Reading Heir to the Empire

[Keltest]

I know the whole "specific beats general" principal always applies, by I still feel like I should give a shout out to the 501st Legion. I'm probably the most critical and hated guy in our garrison. The group is almost entirely composed of good people doing good things, silly internal politics aside.

Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of good people. I have enormous respect for the 501st in particular. You guys put in a lot of hard work, and the quality shows. But its a lot easier for an echo chamber of disgruntled internet warriors to form than it is for a group like the 501st to come together, so there are a lot more of the former. Hence why I avoid organized star wars "fan" groups, as a rule.

[Peelee]

But its a lot easier for an echo chamber of disgruntled internet warriors to form than it is for a group like the 501st to come together, so there are a lot more of the former. Hence why I avoid organized star wars "fan" groups, as a rule.

Too true, sadly. And I don't see that getting better anytime soon.

[Sapphire Guard]

Seems to happen in any fandom with an 'old' v 'new' division, although Prequel hate is peak fandom toxicity that I've seen, I think.

Thrawn trilogy would be very difficult to do onscreen, Rebels tried it and

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they had to downgrade every other character's threat level to make room for him.

[Aotrs Commander]

*idly reading Radio Times Q&A with Richard E Grant*

Q: And how are your preparing for your role as Grand Admiral Thrawn in Star Wars IX?

*SPITTAKE*

Say WHAT?!?!
(The answer was he's not playing that character and not allowed to talk about it otherwise he'd be fired, which is practically a confirmation, so... WHAT?)

Did... Did anyone else know this might be A Thing?!

[GrayDeath]

No.

Given how SW 8 ended he more or less HAS to be on the "New Rebels" Side though.

I mean you dont need his brilliance if you outship your enemy by approximately 1000 to 1.....

[Cikomyr]

No.

Given how SW 8 ended he more or less HAS to be on the "New Rebels" Side though.

I mean you dont need his brilliance if you outship your enemy by approximately 1000 to 1.....

On the other hand, he would make an interesting villainous foil to Angsty Superpowered Kylo Ren.

Ya know, we learn that the First Order is actually ran by Thrawn behind the scenes, and he let Snokes have the command of his own personal fleet so he can have fun running after whatever phantoms he wishes, while Thrawn does the real job

[Keltest]

On the other hand, he would make an interesting villainous foil to Angsty Superpowered Kylo Ren.

Ya know, we learn that the First Order is actually ran by Thrawn behind the scenes, and he let Snokes have the command of his own personal fleet so he can have fun running after whatever phantoms he wishes, while Thrawn does the real job

Frankly, I think that would make the First Order even more infuriatingly inexplicable. Thrawn is good, but not so good that he can make resources from nothing, in secret, while also having a second giant army that is also secret.

[Cikomyr]

Frankly, I think that would make the First Order even more infuriatingly inexplicable. Thrawn is good, but not so good that he can make resources from nothing, in secret, while also having a second giant army that is also secret.

Except that, you know, it was exactly what happened in Legend

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Thrawn built the Empire of the Hand, a military structure that could rival the Republic when the Empire was at its lowest

And all in secret

[Keltest]

Except that, you know, it was exactly what happened in Legend

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Thrawn built the Empire of the Hand, a military structure that could rival the Republic when the Empire was at its lowest

And all in secret

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He had built it during the time of the empire, when he had access to significantly more resources. In the Thrawn trilogy, compensating for a manpower and hardware shortage is the work of two full books of scheming, and its still not enough to outright crush the republic in an offensive, he needs to lure them into a trap to have enough resources for any sort of follow through.

[hamishspence]

Except that, you know, it was exactly what happened in Legend

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Thrawn built the Empire of the Hand, a military structure that could rival the Republic when the Empire was at its lowest

And all in secret

That said:

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the Empire of the Hand wasn't built entirely by Thrawn on his own with nothing but the one Star Destroyer he was sent into the Unknown Regions with.

As Mara puts it "The Emperor must have been funnelling resources to him all the way".

[Cikomyr]

That said:

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the Empire of the Hand wasn't built entirely by Thrawn on his own with nothing but the one Star Destroyer he was sent into the Unknown Regions with.

As Mara puts it "The Emperor must have been funnelling resources to him all the way".

Nothing to say it wasnt the case in New Canon?

Also, New Canon's First Order would have had 20 more years to develop and expand.

[Sapphire Guard]

You can't really say to the audience that the two films they just watched were pointless diversions, though. I really hope he doesn't turn up in 9.

[Cikomyr]

You can't really say to the audience that the two films they just watched were pointless diversions, though. I really hope he doesn't turn up in 9.

Very good point actually

[GrayDeath]

Well, they woul not ahve been pointless for everyone participating in it, and given 8s "**** on everything established" I would believe that to be possible.

Not GOOD mind, but possible. Still, if he appear, and leads the Rebellion, I`llw atch it, even if its horrible,just for the laughs of Thrawn being a "good Guy(TM" ^^

[The Glyphstone]

*idly reading Radio Times Q&A with Richard E Grant*



*SPITTAKE*

Say WHAT?!?!
(The answer was he's not playing that character and not allowed to talk about it otherwise he'd be fired, which is practically a confirmation, so... WHAT?)

Did... Did anyone else know this might be A Thing?!

I hardly read that as a de facto confirmation. It sounds like a joke that he answers with a joke of his own, in the 'I can neither confirm nor deny' sort of non-answer. Wild Thrawn theories have been going around since before TFA came out.

[Peelee]

I hardly read that as a de facto confirmation. It sounds like a joke that he answers with a joke of his own, in the 'I can neither confirm nor deny' sort of non-answer. Wild Thrawn theories have been going around since before TFA came out.

Samesies. There's no way they could integrate Thrawn into the current films well.

[Aotrs Commander]

Samesies. There's no way they could integrate Thrawn into the current films well.

It just seems a REALLY odd question to come out of the Radio Times, of all places, in an interview with a handful of questions. Richard E Grant is obviously playig something in SW IX (though it may not be Thrawn), but is rather astounds me that someone at Radio Times even knows who Thrawn IS.

[The Glyphstone]

They probably googled his name and saw Thrawn pop up in the autocomplete; i did and saw similar speculation from 2 months ago on other geek culture news sites.

[Sapphire Guard]

Update: I now have Specter of the Past, which I will be calling "Spectre" from now on. Grand Admiral Thrawn has one more chance to impress me.

Ch1: Pellaeon is on the bridge of the Chimaera, attempting an experimental way to detect cloaking shields. It works, but not well enough to make use of it, and Pellaeon realises the war is lost. He has some back and forth with his subordinate, and lamenting the loss of Thrawn a bit, and then orders a meeting of the Moffs to discuss the Empire's surrender.

Ch 2:
The Falcon arrives at Iphigin for a trade negotiation. Han doesn't think much of the current President of the New Republic, and Leia is on vacation. Luke is unwelcome for the Diamala, for reasons they don't explain.

The talks predictably deadlock, and then they're interrupted by a pirate attack. Luke contemplates all his Force based options for the attack, then hesitates as an image of Palpatine and Exar Kun, whoever that is, laughing at him.

They deal with the pirates, and we get Luke's X Wing number, which I don't think I've seen before (AA-589). Han is concerned that the pirate hulls were not painted, which makes them privateers, probably working for the Empire. Especially as Luke thinks he can sense Clones in the ships. Luke suggests contacting Karrde to find out more.

They have a conversation about the flashy stuff Luke has done with the Force lately, which I assume involves previous books where he's doing things like throwing around moons and such. Luke wonders why Obi Wan and Yoda never pulled similar tricks. Also a reference to someone called Callista who was scared of him.

Okay, so we're back, and it's such a joy to see Pellaeon in command of his own bridge. A lot of references to Thrawn, but I get the reader has to be reminded of past books. Ten years later, he still doesn't have his confidence back.

The main takeaway from chapter two is that Luke's been relying too much on the Force to solve his problems, and that's having effects. Interesting. And there was an Attack of the Clones again.

[Peelee]

Update: I now have Specter of the Past, which I will be calling "Spectre" from now on.

WOOHOO! I really do think you'll like these better than the others.

Okay, so we're back, and it's such a joy to see Pellaeon in command of his own bridge. A lot of references to Thrawn, but I get the reader has to be reminded of past books. Ten years later, he still doesn't have his confidence back.

To be fair, ten years of setbacks and failures largely stemming from other megalomaniacs running around wasting the Empire's power. Although I would argue that he does have a good bit of confidence in himself. He's able to wrangle the Moffs, for instance, and while he certainly doesn't rule the Empire, he sure as hell knows how to throw his weight around.

[Douglas]

Ch1: Pellaeon is on the bridge of the Chimaera, attempting an experimental way to detect cloaking shields. It works, but not well enough to make use of it, and Pellaeon realises the war is lost. He has some back and forth with his subordinate, and lamenting the loss of Thrawn a bit, and then orders a meeting of the Moffs to discuss the Empire's surrender.

It's been a while since I read it and I don't have it on hand to check, but wasn't that about an experimental way to use cloaking shields? Trying to compensate for being blinded by your own shield by predicting where your enemies will fly?

[Peelee]

It's been a while since I read it and I don't have it on hand to check, but wasn't that about an experimental way to use cloaking shields? Trying to compensate for being blinded by your own shield by predicting where your enemies will fly?

Yeah. Three hundred shots while cloaked, which performed poorly in a controlled setting, IIRC.

[Cikomyr]

Your reading of Thrawn's Trilogy made me appreciate how much the Jedi's overreliance on the Force being a fatal weakness was a key theme of Zhan's writing.

It also is a big part of Kreia's philosophy.

[DataNinja]

The main takeaway from chapter two is that Luke's been relying too much on the Force to solve his problems, and that's having effects. Interesting.

Yeah, that's something that Zahn in particular sort of jabbed at a lot of writers for. Just having Luke be able to sweep away problem with new and powerful Force powers, rather than using characters, if I'm remembering correctly.

[Blackhawk748]

To give non-spoiler answers to the two characters:

Exar-Kun is a Sith and he's in the Suncrusher series, he's kinda a big deal.

Callista: Oe of Luke's students. Stuff happens. I seriously can't say more without spoilers but I know of her from Children of the Jedi as i never read the book she was introduced in.

[hamishspence]

Callista: Oe of Luke's students. Stuff happens. I seriously can't say more without spoilers but I know of her from Children of the Jedi as i never read the book she was introduced in.

That was the book she was introduced in. Her arc continues in Darksaber and is effectively finished by Planet of Twilight.

[Blackhawk748]

That was the book she was introduced in. Her arc continues in Darksaber and is effectively finished by Planet of Twilight.

Are you sure? Cuz from what i recall the way they were talking about her i felt as if i had missed a book or something.

[GrayDeath]

Ah yes.

I am not saying anything specific, but soon you will have a big "Oh wowe" Moment.

Enjoy! I wish I could read that series for the first time agan (prolly going to read it for the 8th or so time now^^).

[hamishspence]

Are you sure? Cuz from what i recall the way they were talking about her i felt as if i had missed a book or something.

If you're thinking of Cray (the person whose body Callista possesses) - the story did seem to start "in the middle" - with a strong implication that she's been at Luke's academy for quite a while. But it's the first story with Cray in it, too.

I think the author liked an element of "in media res" when it came to writing.

[Peelee]

Exar Kun is also mentioned a good bit in KOTOR.