In the third Star Wars Infinites book, Return of the Jedi, things go awry right from the beginning, in Jabba's palace. When Jabba's misdirected blow costs him C-3PO's translation services, negotiations with the bounty hunter Boushh (Leia, in disguise) go badly. Her feint with a thermal detonator doesn't go as planned, and Jabba's palace is destroyed.

But Boba Fett escapes in the confusion with Han Solo's still-frozen body, and Luke, Leia, Chewbacca and Lando begin a desperate search to find him. That delays Luke's return to Dagobah and the dying Yoda, and ... well, suffice it to say, the story further diverges from there as major characters find themselves in much different circumstances.

Infinities is a series that introduces a tiny variation into the familiar Star Wars storylines and predicts how events might be changed as a result. In this case, rescues, warnings and attacks go very differently than intended, causing the destruction of one popular character and the permanent blinding of another. Still, in the greater cause of the Rebellion, the final outcome -- a powerful new ally -- might be worth those sacrifices; it's hard to say for sure without a sequel.

I really enjoy the books in this series. I certainly would love them to continue exploring further "what if" options in the Star Wars universe.

by Tom Knapp
Rambles.NET
14 January 2006