ROGUE ONE: INSIDER PREVIEWS THE NEXT STAR WARS MOVIE!

T H E O F F I C I A L M A G A Z I N E O F T H E S TA R WA R S G A L A X Y

INSIDER TM

STAR WARS
REBELS
RETURNS
DAVE FILONI TALKS
SEASON THREE
TAYLOR GRAY ON
EZRA’S DARK SIDE
TIYA SIRCAR ON
WHY THIS IS
SABINE’S SEASON
PLUS!
SEASON TWO
EPISODE GUIDE

THE RISE ISSUE #169

US $7.99
CAN $9.99
NOV/DEC 2016
Please display until December 19

AND RISE OF
© and TM 2016 Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Used under authorization.
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DARTH VADER
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HOW THE DARK LORD’S SERIES BECAME THE MOST POWERFUL COMIC IN THE GALAXY!
0
 EDITOR’S WELCOME a NOV/DEC 2016 a
EDITORIAL
Editor Jonathan Wilkins
Senior Executive Editor Divinia Fleary

THIS ISSUE... Art Editor Oz Browne

Copy Editor Simon Hugo
Editorial Assistant Tolly Maggs

04 LAUNCHPAD
14 DAVE FILONI Senior Editor Frank Parisi
Editor Brett Rector
Image Archives Newell Todd, Erik Sanchez,
Bryce Pinkos, Tim Mapp
“George Lucas looked at me and 22 VADER Art Director Troy Alders
Bantha Tracks Pete Vilmur

immediately said: ‘You’ll do.’” CONTRIBUTORS

32 SEASON TWO Tricia Barr, Mark Newbold, Amy Ratcliffe,
Michael Kogge, James Burns,
Kenny Baker, From Tiny Acorns: The Kenny Baker Story EPISODE GUIDE and Dan Wallace
SPECIAL THANKS TO
Erich Schoeneweiss at Random House,
38 TAYLOR GRAY Chris D’Lando at Marvel Comics,

A
t the time of writing, I think it’s fair to say Tracy Cannobbio and Chris Argyropoulos
at Lucasfilm
that many Star Wars’ fans are broken-
42 TURNING POINT
hearted after hearing the news about the
death of Kenny Baker, the man who brought
R2-D2 to life.
50 TIYA SIRCAR
I’ve always thought Kenny’s performance was
a crucial part of the saga. Actors sometimes complain
56 STEPHEN STANTON
Production Manager Obi Onuora
of the difficulty of performing through masks and Production Supervisors Maria Pearson

special effects, yet Kenny rose to that challenge,

61 PUBLISHING & Jackie Flook
Production Assistant Peter James
Art Director Oz Browne
creating a memorable character who was instantly Senior Sales Manager Steve Tothill
loved, despite having no face or discernable features
70 INCOMING Subscriptions Executive Ben Alvarez Turner
Direct Sales & Marketing Manager
at all. Ricky Claydon

It’s worth remembering that during the filming of
the original Star Wars film, R2’s bleeps and boops had
yet to be conceived by the movie’s sound designer,
Ben Burtt. Baker’s physical reactions were his co-stars
entire conception of the character, and he performed
his scenes without being able to hear or see the other
actors, or even hear George Lucas’ quiet direction
properly. It’s a consummate performance that goes
some way to explaining the all-ages appeal of the
unique character.
Sadly, I can’t say I knew Kenny. I met him briefly
at Celebration VI in 2013, and he made me laugh with
a joke that I can’t possibly repeat here. He was a
showman, always keen to please his fans—and please
them he certainly did. His line at conventions was always
long, trailing into the distance, and there was a genuine
sense of joy on the faces of fans brandishing their signed
photos and grinning with pleasure at having met him.
George Lucas once claimed that R2-D2 was his
76 BANTHA TRACKS Brand Manager, Marketing Lucy Ripper
Commercial Manager Michelle Fairlamb
Advertising Assistant Jessica Reid
U.S. Advertising Manager Jeni Smith
Publishing Manager Darryl Tothill
Publishing Director Chris Teather
Operations Director Leigh Baulch
Executive Director Vivian Cheung
Publisher Nick Landau
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favorite character, and I’m convinced that opinion was also available online. Contents © 2016 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved,
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As R2-D2 might say, “Beep-Bloop Beep-Bleep.” Or, Star Wars Insider, 144 Southwark Street StarWarsInsider © 2016 Lucasfilm Ltd. and ™ All Rights Reserved.

for those of you who don’t speak droid, “The Force will London SE1 0UP, U.K. Used Under Authorization.

be with you always, Kenny.” call us:

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For U.K. and all other destinations
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Jonathan Wilkins, Editor
 IN MEMORIAM
KENNY BAKER
KENNY BAKER, THE MAN WHO GAVE LIFE AND SOUL TO R2-D2 FROM 1977’S STAR WARS THROUGH
TO 2005’S REVENGE OF THE SITH, HAS DIED AT THE AGE OF 81.
B
orn Kenneth George Baker on
August 24, 1934, in Solihull near
Birmingham, England, his career
as an entertainer began in 1951
at age 17 when he was invited to join a
theatrical troupe. That led to a brief stint
with the circus, and then a part in Snow
White with Holiday On Ice—the first of many
appearances on frozen water. Baker formed
a close friendship with fellow little person
Jack Purvis, and together the pair developed
the Mini-Tones, a stage act they performed
until Purvis’ death in November 1997.
Baker’s first film appearance was
in the 1960 Hammer film Circus of Horrors,
directed by Sidney Hayers. U.K. television
appearances in Man of the World (1962)
and Dave Allen at Large (1975) followed,
before he was cast as R2-D2 in George
Lucas’ original Star Wars movie (1977).
THE HEART OF R2-D2
Baker became famous for his role as
the little astromech droid, despite
never being seen on screen. Working
inside R2 when internal movement was
required, Baker imbued the prop with
his own unmistakable character. When
R2 was excited, that was Kenny. When
he was sad, that was Kenny. Interviewed
in 2005, he looked back fondly on his
Star Wars experience:
“It was an utter explosion around
the world. Nothing like it had been
seen before. All the merchandise, toys…
It was crazy. Fan-mail was pouring in
for everyone, and we were being asked
for interviews all over the world. People
really did take the two robots to their
hearts, which was great for Anthony
[Daniels, C-3PO] and me. In a sense,
R2 really is the pace-keeper of the
first movie.”
Baker continued to appear in other
projects alongside his Star Wars work,
including Wombling Free (1978), based
on the popular children’s books by
1 9 3 4 — 2 0 1 6
Elisabeth Beresford, in which he played
Bungo alongside his wife, Eileen Baker,
as Tobermory. Throughout the 1980s, he
performed in high-profile film productions
such as David Lynch’s The Elephant Man
(1980), Flash Gordon (1980), Time Bandits
(1981, with Jack Purvis), Amadeus (1984),
Jim Henson’s Labyrinth (1986), and Willow
(1988, with Purvis and Warwick Davis).
In the Star Wars galaxy, he first reprised
his role as R2 in The Star Wars Holiday
Special in 1978, before immortalizing the
droid in cement outside Grauman’s Chinese
Theatre, and appearing on The Muppet Show
alongside Star Wars co-stars Mark Hamill,
Anthony Daniels, and Peter Mayhew in
1980. In The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
he brought R2 back to the big screen, and
he also played a GONK droid (or power
droid, if you please). The movie was his
favorite, both as a filmmaking experience
and as a chapter in the Star Wars saga.
“[Empire Strikes Back director] Irvin
Kershner and I got on very well on set,”
Baker recalled. “He was such a genuine,
nice man. Obviously the first Star Wars
had been massive, so we all knew this
was something to be part of. Empire is
the darkest chapter, with much more
depth to the story and characters.”
The year 1983 saw Kenny in a dual
role once again: back in action as R2, as
well as stealing scenes and a speeder
bike as heroic Ewok Paploo in Return of
the Jedi. After Jedi, it was another four
years before he climbed inside the
astromech once again, to play R2 in the
Star Tours theme park attraction. More
than a decade later, he returned to the
role three more times: in The Phantom
Menace, Attack of the Clones, and Revenge
of the Sith.
By the time The Force Awakens started
filming in 2014, Baker was not well enough
to physically portray R2, so instead served
as a consultant, sharing his decades of
wisdom with the filmmakers. His final
performance was in the 2013 short film
One Night At The Aristo.
Kenny Baker was a convention staple,
traveling the globe to attend shows in
Europe, the United States, and beyond.
His last appearance was at the London
Film & Comic Con on July 31, 2016, where
he signed autographs for his many fans.
SAYING GOODBYE
Since his passing, Kenny Baker’s colleagues
have lined up to pay their respects.
His friend of 40 years, Peter Mayhew
(Chewbacca), said: “Cherish the times
of your life. Here’s to you Kenny Baker.
The man I made so many memories with,
swapped stories with, entertained with,
and carried to his hotel room at the end
of the night!”
Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker),
tweeted, “Goodbye Kenny Baker. A lifelong
loyal friend—I loved his optimism and
determination. He WAS the droid I was
looking for!”
Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy
said, “We’re all saddened to learn of Kenny’s
passing. There is no Star Wars without R2-
D2, and Kenny defined who R2-D2 was
and is. He will be greatly missed.”
Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett) recalled
Baker’s love of meeting the fans. “He was
an amazing person who only two weeks
ago was greeting fans and signing
autographs. We will all miss him greatly—
what a superstar he was.”
Star Wars creator George Lucas also
paid tribute: “Kenny Baker was a real
gentleman as well as an incredible trooper
who always worked hard under difficult
circumstances. A talented vaudevillian who
could always make everybody laugh, Kenny
was truly the heart and soul of R2-D2 and
will be missed by all his fans and everyone
who knew him.”
Everyone at Star Wars Insider sends
their condolences to Kenny’s family,
colleagues, friends, and countless
fans. He will be much missed but
never forgotten. a
INSIDER 5
A L L T H E C O O L N E W S F R O M T H E S TA R WA R S U N I V E R S E

ARMY OF ONE
THE KEY CHARACTERS ARE ASSEMBLED
FOR ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY

THE BELIEVER: CHIRRUT ÎMWE

Despite the fall of the Jedi, Chirrut
Îmwe still believes in the power of the
Force. Though blind, he has honed his
body and become a skilled combatant.
 THE LONGSHOT: JYN ERSO
A woman with a mysterious past,
Jyn Erso’s abilities are put to
the test after the Rebel Alliance
recruits her to lead a life-or-death
mission. Her orders? Steal the
plans for the Empire’s new battle
station, the Death Star!
THE VETERAN: SAW GERRERA
A war-weary veteran of the Clone
Wars, Saw Gerrera leads a band
of rebel extremists engaged in a
prolonged insurgency against the
Empire on the planet Jedha. Despite
ailing health, Saw still has plenty of
fight left in him.

THE OFFICER: CAPTAIN CASSIAN ANDOR

An experienced Alliance intelligence officer, highly
respected rebel leader Captain Cassian Andor is
cool under fire, completing his missions against
near impossible odds. But is the challenge too
great this time around?
THE DEADLY FOE: DIRECTOR ORSON KRENNIC
The director of Advanced Weapons Research for the
Imperial military, Orsen Krennic is obsessed with finishing
the Empire’s ultimate weapon. Brilliant but cruel, he has
much to lose if the Death Star is not completed.

THE WARRIOR: BAZE MALBUS

After the Empire occupied his home
world, Baze Malbus became a soldier.
A crack shot with his heavy repeater
cannon, his fierce combat-style is in
marked contrast to that of his friend,
Chirrut Îmwe.

8 INSIDER
THE DEFECTOR: BODHI ROOK
A former Imperial pilot, Bodhi Rook
brings strong piloting and technical
skills to the mission. Practically
minded but nervous, he must find the
courage to complete his assignment.

THE DROID: K-2SO

A reprogrammed Imperial droid,
K-2SO (pronounced “Kay-tuesso”)
is now loyal to the Rebellion. His
Imperial design makes him the
perfect spy for the rebels.

INSIDER 9
TRAILING THE U-WING
fi ful
A S r Wars or ele
ng iler
d n August
O :

11, d o o rebels at
e e h i It als us our
fi liim s f art ader in t
o at h n m UT-6 wise
as , which was
tially re d T Star Wars Show s
cri d film S x utive
t M in “a tro p ort and gun
ship.” e a “It’s he to bring in rebel
oops o ea fire es and get out as
uick a ossib wings move
end on th ation,
it l o provid
r su ”

10 INSIDER
BROUGHT TO
BOOK WHEELMAN
ogue One is set to be well
R served with literary works,
including a novelization
written by Alexander Freed; a
companion novel entitled Catalyst,
written by fan-favorite author James
Luceno; a tie-in short story in Star
Wars Insider! “Voices of the Empire,”
written by Mur Lafferty with art by
Jason Chan, appears in issue 170,
that is on sale December 20!
FROM WINGMAN TO
FANS SELECT BIGGS
DARKLIGHER TO BECOME
THE NEXT STAR WARS
OT WHEELS CAR
ucky fans at Celebration
L Orlando in 2017 will have the
chance to get their hands on
an exclusive Biggs Darklighter
Hot Wheels car, following a vote at
Celebration Europe. In July, Mattel’s
Hot Wheels team gave the crowd
at their Celebration panel the final
say over which character would get
the custom-car treatment, and Biggs
came out ahead by a narrow margin.
The 2016 exclusive was a Boba
Fett-inspired vehicle—which
reimagined Ralph McQuarrie’s
concept armor for the character
as a low-slung, gleaming hot
rod—while 2015’s offering was a
hot-pink R2-KT droidmobile. We
look forward to seeing how Bigg’s
signature mustache will play into
the new car’s design!
IN THE BLACK
In another public vote, fans
have chosen Jaina Solo to be
the latest addition to Hasbro’s
Black Series of highly detailed
six-inch action figures,
along with runner-up Sabine
Wren. Hasbro announced
both characters will go into
production in the near future.
INSIDER 11
JOIN THE REBELLION AT DEL REY MAKES
DISNEY RESORTS
GET READY FOR AN INTERACTIVE
EZRA ADVENTURE!

he Rebellion is recruiting at Walt Disney World in

T Florida and Disneyland Park in California! Disney

Floral & Gifts has teamed up with Lucasfilm to
create a new immersive experience for guests: the Star
Wars Rebels Interactive Adventure.
The mission begins in your Disney hotel room—also
known as the barracks—and puts the emphasis on role-
play. Younglings will be given gear to go undercover
and complete a quest, using a Star Wars app on their
smartphone or other smart device.
Equipped with an Imperial Security Officer disguise
(comprising a rank bar, hat, tattoos, and a bag), young
rebels will use augmented reality via the app to follow
Ezra on a mission to gather hidden information in the
resort and within Star Tours: The Adventures Continues. ver nd red whe the Sta a ars books published by Del Rey fit
When the mission is complete, participants will receive in between the films and the animated TV shows? Well, wonder
a rebel medal of honor. no more, because the publisher has released a complete timeline
If you’re planning to stay at one of the resorts in the for its entire series! That means you can read them all in chronological
near future, you can book your Interactive Adventure in order (if you want to), or simply dip in to easily find a story set in a
advance at disneyland.disneyfloralandgifts.com particular era. Scroll through the interactive timeline at
www.randomhousebooks.com/campaign/star-wars-timeline and pick
a time to suit you!
AND THE AWARD GOES TO...
STAR WARS AMATEUR FILMMAKERS REWARDED!
O
f the many words that can be
used to describe Star Wars
fans, creative must be near
the top of the list. Fans are
constantly channeling their passion
into projects such as fan films, and
Lucasfilm even encourages filmmakers
to jump into the Star Wars sandbox, with
its annual Star Wars Fan Film Awards.
The winners of the 2016 contest were
announced at Celebration Europe, and our
congratulations go to:
WINNER:FILMMAKER SELECT
TK-436: A Stormtrooper Story
A gritty tale of an Imperial stormtrooper
who is forced to confront his past in the
heat of a battle.
WINNER: AUDIENCE CHOICE
The Sable Corsair
The crew of the smuggler ship The Sable
Corsair fight for survival on a mysterious,
hostile planet.
WINNER: BEST ANIMATION
The Big Question
Rey can finally confront Luke with all of
her questions, but does the Jedi Master
want to answer them?
WINNER: BEST NON-FICTION
Force or Faith
With the growing number of Jedi, Sith
and Force-sensitive fans, this film asks
the question: How dedicated is each fan?
WINNER: SPIRIT OF FANDOM
Star Wars: Generations
A young boy and his grandfather use their
imagination to take us back to a galaxy far,
far away.
WINNER: BEST COMEDY
Ben in the Desert—Jawas Are
Bad Neighbors
The rebellion has begun! Darth Vader is
born! All this rad stuff is happening to
everyone... except for Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Discover what his life on Tatooine was
really like!
WINNER: BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Star Malice Wars
The Turner family attempt to rescue their
mother from the Empire’s dreaded prison
known as the Dark Maw in this Star Wars
fan film -- a special episode of MALICE:
The Web Series.
14 INSIDER
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER DAVE FILONI HAS BEEN A KEY
CREATOR ON STAR WARS FOR MORE THAN 10 YEARS NOW.
UNDER HIS STEWARDSHIP, STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS
AND STAR WARS REBELS HAVE BECOME INTEGRAL PARTS
OF THE STAR WARS MYTHOS, BELOVED BY FANS OF ALL
AGES. WITH REBELS’ THIRD SEASON NOW UNDERWAY,
JONATHAN WILKINS CAUGHT UP WITH THE MAN HIMSELF
TO DISCUSS THE NEW SEASON, FAN REACTION, AND SOME
SURPRISING INFLUENCES!

S
tar Wars Insider: Is it a relief
when shows you’ve been
working on for months on end
are finally seen by the public?
Dave Filoni: I’m glad for the
fans, because they don’t have to wait for
Star Wars like we did when we were kids!
I think we have the fans pretty excited
about where the characters are going.
People are probably desperate to know
what happened to Kanan; what happened
to Ezra; what happened to Ahsoka; and
how the rest of the team is dealing with
it. They’re going to get some of those
answers, so it’s a relief in that it’s one less
thing I have to worry about spoiling in an
interview like this!
There was an amazing reaction from fans
at Celebration Europe this year. Has the
fan appreciation ever helped to shape
the show?
Unfortunately, it really can’t because
we’re just so far ahead that by the time
we would have a chance to react to
something, we are well on our way with
the other episodes. It probably helps
shape things that are much farther in the
future than anyone would realize, though.
Of course, fan reaction does help us
shape the Celebration experience. Based
on past experience, we think about how
we can make things more exciting for the
fans and what kind of reveals we can give
them. Fans always want to get something
really special out of those events. It’s an
expensive trip for a lot of families to go on,
and it’s a lot of time to take off work, so I’ve
always felt that whatever we’ve brought to
show them needs to make it worth their
while. It should be exclusive things that you
only get there.
I don’t want it to supersede the event
of actually watching the show so much
that it detracts from that, but it has to get
you excited. George [Lucas] and I used to
talk about this: You don’t gain a lot in TV
by being coy, because a show comes on
the air and then it’s gone. I know people
can stream it and see it many different
ways, but a movie can have good word-
of-mouth and people can go to see it the
next weekend or the day after that. You
have a little more time to build momentum
if you’re lucky. But for us, the moment it
happens is when everyone is talking about
it. We learned on The Clone Wars to really
get viewers amped up. If Darth Maul is
coming, even if it’s not until the second
half, we’re going to show you Darth Maul
and the witches of Dathomir! Then you’re
going to watch each episode to see how
the story gets to that point. This year, it
was a no-brainer that we wanted to make
Thrawn the big reveal at Celebration,
because people have been wondering
about that for a while. It was a good time
16 INSIDER
to give them something to talk about all
summer and give them a taste of it so
they’re ready for it this fall.
When you bring a character such as
Thrawn into the show, do you feel the
weight of expectation?
You always feel the weight of expectation
in the back of your mind. But I’m not
sitting there thinking, Oh, man, I’m afraid to
move forward! I had to get over that back in
2005 when I was working with George and
presenting versions of stories featuring
his characters. As a team, we have the
confidence to move forward, but the best
barometer of all is simply asking yourself:
Is this something I would like? Every now
and then, you think, Oh, that’s lame. Why
are we doing that? or, That’s not cool. That
“WE NEED THE CHARACTERS
TO EVOLVE AND TAKE
TWISTS AND TURNS.”
doesn’t feel like Thrawn. Then we push
in a different direction, but always
facing forward.
Sometimes when you’re pushing the
edge, you think, Is that really going to
play? But you just have to commit to your
creative instincts and see where it goes.
With Thrawn, if we couldn’t be true to that
person Timothy Zahn had created, then
why would we do it? We could just make
a new admiral, which is fine, but if we’re
going to use Thrawn—that name and
that look—we have to use the character
that we’ve read about, otherwise it’s not
meaningful. It baffles me when you see
things where a character is taken from
an existing story, and they just ignore
e
the thing that made that character grreat
in the first place. That won’t wash herre,
especially with our fans!
What’s the tone of this season?
Was there a buzzword that you had in n
story meetings?
Not really. We just think in terms of thhe
overall story arc and where we’re trying
to go. There isn’t one word that’s goinng
to encapsulate what we’re trying to do.
We need the characters to evolve and d
take twists and turns as they go. Look k at
the first and second seasons: they are e
kind of one big piece of evolution for the
t
characters. I’ve always thought of [Se eason
Three] as their Empire Strikes Back ph hase,
where they’re going from young kids to
adolescents.
Sabine definitely takes on a lot moore
prominence as we go in the third seasson.
That wasn’t necessarily the plan in Se eason
One. We just really liked who she wass
becoming and fans seemed to really like l
Sabine as well, so I guess that influen nced
us a little bit there. You have an idea of
o
where you’ll go, but then the characte ers
also kind of show you.
Rebel pilot Wedge Antilles makes an
appearance this season. What is it ab bout
Wedge that makes him so popular?
I think on simple terms, it’s because
he’s in all three original movies and we w
recognize him. As a kid, you’d go so lo ong
between these movies, so it’s like see eing
an old friend: “Oh, my gosh, there’s
Wedge!” But also, it’s just so miraculous
for an average-seeming guy to survivve.
It’d be like if there was one red shirt that
t
survived all of Star Trek. That guy wou uld
become kind of famous in his own right,
even if all he did was survive!
There’s just something great abou ut an
average Joe that we can relate to. So, he’s
always been a fan favorite—and he he elps
eliminate the second Death Star! You look
at that character growth for his confid dence
where he bugs out of the trench at firrst
notice to going right into the Death Sttar
and being much more furious and foccused.
There’s that great moment where Han and
Wedge shake hands— he’s really com me a
long way.
In a way, the funny thing about We edge,
though, is when Luke says, “You can’tt
do any more good back there!” And he h
says, “Sorry!” There’s no debate abo out
it, right? It’s just like, “Sure, I’m out.
I’m totally out of here. I’m not stickin ng
around!” which I find hilarious. We never
questioned it. You’d never call him a
coward but you’re just like, “Oh, I guess
Wedge is smart! Wedge actually knew he
could get out of there!”
INSIDER 17

Ahsoka is now the star of her own
eponymous novel by E.K. Johnston.
Did you make a contribution to that?
Yeah, definitely. It’s really important now
that—if we do these stories—creatives
who are working on these characters in
film and television are involved to help
guide the creative in other media. You
don’t want someone out there guessing.
You want to help create the best Ahsoka
Tano book possible. I got really excited
because I thought, Here’s an opportunity to
give fans more of the character.
She’s not the star of Star Wars Rebels,
so she meets kind of an inconclusive
end, one way or the other. So, when E. K.
Johnson was embarking on this book, we
had a couple of phone calls and I listened
18 INSIDER
beyond just deep-core fans.
I want everyone to see her and go, “Oh,
that’s Ahsoka Tano, apprentice to Anakin
Skywalker.” I think that’s compelling.
The very fact that they wanted to publish
a book about her is kind of a nice
acknowledgment and an achievement
for the storytellers and the animation
division. It’s flattering and I think they did
a great job with it.
The Clone Wars character Saw Gerrera
is making the leap to live action in Rogue
One: A Star Wars Story. How did that come
about? Could he be the first of many,
maybe including Ahsoka?
It was really exciting to hear that Saw was
going to be involved in Rogue One. It made
sense to me, given the time period they
were working in and the subject matter.
In that regard, it’s not a surprise or
anything.
y g I think it’s a reallyy g
good thing,
g,
and a sign that Lucasfilm considers the
characters we’ve created in animation
as a real part of the saga. We’re not a
universe that says some parts of the
story are less important. We like these
characters and we want to see them.
It’s common for a character to go from
live-action to animation, and less common
for it to go the other way. But at the end
of that day, it’s all just telling stories in a
different medium. There are
so many similar qualities,
it makes a lot of sense to
have those characters
co-exist.
to her thoughts, and helped to guide
them as to where in the timeline I thought
they could be. I definitely had a couple
things where I said, “Don’t go in this area
because I might do something there as
well,” and “Make sure you have these
elements because that will line up with
things I want to do later.” It was all very
collaborative.
I’m pretty excited about it and I’ve
read it multiple times now and given
extra notes. The real motivation for me
as one Ahsoka’s creators is just to get the
character out into the world more. It’s my
goal to have her existing up there with
the Hans, Lukes, and Leias. Having her
own book is a step towards her broader
acceptance in the Star Wars universe
The casting, of course, is important. Forest
Whitaker is outstanding! It’s an exciting
time for Star Wars fans and for Clone Wars
fans. I don’t know, in some ways maybe
it validates the belief that Clone Wars
fans have shown in these characters, but
I don’t think it changes the way that the
fans already believed in the character.
I don’t think Ahsoka, for me, is any less
real because she’s only been in animation.
I think she’s a fantastic character; and
what’s great is that now, when you see
Anakin in Revenge of the Sith, you think of
her and you realize that he was shaped in
a lot of ways by his relationship with her.
You don’t have to have all these people
colliding relentlessly; you just need to
make sure that when you tell your stories,
it honors the characters and it all fits
together nicely. I think that’s true of what
we do in animation for all our characters.
MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU!
M
ost famous for his portrayal
as the fourth Doctor in the
BBC series Doctor Who, Tom
Baker joins the Rebels cast in
Season Three as the mysterious Bendu.
Baker is the third Doctor to feature in Star
Wars, with movie Doctor Peter Cushing
appearing as Grand Moff Tarkin in A New
Hope, and David Tennant (Doctor number
10) giving an Emmy -winning performance
as Professor Huyang in Season Five of The
Clone Wars. Dave Filoni explains why he
brought the Time Lord to the galaxy far,
far away.
“Having all of the remaining Doctors
appearing in Star Wars is a great concept.
I am not against that whatsoever. All of the
Doctors so far have been fantastic. As an
American, my generation begins with Tom
Baker. He showed up briefly in the Doctor
Who 50th anniversary special in 2013 and I
thought he was so good in that moment.
He was everything that you wanted him to
be and you could just feel the hint of magic
that Tom has in him. It’s just a part of him
as a person. I was always asking myself,
how, how could I get Tom Baker to lend
that voice to Rebels? Not because I thought
he wouldn’t want to do it, but personally
I needed to give him something really
interesting, that has dimension. When
I came up with Bendu, I thought, This could
be Tom. He’s Yoda-like but not just Yoda;
funny but intimidating; all the things you
want a really wise Force-wielder to be. And
so, we reached out to him, and I gave him
a run-down of what the character is. He
easily got what we were talking about and
how there was an element of mythology to
the character. I went out to London because
I was visiting the Star Wars set, and so
I recorded Tom while I was out there doing
that. It’s much easier to direct someone in
person, and also I just wanted to meet him!
He was everything that you’d want him to
be: charming, intelligent, funny.
He is the Doctor. He doesn’t disappoint.
He’s a fantastic guy and he really brought
Bendu to life in the way that you hope—
made it better than that, even. I could go
on and on about him!
INSIDER 19
Absolutely. I notice you haven’t
denied the possibility of an
Ahsoka movie, though…
I just didn’t discuss it! I mean,
on a personal level that would
be great! I would be all for
that and like to think that I’d
be involved in some way, one
way or another. But there’s so
much exciting Star Wars coming
and it’s not just about characters
that are from the past. I think what
fans need to understand is that it’s
just as much about characters that you
haven’t met yet. A few years ago, no one
had ever heard of Ezra Bridger, Kanan
Jarrus, Hera Syndulla, Sabine Wren,
and Zeb Orrelios. Now, there’s a growing
group of fans who love those characters
and it feels like they’ve always been
a part of it. In a lot of ways, the health of
the franchise relies on us bringing new
characters to life and putting them in
situations we never dreamed of before.

What has been the most surprising

source for inspiration for you?
That’s a good question because
sometimes what surprises me is how
often I keep going back to the same
thing. I get inspiration from all over.
Movies inspire me. I’ve gotten a lot
of inspiration from Close Encounters
of the Third Kind. You won’t know how
it’s inspired me, but it has. I look at all
kinds of things and I think the only thing
that I can tell aspiring filmmakers is
that you’ll be always surprised where
you get your inspiration. It’s not always
from the same genre. I really like the
films of Jim Sheridan (My Left Foot, In the
Name of the Father), for example. I think
they’re just fantastic. I love the character
portrayals, the dialogue, everything
about them. Sometimes they inspire
ways to get depth out of characters in the
Star Wars universe. I also love the film Frasier, or even a bunch of The
Never Cry Wolf. Good storytelling is good Golden Girls, which reminds me
storytelling: It doesn’t need to be science- of my grandmother in a lot of ways.
fiction or fantasy to inspire me. In fact, I watched a whole bunch of Cheers
sometimes it’s better if it’s not. Driving in a row and noticed the fantastic
into work, I’ll often put on ’50s music, evolution of those characters and their
because it gets me in the mode of what relationships–and all very talented
it must have been like growing up in the actors and great real-life situations,
era when George was first coming up with of course. We talk all the time about
this stuff. I very rarely look at anything limitations on our show as far as assets
from within the Star Wars universe for go, but they never really leave the bar
inspiration, just to help keep it fresh. I in the entire first season of Cheers. It all
know the Star Wars elements that I need takes place there, but you feel like you’re
to, so I’m not worried about that. I’m watching the evolution of these people’s
just trying to find interesting character lives. It’s not about how many sets you
portrayals and dynamic situations that have, or how many characters, it’s about
are unexpected for the fans. whether what the characters are doing is
I also like to contrast the heavy stuff compelling, and whether or not you relate
with a light-hearted tone at times, so to it. That’s what I found most interesting
in the evening I’ll watch a bunch of about Cheers.

20 INSIDER
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22 INSIDER
SITH STAR
FOR MANY, DARTH VADER IS THE DEFINING ICON OF THE
STAR WARS SAGA. YET FOR ALL HIS PRESENCE IN THE ORIGINAL
TRILOGY—AND HIS FORESHADOWING IN THE PREQUELS—
IT TOOK A GROUNDBREAKING COMIC SERIES TO REALLY
MAKE THE SITH THE STAR! WORDS: MICHAEL KOGGE

S
tar Wars Insider: Darth Vader helped
kickstart Marvel’s Star Wars comics
line in 2015. How did it come to be
one of the two launch titles?
Jordan D. White: One of the first
ideas we had for the line was that we would
have multiple ongoing series that happened
simultaneously. It was definitely a departure
from what had been done with Star Wars
comics before, but it was much more in line
with what Marvel does.
When you buy comics for
the various Avengers titles,
MEET TEAM
What made Marvel decide Kieron Gillen and
Salvador Larroca were the ideal team?
JDW: I thought of Kieron because of his
amazing ability to write compelling evil. When
Kieron wrote Uncanny X-Men, it was a dark
time for the X-Men and, in my opinion, one in
which they were close to being super-villains.
Even so, he made Cyclops and company very
understandable and interesting. In addition,
his work on Uber for Avatar Press is literally
re-imagining the darkest
parts of the 20th century
and making them even more

VADER!
they all take place together; horrific, while still telling
and while they can be read an engrossing story. Both
separately, reading them of those series mixed in my
together creates a richer KIERON GILLEN, writer head and made me sure he
universe. We wanted to do could get into the mind of the
that with Star Wars as well. SALVADOR “SALVA” worst villain in the galaxy.
LARROCA, artist
Once that idea was hatched, Salva is a huge Star Wars
and it was obvious the FRANK PARISI, fan; and the moment we got
senior editor, Lucasfilm
main book would be Star word that we were getting
Wars, and would follow JENNIFER HEDDLE, the rights for Star Wars, we
senior editor, Lucasfilm
Luke and the rebels. Darth knew we had to bring his
Vader leading the second JORDAN D. WHITE, amazing talent to the Star
book was the natural comics editor, Marvel Wars galaxy. It was just a
next step. We followed HEATHER ANTOS, question of on what title.
Anakin’s journey as a main assistant editor, Marvel He’s been able to capture
character in the prequel the tone of the series so
trilogy, so it makes sense perfectly, from the first
to keep following him into scene of issue #1 with Vader
the original trilogy. There’s a side of the striding into Jabba’s palace, right up through
character that we didn’t know existed when the last scene of issue #25 with… Oh, people
those movies came out, but we had the might not have read it yet. I should hold off!
opportunity to delve into it in a way that ties
the two eras closer together. Kieron, how did Darth Vader enter your life?
Is it true that you almost turned it down?
Jennifer Heddle: When the series was in the Kieron Gillen: One day I picked up the phone
concept stage I figured it would just be a fun and it was Jordan. He asked if I’d be interested
read about Darth Vader kicking butt across in writing the sister book to Jason Aaron’s Star
the galaxy—not that there’s anything wrong Wars. It was something of a surprise.
with that! But what Kieron and Salva made And yes, it’s true I almost turned it down.
became much, much more. I realized by the The prosaic part is simple—I wasn’t sure
end of the very first issue that this team was it would fit into my schedule. The more
on to something special. romantic part is that I wasn’t sure I was the

INSIDER 23
right man for the job. I was aware that
Marvel had a lot of writers who would
kill to do it! In the end, I decided I was as
qualified as anyone, which is a terrible
piece of ego. One of the main criticisms
of my work at Marvel is paying more
attention than I should to the villains
and their motivations, but here that is
a positive boon. For that and a bunch of
other reasons, I realized maybe I actually
was the right person for the job.
Salva, what was your reaction to being
offered penciling duties?
Salvador Larroca: Surprise! A year before
starting, Marvel told me they wanted
me and it was a tremendous joy. But I
preferred to be cautious until the scripts
were ready. When they confirmed I was
definitely going to do it, I was thrilled.
Was Star Wars a big part of both
your childhoods?
KG: My first movie experience was seeing
The Empire Strikes Back in the cinema.
It was my entry into pop-fantasy culture;
and Darth Vader was my first iconic image
of evil. That I get to write the prequel to
my own introduction to this world is the
sort of thing that could blow a few fuses
if you consider it too long!
SL: Yes, of course. I saw the movies as a
child and I’ve always been a great fan.
24 INSIDER
I’ve always been fascinated by the
character of Darth Vader. I’m afraid I’ve
always gone with the villains! It is always
more fun to draw villains than heroes—
though in our story the Dark Lord is the
hero, really.
What was your vision for the series at
the start?
KG: When Jordan called it wasn’t definitely
a Darth Vader book. He told me if I had a
better idea, go for it… But it was never not
going to be Vader for me.
I viewed it almost like a historical novel
because it’s set in a distinct period in the
saga. At the end of A New Hope, Vader
is one of the few survivors to one of the
biggest military disasters of all time, and
he’s at least partially to blame. But at
the start of Empire, he’s commanding the
fleet, killing people at will, and generally
has more power than ever. There’s an
implied story there—the fall and rise
of Darth Vader—and that’s what my arc
would be.
The second key element, and the real
emotional meat, is that between the two
movies Vader realizes that he has a son.
He realizes that the last 20 years of his life
have been a lie. We had to do the inversion
of the “I Am Your Father” scene—the
“I Have a Son” scene.
I often use [the Netflix political
thriller] House of Cards as a shorthand
description for the series: A powerful
man feels slighted and turns to tactics
he would have previously shunned to
reach new heights of power. That core
vision remained, though the execution
always wanders. You knew in your heart
of hearts that the final panel of Vader’s
story would be him, on the bridge of the
Executor, about to go after Luke.
JDW: It probably won’t be too surprising
to hear that one of our major touchpoints
in talking about what this book would
be was [the AMC drama] Breaking Bad.
Even though the series is heavy with gut-
wrenching emotion, it always found room
for humor. I think Kieron referred to [the
project] as a post-Breaking Bad take on
Darth Vader at one point, and I think [he]
is very right.
Salva, you’ve worked with several
noted Star Wars scribes. How is
Kieron different?
SL: Every writer is different, as every
artist is, too. Kieron is very easy to work
with because he is very visual in his
descriptions. He is a very good writer
and his scripts are fun, which is important
for an artist. When you spend a lot of time
with a story, you have to have fun with it,
otherwise it becomes very hard.
 , u r p
pit
ucasfilm
lm so
some
me of you
yourr more
more
ore…
inventive ideas?
KG: Generally speaking, we had a “Don’t
self-censor” approach. Don’t assume that
Lucasfilm will say no; pitch it and let them
say no if they want to. We wanted to test
where the limits were, but we were never
going to pitch anything that wasn’t Star
Wars. For me, Star Wars is very much in
the space-fantasy mode. It’s never been
hardcore sci-fi, and that’s its charm.
Characters such as the Mon Calamari
cyborg Karbin have that wonderful “space
fantasy” feel to them. What inspires
these characters?
KG: I was trying to think of powerful
archetypes that would work in the high-
adventure mode that Star Wars runs on.
That’s where we get people like Aphra—
fundamentally an ethically inverted
Indiana Jones archetype—and Thanoth—
basically the genius detective archetype,
26 INSIDER
m i t. ar Wars is
utt se big, powerful characters, and
finding g novel ones is a big
g part
p of it for me.
Jen and Jordan, did any of Kieron’s pitches
stand out as especially playful or inventive?
JH: The first thing that comes to mind
is the mental image I got when I read
Kieron’s script about the Geonosian
queen being hooked up to an egg-laying
machine: “Only her top part is flesh.
The entire bottom half of her—the whole
reproductive organ—has been replaced
by a machine. It is basically the same
shape as the organs would have been,
but is clearly a machine. At the bottom,
it has an egg-laying nozzle, but it’s
mechanical.” I’m not sure “playful” is the
word I would use to describe this, but it
certainly is inventive! The suggestion of
Triple-Zero as essentially a murderous
C-3PO was also one of my favorite
things. I knew it would work really
beautifully and that fans would love it.
, st ful
surprise was all the new and charming
characters that grew
g in the series. From
the beginning, it was clear that Kieron
understood the Dark Lord and had great
plans for him. But all the new characters
came to life on the page in such awesome
and surprising ways. Doctor Aphra,
Inspector Thanoth, Triple-Zero… They all
became such compelling additions to the
universe. In retrospect, I am pretty surprised
we got away with making the evil R2 and
C-3PO. They are actively psychopathic!
It’s pretty outrageous, but it seems like
everyone at Lucasfilm loves them as much
as we do, which is amazing.
Heather Antos: The new additions to the
Star Wars cast have by far been the most
pleasing surprise that any editor, creator,
or reader could have. Kieron, Salva, and
colorist Edgar Delgado’s ability to bring such
life to them has been astonishing to say
the least. They’ve only been around for just
under two years, but I now can’t imagine the
Star Wars universe without them!
Issue #24 has one of my all-time favorite
Darth Vader moments, and one that I was
shocked we were allowed to do. It’s a battle
between Darth Vader and his former self,
Anakin. Of course, it all takes place in
Vader’s head, but the fact that we get to see
Vader’s perspective on what went down on
Mustafar—however skewed that perspective
may have been—was super cool to do!
Salva, who were your favorite characters
to draw, other than Vader?
SL: I love Aphra. She is special for me.
And Cylo of course, because it’s me!
Kieron, what’s your process in scripting
an issue? What makes writing Star Wars
different from other Marvel titles like
Thor or Iron Man?
KG: It’s Star Wars. That sounds like I’m
joking, but that is the key difference, and
changes everything. I had spent basically
the previous six years writing in the Marvel
Universe. Though the Marvel Universe
is a place with a large variety of tones, it
still has a characteristic timbre. Star Wars
has its own mode, and it’s different. It’s
also narrower—which I don’t mean as a
criticism. Our aesthetic goal was always
“We’re not doing a comic adaptation of
Star Wars, but we’re doing Star Wars on
paper.” When looking at my choices when
scripting it’s always through the filter
of “Is this evoking what we see on the
screen? Is this Star Wars-y enough?”
In terms of the actual process, it’s
similar. I work on a script every day until
it’s done; I then leave it in a drawer for a
bit before polishing it later. The secondary
stage is when I hand it into Marvel, who
then passes it to Lucasfilm for approval.
The relationship there also changed
things, and they’ve been generous with
ideas and resources. At Marvel, I tend to
write in a hermetically sealed way. For
Darth Vader, there have been moments
when I’ve written in the script: “I can
invent a new crime lord here for this role,
but if there’s anyone in this area of the
universe you’re using elsewhere,
I can use them instead.” Leaning into the
interconnectivity was a characteristic
element of the job.
Also when writing for Marvel I’m less
likely to stomp around the house, pretending
I’m breathing through a ventilator!
What does an artist like Salvador Larroca
bring to a panel? Did he find things in your
writing or storytelling you didn’t notice?
KG: Salva is a monster. My friend Matt
Fraction and he collaborated on their
award-winning Iron Man run, so I’d seen
Salva’s work extensively before—and also
knew about his blistering speed. That last
attribute is the easiest thing to overlook.
He illustrated the entire Darth Vader
series, thus ensuring the book’s visual
consistency. It’s easier to lose yourself in
a world like that.
INSIDER 27
 I could see much of what made him
perfect in the Iron Man run: he does
brilliant technology, both in terms of
drawing it and designing it. Aphra’s Ark
Angel ship has a great Star Wars-feeling
design that’s not based on anything
in-universe. He also does fantastic
likenesses, which is obviously a boon
when doing Star Wars. All that was stuff
I hoped for, and he completely delivered.
Plus, he’s an enormous Star Wars fan,
which screams from every page.
Probably the most unexpected thing
he brought to the page was basing Cylo’s
likeness on himself. It must have been
an odd day at work drawing Darth Vader
killing him over and over! It’s probably a
metaphor for working on the book.
Salva, how did you and
Gillen collaborate?
Might your pencils have
inspired new directions in
the story?
SL: I don’t know if my
drawings have been able
to inspire Kieron, I just
hope he’s as happy with
my work as I am with his.
When you work with
such a good script, your
obligation is to give
the best of yourself to
maintain quality. Kieron’s
scripts have been
excellent and I tried to
work as best as I know.
When it’s easy to work
with someone, a symbiosis
occurs, and that is visible
in the result. I think that is
what happened to us.
I got inspiration only
from the movies, and it is
important to the fans that
the comic characters are
recognizable.
Can you describe the
challenge of illustrating emotion for
a main character encased in black armor
and a mask?
SL: I do it with body expression and
camera angles. It’s a trick that is used in
films, too. It is not the first time I have to
deal with a character like this. Think of
Iron Man, for example.
Kieron, you’ve previously said that Darth
Vader was your first image of “evil,” since
The Empire Strikes Back was the first film
you saw in a cinema as a kid. How did
you keep Vader evil, yet also sympathetic
enough for readers to follow him through
the series?
KG: It was tricky working out how to
present him without getting too close—
and losing the essential mystique. That
28 INSIDER
was something I worried about a lot. Our
main solution was to show flashes of his
inner life, but only at a distance. You’ll
have these single panels where you see a
memory, but you can never be sure what
the memory actually means to Vader. Plus,
Salva and I really worked the “Silent panel
of Vader staring into distance” hard.
In terms of maintaining sympathy,
there were two main lines of attack.
Partially it’s that the story circles around
Vader, and in some ways it’s not him
we’re afraid of, but rather everyone
around him. Have people we worry about
near him definitely helps there—Aphra is
key to the book.
The other line is the absolute opposite:
by surrounding him with people who are
worse than him. Robert McKee argues in
his book Story about The Godfather that
one of the reasons the narrative works
is that while the Godfather is monstrous,
he’s still a better option than anyone
else. People find themselves thinking, If
I was a Mafia Godfather, that’s the sort of
Mafia Godfather I’d want to be. I definitely
did that. Vader is bad, but Grand General
Tagge is bad and tedious. At least Vader
wouldn’t corner you in a party and talk to
you about his favorite graphs.
I [also] knew the book needed a
variety of antagonists. If [the story] solely
consisted of Vader killing rebels people
would quickly lose interest. I mean, isn’t it
telling that the moments in the saga we all
love most are when Vader mercilessly kills
one of his fascist subordinates?
As Darth Vader developed over many
issues, did the story or the characters
go in different directions than originally
intended?
KG: Oh yeah. Many have been a delight.
When I realized exactly what Thanoth
was going to tell Vader, and why it was
shocking, it was a real, “Dude! Are you
actually going to do that?” moment.
I spent considerable time wondering
whether there was any way I could
save him. Aphra had a bunch of scenes
like that, and writing her desperately
squirming to try and escape her fate was
a joy. She always had an idea, and her
scenes with Vader were always alive.
That first happened in issue four, when I
realized that the first thing Aphra would
do upon completing the
mission would be to ask, “So
. . . are you going to kill me
now or later?” That unlocked
the Vader-Aphra relationship
for me.
The Darth Vader series
also reveals that not every
Imperial dies on the Death
Star, as once believed.
General Tagge returns in a
bold new way to become a foil
to the Dark Lord. Who made
the decision to bring Tagge
back into the fold?
JH: Using Tagge was a
suggestion from Lucasfilm
that came about during a
meeting with Kieron early on.
We wanted a foil for Vader
who would feel like someone
with a real weight behind him,
someone that the audience
would find believable as holding
power alongside Vader and
being in the Emperor’s favor.
Using a character from the
conference room scene in A
New Hope felt like the perfect
solution. Everyone was excited
about it. It was another bonus that Tagge
was a character the audience no doubt
already found obnoxious from the
movie! You wanted to root against him
from the start.
Kieron, how was it breaking story with
fellow writer Jason Aaron on Vader Down,
the crossover between Darth Vader and
the Star Wars monthly?
KG: It was a lot of fun. All of this has been.
I’ve known Jason ever since he was just
starting Scalped and I was doing Phonogram.
Also, we’ve had some experience in this kind
of thing. Some of my fondest times in writing
a shared superhero universe occurred when
Jason was writing Wolverine and the X-Men
and I was writing Uncanny X-Men. We batted
stuff back and forth in a very casual way.
 Vader Down was like that, but more so.
We’d already done some close back and
forth plotting on our first arc, building up
towards issue six’s “I Have a Son” reveal,
but Vader Down was on a different scale
from that. We had a variety of ideas, and
our original thoughts for the series were
miles away from where we ended up.
It was a process of iteration, working
on the synopsis, seeing where the issue
breaks landed, and then just writing it. It
was agreeably egoless in that way—we
didn’t even check which issue would be
written by whom. As such, both of us got
to write key scenes for each other’s casts,
almost by random. I’m still envious Jason
got to write the initial fight between our
two casts, though he’s envious I got to
write other cool stuff, so it evens out!

Why end Darth Vader with issue #25?

JDW: From the very beginning, Kieron
always said this would be a finite story,
that Vader is going through an arc, and
that it would only really work if it had a
conclusion. I am sure some will say we
reached the end too soon, and a part of
me might even agree—the part that just
wants this team to keep making evil come
true forever and always. But in the end,
Kieron is right. The ending is an important
part of this series, and it’s stronger for
getting there.

HA: Kieron has always had an ending in

mind for the series. There was a story he
wanted to tell, and he was able to do it in
25 amazing issues. I definitely wish the
series could go on forever, but I think for
a single story to have as much impact as
this one has it has to end, you know?

Kieron, how would you say Vader’s

changed as a character from the first
issue to the final issue?
KG: For me, it’s a story of Vader
awakening. Vader knows more of the truth
now. As I said, he knows he has
a son. Before this story the aim was to be
the Emperor’s fist. He’s done that for 20
years. Now, at least consciously, he wants
to seduce Luke to the dark side and rule
the Empire.
Ironically, for all the darkness, this is
a story of a man regaining his hope and his
own destiny. It’s just a particularly dark
form of hope, which has allowed him to act
in an even more ruthless way than before.
What were everyone’s favorite moments
or scenes?
JH: There are so many! The invention of
Aphra is obviously a standout—so many
of the great moments in the comic derive
from her being a fantastic character. I
especially loved Aphra teaming up with
the bounty hunters to rob the Imperial
ship—all with Vader’s knowledge. That
was one of the most fun stories for me. I
loved the interplay within that group.
And I loved the cat and mouse game
between Vader and Thanoth—giving Vader
a worthy rival that actually kept me in
suspense about who would come out on
top! I think one of Kieron’s real strengths
on this comic has been surrounding
one of the most unforgettable fictional
characters of all time with other fictional
characters whom you will never forget.
JDW: That is so difficult, as this is a series
of amazing moments and characters.
Right this moment, I will go with the
character of Thanoth. He was so smart
and interesting… and was a great
antagonist for Vader precisely because he
wasn’t one. He was ostensibly on Vader’s
side, and it gave that whole second arc
such a great layer of suspense—Vader
is working with an investigative genius
to solve a crime Vader had committed.
Loved that. And Thanoth’s return was
also pitch perfect, if sometime we
debated a bit about his final fate. I still
hope, someday, we can read a murder
mystery novel that takes place on the
Death Star with Thanoth tracking down
a killer in the Imperial ranks.
HA: Can I pick every moment that
happened between issues 1 through
25? No? Fine. In that case, my favorite
moment was probably when we did
the interwoven scenes between Darth

30 INSIDER

Vader issue six and Star Wars issue six,
when it was revealed to Vader that the
troublesome rebel pilot was really his
son, Luke Skywalker. I mean, what an
awesome moment to reveal. It’s such
a pivotal moment not just for Vader,
but for the entire Star Wars story as we
know it!
SL: The sequences in which we tell
Anakin’s past, when we make a
retrospective, based on the movies.
That’s very cool. And I am very happy
the fans have been able to recognize
the same Vader from the films in the
comics. That is so cool because it’s
very easy to mess with such a difficult
character to draw.
and were very pleased with how it worked.
If I had to pick one, while I was proud of
the Obi-Wan and Anakin beats, Padmé
whispering, “Stay“ is one of my favorite
panels in the whole book.
The third one… well, I can’t pick
between all the times that Triple-Zero and
Beetee were monstrous and awful. I could
probably do a top 10 of all the things the
murderbots did. They were a consistent
joy. And let’s go with Thanoth and Vader’s
final confrontation. We did a lot of
space epic in the book—obviously!—but
sometimes all you need is two people in a
darkened room.
Now, at its conclusion, how do you think
Darth Vader stacks up to the other comics
you all have worked on?
SL: At the top of my career.
JDW: Honestly, I believe in my heart that
this will be remembered as one of the best
Vader stories ever told. I think Kieron and
Salva did that great a job.
HA: Kieron, Salva, and Edgar poured their
hearts out onto these pages, and it really
shows. I truly believe people are going to
be talking about this series for a very, very
long time come. How could they not?
Salva, would you ever take a trip down
into the dark side again?
SL: I hope so, but who knows? I’d really
love to. If I can, I’d do it.
Is this truly the end for Kieron Gillen and
the Dark Lord of the Sith? Who was the
master? And who was the apprentice?
KG: You strike me down and I will become
more powerful than you can… wait, Darth.
No, stay back. Let’s talk this through—
<thud>
Marvel Comics’ Darth Vader series 1-3
are available now as trade paperbacks.
MORE TO SAY
KG: Well, at least one of them would be Follow Jordan D. White on
in the last issue, and I wouldn’t want Twitter @crackshot
to spoil that. Suffice to say we’re really
proud of the conclusion. I’m all about the Find Kieron Gillen at kierongillen.com
denouement, me. and on Twitter @kierongillen
The first one is, I suspect, the one that
would be on anyone’s list. The “I Have a Find Michael Kogge at michaelkogge.
Son” scene. Salva paced it beautifully, and com and on Twitter @michaelkogge
it’s as iconic as anything that I’ve had my
hand in while writing comics. It’s a scene Follow Salvador Larroca on
that any Star Wars fan would want to see, Twitter @SalvadorLarroca
and I still can’t believe I got to do it.
Follow Heather Antos on
The second one would be issue 24. An
Twitter @HeatherAntos
issue-long vision quest isn’t exactly what
you expect this late in the game, but doing
Follow Jennifer Heddle
Vader’s own cave-sequence-on-Dagobah
on Twitter @jenheddle
worked shockingly well. We tried to make
it mythic, and keep that sort of structure,
AVE YOU
INSIDER 31
 SEASON TWO
EPISODE GUIDE
Compiled by Jason Fry

32 INSIDER
T
he second
season of Star
Wars Rebels
took everything
that made Season One
so successful and then
moved it on in terms
of scale, scope, and
spectacle. There were
more rebels, in the
shape of Commander
Sato’s Phoenix force.
There were more “THE SIEGE OF LOTHAL” “THE LOST
Imperial opponents,
as one Inquisitor was Production Number: 201/202 COMMANDERS”
supplanted by multiple Original airdate: June 20, 2015 (debuted April 18,
Dark Force users, 2015 at Celebration Anaheim) Production Number: 203
including the one and June 20, 2015 (broadcast) Original airdate: October 14, 2015 (debuted
only Darth Vader. There Directors: Bosco Ng, Brad Rau October 8, 2015 at New York Comic Con)
was more Ahsoka Written by: Henry Gilroy Directors: Dave Filoni, Sergio Paez
Tano—revealed as the Written by: Matt Michnovetz
rebel agent Fulcrum The crew of the Ghost joins up with the Phoenix
in Season One—now rebels, led by Commander Sato, though Kanan Ahsoka sends the crew of the Ghost to Seelos to
acting as a frequent chafes at the idea of being part of a larger fight. convince a trio of retired clone troopers—Rex,
companion and advisor. They return to Lothal in a bid to help Minister Wolffe and Gregor—to help oppose the Empire.
And there were more Maketh Tua defect, but are trapped by Darth Vader. But Agent Kallus and the Empire are in hot
familiar faces, as the The Sith Lord hunts them across the planet and pursuit—and the clones’ loyalties may not be
clone trooper Rex and through space, culminating in a brief encounter all what Ahsoka hoped.
a certain Leia Organa with his former apprentice, Ahsoka Tano.
made their debuts in Notable for: The first Rebels appearance of
the series. Most of all, Notable for: The first appearance of Commander Rex, Wolffe, and Gregor; Rex notes that he
there was more drama, Jun Sato (Keone Young); the return of Darth Vader, fought alongside Ahsoka “from the Battle of
culminating in a fateful Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams), and Emperor Christophsis to the Siege of Mandalore”;
trip to Malachor. Still Palpatine (Sam Witwer); the death of Maketh Tua Rex and his fellow clones have removed
want more? Here’s a (Kath Soucie). their control chips.
look back at the entire
season, after which
nothing would ever be
the same for the crew
of the Ghost…

REGULAR CAST
THE REBELS
Freddie Prinze Jnr. as KANAN JARRUS
Taylor Gray as EZRA BRIDGER
Vanessa Marshall as HERA SYNDULLA
Steve Blum as ZEB ORRELIOUS
Tiya Sircar as SABINE WREN
Ashley Eckstein as AHSOKA TANO
Dee Bradley Baker as REX
and Chopper as HIMSELF
THE IMPERIALS
David Oyelowo as AGENT KALLUS
Sarah Michelle Gellar as SEVENTH SISTER
Philip Anthony-Rodriguez as
FIFTH BROTHER
Dee Bradley Baker as
ADMIRAL KONSTANTINE
and James Earl Jones as DARTH VADER
“RELICS OF THE
OLD REPUBLIC”
Production Number: 204
Original airdate: October 21, 2015 (debuted
October 8, 2015 at New York Comic Con)
Director: Bosco Ng
Written by: Steven Melching
Kallus’s walkers pursue the rebels and the clones
across Seelos. To survive an assault from the AT-
ATs, Kanan and Ezra must use the Force. But can
Kanan put aside his distrust of the clones after
their betrayal of the Jedi years before?
Notable for: The debut of the Inquisitor
Fifth Brother.
“ALWAYS TWO
THERE ARE”
Production Number: 205
Original airdate: October 28, 2015
Director: Brad Rau
Written by: Kevin Hopps
Ezra joins Sabine, Zeb and Chopper to raid
an abandoned Republic medical station, but
the rebels are ambushed by Fifth Brother and
Seventh Sister—Inquisitors who have
taken over the Grand Inquisitor’s hunt
for fugitive Jedi.
Notable for: The debut of the Inquisitor Seventh
Sister and her seeker droids.

INSIDER 33

“BROTHERS OF
THE BROKEN HORN”
Production Number: 206
Original airdate: November 4, 2015
Director: Saul Ruiz
Written by: Bill Wolkoff
A frustrated Ezra struggles to balance
his loyalty to the rebel cause and his
dedication to Jedi training. His older,
simpler outlaw life beckons when he
intercepts a message from the Broken
Horn, the crimelord Vizago’s starship.
But the ship now belongs to a
different scoundrel, the slippery pirate
Hondo Ohnaka.
Notable for: The first Rebels appearance
of Hondo Ohnaka; the return of Azmorigan
and Citakro Vizago.
“WINGS OF
THE MASTER”
Production Number: 207
Original airdate: November 11, 2015
Director: Dave Filoni, Sergio Paez
Written by: Steven Melching
The Phoenix rebels try to help the
people of Ibaar, but Kallus and the
Empire have blockaded the planet and
the rebels are outgunned. Hera travels
to Shantipole, where a Mon Calamari
engineer named Quarrie has created a
blockade-busting ship, the Blade Wing,
but Quarrie will only give his prized
starfighter to the right pilot.
Notable for: Quarrie is named in honor
of legendary Star Wars concept artist
Ralph McQuarrie; the Blade Wing is a
prototype of the B-wing starfighter,
as seen in Return of the Jedi; Hera is
promoted to Phoenix Leader.
“BLOOD SISTERS”
Production Number: 208
Original airdate: November 18, 2015
Director: Bosco Ng
Written by: Kevin Hopps
Sabine, Ezra, and Chopper are sent
to pick up a mysterious rebel courier
on Garel, who turns out to be a Gonk
droid called EG-86. The droid is being
pursued by Ketsu Onyo, a Mandalorian
bounty hunter of Sabine’s former
acquaintance…
Notable for: The first appearance of
Ketsu Onyo; the return of R2-D2.

“STEALTH
STRIKE”
Production Number: 209
Original airdate: November
25, 2015
Director: Brad Rau
Written by: Matt Michnovetz

An experimental Imperial
cruiser pulls a corvette out
of hyperspace, taking its
occupants—Commander
Sato and Ezra—into custody.
Kanan, Rex, and Chopper
mount a rescue mission,
forcing the Jedi and the
clone to overcome their
mutual suspicions and
work together to save their
friends.

Notable for: The first Rebels

appearance of the Imperial
Interdictor cruiser.

“LEGACY”
Production Number: 211
Original airdate: December 9, 2015
Director: Mel Zwyer
Written by: Henry Gilroy
A Force vision warns Ezra of an
imminent Imperial attack on Garel,
and leads him to believe that his
parents might still be alive. After barely
escaping the assault, the rebels return
to Lothal to find X-10—an escaped
prisoner who may know the truth about
the Bridgers’ fate.
Notable for: The first appearance of
Ryder Azadi; the revelation that Ezra’s
parents died trying to escape Imperial
captivity, but heard their son’s message
rallying the people of Lothal to resist
the Empire.
“A PRINCESS
ON LOTHAL”
Production Number: 212
Original airdate: January 20, 2016
Director: Bosco Ng
Written by: Steven Melching
Leia Organa, daughter of Alderaan’s
Senator Bail Organa, visits Lothal on a
mercy mission. But Leia’s real purpose is
to see that the three Alderaanian warships
she brought with her are stolen and wind
up in the hands of the rebels. Faced with
the Empire’s suspicions, Leia turns to
Kanan and Ezra for help.
Notable for: The first Rebels appearance
of Princess Leia; the return of Yogar
Lyste; the first appearance of the
Hammerhead Corvette.
“THE FUTURE
OF THE FORCE”
Production Number: 210
Original airdate: December 2, 2015
Director: Saul Ruiz
Written by: Bill Wolkoff
Ahsoka and the crew of the Ghost learn
that the Inquisitors are kidnapping
Force-sensitive children and resolve to
stop them. The result is a confrontation
on the planet Takobo, and a discovery by
Seventh Sister that places the rebels in
grave peril.
Notable for: The first appearance of
Darja, Alora, Oora, and Pypey; the first
close look at Ahsoka’s white-bladed
lightsabers, which reflect her lack of
affiliation to the Jedi or Sith.
“THE PROTECTOR
OF CONCORD DAWN”
Production Number: 213
Original airdate: January 27, 2016
Director: Brad Rau
Written by: Henry Gilroy, Kevin Hopps
The rebels eye the Concord Dawn system
as the key to a safer hyperspace route
to Lothal—but it is in the hands of the
Mandalorian Protectors led by Fenn Rau.
In an attempt to secure the route, Hera is
gravely injured in a dogfight. Sabine and
Kanan continue the mission, but have very
different ideas about how to succeed.
Notable for: The first appearance of Fenn
Rau, Concord Dawn, and the Mandalorian
Fang fighter; revelations about Sabine’s
past and the Clan Wren.
INSIDER 35
 “LEGENDS OF
THE LASAT”
Production Number: 214
Original airdate: February 3,
2016
Director: Saul Ruiz
Written by: Matt Michnovetz

A tip from Hondo Ohnaka leads

the Ghost to a pair of Lasat.
Zeb is astonished to learn that
he isn’t the last survivor of
his species, but scoffs when .
he learns that they seek the
planet Lira San as a sanctuary
foretold by prophecy.

Notable for: The first

appearance of Lasat elders
Chava and Gron; revelations
about bo-rifles and Zeb’s time
with the Lasat Honor Guard.

“HOMECOMING” “THE HONORABLE

“THE CALL”
Production Number: 215
Original airdate: February 10, 2016
Director: Mel Zwyer
Written by: Bill Wolkoff
With the Phoenix rebels perilously low
on fuel, the Ghost’s crew raid a Mining
Guild asteroid.There, the Force tells Ezra
that the mining operations are a threat to
spacegoing leviathans known as purrgils.
Notable for: The first appearance of
Boss Yushyn, the purrgils, and Mining
Guild TIE fighters; the first on-screen
appearance of the Mining Guild,
originally mentioned in The Empire
Strikes Back.
Production Number: 216
Original airdate: February 17, 2016
Director: Bosco Ng
Written by: Steven Melching
Commander Sato suggests the Ghost’s
crew steal an Imperial carrier operating
above Ryloth. Hera reluctantly agrees,
knowing that the mission will require
her to work with her estranged father,
Twi’lek rebel Cham Syndulla. The
Syndullas have very different ideas
about how to fight the Empire, and
neither is inclined to compromise.
Notable for: The first Rebels appearance
of Cham Syndulla, Numa, and Gobi Glie;
the first appearance of the Quasar Fire-
class cruiser-carrier.
ONES”
Production Number: 217
Original airdate: February 24, 2016
Director: Brad Rau
Written by: Kevin Hopps
The Ghost travels to Geonosis and is
ambushed by the Empire. Zeb and Agent
Kallus wind up trapped together in an
escape pod and crash-land on Bahryn,
where the two sworn enemies must work
together to survive.
Notable for: The first appearance of
Bahryn and the bonzami; the revelation
that all life on Geonosis has been wiped
out; Kallus mentions fighting Saw
Gerrera’s forces on Onderon.

36 INSIDER
 “SHROUD OF
DARKNESS”
Production Number: 218
Original airdate: March 2, 2016
Director: Saul Ruiz
Written by: Henry Gilroy
After another confrontation with the
Inquisitors, Kanan and Ezra return
to Lothal’s Jedi temple to learn how
they are being tracked. Ahsoka joins
them, and the three experience Force
visions about their past and future. Yoda
reluctantly offers Ezra a piece of advice:
find the planet Malachor.
Notable for: The first Rebels appearance
of Anakin Skywalker (as a hologram);
the return of Yoda and the Grand
Inquisitor (in a Force vision); Kanan’s
knighthood; Ahsoka’s discovery about
Anakin’s true fate.
“THE FORGOTTEN
DROID”
Production Number: 219
Original airdate: March 16, 2016
Director: Mel Zwyer
Written by: Matt Michnovetz
While his friends steal fuel from the
Empire, Chopper indulges in a theft of
his own: swiping a replacement droid
leg. Stormtroopers chase him aboard an
Imperial cargo ship, where he strikes up
an unlikely friendship with an Imperial
inventory droid.
safeguard the base from further attacks.
Notable for: The first appearance of
AP-5; the story of how Chopper and
Hera met; the adoption of Atollon as the
Phoenix rebels’ new base.
“THE MYSTERY OF
CHOPPER BASE”
Production Number: 220
Original airdate: March 23, 2016
Director: Bosco Ng
Written by: Steven Melching
Spider-like predators known as
kyrkna threaten the Phoenix rebels’
base on Atollon. The crew of the Ghost
must rescue Rex from the creatures’
underground lair and find a way to
Notable for: The first appearance
of krykna and dokma; the return
of convor birds.

“TWILIGHT OF
THE APPRENTICE”
Production Number: 221/222
Original airdate: March 30, 2016
Director: Dave Filoni
Written by: Dave Filoni, Simon Kinberg,
Steven Melching

Kanan, Ezra, and Ahsoka travel to the Sith

world of Malachor, where three Inquisitors are
hunting an intruder. Ezra finds a Sith holocron
and falls under the sway of Darth Maul, who
wants to use the planet for his own schemes.
Alerted to Kanan’s presence, Darth Vader
arrives, setting the stage for a showdown
with Ahsoka.

Notable for: The first Rebels appearance of

Darth Maul; the first appearance of Malachor
and the Inquisitor Eighth Brother; the deaths
of Eight Brother, Seventh Sister, and Fifth
Brother; Maul’s blinding of Kanan; Ahsoka’s
confrontation with Darth Vader.
 ZRA
LEARNING LESSONS WITH

EZRA BRIDGER HAS COME A LONG WAY SINCE HE FIRST MET THE CREW OF THE
GHOST IN STAR WARS REBELS. HIS SKILL WITH THE FORCE HAS GROWN, AND
HE NOW HAS A SITH HOLOCRON IN HIS POSSESSION TO HELP—OR HINDER—HIM
ON HIS PATH. AMY RATCLIFFE SPOKE TO EZRA VOICE-ACTOR TAYLOR GRAY
ABOUT THE DANGEROUS ROAD THAT LIES AHEAD.

38 INSIDER

S
tar Wars Insider: Let’s start
with the Season Two finale. Is
it true that you didn’t know the
ending until you watched it at a
screening with an audience of fans?
Taylor Gray: Yes, that was the first time!
We didn’t even get the pages [of script]
for that. Seeing it then was the first and
only time for me.
What was that experience like?
To see it in a big theater like that it was
awesome. And it’s was cool to watch it
with an audience. I’ve always liked going
to an actual movie theater and seeing
things on a big screen. It just makes the
experience of watching anything so much
cooler. I had my friends with me, too.
Some of them had seen the show before
and some of them hadn’t, and it was
great to hear their reactions.
I heard that since some of the cast didn’t
know what was going to happen at the
end of the Season Two finale there was
a prank. Can you tell me about it?
If you’re not in a particular episode, Dave
[Filoni, executive producer] doesn’t give
you the script. Because Steve [Blum, Zeb],
Vanessa [Marshall, Hera], and Tiya [Sircar,
Sabine] weren’t in the finale, Dave said
to Sam [Witwer, Maul], Freddie [Prinze
Jr., Kanan] and me, “Why don’t you send
them cryptic text messages? Say it’s been
fun working with them, and you can’t wait
until your paths cross again.”
So I sent that to Tiya, Steve, and
Vanessa, and they thought I was quitting!
I said, “No, I’m still working on the show,
but I hope you guys had a fun time and
enjoyed your Star Wars experience!”
Vanessa started freaking out and I
immediately felt bad. That’s Dave’s sense
of humor for you!
The finale was something of a game-
changer. What conversations did Dave
have with you before you started to
record Season Three?
Dave is so good at keeping us informed
and making sure that we know our
characters’ trajectories for the next
season. Ezra’s getting older and Dave
wanted to cover that. Kanan being blind
changes Ezra entirely. There’s guilt that
comes with that. Dave explained it all
to us, going through each one of our
characters. He reassured me that Ezra
gets a new lightsaber after Darth Vader
nixed that last one!
Well, if someone is going to wreck
Ezra’s lightsaber...
Exactly! I remember saying, “Dude,
that was the coolest thing ever. I got my
lightsaber broken by Darth Vader!”
40 INSIDER
It’s a big test for Ezra in Season Three,
Vader has certainly caused trouble, but
now you have to face Grand Admiral b
because the dark side is pulling at him,
Thrawn as well! How does he affect Ezra e
especially with Maul around. We hear Maul
and the other rebels? c
calling Ezra his apprentice and everything
He’s so different. I remember the very first l that. Maul is still trying to get Ezra to
like
time we went to San Diego Comic-Con and c
come on over to the dark side.
talked about the show. Even then, people
were asking, “Is Thrawn going to be in it?” I It’s like Ezra sees the Force as not strictly
didn’t know who Thrawn was at that point, black
b and white.
so I started reading up on him. Even at the It’s
I funny: I asked Dave why there couldn’t
Season Two finale screening, a kid asked be
b a Jedi who is so informed about the
about Thrawn during the Q&A! dark
d side. The Jedi could know everything
The thing about Thrawn is that he’s about
a the dark side; open and use the Sith
incredibly smart. He plays on the rebels’ holocron;
h and associate with Darth Maul;
weaknesses better than most villains. He but
b still be good. He said, “I’m so glad you’re
learns about each one of them and figures asking
a those questions, because that’s
out how to really pick them apart. He even exactly
e what Ezra’s thinking.”
lets them have little victories here and
there, because it helps the bigger picture Aside
A from Kanan and Ezra, and Ezra and
for the Empire. Maul, will we see more of Ezra and Sabine
At times it seems like he’s letting the working
w together?
rebels run all over, but it’s because two Sabine’s
S family becomes a big part of
episodes later he’s going to completely flip Season
S Three. We start to touch upon the
the switch. It’s very different. He’s a strong story
s of Mandalore, and Sabine has to lead
guy. You can tell by the way everyone else in the
t rebels for a little bit while we are there.
the Empire talks to him and reacts to him. She
S has to team up with Ezra and utilize all
He’s beautifully animated, but terrifying. the
t Force skills that he has.
That’s interesting because until now
Ezra’s started to take on a leadership role, they’ve
t all looked down at Ezra like he’s
but was badly shaken up during the season the
t little brother of the group. Now that
premiere. What’s his attitude after those he’s
h stepped up, it’s a weird dynamic when
setbacks? they’re
t joking around in the Ghost. They
That’s something I talked with Dave about. still
s talk to him and treat him the same
Ezra is really hard on himself. He wants way,
w even though they know he is so much
to take on this responsibility, and it’s not more
m capable than he was at the beginning.
that he isn’t ready, but that he doesn’t But
B him and Sabine learn to work together
have the right mindset. He feels entirely pretty
p well.
responsible for what happened to Kanan,
because he was the one who trusted Maul What
W are you most looking forward to fans
and befriended him and said, “Let’s bring seeing
s in Season Three?
him in.” I’m
I most excited for them to see Bendu—he
There’s eventually a point where Ezra is
i unbelievable! It’s so funny because when
and Kanan talk about what happened, how we
w started recording I was like, “Bendu?
it’s all going to be okay, and how Ezra needs What
W is this thing?” We would read along
to take on a fresh disposition in order to with
w the recording and it was very, very slow.
lead. Ezra is learning throughout Season I wasn’t sure if I really liked the character,
Three. He’ll have more failures of course, or
o what his deal was. But then, as the
but he’ll also learn how to lead the rebels whole
w season plays out, he becomes
and start moving up the ranks. Where one
o of the coolest characters that
he goes at the end of Season Three is I’ve
I seen in Star Wars. What he
unbelievable! represents—the
r middle ground
between
b light and dark—just
How does Maul affect Ezra over the course seems
s to align with things that
of the season? are
a close to me in reality. Every
It’s interesting. Ezra hasn’t dropped his time
t we see Bendu, he imparts
idea of learning about the dark side. He’s some
s knowledge. That’s so
incredibly intrigued. He has very innocent interesting,
i and I think it will
intentions—in that he just wants to learn be
b cool for the fans to see.
about the enemy in order to defeat them—
but if you get close to the dark side it starts
to have an effect on you. He sees how there
are instant rewards for tapping into anger or
M Y
emotions that you don’t want to be feeling Follow Taylor on
for too long. So there’s a battle with the Twitter: @iamtaylorgray
duality of light and dark, and Ezra wanting to
go back and forth.
INSIDER 41
42 INSIDER
 EXCLUSIVE FICTION

A STAR WARS STORY

BY JASON M. HOUGH
WITH ART BY CARSTEN BRADLEY

INSIDER 43
 I
mperial stormtroopers are many things, but subtle they
are not.
That morning I’d risen early, troubled, though I couldn’t
say why. Dawn had yet to break. I’d left Chloa and the kids
to their dreams and done the only thing I knew would ease my
mind: cleaned my gear.
Which is why I was in my workshop below the house, working
grime out of the hinges of a trap, when I heard them.
I tracked them by sound alone, enjoying the mental
exercise though it wasn’t especially difficult. They moved
at a brisk march, the sound of boots slapping against worn
cobblestones. Four sounded identical and would have made a
standard patrol for Tavuu’s winding streets. Only there were
three more pairs. Two, their steps fell heavier. More than a
simple patrol, then, for they carried something. Bigger guns?
That twisted my gut. Weapons of any sort were rarely needed
in this quiet district of the city above the jungle. Tavuu was
a big place, the capital city of Radhii. Plenty of crime and
unrest in the darker corners on the eastern side to keep
the garrison busy. Over here, though, on the western edges
where the city abruptly ended at a monstrous cliff face,
things were peaceful.
It was as if an unspoken agreement had been reached,
long ago, among those of us who lived in this part of the
city. We’re cornered here; nowhere to go but over the edge,
so we’ll play along. We’ll keep our heads down.
It was the last pair of footsteps that I focused on now.
Lighter on the step, feet rolling slightly. Not subtle, perhaps,
but not entirely unfamiliar with the concept, either.
They were beyond the alley, in the market.
I set the trap down, half cleaned, and laid the oiled rag
beside it. My overeager ASP droid made a little glomp sound—
may I put that away?—but I shushed it, my ears now fully
pricked. Footfalls in the puddle-ridden alley. As their steps
grew louder I grew nervous. Which one of my neighbors
had earned Imperial attention? I should pay more attention
to our neighbors. The only thing we shared was this row
of old houses huddled together at the edge of the cliff.
Beyond the wall at my back was a sheer rock face leading
to the forest below.
The forest. Zoess, its ancient name, which literally meant
impenetrable. My second home.
Chloa’s voice, behind me. “Gorlan, dear?”
“Thought you were asleep.”
She knew the art of subtlety. After all these years she
could still slip up behind me—me!—and plant a kiss on the
back of my neck, my first inkling of her presence being the
static just before her lips arrived. “Do they come for us?”
Footsteps on the wooden stairs outside, answering her
question. I turned, met my wife’s eyes, and shrugged. “Let’s
find out.”
They knocked hard enough to rattle the heavy door. I
waited a few seconds, tried to make myself look tired. They
liked to wake you. Draw you from bed.
Chloa stood beside me, chin up, as I creaked the door
open a few centimeters. “Yes?” I said, with a touch of
morning rasp.
44 INSIDER
“Gorlan Seba?”
“Yes?”
“May we enter?”
He wore no helmet, this one. Dark hair, sharp features,
keen eyes. I knew little of Imperial rankings but the fact
that he was in charge was unmistakable. “Have we done
something wrong?”
The man’s face tightened, ever so slightly, and I knew the
answer to my question, plain as day. What I’d done wrong was
not say yes to his request.
“On the contrary,” he said. “We are here to hire you. We
need a guide.”
I said nothing. I couldn’t think of anything to say.
“We need,” he went on, “to visit the Zoess.”
I stared, at a loss. Chloa gathered her wits before I could.
“When?” she asked.
“Right now. This very morning.”
“Impossible,” I said automatically. “A proper expedition
takes weeks to prepare.”
“We don’t have weeks,” the leader said through clenched
teeth. Then he glanced around, pointedly studying the
curtained windows and balconies around us. Finally he held
up his hands, palms out. “Let us in, and I’ll explain.”
I sat beside Chloa, arms folded across my stomach, and
listened.
“There was an escape,” the leader said. He’d introduced
himself as Lieutenant Vrake and rattled off a bunch of
numbers and classifiers no doubt impressive to someone who
cared about such things. Only the subtext mattered. He had
authority here. “Yesterday,” he added, one eyebrow arched.
I realized he was waiting for me to speak. “Oh?” I said, and
felt a little jab from Chloa’s elbow. Don’t make trouble.
“Any visitors last night?”
“No.”
“Nothing… out of the ordinary, then?”
My mouth opened on its own to say no, but memory held
me back. I swallowed. “Well,” I said, and felt Chloa tense.
I pressed on. “Didn’t think much of it at the time. Kids, I
figured. Running around just after last bell. They raced up the
alley and—”
Vrake leaned in. “You spoke with them? Aided them?”
A hint of accusation. I shook my head. “Only heard them.
My hearing is pretty good.”
“And?” Vrake asked.
“And nothing. They—whoever they were—were gone by the
time I even sat up.” It was the truth.
Vrake considered this. Then he explained.
Four soldiers of the rebellion, prisoners, managed to
escape a transport on the way to Segenka prison, all the
way over on the east side of Tavuu near the Imperial base.
Witnesses had seen the rebels descending the cliff eight
hours ago, half a kilometer north of here, using one of the
ancient stone ladders carved into the very rock. The reckless
way. An act of desperation.
I sat there, staring at the man across from me and the two
white-armored troopers behind him, weapons held angled
toward the floor. It could just as easily have been four outlaws
across from me, seeking a guide, if only they’d known to stop
instead of running past last night. I wondered what I would
have done. I cared about the rebellion as much as I cared
about Imperial rule. Which is to say, not much. None of my
business. I had Chloa and the kids, and I had the Zoess. That
was enough for me.
“We understand you have a lift,” Vrake said. “And we know
your reputation as a tracker. No one knows the forest as well
as you. So I am asking you, Gorlan, to help us bring these
criminals back.”
Asking. Right. So easy to ask for something when you can just
demand it if the answer is no. In fact, the only reason to bother
asking at all in such circumstances was to give the person a
chance to show their loyalty. I rubbed at my chin, pretended to
consider the supposed request. Chloa put her hand on my arm
and patted it. Get this over with, her gesture said.
Finally, I nodded to the lieutenant. “You’ll have to leave
those blasters behind. And your communicators. Won’t work
down there.”
“They’ve been specially
hardened. With the
extra shielding—”
My patient smile stopped
him. “A common mistake that’s
caused more accidents down
i cared about
there than I care to count. Trust
me, they won’t work.”
the rebellion
“Hmm.” Vrake frowned.
“Well, you are the expert.”
as much as
“You want a good knife.
Maybe a spear. I have a few
i cared about
extra. You’re welcome to them.”
One of his men leaned
imperial rule
forward and whispered
something to him. “Ah, good,”
Vrake said to him. He turned
back to me. “It seems we may
have an alternative.”
Twenty meters from the base of the cliff, my lift came to a
silent stop. Before we stepped off, I held a finger to my lips,
a gesture acknowledged by Vrake. He and his squad stood
perfectly still, waiting. They’d all left their helmets behind.
None of the augmentations they offered would work once
we descended below the canopy, which made them worse
than useless: they’d hinder hearing and visibility, two things
much more important than armor once in the Zoess. Still, I
thought they might figure out a way to keep them. Gut their
electronics, maybe. Something, if only to retain the fearsome
edge their faceless uniform provided.
We all stared out at the vast bulbous carpet of foliage, alive
with greens, purples, and yellows.
The forest hummed.
A low, undulating sound, almost like a pulse. Little more
than background noise to those in the city high above, but
down here the hum was a physical thing. It weighed on you.
A pressure, wrought of the electrostatic build-up in the
lightning trees that populated the forest. I gave the squad a
moment to get used to it, while I listened for other things.
Ghoma, and other, rarer, beasts. All quiet, for now.
“From here you do exactly as I say,” I told them. The
troopers looked to Vrake, who gave me a single, sharp nod.
We left the platform by a series of wooden steps that
descended out to the edge of a small clearing, away from
the trash and debris that had been dumped along the cliff’s
edge before Imperial law forbade the practice.
We hiked north, to the base of the stone ladder, a series of
footholds carved into the face of the cliff ages ago, some so
worn they were barely visible. I pointed out signs that people
had descended here recently, just as Vrake’s witnesses had
said. Trampled leaves, newly exposed rubble. Those who had
come down this ladder had gone straight into the heart of
the Zoess. I had thought—hoped, even—that maybe they’d
simply followed the cliff north all the way to its end. But of
course that would have only got them captured, and the risks
of the forest were clearly preferable to that. “What did these
prisoners do wrong, exactly?”
I asked.
“Rebelled,” Vrake said, his
tone closing off any further
discussion on the topic.
Fine by me. I set the
example after that, saying
nothing. With this company I
could only move at half the rate
I usually would. I ducked under
heavy blue fronds, dripping
with slimy syrup that carried
seeds away. I brushed aside
thorny cavenna vines that hung
in curling loops around our
faces, probing, tasting the air.
Harmless enough if you didn’t
let the little tongue-like tips get
a sample of your skin.
The farther we got from the shadow of the cliff, the
taller the trees became. Their bases grew thicker, and the
domes their heavy upper branches made left my followers
speechless as they stared up at the Zoess’s eerie green
cathedral-like ceiling. Insects darted around us, leaving little
blue trails of bioluminescence. Birds sang in the distance,
mostly to the west, where sunlight had begun to creep over
the city and reach the forest. By midday it would
be sweltering.
And beneath it all, the hum of the
lightning trees.
There was something else, too.
I dropped to one knee and held up a hand. The
stormtroopers mimicked my position, weapons ready. Several
held batons, one a long hunter’s knife. The rest carried the
“alternatives” Vrake had mentioned: modified bowcasters.
Wookiee weapons, no doubt confiscated and then modified to
only mechanically fire chargeless quarrels. I wondered where
the garrison had dug them up. Had they ever been fired? Not
my problem, I tried to tell myself.
INSIDER 45
 The sound approaching us, that was my problem. He snorted. “They’re up against the Empire. They knew
We’d been keeping to a game trail, same one the rebels we’d come after them the moment they chose the
had used. I gestured for my companions to move to one side, wrong side.”
off the path. Some of them moved quickly enough. I said nothing, a fact he seemed to notice. But Vrake
Ahead, across the narrow patch of muddy forest floor, ignored my slight and helped his stirring soldier to his feet.
a fern exploded in a spray of green and blue. I saw only Soon we were moving again.
teeth and claws and the blur of motion before I rolled to one Hours passed. The forest sounds were occasionally tinged
side and brought my knife up from its sheath. The beast, with the hollow growl of distant TIE fighters, patrolling the
a deschene and a young one at that, galloped past me and edges of the forest, maintaining a safe distance from the
slammed into one of the two stormtroopers who hadn’t yet lightning trees. I stopped when we heard them the first time,
taken cover. The pair—animal and man—went rolling into the and glanced at Vrake.
underbrush. “You didn’t think we’d risk letting the prisoners slip out the
I barreled into the tangle of bushes and roots until I found far side of the forest, did you?”
the writhing pair. The trooper was on his back, hands clasped Half a kilometer later, as the day grew late, we came
over his head, arms locked together in front of his face, as upon an ancient, petrified tree trunk in the center of a
the deschene clawed at his white armor. Already there were small clearing. The rebel’s tracks were obvious, the ground
gouges through the material, blood seeping through from the trampled. “They rested here,” I said.
man beneath. Another few swipes and it would have him. “When?” Vrake asked.
I reached into a pocket and pulled out a device
of my own design. A little black disk, its outer
surface studded with small barbs.
“Down!” I shouted, and threw the device as hard
as I could. Then I dove to the ground and covered
my ears, hoping they’d heard.
With my arms clasped around my head, I could
just see between my elbows. The throw had been
true. It struck the six-legged animal on its middle
flank. The barbs punctured skin and tangled in the
fine hair. The impact caused the second feature of
my device, a sphere within the sphere, to shatter.
Chemicals inside mixed, creating a powerful
electric current.
There was a pop I felt more than heard, and a
brilliant white flash. Bolts of electricity snapped
down from the canopy and struck the little device
and the beast to which it clung. Another pop,
this one ugly and wet, resulted in a shower of
smoldering meat and tough hide. I hid my face for
that. I loved the animals that wandered the Zoess,
even the predators.
I came to my knees, then stood. The
stormtrooper on the ground lay motionless. Vrake
stumbled past me and knelt beside his soldier.
“Alive?” I asked.
The reply came a few seconds later. “He’ll
be OK. Bring me a medpac!” This last command
he shouted over his shoulder. One of the other
troopers had recovered and complied.
Vrake looked at me. “What was that thing
you threw?”
I shrugged. “My own invention. The trees’
discharge is drawn to powered devices, I figured
why not harness that?”
“Clever,” he said, eyeing the suddenly pathetic
bowcaster in his hands.
“Maybe, but far from subtle. If your rebels are
out there, they know we’re coming.”

46 INSIDER
 “Three hours. Maybe four.”
He let out a frustrated sigh. “We need to move
faster, Gorlan.”
“Why?” I asked. “Your patrols—”
“We need to get to them before this forest does.”
“So you find their remains, so what? The forest does your
job for you.”
“No, it does not,” he said through clenched teeth,
patience waning.
“I don’t under—”
“We haven’t interrogated them yet,” he said, each syllable
flat and sharp as a knife.
I held his gaze for a bit and then had to look away, to the
ancient dead tree. Interrogate. What, I thought, had I gotten
myself into? I should have never opened my door that
morning. I shouldn’t have gotten involved.
I studied the tracks around the tree trunk. There was a
hollowed area at the base.
“If you wouldn’t mind,” Vrake said, sweeping one hand toward
the direction the rebels had been traveling, “may we continue?
I’d like to find them before they starve.”
“You don’t need to worry about that,” I said.
“Meaning what?”
I moved to the gnarled, petrified wood and crouched. “They
did more than stop here for a break. They had supplies cached
here.” I pointed to depressions in the mud within the hollowed
trunk. “Three, maybe four packs, I’d guess. Heavy.”
Vrake blinked. “What?”
“And another thing. Look at the tracks. There’s more from
here, leading west. Eight of them, now, I think. They joined up
with others.”
“Are you saying they planned this?”
At that I could only shrug. “I doubt it was a
chance meeting.”
“Don’t get smart,” he rasped.
“At least they’re shouldering gear,” one of the troopers
offered. “Might slow them.”
The lieutenant gathered his men. “Everyone stay
sharp. Our escapees are likely armed. At least we
can take comfort in the knowledge they won’t gun us
down with blasters.” He eyed the pouch at my belt.
“How many more of your little inventions are you
carrying?”
“Two,” I said, regretting I’d let him see one
at all.
He held out his hand. I hesitated, only just, and
then placed the disks in his palm.
“Now,” he said. “Move.”
We marched until dusk. The forest grew cold and
quiet, and we had no further encounters with the
local wildlife. Luckily the rebels had taken a path that
led to one of the few wide clearings in the forest, one
I used frequently when my journeys required more
than a day’s travel. “We camp here,” I said.
“We continue,” Vrake snapped.
“No, we do not,” I said. “Trust me. We cannot
traverse the forest in the dark, much less
follow tracks.”
“They’ll gain an entire night’s march on us.”
“Believe me,” I said, “they’ll have to stop, too.
The Zoess is unnavigable after dark. Any light would
trigger the trees, and a flame would bring the wrath
of the wild ghoma. You haven’t seen anger until
you’ve seen one of them enraged by the sight of fire.
Besides, this clearing offers some small comforts.”
I went to the very center and lay down my gear on
the ground beside a tall wooden post that protruded
from the ground. Hooks poked out from a dozen
places along its length. From my pack I removed an
electric lantern, slipped it over one of the hooks, and
reached for the on switch.
“What are you doing!?” Vrake shouted. He and his
men leapt backward.
I turned the lantern on. A dim red light bathed the
center of the clearing.
INSIDER 47
 “Relax,” I said, satisfied at their expressions I must admit. “Be silent,” she hissed.
I indicated a circle of stones around the post, barely a meter “Yes,” a voice called. Vrake. “Be silent.”
in diameter. “The one place in the Zoess out of range of the The stormtroopers came in from hiding places around the
lightning trees.” perimeter of the clearing, forming a circle around the rebels
It took a moment before they regained their wits. “You should who shifted from foot to foot, spears darting from one target
have told us,” Vrake said. “We could have assembled a turret to the next.
here. Or a sensor array.” I shook my head. My ribs throbbed. Equal cries of “stand your
“I had no idea their path would lead here,” I explained. “And ground!” and “do not move!” intermingled in the confused camp,
that kind of gear would have slowed us down.” as the stormtroopers closed in.
“Won’t the light alert our prey, or these ghoma, to us?” “We won’t surrender,” the woman beside me said.
“This hue calms the animals. I don’t know why. And we only Vrake began to pace. “Interesting venue, this forest. It puts us
keep it on long enough to make camp, OK?” on equal footing. Our bowcasters,” he said, and nodded toward
I busied myself with the sleeping gear. Vrake and his men the nearest rebel, “and your...what have you got there? Spears?
gathered a few meters away and spoke among themselves. Charmingly primitive—”
When they finished, a pair of the stormtroopers sauntered off The woman beside me squeezed the weapon in her hands.
and began to patrol the edge of the clearing. There was a dull click, and then the tip of the spear shot
We ate under the night sky. Those troopers not on patrol outward. A harpoon. I should have seen it sooner, the length
spoke in hushed tones. Soldier talk, old as time itself. I sat alone, of wire coiled around each rebel’s upper arm.
weighed events. I stewed, as Chloa would say.
Something wasn’t right. I just couldn’t figure
out what.
“Don’t worry,” Vrake said to me, suddenly.
I snapped out of my doldrums. “Hmm?”
“I know that wistful look. Tomorrow we’ll have
them, and you can return to your family. The Empire
will remember your aid to us here, I’ll make certain
of it.”
I nodded. “You have kids?”
“Mm. Far from here,” he said. “Now, rest. We’ve
organized watches.”
I wasn’t tired, though. My body was, sure, but my
mind still churned on the events of the day. I removed
several items from my pack and assembled them,
careful to attach the special battery last. Soon I had
the holoprojector in one piece. I lay beside it, on top of
my bedroll, the night pleasantly warm. Hands tucked
behind my head, I stared at recordings of my children
playing. Chloa, smiling shyly.
I’d learned, over the years out here. Soft light
seemed to appease the forest. The Zoess had always
left me alone, as if we’d struck a bargain. I wondered
if I’d broken that bargain today.
Maybe so, because I woke some time later to
sounds of violence.
Angry grunts of exertion. A shout of triumph or
maybe rage.
A figure before me. Cerean, female, wearing
prisoner’s garb. Her face ghostly, lit by the flickering
images from the holoprojector. I rolled as her spear
came down. It slammed into the dirt where my head
had been. She cursed.
Her companions were in a rough circle around
the wooden post, each one standing over a bedroll,
stabbing with spears, again and again.
“Something’s wrong!” one of them shouted.
“They’re not here,” said another.
A boot slammed into my ribs, knocking me back
to the dirt. I rolled and raised my hands. “I’m only a
guide,” I said.

48 INSIDER
 The tip of the weapon sprang outward at phenomenal speed,
just missing Vrake’s face, before whipping back and reconnecting
itself into the barrel of the “spear”.
Vrake’s men raised their bowcasters. Everyone tensed.
My eyes were fixed on Vrake’s hands. They were clasped
behind his back, but he’d turned to dodge the attack and I’d
caught a glimpse of what he held. The two small spheres I’d
given him. I scrambled backwards toward the center of the
clearing, to the marker post and my gear.
All of them—rebels and stormtroopers alike—shifted on their
feet, adjusting their aim from one target to another. Sizing each
other up. Deciding who to shoot first or which way to dive.
The air grew still. The forest, dead quiet. That strange instant
of calm that always manifested before violence.
My hand bumped something. I turned, saw my still-flickering
holoprojector, and my mind filled with grief and remorse. The
idea that I might never see Chloa and the kids again.
One last glimpse, at least. I focused on the image.
And saw a stranger. Not my kids, not Chloa, but a woman
with dark hair. It took my brain a few seconds to grasp who
this was. No stranger at all. Far from it.
Princess Leia Organa stood there, holographically.
The interruption of my own recording meant this was an
emergency broadcast. She was speaking. I picked up the
device, careful to keep it in the circle of stones lest the forest
annihilate us all.
“He’s got a weapon,” one of the rebels barked, unsure. It
didn’t occur to me until later that he’d meant me.
“The tracker fights with us,” Vrake said. “Or he’d better, if
he wants to see his family again.”
I’d activated the sound. I wasn’t listening to them anymore,
but to her. Princess Leia Organa.
“All of you, stop. Listen!” I shouted. Croaked, really. “Stop
fighting. Something’s happened.”
I magnified the image until Leia seemed to stand, life-size,
on my palm.
She was saying, “The Death Star outside the
forest moon of Endor is gone, and with it the Imperial
leadership. The tyrant Palpatine is dead…”
I stood there, the rest of her words unheard.
Palpatine was dead. The Imperial leadership, gone. I
glanced at Vrake, who stood frozen, trapped between
disbelief and anger. I didn’t know what to do, what
to say. Somehow the only words that came to mind
were the ones I’d just uttered.
Stop fighting. a
The events of this story tie-in with
Star Wars Aftermath: Life Debt, by Chuck
Wendig, available now from Del Rey Books.
INSIDER 49
 TR AT TA CK
A
AS SABINE WREN IN STAR WARS REBELS,
TIYA SIRCAR HAS RAPIDLY BECOME A FAN
FAVORITE—AND SHE IS SET TO TAKE CENTER
STAGE AS THE THIRD SEASON CONTINUES.
INTERVIEW: JONATHAN WILKINS
 BEL
DS!
A ON
TIYA
HER RREBELS
COMR RADES

FREDDIE E
PRINZE, JR.
He’s like
a big bro!

TAYLOR GRAY
He goes with the
flow! He never
takes anything
too serio
ously.

VANESSA A
MARSHA ALL
Just the
warmestt,
nicest pe
erson.

STEVE BLUM
The noises that
come out of that
man’s mouth…
So impre
essive!

DAVE FILLONI
Mad genius!
He’s just the
boss man!

INSIDER 53
basis, and more often than not, we don’t
need to know. Dave is the most skilled
person at evading a question by answering
it without ever giving you any real
information! I need to learn from him
how to do it. He tells us what we need
for a particular episode or story arc, but
no more.
I like that approach because I like
to be in the moment. I don’t necessarily
want to be bogged down by things that
will happen down the line if it might
affect my reading of a particular scene
or episode—or season, even. That said,
I definitely think Dave entrusted me with
more information in advance this season,
which I really appreciate. I feel like I got to
know more about her past and her family
than I ever have before.
Given what you know now about Sabine,
are there things you would do differently
if you were re-making Season One?
No—that’s the genius of Dave Filoni. It’s
all part of his masterplan. Don’t tell him
I said any of these nice things about him,
but when I don’t know something, I feel
totally confident that it’s not something
54 INSIDER
BACK TO
BLACK!
TIYA ON HER FAVORITE
SABINE COLLECTIBLE
The Hasbro Black Series action
figure of Sabine is incredible; really
beautiful. It’s such an honor for
Sabine to be part of that line. There
was a fan poll and people voted for
Sabine. That just gives me the warm
fuzzies! I don’t take that lightly,
because I really appreciate all the
fan support.
that I need to know. If I want to know
something, it’s purely as a fan wanting to
get some information out of him—and it
never works! You know that, right?
How do you explain the huge appeal of
Sabine across the Star Wars fanbase?
I might have a biased opinion, but I just love
Sabine. I think she is rad! I can’t think of
many characters like her. In fact, I think
that she’s unique. I love that she’s a young
woman now, and I love that she’s smart
and doesn’t take any crap. She’s supremely
skilled and she has this snappy, sharp wit,
which she just kind of dishes out. She’s so
capable— she doesn’t need a man to come
save her. She’s on top of it all.
I think the idea of a female warrior
is really empowering for women, but
I don’t think she’s only appealing to
women. She’s a universal character
who just happens to be female.
There’s this dichotomy within her
that she is this highly skilled, trained
warrior who excels at blowing things
up; but then she’s also got this artistic
side, which creates this far more complex,
interesting person. As we get to know
Sabine better and learn more of Sabine’s
past, you’ll see the influences in her
life that led her to becoming this person
with these various, seemingly opposing
interests. Basically, I think she’s a cool
chick. I would want to be friends with
her if I could. No, actually I think I would
want to be her!
A REBEL
ROMANCE?
TIYA ON WHETHER
WE MIGHT SEE LOVE
ON THE GHOST!

I get asked a lot whether

Sabine and Ezra will get
together! As Dave always
says, anything is possible.
I had a conversation with
him once about it and he
said initially it was like
a will they/won’t they/
who knows/maybe kind
of thing. But the more
we got into the show and
got better acquainted
with the characters, it
just occurred to him: Why
do they have to? Just
because he’s a young guy
and she’s a young woman,
why does it mean that
eventually they have to
be romantically involved?
Couldn’t they just be great
friends and always have
each others’ backs and
not have to go down that
road? I loved it when he
told me that. I thought,
Yeah, you’re absolutely
right! So, who knows?
Maybe it’ll happen! If it
doesn’t, it wouldn’t be
the worst thing in the
world. There are platonic
relationships that are
just as valid as romantic
relationships.

55
 INSIDER MEETS
STAR WARS REBELS ’
ANALYST DROID AP-5,
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS
VOICE-ACTOR
STEPHEN STANTON.
WORDS: AMY RATCLIFFE

56 INSIDER
 omething unthinkable happened

S during the second season of

Star Wars Rebels: Chopper made
a friend. The grumpy astromech
met an equally cranky counterpart in “The
Forgotten Droid.” Once an analyst droid
that worked for the Republic, AP-5 was
handed over to the Empire when it came
to power and ended up underused and
unappreciated—until Chopper came along,
that is. “It’s like River Phoenix and Wil
Wheaton in Stand by Me!” says Stephen
Stanton, the actor who gives voice to the
droid’s frustrations.

Star Wars Insider: AP-5’s personality is

quite distinct—and somewhat abrasive.
What were your initial impressions of
the character?
Stephen Stanton: You could tell from
the audition dialogue that he was socially
awkward and a little bit neurotic.
Ordinarily, Star Wars auditions are very
generic, because they don’t want you
to know you’re auditioning for a Star Wars
character. But in this case, because it was
going to be a counterpart to Chopper,
they were very specific about who the
character was and what his role was
going to be in the show.
They gave me quite a bit of character
description, about how he was being
mistreated by all the humans around him
and got a little despondent. He took
himself and his previous job very
seriously, so he had a chip on his shoulder
about being demoted to inventory-taker.
There was a lot going on with that
character description, including aspects
of him that were endearing, so there
was a lot to think about when forming
the character.

Angry yet endearing… How do you find

the right tone of voice to capture that?
I tried four or five different things based
on the touchstones they had given me for
character references. A lot of times, a
voice just comes into your head when you
start reading things out loud. In this case,
I thought: This guy is so full of himself and
so cocky... He reminds me of Hans Gruber
from Die Hard. I’m a huge fan of Alan
Rickman’s work, so for one of the takes
I thought I’d try something that sounded
very Rickman-like.
Dave [Filoni, supervising director]
really liked that take, and so that’s the one
they chose. As it turns out, many months
later, Alan Rickman passed away. In a way,
it’s kind of like a tribute to him.

Meeting Chopper had a big effect on AP-5.

How do you think he has changed since we
first encountered him?
I think Chopper has shown him that there
is more to just doing what you’re

58 INSIDER
programmed to—there is also loyalty,
friendship, and sacrifice. A lot of us have
someone in our lives who is a little more
outgoing than we are—it’s like River
Phoenix and Wil Wheaton’s characters in
Stand by Me. There’s always one person
who is pushing the envelope and another
who is seeing that there is more to life as
a result. There is a bigger picture and
another way to exist in the world, and you
can actually make it a better place.
And that has led to his association with
the rebels. How does that change him
in Season Three?
I think he has found more meaning to his
existence by being with the rebels. Now
that he’s part of their crew, he
understands what it is they’re trying to
do—and they accept him, that’s the great
thing. Once he tells the rebels that he is
Chopper’s friend, they embrace him and
they let him do what he does best. We’re
going to see more of that throughout the
season. There are
plenty of episodes that explore AP-5’s
personality, so it will be fun to see where
they go. It’s always a lot of fun building the
new characters from scratch and finding
out who they are.
Will we see more of AP-5’s bickering
dynamic with Chopper?
You’re definitely going to see some more
of that, yes. Shakespeare said that some
people have greatness thrust upon them,
and I don’t think AP-5 sought to be where
he is now. He’s not going to go anywhere
willingly, no matter what mission it is.
He’s very outspoken about it.
Apart from AP-5, do you have any favorite
droids from the Star Wars universe?
There are so many to choose from! Even
in the very first film you see all those
junked-out droids inside the sandcrawler.
I had a field day watching that movie and
spotting all the different droids they came
up with. I have to say there’s a soft spot in
my heart for C-3PO, because I admire
what Anthony Daniels did inside that
costume, combined with his voice, to
create such a memorable character. I also
have to admit that, going back to The Clone
Wars, I have great admiration for R2-D2
and the other astromechs in D-Squad.
MORE TO SAY
Follow Stephen on
Twitter @Stephen_Stanton
HAVE YOU?
INSIDER 59
 THE ULTIMATE POWER
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5 TOP TRUMPS STAR WARSS DEATH STAR COLLECTORS’ TINS ARE UP FOR GRABS!

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AL SO AVA ILA BLE FRO M W I NN I NG MO VE S

 THE LATEST PREVIEWS, FAN ACTIVITY, AND MORE!

70 INCOMING

ROGUE
TROOPER!
GENTLE GIANT’S DEATH TROOPER
BUST UNVEILED!

62 PUBLISHING
The latest essential Star Wars
books and comic books!

76 BANTHA
TRACKS
By the fans, for the fans!

“THERE’S NOTHING LIKE A GOOD BLASTER AT YOUR SIDE, KID.”

THE LATEST FROM THE WORLD OF STAR WARS PUBLISHING! WORDS: DAN WALLACE

62 INSIDER
STARSHIP BUILDING
CONSTRUCT YOUR OWN
CRAFT WITH STAR WARS
INCREDIBUILDS
lenty has been written about

P the Millennium Falcon and the

X-wing fighter, but few books
can claim to come bundled
with everything you need to build the
ships for yourself!
The IncrediBuilds series does
just that, however—combining a
book about the craft in question with
a laser-cut sheet of push-out wood
pieces that assemble to make a
realistic-looking model requiring
no glue or tools.
Both the Falcon and the X-wing
titles are written by Star Wars
expert Michael Kogge (Poe
Dameron: Flight Log), and include
a wealth of information—such as
in-universe production history,
speed, firepower, and “greatest
hits” highlights—alongside
detailed, full-color images.
“My objective was to give an
expansive look at how that particular
model fit into the Star Wars galaxy,”
explains Kogge. “This includes story
details from the films, up-to-date
technical specs, and in-universe
terminology for all the bits and bobs
of each model. I also went behind-
the-scenes and interviewed the
craftsmen who made these models
seem real on film, including Richard
Edlund, Lorne Peterson, Don Bies,
and Colin Cantwell.”
The wooden models snap
together easily to form dynamic,
displayable 3D spaceships,
and tips are included on how to
customize your creation using
your own art materials (think
battle-damaged Falcon and
crash-landed X-wing).
“I hope fans will find these books
to be handy and fun references,”
says Kogge, “and I can’t wait to see
the customized paint jobs builders
will give their models!”
IncrediBuilds: Star Wars: X-wing
with Deluxe Book and Model Set and
IncrediBuilds: Star Wars: Millennium
Falcon Deluxe Book and Model Set
are both available in October, and
use wood from eco-friendly sources.

INSIDER 63
CLASSIC TALES RETOLD
TWO ADVENTURES ADAPTED FOR
YOUNGER READERS

T
his November, two releases from Disney-
Lucasfilm Press offer classic trilogy
thrills for young readers.
Trapped in the Death Star! is a 32-page Level
2 reader (ages 5-8), which retells the thrilling story
of how Han, Luke, Obi-Wan, C-3PO, R2-D2 and

GUIDE TO THE
Chewie free Princess Leia from the Death Star in
A New Hope. Featuring fun stylized illustrations and
stickers to boot!
Luke and the Lost Jedi Temple is a 24-page story

GALAXY
for children aged 6-8, and is set between the events
of A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. Based
on the middle-grade novel The Weapon of a Jedi:
A Luke Skywalker Adventure, this illustrated 8x8
storybook has been adapted for younger readers by
the original author, Jason Fry, and comes with two
sheets of stickers!

ART LEADS THE WAY IN THIS NEW ATLAS

I
n an age of satellite navigation, it’s good to know there is still a market
for beautiful, hand-drawn maps.
Commercial illustrator Tim McDonagh brings his incredibly intricate
art style to bear in Star Wars: Galactic Atlas, which is packed full of hand-
drawn full-color maps and other images that illuminate the wonder and
adventure of the galaxy far, far away.
Beasts and battles from the deserts of Tatooine to the ice plains of Hoth
are on display in this stunning collection, which spans all seven Star Wars
films, as well as Rebels, The Clone Wars, novels, and comics. There’s even
a spread covering Rogue One: A Star Wars Story!
Star Wars: Galactic Atlas is published by Egmont U.K. and available this
November in Europe. In December, it will be released in North America as
Star Wars: Galactic Maps.

64 INSIDER

YOU SEEK
YODA
THE STAR WARS COMIC PRESENTS AN UNTOLD TALE OF THE
LEGENDARY JEDI MASTER
M
arvel’s ongoing Star Wars
series takes place in the gap
between A New Hope and The
Empire Strikes Back. During this
timeframe Yoda is chilling in a mud hut on
Dagobah—and Luke Skywalker has yet to
even hear the name of the Jedi Master.
Star Wars writer Jason Aaron knew
that telling a Yoda story in light of these
restrictions would be tricky, but the lure
of working with one of the saga’s most
compelling characters proved too strong
for him to ignore. Aaron is kicking off an
all-new story arc in issue #26, and artist
Salvador Larroca (responsible for the
recently concluded Darth Vader series)
is joining him on this five-part adventure
from Yoda’s past.
“I like the idea of doing stories about
the Jedi actually going out and being
Jedi,” says Aaron. “Back when that was
their job and they were the force for peace
in the galaxy. I wanted to see Yoda beyond
just him being a teacher. I wanted to see
him being a Jedi.”
The Star Wars series has made good
use of its timeframe before, with several
one-shot Obi-Wan Kenobi issues framed
as tales gleaned from “Old Ben’s” private
journal. This new Yoda story is set up
in a similar fashion, with Luke reading
Obi-Wan’s recollections of a famous Jedi
Master (who, for the sake of continuity,
goes unnamed).
“We’ve seen already that Luke has a
journal that Obi-Wan wrote during his
time on Tatooine,” explains Aaron. “So he
turns to those journals again and reads a
story about an adventure that Yoda went
on, back in the days before the Clone
THE
V E RY B E S T
STAR WARS
COMICS!
Wars. He’s reading the story about this
great and powerful Jedi and forms his
own image of what that Jedi must have
been like. But of course we see the real
story, and it’s Yoda.”
The flashback adventure involves
Yoda’s journey to a remote world in the
hope of resolving a hostage crisis. Once
there, a Force-sensitive child held for
ransom by pirates soon leads Master Yoda
down a twisting rabbit hole.
“I wanted to give Yoda a challenge,”
says Aaron. “We’ve seen what he’s capable
of and how strong he is with the Force, so
I wanted to put him in over his head. This
is a very particular challenge and it affects
Yoda in a very particular way.”
It’s not only Yoda who faces a
challenge, however, as Luke undergoes
his own adventure that is told
concurrently with the flashback tale.
“It’s a direct carry-over from the end
of issue #25, or the end of the Harbinger
arc in which the rebels stole an Imperial
Star Destroyer,” says Aaron. “Something
big happens at the end of that arc,
and it leaves Luke in a very specific
predicament. That’s what leads him to
Obi-Wan’s journal for guidance.”
In fact, the Yoda arc jumps around
within no fewer than three distinct points
in the Star Wars chronology.
“We see Luke in the ‘present day’
of our book,” says Aaron, “and we
flashback to see Obi-Wan during his time
on Tatooine. Then we follow Yoda on an
adventure before the Clone Wars, in a
place we’ve never seen before. I can say
that all three of those stories do come
together in a very particular way.”
INSIDER 67
 EXCLUSIVE SUBSCRIBER COVER

BACK
ISSUES
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ONLINE!

IT IS YOUR DIGITAL DESTINY

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digitally! Search ‘Star Wars Insider’
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THE LATEST
THE L STAR WARS GEAR YOU’LL WANT TO ADD TO YOUR COLLECTION! WORDS: JAMES BURNS
MATTEL
MATTEL
HOT W
WHEELS CARSHIPS
Followin ng the success of its Hot Wheels Star Wars character cars,
Mattel llaunched a new line of carships at San Diego Comic-Con
in July.. Early releases include the Millennium Falcon, an X-wing
Starfig
ghter, a TIE Fighter, and Slave I. Look for other vehicles as
more are coming soon!
Availa
able: Now
Price: $5.99 each

WIN A TRENCH RUN! To celebrate the release of the new

carships line, Star Wars Insider has three
Hot Wheels Death Star Trench Run sets
to give away, courtesy of Mattel. Featuring
Luke’s X-wing car being chased by two TIE
fighter cars and Darth Vader’s Advanced
TIE fighter car, the San Diego Comic-
Con exclusive set is a rubber-burning
reimagining of the famous scene from
A New Hope!
To enter with a chance at winning
a set, simply send your answer to the
following question to the address on page
3 by December 18 using the subject line,
“I’m going in full throttle!”

LUKE SKYWALKER’S CALL SIGN IS:

A RED FIVE
B JOHNNY FIVE
C JACKSON FIVE

70 INSIDER
TOPPS GENTLE GIANT
STAR WARS: ROGUE ONE MISSION BRIEFING IMPERIAL DEATH TROOPER CLASSIC BUST
Printed on Heritage stock, this base set of 100 trading Continuing its series of 1:6 scale classic busts modeled in the
cards is the first of its kind to feature images from style of statues of Ancient Greece and Rome, Gentle Giant turns its
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, as well as images from the attention to Rogue One with a GameStop-exclusive Imperial death
original Star Wars films. Inserts include vehicle-based trooper. This limited-edition bust is hand-painted and numbered,
patch cards; sketch cards; character stickers; comic and comes with a certificate of authenticity.
strips; montages; Heroes of the Rebel Alliance; The Available: November
Death Star; and Villains of the Galactic Empire. Several Price: $80 at GameStop
colored parallels are also available in blue, gray, gold,
and orange.
Of course, no Topps set would be complete without
autographs, and this one features more than 70 signers
including Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Ian
McDiarmid, Anthony Daniels, and the late Kenny Baker.
Available: Now
Price: $3.99 per pack; $20 per value box
(with guaranteed patch card)
LEGO
To tie in with the release of Rogue One, LEGO delivers three new large-scale, buildable Star Wars action figures, as well as five
traditional sets featuring iconic ships from the new film and 19 brand new minifigures.

SERGEANT JYN ERSO (75119), K-2SO (75120), AND IMPERIAL DEATH TROOPER (75121)
These buildable figures are sturdy, highly posable, and ready for robust, action-packed play. Jyn Erso and the death trooper both carry
blaster rifles with spring-loaded shooters, while K-2SO has a powerful fight feature that swings his arms out at the push of a button.
They also make great display pieces.
Available: Now
Price: $24.99 each

IMPERIAL ASSAULT HOVERTANK (75152)

This 385-piece vehicle features a cockpit big enough
for two minifigures, and has a rotating and elevating
turret gun with spring-loaded weapons. It comes with
two pilots and a Chirrut Îmwe minifigure.
Available: Now
Price: $29.99

72 INSIDER
 TIE STRIKER (75154)
The 543-piece TIE striker comes with four
minifigures including a TIE pilot, a member of the
Imperial ground crew, an Imperial shore trooper,
and a rebel trooper. Its wings are adjustable and it
features spring-loaded weapons.
Available: Now
Price: $69.99
REBEL U-WING FIGHTER (75155)
This 659-piece troop transport has room to seat all five of its minifigures: Jyn
Erso, Cassian Andor, Bistan, a rebel trooper, and a U-wing pilot. The wings
adjust for different flight modes, and the ship can defend itself with spring- KRENNIC’S IMPERIAL
loaded shooters and push-button stud-shooters. SHUTTLE (75156)
Available: Now The biggest of the new sets,
Price: $79.99 the 863-piece Imperial Shuttle
includes a working ramp, spring-
loaded shooters, landing skids,
and wings that fold up for landing.
Its complement of six minifigures
includes Director Krennic, Pao, Bodhi
Rook, two Imperial death troopers,
and the droid K-2SO.
Available: Now
Price: $89.99

AT-ST WAL
LKER (75153)
The 449-piecee AT-ST walker is
on the hunt fo
or Baze Malbus! It
features sprin
ng-loaded shooters and
moving legs, and comes with three
minifigures: a
an AT-ST driver, Baze
Malbus, and a rebel trooper.
Available: No
ow
Price: $39.99
9
FANTASY FLIGHT GAMES
Fantasy Flight Games have a number of great expansions and updates for Star Wars: Armada, Star Wars: Imperial Assault, and Star
Wars: X-Wing Miniatures, as well as a new card-based game called Star Wars: Destiny.

STAR WARS: DESTINY STARTER SET AND

AWAKENINGS BOOSTER PACKS (SWD01,
SWD02, SWD03)
Star Wars: Destiny is a game that spans the entire
Star Wars saga to date—from the opening crawl of
The Phantom Menace to the dramatic confrontation at
the end of The Force Awakens.
Before beginning, you gather a team of iconic heroes
or villains from three distinct factions: Force, Command,
and Rogue. The game proper then pits your team against
opponents’ in “What if?” battles using cards and dice.
The Kylo Ren Starter Set features 24 villains with nine
dice, tokens, and a rule sheet—everything required to
oversee the rise of the First Order! The Rey Starter Set
includes 24 heroic cards and everything else you need
to take on the dark side.
You can customize and expand your decks with
Awakenings Booster Packs, in which you’ll find new
characters, upgrades, events, and new ways to play.
Each booster pack offers five randomized cards and one
premium die, with a number of rare cards for collectors
to seek out.
Available: Now
Price: $14.95 per starter set; $2.99 per booster pack
STAR WARS: X-WING
MINIATURES GAME: SWX59
SABINE’S TIE FIGHTER
EXPANSION PACK
Repainted and retooled by a certain artist
and rebel insurgent, the TIE fighter in
this X-wing expansion pack comes with
four unique ship cards and six upgrades,
including the Sabine’s Masterpiece Title,
which allows your rebels to outfit the ship
with crew and illicit upgrades.
Available: Now
Price: $14.95
STAR WARS: IMPERIAL ASSAULT: JABBA’S REALM CAMPAIGN
EXPANSION (SWI32)
Jabba’s Realm is a new expansion for Imperial Assault. An entirely new, full-length
campaign challenges you to survive in the desert wastes and criminal underworld of
Tatooine, while new skirmish missions invite you to battle in the Nal Hutta Borderlands
or around the fabled Pit of Carkoon.
There are 18 new map tiles evoking the opening scenes of Return of the Jedi, while
granting access to iconic locations such as Jabba’s palace, his sail barge, and the Sarlacc
pit. Sixteen new figures include Jabba the Hutt, the Rancor, and Luke Skywalker as a Jedi
Knight, while new Command, Deployment, Agenda, and Class cards provide countless
ways to customize the game.
Available: Now
Price: $59.95
INSIDER 75
 “I’LL MEET YOU AT
THE RENDEZVOUS
POINT ON TATOOINE”
’ve always found it fascinating how
I fans find ways to express their love
of Star Wars. The artistically inclined
among us might write, illustrate,
paint, or sculpt, while those with a bent
for cosplay might don the fatigues,
armor, or robes of their favorite
characters. Others who seek a
physical connection to the saga have
an irresistible impulse to gather items
that evoke a memory or an emotion.
This last category (to which I belong)
finds expression in the simple act of
sharing their collection—an exercise
that happily lends itself to throwing
a homespun Star Wars shindig.
Last weekend I had the rare privilege
to visit a grand Star Wars collection on
a walnut farm in California’s Central
Valley—a spot nestled in the sun-baked
fields outside of San Francisco. The host
was a recent addition to the Lucasfilm
fan-relations team, Lucas (yes, that’s
really his name), who was staging his
third annual Star Wars picnic and barn
screening. The movie that evening was
to be Return of the Jedi, following on
from A New Hope and The Empire
Strikes Back, screened two
years prior.
76 INSIDER
Besides getting us city folk out of San
Francisco for the day, the journey was a
great opportunity to reconnect with the
roots of our founder’s past (George grew
up on a walnut farm not an hour from
this one), and experience fandom in its
purest, unfiltered form. No admission
fees, no credentials, no egos—just a
common love of all things Star Wars.
Lucas invited the general
population of local Star Wars fans,
but also managed to lure several of
us in fan relations to a trailer parked
under an ancient black walnut tree on
a generations-old family farm. Within
the long, narrow, air-conditioned (thank
the Maker!) interior was the result of
a lifetime of Star Wars collecting—from
the Luke Skywalker sign that once hung
over his crib, to the prized Ben Kenobi
Mythos statue (one of my personal
all-time favorites) that stood proudly
in the main room. He told us that a few
years earlier, after he’d finally fulfilled
his dream of pulling his collection out
of storage and putting it on permanent
display, he was immediately confronted
with the inevitable question, “Now
what?” It took about a beat and a half
before he realized the obvious answer.
Share it, of course!
And therein lies the heart of
fandom—the desire to share one’s
passion for Star Wars is what binds
our community—artists, collectors,
cosplayers, film buffs, and casuals—
together. It’s both the foundation and
the engine that drives our fandom
forward and grows our ranks with each
new generation. If there’s any moral to
this story, it’s to encourage fans to find
creative ways to express their passion,
and better yet, find ways to share it with
the larger community. Of course, the
Star Wars Celebrations and movie
releases offer great opportunities to
bring fellow fans together, but don’t
forget those homegrown gatherings
that provide the perfect excuse to
extend your local circle. Are you an
artist? Host a private exhibit in your
living room. Film buff? Host a Star
Wars Rebels season premiere party.
Collector? Celebrate your collection
with a first-look event (trailer not
necessary, but certainly recommended
for those of us with busting closets).
And cosplayer? Well, most cosplayers
I know have already got the community
thing figured out, so they’d be a great
resource to ask—and invite to—your
next Star Wars backyard mixer.
May the Force be with you, always.
Pete Vilmur
Editor, Bantha Tracks
 Ben Leung recently attended
the Showmasters Film and Comic
Con in Sheffield, England and met two
Imperial officers from the original trilogy
making a rare appearance together: A
New Hope’s George Roubicek (“An escape
pod was jettisoned during
the fighting, but no life forms were
aboard”) and Return of the Jedi’s Glyn
Baker (“Inform the commander that
Lord Vader’s shuttle has arrived”).
“It was wonderful to meet them both,
despite the fact they were part of the
Empire,” says Ben.

David Willingham from Remington,

Virginia, sent us this stunning portrait
of what many would argue is the
galaxy’s most fearsome Sith Lord.
“This is a 12” x 24” painting I did on
canvas of the one and only Darth Maul,
one of my favorite characters in the
Star Wars galaxy,” says David. “Thought I
would share this one as it’s one of
my favorites.”
 Florian Wiedemann sent us these photos from the first day
of Celebration Europe, which played host to the running of
the Hoods. “21 Willrow Hoods (including Pam Rose, aka Leesub
Sirln from A New Hope) swarmed out for photobombing, bringing
smiles onto visitors’ faces and storming the StarWars.com stage
with Andi Gutierrez and Peter Townley,” says Florian. “There
were no missing runners or moustaches, and at last we found
some ice cream!”

78 INSIDE
DERR
DE
 “Dude Vader” costumer Christopher Canole posed with
a few recent illustrations he posted in an exhibit. “This
was the first time I appeared as Dude Vader the artist,” says
Christopher. “There were lots of kids, Yoda soda, and Star
Wars cookies.

Kevin Jacobs from Remington, Virginia sent us this

painting of a stormtrooper he was inspired to create after
viewing the Rogue One trailer.

INSIDER 79
Rock and Andrea Becker of the
501st Tampa Bay squad were
first featured in Bantha Tracks
in 2014, when we published
their engagement photo.
Rock has now followed up with
photos from their wedding late
last year at Wishing Well Barns
in Plant City, Florida. The big
day included a “custom-made
cake topper from Germany,
lightsaber candles, and cake
cutters and signs featuring
movie quotes,” he says. “We
also had members of the 501st
at our wedding to greet our
family and friends.”

“Imagine my surprise at
finding Dave Filoni on the
Celebration show floor,”
says Dutch fan Tim de “I got a book that
Graaff. “I managed to has blank pages with
shake his hand and get suggestions of things
a photograph with him to draw,” says Andrew
before he moved on to Kline of Philadelphia,
his Star Wars Rebels Pennsylvania. “When
panel. Just when I ‘a tiny robot’ came up,
thought my Star Wars I knew just what to
Celebration couldn’t get sketch!”
any better, he brought
Thrawn back into canon
during the panel!
Awesome!”

Japan’s Jedi Order costuming club poses with some younger costumed fans at the
opening of the Star Wars Visions exhibit at Abeno Harukas Art Museum in Osaka.
BANTHA TRACKS NEEDS YOU!
Have you attended a fan event dressed as a
Star Wars character? Have you made Star
Wars art you can’t wait to share? Maybe
you’ve written a poem on a Star Wars theme?
Whatever way you choose to show your love
for Star Wars, we really want to hear from
you! Equally, if you know someone else who
you think should be featured on these pages,
let them know we are looking for them!

It’s easy to contribute. Simply send

electronic files to:
banthatracks@starwars.com, or send your
snail mail to: Bantha Tracks, c/o Pete
Vilmur, P.O. Box 29901, San Francisco,
CA 94129

Any original art, envelope art, comics,

illustrations, news, stories, meeting
information, or any materials voluntarily
submitted become the property of Bantha
Tracks. No compensation will be given for
voluntary submissions, and there is no
guarantee of publication. Submissions to
Bantha Tracks will not be returned. Each
submission must include the creator’s
name, age, contact details, date the
work was created, and a statement that
the work is original and created by the
person submitting it.

INSIDER 81
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