From tringali@refine.enet.dec.comMon Mar 27 14:40:51 1995 Date: Thu, 23 Mar 95 12:35:19 EST From: tringali@refine.enet.dec.com To: vkoser@capital.mgmt.purdue.edu The following is a file that proves where stories in the Star Wars timeline exist. It was created because there were too many flawed timelines in existence, and the timeline is fairly important and needed to be researched. The timeline is meant to reflect our time units. It should only be used as a guideline. It may be true that people live to 500 in the Star Wars universe, and it may be true that a year in Star Wars is not a year on Earth, but if you have a technical problem like that, I don't want to hear it. The 100 or so Marvel comics have continuity problems with the other stories. There are adaptions of the three movies in the Marvel comics, along with stories that take place between the movies and after 'Return of the Jedi'. If you would like Jack Camden's Marvel Comics Star Wars Archive, send me a message. WARNING : THIS CONTAINS MANY SPOILERS!!! This is compiled by Jake Tringali. Any questions, comments, or suggestions can be sent to : tringali@refine.enet.dec.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --Tales of the Jedi The opening lines of this issue 2 say "4000 years before the time of Luke Skywalker..." In the essay at the end of the 'Dark Empire' trade paperback, it says - "Four thousand years ago...there was a star system called The Empress Teta System." I'm placing this story at 4000 years before 'A New Hope' because the story itself and 'Dark Empire' confirm this. ========================================================================== --Tales of the Jedi : The Freedon Nadd Uprising This story occurs directly after the original 'Tales of the Jedi', which places it at 4000 years before A New Hope. I'm placing this story at 4000 years before 'A New Hope' because the story takes place directly after the original 'Tales of the Jedi' which itself takes place 4000 years before 'A New Hope'. ========================================================================== --Tales of the Jedi : Dark Lords of the Sith, Book 1 This story occurs directly after the 'Freedon Nadd' story, which places it at about 4000 years before 'A New Hope'. However, you must allow time for the Krath to learn about the Sith ways, and that should take at least a year, so I'm placing this one at a year past the 'Freedon Nadd' story at 3999 years before 'A New Hope'. I'm placing this story at 3999 years before 'A New Hope' because the story takes place directly after the 'Freedon Nadd' story but you must allow time for the Krath to learn the Sith teachnings. ========================================================================== --Star Wars : Episode I George Lucas has said in the Star Wars Screen Saver message that "The STAR WARS saga actually begins 40 years before Luke has the pivotal meeting with Obi Wan that sends him down the path to his destiny. The first three episodes begin with the friendship of a young Ben Kenobi and Luke's father, Anakin Skywalker." I am placing this story at 40 years before 'A New Hope' because the message from Lucas implies this. ========================================================================== --Star Wars : Episode II Since I placed 'Episode I' at 40 years before 'A New Hope', and 'Episode III' at 16 years before 'A New Hope', I'll place this one in the middle at, say, 25 years before 'A New Hope'. ========================================================================== --Star Wars : Episode III Since Episode III will most likely be about the rise of the Empire, the fall of the Republic, and the conversion of Anakin Skywalker to Darth Vader. In the 'Return of the Jedi' novelization, it is stated that Darth Vader wore his mask for twenty years before Luke took it off for him. I'm placing this story at 16 years before 'A New Hope' because if the story has the conversion of Anakin Skywalker to Darth Vader, and Darth Vader wears his mask for twenty years, and 'Return of the Jedi' takes place at 4 years past 'A New Hope', it will take place at (4-20) = 16 years before 'A New Hope'. ========================================================================== --Lando Calrissian and the Mindharp of Sharu This book occurs before 'Flame Winds of Oseon'. I'm placing this one year before 'Flame Winds of Oseon' because the story lasts so long for the following two points. 1. Lando disappears for four months in this book, during Chapter 19 where Duttes Mer yells - "EXACTLY WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN THESE LAST FOUR MONTHS?", 2. Lando travels from the Rafa system to the Oseon system between 'Mindharp of Sharu' and 'Flame Winds of Oseon'. This book (and the other Lando books) takes place before the Han Solo books because Lando has the 'Falcon' in this book, Han has the 'Falcon' in the Han Solo books, and Lando loses the 'Falcon' to Han sometime before 'A New Hope'. 'Dark Empire' implies that Lando lost the 'Falcon' to Han sometime between 10 years before 'A New Hope' and 'A New Hope'. I'm placing this 20 years before the beginning of 'A New Hope' because it occurs one year before 'Flame Winds of Oseon'. ========================================================================== --Lando Calrissian and the Flame Winds of Oseon This book begins within months after 'Mindharp of Sharu'. Lando takes Vuffi Raa straight from the Rafa system to the Oseon system. The Empire is mentioned in Chapter 4 - "In this they served their Emperor...all served an entity who, although somewhat less elevated than His Imperial Majesty...settled long generations before the present wave of Imperial colonization..." Since the Empire is mentioned, this story must take place no more than 20 years before A New Hope. Lando already seems to have a past behind him in these books. I think he is about 20-25 years old in these books. I think he is about 40 or so in 'The Empire Strikes Back'. That would place this at about 20 years before 'The Empire Strikes Back'. I'm placing this 19 years before the beginning of 'A New Hope' because the Empire is mentioned, because you must allow time for Lando to give the 'Falcon' to Han and build up Cloud City, and because I figure him to be in his twenties in these stories and in his forties in 'The Empire Strikes Back'. ========================================================================== --Lando Calrissian and the Star Cave of Thon-Boka I'm placing this one year after 'Flame Winds' because this story lasts so long for the following point. Lando meets Lehesu in Chapter 1 - "Lehesu...was content to merely soar and graze about the 'Falcon'...". Lando then travels to the StarCave for many months in Chapter 2 - "several months after her initial encounter with...Lehesu..." Lando mentions the Clone Wars in this book in Chapter 2 - "What do they think this is, the Clone Wars?" Lando mentions buying a city in Chapter 18 - "I could buy an entire city." I'm placing this 18 years before the beginning of 'A New Hope' because it occurs one year after 'Flame Winds of Oseon'. ========================================================================== --Droids special This story takes place just before the 'Droids' story. I'm placing this at 5 years before 'A New Hope' because it takes place just before 'Droids' which is also 5 years before 'A New Hope'. ========================================================================== --Droids In Wizard #42 (February 1995), it is stated that "the early adventures of C-3PO and R2-D2...take place shortly before the first movie." The Droids comic also has a mention of the Empire, so I can assume that when Wizard says 'first movie' that they mean 'A New Hope' and not 'Episode I'. Wizard # 42 (February 1995) states that 'Droids : Rebellion' takes place five years before 'A New Hope.' The 'Droids' letter column says that 'Droids : Rebellion' takes place right after 'Droids'. Therefore, 'Droids' probably takes place five years brfore 'A New Hope.' I'm placing this story at 5 years before 'A New Hope' because it mentions the Empire and Wizard says that it takes place shortly before 'A New Hope.' ========================================================================== --Droids : Rebellion It is mentioned in the 'Droids' letter column that this story takes place directly after the 'Droids' story. In Wizard #42 (February 1995), it says this story "takes place five years previous to the original 'Star Wars'." I'm placing this story at 5 years before 'A New Hope' because Wizard confirms this. ========================================================================== --Han Solo At Stars' End I figured Han to be about 30 when Luke meets him on Tatooine for the first time. In these books, he already has many old friends. For example, it says in Chapter 3 that Han had known Jessa and then left her for a year. I figure Han to be about 25 in 'Stars' End'. This book (and the other Han Solo books) takes place after the Lando books because Lando has the 'Falcon' in the Lando books, Han has the 'Falcon' in the this book, and Lando loses the 'Falcon' to Han sometime before 'A New Hope'. 'Dark Empire' implies that Lando lost the 'Falcon' to Han sometime after 10 years before 'A New Hope'. All of these stories are short, about two months long each. These books show that Han had a lot of experience before these stories. This is shown primarily in Chpater 3 of the first book, Chapter 6 in the second book, and Chapter 3 in the third book. In Chapter 3, it shows that Han had taken the Millenium Falcon to Doc many times before - "Several of the modifications done on the 'Millenium Falcon' had been performed [by Doc]...he and Han had dealt with each other on a number of occasions." This shows that Han has had the 'Falcon' for at least a year. This fits in with the consistency of the timeline. According to the essay at the end of the 'Dark Empire' trade paperback, Han was in the Imperial Space Academy after the Clone Wars took place. This fits in with the consistency of the timeline. I believe Han was in the Academy at about age 10. It's the only explanation on how he could have been in the Academy but still had so many adventures before these books. I'm placing this book at 5 years before 'A New Hope' because I think Han is 30 years old when he meets Luke, and I think he is about 25 years old in this story. I'm placing it after 10 years before 'A New Hope' because 'Dark Empire' implies that Lando lost the 'Falcon' to Han sometime after 10 years before 'A New Hope'. ========================================================================== --Han Solo's Revenge This occurs after 'Han Solo at Stars' End' because Han meets Bollux and Blue Max in 'Stars' End' and he continues his adventures with them in this story. I'm placing this at 4 years before 'A New Hope' because it takes place sometime after 'Han Solo at Stars' End' but before 'Han Solo and The Lost Legacy'. ========================================================================== --Han Solo And The Lost Legacy This occurs at least a year after 'Han Solo's Revenge' because they had adventures between 'Revenge' and this story as shown in Chapter 1 - "But since then there had been needed repairs for their starship, the 'Millenium Falcon', and monumental celebrations on a dozen worlds...there had been ill-fated smuggling ventures..." Once again, this shows that Han had many adentures between his time at the Academy and these books. In Chapter 3, Han runs into Badure who "had been his friend many years before" and they did a "Kessel spice run", which must have been after the Academy. This must mean many years before 'Han Solo and at Stars' End' because he is not in any adventures between then and here. In Chapter 16, there is a reference to Jabba the Hutt - "'another Kessel spice run'...Han insisted. 'It's fast money and we won't have to look at any dirt. We'll get Jabba the Hutt or somebody to back us for a cut...'" I'm placing this at 2 years before 'A New Hope' because it takes place a long time after 'Han Solo's Revenge' and before Han begins to owe Jabba a debt, as shown in 'A New Hope'. ========================================================================== --X-Wing (game) The story of this game leads up to the events that take place during 'A New Hope', including the destruction of the Death Star. I'm placing this at -1 to 2 years in relation to 'A New Hope' because it seems to span the time before 'A New Hope' to the end of that story. ========================================================================== --Dark Forces (game) The story of this games has the user stealing the Death Star plans, and has events leading up to the beginning of 'The Empire Strikes Back'. I'm placing this at -1 to 2 years in relation to 'A New Hope' because it seems to span the time before 'A New Hope' to the beginning of 'The Empire Strikes Back'. ========================================================================== --Star Wars : A New Hope This is the basis of the timeline. The novel says that Luke is twenty in Chapter 2 - "Luke Skywalker was twice the age of the ten-year-old vaporator...". The story 'Dark Apprentice' shows that there is about 4 years between this story and 'Return of the Jedi'. ========================================================================== --Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina Star Wars Insider #1 says that this will take place during the same year that 'A New Hope' took place. I'm placing this at 1 year past the beginning of 'A New Hope' because Star Wars Insider #1 supports this. ========================================================================== --Splinter Of The Mind's Eye This occurs after 'A New Hope' because of the following point. Chapter 1 says - "he had seen Kenobi struck by the lightsaber of Darth Vader on board the now obliterated Imperial Deathstar battle station..." This occurs before 'The Empire Strikes Back' because Luke only mentions being taught by Ben in this book, but never mentions Yoda. I'm placing this at 1 year past the beginning of 'A New Hope' because it takes place between 'A New Hope' and 'The Empire Strikes Back'. ========================================================================== --River of Chaos In Wizard #42 (February 1995), it says this story "takes place between the first 'Star Wars' film and 'The Empire Strikes Back'." I'm placing this at 2 years past the beginning of 'A New Hope' because it takes place before 'A New Hope' and 'The Empire Strikes Back'. ========================================================================== --Star Wars : The Empire Strikes Back This takes place a year after the end of 'A New Hope' because of the following two points. The back cover says -"Now, several months later, the Rebels have established an outpost on the frozen wasteland of Hoth. Chapter 1 says - "Now, long after the Death Star's destruction, Han was still with the Rebel Alliance...on Hoth." This takes place before 'Return of the Jedi' because Han is frozen in carbonite in Chapter 12 - "'He's alive', he informed Han's anxious friends, 'and in perfect hibernation.'" In Chapter 1, Luke is 23 - "although barely twenty-three years old..." I'm placing this at 3 years past 'A New Hope' because Luke is twenty-years-old in 'A New Hope' and he is twenty-three in this story. ========================================================================== --TIE fighter (game) The story of this game takes place after the battle of Hoth, which takes place in 'Empire Strikes Back' and before the Emperor dies, which takes place in 'Return of the Jedi'. I'm placing this at 3 years past 'A New Hope' because the story takes place after 'A New Hope' and before 'Return of the Jedi'. ========================================================================== --Shadows Of The Empire Star Wars Insider #24 says - "'Shadows of the Empire' is a previously untold story set in the time period between ESB & ROTJ. It deals with the relationship between the Empire and the organized crime network...all the way to the leader of the syndicate whose existence has never before been revealed. I'm placing this at 3 years past the beginning of 'A New Hope' because it takes place between 'The Empire Strikes Back' and 'Return of the Jedi'. ========================================================================== --Star Wars : Return of the Jedi This occurs after 'Empire' because Han comes out of the carbonite in Chapter 1 - "He touched Solo's carbonized cheek..." This occurs before Truce because the second Death Star explodes in this story, and Truce takes place after the second Death Star blows up. This story takes place many years after 'A New Hope'. In the Prologue, it says : "The Death Star was the Empire's armored battle station, nearly twice as big as its predecessor, which Rebel forces had destroyed so many years before..." It is mentioned that Anakin had been Vader for 20 years in Chapter 9 - "The black, armored mask that had been his only means of existing for over twenty years....It was a face that had not seen itself in twenty years. The story 'Dark Apprentice' shows that there is about 4 years between this story and 'Return of the Jedi'. I'm placing this story at 4 years past 'A New Hope' because this is mentioned in the story 'Dark Apprentice'. ========================================================================== --Truce at Bakura This occurs minutes after 'Return of the Jedi' for the following point. It mentions in Chapter 1 - "yesterday - he had met the Emperor." This occurs before 'X-Wing Rogue Squadron' because Rogue Squardron went straight from the Battle of Endor in 'Return of the Jedi' to the battle against the Ssi-ruuk in Chapter 4 - "Rogue Group, lock S-foils in position". This occurs before 'Courtship' because Han and Leia are not married in this story. I'm placing this at 4.9 years past 'A New Hope' because 'Return of the Jedi' ends at 4 years after 'A New Hope'. ========================================================================== --X-Wing Rogue Squadron In Wizard #42 (February 1995), it is stated that this story "which will follow Wedge Antilles...in post-'Return of the Jedi' adventures..." John Dennett, the online representative at Dark Horse comics says that this will take place about three years after 'Return of the Jedi'. I'm placing this at 7 years past 'A New Hope' because it takes place three years after 'Return of the Jedi', and 'Return of the Jedi' takes place four years after 'A New Hope'. ========================================================================== --Courtship of Princess Leia Dave Wolverton said in an interview with "The Deseret News" that this story takes place three years after 'Return of the Jedi'. Han Solo states his concerns that after three years of what was supposed to be "mop-up work", the war is not over yet. In 'Dark Empire', it is mentioned that Han and Leia were married four years after the events in 'Return of the Jedi'. Since Han and Leia get married at the end of this story, it shows the end of the story is at four years after 'Return of the Jedi'. The timeline that is in the 'Ambush at Corellia' book says that this story takes place two years after 'Truce at Bakura'. All of this is evidence that says that 'Courtship' begins 3 years after 'Return of the Jedi' but ends 4 years after 'Retrun of the Jedi'. I'm placing this at 7-8 years past 'A New Hope' because all of the above is evidence that says that 'Courtship' begins 3 years after 'Return of the Jedi' but ends 4 years after 'Return of the Jedi', and 'Return of the Jedi' is 4 years past 'A New Hope'. ========================================================================== --Heir To The Empire In Wizard #42 (February 1995), it is stated that 'Heir' is 5 years after 'Return of the Jedi'. On page 20 of the hardcover novel, it says - "'Perhaps it has to do with your pregnancy,' Winter suggested. 'Nine weeks ago would put it just about right.'" I'm placing this at 9 years past 'A New Hope' because is it five years after 'Return of the Jedi' which in turn is four years past 'A New Hope'. ========================================================================== --Dark Force Rising The book cover says - "Five years after the events of 'Return of the Jedi'..." Leia is pregnant with twins in this story. In Chapter 4 it says : "Leia knew that what the Empire had been after this whole time was her unborn children." I'm placing this at 9 years past 'A New Hope' because is it five years after 'Return of the Jedi' which in turn is four years past 'A New Hope'. ========================================================================== --The Last Command The book cover says - "It is five years after the events of 'Return of the Jedi'." In Chapter 5, the twins Jacen and Jaina are born - "After ten hours of labor - after nine months of pregnancy...they laid the twins in her arms a few minutes later..." I'm placing this at 9.8 years past 'A New Hope' because is it five years after 'Return of the Jedi' which in turn is four years past 'A New Hope' and you must allow nine months of pregnancy for Leia and the twins. ========================================================================== --Dark Empire In Wizard #42 (February 1995), it says that this "series picks up the story some six years after the final film of the trilogy..." The back cover of the trade paperback of this story says "Six years after the Battle of Endor, the fight for freedom rages on." The Emperor says that Boda Baas lived 600 years ago - "The old Jedi... lived in the Adega system six hundred years ago..." Leia is pregnant with one child in this story. The Emperor says - "the one that is stirring in your womb." In the essay at the end of the trade paperback, it says when Han and Leia were married - "Four years after the Battle of Endor, Han Solo and Princess Leia Organa became man and wife." Since they are married in 'The Coursthip of Princess Leia', 'Courtship' must take place at four years after 'Return of the Jedi'. In the essay at the end of the trade paperback, it gives information about the Clone Wars in the timeline - "although Mako is about ten years older than Han Solo, Mako and Han were classmates during the years following the Clone Wars." If Han was about 20 years of age in classes, and he was about 30 during 'A New Hope', then the Clone Wars occured more than 10 years before 'A New Hope'. In the essay at the end of the trade paperback, it gives information about Han, Lando, and the timeline - "In the wild years that followed his banishment from Imperial military service, Han was a freebooter... with his friends - Lando Calrissian and Shug Ninx." This shows that Lando lost the 'Falcon' to Han sometime after Han was with the Imperial Academy, which was about ten years before 'A New Hope'. I'm placing this at 10 years past 'A New Hope' because is it six years after 'Return of the Jedi' which in turn is four years past 'A New Hope'. ========================================================================== --Lightsider Kevin Anderson says that Luke brought Kam Solusar back from the Dark Side in a game of Lightsider, and Kam shows up in 'Dark Empire II'. I was told by a person on rec.arts.sf.starwars that this may take place between 'Dark Empire' and 'Dark Empire II". I'm placing this at 12 years past the beginning of 'A New Hope' because 'Dark Empire' and 'Dark Empire II' take place in that time. ========================================================================== --Dark Empire II This occurs between 'Dark Empire' and 'Jedi Search', which places it at six years after 'Return of the Jedi'. I'm placing this at 10 years past 'A New Hope' because is it six years after 'Return of the Jedi' which in turn is four years past 'A New Hope'. ========================================================================== --Jedi Search In Chapter 1 - "He was married to Leia...and he had three children." This book occurs seven years after the end of 'Return of the Jedi' for the following point. In Chapter 3 - "the seven years since the Battle of Endor had been filled with many setbacks : the war against the alien Ssi-ruuk Imperium, the resurgence of Grand Admiral Thrawn and his bid to reassemble the Empire, not to mention the resurrected Emperor and his gigantic World Devasstator machines." This also places it after 'Truce', the 'The Last Command', and 'Dark Empire II'. In this story, the twins are two years old, shown in Chapter 3 - "the twins, who were now two years old, and recently a third baby." This places this story two years after 'The Last Command'. I'm placing this at 11 years past 'A New Hope' because in the story the twins are two years old, and they were born in the story 'The Last Command' which takes place at 9 years past 'A New Hope'. ========================================================================== --Dark Apprentice In Chapter 1 it says - "they had built a secret base...from which they launched their desperate attack against the first Death Star. Now eleven years after the Rebel's departure, Luke had resturned to the fourth moon of Yavin." This places this story at 11 years past the end of 'A New Hope'. The twins are two and a half years old in this story as shown in Chapter 3 - "baby-sitting a pair of wild two-and-a-half-year-olds who saw him as their plaything." This places this story at half a year past 'Jedi Search', which is 7.5 years past 'Return of the Jedi'. Notice that 'Dark Empire' takes place 11 years after the end of 'A New Hope' and 7.5 years past the end of 'Return of the Jedi'. This means that there is about 4 years between the events in 'A New Hope' and 'Return of the Jedi'. I'm placing this at 11.5 years past 'A New Hope' because in the story the twins are two and a half years old, and they were born in the story 'The Last Command' which takes place at 9 years past 'A New Hope'. ========================================================================== --Champions Of The Force This story starts only a few days past 'Dark Apprentice', as shown in Chapter 1 - "Only days before, he had annihilated Admiral Daala and her two Star Destroyers...." The twins are almost three years old in this story as shown in Chapter 11 - "Only moments ago this not-quite-three-year-old child had fought like a legendary lightsaber duelist." Anakin is one year old later on in the story as shown in Chapter 23 - "...cradling the one-year-old against her chest..." I'm placing this at 12 years past 'A New Hope' because in the story the twins are almost three years old, and they were born in the story 'The Last Command' which takes place at 9 years past 'A New Hope'. ========================================================================== --Darksaber Star Wars Insider #1 says that this story takes place at 12 years past 'A New Hope'. I'm placing this at 12 years past 'A New Hope' because the Star Wars Insider #1 supports this. ========================================================================== --The Crystal Star In Chapter 3 it says that the twins are five, and Anakin is three and a half years old. I'm placing this at 14 years past 'A New Hope' because in the story the twins are five years old, and they were born in the story 'The Last Command' which takes place at 9 years past 'A New Hope'. ========================================================================== --Ambush At Corellia In Chapter 1 Han thinks -"Eighteen years since he had hired on to fly a crazy old man named Ben Kenobi and a kid named Luke Skywalker out of Tatooine." This shows that the story begins at 18 years after 'A New Hope'. I'm placing this at 18 years past 'A New Hope' because it explicitly says that. ========================================================================== --Assault At Selonia The timeline at the end of 'Ambush At Corellia' says that this story takes place in the same year as 'Ambush At Corellia'. I'm placing this at 18 years past 'A New Hope' because the timeline at the end of 'Ambush At Corellia' places it there. ========================================================================== --Showdown At Centerpoint The timeline at the end of 'Ambush At Corellia' says that this story takes place in the same year as 'Ambush At Corellia'. I'm placing this at 18 years past 'A New Hope' because the timeline at the end of 'Ambush At Corellia' places it there.