#michael a. stackpole

[balu8]

Star Wars: Mara Jade-By The Emperor's Hand #1

by Timothy Zahn/ Michael A, Stackpole (W);  Carlos Ezquerra (P/I); James Sinclair and Michael Taylor (L)

Dark Horse

[the-gershomite]

Star Wars: X-Wing Rogue Squadron, Battleground Tatooine #1 of 4

-July 1996- Dark Horse Comics

Chapter 1

story: Michael A. Stackpole

script: Jan Strnad

pencil art: John Nadeau

inks: Jordi Ensign

colors: Perry McNamee

letterer: Vickie Williams

cover art: Mark Harrison

[mythosaurtamer]

"This is the Ministry of Planning and Zoning. Construction Droid Foursixnine, do you have a problem? We are showing a deviation of your course. "

Wedge hit the reply button. " No problem here, we just have new plans. With Coruscant being under new management, we wanted to get things started early to ease the transition."

"What are you talking about? Who is this? "

"Rogue Squadron Contracting. X-wings far faster, but they don't build things as nicely as this does. Antilles out."

- A conversation between someone at the Ministry of Planning and Zoning and Wedge Antilles.

Wedge's Gamble, Book 2 of the X-wing series. Page 306

[reyturnofbensolo]

My dude finally got laid! 🤣 I think that’s where the Jedi fundamentally got it wrong. Attachment isn’t always a bad thing. I mean look at Anakin and Padme. They had to be all secret about their marriage and it fucked up the entire galaxy!

[checkoutmybookshelf]

You Have My Attention: X-Wing Series First Lines

In the many, many series that comprise the Star Wars EU (the Legends Canon since Disney decanonized it in 2014), the X-Wing series is an interesting case because it is fairly cleanly bifurcated between two X-wing squadrons and two authors, and yet the series as a whole--and the characters who cross over between authors--feel remarkably consistent. That's a feat in and of itself, as anyone who has read over the shift from Robert Jordan to Brandon Sanderson in the Wheel of Time can attest.

My clear preference is for Aaron Allston's writing style and the Wrait Squadron missions, but I know readers who dearly love Stackploe's Rogue Squadron as well. So let's take a look at how these authors grab readers with their first lines!

"You're good, Corran, but you're no Luke Skywalker."

-- Rogue Squadron

"Even before his X-wing's sensors had time to scan and identify the new ship, Corran Horn knew he was in trouble."

-- Wedge's Gamble

"Commander Wedge Antilles would have preferred the ceremony to be private."

-- The Krytos Trap

"Somehow the dead of night amplified the lightsaber's hiss, allowing it to fill the room."

-- The Bacta War

"Twelve X-wing snubfighters roared down into the atmosphere."

-- Wraith Squadron

"He made no pretense at being fully human."

-- Iron Fist

"Naval Lieutenant Jart Eyan looked rested and cheerful."

-- Solo Command

"Sithspawn! When his X-wing reverted to realspace before the countdown timer had reached zero, Corran Horn knew Thrawn had somehow managed to outguess the New Republic yet one more time."

-- Isard's Revenge

"She was beautiful and fragile and he could not count the number of times he had told her he loved her."

-- Starfighters of Adumar

"Imperial Admiral Kosh Teradoc paused, irritated and self-conscious, just outside the entryway into the club."

-- Mercy Kill

[missmultifandommess]

Oh, hoho yeah!

Oh, ho ho YEAH!

MWAHAHA!

*SCREAMS*

Context

Bubble Bath Vine (Don’t Mind Me - Kylee Henke)

Literally could not find this anywhere on YouTube so I’ll do it myself.

[moonlayl]

There’s a whole scene where Wedge is berating himself for being selfish, because he was kind of wishing to have a family of his own and because he was lonely, and just...This is a man who lost his family at 17 and who has spent the entirety of his adult years in service of the Rebellion-turned-New Republic. 

This poor dude has lost his entire squadron at some point and repeatedly loses people he cares about on a regular basis. He’s had to write hundreds of letters to families, telling them their loved ones won’t return home. 

He puts up a brave and collected front in order to encourage others and create some semblance of calm, but screams and breaks things because “I lost another man” when he’s alone.

He grieves alone, he suffers alone, and his duty has made him abandon the mere thought of falling in love and building a family at the age of fucking twenty eight.

Wedge, sweetie, you deserve a hug. 

Like he really thinks he’s being selfish, because having a family would mean NOT surrendering every part of himself to this seemingly never ending war. He thinks he’s selfish for having dreams and maybe not wanting to spend the rest of his years doing nothing except fighting.

He’s also fully prepared to die. Repeatedly. Is constantly going on the most dangerous missions and not willing to be promoted. 

Like no, you’re not selfish for wanting a life. You’re not selfish for feeling lonely when you don’t have many people around you and when you’ve reached a point where you distance yourself because you know it’s inevitable that the people around you will die in only a few years.

You’re not selfish for having feelings and emotions and wishing for a better life that you don’t have to give up everything for. You’re not selfish for sometimes thinking you’d love a different life where you didn’t have to fight tooth and nail to survive and to protect others. And where you didn’t have to lose blood sweat and tears to do so.

This man has gone though so much and he is such a fantastic character and I am so glad that the EU, and specifically Aaron Allston, decided to explore his character and give him depth.

Truly one of the better star wars characters.

[omercifulheaves]

Dark Souls: Masque of Vindication (Hard time finding info on the cover artist. Anybody wanna help a brother out?)