SOS - SON OF SKYWALKER : YOU (THE FANS) ARE MY ONLY HOPE!! SAVE ME... (Spoilers)

Why oh why, has Luke Skywalker, the man who is star wars, and the hero of the Original Trilogy, been put so far into the background in the NJO that he wasn't even in the latest book's Dramatis personae? His character has been badly written in the NJO, his roles are small, and he has accomplished little. I don't think it is time to retire Luke Skywalker yet... let alone DEAD!!!

He is still much, much, much, younger than Yoda, Obi-Wan, or even Anakin Skywalker, and
with so much more potential as compared to those three, why isn't he being portrayed to his fullest capability in the EU?

PLEASE HELP US with this thread to clamor, and shout to Del Rey and LFL to give this man better characterizations and larger, more useful roles. HELP US to make it known that he has fans out here who miss the Jedi Master and who are anxious to have the character we knew and loved brought back.
HELP US SAVE THE LEADER OF THE NEW JEDI ORDER - THE FATHER OF THE NEW SON OF SKYWALKER - YOU ARE HIS ONLY HOPE!

G12: 10K - Time for the next round.

 

He's a big plot of Allston's upcoming books...

[image=http://www.aaronallston.com/graphics/picturct/aaronbmx.gif] [image=http://www.aaronallston.com/graphics/picturct/aaronshx.gif]

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He has a wife and child. That is good enough for me. He is trying to keep his kid out of harms way, and I applaud him for that.

PLEASE HELP US with this thread to clamor, and shout to Del Rey and LFL to give this man better characterizations and larger, more useful roles.

Hasn?t he saved the galaxy more times than we can count? Hasn?t he become the most powerful Jedi in the GFFA? What more do you want?

Don?t you think that it?s about time for someone to take his place at the head of the action? He?s been on the front line long enough. Let the hero COP take his desk job reward.

I think that the man deserves to settle down with his wife and kid for a while, if he wants to.

 

Don?t you think that it?s about time for someone to take his place at the head of the action?
Nope.

He?s been on the front line long enough. Let the hero COP take his desk job reward.
I enjoy reading about Luke, I think he can still be the main part of a story and be a good husband and father. Right now he seems to be denied both the active hero role and the retired hero role.

I think that the man deserves to settle down with his wife and kid for a while, if he wants to.
Once he takes care of the Vong he CAN settle down.

It WOULD have been nice to read stories of Luke and his wife in semi retirement, taking on a promising apprentice or two, occasionally stepping in to settle disputes, leading in the rebuilding of the Jedi, but instead we get this alien invasion, the too sudden elevation of former child stars into action heros and the demotion of the original heros into has-beens.

 

Hasn?t he saved the galaxy more times than we can count? Hasn?t he become the most powerful Jedi in the GFFA? What more do you want?

Yes, Luke Skywalker has done that many times, but he has yet to be written as he should be - a wise respected leader who has spend his whole life wanting nothing but peace and the proper usage of the Jedi talents by the next generation. He is still not too old to lead a war, but the NJO has decided to put him aside, and allowed youngsters to lead. What a waste of his talent and experience!

 

As I posted in another thread, Anakin Skywalker was around 45 when he died. Now Luke may not be 45 yet, but he is close to that age.

As for his roles in the books, like it or not he will not be the hero of the New Jedi Order. It will probably be Jacen. So Luke is going to take more of a background role as this arc turns toward its conclusion. He has a major role in some upcoming books. ENJOY them while you can, he won't have too big of a spotlight for much longer. Now as I like Luke, it is time for us to see Luke the family man instead of Luke the I'm going to go against all odds not thinking about my friends so I better make it out alive version. Personally I am wondering what will happen if he finds out Jedi are supposed to be celebit because I like the part he is playing. It is time to pass the torch.

 

Luke Skywalker has been totally emasculated by the NJO. The have done so little with the time he has been used, that no one here seems to care if he lives or dies. Luke is Star Wars and I would love to see Alston bring back his personality again, but I am not going to hold my breath.

He has no real plot line of his own other than to fret, or to be denigrated and put down by just about every other character that speaks. I am sick of the way he is written and I will never forgive them for it.

 

Ya know, when I purchase something that says "Star Wars", I am pretty much expecting Luke, Han, Leai and company. Now, it said "The New Jedi Order" underneath the big ole "Star Wars" on the books, but I didn't interpret that to mean Luke wasn't a big part of the books. Now I want my money back. I feel like I bought a box of Lucky Charms cereal, and when I got home and opened it up I found a note that said "Try these Grape Nuts instead!". No, damnit! I bought Lucky Charms and I want my Lucky Charms! I mean seriously, is there a fan of the EU that hasn't seen the movies? So why aren't the movie characters front and center in these stories? I want my money back Delrey. You sold me something labeled Star Wars and it isn't. It seems like the next book is a token Luke book, and then they'll get back to tireless coverage of Jaina and Jacen. The first 8 books they deprived me of Luke and company, mostly to give me coverage of a character they were going to kill in the 9th book!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! I want my money back. Please.

 

P.S. and yes he has been portrayed so horribly I'm glad the authors who wrote him didn't write more of him! eee gads. I don't think the people in charge can save Luke. I would imagine they already think they're doing a good job. Or, they wanted to kill Luke, but they don't want the fans to get all angry, so they've been portraying him really, really bad and pushing him into the background, so that when he dies the fans will say "bout time that wuss bit the dust. Since I've been reading the NJO, I can't really remember why I even liked that guy. I mean, everyone knows star wars is all about Lowbacca and Tenel Ka!!!!"

 

Luke, Han and Leia do not make Star Wars. If they did, then we wouldn?t have the prequels at all (considering that none of them are in the first two movies).

So why aren't the movie characters front and center in these stories?

Because they have been front and center for the past 10,080 Star Wars books and comics! (an exaggeration to emphasize a point) I don?t know about you, but I was starting to get bored with that.

The Solo kids were showing a lot of promise, and I wanted to see what they were capable of as young adults. They had been the next generation of Jedi ever since the JAT, and it was time that they took their rightful place as the heirs to this new generation.

You sold me something labeled Star Wars and it isn't.

Yes it is. Just because you don?t like the next generation of Jedi doesn?t mean that it isn?t Star Wars. Star Wars is a fictional reality that goes through change; just like our reality. If you want to read something from this fictional reality that has more of what you are interested in, I?m sure you will find something. There is plenty of Luke, Leia and Han stuff out there, and I doubt that you have actually read it all.

P.S. and yes he has been portrayed so horribly I'm glad the authors who wrote him didn't write more of him! eee gads.

How was he portrayed badly? Zahn changed his character so much with his last duology that Luke became a completely different person. The Luke from JAT is nothing like the one from the Zahn duology. I thought that Luke was portrayed very well in the NJO (except for possibly DT and the AOC duologies). The NJO Luke has been accurately portrayed as the slightly older and wiser version of the Luke we got out of the Zahn duology.

 

To me, it's not how little of Luke there's been, but how he's been shown. I used to be a big fan of his, but now I can't stand him. He's shown as being so selfish that unless Mara or Ben are directly involved, he could care less. He never showed any sort of concern over Han's grief over Chewie, or Leia nearly dying. All he seems to want to do is sleep with Mara. He's also become meaner, in Rebirth when Mara insulted Leia, Luke didn't even bother to stand up for her. The Luke from the movies would have defended Leia.

 

I've been reading these boards for a while now and I have to say I'm a little shocked by what I've read. Not so much shocked, because people bicker over the smallest things no matter what the topic, but surprising all the same.
First off (from what I've seen) apparently there are two different kinds of star wars fans. Many who are true the movies only, and those labelled as EUers, or whatever. That isn't very surprising, but what is, is that the "EUers" have divided themselves into those who appreciate and accept what post GL authors have contributed to star wars, and those who bitch and whine every step of the way. To point out an obvious solution "If you don't like it, don't read it." But we all know that won't happen.
As for the character's role's in the NJO series, I don't see what the problem is. All I can think of is that people pick out their favorite character and if that character either dies or isn't as involved as they hope, then its blasphemy and heads should roll.
Get over it. Thats the way it goes. If you're bitching about Luke not having an active enough role in the NJO, then why aren't you bitching about how Yoda didn't hop in Luke's X-wing in ESB and kill both Vader and Emperor himself?
I'll tell you why, it wasn't his "destiny" It was Luke who was suppose to end the conflict. And he did. Just as its not Luke's destiny to end the Vong conflict.

Another thing that seems to escape everyone is that every SW author (aside from GL) are simply fans of the movies who jump on the opportunity to contribute their part. An honor on its own. Don't tell me if you were offered a chance to write a star wars book that would be published for all to read that you wouldn't. While EU may not be considered canon, every story written must be approved by lucas or the appropriate representative. ( not sure how it works )

Character deaths and twists in the plot make the books INTERESTING. How interesting would they be if you and everyone else knew that Luke Skywalker would simply show up, use his lightsaber and beat bad guys?
On the "interesting" side note, I think Anakin's death was perfect. Everyone thought he'd be the one to figure it out and defeat the Vong. Well, now he's dead and nobody knows what to do. THAT is interesting.

~ Justified

 

ill havve to agree, i hated anikins death in SBS... but after reading Dark Journey....i have a new found interest in jaina's character and the path she will take...

 

been put so far into the background in the NJO that he wasn't even in the latest book's Dramatis personae

Suppose you think the X-Wing novels are rubbish then? Being as they are stories about a few characters, same as DJ

 

JediJSolo: Luke, Han and Leia do not make Star Wars. If they did, then we wouldn?t have the prequels at all (considering that none of them are in the first two movies.
Perhaps that is why I find the prequels (books and movies) less than satisfying.


ReaperFett: Suppose you think the X-Wing novels are rubbish then? Being as they are stories about a few characters, same as DJ
There is a big difference, Fett, between the X-Wing novels that are just meant to be companion pieces, something to fill the store bookshelves between mainline books, and the New Jedi Order which is the ONLY post-ROTJ SW being written now.

Luke Skywalker is the heart and soul of the middle third of the Star Wars Saga. Until GL makes episodes 7,8, and 9, I expect Luke to remain a focal point.



RAZ927, great analogy! Have you checked out The NJO Critic's Club? I think you'll find kindred spirits there.

 

Hey, you know I'm with you Skydancer!

Luke Skywalker has been turned into a clueless, indecisive wimp who hasn't contributed in a meaningful way in a book since Onslaught or Ruin.

That isn't very surprising, but what is, is that the "EUers" have divided themselves into those who appreciate and accept what post GL authors have contributed to star wars, and those who bitch and whine every step of the way.

It is ludicrious to suggest that EU'ers should stick together as a unified force, and to blindly accept anything and everything that an EU author has contributed to the saga. I appreciate some of what the EU authors have contributed to the post-RotJ EU. I didn't care for about third of Bantam. I don't care for most of the NJO.
To point out an obvious solution "If you don't like it, don't read it." But we all know that won't happen.

Obvious? Really? How trite. Don't worry, some of us have stopped reading. Or at the very least stopped buying this pablum.

As for the character's role's in the NJO series, I don't see what the problem is. All I can think of is that people pick out their favorite character and if that character either dies or isn't as involved as they hope, then its blasphemy and heads should roll.

The cover of the novelization of Star Wars is subtitled, "From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker." For many people, Luke Skywalker's tale is Star Wars, and has been for about 20 years. It doesn't mean that Luke has to be in every book, but when the Jedi are involved in a galaxy spanning conflict, one would naturally assume that Luke Skywalker, the greatest living Jedi, would be very active in combating this foe. And one might naturally asssume that Luke, the leader of the Jedi Order at this point, would have something to say about his nephew's death, but nope, you have some people not connected to Anakin by blood relation being the only ones to speak about it. But, oh no, can't let Luke overshadow the others in these books.

Get over it. Thats the way it goes.

Nice flame. I suggest you take your own advice. People will have complaints. Why do you expect everyone to have the same opinion you do? You don't have to agree with them.

If you're bitching about Luke not having an active enough role in the NJO, then why aren't you bitching about how Yoda didn't hop in Luke's X-wing in ESB and kill both Vader and Emperor himself?

Considering we don't know what happens in Episodes 2 and 3, and possibly their reasons for not being involved, I think it is a bit of a stretch to be comparing apples to oranges. Besides, Yoda is so small he couldn't see over the dashboard.

I'll tell you why, it wasn't his "destiny" It was Luke who was suppose to end the conflict. And he did. Just as its not Luke's destiny to end the Vong conflict.

We all read that section in Conquest where Luke told the readers he wasn't going to be the savior. That doesn't excuse his lack of a major role. Han wasn't destined to end the conflict with the Emperor, but that didn't mean he couldn't play a very active role in helping Luke fight.

It's not as if I want Luke to end the conflict with the Vong, I just wanted to see shown as being actively involved in the conflict, helping bring about the end of the Vong War, being a major viewpoint character given his status of the Jedi Master of the New Order, and not turning over the responsibility of major missions to teenagers.

 

I would agree, Luke Skywalker has been put back into the shadows of the NJO. But, I bet you that Luke Skywalker will once again save the galaxy.

Luke does have a wife and a kid, but Luke has to answer this question:

What is more important, the galaxy or his own kid?

Most people would say there kid, but if the Galaxy falls into Yuuzhan Vong hands, Ben, Luke, and Mara will never be at peace, always running from the Yuuzhan Vong.

 

I don't buy the prequel books or x-wing novels because I assume they didn't center around the characters I want to read about. I didn't buy the Junior Jedi Knights books or Young Jedi Knights books for the same reason, so I wasn't aware that the solo kids were showing alot of promise. Sure I was looking forward to reading about them in the NJO, but I wasn't aware that this was simply a follow up on the young jedi knights series. As far as Luke being portrayed as older and wiser, read the books again and give me a "wiser" example, and for everyone you give me I can almost guarantee 2 "dumber" examples to match it. But yes he has been portrayed as older, as when he takes on 3 Vong with a bunch of rocks and 2 lightsabers, he needs help to walk afterwards. As far as Luke and company being the stars of 10,080 books and people getting bored with it, I really dont know what to say to that lol. I suppose once people started getting bored with "Seinfeld" they should've kept the title of the show and switched to stories about the people downstairs, or "Spiderman" should switch to stories about spidermans long lost younger cousin, etc. etc. Of course they were the stars of 10,080 books. Because.....oh yeah, because they're the stars of star wars!! Most stories that are not about the stars of star wars but smaller characters within the universe are clearly labeled as such, and I often enjoy reading them. This series was not clearly labeled as such, and they still USE the stars to sell the books.

From the back cover of VECTOR PRIME: "Suddenly, Luke Skywalker; his wife, Mara; Han Solo; Leai Organa Solo; and Chewbacca- along with the Solo children..." and from the back cover of REBIRTH: "The Star Wars epic continues its dazzling space odyssey in The New Jedi Order- as Luke and Mara, Leai and Han, and others battle the mighty enemy from beyond the galactic rim." Now to me, a more accurate description would be "The Solo children and friends battle the universe as Luke endlessly ponders what to do next and Han and Leai worry about them and face crisis after crisis." Luke, Leai, Han, AND OTHERS....gimme a break, its "Jaina, Jacen, Anakin and others." Well not Anakin anymore, but don't get me wrong, I'm sure glad I read up on that kid for 8 books instead of Luke and company.

 

Luke, Han and Leia are the very essence of the post-RotJ era. For m,any fans, they are SW's heart and soul. While the prequal characters are thus far souless automatons, the OT charactera are alive and firmly in touch with their emotions.

At least when Lucas passes the torch, he has the decency to kill off the previous generation. Qwi-Gon died, Obi-wan can now shine, Kenobi dies and Luke embraces his destiny, Yoda dies and Luke has no excuse not to go after Vader and Palpatine.

Unfortunately, in the NJO, both generations are alive at the same time, and his is wh disappoints many of us.

The only characters who should be put out to pasture are Han, Lando, Wedge and other middle-aged, non-Force sensitive folk. Their needed for their minds, not their physical prowess. The same cannot be said for Luke and Leia, who have the Force as their ally.

Unfortunately, DR and LFL couldn't have killed-off Luke, Han and Leia from the getgo. Doing such a thing would most likely have been a marketing disaster. Therefore, we get the worst of both worlds.

We get the heart and soul of SW being portrayed as clueless morons too paralyzed by a sudden influx of moralism to do anything against the Vong. And we get the bold, reckless uberkinden heading out to do battle against the Vong.

Anakin was the one who came up with the idea of freezing Helska 4 (something that NJO CC members see as being an amusing non-scientific farce).

Jaina came up with the tactics of how to deal with the Vong on Dantooine. This is highly unlikely for a junior officer to suddenly have all this tactical insight, while Gavin just looked on like a cheerful idiot.

Jacen and Anakin were given the responsibility of manning Centerpoint. This would be tantamount to President Truman having left the decision of whether or not to utilize Fat Man and Little Boy to a panel of high school students. Jacen and Anakin suffer no legal sanctions for the destruction of what appears to have been a substantial portion of the Hapan fleet.

Then there's BP with its major concentration on a coward: Jacen Solo. I'd rather read about people doing things against the Vong, rather than read about those who want to stick their heads in the sand or sing "la-la-la" very loudly and hope that the bad bogeymen will go away.

Then we have Conquest and its star: Anakin. I love how he violates orders and doesn't even get punished by Luke, even though his actions cause Luke a major political headache.

Then we have SBS and its core plot: the teenie-bopper Jedi strike mission. To me, this reveals what the NJO truly is: YJK on steroids. It began in C with Anakin and Tahiri, continued in R with Anakin and Tahiri and it reached itt zenith with the Jedi strike mission by reuniting Anakin, Jacen and Jaina with all their teenie-bopper buddies. They go to Myrkr to estroy the Voxyn Queen, and this mission is built-up as one of paramount importance, but no one brings up a simple, basic question: "Couldn't the Vong just create another Queen?" Luke didn't ask it. Han didn't. Leia didn't. Mara didn't. No adult did.

I shall again give VP credit for having all the draded uberkinden in proper supporting roles and having Luke, Han and Leia getting some action. Onslaught and Ruin were also good in this regard, but things started slipping with Luceno's books.

I believe a mjaor problem with this lies in the fact that Luceno wanted to remember Brain Daley, his previous writing partner and author of the Han Solo Adventures or something like that. Han Solo is a man of action, yet Luceno portrays him as a drunk wanderer who wants to go and visit his old haunts that were mentioned in - you guessed it - Daley's trilogy. This doesn't sit well with me. If an author wants to write some sort of homage to a deceased collaborator or a dead brother (in RAS's case), I feel that they should have the decency to not take already established characters and twist them to enable said authors to do their homages.

Han Solo is a man of action. Should he really be fly

 

I don't think that Luke is being written well in the NJO. He is so absorbed in his own personal life that he gives the appearance that he doesn't care what happens to anyone else. He has lost his compassion, his sense of humor, his passion, and his leadship abilities. I don't expect Luke to be the one who saves the galaxy, but they at least could make him a more likable.

Luke never saved the galaxy by himself. There was the whole rebel alliance behind him in the OT. That rebel alliance consists of many older leaders that organized the war efforts. Many others, both young and old, fighting together to achieve their goals. I don't mind the spotlight being on the younger generation. But I think it's unrealistic to believe that just a few young Jedi are the only ones fighting this war, and that they are doing it without guildance from the older generation. I think that there could be a better balance where both generations could shine at the same time.

 

I agree Skydancer. Luke is the first of the New Jedi. Its his right to play the final role in the NJO.

 

This is highly unlikely for a junior officer to suddenly have all this tactical insight

I could come up with some great tactics once in a while too you know. It's not as if she is used time and time again as a master tactiction


Then there's BP with its major concentration on a coward: Jacen Solo. I'd rather read about people doing things against the Vong, rather than read about those who want to stick their heads in the sand or sing "la-la-la" very loudly and hope that the bad bogeymen will go away

It shows balanced writing IMO. Showing all sides


Then we have SBS and its core plot: the teenie-bopper Jedi strike mission. To me, this reveals what the NJO truly is: YJK on steroids. It began in C with Anakin and Tahiri, continued in R with Anakin and Tahiri and it reached itt zenith with the Jedi strike mission by reuniting Anakin, Jacen and Jaina with all their teenie-bopper buddies. They go to Myrkr to estroy the Voxyn Queen, and this mission is built-up as one of paramount importance, but no one brings up a simple, basic question: "Couldn't the Vong just create another Queen?" Luke didn't ask it. Han didn't. Leia didn't. Mara didn't. No adult did.

Prove they could though. War is desperate. And I might point out, the plan was to blow the WS up, not kill the Queen. Kids were used because it is logic to use them. They then use the ship to destroy it. To me, that is a simple plan. It then failed though, and they decided to dive in.


I shall again give VP credit for having all the draded uberkinden

Better uberkinden than uberImperial, uberassassin race, uberbodyguard, ubersmuggler....

Heck knows which series I speak of

 

I agree with you completely, Skydancer! Luke Skywalker has been the most poorly portrayed character in the NJO. As the head of the New Jedi Order, you would think he would play a fairly active role in at least some of the books. However, he has made hardly a ripple in the entire NJO story. Except for fathering Ben, he could have been left out completely and it wouldn't have made much of a difference. After ten NJO books, we haven't had even one Luke-book, and he is rarely used as a point-of-view character.

As an adult over 35, I just don't relate to the teenage characters. I feel that Del Rey and LFL have not only abandoned Luke Skywalker, but most of the adult fans too. The 'adult' SW series has morphed into a continuation of the Young Jedi Knight book series and I'm VERY disappointed about that. As a SW fan of over 20 years, I feel very left out. There is extremely little in the NJO books for me, and I don't care for the prequel era.

I resent the idea that people or characters over the age of 35 are useless and ready to be replaced! Most of the government, religious, judicial, and economic leaders of our world are over 40, some of them WELL OVER 40. (Hey! Even George Lucas is well over 50!) With the medical advancements in that GFFA, lifespans should be even longer. In TRUCE AT BAKURA, some of the adult humans were over 130. I disagree that Luke at the age of 45 is over the hill and should be replaced as the head of the Jedi. He should have many, many ACTIVE years ahead of him...if he survives the war with the Vong that is. Which brings me to another point: Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker didn't die of old age. He was killed by the Emperor as he saved his son. Just because Luke is nearly the age his father was when he died, doesn't mean he's due to become One with the Force!

As for Luke as the hero of the Bantam books, as Ginger said, Luke didn't win all of those battles in the earlier books or the films alone. He had plenty of help from Han, Leia, Lando, the droids, Wedge, Rogue Squadron, Bel Iblis, Talon Karrde, Admiral Ackbar, and many, many Alliance and New Republic leaders and forces. Why, all of a sudden, do a few teenagers have to do all of the heroics themselves? AND, why are Luke and most of the adults made to look foolish while the kids are made to look heroic? The adults should at least be guiding the younger Jedi and serving as role models. Instead, we have Anakin Solo put on the pedestal as the one for the youngsters to follow and emulate, as the one who knew the Force the best. Why does the experience of the adults count for nothing?

I think that Mr. Salvatore had it right in VP: The teenagers should have been the apprentices to the adult Masters for the entire NJO Order storyline. The adults and the teenagers should have worked together. Instead, Del Rey practically retired Luke and pushed the teenagers into the spotlight in his place WAY too fast!

For me, Star Wars is NOT SW without Luke, Leia, and Han. Leia and Han have been portrayed better in the NJO recently, but Luke is still a mess. I miss the real Luke Skywalker: the smart, resourceful, courageous, compasssionate, caring, talented Jedi and Farmboy that I enjoyed for two decades. I want Del Rey's authors to bring him back.

I'm very passionate about this dumbing down of Luke Skywalker and his minimal roles and lousy characterizations in the NJO!

 

I feel that Del Rey and LFL have not only abandoned Luke Skywalker, but most of the adult fans too

19 is adult

 

Luke Skywalker and NJO

OK: After much thought on Luke?s character, I have trouble with one NJO plot only: Why did Luke allow a pair of teenagers to take charge of the activation of a superweapon that makes the Death Star insignificant? THAT?s my big gripe because given we now know the full scale of the disaster that followed, the idiocy of the plot is only increased. (See DJ for details.)

VP to DT: Luke was the active Jedi Master, opposing the Vong while engaging and escaping the snares of NR politics.
AOC: Luke hits the brakes.
BP: Back in action on Duro, sorts his nephew out and finds out exactly what Joe Public thinks of him.
EOV: Tries to satisfy both the NR, whose anti-Jedi sentiment is at a record high and his knowledge that the Jedi need to combat the Vong, while resolving a schism in the Jedi over action versus inaction. The reason Luke does not go to Yavin or even get the kids out is his fear of losing NR support blocks him from acting thus. Luke only realises he cannot have both, that he must choose one over the other. Why was it so hard and why did it take him so long? Because both are things that have been dear to him for more than a decade, he was teaching Jedi and protecting the NR for at least that time. How easy should it be for Luke to turn his back on the Republic he and his sister were instrumental in creating? It should not.
SBS: Luke acts on his realisation, it took him a while because he has never really been in a situation where he is having to act on several levels at once. This does not mean Luke is not capable of doing so, far from it.

From the start, unlike Kyp, Luke has had the greater ambition: to solve the Vong conundrum, to defeat their invasion, to deal with the anti-Jedi NR. Until EOV he thought he could do it all at once and was paralysed as a result. In SBS Luke knows if he does not deal with the Vong there?ll be no NR to restore. Luke knew what he wanted in NJO but could not see his path clearly and trusted the NR he created to be able to defend and look after itself, despite its flaws. He had reason for that view, dissension and internal politics did not stop the NR from defeating Thrawn, C?Boath, the Pierce Scheme, Zsinj or the Emperor Reborn. He trusted that the NR had learnt from the Bothan Crisis where the selfsame internal politics were almost the destruction of the NR. His trust was in vain but understandable.

DJ: Kind of odd, Luke seems a mirror of Mara in his attitude to Kyp and is pretty much out of the book.
Enemy Lines: Where it is hoped Luke gets back to doing what he does best, defeating villains.

As to other Q?s: So what if Zahn screwed Luke?s character in VOTF? RAS restored it in VP, what Zahn did to Luke is irrelevant as far as NJO is concerned. The only thing Zahn-like in NJO is the crap Force-tiredness Luke is hit with in DT, that duology being written by Zahn?s acolyte MAS.

I don?t get the handling of the Ben plot: Luke and Mara know the Vong plan to hit Coruscant, so they leave their kid with Han & Leia on Coruscant?! Wouldn?t it be a better idea to remove the kid from the war zone entirely? Of course Eclipse was conveniently under attack and discovered in SBS, but is not in DJ so they could have sent the kid there to be minded by the Jedi. Mara?s actions and treatment of Luke in NJO year 2 / 3, BP notwithstanding, has been a case of authorial mistakes. With a few details Mara?s actions could be compassionate and supportive, without those details her words and acts are ambiguous and can seem harsh to her husband, who it is hard to believe would put up with such treatment from anyone, even if it is his wife. With a few details her words could be seen as playful or supportive, but we do not have those critical details, which would enable us to see Mara Jade in a different light: that of a strong yet caring woman. Instead we have HTTE Mara.

As for retiring and earnt his place in the sun, that?s what I thought the gang had earnt at the end of the Civil War in VOTF, but then they got the Vong invasion. The idea that Luke Skyw