Star Wars, Geek Culture, and Power Converters
We interrupt our usual programming for a shameless bit of bragging.
Congratulations are in order for staff writer Emily, who just passed dissertation defense this morning and now holds a Ph.D in English. Tosche Station now as a doctor on staff.
Well done, Emily!
The Lost Missions aka Season Six of the Clone Wars is out on Netflix today so it’s only fitting that I wrap up planned version of the Hondo Caravan today. And yes, I watched the entirety of Season Five in one week. But let’s be honest: this is not the craziest thing I’ve done for the blog.
Shades of Reason (DC)
On the surface, Maul’s plan to cause pockets of chaos throughout Mandalore and then have Deathwatch come in and arrest the criminals seems like a good one but I have to agree with Bo Katan: you can’t trust Maul. Actually, in a situation like this, no one should be trusting anyone. And honestly, doesn’t this plan run the risk of the criminal class squealing about how they’re all working together once they figure out they’ve been deemed the sacrificial lambs?
On a completely different note, Satine’s new outfit is pretty fabulous looking. It says serious and regal all at the same time.
I wouldn’t say that the Mandalorians were ever necessarily known for being the brightest crayons in the box but they (as a planet) seem to be kind of stupid right now. Did they really fall for Maul’s plan this easily? And we wonder why no one saw through Palpatine’s façade…
And now Vizsla is Prime Minister. That is a title that a) never sat well with me for a Mandalorian and b) sounds even more wrong on the shoulders of a member of Death Watch. First of all, he’s not even close to being subtle enough to be a leader. Immediately betraying Maul was probably not in his best interest.
I love the look on Bo Katan’s face as she tosses Maul his lightsaber. That’s the look of a woman who knows it’s going to be Prizsla’s funeral. And then the ladies can rule once they kill each other. Oh look. It is his funeral or rather his beheading. Actually, I’m seriously surprised that they showed this on a kids’ show.
Okay, I’m just going to come out and say it. Forget this Fett tradition, forget Satine, forget the black market Prime Minister, forget Maul. Bo Katan for Mandalore. Accept no substitute.
Brian, Nanci, and Bria sit down for a roundtable special episode of Tosche Station Radio in memory of Expanded Universe author and superior wit Aaron Allston. We discuss our memories of reading his books, interactions at conventions, and the impact he had on our lives.
“I have come to a conclusion that is important to me. I no longer believe that the momentum of a life headed in a worthwhile direction ends when that life does.” -Wedge Antilles, Wraith Squadron
Yub Yub, Aaron.
It’s a bit of a mixed bag on today’s edition of the Hondo Caravan. We’ve got one more episode in the Youngling arc, an arc that makes me want to take a nap, and then the return of the Brothers Sith. Buckle in, kids. It’s going to be a gif filled ride.
A Necessary Bond
Turns out there’s more bad news, folks. Ahsoka and the Younglings didn’t escape quite yet. Apparently they haven’t even made it back to the ship yet. It gets worse. You’d think that getting to the ship would be the hard part. Instead, merely getting on the ship is tricky especially when it appears to be crashing and burning.
In the previous episode, Obi-Wan was off fighting Separatist forces led by General Grievous. At the time, it felt like a superfluous plot line to just have Obi-Wan in an episode again. In this episode though, the Separatists invade Hondo’s planet and take possession of it. Apparently Dooku did not take too kindly to Hondo taking him prisoner a few seasons ago. Ooo. Grievous just tossed Hondo across the room to the floor. I can hear Jawa James shouting ‘Nooooooooo!’ from the past all the way across the country. As expected, some of Hondo’s pirate underlings have seen the light and have agreed to work together with the Jedi to get out of this sticky situation.
“I may be a pirate but I do not like taking children into battle.” I’m just going to leave that quote from Hondo there with no extra commentary. I bet you can figure out the quiet and pent up rant there all on your own.
I must admit, these kids are pretty good for never having used these lightsabers before. Obviously, this means something will happen to one of them. I also really appreciate the strange sort of friendship that seems to have sprung up between Hondo and Katooni. I’ve got head canon: Hondo’s going to somehow save her from Order 66 and she’ll become a pirate. She’s too cute to die, okay?
I’m fairly sure it wasn’t the intention but every time Grievous does the four/six legged crab scuttle, I laugh hysterically. You know what else makes me laugh hysterically? Hondo verbally tallying up his bill for saving the Jedi Younglings to Obi-Wan.
Grab your hat and hold on to your swears because Star Wars: Empire and Rebellion: Honor Among Thieves is out today! Written by the author duo James S. A. Corey, Honor Among Thieves turns the spotlight on Han Solo and Chewbacca as Princess Leia sends them on mission only a pair of scoundrels like them can successfully pull off.
Set before the previous Empire and Rebellion novel, Honor Among Thieves opens with Leia asking Han to go into the middle of Imperial space and retrieve one of their field agents. Scarlet Hark is a professional though so this should be a relatively simple mission. Too bad the bounty on Han’s head is about to catch up with him, adding in a slight complication. Oh. And not to mention that Scarlet doesn’t actually want to be retrieved quite yet. An Imperial astrocartographer is rumored to have made a discovery that could put him towards the top of the Emperor’s list of favorites and Scarlet wants to get her hands on it first with Han’s help. Nothing ever seems to stay simple for long when it comes to missions for the Republic.
It’s an extra long post today as the Season Five discs are supersized. It’s even an supersized Hondo week as I attempt to watch the entire season before Season Six drops on Friday. Can I do it? Will the Hondo Caravan beat me? Place your bets now!
A War on Two Fronts
This is the episode where we finally get to visit Onderon and I could not be more excited. It’s one of the planets that I really loved visiting in the Knights of the Old Republic games. Getting to see it approximately 3000 years later is really neat especially since we get to see Iziz and the jungles and the giant winged beasts. The animation and the background sounds are amazing because it feels like it’s right out of the game albeit with better graphics.
The Jedi have finally come to Onderon because they see the rebels here as a good potential weapon against the Separatists as they can distract and force them to split their forces. That means Obi-Wan, Anakin, Ahsoka, and Rex are there to teach the rebels better techniques to combat the droids and to make them a more effective fighting group. So yeah. It’s exactly like this:
(Except Anakin keeps his shirt on.)
Of course, their training comes to an end when the droids find their hidden base and attack. Instead of letting the Jedi cover their retreat, they take the lessons learned and fight back and even win! The Jedi should write a handbook: How To Train A Rebel Group In Seven Days.
There is also the obligatory subplot with the romance between Ahsoka and Lux. It’s… sweet in its own way but I’m not going to sit here and ship them. Actually, out of these characters, I’m way more interested in Steela and watching her kick butt with her blaster rifle.
Time for another installment of Go/No-Go, our spoiler-free, mission control-style look at whether or not you should put your hard-earned money down for a newly released book, film, comic or what have you. On the launchpad today is Empire and Rebellion: Honor Among Thieves by James S.A. Corey.
Bria’s take: SWEARHAT is an excellent successor to Razor’s Edge in that it keeps incredibly true to spirit of the Rebellion, the Original Trilogy, and (most importantly) the characters. And just like Razor’s Edge before it, Honor Among Thieves is fun. Like most of the books set between A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back, the need for a new Rebel base feeds into the plot. This book manages to take that plot line and weave it in and out of the book’s main plot, keeping readers guessing as to where it’s actually going to go. Not only did James S. A. Corey get Han and Leia dead on but they also created a new character, Scarlet Hark, who is an absolutely joy to read. I would love to see her incorporated into more Rebellion and early New Republic era stories. In short, this fast paced and well characterized story is a good addition to the Expanded Universe. SWEARHAT gets a definite Go from me.
Brian’s take: SWEARHAT (Best acronym or BEST acronym?) is an extremely fast-paced and enjoyable adventure and a solid follow-up to Razor’s Edge. For one reason or another, Han Solo has been a character that has been hard to get right on page, but James S.A. Corey has gotten it pitch perfect. You can’t help but read the lines in Han’s voice because every mannerism and spoken line is just so Han. Of course, you’ve always gotten my attention when a well-rounded and compelling female character is introduced, and Scarlet Hark fits the bill. Overall this book is a zippy and enjoyable read and is well worth the pickup. All I can say is that when the Expanded Universe gets sorted out, I hope Del Rey brings James S.A. Corey back, because the duo clearly gets the franchise and it would be wonderful to see more from them. This is a Go from me as well.
Verdict: SWEARHAT is a go, so pick it up when it hits bookshelves tomorrow. Also stay tuned for a more full-length and spoiler-filled review.
It’s a bit of a mixed bag of plot lines as Season 4 wraps up. Obi-Wan’s undercover work from the last disc continues, Asajj Ventress returns, and… well… so does someone else. I bet you can guess who.
The Box
WHAT’S IN THE BOX?
(I have no idea. I just wanted to ask that.)
Okay Kenobi: I’m seeing a small flaw in your plan of going to Serenno. Just a tiny one. It involves you being face to face with Count Dooku. You don’t think that he might, oh you know, recognize your Force presence?
“Wrong to deceive you, it was.” “A powerful Jedi you are yet unpredictable and dangerous you can be to both your friends and enemies.” Your turn, Yoda. CLEARLY you recognize that Anakin is not the most stable of Jedi AND YET YOU WENT THROUGH WITH THIS PLAN ANYWAYS?
I’m getting the feeling that Cad Bane was strongly influenced by Captain Barbossa given his obsession with getting the best/biggest hat.
Turns out that it’s not what in the box but rather ‘Who will make it out of the box?’ that’s the real question here. My bet was that it would be Obi-Wan and Cad Bane. This is the problem with the Dark Side: their quest to figure out who’s Top Dog basically involves killing everyone else. This is not the best way to encourage growth. Unsurprisingly, they both made it along with a few others.
It was just last night on the podcast Nanci and I were jokingly talking about how awesome it would be for Aaron Allston to write a second Starfighters of Adumar book in which Wedge, Tycho, Wes, and Hobbie run off to play diplomat again and mutter “we’re too old for this shit.” If anyone could have made that setup work, it would have been Aaron Allston. His ability to tap into the humor of Star Wars (and life in general, really) was unparalleled. If there was one lesson you could take away from his works, it was that there was always room for levity and laughter.
(Continue reading under the cut, warning for discussion of depression and suicide)
This is not a post any of us ever wanted to have to write. Aaron Allston, prolific Star Wars author and all-around awesome human being, passed away last night after apparent massive heart failure.
It’s safe to say that without Aaron, many of us wouldn’t be SWEU fans. It’s also safe to say that several of us wouldn’t have stayed SWEU fans without Aaron. No matter what he was writing, he had the ability to make you laugh and cry, sometimes on the same page, and then make you laugh through those tears. He created some of our most favorite characters, some of the SWEU’s best moments, and kept it fun through dark times. Several of us name Starfighters of Adumar as our favorite SWEU book of all time.
Aaron was a presence at many conventions, including Celebration and Dragon Con, where he ran writing workshops with Mike Stackpole. I participated in several of his seminars; not only was the man a great writer, but he was a great teacher, too. He always treated everyone like a friend, whether you’d known him for ages or had just approached him to ask him to sign one of your books. Aaron also contributed to several of my favorite panels at Dragon Con, where he had the audience in stitches. As Timothy Zahn said last night on Facebook, “The Aaron, Mike, and Tim show, as we called it, has come to a sad close.”
Brian and I had the honor of interviewing Aaron on the podcast, only our second interview (after Stackpole, fittingly), and were quite nervous to do so. He put us at ease and, needless to say, the interview ended up being informative and full of laughter. Probably my favorite interview we’ve ever done.
Star Wars will not be the same without Aaron Allston. Yub Yub, Commander. The Wraiths are flying in formation in your honor today.
edit: Brian posted his own thoughts here.