There has been recent discussion regarding the inclusion of certain items in the "official" continuity as determined by Lucasfilm. Our FAQs have been updated with our stance on the issue as it relates to Clone Wars items. Read our FAQs and other site information by clicking here.

Got news or questions? E-mail us at Clonewars@starwarz.com. Discuss these stories at The Galactic Senate.

Randy Stradley posted a comment at the DHC boards (TCWUS thread) regarding Haden Blackman's role in jumpstarting the Clone Wars EU campaign:

FYI: Those of you who are enjoying the Clone Wars saga owe a debt of gratitude to Haden Blackman. He was the driving force that convinced LFL to allow the EU to expand into the period between Ep. II and Ep. III. Not that nobody else would have thought of it, but he was there first, pushing for it. I was present when he finally convinced the LFL reps to open the floodgates.

Without Haden's efforts, you probably would have seen at least another year -- maybe more -- of pre-Ep. II stories.

Got news or questions? E-mail us at Clonewars@starwarz.com. Discuss these stories at The Galactic Senate.

Included in the HYPERSPACE trailer that was posted on TOS last night was a quick glimpse at Mace Windu as depicted on the Clone Wars Animated Shorts set to debut in November. The trailer also mentioned that we will see the first online availability of the animated shorts online via the HYPERSPACE service. Also, we will get the see the never-before-seen footage of the Droid Control Ship Raid that was cut from the final version of Episode II and omitted from deleted scenes on the DVD.

HYPERSPACE seems to be shaping up quite nicely. Now, if we could just get a price...

UPDATE: T'bone and JediNet conducted interviews with Paul Ens, director of LucasOnline, regarding HYPERSPACE. Among the items discussed was the price which is $19.99/year for the service alone or a package deal of $39.99 for Hyperspace and Star Wars Insider subscriptions! Check out the interviews for more details on HYPERSPACE.

StarWars.com also updates today with a feature on HYPERSPACE. It displays all the neat features that will be offered in the service. Check it out here.

Got news or questions? E-mail us at Clonewars@starwarz.com. Discuss these stories at The Galactic Senate.

For those interested in the Star Wars Role Playing Game, Wizards of the Coast recently posted RPG stats for the ARC Troopers. Head here to check them out.

Thanks to JediTrilobite for the heads up!

Got news or questions? E-mail us at Clonewars@starwarz.com. Discuss these stories at The Galactic Senate.

TOS posted an interview with Matthew Stover, the author of SHATTERPOINT, the first Clone Wars hardcover adult novel to be released by LucasBooks and Del Rey. SHATTERPOINT is set to hit shelves this coming Tuesday. Also included with the update is an excerpt from chapter 2 of the novel! Check out the update here!

I'll be posting a summary of the book (The Mission to Haruun Kal) as soon as possible.

Got news or questions? E-mail us at Clonewars@starwarz.com. Discuss these stories at The Galactic Senate.

JediTrilobite sends this in regarding the clone troopers seen in the REPUBLIC COMMANDO trailer:

I've just received word that the clones in Republic Commando are in fact Clone Commandos, a new force. They're just below ARC Troops. This comes from the Inside the Worlds of Attack of the Clones.

I do recall Leland Chee mentioning over at TOS that there will be other specialized troopers than just the ARC troopers we've seen thus far.

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Silver Bullet Comics just wrapped up their 4-week Star War Saturdays extravaganza. To close things out, Mike Jozic of SBC conducted an interview with the oft quoted editor of Dark Horse Comics Star Wars books, Randy Stradley. Check it out here. Also included in the interview is the really cool cover art for REPUBLIC #58: BATTLE OF JABIIM #4. Our timeline has been updated with this cover art.

Thanks to JediTrilobite for the heads up!

Got news or questions? E-mail us at Clonewars@starwarz.com. Discuss these stories at The Galactic Senate.

T'bone decided to give us a plug in his latest edition of Clear Transmissions. Head over there to read up on our site and other miscellaneous Star Wars news from around the world.

Got news or questions? E-mail us at Clonewars@starwarz.com. Discuss these stories at The Galactic Senate.

TOS updated their databank with all the troopers from the various eras of Star Wars.  Included in the update were ARC troopers and clone trooper pilots. Of note was the expanded universe entry for the clone trooper pilot. It said:

The CT 5-series of pilots are generally recognized to be the best trained to handle the Jadthu-class landing ships.

Now what is this Jadthu-class landing ship? Leland Chee confirms that we will be reading about this new ship very soon.

Thanks to Eddie, a regular CWUS contributor, for the heads up on this!

Got news or questions? E-mail us at Clonewars@starwarz.com. Discuss these stories at The Galactic Senate.

JediTrilobite sends in an interesting observation regarding the clone troopers seen in the REPUBLIC COMMANDO trailer:

Take a quick look at the Republic Commando trailer. Now take a close look at the Clone's helmets. The fins are missing, and they had the bulges on the sides like that or a Storm Trooper. Prequel to Classic connection?

Got news or questions? E-mail us at Clonewars@starwarz.com. Discuss these stories at The Galactic Senate.

Last month, Lucasfilm e-mailed surveys to StarWars.com members asking if they would be interested in a paid subscription service at StarWars.com.  It received mixed reviews from the fans. Fan sites including JediNet and TF.N covered the story. Then, when the Indiana Jones DVDs were announced, there was a Flash movie at IndianaJones.com that advertised "Jump To Hyperspace" which would start on June 10th with a sneak preview from June 5-9. The ad provided no further details, but speculation went rampant. It was obvious that "Jump To Hyperspace" was referring to the pay service that Lucasfilm eluded to in it's e-mails to fans.

Several times this week, TOS message boards were offline. When I logged in the other day, I noticed that the login screen had changed a bit. Click here to view a screen capture that I sent to JediNet to report. Of note is the "STARWARS.COM HYPERSPACE" menu and the "BILLING" option within.

What does this have to do with TCWUS? Well, among the services being offered are exclusive Clone Wars online comics and the ability to view the upcoming Clone Wars animated shorts on your computer. This is really cool, especially for those people that don't have cable or satellite television.

It is clear that the subscription service (HYPERSPACE) is on the way. Let's just hope Lucasfilm makes this service worth our while.

Got news or questions? E-mail us at Clonewars@starwarz.com. Discuss these stories at The Galactic Senate.

Brian Crewe of The Ultimate Star Wars Timeline gives us a plug on the Clone Wars portion of his site. Thanks, Brian!

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Randy Stradley confirms that the title of REPUBLIC #54 will be "DOUBLE BLIND" and not "CODES" as John Ostrander suggested. REPUBLIC #54 is scheduled for a June 4th release. It's written by Ostrander and drawn by Jan Duursema.

Got news or questions? E-mail us at Clonewars@starwarz.com. Discuss these stories at The Galactic Senate.

LucasArts announced today the release of a new Clone Wars based game: STAR WARS: REPUBLIC COMMANDO. It's scheduled for a summer 2004 release on the XBox and PC. Here's an excerpt from the press release at LucasArts:

Also, accompanying the press release is a trailer for the game.  Head here to check it out. StarWars.com announced this as well.

Got news or questions? E-mail us at Clonewars@starwarz.com. Discuss these stories at The Galactic Senate.

In other news, starwars.com updated with comics for August 2003.  Included was cover art and a synopsis for REPUBLIC #57, the third part of the Battle of Jabiim. THE BATTLE OF JABIIM #3 is by Hayden Blackman and Brian Ching, with cover art by Tomás Giorello. Also, the cover art for CLONE WARS VOLUME 2: VICTORIES AND SACRIFICES was posted. It's scheduled for a September 3rd release. Head here to check out the story and see the art. Our timeline has been updated to reflect these changes.

Got news or questions? E-mail us at Clonewars@starwarz.com. Discuss these stories at The Galactic Senate.

The Jedi suffered numerous casualties during the Battle of Geonosis.  Onscreen we saw at least one Council Member get killed; Coleman Trebor, who was killed by Jango Fett. There is a question of where all the rest of the council members were during TBOG.

Here's a list of the 12 Council Members before TBOG (Yaddle and Yarael Poof died before AOTC):

Mace Windu
Yoda
Ki-Adi-Mundi
Plo Koon
Eeth Koth
Saesee Tiin
Adi Gallia
Depa Billaba
Coleman Trebor*
Shaak Ti**
Oppo Rancisis
Even Piell

Here's what we do know so far:

• Mace Windu, Yoda, Ki-Adi-Mundi, Plo Koon, Shaak Ti, and Saesee Tiin were at the battle as indicated here and onscreen. Even Piell was also at the battle as seen in TALES #14: THE LESSON. Most are also seen in several post-AOTC EU sources except Master Tiin, which will be discussed below.
• We know that Adi Gallia was in outer space fighting in her Jedi Starfighter against the CIS during TBOG (JEDI STARFIGHER video game).
• Depa Billaba was at the Jedi Temple caring for the Younglings (I read this recently, but I can't remember where).  She does wind up missing and Mace goes to search for her--which is the main plot point in the upcoming novel, SHATTERPOINT.
• We've seen Oppo Rancisis in REPUBLIC #50.

However, what is in question is the whereabouts of Eeth Koth, and the fate of Master Tiin.

It was first mentioned in the POWER OF THE JEDI SOURCEBOOK by Wizards of the Coast that Masters Koth and Tiin are presumed dead.  Eeth Koth was also on Geonosis, but he's not shown onscreen and information on his presence is sketchy.  It was further confirmed in INSIDE THE WORLD OF ATTACK OF THE CLONES that both Koth and Tarados Gon (a Klatooinian Jedi) died aboard a gunship that got shot down during TBOG.

Master Tiin was presumed killed at TBOG sometime after the main battle and his role in JEDI STARFIGHER.  This leaves 3 seats open.

Randy Stradley gives confirmation of this over at DHC's boards.  He also mentions that the replacements for the slain Council members probably won't be revealed until Episode III, but he will be finding out the replacements in a few months [after he reads the script].  Still, maybe we'll see their deaths get printed in a comic or book soon!

UPDATE (May 23): Stradley just mentioned on the DHC's boards that he hasn't heard if Even Piell is dead and that neither John Ostrander nor Haden Blackman have mentioned him in any of their upcoming plots.

UPDATE (May 27): I just verified in the POWER OF THE JEDI SOURCEBOOK, that Even Peill was indeed at the Battle of Geonosis with the other Council Members.

UPDATE (June 3): I noticed the picture of Even Piell in on the second panel of STAR WARS TALES #14: THE LESSON.

UPDATE (June 6): It has been confirmed that Jedi Council Members Depa Billaba and Oppo Rancisis will not be in Episode III so this probably means they will get the axe in some EU story sometime before.  Yaddle and Yarael Poof were also confirmed as not being in the final movie, but we already knew that.  ;)

UPDATE (June 13): It has now been confirmed that Master Tiin was not killed during TBOG, but is alive and well and slated to appear in Episode III.

Thanks to The2ndQuest for the initial info on Eeth Koth  Saesee Tiin's deaths.

*replaced Yarael Poof
**replaced Yaddle

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TOS updates today with info on Star Wars Insider #68. Included in the update is an excerpt of HERO OF CARTAO: EPISODE I - HERO'S CALL. The article also reveals the titles of the other 2 chapters: EPISODE II - HERO'S RISE and EPISODE III - HERO'S FALL. They are going to be published in Insider #69 and #70 respectively. Insider #68 has already started shipping to subscribers and is scheduled to hit newsstands on June 3.

I'll be posting a summary of HERO'S CALL on our battles page soon.

UPDATE: Regarding timeline placement, Vic Wertz mentioned that the story occurs 1 year ABOG. However, there is a line in the story that suggests it occurred 2 years ABOG. Leland Chee over at Starwars.com just confirmed that the official timeline placement is 1 year ABOG. There's also a line before the story starts that says, "ONE YEAR AFTER THE BATTLE OF GEONOSIS."

Got news or questions? E-mail us at Clonewars@starwarz.com. Discuss these stories at The Galactic Senate.

Randy Stradley posted on the DHC boards the lineup for the first 5 JEDI comic issues:

Here's the line-up so far:

Mace (you seen that one);

Shaak Ti (in stores this week);

Aayla Secura (versus Aurra Sing!)

Dooku (hey, he used to be a Jedi, plus John and Jan have lots of plans for interesting developments that Dooku is a part of...);

and Barriss Offee (with Luminara -- sp?).

After that, we'll see, but there doesn't seem to be any reason the series can't go on...

The creative forces behind the Clone Wars EU are really into Barriss Offee. She was in THE APPROACHING STORM, is the main character in the MEDSTAR DUOLOGY, and now will have a JEDI comic issue of her own.

Got news or questions? E-mail us at Clonewars@starwarz.com. Discuss these stories at The Galactic Senate.

Jan Duursema, the great artist of numerous STAR WARS comics (including JEDI and REPUBLIC issues), made comments on TFN forums about drawing A'Sharad Hett. A confrontation between Hett and Anakin Skywalker will be featured in the upcoming REPUBLIC #59, which she will be drawing:

I was thinking about what you said about A'Sharad being difficult to draw properly. I had the same experience drawing him (briefly) in EtM. That mask can make you weep... Thanks for reminding me since I will be drawing him in Republic soon!

As far as what has happened to A'Sharad in the interim between then and now? Can't say a whole lot. I don't think we will deal with his becoming a knight in this story, since I think he would have become a knight well before this takes place in the timeline.

I think he has grown a lot as a Jedi--become even more intense and more in touch with the Force than he was before. I am enjoying the prospect of drawing him and Anakin--bringing them face to face into the same tale. Interesting pair off--they both were raised on Tatooine. Both knew their parents. But they are worlds apart in many ways. Look for some major stuff for A'Sharad in this one...

Duursema goes on to give a small spoiler for JEDI: AAYLA SECURA:

For any Dark Woman fans--did I mention she was in the Aayla book?

I see there is some speculation on another thread that Aayla will be killed by Aurra. Hmmm--we will see...gonna be a good fight!

Just by the nature of the confrontation, the Hett/Skywalker issue of REPUBLIC is already interesting. And once again, a contributor to REPUBLIC has revealed that there will be "major" revelations concerning Hett. Click here to see what Randy Stradley had to say about the Hett/Skywalker confrontation.

So now we have "The Dark Woman" to make an appearance in JEDI: AAYLA SECURA. In addition to the other news on this comic, it's looking like it will blow JEDI: MACE and SHAAK TI out of the water! SHAAK TI should be shipping this Wednesday!

Got news or questions? E-mail us at Clonewars@starwarz.com. Discuss these stories at The Galactic Senate.

The guys over at JediNet decided to give us quick plug in their literature news yesterday. Thanks guys! Check out the article here.

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Randy Stradley posted info on the DHC boards regarding shipping for the next 2 Star Wars comics:

Folks, I have on my desk printed copies of both Jedi: Shaak Ti and Empire #8. I'm waaaay happy with both of them. Jedi is a total action blast, and I can't believe how beautiful Doug Wheatley and Chris Chuckry's work on Empire is.

The good news is, Jedi will be in stores (in the States, at least) next week.

The "bad" news is, Empire #8 won't be in stores until the following week -- which is when we expected it. The printer managed to get the book printed earlier than expected (hence the copies on my desk), but not early enough to make it onto thee trucks for shipping this week.

But, look at it this way: you'll get Star Wars treats two weeks in a row!

Glad to see Dark Horse getting back on track! SHAAK TI should be a great issue!

Got news or questions? E-mail us at Clonewars@starwarz.com. Discuss these stories at The Galactic Senate.

Randomhouse.com has posted a new excerpt for SHATTERPOINT in their catalogue listing. Check it out while it's still available! SHATTERPOINT, by Matthew Stover is the first of many Clone Wars novels to be published by LucasBooks and Del Rey. It's scheduled for a June 2003 release.

Got news or questions? E-mail us at Clonewars@starwarz.com. Discuss these stories at The Galactic Senate.

This was kind of a no brainer, but Randy Stradley confirmed on the DHC boards that there will be more than just the 4 planned issues of STAR WARS: JEDI. We previously reported Stradley saying that "John [Ostrander] and Jan [Duursema] have Jedi stories stacked up til the next millennia..." Today he adds:

And it looks like JEDI may run more than four issues.

Thanks for the confirmation Mr. Stradley--looking forward to reading them.

Got news or questions? E-mail us at Clonewars@starwarz.com. Discuss these stories at The Galactic Senate.

Randy Stradley mentioned some interesting possibilities for Clone Wars comics over at the DHC boards:

Here at Dark Horse, we're freaking out because we have only two more years in which to play in the Clone Wars before everybody's interest racks to a later time period.

there are so many stories we still want to do. John and Jan have Jedi stories stacked up til the next millennia, Haden could run with Obi-Wan and Anakin for years to come, and I still want to do some gritty "Our Army at War"-type stories with Clone Troopers and such. Then there are the possible adaptations of the Cartoon Network shorts, all of the stories that could detail the political intrigue of the times, stories about what's going on with Black Sun (which I believe gets its start during the Clone Wars) and other criminal organizations...

Two years to cover an entire galaxy at war? Not nearly enough time.

Seems like he's at least thinking about doing a comic adaptation of the Clone Wars Animated Series that debuts in November. Also of note, is the possibility of "Our Army at War"-type stories. I'm looking forward to stories like these. Anyway, check out the thread and join in on the discussion.

Got news or questions? E-mail us at Clonewars@starwarz.com. Discuss these stories at The Galactic Senate.

John Ostrander mentioned over at TF.N forums that Kit Fisto will have a part in the upcoming JEDI: AAYLA SECURA, scheduled for a July 2003 release:

Well, Kit IS in the AAYLA issue of JEDI. Romance? is that allowed under the Jedi code/ And that other story occured in SW TALES which is an INFINITIES so maybe it didn't happen. So who knows if there IS a "romantic relationship" between kit and Aayla.

No. Wait. That's something else I'm supposed to know, isn't it? Durn this faulty memory!

So we have Aayla vs. Aurra; the return of Xiaan Amersu, the Padawan that Aurra Sing allowed to escape in THE HUNT FOR AURRA SING (click here for the story); and now, perhaps Kit and Aayla's alleged "love affair" might be fleshed out in that story as well. This is shaping up to be an interesting issue!

Got news or questions? E-mail us at Clonewars@starwarz.com. Discuss these stories at The Galactic Senate.

Randy Stradley had this to say today on the DHC boards regarding the Battle of Jabiim:

The Battle of Jabiim is shaping up to be a major battle. While it may not have the long term affects on the galaxy as, say, a Separatist invasion of Coruscant, it has long term affects on Anakin and Obi-Wan. (Please note: There is NO Separatist invasion of Coruscant planned. I'm just using that as a "for instance" of what would be a really BIG battle.)

Lessee, what else can I say? Jabiim is a rain world that has never played big role in the Republic. But, with the outbreak of war, it has become an important source of ores used in the building of weapons for both sides of the conflict. The Separatists want it, the Republic wants it, and the population of the planet itself is divided on which side it wants to back.

The battle is a big, muddy mess.

The four-issue arc is written by Haden Blackman, pencilled by Brian Ching. It begins in Republic #55, so it's actually coming up fairly soon.

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Someone at TF.N's forums asked if we were going to be seeing the twi'lek Padawan that Aurra Sing let go in THE HUNT FOR AURRA SING.  John Ostrander answered:

Xiaan [Amersu], as we named her later, should appear in the Aayla story [Jedi: Aayla Secura], shouldn't she? It would seem a natural place. OTOH, Aurra told her at the time that Xiaan was too young to kill and she would come back later. Well, it IS later, isn't it, and Xiaan should be all grown up. I wonder if that could be a factor in the story?

Wait. I'm supposed to KNOW, aren't I? Guess you'll have to wait for the book.<g>

Also, just so you know, events in SWR 54 are going to play into AAYLA and be a factor in its outcome.

So we get to see that twi'lek Padawan again and she has a name now!  Cool! Why do I have the feeling that Aurra is going to do her in this time though?

It's cool that REPUBLIC and JEDI are going to be tying into each other now. I mean, JEDI: MACE WINDU was an awesome story, but it really was a standalone (one-shot) in the best sense of the word.

He also made comments regarding the reported Anakin Skywalker/A'Sharad Hett confrontation scheduled for REPUBLIC #59 or 60:

The Anakin/A'Sharad match up is also going to be very interesting. Especially when you consider how Anakin feels about Tuskens. And what happens if A'Sharad should learn what Anakin did to that tribe of Tuskens? Does A'Sharad need to survive this issue? Best not to say any more; SWR 59 is a long ways away.

Looks like Ostrander just confirmed that the match up will happen in REPUBLIC #59.

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It seems rather odd that Mace Windu--a senior member of the Jedi Council--didn't know about Asajj Ventress when he encountered her on Ruul in JEDI: MACE WINDU, especially since Anakin and Obi-Wan had a run-in with the Dark Jedi almost 2 weeks earlier on the Naboo moon of Ohma-D'un (REPUBLIC #51-52). Remember the last time Obi-Wan encountered a red sabered villain--it was a Sith Lord by the name of Darth Maul. Also, Ventress mentioned Count Dooku in her first encounter with Obi-Wan, which would suggest who she works for. Mace, in JEDI: MACE WINDU seemed confused when she commented to him, "I trust you’re pleased." He even said "you are a stranger to me." Why didn't Mace know about her? Did Obi-Wan and Anakin fail to report to the Council? Is there communication problems with the Jedi during the Clone Wars? Was Mace away on a mission and missed the report? We decided to get answers.

First, Paul asked John Ostrander, the writer of JEDI: MACE WINDU:

Paul: Did Mace know about Asajj Ventress in the Mace Windu comic?

Ostrander: He doesn't act like he does, does he?

Paul: If not why not since Obi and Ani found out about her two weeks earlier?

Ostrander: I think there's some disagreement as to when to place MACE in the Timeline. I would have made it just BEFORE the events in SWR 51. At the time I wrote it, i assumed that would be the first Jedi encounter with Ventress.

If you want, assume that it happened AFTER the Obi-Wan and Anakin encounter. I don't think anything in MACE, as i recall, would contradict that.

Or just assume that, with many different people writing these stories, some goofs will occur.<g>

Next, I asked Randy Stradley about it on the DHC boards:

OBG: Why didn't Mace know about Asajj Ventress in the Mace Windu comic? He should have considering Obi-Wan and Anakin found out about her two weeks earlier? Or is there some problem with communication among Jedi (or the timeline)?

Randy: There's not a "communication problem" per se, but if you have thousands of Jedi leading troops on possibly hundreds of different worlds, it seems unlikely that any single Jedi -- even Mace -- would have heard every report.

While it's true that Yoda holds Obi-Wan in "high esteem," Obi's just a rank-and-file Knight, and Mace has many irons in the fire.

Well, I would consider news of the possibility of another Sith Lord emergence to be high priority--meant for all the Jedi Council members to hear--especially Mace! I mean c'mon! Yoda was with Mace prior to the Mission to Ruul. Surely Yoda heard from Obi-Wan? Quinlan Vos, Jedi Intelligence, was even with him. Surely he would have got wind of this using his "spy network." Let's not mention Master Tholme. Mace did mention that he didn't think she was a Sith, but still, Obi-Wan and Anakin didn't know that. And Obi-Wan a "rank-and-file Knight"? He killed a Sith Lord for cryin' out loud! His apprentice is the "Chosen One!" I would not consider that to be "rank-in-file."

Conclusion: It's still unclear of the timeline placement (at least it is to me). It makes more sense for it to happen before Anakin and Obi-Wan encounter Ventress, but that's not where it's "officially" listed. Oh well, strike one up to continuity flaws. Not a huge one, but still there.

If you have thoughts on this, feel free to contact us. We might get them posted.

Got news or questions? E-mail us at Clonewars@starwarz.com. Discuss these stories at The Galactic Senate.

The lovely Ms. Sue Rostoni confirmed today on TOS forums that the events of the Clone Wars Animated Series occur 3 months after AOTC.  That's what we thought!  :-D  Our timeline has been updated to reflect this.

Got news or questions? E-mail us at Clonewars@starwarz.com. Discuss these stories at The Galactic Senate.