Hello! With todays interesting announcement relating to the greatest Space Opera of all time* and with my… slightly excessive** knowledge of the expanded Star Wars universe, I thought I’d make a post about this. Basically, theres a TON of stuff in the expanded universe that is highly relevant to the upcoming episode 7, (though a massive chunk of it will prob be ignored/abandoned) and it *MIGHT* help with understanding today’s casting announcement. This is a brief overview of the politics and gossip like things over the 30 years after return of the jedi. Its not that funny, just informative, so don’t bother reading if you’re not interested.***
Within the star wars universe time is measured as ABY, After Battle Of Yavin. We start 4 Years ABY.****
4 ABY
Galactic Politics:
Immediately after the death star 2 explodes the Rebel Alliance and Imperial star fleets are in disarray. The alliance won the Battle of Endor, destroying or capturing the majority of the imperial fleet stationed there, though a significant portion of the imperial fleet makes it way back to secure imperial space. The Rebel Alliance suffered significant loses however and are effectively on the back foot on the galactic scale.
Word of the Emperor’s death, Darth Vader’s death, and the major loss spreads throughout the galaxy, though the empire is still very strong. The Alliance forms the New Republic, as their new official government. Many more planets join the New Republic, though still less than 10% of the galaxy by 6.5ABY, bolstering the fleet through key shipyards.
Known Character ‘Drama’:
After Han and Leia’s little discussion on Endor while the death star explodes, Leia gets a bit busy establishing the New Republic, so their budding relationship gets a bit sidelined, as Leia is jetted off to the far corner of the galaxy on a diplomatic mission within hours. Han also had various responsibilities leading a battle group for the New Republic, with Chewie by his side.
Luke got to work establishing a New Jedi Order, with various missions destroying remnants of the Sith, and attempting to train apprentices.
C3PO stays with Leia, and R2D2 stays with Luke.
6 ABY
Galactic Politics:
The empire fail to take advantage of the weak rebel fleet after Endor, and soon Coruscant falls to the New Republic, with massive civilian and Rebel casualties, as the empire release a virus targeting nonhumans as they flee, and the imperial fleet is bolstered by a Super Star Destroyer, buried in Coruscant, which blasts its way through to flee into space. The virus is ‘cured’ within 2 years. More key planets join the New republic, and the Empire continues to struggle to find commmanding leadership, with the leader who lost Coruscant effectively denounced as insane.
Various warlords and groups have split off from the struggling Empire, taking star destroyers and even planets with them.
Known Character ‘Drama’:
Princess Leia continues to lead the government, though suffers various assassination attempts. Her relationship with Han grows more distant, and she considers marrying a Prince from the Hapes cluster for political reasons, but Han intervenes in typical fashion*****, Leia realizes she loves him, and they marry within the year.
Luke continues to hone his Jedi powers and looking for old surviving Jedi.
9 ABY
Galactic Politics:
The Chiss Grand Admiral Thrawn, the only non-human to attain Admiral rank in the imperial military, returns from a long term mission in the unknown region, and reunites the empire around him. A master tactician, he leads an imperial campaign against the new Republic, and does extremely well, blockading Coruscant. He is ultimately assassinated by his own bodyguard, right before a battle. Without his tactical brilliance the imperial fleet is in disarray, and the empire shrinks further.
A clone of Palpatine also tries to recover control, but is defeated by Luke.******
The Hutts attempt to build a superweapon, which is basically a death star – but just the laser and the basics, designed by the original deathstar designer. It explodes on its first use*******
Known Character ‘Drama’:
Leia and Han continue their marriage, and Leia becomes pregnant with twins. She gives birth to a girl and boy, Jaina and Jacen Solo, and then she becomes pregnant again, with another boy, who she names after her father, Anakin.
After defeating Palpatines Clone, Luke founds the New Jedi Order, and begins training Jedi. Some turn evil, and are defeated inturn.
BIG JUMP
19 ABY
Galactic Politics:
Empire is now known as “The Imperial Remnant” down to a marginal group of planets, still under martial law, though a group of Moffs run a council to manage civil affairs. With no major conflicts in 5 years, a truce was negotiated, and the galactic civil war was ended.
Known Character ‘Drama’:
Leia, and all her children are force sensitive, and have started training.
Luke goes on a mission******** with the former emperors hand, Mara Jade, whos turned to the light side. He falls in love, and they marry soon after, and have a child.
25 ABY
Galactic Politics:
After several years of peace, an unknown alien invades from another galaxy, called the Yuuzhan Vong. They are not seen in the force, and they use biological technology, that is extremely effective against the New republic technology, and light saber resistant. They are effectively unstoppable for the first stages of the war, fanatics that all life is inferior, and nonbiological technology is an abomination. They turn people into effective slave zoimbies, which they use as cannon fodder in battle.
The New Republic, bloated and slow struggles to respond, barely managing to cope with refugees, and has few victories.
The New Jedi Order attempt lead missions against the Vong, and take many losses.
Known Character ‘Drama’:
Han, Anakin and Chewy are on a planet at the forefront of the invasion, Sernpidal. The Yuuzhan Vong drop a moon on the planet, a tactic they use many times. Han joins the evacuation effort, packing the falcon to the brim, but chewy and anakin are the last to get to the ship. Chewy throws the young anakin onto the boarding ramp and Han is forced to leave as the moon crushes his friend. Distraught, Han takes years to accept the events of that day.
Luke, Mara, Jaina and Jacen lead many missions against the Vong.
27 ABY
Galactic Politics:
Coruscant falls to the Yuuzhan Vong, taking with it a significant chunk of the senate. The New Republic gives the Jedi more power to defend the republic.
They begin terraforming it into the center of their religious system, modeling it after their homeworld.
The Yuuzhan Vong have developed a new creature that hunts Jedi, extremely effectively. A group of Jedi hunt down and kill the queen of these creatures, and prevent any more being bred. Anakin Solo dies, saving his brother and friends in the assault.
28 ABY
Galactic Politics:
The New Republic and the Imperial remnant reform to fight together against the Vong, and form the Galactic Alliance effectively fighting back against the Vong with the first major victories.
29 ABY
Galactic Politics:
Luke and Jacen eliminate the Yuuzhan Vong leaders. The Jedi bring back a living planet from the Unknown Regions, which they use to negotiate a ceasefire, and the Galactic Alliance are allowed to retake various core world planets, in return for the living planet. 365 trillian sentient dead, the war is over.
30 ABY
Jaina and Jacen are the key war heroes, with Jaina declared the “Sword of the Jedi” as a fantastic pilot and lightsaber warrior, and Jacen basically becoming a key Jedi Master on the council.
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And this is about when the Episode 7 appears to be set 30 or so years after Jedi, which is problematic. It *could* be that 7 is set before the war, when Chewy was alive, but this is unlikely. Generally the Yuuzhan Vong isn’t liked very much so they may just removed that storyline, or Chewy will be brought in for the first few bits or in flashbacks.
In any case the majority of the expanded universe will be changed, with the best guess being that Jaina********* and Jacen are the only new characters likely to stay, which might be disappointing. Maybe. A lack of Mara Jade is concerning.
Next year will be interesting in any case though.**********
Dave***********
*Not open to debate. Shut up. NO. WALL-E IS NOT A SPACE OPERA.
**Also not open to debate. Its really not useless. Are you reading this? Yes? NOT USELESS.
***I’m not ALWAYS funny. I just look it.
****If you can’t cope with this nerdiness, stop reading. Seriously. It gets worse.
*****he kidnaps her. Seriously. When I did that, it didn’t work. If it would work for you, let me know, I’ll see what I can arrange.
******So many CLONES. This is the only clone story I included here, but the empire seems to clone everybody, just in case. At one point Luke is attacked by an evil clone of himself…
*******Funniest star wars book in existence. They use big dumb bugs to build it that get distracted every 5 minutes. Its a bloody miracle it actually was built straight.
********GUESS WHAT?! MORE CLONES!!!
*********She seriously can’t be anyone else…
**********I just realized I’ll be 29 when this comes out. Gah. Also, SO MANY GOOD MOVIES NEXT YEAR.
***********SO MANY ASTERISKS.