Originally founded as "Czerka Mining and Industrial," this centuries-old, galaxy-spanning corporation has diversified into businesses ranging from consumer food products to military weapons. It is one of the wealthiest and most successful economic enterprises in operation, conducting commerce on virtually every civilized planet and--as owner of multiple star systems and employer of several billion individuals--has representation in the Republic Senate.
Czerka is unique in being able to negotiate trade agreements with the Hutt Cartel and other independent worlds, crossing political borders with impunity to generate staggering profits. Despite the company's perceived lack of loyalty, no one can afford to stop doing business with Czerka. "Anytime, anywhere… we're there" is the corporation's slogan--a motto that unscrupulous opportunists eagerly endorse.
Just finished Star Wars: Master & Apprentice, by Claudia Gray!
I finished this book over the course of about three days, and I have a LOT of thoughts! So, for anybody who cares to read them, here they are!
To summarize: I really enjoyed the book overall! The relationship and conflict between Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan was, as expected, the most compelling part. However, it also introduced some very likeable characters, had a good story, and delved a bit into some very interesting topics such as Jedi prophecies and the difference in the way Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan each interpret the Force. I will say that it did feel a bit rushed towards the end, in my (completely non-professional) opinion, but still definitely an enjoyable read overall!
Now, for all of the detailed thoughts!
(Spoiler warning, for anyone who hasn’t read Master and Apprentice yet, but wants to go into it without knowing plot points ahead of time!)
Old vs New Canon
First of all, as someone who was a huge fan of the Star Wars: Jedi Apprentice series as a kid (and those books definitely still hold a very special place in my heart today), of course one of the things I have to note are some of the differences between the old and new canon. In general, I’m not at all opposed to things being different in the new canon than they were in the old, and actually consider myself to be pretty open to changes (as long as they make sense and are done well, of course!).
One of the first changes that becomes apparent is that the need for a Jedi Initiate to be chosen as a Padawan before they turn thirteen no longer exists. In the Jedi Apprentice series, Initiates who are not chosen by a Master before they turn thirteen are instead sent to one of the Service Corps (like the AgriCorps, to grow food on underprivileged planets). In Master and Apprentice, it’s stated that Qui-Gon still took Obi-Wan as his Padawan when he was thirteen. The difference is that this is actually considered to be pretty young for a Padawan, rather than being the latest that one could be chosen. This does seem to line up more with the established canon, since Ahsoka was fourteen when she became Anakin’s Padawan, and there was no indication that she was older than typical (Anakin actually makes a comment about thinking Ahsoka isn’t even old enough to be a Padawan -- although, he did say this out of annoyance, and likely didn’t mean it seriously).
This is honestly a change that I’m in support of, for a couple of reasons. One: it just makes more sense to me that the selection of younglings as Padawans would happen more often in the early teens (with some outliers, hence how Qui-Gon at twelve and Obi-Wan at thirteen would both be considered young for Padawans, but not unheard of). Whereas the hard cutoff being set at thirteen would mean that most apprentices likely start out at 11-12, and that always seemed very young to me. Two: It also seemed odd to me that there was a hard age cut-off (so young, too) at which point a youngling would be transferred to one of the service corps, losing out on their chance to become a Jedi. While I’m sure some younglings don’t end up having what it takes, I’d imagine sending a youngling away would be a very rare, hard decision with many factors to consider, rather than just “if nobody picked you by thirteen, you’re out of luck.”
Another change is that, while Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon do have their conflicts early on in the Jedi Apprentice series, they work past these issues and become a good duo before long. In Master and Apprentice, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon are still out of sync four years into their pairing (when Obi-Wan is seventeen), to the point where Qui-Gon is convinced that they are a mismatch. While they do begin working through their communication issues and strengthening their relationship in this book, the implication that their relationship has been rocky for pretty much the entirety of their first four years together is a pretty significant change. While it’s certainly a bit of a different dynamic than the old canon, it does make for an interesting relationship between Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon, and I’m really hoping that this is something that will be explored further in future stories -- both the strengthening of their relationship going forward, as well as the ups and downs that I’m sure they had throughout those first four years.
Now, for one of the changes that admittedly disappoints me a little bit... Some of the wording in Master and Apprentice does seem to imply that Obi-Wan is Qui-Gon’s first Padawan, which would mean that Xanatos (and Feemor, although I have no strong opinion of him one way or the other) most likely does not exist in the new canon. This isn’t a hard fact, however -- it’s implied strongly enough that you would almost certainly assume Obi-Wan is Qui-Gon’s first Padawan if you read the book with no prior knowledge of a previous apprentice, but not strongly enough for it to be a contradiction if they were to later say he wasn’t. They never explicitly say that Qui-Gon didn’t have any other Padawans, it’s mostly just that there are some places you would expect it to be mentioned if he did, meaning at the very least that the author is under the impression he did not.
This could always be explained away later as Qui-Gon simply not wanting to acknowledge a previous failed apprentice, if they ever did decide to bring Xanatos into the new canon (and let’s be honest, even if they did explicitly confirm Qui-Gon never had a previous Padawan, Disney has already shown that they don’t really have a problem with contradicting/overwriting their own material later on). While I wouldn’t be heartbroken if Xanatos never makes it into the new canon, it does still disappoint me a little bit, as I always thought he had so much more potential as an antagonist that would be very fun to explore in new Star Wars material.
Something else that I noticed was that Obi-Wan finds it unbelievable that he would ever end up in a real lightsaber duel, or that two Jedi would ever fight each other to the death, and he considers red lightsabers to be something from a time long past. That definitely seems to imply that dark Jedi aren’t really a thing currently, or at least nowhere near common enough for Obi-Wan to have ever encountered or heard about one in the present (Qui-Gon does mention an ancient dark Jedi, so the idea itself isn’t foreign, just the thought that one would pop up now). Obviously, this contrasts with the Jedi Apprentice series, where Xanatos duels them both with a red lightsaber as early as book two.
The final change I noticed (although not from the Jedi Apprentice series, just from old canon in general) is that Dooku apparently left the Order much earlier in the new canon. Previously, I believe Dooku had left the Order at some point following Qui-Gon’s death in The Phantom Menace. In the new canon, he has already left by the time Master and Apprentice takes place (although is not yet a dark Jedi or a Sith, at least as far as they are aware). I really like this development, personally, and hope that we get to see a bit more of how this affects Qui-Gon going forward.
The Characters
As I mentioned before, the conflict and relationship between Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon is the highlight of Master and Apprentice (as to be expected, given the book’s title). At the start of the book, and for a decent portion of it actually, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are both under the impression that they are failing one another. Qui-Gon believes he is failing Obi-Wan as his Master because he’s unable to adapt his teaching methods to Obi-Wan’s needs, and is convinced that another Master would be able to help Obi-Wan thrive. Obi-Wan believes he is failing Qui-Gon as his Padawan, because he is still unable to understand Qui-Gon and can’t infer what his Master wants him to do without straightforward directions (which Qui-Gon, more often than not, does not provide). So much of the conflict between them boils down to one of two things: their difference in ideals, or a lack of communication.
The lack of communication is pretty straightforward, and a perfect example of this is something that gets brought up a few times throughout the course of the book: why Qui-Gon has kept Obi-Wan doing the basic lightsaber cadences, as opposed to more advanced forms that most other Padawans would have moved on to by now. Qui-Gon doesn’t explain his reasoning to Obi-Wan, and just expects him to know, which he does not. This leads to Obi-Wan dipping into his own self-doubt and assuming the worst: that Qui-Gon doesn’t think he’s ready, or perhaps never intended on finishing his training to begin with. This is a perfect example of a problem between them that could have been solved if they had just communicated -- if Qui-Gon had ever told his Padawan his reasoning, or if Obi-Wan had ever asked.
Their difference in ideals is something that is actually very interesting to explore. Obi-Wan follows the rules, while Qui-Gon bends them frequently. Obi-Wan trusts in the authority of the Jedi Council even if he has his doubts, while Qui-Gon argues with them and goes behind their back when he disagrees with their stance. They have differing ideas of right and wrong, differing opinions on how to act, and differing interpretations of the Force. While this is initially one of the reasons they believe they are a bad fit, they eventually come to the conclusion that they can both learn a lot from one another because of these differences between them. This is something that I hope we get to see a lot more of.
With the main duo out of the way, this book also introduces some other very likeable characters as well.
Rael Averross is, in my opinion, the most interesting of the new additions. I find the idea of a rogue Jedi very intriguing -- he is part of the Order, and does consider himself a Jedi, but holds a much looser interpretation of the Jedi Code (probably most apparent by his rejection of celibacy, as he believes that he can indulge in casual sex without forming attachments, since the attachments are actually what is forbidden). Many Jedi consider his demeanor to be largely due to the fact that he was brought to the Jedi Temple older than most, and that feeds into their reluctance to train Anakin later on. Rael also has a very tragic past with his former Padawan, which drives many of his actions going forward. I like how he and Qui-Gon are similar in some ways, but very different in others, and how that shows through their friendship.
Rahara and Pax are two characters that I was a bit unsure of at first, but they grew on me as the story went on. I like the relationship that they have with one another, and they served their purpose in the story well. However, they do strike me as characters who are specific to this story, and probably won’t be popping up again except for maybe a passing mention here and there (as opposed to Rael, who I’m almost positive will be returning in other pre- Phantom Menace stories at some point).
Dooku only ever appeared in flashbacks to when Qui-Gon was a Padawan, and one short call with Rael at the end of the book. I really enjoyed these flashback sequences, as I feel like they gave a lot of insight to both Dooku and Qui-Gon as characters. In particular, I thought it was very interesting to see how the prophecies seemed to tempt Dooku in a way that they did not with Qui-Gon, despite them sharing the same interest. The moment where Dooku uses force lightning to save Qui-Gon from a bounty hunter also really stuck out to me, as did Qui-Gon’s subsequent concern for his Master’s soul. The relationship between Dooku and Qui-Gon is one that I hadn’t given much thought to before, but these flashback sequences really piqued my interest! I’m looking forward to seeing a bit more of them now, in the upcoming Tales of the Jedi animated anthology series.
The Story
I definitely enjoyed the story of Master and Apprentice as a whole. The beginning sequence with Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon on Teth served as a great opening, and had me invested from the very start. Then, Qui-Gon’s invitation to the Jedi Council and the wrench that this throws into his relationship with Obi-Wan served as a good instigator for them to finally begin confronting the issues that they’ve been having. Of course, we know that Qui-Gon is going to end up turning down the offer and remain as Obi-Wan’s Master, but the journey that he takes to come to that conclusion is the interesting part. I suppose my only complaint there would be that I do wish his relationship with Obi-Wan had more to do with his decision (it did sort of seem like keeping or losing Obi-Wan as a Padawan was viewed as just a result of his decision, rather than a factor in that decision), but it does make sense for Qui-Gon as a character that his driving motivation was his relationship with the Force.
The situation on Pijal was an enjoyable setting for the story to take place. While some of the revelations seemed pretty obvious (like the Opposition not actually being the ones responsible for the terrorist attacks and assassination attempts), I honestly did not see it coming when Fanry stabbed the Skykeeper and assumed absolute power. That was a twist that definitely worked on me!
My only real complaint with the story is that the ending did seem a bit rushed to me. From the time Fanry stabs the Skykeeper to the time the threat is over lasts a total of about 30 pages. Perhaps that’s all it needed to be (I’m far from a professional writer or reviewer), but to me, everything following the moment where Fanry assumes absolute power and boards her ship seemed to be a little bit anticlimactic. The coronation scene was very gripping though, so perhaps that was the real climax of the story, as opposed to actually freeing Rahara and stopping Fanry. Everything seemed to wrap up pretty quickly and neatly after that, to the point where I sort of wish things had slowed down and taken their time a bit more.
Other Miscellaneous Thoughts
I really liked Pijal’s style of things being dull and simplistic on the outside, but beautiful and ornate on the inside. It made for some unique and beautiful imagery that I very much enjoyed picturing in my head!
I was initially surprised at the presence of Czerka, since most of my exposure to them comes from KOTOR (although I’m aware they’ve been in other properties as well). Their inclusion in the story was a welcome surprise, though!
Overall Thoughts
My summary at the beginning pretty much covers it, but I very much enjoyed reading Master and Apprentice! I always love a good Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon story, and am hoping to see a lot more of this duo in new canon material going forward!
Next on my reading list is Padawan by Kiersten White, which I believe is set prior to Master and Apprentice. It should be getting delivered when it releases tomorrow!
Can we just talk about how ABSOLUTELY APPALLED most of the SWTOR characters and companions would be if they were to time travel and discover that fucking Czerka is still a) around and b) the Absolute Worst literally 3600 years after the Treaty of Coruscant.
When Lunalee met him, she felt his connection to the Force and she thought « hey, here’s someone like me! » and followed him. This was a stupid idea for several reasons.
First, her Master was very specific that she shouldn’t try to get in touch with either the Temple or the Jedis. Ever.
Second. Jedis aren’t the only ones strong with the Force. Turned out This guy wasn’t expecting to be noticed and he... knocked her out and kidnapped her? Yeah, they started out on great basis for friendship...
Now of course upon realizing he was a Sith and he was determined to bring her back to Korriban with him, Lunalee wasn’t to happy. But he was obviously stronger than her and better trained so she quickly understood she was no match and if she wanted to leave, she’d have to outsmart him.
However, the Sith and her were looking for the same thing: the lost cargo of kyber crystals. No surprise there. But they weren’t the only ones looking. They found a group of smugglers and had to team up to beat them.
There’s been a lot of dice rolls. And Lunalee and Soren often rolled the same, at one point it was almost ridiculous how predictable they were xD. But they managed, barely hurt. And found the kyber!
But there was still something else calling onto them through the Force and upon a quick search, they found an old artefact. Lunalee touched it and she was trapped inside of some weird Force illusion. She met an ancient Alien who tried to coax her but she felt something wrong and tried to leave, connecting to the Sith who was still outside. Instead of pulling her out of there, she pulled him in.
The Sith was quicker to understand what was going on - aka the alien counting on using one of them to escape his prison jungle - and seemed ready to fight but Lunalee, on the other hand, realized that if the alien needed them to leave, maybe they could leave by their own means and convinced the Sith to try.
So they did some kind of an emergency meditation, connecting with the Force and with each other and it worked, they were free. But somehow a remnant of the bond lingered between them. However they left the Czerka bunker they’d been roaming in until then and went back to the surface. The Sith said he wouldn’t take Lunalee after all (which she appreciated because she really had no idea how to get out of this one...) and that’s when Jonas, B’ob and B’ob’s jawa clan arrived to save the day.
Sith wasn’t impressed but didn’t fight, Lunalee negociated to let him leave. He gave back her weapons and commlink (gave his contact in the process, Jonas wasn’t too happy to see a random dude throwing finger guns at his « daughter ») and left after finally sharing his name : Soren.
So yeah, initiative was rolled multiple times xD (@shamusu can tell o/)
I really like the planetary quest for Tatooine, where you find the Czerka base with the Rakatan prisoner who possesses everyone. I appreciate that it’s available for both sides, although I think the Imperial version of the quest is better and has a very eerie, zombie-horror-film vibe to it. They unwittingly unleash zombies on the Imperial base and in the desert, have to try to stop it, and get a lot of ominous warnings about ghosts and “creatures in white rooms.”
This guy, though. There’s a really well done depiction of survivor’s guilt/PTSD in this quest that I didn’t even realize at first.
Grommik Kurthson.
You see him Imperial-side on a holo in the desert:
Grommik: I’m the last man out. We’ve been ordered to seal Czerka Secret Weapons Division 7...okay. Sealing the doors now. Anyone who sees this - don’t come in. You don’t want to. You really don’t want to.
Republic-side, you actually meet the man himself. He’s old, he’s living alone in the desert, and when you come across him, he’s apparently talking to himself, addressing the friends he left in the base.
Grommik: Twenty more minutes until I’m leaving. Then the doors are clsoing. Wallner. I love you like a brother, but the doors have to close...
You discover that he was a security guard at Czerka and had no idea what was happening in the excavation, until things got out of hand and he had to help seal the base. The incident traumatized him so much that he retired, and he’s afraid to leave his house.
Grommik: When it all went wrong...I had to lock up the base. Leave the others behind. I left the desert and the horrors and went to Anchorhead.
Even when he’s helping you escape from the base, his friends are still on his mind.
Grommik: I don’t owe them anything. And my friends from the base...they can’t be hurt.
On the Imperial side, you do see the Reclamation Service mourning the deaths of Darth Slithar and the officers killed when the artifact is accessed, but this is much more poignant to me. You see a man still haunted by the horrors he witnessed, who knows how many decades ago.
I wish that the story had followed up with Grommik, with an email telling you he got to Anchorhead. Or a request to the SIS to find him and keep him safe. You leave him in his house as it’s being destroyed by Czerka, and even though there’s a way out, he doesn’t come with you. Poor guy.
As if there were any question about which SWTOR OC I’m picking, I gotta go with Cirak; I’m pretty sure he’s the undisputed favorite of my SWTOR disasters. I’ll probably do this again though later with Raz, since I think half my followers here are here for my SWTOR stuff and the other half my original writing (with some overlap of course).
1. What is your name?
Cirak Kiht. But you already know that.
2. Do you know why are you named that?
No idea. It’s probably because my parents liked that name.
3. Are you single or taken?
I’m often being taken if you know what I mean, but no, nothing serious.
4. Have any abilities or powers?
Fastest draw in the galaxy. I dare anyone to try having faster reflexes. Nothing mystical though. None of that Force crap.
5. Stop being a Mary Sue.
I can’t help it if I’m so perfect.
6. What’s your eye color?
I’m going to be nice and just assume you’re colorblind. Red.
7. How about your hair color?
If you are colorblind you’d be right anyways. Grey, like Mom’s.
8. Have any family members?
None who are still breathing. Mom got sick and died when I was twelve. Dad got himself killed a few years after that. And Tyar, my kid brother, he died when the Jedi Temple fell on Coruscant.
My crew’s my family now. Mako’s the Team Mom, and she knows it. Blizz is like our energetic, destructive child. Gault’s that cousin who’s always getting in trouble that we have to bail out. Torian - good kid by the way - is the one we can always trust to get the job done. We’re all one big family that kills together.
Except Skadge. -censor bleep- Skadge. Not literally though. Not in a thousand years. It’s one of the only things you couldn’t pay me any amount of credits to do.
9. Oh? How about pets?
I don’t have time to look after any pets.
10. That’s cool, I guess. Now, tell me something you don’t like?
I mentioned Skadge right? I also hate Hoth.
Getting stranded on Hoth with Skadge? That’s a hellish nightmare.
11. Do you have any activities/hobbies that you like to do?
I had a boyfriend a long time ago who taught me how to whittle, so I like carving things from time-to-time. Hunting big game is a lot of fun too, and it’s not too hard to find opportunities for that when I’m out on a job. I don’t have as much time for it anymore, but I used to race Swoop, but that was awhile ago.
12. Have you ever hurt anyone in any way before?
Buddy, I get paid to hurt people.
13. Ever… killed anyone before?
Yeah, plenty. Even on those bounties where they’re wanted alive there always seems to be a goon of their’s who rushes you that you gotta put down.
14. What kind of animal are you?
No idea.
15. Name your worst habits?
According to Mako it’s the “revolving door” that is my bedroom, but I like to think of that as my best habit. Mine is probably that I don’t plan enough, and that I charge headfirst into jobs without doing thorough research ahead of time.
But hey, that’s why I have Mako.
16. Do you look up to anyone at all?
Me. I figure if my fans look up to me, I should too. That way I don’t let them down.
17. Are you gay, straight or bisexual?
Bisexual. I’ve slept with men and women.
18. Do you go to school?
I haven’t been to school since I was 15, right before Dad left for the last time. I never did turn in that assignment.
19. Ever want to marry and have kids one day?
Sure, if the right person came along.
20. Do you have any fangirls/fanboys?
Plenty. One of the best things about my victory tour after winning the Great Hunt was meeting all my fans during photoshoots and sponsorships. I didn’t realize just how many were out there before that.
21. What are you most afraid of?
Getting sick and becoming feeble. I don’t enjoy feeling like other people have to take care of me. I plan on going out in a blaze of glory. No getting old and infirm for me.
22. What do you usually wear?
I’ve been wearing a custom-fit set of armor for most of my jobs. Called in a few favors with some people at Mili-Corp and got it made especially for me. It’s light, but has the quality of defense as what you might find in Czerka’s pricier lineup of products, and comes with a backup shield generator and an autohacking system in case Mako or Gault are indisposed.
23. What’s one food that tempts you?
Crispy fries with lots of salt and hot sauce.
24. Am I annoying to you?
Nah you’re fine.
25. Well, it’s still not over!
Good. More time to talk about me.
26. What class are you (low/middle/high)?
Let’s just say credits are no longer an issue for me.
27. How many friends do you have?
A few. Most people are acquaintances at best.
28. What are your thoughts on pie?
I like pie.
29. Favorite drink?
Just a good ol’ cold beer.
30. What’s your favorite place?
There’s this beach on Ord Mantell that my boyfriend Dekon and I would go to when we lived on the planet. It was away from the city a bit, and hardly anyone was ever on the sand. Really remote. Sometimes we’d train there, race our swoop bikes, or just watch the waves, among other things. I went back a couple years ago. The Republic bombed it all to hell after some Separatists set up a bunker nearby.
31. Are you interested in anyone?
Like attracted? Sure, plenty. There was this cute twi’lek girl I met last time I was on Nar Shaddaa that I wouldn’t mind meeting up with next time I’m back, but if you mean in a serious way, then no.
32. That was a stupid question…
I once had an interviewer ask me my favorite color. You’re good.
33. Would you rather swim in a lake or the ocean?
Ocean.
34. What’s your type?
Depends on what we’re talking about. Physically I partners who are athletic and well-fit, but I don’t care much about what species they are as long as they’re sentient and not a Hutt. But I will say, you can’t go wrong with muscle. Men, women, I don’t care.
As far as personality though I like people who are collected and calm. They don’t take too much too seriously, and you can just be around them without having to think a whole lot, and yet they’re always thinking. Planning. It takes care of what I don’t want to do. A twi’lek woman I dated once was like that, and it saved me a lot of hassle on day-to-day things.
She also tried to stab me when we were doing a job, so maybe she’s not the best example.
35. Any fetishes?
What kind of magazine is this again...?
But, to answer your question: not really. Sex is sex, and sex is fun, so if there’s something that gets my partner going I’ll play along unless it’s -censor bleep- weird.
