Tatooine Ghost

[longingfor2005]

In 2003 they are going to release a book called "Tatooine ghost" where Leia goes to Mos Espa in search of an old ALderann artifact being sold on the black market. She is going to meet someone who will tell her the story of her mother and father and what happened to starting from when her parents were born leading up to and including the events in AOTC. The entire novel is about Laie earing the story of her parents and how she reacts to this knowledge as she hears it. Is anybody but me feel like screaming HECK YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!! I've been waiting for someone to release a book about this

Who do you think Leia meets who would know her late parents so well?

My money's is on either Watto or Kitster

[QuigonWindu]

Thats gonna be cool. I cant wait to get it.

[Keiran_Halcyon]

I am all for this book. That's been one of my major peeves about the EU since I began reading it. It always seemed that Leia or Luke one would have found out some information about their parents along the way. To have put it off this long was one of the major annoyances to me.

[QuigonWindu]

My only problem is that it's supposed to take place so soon after the original trilogy. I'm not exactly sure when it takes place but thats when I heard it was supposed to take place

[Blizzard]

Who is writing it and where did you hear about it. I haven't heard about it yet.

[longingfor2005]

Originally posted by Blizzard@June 25 2002 - 22:16
Who is writing it and where did you hear about it. I haven't heard about it yet.
go to www.starwars.com

its a website run by lucasfilms that has a massive databank on all things star wars related. At that website i found a there was a link on the main page that led me to an article about this book :)

[longingfor2005]

Heres a horribly disturbing thought.................... what if Leia meets up with Jar Jar and he's the one who tells her about her late parents

[threeP0]

I hope it's Watto, but I don't know how he would possess that knowledge. Watto is one of my favorite characters in the whole saga.

[cmulligan01]

These details cited are from TOS. Along with that text is another so-so cover.

Going by what is said just from TOS TG looks to take place between CoPL and HttE.

[Nathan Butler]

Okay, back the bus up a moment.

First off, the summary on TOS says nothing about Luke and Leia's mother. It says she is going to learn enough about Anakin's past to make her less wary of the Skywalker bloodline in deciding whether or not to have children.

Second, it says nothing about how much of Anakin's past of what parts of Anakin's past she will discover. If it's someone on Tatooine telling the story, it would make far more sense for it to be Leia learning of Anakin up until the time he left Tatooine in the first place. It would certainly be more fitting if she is wondering how Skywalker children would be as they grew up, rather than seeing how Anakin was in the Clone Wars era. "Oh, look, daddy was a great war leader, so, of course, his grandkids would be just DARLING!"

Third, we're talking about a MAJOR continuity problem here, and given the way Del Rey has been attempting to fix past flubs lately (while Dark Horse seems to enjoy inventing all new ones), its doubtful they'll toss out the next decades of angst over lack of mother information (particulary that entire 1/3 of the BFC novels) with a new novel. The last time they threw out something that blatantly was when the Trioculus books went into the can after they decided to go with COPL and leave Skylark out of the picture as an entity.

So, much as we might like the description opver at TOS, let's not jump to any possibly false conclusions and help feel another continuity argument until we have a bit more information.

[JonBob]

Tatooine Ghost does not necessarily have to discount the BFC. It could have nothing to do with Padme, it could be about Shmi and young Anakin. I enjoyed the BFC and would be disapointed if it was screwed over. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif

[Blizzard]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>go to www.starwars.com

its a website run by lucasfilms that has a massive databank on all things star wars related. [/b][/quote]

I know what TOS is. LOL! But I don't need to go there. We have Nathan! :lol:

[Nathan Butler]

::bows::

It's m'job, ma'am.

[Rogue_0009]

I heard it takes place after COPL and if you paid attention in the BFC you'd realize that the whole "mother" thing was made up

[Executor]

Well, I'm really lookin' forward to this. It has got a stunning cover and a plot I'm slowly starting to get mad about; and I can't help myself. Two problems here, though:

1. What will it be that Leia will learn while on Tatooine? *Well, I have no idea, but we just have to hope Denning will not mess it up with BFC trilogy, and with some other stuff as well; e.g. Leia getting familiar with her Skywalker's heritage throughout the Planet of Twilight. But I expect Denning being a hell of a writer, being given him a honor to contribute with Star by Star, so in my opinion he will not mess it up. So the first problem is solved.
style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/satisfied.gif

2. And who would tell her about whatever Leia is supposed to hear? Well, many hope it will be Wattoo (including me), but it is not likely to be. I have heard on theforce.net that Wattoo is too old for a Toydarian even during AotC, so we can't really expect him surviving another 30 or so years until Tatooine Ghost. A pity, but the second problem solved as well...
:mad:

[Whuffa]

Yes! I'm very excited about this book, 'cause I've been longing for a New Republic or Classic era book for about two years! I think Leia will learn just a few things about Anakin that'll make her see he wasn't such a bad guy after all. Perhaps about his childhood as a slave? I mean, that's when he left Tatooine, and if anyone on Tatooine knows anything about him, It'll have to be something about the first 9 years of his life. I think that Luke & Leia will discover much more about Anakin and Padmé in a post-NJO book that will be released after EP 3 is out. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/thumbsup.gif

[Nathan Butler]

Rogue: Uhm, duh. What I (we) meant is that there would be no point for the mother search to even take place in BFC if Leia were to learn the same sought-after information several years earlier in TG.

[QuigonWindu]

I wonder who the "informant" Leia will talk to is. The only people that had any contact with Ani during the time between TPM and AOTC are the jedi. But i doubt it would be any jedi spirits.

[Nathan Butler]

That's what worries me, actually. It could very well be that she only learns information from someone like Kister, who would only be able to tell her about Anakin's family life and such up to TPM, but not past it. Pretty much everyone else they have contact with in AOTC, unless we're assuming there's a few talkative Jawas or Tuskens out there, is dead by the time of Tatooine Ghost.

So, perhaps a list of his contacts is in order?

1.) Kister
2.) Aimee
3.) Watto
4.) Wald
5.) Greedo the Elder (see NEGtC)
6.) Cliegg Lars
7.) Owen Lars
8.) Beru Lars
9.) Jira

Kister, Aimee, and Wald might still be around, but Cliegg, Jira, and Watto were probably too old. We also know that Greedo the Elder dies before ANH, and Owen and Beru die during ANH. The list seems fairly short, unless there's someone they will meet in Episode III on Tatooine that we've yet to meet . . .

[Whuffa]

I'm not expecting they'll find out much, but nevertheless, I am so looking forward to this book! style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/hehe.gif

[Chrono]

Personally, I'm dreading this book. Not only is it going to be hardcover, which are notorious for being massive wastes of money, but the story really doesn't sound that interesting. After watching Episode II, we learn there really IS nothing going on on Tatooine. It's a dreadfully dull planet.

This also will be coming out long before Episode III comes out, and we know the final fate of Anakin Skywalker. Well, okay, we know the FINAL fate, but we don't see exactly how it happens. Until after Episode III comes out, we won't know how much is hidden about Anakin and Padme.

My guess is that anyone she could possibly talk to would be Watto. The only problem with that reasoning is he should be long dead by then. It's a tough plot. Leia might end up speaking with one of Anakin's child playmates that we saw in Episode I.

Either way, this particular plot has me less interested than the plot in Vanilla Sky, and speculation is just a wasted effort... In my opinion. But what do I know?

[Whuffa]

You have some good points there Chrono, and I would be afraid if Troy Denning wasn't writing it. I mean after SbS, dull is the last thing I'm expecting from this guy. Plus, it's in the New Republic era, an era we haven't seen in novels for three years! style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/thumbsup.gif

IMHO - I can't wait!

[Nathan Butler]

Chrono: You didn't like Vanilla Sky? Blasphemy! style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif

[Whuffa]

Open Your Eyes (the original, spanish version) was OK IMHO, and when I watched Vanilla Sky, I felt the movie was being butchered.

But I guess this is off topic...

[Handothrawn]

I have a pretty far out idea so bare with me. The book is called Tatooine Ghost right? Maybe she meets this middle-aged woman named Shmi, this Shmi tells Leia that Anakin once gave without thought of reward, and that he knew nothing of greed, such is the way of a slave's life. But as Leia turns to leave Shmi's home, she turns to ask a final question, but there is no one there style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/exclamation.gif

[Shoma Barad]

"Leia... your father was a race car driver..."

"No.. that's not true... thats impossible!"

style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif

~~shoma

[Mann]

handothrawn, thank you! i was wondering when someone would think about the whole GHOST thing. Shmi seems like a good bet on that theory. She was the mother of Anakin, so she could come to Leia in a vision. I could see her doing that. or we could have a JEdi help her, maybe Qui Gon? he could be there to tell Leia about Anakin's decent to the Dark side.

[Shoma Barad]

Anakin was strong in the Force, not Shmi... if she were, Qui-Gon would've picked up on it.

As for Qui-Gon appearing... i doubt it. The only instances of people appearing as a spirit that we are certain of are Obi Wan, Yoda and Anakin- We saw Obi-Wan and Yoda disappear (in theory, a major factor in being able to re-appear), and Anakin (the only Jedi with a higher midi count than Yoda).

I think it will be one of the minor characters from TPM or somewhere in the PT, based on Tatooine... probably someone with a long life span... Kitster, Wald or one of the other kids we see in TPM would be good bets... they'd still be a decent age to be alive...

What is the lifespan of a Toydarian? Watto would be another really good bet, if he could survive that long.

~~Shoma

[Mann]

DUDE! the bok is called the GHOST of Tatoonine. I'm thinking it is someone with NO LIFE span. they died. i think it is a dead Shmi.

Here's another theory, Lucas said he filmed the final shot for Episode 3 alredy right? it is on Tatooine. think of the people who were there, Anakin, Padme, Owne, BEru and Cliegg. Anakin wont be there. Some people think that it will be Obi-wan in the final shot, but why would Lucas bring Ewan to the desert if he was just gonna do one shot. My guess: PADME stays on Tatooine. She could be the ghost and tell the story. She has first hand experience of Anakin. Leia just doesn't realize who she is. then she leave after leia leaves. How about that?

[James T. Skywalker]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>DUDE! the bok is called the GHOST of Tatoonine. I'm thinking it is someone with NO LIFE span. they died. i think it is a dead Shmi.[/b][/quote]

Ghost could just be a metaphor to the fact that what Leia will learn of her father's childhood in the novel is only a ghost of a memory, one that was overshadowed by the rest of his life, especially his service to the Emperor. However, being the fact that the information she receives is supposed to reassure her about Skywalker children, so my guess is that the "ghost" is just supposed to be symbolic. But, that's just a theory.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>Here's another theory, Lucas said he filmed the final shot for Episode 3 alredy right? it is on Tatooine. think of the people who were there, Anakin, Padme, Owne, BEru and Cliegg.[/b][/quote]

Hmm... I'd heard they did the Tatooine filming for Episode III while they were in Tunisia, but I didn't hear that it would be the final shot of the movie...

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>Anakin wont be there. Some people think that it will be Obi-wan in the final shot, but why would Lucas bring Ewan to the desert if he was just gonna do one shot.[/b][/quote]

With Lucas, anything's possible. He certainly could have brought Ewan down there to film a sequence or two, depending on the need for the film. It wouldn't be entirely shocking.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>My guess: PADME stays on Tatooine.[/b][/quote]

Well, that's possible, except we know she didn't, since it's Leia who remembers her real mother and not Luke in ROTJ.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>She could be the ghost and tell the story. She has first hand experience of Anakin.[/b][/quote]

Except how would she come back as a ghost? She's not a Force-sensitive, either, just like Shmi. They may be Force-attuned, someone with whom the Force runs strong, but isn't manifested in them like it is in the Jedi or the Sith or Force-sensitives. So how could she come back?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>Leia just doesn't realize who she is. then she leave after leia leaves. How about that?[/b][/quote]

It's all rather difficult to believe. Besides, Leia says flat out in the movie that her real mother died when Leia was very young. It's in the film. So, Padme couldn't have been on Tatooine.

~JTS

[Mann]

Actually, she is force sensitive. Lucas just cut part of Yoda's line in which he says the force is strong with Padme.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'> Well, that's possible, except we know she didn't, since it's Leia who remembers her real mother and not Luke in ROTJ.[/b][/quote]

The whole "real Mother" thing is also kind of strange. Leia thinks she died, but Lucas says she didn't and will have another novel series about what happens to her. take note, this is a theory. But Ghost seems like a hint of what the person will be. Either dead or thought to be dead. Hey, Shmi could have been force sensitive. Why else would she give birth to such a high midi-count son? She has to have something. She also has first hand experience of Anakin. Hey you never know.

To the last scene. I suppose that Ewan could have come to the desert for a quick shoot and do some scene. I can reason with that, just i wouldn't do it. It's like 110 degrees! But that is just me.

Mind you, Just a theory!

[TorynFarr]

just want to say that i am really looking forward to this book!

Leia thinks she died, but Lucas says she didn't and will have another novel series about what happens to her.
really? when did he say that? I always thought it would be cool if padme didnt really die. i dont think her death should be accepted as fact, just because leia says so. the truth about her father was hidden from her, its quite possible that padme went into hiding and leia was simply told she died to cover it up.
however, i think the ghost is just anakin, referring to the fact that he grew up on tatooine and his legacy still haunts the place *insert spooky music*

heres a crazy idea:
the summary from TOS says "While on the desert planet, Leia finds evidence of her father's past that cause her to rethink some of her firmest held beliefs."
notice that it says evidence. it doesnt necessarily have to be a person. what if she stumbles across his old slave quarters or something?? maybe he even had a journal there. he could even mention padme in it, but her name wouldnt have much meaning to leia, it would only show that anakin had been capable of love. *:whatsthat:

[James T. Skywalker]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>Leia thinks she died, but Lucas says she didn't and will have another novel series about what happens to her.
really? when did he say that? [/b][/quote]

He didn't. Mann said it was just a theory.

~JTS

[James T. Skywalker]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>Actually, she is force sensitive. Lucas just cut part of Yoda's line in which he says the force is strong with Padme.[/b][/quote]

I know about the line, it was in the novel. And like I said, just because she's "strong in the Force" doesn't mean she's Force-sensitive. Luke comments that Wedge has a very strong Force-presence, but in Jedi Search, when he used one of the Emperor's midichlorian detectors on Wedge, it didn't show Wedge as a Force-sensitive being. He's certainly attuned to things much more than other people, especially in a starfighter, but he's not a Force-sensitive, and neither is Padme.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>The whole "real Mother" thing is also kind of strange. Leia thinks she died, but Lucas says she didn't and will have another novel series about what happens to her. take note, this is a theory.[/b][/quote]

Wait, you made up a theory in which you put words in George Lucas's mouth... style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/hmmm.gif

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>But Ghost seems like a hint of what the person will be. Either dead or thought to be dead.[/b][/quote]

And yet, as I said, it could just be a metaphor to something else. It's done sometimes by authors in order to throw people off a little, or to make them think. There was no real storm in Before The Storm, and yet there it was an allusion to the events that would take place later. Not all titles need to be taken literally.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>Hey, Shmi could have been force sensitive. Why else would she give birth to such a high midi-count son?[/b][/quote]

Maybe because the Force willed it to be so? Shoma brought up a good point that Qui-Gon would have sensed as much in Shmi, since she and he were together quite a bit in the movie, and because he would have been looking for some logical explination before coming to the conclusion that the Force had induced her conception.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>She has to have something. She also has first hand experience of Anakin. Hey you never know.[/b][/quote]

But she's dead, and the only "ghosts" we've ever seen in the Force have been fully trained Masters of the Force, whether Jedi or Dark Jedi. She was neither, and she certainly wasn't a master of the Force.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>Mind you, Just a theory![/b][/quote]

And one I must disagree with very much so.

~JTS

[James T. Skywalker]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>but Lucas says she didn't and will have another novel series about what happens to her.[/b][/quote]

Also, don't forget that George Lucas doesn't use the Expanded Universe, novels or otherwise, to tell his story. He's said his story is the movies. We can argue that, and I'll tell you right now that I think he's wrong in doing that, but since it's his franchise, he can run it how he likes.

In any case, he wouldn't authorize such a story to be written, so that just wouldn't happen at all.

~JTS

[Mann]

Why must you pick apart at my theory. What is your theory? I believe that what you say is plauible, but people post things here for a reason, state what they think is goign to happen. I am just puttig my educated guess out on the board.

No, Lucas did say he will have another book series on the fate of Padme. I didn't put words in his mouth. You picked apart my theiry and twisted what I said. I was referring to the entire theory.

now before the storm is in reference to what, a battle? (haven't read the story) yes it is a metaphor, but in a way so a person who isn't dead labled as a ghost.

Hey, things happen in Star wars that aren't always consistent. The Jedi might not be the only people who can become spirits. Like you said about the films and EU, they don't always agree. In JEDI SEARCH the Sith Lords can become spirits also, and only a few people can see spirits of people. We will never know until the book.

When I said at the end of the post that it was a theory, it meant back the f*** off. and there you go again. You shouldn't get so picky about one person's theory. God, if you did this to everyone, the whole board would get deserted.

[James T. Skywalker]

Well, I'm sorry that I upset you, I just don't feel that this theory is plausible, and I did try to politely point out where you may have gotten some of your information mistaken.

First off, I'd like to know where this George Lucas quote came from. It just doesn't fit with what he's told us his stance on the Expanded Universe is.

Next, the only reason I'm trying to disprove it is to try to make you think so you can give me a full explination as to how you possibly think some of these things can happen. I'm just challenging you to help you out.

Finally, I don't personally feel it appropriate to create a theory as to what the book is about when we've only been given sketchy details, at best. But, if you really want me to...

THEORIZING AHEAD...

Well, from what I gathered from reading the plot points about the book, I'd like to say first that this is all speculative (as yours was, I know) but I'd like to try and base it on some facts. First, we know that Leia's concerned about having children because she's uncertain about children from the Skywalker bloodline. Of course she's concerned, her father ended up becoming the second-in-command of the most brutal military regime in galactic history; why wouldn't she be a little concerned? *Ok, so we know that Leia finds something to do with her father in Mos Espa (childhood home). If I were to speculate, I would concur that the most likely, non-living source she could find would be the old slave quarters where her father lived for at least six years of his life. It would be a link to his past, and could provide clues to the life that he led there, one as a talented slave who was a good pilot and mechanic, and was also a loving child.

This would help her root out some of her "firmest held beliefs" regarding her father, who she has only known as Darth Vader and could barely forgive when pleaded with by Anakin's spirit in Truce at Bakura. The only firm way that she would find stronger evidence than that of his childhood home would be if, somehow, Threepio's deleted memories are found (which is, IMO, highly unlikely) or one of his childhood friends, who could attest to his kindness, generosity, and lack-of-the-Dark-Side (to help ease Leia's fears). Likely candidates, as mentioned before, would be Kitster, Wald, etc... However, there's always the possibility that they're no longer around (since, by now, Tatooine's pretty much Hutt and slave-free; Lady Valerian may have slaves, but ones in their fifties?) or may have passed away from something or another.

Another concern may be the Alderaanian artifact plot. What is it, and how could it be connected to the New Republic when the NR wasn't formed until five+ years after Alderaan's destruction? Could it be an elaborate set-up, designed to discredit the NR, or possibly capture and hold for ransom NR agents? Highly unlikely, as well, but always possible. My guess is that, though the Leia discovering Anakin's past subplot will be more interesting, the Alderaanian artifact one will be the dominant storyline, so we'll have to wait and see there.

-------------------------------------------------

Well, I hope that's satisfactory for now. Feel free to rip it apart as you like. I'm open to criticsm.

~James T. Skywalker

[Nathan Butler]

Mann:

1.) If you put forth a theory here, expect it to be picked apart and other theories offered. That's what discussion is meant for.

2.) Lucas has NEVER said anything about a book series on the fate of Padme. A spokesperson for LUCASBOOKS said that, and Lucas takes VERY little active interaction with the publications of LucasBooks. He authorized Lucasfilm to make deals to set up licensed materials, but to Lucas, the story is just his films, and he does not determine novel content. Even in the case of the major event of Vector Prime, he approved a LIST of possible deaths, not just the specific one that took place. You ARE putting words in GL's mouth. If you meant LucasBooks, you should correct it, or expect to be called on incorrect information.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>When I said at the end of the post that it was a theory, it meant back the f*** off. and there you go again. You shouldn't get so picky about one person's theory. God, if you did this to everyone, the whole board would get deserted. [/b][/quote]

Actually, we could do well to have more posters who challenge and debate rather than just post thoughts without intereacting with others.

Oh, and, by the way, watch your language. This is your first and only warning on the subject. There's absolutely no way you can argue that you didn't know the f-word was off-limits.

[Mann]

K, but if I put a theory on the board, why would one person analyze every sentence i said. Do you know how annoying it is to have someone pick apartyour thoughts piece by piece? He could just write it out in one paragraph.

On the Lucas thing, he was quoted in some interview saying he would have someone write the books on Padme. I read it. I can't remember where, but i saw it. Lucas has control over the mechandise of Star wars. The contract that he made years ago permits him to do whatever he wants. This is what made him a billionaire.

I bleeped it out. I thought that was okay. as long as i didn't say it. You can't post it here, but you can have links with it on there?

[James T. Skywalker]

Since you split apart your paragraphs, mind if I respond in one cohesive bit to each different paragraph?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>K, but if I put a theory on the board, why would one person analyze every sentence i said. Do you know how annoying it is to have someone pick apartyour thoughts piece by piece? He could just write it out in one paragraph.[/b][/quote]

I'm sorry, I'm just used to doing that elsewhere. It helps me organize my thoughts, and it gives the person I'm responding to an idea of where my thoughts are based, instead of having to go back and search through the paragraphs they wrote to find exactly the part which I referred to. I apologize again for offending you.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>On the Lucas thing, he was quoted in some interview saying he would have someone write the books on Padme. I read it. I can't remember where, but i saw it. Lucas has control over the mechandise of Star wars. The contract that he made years ago permits him to do whatever he wants. This is what made him a billionaire.[/b][/quote]

Ok, now here's the thing. Lucas doesn't want to have anything to do with the EU. As Nathan said, even on the "major plot point" in VP, he only gave a list of names, he never actually said "I want you to kill off so and so." He has creative control over his own universe, of course, but he doesn't care what happens in the EU, so long as it doesn't contradict the movies, which, as he's said numerous times, are the only things he considers to be his vision. So, he wouldn't hand the fate of a character over to authors who may not have the same vision for that character's final destiny as he does.

I hope that clarifies my points a little more. Trust me, if anyone else were posting theories, I'd be going after them too. It's just my style. I'm observant, and I try to help. And, if by breaking down a seemingly incorrect theory helps someone create a more complete and accurate theory, then I've helped out. I'm sorry you've found my responses negative.

~JTS

[TorynFarr]

Trust me, if anyone else were posting theories, I'd be going after them too.
hm, i posted my theory, but it pretty much agrees with yours. scroll up if you missed it ;)


What is it, and how could it be connected to the New Republic when the NR wasn't formed until five+ years after Alderaan's destruction? Could it be an elaborate set-up, designed to discredit the NR, or possibly capture and hold for ransom NR agents?
i was wondering that too. wasnt there some ship that alderaan put all their weapons on? what if the codes for the ship are on the artifact? i dont think its at all likely, but thats the only thing that comes to my head.

[cmulligan01]

Toryn the exact name and details of the ships you are referring to escape me at the moment. One was found in The Bacta War. Off the top of my head I think there were 4 ships. Three corvette type ships guarding a larger ship. I believe the larger one was found during the Rebellion (so at the time of BW it had been found for years but had been kept quiet) and I don't remember if it said anywhere what happened to the remaining two ships.

Leia would know that two of the ships have been found and if the last two haven't been found or destroyed all they need to do is use the signal Tycho used in BW so I don't think that theory holds up.

For my personal opinion of TG and the idea of it, my feelings are about as negative as Chrono's on this topic with a few similarities. My biggest fear about the book is that Troy Denning is writting it. After Star by Star I don't think LFL should have considered hiring him for anything SW again.

[James T. Skywalker]

You're both referring to the Another Chance; that was the immense Alderaanian vessel which stored all of the planets weapons and shipped them off the parts unknown as the completion of Alderaan's pacification.

In response to the fact that Troy Denning shouldn't be allowed to write Star Wars again, I must respectfully disagree. Despite the fact that Denning killed off peoples favorite characters (whether it be one character or the other character, doesn't matter), it doesn't change the fact that thus far, Denning has written the better of the three released hardcover novels. Despite fouling up Jaina's age, there weren't too many glaring errors. And, anyone who thinks that Denning should be punished for killing off whats-his-name (still, staying spoiler free) is just dead wrong, because his dedication to Star Wars has been superb (first working with WEG as an author for their sourcebooks, now as a full-fledged author). Don't knock a guy just because he killed somebody.

I mean, it's not like he's gonna do something of that magnitude in Tatooine Ghost since, as far as I know, Han and Leia aren't walking dead in the New Jedi Order, and Chewie doesn't meet his until much later. At least Denning has some limitations for this novel.

~JTS

[James T. Skywalker]

Since I suppose I should stick to my stated mantra, I'll go ahead and review TorynFarr's theory (and I hope you don't mind me picking it apart like I did the others):

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>just want to say that i am really looking forward to this book![/b][/quote]

As am I. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>really? when did he say that? I always thought it would be cool if padme didnt really die. i dont think her death should be accepted as fact, just because leia says so.[/b][/quote]

There's an interesting statment. But then again, who would know her mother better than Leia?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>the truth about her father was hidden from her, its quite possible that padme went into hiding and leia was simply told she died to cover it up.[/b][/quote]

But Leia had an adoptive father to care for her, so concerning herself with her real father was probably never an issue. If we're to assume that Padme did stay with Bail Organa and Leia on Alderaan, then we know that Leia must have had some contact with her, as referenced in ROTJ. I just don't see the sense in Padme being there at all if she just planned to go into hiding later.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>however, i think the ghost is just anakin, referring to the fact that he grew up on tatooine and his legacy still haunts the place *insert spooky music*[/b][/quote]

LOL@spooky music.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>heres a crazy idea:
the summary from TOS says "While on the desert planet, Leia finds evidence of her father's past that cause her to rethink some of her firmest held beliefs."[/b][/quote]

Yup. Thus, something related to his childhood (on Tatooine). I'd say we can say that's a given now. And, since Padme came into his life at the tailend of his period spent on the desert planet, the likelihood of her being the source of that information becomes even more unlikely.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>notice that it says evidence. it doesnt necessarily have to be a person.[/b][/quote]

Exactly. Of course, that doesn't mean a person won't point Leia in the right direction.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>what if she stumbles across his old slave quarters or something?? maybe he even had a journal there. he could even mention padme in it, but her name wouldnt have much meaning to leia, it would only show that anakin had been capable of love.[/b][/quote]

A very good guess (and at this point, all any of us can really do is guess). It makes sense, since finding his childhood home would be a major find for Leia, and would reveal details into his life which were at that point unknown to her (and probably to a majority of people who knew Darth Vader's legacy).

Hope that cleans things up a bit. I'm sorry if you don't appreciate the review, and I'll understand any rebuttal made.

~JTS

[Nathan Butler]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>I bleeped it out. I thought that was okay. as long as i didn't say it. You can't post it here, but you can have links with it on there? [/b][/quote]

No, you can't say it, even if bleeped, because, well, it's obvious what you're saying. If it was **** or $%*& then that's different. That's an implied something, but not something specific. Although "____ off" is pretty obvious as well. It's the obviousness that tends to be the standard.

Also, what do you mean by "links with it on there?" If you mean someone using that in a link name, let me know, and I'll look into it. If someone's linking to a website and that other website uses the word, we have no jurisdiction over there, unless they're linking to, say, pornography.

For instance, I said "awww, s-word" on one of the early ChronoRadio episodes, and I don't pull any punches on the SWT-G either. Also, Millennium's End: The Fandom Menace has swearing in it. However, those are separate areas linked from the site, under the jurisdiction of just those creators. The message boards here, however, fall under the terms of service. Heck, even we mods have to abide by the terms of service, and should only be breaking them if and only if it is required to maintain the TOS in general. (i.e. mods have a little more leeway in flaming, but are deemed only right in doing so in an already fouled up situation where it's used to bring back order, etc.)

It's not as fun being a mod as one might think. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif

[cmulligan01]

This is just in response to JamesTSkywalker who seemed to be, defensivly, under the impression I don't like Denning's work because of who he killed.

I can't think of a single redeeming thing in SbS. I found the characters and situations to be written illogically, childishly and it felt like I wasted over $20 on a piece of bad fanfic.

I never said he should be punished. Just not rewarded with another SW contract.

"The fact" that Denning wrote the best NJO hardcover I believe is anything but. To me it's easily the worst NJO book, easily surpassing Ruin to go to the bottom.

I don't think working for WEG over a decade ago has anything to do with SbS and if he should have another shot at SW. I find "weren't too many glaring errors" about a book inexcusable. If his dedication to SW was that great there wouldn't have been any.

I had read a few other of Denning's books before SbS and SbS had all of his flaws and weaknesses. The Parched Sea was more focused on a small group and the leaps of logic didn't bother me at the time. I can't say the same for Dragonwall and Waterdeep in some places was like a bad summer movie, spectacular (if you could figure out what he was trying to describe) scenes, bad and corny dialogue and plot holes.

[Whuffa]

I loved SbS, and as I said before, I would have doubts about Tatooine ghost if Denning wasn't writing it. I think his witing style is great, he handled all those plots perfectly, unlike Keys who wrote the awsome Conquest, but in Rebirth, where he had to handle more plotlines, he sort of got lost and ended up writing stuff that wasn't important to the plot at all.

anyway, Tatooine Ghost, woo-hoo! :thumbs-up: (IMHO style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif )

[James T. Skywalker]

Ok, I'll do the paragraph-by-paragraph thing, just to save time:

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>I can't think of a single redeeming thing in SbS. *I found the characters and situations to be written illogically, childishly and it felt like I wasted over $20 on a piece of bad fanfic.[/b][/quote]

Not one? There has to be at least one redeeming thing. There always is. For me, yeah, there were some bad parts, and several parts which just didn't make sense the first time I read it. However, I went back, reread it (not an easy task), and realized what an excellent job he really did. He handled both the major demises in the novel beautifully, and did a good job reintroducing Lando and Garm bel Iblis (finally), and introducing a cool new character: Lando's war droid.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>I never said he should be punished. *Just not rewarded with another SW contract.[/b][/quote]

Ok, that's your opinion, and I respect that. But I also disagree with it.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>"The fact" that Denning wrote the best NJO hardcover I believe is anything but. *To me it's easily the worst NJO book, easily surpassing Ruin to go to the bottom.[/b][/quote]

And again, an opinion I respect, but disagree with. Balance Point wasn't nearly as great as SbS, and Vector Prime was excellent, but SbS's storyline was incredible (almost epic, but not really). Though, I do agree that Ruin could have been handled better.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>I don't think working for WEG over a decade ago has anything to do with SbS and if he should have another shot at SW. *I find "weren't too many glaring errors" about a book inexcusable. *If his dedication to SW was that great there wouldn't have been any.[/b][/quote]

Touché. There were some glaring errors, but that's become an (unfortunate) common problem with a lot of SW novels. Denning's just happened to be that much more obvious because of the importance of the book.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>I had read a few other of Denning's books before SbS and SbS had all of his flaws and weaknesses. *The Parched Sea was more focused on a small group and the leaps of logic didn't bother me at the time. *I can't say the same for Dragonwall and Waterdeep in some places was like a bad summer movie, spectacular (if you could figure out what he was trying to describe) scenes, bad and corny dialogue and plot holes. [/b][/quote]

Well, I suppose you've made your point. I haven't actually read Denning's other works, but you do have a point. But, that doesn't mean I still don't disagree with that point. MTFBWY!

~JTS

[cmulligan01]

That's fine if you don't agree with me. It's nothing personal. I can get wound up over stuff even a fictional book. SW even more so because of the emotional investment we all have in it.

Right now I can't think of anything redeeming in it. There probably was one or two things that might have gotten a faint grin at the time but I can't remember any now. The things I found to be negative in the book overshadowed them for me.

[James T. Skywalker]

Originally posted by cmulligan01@July 13 2002 - 07:28
Right now I can't think of anything redeeming in it. *There probably was one or two things that might have gotten a faint grin at the time but I can't remember any now. *The things I found to be negative in the book overshadowed them for me.
What about Borsk's death? style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif

That was actually quite fitting, and he was much more of the character we originally saw in the Thrawn Trilogy; the Bothan manipulator, the one who had the "in" on everything, played each side, but in the end took the fall for the good of everyone.

~JTS

[cmulligan01]

Borsk's death was one more thing I disliked about SbS. Poorly executed, overly dramatic and what I thought was out of character for Fey'lya.

[James T. Skywalker]

Ok, never mind then. I guess I can't change yer mind. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif

~JTS

[jade51999]

Eh, I agree and disagree...Borsk was a good bad guy..but we were reaching a point where he was hindering the fight against the Vong, and it was only fitting that he died witht he fall of Coruscant..if he had survived his power base would have been non exisistant as his failure would have (i believe) been the last straw for many of his supporters...

But back to Tatooine's Ghost..I don't have a lot of speculation on the novel, but i suspect that it will be an interesting segway into what to expect AFTER NJO is over..

[End game]

In spite of the fact that "Tatooine Ghost" is still pretty far away, it would be great to hear some thoughts on it. My expectations are grand. Mainly because if anyone is able to pull such a controversial story of, it will be Star by Star author Troy Denning. My main questions are, how and why Leia has such a change of heart when it comes to having children? What does she learn of Anakin? And an even bigger riddle, from whom?

[Handothrawn]

Go to the Index at the top of the Books and Comics section, and click on the already existingTatooine Ghost thread, it should have all the info you need.

[Whuffa]

hmmm, Shmi is on the back cover, I wonder how she fits into all of this... ???

[Zane Marit]

Perhaps there is a Lars relative still alive?!? The only other logical source would be Watto but he looked like hell in EPII.

I will read it, but I am not a big fan of Dennings. His stories are uneven to me and Star by Star could have flowed better...JMHO

[jedisaber]

well it is mainly about leia and han finding out things about the skywalker family line, ect, but it all has to fit in with the existing books, like the fact that they dont end up finding out for sure what really happened to padme, because other wise luke wouldnt have gone off on that quest lookig for her in the BFC trilogy. i dont know what they might find out about shmi, but im pretty sur ethat all of the lars's are dead, owen/beru died at imp hands, owens pop died way before they did, and unless owens pop had a brother, the lars family line ends there.

[Darth Vegas]

Originally posted by jedisaber@Oct 31 2002, 07:16 AM
and unless owens pop had a brother, the lars family line ends there.
Accoring to the AOTC novel, Owen has cousins believe, maybe even an older brother, I'll have to check.

Shmi might have relatives, we don't know much about either families.

There are several farms near the Lar's homestead, I would imagine that they would be of some help to Han and Leia, I imagine they knew Cliegg and Shmi quite well.

Watto might even be around.

[Brian]

Originally posted by Agent Bond A.K.A. TK-007@Nov 26 2002, 09:23 AM
There are several farms near the Lar's homestead, I would imagine that they would be of some help to Han and Leia, I imagine they kne Clieg and Shmi quite well.
Wouldn't everyone in the Lars Homestead have been killed by the Stormtroopers in ANH?

Just a thought...

[Darth Vegas]

I meant other farms around the area, not people who were a part of the Lars' farm.

[Luvinna.]

Originally posted by Agent Bond A.K.A. TK-007@Nov 26 2002, 07:23 AM
There are several farms near the Lar's homestead, I would imagine that they would be of some help to Han and Leia, I imagine they knew Cliegg and Shmi quite well.
Yeah, and I'm sure that all of Luke's friends at Anchorhead had parents, who possibly knew about how Shmi came to live out there.

You know, I'd always wanted someone to write a story about Luke going back to Tatooine to see all his old "friends". Not that I think he's the gloating type, but it's interesting to imagine their reactions if he were to walk in the door of the power station, and there's Fixer, still working there. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif One of my favorite parts of the radio drama is where they tease him about being "Luke Skywalker, the hero of the galaxy."

I know. It's a little off topic. I guess I'm kind of hoping that we might run into Fixer, or Deak, or Windy in Tatooine Ghost.

[Darth Vegas]

You know Luvinna, Anakin had no problem showing off his pod to his friends and bragging about racing in the Boonta Eve, Luke's probably not far off from that, but I would imagine if he went back, it would be just to see his friends (tell them about Biggs, or have a funeral there) and to find out more about the Skywalkers, as Leia and Han are going to do in Tatooine Ghost.

This should be a very interesting read.

[Luvinna.]

The thing I find interesting is that if you've seen the full front and back cover art (http://www.starwars.com/eu/news/2002/10/news20021018.html), Shmi is on it (as previously mentioned). There was speculation early on that Shmi was the "ghost", but most people (myself included) shot it down with the rationale that Shmi isn't a Jedi, and therefore can't come back as a ghost. But with Shmi being on the cover, I'm not so sure now.

I still think, that if any ghost is going to come back to tell Leia about Anakin, who better than Anakin himself? After all, Leia got over her animosity toward him in Truce at Bakura, which was several years before this.

Originally posted by jedisaber@Oct 31 2002, 08:16 AM
it all has to fit in with the existing books, like the fact that they dont end up finding out for sure what really happened to padme, because other wise luke wouldnt have gone off on that quest lookig for her in the BFC trilogy.
Leia, of course, isn't going to ask about Padme, because she remembers her (even if only a little), and remembers that she died. It's not until the BFC when what's-her-name shows up and convinces Luke that his mother isn't dead and that she's alive off doing whatever it was (I don't really remember because that book was "all a dream") that he goes running off on a wild yunnax chase looking for her. Leia tried to talk him out of it, as I remember.

Besides, I think this book is mostly going to focus on Anakin's childhood on Tatooine, and maybe some of his training with Obi-Wan. There are rumors about another book coming out after E3 that will cover Luke and Leia learning about Anakin and Padme and their relationship (and their role in the Clone Wars?). I think if we find out what happens to Padme it will be in that book.

[Justin]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'> (and their roll in the Clone Wars?)[/b][/quote]

LOL!!

Oh wait, did you mean "role"? Because really, "roll" is appropriate as well, don't you think? style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif

[Luvinna.]

Umm... oops! style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blush.gif I meant role. :look:

[Brian]

I heard there is an excerpt for the book in the pb version of The Approaching Storm.

[Mann]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>Oh wait, did you mean "role"? Because really, "roll" is appropriate as well, don't you think? [/b][/quote]

LOL Justin good one.

[Handothrawn]

LOL!

Luv, I've wanted that to happen forever! How would things go if Wormy came home to visit? style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif

[jangofett100]

Just thought I'd say...it's out! And three days early!

[Brian]

I anyone excited about his new HC by Troy Denning? I am, but I am not going to get it for a few months.

[Soontir Solo]

I dont think i'll buy this one till it comes out in paperback. I'll just borrow it from somebdoy or get it from the library first and read it. Im not sure if it will be very good. Now if it was NJO or by Zahn then I would get it like that.

[Darth Vegas]

From Starwars.com: interview with Troy Denning and an excerpt from the book.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>Troy Denning: Ghost Stories
March 03, 2003


Past & Future
Author Troy Denning returns to the Star Wars universe, this time to the early years of the New Republic. Han Solo and Princess Leia are newly married, and Chewbacca is alive and well. The trio voyages to Tatooine to recover a valuable piece of Alderaan culture. While there, Leia will discover important clues to her past that will affect her future. Here's an interview with the author, as well as an excerpt from the first chapter of Tatooine Ghost, the new hardcover Star Wars novel from Del Rey Books.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Star by Star was your first book in the Star Wars: The New Jedi Order series. Now comes Tatooine Ghost, a novel set many years earlier, just after Han and Leia's marriage. Were you able to apply any lessons learned from Star by Star in writing Tatooine Ghost? How was this experience different?

I had a better idea of how the review process worked and knew how supportive it would be. The editors at Del Rey and Lucasfilm are focused on helping the writer tell the best possible story, and their support makes a huge difference. With Star by Star, I was a worried about making continuity gaffs and a little hesitant to take detours that weren't in the outline; with Tatooine Ghost, I felt free to do whatever the story needed because at worst someone would say, "That doesn't work because of X; maybe you should try Y instead." And I knew that if I did make a continuity error, there would be a dozen pairs of very sharp eyes ready to catch it!

Obviously, I also had to adjust my thinking about Han and Leia. This story occurs in a much happier time for the Solos, before Chewbacca's death forces them to come to terms with their own mortality. In Tatooine Ghost, they still have that youthful feeling of invincibility, and the confidence that everything will work out fine in the end. Obviously, it sets a little lighter tone; while the emotional stakes are still very high, the complications are not quite so shattering.

How would you describe Tatooine Ghost?

The basic idea was pitched to me as a "Classic Bridge" novel, one that ties elements of the Prequel era to the Classic era, and I think that's a pretty good description of how the book turned out. The story is basically an accident-adventure driven by the complex relationships between characters from two different eras. On the surface, it's a classic quest -- the heroes must recover a physical artifact in order to prevent a terrible harm from befalling their people. But success hinges on resolving the emotional and spiritual conflicts that arise from their relationship to the past; until they are able to reconcile themselves to their personal histories, they cannot save the day for the New Republic.

In a way, both the past and the future of these characters are known to readers, but not to the characters themselves. That must have made an interesting challenge! How did you find room for creativity with the demands of continuity pressing in from two sides?

I enjoy tough writing problems because they demand creativity. One of my favorite projects is Pages of Pain, where I was given the assignment of writing a novel from the viewpoint of an enigmatic character who never speaks, with the stipulation that the reader know less about her at the end than at the beginning. It required me to rethink the way I approach a story, and every book I've written since has benefited from that experience.

Can you give an example of how it changed your thinking?

I'm more conscious of the narrator as a character, for one thing. Modern readers prefer to identify as closely as possible with the protagonists; and they really don't want a third person filtering the experience for them. So, in much -- probably most --modern fiction, the author strives to make the narrator invisible, to convince the reader that there isn't a narrator at all. But somebody has to tell the story, choosing which details to pass along, hinting at whether a frown is angry or sad, deciding whether to pick up the pace with short sentences and punchy writing. Those choices create a personality, and that personality is the narrator. Even if the author tries to hide him, it is the narrator who gives the story its shape and feel. Try to imagine, for instance, how different Star by Star would have been if I had envisioned a Yuuzhan Vong telling the tale instead of someone sympathetic to the Jedi. The book would have included all of the same events, but the story would have been an entirely different one.

But I'm straying pretty far from your question. It was a challenge to write a story in which the characters' future is so well known to the readers. I had to use the Solos' relationship in Heir to the Empire as a sort of guiding beacon for Tatooine Ghost. Kathy Tyers did a wonderful job setting up Leia's internal conflict over her heritage in The Truce at Bakura, and to a large extent it was my job to resolve that conflict and move the Solos to where they are at the beginning of the Thrawn trilogy. The challenge was to put something at stake in how they got there.

Approaching this from the opposite direction, Episode III won't be in theaters for a while yet. But the events of Tatooine Ghost happen after Episode VI, so Han and Leia, as well as other characters, might very well know details from Episode III that are not known to readers. You had to be careful not to give anything from Episode III away . . . while at the same being equally careful not to contradict anything. How did you walk this tightrope in a novel that is so much a dialogue -- almost literally in the case of Leia and Shmi's palm diary --between past and present?

Avoiding spoilers was easy -- I don't know what happens in Episode III. I just focused on Episodes I and II and tried not to contradict anything there. Of course, I also had Del Rey and Lucasfilm looking over my shoulder, and presumably they know a lot more than I do.

Who or what is the ghost of the title? Is it Shmi? Is it Anakin?

As Han says somewhere in the story, it depends on how you look at it. To me, the ghost is something much larger than either Anakin or Shmi.

Do you mean the Force?

Yes and no. I don't really want to say, because the ghost is going to be something different for everyone. You could even make a case for it being Obi-Wan or the Tuskens, and all of those interpretations might be valid.

It was interesting to see Leia wrestling with the same difficulty that troubles so many fans of the The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones: namely, how to reconcile the immensely likeable young Anakin Skywalker with Darth Vader, the living embodiment of the dark side that he becomes.

Yes, that's the heart of Leia's struggle. You can't reconcile the coexistence of good and evil unless you look beyond preconceptions.

Of course, there's always the danger that she's inherited this propensity from her father.

There is that danger, yes. In fact, as the novel begins, Leia has already started to follow in her father's footsteps precisely because she has fallen into the trap of narrow thinking, of believing that a person is either one thing or the other.

The Force of Writing
In Leia's Force-visions, you give readers an unusual glimpse into the mysterious nature of the Force. The dark side of the Force can be a terrifying thing, but here you show us that it's not just the dark side. Leia is resisting what the Force is trying to show her . . . and the Force doesn't like to be resisted!
This touches on a theme close to my heart, the idea that life is a current. You can either fight the current or go with it. If you fight it, life will be a battle, but you stand a good chance of ending up some place close to your goal (although you may be too tired and battered to enjoy it). If you go with the current, life will be easier, but you have no idea where you'll end up -- it could be bad, it could be good. The compromise is to work with the current, to guide yourself within it to someplace you'll be happy. Leia, of course, has been a current-fighter all her life; the realization she reaches in Tatooine Ghost is that her particular current is a very strong one.

At one point, the Force seems to be warning Leia that her brother, Luke, may go over to the dark side. This did in fact happen in the Dark Horse Dark Empire comic series , but was this a bit of foreshadowing for a future exploration of those events in book form?

The vision you're talking about is a direct reference to the comic story, but I doubt it will be explored any further in novel form. (In fact, I think Lucasfilm editors have said they have no plans to turn comic stories into novels.) I utilized that scene solely because it already existed in the Star Wars continuity, so it would have been redundant to make up something similar.

You're probably best known as a fantasy writer from your work in the Forgotten Realms series. How different is it to write science fiction? Or do you consider Star Wars fantasy as some writers and readers do?

I go back and forth on this. I'm sure I've taken opposite positions in different interviews. At the moment, I guess I think of Star Wars as space opera rather than fantasy -- if for no other reason than it doesn't feel like fantasy when I write it. There are certainly fantasy parallels: an epic plot, larger-than-life heroes, a concern for the spiritual element of the quest. But, at its heart, I think Star Wars is very concerned with the relationship between technology and spirit, which fantasy is not. Besides, I just can't bring myself to think of the Force as magic. Magic is beyond nature, while the Force is intimately connected to life and therefore very much a part of nature -- even if it is beyond our understanding.

How did you get your start as a writer? What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

I started writing stories in 8th grade, when our English teacher assigned us the task of keeping a journal (at first, I don't think he realized the entries were fiction). I've been at it since. Eventually -- fifteen years later -- I was able to put together a decent-enough story that TSR asked me to write one of the Forgotten Realms Avatar books.

The best advice I can give to any aspiring writer is to stop aspiring and start doing! You have to write every day. You have to ignore the little editor in your head that tells you to rewrite each paragraph before you move on to the next one. You have to study your craft by reading the fiction of other writers, but also books and magazines on how to plot, to create believable characters, to establish viewpoint, etc. Fiction really is an art, and it takes a lot of study to do it well.

Which writers' work was the most helpful for you as far as learning your craft?

If I had to pick just one -- and thankfully I don't -- it would be William Goldman. The things he did with The Princess Bride are just brilliant; I find myself going back to study the sword fight scenes every few months. He makes it looks so easy and spontaneous -- which, of course, is a tribute to how long and hard he must have worked on that book. I think most writers would agree that the most difficult thing to do is make your prose look effortless.

But when I talk about studying the craft, I really do mean studying. My favorite books above all are books about writing: Rober McKee's Story, Wayne C. Booth's The Rhetoric of Fiction, Joseph Campbell's books The Hero with a Thousand Faces. It's not enough just to read fiction; you have to step back and look at it from the outside.

You've also written an eBook novella, A Forest Apart, that takes place immediately prior to Tatooine Ghost and features Chewie, his life-mate, Mallatobuck, and their son, Lumpy. It's good to see Chewie again, and especially taking the starring role!

One of the highlights of Tatooine Ghost was that Chewbacca would be back, and I really wanted to do him justice. In my early drafts, I overdid his part a bit -- he was appearing in scenes where he didn't belong, and in other places I was straining to give him a larger part than his role warranted. I fixed this before the editors saw the manuscript, but I loved writing him so much that I wanted to do more. So, when we talked about an eBook, I realized this was the perfect opportunity to explore his character. I have to say it's not easy to write an all-Wookiee story, but it was a lot of fun.

What are you working on now? Will you be returning to that galaxy "far, far away" anytime soon?

My next project is a Han and Leia story, tentatively titled Never Trust a Squib, for the Insider. It should come out a month or so after Tatooine Ghost. Then I'll probably start work on an epic fantasy series that I've been putting together for a couple of years. Beyond the Insider story, I don't have any current plans to return to the GFFA, but I'm definitely open to the possibility. I'm a Star Wars fan from way back, and I love where the stories are going now.

Chapter 1

Instead of bed, where she usually awoke from her dreams, Leia found herself slumped forward in her crash webbing, ears hissing with static and eyes aching from the glare of two G-class suns. Han and Chewbacca were still busy at their stations, Han plotting approach vectors and Chewbacca setting sensor filters. The planet Tatooine was just drifting into view, its yellow sodium-rich sands glowing so brightly it resembled a small sibling star in orbit around the big twins.

A metallic hand tapped Leia's shoulder. She turned to see C-3PO's photoreceptors shining at her from the adjacent passen- ger seat.

"Pardon me for asking, Princess Leia, but are you well?"

"Don't I look well?"

"Oh dear," C-3PO replied, a diplomatic subroutine activating in response to her tone of voice. "Why yes, you do look as splendid as ever, but it seemed for a moment as though you might have overloaded your primary circuits."

"My circuits are fine."

"I'll need to confirm that later." Han twisted around and glanced over his seat with the same crooked smile that had alternately charmed and worried Leia since their first meeting on the Death Star. "Princess."

"Oh, really?" Leia straightened herself in her chair without fully realizing she was doing it. With his tough-guy good looks and eyes sparkling with trouble, Han still made her sit up and take notice. "And you think you can read my schematics?"

"Sweetheart, I know your schematics by heart." Han's smile faded, and his expression grew concerned. "Threepio's right. You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Something like that. A bad dream."

Han looked doubtful. "I've sat in that chair. That chair isn't comfortable enough for dreams -- good or bad."

"It's been a long trip," Leia said, perhaps a little too quickly. "I must have nodded off."

Han regarded her a moment longer, then shrugged. "Well, see if you can stay awake." He looked forward again, to where the twin suns were slowly being eclipsed by Tatooine's steadily swelling disk. "Until the sensors come up, we need to keep an eye out for other traffic."

Leia gazed out the canopy and began to search for the rapidly swelling silhouette of blocked starlight that would mean an approaching vessel. Her thoughts remained focused on the strange dream. It had a similar feel to the Force-vision she had experienced nearly five years earlier at Bakura, when her father had sent an apparition begging for the forgiveness she would never -- could never -- grant. But that had been his doing, not hers.

Han's hand rose into view between the pilot and copilot's seats, pointing toward a blocky silhouette floating some distance to one side of Tatooine's yellow disk. The twin suns were now completely hidden behind the planet, and Leia could see that the tiny silhouette was growing larger as they approached. It seemed to be staying in the same place relative to Tatooine, deliberately hanging in the shadow of the planet.

"That's too square to be a moon," Han said.

"And it's no asteroid, not hanging in one place like that," Leia added. "But at least it doesn't seem to be coming our way."

"Yet," Han replied. "How about those filters, Chewie?"

An impatient rumble suggested that the Wookiee was still struggling with the filters. Anyone else might have been frightened, but Leia found the groan reassuring, a touch of the familiar in a time of shifting alliances and random annihilation. When she had married Han six months ago, she had known Chewbacca would be an honorary member of their family, and that was fine with her. Over the years she had come to think of the Wookiee as something of a furry big brother, always loyal to Han and protective of her, and now she could not hear him growl without feeling that she lived in a safer place, that with Chewbacca and Luke and Han--when he was in the mood--and millions of others like them, the New Republic would beat back the Empire's latest onslaught and one day bring peace to the galaxy.

That, and she liked how Wookiee fur always smelled of trillium soap.

The comm hiss finally fell silent as Chewbacca found the right combination of filters. He brought the sensors up, fiddled a moment longer, then let out a startled ruumph.

"The mass calibration is off," Han said. "That reads like a Star Destroyer."

Chewbacca oowralled indignantly, then sent the data read-out to the auxiliary display beside Leia's seat and glanced back for her affirmation. She had to look only a second to see that he was correct.

"Sixteen hundred meters, six comm bands in use, and a TIE squadron circling on station," Leia said, feeling a little sick and worried. When the Millennium Falcon came across a Star Destroyer these days, it was usually because one was stalking the other. "I don't know, Han. The mass calibration looks fine to me."

As she spoke, the Falcon's computer found a profile match in its military data banks and displayed the schematic of an Imperial-class Star Destroyer. Below the image appeared the vessel's name.

"The Chimaera," Han read. "Isn't she still in service to the Empire?"

"As of two months ago, she was one of their most efficient Destroyers." Leia did not need to look up the information. The death of Warlord Zsinj eight months earlier had emboldened the Imperial fleet, and the Provisional Council had been mired in war minutiae ever since. "Admiral Ackbar has been wondering what became of her."

"Deserters?" Han caught her eye in the canopy reflection. "Another captain wanting to set himself up as a warlord?"

"Please, no! The situation out here is already too confused." With the New Republic battling the Imperials over the scraps of Zsinj's empire and the surviving warlords exploiting the war to enlarge their own territories, confused was an understatement. Several times, the New Republic Navy had moved against one enemy to find itself engaging another, and sometimes two or three at once. "And the Chimaera's commander isn't the type. By all accounts, Gilad Pellaeon is both loyal and competent."

"Then what's he doing at Tatooine?" Han asked. "There isn't a conflict zone within fifty systems of here." [/b][/quote]

[Brian]

Here's (http://www.starwars.com/eu/feature/20030303/index.html) the link to the "Troy Denning: Ghost Stories" feature on TOS. Of note:

Denning will be doing a short story for the next Star Wars Insider tentatively titled Never Trust a Squib.

He says, "Beyond the Insider story, I don't have any current plans to return to the GFFA, but I'm definitely open to the possibility. I'm a Star Wars fan from way back, and I love where the stories are going now."


Let's hope Lucas Books signs him on to write some post-NJO novels. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif

[Soontir Solo]

Very good stuff everyone thanks. I cant wait to read it. It should be very good. I wonder if Watto could still be alive on Tattoine somewhere. Maybe we will see him, its just a thought though.

[Whuffa]

No chance, because he was already very old for a Tydorian in AotC. I read the expert though, and it seems great. I like Dennings style and I think this will be a fun, enjoyable book, kinda like The Courtship of Princess Leia.

[Darth Vegas]

Originally posted by Whuffa@Mar 4 2003, 11:35 AM
No chance, because he was already very old for a Tydorian in AotC.
And how would you know that? style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/eh.gif

[Soontir Solo]

I agree Bond, How do you know Watto was old for a Toydarian? What is the average life span for a Toydarain? Exactly how old was Watto in AOTC?

[Darth Vegas]

All information on Watto can be found here:

Starwars.com/databank (http://www.starwars.com/databank/character/watto/index.html)

As the book is out now, we'll see for ourselves if he's in there. I would imagine he is as the book is all about Leia discovering where the Skywalkers came from.

[Luvinna.]

Originally posted by Agent Bond A.K.A. TK-007+Mar 4 2003, 11:24 PM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Agent Bond A.K.A. TK-007 @ Mar 4 2003, 11:24 PM)</div><div class='quotemain'> <!--QuoteBegin-Whuffa@Mar 4 2003, 11:35 AM
No chance, because he was already very old for a Tydorian in AotC.
And how would you know that? style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/eh.gif [/b][/quote]
Someone said somewhere... Either in an Insider or somewhere on the AOTC DVD. Can't remember, but I've heard that too. But, I can say that Watto is not (or rather has not been so far) in TG. In fact, Wald (Ani's Rodian friend) now owns Watto's old shop.

I'm really enjoying this book. I'm a little more than half way through, and even though they haven't really said anthing about Anakin or Shmi that I didn't already know, it's been fun to see Leia's reactions as she learns this stuff. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/satisfied.gif

[Brian]

Thanks, Luvinna! Please post your thoughts on the book once you are done. I won't be able to read it for a few months so I welcome ALL spoilers!!!

[Luvinna.]

Spoilers? You want spoilers? Okay. Every one's been warned. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif

So far, Han and/or Leia have run into the following people: Kister (who tried to sell them a holocube of Anakin after he won the Boonta Eve Classic - they didn't know who it was in the holo at the time, so they declined), Wald (who, as I said, now owns Watto's old shop), a couple of old podracers who raced against Ani in the Boonta Eve, Gavin Darklighter's parents (who now own the old Lars homestead where Luke grew up), Beru's younger sister, and an Imperial officer who I strongly suspect is Thrawn. Via Shmi's diary, Leia was able to watch a recording of the Boonta Eve race. She also knows that Anakin built a droid, and I'm waiting (and hoping) she finds out that droid is Threepio. Can't wait to see her reaction to that revelation (if it comes). *crosses fingers*

I'll admit that the plot of this book is pretty thin, albeit mildly compelling. It seems like they just needed an excuse to get Han and Leia back to Tatooine so Leia could learn all this stuff about Anakin and Shmi. The fun of it for me has just been seeing Leia's reactions as she learns all this stuff. And so far, her reactions have been just as I had thought they would be. At first, she had a hard time reconciling this cute kid in the holo and the stories Kister and Wald told her with the man who became Darth Vader. But now that she's reading Shmi's diary and after talking with Beru's sister, she's coming to understand what Anakin was really like before he fell to the dark side. She's finding the answer to the question she asked herself in Truce at Bakura: What was Vader like before he was Vader?

That's about all I can give you right now. You can probably expect a full report either Thursday night or Friday night. You could probably have it tonight, if I didn't have choir practice. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif

[Brian]

Sweet!!! Keep 'em coming!

[Soontir Solo]

Yah, thanks alot Luvinna, that kind of sucks how Watto hasn't been mentioned. Can you expand a little more about this Imperial Officer who you suspect to be Grand Admiral Thrawn?

[Luvinna.]

Fair warning: More spoilers... style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cool.gif

Oh, Watto's been mentioned (as being the former owner of Anakin and Shmi). He's just not in the book, unless you count the little clip of him in the first entry of Shmi's diary when he takes it away from her, trying to figure out what it is and where she got the money to buy it. He of course gives it back to her. Plus, Shmi talks about him every now and then in her diary.

I guess I shouldn't have said "I suspect" it's Thrawn, because they've made it pretty obvious that's who it is. Han and Leia just don't know that yet. They don't even know about Thrawn at this point because this book is before the Thrawn Trilogy. But, of course, you already knew that. Le'see... They get to Tatooine and find the Chimaera in orbit. After dodging a boarding party (that wouldn't accept a bribe, which according to Han is very unusual) they make it to the planet. Every time they over hear conversations by the Imperials, they're talking about their "new admiral" who's changing all the rules and insisting things be done more efficiently than in the past, and who is an admirer of art. They even get into a fire fight with him at one point. He's dressed in stormtrooper armor for a while, but then takes it off (I'm trying to remember why... I'm sure he must've had a reason) and the last thing Han and Leia see down the dark hall as he makes his getaway is a pair of red eyes. Pretty sure that's Thrawn they're dealing with.

[jangofett100]

Then there's the trip to Obi-Wan's place...some hints that he was about to go look for the outbound flight project. Nice little link to an upcoming book!

[Soontir Solo]

Awesome, now I really cant wait to read this. I absolutely love Thrawn and if he is involved in this book in any way I will have to read it.

[Brian]

Luvinna, where are you at with the rest of the TG spoilers?!

"Tell us! Tell us, now!"
--Anakin (AOTC)

[Luvinna.]

Patience, OBG. Remember, I am two hours behind you. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif

Okay, I stayed up way too late the last couple of nights reading this book. Not because it had any kind of an engaging plot, just because I wanted to find out what happened to Shmi (pre-Tusken raid).

As I said before, the plot of this book is really thin. It's nothing more than an excuse to get Han and Leia back to Tatooine. And it had a really abrupt ending. Almost as if Denning realized he was coming up on his maximum word count, so he decided to cut the story short. He didn't really leave anything hanging, it just seemed rather quick and to the point, and in my opinion could have been done a little more artfully.

I think the best parts of this book are the diary entries. Especially how Cliegg, Shmi and Owen conned Watto into selling her to Cliegg. Yes, it was a scheme. And then you find out that Watto deactivated her little destructive transmitter thingy shortly after Anakin left. :0

Some of the familiar places Han and Leia visit are Mos Espa in general, Watto's shop, Shmi's old quarters, the podracing arena (Han even takes a little ride through Arch Canyon), the old Lars homestead, Anchorhead, Ben Kenobi's hut, and... dun, dun, dun... the Tusken Raider camp where Anakin found Shmi in AOTC. (It's called the "ghost oasis" because legend has it that an angry ghost hacked an entire village to pieces there.)

Leia has more than one Force vision in this book. The one mentioned in the interview is that of Luke turning to the dark side as depicted in the Dark Empire comics. She also has a vision of Han's swoop bike half buried in the sand when they're out looking for him after the sand storm he got caught in past. Then she has a third that I'm still not sure exactly what it was about.

As mentioned before, when they were in Ben's hut, they found a datapad that had some info on it that suggested Ol' Ben wanted to go looking for the Outbound Flight Project. I need to reread that part of the book, because I'm not sure whether or not they took the datapad with them. If they did, it could be an interesting tie in to Survivor's Quest which comes out in about a year.

Sadly, it was mentioned several times that Anakin had built a droid, and there was a whole host of people who saw Threepio who knew him back when (Kister, Wald, Dana - Beru's sister) and no one seemed to recognize him, so it was never revealed that Threepio is the droid that Anakin built. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/butbut.gif

All in all, it's a fun book. That's about all that can be said for it. It's a book of fluff. Normally, books like this bug me, but I have to admit that it was a nice change of pace from the NJO which has been all doom and gloom until just recently. Again, this book really has no other purpose than to let Leia find Shmi's diary and learn more about Anakin (unless of course this OFP thing does pan out).

[Brian]

Nice, Luvinna! Thanks for posting that summary! I hope in Episode III that Lucas doesn't contradict how the Lars family conned Watto to get Shmi. I like the idea that a bunch of non-force sensitives were able to trick Watto. Serves Watto's greedy ass right!

[Darth Vegas]

Sounds, good.

Kinda sucks that they couldn't come right out and just reveal things to Leia, Anakin built C-3PO, yadayada, so the "Tatooine Ghost" refers to Anakin himself? Does Anakin make an appearance in the book? Does Leia find out that Anakin killed the entire Tusken encampment?

[cartographer]

What a great book! I was rereading this thread and just remembered about the short story in the next Insider. I can't wait for that. I just wonder how it will tie in to TG.

[Luvinna.]

Originally posted by Agent Bond A.K.A. TK-007@Mar 7 2003, 06:24 AM
Kinda sucks that they couldn't come right out and just reveal things to Leia, Anakin built C-3PO, yadayada, so the "Tatooine Ghost" refers to Anakin himself? Does Anakin make an appearance in the book? Does Leia find out that Anakin killed the entire Tusken encampment?
To quote the interview Denning did:

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>Who or what is the ghost of the title? Is it Shmi? Is it Anakin?

As Han says somewhere in the story, it depends on how you look at it. To me, the ghost is something much larger than either Anakin or Shmi.

Do you mean the Force?

Yes and no. I don't really want to say, because the ghost is going to be something different for everyone. You could even make a case for it being Obi-Wan or the Tuskens, and all of those interpretations might be valid. [/b][/quote]

I think, to me, the ghost is Vader (not Anakin). He's kind of Leia's ghost. He's been haunting her with her memories of all the bad stuff he did. While she was on Tatooine, she learned some of the good stuff he did before he turned to the dark side, so she was able to conquer that ghost and could finally think of her father in a different light. She was able to separate Anakin from Vader.

There really are no ghosts in the story, not in the strict sense of the word. Unless you count Leia's visions.

And, yes, they do figure out that Anakin is the one who killed all those Tuskens.

[Luvinna.]

Originally posted by O-B-GATES@Mar 7 2003, 06:09 AM
I like the idea that a bunch of non-force sensitives were able to trick Watto.
Actually, I think the Jedi did have a hand in giving Shmi the means to con Watto. Qui-Gon sent her a box just after he left with Anakin. We don't know what was in the box (but we can guess) because a lot of the diary entries were corrupted (what do you expect when it's been sitting under a moisture vaporator for 30 years) including that one. But when everything else that they'd tried to get Watto to sell Shmi didn't work, Shmi says something about it being time to show Cliegg what was in the box that Qui-Gon sent her. So that kind of suggests to me that whatever was in the box was the thing they used to trick Watto.

[Darth Vegas]

Originally posted by Luvinna@Mar 7 2003, 07:19 AM
And, yes, they do figure out that Anakin is the one who killed all those Tuskens.
Thanks Luvinna.

So, what is Leia's reaction to that? Does she know why Anakin did it?

Obviously she never, well Lucas won't allow that info out, we'll have to wait to see Leia's reaction as to why Anakin turns to the Dark Side or anything about exactly what happened to her mother until Episode 3 is out.

I suppose what really attracted me to the book, I havn't read it yet, but I got it, was the thought that we might get a hint (granted an official hint) about that and see Leia's reaction to it, but do we see Leia's reaction to the information about Anakin killing the Tuskens and having doen that because of the lost of his mother at all? Does she come to forgive him? Will we have to wait for the sequel?

How about anything about the relationship beween Obi-Wan and Anakin?

I know I'm asking alot, I should read the book........ style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/satisfied.gif

[Luvinna.]

Yes, you should read the book. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif

Leia knew from talking to Dana (Beru's sister) that Shmi had been taken by Tusken Raiders and that Anakin had come back and went off to save her. Dana didn't know whether or not Shmi was alive when Anakin found her because Beru said Anakin never really talked about it. She told Leia that Shmi was dead when Anakin brought her back to the farm, that they buried her and then Anakin left.

In their search for Kister and the painting, they run into a Jawa sandcrawler that had been attacked by Tuskens (for real, this time) and through Threepio's translation found out about the ghost oasis.

When they get to the oasis, Leia just knows (through the Force, I guess) that this is the place that Anakin found Shmi. After they rescue Kister from the Tuskens, Kister tells them about this little ritual dance the Tuskens had done the night before where they started jumping around and making buzzing noises like a lightsaber. They put all those clues together and figured out that Anakin must have killed the whole village because they killed his mother.

Leia's reaction is just kind of a stunned realization that his mother dying probably triggered his first step toward the dark side.

Does she forgive him? I'm not sure. See, that's where the book just seemed to end. They save Kister and they get away. They leave you with the impression that Leia did forgive him, but they never actually come out and say it. Maybe that'll be in the short story that's in the next Insider. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/unsure.gif

[Brian]

I read the first 2 chapter to TG today. Interesting. I plan to read the rest of it next week when I return from my camping trip.

[Luvinna.]

I wanna go camping!! ???

Have fun, OBG! style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif

[Jacen Solo]

Originally posted by Luvinna@Mar 7 2003, 03:48 PM
I wanna go camping!! ???

Have fun, OBG! style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif
You always want to go camping!! style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/hehe.gif

[Luvinna.]

Not always. Just for the last month or so. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif

[Whuffa]

I won't read anything from this thread since March 5th 'cause I don't want to be spoiled but TG sounds like a great book, and I'm getting it from Amazon this monday and I can't wait!!!

[Soontir Solo]

How is TG overall? As good as I hope it is?

[Luvinna.]

Originally posted by Soontir Solo@Mar 11 2003, 01:07 PM
How is TG overall? As good as I hope it is?
That depends on how good you hope it is. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif

I really enjoyed it. It's not my favorite SW book, but it's far from the worst. As I said before, it's a book of fluff. There's really no suspense and there isn't any big battle and it does seem to end rather abruptly. The thing that kept me reading was finding out what happened to Shmi between the time that Anakin left in TPM and she was captured by the Tusken Raiders just prior to AOTC.

Hey, has any one else read this book? Wuffa? OBG? Bond? You all said you had it. I'm curious to know what you all thought of it.

[Brian]

I had to take a chill pill on it for a while. I had an exam (today) and just couldn't justify reading Star Wars when I had that priority. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif I'm on chapter 6 and will try to finish it soon. So far, it's interesting. I couldn't put it down easily. They just met Kitsters wife and are leaving his house. The Storm Troopers are after them.

[nerfer]

<span style="color:c1007e"><span style="font-family:comic sans ms">

Considering how tired the NJO is getting, this was a real treat, I enjoyed it sooo much!

It may have been fluff, but unlike some of the NJO fluff, it was enjoyable.

The way the book was paced, fit the setting beautifully, you really got the feel of the desert from it.

I'd have to say its one of my fave Star Wars books, despite the action in it, its quite gentle in that a lot of the book is about what's going on in Leia's head and heart.

To me it doesn't really matter that there isn't any suspense, the action is secondary, its not what the book is about. Its more about the personal journey that Leia is taking, or nudged into taking by the force.

It was nice finding out a little more about Shmi and her relationships, Watto missing Ani made me smile, and knowing that thru her heartbreak at missing Ani, Shmi did manage to be happy was wonderfully touching.

I think the better Star Wars books are when they choose to go deeper into the characters. They are what made me love the Trilogy in the first place, so it only makes sense that learning more about them would be interesting and thought provoking.</span></span>

[jade51999]

I liked it, but what do you all think of the disk they found at Obi-Wan's dealing with the Outbound Flight project? forshadowing for Survivors Quest next year?

[Darth Vegas]

I havn't had time to readt it yet, mainly because I loaned it to someone else. :look:

[nerfer]

<span style="color:c1007e"><span style="font-family:comic sans ms">

Its quite possible Jade. If you've read the latest Insider they've been talking about how one of the things they wanted to change bout the older books is how things are all over the place continuity wise. Which is why they came up with one major villain for the series. So I guess they might try to do the same with the others, to have them link in nicely with one another.</span></span>

[Luvinna.]

I think it probably will tie in with Survivor's Quest. Otherwise, it'll end up being just some random comment made in the middle of the book. Of course, it's not like they haven't been doing that in the NJO. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wacko.gif

[Brian]

I'm half way done with the book. It's terrific so far. Right now, Leia, Chewie, Threepio, the Squibs, and the Darklighters just rescued Han from the Bothan Caves where he waited the sandstorm out. I will try to finish it tomorrow and post a review that evening.

[Darth Vegas]

Just started reading it last night, I'm getting towards the end of the auction, really liked the Anakin holocron thing, and you really get a feeling for Leia's fears and her hatred of her father in this book. She believes that power alone corrupted him, and that she doesn't want to have children as she believes that she shouldn't be allowed to give birth to something so powerful that could become corrupted, of course that's just covering things we already knew.

Good read so far. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif

[Brian]

Finished it today. It was good, overall. The part in the middle about the Ask...whatumacallems and Borno was kind of slow and dry. The parts with Thrawn were cool too! He is such a genius! I actually admired the Squibs a lot after reading this book. They are sneaky little rascals, but I liked them. There was this one part at the end of chapter 13 where it got all "warm" in the room and Han had Leia take the IV out of his arm....

One major gripe: Since when does Leia understand Wookie so well? She doesn't know it well in The Thrawn Trilogy, right? But she didn't miss a beat when communicating with Chewie in this book. Did I miss something?

Overall, I agree with Luvinna, it was a fluff book, but really good. I do disagree that it ended to abruptly. It would be nice to see what happened to Kit, but I think it's safe to assume that he got home okay. The escape was kind of lame, but to elaborate more would have added another 3 or 4 chapters (~60 pages) to an already overly-long novel (those parts in the middle where they were just traveling in the desert, blah!). I just find it odd that they got away from Thrawn and the Chimera so easily...I guess they got their due coming to them a little bit later on when Thrawn officially takes over the Imperial remnant.

I especially like the parts about Shmi's diary. Kind of like a blast from the past. It actually made the pod race more exciting than it was in TPM (I hate that part of the movie; I always fast forward past that!). This book did a great job of tying the PT with the OT.

Grade: B+ to A- (can't really decide)

[Darth Vegas]

Originally posted by O-B-GATES@Mar 13 2003, 06:25 PM
One major gripe: Since when does Leia understand Wookie so well? She doesn't know it well in The Thrawn Trilogy, right? But she didn't miss a beat when communicating with Chewie in this book. Did I miss something?


I think Leia was just geussing what Chewie was saying by the stress in his voice, plus she has the Force.


<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>This book did a great job of tying the PT with the OT.[/b][/quote]

That is exactly what's so attractive about the book, it could be horrible, but it's just very cool to read about this sorta stuff, it's a big moment for Leia, there's some real character developement I think, and of course it pays off later.

[Brian]

Originally posted by Agent Bond A.K.A. TK-007+Mar 13 2003, 09:32 PM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Agent Bond A.K.A. TK-007 @ Mar 13 2003, 09:32 PM)</div><div class='quotemain'> <!--QuoteBegin-O-B-GATES@Mar 13 2003, 06:25 PM
One major gripe: Since when does Leia understand Wookie so well? She doesn't know it well in The Thrawn Trilogy, right? But she didn't miss a beat when communicating with Chewie in this book. Did I miss something?


I think Leia was just geussing what Chewie was saying by the stress in his voice, plus she has the Force. [/b][/quote]
Yeah, that's what she usually does (guessing by the stress in his voice), but in TG she seemed to fully understand Chewie. I didn't see any interpretation there. It just seems like she learned Wookie, all of a sudden. And the Force doesn't work in this case, IMHO. Even if one could use the Force to understand languages, Leia is clearly not that well attuned to do that.

Remember the Wookiee on Kashyyyk that had the "accent" (that made his Wookiee speech sound like Basic)? He had to interpret for Leia in The Thrwan Trilogy. Remember? If TG takes place before Thrawn, then we have a continuity flaw. Wouldn't be the first one (and it's minor, I say), but still could have been avoided. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif

[Blizzard]

Who put the dang spoiler in the title? :mad:

[Darth Vegas]

Originally posted by O-B-GATES@Mar 13 2003, 07:08 PM
It just seems like she learned Wookie, all of a sudden. And the Force doesn't work in this case, IMHO. Even if one could use the Force to understand languages, Leia is clearly not that well attuned to do that.


Well, I was thinking she was more using the Force to better understand his reactions, the stress in his voice, his feelings, not that she actually knew exactly what he was saying.

From what I've read so far, there was never a point when they continued on a conversation.

[Brian]

Originally posted by Blizzard@Mar 13 2003, 10:22 PM
Who put the dang spoiler in the title? :mad:
It's always been there...I think.

EDIT: I did change the title. My bad. But hey, you've been warned...

[Blizzard]

You told me you wouldn't spoil it for me. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/unhappy.gif

[Luvinna.]

Originally posted by Blizzard@Mar 13 2003, 08:45 PM
You told me you wouldn't spoil it for me. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/unhappy.gif
Huh? There's no specter of Anakin in the book. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/huh.gif The title of the thread has always said that, as far as I remember. It was speculation at the time. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/eh.gif

And Blizz, if you didn't want to be spoiled, what are you doing in here? style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif

[Brian]

Originally posted by Blizzard@Mar 13 2003, 10:45 PM
You told me you wouldn't spoil it for me. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/unhappy.gif
Aw, c'mon. I was talking about personal communication. Not in the thread. Sorry.

[nerfer]

<span style="color:c1007e"><span style="font-family:comic sans ms">

Leia's never seemed to have too much of a problem understanding Chewie to some extent, I mean she spent quite a long time with Chewie without Han around since he got Frozen in carbonite in the Empire Strikes back.

Yea I think the Ghost in Tattooine Ghost are Leia's feelings, the Ghost's she's been carrying with her.</span></span>

[Blizzard]

Originally posted by Luvinna@Mar 13 2003, 09:55 PM
And Blizz, if you didn't want to be spoiled, what are you doing in here? style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif
I am not here, I am a spector! style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif

I can't help seeing the titles of the threads, ya know. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/eh.gif

[Soontir Solo]

If you say so Blizzard, Tattoine Ghost was pretty good (I got done Wed. Night), not one of the elite EU books, but still pretty good.

[Brian]

Originally posted by Luvinna@Mar 5 2003, 04:32 PM
They even get into a fire fight with [Thrawn] at one point. He's dressed in stormtrooper armor for a while, but then takes it off (I'm trying to remember why... I'm sure he must've had a reason) and the last thing Han and Leia see down the dark hall as he makes his getaway is a pair of red eyes. Pretty sure that's Thrawn they're dealing with.
From Chris Cerasi, Editor at LucasBooks, over at TOS's message board:

"It's not a super-genius stormtrooper - they mistake Thrawn's white unfiform at first for stormtrooper armor, but it's Thrawn in his uniform."

[Luvinna.]

Ohhh. Thanks, OBG! style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif

[Brian]

Originally posted by Luvinna@Mar 7 2003, 10:32 AM
Actually, I think the Jedi did have a hand in giving Shmi the means to con Watto. Qui-Gon sent her a box just after he left with Anakin. We don't know what was in the box (but we can guess) because a lot of the diary entries were corrupted (what do you expect when it's been sitting under a moisture vaporator for 30 years) including that one. But when everything else that they'd tried to get Watto to sell Shmi didn't work, Shmi says something about it being time to show Cliegg what was in the box that Qui-Gon sent her. So that kind of suggests to me that whatever was in the box was the thing they used to trick Watto.
In the box Qui-Gon sent was actually a lens for some ship. The lens will temporarily blind a person if he looks at it. Watto looked at it and got blinded.

How the Larses "bought" Shmi out slavery:

The premise was Owen (who Watto didn't know; he did know Cliegg to be Shmi's "boyfriend" and was jealous of him) would come by the shop and try to buy a ship from Watto. Watto had the ship model, but the lens was missing. Shmi said she knew who had a lens for the ship, Cliegg. She'd given it to Cliegg, but Watto knew it came from the Jedi and since Shmi was his slave, it was really his box. But he conceded and agreed the box belonged to Cliegg now. Shmi "contacted" Cliegg and the deal was going to be negotiated. Cliegg came by the shop with the box Qui-Gon sent Shmi. The deal was, the lens for Shmi. Watto insisted at looking at the "merchandise" before making the deal. He opened the box and -- ta-da! He's blinded by the bright lens. Watto gave up Shmi for the lens...but Owen never bought the ship, from what I could tell. Watto found out later that he'd been shammed, but he kind of wanted Shmi to leave anyway it seemed. Shmi and Watto actually had a pretty good relationship, as far as slaves and masters went.


Luvinna, if you can tell this better than I can, please feel free. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif

[Brian]

Originally posted by Agent Bond A.K.A. TK-007@Mar 7 2003, 10:35 AM
How about anything about the relationship beween Obi-Wan and Anakin?
Actually, when Han and Leia visited Obi-Wan's homestead, they found a holocube with Outbound Project stuff among other things. It was eluded to that Obi-Wan lived out the rest of his life feeling like a complete failure having led Anakin down the dark path, so to speak. That's about all on their relationship.

As has been mentioned before, the novel mostly focused on Leia looking to the past. The moss painting had in it some secret code that revealed where the Rebel Alliance's Shadowcast network secret agents was operating. That's why they didn't want Thrawn to get his blue hands on it. Leia retrieved and destroyed the code in the end, but let the Squibs have the painting to sell to whom ever. I bet this will get covered in the upcoming Insider story by Denning, Never Trust A Squib. Also, like Luvinna mentioned, the novel focused on Leia coming to grip with Anakin being a not-so-bad guy before he became Vader. And about linking with the past, getting to know her grandmother, Shmi. That's about it...really.

[Darth Vegas]

Alright, well I'm well into the book now, about halfway through it.

I have begun to notice how Leia completely understands wookie all the sudden, wierd.

[Whuffa]

I just finished the book last night and it was pretty good, I'd give it a 7/10.
First the compliments:
I think Denning captured Leia and Han's relationship perfectly and it seemed like he really got into their heads. Not a lot of Sw authors can do that. He also got the atmosphere of Tatooine just right with all the sweating and dehydration, and it felt realistic.
All of the elements that tied in the prequels were nicely done and it's good that Leia mentioned that the Force was doing this 'cause otherwise it would have been too many coincidences.
I also lo