chaotic-force posted:I do have to say that I have never questioned Zekk's behavior with Jaina in the past few books. Yes he has been her shadow, yes he lets her boss him around, but I think that fits his character perfectly. Zekk, as I often view him, is a very lonely person. He seems have almost no friends in the order anymore. All he really has left from the few happy years he had, is Jaina, and he pretty much lost her in the NJO books, so I can see him putting up with all her baggage because it beats being alone.
chaotic-force posted:That said, it is not a healthy relationship and he needs to be with someone who actually respects his moral decisions and does not view them as a nuisance.
DocRevan posted:Remember in Tempest, after Zekk claimed he was over her, Jaina started seeing him as who he really was? Everyone, even young Ben, saw that something had changed between them, and it was heavily implied that she was getting the hots for him. How come that was completely dropped after Tempest? Next time we see them, Zekk is jealous again and Jaina seems only to be interested in Jag. What happened?
chaotic-force posted:It is always great to see passion for the J/Z ship J-O-E, and I truly hope my post did no make you angery, as it was not my intention to upset anyone.
chaotic-force posted:To me it feels like the authors have put Zekk in a double standard. On the one hand he is loyal and often tries to reign in Jaina’s darker impulses, but is viewed as a stalker and unworthy by the Solos. On the other you have Jag in Fury, who basically admits to Zekk that he is staying with Jaina, because he wants to make sure that her humanity is preserved and does not become just a weapon. And Leia views him as a self sacrificing hero.
chaotic-force posted:My problem is that he could very well be a significant figure, but his own insecurities and his loyalty make others look down on him, unjustly. The only way I can see Zekk getting out of this position is to step out of Jaina’s shadow, and finding a new love interest could be the first step in doing that. I honestly hope that this post does not make anyone angry, this is just my view, and in my heart I still hope that these two work out as a pairing, but right now I would prefer just one paragraph written after Tempest where someone actually praised his loyalty and kindness.
RK_Striker_JK_5 posted:Dropped plot points and mischaracterization's par for the course for Del Rey.
jedi_of_ennth posted: RK_Striker_JK_5 posted:Dropped plot points and mischaracterization's par for the course for Del Rey.
Furyan_Jedi_13 posted:They ALL got the shaft! If I had the power, I would go back in time, and prevent the YJK/JJK characters from being misused. But since time travel is not an option (yet ), what if I wrote my own version of events from Crisis at Crystal Reef onwards, and got it published? Or would that just get me into trouble? Still, it's an interesting idea, right? Anyway, I hate what they have done to all of the YJK group, in particular Zekk. They SO did not deserved what has happened to them. I've said it at least a half a dozen times, but after reading the YJK books, I had high hopes for those characters, but I see now that those hopes were grossly misplaced. And I am not too happy about it.
jedi_of_ennth posted:... In some ways, I think the EU is simply too big to accommodate all the characters it has introduced; unfortunately, I think Zekk will only be featured in the novels as long as he is attached to Jaina. I highly doubt they would pursue a Zekk-centric subplot or take the time to develop a relationship between Zekk and someone other than Jaina. ...
jedi_of_ennth posted:ZOMG DEL REY RAPED MY WIMMENZ AND KILLED MY CHILDREN AND PILLAGED MY FARMS AND SPREAD DISEASE THROUGHOUT THE LAND. WOE! WOE, I SAY! So, um, does anyone here actually want to discuss Zekk's character in a reasonable, logical manner without reverting to stock "DEL REY SUXXORS" responses? Sometimes in fictional novels about people who zoom around in spaceships and fire laser blasts at one another, things don't go the way we want them to go; I get as angry about that as anyone, because yes, I have invested myself in these characters, but, um ... It's just fiction. We should really just relax, mmkay? I, for one, am enjoying LotF; for the first time since YJK, Zekk and Tenel Ka are fairly major players again and getting as much screentime and development as any non-Solo/Skywalker characters are likely to get. I realize that everyone is entitled to his or her opinion, but when your only contribution to a discussion of books you haven't even read is "OMG IT SUCKS AND I HATE IT AND MY LIFE IS RUINED LET ME CRY EMO TEARS ", perhaps you should consider going outside and getting some sun. While I generally try to ignore your predictable rants, your inflexible hostility kills discussion like Denning kills young Jedi Knights. And remember, guys, there's always fanfiction, where one fanon doesn't have to fit all.
jedi_of_ennth posted:So, um, does anyone here actually want to discuss Zekk's character in a reasonable, logical manner without reverting to stock "DEL REY SUXXORS" responses?
jedi_of_ennth posted:It's just fiction.
Neo-Paladin posted:What might work, if an author gets a bent to do so and can sell it to the publishers, is have a bunch of 'b-string' characters have an interesting 'adventure'. It worked and was very well received in the X-wing series. How cool would it be if Lando asks Zekk to help him with something "small" in the gritty-fringy bits of the galaxy that quickly explodes in a rollicking adventure? It doesn't have to be a galaxy spanning threat for it to be an interesting story, though I think that's lost track of sometimes, particularly in the GFFA (can't it be a moon, just this once?).
Grand_Admiral_Sean8 posted:jedi_of_ennth posted:So, um, does anyone here actually want to discuss Zekk's character in a reasonable, logical manner without reverting to stock "DEL REY SUXXORS" responses? Fair enough: we'll try to avoid stock responses. All the same, readers don't have to be happy with Del Rey. I understand your point that some posters have become irrational in their denunciation of the N.J.O., but the argument that the series mishandled preexistent characters is perfectly legitimate. This counterrevolution ("How dare we complain?") is quite as tiresome as the revolution to which it is a reaction.
Grand_Admiral_Sean8 posted:jedi_of_ennth posted:It's just fiction. True. But this message board would not exist in the first place if we did not deeply love that fiction. Personally, I place respect for real-life authors over love for fictional characters. Nevertheless, I reserve the right to love those characters even to a degree many "normal" people would consider unhealthy.
Grand_Admiral_Sean8 posted:I don't think Del Rey's novels are universally bad or even generally bad. If anything, I think they've created a more cohesive continuity than Bantam. What I resent is their bent toward soap opera rather than space opera. N.J.O. and L.o.t.F. feel too much like marketing ploys.
