On Jacen Solo

Amadeo asked:

I was just wondering what are you guys thoughts on Jacen Solo...keep in mind that while I know how things go down...I've only read up to Balance Point. Despite the two factions that formed amongst the Jedi he was caught in the middle and as with alot of things that's usually where the truth lies between to sides of a philosophy. I was wondering your opinions of his deeper questioning of the force.

Our response:

If you have noticed through our reviews for the Dark Nest series, we kind of gave it away. We do urge you to read further particularly the NJO (New Jedi Order) book "Traitor" which Billie Wheelz and I admit is the best NJO book written. It deals with the Force and several of the philosophies debated during the Old Republic. I can only tell you that much.

I will say that early in the NJO, I really felt how Anakin Solo decides to roll. I felt that Jacen was a wimp and had to get over it. I said these things with influences such as Yoda, Kyp Durron (who i felt way before the NJO series), Qui Gon Jinn, Count Dooku, and several others who had their own opinions on how the Jedi should deal with the Force. Looking back, I have to remember that the Solo's are teenagers who were thrust with some really big responsibilities. I must say that each one in their own right does a good job. And after much thinking, I could see why Jacen approached the Force like he did. he understood early on that the Force was not a tool and that at times the Jedi were not the the overseers or priests of the Force. He felt the Jedi should tread lightly in matters pertaining to the Force and should be careful as to what decisions they make.

Again, if you skim though our reviews and articles, you will find several views of the Force (I know when we first started , our first few articles really dealt with them).

In the future, Billie Wheelz and I will probably present a few varying discussions and the Jedi's who centered themselves around them.

Thanks for the question.

Stormtroopers

While taking a class on war and the Clausewitzian principles found there in, I had a chance to learn about where the term "stormtroopers" actually came from. Hitler was not the first to use the term in Germany. It comes from the German Sturmabteilung or "Storm Division." Sometimes they were called Sturmtruppen. They were initially used in WWI in trench warfare.

There was a German officer but the name of Oskar von Hutier who realized that the way the Allies and the Germans fought trench warfare was extremely ridiculous. First, a heavy artillery barrage would start and then after that swarms of infantry would try to overtake the enemies trenches. If anyone has studied the battles of WWI, one would note the tremendous casualties taken just to defend or invade a few hundred yards of trenches.

Hutier decided to recruit the most elite members of the infantry and form them into small units. During the heavy artillery barrages, he would send these shock troops or "storm troops" right behind the barrages. To the Allies, these troops appeared out of the "storm." Their job was to hurl explosives at communication depots, officer encampments, and artillery posts to weaken enemy positions. It was a dangerous job but proved to be successful. Later Hitler used to moniker to create a group of para military thugs that would later become the SA.

Connection to Star Wars...

Many Star Wars theorists claim that George Lucas made the empire seem like Hitler's Third Reich hence all the Imperial officers with the Nazi like appearances. This of course has never been proven. Others argue that the Stormtroopers in SW were supposed to be elite. If one reads the Expanded Universe, one will learn that they were elite and were very feared. The Empire does have its regular infantry.

However, throughout the movies we see them as bumbling idiots or keystone cops. Yet they are still feared throughout the galaxy.

Announcements for Jan '06

1. After talking to my oldest son, X-man, I decided to put him on. So our blog will have three writers. I cannot wait. X-man is 11 years old and highly intelligent. I am not saying that cause I'm his dad. Dude got skills. He knows his Star Wars lore and is kick ass all around. You will see. Hopefully we can get his first entry in next week.

2. Billie Wheelz will be doing a review on Star Wars: Rise of the Dark Lord which is a must read. They cover so much in that book not just chronologically but also philosophically.

3. Help Ep III win best flick of 2005. go here and cast your vote.

4. Star Wars E-books -- if you can stand to read them on your computer, you can save some dough..

Star Wars, Dark Nest III: The Swarm War by Troy Denning

Review by Dan Tres
(WARNING: This review has spoilers, so if you don't want to know what happens, read no further...)

Troy Denning ends the Dark Nest series with a not so thrilling ending. The first two books were much better for some reason. Yet this book ended the series too quickly. First, the Jedi realize that the only solution to the Killik problem is to revert them to their status before the arrival of Jedi Raynar Thur (or UnuThul as he is now called). So he has to be "eliminated" or "removed." This was an obvious solution since Lomi Plo and Alema Rar were part of the "unconscious" mind of the Killik Nest, thus the Dark Nest. When Lomi Plo and her minions in the Groggog showed up, UnuThul somehow got amnesia. Even when proof was shown to him (as noted in the previous novels), he quickly denied it. Of course, much of relunctance of the Jedi to implement this solution was due to Luke Skywalker's idea that he could redeem UnuThul.

Another problem with book is that Leia and Seba Sebatyne are again captured. This time by the Chiss. With the help of her bodyguards, they use their Jedi skills to escape. It's daring but it's almost similar to her escape in Dark Nest II from the Galactic Alliance ship. I can't understand how Luke had a problem fighting Lomi Plo with the help of Jacen Solo and Mara Jade. In the end he battles Lomi Plo and UnuThul with ease. One could tell that Denning was trying to end the series abruptly.

Then I realized something...

The Dark Nest series is not really about the Killiks. They pretty much make up the background. It's not about the Chiss, who seem to become more ruthless then ever and one can see them presenting more problems for the Jedi and the Galactic Alliance. The series is about the Jedi Order and how they deal with their new philosophy of the Living Force.

We learn that when there is no galactic crisis, this idea works. Everyone can do their own thing, learn their own way, get attachments, answer to no one. Yet when something really big comes along, there is no cohesion and no focus. In the first two books, we see the Jedi Order split into several factions: those that feel that the Jedi should follow the Force and no one else (headed by Kyp Durron), those that feel that the Jedi should work for the Galactic Alliance (headed by Kenth Hamner and Corran Horn -- a problem that was questioned during the Clone wars), and finally those that felt that the teachings of Vergere were the way to go (this faction was headed by Jacen Solo). The Killik crisis created another faction that felt that the Jedi should just help the underdog (headed by Jaina Solo and Zekk). Meanwhile, Luke Skywalker stood by while everyone bickered and acted on their own.

In Book III, Luke decides to take over the order as the Supreme Master. He asks that those that disagree with his position leave the Order forever. Few leave, but most stay including Hamner, Horn, Kyp, and Jacen. Together they fix the problem. I find this part of the book satisfying. Again as we saw during the Clone Wars, the Jedi have to figure out their place in the scheme of things. Its good to sit back and meditate on the Force, but reality bites and people depend on the Jedi to fix things. With great power comes great responsibility (right Parker?).

Overall the book gets 3 out of 5 stars. The first two in the series were exceptional. Part III just doesn't do it for me.

More on the Clone Wars

You can't say I don't love you all.. Check out this link... Pretty dope and like ours, it's not an official joint. It's interesting. There is a section that contains essays on the actual Clones and the battles they faced.

Andrew Liptak, in his The Downfall of the Jedi and Public Opinion, discusses something that we have gone over between comments on this blog. The public opinion towards Jedi can clearly be seen in the books more so then the comic books. The comic books show certain people's attitude towards the Republic more so then that Jedi.

The Emperor would never have gotten away with the Jedi Purge if the sentiment towards the Jedi was positive. Of course there were quite a few influential people who felt that the Jedi were on the side of good and that Palpatine was taken too much control over the Senate but they did not have the Holonet to control the images. Thus, the media played a major role in their downfall.

There were some Jedi who were forced to neglect their moral ethics to obey the wishes of the Republic government. The Battle of Jabiim and The Battle for Thrusta (where Yoda was forced to bust a cap in an old homie of his) were prime examples of this. Due to what happened on these planets, entire systems gained a new hatred of the Jedi.

My partner in rhyme, Billie Wheelz, always made a dope analogy of the Jedi. he compared them to the purge of the Knights Templar, the warrior monks who made their appearance during the Crusades. The Catholic Church under Pope Clement V and the guidance of King Philip IV of France used public sentiment and false accusations to destroy the Knights Templar. The same thing happens.

Just something to think about

The Haruun Kal Crisis: Questions about the Clone Wars

We discussed the Haruun Kal Crisis before in a previous post. It was a mission that Mace Windu was sent to in the Shatterpoint Novel. It is actually Mace Windu's homeworld. He comes from a race of force sensitive colored folks. It's indigenous people are called Korunnai or uplanders. It translates to "above the clouds." They reside in the jungle thus their force sensitivity. They pretty much live in hostile rainforest and have to rely on the force to survive.

The city dwellers and offworlders are called Balawai or downfolk. There has been a series of conflicts between both groups. As the Balawai try to take up more and more land, uprooting the Korunnai. Right before the onset of the Clone Wars, the fighting has intensified. The Upland Liberation Front (ULF) was formed to fight off the Balawi. The Republic has pretty much ignored the conflict in Haruun Kal until the Separatist eyed it. Depa Billaba, a former padawan of Mace Windu and a member of the council was sent to help the ULF fight against the Separatists and the Balawai. She cuts off contact with Coruscant and is assumed that she has turned to the dark side. Windu is sent to recover her.

It's a good book, but this is no review. There are several things that need to be discussed. First, we learn that Mace Windu feels no solidarity whatsoever with his people. He is an uplander and one of the only few remaining members of the clan Windu. As a matter of fact, the only other surviving member runs the ULF. He refuses to take sides even though his people are suffering. I find this to be a flaw Jedi's are trained for. Several Jedi come from warrior races but feel no solidarity to them. Of course, a jedi is supposed to have no attachments. Yet this is unrealistic and unhuman.

The conflict reminds me of what is going in Africa. Arab muslims and their African agents are swooping and taking the resources, as are their European counterparts. I must mention the Africans who are doing it to their own people. The conflicts are devastating the people. There is a scene in Shatterpoint that reminds me of the stories I hear from people who have survived those conflicts. It's frightening and disheartening.

The Republic is a bureaucracy. They cannot handle every problem that comes their way. It becomes understandable to see several systems join the Separatists since they feel that the Republic has ignored their problems. The conflict on Haruun Kal is reminiscent of several conflicts in developing countries where the outcome does not help the people who need it the most. The republic may not have done much, but the Jedi could have. I don't mean go in there doing aggressive negotiations but trying to peace it all out.

What do you guys think....?

Heads up

Upcoming Noticias (news)

Dark Lord -- The Rise of Darth Vader is out. you can read an excerpt here.

There is an unofficial Clone Wars site that's better than the real one.. check here. Also Karen Traviss will be coming out with Triple Zero... Here is a timeline as well. So we haven't had enough of the Clones.

We will be updating some more. School work and watching the babies has got me bogged down...

Temuera Morrison (Jango Fett/Clone Troopers)

Before Episode II hit the screen, I was delighted to learn that Temuera Morrison was slated to play Jango Fett. You all know him as the fearless bounty hunter who led the Mandolarian warriors before their disbandment. He is also the father of Boba Fett. I first watched Morrison play Jake Heke (pronounced Ke-ke) in the Aotearoa (New Zealand) classic "Once were Warriors." His acting was superb. I have followed him since. Unfortunately, it was not until Ep III, that Morrison saw any success in the United States as an actor. He played in several b movie bombs such as "Barbed Wire" and "Speed 2."

He hails from the Maori tribe. A strong tribe that survived European oppression in Aotearoa. What's dope is that this tribe considers themselves Black. Morrison's heritage dates back several centuries and there are even legends about some of his ancestors in Maori mythology. He is a cultural advisor and performer. He maintains his tribe's heritage by performing kapa haka (dance and chants that retell ancient Maori myths) . He has been doing this since the age of ten. He is a member of the 40-strong cultural group Ngati Rangiwewehi.

I know there are plenty of fans who dislike the fact that Lucas has voiced over all the old Boba Fett voices with Morrison's. I say to them "always bet on black.."

Star Wars Manga

I just put down Star wars Manga: A New Hope. I enjoyed the black and white comic book very much. It took some time getting used to the action. The scenes were cut differently and there were many blurs. So it took time to figure out what happened despite the fact that I have seen the movie so many times.

the story does follow the movies closely. The artwork is real dope. Then again for all of you Japanimation fans, this is the one for you. It's ill to see how folks from other countries view the SW universe. Online you can get several book covers from various countries. Of course the images of the movie figures look the same but the way they flip the vehicles and EU characters is much different.
I enjoyed the fact that they put in Biggs Darklighter into the storyline. You learn more about the relationship between Luke and Biggs. They start the story with Luke looking into space using binoculars and he watches Darth Vader's Star Destroyer attacking the Vantive IV. They drew Obi Wan like an old samurai. I thought that touch was real tight.

Overall, it is rather expensive to cop. Although I enjoy it, and i know it will cost loot in the future, I don't think its a MUST HAVE...

enjoy

The Chosen One

On the latest Ep III DVD, there is a second disc with several documentaries. One of them is called the Chosen One. We discussed the topic of Anakin being the Chosen One in this entry. Lucas confirms that Anakin is the Chosen One since he does kill Palpatine in Ep VI. In the process, he helps to destroy Darth Vader and himself at that. Thus the prophecy, which I think was installed by the Sith but that is another debate for another entry, is fufilled.

I think that the Jedi of the Old Republic had to be purged for several reasons. I hate to sound like a Sci Fi Hitler when I say that. There were plenty of Jedi who i felt should not have been killed (such as Mace Windu, Luminara Unduli, Barriss Offee, Plo Koon, and a mob of others). Let me rephrase that: the ways of the Jedi during the Republic should have been rehashed. THey had too many rules. They did many things that were unethical whether they were forced to or not. They took sides and definitely worked for the Republic. So I should be saying that many of their ideals and decisions should have been purged.

I think many of their training methods should have been discarded as well. In a way, I think its a good idea that much of the information from the Jedi Temple was lost so that Luke could pretty much re-think the strategy and methods to train the Jedi (and if Book I of the Joiner King series demonstrates -- it's a dope concept). The idea of taking babies away from parents is borderline kidnapping (I know some of the Force sensitive infants were saved from a life of squalor and hunger). Luke revamps this by allowing the parents to work in the new Jedi Temple so that they can see their child often.

What do you guys think?

Preguntas de Guerra de las Estrellas

Amadeo asked: I was playing Star Wars Battlefront 2 and between the missions one of the troopers speaks about some of the events. After the fall of the republic he talks about the Kaminoins created more clones to resist with and afterwards the Empire started using different templates (people) to clone from. My question is this did they document the shift from clones?

Our response: This is a tough one for real. We tried to touch on it here. Before the second trilogy came to the theatres, Lucas did not want to let anyone in on the Clone Wars situation. In the Dark Empire series, Palpatine clones himself and pours his essence into them. Everytime he is killed he does the same thing. Luke goes and allows himself to fall to dark side. He enters Palpatine's facilities and destroys it all. We do know that was not where he created the clones from the Jango template after the movies came out.

In the Thrawn series, we are introduced to Jorus C'baoth, a Jedi from the Old Republic era. What we learn is that he is a clone since the real C'baoth died in the Outbound Flight Project (the book will be coming out real soon on this one folks). We do not know however, how he was cloned. We also learn that Admiral Thrawn finds a clone facility on the planet Wayland. C'baoth actually guarded it. C'baoth was cloned but somehow went mad because of the flawed cloning process. In the Thrawn series we learn that the Emperor frowned on cloning for two reasons: the accelerated cloning process had too many problems and if the information fell into the "wrong" hands someone else could build an army. The latter is the reason why Palpatine banned droid armies.

Later on, Palpatine slowly recruited and drafted born humans into Storm Trooper ranks on the planet Carrida which Kyp Durron destroyed using the Sun Crusher. But before he did this, he did use clones from other templates after all the Jango Fett clones died from old age or went into retirement (quite a few of them did). Yet these batches also had flaws (see the Star Wars insider #84 for more info on the GAR-- Grand Army of the Republic ).

A main problem was keeping them sane. Many clones went beserk. The Kaminoans were able to narrow this down to affecting only 1% of their clones. The acceleration process and the "downloading" of information into a clone brain caused many of them to go insane.

In Ep II, we learn that the Kaminoans are the best cloners in the galaxy. And now we know that in Battlefront, Palpatine sends the 501st led by Boba Fett to destroy the clone facility on Kamino. I am sure this is where all the clone templates are kept and destroyed.

We hope that answers your questions.

Star Wars: The Essential Guide to Alien Species by Ann Margaret Lewis

My Review (Dan Tres OMi)

editors note: even though the book was published in 2001, right after Episode I and during the Yuuzhan Vong War, we felt it was important that we cover it.

First, I must commend anyone who sits down, consults, researches, writes, consults again, and puts together an essential guide on a universe that continues to grow. Even when it was published, I am sure it was outdated the first day it arrived at the bookstore. So much has gone on since then, that Del Rey is bound to update this one. So, this book will fall in value when the new one is announced. Still for any SW fan, this book is a must.

Did you know that the Bith (we all remember one during the Mos Eisley Cantina scene in Ep IV) have lost the ability to reproduce and do it via artificial insemination? Or that the Falleen (remember Xisor from Shadows of the Empire?) rarely travel outside of their home system? Did you know that Hutts are amongst the longest living species in the galaxy living up to 1,000 years? How about the idea that Toydarians (remember Watto from Eps I & II) fly at birth? All these little tidbits of information are found here.

What makes the book work is that they are tied into histories that transpired before Ep I. So you learn how it all ties together. There are species that are shown in the movies, comic books, RPG (role playing games), video games, and books. So everyone gets a chance to see the connections.

Its amazing how these authors come up with these stories. This is what makes the SW universe wonderful. It is books like this one that bring that out. The book is highly recommended and can help those SW buffs build up their trivia knowledge.

Where did it all begin?

(here is my mom and I. This was taken when i was about 3. Notice my mother using some invisible force lightning to get me to chill)
Good question... right?

It started way back in '77. I attended El Concilio Puertoriqueno Day Care Center in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. A very good program for children of immigrants from the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. Someone decided it would be a good idea to take us to see a movie. Thus, at age four and a half this would be my first movie. I remember standing under the marquis on 42nd Street (way before crack -- big up to Jamel Shabazz).

After the release of the movie, i was caught up in all the hype. I wanted to be a jedi and i wanted the Millenium Falcon. My mom thought i was just following the fad so she got me a few figures on her meager salary. I remember her rocking this very thin jacket she got from Chinatown. She rocked that one for many years.

My mother, as usual, was right. I forgot all about Star Wars until Episode V was released. I was open. Personally, I felt that was the best movie I saw in my life. The good guys losing? when does that happen? I thought Boba Fett was the man. I wanted to know who this Jabba the Hutt guy was. Plus I learned about the Force!

I remember getting the Star Wars twin bed set. I also had that Darth Vader carrying case that my dad got me. He said he found it in the trash. But my prize possession was a metal Star Wars lunchbox and this Lukey Skywalker figure that had a hidden lightsaber built into his arm. I loved those two things. My mother would beat me for just walking around with my lunchbox after school. But I loved that damn thing.

When Episode VI came out, I did not want the story to end. Rumors of a Episode VII coming out kept me up at night. I was never able to afford to be a collector. So I disappeared from the SW Universer altogether. It was not until I was discharged from the Navy and I came across the Admiral Thrawn series. I seen the books in the stores before that but ignored it. Once I read the Thrawn series back in 1997, I was hooked. I started reading anything I could find on the EU. I was open.

Been here ever since...

Labyrinth of Evil by James Luceno

(picture taken from Starwars.com -- from Cartoon Network's Clone Wars)

Review by Dan Tres OMi (your friendly neighborhood Afro Latino Jedi... go figure!)

Labyrinth of Evil by James Luceno was released earlier this year (2005) as a hardcover. It was sold in book stores months before the final installment of SW hit the theatres. Del Rey finally published it in the paperback edition. For those of us who are fans of the SW universe but have to watch our pennies during the Bush II regime (I had to throw that in there, huh?), the paperback came at the right time.

Luceno is no stranger to the EU. He has written a few New Jedi Order books and is slated to pen the upcoming Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader . Lucas was in his right mind in booking Luceno to author this prequel.

The story starts a few weeks before the events in Ep III and end right before Obi Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker fly into the battle over Coruscant. It flows well and leaves the reader waiting and wanting for the movie. Luceno reveals so many things that were a mystery to SW EU fans. He really sets us up for the movie.

We learn more about General Grievious and his hatred of the Jedi. We also learn about Sifo Dyas and his relationship to Count Dooku. Palpatine's plot continues to unravel as the Jedi start catching up to him. Before they can finally get the drop on him, Palpatine makes his move. This provides us the backdrop to why the Separatists played their big card and tried to invade Coruscant. When Palpatine realizes that his cover is about to be blown, he convinces Dooku to launch an attack (something not explained in the Clone Wars cartoon series).

We also learn that the Separatists were really on the run during the entire war. It is true that many systems rallied to their cause and they did invade several others, the Separatists never really had a chance of winning. Dooku had hoped that the Republic would split with several factions fighting against one another. It did not work that way. This shows how clever Palpatine's plot really was. It truly was a Labyrinth of evil.

The book also demonstrates the growing resentment and suspicion that people have of the Jedi. While Anakin soaks up all of the publicity, the other Jedi are either kept out of the holonet news or someone is railing against them. By the time Palpatine has the Senate in the palm of his hands. Despite this, he plays the innocent executive power who is forced to do some unethical things.

The highlights are the fight between Mace and General Grievious and Kenobi and Skywalker fighting some murderous bounty hunters on a snow covered planet. We see some real martial arts in those scenes. Unfortunately, some of the scenes were done in the Clone wars cartoon and seem to conflict. The book loses some continuity. It leaves the reader wondering who is right and who is wrong. Overall the book gets 3.5 out of 5 stars. It is a must read since it connects a few dots.

Bringing Balance to the Force

Mas Preguntas... (I wish i can say that in Huttese)

Amadeo asked: Bringing Balance to the force. The Jedi believed that Anakin was chosen to do this, however, at the same time they were just finding out that there was a living Sith Lord. They believed them to be extinct. It stands to reason that bring balance to the force during this time would have meant bringing forth the Sith or diminishing the Jedi. In essence, didn't Anakin fulfill the Prophecy?

Our response: The Jedi never believed the Sith to be extinct. After the final Jedi/Sith War about 2,000 BSW, Darth Bane was the only surviving Sith lord. He took one apprentice. Darth Bane understood very early that there was just too many Sith. They could not get along and were always fighting amongst themselves. The Jedi knew that Darth Bane still lived and had an apprentice but could not find him.

For the last 1,000 years before the Clone Wars, it seemed like the Sith just removed themselves from the galaxy. It is not until the near conclusion of the Clone Wars, did the Jedi realize the peril they were in. Unfortunately, the movies did not give the full prophecy. In The Labyrinth of Evil by James Luceno, the prequel book to Episode III, Yoda states on page 64:

"The larger prophecy: that unfold the dark times would. Born into their midst the Chosen One is, to return balance to the Force."

In the book adaptation of EP III, there is even a hint that the prophecy may have been planted by a Sith lord. It definitely begs the question. During Ep III, Mace Windu finally realizes what's going on. He and Yoda realize that the entire Clone Wars was a set up to bleed the Jedi dry and make the public suspicious of them. But it's too late. The damage was done. The things were already set in motion.

Anakin did bring balance to the Force because he purged the Jedi. That's why the new series is called the New Jedi Order. Here they are allowed to marry and have children. They are allowed to study and travel as they please. We will learn that the Jedi of the Old Republic were flawed in several ways. many of you noted the concept of detachment and how terribly imperfect this is. If you read some of the prequel books and comics, you will note how the Temple seperated itself from the rest of the people. They ignored poor folks throughout the galaxy. This leads to our next question....

Michelle Pessoa stated: I’m troubled by the clones in the prequel movies. Simply put, the clones of Jango Fett are slaves. They were purchased from the Kamino government, they were bred to fight and they didn’t get to decide what they want to do with their lives.That’s the definition of slavery.If the Galactic Republic was worth fighting for, free people should have been fighting for it, not people who had been enslaved.Why was this okay with the Jedi? How come they didn’t object to becoming generals leading slave armies? Shouldn’t they have found that repugnant?

Our response: First, when Obi Wan "found" Kamino and stumbled upon an order of clone soldiers, it just does not seem like a coincidence. So we have to go over that. Master Sifo Dyas did order those clones. Sifo Dyas and Dooku were very close friends. Both knew that the dark side was growing and were upset at the fact that the Jedi did nothing but wait around for this Chosen One (this is explained in Luceno's "Labyrinth of Evil" which is now on paperback).

Sifo Dyas went ahead and ordered a clone army in preparation for this. By this time, Dooku was working for Sidious. Sidious asked Dooku to kill Dyas to prove that he was ready to come to the dark side. In doing so, the order of clones remained a secret until just the right time.

Now in Ep II, the Jedi were forced to use the clones. At the end, you can tell by Yoda's reaction that the first battle was actually a loss because the Jedi became something they were not. Mace Windu even states that in the Ep III book adaptation. We do learn that several Jedi left the order because of the stance that the Jedi took. Some felt that they should remain neutral. Many agreed with Dooku that the Jedi were just mercenaries for the corrupt Republic. Quite a few joined the Separatists whose argument was that the Senate was too corrupt. Of course, the Separatists had their own agenda but some systems joined for this reason alone.

Several of the Jedi who left the order survived the first purge. The later issues of Star Wars: Republic and the book series Coruscant Nights will deal with several Jedi who left the Order. Ferus Olin is a good example of a Jedi who disagreed with much of what the Jedi's were doing.

On the slavery question, I wholeheartedly agree. Clones are still sentient beings with feelings. They think, suffer, feel joy and pain. We see several Jedi creating lasting bonds with them (go figure). Some considered them flesh droids because they were programmed to do one thing. I think it's a tragedy that they only live for half the time that normal humans do. Just imagine knowing that you will die within 30 years and all you do is fight. Then again, they were not programmed to even think outside of that.

Answering Questions (well one actually...)

Primero:

Jedi Consular (Billie Wheelz) and Jedi of the Old Republic (Brother Omi), apologizes for falling behind on our updates. As you can see we are finally catching up.

Segundo:

We want to thank those readers who hung on and stayed on board. Thank you so much. We also have some new readers. Thanks and if you can, spread the word.

here we go...

Our Favorite Nubian Jedi...

KG, asked: Word on the street is that it's an uncertainty if Mace Windu actually died? I was discussing with some cats in class (this blog has got my SW IQ up!) last week and they were buzzing that thier may be a project in the works about this possibility. Have ya'll heard any such rumors too?

Our response: First off, Michelle Pessoa gave a good answer: KG, Obi-Wan and Anakin both survived falls from ridiculous heights and being blasted with Force Lightning in Episode II, so Mace could have survived getting sliced, blasted and thrown out of a window.But I doubt it. *SIGH*There are two Star Wars TV series in the works. One is animated and one is live action. What I've heard is that Quinlan Vos, the white Jedi with dreads, will be featured in one of those series.

Our response: Pessoa is correct. Obi Wan and Anakin survived several falls from ill heights and were blasted with Force lightning. They were saved by the force of course (hey that rhymes). Now with lightning, it works with any form of electricity. It depends on the severity of it (in our respects, amps) and the length of time you are in contact with it. I have met several people who were electrocuted by the third rail in the New York City transit systems. the power there can flow between 50,000 volts to 600,000 volts.

In Mace Windu's case, he was fried before he was let go. Here is the scene from the book adaptation:

"Before he could follow through on his stroke, a sudden arc of blue plasma sheared through his wrist and hsi hand tumbled away with his lightsaber still in it and Palpatine roared back to his feet and lightning speared from the Sith Lord's hands and without his blade to catch it, the power of Palpatine's hate struck him full-on.

He had been so intent on Palpatine's shatterpoint that he'd never thought to look for Anakin's.

Dark Lightning blasted away his universe.

He fell forever." (p. 335)

Pretty much, he was gone before he fell. If he were alive, he would not have been strong enough to use the Force to save himself.

But Pessoa does mention a TV series. That is very correct. Rick Callum, one of the producers for the second trilogy of Star Wars mentioned way back in May 17th, that they would be working on a TV series. Goerge Lucas went on to say that they will be doing a live active series on Boba Fett. YOu can read it here and aqui. Lucas has admitted that he does not have a script and a 2006 release is definitely not in the plans. They are, however, looking for writers.

There are plans for a 3D animation of the Clone wars. So we may see a pre-Ep III Mace Windu there. So stand by ...

the Clone situation

Let me get this straight: So Emperor Palpatine continued to use clones? I was led to believe, from reading the Admiral Thrawn series, that Emperor Palpatine banned the use of clones and droids on a mass scale because someone might get the grand idea of making an army.

After reading Karen Traviss' Hard Contact (which is a good book by the way), we are told that all of the Clone Troopers will be dead or in a retirement home by the time SW: A New Hope comes into play. This makes sense because the clones were designed to age twice as fast as humans. If one does the math, in Ep II, Obi Wan flies to Kamino and learns that Master Sifo Dyas ordered a clone army ten years before he got there. So the 200,000 some odd clones that were ready to go were 20 years old (10X2). Ep III happens about 3 years after Ep II, making the older batch of clones 26 years old. SW: A New Hope (Ep IV) comes 18 years after the events in Ep III. So the survivors of the older batch of clones would be around 62 years and definitely not able to fight. The younger batches would be out of commission as well.

So i am reading the latest Star Wars Insider. The main piece was on the Clones. Here I learn that the Empire gets its clone templates from other sources. I thought that Carrida was the system that trained the StormTroopers (it was destroyed by the Jedi Kyp Durron and the Sun Crusher). We also know that the Empire had academies throughout the galaxy for pilots and technicians.

I guess I need to write to Lucas and his crew about this mess up. What do you guys think?

The Force

To answer Amadeo's question...

“The Force: Not Just Science Fiction”
Dan Tres Omi

Most can agree that what attracted a great number of people to the Star Wars (SW) universe was the concept of the Force and its adepts, the Jedi. Even Darth Vader, in his calm and dark demeanor, carried a certain confidence about him. Despite the evil path he took, his movements and reactions were smooth and confident because of his immersion in the Force. As we watched Luke Skywalker come of age in Return of the Jedi, we see his character grow in stature as he faced down Jabba the Hutt and his notorious crew. He did not even flinch when he faced the rancor. As he stood on the plank overlooking the Sarlacc pit and his friends were helplessly frantic, Luke turned around and asked Jabba to reconsider his decision or face doom. Again, his strength in the Force made him as hard as stone. George Lucas did not make this idea of the Force out of thin air. According to the interview he did with Vanity Fair shortly before the release of Revenge of the Sith (ROTS), Lucas was inspired by The Hero With a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell. Campbell published the book in 1948 and it was welcomed with much praise. Campbell through extensive research discusses the similarities found in the myths in hundreds of the world. He demonstrates that all myths pretty much follow the same pattern. After reading this book, the two SW trilogies are understood from the standpoint of modern mythmaking.

“It would not be too much to say that myth is the secret opening
through which the inexhaustible energies of the cosmos pour
into human cultural manifestations. Religions, philosophies, arts,
the social forms of primitive and historic man, prime discoveries
in science and technology, the very dreams that blister sleep, boil
up from the basic, magic ring of myth.”1

It is no lie that Lucas used many concepts from several myths spanning at least half a dozen cultures. The actual idea of the Force is similar the concept used by several Asian based martial arts “chi.” In Taoism, chi is described as the “breath of life.”2 In Taoism, it is understood that natural forces, not the gods, generate the chi that fuels creation and causes all to come to birth.3 In The Phantom Menace (TPM), we learn about the midichlorians. These are microscopic beings or in our case, the natural forces, that generate the energy (chi) that fuels the universe.

Chi is not a concept that is central to just Tao. It is also found in other cultures. The Japanese called it “Qi.” The Yoruba of West Africa call it “Aşe” (pronounced Ah-shay). They consider it the energy that permeates everything much like the Force 4 The Ancient Egyptians called it the “Ba.”5 Even though Campbell does not discuss the concept of the energy force found in several belief systems throughout the world, his book encourages the reader to do the research. Many have stated that the Jedi have reminded them of the Samurai or the Knights Templar. Both groups were warrior monks who studied not just martial culture but the arts and promoted the spread of knowledge. In India, “guru” can be broken down into two parts: “gu” means to dissipate, while “ru” is darkness. One can equate a Jedi to an Indian guru.

This is only scratching the surface. There are several movies that deal with many of these concepts. We are hoping that as followers of the SW universe, one can do further research on this topic. It explains how Lucas completed his vision of a modern mythology. Several critics of SW have made this assessment and this description cannot be disputed. There are several people who are baffled at the reason a person of color is remotely interested in these trilogies. It is much deeper than cool lightsaber scenes and fly ass spaceships.

1Campbell, Joseph, The Hero With A Thousand Faces: 3.
2Simpkins, C. Alexander & Simpkins, Annellen, Simple Taoism: A Guide to Living in Balance: 85.
3Palmer, Martin, The Elements of Taoism: 5.
4Capoeira, Nestor, Roots of the Dance-Fight-Game: 53. Actually the fonts on the United States microsoft office software does not allow one to write the “s” with an accent on the bottom. It has been written as “ashe” in English since the Yoruba do not have a “h” in their written language. It has also been written as “axe” in Brazilian Portuguese. For our purposes, it will be written “aşe.”
5Akbar, Na'im, The Light from Ancient Africa: 10.

Otro Book Review from the the BX Jedi

Star Wars: Dark Nest II, The Unseen Queen

by Troy Denning

Four and a half out of Five Stars.

Troy Denning continues the post NJO/Yuuzhan Vong saga with much more mystery and more characters. In the first installment of the Dark Nest saga , we are reintroduced to several characters from the original Star Wars trilogy and the ones we have grown to love from the NJO series. Even though Denning left Part I of the Dark Nest trilogy in a nice and tight manner, the Killiks and the Chiss continue to make aggressive moves towards one another. The Galactic Alliance is once again caught in the middle and this time, Cal Omas, Galactic Alliance Chief of State is forcing the Jedi's hands.

The Killiks are in a bad situation and they blame the Jedi for "tricking" them. So they proceed to send their colonies near the Chiss borders. This infuriates the Chiss who start to amass their military along the border. In the meantime, the Killiks are shipping out dark ambrosia, an alcoholic type elixir that has many of the insect species throughout the galaxy addicted. To make things worse, the Killiks are giving the galaxies pirates and smugglers safe haven in their new found galaxy. Remember that after the war with the Yuuzhan Vong, the galaxy is in shambles with several criminals taking advantage of the situation.

Luke, Han, Leia, Mara, and a few other Jedi decide to head to the Killik's new homeworld to investigate. Raynar "Unu" Thul, accuses them of tricking them into a disaster. Luke and Han decide to stay as "hostages" as Leia and Mara try to alleviate the situation with the Galactic Alliance (GA). What a bad move.

Several things happen such as Leia getting arrested by the GA military. The Jedi pretty much setting off a war between the Chiss and the GA. Jacen Solo causes much more trouble. The Jedi Council is forced to take a new leader in the absence of Luke, and the Jedi Order splits.

Overall, the book is great. Denning really makes a mess of things and forces to reader to impatiently anticipate the third installment. Cal Omas really shows his ill political side. It's interesting to see how Jacen continues to push the idea of how the Jedi now view the living Force. He also does some pretty interesting things.

The highlights are watching the Jedi fight off the GA and then turn around and aid them in fighting the Killiks. We also really see the extent of Luke's jedi powers. We have not seen this much of Luke at work since the Grand Admiral Thrawn days. He is not only powerful in the raw sense but he can perform several actions at once. Ben Skywalker is now an "apprentice" to Jacen Solo and it gets real interesting. He is finally opening up and using the force and it seems that he will grow up to be the most powerful Jedi ever.

Alema Rar also returns to cause much havoc. Raynar Thul however is reduced to an idiotic joiner who keeps getting duped by the Dark Nest. We are introduced to Nek B'wathu, a Bothan admiral, who immediately takes a dislike to the Jedi. Much of this is probably due to the friction between the Jedi and the former Bothan head of the Galatic Senate who blamed the Yuuzhan Vong invasion on the Jedi. The Bothans seem to look forward to conflict and are always vying for positions of power. It will be interesting to see how it plays out.

I was really amped to see Gavin Darklighter return. He is forced to arrest the Jedi and even gets a star destroyer stolen from him. Man, I can't wait to get the next installment.

Another Book Review

Review of

Star Wars: The Last of the Jedi, The Desperate Mission

By Jude Watson

Warning: There are spoilers in this review. If you do not want to know what transpires in this chronicle please do not read any further.

To be honest, it was our resident Jedi Consular who convinced me to read the SW young adult novels. Before that, I refused to read them. Yet I learned the error of my ways after reading the Young Adult novels that happened before Episode I. I was able to learn much about the Jedi temple, the padawans, and the Jedi Council that the other EU novels or DH comics did not cover.

When I learned that there were going to be Young Adult novels that take place right after Ep III, I looked forward to reading them. When I realized that Jude Watson, who authored the post Ep I Young Adult novels that focused on Obi Wan and Anakin Skywalker as a padawan, I knew I would be in for a treat.

The story takes place a few months after the events in Ep III. We are reintroduced to a solemn yet frantic Obi Wan Kenobi who is now known as Ben Kenobi to the inhabitants of Tattoine and the revelers in Mos Eisley. Every day he pretty much stays outside of the Lars home (Owen and Beru, who take Luke Skywalker in at the end of Ep III) watching over Luke from sun up to sun down. Then he returns to his desert hovel in the Jundland Wastelands.

While making his occasional excursions into Mos Eisley to keep tabs on the Empire, he overhears a discussion about a former padawan who quit the order named Ferus Olin (who were introduced in earlier Jude Watson novels) who is wanted by the Empire. After conferring with the astral form of Qui Gon Jinn, Kenobi heads to Bellassa in the Ussa system.

Bellassa is a planet that originally refused to conform to the Empire's new order. So the Empire decided to make Bellassa an example to any who would defy the Emperor. Due to the military takeover, removal of the elected governor, and the replacement with an Imperial officer, a small rebel faction is created spearhead by Olin. Ironically Olin, who is an inspiration to those who are openly supportive of the rebellion and does who aren't, has "forgotten" his Jedi ways. Kenobi ensures that he "remembers."

The book demonstrates Kenobi's strength in the Force and also gives us a glimpse of the SW universe directly after Ep III. The clone troopers are now known as Stormtroopers. The Jedi are hunted and their contributions are pretty much forgotten. What makes this story important is the fact that Olin with the help of Kenobi, helps to plant the seeds of rebellion that would later become the Alliance in SW: A New Hope.

I also like the fact that Obi Wan Kenobi continues to blame himself for Anakin's road to the darkside. It shows that Kenobi has a concious and is very strong. He feels that everything that is happening in the galaxy is a result of the decisions that he has made. People suffer because of hise heartfelt duty to his former master to train Anakin. Even though Qui Gon tries to convince him otherwise, he takes the burden anyway. It's ill to see this conflict and it shows us that he is not the invincible Jedi we come to love. He is a human being. To compound this feeling, we are re-introduced to Olin, a person who left the Order because of Anakin and even warned Kenobi about the path that Anakin would eventually take several years before his fall to the dark side. So Kenobi is faced with this memory again. When Olin asks where Anaking was, Kenobi bends the truth and says he died in the purge.

The only flaw is that the Stormtroopers are relegated to being dumb ass flesh droids. During the Clone Wars, we learn to see them as more than clones. They are seen as professional and efficient soldiers who can not only follow orders but can improvise and think creatively. In this book, we see them as bumbling idiots who stumble all over each other like keystone cops. One would think that after ridding the galaxy of almost all of the Jedi, capturing or killing, heck even hurting, one Jedi Master and a washed up one would be a cinch.

Overall, the book is worth reading. This is the first in a series so there will be more revelations to come.