My Star Wars Legends Reading Challenge–Ranking the Old Republic Books

Hello friends! I’m still continuing my Legends Reading Challenge, and I’ve finished The Old Republic Phase. I’ve done several posts of my thoughts on a few of them, but instead of doing more on the last few I’ve read, I’m just going to rank all the books in this phase with a few words about them. Let’s get started!

The Darth Bane Trilogy, by Drew Karpyshyn. (5 out of 5 lightsabers). I did a review of Path of Destruction, but didn’t get to reviews of the other two books: Rule of Two and Dynasty of Evil. I did read them, however, and loved them, though the first book is my favorite of the three. The story of how Darth Bane radically reshaped the Sith is compelling reading, and though I’m Team Jedi all the way, these books are fantastic and helped me appreciate the history and beliefs of the Sith. Definitely number one on my list.

2. Deceived, by Paul S. Kemp. (4.5 out of 5 lightsabers). Check out my full thoughts here. I really liked this story of Darth Malgus, who loves a Twilek woman who was a former slave. The plot was fairly simple (which I appreciated, lol) but the main characters had to make tough decisions.

3. Annihilation, by Drew Karpyshyn. (3.5 out of 5 lightsabers). Check out my full thoughts here. I liked this one because it dealt with Theron Shan, a character who is descended from Revan and Bastila Shan, but who doesn’t have the Force. He relies on his own skills to stop a dangerous Sith and her ship/weapon. A good adventure. I gave this one 3.5 at the time of the original post, and now it’s above two 4-lightsabers books, lol, so I’m thinking it’s actually a 4.

4. Lost Tribe of the Sith, by John Jackson Miller. (4 out of 5 lightsabers). This is the last book of the Old Republic I read, and I didn’t think I’d like it, for some reason. But…I loved it! It’s a series of stories about several generations of Sith that crash-landed on a remote planet called Kesh 5,000 years BBY. The Sith on the ship Omen were working for Sith Lord Naga Sadow, but during a battle they were knocked into hyperspace off course, and crashed on a mountain on Kesh. The ship was destroyed, there were no communications, no one knew where they ended up so no one was coming, and there were very little metals on the planet, so no reparing anything. They were stuck. And they and their descendents stayed there for 5,000 years, conquering the native Keshiri. It was so interesting to see these Sith adapt and change over millenia, with no contact from the outside galaxy–no Republic, no Jedi, no aliens, just humans and Keshiri. Legends were born and reborn. But Sith will always be Sith, fighting each other for power. I was enthralled with the whole thing. Apparently, these stories are prequels to the Lost Tribe told about in the Legends books Fate of the Jedi (which I probably won’t get to for a long time, considering they’re towards the end of the Legends list, lol). I looked it up in Wookieepedia, and the Tribe does eventually get off Kesh to threaten the galaxy and deals with Luke Skywalker. Something to look forward to!

5. Revan, by Drew Karpyshyn. (4 out of 5 lightsabers). Check out my full thoughts here. I know some people absolutely love Revan, but I’m not one of them, lol. I don’t hate him, but I don’t see the fascination. Maybe it’s because I’m not a gamer. At any rate, the story was fine (I gave it 4 out of 5 lightsabers), but I do think it’s more appreciated if you’ve played the game.

6. Red Harvest, by Joe Schrieber. (3 out of 5 lightsabers). Check out my full thoughts here. Star Wars zombies! This was a fun and freaky Star Wars read. A Sith Sorceror seeks immortality but things go terribly wrong, naturally. A quick, bloody read with some interesting Star Wars elements.

7. Dawn of the Jedi, by Tim Lebbon. (3 out of 5 lightsabers). Check out my full thoughts here. This is the first Legends book I read in my Legends Reading Challenge, and the first on the timeline (25,000 BBY). It wasn’t exactly what I was hoping for, as it wasn’t the very beginning of the “Jed’aii,” but I guess that’s far enough back, lol.

8. Fatal Alliance, by Sean Williams. (3 out of 5 lightsabers). Check out my full thoughts here. This one took me awhile to get through, and had a lot going on. The weirdness factor was up there, too, lol. Not bad, but not great, either.

9. Knight Errant, by John Jackson Miller. (2 out of 5 lightsabers). Confession: I didn’t finish this book. Doesn’t seem fair to give it a rating because of this, but based on what I read, I’d give it a 2 (and that’s only because I normally respect the author, lol). It pains me to do this, as I’ve enjoyed plenty of other John Jackson Miller books (Kenobi, Rebel Dawn, and Lost Tribe of the Sith). And it’s a really cool cover. But it was just so incredibly boring. There’s no other way to say it. I didn’t particularly like the Jedi protagonist, it took forever for things to get going (and by the middle of the book, it still hadn’t), the plot was confusing and weird, and I just didn’t want to waste any more time on it. I just didn’t care. I’m sad about it, but it happens. There were some comics that went along with it (and even a portion of the comic inserted into the middle of the book), but it didn’t help me like it any better. Maybe someday I’ll finish it…but I doubt it, lol.

So that wraps up the first Legends section of The Old Republic. Next up: “The Rise of the Sith Era” with Cloak of Deception, by James Luceno. Back into more familiar territory, and I’m looking forward to it! Stay tuned.

One Of My Favorite Posts

Hello friends, here’s a blast from the past that I had a lot of fun writing and thought I’d share again. Enjoy!

A Jedi’s connection with animals

Star Wars Chat Pack: How can you be more like a Jedi?

It’s time for another Star Wars Chat Pack question!

Star Wars Chat Pack, written by Kelly Knox.

Today’s question: What are some ways that you can be more like a Jedi in real life?

Well, a lot, lol. But I try. I’d like to think I’m patient, kind, helpful to others (most of the time). In tough situations, I try to ask myself, instead of What Would Jesus Do? (which, by the way, is also a good question to ask), What Would a Jedi Do?

I struggle with fear, anger, doubt, just like any other person. Just like a Jedi, too. One way a Jedi deals with these negative emotions is through meditation. To quiet their mind and touch the Force. I’ve tried meditation many times over the years, without succeeding in a consistent practice. So much for patience!

Rey meditating. And floating herself and rocks. I’d be happy just to get the meditating down.

But I’d really like to keep trying. I’m not only inspired by the Jedi but was encouraged to try it decades ago when I was into yoga (and I failed to make that a practice, too, lol). These days, I’ve been reading a lot of self-help books like Jen Sincero’s Badass books and others, and they all, every one of them, recommend meditation to really make a difference in your life. Not only to help with things like mindset (change your mind, change your life) but just to touch the Source. Not to get all hokey here (remember Han’s comment about “hokey religions”? yeah) but since becoming re-obsessed with Star Wars, I’ve come to be more cognizant of George Lucas’ inspirations for the Jedi and the Force. The Force is simply another variation of the Source, the Creator, a Higher Power, God. And midi-chlorians, like quantum physics, brings science into it all.

Anyway, all this to say that I’d like to meditate more and make it a regular practice. I was doing it for a while when I was working on the Jedi Journal posts. Which I’d also like to get back to, lol. (Hint to self: less scrolling through Facebook will free up more time–imagine that!).

I’ll keep trying. In the meantime, let me know how you would like to be more like a Jedi in real life. Meditation? Lightsaber lessons? (I would totally do that if I didn’t think I’d pull a muscle or seriously injure my old-ass self, lol). Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

High Republic Highlight: Avar, Stellan and Elzar

If you know me, you know I’m a big High Republic fan and share information on the books whenever I can. I thought I’d do a High Republic post once a month or so, highlighting an aspect of this era of Star Wars for those who are unfamiliar and are curious.

This post I’d like to focus on the three main Jedi characters that have been introduced: Avar Kriss, Stellan Gios, and Elzar Mann. It seems every Star Wars story has a trio of main characters consisting of two men and a woman. The OT has Luke, Han and Leia; the PT has Obi-Wan, Anakin and Padme; and the ST has Poe, Finn and Rey. So why not the High Republic?

This trio happens to be all Jedi, which I find intriguing. They were Padawans together, the best of friends, growing up in the Temple and becoming Jedi Knights. By the time of the first book, Light of the Jedi, Avar and Stellan are Masters, while Elzar has yet to achieve that rank. Elzar is…a bit different. Let’s get into the character of each here.

Avar Kriss. Avar is prominent in the first HR book Light of the Jedi, but then shows up in the comics for most of Phase 1, where she often fights the Drengir (plant monsters, lol), often with the help of the Hutts, with whom she has made a temporary treaty. In time she becomes the Marshal of Starlight Beacon, the High Republic’s much-touted space station. Every Jedi in this era connects to the Force in their own particular way. Avar “hears” it as a song, and every living being exudes a different note. As Padawans, she and Elzar had a, ahem, relationship; this wasn’t expressly forbidden in the Temple at the time, but not exactly encouraged, either. Once they became Jedi Knights, they moved on from the relationship and focused on their Jedi duties. Well, Avar did, but Elzar is having trouble with his lingering romantic feelings for Avar.

Stellan Gios. If there ever was a poster boy for the Jedi Knights, Stellan is that Jedi. Handsome, charming, good at public relations, and dedicated to the Order, he’s dazzling in so many ways. Stellan sees the Force as a constellation of stars (as his name suggests), and Avar and Elzar look up to him and consider him their “polestar.” He’s the only one of the three who has trained a Padawan: Vernestrah Rwoh, a gifted Mirialan and the youngest Jedi to become a Knight in a very long time, at fifteen. Stellan plays a large role in the Battle of Valo against the Nihil and becomes an even bigger hero by saving the Chancellor, Lina Soh. While Avar is away from Starlight Beacon on her quest to find Lourna Dee, a Nihil leader, Stellan steps in and takes her place. Stellan believes Avar is becoming obsessed and perhaps starting down a dark road (and this may be true, but I haven’t read the comics, in which this story is told). Avar becomes rather resentful of Stellan stepping in and criticizing her; so by the time of The Fallen Star, they’ve had a kind of falling out. But it’s in this book that Stellan finds out who he truly is, beyond the shiny image of the Perfect Temple Jedi. Trapped on the doomed station, without the Order to guide him, without his Force powers (as the Nameless runs rampant on the station), he must dig deep within and find resources he never knew he had. Stellan ends up sacrificing himself to save others, going down with the station. I’ll admit, I got teary-eyed, lol.

Elzar Mann from the cover of Light of the Jedi.

Elzar Mann. Elzar is the most conflicted of the three Jedi, at least as the story goes on. Elzar, unlike his friends at the beginning of the story, is not a Master yet. The Order is a little hesitant to bestow that title on him, as Elzar has proved to be rather “experimental” in his Force abilities, trying things that aren’t sanctioned by the Order. He’s powerful, but they feel he’s a bit reckless, or at least, unpredictable. He reminds me a lot of Anakin, and I think he’s supposed to, the difference being in how the Order deals with such things. During the Battle of Valo, Elzar draws on his rage at the Nihil, using the dark side of the Force to pull a Nihil ship out of the sky. Afterward, he feels terribly guilty, and the Order sends him to an island with Orla Jareni, a Wayseeker (another way the Order is different from the prequel Jedi: a Wayseeker is a Force-user from the Temple who operates independently, outside the strictures of the Order). Orla helps him reconnect to the Force, stressing patience and persistence. Elzar sees the Force as an ocean, its powerful waves and its deep, quiet depths. Elzar struggles with his feelings for Avar; he respects her and their duties as Jedi, yet it’s still there. By the time of The Eye of Darkness, they’ve become closer in their grief over Stellan, and once the Stormwall is up and they’re separated, feelings on both sides have intensified. They’re reunited at the end of the book, and I see a passionate forbidden affair in the works, one that could ultimately lead to tragedy (sound familiar?).

So these are the main three Jedi introduced into the High Republic, among many, many Jedi, lol. I’ll occasionally do a post on other Jedi from the High Republic, as well as many other people, events, and concepts that I find interesting.

For Light and Life!

Star Wars Deep Dive: Is Ahsoka Tano a Jedi Even Though She Left the Order?

Welcome to the first installment of my Star Wars Deep Dive.

These are questions I might ponder now and then or that have been brought up in the fandom before and discussed and picked apart, possibly ad nauseum, but that I’d like to give my particular thoughts on. I ask these questions, not because I have a definitive answer, but because I want to know what I think, lol. So here we go!

Ahsoka walks away from the Order…and Anakin.

In Clone Wars Season Five, Ahsoka Tano leaves the Order after undergoing a trial that accuses her of setting a bomb in the Jedi Temple. Barriss Offee turns out to be the treasonous Jedi, and Anakin proves to the court that Ahsoka is innocent. But Ahsoka feels the Jedi Council did not support or stand by her during this crisis. Feeling betrayed, she walks away.

The question: Is Ahsoka still a “Jedi”?

Perhaps its semantics, but it’s an interesting question. In Rebels, Maul calls her a “part-timer” on Malachor. In that same episode she faces Darth Vader. Believing he killed Anakin, she says, “Then I will avenge him.” Vader states, “Revenge is not the Jedi way,” to which Ahsoka replies, “I am no Jedi.”

So by her own admission, she’s not a Jedi. And, more importantly, she is willing to seek revenge, a definite no-no for the Jedi. She is operating outside the bounds of the Jedi Order.

Case closed? I don’t know. Ahsoka may say she’s no Jedi, but apart from this event, she continues to act like a Jedi, to a great extent: she is always working for good, helping others who need it, joining Bail Organa’s fledgling Rebellion as Fulcrum; you know, fighting the good fight. When she meets the Martez sisters in Clone Wars Season 7, she helps them when she doesn’t really have to. Because that’s what she does. That’s what Jedi do. You can take the Jedi out of the Temple, but can you take the Temple out of the Jedi?

Perhaps Ahsoka is a Gray Jedi? Now, “Gray Jedi” is a kind of Jedi that was played around with in Legends, but George Lucas himself disputes the term, claiming that there is no such thing. You are either Light or Dark side. If you even consider dabbling in the dark side, you are no Jedi. So “Gray Jedi” would be a contradiction in terms. Call yourself a “Gray Force User,” I guess, if you want to straddle the two aspects of the Force. I have nothing against that. But don’t call yourself a “Jedi,” as that implies Light side only.

One of several variations I’ve seen of the “Gray Jedi Code.”

So is Ahsoka a “Gray Force User?” So, okay, she was willing to seek revenge for Anakin. That’s not very light-sidish. However, I’m willing to argue that she was reacting to strong emotions of the moment, learning that Anakin was “killed” by Darth Vader, this dark being in front of her. Does that make her evil? No. Does it make her “Gray”?

Well, let’s compare Ahsoka to Baylan Skoll. Now there’s a candidate for a Gray Force User if there ever was one. Trained by the Order, not Sith, but working outside the bounds of the Jedi Order (that doesn’t exist anymore, of course). I don’t believe he or Shin are tapping into the dark side (I may be wrong on this). But here’s the difference between Baylan and Ahsoka: Baylan is using his Force powers, not for Good, but for his own selfish purposes. We don’t know the details of that purpose, but he truly believes that what he’s after will change things up in the galaxy (or galaxies), I’m guessing for the better, in his opinion. So I think, if my understanding of Gray Force User is correct, that Baylan fits this description. He’s doing morally questionable things in pursuit of a higher purpose, one that he believes is worth it.

This is not what Ahsoka is. She never uses the Force for selfish purposes (except for that one teensy little time when she was willing to kill Darth Vader in revenge for Anakin). Since then, it has always been for good. True, she certainly dresses in gray garb, and is falling prey to dark side emotions: fear, mostly, of the power in herself and others, of misusing that power. But I think it’s only to show a stark contrast to when she becomes Ahsoka the White: someone who doesn’t fear the Force, who doesn’t fear connections, who doesn’t fear living fully in the life that she was given. Her faith has been restored.

So no, I don’t think Ahsoka is a Gray Force User.

However…

Let’s talk about Huyang for a moment. Huyang, her droid companion who has served the Jedi Order for about, oh, 25,000 years, still acts and thinks as if the Order is still around. He scolds Ahsoka about her unconventional choices, of going against protocol, of basically doing things that are unbecoming to a Jedi, lol. But let’s be honest: she’s just doing things the way she and Anakin used to do things: unconventionally, and well, maybe a little recklessly. Things that would make Obi-Wan shake his head in disapproval. They were mavericks in their own way. And Huyang does concede that she “comes from a long line of unconventional Jedi,” which includes Anakin and Qui Gon Jinn.

Couldn’t have said it better myself, Huyang.

So, what does all this mean? Do I believe that Ahsoka is still a “Jedi”? In my opinion, yes. Even though she walked away from the Order, she is still a Jedi in her heart. After all, she’s taken on a Padawan and intends to teach her the ways of the Jedi. Perhaps not the strictures of the Order, but what it really means to be a Jedi: to serve others through the Force.

But this is just my opinion. What’s yours? Do you think Ahsoka is still a Jedi? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

My Favorite Lightsaber Battles From Ahsoka

I don’t think there’s more live action lightsaber battles in any Star Wars series than in Ahsoka. Seriously, every one of the eight episodes had at least one, sometimes two or three lightsaber duels. Which is awesome, of course, so I thought I’d list my top five favorites here.

Ahsoka vs. Anakin in the World Between Worlds. This encounter was thrilling in every way, from the teasing banter at the beginning, to Ahsoka’s “I will not fight you” and Anakin’s answer, “I’ve heard that before,” to the final lesson being learned.

I loved seeing Anakin’s signature moves here, even more so than as a Padawan against his master in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series. Here, he is the Master, seemingly in control of the entire duel, pushing Ahsoka to her limits, exhorting her to “live or die.”

That is the lesson: Ahsoka has been living a half- life, really since Order 66 but especially since learning Anakin had turned to the dark side and became Vader. She was fearful, cautious, afraid of connection, of the darkness in herself and others. It was why she refused to train Grogu; it was why she walked away from training Sabine.

After the vision of her younger self in the Clone Wars, of coming to terms with being a child soldier, she turns the battle around, faces the darkness within herself, overcomes it, and declares, “I choose to live.” In other words, she regains her faith in herself, in the Force, and in the Light. She decides to live fully rather than the gray half-life she’d been living. Anakin’s transformation from dark side demon to charming Anakin–“There’s hope for you yet”–is brilliant, and Hayden’s performance is flawless.

This battle is charged with intense emotion, and that always makes for the best lightsaber duels.

Ahsoka vs. Baylan (Round 1) on Selos. This is the meeting we’d all been waiting for: Ahsoka confronting the mysterious Baylan Skoll. Ahsoka and Sabine are after the map that leads to Thrawn, and Baylan, of course, must let it finish its work downloading coordinates to Morgan’s ship.

Baylan begins by trying to throw Ahsoka off balance by bringing up Anakin and his fall. Ahsoka doesn’t take the bait, and they circle each other for quite a while, changing stances, feeling each other out. Baylan is a big, imposing man, and he slashes at Ahsoka with powerful, controlled moves.

The orange lightsabers are never explained, and maybe they don’t need to be; but Baylan and Shin are clearly not Sith. They’re not Jedi, either, though Baylan is formerly of the Order. I haven’t figured out if they use the dark side of the Force or not–they use the Force selfishly, for their own ends, but are they truly evil? Let me know your take on this, please.

At any rate, the stakes are high in this battle; and when Shin shows up, Ahsoka thinks she’s killed Sabine. This momentarily weakens her, and Baylan gets the upper hand, pushing her toward the edge of the cliff. Ahsoka manages to knock Shin out, but when Sabine then shows up, Ahsoka tells her to destroy the map. But at this point, Baylan presses his advantage, and Ahsoka falls into the sea.

Ahsoka vs. Morgan Elsbeth on Peridea. I thought Morgan’s transformation into a true Dathomirian witch was cool and made her character more interesting; it was a shame it didn’t last very long. But Morgan went out fighting with her flaming green sword, the Sword of Talzin, in her battle with Ahsoka in the last episode. This duel was even more epic than their fight in The Mandalorian; here, both women have been transformed: Ahsoka is now Ahsoka the White, and Morgan is now Shadow Morgan. Light vs. Dark, and the stakes couldn’t be higher, as Thrawn is now making his escape. Unfortunately, Ahsoka loses one of her lightsabers in this battle, but she is ultimately triumphant, slicing Morgan across the midsection.

Sabine Wren vs. Shin Hati (Round 1) on Lothal. Besides Ahsoka’s fight with the droids on Arcana in the first episode, this is the first proper lightsaber duel we see in Ahsoka, and it’s between the Padawans, Sabine Wren and Shin Hati. Besides our surprise at how good Sabine has become with the lightsaber, it’s the first time we’ve seen two women duel in live-action (I think?–besides Ahsoka and Morgan in The Mandalorian, but it’s not a true lightsaber battle as Morgan has a Beskar staff rather than a laser sword). The aesthetics are striking, with Sabine’s green and Shin’s orange sabers lighting up the night. And Sabine taking Shin’s lightsaber through the middle is shocking. Even though we know that she must live through the injury, she clearly loses the battle. Plus, Sabine with long hair.

Ahsoka vs. Baylan (Round 2) on Peridea. It was inevitable that these two should meet once more here on Peridea, and this time Ahsoka is a bit more prepared. Again, the stakes are high, but it’s more about saving her friends than any strategic goal (like getting to the map in the first duel). The battle is just as beautiful and brutal as the first, but again, Baylan is a wall that Ahsoka cannot topple. He says, “You can’t defeat me,” and she replies, “I don’t have to,” and she’s right: it’s just a distraction until Huyang can come in and save the day.

I love all the lightsaber duels in this show; I haven’t even mentioned the two duels Ahsoka had with Marrock, and Sabine and Shin’s rematch. But these were my top five if I had to choose for brevity’s sake. I love how Dave Filoni approached the battles from a samurai perspective: from the brutal, slashing moves more reminiscent of the Originals and Sequels (as opposed to the dancing choreography of the Prequels), to Ahsoka’s garb, to the ethereal flute music, to the term “bokken” Jedi (a Japanese term meaning “wooden sword,” and how Baylan refers to Jedi trained outside the Jedi Order, after its fall). Wonderful.

Do you have a favorite lightsaber battle from Ahsoka? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

Star Wars Chat Pack: What kind of Jedi would you be?

Welcome to Day 24 of my NaBloPoMo Challenge, where I randomly pick a card from the Star Wars Chat Pack.

Today’s question is: Scholar, diplomat, explorer, guardian–what kind of Jedi would you be?

I think I might have talked about this before, but I would be some kind of scholar. I would love to work in the Jedi Archives like Jocasta Nu, a kind of Jedi librarian. To have that kind of galaxy-wide information at my fingertips, and to help others access it, would be awesome. I’m a bookish-type in real life (if you haven’t already figured that out) and just wouldn’t adapt well to the more adventurous Jedi lifestyles.

Jocasta Nu naturally isn’t the only scholarly Jedi. In the High Republic, Jedi Master Cohmac Vitus was renowned as a scholar and a mystic. He didn’t work in the Archives, but he studied folklore and cultures as he traveled the galaxy. Cohmac eventually left the Jedi Order, as he did not believe the Order and the Jedi Code were made for what the galaxy was becoming in its fight against the Nihil.

Cohmac reminds me a lot of Qui Gon Jinn, who, while I wouldn’t call him a scholar, had studied the Prophecies and was a bit of a mystic. I believe Qui Gon, if he had lived, would not have participated in the Clone Wars, as the Jedi Code did not encompass Jedi being generals in a war. I think he would have, like Cohmac, left the Order, or perhaps become a Wayseeker of old, remaining a Jedi, but operating outside the supervision of the Order. It wasn’t really a thing anymore during his time, but I think he might have done it anyway, being the maverick he is.

Cohmac’s Padawan, Reath Silas, was much like his master, preferring the Archives to missions out in the galaxy. In fact, he would have been happy to stay on Coruscant forever and do his work in the Archives. Over time, he became more comfortable on missions (he kind of had to, as the Nihil increased their attacks), but it’s still not his favorite part of being a Jedi.

I think that’s why these Jedi are some of my favorites–I can relate to their interest in scholarly study, in learning, in ancient knowledge. While I think it would be cool to know how to use a lightsaber–and these Jedi do, of course; they just prefer not to have to use it–I wouldn’t relish a confrontation of any kind, lol. But a Jedi does what a Jedi must.

What kind of Jedi would you prefer to be? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

Star Wars Chat Pack: Which two characters should meet each other?

Welcome to Day 20 of my NaBloPoMo Challenge, where I randomly draw a card from the Star Wars Chat Pack.

Today’s question is: Choose two Star Wars characters who have never met. How would their first meeting go? Why would you want them to meet?

I want Luke and Ezra to meet. They’re the same age (both born on Empire Day), are both Jedi trained after Order 66, and both knew Obi-Wan (and Ezra met Yoda’s Force ghost). I’d love to see them meet and swap stories about their masters, what it was like to grow up under the Empire, being trained in the wild without the Order (Baylan’s “bokken” Jedi), their philosophies about the Force, etc. Maybe Ezra could help Luke with his school, or help him find Force-sensitives to train.

I think they’d like each other, though they have very different personalities. Ezra’s definitely goofier, while Luke has grown more calm and serious. I want Luke to have a Jedi friend, lol. Ezra at least had Ahsoka for a time, and had Kanan longer than Luke had either Obi-Wan or Yoda.

They could talk about their brushes with the dark side–not just in another person, but within themselves. I wonder if Luke would confide that Darth Vader–who Ezra had the misfortune of meeting and fighting–was his father. It seems a deeply personal thing that he wouldn’t mention to just anybody, obviously, but maybe as a story about the possibility of redemption. I don’t know, I just want them to be friends and to know each other’s stories.

Maybe they’d clash a little bit at first–Luke chides Ezra to be more serious; Ezra complains that Luke should lighten up.

Of course we don’t know where Ezra’s story arc in Ahsoka/the Mandoverse will be going, and I doubt this meeting will take place. I could be wrong, though; Luke has made his appearances in the Mandoverse, and perhaps their paths will cross. I would like to see Ezra train Jacen. Neither Ezra nor Jacen is at the school at the time of its destruction, but that doesn’t mean they don’t spend time there at any point.

If they meet at all, I’m guessing it will be brief, perhaps in a time of crisis with no time to get to get to know each other at all. But in my perfect Star Wars world, they’re good friends. Ooh, I sense a fan-fic coming on! Well, maybe not; but if anyone else wants to write it, I’d definitely read it!

What do you think? Do you think these two would like each other?

What two Star Wars characters do you want to see meet, and why? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

Star Wars Chat Pack: What would you carve on the walls of the Path?

Welcome to Day 13 of my NaBloPoMo Challenge, where I randomly pick a card from the Star Wars Chat Pack.

Today’s question is: If you were a Jedi hiding in the secret rooms of the Hidden Path, what phrase would you carve into the wall?

This is an interesting one! I love the idea of the Hidden Path, a secret group that helps Jedi and other Force sensitives hide from the Empire. It was introduced in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series. In it, Obi-Wan reads the names and phrases carved into the walls; one phrase he recites out loud: “Only when the eyes are closed can we truly see.” A comment on finding the Force within ourselves.

So what would I carve if I were a Jedi passing through? Well, it sounds kind of boring and simple, but think I’d carve, “The Force will be with you always.” A reminder that, no matter what your situation, no matter how dark or hopeless things are, the light is still there. The Force will never abandon you. Unless, like Obi-Wan in the series, you abandon it. And even if you do, all you have to do is reach out for it, and it will be there. Keep faith, keep hope alive, protect the Light.

I hope we see more of the Hidden Path in any future projects that take place during this time. A mention or part of a live-action show; or a book or animated series specifically about the Path. I think it might have been mentioned in the game Jedi: Survivor. But I want more, lol.

So what would you carve on the walls of the Hidden Path? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

Star Wars Chat Pack: Spirited Advice

Welcome Day 5 of my NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) Challenge, in which I answer a question from the Star Wars Chat Pack every day of November.

The question that I pulled randomly for today is: Which Star Wars character would you want to appear and give you advice as a spirit?

So I’m going to make a few assumptions with this one. First, that the “spirit” referred to is a Force ghost of a former Jedi, and not just some random spirit (although I suppose it could be that; the question isn’t crystal clear. In which case, I’d want Padme’s ghost to come back and give me fashion advice–I’m hopeless–and just have some girl talk, lol).

Secondly, I’m going to assume that I’m training to be a Jedi as well. I suppose Jedi Force ghosts can appear to anyone they want and give random advice, but it just makes more sense they’d appear to those who need Jedi advice. I guess that’s what a Master is for, but let’s just say I need a bit of extracurricular insight.

Okay, so I’m training to be a Jedi and I need advice. Who do I want to appear? There are so many great possibilities here. But let’s get a few out of the way:

Not Anakin Skywalker. He was an amazing Jedi, but based on his appearance in Ahsoka, I don’t think his methods would work well with me. It’s perfect for his Padawan, Ahsoka, but I’d probably just cry, lol.

Not Mace Windu. I don’t like him. Again, it’s a matter of method and personality. Plus, there was a bit of darkness running through him (like Anakin, but in a different way), which he utilized in his lightsaber combat method, Vaapad. That makes me nervous. He’s not for me.

Other than those two, it could be any number of Jedi:

So true, Yoda. I ought to be a genius by now.

Yoda was a Master Jedi who lived for hundreds of years and had a vast amount of knowledge to impart. Of course, that left plenty of time to make mistakes too, but he owned up to them and learned from them. He can be a mischievous imp, so that would be fun. But there are others I’d like to consider.

That was a total burn on Maul, but the statement stands on its own.

Obi-Wan Kenobi is one of my favorite Jedi. He’s kind and wise, selfless and compassionate. He practiced Form 3 (“Soresu”) lightsaber combat, which is primarily defensive in nature. I like that. But he’s different than Yoda in that he loved deeply (Anakin, Satine) and had to learn to let go of his attachment to both. Or at least learn to live with it while he went about the business of being a Jedi. But he’s similar to Yoda in that he is very much a man of the Order. And that’s fine, but dogma can make one a bit inflexible. (Plus, I’m a little bit in love with Obi-Wan, so that would be a distraction).

Which brings me to Qui Gon Jinn, the Jedi Force ghost I would choose to get advice from. I think Qui Gon is the ideal Jedi. Not perfect by any means, but one who follows his intuition. He often questions the Council and their motivations. He’s seen as a bit of a maverick in the Order, but he’s more concerned with the Force than politics. With doing what is right, rather than what is expected. If he had lived–well, a lot of things might have been different–but I don’t think he would have become a Jedi general in the Clone Wars. I think he would have left the Order rather than take part in it. He would have been more of a Wayseeker (a Jedi working independently of the Order), as we see in the High Republic. He’s a man of principle, and he’s brave for standing by his principles, and standing up to the Council.

What would I ask him? Well, obviously I’m not really training as a Jedi, but short of a specific question I guess I’d ask him to talk about the Living Force versus the Cosmic Force. I’d ask him about the Jedi prophecies in the Archives, which he’d studied when he was younger and what he thought they meant. I’d ask him about his relationships with his Master, Dooku, and his Padawan, Obi-Wan, and what he’d learned from each. Stuff like that.

But whatever advice I sought, I know I’d get a thoughtful, honest response. Maybe a bit cryptic, sometimes, but he likes to make you think. And he’s just a nice guy.

Who would you choose for advice? Interpret the question any way you want. Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!