Heir to the Empire
Chapter 31
The Story So Far
Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa Solo have been on the run from a mysterious taskforce set on abducting them, directed from the shadows of Imperial Command by Grand Admiral Thrawn. On Kashyyyk, Leia uncovers the identity of the Noghri assailants from one they manage to pull into custody.
On Myrkr, Luke crashes in the wilderness with Mara Jade, an ex-Imperial operative with a mortal rancour for him. Caught in the act of an incidental kidnapping, Talon Karrde feels morally obliged to break his long-fought independence to work with Han Solo and Lando Calrissian in extracting Luke and Mara from the wilderness.
Hoping to delay retribution from Grand Admiral Thrawn for his concealed (albeit reluctant) partisanship, Karrde stages an ambush in which Lando stakes his life on Luke's Jedi intuition. The gamble costs him dearly, leaving him mortally wounded, but betting on Luke wins out even without use of the Force.
After a few weeks unconscious and imprisoned, a short-lived escape attempt, and days trekking through the wilderness with an animus Jade, Luke leaves Myrkr a free man with Han Solo and injured Lando Calrissian. Bound for Sluis Van, they hope to get Lando much needed medical attention, as well as repairs to Luke’s crippled X-Wing.
However, at the edge of the Sluissi system, Grand Admiral Thrawn and Captain Pellaeon are prepared for their assault on the Shipyards.
Chapter 31
The Sluis Van Shipyards are mired with repurposed warships trying to make up for the logistical deficiencies of the New Republic.
While awaiting the processing of his charge, Wedge Antilles’s instincts tell him to investigate an approaching freighter. Just before Rogue Squadron's approach, it literally explodes with activity, releasing TIE fighters and unidentified snub crafts. Having presently arrived, the Millenium Falcon jumps the docking regulations to enter the fray; Han and Luke both identify the snubs as Lando’s stolen mole miners.
At the edge of the Sluissi system, Thrawn and Pellaeon direct the Imperial assault. Upon seeing the Falcon, Thrawn is now certain of Karrde’s earlier deception, but tucks that away for a later time.
As the battle continues, Wedge, Han, and Luke discover the mole miners are being used to hijack the repurposed warships running materiel through the shipyard. Injured though he is, Lando activates his override codes for the mole miners, boring through the bridge of every escaping warship.
Unperturbed, Thrawn orders the retreat, and measuredly edifies Pellaeon that their campaign has only yet begun.
Links
Airplane! (AKA Flying High) | Wikipedia
Aflac is an American insurance company | Wikipedia
Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords | Wikipedia | Steam
Avatar: The Last Airbender | Wikipedia | Avatar Wiki
Drugs
The War on Drugs | Wikipedia
Death stick | Wookieepedia
Elan Sel’Sbagano | Wookieepedia
Scoopy-Doo’s Shaggy | Wikipedia
Star Wars’ Sha’a Gi | Wookieepedia
Altered states of consciousness may be achieved through both meditation and hallucinogens | Google Books
Military Tech:
Claymore Mine | Wikipedia
Zero-G assault stormtrooper | Wookieepedia
Hulk Buster Suit | Marvel Database
Family Guy Star Wars Satire Blue Harvest | Wikipedia
Sonic the Hedgehog | Wikipedia
Dr Robotnik | Sonic News Network
Cover Art for Heir to the Empire | All Covers on Wookieepedia
The Essential Legends Collection were the newest as of recording | Collections on Wookieepedia | Image on Jedi News
Literary Adaptations
Dracula (Bram Stoker) | Wikipedia
The Last Voyage of the Demeter | Wikipedia
Frankenstein (Mary Shelly) | Wikipedia
Citizen Kane | Wikipedia
Foundation Book Series | Wikipedia
Foundation TV Series | Wikipedia
2001: A Space Odyssey novel | Wikipedia
2001: A Space Odyssey movie | Wikipedia
A Clockwork Orange | Wikipedia
Blade Runner | Wikipedia
Cyberpunk 2020 ttRPG | Wikipedia
Back to the Future | Wikipedia
Top Gun Series | Wikipedia
Val Kilmer | Wikipedia
Star Wars Visions | Wikipedia | Wookieepedia
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Hosts’ Thoughts
Opening
The other things missing from Stuart's prediction:
Logistics and repurposed warships
The mole miner setup in the first half of the book was excellent
Is the NR forcing Afyon to pay for protection? No wonder he’s got a “planet-mass chip on his shoulder”
Strange that any ship can scan any other ship and expect to see the entire contents
nartissteu = daffodils in Swedish
What is "relief shipping"?
Myrkr must be in a 20h distance of Sluis Van for Thrawn to be mad
Star Wars has tea confirmed
Wedge’s lack of ambition coming to bite him in the ass
Sad to see Luke’s X-Wing dropped off, but fun to see him in the gunner seat of the Falcon!
Midgame
Space Troopers
I like that smaller amounts of Stormtroopers (four or five) are treated as more of a threat than we’d typically expect
“I’m quite aware that stormtroopers have infinite confidence in themselves” HAHAHA
Endgame
As long as they have Mount Tantiss? What's in the mountain that plays a long game?
Thrawn’s only mistake was that he stole from Lando
Han is written so well in this book
Love that Thrawn accepts defeat gracefully