The Test of Wills

[Publius]

The Test of Wills is essentially a novelization of Dark Empire, and as such the majority of it is in fact canonical, coming directly from that comic series or else from the Dark Empire Sourcebook and "Dark Empire" (the Dark Horse Comics handbook). The story is, of course, set ten years after the Battle of Yavin and immediately after X-Wing: Isard's Revenge. It is immediately followed by the events of Dark Empire II, Empire's End, Crimson Empire, and Crimson Empire II: Council of Blood.

The entire story is already available on line here. Any questions, comments, or suggestions for future writings would be most welcome, as this is the first project of this size and scope undertaken on the site.

Alternatively, if desired, the story could be 'reprinted' here. Moderator, please advise regarding this possibility.

[NecronLord]

There is no real necessity to do so. While that is the convention, there's no reason to do so, unless you're releasing a work chapter by chapter and want feedback. You may, by all means, post it here, but it seems just fine as it is.

As for the actual work, I'll have to read it another time. Got to go out soon. That said, chapter one was quite interesting, but perhaps that's because I've never actually read anything canon on the battles for Coruscant..

[phongn]

Having finally finished it, I quite enjoyed it, Publius. That said, sometimes your insertion of Earth references can bend my suspension of disbelief (e.g., using a dog or cat). Minor quibbles, really.

[Publius]

Having finally finished it, I quite enjoyed it, Publius. That said, sometimes your insertion of Earth references can bend my suspension of disbelief (e.g., using a dog or cat). Minor quibbles, really.

Luke Skywalker mentioned having owned once owned a dog in Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker, the novelization of the original film. Horses were depicted in statuary on Naboo in The Phantom Menace, and Captain Panaka mentioned ducks in the same film (not surprisingly, the desert-bred Luke Skywalker did not know what a duck was in Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker).

If one wants to use a particularly dubious precedent, both dogs and cats were mentioned in a single sentence in The Lost City of the Jedi, with the added information that while a dog barks and a cat meows, a mooka kshhhhhs.

Admittedly, though, -- lame attempts at continuity-based justification aside -- the cats and dogs bit mentioned by Mothma was intended as a light-hearted example of the differences between her and Palpatine; they can't even agree on pets (incidentally, Palpatine's cat was mentioned in the non-canonical story "The President's War Room" on the site, when he made a mental note to buy cat food after traumatizing Mothma with a glimpse into his mind).

[phongn]

Admittedly, though, -- lame attempts at continuity-based justification aside -- the cats and dogs bit mentioned by Mothma was intended as a light-hearted example of the differences between her and Palpatine; they can't even agree on pets (incidentally, Palpatine's cat was mentioned in the non-canonical story "The President's War Room" on the site, when he made a mental note to buy cat food after traumatizing Mothma with a glimpse into his mind).

Oh, I know plenty of things leak in from the 'real world' into SW, but some examples occasionally hit harder than others. And yes, I recognize it fully as you intended

[The Duchess of Zeon]

I have a friend who once talked to some insiders in the whole novel publishing process the Star Wars continuity. Their continuity process is apparently obsessed with the most arcane and pointless things, which is, granted, better than that of Star Trek, which has no continuity process at all for its novels. For instance, one time one of the reviewers made a notation in an early draft of a book:

"There is no toast in Star Wars."

[Ford Prefect]

So for all their technical advancement, the galactic community at large doesn't know how to toast bread? That's kind of funny, actually.

I've been reading Test of Wills slowly but surely, and I quite enjoy it. It really is well done.

[Publius]

It's carbonized bread, apparently. Also forbidden is any mention of the word "earth," even in such combinations as "earthware" or "rare earth." Strangely, though, the word "pornography" does not appear to be forbidden, as it was mentioned (in combination with the word "Hutt") in Planet of Twilight.