Lit Books Star Wars: Brotherhood by Mike Chen

https://gizmodo.com/star-wars-brotherhood-excerpt-obi-wan-kenobi-dexter-jet-1848823363

Spoiler

“The Neimoidians.” The hologram of the bombing fizzled as Dex poked at it, then swiped it aside to pull up data on the Trade Federation’s purse worlds. “Unique species. Their brains are wired for calculation. Everything is an instinctive risk assessment to them. Some call it cowardly. I think it’s a strong survival instinct, percentages and risk. I worked with some, back in my black-market days. Quick thinkers. I’d want them on my side. Picking a side means losing half your customers, though.” Dex straightened up, his massive shoulders suddenly looking like mountains as he stood behind the bar. “In most cases.”


“So that’s it. Appeal to their sense of risk. How do you recommend going about that?” Obi-Wan lifted his plate. “Bring them cake?”

“They don’t have a tidy relationship with the Republic, I’ll tell you that. And not exactly with the Jedi, either. If I recall, you were involved with some of that.”

Obi-Wan’s voice dropped his sense of humor. “Nute Gunray is considered an extremist by their government. Senator Lott Dod—”

“There you go again. You Jedi, getting lost in the details.”

Obi-Wan tapped his fork against his plate. “So go with cake then?”

“Perhaps.” Dex stretched out, upper arms reaching overhead while his lower arms clutched his belly. “It’s simple, really. Cato Neimoidia is the base of operations for the Trade Federation. Long memories, those Neimoidians.”

“Make them forget.” Obi-Wan waved his hand, prompting a laugh from Dex. “I don’t know if one Jedi is powerful enough to do that.”

“Not forget. Show them that sending Palpatine might invite more trouble than it’s worth. And show them that a Jedi isn’t going to tear through them like at Naboo.” Obi-Wan nodded, his mind reframing options to Dex’s new direction. “Remember, it’s all numbers to them. It’s what got them where they are. See, all of the Republic types think it’s their ideology.” Dex shook his head with a chuckle. “That’s shortsighted. It’s a strategy, not politics. Their neutrality is different from the neutrality your old friend preaches.”

Obi-Wan had known Dex a long time, going back to a youthful misadventure out in the Unknown Regions. And though they only saw each other occasionally, his old friend knew just how to needle him.

This particular jab was so effective that a grin slipped through, and Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow in subtle acknowledgment.

“What old friend?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Dresses better than you. Striking eyes. Mandalorian royalty. Used to call you Ben, for some reason,” Dex said with one of his hearty chuckles. “That one. I hear she’s quite the savvy politician.”

Obi-Wan wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of saying her name out loud, or the fact that the Duchess Satine of Mandalore was maintaining neutrality in the Clone Wars to ensure that her people didn’t return to their previous warlike ways. “Ah, the simple foolishness of impulsive youth.”

“You keep telling yourself that, old buddy. I don’t know, why don’t you ask her about neutrality instead of an old slug at a diner?”

“Well, it’s simple, Dex. I wanted dessert.” To prove the point, Obi-Wan stabbed two pieces of cake, one from each layer, then took them down in one bite. “So suppose I convince them. The Republic sends a Jedi,” he continued, still chewing. “Then what?”

“I’d say it starts with the bombing. What was targeted, how was it done, and why?”

Obi-Wan clicked a button on the holoprojector to deactivate it, then tapped the datapad before sliding it over. “I’m glad you asked.”

Dex took one glance at the numbers and lists on the pad, then pushed it back. “No, no, no. See, you’re looking at the wrong thing here. All you’ve got is facts.”

Another eyebrow rose, though this one had nothing to do with Satine Kryze. “What’s so bad about facts, Dex?”

“Without context, facts are useless.” The holographic images returned as Dex tapped the pad with his large finger, then started swiping through. “You look at this and you see blast radius, casualty total, potential targets. What is the context?” he asked, tapping his finger with every word of his question.

“The context is—” Obi-Wan took in a breath. “We know the Republic didn’t do it.” Dex started to retort but Obi-Wan held up a finger. “We assume the Republic didn’t do it. The Separatists say they didn’t. The Trade Federation is neutral.”

“Whoever did it is an extremist. Regardless of side. Correct?” Dex asked. His question came with a tangible weight, and in that moment Obi-Wan considered that Dex would have made a really good teacher for a Padawan.

“Fair to assume. And the Trade Federation considers Nute Gunray an extremist.”

“Extremism only escalates when it’s left unchecked. When you stay neutral in the face of it.” The Besalisk gave a knowing grin. “But what if you could turn the Trade Federation into an ally? Make neutrality seem like the”—Dex’s chuckle echoed through the space—“risky thing to do.”

Obi-Wan nodded, the remaining food on his plate suddenly forgotten. Dex was right: Going to Cato Neimoidia, treating things strictly as an investigation to clear the Republic’s name—that would only keep the Trade Federation neutral. And that neutrality would in itself enable the war to escalate. “This catastrophe,” Obi-Wan said, pointing to the looping simulation of the attack, “may also be an opportunity.”

“Oh?”

“Senator Lott Dod acts as a firewall for the Trade Federation. Getting an audience with their leadership is nearly impossible. But this provides us a direct opportunity to speak to them. To be heard. Possibly.” He leaned back on his stool, hand over his beard. “Especially right now, while the war is young.”

“Now you’re getting it. So the first trick is to get them to accept a Jedi. And while that Jedi is earning their trust, perhaps talking them out of neutrality. Easy, right?” Dex looked over his shoulder. “Wanda?”

The waitress droid rolled to the kitchen window. “Ya need something, hon?”

Dex took a bite from the remaining cake slices, then looked at the chrono on the wall. “Brew a new pot of caf, please. We’re gonna be a while.”

“You got it, boss. Cream and sugar in yours, hon?”

“Oh, no,” Obi-Wan said. “I prefer my caf straight black.”

 

I pray that we finally get the date for when the Mandalore Year was, but not holding my breath that we get anything more.

 

I think it was revealed when Kenobi was 15. In canon sourcebook. So 2 years before Master and Apprentice.

 

Poor Kenobi - his master joked about Obi-Wan's relationship with Satine, and so did his apprentice, and so did his mortal enemy (with tragic results). And even in time period after Qui-Gon died and before Anakin found out his pal Dex dit it.

 

Well its now confirmed.

 

For those of you who still might obsess over trying to preserve as much of the old EU clone wars multimedia material as I do, I'd like to at least point out that when Anakin duels Ventress as a Padawan on Yavin in the microseries, they never exchange names, nor does Kenobi ever mention her by name. That allows at least some ambiguity for whatever happens here when Ani and Ventress first "meet". This might let a savvy fan sneak in at least a version of their Yavin duel early in the war if nothing else.

I'm also still not a big fan of Anakin being Knighted just a few weeks into the war. I liked having at least a few months where he was a Padawan, regardless of the state of NuCanon or Legends canon itself. It just allows for better story potential, IMHO, as you get the chance to see him earn the title a bit more (though this book will no doubt touch on how that happens).

The old Dark Horse comics will be more of an issue though (although she never actually tells Kenobi her name, he just somehow knows it, which is odd now that I look at it). Kenobi learns her entire history before Anakin was Knighted there. Oh well. Another challenge for another day, I suppose.

I look forward to this book regardless. Mike Chen seems like he's trying to stitch together a lot of elements from many sources, and anyone willing to reference and preserve any part of Matthew Stover's brilliant ROTS novel gets praise from me.

 

I also kind of wish there was a larger gap. Never liked the old EU having him knighted so close to ROTS because that never gave him time to come into his own as a knight.
But so close to AOTC leaves him very little time to grow out of his more immature qualities in that film. A month or two seems reasonable.

To be fair TCW also condenses the timeline in a vaguely unnatural way, at best we can say the war was a very fast paced conflict with Anakin and Obi-Wan being deployed to a different front basically every single day. So who knows maybe we can still get a couple good stories out of Padawan Anakin in battle during those couple weeks?

Hm.

Spoiler

To split the difference, I like to think "Ben" may have started as a teasing thing. Like Obi needed an alias fast and came up with it, Satine starts mocking it but it develops into a term of endearment. As the excerpt itself says, context matters and the way they go about it may make it more believable.

 

I mean, there's also the issue of Anakin literally needing months just to get his hair to grow long enough to look like his TCW appearance. It's super short in Ep II, and even the cover art from this book would take longer than a month to grow back. Because of little things like that, I'm going to be skeptical of any dates in this book regardless of their official canon status. The Clone Wars timeline has been messy for years, even in official canon.

Fortunately, stuff like the 2k3 series Battle of Muunilinst (which there is now a vague official canon version of), Grievous' duel on Hypori (also a vague but confirmed official battle in canon), and the events after that which lead to Anakin's knighting take place across an extremely ambiguous time table which could fit anywhere from weeks to months, and that's putting aside how the 2k3 show's EU timeline never made a lick of sense to begin with and was constantly being retconned even when it was C-canon (Officially in the EU, Nelvaan was before the Battle of Coruscant, not during as depicted in the show.)

It's best to think of the old show as a rough collection of real battles that happened at some point, but not necessarily in the order that was shown, or exactly as the show depicted. That's pretty much how canon has been treating the show for a few years now, and the smart timeline fans are using that ambiguity to their advantage. It'll be interesting to see how this novel plays with (or against) that when it releases, as Mike Chen clearly seems to be familiar with Star Wars Lit across the board.

Personally, I gave about a 6-9 month gap to fit any pre Christophsis stories into the war, while the Clone Wars "Heroes on Both Sides" s3 arc with the death of Senator Farr marks the War's halfway point, and the end of Season 6 marks the final 6 months of the war.

(Maybe when this book comes out and I can make sense of it, I'll finally give the forgotten L-Canon Clone Wars timeline a new update.)

 

https://www.polygon.com/star-wars/23046790/star-wars-brotherhood-mike-chen-excerpt-release

Spoiler

“There you are,” Obi-Wan called out.

Right before he spoke, he’d spotted Anakin by himself but stayed quiet. The Jedi refectory was nearly empty, so much so that Anakin must have figured no one would notice if he changed the configuration of the holodisplays from a rolling list of schedules and menus to a podrace from some remote world. He waited until Anakin finished and settled into his seat, a simple vegetable soup on the tray in front of him, and gave his former apprentice several seconds to enjoy his setup before barging in.

In return, Obi-Wan used the time to consider the scene in front of him: Anakin trying to bend rules to serve his personal desires. Here, it was minor. Not that long ago, it was far more drastic, and a single memory flashed, summing up Obi-Wan’s worries in a few words: “You will be expelled from the Jedi Order!”

He’d screamed it at Anakin as wind whipped into their eyes, their gunship soaring over Geonosis. In return, Anakin screamed right back. “I don’t care!”

But that was the problem. Anakin did care. He cared about so many things—including podracing—that Obi-Wan felt like he was often the safety lock on Anakin’s throttle, making sure Anakin kept from going so fast that he’d spiral out of control. Yet now they were peers rather than Master and apprentice, a war severing that protective tether and letting Anakin drift free among his instincts and his passion.

“Master,” Anakin said, standing up so fast that his knees banged the table, the soup in his bowl sloshing in reaction. Obi-Wan noticed the subtle gesture Anakin made behind his back, cutting power to the holodisplay with the flip of a finger. “I was just catching up on the Cato Neimoidia news and—”

“It’s all right,” Obi-Wan said, waving his hand as if he was doing a mind trick, though in this case it simply calmed the soup from spilling farther out. “Perhaps peace could be negotiated if we all watched sports and drank ale together. Actually, I’ve come to talk with you about your next assignment tomorrow.”

Anakin looked at Obi-Wan, the smallest twist forming on his mouth before it reset to neutral. “Tomorrow? I thought I was shipping out in two days to oversee aid delivery to Langston.”

A very strategic response formulated in Obi-Wan’s mind. “Oh, you still are. Tomorrow’s is local.” His head tilted ever so slightly, measuring Anakin’s response. “Shouldn’t interfere with anything you have planned.”

“Ah. I mean,” Anakin started before looking over at where the refectory’s holographic projection had been. “We’re meeting with the chancellor tomorrow. The newest Jedi Knights, that is. I didn’t want to miss it.”

“Anakin, you can catch a feed of podrace tournaments on any shuttle or transport. If you know how to do it.” Obi-Wan spoke with specific precision, something equally designed to disarm while also dig a little deeper. He paused, letting Anakin take a sip of soup before moving on to a new topic, something just as tactical. “Oh, did I tell you I ran into Senator Amidala at the Temple yesterday? It sounds like she and a few other senators agree with the Jedi using the opportunity to speak to Cato Neimoidia. I haven’t seen her since Geonosis, but she looks no worse for wear.”

Anakin stood up again, a careful move that avoided any table collisions this time. Then he knelt back to the access panel of the holoprojector, his face completely hidden. “If you run into her again, tell her I say hello. One second,” he said, tinkering with the configuration. “Can’t let anyone know I was watching podracing. So, I hear you’re off to Cato Neimoidia tomorrow?”

“Word travels fast.”

“You know I should be there with you.” Obi-Wan had heard variations on that statement before, and in some cases it came with the intimation that Anakin considered himself more powerful, more capable, the obvious solution. In this case, though, his voice, his posture, the concern on his face, all came across as authentic, an unexpected maturity. What an interesting change in attitude.

“I would much rather have that. But we must abide by Count Dooku’s caveats. He has smartly backed the Jedi into a corner. It must be me alone.” Anakin’s discomfort at the idea painted his entire expression, a stony silence, as if the young man tried to will his way into the situation. “Even though I’m sure the Trade Federation would love to hear your take on the galaxy’s best podracers. Perhaps you could even inform them of your favorite underdogs,” he said, allowing a smirk to come through.

Anakin returned the smile, building a bridge between the two, perhaps even a silent acknowledgment of their equal status. At the very least, it cracked the tension. “I wish,” he started before his voice trailed off. Another surge of emotion came, like a wave but rather than a complex mix of feelings, Obi-Wan sensed . . . Was that regret?

“I wish Master Qui-Gon could see us now.” Anakin often left Obi-Wan flustered, sometimes with his bravado, sometimes with his stubbornness, sometimes with the way that bravado and stubbornness always pulled off the impossible. But this came from sheer surprise.

Anakin barely mentioned Qui-Gon to Obi-Wan. How much did the slain Jedi Master occupy his thoughts? “I’m sorry, Master, I shouldn’t have—”

“He would be proud of you,” Obi-Wan said, a pure sincerity in his voice. Qui-Gon, with such belief that Anakin was the Chosen One—whether or not that was true, it was hard to argue with Anakin’s accomplishments. “His faith would be rewarded.”

They sat in silence for several seconds, the only sound that of cutlery and plates from far across the dining hall, both of them now silent. Finally, Anakin pushed things forward. As he always did. “I really should fly out to Cato Neimoidia. As backup. I don’t trust Dooku. Or the Trade Federation. Or Neimoidians in general, for that matter.”

“That’s not within the parameters of the mission, unfortunately.”

Anakin gave a quiet laugh, then shook his head. “Wait a minute. Are you telling me that Jedi Knights really do still follow all the rules? We thought that was something you told the Padawans to keep us in line.”

“Indeed. In fact, I think you’ll find that life as a Jedi Knight is much easier when you stick to the rules. Improvising tends to only invite trouble. Speaking of which—” Obi-Wan brightened, and suddenly he found himself trying to contain the urge to chuckle. “You should have a plan for tomorrow.”

“What is this mystery assignment?”

“It is something far more challenging, far more emotionally taxing than a simple negotiation, but it is a rite of passage, something notched on the belt of every Jedi.” Anakin’s face crinkled in curiosity, and Obi-Wan knew he had his young companion exactly where he wanted him. “You must meet with the younglings and pass on your wisdom.”

Anakin’s laugh echoed through the nearly empty hall, enough that it caught the attention of the group of Padawans in the far corner. “Okay, seriously, what’s the assignment?”

“Anakin,” Obi-Wan said, placing a hand on his shoulder. “I am being completely serious with you.”

Anakin’s eyes grew wide and he began to slowly shake his head. “No. You can’t be.”

“I’m afraid I am. And this can’t just be about lightsaber techniques or physical manipulation of the Force. You must teach them the wisdom you’ve gathered on your journey from Padawan to the trials. And—” Obi-Wan bit his lip to hold in his laughter. “—you must answer their questions. All of them.”

 

Spoiler

Anakin teaching younglings a lesson?
This should be interesting.

May also add a little depth to a certain comment made by Ahsoka in Season 4 of TCW?

 

I wonder if Anakin is Knighted during this book's early events, or if it still just happens off screen?

 

I am happy they are exploring the transition between teenage AOTC Anakin and adult ROTS Anakin. This Anakin definitely has the headstrong attitude of his Padawan days and I felt watching that change in the 02-07 multimedia project was fascinating. It’s not entirely TCW’s fault for skipping over it (Clone Wars 03 and books like Jedi Trial were canon with TCW when it came out in 2008), but now that it’s TCW by itself under Disney, it’s good to see it since I find the transition as it exist from AOTC to TCW to be jarring

 

I've been putting the original Clone Wars cartoon sometime in the first month after Geonosis, with the Clone Wars series beginning about three months after Geonosis. Though I'm waiting to see what the new Timeline book will say.

 

Spoiler

Oh, he knows![/spoilers]

 

Spoiler

Obi-Wan knows that Anakin and Padme are married?

 

Spoiler

He is aware that they are at least in some sort of relationship, and not a relationship that they should be. He might not know the full details, but he certainly is aware that they are skirting the line and might need to have a talk with Anakin.

 

Spoiler

Jaro Tapal and Cal Ketsis cameo!

 

My copy is on the way!

 

https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/1446071/star-wars--brotherhood/9781529150209.html

First 3 chapters are up. My thoughts...

Spoiler

Anakin is already Knighted at the start of the book, so EU timeline fans can make of that what you will. The explanation is that the war's outbreak pushed for the early knighting of many padawans, but details beyond that are fuzzy. Anakin's hair has started to grow out since his knighting, so at least some time has passed since both that 'and' Episode II. No specifics on time tables are given. At bare minimum, one could still assume events roughly similar to the micro-series can happen before this, given that Ventress and Anakin never exchange names. Also, despite the cover, Anakin is already wearing a glove over his mechanical hand, which is directly mentioned.

The neutrality of Cato Nemoidia is also expanded upon, with Nute Gunray again being emphasized as an Extremist with a breakaway faction that joins the Separatists, leaving the rest of the population of the planet conflicted as they get swept up into the war. An early Battle of Cato Nemoidia (implied now to be "the time that doesn't count", from Episode III) is depicted, as has been said before. No dates are mentioned, but Geonosis is said to be "recent". Again, make of that what you will.

Finally, there does appear to be a Matthew Stover ROTS novel reference, as Shimi often told Anakin the story about a sun dragon, saying he was like it and had the strongest heart.

Personally, I'm fine with all this. Seems like it could be anywhere from 3-6 months into the war, which gives plenty of time for canon TCW to fill in the rest of that gap and still some leeway for other events to occur.

 

Spoiler

Siri Tachi cameo!

Also Obi-Wan apparently possibly took Coleman Trebor's seat on the council? (On a temporary basis?)

 

I'm really excited for it. I can't believe Disney's finally doing a story in the Prequel era, instead of pretending it didn't exist. Hopefully this will be a worthy successor to Master & Apprentice and Dooku: Jedi Lost.

 

Really looking forward to start reading this.