#the princess the scoundrel and the farmboy

[firealder2005]

ALDERREADS TIME YO

STAR WARS: THE PRINCESS, THE SCOUNDREL, AND THE FARMBOY

By Alexandra Bracken

This is your SPOILER ALERT

9/10, I really liked this retelling of A New Hope. It takes you into the minds if our three protags with the author's personal spin on it.

In Leia's POV, Bracken actually shows us what she thinks the torture Vader used on Leia was - some kind of truth/befuddlement drug that nearly convinced her that the man asking where the Death Star plans were was part of the Rebellion.

Key word: nearly. Lol Vader, better luck next time.

In Han's POV, I loved how Han was just constantly denying that he likes/cares for Luke and Leia.

He described when Luke was pulled under by the dianoga that he experienced a "flash of white-hot fear" and I CACKLED at that!

Admit it, Han! You care for those two! You were ready to tear the Empire apart if they laid a HAND on either of them!

And then Luke's POV. We got to see his flight simulation with Wedge Antilles and absolutely CRUSH the high score! 😁 That's my boy!!!

I loved how the pilots with Luke were all like "boi I'm glad you're on our side!!!" with big grins on their faces!

Next installment is from my local library: The Selection.

#alderposts #alderreads #alderranks #star wars #leia organa #han solo #luke skywalker #a new hope #obi wan kenobi #darth vader #grand moff tarkin #wilhuff tarkin #governor tarkin #chewbacca #the princess the scoundrel and the farmboy #alexandra bracken #wedge antilles

[the-obiwan-for-me]

Han Solo for the character ask

My guy! My love! My scoundrel!

Why I like love him: Let me set this up appropriately. I saw A New Hope for the first time when I was teenager. But I was already a HUGE fan of Harrison Ford LONG before that (it continues to this day. I STILL unapologetically love Cowboys and Aliens because it has Harrison, horses, and aliens. Literally three of my favorite things). It started with Indiana Jones when I was like 7, and grew from there. I had a VHS collection of Harrison Ford movies that my family enjoyed adding to for Christmas and birthdays. So, I was BOUND to love Han Solo. But I love him for more than that. I love him because he's funny and snarky and plays the perfect "I'm not a nice guy. I'm mean. I'm tough. I'm a baddie," and then does the exact opposite of all of that. His best friend is a giant Sasquatch, he pretty much falls for Luke (either platonically or romantically, I don't care how you read it) instantly, humors a crazy old man, and drives Leia absolutely INSANE (and she drives him insane right back). I just think he's neat. He's the quintessential scoundrel with the heart of gold. And he just gets better and better the more we get to know him, through the movies, through Solo, and especially through the Legends books (I actually thought he was really well written in the Princess and the Scoundrel, too, and, other than how much they bickered throughout the book, it felt more like a Legend book than I anticipated). I even love him in The Force Awakens, even if I don't think he'd ever run away from Leia because shit got hard.

Why I don't like him: Once again, it isn't the character that I don't like. It's the writing. And they did him dirty in the sequels. The sequels are dead to me. Long live Legends!

Favorite scene: Tough one, because I like him so much. I really love him and his swagger when they get to Cloud City. I love how happy he is when Leia rescues him. I love the whole rescue scene from Jabba's sail barge. And I love how dumb and sweet he is when Leia says of course she loves Luke. He's her brother! He's SO adorable and sweet in that moment.

Favorite movie: I mean, Empire Strikes Back is my favorite for many reasons, in large part because Han is so Han.

Favorite Line: "A Jedi Knight?! Geez, I'm out of it for a little while and everyone gets delusions of grandeur!" Honorable mention to the whole "It's true. All of it" speech in TFA (yes, I know I just said the sequels are dead to me, but there are still parts and lines I love). I love that because he's in the same space he was when he first started this journey and was talking about hokey religions. I love that he became a believer.

Favorite outfit: There isn't a whole lot of variety in his outfits, but I love everyone's Hoth looks, especially his. Probably because he growls "Then I'll see you in HELL!" when he goes to rescue Luke. It's pretty hot. I don't know, man. Harrison Ford is my jam.

OTP: DUH. Leia.

Brotp: double DUH. Chewbacca.

Headcanon: Han talks to himself, a lot, and found himself CONSTANTLY arguing with himself once he was in the midst of Skywalker/Kenobi chaos. He was constantly trying to talk himself out of things and then was like "here ya go, you dumb nerfherder. Off to save the princess/farmboy/the rebellion ONCE AGAIN. LIKE YOU ALWAYS DO." Chewie absolutely knows he talks to himself, and hears it, but leaves him be. He knows his guy needs to think out loud for moral dilemmas, even though he doesn't get why these are moral dilemmas.

Unpopular opinion: Is there such a thing? How can you be mad about Han??

A wish: Give me another Solo movie, damnit! And EK Johnston better not be mean to him in her new Qi'ra novel.

An oh-god-please-don't-ever-happen: Well, like Satine, he's dead in canon. That was my oh-god-please-don't-ever-happen moment. Maybe these days it would be that they don't deep fake a young Han like they did with Luke.

5 words to best describe him: Leia said it best when she called him a stuck-up, half-witted, scruffy-looking Nerherder.

Nickname: Again......why?

#ask game #star wars ask game #star wars character ask game #Han Solo

[leagueoflit]

we can almost always find connections to other things as we talk through it all. come hangout with us on the podcast!

#Star Wars #Alexandra Bracken #LeagueOfLitPodcast #a new hope #the princess the scoundrel and the farmboy

[yellowis4happy]

Ok I spent enough hours sitting at this Starbucks I'm gonna go home and do some laundry and draw

#obnoxious text post #today has been rly relaxing its nice #went on a walk #got rid of some books i didnt want anymore #listened to a few chapters of the princess; the scoundrel; and the farmboy #(which is good btw) #read this lando comic #nursed a couple chai lattes #a good saturday 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻

[zoryany]

Hey! Not sure if you’re still taking request for ficlet prompts but 67 with Luke + Padmé pleaseeeee!!! ❤️

send me ficlet prompts – optionally include characters67 –  My father may look like the scary one, but it’s my mother you need to be afraid of.(you sent me this SO LONG AGO and I’ve been wanting to answer it SO BADLY but lacked the inspiration until now. it kinda got away from me, ended up being more skysolo than I intended, and I accidentally created a new AU but ahh, I hope it was worth the wait!)

Gripping the controls of the speeder tight enough for his knuckles to turn white, Han Solo shifted nervously in the pilot’s seat. His passenger, looking incredible as always in his simple yet finely made black tunic and trousers, had the audacity to appear completely casual and not at all bothered. How in all the hells was Luke so calm?

Han licked his lips and furrowed his brow. Was he sweating? Why was he so nervous? He could out-shoot any bounty hunter, out-fly just about any pilot and charm the slime off a Hutt – he could do this, too. It was just meeting someone’s parents. He was good with people, so this should be no exception, right? Why should this time be any different?

Oh, right, that’s why, Han thought to himself as the Palace came into view. This time, the parents I’m meeting just so happen to be in charge of the entire kriffin’ galaxy!

He really did seem to have a particular kind of luck with his romantic interests, didn’t he?

“Relax, Han,” his companion soothed, resting a hand on his shoulder and tracing gentle circles there with his thumb. “They’re really not as scary as everyone makes out. Trust me. They don’t bite.”

“Nah, but I’ve seen what your old man is capable of,” he replied without thinking, instantly regretting it when the hand on his shoulder tensed, slightly.

“Yeah.” Han could practically feel the conflict and guilt radiating from the seat next to him, and he was ready to cut in with profuse apologies and lay himself down at the mercy of the court, but a wry laugh from Luke stopped him. “He makes a point not to do anything… to enforce the will of the Empire at home, so you should be good.”

Han didn’t miss the hesitation or the irony in those words, but Luke was smiling, at least, so he relaxed a little bit.

“Besides,” Luke continued, shrugging, “Father’s not the one you need to worry about. My father may look like the scary one, but it’s really my mother you need to be afraid of. And, well, my sister too, probably. Father’s protective, definitely a force to be reckoned with, but it’s no match for the bond between a mother and her child, or the one between twins.” A pause. Then, almost as an afterthought, “They’re also both politicians. Nothing is more dangerous than words.”

The grin on Luke’s face had taken on a wicked quality, a slight level of menace in his voice, and Han suddenly found himself sweating profusely. “Tell me again why this was a good idea?”

Bright peals of laughter filled the speeder as Luke had a good chortle at his expense. Han grumbled as the kid nudged him playfully and moved his hand to the back of Han’s neck, fingers snaking their way into his hair. “Relax. I’m just messing with you. Mostly. It’s gonna be fine. I promise. I’ve got a good feeling about this.”

Oh. That boded well.

***

As Luke approached the private entrance at the back of the palace, he had to admit to himself that he shared at least some of Han’s trepidation. Not quite to the same extent, but a hint of dread prickled at the back of his neck nonetheless. 

“Look, Han, I – I know I said I had a good feeling about this. And I know I assured you everything would be fine, but…” He hesitated. While he wasn’t nearly as eloquent as his mother or sister, he was unaccustomed to being as at a loss for words as he often found himself when he was around Han. Something about this smuggler made him feel more like a farmboy than the prince he’d been raised as. Normally, he didn’t mind, but this… this was important. “My family can be a lot. And, well, we’ve only known each other a few weeks, and all. So, I mean, if you’re not ready – ”

“Hey,” Han cut in, resting a hand on Luke’s shoulder. “I know how much this means to you – how much your family means to you. You think it’s time we all meet then I trust you.” He grinned, cheekily. “Don’t go thinkin’ you can get rid of me that easily, Your Worship.”

Rolling his eyes, Luke returned Han’s grin before nudging him with his elbow. “Alright, alright. Let’s get going, then. No point in putting it off.” He could still feel a healthy level of anxiety rolling off of Han, but his good-natured ribbing and confident stride made Luke feel a bit more at ease.

At least, it did until they stepped into his family’s sitting room and saw the look Leia was giving them.

“Y’know,” she said slowly, her voice smooth and silky, “I was sure I’d seen the height of your stupidity already.” She wore a dangerous smile on her face, one Luke knew far too well, and it only grew wider when he scowled at her. “I was sure you couldn’t do anything more idiotic than the time you took Father’s speeder out for a joy ride and thought he wouldn’t notice. But I think you’ve really outdone yourself this time, well done.” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

The look of delight on Leia’s face had quickly become the most accurate impression of an anooba playing with its meal before devouring it that Luke had ever seen. “Disappearing for weeks on end, leaving us nothing but a cryptic note, no hint of where you’ve gone and hardly a word from you over holocall, then showing back up here with this scruffy-looking scoundrel in tow?” Behind him, Han bristled, which really only served to feed into Leia’s amusement. “Honestly, Luke, I’m impressed. I mean it! The fit Father threw when he found out was spectacular, I haven’t seen anything like it since – well, the speeder incident, actually.”

Despite how entertained Leia seemed by all of this – and there was a vein of genuine amusement in her words – Luke could also sense her underlying worry. Nobody else would be able to detect the tension in her body, the shadow of concern in her eyes, the minute tremor in her voice… She was his twin, and he suddenly felt incredibly guilty for leaving her, even temporarily.

I’m sorry, Leia, he muttered through their bond.

Don’t you dare pull anything like that again, or I might have to strangle you.

With Han oblivious to their silent exchange, Luke decided to mirror Leia’s outward attitude as he raised a brow at her then turned to his “scruffy-looking scoundrel,” who looked like he was trying to decide whether to be terrified or irate. He ended up landing somewhere in the middle. “Han, it is my pleasure to introduce to you Her Royal Imperial Highness, Princess Leia Naberrie-Skywalker, my dear, lovely sister and twin. Leia, this is Captain Han Solo, my – ” He hesitated a moment, glancing at Han as the word caught in his throat. They never did decide what they were going to label their relationship as to his family. Han just gave him a small shrug and a short nod, prompting Luke to just pick something, for now. “He’s my companion.”

“Believe me,” Leia drawled, the delight on her face melting into a much colder, calculating look, “the pleasure is all mine.” Her eyes were piercing as she looked Han up and down, causing him to shift under her gaze. They lingered for a moment as she came to whatever conclusion she had about him before flicking them to meet Luke’s. “Mother’s expecting you in her parlour. Better not keep her waiting.”

All the warmth had left his sister’s voice, by now, but he could still feel her quiet concern. Leia sent him a silent Good luck as Luke led Han towards his mother’s chambers, a fresh knot of anxiety tying his stomach into knots as they went.

***

“Well,” the kid said quietly next to him, “that’s one down.”

Han rubbed the back of his neck, wondering if maybe he should’ve turned back when Luke gave him the chance, but tried to cling to a shred of optimism nevertheless. “If your mom’s anything like your sister, maybe I would’ve had more luck meeting your dad, first. Wasn’t expecting to get eaten alive like this.”

Luke chuckled darkly and shook his head. “No, trust me, it’s for the best that Father’s off-world until tonight. Leia’s all bark and no bite and Mother… you do have to earn her respect, but she’ll give you a fair chance to do so. Father, on the other hand…” Pausing a moment, he bit his lip while searching for the right words. “Well. You said yourself. You’ve seen what he can do.”

He knew full well how much Luke idolized his father. Pure admiration flooded his baby blues any time he brought him up, especially when he’d neglected to share with Han the little detail of his true line of work. It was unnerving, now, to see the discomfort in his face as he discussed Vader, but Han did have to admit to the relief he felt in knowing Luke’s devotion didn’t overshadow his moral code.

They reached the door to the Empress’ parlour before Han had a chance to say anything in response, so he just sighed and glanced down at Luke. “Well, I s’pose it’s now or never.”

Nodding in response, the kid gave the door two sharp raps before pushing it open and leading Han into a large, pleasantly decorated room. The floor was covered in a plush, bright crimson carpet except for directly in front of the fireplace at the far end of the room, which was lined with dark, smooth stones. Artwork lined the walls, from lavish paintings of lush worlds to intricately woven tapestries to complicated abstract works Han would never understand even if he dedicated the rest of his life to interpreting them. The room was furnished with two large, gold-trimmed sofas and a matching armchair that resembled a throne, all encircling an ornate golden table. Han felt entirely out of place, surrounded by this much luxury; even Luke didn’t look quite at home in his surroundings.

The woman before them, however, matched the decor perfectly. Dressed in a flowing, deep blue gown and a sheer, silvery cape, with a golden circlet perched atop the chestnut curls that cascaded past her shoulders and down her back, she stood regally in the centre of the room, awaiting their approach. Trying to keep himself from staring, Han fell into a kneeling position next to Luke, who was the picture of contrition.

“Mother. I have returned home, and I beg your forgiveness for my unannounced absence.” 

Having spent the first several weeks of their relationship unaware of his royal status, Han had never imagined Luke’s voice could sound so regal. It sure was a far cry from the naive, chattering kid who’d struck up conversation with him in a run-down shipyard on Ord Mantell. He had to admit, the change was a little spooky.

A few moments passed, feeling like hours, considering how nervous he was, but it wasn’t long before the woman strode forward and wrapped her arms around Luke, pulling him up. “Luke!” she breathed, pulling him into an embrace. Han suddenly felt like he was intruding on something very private. “My son, it’s so good to have you home.” She pulled out of the hug and gripped his shoulders, a stern look etched in her features. “Don’t you ever do anything like that again! If something had happened to you – What in the stars possessed you to do something so rash?”

Luke never did tell Han why he’d run in the first place. Sure, he’d asked, but the kid would get evasive every time he did so eventually he dropped the subject. Under his mother’s gaze, now, it was a lot more difficult to dodge the question, but Luke still seemed determined to do so.

“Oh, sweetheart,” the Empress sighed, brushing her fingers through his hair. “We can discuss this later, when your father returns.” Luke stiffened but bowed his head in acknowledgement. “Now! Are you going to introduce me to your guest, or were you planning on leaving him to kneel at our feet all day?”

Han’s head snapped up and he met Luke’s eyes, who nodded at him to rise. “Mother, this is Captain Han Solo of The Millennium Falcon. I’ve spent the last several weeks in his company, and the two of us have grown… close.”

He could practically feel the kid’s cheeks flush at his own choice of words. Thankfully, the Empress herself appeared to be plenty amused, and she offered Han a brilliant smile that left him somewhat weak in the knees. He could see what Luke meant about her being the dangerous one. There was something so very disarming about this woman and her charm, and he’d met enough charming women to know to be on his guard.

“Truly, I’m charmed, Captain,” she said, voice ringing like a bell as she slipped into formality. “Luke has a gift for befriending the most… fascinating of people.” After offering him another bright smile, she turned to face her son. “Luke, go prepare the guest room, please? If he’s to be staying with us, he’ll need proper accommodations.”

“Oh, that’s really not necessary, Majesty,” Han sputtered, “I got my ship, and – ”

“Nonsense!” The word was light and pleasant, but she somehow infused enough authority into it that he knew there was no point in arguing. “As a friend of my son’s, you are welcome in our home.” 

Han was sure they had servants or droids who could set up the bedroom, and even if they didn’t, he was more than capable of doing it himself. He didn’t see why she was sending the Prince to do it. “Well, alright, if you insist, but Luke doesn’t have to set up for me, I’m happy to get it myself.”

“No, no, you are our guest, and we your hosts.” Her deep eyes glimmered with something dangerous. “My son has brought you here, and it is proper etiquette for him to see to your comfort here. Luke? If you will?”

Luke wore a somewhat confused expression that he turned from his mother to Han, but his hesitation was brief as he bowed slightly and muttered “Yes, Mother,” before he set off towards the parlour door. 

Turning to follow, Han was frozen in place by a sharp tut from the Empress. “Not yet, Captain Solo. Sit. Relax. I’ll have some tea brought, and you and I can get acquainted.”

From the doorway, Luke shot an alarmed glance in their direction and looked, for a second, as though he was about to protest and insist on staying, but his mother’s expression brooked no argument. Pressing his lips together in a thin line and putting as much reassurance into his eyes, Luke gave Han a final nod before disappearing from sight.

Now alone with the Empress, in her domain, the smuggler couldn’t help but feel he’d landed in a krayt’s den and was about to find out just how dangerous this woman could really be.

After gliding towards the lavish armchair and perching on it, she indicated one of the sofas and stared at him with a pleasant yet sharp look. “Sit,” she repeated, and Han’s legs complied, of their own accord. As he did so, a protocol droid filed in and set down a tray carrying a steaming teapot, a bowl of sugar, cream, and four teacups. “How do you take your tea, Captain?”

With a lot of alcohol, he thought.

“Black,” he said, and she poured him a cup. He muttered an awkward thanks as she handed it to him.

When she’d fixed her own cup and taken a sip, she zeroed in on him, expression growing hard. “Now, Captain, I will be blunt.” Her voice was cold in a way it hadn’t been before, bearing an edge to it that caused the hairs on the back of his neck to stand at attention. “My son has a heart the size of the galaxy itself, and he’s prone to giving it away far too easily. That isn’t to say I do not trust his choices, nor do I believe him to be a poor judge of character. He has faith in people, believes in their strengths and capabilities and their capacity to do good.”

“Yeah, I’ve seen that part of him,” Han agreed, thinking back to all the down-on-their-luck Mantellians whose lives were just a bit more comfortable now, thanks to Luke.

The Empress nodded gravely. “Then I’m sure you know how easily he places that trust in those who may not deserve it. In the past he has been drawn to… the wrong sorts of people, and it’s gotten him into trouble more than once.”

Those words were pointed, they referred to him, Han knew, and he found himself scowling at the most powerful woman in the galaxy. “I can assure you, Your Majesty,” he ground out, “that I have no intentions of being the wrong sort of person for your son.” That would cost him, he was sure, but he felt the need to defend his – and Luke’s – honour, even if it meant snapping at the kriffin Empress herself.

Raising a single brow, she regarded him with an appraising stare, dark eyes seeming to burrow right into his soul. “See that you aren’t,” she said evenly. “There are precious few things in this galaxy, Captain, that I treasure more than my children and their wellbeing. So long as you are in Luke’s favour, you will be treated well, I assure you, but if you bring him to harm…” The threat lingered in the air for a moment. He got the message.

He maintained her gaze and held his ground. “Look, lady,” he said, far braver than he had any right to be, “I ain’t suicidal, I’m not about to go messing with your family, and I’m definitely not gonna hurt Luke. Don’t think I could handle his face if I did – looks too much like a kicked puppy when he’s just a bit disappointed, can’t imagine it when he’s genuinely hurt. Besides, seems to me he’s got enough pain in his life without me contributing to it. Now, I may not be some high and mighty noble or anything, and what the kid actually sees in me is anybody’s guess, but, dammit, he’s got me carin’ about him, and anyone who can do that is worth protecting, in my books.”

Well, Solo, you had a good run. Always knew that mouth of yours would be the end of you, just never expected to go quite as dramatic as running it in front of the Empress and getting executed. If only Lando could see you now…

Silence echoed deafeningly in the chamber, which now felt far larger than it actually was, ready to swallow him up. The Empress was staring at him, eyebrows raised, gaze flicking over him again. After what felt like an eternity, the barest shade of a smile tugged at the corners of her lips. “Very well, Captain Solo. Perhaps you will do well here, after all.” For the first time she’d spoken to him, her voice carried genuine warmth. 

All of a sudden, he could breathe again, a wave of relief crashing over him as he sank into the sofa and sighed. “Thank you, Your Majesty. I’ll do my best.”

“See that you do.” A pause. “Now!” she chirped, “Luke should be finished with your accommodations by now. I’ll send Threepio to fetch him and my daughter, and we can all get acquainted properly over some tea. Yes, I think that sounds lovely.”

There was no way anyone he knew was going to believe this. He wasn’t sure he even believed it himself. But, sitting here in the Imperial Palace having tea with the Empress and her children, he couldn’t help but wonder just what he’d gotten himself into this time…

#luke skywalker #padme amidala #luke and padme #han solo #skysolo #padme naberrie #padme survived #vader killed palpatine #somehow convinced her to become empress #twins are royalty #and of course luke is restless and runs off to hook up with han #because he's luke and an idiot #beaurozguru #lol this is over 3k words long #i did NOT mean to go that hard lmaoooo #my writing #star wars fic #imperial royal skywalker family au

[genitore]

✧･ﾟ:* —  @solereus​​ ,

𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐦𝐞𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐧,  was when he was just born. a small infant child, handed into his arms. he had only been a few hours old, when anakin had to make perhaps, the worst decision he’s ever made — to hand his son and daughter over to his closely trusted friends,  [ 𝘰𝘣𝘪-𝘸𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘢𝘪𝘭, 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘺. ]  and cut off all ties. to leave everything and everyone he knew behind and send himself into exile.  he held onto the both of them, for as long as he could . . . he made obi-wan promise that he’d watch over luke, until the time was right, and he could be returned to the father. then, they were given over and now, nineteen years had passed.

nineteen years, and not a single day went by, where anakin didn’t think of his children . . . wondering what kind of people they turned out to be, what they liked to do? what their hopes and dreams were? he had lived under a different name and façade for so long, he feared that the day may never come, that he’d get to see his children again.  [ 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘰 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘶𝘱 𝘯𝘰𝘸. 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘪𝘮? ]  but then, the rebellion came, they found him, tucked away in the darkest corner of the galaxy on a junkyard planet. they bargained, they begged and in the end, anakin joined their cause. leaving the planet he had stayed upon for nineteen years for the rebel base.  [ 𝘪𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘶𝘱 𝘴𝘰 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦. ]

and it was here, on yavin four, whilst moving through the hallways did he hear of the events that just transpired. the princess, a scoundrel, a farmboy and a wookiee, just escaped from the death star. and when he heard their names, it took his breath away.  [ 𝘭𝘶𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘦𝘪𝘢. ]  his luke and leia? their surnames only confirmed it. luke skywalker and leia organa. the children of anakin skywalker and padmé amidala. here, now, as was he. nineteen years, had gone by, making way for this moment — but was he brave enough to confront his children? the answer was no. when they were celebrating in the hangar, anakin stayed aside, watching from the shadows.

at night, the rebel base calmed down, only a few floated in and out of the hallways. sleep hadn’t come easy to anakin in years, not since his padawan years and his mind was racing, knowing that just a few doors down, where his children.  [ 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮? 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘰, 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘮𝘦, 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘪 𝘢𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘨𝘰. ]  no, that wouldn’t work. so, he tucked himself away in the hangar, the only soul among the ships. he picked the first x-wing that looked like it needed some serious attention and got to work. laying on his back and pulling himself under the ship to begin doing what he did best.

#solereus #･ﾟ✧ › 𝘸𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 ‚ 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘯 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯. –– rebel. #･ﾟ✧ › 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥. –– solereus 01. #I TOLD YOU THIS GOT REALLY LONG I JUST #HAD A LOT TO SAY AND EXPRESS AND TALK ABOUT #THE BUILD UP OF #TALKING ABOUT THIS ALL DAY JUST GENERATED SO MUCH MUSE ! ! ! ! #uwu i love you ;v; #god i cannot believe how long this got i really am truly sorry

[panharmonium]

In a galaxy full of flashy, instantly recognizable alien characters, lovable scoundrels, firecracker princesses, and idealistic farmboys, Wedge is an admirable character for his own rather simple reasons: He's just a guy who's very good at his job. He's not arrogant or flippant, and he's not particularly emotional either. He's simply and calmly at home in his cockpit, displaying virtuosity and resolve at even the most emotionally harrowing moments.

Matthew Jackson, ‘The Most Important Star Wars Character of All Time Is Wedge Antilles’

#he's just a guy who's very good at his job #AND I LOVE HIM FOR IT #star wars #rogue squadron

[aion-rsa]

Star Wars Canon Timeline in Chronological Order

https://ift.tt/2P9rWnU

Need help starting your Star Wars adventure? Check out our beginner's guide to the canon timeline!

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Star Wars: The Force Awakens ushered in an entirely new generation of fans looking for more adventures in the galaxy far, far away, but with the whole issue of Legends canon vs. the new canon and a whole slate of new books, comics, and movies arriving in the next few years, it can be hard to figure out where to start. Luckily for you, it's become a bit easier to dive into the canon materials now that a clear line has been drawn between Legends (pre-Disney) and new canon (post-Disney) stories, but that new material is quickly growing, too. 

In order to help new fans get a clear look at the official Star Wars timeline, we've put together a list of the most central Star Wars books, comics, and games and detailed how they relate to the movies and TV series.

Read More: Everything We Know About Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

What won't you see on this list?

Most Star Wars Insider short stories, Star Wars Rebels Magazine comics, Forces of Destiny shorts, or Disney novelizations like The Princess, The Farmboy, and The Scoundrel. Star Wars Insider stories have been included where we felt they contributed most to the overarching timeline -- or if we felt they were particularly good.

This timeline is intended to help you find the best jumping-on point. (There's always the "pick up whatever you find first" approach, though.) Dates are sometimes approximate and are based on years before (BBY) and after (ABY) the Battle of Yavin, equivalent to before and after A New Hope, as per the official canon chronology.

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32 - 20 BBY - Age of Republic

Written by Jody Houser

Art by Cory Smith and Luke Ross

The Age of Republic comics miniseries is composed of one-shot issues that prove writer Jody Houser is a powerful new addition to Star Wars fiction. The series focuses on Prequel characters such as Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Maul, Jango Fett, Padmé Amidala, Anakin Skywalker, Count Dooku, and General Grievous. They each get their own issues, which can be read together or separately. Age of Republic Special stars Mace Windu and brings in heroes and villains from across the Clone Wars.

32 BBY - Marvel's Darth Maul

Written by Cullen Bunn

Art by Luke Ross

Set before the events of The Phantom Menace and the villain's first demise at the hands of Obi-Wan Kenobi, this comic book miniseries follows Darth Maul in the early days of his apprenticeship under Darth Sidious. While he's not allowed to engage the Jedi just yet, Maul still manages to come face to face with a young Jedi Padawan during one of his missions for the Dark Lord of the Sith. The events of the series show how the dark side makes Maul more powerful but also incredibly flawed.

Buy Marvel's Darth Maul

32 BBY - The Phantom Menace 

Directed & Written by George Lucas

Buy The Phantom Menace

29 BBY - Marvel's Obi-Wan & Anakin 

Written by Charles Soule

Art by Marco Checchetto

This comic series, written by Charles Soule and penciled by Marco Checchetto, is Disney’s first foray into deep Prequel territory, without even The Clone Wars to hang on to. Devoid of any ancillary material. Obi-Wan & Anakin paints a slightly different picture of the iconic Jedi team-up than the Legends stories did before. Anakin is a headstrong tinkerer, but there is also an edge of vengefulness or self-hatred around him in the first issue when he summons a hologram of Darth Maul that surprises and disgusts the Jedi Council.

The series expands on how Anakin’s life as a slave affects the way he views the Jedi. This isn't an easy apprenticeship for either Jedi, but we know that it’s leading up to at least some camaraderie by the time of Padme’s attempted assassination in Attack of the Clones.

Buy Marvel's Obi-Wan & Anakin

28 BBY - Queen's Shadow

Written by E.K. Johnston

This young adult novel details the lives of Padmé Amidala and her handmaidens. The loose plot follows Padmé as she transitions from queen to senator, but the episodic story is much more than that. It confronts the idea of slavery in Star Wars, the tragedy of the way Papatine manipulated Padmé’s political path, and the problems and privileges of ruling at such a young age. Padmé is presented as a formidable warrior, a teen still learning to hold her own, and a shrewd negotiator. 

22 BBY - Attack of the Clones 

Directed by George Lucas

Written by George Lucas & Jonathan Hales

Buy Attack of the Clones

22-19 BBY - The Clone Wars 

Created by George Lucas

Buy The Clone Wars

21-17 BBY - Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel

Written by James Luceno

Before Jyn Erso embarked on her fateful mission to steal the plans to the Death Star from the evil Empire in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, she lived on Coruscant with her parents, Galen and Lyra. Galen is a scientist who means to use his kyber crystal research to produce renewable energy for the galaxy, but his friend Orson Krennic has very different plans. The scientist doesn't know that he's actually helping create a weapon for the Death Star!

Buy Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel

19 BBY - Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir 

Written by Jeremy Barlow

Art by Juan Frigeri

Although Mother Talzin appeared to have perished in The Clone Wars, she returns in what may or may not be a spiritual form during the many battles in Son of Dathomir. This comic miniseries, like Dark Disciple, was adapted from unused scripts from The Clone Wars, and is something of a battle royale, pitting Darth Maul against a variety of foes, including Count Dooku and General Grievous.

Buy Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir

19 BBY - "Kindred Spirits" 

Written by Christe Golden for Star Wars Insider #159

Often, Star Wars Insider stories will tie directly to one of the recently released novels, exploring side characters or presenting scenes before or after the book. In the case of "Kindred Spirits," the author was also the same: Christie Golden penned this tale of Asajj Ventress finding an unlikely ally shortly before Dark Disciple. Readers interested in the bounty hunter persona Ventress adopted during The Clone Wars might especially appreciate the tone of this one, which also features another tough female character.

19 BBY - Dark Disciple 

Written by Christie Golden

While fans clamored for more of The Clone Wars after the animated series’ cancellation, stories set in this era, and overseen by many of the same writers and producers, began to emerge in different formats. Some unaired episodes of The Clone Wars were aired during conventions or released online; others were adapted into comics, as in Son of Dathomir. Dark Disciple was one of the more high-profile results of this effort, as it is a full-length novel telling the story of Asajj Ventress after her story on the television show had ended.

Ventress is reluctantly recruited by Quinlan Vos, a morally ambiguous Jedi in pursuit of Count Dooku. Dark Disciple is, in part, a love story, showing Ventress and Vos’ relationships with one another and how that affects their views of the Force. It’s also a war story, with the inventive action typical of The Clone Wars.

Buy Dark Disciple

19 BBY - Revenge of the Sith 

Directed & Written by George Lucas

Buy Revenge of the Sith

19 BBY - Marvel's Kanan 

Written by Greg Weisman

Art by Pepe Larraz

If you watch Rebels but haven’t read Star Wars books or comics before, Kanan series is a good place to start. The stories alternate between the crew of the Ghost undertaking what at first seems to be a simple mission on Lothal, and Kanan’s memories of Order 66 and his training with his Jedi Master. This is a good way to learn about this fan-favorite character.

Buy Marvel's Kanan

19 BBY - Marvel's Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith

Written by Charles Soule

Art by Giuseppe Camuncoli

This series literally starts at the moment Darth Vader is born, a second after the end of Revenge of the Sith. Unlike Marvel's first Darth Vader series, this new ongoing book tackles the earliest days of Anakin's transformation into the feared Sith apprentice, more machine than man. 

Buy Marvel's Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith

18 BBY - Ahsoka

Written by E.K. Johnston

What happened to former Jedi Padawan Ahsoka Tano after leaving the Order in The Clone Wars? This is the story of what led Ahsoka down the path to becoming the Rebel agent Fulcrum. Anyone who loves the character's appearances in the animated series should read this book.

Buy Ahsoka

14 BBY - "Orientation" 

Written by John Jackson Miller for Star Wars Insider #157

Like "Kindred Spirits," John Jackson Miller’s "Orientation" has some of the same characters as the Star Wars novels that came out around the same time. It was packaged along with Lords of the Sith, but touches some other Star Wars material, too.

Darth Vader is ostensibly the main character of the story, strutting his way around an Imperial training ship. But the other star of this story is Rae Sloane, a young cadet. Remember that name.

14 BBY - Lords of the Sith

Written by Paul S. Kemp

Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine have crash-landed in the dangerous wilderness of Ryloth in this dark side road trip. Lords of the Sith also has a connection to Rebels and The Clone Wars: freedom fighter Cham Syndulla sees a potential advantage for his rebels and tries to assassinate the Sith while they’re working their way through the wilderness.

The novel explores Vader and Palpatine’s tense power struggles as well as the things that bind them together. Lords of the Sith also has the new canon’s first LGBT character, the slovenly Imperial Moff Mors, who has her own character arc as the story goes on.

Buy Lords of the Sith

14 BBY - Tarkin 

Written by James Luceno

Another tale from the dark side, Tarkin shows the history and martial rise of the man who would one day command the Death Star. James Luceno was known for writing big, encyclopedic novels in the Legends timeline—he’s particularly good at fitting different parts of the canon together and talking about the political landscape of the galaxy far, far away. The Tarkin novel brings both of those things into the new canon and tells the story of Tarkin’s attempt to retake an experimental starship from Rebel saboteurs.

Buy Tarkin

13 BBY - Lando's Luck

Written by Justina Ireland

Disney Publishing has been knocking it out of the park with the young adult Star Wars novels, and Lando’s Luck is the most entertaining of the Solo tie-ins. Funny dialogue and a fast-paced adventure make this story—in which Lando and L3-37 team up with a young princess—a good one to pick up if you liked Lando in either Solo or The Empire Strikes Back. 

13-10 BBY - Solo: A Star Wars Story

Directed by Ron Howard

Written by Lawrence Kasdan and Jon Kasdan

11-5 BBY - Lost Stars 

Written by Claudia Gray

Although Lost Stars spans throughout the Original Trilogy, it starts beforehand, with two young people joining the Imperial Academy. It’s essentially a love story, with Thane Kyrell and Ciena Ree still holding their feelings for one another even after Thane joins the Rebellion. This book is also a great look at the psychology of the people inside the two armies.

The new Star Wars books have dispensed quickly with the idea that all Rebels are noble (or noble scoundrels) and that all Imperial loyalists are scheming. Lots of different things drive people to make their choices in war, and Lost Stars shows that. It also culminates in an exciting battle that ties into The Force Awakens. After reading this one, you’ll never look at Jakku quite the same way again.

Buy Lost Stars

11-2 BBY - Thrawn

Written by Timothy Zahn

When the old continuity was turned into Legends, it meant that many of the greatest characters introduced in the old EU were no longer canon. It seems like even that couldn't keep the Empire's greatest tactician down, though. The cold, Chiss admiral Thrawn returns to continuity with this new origin story from writer Timothy Zahn, the man who created the character back in the '90s. 

Buy Thrawn

11 BBY - A New Dawn 

Written by John Jackson Miller

For fans of Rebels, A New Dawn shows the origins of some fan-favorite characters and sets the tone for the new canon Imperials. It introduces the ruthlessly efficient Count Vidian, who goes up against Hera and Kanan when the fate of a planet is on the line. Joining them are the unlikely duo of conspiracy theorist Skelly and ex-Imperial surveillance officer Zaluna. Although it explains more about Kanan’s history than Hera’s (more about her can be found in the short story “Mercy Mission,” in the Rise of the Empire collection), A New Dawn is a good piece of the continuity puzzle for Rebels fans.

It was also the first book in the new canon, making its title doubly appropriate. Author John Jackson Miller was well-known for Legends material, like the novel Kenobi and the Knights of the Old Republic comic series, before he contributed the first book to the new canon.

Buy A New Dawn

6-4 BBY - Servants of the Empire 

Written by Jason Fry

This four-book young reader series follows Zare Leonis, the Imperial cadet who helped Ezra escape the stormtrooper academy in season one of Rebels. Like Rebels itself, the series can be enjoyed by people outside of its grade-school audience, too. Part of the appeal is the characters: the story switches between Zare and his conflicting ideas about the Empire to his friend, hacker Merei Spanjaf, who launches her own investigations while trying to avoid being caught by her security expert mother.

Zare is on the hunt for his sister, a promising, Force-sensitive Imperial recruit taken by the Grand Inquisitor. Like in A New Dawn, Rebels fans will be able to find plenty of connections to their favorite characters.

Buy Servants of the Empire

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6 BBY-3 ABY - Battlefront / Battlefront: Twilight Company 

Video Game Developed by DICE

Novel Written by Alexander Freed

Like John Jackson Miller, Battlefront: Twilight Company author Alexander Freed came to Star Wars novels through short stories and comics. His canon short fiction has appeared in Star Wars Insider before (“One Thousand Levels Down” and “The End of History”).

Twilight Company visits some of the same locations available to players in the 2015 Battlefront video game, but its characters are new and unique. The cynical protagonist is Namir, a soldier who fights doggedly for the Rebellion’s cause without ever really believing that the cause is as noble as others do. He finds an unlikely ally in Chalis, a former Imperial governor whose ruthless plans for the Rebel squad’s success cause some dissent in the ranks.

Buy Battlefront

Buy Battlefront: Twilight Company

5-2 BBY - Rebels 

Created by Dave Filoni, Simon Kinberg, & Carrie Beck

Buy Rebels

3 BBY - Leia: Princess of Alderaan

Written by Claudia Gray 

After winning fans' hearts with the political novel Bloodline, Claudia Gray returned with a young adult novel about Leia's youth on Alderaan and her first missions with the Rebel Alliance. Leia: Princess of Alderaan focuses on the princess and her parents, Breha and Bail, but also includes cameos from characters such as The Last Jedi's Amilyn Holdo, Captain Panaka, and Grand Moff Tarkin.

Buy Leia: Princess of Alderaan

2 BBY - Thrawn: Alliances

Written by Timothy Zahn

The wildly popular canon Thrawn novels continue with a story set during the Clone Wars. Alliances jumps between the Original Trilogy and the Prequel era, showing how Thrawn worked with Anakin Skywalker before and after he became Darth Vader. The book also features Padmé on her own mission during the Clone Wars. She finds herself reluctantly teaming up with the titular Chiss mastermind. 

0 BBY - Guardians of the Whills

Written by Greg Rucka 

A fun look at Jedha before the decidedly less fun events of Rogue One, Guardians of the Whills captures Baze and Chirrut's voices well and shows what Jedha City was like before its destruction. 

Buy Guardians of the Whills

0 BBY - Rogue One

Directed by Gareth Edwards

Written by John Knoll, Gary Whitta, Chris Weitz, & Tony Gilroy

Buy Rogue One

0 BBY - A New Hope 

Directed & Written by George Lucas

Buy A New Hope

0 BBY - 5 ABY: Battlefront II/ Battlefront II: Inferno Squad

Video Game Developed by EA DICE, Motive Studios, Criterion Software

Novel Written by Christie Golden

A prequel to the video game Battlefront II, the novel Inferno Squad introduces players to Iden Versio, special forces commander and daughter of Imperial loyalist Admiral Garrick Versio. Assigned to infiltrate a group of Saw Gerrera's Partisans, she and her team grapple with the morality of both the Empire and the violent splinter group of the Rebellion. 

The video game's campaign follows Inferno Squad from shortly before the destruction of the Death Star to the Battle at Jakku, where the Empire finally fell. Fans who read the novel will have much better context for the relationships between the characters in the campaign, which also introduces playable versions of Luke Skywalker and Kylo Ren. 

Buy Battlefront II

Buy Battlefront II: Inferno Squad

0 BBY - Marvel's Princess Leia 

Written by Mark Waid

Art by Terry Dodson

Many of Marvel’s Star Wars comic series so far take place in the Original Trilogy time period. Before information about The Force Awakens was public, Marvel was already doing all it could with its re-acquisition of the Star Wars brand, launching three ongoing series (Star Wars, Darth Vader, and Kanan), along with a succession of miniseries. The Princess Leia story picks up immediately after the end of A New Hope, touching on Leia’s feelings—or lack thereof—about the destruction of her home planet.

Although Rebel High Command wants her to keep a low profile, Leia makes it her mission to recruit surviving Alderaanians to the Rebel cause. They are in diaspora, but not all of the people she meets want to go to war. She’s helped by Evaan, a Rebel pilot with a not-so-favorable view of the woman she calls “ice princess.”

Buy Marvel's Princess Leia

0 BBY - Heir to the Jedi 

Written by Kevin Hearne

Heir to the Jedi was published right in the middle of the transition from Legends to new canon. Originally branded as part of the Empire & Rebellion series, along with Razor’s Edge and Honor Among Thieves, it alone of the three books in that series survived the cut-off. Kevin Hearne’s story explains how Luke learned the telekinesis he used in The Empire Strikes Back.

Since Obi-Wan never taught him that, someone had to encourage Luke to use the Force—and in Heir to the Jedi, it’s Nakari Kelen, a fellow Rebel pilot with whom Luke goes on a mission to retrieve a Rebel codebreaker.

Buy Heir to the Jedi

0 BBY - Marvel's Chewbacca 

Written by Gerry Duggan

Art by Phil Noto

Some time after the events of A New Hope, Chewbacca finds himself comfortably crash-landed on the planet Andelm IV. He’s willing to have a bit of a nap before beginning a leisurely search for parts for his ship, but there are other people on the planet who aren’t so relaxed.

A girl named Zarro and her father have been conscripted into working essentially as slaves in a mine run by a man who plans to profit off of the Empire. Chewie and Zarro hatch a plan to free her father in this fun, five-issue series with beautiful art by Phil Noto.

Buy Marvel's Chewbacca

0 BBY - The Weapon of a Jedi  

Written by Jason Fry

Prolific Star Wars writer Jason Fry tells a quintessential Luke story in The Weapon of a Jedi. A young Luke travels to Devaron on a hunch sent by the Force and discovers an ancient Jedi Academy where he can hone his skills—and where he fights with a lightsaber for the first time.

Although we don’t know for sure whether the Jedi Temple on Devaron will affect the Star Wars universe going forward, it’s Luke’s best canon example of a place where Jedi can go to learn, and maybe influenced the academy he eventually built in the New Republic. The book also features flash forwards to Jessika Pava, the Resistance pilot who flew with Poe Dameron at the battle of Starkiller Base.

Buy The Weapon of a Jedi

0 BBY - Marvel's Star Wars & Darth Vader 

Star Wars: Written by Jason Aaron, Art by John Cassaday et al

Darth Vader: Written by Kieron Gillen, Art by Salvador Larroca

Some of the best—and more surprising—stories in the Marvel Star Wars line come out of the ongoing series, which occur concurrently and crossed over in their first big event, “Vader Down.” The series follows both heroes and villains of the Original Trilogy, including Luke’s earnest, enthusiastic slide into learning how to use his Jedi powers; Vader’s conflicted relationship with Emperor Palpatine and the Sith legacy of betrayal and competition; and Han’s maybe-wife Sana Solo. 

The longest-running Marvel Star Wars series so far are also the ones that most clearly show how Marvel is handling the core characters going forward, so check these out if you want to see what Luke, Han, and Leia are up to after A New Hope.

Darth Vader recently wrapped and it's easily one of the best stories to come out of the new EU so far. You NEED to read this series!

Buy Marvel's Star Wars

Buy Marvel's Darth Vader

0 BBY - Marvel's Doctor Aphra

Written by Kieron Gillen & Simon Spurrier

Art by Kev Walker et. al.

After becoming a breakout hit in the comics, Doctor Aphra became the first Star Wars character who never appeared in the movies to helm her own comic book series. Her title reveals her history, including her parents and how she became a rogue archeologist. 

Buy Marvel's Doctor Aphra

0 BBY - Smuggler’s Run 

Written by Greg Rucka

Smuggler’s Run is one in a series of three young reader books put out as part of the Journey to The Force Awakens line. Along with Weapon of a Jedi and Moving Target, Smuggler’s Run follows one member of the Original Trilogy trio and is bookended by scenes set in the Sequel Trilogy era.

This one focuses on Han Solo and Chewbacca balancing living the lawless life with their work for the Rebellion. Written by Greg Rucka, Smuggler’s Run shows Han as he reluctantly takes on a mission to save a Rebel scout from the Empire.

Buy Smuggler's Run

0 BBY-3 ABY - Marvel's Lando 

Written by Charles Soule

Art by Alex Maleev

Lando, written by Charles Soule, with art from Alex Maleev, shows the suave baron-administrator before he got his title. Lando thinks he has scored big when he plans to steal a valuable starship, but it turns out that the ship once belonged to Emperor Palpatine (and Darth Maul), and there are plenty of unpleasant Sithly surprises in store.

As well as featuring Lando himself, the comic has a lot of great supporting characters, including mysterious twin aliens and Lobot himself. Watching Lobot’s stoic expressions in The Empire Strikes Back will never be the same after reading this comic.

Buy Marvel's Lando

0-3 ABY - Marvel's Han Solo

Written by Marjorie Liu

Art by Mark Brooks

Buy Marvel's Han Solo

3 ABY - The Empire Strikes Back 

Directed by Irvin Kershner 

Written by Lawrence Kasdan & Leigh Brackett

Buy The Empire Strikes Back

4 ABY - Moving Target 

Written by Cecil Castellucci & Jason Fry

Leia’s installment of the Journey to The Force Awakens series follows her on a mission to distract the Empire from the Rebellion’s growing fleet—the fleet that will attack the second Death Star at Endor. Her team travels through various adventures in their effort to do that, while Leia weighs her feelings about duty against the idea that she might be sacrificing some Rebel sympathizers in order to buy time for others.

Like the other two Original Trilogy books in the line, Moving Target is a quintessential Star Wars story with a few connections to other parts of the saga. The flash forward involves PZ-4CO, the blue droid seen in the Resistance base in The Force Awakens, interviewing Leia for her memoirs.

Buy Moving Target

4 ABY - Return of the Jedi 

Directed by Richard Marquand

Written by Lawrence Kasdan & George Lucas

Buy Return of the Jedi

4 ABY - Marvel's Shattered Empire 

Written by Greg Rucka

Art by Marco Checchetto

The timeline between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens is a bit sparse right now, with the Aftermath trilogy expected to fill up the years after Return of the Jedi. Another novel, Bloodline by Claudia Gray, due out in 2016, is set about six years before Episode VII.

However, Shattered Empire wastes no time in showing where Luke, Han, and Leia were immediately after Return of the Jedi, while also introducing Poe Dameron’s parents. Pilot Shara Bey and soldier Kes Dameron join the Original Trilogy heroes in mopping up what’s left of the Empire on Endor—and find some strange, Force-sensitive trees.

Buy Marvel's Shattered Empire

4 ABY - Alphabet Squadron

Written by Alexander Freed

This military novel is primarily concerned with the titular squadron, a bickering but charming group of Rebel sole survivors and ex-Imperials tasked with hunting down an elite TIE Fighter squadron. It’s one of the heavier books in the saga, not just because of the page count but because of the thorough look into the characters’ psychologies. (Thankfully, they are provided an in-universe therapist.)

It also earns its place on the timeline because it sits between the formation of the New Republic and the establishment of a truly stable galaxy. Characters like General Hera Syndulla show the struggle of former Rebels, whose lack of a central leadership helped them survive, as they adapt to being the dominant power in the galaxy. Alphabet Squadron is the first novel in a trilogy. 

4 ABY - Aftermath 

Written by Chuck Wendig

The first novel set after Return of the Jedi brings a new cast of characters to the story, Rebels who, with varying degrees of reluctance, find themselves embroiled with a meeting of the surviving Imperial officers. Remember Rae Sloane? She’s back, as an admiral this time—and she has her own plans for how to restore the Empire to both greatness and stability.

Aftermath also stars Norra Wexley, an X-Wing pilot who fought at the Battle of Endor. She has become estranged from her son Temmin, who will one day become “Snap” Wexley of The Force Awakens’ Resistance fighters, and recruits him, plus a bounty hunter and an Imperial deserter, on a quest to find her missing husband. Aftermath is followed by two sequels, Life Debt and Empire’s End.

Buy Aftermath

5 ABY - Aftermath: Life Debt

Written by Chuck Wendig

Buy Aftermath: Life Debt

5 ABY - Aftermath: Empire's End

Written by Chuck Wendig

Buy Aftermath: Empire's End

7 ABY - Last Shot

Written by Daniel Jose Older

After years of friendship, Han and Lando reminisce about getting older while facing the same old trouble these two always seem to get into. This is a must-have tie-in novel to Solo: A Star Wars Story.

Buy Last Shot

9 ABY - The Mandalorian

Created by Jon Favreau

28 ABY - Bloodline

Written by Claudia Gray

Star Wars: Bloodline by Claudia Gray gives a clearer picture of the state of the galaxy before The Force Awakens than any other new canon entry. The New Republic has been standing strong for almost thirty years, and the events in the novel tips things toward the chaotic scenario we saw in Episode VII.

Buy Bloodline

28 ABY - Phasma

Written by Delilah S. Dawson

The history of the First Order's feared enforcer is revealed secondhand through a Resistance spy interrogated by the First Order. The Phasma novel explores the irradiated planet Parnassos and the way Phasma first met Brendol Hux, shedding some light on the premier stormtrooper without explaining everything behind the mask. 

Buy Phasma

28 ABY - "The Perfect Weapon" 

Written by Delilah S. Dawson

"The Perfect Weapon" by Delilah S. Dawson was the first short story to feature one of the new characters from The Force Awakens. Like the young reader books listed earlier, it’s part of the Journey to the Force Awakens line and was released as an ebook and excerpted in Star Wars Insider #163.

Bazine Netal, the woman who informs the First Order of the Resistance fighters’ presence at Maz Kanata’s castle, works as a bouncer and hired gun in this story. It doesn’t take place at the same time as The Force Awakens or particularly illuminates Bazine’s actions during the movie, but if you’re interested in her from the few glimpses in The Force Awakens, it might be worth checking out.

Buy "The Perfect Weapon"

28 ABY - "Bait" 

Written by Alan Dean Foster for Star Wars Insider #162

The Star Wars Insider story that ties most closely with The Force Awakens so far is also tied to "The Perfect Weapon." "Bait" follows Grummgar, the alien seen lounging with Bazine in Maz Kanata’s palace. Like "The Perfect Weapon," it takes place at an unspecified time before the movie and shows a hunting trip that doesn't quite go as expected.

28 ABY - Tales from a Galaxy Far, Far Away: Aliens 

Written by Landry Q. Walker

Although four of the stories in this collection were released as e-books, six of them, all by Landry Q. Walker, are only available in this collection. The anthology tells selected tales from the lives of the denizens of Maz Kanata’s palace, including the Jakku lawman Constable Zuvio and the red-masked Crimson Corsair. The stories follow in the tradition of Legends' "Tales" anthologies that were set in the Original Trilogy and have some surprising connections to the Prequels.

Buy Tales from Galaxy Far, Far Away: Aliens

34 ABY - Marvel's Poe Dameron

Written by Charles Soule

Art by Phil Noto

Before he destroyed Starkiller Base, ace Resistance pilot Poe Dameron was already taking on missions from General Leia and fighting the good fight against the First Order. This comic book series shows what Poe was up to before he met Lor San Tekka on Jakku. 

Buy Marvel's Poe Dameron

34 ABY - Marvel's C-3PO Special

Written by James Robinson

Art by Tony Harris

Want to know what was up with Threepio's red arm in The Force Awakens? This touching one-shot tells the story of a droid adventure for the ages that is surprisingly full of emotion. Who knew droids could feel so much?

Buy Marvel's C-3PO Special

34 ABY - Before the Awakening 

Written by Greg Rucka

There’s something to be said about not having to answer every question about a large science fiction universe in a movie, but for people who have questions about The Force Awakens, this is the book that answers them.

How did Poe Dameron become part of the Resistance? What was life actually like for Finn in the First Order stormtrooper corps, and why does he make his decision on Jakku? When did Rey hone her piloting skills? Before the Awakening answers all of these questions, as well as tell three fun stories suitable for young readers.

Buy Before the Awakening

34 ABY - Resistance

Created by Dave Filoni

Overlapping with The Force Awakens, Resistance follows former New Republic pilot Kaz Xiono on a mission to discover a First Order spy on a floating platform where starship racers rule the roost. Kaz is joined by the aspiring pilot Tam and quirky Neeku in the mechanics’ shop run by deadpan ex-racer Jarek Yeager. Poe Dameron, BB-8, General Hux, and Captain Phasma make cameos in this laid-back Star Wars romp, which might be best for the younger set who aren’t ready for Rebels.

34 ABY - The Force Awakens 

Directed by J.J. Abrams

Written by Lawrence Kasdan, Michael Arndt, & J.J. Abrams

Buy The Force Awakens

34 ABY - Marvel's Captain Phasma

Written by Kelly Thompson

Art by Marco Chechetto, Andres Mossa 

Set immediately after The Force Awakens, Captain Phasma follows the titular stormtrooper captain out of the trash compactor in which she was imprisoned at the end of Episode VII. She quickly finds her way to an inhospitable planet in pursuit of Sol Rivas, a First Order lieutenant and the only person who knows that Phasma lowered Starkiller Base's shield. The comic shows how Phasma escaped and some of the tough choices she had to make in the aftermath.

Buy Marvel's Captain Phasma

34 ABY - Canto Bight

Written by Saladin Ahmed, Rae Carson, Mira Grant, John Jackson Miller 

The Canto Bight novella collection includes four stories set in the lavish casino city from The Last Jedi. Its varied visitors include a down-on-his-luck gambler, a casino servant, and a salesman who won a trip to the city. 

Buy Canto Bight

34 ABY - The Last Jedi 

Directed by Rian Johnson

Written by Rian Johnson 

Buy The Last Jedi on Amazon

34 ABY - Resistance Reborn

Written by Rebecca Roanhorse

Leia Organa called for allies at the very end of The Last Jedi, and this novel, the first set after Episode VIII, shows who answered. Characters from across the Expanded Universe reappear for a who's who of current Star Wars. It also takes a look at the more banal side of the war, showing a middle manager in the First Order instead of a wartime villain at the helm of a starship. Resistance Reborn's heroes and villains are no less heroic or villainous for trying to survive in their day-to-day lives (and in Poe Dameron's case, trying to deal with his interpersonal complications). 

35 ABY - The Rise of Skywalker

Directed by J.J. Abrams

Written by J.J. Abrams and Chris Terrio

Megan Crouse writes about Star Wars and pop culture for StarWars.com, Star Wars Insider, and Den of Geek. Read more of her work here. Find her on Twitter @blogfullofwords.

John Saavedra is an associate editor at Den of Geek. Read more of his work here. Follow him on Twitter @johnsjr9.

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Feature

Books

Megan Crouse John Saavedra

Dec 17, 2019

Star Wars

LucasFilm

George Lucas

Marvel

Disney

Del Rey

from Books https://ift.tt/2zmX097

#aion-rsa #Books

[wookiee-monster2]

The Farmboy

The Princess

The Scoundrel

art by Hugh Fleming

#star wars #luke skywalker #princess leia #han solo #hugh fleming #princess leia organa

[autistichansolo]

Two Scoundrels and A Princess

so I wrote this last night and it’s not really edited very well but man i just had a lot of feelings for hanleialando and idk it became this 

in other words, how han and lando fell for each other, how han and leia fell for each other, how lando and leia fell for each other, and how han, leia, and lando come together 

hanlando

They were two boys against the galaxy trying to survive in a harsh galaxy. Just the two of them with a fast ship and a Wookiee friend. Their schemes, con games, gambling, out running everyone were filled with lingering glances and feelings underneath it all. Both so afraid to ignite the passion underneath an easy friendship for fear of losing a trusted friend, the only one each had besides a Wookiee. And thinking maybe sometimes it was better to just pretend nothing was there but also think maybe if said it wouldn’t have ended with one flying off and the other building a city in the clouds. 

hanleia

They were the most infuriating person each had ever met. Two very different people one fighting for freedom for justice for vengeance the other fighting to just survive to have enough money to not starve to just be able to live his life without worry. But the war, a farmboy, the years of fighting, arguing, protect each other, they fell hard for each other. Neither admitting it because he had to go to leave to pay off his debt and fear of being hurt and she not wanting to give her heart to someone who would not stay who had to go to lose someone she loved again after losing everyone but him and a farmboy. And it would have stayed that way if not for a broken ship giving them courage to share their feelings only for it to fall apart with betrayal, Vader, and the dark grip of the Empire ending in a final confession of love and frozen darkness. 

landoleia

They were two people forced together by circumstances, one so anger by what happened about at losing someone again the other filled with guilt about being the cause of it, the pain he caused his friend despite knowing he had no choice because who could say no to Darth Vader. They spend months together searching, planing on how to save a man they both loved. Drawing closer as the days, months passed, finding so much in common. Both knowing what it takes to be a leader to protect their people no matter what to make the hard choice despite what the cost may be and dealing with the consequences of them no matter how much it hurt. Feelings grow but remain unspoken as they plan the rescue of the man they both love–a plan that goes mostly according to plan but more importantly success. 

hanleialando

They were three people who destroyed the second death start together in the air and on the ground, who won a battle, a major victory. Having finally a reason to celebrate together before going off to rebuild. And as they cleaned up the last of the Imperials and start to build a new government, the three grew closer, feelings deepening between the three some that was never said that should have been said so long ago yet if it was said two scoundrels may have never found their princess something neither wanted and were glad she came into their lives. Becoming the family that was lost or never had, three happier than ever before a princes and her two scoundrels. 

#hanleialando #hanlandoleia #hanlando #hanleia #landoleia #han solo #lando calrissian #leia organa #my stuff #my fanfic #not very good and really just my thoughts and feelings on them tbh #but yeah

[sleemo]

Hey! I’m desperately looking for that passage (I think in the junior novelization) where Han talks about wondering if he were in Obi’s position he would make the same sacrifice and hoped he would. Might you have that, or know someone that does?

Yes, I do remember that! 

It’s not from the novelization, it’s from A New Hope - The Princess, the Scoundrel and the Farmboy by Alexandra Bracken.

#ask #han solo #obi wan kenobi

[firealder2005]

Does anyone know why some of my alderreads posts aren't showing up in the alderreads and alderranks tags I made? The only ones there are Heir to the Jedi, The Silent Thaw, and my recent one The Princess, the Scoundrel, and the Farmboy.

???????

#alderposts #alderhelp #tumblr #pls help #please help #help plz #i wanna know #is it the algorithm or sm? #idk what it is #star wars #warrior cats #percy jackson #harry potter #just want some help #:( #:(( pls #😔

[hibiderry]

A family can be a princess, a farmboy, a scoundrel, a walking carpet, a golden anxiety machine and and an overachieving trashcan.

#star wars #Luke Skywalker #Leia Organa #Han Solo #c3po #r2d2 #chewbacca

[leagueoflit]

An Episode Far Far Away

Season 1 Episode 15 is ready for you to check out.

Today we’re talking about Star Wars IV: A New Hope and The Princess, The Scoundrel, and the Farmboy by Alexandra Bracken. Find out what we think about the novel and the movie it is based on!

Search for League of Lit wherever you like to listen to podcasts!

Because we can talk for hours about all of this, we limit our podcast to 45 minutes - or try our best to. But if you would like to hear anything that we decided to cut, we have an extended cut that will available on YouTube. So be on the look out for that!

If you have any recommendations for books, movies, webseries, etc, please submit them in our “Suggestion Box” here on our page. We can’t promise it’ll be in the next episode, but we will look at all suggestions and consider them for an episode.

Thanks for tuning in!

--

Find us on social media:

Instagram Ciara - @thatciaraoverthere Kara - @imaginationnerd​

Twitter Ciara - @thatciarathere Kara - @imaginationnerd​

#Star Wars #Alexandra Bracken #LeagueOfLitPodcast #book #movie #george lucas #the princess the scoundrel and the farmboy #leia #luke skywalker #han solo #princess leia

[cadesama]

Two Points on Force Holograms

1. It’s an Ask

In science fiction and fantasy, there are a lot of asks -- plot elements that we are expected to take on faith because they are going somewhere. ANH is ask after ask. It’s a fairy tale set in space, with magical samurai adherents to a pseudo Buddhist philosophy, in a pitched battle between the forces of tyranny and freedom, led by a princess, a farmboy, and a scoundrel. Each ask is met by pay off. The fairy tale logic turns ANH into a modern myth. The magical samurai and their faith meld together many traditions into one that is both coherent for us in the real world, and a structure that underpins the story. The battle is a political commentary of our world, both in particulars of American Imperialism, and in the generalities of what we feel out political struggles mean. And the characters grow and change with meaningful, emotionally grounded arcs that we cherish.

Asks need payoff.

The sequel trilogy is also rife with asks. The victory of RotJ was somehow squandered. Some great tragedy destroyed Han and Leia’s marriage, broke Luke’s bond with them both.

So if the ask with Luke is JJ and Johnson asking us to run with it, to believe that Luke would sequester himself away from the world, what is the pay off?

It’s a confrontation with Kylo Ren, whose loss is the tragedy that destroyed Luke via his own reaction to it. The problem is that the Force Hologram itself is an ask -- trust us, guys, Luke’s going to do something cool! This is the cool thing! 

It is literally impossible to pay off this ask. If we take the ride with Johnson that this is a power of Luke’s -- so what? Where does that get us? We needed an explanation of who Luke is and why he made these decisions, where he will go from here. Instead, we are asked to to take on faith that what Luke is doing is super cool and to pretend that coolness somehow replaces the emotional resolution we wanted.

2. It is a Bad Ask

Illusions are the domain of cheats and tricksters. If you look to another entry in the Disney Media Hegemony,Thor Ragnarok, you see an excellent example of how to reinvest the audience in a character by contrasting the use of illusion and the doubt it casts on character. Loki using illusions underlines his refusal to engage with consequences, until the very end. Thor doubts that Loki has joined them on the ship they flee Asgard on, because he knows Loki will always flee consequences, but Loki admits that he is really there.

Luke has fled the world and the consequences of his failure with Kylo Ren. The end of the movie features him doing so, twice over. Engaging in battle via an illusion and then dying. If Luke were willing to share risk with the Resistance, he would risk more than death -- he would risk surviving. Living in the world again and sharing the fight with those around him.

This is the moral espoused by Rose. Sacrifice isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. You leave people behind when you sacrifice yourself and fighting side by side means more than noble, fiery glory.

It is also not the moral espoused by Holdo’s sacrifice, done in canon breaking style in order to redeem the mistakes of the Resistance. It is not a refusal to engaged with consequence driving Holdo’s death. If not for the betrayal of DJ, it is implied that Holdo would have carried on to the end, fighting side by side with the rest of the Resistance.

So, if we are meant to take away that sacrifice may sometimes be necessary, but true bravery is standing and fighting beside the people you believe in, we are left with a very big ask regarding Luke Skywalker -- ask us to believe he is a coward who doesn’t want to risk living to the next day and fighting for something he doesn’t really believe in anymore. Or, alternatively, ask us believe this sacrifice is actually inspiring.

Bonus:

Like, guys, if you can Skype into a battle any time, any place, why didn’t anyone else ever think of doing that? If the sequels are going to ramp the Force powers up to 11, when all previous movies were a solid 3.5, why are we supposed to buy that there isn’t a magic solution to literally every problem?

#i love how i pretended i wasn't going to engage with that tweet #i'm a goddamn hypocrite #also i'm 90% sure the jedi path features references to legends characters #so it's a non canon source #star wars #tlj negativity #meta #sorry guys

[alltingfinns]

“The Last Jedi is new and fresh!”

This is one of the weirder pieces of praise for the film. Because this movie was honestly a way bigger retread than The Force Awakens, and everyone and their grandma seems to delight in referring to TFA as A New Hope 2.0. Meanwhile TLJ is basically The Empire Strikes Back but “edgier” and with pieces of Return of the Jedi thrown in haphazardly.  

Breakdown under cut (spoilers obviously):

First there’s the overall plot structure.

- Starts with a battle. Only three SW movies begin with a battle rather than end with one, those are ESB, Revenge of the Sith and TLJ, and only ESB and TLJ have the battle during an evacuation. 

- Our main heroes are separated. One hero seeks out an old master, and two others go to a beautiful city with dark secrets to seek help from a scoundrel who ends up betraying them. Before they decide to go to this city they spend time escaping from the dark forces with a sense of claustrophobic foreboding. They can only just remain out of the grasp of the dark forces, and their only hope is that the scoundrel can help them fully escape.

- The old master refuses to help at first. At one point a ghost from the past shows up to point out how this new pupil is better than the master realized. The pupil leaves the master against his protests to confront the villain, who pushes the pupil into an emotionally difficult realization about their parentage. 

- The very last scene is a bittersweet moment focusing on the remaining heroes reunited with the rebel army (or what remains of it).

Then there’s the “new” characters. Say what you will about The Force Awakens, their new characters were mostly in fact new characters. Finn as a defecting stormtrooper was a particularly new and fresh idea. And Poe’s closest counterpart in the original trilogy would be an amalgamation of Wedge Antilles and Princess Leia, and maybe another character or so. Rey is admittedly pretty much The Skywalker, which is why her not being a Skywalker makes no goddamn sense, but I digress. The first order has a neonazi feel to it that echoes the original empire’s nazi Germany feel, which is a good way to combine old and new in a thematically relevant way. Having a Darth Vader wannabe fanboy as the villain follows in that vein. Snoke was the emperor 2.0 sure, but the mystery of where he came from and how he appeared to be older than the emperor himself was at least somewhat intriguing.

TLJ’s new characters on the other hand... One out of three is new, how refreshing! 

I honestly can’t say much about Rose Tico, other than that she’s technically new in that we’ve never had a fangirl-type of character in Star Wars before. Not sure we needed one, or for the first major WOC to be that, but still new. Admiral Holdo and DJ (who I had to look up right now, because his impression was so fleeting I couldn’t recall his name) are not new, but rather trashy Mon Mothma and Lando Calrissian respectively.

Trash!Mon Mothma is a respected leader in the resistance, except we’re not given any real reason as to why, as her leadership is awful. Mon Mothma spoke openly about the plans and made sure everyone had their turn. In general the rebels had a transparency in their leadership, and ran it as the democracy they wished to restore. Trash!Mon Mothma was authoritarian and a bad tactician. Whether she was short- or longsighted was debatable, as she didn’t consider the possibilities of her “do as I say because i say it and for no other reason” type of leadership to lead to a mutiny. A soldier is honestly duty bound to mutiny when faced with incompetent leadership that risks the lives of an army without so much as a hint of possible gain from the venture.

Then there’s trash!Lando, or more accurately, nuclear-waste-dump!Lando. Where as original flavor Lando was charismatic and charming, nwd!Lando couldn’t charm a fly attracted to his smell. And yet we’re suppose to buy that Finn and Rose were ready to trust him, just because they couldn’t get a hold of their first choice? And where Lando was given more than enough motivation for his betrayal, nwd!Lando is basically trash for the lulz! And again, why didn’t they try to keep their communication with Poe away from him when he looked ready to sell them for a cheese sandwich? If your plot only works because you’ve made all the characters far more idiotic than they either were established as or could reasonably be considered to be based on their occupation or basic pattern detecting skills, you are a bad writer period.

What’s worse is that Rian even made the already new characters from TFA embarrassingly old. Many have already pointed out the latinx stereotype that Poe got turned into, as well as an obvious reprise of Han Solo at his most “all about me” point of his life. Which makes no sense if you watched, oh say, the first couple of scenes in TFA. Finn had to repeat his previous character journey only more clumsily. And then Luke Skywalker was made into Yoda 2.0, when the Legends verse already showed that you can write him as his own type of teacher different from the ones who taught him, but still the same wide-eyed farmboy with added wisdom of his years. 

But please tell me how this is all new and fresh, because a lot more died and the Vader fanboy got added focus.

#anti tlj #tlj criticism #tlj negativity #anti rian johnson #anti the last jedi #star wars