Descriptions for several books and comics in the “Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens” series were detailed a bit more Wednesday, with some new covers revealed along with synopses of the stories that will fill in the gaps in the sparse new canon universe and set the stage for the beginning of a new film trilogy.
Star Wars: Aftermath, the upcoming Chuck Wendig novel that picks up where Return of the Jedi left off, will feature Rogue Squadron pilot and fan favorite Wedge Antilles, who was a staple of the old, pre-Disney “Expanded Universe.” Scottish actor Denis Lawson played Wedge in the original Star Wars trilogy, but he’s famously “bored” with the role and apparently skipping the revival.
We’ve seen the cover for Aftermath before, of course, but the description is new, providing some glimpses of the people, places and politics of the Star Wars galaxy after the fall of Palpatine:
As the Empire reels from its critical defeats at the Battle of Endor, the Rebel Alliance — now a fledgling New Republic — presses its advantage by hunting down the enemy’s scattered forces before they can regroup and retaliate. But above the remote planet Akiva, an ominous show of the enemy’s strength is unfolding. Out on a lone reconnaissance mission, pilot Wedge Antilles watches Imperial Star Destroyers gather like birds of prey circling for a kill, but is taken captive before he can report back to the New Republic leaders.
Meanwhile, on the planet’s surface, former Rebel fighter Norra Wexley has returned to her native world — war weary, ready to reunite with her estranged son, and eager to build a new life in some distant place. But when Norra intercepts Wedge Antilles’s urgent distress call, she realizes her time as a freedom fighter is not yet over. What she doesn’t know is just how close the enemy is—or how decisive and dangerous her new mission will be.
Determined to preserve the Empire’s power, the surviving Imperial elite are converging on Akiva for a top-secret emergency summit — to consolidate their forces and rally for a counterstrike. But they haven’t reckoned on the Norra and her newfound allies — her technical genius son, a Zabrak bounty hunter, and a reprobate Imperial defector — who are prepared to do whatever they must to end the Empire’s oppressive reign once and for all.
The New Republic, at least, survives as a concept at this point. Norra Wexley and the planet Akiva are so new they don’t even have Wookieepedia entries, yet.
The data dump was released in tandem with a new official Star Wars mobile app, which includes news bullets as well as tools for making selfies, GIFs and sound effects from A Galaxy Far, Far Away.
Head on over to StarWars.com, or download the new Star Wars app, to see the covers and synopses for other volumes in “Journey to the Force Awakens.”
