Comics Princess Leia (Marvel) #1, part 1 (of 5)

I have no problem with Leia knowing how to pilot a ship (but no reason she should be an ace or anything), but I don't agree with parts of your statement. The scene when they are recruiting Han seemed to me to suggest that in fact most people CAN'T fly a spaceship in Star Wars. And as far as the farm kid - doesn't he pilot the equivalent of a crop duster? I wouldn't expect a kid on Earth who flys a crop duster to be an implication that piloting skills here are common.

 

Doesn't that flow more with the science fantasy elements of star wars that sometimes conflict with the sci-fi. The only way to explain why luke is such a good pilot other than the force is becuase his father was as well, and it can be chalked up to it being a legend. Its the same reason why say someone like Jon Snow is so good at sword fighting compared to everyone but the kingslayer in game of thrones.

 

They aren't recruiting Han as a pilot, though, they're recruiting him because he has a starship capable of reaching where they are going.

The point is that in the SWU is seems people are always just jumping in ships and taking off with no problems. Luke has never been off planet and yet no one blinks at the idea of him flying an X-wing. There's numerous examples of normal people knowing how to fly ships like they were driving a car. Now, hyperspace navigation may be another thing entirely, but at the very least it's hardly a stretch to think that Bail wouldn't have made sure that Leia had instruction in piloting and how to handle a blaster. The fact that she had a blaster at the ready in ANH and handled them just fine suggests a passing familiarity with them.

My point was that I don't think she would be leading elite X-Wing teams as seen in Wood's recent Star Wars comic series, but I don't understand the people who raise objections to her knowing how to pilot a starfighter since it seems to be akin to knowing how to drive in the SWU.

I'm not sure what issue you have with the quoted part of my statement since you just repeated what I said. Piloting seems to be a fairly basic skill in the SWU, whether it's for crop dusters or light starfighters, and someone who is of Leia's class would most likely have been taught how to pilot a ship since it appears to be similar to driving a car in our world.

Now, just because you can drive a car doesn't mean you can drive a semi-truck or use heavy construction equipment, but I think having her be able to fly snubfighters as has been shown is pretty on point.

 

The T-16 racing that they got up to on Tatooine is based on the same Hot Rod scene that Lucas based American Graffiti on. A pastime of the middle-working class on rural worlds, but it wouldn't be nearly as common amongst people from the more densely populated core words (Coruscant and other Airspeeder cities aside) or the truly poor and oppressed of the galaxy.
Of those who would own a suborbital airspeeder or spaceship, most would only be making routine cargo runs, business trips, or other simple, largely automatic pre-planned flights. Hardly the same preparation for a dogfight as Beggar's Canyon or the Kessel Run.

 

You're suggesting shooting vermin animals from a speeder is the same as dogfighting TIE fighters?

There's places on earth where people don't drive...heck, a shocking number of my UK friends don't know how to drive, but my point was that given how widespread the basic knowledge is, that it doesn't seem all the absurd that Leia would know how to pilot a ship. Considering that Bail knew what was coming, it wouldn't surprise me if she had more formal training than Luke did.

The point is that people tend to act surprised when Leia is shown in a flightsuit, but as far back as Splinter in the Mind's Eye she's been shown piloting snubfighters.

The number of characters in any given EU novel or comic who've been shown flying (and video game characters who simply hop into a ship with no supposed training) would seem to indicate that at least basic knowledge of how to fly snubfighters isn't an unknown thing. And if snubfighter controls are based on speeder controls it's even more likely that Leia would be comfortable flying. Considering how hands on she is I'd be more surprised if she didn't know how to fly.

 

They are recruiting Han as a pilot, but Han's presumption is that Luke DOESN'T know how to fly.

My point regarding the crop duster analogy, is that there are crop duster pilots all over farms on Earth - that doesn't mean that piloting skills are common here. Taking Luke knowing how to fly as evidence that flying skills are common is a bit of a stretch, in my opinion.

 

Those pics fill me with a bit more confidence.

I suppose I'm worried that after waiting for so long it won't be worthwhile.

 

The same? What? No. Not even remotely. But flying through a tight canyon and shooting small moving targets is a much better preparation than sitting in traffic on your commute humming along to the Modal Nodes. Hence a smuggler or a hot-rodding farmboy would be good recruits (relative to your average citizen) when the rebellion needs pilots.
Leia was wealthy and adopted daughter to a founder of the Alliance. Not exactly your average Mid Rim commuter.

 

There's a great exchange between Wedge and Luke in the ANH novelisation which expands on Luke's quip about shooting womp rats, with Wedge detailing the extent of the Death Star defences!

 

Just to throw this out there--Dreis did ask Luke if he was sure he could handle an X-wing. It's easy to believe there was a larger conversation about it off-screen and that Biggs' vouching for him (and maybe even Leia mentioning his shooting skills) factored in.

 

I think we're kinda agreeing but also talking past each other, and some of that may be my fault.

I'm just saying that Leia knowing how to fly, not even as a combat pilot, but just how to fly seemed to take some by surprise.

As it did when it first came up I pointed out that Leia's been flying since Splinter in the Mind's Eye, as well as it seeming like loads of characters can fly snubfighters and small atmospheric craft. Hyperspace navigation is another kettle of fish, though.

That said, I wasn't onboard with Leia suddenly being a top pilot and commanding an elite squadron in Wood's Star Wars comic, but I can easily see her having been given the keys to the best little sports speeder or ship Daddy Bail had either as training or just because she's a Princess.

Not to mention the space opera trope of people in space opera universes usually knowing how to fly spaceships just because.

So I'm totally agreeing with you that most people probably don't have the skills Luke would have (even setting aside the force), but I'm just saying I wouldn't be shocked that the majority of people, especially the wealthy, knew enough to fly snubfighters and given Leia's temper she's probably hotrodded a wee bit on the side...but that's speculation.

The larger point I don't think we're actually in disagreement with, and I agree with all the points you made and apologize for misunderstand the point you'd made about Luke's T-16 flying.

 

Mark Waid video interview on CBR :
http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=54814

 

I want a new canon explanation as to why Leia is a Princess anyway. It would have made sense if Queen Amidala was from Alderaan but Lucas decided she was from Naboo instead so how did Leia end up with a royal title if she was adopted by a senator and his wife?

 

Bail's wife was the Queen of Alderaan. So she inherited the title from her

 

Bail is also some sort of Prince in his own right. Alderaan's royalty and government are a muddle that only became more so after ROTS. Which is conveniently where the previously-established Alderaan Ascendancy Contention swoops in to save the day.

 

If she is the Queen wouldn't that make Bail Organa the King of Alderaan? Isn't it odd that he is the king and also a senator for Alderaan??

 

I didn't know that about him being viceroy. I thought he was prince consort just because he had married the queen.

 

Or maybe they use a different system then the one you are used to admiral.

 

No, he's just the Queen's consort. Possibly a prince, by marriage, but the only title we have for him right now is "Senator."

Presumably, Alderaan is a constitutional monarchy anyway, so the royal family likely has little real power. But that's still an assumption based on Legends material; we'll see what comes of any exploration of Alderaan going forward.

 

I have to say, based on what Waid said I'm more optimistic about this series.

 

Tidbit from Waid! Interesting hook on Lone House of Organa Survivor Issue:

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=55351

With "Star Wars" coming back to Marvel and three new titles on the horizon, Mark Waid fielded a question about his upcoming "Princess Leia" series, which will explore her responsibilities as the last of the House of Organa. "She knows that if she lets her culture die… then they're gone forever."

 

Now this is interesting. Alderaan, its culture and political system has always been one of my pet subject. I hope we'll see some interesting tidbits and that some parts--the best ones--of the old EU will be reused.

 

The memory of the pittins must live on!

 

Seriously now, I expect they're going to seize the opportunity to make things simpler. Breha is the Queen, Bail is the Prince Consort, Leia the Crown Princess, and that's all. Now, that still wouldn't explain why the royal house is referred to as the House of Organa when it should be the Queen's house and not that of her husband... (I have a somewhat complicated theory that solves all that, but it's only valid in the Legendsverse.)