The Star Wars novels have carved out a niche for themselves by filling in the sequel trilogy’s gaps, detailing events set well before the prequel films, and even telling us about adventures that occurred between the original movies. Collectively, they have almost the whole timeline covered.
Now, a new book will tell us more about a beloved prequel trilogy character, and fill in one of the final gaps on the timeline. StarWars.com has revealed that Star Wars: The Glass Abyss will follow Mace Windu as he copes with the loss of Qui-Gon Jinn and attempts to fulfill the Jedi master’s last request.
The book, written by prolific sci-fi author Steven Barnes, will follow Windu as he’s “surprised to receive a final message from Qui-Gon, marked to be delivered to Mace on the event of Qui-Gon’s death. The message contains a last request: a plea to help the Outer Rim planet of Metagos.”
The adventure to Megatos, “a seething criminal cess-pool that was once a thriving and beautiful world,” will be a new one set between The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones. This gives it the unique opportunity to foreshadow Windu’s suspicions of the conspiracy within the Republic that would lead to his confrontation with Palpatine — and his downfall. With Qui-Gon dead, his distrust in the powers that be is probably the highest it will ever be, and The Glass Abyss will presumably reflect that.
If so, this novel will be a much-needed step in fleshing out an era we don’t hear much about. How did the Jedi Council cope with Qui-Gon’s demise? Were there any suspicions? Didn’t they have some questions about why a Sith apprentice was running around? The Clone Wars filled the gap between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, modern Star Wars comic books have bridged the original trilogy movies, and the Mando-verse has helped get us from Return of the Jedi to the sequels. But the aftermath of The Phantom Menace is still a blank spot this novel will finally explore.
The plot description further reveals the book will see Mace “pushed to the boundaries of the Jedi code, challenging his beliefs and his relationship to the Force itself.” This novel may just plant the seed that could have overthrown Palpatine... if not for that pesky window.
