It's Perfect

Ahsoka boarded the heavy Transport, her montrals and lekku hidden under a cloak.
She was on her own now, the Council, and Jedi, were behind her now.
A wide eyed Rodian reached for a blaster at his hip and she instinctively reached her her lightsabers only to remember she had left them behind.
I'm a nobody now . . . She thought as she looked out over the glistening city planet of Coruscant.
"Now leaving for the Outer Rim." A voice blared over the speakers as the cargo doors closed out the galactic center with a metallic thud.

Where should she go? What would she do? She mingled with the other refugees, if she were a Jedi she could have helped these people have a better life, now she was one of them. A stranger in a strange place.
No free taxi rides, no perks, just an ordinary galactic citizen. She still had the Force.
She recognized a little Twil'ik boy who pointed to her, she smiled back, at least she had done some good in the galaxy before she left.
"You seem troubled." A voice said and she was snapped out of her thoughts.
The speaker was a young human boy about her age, sixteen, seventeen maybe.
"It's nothing." She replied back not making eye contact.
"What happened? Did you lose someone?" He inquired.
With a sigh she answered;
"You could say that."
The ship rumbled as the landing gears extended.
"We have arrived on Dantooine. Please exit to your left. Thank you." The same monotone voice announced.
"My name's Bessen, look me up." He said reaching into his pocket and handing the Togruta a small card.
"Um, thanks." Ahsoka replied stashing the card.
Soon Bessen was lost to the crowd that was herded off the giant ship. Ahsoka followed them rubbing shoulders with beings from every corner of the galaxy.

The city was small, a mining outpost, maybe, that looked like a ghost town in the making.
She watched as the great boarding ramp retracted and the ship hovered above the ground and then shot into the upper sky to ferry the next batch of refugees to a better life.

"Ahsoka? Is that you?" An all too familiar voice said from behind. She turned to see, of all people, Lux Bonteri, the rebel senator wading through the crowd towads her as if it was a thrashing sea.
"What are you doing here?" He asked through the bustle.
"I . . . I . . . " She stuttered awkwardly. She saw him read her bewildered expression and the pair moved to an isolated spot in the run down city. When the crowds were behind them she said;
"Lux, I, I left the Jedi."
"Why?" He asked truly concerned.
"I'd rather not talk about it, Lux."
Those eyes of his pleaded for an answer and she finally delivered;
"A close friend of mine attacked the Temple and framed me for it." She confessed.
"I'm sorry." Was all he said. It was all he could say.
Ahsoka cracked a small smile at his accent, she always found it cute.
"So what are you going to do now?" He asked.
"I don't know . . . " She trailed off stealing a glimpse at his thick, unkempt, dark brown hair.
After a moment of awkward silence Lux began;
"You helped restore order on Onderon. You're a hero. You're my hero."
Even now she still held her feelings deep inside her and kept a straight face, like the remark meant nothing.
She turned her back to him and tried to look busy.
"Well . . . If that's how you feel." He said turning and heading the other way, a sad note hung in his voice.

Her emotions screamed at her, pushing and pulling, in a million different directions. She was letting the love of her life just walk away. It was what the Jedi would have wanted, but, was it what she wanted?

“Lux, don’t leave.” She said turning and running to him with tear filled eyes.
“Lux, I’ve loved you since the day we meant, and I can’t imagine life without you.” She finally said. It felt like a bantha was lifted off her chest.
She clenched his hand tight.
“Lux, please, don’t leave. I need you.” She met his warm eyes, eyes that had seen courtrooms and battlefields and maintained their alluring glow.
She lowered her head onto his chest and listened to his heartbeat.
Ahsoka stayed there as long a possible not wanting to face whatever he may say.
Lux placed a warm hand on her back and held her there.
Their eyes met again and then it happened.
He planted a firm kiss on her lips leaving her dumbfounded for a second.
And then she kissed him back, this time with all the passion she had pent up for him over the years.
They emerged for a breath and Ahsoka remarked;
“That’s payback for on Carlac.”
“Do you really have to bring that up now?” Lux remarked sarcastically.
They held each other for awhile as Ahsoka felt waves of energy ripple around them along with something else. Love?
Finally they released and held each other’s hands.
“There’s boarding house on the outskirts of town. We could stay there, escape the war, just us.”
“That sounds wonderful.” She said beaming.
As she followed Lux she remembered Bessen’s card. She stopped and pulled it out to examine it for the first time.
It said;
Bessen’s Armory and Weapons: Headquarters on Dantooine.

“Is everything alright?” Lux asked looking back at the love of his life.
She met his eyes and said with confidence;
“It’s perfect.”

That Wasn't Nuna

Ahsoka sat in the Temple library consumed by silence as she watched the minutes tick by. Ever second of ever second a small eternity; the embodiment of utter boredom.
She looked at her wrist communicator. Who could she contact? Who would liberate her from this invisible prison?
The com beeped sounding louder then normal in the silence.
"This is Ahsoka Tano." She said into the device.
"Ahsoka, this is Barriss, I was wondering if you wanted to hang out with me. Maybe we could have dinner in the city."
Ahsoka replied;"Sure. I need to get out any way. Obi Wan was telling me of this really nice place. He says he knows someone who works there."
"What's it called?" The other Padawan asked.
"Ummm . . ." Ahsoka said trying to remember.
"Dex, yes, Dex's Diner, I'll send you the coordinates and meet you there." With that she closed the channel. Finally an escape.

The two Padawans arrived at Dex's Diner. Its interior a snapshot from a simpler time.
The pair found a booth seated themselves.
Both girls took in their vibrant surroundings. Unlike the rest of the city planet the Diner was cleaner and not perverted by modern advertising and what have you.
"What are you going to have." Barriss asked watching her own menu.
"I don't know. I wonder if their nuna is any good." Ahsoka answered.
"Why hello there Jedi." A bellowing voice said and both looked up. It was the Diner's owner and namesake Dex; a pot bellied, four armed, alien with a welcoming air that smelled of grease.
"You must be Skywalker's Padawan." He said giving Ahsoka a wide grin.
"Yes. That's me." Was all she was willing to say.
"It's an honor to have you here. Obi Wan has told me so much about you."
Both girls gave each other looks.
"That's great, umm, do you have anything new. Maybe exotic?" Barriss asked eager to change the subject.
"Of course, and since both of you have done so much for our Republic how about I prepare a special dish just for the two of you"
"Sure." Ahsoka answered while Barriss weighed the risks.
With a giant grin Dex left the two and headed for the kitchen to prepare their meal.
"What are you doing?" Barriss asked as she leaned over the table pondering her friend's logic.
"C'mon Barriss, lighten up, we deserve it."
Barriss sat back with mock satisfaction at her friend's answer.

There came an animal cry from the back followed abruptly by the sound of a blade contacting flesh. Barriss cringed and Ahsoka could sense her gag reflex.
The remaining minutes they waited were filled with the usual ambient noises and nothing extreme.
Dex emerged carrying two large steaming platters.
"Enjoy, my friends." Dex said leaving them to enjoy his creations.
The large platters smelled savory and was an assortment of steamed veggies and meat; maybe nuna meat.
Both girls eat.
"Not bad." Barriss remarked at the food quality.
"Told you." Ahsoka said back almost smirking through her filled cheeks.

"No. No; I need these as soon as possible. They're a huge hit." They heard Dex say to someone in the back.
"I don't care what it costs. I need this for the Jedi Special. It's . . ." Dex's voice was lost to the other noises.
Reaching out in the Force both girls strained to hear the rest;
"Who do you think you are. . . Butchered . . . Endangered and ruined lives." Was all they were able to decipher.
With their mouths full both girls looked each other in the eyes and then they looked to their plates. It wasn't nuna. And it wasn't nerf either. What was it?

"Kidnapped" Review

This was an awesome episode with high suspense moments and plenty of action; a true masterpiece even if it was based in a comic.

I've never seen so many Togruta at once and the Zygerrian slaver, Denar, Looked like a cross between the Hollywood werewolf and his accent reminded me of one Count Dracula. Denar's deadly pets seemed to re-enforcer his image as a classic archetypal villain. That and his little pet bird, in place of the cat, added a nice touch to the whole thing.

For the first time in the series we get to see Obi-Wan's hair actually move. Until now it's been nicely stationary since Season 1. And his fight with Denar in the central tower was a brutal hand-to-hand one.  The way they inter-cut between Obi-Wan and Anakin was masterfully done and made the episode that much better. (Just wish they'd done something like that back during "Shadow Warrior".)
On a side note: the tower resembled fully matured Togruta morals which they use for limited echolocation.

Denar gave mention to the Zygerrian slave empire of old. I'm not to familiar with this chapter of Galactic history but, from the episode, I get the gist of it all. 

Anakin's brash, almost Sith like, actions gave hint to his dark future as he confronted the slaver. And his Padawan, Ahsoka, held well against the droid onslaught and proved herself once again to be a mighty warrior.

In all it was an awesome episode with spectacular animation and masterful editing and I can't wait for next week's adventure!

Star Wars: The Great Myth, Second Edition

        As requested, here's my second edition of Star Wars: The Great Myth.
Let's begin, shall we.









Samurai Jack and Jedi Joe: 


Star Wars  would be nothing without the Jedi; this fictional Order's origins lay in both the Samurai and the Knights Templar.
The Knights Templar, or the Poor Knights of Christ, played a major role in the Crusades (much like the Jedi in the Clone Wars). And their Code is similar to the Jedi's in some ways.
And the standard dress for the Jedi is mostly influenced by Japanese robes.

Also; the lightsaber fighting styles seen in the OT were based off of Kendo, meaning "Way of the Sword". Many fans will recognize this as "lightsaber tapping" as seen in Obi-Wan's final duel with Darth Vader on the Death Star.

Sterling Submachine gun.

"Grease those Rebels!":


 The droid E-5 blasters share characteristics with the M-3 submachine gun, also called the "Grease Gun" and "The Greaser". It was used by American soldiers in World War II. This 45 caliber weapon was made to offset the cost of the more expensive Thomson submachine gun commonly referred to as the "Tommy Gun".

M-3 submachine gun.

The classic E-11 blaster used by stormtroopers in the OT is based off of the British Sterling submachine gun. The British General Staff began using this weapon in 1944.









Use the Force: 


The idea of a binding energy has been in Japan for centuries, and it is the basis for all there marshal arts. In fact, many of the Jedi ideals have their roots in ancient Japanese legend.
Modern research is showing that every living thing emits an unseen energy. And even emotions could be considered "energies".



Conclusion: 


That's all folks. If you have any suggestions for other Star Wars parallels that you'd like to see you can post them on my Facebook page.   Until next time my the Force be with you!!

Star Wars: The Great Myth

         The Star Wars Saga is everywhere, and it's become integrated into our culture. It is, quiet simply, a modern myth; just like the Greek, Roman, and Norse myths of old.
George Lucas has based many of his concepts off of ancient and well rooted ideas that have become a part of our being.

 Luke's hero's journey is the most well know of these. And his father's spiritual decay and submission to the dark side carries undertones of ancient myths.

You reap what you sow; Lucas sowed his inspiration from myths and legends, thus creating one himself.

So without further ado let me show you some examples of how Lucas based his legendary Saga off of ancient myths.








The Chosen One: 


As I mentioned briefly in a previous post Anakin is similar to David from the Bible. And really the similarities run very deep. David was the king of Israel chosen by God, while Anakin was the Chosen One said to bring balance to the Force.

David and Goliath  

Anakin might also be compared to Jesus Christ. And Shmi, his mother, to his mother Marry. Both were virgins.

I might also add that Anakin in Sanskrit (Asian) means warrior, a fitting title considering his role in the Clone Wars. It may have also been derived from Anakim a race of giants found in the Old Testament of the Bible. For a more in depth look at the origin of this classic character's name read Wookieepedia.  

One very notable difference between Anakin and his biblical counterpart is this: David ruled his kingdom in peace and ended all the wars, leaving virtually no fighting for his future heir. As opposed to Anakin who seemed to live off the energies of war.

A friend of mine interpreted the ancient prophecy of the Chosen One in a very interesting way; he said that Anakin did in fact bring balance to the Force when he massacred the Jedi in ROTS. Because once the Jedi were extinct there were no longer any opposing ideas, or ideals, about how the Force worked, so there was a kind of balance you might say.





Lightsabers and Lightning:

 "An elegant weapon for a more civilized age." Is how the aged Jedi Master Obi-Wan described the lightsaber to young Luke in A New Hope. This classic weapon ,unique to Star Wars, could be based off god the Greek god Zeus's favorite weapon; the lightning bolt.

Zeus supposedly fought his children in many epic duels with this weapon.

I also find the lightsaber comparable to the Japanese katana used by the ancient Samurai. Both weapons can cut through almost everything with exceptional ease, both were handcrafted, and both were used by skilled swordsmen of legendary Orders.








Roger, roger:  

The Separatist Droid Army may have its bases in the Immortals; the infantry force for the Persian Empire. These men used shields and spears and wore armor no thicker then a playing card.
The concept was to continually throw these men at the enemy, every time one fell two more took his place. This was kept up until the enemy was tired out and could no longer fight.

We see this same strategy used during the Clone Wars, but with

droids rather then men.

The Future that Never Was

The pungent smell of sulfur filled his nose; blood, sweat, tears, and pain stung his eyes; his mind became a jumble and he couldn't concentrate, he was angry, angry at everything. He looked up and saw the figure of Obi-Wan standing over him, then he realized he was laying on his stomach on a bed of hard volcanic rock.
He reached out, only to come to the realization that he had no arms or legs, only a  robotic hand.
"You were the Chosen One." The Jedi said to him, conviction filled his voice. "You were supposed to destroy the Sith, not join them." he continued; "You were my brother Anakin." With that he bent down and picked up his former comrade's lightsaber. Fire and rage consumed Anakin there as he cried out in agony.

Suddenly he breathed, and sat up. The scars from the fire were gone, it was just a dream. He stood and looked around. Birds sang their songs outside in the lush foliage. He was in a large room, a great window filtered in dazzling sunlight from the outside. Perplexed, he looked out it to see a large lake shining in the sun like a thousand finely polished diamonds, and lush green hills rose around the lake. Is this real? He asked himself; the answer like a shadow in his mind.
He placed his hands on the masonry of the window-sill, it seemed real enough.
"Honey, are you ok?" came the song of a voice behind him, he turned. It was Padm`e, and her face shone like a young star.
He embraced her, the events of his nightmare were still so real and fresh in his mind, he wanted to apologize to her; but her face said it was unneeded. Besides, what had he really done?

"The children are waiting for you." She said.
"Children?" He echoed.
"Yes, Luke and Leia. They're waiting for you. You promised to spend some time with them today."
"I--I did?" He said taken aback.
He placed a hand on his forehead.
"Are you alright?" she asked with a note of concern.
"I'm fine." was his reply.

With that he left the room, which was a bedroom. He came to a larger family-room. There, two small children, a boy and a girl, sat playing on the floor. Both looked about twelve years old.

"Aren't they beautiful." Padm`e said coming up behind him.
He turned and met her face once again, this was perfect, almost to perfect.

He looked again, the children seemed further away then before; maybe it way just his eyes. then he looked to his wife, she to seemed to be fading.
Suddenly his eyes burnt with fire, and a rage consumed him. The lakeside house, Padm`e, the children all vanished into total darkness. He was alone.

And then he remembered, remembered what he wanted to forget, Padm`e's agonized face as he assaulted her with the Force. Remembered the innocent younglings, who'd  never done anything to offend him, remembered the cries of all those he slew.
As quickly as it had begun there was suddenly silence. He breathed heavily, and then from all around him came a foreboding respiratory-assisted breathing.

Darth Vader awoke from his deep sleep and his arms and legs were numb as always. He sat there in the silence alone with his thoughts. What have I become?  He asked himself; the answer a shadow in his mind . . .

                                                          -THE END-

The Prequel Trilogy and the Original Trilogy: Why we Need them Both.

It is often disputed among us fans which of the two Trilogies is better. Some say the Prequel Trilogy (TPM, AOTC, and ROTS), and others say the Original Trilogy (ANH, ESB, and ROTJ).
In my opinion they're both great in their own sense. As I've mentioned in my last post, my favorite episodes are ROTS and ESB.

Think about this: If we didn't have the Prequels the Original Trilogy wouldn't exist, and vise versa. I am going to discuss both Trilogies, and what they contribute, and why they ultimately need each other.


The Prequel Trilogy: 

I really enjoyed this half of the Saga, especially TPM and AOTC, and believe it or not, I really enjoyed the bumbling Jar-Jar in Episode I.
It was only until I saw ROTS, and the end of AOTC, that I began to question Anakin and his loyally to the Jedi.
The things that are set in motion here in the Prequels plant the seeds for events in the Originals.
Two of the most touching scenes here where Anakin saying goodbye to his Mother as he leaves with Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan for his new life in the Jedi Temple; and Padm`e's death.
The three intertwining tales told are, for the most part, are lighthearted and fun.

Episode I: The Phantom Menace

This was the very first episode I saw, it introduced me to all the fantastic aliens and planets.
I've heard it said that this episode is like a fairy-tale. It is in a sense. If you think about it. Here we were introduced to Anakin in his purist form; untainted by pain or deceit.
TPM is a fun story, and a great start to the Saga.


Episode II: Attack of the Clones

If anything, AOTC is a sad love story. A little slow for my tastes but still epic.
Some of the best music came out of this episode, and it was all spectacular.
Shmi's unfortunate death was a very heart-felt moment, and a focal point in Anakin's transformation into Darth Vader. If scares had been healed here Anakin might not have fallen.
Aside from Anakin and his internal troubles the treat of a Droid Army gave this episode a nice feel of suspense. This episode was very character driven, and breath-taking. As in the last episode politics played a major role in this episode.


Clone Wars movie

While not strictly part of the Saga, I still feel it's worth mentioning. This is a very unique piece; in terms of story and characters.
Ahsoka's introduction I found very pleasing, and her role here, and in the proceeding series, is a very important one as far as I'm concerned.
There were several epic battle; and many duels between our heroes and Sidious's pawns, all were very well done.



Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

Of all the episodes ROTS is by far one of the saddest and most dramatic episodes in the entire Saga. It has an engaging plot, intricate characters, internal and external conflicts; this is what makes a story not just good, but epic. Seeing, for the first time, the former Anakin ignite his lightsaber in the chamber with the younglings sent a chill down my spine. And to hear Palpatine's words; "Execute Order 66."  was a moment that wouldn't soon be forgotten.
The downward spiral of the plot has a certain gravity to it that cannot be replicated or copied; this is by far one of Lucas's best works ever.






The Original Trilogy:

The OT has a  certain "retro" feel about it that the Prequels don't have. But that's because they were made back in the 70s and 80s.
Fact: The Battle Star Galactica series started airing in 1978; exactly one year after A New Hope was released.  The series mimicked much of its special effects from Star Wars. Anyway.
I love the OT as much as the Prequels.

Episode IV: A New Hope

For many fans ANH was their introduction to the Star Wars universe. Obi-Wan (Ben's) famous line; "That's no moon." comes to mind whenever it is mentioned. This is classic Star Wars. In its day I'm sure, and still today, this episode is a jewel.

Episode V: (The) Empire Strikes Back 

The Hoth battle, Luke's duel with Vader in Bespin's Cloud City; and that classic line: "No Luke, I am you Father." are all in this episode. Here, in my opinion, we see Luke, Leia, Han, and Chiewe at their best. ESB, for me, stands toe-to-toe with ROTS in terms of drama, action, plot, and characters.

There is a slow building of tension that starts once the Imperial spy probe lands on Hoth, and doesn't dissipate until the very end.

Episode VI: Return of the Jedi

The Battle over Endor, Ewoks vs.stormtroopers, ech. As with ESB tension is built up in this episode until the very end. And any seasoned fan will say; "It's a trap!!" along with Ackbar. Here the final redemption of Vader plays out along with Emperor Palpatine's first demise (yes you heard me right).
In all this was an epic conclusion to the Saga.

My Thoughts on the EU and the Star Wars Saga.

Star Wars. Seems like only recently that was a vague term referring to a Galaxy far, far away. It wasn't mentioned much, and I only ever heard lightly of a Luke Skywalker, C-3PO, R2-D2, and a Dark Vader; those terms never meant much to me, and I never fully understood them.
I recall being at a friend's house and hearing them talk about an Episode II, and how the worms crawled all over the queen. That was really it--until that day happened.

By brothers and me were at a friend's house, and their son asked if we'd seen Star Wars yet, and we answered no. That night we watched The Phantom Menace (TPM), and Attack of the Clones (AOTC).
Well, those two episodes explained a lot to me about the Star Wars universe, but I was thirsty for more. I recall finding the blue skinned Twe'lk people intriguing, and they stuck out to me the most among all the others; and they remain one of my favorite aliens.

Sometime later, still being in total suspense to find out how the last two episodes I'd seen would play out, we rented Revenge of the Sith (ROTS) from Blockbuster and watched it that night.
 I had know I idea what to expect, and I was blown away. Things quickly went from bad to worse as I rode the emotional rollercoster of ROTS. (The only other time I experienced such a rush of emotion was when I watched Weapons Factory for the first time on CN.)
After all that things started to click, I understood who Darth Vader was, and how Luke came to play in the story. Finally, I knew! Over time I was introduced to the Original Trilogy, and now I've seen them all.
Most recently I've seen the Clone Wars Movie, and every episode in the new Clone Wars series. For me, watching the Clone Wars Movie in theaters on opening day was my way of making up for not watching the films in theaters.

But it wasn't enough; I read the Star Wars guides to purge ignorance from my mind, it worked too. Little details, like the how thermal-detonators work, and the details of Dug society, I began to understand every aspect of the universe and its many technologies. After that I continued to grow, I spent a lot of time on Starwars.com once the Clone Wars movie and series kicked off.

Here I am know; a Star Wars fan and proud of it. My favorite Star Wars films are (The) Empire Strikes Back (ESB) and ROTS, with the others falling somewhere in-between. I don't view the Original Trilogy (OT) as being superior to the New Trilogy (also called the Prequel Trilogy) or vice versa: one cannot survive without the other.

I want to discuss the many differences the Expanded Universe (EU) and the Star Wars films, and TV series have, and how effective each is in getting its, message across.

But first of all: What is the EU?

The EU is a vast collection of short stories and comic-books, not written by Lucas. These span the entire Saga. Many of them fill in tiny holes in-between the films, and even expand beyond them.
I myself haven't read much of the EU; only a few books. There are instances, or anomalies, were two or more books contain contradicting information (the Jedi's lightsaber is blue in one book, but green in another). I don't know how often this occurs, but it seems to happen frequently enough to tick some fans off. And if a fan were to get his fan fiction published by Dark Horse, it would be considered part of the EU.

As a whole, the EU tends to tell its stories in trilogies and duologies, an example of this would be the Black Fleet Crisis. There are also stand-alone stories, like the Cestus Deception, it's one of my favorite books.
Novels are an excellent way to tell a story: one because it allows you to get inside the characters head and learn their inner secrets; something that is difficult to do in a film or series.

Because it has some many different authors EU canon (continuity) is often disputed and criticized. But one fact remains: We would have no EU if we didn't have the epic six films that are the Star Wars Saga.


The Star Wars Films and TV series:

Like the EU, proceeding series fill in the holes left by the films, but there has yet to be a series, or film, to go beyond ROTJ. And one of the earliest Star Wars series was the Ewok Series, followed by the Droid Series (I may have gotten the order wrong.) From what I gather contradictions are rarer here, but can still occur.
But above both the series and the EU is the films; these are the trunk of the whole franchise, and the rest would crumble if they didn't exist. All six films are Lucas's work, and a fine work they are. There's no argument, anything Lucas approves becomes canon.

TVs communicate their stories though images, this gives them an advantage over novels. In a novel it may that several paragraphs to describe a scene: as opposed to TVs, which can show the viewer the sequence in one or two scenes. The downfall is these scenes have a hefty price on them, and are expensive to produce. George Lucas knows this fact all to well. But CGI has revolutionized the movie making business. And while it is less expensive then its counterpart, it's not cheap, and very difficult to master correctly.

Conclusion:

Star Wars is perhaps the best franchise on the planet, with many intricate stories, and plenty of compelling characters. But its vast expansion would not exist, and exist in such well chronicled order, if Lucas hadn't laid the foundation; that being the six Star Wars films.
A word picture I want to leave you with is this:
The six Star Wars films are a great citadel, and the EU is surrounding kingdoms allied with the citadel. And the new Clone Wars series is a new wind being added to the main castle.
George has given us permission to play in his sandbox, but ultimately he owns the beach.

I hope I have clarified some things for you. Until next time may the Force be with you.

"Before the Storm"-- Review

An awesome book. Set some time after the Battle of Endor "Before the Storm" is a gripping story.

Certain arias felt a little like Star Trek, but that's just my opinion. This a great story, and actually follows several different plots at once.

I don't want to go into to much detail and spoil the story for all you soon-to-be readers; but I will say that, while being written from a third person narrative point of view, many of the perspectives are presented through Leia's perspective.

I can't wait to read the other books in this series, "Before the Storm" has set the stage for them quit well.

The cast (Luke, Leia, Han, Chewie, Ackbar, ech) were all portrayed flawlessly.

All in all this was an awesome book, and I highly recommend that anyone interested in Star Wars read it.

May the Force be with you.

-Joshua Yoder-

A Forgotten Dream

His gaze fell on the empty void of deep space that lay beyond the ship's large view-screen, and he thought of all the uncharted star systems out there; he remembered his dream of wanting to visit them; all of them.

"My lord," Can the voice of a crewman next to him.

"We're prepared to jump to light-speed," And then he added;

"With your permission, sir." 

"Proceed." Darth Vader replied in his respiratory assisted baritone.

Vader left the ship's bridge with the words;

"I'll be in my quarters. Notify me when we've reached the Kessel System."

Encased in the solid black meditation chamber the Dark Lord had his sinister black mask removed, revealing his lava scarred face, he breathed the heavy gases that now filled his close chamber. He could not allow any of the crew to see him in such a weak state, it would defeat his image.
Seated, he closed his eyes, ignoring the pain the the movement caused. He let his mind drift back, back to the beginning.
He saw his mother's face, just as he had always remembered it. Why? Why did you have to die? He asked himself; and the answer was no clearer now, then it had been the day he had buried her in the harsh sands of Tattooine, his former home.
His soul still ached with the sorrow of her passing, it ached like the scars across his face.
Another face manifest itself to him, his former Master's, Obi-Wan Kenobi. The very thought of that name only surfaced images of betrayal on the fiery world of Mustafar.

That image slowly faded, and was replaced by dozens, if not thousands more. Younglings, Knights, Masters, all slain by his hand; the grief and sorrow flooded him, and he struggled for breath beneath its sudden surge.
His own Padawan's face appeared in his mind's eye. She was young, eager, book-smart, and ignorant when he'd first met her. And her soul was the only one he'd not freed from this Natural Realm; if she wasn't dead now then she would surely fall.

Why do you grieve, my love? Said the soft voice in his head, he knew it all to well.
"Padm`e," He whispered softly into the thick air. There was no response.
The image of his wife's face in death filled his mind, and banished all other images and tormenting voices.
My love for you extends even beyond death. He heard her say, his mind slowly began to calm as her voice whispered like a small breeze. For once the bitterness and hatred in his soul subsided.
Every second felt like a lifetime to him. He couldn't let this moment slip through his fingers.
Tears began to run down his cheek, their touch caused his skin to burn, but still he wept, wept for all those he'd killed.
He remembered that day when he'd brutally used the Force to choke her, the images relayed in his mind countless times, a testament to what he'd become.
I am a monster. He told himself, it seemed true enough.

A red notification light blinked on the arm of his chair. He pushed a button and he heard the helmsman's voice saying;
"We've arrived at the Kessel System, standing by."
Swallowing his grief and dispare he pressed a series of keys, and his great black mask was lowered over his face to once more confine it.
The sealed meditation chamber opened into two halves and the Dark Lord stepped out once more.
As he entered the ship's bridge he felt a strong Force presence on the planet hovering below.

                                                     --THE END--

Double Take

Recentely I watched the "Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring" movie and I noticed somethings that mirrored Star Wars. The following below are some of the things that particarly stuck out to me . . . enjoy =)

First of all we have Frodo's sword that glows blue when Orcs are near, pretty cool!!

And when it glows blue it looks like Luke's first lightsaber from ANH

Does this face look familar to you? It should it's none other then Christopher Lee

                 

Aka Count Dooku

And speaking of wizards, Gandalf here reminds me of one of my favorite Jedi in the Clone Wars

Ok . . . Minus the breath mask and goggles and overall alien apprence Plo Koon is very wise like his LOTR counterpart.

Remember this thing? It killed Gandalf, it also has a twin in the Clone Wars

Ahh, General Grievous's pet that Kit Fisto killed in "Liar of Grievous" back in Season One. See the resemblence?

And while we're talking about monsters remember the rancor from ROTJ?

And once again we see striking simailarites!!!!!!

                                  And here's a comparison shot made by my friend at Gleemo Blog.

Thanks for letting me share what I've found. May the Force be with you!!

-Joshua Yoder-