The Official Star by Star discussion thread (Spoilers from EOV and SBS)

We know somebody we know dies (Denning said as much at a con last year). The cover suggests Coruscant will be involved in a big way. Anybody else have concrete info? Don't cite AMAZON of other online store page counts to me, because their track records stink.

Oh, and I hate people creating these silly "official [book title] discussion topic" threads months in advance so they can have firsties or whatever. Give it a rest, guys. Ignore this topic when the book actually hits, like we did with Mastadge's thread. He has no more authority to make an official topic than I do.

 

I hear that Corran gets the big D in the next book..

 

Ghentz said that based on a green X-Wing on the cover, Corran is the one going to die. This would make sense, but is Corran a big enough character? When he said main, I thought someone like Mara or Lando.

And obviously, there's the idea that Coruscant will fall which has lead some to think it will be Fey'la dying. But would they kill off him when they know the fans would be happy about it and the other deaths have only provoked sadness?

 

Anakin already holds himself partially responsible for the deaths of Daeshara'cor and Chewie. It would be hard on him if Corran died right after they worked together in Rebirth.

 

I've got a couple random thoughts on Star By Star.

1. There were rumors of seeing vornskyrs that had been altered by the Vong in SBS. I believe those came from a scene from Conquest. Well if there was anything to that, I would now assume that Nen Yim may be involved with their shaping. Just a thought.

2. Something is going to happen with Nom Anor. He's failed Tsavong Lah multiple times now but I don't see Nom Anor just waiting around for his death. He's gonna defect or find some other way to avoid death and benefit himself and not neccesarily the Vong as a whole.

3. Rebirth began with Luke asking Jaina to bring Kyp to him as Luke felt that had new things to discuss and that Kyp would definitely want to hear them. We all knew it was coming and I think we're going to see a really ?interesting? encounter between the two. Just when we thought Luke might be bending a little to Kyp?s ways Kyp goes out and deceives everyone into destroying the worldship. It was a worthwhile attack but the deception will probably not sit well with Luke.

4. As for Corran?s possible death, I?m just not sure. It would definitely give fans something to think about. It?d be the second death of a completely EU character that fans love (Thrawn being the first, although he had to die). I?m just not sure what his death would really add to the NJO itself. You know, like what characters would be affected. Corran had a lot to say to Anakin and he didn?t have time to reflect on those words in Rebirth and if Corran died I?m not sure anything would change within Anakin. Obviously Mirax would be a widow and their kids would be fatherless but none of them have really been used in the NJO anyway. I guess it depends on the way Corran dies (if indeed he does) and what happens prior to his death in the book.

 

I wonder if Kyp will be the character to be killed off. A major focus of SbS seems to be the Jedi and I suspect the Jedi will become unified during this book. However, the whole issue of Kyp and his allies will need to be resolved.

I think Luke will view his lying as an abomination, as the Vong would say. Also, those Jedi that were sympathetic to Kyp will be deeply troubled by his lying and "the ends justify the means" philosophy that he uses to rationalize his actions. In the end Kyp will see his error and he will sacrifice himself to gain redemption among the Jedi.

 

Nom Anor may meet his end in this book, not at Tsavong Lah's hands but at Skywalker's, specifically Lukes! Why not? Luke knows Anor poisoned his wife, who is now well, so why not?

As for Kyp, he hasn't yet done anything truly abominable, save the lies in Rebirth. MAS portrayed him in a one-dimensional way in DT, Luceno had him as a egotist, only Keyes has given us a more rounded version that is actually sympathetic but misguided as well. I think Kyp will realise his error in SBS and follow Luke's lead, that lead becoming clear in SBS as Luke's plans laid throughout BP and EOV become clear and active. Plus Luke has said he doesn't disapprove of the Knights activities, including Kyp's. He is concerned about Kyp in particular, but that is because he knows Kyp's history is his motivation which might tip him to madness or worse.

Jedi Ben

 

Hmmn. I have no idea on likely canditates for the death thing. As far as Corran goes, I'm still laughing inside about how many people thought he would be off the scene after Dark Tide, just because Mike Stackpole was and the whole Ithor aftermath. I never thought so for an instant. I mean, didn't they know Corran at all? He never said he was gonna sit and do nothing, only keep a low profile. That meant to the universe at large, not us. However, I don't deny that his death would be significant. If there is in fact a major character death in SBS, I hope that the other characters are atleast able to glean something constructively useful out of it. Something to the effect of "many Bothans died to bring us this information."

I'd like to see Kyp and Luke square off again, especially in light of the Rebirth events. I hope Luke has more fire under his butt now that he's a father. I do think the Vong will take over Coruscant. That seems like a pretty major plot point and is worthy of a hardcover's attention.

 

If Corran dies in SbS, it will have been a full six books later than it should have been.

If Mara dies in Sbs, it will have been a full 8 years overdue.

 

Just another quick thought, anyone think that the NR will lash out at Wedge and Rogue Squadron? Or will Borsk and the Senate even find out about what happened at Sernpidal?

 

I hope it's Kyp that dies. Rebirth made me hate him so much...

 

Same here.

 

I'd rather Kyp didn't die. He's become so interesting especially in Rebirth and I really like him as a character although I don't completely agree with his ways. I just find him very interesting.

 

Personally I think Mara has a good chance at getting the ax. In Rebirth, when Mara is threatened of dying and Luke helps her, Luke has a vision of him and his son but Luke was disturbed that he did not see Mara at all in the visions.

 

I don't think she'll die yet. Maybe later, but not yet. And I really don't want her to. Poor Ben deserves a mother who lives beyond when he is a few months old!

 

Mara's safe for a while- they wouldn't bring her back to perfect health just to kill her off again in the next book. Though it would have that classical sense of tragic irony.

Kyp may die in Star by Star (Though I seem to remember saying the same thing about Balance Point ), but his storyline will almost certainly last until the end of the series, if not later. After all, we need someone around to hinder the reconstruction of the NR after the Vong are gone, and Kyp's bunch of rogue Jedi fit the role perfectly.

 

"Poor Ben deserves a mother who lives beyond when he is a few months old!"

Yeah, but "a mother" and Mara are mutually exclusive. I'd say that poor Ben deserves a good mother more than just a mother - which is why Mara needs to get whacked. Luke needs to get on finding a good mother to raise his son.

 

I hope Mara does not die either. but what do you think the visions of Luke meant if mara was not there. it must mean something. even if the future is always in motion, i think it should have some meaning for the next upcoming books.

 

Mara was a good mother. She went off the tears and risked her own life because they would have hurt her child. She didn't even try to help herself, she used all her effort to shield Ben from the Vong disease. If that's not a good mother, what is?

 

It would seem corran will die, but I hope not since we won't get to see him be a jerk in allston's duology. I'm betting on jacen.


long live Kyp!

 

corran cant die he is the best EU jedi now if they kill it whould be really cool it whould be even better if luke killed him in a duel

also did any one think that keys made ani seem more powerful than corran i mean i know he has the potentle to be more powerful but keys made corran kind of weak

 

Keyes only made Corran a controlled character and not nearly as brash or arragant as he's been previously written. And why the heck would Luke kill him in a duel?

 

Hopefully Kyp will survive SbS. I don't necessarily like his character, but he has the right idea of what the Jedi should be doing, even if he is a little misguided. There is no way anyone can win a war by defense only. Luke needs to realize aggression and offensive can only do that. But perhaps Kyp's line in Rebirth about the New Jedi Order was telling. Luke is acting more like Ben did in the trilogy, and the younger people have to actually fight the war.

 

Maybe they will kill Ben.

 

Face it, they won't go through all this, and then kill the kid when he's only a few months old. Plus killing a baby would be sick.