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Review: Hard Merchandise

Posted in Reviews, Spotlight with tags , , , , on 28 February 2016 by Megan

by K.W. Jeter, Book 3.

BHW3

Well, it’s the end of Fettuary, y’all, so what else can I do but give you my final review of my favorite trilogy? I told you I might’ve cried during Slave Ship. Now I’m telling you I definitely cried during Hard Merchandise. People accuse me of not wanting NJO/Legacy because I can’t handle sad books and death scenes, but the fact is I just can’t handle soft reboots.

No, the end of this book hurts so, so good that I had to put it down and get my breath before continuing.

Again, as I said, it’s the characters that makes this trilogy such a bright constellation in the EU’s galaxy. As Kuat of Kuat tries to navigate turbulent waters of galactic neutrality in a time of civil war, betrayed by friends and best upon by his own people, Boba Fett likewise tries to unscramble the secret codes of the past and solve the mystery of Neelah the slave girl who saved his life.

One thing about this trilogy, I keep saying it’s about how Fett survived the Sarlacc, but that isn’t really true. His escape and survival is more of a footnote to the first book than anything else. I love how it takes for granted his survival, and how Fett is no longer man but machine when he is in his armor. He’s no cyborg, but he’s not a human anymore, either.

Again it’s a matter of, how can I review the 3rd book without giving any spoilers or repeating myself? This trilogy is masterfully put together, bringing the flashback segments forward from the past to join up almost seamlessly with the sections from the present, making it clear why the flashbacks were even a necessary part of the story.

Each character has a voice, is a living, breathing creation, and at times one wonders if they can even survive at all — even when you know they must! At the risk of tearing down Joe Schreiber, one of my favorites, Jeter is able to write the silently mysterious film character without destroying any of his mystery — a sharp contrast to Lockdown where Maul ceases to be a figure of the Dark Side and becomes a sardonic enforcer. Maybe you like sardonic enforcers; okay, I just thought it spoiled him. But not Fett. Jeter’s Fett is cold yet not amoral, silent yet expressive.

The final scenes are full of tension and heartbreak, leaving the reader shaken and raw like an adrenaline-fueled ride on a new roller coaster. In every way, this trilogy pushes itself and excels in the pushing. A brilliant piece of realcanon that I love every bit as much now as when I first read it in 1998.

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Review: Slave Ship

Posted in Questions, Spotlight with tags , , , , on 27 February 2016 by Megan

by K.W. Jeter, book 2.

slaveship

The Mandalorian Armor ended on a total cliffhanger, so the first chapter of Slave Ship comes off like an old-timey movie, taking a step back to show you how the hero escaped. Telling you that Boba Fett escapes isn’t really telling you anything new, since this is an entire trilogy about him and he shows up years later.

But we don’t read this trilogy to find out that he survives. We read it to find out how. And as the flashback sequences increase in complexity, the central book of the trilogy picks up its pace with a sense of urgency.

It makes one wonder how Boba Fett and Thrawn would ever do matched against each other. Both of these warriors have a skill at predicting and controlling other creatures’ movements, manipulating them into an outcome that does the best for their own ends. But while Thrawn looks for big pictures, Boba Fett looks only for profit. That makes me think Thrawn would win.

At any rate, I digress. The Bounty Hunter Wars have begun, and Xizor, Kuat, and the Emperor continue to move beings around the galaxy as if they were pieces on a game board. What is the significance of the symbol Nil Possondum carved on the floor of Fett’s cargo hold? In fact, what is Possondum’s significance, anyway, and what’s he got to do with the dancer Neelah? Can Bossk get revenge? Is Boba Fett just waiting for a chance to sell out his partners? Can Dengar survive a partnership with Fett, or will he just be another casualty in the long line of deaths caused by the neo-Mandalorian?

It’s not a bounty hunter’s job to ask questions, but there’s a lot floating around here. K.W. Jeter continues to weave flashbacks with the present, only now he explains that this is Dengar telling the mind-wiped Neelah the story of the old Bounty Hunter’s Guild. Treachery and deception runs rampant, but they might just be closing in on the prize at last.

The thing with this trilogy that I absolutely love are the characters. I hear a lot of people saying they’re bored of books about the Big Three; they’re bored of Force users. They want something else. Yet so few sample this trilogy! Why? There’s nary a Force user in the entire book, and the closest you’ll ever get to the Big Three is the occasional bounty hunter mentioning how much they’d like to catch one for the credits.

They may be the fringes of the galactic population, but these are the plain ol’ mortals of the Star Wars universe. They have strong stories, and Slave Ship leaves one hanging on every bit as much as The Mandalorian Armor. I may have cried. It’s so, so worth it.

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Review: The Mandalorian Armor

Posted in Reviews, Spotlight with tags , , , , on 19 February 2016 by Megan

by K.W. Jeter, book 1.

mandalorianarmor

I’ve mentioned this book a couple of times [1] [2] but never properly reviewed it! How’s that? This is a very fetting fitting time to review this trilogy, too, because as you know, I’ve begun renaming months after Star Wars characters and this is FETTUARY.

Something about black knights entrances humanity. Those armor-hidden features, the silence rather than speech, the suspicion that even if he looks like a renegade, he might be an honorable man. Boba Fett fascinated audiences from the get-go, and while it’s probable Lucas had him fall into the Sarlacc in a fit of pique, it didn’t take long for the EU to bring him back.

Because he’s just that cool.

somewhatindigestible

The point of all that is, fans have been longing to know the details behind Fett’s improbable survival probably since 1983 but at least since 1992 (when he appeared in Dark Empire, confirming his escape). A short story appeared in Tales of the Bounty Hunters which touched on the matter, but without any real detail. And then there was K.W. Jeter.

I love this trilogy and there’s no mistaking that. From its start, with a desperate Dengar seeking any potential cash venue in the wreckage of Jabba’s sail barge, through harrowing encounters with bounty hunters and the elements, all the way to its cliffhanger ending, the post-ROTJ events of The Mandalorian Armor are a thrill ride that doesn’t let up. The mysteries come thick and fast, from a sabotaged droid hidden on board the Slave I to a memory wiped slave girl Boba Fett isn’t willing to let escape him. Not that she’s willing to go anywhere, either, because Boba Fett is the only person she remembers and she’s sticking close until she knows more.

As if all that weren’t exciting enough, Jeter skillfully weaves in “flashbacks” set before the events of A New Hope: the story of the eponymous Bounty Hunter War, the machinations of Xizor, and Boba Fett’s penchant for survival at all odds.

This book also introduces one of my favorite characters of all time, Kuat of Kuat, whom I would cast to be played by the inimitable Yul Brynner.

kuat2

Calm, cunning, honorable and moral only according to his own system, Kuat is a prime counterpoint for Boba Fett. The hunter and the engineer both see the galaxy in binary: success and failure, profit and loss. Only for Boba Fett, success and survival are one and the same, and for Kuat, success means the survival of something bigger than himself.

Even though this first chapter introduces the character and events of the rest of the trilogy, it never really feels like a prologue. So many trilogies have expendable first books, because there’s so much set up in the one and so much recap in the next two. This is not one of those trilogies. These three books are equally weighted, telling an equal portion of the story, and in many respects, even though all three are awesome, The Mandalorian Armor remains pretty much my favorite.

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Favorite ESB Moment

Posted in Challenges with tags , , , , , , on 29 May 2014 by Megan

I’m surprised it took me so long to come up with this because this is one of the only scenes I used to rewind to watch more than once, and I distinctly remember looking forward to it every time I watched Empire Strikes Back.

I’m talking about the scene with the bounty hunters.

Where my scum at?

Where my scum at?

Naturally, any scene with the Imperial fleet is one that I look forward to and enjoy thoroughly. So here we’ve got the Executor smashing asteroids with aplomb, we’ve got deck officers moving around doing interesting stuff, and then we’ve got the bridge. Oh, the glorious bridge of the Imperial flagship! I love it.

Star Wars gave filmgoers normal, everyday life among people who took space travel for granted. There were farmers, merchants, knights, priests–the standard population not only of mythology, folktale, and fiction, but also of our everyday lives. Star Wars took for granted that this was the way the galaxy worked, an old and worn out galaxy at war, and that’s what people loved. Speaking of galactic warfare, you know what else is associated with civil war? Westerns. The American West in the 19th century, with Civil War veterans heading toward the Rockies for freedom, treasure, etc. etc. Yes, Star Wars has plenty in common with westerns, and that is how we get to bounty hunters.

“We don’t need that scum,” Piett hisses, affronted by the riffraff on his bridge. Most of these guys are members of the bounty hunters’ guild — Bossk is the son of Cradossk, the head of the Guild in fact. Although they dress shabby in patched armor, they all have money to burn, money they earn by hunting down anyone with a price on their head and turning them over for profit. In Elmore Leonard’s classic The Bounty Hunters, the eponymous band get paid per Apache scalp they turn in, but you know they aren’t scrupulous and some of those scalps belong to Mexicans. No doubt these bounty hunters follow a similar shifty code . . .

"I said my name is Boba Fett. I know my --- is tight. Start actin' right or you're frozen in carbonite!"

“I said my name is Boba Fett. I know my — is tight. Start actin’ right or you’re frozen in carbonite!”

Except for Boba Fett, of course. Boba Fett, the silent man in green armor who has entranced fanboys for decades and even his widely-criticized backstory hasn’t hurt his fanbase (much). Although some arguments are inevitable about just how much of a badass this guy actually is, it’s hard to deny the coolness factor to his iconic helmet and Batman-quality gizmos. I love Boba Fett as much as anybody, and in the original versions of the films, this was our first glimpse of the man. “As you wish,” he grates out in response to Vader’s demands.

But he’s not the only one there who is totally awesome. One of my favorite anthologies is Tales of the Bounty Hunters — which includes a sadly bittersweet episode 15 years after ROTJ with an aging Fett and his Slave II. These short stories give insights into the life of Dengar (the one with the white bandages), who was badly burned in a race with Han Solo and is out for revenge. IG-88, assassin droid, has actually duplicated himself four times and runs an empire-wide conspiracy to eliminate organic life. He’s the reason the probe droid self-destructed on Hoth — not to disguise the Empire’s intent but so that no organic would ever learn what  the droids were planning! (All four IG-88s died before they could implement this plan.) Bossk, as I said, is the son of the head of the Bounty Hunters’ Guild, and even more of his story comes to light in K.W. Jeter’s stunning Bounty Hunter Wars trilogy. My longtime favorite has been Zuckuss with his droid partner 4-LOM (I talked about them here).

I don't know why it's so hard to get Zuckuss in one of these shots!

I don’t know why it’s so hard to get Zuckuss in one of these shots!

I love every character in this scene. The way the camera peers up at them, putting the viewer alongside the trim Imperial officers with their rampant disgust of the filthy bounty hunters — not because they aren’t human, (because there is no canonical evidence for galactically widespread, government-endorsed species related bigotry,and I don’t thank Timothy Zahn for inventing it) but because they are the scum of the galaxy, mavericks who would presumably sell off their own close family members for the right number of credits. The silent bounty hunters, more like Vader than anyone else on the bridge because they too are separated from everyone by armor, their faces just as unreadable, are fascinating just as a picture. Boba Fett’s curious stance as spokesperson for the motley group. Their backstories, explored in the two canonical sources I just offered you, are fun to explore. And as always, Boba Fett’s mask is as iconic a part of the Trilogy as Vader’s. Man, I love these guys!

The original motley crew. Because it was a long time ago, see?

The original motley crew. Because it was a long time ago, see?

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Favorite Ship

Posted in Challenges with tags , , , , , , on 13 February 2014 by Megan

I always shipped Qui-Gon and Shmi . . . oh! That’s not what you mean. Sorry! You mean spaceship — or starship, as they call them. You don’t hear much about my bounty hunter love, I guess, I spend most of my time admiring Imperials or talking about the straightforward goodies. But I have a deep affection for the bounty hunters, especially Boba Fett, and today I’m going to use this as an opportunity to talk about my first favorite vessel in the Star Wars universe.

First view of the ship

First view of the ship

Yes, unlike most kids who saw Star Wars, I did not instantly love the Falcon. No, the first vessel to stir my heart belonged to Han Solo’s archnemesis, Boba Fett. The first time you see Slave I, it’s hiding among the blasted garbage from the Imperial fleet; somehow Boba Fett knows his prey well enough to realize Han Solo did not jump to hyperspace but instead was hiding somewhere on the ships themselves, waiting for them to depart before showing himself. And the design of the ship is instantly striking.

Firespray Class (E2)

Firespray Class (E2)

That’s worth clicking up the full size, by the way, though the cutaway from the Trilogy Cross-Sections really lets you see how the bounty hunter lives. Fett’s ship is a Firespray-31 class patrol and attack craft. Obviously, he’s heavily modified it the way he heavily modified his armor, and although both armor and ship are admittedly antique (the Mandalorians being an ancient race and the ship and armor being passed down from his father), it’s clear that they are both in excellent shape and remain deadly. This masterful engineering is clearly the product of the Kuat Driveyards, my personal favorite of all the shipbuilding experts in the galaxy.

From the front

From the front

In fact, the Slave I is very rare even for a Firespray, as she is one of six prototypes and really the only survivor of those. Fett’s armor and his ship are linked together, and he is able to communicate with both. In The Mandalorian Armor, it is revealed that his ship was waiting in orbit around Tatooine while he was in Jabba’s palace; it is also revealed that the bounty hunter has decoy ships that look just like his vessel (possibly the motivation behind the “I” following the name).

The Slave I at rest

The Slave I at rest

Although the cockpit is able to right-orient within the vessel, the Firespray ship rests “on its back” when landed and rotates vertical while in flight. It is an extremely compact and powerful vessel with hidden weapons compartments, powerfully armored hull, and great speed and maneuverability. The name is as intimidating as its master, its semi-legendary status adds to the mystique and fear that Boba Fett is able to call up.

And, as a resident girl, I have to declare I think the ship is pretty. I like the class (Firespray sounds cool), I like where it comes from (KDY FTW), and I like the owner (Boba Fett is the man). It’s predominantly green and brown, which is a great color combination, and it’s got snazzy mods. So  there you have it. Slave I is my favorite ship.

In conclusion, here’s a bit from the folks at Robot Chicken talking about Fett’s own opinion of his ride.

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Awarding Good Behavior

Posted in Announcements with tags , , on 29 November 2013 by Megan

So this past Thanksgiving, something unusual happened, unusual but pleasant. I logged into WordPress because I’m a lonely internet geek, and I saw the little yellow square I pretty much live for all lit up like a beacon: a comment on my blog! Yay! Furthermore, this comment indicated that I had just been nominated for a blogging award. To get this award, all I need do is follow a few simple steps. Well, I’m touched and flattered by the tribute, and certainly am always open to the publicity. Right now I’m trying to come up with a new challenge for post population, ’cause that was fun, and hoping to bring in a few guest posts as well. But first, on to the awards ceremony.

"And this one is solid chocolate, so don't eat it at all at once!"

“And this one is solid chocolate, so don’t eat it at all at once!”

Okay, and thrilling music subsides. Hi. Good to see you all. What award did your beloved Star Wars Librarian win, you might wonder? Well, The Wookiee Gunner has presented me with the blogging Liebster Award! (view award post here) So thanks, Wookiee Gunner!

liebsterblogaward-small1

This is award granted to bloggers by other bloggers, and operates in a way some might consider undignified, that is, by the old chain letter schtick. Nevertheless, its purpose is to promote small or unknown blogs, and when the research of said award led me to several blogs I had never read before, I had to admit it had done its task and I would accept the nomination. For details about the Liebster, click (here).

According to the rules of this award, by accepting this award, I have agreed to the following — to repost the rules, to answer 21 random questions, and to nominate, question, and notify other blogs I consider worthy of the award. Very well.

Chicks dig awards

Princesses always prefer smugglers with medals over farmboys — except if they’re named Buttercup

The Rules of the Liebster Award:

  • Post the award on your blog
  • Thank the blogger who presented this award and link back to their blog
  • Share 11 random facts about yourself
  • Answer 10 Liebster questions given by the person who nominated you
  • Nominate 10 bloggers who you feel deserve this award and who have less than 200 followers
  • Ask your nominees 10 questions
  • Notify your nominees by commenting on their blogs

Now, I’m not going to nominate ten bloggers. I have a very good reason for this, and a reasonable justification: first of all, I think that a nomination has more meaning when it is restricted to a few. I read in the official rules that I linked to earlier that one version of the rules called for nominating five, so I give you five.

  • Books Are Better (booksarebetter.org) — It’s no secret that I love books, and I think they love me back. And while I’m not one to restrict the availability of knowledge, I want people to think, be aware, and appreciate books for what they are. This blog promotes a message I feel deeply about — in their own words, “books may not be the only choice, but they are the better choice, and will be for a long, long time” (via).
  • Life Between the Coffee Spoons (betweencoffeespoons.wordpress.com) — We underemployed starving librarian types need to stick together! Personal blogs are the hardest to recommend, but with creative challenges, book reviews, and library happenings, this blog makes counting out your life in coffee spoons a little more bearable. Unless you’re not an underemployed starving librarian; in which case, it’s just fun.
  • Tome Raider Files (tomeraiderfiles.wordpress.com) — This blog has the absolutely cleverest name I have ever seen on a blog. Period. The Tome Raider (whose main blog is Scarlet Inkwell) delves into books and tells you what’s worth reading. She also gives author history, interesting tidbits, and suchlike.The problem is, she has not updated in a very long time. Maybe if you all bombard her with requests, she’ll come back!
  • Modern Jedi (themodernjedi.wordpress.com) — Another blog that has, sadly, been on hiatus for a good long while. But I love what I’ve read from her and been hoping she’d make a grand return, as Jedi are wont to do. I love a blog with a lot of pictures, and when it’s plus fun prose, well, that just does it for everyone all around! Even if the Modern Jedi doesn’t return, her archives are a fun read, and I think she deserves the award.
  • Claire Cooks (clarecooks.wordpress.com) — If you think I’m as indifferent to food as your average Star Wars character (seriously, when do these guys eat?), well, you’re wrong and haven’t been paying attention to all my party posts. As a kid, I liked to look at cookbooks for the pictures; now I just use Pinterest. But I love to check up on Claire Cooks. Good food, good pictures, plus trips and tales about traveling. What’s not to love?
That's right. Dark Lord of the Sith, baby. And my main men. Women. Bounty hundtresses. Okay, that metaphor got away from me.

That’s right. Dark Lord of the Sith, baby. And my main men. Women. Bounty huntresses. Okay, that metaphor got away from me.

PS, just like how there’s a bounty hunter off the screen in this picture, there’s a sixth blog I would totally nominate for this award, but I only found out about her because she was nominated alongside my blog by the Wookiee Gunner! While the rules state you can nominate someone who’s been nominated before, I feel weird nominating someone who has received it at the same time I did. But you should definitely check out The Ramblings of a (Future) Jedi Librarian because it’s a great blog.

The Liebster Questionnaire: 11 Random Facts About Me

"I wear a suit and I'm awesome."

“I wear a suit and I’m awesome.”

  1. I was against coffee for years (“If I have to acquire a taste, I don’t want it”) but now I love it — only for the taste, color, and smell, because
  2. Caffeine has absolutely no effect on me, unless it actually makes me sleepy.
  3. The poshest thing I have ever done is eat lunch at The Savoy Grill in London.
  4. The smell of paperback books printed in the mid- to late-90s is one of my favorite scents of all time.
  5. I can pretty much identify the decade a book was printed in by scent if it was printed within the last 100 years.
  6. I actually have surprisingly sharp hearing; the reason I consider myself a bit deaf is I utterly cannot filter background sounds.
  7. Psalm 119 was my least favorite portion of Scripture until it became my favorite and now I can’t read it enough.
  8. I am rarely (if ever) as worked up, passionate, or emotional about anything as I (apparently) sound; I’m a pretty satirical person.
  9. A fictional character who most closely resembles me is probably Kipling’s The Cat That Walked By Himself — “I am the Cat who walks by himself, and all places are alike to me.”
  10. I really like packing stuff.
  11. I don’t hate the word moist.

The Wookiee Gunner’s 10 Questions:

Got questions? Fire away

Got questions? Fire away

  1. Why did you start blogging? It was 2005, my best friend and I were going to college 3,000 miles apart, and Xanga was up and coming. Or do you mean this blog? I started this blog because back in 2001, I had a very hep Star Wars fansite called Kyane’s Homepage (ranked #75 on StarWars.com’s Top 100 Fan Sites before they discontinued them) where my conceit was to answer any Star Wars question from anyone. Three years ago, a friend of mine asked me a question about the Death Star, and I abruptly decided a reference desk Star Wars blog would be the comeback I was looking for. En voila.
  2. What’s your plan for the future? Get a job. A real job at a real library with a break room and everything. Pay off my student loans. Have a home. Get my books out of boxes and onto shelves and hug them and never let go of them until I have to go to work. Go to work. Work hard. Make the most of myself. Redeem the last lost ten years. Is that too specific?
  3. Do you still watch cartoons? If so, which ones? I really never did watch cartoons in the first place. Basically the only cartoons I have ever religiously watched was Homestar Runner, and when they stopped with the updates, well, I just wandered off.
  4. What movies could you watch over and over and still love? Apart from the obvious — at a conservative estimate, I’ve marathoned all six Star Wars films a good hundred times, not including individual watchings — I utterly love the movie Fanboys. But I’m not in a good place to answer this right now because frankly as aforementioned underemployed librarian who doesn’t like to read when she’s depressed, all I’ve done this year is watch the same movies over and over. Seriously. I’ve watched Bourne Legacy eight times since like June.
  5. Occupations you wanted to be when you were a kid? The first thing I ever wanted to be was a paleontologist until I saw how horrifyingly dirty they got. Other early ambitions were author and missionary pilot.
  6. Are you reading any books right now? If so, what? I’m wrapping up my alphabetical challenge; only three from the end, and presently on Mr. Midshipman Hornblower by C. S. Forester. I’m also working on a stack of textbooks on cataloging and librarianship.
  7. What’s your favorite social media platform? I guess by sheer time spent on it alone, it’s going to be Pinterest. First of all, Pinterest is a lot of fun. On my regular account, I have almost 2500 pins and 28 boards covering topics from books to childhood nostalgia and travel, plus stuff I’m passionate about like typewriters, coffee, and hot men! It’s a place to store favorite sites, posts, and videos, plus look at and share pictures. The Star Wars Librarian also has a Pinterest account, and you can check out the geektasticness here! (And if you want to follow regular me on Pinterest, I’m here.)
  8. What’s one thing you would like to change about your life? All I would do is tell my twelve-year-old self, “You want to be a librarian with focus in rare books, special collections, and technical services.” That would be enough. Because then I would have been a more aggressive volunteer at the local library; I would’ve asked to shadow their cataloging department; even if that still didn’t get me a job there at 16, 18, or any of the other innumerable times I’ve applied there, I would’ve had excellent experience. Also, when Dr. George offered to start paying me himself, I would have gone back to work study to work at the campus library. Then I might have gotten the job I have now back in 2008. I would have applied for libraries in the tricounty area until I had a job, and then, with a good decade of volunteer and work experience at my back, I would have gone to grad school. I would have gotten work while earning my MLS. I wouldn’t spend the next 18 months after graduation bleakly unemployed, underemployed, and effectively homeless while doubling my loans on deferment. Oh, look, I’m sorry, I’m depressing the young people . . . moving on!
  9. What fictional world would you like to live in?  The one where jobs grow on trees. Ah! Sorry. I’ll stop for the yet again time. There is a fictional world I’d like to live in, but it’s one I created. Still, in a pinch, I’d accept living in the Star Wars universe.
  10. If you were given one wish, what would you wish for? That whole going back in time thing to tell my twelve-year-old self to invest in becoming a librarian? Or does the wish preclude time travel? Then I just wish I had a full time job.

Questions For My Nominees:

Listen up, guys.

Listen up, guys.

  1. How big of a Star Wars fan are you?
  2. Out of the six Star Wars films, which is your favorite?
  3. What’s a book (any book) you think everyone should read?
  4. What’s a book you love that no one else (or very few) loves?
  5. If you had the power to make one fictional character a real person in your life, who would it be, and would it be romantic or purely platonic?
  6. You buy a copy of one of your favorite books and find out it will transport you to the book’s world (like in Myst). What’s the book?
  7. Where is one (real) place you’ve always wanted to go and haven’t been?
  8. If you could live absolutely anywhere for one year, expenses paid,  where would it be?
  9. For one day, you are the most important person in the universe. What do they make you for dinner?
  10. In your mind, what would make the coolest homemade Star Wars cake of all time?

All right! Good day and thanks for playing.

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Five Favorite Costumes

Posted in Challenges with tags , , , , , , on 27 June 2013 by Megan

The original challenge just asked for a favorite costume, but I don’t think I’m being unreasonable to pick five when there are six films and effort put into the costumes is tremendous.

The orange handmaiden robe (Episode I)

The orange handmaid robe (Episode I)

I asked myself, What outfit do I consistently wish I owned, every time I watch the movie, and wish I could just throw on, if I could get away with that kind of thing, in real life? And every time I watch E1, I can’t get over how comfortable their tie-dyed velour hoodie robes look. That looks like it’d be swell on a chilly autumn day, nice and cozy, or comfy for snuggling up on the couch on a winter night. Plus the embroidered sleeves are really elegant and pretty.

Coruscant Apartment Gown (Episode I)

Coruscant Apartment Gown (Episode I)

I hate to be the cliche who picks two outfits from stupid Amidala and from the same movie, too, but this was the first costume that came to mind when I saw this challenge, and furthermore, I appear to be just about the only person on the planet who loves this and dislikes her rose petal gown from the ending parade. Now, frankly, while I find it super unrealistic that even a queen would change her outfit simply to walk into another room, particularly considering how many hours it must take to get dressed in them, I just love this costume and it doesn’t get enough screen time.

Imperial Uniforms (Original Trilogy)

Imperial Uniforms (Original Trilogy)

This is no secret. Absolutely no secret that I am completely enamored with and adore the Imperial uniforms. I’m an Imperial sort of girl at heart. What, just because the Emperor was evil, the entire system was wrong?! Um hum.  They’re so crisp, so tidy, so attractive. And rank bars! Rank bars are cool. Stormtroopers wear black while the naval uniforms are gray-green; moffs wear the gray-green as well. The rank cylinders not specify rank, along with the bars obviously, but also they contain security codes and files. Basically, they’re a foreshadowing of flash drives!

Boba Fett's Armor (Empire Strikes Back)

Boba Fett’s Armor (Empire Strikes Back)

Okay, I really dislike Boba Fett’s shoes,  but the rest of his armor is just great. You can tell it’s just over a regular khaki jumpsuit like the one Luke wears in ESB, just with the addition of body armor. And before Lucas felt the need to give us every scrap of backstory, there were real stories in his armor. It’s Mandalorian armor, taken from an extinct race of mercenaries whose code he abides by. The red belt is a Journeyman Protector’s belt, from back when he was supposedly an exiled protector. The braids on his sleeve guards are Wookiee scalps. His kneecap armor shoots darts and his boots have spring-loaded spikes.  And as everyone knows, the strong silent man in armor,  just, well . . . he gets it. And his face is a big letter T.

Luke's plain black suit

Luke’s plain black suit

I apologize for the fact that all my answers to these questions are always “Luke,” but I love this man. And look at that!! Look at that outfit! It’s so nice. Those boots are shiny enough to blind you if you look right at them. I love watching him fence Vader in that snug black suit. I love those boots as much as I love him. There’s a lot of symbolism in the outfit, too, as he’s gone from white in ANH to black in ROTJ; he’s grown serious, no-frills, nothing fancy, but a the same time he’s also battling this intense darkness in a war for his soul as well as for his father’s soul. And, you know, it’s all black and shiny. Good stuff.

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