From a Certain Point of View, Part III
"Added Muscle" by Paul Dini dives into the mind of Boba Fett...and an unexpected mind it is. He didn't really sound like I would've expected him to sound. He's cavalier and arrogant and REALLY hates Wookies. I guess some of that is to be expected. But I saw him as more mellow and reserved than all that--he must keep it all hidden beneath that Mandalorian mask of his.
This story takes place as Jabba and his thugs are waiting for Solo at the Millennium Falcon and then as Jabba interacts with Solo and gives him the extension. Fett talks through his thoughts step-by-step in first person as these events go down. I'm curious to watch this scene again to observe his actions more closely because apparently they speak volumes.
One great line was the following: "I'll twerp your guts all over that sorry heap of junk you call a ship"--obviously directed at Solo.
"You Owe Me a Ride" by Zoraida Cordova introduces us to the two sisters Brea and Senni Tonnika. They are bounty hunters trying to find a way to escape the law for good and so they take on Jabba's job to find Solo. Apparently, the two women used to be friends with Solo until he humiliated Brea in some undisclosed fashion. Part way through their hunt for Solo they realize they could just steal the Millennium Falcon instead and gain there way off Tattooine without the extra step of acquiring money. Of course, stormtroopers show up before they get the chance, and they find another way out.
The character descriptions and development in this piece were wonderful with each sister having a very distinct personality and way about them. I was quite impressed with the work put into making them wholly different people. I also enjoyed the extra history given to Solo though it wasn't fleshed out as much as I would have liked.
In an exciting nod to cannon connections, the Ohnaka Gang is mentioned in passing!! Yay for Hondo <3
"The Secrets of Long Snoot" by Delilah S. Dawson dug super deep into the life and emotions of Garindan ezz Zavor, the Imperial spy who rats on the two droids. Being written by the same person who wrote Phasma, I was a bit wary of this piece but it shone and I was most pleased.
We learn so much about Kubaz (Garindan's species)!
- Their snouts can express a thousand emotions with a twitch.
- They are descended from insects.
- Their sense of smell is phenomenal not only in picking up normal scents from long distances but also in picking up on emotions like fear.
- Their homeworld is Kubindi.
- Their extended families and homes are known as hives.
He goes after the droids because he has just received a message his mate has died and he is desperate to return home to properly bury her. He holds no love for the Empire, despite working for them, as he was essentially kidnapped by Imperials and force-fed propaganda to turn him into a spy. He desires to bring word of the rightness of the Rebellion to his hive--something counter to what his species has been led to believe for so long.
This story was heartfelt and genuinely sad, you end up feeling sincerely sorry for Garindan when the droids get away. Something this book has done time and time again.
"Born in the Storm" by Daniel Jose Older is a fabulously funny story from the first person point of view of one of the stormtroopers mind tricked by Kenobi. It takes the form of a military incident report covering their day of looking for the droids.
This particular trooper, TD-7556, pines over dewbacks and the Mounties as they are called. He's bitter he didn't make the Mountie cut and deeply desires a dewback of his own which leads to a wonderfully fun ending to this piece.
The wording used in this story is incredibly informal and colloquial which made it an easy blast of a read. And there's even an old clone that graces the pages, an old grumpy trooper named Crag!
The description of how it felt to be mind tricked was phenomenal and I loved getting some insight into this from the other side of the coin.
"The next thing that happened was that I was absolutely, 100 percent sure that we did not need to see his identification. [...] It was imperative that I not see them [...]. In fact, all I wanted to do was to get the krizz out of there.
Seems Commander 110 finally came to his senses, too, because then he says, 'We don't need to see your identification.'
Bless! I almost yelled, but I kept it contained.
'These are not the droids you're looking for' Old Guy says.
And he was right. He was so right. It was like, of course they're not!
110 agreed and then Old Guy says that he can go about his business, and I'm like Yes! Yes, Old Guy! Say that!"
So freaking funny. I love it!
"Laina" by Wil Wheaton is a heartwarming and then heart-wrenching story about a Rebel mechanic with a two year old daughter. Most of the story involves him recording a message to his young girl, telling her why the Rebellion is so important and why, when she is of age, she too must stand up against the Empire. His love for his daughter is clear in the tenderness he speaks toward her with. To protect her, he ships her off with her aunts to remove her from the dangers of being on the Rebel base. But as for where he sends her...*shiver*...you'll just have to read.
I was so devastated, I called out loud in anguish and my friends were concerned. This book just has me all sorts of in its grip.
This story didn't flow in the actual narrative of A New Hope, but it was a worthy addition to canon nonetheless. I liked seeing the perspective of a young parent on Yavin IV, something I'd never thought about before but that makes perfect sense in a fully fleshed out universe.
"Fully Operational" by Beth Revis, the author of the phenomenal book Rebel Rising, gets into the head of General Cassio Tagge, Chief of the Imperial Army. He references Director Krennic, Jedha, and Scarif several times--love the canon connections! Apparently he was even on the Death Star already when it attacked Scarif. As he mulls over Krennic's actions and the consequences, he wonders what might happen to him if he speaks out.
This piece starts right before the conversation around the conference table where Vader Force chokes Motti. Tagge has his own office off of the conference room where he has been studying readouts and other data on Scarif trying to figure out what went wrong. He makes a wonderful analogy between the Rebels and the black hive ant species with their ability to function as a hive mind when in a group. He wonders if the disbanding of the senate will cause the ants to escape their separate jars and function even more fully as a group. Once in the conference room, he makes note of the empty chair left by Krennic.
The others of course dismiss his concerns and think of him as being nearly treasonous. Poor guy, he really is trying to do his best to support the Empire.
"An Incident Report" by Mallory Ortberg gets into the mind of Admiral Conan Antonio Motti after he gets Force choked by Vader. His view of the incident is hysterical and so far from the realm of the reality that is Vader. Motti talks about himself being a religious man and very accepting of the religions of others. But he feels like Vader is proselytizing inappropriately to all present. He comes across as so practical over this incident and it's just crazy since the man has literally been choked by an invisible hand.
But he also has a point in that he was praising the people that had put so much time and effort into the creation of the Death Star and finds Vader's talking down about the battle station to be counter to lifting the spirits of everyone involved. He finds it demoralizing and inappropriate for a leader.
This was a fabulous line: "He found my lack of faith disturbing? I have never claimed to be an adherent to his sect. I found his lack of faith in this military installation disturbing. I do not attend Lord Vader's religious ceremonies and demand he venerate the Death Star's architectural staff; I ask him to refrain from interrupting my meetings and insisting I kowtow before this Force of his."
Getting a view into two of the chiefs of staff involved in this particular conference was eye-opening and gave the meeting so much depth and further clarity. Truly fascinating.
"Change of Heart" by Elizabeth Wein is a first-person point of view tale from one of the Death Star interrogators who was responsible for Leia. He speaks on having to hide his emotions behind an invisible mask since he is not afforded the luxury of helmets like stormtroopers. Surprised by the youth and smallness of Leia, he wills himself to not feel or bely his traitorous thoughts. He wonders at her intensity and strength and knows she's keeping secrets because she does not have the confusion and fear of someone who is not guilty.
The character arc in this piece is profound and we see the effect of the destruction of Alderaan on a faithful member of the Imperial crew. He knows Leia's lying when she says Dantooine is the sight of the Rebel base, but he dithers over whether to reveal his knowledge for a number of reasons. He finally makes an internal decision that, although surprising, comes from a logical progression of events and thoughts. Some really great character development here.
The next couple of stories continue with the destruction of Alderaan from certain points of view... Can't wait to continue this journey!!
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