How about some stories of heroes told from the CIS?s perspective?

I?m not overly familiar with the EU, so if this has already been done, please excuse my ignorance. And also, if such ?daydreamy? topics are not usually discussed here, again, I apologize.

Something I would love to see is a story (novel, comic, or some of the Clone Wars television series) devoted to the heroes (as mentioned in the opening crawl of RotS) of the Confederacy of Independent Systems.

Even though they are usually thought of, and generally portrayed in the prequels, as ?the bad guys?, the way I see it they are really no better or worse than the Republic when it comes down to it.

Taken straight from the starwars.com database: ?Despite rosy recollections of a greater past, the Galactic Republic succumbed into undeniable decay. Its cumbersome bureaucracy slowed down any attempts at reform, and too many of its constituents had grown corrupt and complacent to enact any change. A feeling of disenfranchisement grew in the galaxy, particularly in outlying systems where heavy taxation was not balanced by improved services.?

While not all of their actions or motives were entirely noble, there were plenty that were justified. And many of the Republic?s actions and motives are similarly questionable.

It?s undeniably true that their top leadership was evil (a Sith Lord no less), but the same can also be said of the Republic. Both sides were unwittingly manipulated into an evil war/power grab by Sidious, and this was fairly easily accomplished because both sides believed they were doing what was just.

I can imagine CIS heroes that would be sympathetic from one viewpoint, but viewed as very nearly Sith from the standard one.

For example, imagine a force adept from an outlying system essentially ignored by the Jedi and Republic. Jedi might not be viewed as symbols of truth and justice there, merely elite soldiers who maintain the Republic?s corrupt control.

Here perhaps the force is not viewed exactly as the Jedi/Sith see it -- light vs. dark, but rather with both rational and passionate/emotional sides. It?s not as black and white to them as it is taught in the Jedi temples.

This aristocratic force-user may have embraced the passionate side of the force with the best of intentions. Fighting for an uncorrupt democracy, capitalism, and freedom, this hero would actually be what Count Dooku merely presents himself to be. Taken under Darth Tyrannus? wing, perhaps he buys into the (not entirely erroneous) message that Obi-Wan denies and becomes a prized pupil, even taking up the red lightsaber (red, blue, green ? none of these are symbols of good or evil where this character comes from).

You?d have a character that would be viewed as a dark Jedi/wannabe Sith from the typical SW?s perspective, but one who is really no more evil or less noble than a Jedi Master such as Mace Windu or Obi-Wan Kenobi who unknowingly led the Republic war machine for Sidious? gain.

That?s just one such example. You could create a number of sympathetic, tragic heroes who were used as pawns of the Sith to their own cause?s ultimate destruction, just as the Jedi were.

Heck, even though he is purposely designed to look creepy and evil, General Grievous (from what little I know of his story -- just the movies and the Clone Wars cartoon) could fit this mold quite nicely. He?s basically just an exceptionally effective warrior/leader when it comes down to it. So he killed a bunch of Jedi ? from his perspective they were the top soldiers of the opposition who were just as committed to killing him.

IMHO, something like this could really help flesh out the SW?s universe and tell new tales in a familiar time period from a fresh perspective.

 

Your last paragraph there is totally true! If you're interested in reading about a race of beings who were fighting the Republic presence on their planet told from a sympathetic viewpoint, I'd recommend checking out Issues 79 and 80 of Republic, as well as the current Dark Times comic arc. The Nosaurians, on the planet New Plympto, definitely get sympathy from the reader.

 

Grievous did some horrible things though. Depopulating an entire star sector of humans with a plague? BDZing a densely populated city world? Killing nearly all the Ugnaughts on their homeworld?

I would like to see some more stories with CIS characters as the heroes though. Maybe stories about Nemoidian Warriors (and Nemoidian Brutes, being mutated into a monster by genetic engineering must suck), Gossam Commandos, and Koovriar Fusiliers. Perhaps a commando team of highly intelligent battle droids on an infiltration mission? A story set after the war, about two good ol' boy aliens rip-roarin through space in their orange freighter (named the General Grievous) on the run from Admiral Hogg, shouting "the Rim shall rise again!" and "long live the Confederacaaaawwwwww!!!!!!!"

 

I'm thinking of a more Robert E. Lee kind of person who was in it not for the power or even the cause, but simply out of a sense of duty.

 

I, too, think this would make for many interesting stories. After all, the CIS leadership was evil, but probably the majority of the people actually fighting the war believed they were making a better galaxy.

 

We definately need more stories from the CIS' perspective. Especially one that shows good people fighting for what they believe in like the Rebellion. The problem with the clone wars was while it should have been taken in a "shades of gray" approach. Instead, the Separatists were portrayed as evil moustache twirling villains.

 

I'm always for the underdog! These guys get no appreciation... the last few issues of Republic and one or two short stories in the Clone Wars Adventures comics tried to show the war from the Separatist view, but usually these stories are about a Jedi learning, only after Order 66, that the Separatists might not have been all that bad. If we could get a story based on the Seps during the middle of the War it would be great.

I've always liked that ytmnd...

 

I've always wanted to see some stories from the CIS's point of view ever since AotC came out. To me they add a compleatly new flavour to the GFFA as a faction with a different visual style, characters, ideology, "atmosphere" if you will.

Sadly, one of the weakest points in the Clone Wars-era EU is that it is too one sided, everything is black and white, good or bad. The Republic is fleshed out with the clones, Jedi, Senate, their relations and interal struggles and ideals, but the CIS up to this point seems to be more of a comic relief. An organisation commanded by treasonous, cowardly leaders and supported by masses of senseless battle droids (I'm excluding Dooku and Grevious who seem to be the only seriously expanded seperatist characters).

A story arc, or even a single book, about the more humane element of the CIS would definately grab my attention. A squad of seperatist commandos (weren't those invented by WotC?), with their internal struggles and misstrust, some fighting for their ideal, other simply for money would be pretty interesting. Maybe something about the seperatist Navy and a Neimodan of a Human captain 'hunting' Republican convoys simillar to the U-Boats of the Second World War, or about the civillian population on an occupied world, seeing the clones as monsters and such. Limitless possibilities, I might say.

I really miss the old days of the Rebellion era when the Imperials were given much attention. Beside the typical bad guys we got characters who were idealists and believed what they were doing was right - Thrawn, Fel, Sunber... well, things were more "gray" than black and white, if I may say so.

Sadly, Lucas and co seem to be content with just the "there are heroes on both sides" line.

 

I too would like to see an expanded look at the heroes of the CIS.

But, as has been said, Lucasfilm and Del Rey seem too intent on keeping the characterisation simple.

Pre-Order 66 Republic = Whiter than White, CIS= Teh Evil!!!11!

 

I want CIS heroes too. Whatever happened to "there are heroes on both sides, evil is everywhere"?

 

The power players of the CIS were cowardly corporate robber barons while the Republic leadership (aside from Palpatine obviously) genuinely believed in the Republic.

 

Makes sense. People who didn't believe in the Republic would have joined the Seperatists...

 

How about that Mon Calamari General that was at the attack of Kamino. He seemed to be a decent sentient that hasn't committed TOO many atrocities.

I'm sure there are other examples like this. And to the Seps, I'm sure Count Dooku was one hell of a hero. Your average Joe Sepertist isn't going to know all of the evil things that guys like Dooku and Grievous did. They are out winning the war for their side, just like the Jedi were doing for the Republic.

Carnage

 

Ahahahaha! This totally would be me if I lived in the Star Wars universe....

I agree with you guys, I'd love to see some tales told from the Separatists side. I agree with the fact that while they claimed "there were heroes on both sides" the EU, as well as the films were happy to just depict the Seps as greedy cowards and just all around OMG EVIL D00DZ, while the Jedi, and far worse, the Republic, were portrayed as the heroes. I can definitely let the Jedi thing slide as how they were alright people, just dumb and blinded by the corruption going on under their noses. But to sit there and believe the Republic, the government we're supposed to believe has long been corrupt, is all great and good? Pfffftttt. You can blow that out your you know what. This is the government that turned a blind eye to slavery on outer rim worlds. This is the government that sided with the folks who invaded Grievous' home planet and made it go bankrupt...

Of course, there were greedy spineless worms in the Confederacy, but there were also people who had noble causes, people who honestly believed that the current government was corrupt, and I'd like to hear their stories.

 

Merai. And he was cool as hell.

I want to see some Seppies that become future Rebels myself. Maybe even some big names that don't have the backstory yet.

 

True dat. Most of the Separatist leaders we saw were either sniveling, greedy cowards or murderous psychopaths.

 

They actually had a comic entitled Heroes on Both Sides. It was about Dooku and Grievious betraying their allies.

But yeah, Merai is the best example. Shogar Tok and Alto Stratus are also somewhat sympathetic.

 

Whether the leaders of the Republic actually believed in the Republic is debateable. Sure, there's no doubt that people like Mon Mothma, Bail Ofgana, Padme Amidala, and the 2,000 believed in the Republic, but there were far more Senators who really could care less about the Republic and only cared about their power and that they were aligned with the eventual winner of the war. I too would like to see some stories come out from the CIS perspective, I've never been a fan of the black and white story approach that Lucas tries to drive home because that's just not real life, hardly anything is ever black and white. The EU was always a bastion for the gray area, and it's quite sad that they failed so badly with this in the Clone War novels.

 

Star Wars, especially the OT, is not about a gray area. At least not in the vision of its creator. It's a space opera! White-clothed princesses in peril, old and wise knights with laser swords battling dark warriors and their faceless minions of evil. Sidekicks and rusty rocket ships.

It isn't about realism, that is more to be found in the works of Heinlein or Asimov. Star Wars is about archetypes, about stories of good defeating evil against the odds. About redemption through good actions and scruffy scoundrels who come through in the end because they really do have a heart of gold. Or it used to be anyway.

I will never understand the need to try to push realism into the GFFA. And indeed to modern sci-fi. As if just because its "dark" and "edgy" it is superior. Sure "Empire" is a darker film, but only as set up for the happy ending, and it still leaves us with a possibility of hope.

The GFFA isn't real life, and wasn't meant to be. Its a place of dreams, where farmboys have a destiny - to make a one in a million shot that changes the course of history. To redeem a fallen hero, a father never known, and bring balance to the magic of the realm.

Sometimes I feel like all the kids who watched those films forgot what it was all about. They grew up and lost the magic. Kind of sad really. I think that is the real darkness.

 

The movies are black and white, but the EU is notoriously not.

 

Here's what I don't understand about why someone would want this:

1) The CIS was pretty much, majority-wise, just trying to get more money and power rather than wanting true independence from a corrupt system (a la the Rebellion) and
2) They were all patsies. Played. Fooled. Hoodwinked. Bamboozled.

What would make that terribly interesting?

 

Agreed. The last thing I want is Nute Gunray's personal account of the war. We get a lot of General Grevious background (and CIS too) from Labyrith of Evil. That satisfied my appettite. I would only consider reading a CIS perspective novel through the eyes of Count Dooku. And didn't we already get that?

 

Up until Geonosis, Dooku was seen as a political idealist and a reformer (made all the more virtuous by his position as a former Jedi). For so many systems to throw their lot in with him convinces me most of them weren't really in it for money.

Frankly, for many of the galaxy's major corporations to declare open war against the established galactic government doesn't seem like the best way to make money, either.

And the Republic and the Jedi weren't?

 

Right, but the majority of the systems joining up WEREN'T joining up with Dooku, but I'd agree with you on the systems that were. Most of them joined up with the businessmen and women.

No taxation paid to the Republic on their now-monopoly on the Outer-to-Mid Rim worlds controlled by them when they won the war, of course.

They were, but they were the ones in power. That's tragedy. The CIS is just comedy.

 

Good fiction is magic in whatever form it may take, and that's why I've loved the EU so much. Lucas never bothered to actually tackle hard issues, taking on the gray areas is a lot harder than telling a story where everything is supposedly a very easy black and white. Nothing beats a good work of fiction, and I enjkoy it in all its forms, but I enjoy the grim and the gritty where not everything is clearly defined much more than I do the fairy tale type stuff. Besides, just look at the film boards, I'd say no matter how hard he may have tried Lucas ultimately failed in trying to make the movies all black and white. His intention and the way he wanted it to be may have been a simple black and white, but a lot of people have been smart enough to realize that a lot of the idealogies that Lucas tried to push aren't a simple black and white issue and never could be.