Lilliam Rivera
A Cinderella Story. Isabalia is Cinderella. Her new outfit is the dress. Boba Fett is the Prince. What she wouldn't give to become a Bounty Hunter. And yet the fairy tale is not a perfect one. What if there is another path?
"No Time for Poetry" by Austin Walker
IG-88 hates organics. And once his partnership with Dengar is over, Dengar will die. Still, IG-88 can utilize organics to meet his ends, as long as they don't rub off on him. After all he doesn't wish to develop a personality (The Maker forbid).
Dengar is a flawed organic. He should be afraid of the assassin droid that he is partnered with, but he doesn't seem too concerned. He has a vendetta against Han Solo (a fellow Corellian). In the old Expanded Universe it was Solo that was responsible for his injuries that left him scarred and bandaged. That is probably not true anymore. Dengar wants to catch Solo, but if another source of enrichment comes up, he won't shy away from that either. Dengar is an opportunist.The two beings have little in common. But they are both Bounty Hunters and perhaps that is enough.
"Bespin Escape" by Martha Wells
Martha Wells' first foray into Star Wars was the 2013 novel "Razor's Edge". That was before she wrote the best-selling "Murderbot" series. Now Wells returns to the Star Wars galaxy and gives us the tale of an ugnaught named Lonaste and her cousin Beetase as they try to escape Cloud City. The city is now under Imperial control and the two ugnaughts are trying to get their clan out, however most of the transports have already left. How could this have happened. Could their boss Yoxgit have sold them out to the Empire? Afterall, the Empire will need someone to keep the gas mines up and running. Can Lonaste and Beetase find another way off of the city or will Yoxgit foil their escape?"Faith in an Old Friend" by Brittany N. Williams
L3-37 is not the first droid whose consciousness has been uploaded to the Millennium Falcon. There was ED-4, a former slicer droid. And there was V5-T a transport droid. Together they form the "Millennium Collective". But they are not the only ones keeping the Falcon up and running. There is Treadwell the WED-15 droid that Captain Solo bought to help with repairs. Then there is C-3PO and his counterpart R2-D2. Between the six of them they should be able to reactivate the Falcon's hyperdrive right?It has been a long time since L3-37 has seen Lando Calrissian. He has aged (as organics tend to do) but he has not forgotten. He still remembers when The Falcon was his, when he and L3 flew together among the stars. Things have changed. The Falcon is back in Lando's care, but L3 no longer has a voice or a body. She can keep an eye on him, but to Lando she is invisible.
The Collective feels sadness, but the Collective also feels joy. Sadness and joy for the memory.
"Due on Batuu" by Rob Hart
Willrow Hood is an obscure cult-favorite character from "The Empire Strikes Back". There are so many mysteries surrounding this background character. Who played him? Why is he carrying an ice-cream-maker? What is inside of it? Where is he going?
There have been a few attempts to answer these questions in recent years. The old expanded universe says that ice-cream-maker is a computer memory core that Willrow is trying to get to the Rebellion. However (thanks to The Mandalorian) we now know that the ice-cream-maker is actually a Star Wars style safe called a Camtono. And according to this tale Willrow Hood has taken on a smuggling job to get that Camtono to Batuu.
Fortunately this tale leaves us with some remaining questions. We never find out what is inside and we don't know what Willrow's ultimate fate is.
"Into the Clouds" by Karen Strong
This tale is about and heiress who is impressed with Princess Leia and her clothing line, but enough about that. What really sticks out to me in this tale is something that I don't think I've known about Bespin- the tibanna gas that is mined on Bespin is created by a creature, a creature called a Beldon.
Beldon are large Jelly-Fish-Like creatures that float among the clouds feeding on chemicals and other small creatures that swim through the atmosphere. There's also a creature mentioned called a Velker (predator of Beldons) which looks like a flying stringray.
Both Beldons and Velkers originate from a 1989 sourcebook called "Galaxy Guide 2: Yavin and Bespin".
And just in case you thought I was ignoring the tale in favor of some lore, the Velkers hunting down Beldons provide the metaphor which sets up this story.
"The Witness" by Adam Christopher
You don't see a lot of female stormtroopers in the classic trilogy (ok there are none), but you do see some female stormtroopers in the 501st (the famous legion of fans who make their own stormtrooper armor). Star Wars comic writer Bria LaVorgna is in the 501st and uses the operating number TK-27342.
Anyway, Deena Lorn decides to defect from the Empire, but her escape attempt leads her to a carbon freezing chamber where she witnesses some... interesting occurrences.
"The Man Who Built Cloud City" by Alexander Freed.
Yathros Condorius the First thinks he's the rightful ruler of Cloud City. Most people think Yathros is a nut, but Lando has a soft spot for him which is why he sends Security Officer Darbus Mizz to collect Yathros. Mizz has his work cut out for him trying to get the delusional old man off of Bespin before the Empire can capture them. But can King Yathros convince Mizz to stay and fight for the kingdom?
"The Backup Backup Plan" by Anne Toole
Cloud City resident Tal Veridian has a plan and a back up plan. But her backup back up plan is her Imperial girlfriend, Ela. At least I think that's what this is about.
"Right-Hand Man" by Lydia Kang
It is crazy to think how close we are, here on Earth, to having robots perform surgeries. How close we are to having robotic prosthetics such as the one Luke receives near the end of the "The Empire Strikes Back".
But are we close to AI such as 2-1B with the ability to converse in a meaningful way. With the ability to feel emotion and learn? Are we close to AI with the ability to write poetry? No. We are not.
"The Whills Strike Back" by Tom Angleberger
Skorr the Bounty Hunter? He's out.
Lumpy, Chewbacca's son? He's out.
Wampa Attack on Echo Base? Out.
Wilrow Hood's lines? Out.
Yoda's Lunch? In!
Afternotes
At over 6,000 words this is the longest single post I have ever posted or will ever post on this site. I've been publishing one Mega-Post a month this year, but next year I will probably return to smaller more frequent blogs.
Or check back in 3 years time for when they publish "From a Certain Point of View: Return of the Jedi"
Also check out my reviews of the original "From a Certain Point of View" here:
"From A Certain Point of View"
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