TALES FROM THE EMPIRE
By: Peter Schweighofer
fiction star wars
Synopsis:
Culled from the pages of the Star Wars Adventure Journal one of the
most popular Star Wars magazines in the field today, comes this
exciting new short-story collection. Here are stories from such
award-winning and New York Times bestselling authors as Timothy Zahn,
Michael A, Stackpole, and Kathy Tyers as well as exciting newcomers,
including Erin Endom, Laurie Burns, and Patricia A. Jackson. From the
desperate flight of a civilian mail courier carrying vital Rebel
intelligence through an Imperial blockade, to a suicidal commando raid
on an impregnable Imperial prison, to a Corellian smuggler mysteriously
hired by an actor turned Jedi Knight turned Imperial assassin for one
final transformation, these tales capture all the high adventure,
imaginative genius, and nonstop action that are the hallmarks of the
Star Wars saga.
What's more, the centerpiece of this magnificent collection is the
short novel Side Trip, the first-ever collaboration between Timothy
Zahn and Michael A. Stackpole, in which a freighter smuggling arms for
the Rebels is commandeered by an Imperial Star Destroyer led by a
mysterious helmeted figure who claims to be the notorious bounty hunter
Jodo Kast. It is all part of a devious plan that includes Hal and
Corran Horn, who are working undercover to nail the infamous Ceilian
warlord Zekka Thyne. But one slipup can get them all killed.
BANTAM
New York Toronto London Sydney Auckland
For Mom, Dad, and David, who caught me when I stumbled, encouraged me
when I struggled, and smiled when I succeeded.
Contents
Introduction: A Galaxy Filled with Stories Peter Schweighofer
First Contact
Timothy Zahn
Tinian on Trial
Kathy Tyers
The Final Exit
Patricia A. Jackson
Missed Chance
Michael A. Stackpole
Retreat from Coruscant
Laurie Burns
A Certain Point of View
Charlene Newcomb Blaze of Glory
Tony Russo
Slaying Dragons
Angela Phillips
Do No Harm
Erin Endom
Side Trip Part One
Timothy Zahn
Side Trip Part Two
Michael A. Stackpole
Side Trip Part Three
Michael A. Stackpole
Side Trip Part Four
Timothy Zahn
About the Authors
INTRODUCTION
A Galaxy Filled with Stories by Peter Schweighofer Behind every book
there is a story--one contained not in the words on the pages but in
the events that occurred as an imaginative spark grew to become a pub
lished work of fiction.
The cast of characters include writers, editors, original ideas, and a
lot of work. This anthology is no exception, but the real story has
much deeper origins.
the silver screen. George Lucas combined
cutting-edge special effects with exciting characters and themes, capturing the collective mythic
consciousness of movie-goers. Once again viewers were treated to the
Saturday-matinee experience: swashbuckling chapters, edge-of-your-seat
cliffhangers, spaceship dogfights, the forces of good battling the
minions of evil. The film was Star Wars: A New Hope, and nobody had
seen anything quite like it before.
In homes across America, the Star Wars universe became real.
Children of every age returned from movie theaters with dreams of
becoming Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, or Princess Leia. They bought
action figures that allowed them to invent their own stories,
continuing the war against the evil Empire. Kids dreamed of what they
would find in Mos Eisley and wondered what the spice mines of Kessel
were like, or what creatures lurked in the Massassi temples on Yavin
4.
They pretended to be brave Rebel pilots flying X-wing starfighters or
dashing smugglers blasting through Imperial blockades in the Millennium
Falcon.
The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi continued to fuel
America's imagination. Novels and comic books explored events that
occurred before and between the films.
In their imaginations, kids turned their basements into the Death Star,
where they battled with lightsabers like Ben Kenobi and Darth Vader.
They built fortresses in the snow and refought the Battle of Hoth with
snowballs.
Children romped through the park with toy blasters, pretending they
were fighting scout troopers on Endor.
Nobody was sure whether Star Wars was just another fad or something
truly original. Despite their popularity, the films drifted off into
the haze of American society's collective memory in the mid to late
1980s. The Kenner action figures of Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader
were stored away in closets, basements, and attics. Sound tracks,
scratched from numerous hours of play, were packed away with other old
records. Novelizations were shelved with other science-fiction
paperbacks and forgotten.
Other pursuits soon took the place of playing with action figures,
reading comic books, and visiting the imaginary Star Wars galaxy. Fans
grew up, went off to college, and entered the "real world" of career
and family. The kids inside them were still there, but they were
hidden in the deep closets, basements, and attics of the spirit. Sure,
fans were glued to their television sets when the Star Wars films were
broadcast on cable or the networks; for the most part, though, the
wonder and excitement that had been Star Wars passed into little more
than a fond recollection.
Then something amazing began.
New Star Wars stories appeared.
Timothy Zahn led the charge with Heir to the Empire. He enthralled
fans in a tale packed with powerful villains, new worlds, mysterious
aliens, massive starship battles, and, of course, everyone's favorite
heroes from the movies.
He brought back the magic that was Star Wars.
Timothy Zahn's popular books were followed by Dark Horse Comics series
and more novels. Suddenly Star Wars was again on everyone's lips.
Fans stormed book and comic stores looking for the latest releases.
There were rumors of new action figures. Star Wars trading cards
returned with vivid original artwork. People realized there was even a
role-playing game that would allow them to return to the days when they
pretended to be Rebels battling stormtroopers and bounty hunters.
This new vision of Star Wars attracted new fans and reawakened that old
Star Wars spirit--that kid who played with the action figures and
wanted to become a Jedi Knight reemerged. Suddenly all the memorabilia
was pulled out of storage, resurrecting the fond memories and dreams of
a galaxy far, far away. Adults gazed longingly at the Magic Marker
sketches of the Death Star battle they had drawn when they were
People reminisced about the first time they saw Star Wars and
speculated about the fascinating territory a new trilogy would
explore.
For twenty years, the fans kept the dream alive in their
hearts---without a new trilogy or numerous reruns of television
episodes. Star Wars is larger than the movies, greater than the
fans.
Star Wars is proof that spirited individuals can make a difference
against seemingly insurmountable odds.
We are all part of this phenomenon.
The example of West End Games illustrates the nature of the Star Wars
phenomenon. During the lull in Star Wars interest, this small game
company decided that the ultimate space fantasy offered the perfect
subject for a role-playing game. At the time West End Games---then
based in New York City--had produced a fair share of war games and
role-playing games. The company had only tested the waters of licensed
properties with Star Trek: The Adventure Game and a Ghostbusters
role-playing game. West End contacted Lucasfilm Ltd. and a licensing
agreement was arranged.
Trying to create a successful game based on a ten-year-old film was a
major risk. But the West End design team went to work, and soon
produced a rule book and sourcebook packed with information on
characters, star-ships, weapons, aliens, and droids. The Star Wars
Role-playing Game was born.
At first, West End produced several game products, which the Star Wars
role-playing market gobbled UP' There were plenty of obstacles to
overcome. Deadlines were missed and production schedules were
lengthened by authors who delivered projects late and editors who were
forced to rewrite manuscripts. Working with the Lucasfilm approvals
staff, West End quickly learned what subjects were off-limits: for
instance, the Old Republic, Clone Wars, and how the Emperor and Vader
rose to power.
Since then, West End has helped expand the Star Wars galaxy and
maintain continuity through the release of more than seventy-five
sourcebooks, adventures, and supplements, including twelve Galaxy
Guides, fourteen Star Wars Adventure Journals, and ten sourcebooks
based on best-selling novels and comics.
The company's hard work and perseverance has paid off. Thanks to Star
Wars, West End established itself as a leader in the role-playing-game
industry, acquiring other popular media licenses; it has since produced
role-playing games based on the Indiana Jones films, Tank Girl, Tales
from the Crypt, and Men in Black. Today it continues to be the most
successful licensing role-playing company in the world.
But West End's work with Star Wars hasn't been confined to the
role-playing-game field. The company has coordinated its efforts with
Lucasfilm and other Star Wars licensees to guarantee the continuity and
retain the spirit of Star Wars in its products. West End editors have
offered assistance to authors, answering questions, providing game
books for reference, and even reading over rough drafts of novels.
Game sourcebooks have provided technical data used in creating toys and
other products based on starships and vehicles. West End staffers
helped guide the creation of Decipher's Star Wars Customizable Card
Game and Parker Brothers' Star Wars Monopoly. When the information
contained in different products all fits together seamlessly, the Star
Wars universe seems much more real.
Several West End designers have even moved into the greater Star Wars
publishing universe. Bill Slavicsek updated Raymond Velasco's Guide to
the Star Wars Universe, incorporating many new additions that maintain
continuity with Timothy Zahn's novels, the new comic books, and West
End Games sourcebooks. Bill Smith wrote the Essential Guide to
Vehicles and Vessels. Other West End editors have contributed articles
to Topps's Star Wars Galaxy Magazine and other periodicals.
Like the movie heroes,
these dedicated fans rose from humble
beginnings to help shape the Star Wars galaxy.
Although the role-playing game might not be as popular or well-known as
other Star Wars licensed products, a dedicated team of writers still
works diligently to guide the role-playing adventures of fans as they
explore the galaxy. · Some of you might be wondering exactly what a
role-playing game is, and why Star Wars is so well suited to its
purposes.
Simply, a role-playing game is just a more sophisticated version of the
children's game "Let's Pretend." Most fans remember when they used to
create their own Star Wars adventures, using action figures, a few
vehicles, and the living-room furniture. Role-playing games are based
on those same creative and imaginative processes.
Role-playing games involve interactive storytelling. A group of
friends assumes the various roles of characters in the story, and their
choices and actions affect the tale's outcome.
One of these players, the "gamemaster," tells the others what their
characters see and hear, and portrays any "supporting cast members" the
heroes encounter. Sometimes maps, game pieces, props, and miniature
vehicles are used, but most of the action takes place in the
participants' imaginations. The outcomes of blaster fights, speeder
chases, and other conflicts are decided by simple rules involving the
rolling of dice: the better the player rolls, the more successfully his
character completes a particular task. Whether a character succeeds or
fails at these challenges can dramatically change the story's
outcome.
Since the participants are creating their own Star Wars stories, they
don't play the actual characters from the films--instead, they create
someone like them. Players might choose to be smugglers and Wookiees
like Han Solo and Chewbacca. They can be starfighter pilots like Biggs
or Dutch, or they can pretend to be aliens like Admiral Ackbar and Bib
Fortuna. Since they're not using the
movie characters, players may visit places and do things "offscreen." The Star Wars Roleplaying Game
allows fans to explore fascinating areas only hinted at in the films:
those other back alleys in Mos Eisley, the white corridors of Cloud
City, the Forest Moon of Endor. It lets people create their own Star
Wars adventures, complete with heroes and villains, planets, starships,
and aliens.
The aim of the Star Wars Adventure Journal is the same: to explore the
offscreen characters, planets, conflicts, and stories that fill the
Star Wars universe.
When West End started publishing the Journal in 1994, the goal was to
create a periodical to support the role-playing game with exciting new
stories, game adventures, and Star Wars source material. Under the
careful supervision of Lucy Wilson, Sue Rostoni, and Allan Kausch in
&n
bsp; Lucasfilm's licensing department, the Journal quickly grew into a forum
for both established and up-and-coming authors to continue visiting the
fascinating Star Wars universe.
Before the Journal, Star Wars publishing was very exclusive.
Only established authors were invited to contribute to a Bantam novel
or anthology. Most had solid contacts in the publishing industry.
Writers who had never published a science-fiction novel or two were not
considered.
Novels focused on the major heroes, though the anthologies developed
some of the background characters from the films more fully.
Everyone wanted stories about Luke, Han, and Leia, but the concept of
basing a novel on new characters without the main Star Wars heroes in
the spotlight was risky. Would readers buy it?
Authors were permitted to introduce original characters to interact
with the major heroes, but once their works were published, the events
they narrated became a part of Star Wars continuity.
Writers who created new characters had no other opportunities to
develop them unless they were specifically assigned to write future
novels. Some authors longed to return to play in the fascinating Star