The Thrawn Trilogy and it's confusion with years.

I will admit first off that I am a very new fan of the EU. I've read 'The Cestsus Deception' and am now almost done with the second book of 'The Thrawn Trilogy', after reading the first, of course.

According to the back of the book, it takes place five years after Return of the Jedi, and according to many websites, it occurs nine years after.

Another thing that further confused me (minor spoiler, but I'm sure you've all read the books), is that according to the leader of that Nogrhi clan Leia was hiding out with, the Nogrhi have been forced into slavery by the Empire for forty-four years, and she says this was during the Clone Wars. The clone wars happened for a three year period between what years? About 28 BBY - 25 BBY? I know that's not exact, but, the Battle of Endor happens about three years after the Battle of Yavin, and if this is five years after that, it's 36 years or so after the very beginning of the clone wars, and if the thrawn trilogy takes place nine years after, it's only 41 years, but I'm assuming this was assuming that it happens 5 years after the Battle of Endor.

Can someone help me get my dates straight? It's very confusing.

 

For your first question. Nine years after Battle of Yavin, five years after Battle of Endor. Confusing stuff. look at the labels for help.

 

Before the prequel trilogy was created, it was thought that yhe Clone Wars took place 30 years before ANH. I would also assume that the years after ROTJ refers actually to 9 years after ANH instead.

 

It's 5 years after Endor and the Noghri apparently sucked with dates.

Zahn wrote the books with the timeline he had at the time. GL bumped up the Clone Wars between TTT's publication and TPM's pre-production.

 

That clarifies a lot. Thanks, you three. It would be nice if they went back and corrected the dates, so as not to confuse future readers.

 

yeah, but best not to ask Lucas for more "corrections" lol

 

If you want a totally unofficial fix, imagine that the "years of the Empire" are in fact shorter than "standard years". A year exactly 2/3 the length of the standard year, and a 'decade' of eight of these short years (so the 8th year is '10', the 16th '20', etc.) solves this and several other continuity issues...

- The Imperial Ewok

 

I believe that Leia figured out that Noghri years are shorter then a standard year. I'm not sure if it was Leia who said that it was 44 years earlier, but if it was the clan leader, then she was probably talking in Noghri years.

 

There were obviously two Clone Wars. The one the Noghri are referring to is the one where Obi-Wan served Bail Organa, the Jedi fought Mandalorians, and...

(realizes this isn't the Basher Sanctuary. Ducks.)

 

It's just something that should be fixed if they ever publish a "Special Edition" Thrawn Trilogy

It's not worth trying to retcon...just gives you a headache.

 

I'm still amazed that the Lucasfilm timeline prior to the release of the prequels placed the Clone Wars so early. Obi-Wan clearly states in A New Hope that Vader was a "young Jedi" when he turned to the dark side; hence, considering Luke's age, it makes sense to draw a conclusion that Luke was born around the time when Vader turned. Obviously, the Clone Wars cannot have taken place much earlier than that, as Vader would have been too young to fight in them.

Ah well. Maybe they based their timeline solely on ANH without taking Empire's revelations into account.

 

Something to lob at the purists who bash Zahn for not somehow knowing what dates to use in his books eight years before The Phantom Menace was released.

 

Actually, it was Lucas himself who provided the earlier timeline of events- but Lucas shaved 10-20 years off the timeline when he made Anakin and Obi-wan 10-20 years younger than they were supposed to be in the prequels.



So, Lucas himself didn't pay attention to ANH when he made his inital timeline? Interesting...

 

Ironically, although I know you meant to poke fun at EU contradictions, what you stated clearly did happen in the clones wars... From a certain poit of view

You see, Bail Organa was a senator, and it's said many times in RotS that the jedi serve the senate, so in a manner of speaking Obi-wan did server Bail Organa. Also, Jango Fett was a Mandalorian (wasn't he?), and the clone troopers were clones of him. The clone wars ended with order 66 being carried out, and jedi having to fight against clones. See where I'm going with this? Wow, you helped me realize that the continuity works even better than I thought.

 

Just finished the first book and i have a few questions

were the sluis and dagobah dark jedi ever identified. i remember reading they turned during the clone wars. and since the clone wars are coming to an end were their stories told?

what books were the katana fleet included in?

asking because han mentioned it as if he had something to do with it...

 

By the numbers:

1. No, not to date...unless you happen to rate the very "Infinities" SW Tales piece from a couple years back when a Yoda-like young Jedi padawan named Minch confronted a Dark Jedi (who'd been hounding the Sluis sector) on Dagobah, some 800 years or so prior to the films. As I said, very "Infinities." Still waiting on an official telling of the Clone Wars confrontation there. Since Lucas never touched on Yoda's Dagobah selection reasons in ROTS, it's now officially wide open.



2. In Dark Force Rising and The Last Command. Plus in a number of RPG materials (the concomitant Timothy Zahn trilogy sourcebooks). Like the Sluis Dark Jedi affair, not fully recounted in an "in-era" story.



3. The Katana Fleet disappeared approximately 55 years prior to the novels, or circa 46 BSW4, going by Pellaeon's dialogue in the books. Han wouldn't be born for another seventeen years.

The early-to-mid-1990s official LFL chronology used not only by Zahn, but also Slavicsek, the West End elves, et al, and the one altered by Lucas when prequel pre-production commenced:

200 BSW4
Chewbacca is born on Kashyyyk.
(SOURCE: Star Wars IV: A New Hope novelization)

132 BSW4
Jorus C'Baoth is born on Bortras.
(SOURCE: Dark Force Rising)

112 BSW4
C-3PO is activated at Cybot Galactica Corporation.
(SOURCE: A Guide to the Star Wars Universe, 2nd Edition)

60 BSW4
Obi-Wan Kenobi is born, location unknown (possibly Alderaan).
(SOURCE: A Guide to the Star Wars Universe, 2nd Edition)

55 BSW4
Anakin Skywalker is born.
(SOURCE: A Guide to the Star Wars Universe, 2nd Edition)

48 BSW4
Mon Mothma is born.
(SOURCE: A Guide to the Star Wars Universe, 2nd Edition)

c. 35 BSW4
Jorus C'baoth wins sanctioning of the Outbound Flight Project. He and five other Jedi Masters launch from Yaga Minor. They are destroyed by Thrawn's task force under orders from Palpatine. Clone of C'baoth created either before the launch or after the attack.
(SOURCE: Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising)

The Clone Wars begin. Obi-Wan Kenobi serves under Bail Organa of Alderaan. Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker become friends. Dark Jedi insurrection in Bpfassh system. One of the Dark Jedi flees to Dagobah. He is pursued and stopped by Yoda. Clonemasters defeated by Old Republic and Jedi Knights. Somewhere during the Clone Wars will be the battle above Honoghr, home of the Noghri. End of Clone Wars.
(SOURCE: Star Wars IV: A New Hope, Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising

29 BSW4
Han Solo born (either on Corellia or elsewhere in the Corellian
system). (SOURCE: A Guide to the Star Wars Universe, 2nd Edition)

35-18 BSW4
Fall of the Republic. Corruption, prejudice, and abuse of power throughout the galaxy. Palpatine, long an unassuming senator, begins his rise to power through a combination of promises and alliances. Senators Mon Mothma and Garm Bel Iblis begin opposing Palpatine. Bail Organa, Viceroy of Alderaan, bans all weapons from Alderaan.
(SOURCE: Star Wars IV: A New Hope novelization, Dark Force Rising, Star Wars Sourcebook)

c. 18 BSW4
The Ghorman Massacre. Mon Mothma begins organizing resistance to Palpatine's "New Order." She goes into hiding.
(SOURCE: Rebel Alliance Sourcebook)

Assassination attempt on Senator Garm Bel Iblis of Corellia. He goes into hiding and begins his own war.
(SOURCE: Dark Force Rising)

Anakin Skywalker disobeys his Jedi teacher and friend, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and studies the Sith teachings.
(SOURCE: Dark Apprentice. NOTE: Variations on this event exist)

Anakin Skywalker declares himself Darth Vader, the new Lord of the Sith. His wife goes in hiding and gives birth to Luke and Leia. Luke is placed with Kenobi's brother on Tatooine, Owen Lars. Leia and her mother are placed into the custody of Bail Organa of Alderaan. President Palp

 

^^^^ han had a line in heir to the heir to the empire "so much for the katana fleet" or something when they were talking about the remote control for ships... what was that about

 

Aaaah...read Dark Force Rising you must, my young Padawan. Through the Dark Force Rising, all things be revealed will.

 

What's confusing? Read the backcover synopsis, or first chapter.

Book 1 is 5yrs after Endor (9 since Yavin) with Carrie 3 months pregnant.

Book 3 is 6 months later when she births them; more than 6 actually by the time it ends.

 

W_J: hey, now that's a good fix - I like!

As to the "Noghri years" thing which Quest raises, it doesn't wash - because the Matriakh gives Noghri years and "the years of the Empire"... one of the WEG sourcebooks establishes that Leia later realises that Noghri years are shorter than she thought, but that actually gives c-canon proof to the hypothesis that "the years of the Empire" can't be "standard years", but must be somehow shorter...

-TMcE

 

What I am wondering is how someone will retcon the fact that the Essential Chronology says the Outbound Flight Project is shortly after the Battle of Naboo, while the upcoming Outbound Flight novel ( according to rumors ) is set around 24 years BBY.

 

McEwok, the "Empire years" theory is just silly!