A&A The Official Troy Denning Discussion Thread

I don't believe I said that the younger characters are playing the primary roles--and if I did, I was mistaken.

Thanks, Mr. Denning! You had written that you could say that the roles of the younger characters might even be considered "primary", so I thought that might mean that they would play the major heroic roles again. I'm REALLY looking forward to your books, but I admit that I'm a bit of a "nervous Nellie". The OT characters were usually portrayed so poorly in the NJO, (though TUF was better!) and I just am so afraid of that happening again. I SO want to read great characterizations of the "Big Three" (and Mara) in future books!

Han, Luke, Leia, and Mara definitely have the lead in DN. I don't want to comment yet on LotF, but I assure you, the "old folks" won't be slighted there, either.

Thanks SO much for your reassurance!!!!! I'm so excited about the prospect of reading about my favorite characters again. It's been a LONG time!


"Please, please, give Luke a great role too,"
I think you'll be pleased, particularly in the latter part of the trilogy.

Hurray! Thank you!!!! This gives me something to look forward to!

I'm also looking forward to the Legacy series, though I admit that I can't imagine what the major plotline will be. I'm sure you creative authors have something ingenious in mind!

 

I was just wondering, which Jedi can we expect to see in the Dark Nest Trilogy? Obviously the Solo/Skywalker family, but will there be others? Any new Jedi?

 

Will there be any retconning of the situation with the Jedi Ghosts and "eternal life" now that Ep. III is in direct contradiction of HttE (since the presence of an Anakin in the LotF series has been confirmed)?

I was wondering this, too. I love it that they are "eternal" now, and can help out.

Why is there a contradiction?

At the time of Episode III they thought it was eternal and learned later that it became harder and harder to do so. We already know from ESB that you can't ALWAYS ghost whenever you want to ("If you confront Vader, I cannot interfere..."), so there's nothing saying that the reason Qui-Gon wasn't ghosting to help Luke, et al. with Obi-Wan and Yoda was because he was unable to.

 

It should be noted that when Obi-Wan's ghost says that he could no longer appear to Luke, it was during the Thrawn Trilogy, which takes place just before the Dark Empire Series. At this time the clone Emporer would probably be working on regaining his power. This may have invovled doing something that blocked Jedi spirits from communicating with the living. Just a thought.

 

god help us if that theory ever becomes canon....there are few things i've ever thought or read that could make me stop reading the sequels, but something along those lines would be about as close as anything came

 

dp4m posted on 6/22/05 10:10am

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[i]Will there be any retconning of the situation with the Jedi Ghosts and "eternal life" now that Ep. III is in direct contradiction of HttE (since the presence of an Anakin in the LotF series has been confirmed)?

I was wondering this, too. I love it that they are "eternal" now, and can help out. [/i]

Why is there a contradiction?

At the time of Episode III they thought it was eternal and learned later that it became harder and harder to do so. We already know from ESB that you can't ALWAYS ghost whenever you want to ("If you confront Vader, I cannot interfere..."), so there's nothing saying that the reason Qui-Gon wasn't ghosting to help Luke, et al. with Obi-Wan and Yoda was because he was unable to.
[hr][/blockquote]

Because Yoda states in the novelization that they will have "eternal life", (and George said this [u]AFTER[/u] HTTE [face_wink]). It doesn't have to be a contradiction, Obi-Wan could have been wrong in HTTE. I get the feeling from the ROTS novelization that they can come back when the need arises (Anakin Skywalker in BP and TUF), but not always to just hang around and chat. If Luke needed them, whose to say now?

Obi-Wan's comment about not being able to interfere was because it was Luke's path and Luke's destiny. He would have said the same thing if he had been alive. They are setting Luke up for a purpose. Face it, this changed due to ROTS and for the better. Note: It's only these three according to ROTS also, unless they teach someone else. [face_wink]

Qui-Gon WAS unable to ghost. In the novelization it reads like he failed to learn in time, but figured out how to keep consciousness after dying. He taught Yoda the secret and then how to retain his identity (have to do upon the act of dying), and Yoda teaches Obi-Wan how to speak to Qui-Gon. They later do it for Anakin upon his death [i](at that moment)[/i].

 

Because Yoda states in the novelization that they will have "eternal life", (and George said this AFTER HTTE ). It doesn't have to be a contradiction, Obi-Wan could have been wrong in HTTE. I get the feeling from the ROTS novelization that they can come back when the need arises (Anakin Skywalker in BP and TUF), but not always to just hang around and chat. If Luke needed them, whose to say now?

Doesn't make it so because he had an opinion on the matter.

 

god help us if that theory ever becomes canon....there are few things i've ever thought or read that could make me stop reading the sequels, but something along those lines would be about as close as anything came

I could think of some worse ones. Like maybe Callista coming back and Luke leaving Mara for her. (btw, I would personally shoot any author who ever did that.) Besides, I was just trying to show that there are ways around little continuity errors other than just pretending they don't exist. The problem is that George Lucas wanted the ghosts to be eternal and Zahn didn't realise that. Even in the original trilogy, it seemed that it was supposed to be an eternal thing. "Yoda will always be with you." Notice the word always, that doesn't sound like someone who can't keep coming back after a certain amount of time. In hindsight Ben should have said something along the lines that luke needed to work things out on his own instead of relying on his old mentors, which seemed to be the purpose for writing out the ghosts in HTTE. Too many authors have ignored the intentions of previous creators by doing things that don't necassarily contadict earlier things, but do change the meaning or path of the idea. Like how NJO screwed up the Chiss government that Zahn had set up previously. Some, like the ghost thing are due to ignorance. Others, like making Luke more of a pansy as the books progress is due to the apathy of the authors towards the continuity.

 

we've bugged you about it before, but the jedi strike team would like to know if you're really planning on putting Crusty Space Kyp in your new books, any of them

 

anyone think that either Asajj Ventress or Lord Nyax will battle Luke Skywalker in the last book of the Dark Nest Books
solokid2

 

Anyone think that either Asajj Ventress or Lord Nyax will battle Luke Skywalker in the last book of the Dark Nest ?
i hope the battle that luke kill the dark jedi will be at the Old Jedi Temple

solokid2

 

Hi Everyone,

Wow--there are a lot of questions. I hope you'll forgive me for not answering all of them; some would make my implant explode, some it's just too early to answer--this is especially true with LotF questions--and some I'm going to leave unanswered just to throw you off! (You KNOW how I hate spoilers!!!)

"Mr. Denning: Do I remember correctly that one of the "S"-ladies indicated that Vergere's thing would actually be resolved in the course of the LotF series?"

Yes, I think the wording they used (at the CIII panel) was closer to "the mystery of Vergere will be resolved."

"Also, without any spoilers of course, will some of the major players of the NJO not listed in TJK's Dramatis Personae come into play later in the series?"

They might; I'm not sure who you're thinking of--most of the really major ones are already there, I think.


"Will there be a hint if Ben's going to follow the footsteps of his father or his grandfather ?"

Ben plays a small but important role in the DN. You'll have to draw your own conclusions from what you read . . . heh, heh.

"Would there be more fallen Jedi, and if so, is someone trying to corrupt them?"

If you're asking, will any Jedi go dark in DN, all I can say is maybe, sort-of; Jedi are constantly struggling with questions of right and wrong. DN is certainly no exception.

"Is Kyp still the arrogant and hotheaded Jedi who behaves like a dark Jedi, or has he finally
learned to get rid of his arrogance and be mature?"

Actually, I thought Kyp already took great strides in Dark Journey. He's written more in that vein than in the vein of previous books.

"The bugs - are some of them able to use the force? Are they an advanced race like any other, or are they something like the ewoks?"

`Advanced' is a relative term. They have their own way of doing things--and no, it's not biotech!!

"I was just wondering, which Jedi can we expect to see in the Dark Nest Trilogy? Obviously the Solo/Skywalker family, but will there be others? Any new Jedi?"

Well, all of the Jedi listed in the Dramatis Personae of JK--plus a couple of others. If they're not listed, they have a pretty small role, though.

"Anyone think that either Asajj Ventress or Lord Nyax will battle Luke Skywalker in the last book of the Dark Nest Books?"

I do . . . just kidding.


-- Troy

 

Troy,

The following questions need only ?yes? or ?no? (or, if you want to get picky, ?maybe?) answers, because I know how much you hate spoilers, and I?m not too fond of them myself, but curiosity does compel me to ask these questions. Or if you so choose, just ignore them!

Since the Killiks have been travelling, hiding or whatever for 30,000+ years with the galaxy at large believing they were extinct, will Dark Nest explain, in broad strokes at least, what exactly they?ve been doing in this time? And how no one has managed to find out that they are still alive?

For that matter, will Raynar?s seven years MIA be explained at all?

And when the identity of the ?unseen queen? is finally revealed, presumably in the book of the same name, will we have met this character before (for example, a vengeful Lumiya, a returning Callista or the apparently absent Lomi Plo), or is it a new player (for example, a random Killik, a new Dark Jedi or whatever)?

And regarding your previous thoughts on Episode 3: All you're going to say is that the buzz droids are cool?? Strange, very strange.

 

Mr. Denning, will there be a revamped Jedi Council or will the Jedi Council still be composed of half Jedi Knights and half people in the government?

On the cover of Book 2 of your trilogy, Leia is holding a lightsaber, and it looks like she's wearing a Jedi robe. I'm hoping this means that Leia will finally be a Jedi (though her talents may be different from her brother's). Poor Leia has gone back and forth from being a Jedi to not being a Jedi. I had thought that her Jedi status was finally resolved in VotF, only to have her *not* be a Jedi in Vector Prime again. I hope this will be settled once and for all.

Has Leia renounced politics forever or is this something you can't answer due to your implant?

I've heard the rumor that we may see the ghostly return of Anakin in the future. Can you confirm this? If so, I'm assuming this would be Skywalker, not Solo?

 

cant wait!

 

Troy Denning The dude butchered Anakin Solo THE Anakin Solo. He also centered alot of the story around Jacen whom I feel is a bad choice. I would have went with Jeena she's just so much cooler. Well I can't hold a grudge. Troy is a good arthor. I'm just waiting on one worthy of righting the return of the most powerful solo.

 

Hi Troy!

I'm curious, will the Dark Nest Trilogy have any romance in it?

 

What will the political climate be like at the beginning of all this. Obviously it will be in rebuilding phase. Will the Galactic Federation be united or squabling (as usual)? How is the new capital? Who's got the power and who doesnt?

 

Troy Denning The dude butchered Anakin Solo THE Anakin Solo. He also centered alot of the story around Jacen whom I feel is a bad choice. I would have went with Jeena she's just so much cooler. Well I can't hold a grudge. Troy is a good arthor. I'm just waiting on one worthy of righting the return of the most powerful solo.

It wasn't his decision. Killing Anakin was George Lucas's idea, and it was decided early on that Jacen would be the hero of NJO. Besides, Jaina has her own destiny as the Sword of the Jedi.

 

Another question: X-wings. Are they in it?

 

I've also read that a certain female Sith from the Marvel comics will be in DN. So, does that mean Lumiya is the all-too-familiar dark force behind the plot, or is this just an internet rumor mix-up? Or are you allowed to way?

btw, I read the dramatis personae, These books will rock! I just wish Corran were on there, but then again he wasn't in the SBS Dramatis Personae, but he was in there more than Kyp, who was in the Dramatis Personae. (I think I just like using the words Dramatis Personae.)











Dramatis Personae!!!!!!!!

 

TailOne,
do you see a engineer on Coruscant going to the Jedi Temple,
going near the pit of Nyax's body and having Dark Side nature of Nyax put on him or her
and killing other engineers.
force be with you
solokid2

 

yeah, what is old coruscant up to these days?

 

what begin are you The Gather? a Gamorrean.
Coruscant is begin rebuild because of the nasty Yuuzhan Vong had reshape it into their kind of world and used speciallized mosses and lichens to break down duracrete and other building materials. Good guys had kicked the nasty Vong out the world.

 

Mr.Denning,
I am sorry that i might have harm your feelings by saying these things
solokid2