#the unifying force

[holonetwork]

The Unifying Force promo (2003)

[darth-maul-of-dathomir]

I am torn awake when I try to sleep. Dreams are a liminal space where my rampant, unfettered connection to the unifying force has even more reign than in my waking hours. I can only stand to watch so many iterations of any given event, but the fulcrum events upon which the galaxy pivots are like beacons. They lap my Sight like restless beasts.

Tonight I have watched the massacre of the witches of Dathomir no less than a dozen times, with and without brothers coming to their aid, with and without advance warning, with and without many things.

I am no stranger to genocide, but this repetition grates.

[magnetarbeam]

You know, the way the lambent crystal is talked about as, like, giving Anakin a way to bridge the gap between his Force sense and the Force-nonexistent Yuuzhan Vong because its telepathic properties can connect to both sides of it kinda makes me wonder if it might be possible to have a similar kind of interface with regular mechanical systems. Like, if you have some way to convert electronic signals into data that a Force-user, at least, can sense in their mind, and convert back from that, could a computer system be interacted with in the same capacity as a living brain of comparable complexity?

Absolutely keeping this in my back pocket for some post-NJO Tahiri-related headcanons.

[bornitereads]

The Unifying Force - James Luceno

Star Wars: The New Jedi Order book 19

Reread: Jan 2024

The finale!! Luceno really popped off with this book wow. So much action. The big battles were sometimes so confusing because there was a lot going on but it all came together at the end. It starts with the scales tipping in favour of the bad guys, like really badly, but the living planet really saves their asses. Nothing like religious turmoil to ruin what should have been a victorious battle. The good guys rally and bring the fight to the Coruscant system, where Zonama Sekot has made its glorious apperance. Troops are landed on Coruscant to retake it, including the Skywalkers and the Solo twins. The way Luke goes into a Force trance and just murders his way to the Yuuzhan Vong throne room is wild. Same goes for Jacen who becomes a conduit for so much pure Force energy that he ages five years in minutes. But he also just fucks up the power behind the throne guy so hard that way. Lots of weird Force things here to go through which I enjoyed.

And let's not forget the Galactic Alliance deploying biological weapons against the Yuuzhan Vong. Some of the government wanted to genocide their way out of the war. Sadly this turned into a weapon against the good guys when the Yuuzhan Vong realized that Zonama Sekot's life was genetically similar and thus susceptible to the agent. Luckily it didn't all end in tragedy.

The war is won and Zonama Sekot reveals that it's the child of the real Yuuzhan'tar (not Coruscant, but the actual homeworld of the Yuuzhan Vong) and it claims it's wayward children? Siblings? Anyways, it wants to rehabilitate the Yuuzhan Vong and reconnect them to the Force, since Yuuzhan'tar cut them off from it when it exiled them for being evil.

It was a fitting end to the series. Tragic on lots of levels. But our heroes overcame many, many hardships to get to the end and most came out stronger. And Leia realizing she needed to formally finish her Jedi training, but that's in the next book(s) I just like it a lot haha. I think many people were hoping for a more crushing victory against the Yuuzhan Vong, but I think this way made more sense. And involved a lot less slaughter. Three cheers for the Galactic Alliance! Now to pick up the pieces.

Info: Del Rey; 2003

[movalise]

Jaina Solo : Jag doesn't worship me

Jacen Solo : Now that he's gotten to know you, you mean

[hezenkoss]

"I've one of those faces that used to appear familiar to everyone."

—Boba Fett when Han thinks he seems familiar but doesn't recognize him with his helmet off

[thegeekapocalypse]

Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, The Unifying Force, by James Luceno

One of the best Star Wars books I've ever read. The epic battle between the Imperial Remnant, Chiss Ascendancy, Galactic Alliance against the Yuuzhan Gong would look great on screen. This book introduced me to new mysteries of Star Wars, like Zonama Sekot the living planet, and Jacen Solo's ability to become pure Force. As you read this book, don't be surprised if you hear John Williams' score!   

[holonetwork]

I'm very pleased to share the final episode of the documentary series I've made on the NJO, Crafting An Epic: The Making of the New Jedi Order. This final episode, Part VII: Unification, takes us through the conclusion to this amazing series with insights and commentary from Greg Keyes and James Luceno on The Final Prophecy and The Unifying Force, talking deeply about Yuuzhan Vong society as well other elements of the series, such as Jacen's enlightenment and setting possibly the capstone for the Star Wars universe. Following that is a section of NJO reflections by those who made the series, as well as neat archival polls taken of the fandom (over 1000 participants) of their favorite characters, books, scenes, and so on, from 2005. It was a lot of work to make this series but a joy to see it come to fruition and share it. Enjoy!