Star Wars Legends Fan Group discussion

September 2021 Legends Group Read

The Last Command by Timothy Zahn



The Group read starts on September 1st.


- the third novel in The Thrawn trilogy
- First published in April 1993
- Set in the era of New republic: 9 ABY

"The embattled Republic reels from the attacks of Grand Admiral Thrawn, who has marshaled the remnants of the Imperial forces and driven the Rebels back with an abominable technology recovered from the Emperor's secret fortress: clone soldiers. As Thrawn mounts his final siege, Han and Chewbacca struggle to form a coalition of smugglers for a last-ditch attack against the empire, while Leia holds the Alliance together and prepares for the birth of her Jedi twins. Overwhelmed by the ships and clones at Thrawn's command, the Republic has one last hope--sending a small force, led by Luke Skywalker, into the very stronghold that houses Thrawn's terrible cloning machines. There a final danger awaits, as the Dark Jedi C'baoth directs the battle against the Rebels and builds his strength to finish what he had already started: the destruction of Luke Skywalker."

I started reading earlier this week.

I am about 1/3 through and I'm enjoying the book.

It's been a couple of years since I finished Dark Force Rising which I found mostly forgettable. Strangely, what stuck in my mind was the Leia-Noghri subplot and Luke's "training" with C'Baoth. Karrde, Mara, Katana Fleet, Iblis, Han, Lando - their portion of the book - forgettable and partially forgotten.

EDIT: Actually, it's been 3 years. Time flies.

Why can't poor C3PO catch a break? Nobody listens to him and Han's constant name-calling doesn't help.

I'm due for a reread of these. Maybe Christmas break will give me a chance.

Rebecca wrote: "I'm due for a reread of these. Maybe Christmas break will give me a chance."

It's a great trilogy. Much better than what we got from Disney. I will certainly re-read it in the future.

I'm done. My thoughts:
I enjoyed this book better than Dark Force Rising.

There were memorable moments, just enough action and all the characters got a moment to shine.

Surprisingly, Zahn delivered some emotionally strong moments, e.g. when Bel Iblis and Mon Mothma reconciled - I got chills.

Leia throughout the book trilogy is less spunky than in the movies. Yet it makes sense she's matured and has an aura of more quiet strength about her. I like it. That said, Leia being absolutely unbothered by the usual problems of early motherhood was unrealistic. BTW Zahn like many male authors knows nothing about infants.

Han's bullying of C3PO got tedious. It stopped being funny and especially in this book read to me as plain mean.

The very ending was a bit abrupt. I would have liked the battle at Bilbringi just a tad more flashed out. But otherwise, it's a great ending to a great trilogy.

Overall: 4.5 stars

I have a question for people who have read the original Thrawn Trilogy:

How does it in your opinion compare to the Disney trilogy? Which one do you prefer? Is there anything, any aspect, the other one did better than the one you prefer?

I like them both equally but for diff

different reasons. The original trilogy Thrawn is a fantastic villain who feels more like a force of nature in some ways. Especially if we aren't drawing on any later content, which softens him a bit.
Disney Trilogy Thrawn is a more complex character piece on him. We see him through his eyes as well as other characters. That trilogy is best when read in order alongside the Ascendancy trilogy. Existential Thrawn is best Thrawn. Outbound Flight is some of the best Thrawn we've gotten even though that book has issues. Final verdict on Disney Thrawn trilogy is pending on Zahn being allowed to finish that story line.
in that regard, Legends Thrawn is complete.

That's interesting, Rebecca. I have yet to read the new-canon Thrawn. I look forward to it, but I'm a bit apprehensive. I really enjoy the Holmes-inspired logic and ingenuity, and I hope that the new canon Thrawn maintains that.

Which Star Wars continuity for the era after RotJ do you like better? Legends or Disney? I know that Legends have much more books but if you limit it to the New Republic era (before Vector Prime) which one would it be?

So far, I prefer Legends because of the main characters - Luke , Leia and Han. They seem to be evolving from what we got in the movies. For the new movies, the new characters are o.k. if a bit underdeveloped (*cough* Quin *cough*) but why did all three OG characters either devolve or implode?

I guess I can't get over Han—a deadbeat father who devolved fully into his mercenary avoid-responsibility-at-all-cost days. Leia should have kicked his ass and found a better match.

Legends EU I prefer overall.The Holmes and Watson relationship remains. One of his Watsons actually color coded all his messages so she knows how to brace the crew for his mood, and to give him advance warning that he isn't going to like the message.