Insider #80 to feature Mandalorian article, Yo Joe!

Lord Hoth didn't start the New Sith Wars.

According to the EC and Dark Side Sourcebook, Kaan's Brotherhood of Darkness (20,000 dark siders) is the remnants of the Sith after a thousand years of fighting.

Lord Hoth was not at the beginning of the New Sith Wars. He only oversaw the last battle.

The Phantom Menace, the EC, and the Dark Side sourcebook say that the Sith warred against the Jedi but mostly warred against each other. At the end of the Sith Wars, there were only 20,000 Sith left. The Jedi were sent to hunt downt hese Sith. Lord Hoth was in command of the expedition.

He was not there for the beginning of the Wars.

 

Was "the Brotherhood of Darkness" what the Sith were calling themselves for the entirety of the New Sith Wars, or was the name exclusive to Kaan's 20,000 followers?

 

The Power of the Jedi sourcebook implies that the Sith Brotherhood of Darkness was the name of the new order for the entire thousands years. There was just a lot of infighting within it apparently.

It's implied that Kaan was the most recent Dark Lord
of the Sith Brotherhood of Darkness. Of course he later declared that all Sith Lords were Dark Lords in order to keep the Order from fracturing again.

The Jedi Knight novels say Kaan was a respected, strong willed leader that everyone folowed. Obviously this was only true at the beginning of his tenure as Dark Lord. The Kaan you see in Jedi versus Sith is a Kaan after many defeats and is a Kaan facing followers who no longer have faith in him.

 

>don´t push it down too close to the YJK era, because she had to get her talent somewhere, even if she is young, she didn´t get all of it from her parents. where did she train, how? how´d she survive? any specualations about that? nobody can take on Boba Fett or Spar, even a mad one, without skill and training. <

Don't forget, her mother was a bounty hunter too--one worthy enough to attract the admiration of no less than Boba Fett. So it's not as though she was a complete novice.

TC

 

In the Dietz graphic novellas, Kaan ponders to himself about how his second-, third-, and fourth-in-command had all recently died in the past six battles, and tells his subordinates that he still views himself as being nominally "in command," even over the various other Dark Lords. Then again, having bestowed said titles, he'd probably hold the moral high ground there.

Which ain't saying a whole helluva lot, considering Kaan comes across as being far more insane in the Dark Forces books than in Jedi vs. Sith, and less at the whimsies of his surrounding Sith lords than in the comic series.


EDIT:

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>>Sintas's daughter (her "son" in the SW Tales story) was born circa 2 ASW4<<

Where is it confirmed that was her birthdate? Last I checked, "Outbid.." was placed the year of ANH with no indication on how recent the holo of the three Fetts was. I sthis a clarification from the article?[hr][/blockquote][/b]
I think I read somewheres that Ailyn was born around two years post-Yavin or thereabouts...have to check that, but that was the figure rooting around in me brain this morning. (Anyone else confirm/disconfirm this'un?)

[b][blockquote][hr],>>which would place Ailyn's mother's demise at around 14 ASW4...Sintas trotted out in search of b'day-pweasant money for her daughter immediately prior to Ailyn's 16th.<<

Actually, assuming she was born then, wouldn't that be 18 ASW4? (2+16)[hr][/blockquote][/b]
Woopski...my bad. Math error. Having been so accustomed to *reverse*-comping dates for the prequel era of late...um...yeah, THAT'S the reason. [face_peace]

 

Well, I dunno. Kaan is pretty insane at the end of Jedi Vs Sith which is what the Dark Forces novels portrayed.

The end of the Rusaan battle. Insane enough to take charge and scare the others into submission.

 

Halagad,

I`m a long time lurker and a first time poster. I want to say that I enjoyed the hell out of your article on the History of the Mandalorains. As I am a huge Jodo Kast fan, I was wondering where the new information of him came from? I`ve seen pretty much everything that has been printed on the character, and was curious to know if the new information was of your design, or did it come from a different source? And if it was of your design, did LFL give you the okey dokey? (I know..dumb question)
I hope to see much more of your writings in future issues, and thank you in advance.

C.M.
BH 4537
501st Legion
MidWest Garrison

 

"Which lends credence to my theory that Mike Beidler was, in fact, the TRUE auteur behind the classic Star Whores series ("Last Tango on Tatooine," "The Empire Strikes Crack," and "****m of the Jedi")."

Hmmmmmmm ... can't say that I have the remotest of connections with that series. Although I have read bits of that series, it's not my "bag." One thing is for sure: the author definitely knew his Star Wars ...

 

From what I gather, the early centuries of the New Sith Wars resembled rampant warlordism - with a shrunken Republic fighting off various mini-Sith Empires (whose combined territories probably covered most of the galaxy). The Jedi/Republic was probably only able to survive in the fashion it did because of the divisions in the Sith.

Then Kaan united them...

Well, I dunno. Kaan is pretty insane at the end of Jedi Vs Sith which is what the Dark Forces novels portrayed.

The end of the Rusaan battle. Insane enough to take charge and scare the others into submission.

Oh, he was crazy all right. In fact, I think the tensions between him and the other Dark Lords probably led to the thought bomb. It was quoted that Kaan "hoped we were strong enough to resist", more likely Kaan believed he was strong enough to be the only survivor.

 

Hey folks,

DarthMane2 wrote:
?Abel I noticed you never said much about the Mandalore Mask. Was it your intention to leave it out, so that it could possibly return in the future? Or did you just not think much of it??

?"I purposely avoided this one. Someone else will be telling that story. "

Yay!!!

WHO??

Sorry Nuke. LFL implant.

Leto II wrote:
?Raymond Velasco rises from the dead...?

Yep. Velasco?s 1984 Guide is a wonderful little book. Chock full of forgotten beasties, devices, and slang, it?s a gem for fanboys.

For those interested, the SWFA website has recently relaunched with several updates, including a fun essay I wrote in the pre-implant days on Velasco?s pioneering SW work.

www.myuselessknowledge.com/swfa


TalonCard wrote:
?I haven't heard anything about it--though I don't have the cards either; I've just been keeping up with them via a thread here on the boards. Care to enlighten us as to how you would have incorporated Atha Prime into the EU??

Sure. As I?ve mentioned before, some retcons can be sticky. Atha Prime is arguably one of the worst, for various reasons, in-universe and out. The ?genetic terrorist? Atha Prime gets a miniscule nod in one of the cards explaining Grand Moff Trachta?s attempted coup in Empire: Betrayal. It?s vaguely suggested that Trachta and Atha have some history.

Senator_Cilghal wrote:
?BTW, do we have pics yet of the Gladiators??

You might?ve noticed that, save for the characters that have otherwise been illustrated elsewhere, every entry in the Mandalorian article has been depicted by Joe somewhere in the piece?except the Gladiators. I basically foisted this entry on my editor at the 11th hour, pushing an already maxed-out word count over the edge. Luckily, he and LFL went for it. Unluckily, time was up on the art end.

?Do the Mandalorians not have any capital ships??

Obviously, I can?t assert anything officially outside of what's written/seen in the article. But, IMO, the Mandalorian fleet is certainly larger than what is depicted in the liberation of Gyndine illustration, which was meant to highlight the Mandalorian specific ships. It?s my opinion that the Mandos most definitely have several capital ships.

CeiranHarmony wrote:
?GOT THE ARTICLE NOW, GREAT WOOOHOO... Hope I never met the author, I might be kissing him for that extraordinary text *gg*?

My highest compliment yet!

Take care,
Abel

 

?Abel I noticed you never said much about the Mandalore Mask. Was it your intention to leave it out, so that it could possibly return in the future? Or did you just not think much of it??

?"I purposely avoided this one. Someone else will be telling that story. "

So their's gonna be a story that tells of what happened to the mask?

 

Abel...

You might have missed my post on the Jodo Kast question above. I`m just real curious about the new information on the character.

Thanks in advance...

C.M
BH 4537
501st Legion
MidWest Garrison

 

Eyrezer wrote:
?A question though. I gather that Ailyn, Boba's daughter, hates him. Why is this??

Hey Eyrezer. If you?ve had a chance to read the article now, Ailyn?s dislike for her pops should probably be clearer. But basically, she felt abandoned by Boba, more so when her mother died, since she now had nobody. Which isn?t to say she didn?t love him. While she wanted to punish Boba, she was probably searching for a connection with him simultaneously (she assumed his identity, after all). She was probably relieved on some level when she realized she had killed Alpha-Ø2 and not Fett.

The_Mandalorian_ wrote:
?What matters is that shes totally hot dude...?

Right. Thanks for bringing us to our senses, Mandalorian.

CeiranHarmony wrote:
?I think it was neither Boba, nor Ailyn, it was in fact, SPAR... he still had his armour, he was little bit mad but more exile than mad around that timeframe. Maybe he got some jobs using Boba Fetts reputation like Jodo Kast tried and later Ailyn. So Spar would be weaker and older than Boba at that PC GAME time, making him weaker, though he was once Mandalore the ressurector! would that be a solution, Abel??

Hmm?that?s not bad, although personally I see Spar retiring permanently to the Extrictarium after the Clone Wars. The guy brought back the Mandalorians and in the end gets iced in a case of mistaken identity. I figure let the poor clone go crazy in peace.

?another point, I wonder about: Clones have growth accelleration, but how does ist work? is it accellerated only when in stasis or bacta tank like stuff, or is it constantly accellerated for all their lifetime??

I don?t think anything has been as yet established either way. I?ll wager that the Kaminoans artificially accelerate the clones? growth while in their care, but after they get them to the desired point, they get them off the accelerators and they begin to age normally.

?And another question for Abel: Did she know it wasn´t Boba after she had killed Spar, or does she still believe it that he´s dead??

She realized afterward it wasn?t Boba.

DarthMane2 wrote:
?So their's gonna be a story that tells of what happened to the mask??

Hmm, something funny happened there with those quotes. Sorry about that.

Yeah, I didn?t mention much about the Mandalore mask simply because its purpose seemed obsolete. In the Crusader era, it?s one of the only masks/helmets that looks Fett-like ? that is, has the T-visor shape. Obviously, with hundreds of Mandalorians sporting helmets with the exact same design in homage, from the Neo-Crusaders onward, the symbolism of the mask as leader-identifying is pretty much obliterated. What?s more, wearing a mask that leaves the back of your skull exposed when there are helmets available that would protect the whole of your noggin more efficiently would be pretty unwise for a Mandalore.

Which isn?t to say that the mask has completely disappeared. It may still be inherited from one Mandalore by the next, even though they don?t wear it anymore.

Take care,
Abel

 

"I?ll wager that the Kaminoans artificially accelerate the clones? growth while in their care, but after they get them to the desired point, they get them off the accelerators and they begin to age normally."

This view would be contradictory to the establishment of chronological as well as biological ages for the clones in Republic Commando: Hard Contact. Ms. Traviss' book features a brief chapter introduction from a clone who is biologically in his 60's but chronologically he's much younger.

Ah... found Karen's quote...

"Aw, you're just encouraging my clone neepery. But since you asked, yes, their accelerated aging continues. I asked for definitive canon on this early on in the planning of the book, hoping my lads could look forward to a decent career and retirement but it was not to be. Hence the ending...

...But we don't know exactly what the Kaminoan secret aging process is yet."

 

Welcome JodoKast! Thanks for coming out of lurk mode to post here.

I?m a big Jodo fan too (the first unofficial Star Wars fiction I ever wrote featured Jodo). There is a bit of new Jodo Kast information in the article, and yes it certainly was approved by Lucasfilm or it wouldn?t have made it in?.I should know as I?ve had stuff rejected by LFL.

The main existing sources for Jodo are his debut in the rpg adventure Tatooine Manhunt in which he teams up with Zardra and Puggles, the vignette ?The One That Got Away? in the Movie Trilogy Sourcebook (or Galaxy Guide 1, IIRC), and of course Twin Engines of Destruction. (Also, given that Dr. Evazan is the ?the one that got away? and Kast?s tendency for masquerading as Boba, it?s quite possible that the ?Boba Fett? who?s after Dr. Evazan in Galaxy of Fear: Necropolis is in fact Kast). Also, ?Jodo Kast? shows up in the novella Side Trip, but it turns out someone is impersonating the imposter that time.

Kast?s past as a Reb, his history with Feskitt, and the botched job with Zardra and Puggles are new.

Take care,
Abel

 

thx for answering my many questions, Abel!

So I let Spar rest in peace O

So the cloning process in Hard Contact is portrayed differently, that leaves a Problem with Spar again. maybe the Kaminoans stopped the accellerated aging with the later generation clones, just having it used for the first series, improving their technology since then. Hope we get this cleared finally.

I liked Abels idea more than that of Hard contact, though it was a superb novel.

Well, maybe we can combine the two... let me find the perfect solution, pleaaase:
Theory ahead:
It in fact is like Abel says, the aged clone featured in Hard contact was held in stasis for some time after the clone wars, diagnosing clone madness, or missidentifying a "newly found identity" for clone madness, because that was forbidden, individualism banned. Or the shocking war events kept the clones thinking too much, being not the ideal material for stormtroopers any more. So they kept them in stasis and stasis has a general accelleration affect on clones? dunno.. weird idea.. hmm... so when old enough they let them live retired in the clone retirement center. well.. but why let them live, keep them alive, if so. why not kill them? weird.. I have to improve my theory...
maybe you help me!

 

jedimasterED, it might be more accurate to say that Spar went senile then! It's important to remember too that Spar was part of an early test-class of ARCs, in which case Karen's last quote is even more applicable.

Best,
Abel

 

Hmm, maybe Spar used stims to decellerate his aging..

I am sure he didn´t contact a Life witch or an Anzati to slow his aging down.

So be it, I have no ideas.. Spar had to be 46 years old by the time he was killed by Ailyn, x3 that would be the age he looked like by then. For the age accelleration was 3-times the normal aging, I read somewhere.

That makes him 138 years old! I don´t know if this is possible in Star Wars, for humans it would be very very old, though the Force and planetary conditions can vary the maximum age of the inhabitants.

There was another thread about lifespans. I discussed there that around 100 years total is normal for humans according to the Sourcebooks by wizards of the coast. BUT older star wars material has human characters that are up to 200 years old. (very seldom though). And I read somewhere, sorry I can´t remember where, that SW humans can become up to 200 years old. If so it would be possible with Spars age, otherwise we get problems.

Edit: Question:

Spar retired and was mad, so I wonder, how could Ailyn think he is Boba Fett? Did spar still wear his Mandalorian Suit and helmet? I wonder, why did he do so if retired? Ailyn had to know Boba didn´t retire yet.

 

I think the clones did have their lives accelerated through out it. The Kaminoans probably just messed with the DNA. The clones served one purpose and that was to fight, but to make a large army quickly you had to change the life span. So there like stormtroopers with a battery life.

Maybe Spar just had a defect that the Kaminoans didn't pick up. I think it was said that some batches of the clones had defects and would be destroyed if they did, they even got rid of clones who didn't have perfect eye sight which was mentioned in Republic Commando: HC.
So I think its just a defect that wouldn't show up really.

 

"It's important to remember too that Spar was part of an early test-class of ARCs, in which case Karen's last quote is even more applicable."

Right. I have the notion in my mind that ARCs - being "more Jango" than the Clone Commanders, RCs, and plain old clone troopers - might have a different growth excelleration "schedule" which might include a slowdown to preserve peak efficiency for the greatest period of time.

For example, if one views the clone trooper infantry as the least expensive to "manufacture" (thus, the most expendable) and the ARC trooper as the most expensive, it would make sense that the ARCs would be "designed" and "manufactured" for longer, better use and the regular clone troopers would be made to last at least as long as the brief time that statistics show most infantry survive in battle. Meaning, why build the regular clones to last a long time if they're not likely to live long enough to retire? Also, why not keep your elite at the prime of their lives for as long as possible?

I'd bet those freaky, perfectionist Kaminoans did research on how long infantry typically survive and found out that trying to slow down the growth excelleration was pointless and too costly for such an expendable weapon.

Since RCs are clone troopers who showed something more, they'd probably have the same aging schedule as regular clones, I'd think.

 

I think it was said that the RC are different from the clone troopers, they are supposed to be in between the Arc and the norm clone trooper. They just took the good and bad qualities from both.

 

From the "What is a Republic Commando?" feature at TOS:

"Genetically, a clone commando is the same as a clone trooper -- complete with the limitations that keep them one step below an ARC. But, the commando undergoes a specialized training program that forces him to work as part of a small unit."

So, for the purpose of this aging discussion, RCs are exactly the same as regular clone troopers. They only differ in training and deployment.

 

Hard Contact says as well that RCs and regulars get the same cloning treatment, only different training.

But it says that ARCs get special training AND onl growth accelleration, nothing else genetically is enhanced!

So maybe this is the solution: the lack of genetic tampering besides the accelleration makes it possible for ARCs to slow down the aging process at some time, while other Clones like regulars or RCs can´t shake the accelleration off because of too heavy genetic tampering leading to madness.

 

Abel...

Thank you very much!!! I too have written a few fan fics about Jodo and how he managed to "escape" his situation at the end of Twin Engines of Destruction.
I look forward to reading much more of your stuff, and please keep up the great work!!!

C.M.
BH 4537
501st Legion
MidWest Garrison