Book 729: Star Wars: Ahsoka – E.K. Johnston

This book reads a lot like a multi-episode arc of Star Wars: The Clone Wars TV show (IMDb link), which is great because that’s the reason I read the book. When I started the TV series I was not a fan of Ahsoka, but she grew on me as a character and I desperately wanted to know what happened to her after the incredibly wonderful series finale of Clone Wars. I knew I needed to read this before I watched (or got too far into) Star Wars: Rebels and I did.

For the most part I really liked Johnston’s writing style. I think it was geared toward a younger audience and to an audience that didn’t obsessively read what they’re now calling Star Wars Legends, but if this is the caliber of the new extended universe I could see checking out a few more in the future.

“Ahsoka had heard rumors of a dark lord who served the Emperor, but nothing confirmable. As usual, she felt rather cut off without her former channels of intelligence.” (212)

There are definite things that I think foreshadow what happens in Rebels, and for the most part I felt like I got a few of the answers I was looking for, but there is SO MUCH TIME even between this and Rebels, that I want to know more!

However, I’m not sure I’m willing to put in that effort. Star Wars is a big ass universe and when Disney bought it they wiped out the part that I had known and loved for decades at that point (and am still a bit bitter about). I doubt I’ll dig into it too far because there’s so much they (meaning Lucas) approved and allowed to be written and become canon then to just abandon.

Let’s take lightsaber crystals. Two of my favorite novels of the entire (Jedi Search by Kevin J. Anderson and Young Jedi Knights: Lightsabers by Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta) extended universe involved the creation of lightsabers and went into great detail about the future Jedi finding the crystals they needed and how their blades reflected their personalities. I mean the journeys they went on were incredible and honestly more similar to Ahsoka’s journey in this book, but come on boiling them all down to kaiburr crystals was reductive and honestly annoying it completely stripped the diversity from the universe.

I don’t actually remember if the books explained the Sith lightsabers, so I found these to be interesting at least:

Dark crystals were made, too, but not in that holy place. They were plundered from their rightful bearers and corrupted by the hands that stole them. Even rock could be changed by the power of the Force, bleeding alterations until their color was the deepest red. The balance was finely staged between the two, light and dark, and it took very little to upset it. (297)

The red crystals were corrupted by the dark side when those who wielded them bent them to their will. They call it making the crystal bleed. That’s why the blade is red. (348)

I’ve also been actively avoiding spoilers, but is Ahsoka queer? I mean I know the Jedi of the Old Republic don’t have relationships or attachments, but Ahsoka was already pushing those bounds during the Clone Wars and she left the Order after their horrible mistreatment, but she seems to stick to a lot of old teachings, but this one passage made me wonder:

‘Kaeden!’ Ahsoka shouted, and ran to help her move faster.
‘Ahsoka!’ Kaeden ran toward her, but stopped short of throwing her good arm around Ahsoka’s shoulder. She knew that lightsabers were not to be trifled with. She could almost feel the power pouring out of Ahsoka anyway. It was amazing. ‘I could kiss you.’
Ahsoka stopped in her tracks. The look she shot Kaeden was mildly confused.
‘Not now, I mean,’ Kaeden said. She wanted to laugh for the first time in weeks but thought that might just be the hysteria setting in. ‘My timing is terrible and you have all those Jedi hang-ups. I just wanted you to know in case we die.’
‘Oh,’ said Ahsoka. ‘Well, thanks.’ She paused. ‘And we are not going to die.’ (328)

I mean how awesome would that be? I only read it that way because of the hesitation and the awkwardness of the scene. It’s an are we aren’t we, oh maybe I overstepped my bounds type scene you see in a lot of queer romance.

A lot of people shipped Poe and Finn (am I using that right?) and there was that ever-so-brief kiss at the end of The Rise of Skywalker (without any backstory or reference what so ever so is it really?), but I don’t know if there are any other queer characters in the Canon. I don’t remember any from the Legends (it was the 90s after all). Apparently there are a few (Science Fiction & Fantasy Stack Exchange), but I’ve been too afraid to look into Ahsoka because I don’t want spoilers for Rebels. I guess I’ll look into it once we finish Rebels and maybe wait until after the next season of The Mandalorian, if the rumors are to be trusted.

Recommendation: I thoroughly enjoyed this one—totally worth the read if you know the character. After spending 22+ hours watching Star Wars: The Clone Wars it was great to get at least a little bit of closure on a character I watched grow up. The book sets up a lot based on my reading it and moving forward with Star Wars: Rebels, but that being said I feel like there ultimately will just be more questions than answers in the end.

Opening Line: “MANDALORE BURNED. Not all of it, of course, but enough that the smoke filled the air around her.”

Closing Line: “And inform Lord Vader that we have found evidence of another survivor.” (Whited out to avoid spoilers, highlight to read.)

Additional Quotes from Ahsoka
“One of the problems with spending a lot of time with an astromech droid was that one tended to continue talking to it even when it was no longer there to talk to.” (38)

“The place would’ve driven Anakin to distraction, unless he somehow managed to arrange for podraces. No real technology to fiddle with, nothing dangerous to protect hapless villagers from—just work and home, work and home. He never said as much, but Ahsoka knew her master had gotten enough of that growing up on Tatooine. Master Obi-Wan would have said Raada was a good place to relax and then somehow stumbled on a nest of pirates or a ring of smugglers or a conspiracy of Sith. Ahsoka—Ashla—was hoping for something in the middle: home and work, and just enough excitement to keep her from climbing the walls.” (42)

“Rex was already gone, his false death inscribed on the marker in front of her and the false report of her death at his hands credited there as well.” (67)

“The galaxy was much more complicated than Master Qui-Gon had let on, and while he was grateful for Obi-Wan’s teaching, sometimes Anakin couldn’t help but wonder how things would be different if Qui-Gon had lived. For all the Jedi disapproved of attachments, there was nothing in the galaxy that was ever truly untethered.” (185)

“He would get the R2 unit back from Captain Antilles. The droid was trustworthy and capable of defending himself. Bail would just have to make sure not to leave the droid alone with his daughter, in case either of them got any ideas.” (193)

“For better or worse, she had made a choice: she’d chosen to protect the friends she had and the friends she might yet make by concealing her identity once again, even though it made her escape more complicated. Choosing, even under pressure, had made her see that she was capable of deciding on the fly. She’d been right to reveal herself on Raada, even though it had led to problems, and she’d been right to conceal herself on Thabeska. There was no one way forward for her anymore. She would have to make decisions like that over and over again, but it was always going to be her. Ahsoka Tano. She was ready to put Ashla away for good, even though she didn’t know exactly who the new Ahsoka was going to be just yet. She’d have to write Black Sun a thank-you note.” (260)

“Barriss Offee was wrong about a lot of things. She let her anger cloud her judgment and she tried to justify her actions without considering their wider effects. She was afraid of the war and she didn’t trust people she should have listened to. But she had a point about the Republic and the Jedi. There was something wrong with them, and we were too locked into our traditions to see what it was. Barriss should have done something else. She shouldn’t have killed anyone, and she definitely shouldn’t have framed me for it, but if we’d listened to her—really listened—we might have been able to stop Palpatine before he took power.” (349)