Should the Falcon outlive Solo or should they die together?

Timotheus · Post by **Timotheus** » 2008-09-04 11:36pm

Assuming Han Solo was to die in a decent EU novel and die in a decent way, should he die at the helm of the Falcon with her going with him?

Or should he die in some other manner that leaves the Falcon behind for a new captain to command?

TithonusSyndrome · Post by **TithonusSyndrome** » 2008-09-04 11:58pm

If the Falcon survives, it would be to go into a museum like it ought to, not into the hands of some EU schmuck.

Darth Raptor · Post by **Darth Raptor** » 2008-09-05 12:52am

TithonusSyndrome wrote:If the Falcon survives, it would be to go into a museum like it ought to, not into the hands of some EU schmuck.

It's also a maintenance nightmare. Whoever's likely to inherit the Falcon (either Ben or Jaina, I'd guess) is well off enough to own a new ship of similar or superior capabilities. There's no reason not to retire the ship.

Count Chocula · Post by **Count Chocula** » 2008-09-05 08:26am

The Falcon was an old ship when Han got his hands on her. If Han does die decently, in a decent way, I'm guessing he'll be at least 70 years old. That would make the Falcon at least 100 years old, based on its cameo in The Phantom Menace....and those have been hard years.

Hell, Chewie's already dead. If Solo goes out, I think his ship should go with him in one last blaze of glory. Of course, if Traviss gets her hands on it, the Falcon will be blown up in hyperspace by a Mandalorian who goes EVA from his pursuing ship and plants a thermal detonator on the hull, then returns to his ship using his uber-armor thrusters and rope launcher. Oh yeah, and the Mando will be an eight year old Jango clone, with all of his and Boba's memories

.

Jericho Kross · Post by **Jericho Kross** » 2008-09-05 09:56am

Knowing the EU they might kill him off just to sell more books. I bet those Legacy comic writers are going to have the Falcon in some story which they save god knows who.

Han should die in a blaze of glory in his ship, not giving it to some wanked EU character.

Anguirus · Post by **Anguirus** » 2008-09-05 01:03pm

I like the idea of the Falcon living on. It's already had god-knows-how-many owners, and Star Wars tech can last awhile.

Hell, do a "Tales of the Falcon" comic book series in multiple eras. (Light on wankery, please.)

Darth Raptor · Post by **Darth Raptor** » 2008-09-05 01:06pm

Count Chocula wrote:Of course, if Traviss gets her hands on it, the Falcon will be blown up in hyperspace by a Mandalorian who goes EVA from his pursuing ship and plants a thermal detonator on the hull, then returns to his ship using his uber-armor thrusters and rope launcher. Oh yeah, and the Mando will be an eight year old Jango clone, with all of his and Boba's memories.

More like Han, with his dying breath, bequeaths the Millennium Falcon to Boba, who promptly takes the ship on a rampage of slaughtering the parties responsible for the death of his bestest friend.

AFIAK, Luke, Leia and Han are still on GL's "do not kill" list. EU writers can't touch them.

CaptainChewbacca · Post by **CaptainChewbacca** » 2008-09-05 01:23pm

Darth Raptor wrote:
TithonusSyndrome wrote:If the Falcon survives, it would be to go into a museum like it ought to, not into the hands of some EU schmuck.
It's also a maintenance nightmare. Whoever's likely to inherit the Falcon (either Ben or Jaina, I'd guess) is well off enough to own a new ship of similar or superior capabilities. There's no reason not to retire the ship.

I'm pretty sure at some point in the later EU, the Falcon got a complete overhaul. Might've been the BFC, but pretty much Han had NR techs spend six months taking it apart and putting it back together right, and in the process lightned her about 3/4 of a ton.

Sarevok · Post by **Sarevok** » 2008-09-05 03:56pm

The Millenium Falcon at the hands of some angsty Mary Sue ? It needs to be blown up, pounded into dust then dumped into a star. That way there will be no stories of Sues flying Han Solo's pride and "reliving" saga moments.

Anguirus · Post by **Anguirus** » 2008-09-05 04:10pm

^ I almost raised an objection, but I find I cannot, based on the recent quality of the EU.

My idea does at least presume decent writers. I mean, c'mon, it's a ship with an illustrious and poorly-known history. I'm not of the opinion that it's now forever bonded to Solo's fate or some such.

Especially because Solo's character has, sadly, been in a state of pretty much consistent decay since he got frozen in carbonite. There are any number of EU characters worthier than post-Vector Prime Han Solo, AFAIK.

Solauren · Post by **Solauren** » 2008-09-05 04:33pm

If Han goes out in a blaze of glory, he's got to take the Falcon with him, saving, at the very least, Luke + Leia from something. Preferably his entire family from it.

If he dies quietly in his sleep, the Falcon should be turned into a memorial / travelling museum piece that visits worlds of note in the Falcon's, Solo, Skywalker, Chewbacca legacy.

i.e Corellia, Tattooine, Naboo, Kashyyyk.

Preferably in the paws of one of Chewies kids.

Invictus ChiKen · Post by **Invictus ChiKen** » 2008-09-05 05:00pm

Anguirus wrote:I like the idea of the Falcon living on. It's already had god-knows-how-many owners, and Star Wars tech can last awhile.

Hell, do a "Tales of the Falcon" comic book series in multiple eras. (Light on wankery, please.)

And now you got me thinking of a Legacy era story. "Imperial Falcon" with an owner that is loyal to the Galactic Empire.

I might just write that one someday

Sarevok · Post by **Sarevok** » 2008-09-05 05:11pm

^ I almost raised an objection, but I find I cannot, based on the recent quality of the EU.

My idea does at least presume decent writers. I mean, c'mon, it's a ship with an illustrious and poorly-known history. I'm not of the opinion that it's now forever bonded to Solo's fate or some such.

Well less chance any future SW game or book gets to "relive" the movies for the 9999th time the better. If the Falcon survives in the storyline after Solo dies it will quickly become the vessel of whatever Sueish dude they come up with to make some $$. It would be great if the Falcon become part of a muesuem or there was homage stories revisiting what happened to the Falcon. But considering what a massive cash cow such an iconic ship is in pop culture is that is unlikely. The EU seizes upon any leftover bits from the movies like vultures looking for a fresh unattended corpse. Need I remind you of Luuke Skywalker a clone of Luke Skywalker grown from his chopped off hand ? If they could do this with a severed appendage what do you think they will do with an entire starship ?

EDIT : Relevant quote tags added.

Jim Raynor · Post by **Jim Raynor** » 2008-09-05 06:06pm

Ideally, the EU wouldn't go on long enough for this scenario to occur. It has long since strayed from the movies which are what the fans actually care about. I'm not interested in reading stories about a 70 year old Han with his grandchildren as supporting characters.

Vehrec · Post by **Vehrec** » 2008-09-05 06:54pm

While both options are kind of cool, I must admit that the thought of the Falcon's own stories amuses me to no small end. On the other hand, it may be that the will of Han Solo is the only think separating the spaceframe from catastrophic failure. So maybe if Han dies, it will just snap in half and travel with him on his journey to become one with the force.

Darth Raptor · Post by **Darth Raptor** » 2008-09-05 07:31pm

Why can't Han just have a stroke on the couch in his Coruscant flat while watching sports and eating chips? Why must the life of every main character be HIGH ADVENTURE from beginning to end? Was his birth a combat drop, too? It's dumb. Even Pellaeon had to be murdered, and he was like, two hundred.

Anguirus · Post by **Anguirus** » 2008-09-05 08:36pm

Need I remind you of Luuke Skywalker a clone of Luke Skywalker grown from his chopped off hand ?

He also got shanked by Mara Jade about 30 pages after he was introduced. Of all the million things wrong with the EU, a Luke clone is very low on the list. Besides, it was a clever way to fulfill the "last command."

Saxtonite · Post by **Saxtonite** » 2008-09-06 01:37am

Count Chocula wrote:The Falcon was an old ship when Han got his hands on her. If Han does die decently, in a decent way, I'm guessing he'll be at least 70 years old. That would make the Falcon at least 100 years old, based on its cameo in The Phantom Menace....and those have been hard years.

The Corporate Sector has Invincible-class warships that are ~3,000 years old though.

Thanas · Post by **Thanas** » 2008-09-06 12:52pm

Darth Raptor wrote:Why can't Han just have a stroke on the couch in his Coruscant flat while watching sports and eating chips? Why must the life of every main character be HIGH ADVENTURE from beginning to end? Was his birth a combat drop, too? It's dumb. Even Pellaeon had to be murdered, and he was like, two hundred.

Only to have Daala of all people succeed him....that I consider to be the worst insult to his character. From every previous book we see Pellaeon surrounding himself with highly loyal and capable people. His security arrangements are equally paranoid. That guy has an extremely loyal crew, capable friends etc. Plus, he has got a force user as his bodyguard.

Now, suddenly.....all those people are absent in the book where he dies. Also, Pellaeons designated successor (Moff Saretti) has suddenly retired. That guy was about 30 in one book and suddenly he is supposed to be in retirement 5 years later?

Qwerty 42 · Post by **Qwerty 42** » 2008-09-06 04:27pm

If Solo were to die naturally, I'd rather they took the Falcon, placed his body in it, and shot it at a star. You know, Viking burial sort of thing. It's not like the ship has any special capabilities, so it wouldn't be a great loss to the Republic.

Tanasinn · Post by **Tanasinn** » 2008-09-07 12:04am

If the Falcon lives on, it'd be kinda interesting if she gained a reputation as a cursed ship and basically got left alone after one too many catastrophic hull failures and the like. The Falcon's a cranky old bitch even in the OT, I imagine she'll be a fucking nightmare without Han.

Darth Nostril · Post by **Darth Nostril** » 2008-09-07 04:02am

As much as I hate to acknowledge the BFC trilogy even exists Captain Chewbacca's right, the Falcon was practically rebuilt from the keel up, the only things remaining unaltered were the mil-grade weapons sytems.

Themightytom · Post by **Themightytom** » 2008-09-08 09:34am

Well less chance any future SW game or book gets to "relive" the movies for the 9999th time the better. If the Falcon survives in the storyline after Solo dies it will quickly become the vessel of whatever Sueish dude they come up with to make some $$.

Does anybody remember the series Airwolf, where they had one crew running the helicopter one eason then a totally different crew running it the next? I ahnd't realized the show was LITERALLY about the helicopter and not about the human schmucks that piloted it. I wouldn't be surprised if someone else got their hands on the Falcon, it could actually be done in an intriguing way. it could be found as a ghost ship by some desperate urchin on the lamb, and have him rediscover the "Last voyage of Han Solo" or whatever. SW tech is touted as superior to the rip off variant featured in the first BSG incarnation so i feel like there isn't a huge problem believing they falcon could live on, considering the first galactica was REALLY old.

then again there's always the saying "Old heroes never die;' they jsut fade away" Maybe we should never see Solo die in an official source.

Luuke Skywalker a clone of Luke Skywalker grown from his chopped off hand ? If they could do this with a severed appendage what do you think they will do with an entire starship ?

Woah woah woah lets not give kevin J Anderson any more ideas.
"I found a sample of Chewies Wookie jizz and I have cloned him, he is the Kwitsatch haderach(Tm lucasfilm)!! Rawrrrrr!"

Lord Revan · Post by **Lord Revan** » 2008-09-08 12:16pm

Saxtonite wrote:
Count Chocula wrote:The Falcon was an old ship when Han got his hands on her. If Han does die decently, in a decent way, I'm guessing he'll be at least 70 years old. That would make the Falcon at least 100 years old, based on its cameo in The Phantom Menace....and those have been hard years.
The Corporate Sector has Invincible-class warships that are ~3,000 years old though.

is it that said ship was 3000+ or just that the class was 3000+?

and the Falcon isn't exatly factory spec YT-1300 either (woopedia calls it actually a hybrid between two different models of YT-1300s) so the jury rigged nature of the could reduce the life of the ship (plus I'm sure your typical freighter is suppose to get shot with military grade weapons as often as the Falcon has been (the weaponary was probably meant to defend against pirates not to act as heavy gunboat)

Count Chocula · Post by **Count Chocula** » 2008-09-08 04:38pm

You have a point on the Invincible class, but (and you knew there would be a 'but'

) I have been unable to find any records of battles being fought in the Corporate sector in the Han Solo or Lando Calrissian books, or on Wookiepedia. A ship as durable as SW ships seem to be, that's only used for sector patrols and anti-piracy operations, should indeed be able to last a very long time. As Lord Revan said, maybe the ship class is that old because it fills a need.

In the canon, we see NO Venators, NO Acclamators, NO Lucrehulks, NO ARC-170s or eta-2, etc. etc. in the OT. Nor do we see any PT walkers or speeders in the OT, with the exception of one 74-Z speeder bike (in ROTS). We DO see the Falcon, a heavily modified freighter, and the Tantive IV, a diplomatic ship, in both the OT and PT.

The implication is that combat use, given the energies thrown around by starships and ground vehicles alike, is very very very hard on combat ships/vehicles. You say your Home Fleet of Venators got pounded into scrap by Greivous' navy? Hell, just melt them down and make ISDs! Short lifespans for combat vessels seems to be normal in the SW verse, kinda like in our reality.

We see the Falcon flying like a fighter, taking asteroid impacts, getting shot up by TIEs and Stormtroppers, and basically getting the crap beat out of it. This is a freighter, and not a combat ship, after all; the closest analogy would be a WW1 Q-Ship. How many of those were left after the Great War? Not many.

Granted, a near-stock YT1300, well-maintained and not shot at too many times, would probably last damn near forever. But the Falcon seemed to be kept together by spit, baling wire, punches to the instrument panel, and an insanely dedicated owner. I still say that if Han goes, the Falcon should go.

Besides, the Solo kids have their wank super-duper-built-from-scrap-TIE-and-crashed-Alliance-ships-pud-pulltastic 'freighter.'