Lit Reading NJO...Again

Jacen learned back in the Dark Tide books that visions are finicky things. Had that vision of freeing the slaves, yet got his butt handed to him and had to be rescued by Luke.
Didn't Abeloth catch Jacen by surprise in FOTJ? Been forever since I read the series but Jacen was worried about Krayt.

 

A better story, both Solo boys had more potential than just "which boy to choose to spend my life with, oh the comics already spoiled that so its not even intresting", and than being the womb for the fellpire a role pretty much any random Jedi could have fullfilled as well.

 

So Jacen just postponed Krayt by a century. Still something at least even if not final. I wonder how long Krayt would have lasted had he ruled back then already. Who'd have beaten him.

Maybe Jacen did not see Abeloth but all her avatars actions yet never connecting the dots, just wondering why Luke's exgirlfriends all go crazy at the same time no wonder he was worried for Luke lol it all makes sense now!

 

In a way he never wanted a Sith Empire and always did it for his childs future. One might even say, whatever his shortlived reign intended to achieve was always meant to crumble so she could take the throne of something better, given she'd never have taken his throne had it not crumbled. He knew that.

In a way it was selfish to choose Allana over the galaxy, but if it is true he saw her on the Throne of Balance, both goals would have aligned longterm. So his sacrifice is selfless while at the same time selfish.

Point of view, I know. But one might say Jacen became the Dark Man for he understood one has to take that role always and he did willingly and had the ability to embrace the pain it brought and neither get broken by it, nor controled by it. In that regard Vergere and Vong training prepared him for it quite well to take the burden. If talking metapher even maybe, he took one for the team taking the Mortis Son's place so that those he loved could only choose between the other lighter roles.

Even Abeloth wanted to recreate the Mortis family but in her image. Maybe Jacen thwarted that in part by occupying the Son's place, thus forcing others to be unable to go along with Abeloths plans. Anakin Solo may be seen as an avatar of the light, leaving Jaina the father/mother balanced role which fits her Imperial Knights and future well given she is neither Jedi nor Sith but something in the middle serving the Force.

 

That's sounding very Golden Path like from Dune.

 

Regarding the identity of the dark man, I always took stock of Yoda's dictum "always in motion the future is"

The Dark Man could have been any number of people depending on wherever the future was, Luke, Jacen, Krayt, Ben, among others. It just so turned out to be Krayt. Thanks to the actions of people in the present.

Wait what? Their personalities weren't flipped. Jacen was the philosopher in Vector Prime and Anakin the man of action.​

 

Edit: Double Post

 

So Anakin 2.0 had to die just because of the wrong name? It's so poor anyway, the writers of Dark Empire had no more ideas than to give the second son of Han/Leia this name. I also don't like the name Ben for the new Solo-Skywalker btw.

I wonder how a third Solo-Skywalker offspring could ever be reconciled with NJO: Ben Solo-Skywalker a shadow child like some Chiss families did sire and hide in another family, just in case the bloodline dies out otherwise one time? I remember Vergere's negative words to Luke and Mara about Jedi-Dynasties. (Was it in Destiny's Way?)

 

http://toschestation.net/mythbusting-did-george-lucas-order-anakin-solos-death/

 

More on DW

We see a confrontation between a drunk officer and some senators who took forces from the defence of Coruscant which helped it fall.

I like this, it shows how bad things still are and blame is still going around. I also like that the idea of the millitary being on it's own ISN'T a good thing, so this is better than DT.

We also see Pellaeon again. I like this Pellaeon, it shows that he is a good, decent person, but still a horrible fascist, who does not believe in freedom and want's what he can get for the Empire. I MUCH prefer this to the saint he was in DT (where NR millitary liked him more than their own people and just let him run a key battle). Then han and leia get some alone time, this stuff just feels less sleazy then when Denning writes it. (maybe cause they are all adults or maybe I am burnered by future knowledge)

Troll Vergere is back. She is just messing with Luke (which she admits later on). Good to see she once again says that the darkness is inside him. She is still being a troll but getting more open with Luke. I also like that she DOESN'T like the jedi having kids. Jedi Dynasties and love killing duty are both valid concerns, which will be shown by FotJ where Luke wants Ben to lead the jedi after him.

Now onto politics. I do like Luke helping out and learning to play politics (like Mon Mothma said he could in the first black fleet book), BUT I do take issue with Lando and Talon ACTUALLY bribing people. Giving people supplies and letting their own crooked nature lead them to break the law. I also have no issue with them finding out senators who ran and took forces with them.

I do feel a bit bad for Rodan, since he isn't wrong, or even bad (he isn't corrupt his brother, who he has nothing to do with, was). I really like how we can have good people disagree with the heroes and not be bad (a bit too proud perhaps), too bad Walter John Williams didn't end up writing the post NJO.

Mara thwarting the assassination attempt was good and exciting, I would think that this would also boost Cal in the vote. I also liked the space battle, I thought Jaina did a good job and when things looked hopeless she prepared to get her people out. I don't like her thought that 'she will die, so fewer people to morn her'. I do like her worrying about the people under her command though.

ACKBAR IS BACK, good to see he is working on a plan with the new leader.

I also like how the Bothans are acting. They have their back up to the wall and they decide to come out swinging. This is the last stand of the galaxy so fight with all out have. I also like Kre'Fey's speech and Jaina's reaction to it. He is right to tell people these things, but Jaina is right that total war can be too much. This again is how people can take different views and still be on the same side.

Nom is having some adventures, he sees the hertics and learns where the hatred comes from, he also learns about the cortex, this shows how good at being Nom Anor he is, finding information and using it to his advantage. I also like Onimi and his work with the shaper, it shows how smart he is ( I think this hints to his past).

Man the World Brain has a nasty sense of humour, a bit of toilet humour honestly. Also the Supreme Overlord of snark (is this Onimi's doing?)


I am really enjoying this book. It feels a lot lighter than the other books. While EL, DJ and T all were about the tide turning this is when they all come together.

 

she's lying.

 

I always though this and other visions Jacen had were crafted by Krayt to cause chaos and get Jacen killed.

 

Regarding causing visions within someone intentionally, from afar even, is this a confirmed power anywhere ever? Many assumed Palpatine did it with Anakin about Padmé. But was there ever a direct link that proofed this is possible to force visions upon someone else and even craft the nature of them?

I know visions are often selffulfilling prophecies and given lack of context misleading. Master and Apprentice told quite well the dangers of them and why Jedi abandoned the Seer business part of the order.

Dathmiri magick could do it on TCW when they attacked Dooku and sent him visions of sickness and the like. But that was more an illusion than Force vision. Yoda claimed repeatedly that the Dark Side clouds the Jedis vision but that is something more general and generic, not intentional doing by Palpatine. At least not as specific as sending specific visions, which is like a mindtrick taken to the extreme, rather rare and difficult a task. Especially on people not weakminded like Anakin or Jacen, or an entire group of them like the Jedi Council. Also said power would need to work from afar so the unsuspecting subject of the vision does not know what is done to him.

So far only Forceusers to use the Force intentionally across great distances are Palpatine, Snoke, Luke and Talzin. (not counting Legends which had way more examples)

Did Krayt ever reach that powerlevel or show an ability in the reach of that level?

 

And if headcanon works our way, he is Anakin Skywalkers halfbrother... likes sand and the other Yoda talked about

 

Regarding the military vs senators aspect of DW, its always been my contention the government was on the verge of collapsing if not for Omas' election. Mara and Luke comment on how the military may grow desperate enough to take what it wants at blasterpoint, as well as senators and the like fleeing to hole up in their own systems. Basically NR warlordism.

Mara saving Cal may have been her saving the nascent GA from falling utterly apart and leaving the Vong to pick up the pieces at their leisure.

@Sinrebirth @Force Smuggler @AusStig-thoughts on the risks of NR warlordism if Omas wasn't elected?

 

That, I think, is the problem with the whole thing. Prophecies are inherently vague and impossible to 'nail down'...which is why I fail to understand why an otherwise intelligent person would get so wrapped up in one.

 

Aren't those efforts de-Balkanizing the galaxy, though?

I get what you mean...that their efforts to bring combined purpose and alliances made for an interesting story..one that should have continued in the next series. How do we form some form of centralized government out of the ashes of a destroyed galaxy?

 

Only intelligent people ask "what if...", stupid people don't care and are happy or sad or busy enough with just one option of a life they got. Or in Carrie Fishers own words: "Hope!"

 

It depends, if Omas just loses then, at first not much. Rodan was known to be for fighting the Vong. HOWEVER his supporters might try to push for peace and that could lead to a splintering of the government big time. Maybe Omas coming into power to keep the war going, maybe the millitary just ignoring the senate.

If Omas is assassinated, then things get worse. Rodan would be tainted in the eyes of many and when his supporters pushed for peace all hell would break lose, if it's not a fracturing it would be a coup with the millitary running the show (and maybe the jedi as well).

Either way the biggest impact of a Rodan win would be red alpha.