Let’s Analyze The New Plot Details of Star Wars: Aftermath

A new plot synopsis of the upcoming novel Star Wars: Aftermath has been released, and it gives us a lot of clues as to what happened right after Return of the Jedi. Let’s take a look.

For a while after the old Expanded Universe was dropped from canon, we had no idea what would happen between the last frame of Return of the Jedi and the first one of The Force Awakens. Would there be a New Republic and Imperial Remnant? It was impossible to tell.

Well, now we know some of the details of the Shattered Empire comic… but we’re also hearing about Star Wars: Aftermath, the book labeled as the direct follow up to Return of the Jedi.

So, what’s the skinny on Star Wars: Aftermath?

Here’s the official book synopsis:

“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.”

So, what does this tell us?

First, the rumor that the New Republic exists at some point after Return of the Jedi has been confirmed, so that’s a win all around.

So we have a New Republic, what about an Imperial Remnant?

Well, it certainly seems like the Remnant with the scattered leadership. However, the Imperial Navy is still pretty strong so we don’t think it’s come to that quite yet. However, this continuity seems to be following a fairly similar trajectory as the events in the old EU.

Does this mean the Truce of Bakura doesn’t happen anymore?

That seems a reasonable assumption, but let’s be honest: that’s probably for the best.

Will Wedge die?

We really hope not. That would be most disappointing. However, it does seem a little suspicious he’s the star of this book when we know the actor turned down a role in The Force Awakens. We really hope that they won’t kill him off to explain his absence in the film. He still has plenty more stories left to tell with Rogue Squadron.

When is the book coming out?

September 4th, 2015.