The Death Star Human Resources Department Newsletter: October 13, 2025
Mara Jade is definitely happening unless she doesn't
Hello there
I know, I know, it’s late. Welcome back to the a very special Monday edition of the Death Star Human Resources Department Newsletter. Why didn’t you get this on Friday like usual? I’ve mentioned before that fall is always a busy time for me. Then last week I was hit with the triple-whammy of A) getting back in the swing of things after being out of town for a week, B) the Detroit Tigers in the ALDS (not talking about this, it still hurts), and C) being sick. So yeah, that’s why you’re getting this in your inbox Monday afternoon.
As always, thanks for reading Death Star HR. If you’re reading this and you’re not a subscriber, I’d love it if you entered your email below and smashed that subscribe button. There’s also an official Death Star HR Instagram and an official Death Star HR YouTube page as well and I’d love it if you subscribed there as well.
This Is Where The Fun Begins
Star Wars and cats. Two great tastes that taste great together.
Strap Yourself in for a Star Wars Journey
This might be the most interesting idea for watching Star Wars that I’ve seen in a while. Friend of Death Star HR and fellow alumnus of a Big Ten school,
has put together a what he has titled, “A 15-Month Consciousness-Based Viewing Program for Star Wars.”
What are you getting yourself into?
This program will offer you a deeper experience of the overall drama of the Star Wars universe, one that also reflects on the world we all live in together, while offering us metaphors we can use to discuss righteousness, virtue, fortune, love, and mercy; understanding these critical elements of not just living through our current challenges, but thriving in our bodies and minds. Understanding these vital factors of a functional society and a joy-filled life is essential to making the most of our brief existence as humans.
And I believe Star Wars, as commercial an enterprise as it’s become, still holds hope for those patient and sensitive enough to pay attention and learn.
This is going to be fun. Partly because it’s a good excuse to rewatch Star Wars in a way I haven’t in a while. Partly because JB is an interesting dude with a unique way of looking at things. The first phase kicks off not with Episode I, but with Solo.
The beginning of our Star Wars viewing program isn’t about chosen ones or ancient prophecies. It’s about thieves, spies, orphans, and soldiers who are forced to decide whether survival is enough. Solo, Rebels, Andor, and Rogue One show us how the galaxy’s “nobodies” and “has beens” are the only ones who can make tyranny bleed, and that’s because they have nothing to lose from resistance and everything to gain.
Time to fire up Solo!
15 weeks does seem like a lot and it does require some commitment to watch [takes a deep breath] Solo, Rebels (4 seasons), Andor (2 seasons), Rogue One, A New Hope, Empire Strikes Back, The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, The Clone Wars (7 seasons), The Bad Batch (3 seasons), Kenobi, Return of the Jedi, The Mandalorian (3 seasons), Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka (2 seasons), The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and The Rise of Skywalker. It’s going to take more than a weekend to binge that so really, spread out over 15 months, that’s really not too bad.
Check back in on Death Star HR as I do this, and JB and I are going to try to schedule some occasional podcasts as well, so look for the first one soon.
Rebuild the Galaxy 2: Now With More Pointing at the Screen
LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy: Pieces of the Past is exactly what you’d think it is. It’s not Andor. But it’s fun. I know it might be difficult to recall the plot of the first Rebuild the Galaxy as it was extremely intricate and complex, it was basically that the Star Wars galaxy, in LEGO form, got mixed up. Up is down. Dark is light. Loth-Cats and lurca hounds living together. You get the idea. It was mostly an excuse to show some fun visuals. Namely, Darth Jar Jar.
Obviously Darth Jar Jar was the focus of all the in depth reporting at Death Star HR, but you had Darth Rey, Rose Tico, and Kit Fisto. While on the Light Side you had Vader and Palpatine along with Luke Skywalker as a surfer dude while Princess Leia was in love with Greedo instead of Han. Story was secondary, it largely existed to give Star Wars fans some fun visual and some in jokes for Darth Jar Jar truthers such as myself.
The plot, as it were is the Rebuild the Galaxy galaxy is still messed up. Only now there’s a new enemy, Pab Solitus. The new bad guy, Solitus wants to cast everyone into a Forcehold, basically a void, and rule the galaxy. Because that’s what bad guys do. Really, he just wants some peace and quiet which makes him a pretty sympathetic villain. Brothers Sig and Dev have to team up, aided by Jedi Bob (although he prefers to be called Jedi Master Bobarian Afol1) to once again save the galaxy, even if their version of the Star Wars galaxy is pretty screwed up. And eventually learn that the real power in the galaxy is friendship.
It’s tough in a way to write about something like Rebuild the Galaxy: Pieces of the Past. One thing I learned here on Substack from both the above mentioned
and friend of Death Star HR is don’t just regurgitate the plot. People can watch it for themselves. But instead write about how a book or movie or TV show makes you feel, write about your reaction to it. It’s honestly some of the best advice I’ve gotten on Substack.The thing about something like Pieces of the Past though is, there’s not a lot to react to on an emotional level. The show isn’t Andor, nor is it trying to be. It’s like if you were a restaurant reviewer, and you’re trying to give a review on a bag of Skittles2. There’s nothing wrong with some Skittles, but they’re empty calories. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed Pieces of the Past, it’s a lot of fun. And I enjoyed it for the exact reason you’re supposed to. Pointing at the screen when you see something fun. So just fire up Disney+, click over to Rebuild the Galaxy: Pieces of the Past, and enjoy the return of Jaxxon T. Tumperakki, the Porgils, Pirate Queen Amidala, and of course, Spider Legs Darth Jar Jar,
Mara Jade: The Galaxy’s Favorite Ginger
I’m not exactly going out on a limb here when I say that for fans of a certain age, the Thrawn Trilogy is our Sequel Trilogy. The three books, Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising, and The Last Command, written by fellow Michigan State University alumni Timothy Zahn kicked off what was then known as the Expanded Universe. Disney might call it Legends now, but it will always be the EU to me. Zahn’s best known contribution to the Star Wars universe is the blue-skinned art-loving Imperial Grand Admiral, Mitth’raw’nuruodo. Better known as Grand Admiral Thrawn. Thrawn has been a fan favorite really since the moment Heir to the Empire was released. He wasn’t a dummy like Admiral Ozzel or a monster like Grand Moff Tarkin. Thrawn would beat you, but not with giant super weapons, he’d use his brain. The bit was Thrawn would study the art work of whatever species or planet he was attacking, and figure out how best go after them. It is, objectively speaking, a bit silly. Then again I always say Star Wars is inherently silly. But it was a cool little trick and again, fun to see an Imperial use his brains for a change.
Unfortunately, after the Mouse House started running things, the Thrawn Trilogy was de-canonized and relegated to Legends status. But that hasn’t stopped the current crop of Star Wars writers, directors, and show runners from mining the EU for things to bring back into canon. Thrawn is of course back. He was in Rebels (where he was officially reintroduced as canon), Zahn himself has written two trilogies detailing Thawn’s backstory, and he was played by Lars Mikkelson going for Elon Musk vibes in Ahsoka. Other things/characters from just the Thrawn Trilogy that have made their way back into canon are Captain Pellaeon and Rukh/the Noghri, Thrawn’s second in command and bodyguard respectively. Mount Tantiss, the base for cloning has popped up in The Bad Batch. The name Coruscant for the galactic capital was introduced in Heir to the Empire and Uncle George ran with it in the Prequels.
The Expanded Universe is kind of a buffet for current Star Wars, writers can pick and choose the parts of it they want to bring back into canon. However, there’s been one popular Thrawn Trilogy character that hasn’t made it back into canon.
I hear you, and I see you, Talon Karrde stans. But no, that’s not who I’m talking about. I’m talking about Mara Jade.
There’s a pretty good chance that Mara Jade had the most number of Expand Universe appearances out of any character that wasn’t an original movie character. She is introduced in Heir to the Empire and at least as of The Unifying Force, the last book of the New Jedi Order series, she was still alive. There’s still the Legacy of the Force and Fate of the Jedi series of books that take place after New Jedi Order, so it’s possible Mara doesn’t make it. But that doesn’t matter because it’s not canon.
Mara’s arc had her starting as The Emperor’s Hand (a title that is also officially back in canon) which basically meant being Palpatine’s personal assassin. By the time Heir to the Empire starts, she’s working for Talon Karrde’s smuggling organization and keeping her past to herself. Oh, and she really wants to kill Luke Skywalker since she blames him for the death of Palpatine. Of course, she realizes that Luke isn’t such a bad guy and eventually they get married. Jada is also one of the few gingers in the Star Wars universe.
It’s actually strangely similar to my relationship where a redhead went from wanting to kill me to marrying me. As Uncle George says, Star Wars rhymes.
Speaking of, Lucas allegedly did not like Mara Jade. There’s no direct proof that his dislike of the character is why she’s never come back to canon, but one can’t help but wonder. I’ve wondered for a while of Lucas retains some kind of veto power with Disney, at least while he’s still alive. Either officially or unofficially holds a veto that the Mouse won’t do certain things to his creation, like kill off Luke or make Leia fall to the Dark Side. But with the Holiday Special being referenced in Skeleton Crew, I’ve come to think the only thing Lucas expressly contracted for is keeping the non-Special Edition cuts of the Original Trilogy buried deep in the vault.
I don’t actually know how I missed this story over the summer, but it suggests that Lucasfilm had/has a plan to bring Mara back.
That could be changing for one name soon, though, as a new report suggested Luke Skywalker’s wife, Mara Jade, may be primed for canonization.
Known insider Daniel Richtman shared the info for readers on his Patreon, writing that Lucasfilm reportedly wants to do something with Mara Jade in the canon Star Wars universe.
This was reported before the announcement that Adams was joining the cast of Starfighter. Do you see where this is going?
All that to say, Mara Jade might finally make her way back into canon.
To be clear, this is all speculation and wish casting, but it could happen (although I’m not holding my breath).
Star Wars fans were thrilled when Amy Adams joined the cast of Star Wars: Starfighter, Shawn Levy’s upcoming Star Wars movie. They were particularly excited because the redhead was confirmed to be a mother to Flynn Gray’s young Force-sensitive character, and many suggested she could be a canon Mara Jade.
Those initial theories were more than a little amusing (those fans are basically looking at any redhead mother as a potential Mara Jade). But industry insiders John Rocha and Daniel Richtman have now shared reports that Adams’ character is a (former?) Jedi, and the speculation has fired up again.
I think Daniel Richtman is one of those insider guys that fans on Reddit love to argue about whether he’s legit with actual access, or he just throws enough guesses out there that eventually he’s bound to hit a few correct ones.
Of course, the biggest obstacle with using Starfighter as the vehicle for bringing Mara Jade back is simply the timeline. Or at least, the time of how people would want to see the character. In the Expanded Universe, Luke and Mara get married and have a son, Ben Skywalker. You can make a timeline where before The Force Awakens, Luke and Mara are married. They have a son. The Ben Solo/Kylo Ren ruins the Jedi Order, and Luke leaves his family behind to sit in a hut on Ahch-Tu and think about where things went wrong. Starfighter is going to take place 5 years after The Rise of Skywalker, which means Luke has been dead for six years. Yes yes, I know that no one ever really dies in the Star Wars universe. We could have a “somehow…Luke returned” moment. That’s not really giving the people what they want though. If you’re going to put Mara Jade into Star Wars, you’re going to want to see the classic power couple of Luke and Mara. A couple flashbacks aren’t going to cut it.
Lucasfilm is kind of stuck in a weird position with regard to the legacy characters and telling stories. If you want to tell the story about how the New Republic gave way to the First Order on screen, you really can’t do it without Han, Leia, and Luke. However…Carrie Fisher has passed away. Harrison Ford is 83 and no amount of CGI can turn him into someone his late 30’s or 40’s. Mark Hamill is “only” 74 and has said he’s done playing Luke. Having C-3PO show up as a stand in for Leia in Ahsoka works, but you can really only pull that trick once. You can’t really do a good Luke Skywalker/Mara Jade story if the movie is set 5 years after The Rise of Skywalker. If you want to tell the Luke and Mara story on the screen though, you either need a Time Machine to make Mark Hamill 25 years younger or you need to recast the characters.
Was this all mostly an excuse to talk about Mara Jade, a character I like and wish would get her due with Disney? Yes.
Do I think Amy Adams is playing Mara Jade? No. Although I am open to the idea of a Mara Jade like character. A former Imperial Force user who has reformed her ways.
Will we eventually see Mara Jade back in canon? That seems likely to me, in one form or another. She seems like the type of character that Dave Filoni would love to get back into canon.
Finally, did I have that Mara Jade action figure with the green card? Yes, yes I did. Am I going to look for the Black Series figure next time I’m at the Star Wars store in Fort Worth? Yes I am. Will I try (and fail) to gaslight Emperor Palpatine’s #1 Fan when she asked why there’s a new action figure setting on the bookcase? 100% yes.
New Entries for the Death Star HR Book Club
New York Comic Con wrapped up last weekend there was a big announcement about new Star Wars books.
over at Space Wizards Book Club has a good rundown of everything.
But I want to draw attention to two of them. First off, while I’ve mentioned on here before I’m not a comics guy, I am going to have to get this one. A one-shot written by Ahmed Best and telling a tale of Jar Jar Binks and Kelleran Beq? Usa be knowin’ that meesa be getting this one. I don’t know what the story is going to be, but I am going to throw it out there that this would be the PERFECT opportunity for Darth Jar Jar to reveal himself to the Jedi. Also, how cool is this cover?
The second book that caught my eye was Eyes Like Stars by Ashley Poston. The book is being called the first official romance novel in Star Wars. As of 1994’s The Courtship of Princess Leia just doesn’t exist.
New York Times best-selling author Ashley Poston is writing the first official Star Wars romance novel, Eyes Like Stars. NYCC got the first look at the dreamlike cover for the young adult novel, which features a couple in search of their happily ever after in the galaxy far, far away. The charming young adult romance, set about a year and a half before Star Wars: The Force Awakens, features all-new characters, a mysterious artifact, and the fearsome First Order. (Summer 2026)
I generally do not read the Star Wars YA books. Not that I think I’m too good for them or I’m too serious of a literary person (clearly I am not, you’ve read my work.) It’s more just a timing thing. I wish I had more time to read as it is. So I stick with the adult books.
My concern is more the fandom wars seem to have been quiet lately. The “TOO MANY GIRLZ IN STAR WARS” crowd declared themselves the winners of the Great Acolyte Online Battle of 2024 but more or less seem to be content with that. I’m a tad worried the idea of a romance novel will get them fired up again.
Things My Wife Has Said About Star Wars
While watching Star Wars: LEGO Rebuild the Galaxy: Pieces of the Past. You’d almost think whoever names things over at Lucasfilm gets paid by the number of : they can sneak in a title.
Emperor Palpatine’s #1 Fan- wait, Darth Rey?
Me - everything is backwards in this one.
EP1F- OK, that makes sense. I was like when did Rey go to the dark side?
Me - you won’t like this. Palpatine is a good guy here
EP1F- oh yeah, no. That is absolutely not OK. He needs to be the worst.
Her commitment to being Palpy’s #1 fan is almost as strong as my commitment to being a Darth Jar Jar truther.
Great Moments in Star Wars Merchandising
Since there’s plenty of LEGO talk today, I’ve had this LEGO Darth Vader keychain on my backpack for years. It’s beat to hell. The paint or print has worn off the front. Vader’s legs are loose and he doesn’t really standup on his own. That’s why I had to get the little flat piece to put him on. It was finally time for a replacement. And who better than Ahsoka herself.
Snips and Sky Guy forever.
This Day in Star Wars History
Two births and a book from the galaxy far, far away on October 13th.
Voice actress Charity James was born in 1958. James provided additional voices in Knights of the Old Republic and the real-time strategy game Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds. Most notably in KOTOR, she voiced the female Revan.
Wayne Pygram was born a year later, in 1959. Pygram is an Australian actor whose contribution to the Star Wars universe was briefly playing a young Tarkin in Revenge of the Sith. Wookieepedia notes “[h]e was noted for his almost uncanny resemblance to original Tarkin actor Peter Cushing.”
Expanded Universe novel Death Troopers was published in 2009. Written by Joe Schreiber, Death Troopers is one of the few horror entries in the Star Wars universe. Think zombies on a Star Destroyer. I’ve always been a little surprised there isn’t more horror in the Star Wars universe. It’s not my preferred genre, but with Dark Sides, Nightsisters, and Force Witches, it really seems like horror and Star Wars would go well together.
From the Depths of Wookieepedia
Coming to you from Syril Karn and the Imperial Bureau of Standards, this week we’ve got a “Gross.” No, we’re not talking about the bathroom at Jabba’s Palace, we’re talking about the unit of measurement.
A gross referred to a dozen dozen, or one hundred and forty-four in Galactic Basic Standard. It was typically used to measure lots for cargo shipment throughout the galaxy, it was also sometimes used to measure a particularly skilled starfighter pilot’s kills. Wedge Antilles once quipped that he didn’t care if his victories were measured in dozens or gross lots, after the Verpine technician Zraii repainted and refurbished his T-65 X-wing starfighter.
OK that’s fine. Except like our planet, they can’t decide on one system of measurement either. Star Wars generally uses the metric system, except for when they don’t.
News From the HoloNet
The Next Star Wars Film Is Dead, And The Franchise Is Better Because Of It
Is James Mangold’s Dawn of the Jedi cancelled? TBD.
Calloused thumbs and a sore back – my experience building Lego’s new £900 set
Building a LEGO set shouldn’t be worse than working out.
That’s it for this week. If you like what I’m doing, please subscribe. I’ll catch you next week, and may the Force be with you.
AFOL is an acronym for Adult Fan Of LEGO. The more you know.
I was buying Halloween candy earlier, I have Skittles on the brain.
Very seriously, that watching challenge intrigues me from a design standpoint. I’ve been wavering back and forth about getting Disney Plus to watch “The Mandalorian” for one big reason, and that’s to go through and figure out WHY the aesthetics work as well as they do, especially with Doug Chiang taking things over at Lucasfilm. (I’m currently going through “The Art of Galaxy’s Edge” as additional reading for my Museum Studies degree, and I thought I was in awe of the Disney Experience crew before.) If you want to have regular viewings, let me know, and I’ll make a point to bring the handmade stuffed jalapenos.