Resource Fanfic Writer's Desk: Your Place for Writing Discussion, Questions, and Advice

I kept forgetting to answer this, sorry! In VotF, Mara asks how close Luke thinks the Thrawn clone will be to the original Thrawn, and Luke replies:

Luke shook his head. "That's an argument that's been going on for decades," he said. "With the same genetic structure plus a flash-learning pattern taken directly from the templet, a clone should theoretically be completely identical to the original person. But despite that, they're never exactly the same. Maybe some of the mental subtleties get blurred over in transition, or maybe there's something else unique inside of us that a flash-learning reader isn't able to pick up."​

There's probably more information somewhere else in Legends (@vader_incarnate Elli, does DE go into any detail there?), particularly in the prequel era with the Kaminoans and all, but honestly clones and cloning has never been a particular interest of mine and I don't know of any other specific information on the subject. However, just from this it looks like the essential answer to your question is: No one knows, not even in the GFFA. But it seems that the technical language you'd want in order to describe the existing process is "flash-learning reader/pattern." Basically, feel free to bluff your way through it, there doesn't seem to be any clear answer

 

It's super hand wavy. The official explanation for Palpatine's clones in DE is that he used the Sith art of essence transfer. His later clones had their genetic material deliberately tampered with to make them more susceptible to mental degradation, due to Dark side shenanigans.

There's some backdating here (Dark Empire was written pre-PT) but there's the possibility that essence transfer as a Sith skill was developed by Darth Plagueis and Darth Tenebrous in the decades before TPM. (Which isn't my area of expertise, I'm just your friendly neighborhood Dark Empire expert.) But that's not really to do with clones specifically, and is only really relevant to your interest, I think, if you're looking for the Sithy way to do it.

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But it's useful if anyone wants to bluff their way through Sith cloning!

Eh, honestly, Raissa, I'd say be as vague as you want; the EU was

 

Oh, wait, I can actually elaborate a little on Palpatine's clones in particular (stars, why do I know so much about this) - essence transfer erases the host personality. Like overwriting a disk drive on your computer; the extant personality ceases to exist entirely. So it's treated as more or less irrelevant with respect to the clones in Dark Empire, because Palpatine's essence overrides whatever was there before.

 

"Somehow, Palpatine returned"

So the terminology for ordinary clones seems to be "flash-learning reader/pattern" that somehow reads knowledge and memories and experiences from the person serving as clone template and then imprints it on the new clone, and "essence transfer" just erases and overwrites whatever existed in the new clone body to make room for the incoming template for Sith clones, and no one knows how any of it works, it just does. That's the GFFA for you

 

The Force Unleashed II also has reference to 'memory-flashes' used to train Starkiller's clone, and we see some of how the 'Dark Clone' reacts to integrating those memories as separate from his core personality while allowing him to retain his training. It's light on the details of what the memory-flashes themselves actually consist of though.

 

Just got done contemplating a Legends au of the clone wars; contemplating whether I should share it fully or in small doses, what do you guys think?

 

Mostly depends on the length of the story. I'd hesitate to post more than about 10,000 words in one go, or to break up anything less than 5000 words into separate posts unless I was specifically working with a shorter story format like drabbles. But there are always exceptions and it's a personal call.

 

Okay then, I was planning on doing it around a similar length to James Luceno's "Labyrinth of Evil" novel in length; It's essentially about a clone who due to some rather mismanagement in the indoctrination process on Kamino, doesn't exactly belief in all the brainwashed orders of the GAR and the Chancellor himself. But due to this rather lack of indoctrination, this clone (Named Reb or Rebel by his squad), he starts to act rather insubordinately against the orders of his commanders and later, his general for what he believes is the right thing.

 

It's actually a little more complicated then that. It's actually a fairly well-established (although mostly in the period thousands of years before Yavin during the period of numbers wars between the Republic/Jedi and Sith) dark side power to transfer your, soul, for lack of a better term, although that's not what it is, to another person, overwriting their, soul, for lack of a better term, with yours, (I'm assuming the recipient needs to be force-sensitive) keeping your mind, thoughts, knowledge and skill with the force intact, you know it's you, it's the same you and the the old you doesn't die, just your body dies. Against a "typical" person it's risky though, with a chance of failure overwriting it, (trying to take over a Jedi Master is an almost certain failure) in which case you cease to exist.

Against a body with a blank mind, though, generally meaning a clone of yourself that's never been conscious before, it's essentially safe, and could enable a powerful darksider to potentially live forever. Which is good, since the dark side of the force causes your body to whither. (Palpatine planned to rule the galaxy himself forever that way.) If you accept the pre-prequel "the Empire lasted 35 years" timeline, I'd actually say it's pretty likely that Palpatine already transferred over to a clone at some point around decade before Yavin, otherwise he likely would have died of old age. Of course, it's still exactly the same Palpatine by any measure. It seems that during DE he had made the mistake of transferring over to clones that were grown too fast, resulting in increasing clone madness.

On a related note, although Zahn has directly said that C'Both is not the original guardian of the Mt. Tantness storehouse, it seems that a mad clone dark Jedi would be a much better guardian than a normal dark Jedi, since unlike the normal one the mad one won't be plotting against you with a massive cloning facility and numerous pieces of exotic high-technology at his disposal...

 

My scenario is "the Forest Moon of Endor is sent hurtling through the time winds to 32 BBY" from the ending moments of ROTJ - so the entire moon and everyone on it at that moment has arrived in 32 BBY as well - Han, Leia, Lando, the Ewoks, the Rebels, C3PO and R2D2 etc. etc.

 

I would like some opinions on a villain group that I created for rebel clone fic, this came up after a little binging of history channel specials.

The "Blackfins": A Gungan supremacist group that sides with the CIS in a unified plot to kidnap Boss Nass at a special gathering of Naboos royalty and political powers. The leader of this group is Silas Craul, an ex-general that served under Nass until his exile for attempting a coupe on the amphibious lord and plotting an invasion; said exile also included an additional punishment of removing his legs. Replacing his legs with durasteel implants and amassing a mercenary force of similarly disgruntled exiles. Silas took up the offer of assistance by Count Dooku for the kidnapping of Rugor Nass in exchange for Otoh Gungah's resources beneath Naboo's notice; the sith lord even added to the agreement by giving the supremacist leader access to droids and other resources. Inspiration for Silas and his Blackfins came from real-life fascist terror groups in WW2 like Mussolini's "Blackshirts" and Hitler's "Brownshirts".

 

That´s an intresting idea. And yes such groups would make sense, especially when considering that the whole CIS Idea being to go against the "utterly human dominated Republic". And given how the Gungans were even utterly ignored by the Galactic Republic in favor of the human Naboo up until ten years before the Clone Wars there is no doubt some resentment.

Only thing I noticed is that, at least according to TCW Boss Nass was no longer in charge by the time of the war but instead this guy:
https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Lyonie/Legends


BTW I currently have a group of exiles in my story as well, though in this case Hapan exiles, who are actually on the good side as one of their main grievances with Queen Allana is that she pretty much sold out Hapes to the (Fel) Empire.

 

I like your Hapan exiles concept, you don't see the Hapan used very often in fics or in fan material too often and it's nice to see them used.

Just for brainstorming sake; what do you think I should arm my gungan blackshirts with in terms of arms or weapons? (Outside of CIS droids)

 

It sounds like your Gungans are being armed by separatist forces whose motives are destabilizing Naboo more than supporting the cause. I don't think they'd give them their fanciest weapons, but instead would supply them with old but reliable sidearms that have been sold for surplus ages ago or are readily available on the black market. Kind of like how in RL, the USSR supplied many proxy wars with SKS rifles, and now you can buy them from U.S. retailers-- I've seen buy 10 and get 1 free!

 

[Kirk angers Palpatine]
Palpy: "So be it, Starfleet!"
(points hands at Kirk; nothing happens as the Force does not exist in the Star Trek universe)
Palpy: "I did it before!"
Kirk: "Security? Take him to the brig!"

 

A reality warper - for shiggles - swaps out Vader's personality for Dark Helmet's at a crucial moment in the third act of ROTS?

 

I'm sorry.

 

can someone please help me write a good lightsaber battle please, i'm struggling

 

This is a very old thread that's long been locked for inactivity, but there's a bunch of good information in it about writing action scenes, including lightsaber duels. There might be some tidbits inside that can help. T.A.C.T.I.C.S. - Thread for Advice and Criticism Towards Improving Combat Scenes

 

This. Whenever I'm stuck writing a scene, I turn to my SW novels and find a scene like that and use it for inspiration.

 

repeating my potential scenario since it seemed to be overlooked back in November:
My scenario is "the Forest Moon of Endor is sent hurtling back in time to 32 BBY" from the ending moments of ROTJ - so the entire moon and everyone on it at that moment has arrived in 32 BBY as well - Han, Leia, Lando, the Ewoks, the Rebels, C3PO and R2D2 etc. etc.

 

This guy has several videos where he analyzes various lightsaber fights, maybe you'll find it helpful? I avoid writing action scenes at all costs, yet I thought they were very interesting to watch

I'm sorry, what exactly is the question here?