Lit Han and Leia in the EU - A Discussion Thread (Life Debt spoilers must be tagged)

Yeah, Han and Leia could have easily been together in Shattered Empire but they split them up on separate missions. And comics/books about Han and Leia before the birth of Ben would have no impact on spoiling Episode VIII or IX. Otherwise they wouldn't be producing a Han book during that time period.

 

Yeah, I understand the restrictions pre-TFA because they wanted to surprise with the new film. But now TFA is out and known of, there's no reason to keep those restrictions going - either they know what they're doing on Ep 8-9 and can green light earlier stories knowing there's no negative impact, or there is no plan despite much PR to the contrary.

 

Disney (Pablo actually): "The big three actually earned decades of peace in this story, which is something the EU refused to let happen."

Fans: so we'll see The Big 3 together in an adventure post-ROTJ?

Disney: no

 

Yeah, Han and Leia should have been together during Shattered Empire, but they were used as a thin ruse to introduce Shara Bey and Kes Damereon. Which is really what annoys me about always having them separated. The big 3 basically get used as a vehicle for OCs, in the hope we'll get invested in new characters, but really what we want is more of the big 3. Or in my case just more Han and Leia, though I don't mind Luke and the others in smaller doses!

 

Lol, yeah... Decades of peace when they could be together and have adventures together.... Nah, sorry we're going to split them up all the time because it's much more exciting. Yawn.

Part of the reason I love the OT is the dynamic between the three leads. Something I'd like to see replicated in other media. You don't get that by having them off on separate adventures.

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That. One of the biggest selling points and the new stuff has failed to draw on it significantly. Now there's an argument that if it happens all the time it becomes less special. There is some truth to that, but if that's fueling the separation, that's also been overdone at this point.

 

What Han book before the birth of Ben? Life Debt? Wendig notes it's not a Han-only book.

The time period between ROTJ & the birth of Ben (and/or the Battle of Jakku) is rapidly filling up. I'm not sure they'll have Leia engaged in galaxy-saving strenuous heroics later in her pregnancy; I'm not sure they'll want another "Courtship of Princess Leia" having Han & Leia getting married while also conveniently thwarting one Imperial plot or another. And with Luke "gone" according to this excerpt, other books following Han & Leia would have to account for his whereabouts, or possibly detail his own thoughts & plans before he "leaves", and all of that could impact something in VIII or IX.

And nearly everything after Ben's born could potentially tread on ground VIII or IX may want to claim first, especially relating to when Ben starts training with Luke, when Snoke first appears on the scene, etc. As I noted earlier, they could dance around all of that as they did in Bloodline, but it'd be better to leave it until after VIII & IX do their thing so there are no 'surprises' that will seem like glaring absences in books published beforehand (like a lot of the EU in the '90s, where the books & comics hopped around the 15 years or so following ROTJ, leading to stories set weeks/months apart but published years apart, without the chronologically-later story referring to the earlier story at all--but probably referencing some other story published before it taking place years earlier...or where the Clone Wars multimedia project went all sorts of directions that weren't really reflected in ROTS, and TCW came along later and did a better job of showing the evolving war). Better to wait.

 

Except 8 is being filmed right now, there should be enough to know what stories can and can't be told in the period, surely?

Doesn't have to be loads, just one or two well-told ones a la Bloodline.

 

It's kind of the only selling point for me. If it ain't broke... (not sure why they had to go and try to fix it. It was pretty good as it was.)

 

How do you know they don't have that knowledge now, then, and just haven't announced whatever books will cover that time? IX might also factor into it, as I said before. They might want the books to discuss certain elements relating to revelations in VIII or IX, but want them to hit shelves on premiere day or after.

 

My reactions to the excerpt released yesterday:

We've known for a while now that the premise of this book is that Han and Chewie are missing in action for weeks or months, so Leia sends in her own search & rescue team. Therefore I didn't have any expectations of seeing H/L together during the bulk of this book. Hopefully we'll have an reunion at some point, and maybe Han finding out about the baby if he didn't know before he went missing. However, I do fully understand and feel the frustration over LFL playing keep away with us H/L fans again. We are fortunate that Claudia Gray wrote Bloodline and was able to slip in a few yummy treats for us. Star Wars celebration is next month and Jen Heddle said in a tweet some time ago that she had many authors working on new projects. Maybe a project to our liking will be announced then, or maybe not. We'll see.

I was pleasantly surprised to learn from the new excerpt that we're going to get some of Leia's POV in Life Debt. That's exciting to me. I also enjoyed reading about her reaction to feeling the baby's presence, although it's bittersweet considering who that baby grows up to be. I'm disappointed that it appears that we may not get any Luke in this book. He is missed by me and I'd really like to see some Luke and Leia interaction, especially with Leia being pregnant. I wonder if he knows about the baby yet?

 

Solo-Skywalker family in LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures. http://www.starwars.com/news/star-w...fornia-2016?cmp=smc|499339164&linkId=25781318

 

That. Is. Adorable.

And this is the sound of me chiming in to remind the world (have said this privately to more than one person needing to be talked off of a ledge) that the excerpt has Leia mad "over" Han, not mad "at" Han- a semantic difference that means a lot. Also: Han misses Leia in Aftermath- CHECK; Leia misses Han in Life Debt- CHECK. So far this is working for me.

I am only excited by this excerpt and Chuck's reassurance on Twitter that this scene of Leia isn't a one-off. We will get to see Han and Leia and baby Ben (even if he's only 13-19 week fetus Ben, he's already himself in The Force, apparently) in this period and I'm happy about it. Maybe I will be disappointed in the end by what we read, but I'm ready to know what Chuck and canon have to say about it all. It's a blank and I want it filled in.

Of course, I'm hoping for some together-time and of course I'm hoping that everybody's happy about little baby Solo.. I'm willing to see the Aftermath trilogy through before passing judgment on the treatment of the characters, though. Let's not forget that Life Debt is a middle book, and the stakes have to be middle-book stakes and the resolution has to be a middle-book resolution. I'm not willing to crucify Chuck or TPTB over their treatment of Han & Leia in an unfinished trilogy. I'll keep the hounds caged until all three books are finished and released (Chuck is working on the third book currently). If I'm not completely satisfied, I'll fix it in fanfic, because that's my coping mechanism

Let's not forget how we sobbed at the end of ESB, but now that the trilogy is complete, it's most of our ship's favorite movie.

Absolutely I'm hoping that we get some books down the line that show them working together. I'm willing to wait for those until after VIII & IX. I will admit that part of me is willing to wait because I want to write one of those books and that's not a possibility until at least after my book comes out next year (could be pushed to 2018, publisher makes the schedule). I like that they're giving us breadcrumbs of backstory while we're waiting for the story to move forward.

 

That is not from The Freemaker Adventures. It's a diorama on display at the big Star Wars event at Legoland California. The Freemaker Adventures takes place before ROTJ.

 

Yes and it's expected they're holding off on such announcements until Celebration, which does have a logic to it.

What's odd is the lack of such news, even just a who's writing what at a title level, no further details known.

 

I've just reread the Life Debt excerpt and have to say I'm intrigued to say the least. I've been looking forward to this book for some time and I hope it will live up to my expectations. I know Han and Leia are not together in it and that does not surprise, or even disappoint me as I expected as much. But, I do hope that this will not continue to be a trend in future books. The early Legends EU kept them apart and it was frustrating to say the least. This is Lucasfilm's chance to rectify that and at least have them together a little more often. They make a great team and, to me, are more interesting when they are working together.

This excerpt leaves us Han and Leia fans with a lot of questions that I hope get answered in Life Debt. Did Leia know she was pregnant before Han went AWOL? Did Han know? And what is her anger over Han about? Why does she feel like Mon Mothma betrayed her? Where's Luke? We know from the Visual Dictionary that Chewie returns home to Kashyyyk and so I'm wondering if he stays behind or if he continues to help with the mopping up and returns later? These are all questions I'm eager to have answered.

 

MandrinaQ
Congratulations on your upcoming book release! I hope one day you do get the opportunity to write a Star Wars novel. Your point about Leia being angry over Han is a good point. I've read a few comments by people who mistook that as Leia is mad at Han.

So I went back and read the Aftermath chapter, the first Life Debt excerpt, and a description of the story to refresh my memory. Here's a breakdown of some of what we know about Life Debt.


From Aftermath we learn:

Han and Chewie were on an official mission for the New Republic.

Han had been growing a beard for weeks for this mission. The beard was part of a disguise Han used along with a fake cybernetic eye implant and a ugly aviator cap on his head.

Han missed Leia, Luke, and even Lando something fierce. (Note, no hint whatsoever of Han had took off after fighting with Leia )


Han still thought that it was nice, in a way, being out with just Chewie. (Note, the "in a way" verbiage taken directly from the book as opposed to missing Leia something fierce.)

Han and Chewie reached their destination, Dasoor, a planet that was too vile for Han even in his younger days because it was powered by slaves, and Han has no tolerance for the slave business.

Han's mission was to find Empire's supply lines. Due to losses of traditional means of getting supplies delivered, the Empire had been tightening ranks around the criminal organizations that they secretly supported over the past decades, and were using this as a new means of moving supplies. (sounds familiar)

This wasn't their first stop on the mission. They've already been to Ord Mantell, Ando Prime, Kara-bin, and others.

It's noted that Chewie was only one of a few dozen liberated wookies at that time.

We learn that Chewie was once a slave of the Empire. He was forced into doing hard labor while shackled, kept half-starved and half-mad.

Han's contact told him about how the Empire will be moving ships off of Chewie's home planet Kashyyyk for use somewhere else. Kashyyyk was still under the Empire's control. The time that the ships will be missing from Kashyyyk is short and so action needed to happen soon for a chance to liberate the planet.

Han had asked the New Republic to help free Kashyyyk more than once but they told him, not yet.

Han and Chewie end up ditching their official missing and organize a band of smugglers to go and fight for Kashyyyk's freedom.

Han told Chewie that it was time to get him home.


We learn from the Life Debt description, and excerpts:

Spoiler

Norra Wexley and the rest of the Aftermath gang are still together and are hunting down Imperial officers to bring them to justice. Admiral Sloan keeps evading capture.

Norra cuts the team's official mission short when she receives an urgent message from Princess Leia Organa

Han Solo, Chewbacca, and their band of smugglers were ambushed while attempting to liberate Chewie's home planet, Kashyyyk.

Chewie was captured and Han is missing.

Norra and her crew race to the Millennium Falcon's last known location.

Norra and her team find Han, or rather, he finds them.

Leia is pregnant but we don't know if Han knows yet.

Leia stormed out of a New Republic meeting and needs to calm herself.

Leia feels like Mon Mothma has betrayed her somehow

Leia loves Han and she's angry over him

Luke has gone off somewhere and Leia wishes he was near.

 

Wow, Han has a beard!! Just picturing that....

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This has got to be the beginning of the cartel we found out about in Bloodline, right?

 

Yeah I think it could be littlepadawan91

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Well, y'know, he had a beard in The Crystal Star. But I'd understand purging that memory...

 

Toonimator you are indeed right, he did have a beard in Crystal Star. I remember now. But yeah....we won't go there

*shudder*

 

He also had a beard when he had his mid life crisis in Hero's Trial. Which was handled horribly....Let's hope whenever they write about their separation in the new EU they do a better job.

 

Claire1976: The luggage and his beard, circa ROTJ. I wasn't sure how I felt about it until I saw this picture. I'm okay with it....

 

Harrison looks good with a beard, no doubt. Well, he used to. Not sure about the thing currently growing on his face, lol.

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