Against the Empire Review

THE LAST OF THE JEDI
1. THE DESPERATE MISSION
    **** Jun/14
2. DARK WARNING
    *** Jul/14
3. UNDERWORLD
    *** Mar/15
4. DEATH ON NABOO
    **** Mar/15
5. A TANGLED WEB
    *** Oct/15
6. RETURN OF THE DARK SIDE
    ***+ Oct/15
7. SECRET WEAPON
    **** Oct/15
8. AGAINST THE EMPIRE
    *** Feb/16
9. MASTER OF DECEPTION
    ***+ Feb/16
10. RECKONING
    *** May/16

ALL TIMELINES

PREQUEL ERA

BEFORE STAR WARS
-5000 YEARS
TALES OF THE JEDI
1. GOLDEN AGE OF THE SITH
2. FALL OF THE SITH EMPIRE
LOST TRIBE OF THE SITH
1. PRECIPICE
2. SKYBORN
3. PARAGON
4. SAVIOR

-4000 YEARS
TALES OF THE JEDI
3. KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC
LOST TRIBE OF THE SITH
5. PURGATORY
6. SENTINEL

-3998 YEARS
TALES OF THE JEDI
4. FREEDON NADD UPRISING
5. DARK LORDS OF THE SITH
6. THE SITH WAR

-3986 YEARS
TALES OF THE JEDI
7. REDEMPTION

-3840 YEARS
THE OLD REPUBLIC
1. REVAN

-3520 YEARS
KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC
2. DECEIVED
3. FATAL ALLIANCE
4. ANNIHILATION
PLAGUE
RED HARVEST

-3000 YEARS
LOST TRIBE OF THE SITH
7. PANTHEON
8. SECRETS

-1032 YEARS
KERRA HOLT
1. KNIGHT ERRANT

-1000 YEARS
DARTH BANE
1. PATH OF DESTRUCTION
JEDI VS. SITH
2. RULE OF TWO
3. DYNASTY OF EVIL

-67 YEARS
EARLY REPUBLIC
VOW OF JUSTICE

-44 YEARS
JEDI APPRENTICE
1. THE RISING FORCE
2. THE DARK RIVAL
3. THE HIDDEN PAST
4. MARK OF THE CROWN
5. DEFENDERS OF THE DEAD
6. THE UNCERTAIN PATH
7. THE CAPTIVE TEMPLE
8. THE DAY OF RECKONING

-43 YEARS
JEDI APPRENTICE
9. THE FIGHT FOR TRUTH
10. THE SHATTERED PEACE
11. THE DEADLY HUNTER
12. THE EVIL EXPERIMENT
13. DANGEROUS RESCUE

-42 YEARS
JEDI APPRENTICE
SE1 DECEPTIONS
14. THE TIES THAT BIND
15. THE DEATH OF HOPE
16. CALL TO VENGEANCE
17. THE ONLY WITNESS
18. THE THREAT WITHIN
SE2 THE FOLLOWERS

-34 YEARS
JEDI COUNCIL
ACTS OF WAR

-33 YEARS
EARLY REPUBLIC
PRELUDE TO REBELLION
DARTH MAUL
SABOTEUR
PRE-EPISODE I NOVEL
CLOAK OF DECEPTION
DARTH MAUL
COMICS
SHADOW HUNTER

-32 YEARS
EPISODE I
THE PHANTOM MENACE
EARLY REPUBLIC
OUTLANDER
EMISSARIES TO MALASTARE
JANGO FETT
OPEN SEASONS

-31 YEARS
EARLY REPUBLIC
TWILIGHT
INFINITY'S END
BOUNTY HUNTERS
AURRA SING

-30 YEARS
EARLY REPUBLIC
STARCRASH
HUNT FOR AURRA SING
DARKNESS
STARK HYPERSPACE WAR
THE DEVARONIAN VERSION

-29 YEARS
EPISODE I BRIDGE
ROGUE PLANET

-28 YEARS
EARLY REPUBLIC
RITE OF PASSAGE
JEDI QUEST
0. THE PATH TO TRUTH

-27 YEARS
PREQUEL-ERA NOVEL
OUTBOUND FLIGHT
JEDI QUEST
1. WAY OF THE APPRENTICE
2. TRAIL OF THE JEDI
3. THE DANGEROUS GAMES
BOUNTY HUNTERS
1. JANGO FETT
2. ZAM WESELL

-26 YEARS
JEDI QUEST
4. MASTER OF DISGUISE

-25 YEARS
JEDI QUEST
5. SCHOOL OF FEAR
6. THE SHADOW TRAP

-24 YEARS
JEDI QUEST
7. THE MOMENT OF TRUTH
8. CHANGING OF THE GUARD
EARLY REPUBLIC
HONOR AND DUTY

-23 YEARS
JEDI QUEST
9. THE FALSE PEACE
10. THE FINAL SHOWDOWN
EPISODE I BRIDGE
THE APPROACHING STORM

-22 YEARS
EPISODE II
ATTACK OF THE CLONES
REPUBLIC COMMANDO
1. HARD CONTACT
BOBA FETT
1. THE FIGHT TO SURVIVE
2. CROSSFIRE
3. MAZE OF DECEPTION
REPUBLIC
1. THE DEFENSE OF KAMINO
BOBA FETT
4. HUNTED
REPUBLIC
2. VICTORIES AND SACRIFICES

-21 YEARS
CLONE WARS
SHORT STORY COLLECTION
LEGACY OF THE JEDI
1. SHATTERPOINT
2. THE CESTUS DECEPTION
THE HIVE
REPUBLIC COMMANDO
2. TRIPLE ZERO
REPUBLIC
3. LAST STAND ON JABIIM
4. LIGHT AND DARK
5. THE BEST BLADES

-20 YEARS
THE CLONE WARS
1. THE CLONE WARS
2. WILD SPACE
3. NO PRISONERS
REPUBLIC COMMANDO
3. TRUE COLORS
CLONE WARS
SECRETS OF THE JEDI
MEDSTAR
1. BATTLE SURGEONS
2. JEDI HEALER
CLONE WARS
3. JEDI TRIAL
REPUBLIC
6. ON THE FIELDS OF BATTLE
CLONE WARS
4. DARK RENDEZVOUS
REPUBLIC
7. WHEN THEY WERE BROTHERS
8. THE LAST SIEGE, THE FINAL TRUTH
BOBA FETT
5. A NEW THREAT
6. PURSUIT
EPISODE III BRIDGES
GENERAL GRIEVOUS
LABYRINTH OF EVIL

-19 YEARS
EPISODE III
REVENGE OF THE SITH
REPUBLIC COMMANDO
4. ORDER 66
DARK LORD
THE RISE OF DARTH VADER
REPUBLIC
9. ENDGAME
IMPERIAL COMMANDO
501ST
THE LAST OF THE JEDI
1. THE DESPERATE MISSION
2. DARK WARNING
3. UNDERWORLD
4. DEATH ON NABOO
5. A TANGLED WEB
6. RETURN OF THE DARK SIDE
7. SECRET WEAPON
8. AGAINST THE EMPIRE
9. MASTER OF DECEPTION
10. RECKONING

ALL TIMELINES


		AGAINST THE EMPIRE A novel by Jude Watson (2007, Scholastic Paperbacks) The Last of the Jedi, Book 8 19 years before and Star Wars: A New Hope While a resistance movement begins to take shape, an important member of the Eleven is rescued, while Ferus investigates the medical facility where Vader was created, and a boy is taken to the Imperial academy.

		Read February 26th to 29th, 2016, in paperback
		The story was written with the author’s usual impressive descriptions, while avoiding many of the simplistic resolutions that were used in previous books. By now, however, I am tired of Ferus’ obsession, which has taken most of the series, and has dulled the impact for me. Spoiler review: In the last book, while Ferus was imprisoned and Roan was killed, one of the Eleven was also captured. Inexplicably, the Emperor still thinks Ferus will make a good Sith, probably just waiting for the proper temptation. Or maybe he’s using Ferus to root out the resistance movement. In any case, Ferus knows that he is being scrutinized, even for apparent coincidences. So he leaves Belassa for Coruscant, to be out of the way when the Eleven mounts its rescue, using members of Ferus’ own resistance and some help he provides (such as the tunnel under the lake). The rescue goes off with only minor problems, but the key question still surrounds Flame –is she trustworthy or not? Everybody now thinks that she is, except Clive, who still has a nagging feeling that something about her is wrong. Personally, I think she is being used by the Empire, and doesn’t even know it. We get her point of view for a couple of chapters in this book, and none of her thoughts seem to be malevolent –in fact, they appear to be quite sincere. It’ll be a big disappointment if she was intentionally misleading us, in which case the author should have kept her point of view hidden. Clive and Astri go to a secret bank, posing as potential investors, and turn up information about who she might have been before the Clone Wars. This plot will likely be continued in the next book. Meanwhile, Trever infiltrates the Imperial Academy on Coruscant, and is bullied from the moment of his arrival. If he didn’t have to rescue Bog Divinian and Astri’s son Lune (for Astri’s sake), I’m sure he would have gotten himself killed. The administrator didn’t seem like a nice guy, which I guess is how the Imperials choose their administrators, anyway. After losing a lot of points in various situations, Trever decides to smuggle Lune out. Unfortunately, the administrator catches them, and sends Lune to a secret project of Darth Vader’s, while sending Trever to punishment. However, the administrator has a change of heart, something he has apparently been struggling with, as he also decides to leave the Academy to go into hiding. Trever offers him the use of the Disappeared to create a new identity, and they fly off over the city. Bog Divinian was manipulated into sending his son to Vader, who wants Jenna Zan Arbor to create a serum that will erase parts of his memory –specifically the ones involving Padme. But Bog doesn’t know this; he simply wants the prestige involved in participating in Vader’s projects. The project happens to take place at the same location where Anakin Skywalker was installed into his suit after being severely burned at Mustafar. Ferus infiltrates this facility, getting a night-shift job. He almost immediately leaves his post and inspects the building. He finds a secret level at the top, and uses the Force to gain access. He does manage to find the room where Vader was healed, but more important to his well-being, he discovers that Lune is also being held there, and he considers this to be more important than the revenge he is planning for Vader. Throughout, Ferus is tempted by the Dark Side, and while he occasionally uses the Dark Side, he does not slide too far down its slippery slope. A voice inside his head urges him to use his anger, and he does, but always feels violated afterwards. Still, the Emperor seems to trust him, and Vader is told to stay out of his way. In the end, Ferus and Lune jump from the top story of the medical facility, and are conveniently caught by Trever speeding away from the Academy. There is a small subplot where one of the Emperor’s Inquisitors shares a list with Ferus of potential Jedi sightings, based on coincidences that seem too convenient. One of these involves a toddler on Alderaan, but Ferus dismisses it. I’ll bet that’s Leia. Nothing is done about the list in this book, so it’s likely setup for the next one. The book was well-written, as always, and the story elements did work, though they felt a little overly-simplistic. Given the intended audience for these novels, I can forgive that. I am, however, getting tired of Ferus’ obsession with Vader’s identity and his planned revenge. It’s gone on for too long with no payoff, and we know by definition that the payoff isn’t going to result in Vader’s death.