New Jedi Order Explorations: Post 3: Vector Prime 54-144

Reading the sections upon Mara, Jaina, and Leia's return was very interesting. After 50 some pages, we were still be introduced (in this series at least) to many of the immediate family members. Who doesn't love some good times repairing the Millenium Falcon. I certainly like seeing the dynamic between Han, Chewie and the kids, or mostly Jacen and Anakin. Of course, the first introduction of Anakin tugged at my heart strings a bit. I think I'm going to be uber concious of every move he makes this time through. It was cool to see his defiant streak, and the similarities therein to Jaina. At the same time, early in the NJO, he seems to be more of a philosophical Jedi, like Jacen, than Jaina, but that may be more to do with Jacen constantly picking on him. I had forgotten about their little confrontation. It is certainly becoming interesting to see how, even 15 years before he went Sith, Jacen was having so many confrontations (be they minor, that's how Anakin Skywalker started) over things with loved ones, particularly ideological confrontations. Jacen clearly thinks himself superior to Anakin, but by Star by Star, we see him realize that Anakin is truly his superior. However, as quickly as he comes to that realization, he is kidnapped and the whole thing, all his growth, is eroded away by the Vong. Grrrrr, Vergere....
Also in this section is the first (chronologically) excerpt that I put in Christine's present. I post it all here, because I don't have to type it (obviously) and its short:

            “We’ll fix it!” the boy replied with a sigh. “It’s just a stupid ship.”

          Even before those last words had left his mouth, Anakin found himself up in the air, his head uncomfortably close to the myriad of wires in the Falcon’s main power grid. The powerful Wookie held him there easily, with just one hand, while his other hand reached down to Anakin’s belt and pulled free his lightsaber.

          “What----” Anakin started to ask, but then his surprised multiplied many times over and he yelled out, “Hey!” as Chewie brought the lightsaber into his mouth and made a move as if he meant to bite the thing.

          Aside from the risk of blowing his head off if he released the energy in the hilt, Chewie’s threats to scratch or damage Anakin’s precious instrument unsettled the boy profoundly. He yelled at Chewie again and reached up for the lighsaber, but the Wookie elbowed his hand away and scolded him profoundly.

          “Okay, I get it,” Anakin replied, head down, for the Wookie’s comparisons between Anakin’s feelings for the lightsaber and Chewie’s own for the Falcon certainly hit the point. “I get it,” he said again.

          Chewie howled, hardly seeming satisfied.

          “We’ll fix it!” and exasperated Anakin assured him.

                   -Vector Prime, p. 63

 

 

 

Chewbacca greeted the returning Anakin with a disapproving growl.

Although this certainly demonstrates what I was saying about Anakin and Chewie, I don't really know if this was one of my best selections. Other than what I've already said, I think I'm done with the family matters. I'm almost at all of the fun moments in Lando's Folly, which I'm definitely looking forward to. But in the meantime....
On Belkadan, things are certainly sucking. As evidenced by the fact that I think the only living things on the planet now are Yomin Carr and a gajillion beetles. I felt bad for those scientists, which clearly you're supposed to. The real sad thing, however, is that they're not even the tip of the tip of the tip of the iceberg of the deaths that the Vong will cause. As for Danni and her adventures on Helska Four, I still remember her being under the ice, so nothing's really surprised me yet. I will make the complaint that that the Prefect in these scenes uses a broken English (or in this case Basic) which is very immigrant-esque and generally unfitting for Star Wars. Other than that, however, I really have no complaints. I would like to get a little deeper into the meat of the series (the Agents of Chaos trilogy feels like the end of this hump for me), but I'm enjoying Vector Prime. 

(PS: I apologize for the changing font in the second section, I usually can't get them to change back after I put in a quote. Hopefully, the quote will appear in the same font I used in the document, because I purposefully picked a really-cool SW-esque font.)