The Art of Star Wars, Episode III by Jonathan Rinzler

Review by Dan Tres OMi (Brother Omi)

There are several books from the SW universe that we miss here at Star Wars for Colored Folks. Billie Wheelz, X-man, and I can't get to all of them. It seems as if everytime I turn around, a new one pops up. I stumbled upon this one by accident. Normally, I keep very far away from this genre since it seems to be a marketing ploy on the part of the Hollywood types. Then I forget, this is Lucas, a marketing genius in the fact that he gets us to buy stuff but we always learn that's well worth its weight in gold.

The Art of Star Wars, Episode III by Jonathan Rinzler, considered a coffee table book by many, is well worth every penny. The Art... is a SW trivia buff's cornucopia. There are pages of sketches, paintings, and other artists' renditions that never made the cut. It demonstrates Lucas' creative freedom and the ability he gave his artists to brainstorm.

The artwork is breathtaking. The scenes that were cut makes one wish the movie was longer. There were several versions of Kashykkk and Mustafar that were cut. There were several pieces of storm trooper armor that were never used. There were storylines that were removed (such as Boba Fett's revenge where he kills Mace Windu). The artists in the Lucas camp were even going to let Mace Windu live!

There are several treats that I could let out of the bag, but I would rather let the reader learn about them on their own. THe book is highly suggested but not needed to keep abreast of what is going on in the SW universe. It could be used to win those SW trivia questions.

Outbound Flight by Timothy Zahn

Review by Dan Tres OMi (Brother OMi)

Editor's Note: We find that before you purchase Outbound Flight, you should read the Admiral Thrawn series (which takes place about 7 years after ROTJ) and Survivor's Quest (which takes place right before the Yuuzhan Vong invasion). The characters in Outbound Flight appeared in these novels several years before. It will bring a better understanding of their connection.

For several Star Wars EU fans, like the Clone Wars, the Outbound Flight project was a mission shrouded in secrecy. When Grand Admiral Thrawn first appeared on the scene, he definitely brought back the excitement after the death of Palpatine and Vader. Here was the Empire's finest military tactician who was unbeatable. He returns from fighting in the Outer Rim territories and pretty much rolls back all the progress the Rebel Alliance made in just a few months. Coupled with the even more mysterious Jedi clone Jorus C'baoth, Admiral Thrawn gave the Alliance a run for their money. It was in the Thrawn series, that Timothy Zahn introduces the readers to the Outbound Flight project. Luke Skywalker learns that C'baoth perished on the Outbound Flight and Admiral Thrawn was connected to its destruction.

Fast forward almost a decade later and Zahn gives us Survivor's Quest. The Chiss, the species from the Unknown Regions that Thrawn is a member of, summon Luke and Mara Jade. The Chiss have found the remains of the Outbound Flight mission. They arrive to find several humans who survived the assault and crash. Even though we learn more about the Chiss, Thrawn, and Outbound Flight, we still don't really learn what actually happened. No one really knows whether Thrawn destroyed the expedition and what happened to the Jedi on board.

Never fear, Lucas is here. Zahn, an accomplished writer, returns with Outbound Flight. Here he gives us the details of the ship, who spearheaded the expedition and its mission. Six dreadnaugths are linked together by several pylons that work in unison. Sixteen Jedi and 50,000 people including their families are chosen to fly past the Unknown Regions of space.
Of course, galaxy renowned Jedi Joruss C'baoth is adamant about this mission. Like several Jedi, he was becoming disenchanted with the way the Republic was being run and felt it would be a good idea if he set up colonies outside of the REpublic. However, the Senate has other ideas and planned to scrap the project. C'baoth pretty much strong arms the Senate and the Jedi Council (who are skeptical of C'baoth and place Obi Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker on the job).

We learn quite a few things in Outbound Flight. One is that Palpatine secretly set up the mission to rid himself of more of the Jedi. He sensed that C'baoth knew that the Republic was in danger from something elusive. C'baoth was also a very powerful Jedi and Palpatine understood that he must get rid of him. The Outbound Flight project was secretly sanctioned by the Jedi Council because they were still looking for Vergere. They had reason to believed that she was taken outside of the Unknown Regions.

As usual Zahn's writing is superb. He really brings out Thrawn's genius. Of course, Thrawn is young and not yet in his prime but his military acumen is astounding. He continues to beat several opponents even though he is outnumbered and outgunned each time. The capital ship battles are exciting (something I wished the Star Wars EU would have more of). We are introduced to several Jedi. What makes this important is that almost all the Jedi, except C'baoth, question their committment to the Republic. Zahn really introduces how several non- Jedi felt about the Jedi in general through the human and alien characters he introduces. Several see them as baby snatchers and mind controllers. Quite a few believe that being away from the REpublic is a much better prospect. C'baoth on the other hand is arrogant and very condescending to non Jedi. He causes much chaos with the crew of his ship.

Even though Zahn does a great job in answering several questions such as how Outbound Flight was destroyed, how did Thrawn get kicked out of Chiss space by his own people, etc., he still leaves many questions unanswered. C'baoth's madness was evident but how come no one noticed? How did he become a clone? What was the source of his madness? I felt that this book should have answered this question. Yet Zahn left C'baoth a bigger mystery than ever before. We already knew he was mad.

The book is a must read and there are several topics of discussion I deliberately left out.

Vergere/Jacen's view of the Force...

Amadeo asked... How do you guys hold with the Theory of the force that Vergere espoused to Jacen Solo..

Our Response... Amadeo did bring this up before. We explain that we would hold back since many people did not read the Yuuzhan Vong Series and many did not know the fate of Jacen
Solo yet. We debated on whether we should discuss this now or wait. We felt that folks could just go to starwars.com to get the background on her.

Vergere was a Jedi who was sent on a mission before the Clone Wars to find the "Living Planet" Zonoma Sekot. Her species is Fosh and when she appears again, folks don't know what she is. THis took place in the book "Rogue Planet." While there she was kidnapped by the Yuuzhan Vong and taken outside of the galaxy . She comes back to the fore almost forty standard years later. She is now a "familiar" of the Vong priestess Elan. THe Yuuzhan Vong studied her but had no idea she was a jedi.

WHen she encounters the Jedi, they have no idea what to make of her. SHe does not exhibit any force powers at all. Her "tears" save the life of Mara Jade Skywalker. Later she encounters Jacen during the Myrkr mission and captures him (this is done in the phenomenal "Star by Star" and is one of the most memorable Star Wars Jedi missions ever). In "Traitor" (which in my opinion is the best Star wars book on the Force, ever), Vergere "tortures" Jacen and takes him on as an apprentice. She escapes the Yuuzhan Vong occupied Coruscant with him.

Vergere's approach to the Force is radically different but makes perfect sense. She claims that there is no dark or light side but the Unifying Force. She claims that a jedi can use Force lightning for good as an example. The Force doesn't cause anyone to be good or bad, that choice is left to the individual. People can be light or dark . the FOrce just is. This is where the similarities between the Force and Chi or Ase can come in. The Chi or Ase (in west africa) just is. It does not make anyone bad or good, that choice is left up to the individual.

Jacen introduces this concept to Luke. He is very skeptical since the Force concept he teaches has been around for thousands of years is all he knows. All of a sudden, this alien being with questionable motives appears. Yet when you look at the history of the Force, there have been several Jedi, most recently Kyp Durron, who have used the Force in questionable ways to beat evil. Some have become dark jedi because they could not control their emotions or became too selfish and wanted to serve self.

I don't want to get into detail into what Vergere taught Jacen but later on this concept serves Jacen very well. Luke eventually accepts this doctrine. He removes the Jedi Code and allows Jedi's to work according to their own conscience. However the Jedi runs into many problems.

I find this concept advantageous for several reasons. One is that the Jedi are not bogged down by some strict Code. That was the problem with the Jedi who lived during the Republic. It forced them to serve a corrupt Republic. This concept of the Unifying Force also allows the Jedi to recognize other ways to use the Force. During the Republic era, if you did not adhere to the JEdi Code one was considered Rogue and was hunted down. The Unifying Force embraces all ways except the Sith. Another reason is that it allowed everyone to develop on their own speed. No one is abandoned and anyone is free to come and go as they please. IN other words, no restrictions. You serve the Force and no one else. Another dope reason its great is that the Jedi are allowed to marry, have children, and have contact with their families instead of allthis detachment stuff.

However, this concept can cause problems if you have thousands and thousands of Jedi. They would have to kept in line. Luke experiences this later on.

Questions and Things

First, I want to apologize. We have been slacking on the Q&A. We also promised that my son would be making entries. Well, he sort of SNAFU'ed that when we got his report card. It was not good. So we had to remove the fictional books and make him refocus. He is back on track. We spoke over the weekend and he will have something ready for April, so stay tuned.

SOme of you asked questions, so we will answer them...

KG asked:
Question, did Vader kill Roan Shryne? When they are on the platform fighting it doesn't say he finishes him off (even though he's beaten into pulp).

Our reply:
It's one of those dramatic action scenes that are built up in a book and then never really finished but is assumed that it happened that way. Shryne, even though he was a minor character in the SW universe, played a big role in keeping Darth Vader in the Dark Side. You can say he was the tipping point. BUt yes, Vader merced him.

KG also asked:
what became of Quin Lon Vos (<-spl?). I read in the comic book of how he survived Order 66, killed some clones, then reunited with newly born child. What becomes of Vos and his child?

Our Reply:
To be honest, i am behind on the Republic comic book series. My co-blogger, Billie Wheelz the Jedi Consular, has kept up with it. I will make sure he does an entry on it. BUT there was a comic book published by Dark Horse way before the Ep III was put down on paper. It was Star Wars Tales: Ghost and it featured a young Han Solo who meets Quinlan Vos. For more info check here...

KG asked us as well:
Did you guys get to read Outbound Flight yet??

Our Reply:
We gettin' there brother, we are...

Don't Forget to scroll down and read the other new entries.
THanks again...

It's Only Right...

I know this is supposed to be a blog about Star Wars but I felt that as a person of African descent, it was important that we paid homage to Octavia Butler. Personally, it is a tremendous loss for me. I really admired her work. It was top notch. But other folks had better things to say about her than I did. I decided to post them here.

But Dream Hampton (remember her?), wrote a nice piece on her in the Village Voice. I particularly love this part:

Like most science fiction, hers was primarily concerned with the master-slave relationship. She hated the idea that her Xenogenesis trilogy, the story of generations of Earth's refugees who "pay the rent" with their reproductive systems, could be read as an allegory of the psychosexual torment of plantation life. The Patternist series, which culminates in the 1980 magnum opus Wild Seed, features one of literature's most terrifying villains, the body-snatching Doro. He tracks Anyanwu, a shape-shifter and healer hundreds of years old, to 18th-century Africa. There he forces her to spawn his progeny. She becomes his great love and the only protection her generations of children have from his merciless appetite for fresh flesh. Anyanwu, most at home in her early-twenties body, is beyond fierce: Imagine a Pam Grier who makes the middle passage both as a slave and a dolphin.

NPR has an interview clip of her from 2004. It's real dope. check it aqui...

Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu stated about Butler: Octavia’s fiction contained a lot of firsts for me: Black people and people of color featured at the forefront of stories set in well imagined strange worlds and situations. Stories where race and gender were thoughtfully factored and woven into the type of fiction that I’ve loved since I could read. The most memorable characters I’ve ever read.

On Amardeep Singh's site, she quotes: What good is any form of literature to Black people? What good is science fiction's thinking about the present, the future, and the past? What good is its tendency to warn or to consider alternative ways of thinking and doing? What good is its examination of the possible effects of science and technology, or social organization and political direction? At its best, science fiction stimulates imagination and creativity. It gets reader and writer off the beaten track, off the narrow, narrow footpath of what "everyone" is saying, doing, thinking--whoever "everyone" happens to be this year. And what good is all this to Black people? ("Positive Obsession" 134-35)

The seattle Times wrote a nice piece on her. they interviewed the right folks and just really showed her genius.

Keep Shinin', sister.

Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader Review by Dan Tres OMi

It's very easy to assume that after the events of Episode III that Anakin Skywalker had no qualms about being Darth Vader. After betraying the only real family you had after the death of your mother, leaving your wife for dead, and killing babies, Anakin fought to suppress the demons that were consuming him. It's also easy to assume that for 18 years after those events in Episode III, that Anakin Skywalker simply forgot those things.

James Luceno does a wonderful job describing the torment within Darth Vader. For those of you familiar with his work on The Unifying Force and The Labrinyth of Evil (a Episode III prequel that is a must read), will understand that Luceno provides a vivid background before giving the reader the meat of the story. He does the same in Dark Lord...

The first 50 or so pages takes us to the outer Rim world of Murkhana, moments before Order No. 66 where we meet Jedi Master Roan Shyrne, a Jedi who lost a padawan and has become disenchanted with the Clone Wars and the Jedi Order. He questions his committment the Republic and approaches his situation from a pessimistic fashion. He is working with Jedi Master Bol Chatak and her padawan Olee Starstone. Once Order No. 66 is given, all three Jedi must make a decision that will change their lives forever.

Darth Vader realizes that he has made some bad decisions. He continues to blame Obi Wan Kenobi and the Jedi Order for his predicament but he realizes that Palpatine has not come through on several of his promises. He realizes that he is just a lap dog that Palpatine sics on his enemies. Palpatine has not taught him any Sith secrets. Vader also realizes that his suit hinders him and that the raw power he once wielded is spent just keeping himself alive.

What makes the book work so well is the confusion that is sown after Order No. 66. No one except Vader and Palpatine seem to know what's going on. Many Jedi (more are introduced throughout the book) assume that Darth Vader was the Sith Lord who manipulated Palpatine and the Senate. No one knows that Vader is Anakin. The Jedi also have no clue that the Jedi Council has been wiped out. They get the transmission to return to the temple and while enroute are told to escape and hide (as shown in Episode III). The confusion created by Palpatine demonstrates the genius of his plan.

Luceno offers the reader more surprises throughout the book as more background information is provided to fill in the holes left by Episode III. We learn that there are clone troopers that refuse to carry out Order No. 66. This brings more realism to the story. Several clone troopers grow to respect the Jedi and refuse to kill them.

To be honest, the only beef with Dark Lord is the fact that Vader realizes he is being used but does not act on it. Instead, he chooses to assume the Darth Vader persona and completely forget about Anakin. Luceno provides several reasons for that but one would think that with all that anger, he would immediately turn on Palpatine (which happens 21 years later in ROTJ Ep VI).
Overall, the book is a must have.

Noticias and a point to make...

If you can, pick up the latest Star Wars Insider. They have a great article on Mandolarian culture AND a nice piece on what audiences will see now that the saga is complete. It's an ill piece that makes you think. What made the original trilogy so dope was the fact that there was so much mystery and Lucas held back much information. It made the prequels exciting for us when we watched it. but what about people who were born after the original trilogy? Or those who saw the prequels first (I know folks like that).

I can't count my son because his mother, his uncle, and I kind of like conditioned him to be a Star Wars fan from our perspective. So like us, the mystery kept him hooked. BUt it's an ill take. What do you think?

Update on TV series :

From TheForce.net, ( interview with Lucasfilm's Steve Sansweet over at Movieweb.com )

Steve Sansweet: We're doing it in two phases. The first is Star Wars animation, which is CG 3-dimensional animation, like a Toy Story, that takes place during the period of the Clone Wars that takes place between Episodes 2 and 3. And that we're setting for Fall of 2007. Preproduction is underway, we're doing animation test, people are working on initial scripts. So we're well under way on that. And George is very much taking hand and is very much part of the whole process. I know some people thought maybe he would just hey "hey, go do it," but George is Star Wars and he's always gonna be very closely involved in this.The other project is live action, and the live action is going to take place between Episode 3 and Episode 4. We're looking at a 1 hour show and [Producer] Rick McCallum has said the ideal would be to come up with 100 hours to really get into the story line and characters, and that's the direction we're going in. So that is really targeted more towards the end of the decade."

It's on!!!!

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Revisiting Jar Jar Binks....

Unfortunately, white SW fans don't get our beef with Jar Jar Binks. Of course, they agree that his character was plain wack but they don't get the idea that for us, it's a throwback to minstrel shows. the white SW fans didn't peep that his accent was West Indian. Lucas, who considers himself racially sensitive and he does his thing, couldn't understand it either. Of course, he was trying to make a cute hero for the kiddies but the true fans of SW who are mostly parents now would have taken to see their babies ANYWAY.

the other day I ran into this white SW fan and he brought up the Jar Jar Binks situation. I tried to convey to him the racial implications of it but he did not get it. I left forced to being satisfied that we both agreed it was wack and a huge mistake that Lucas made (he is human right).

THe crazy thing is that he is played by Ahmed Best who is now playing lead for a jazz fusion band. I feel like booking his band, then getting the entire audience to just boo him....

Some more treats

-- A new reader has made an ill post on their blog... it's too funny. big up to Dallas Pen for this one...here is the link. THanks brothers and sisters, keep them coming...

-- another fan film on Stormtroopers

-- African Magazine looking for comics submissions here..

-- Lateef Crowder ( a brother's footsteps I plan on following, if my wife lets me) in Tom Yung Goong.

-- if you can make it The Fifth Annual Cine Noir: A Festival of Black Film will be held March 2-5, 2006, at Cameron Art Museum and Cape Fear Museum in Wilmington, NC. feat. Dwayne McDuffie (if you don't know who he is , then you don't know)

-- oh yeah i found this , The Nubian Cantina...

Can't say I don't love you all...

A few things to note...

First, I apologize to Amadeo for not getting back to him. Star Wars: Recovery was an ebook that I never read. I did learn that it was to be printed in front of a paperback version of an NJO stand alone story but it never happened.

The story takes place after the Yuuzhan Vong attack Duros and leave Princess Leia terribly injured. Fortunately for me, it did not disrupt the storyline in the Yuuzhan Vong series. Like Amadeo, I learned that it was supposed to take place before the Edge of Victory series but was published afterwards.

Again, we apologize for that.

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I also want to apologize with my son's entries. He is in between moving so he has no access to a computer. His school does not allow him access to yahoo so we have to freak it. It will be coming soon. So stand by.

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Also the Unofficial Clone Wars site is now 3 years old. Happy birthday, clones. The site has great essays on topics spanning the clone wars. preddy dope. they get as deep as we do but not as esoteric. They also describe several battles that take place in detail so if you don't read the comic books, you can catch up. Check them out when you can.

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Battle of Endor

The second best thing to Jedi's in the SW universe are space battles. Unfortunately, there aren't enough. The Admiral Thrawn series was great because there were many of them. The NJO series Enemy Lines: Rebel Stand and Rebel Dream were also good when it came to space battles.

If anyone remembers Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, they will remember the space battle over the Moon of Endor. As Han Solo, Leia, Chewbacca, several rebels and the Ewoks attempted to destroy the shield generator, Rebel capital ships led by Admiral Ackbar, faced off against the Death Star II, several Star Destroyers, one Ship Interdictor, and one Super Star Destroyer.

According to Wookiepedia, there were 40 Imperial Class Star Destroyers and several Imperial cruisers and frigates versus 25 Mon Calamari Star Cruisers, 10 Nebulon B Frigates, and several other cruisers that were originally built to carry supplies but outfitted to become battle ships. Not to mention the thousands of star fighters such as Ties and X-wings.

The Emperor amassed several of his best fleet officers at this point. He set a trap for the Rebel Alliance and felt that one crushing blow would finally defeat them. Many argue that building another Death Star was an idiotic move not just because of the expenses but because of its initial defeat in Episode IV. The Emperor may have felt (no one has confirmed this) that if he defeated the Rebel Alliance, the flaw would not have mattered anyway.

Unfortunately for him, Han Solo and his crew were successful in their gamble to destroy the shield generator and forgot about the military astuteness of Admiral Ackbar who was once a slave to Grand Moff Tarkin, where he learned a thing or two about space battling. This defeat was a crushing blow to the Empire not just because of the death of the Emperor.

Later Admiral Pellaeon, who would survive as an Imperial all the way past the Yuuzhan Vong war, stated that many good and capable officers were lost in that battle particularly when the Super Star Destroyer Executor , Vader's flagship, crashed into the Death Star and when the Death Star II was destroyed. He felt that was when officers who were ambitious for power instead of doing their duty split the Empire and became warlords.

It was with this battle, that the Rebel Alliance gained more allies throughout the galaxy. Unfortunately, the new version of Ep VI shows people cheering on Coruscant and other planets as if the Empire fell, but this is not so. It takes another 5 years to retake Coruscant and another 10 to finally beat the Empire for good.

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?