Examine individual changes

'{{Trope |synonym=[[Original Female Character]] |related=[[Original Male Character]] |see also=[[Original Fiction]], [[Worldbuilding]], [[Mary Sue]], [[Self Insert]], [[Wish Fulfillment]], [[Persona]] |image= File:Twinsuns1-14.jpg |image caption= from Twin Suns #1 (1980), artist is [[Linda Stoops]], one of the many original characters [[Early Star Wars Original Female Characters#The Han Solo Vest: Who Wore it Best?|in the vest]] |image alt text= |category= }} {{ExpandArticle}} While creating original characters is a popular activity in many [[fandom]]s at many times, this page focuses on female characters created by [[Star Wars]] fans between 1979-1989 (context: the original three movies). It is by no means exhaustive nor meant to be exclusionary. It offers some examples to show popular [[tropes]] and trends in fiction, [[art]], and [[fan]] reaction during that time period. Sometimes these characters featured in [[standalone]] stories, and sometimes they starred in extensive fan-created universes that consisted of many [[fic]]s. These characters were often peers of [[Luke Skywalker]] and [[Han Solo]], usually in the form of sisters and romantic interests. Sometimes they were cousins or other relatives related to Skywalker and Solo, or other characters in the first three movies. Solo's sisters and love interest often [[Early Star Wars Original Female Characters#The Han Solo Vest: Who Wore it Best?|dressed as he did]], and were often described as "space pirates" and "half-Corellian." These women were sassy, brassy, and took no guff from Solo. [[Darth Vader's]] wife and girlfriends were also imagined. One fan's complex original universe starred Maeve Solo, who was Han's mother. Another story, "High Stake" in [[Kessel Run]] #3 portrays Sybelle Solo who becomes 11 year-old Han's adoptive mother after winning him in a card game. Most female original characters were introduced, and revolved around, the male characters. Leia was rarely shown with sisters or other female relatives, nor friends (romantic or otherwise). Some fans enjoyed these stories, while others found them to be self-indulgent. ==Why Such a Plethora?== The obvious reason: fans were interested in reading about and imagining female characters in the Star Wars universe. Especially since the canon itself had very, very few female characters . While she doesn't address the female element of creating characters and universe, a fan in 1978 wrote about the universal desire to imagine more: {{Quotation| STAR WARS, obviously, does not have the same wealth of background material that TREK has. Hence, several people have started “series' of their own to fill in the background and flesh out the mythology. One such team consists of [[Jan Lindner]], [[Paula Block]], and [[Judi L. Hendricks]]. Unlike the team of [[Maggie Nowakowska|Nowakowska]]/[[Dyane Kirkland|Kirkland]], these ladies stay more with the major characters of STAR WARS and less with the development of the “history” of the battles we were privileged to witness.<ref> review by [[Linda Deneroff]] from [[Right of Statement]] #2 (1978) </ref>}} ==The Relatives == ===The Sisters=== <gallery heights="180px" widths="180px"> File:Crossedsabers2-11.jpg|from [[Crossed Sabers]] #2, artist is [[Lin Stack]], portrays one of Han's many sisters, Ariel Solo (1981) File:Princessprolog-7.jpg||from [[The Princess Tapes]] #1, artist is J.A. Low (1981) Image:princesstapes2-3.jpg|from [[The Princess Tapes]] #2, "Family Album: The Organa's Informal Scenes" -- "Sara at the Steam Pool" (Leia's big sister) by [[J.A. Low]] (1982) </gallery> ===The Mothers=== <gallery heights="180px" widths="180px"> File:Jedijournal3-2.jpg|Maeve Solo and her partner, Nila, from [[Jedi Journal]] #3, for the story, "Vendetta" (1983) File:Jedijournal3-1.jpg|Maeve Solo and her partner, Nila, from [[Jedi Journal]] #3, for the story, "Vendetta" (1983) File:Contraband2-11.jpg|Maeve Solo and her partner, Nila, for "Alliances," from [[Contraband (Star Wars zine)|Contraband]] #2, artist is [[L.C. Wells]] (1984) File:Contraband1-1.jpg|Maeve Solo and her partner, Nila, from [[Contraband (Star Wars zine)|Contraband]] #1, artist is [[L.C. Wells]] (1983) File:Contraband2-6.jpg|Maeve Solo and her partner, Nila, from [[Contraband (Star Wars zine)|Contraband]] #1, artist is [[L.C. Wells]] (1983) File:Farrealms6sample1.jpg| Luke and his mom, Rebekah, artist is [[Jenni Hennig]] from [[Far Realms]] #6, for the story, [[Seeds of Destruction]] (1984) File:Closecircleof1-4.jpg|the artist is Sandi Hones, from [[A Close Circle of Friends]] #1, Obi-wan Kenobi and Lady Skywalker: she must decide which of her twins to take with her and which one to leave; she chooses to take her daughter (1986) </gallery> ===The Grandmothers=== <gallery heights="180px" widths="180px"> File:Contraband2-8.jpg|from [[Contraband (Star Wars zine)|Contraband]] #3, portrays Val (Han Solo's twin sister), Aine (Han Solo's grandmother) and the character, Dyannis -- the artist is [[L.C. Wells]] (1984) </gallery> ===The Children=== {{Quotation|As a rule, I object to stories saddling the Corellian with kin, especially younger female kin who follow him into space. <ref> from a letter of comment in Shadowstar #14 (1984) </ref>}} <gallery heights="180px" widths="180px"> File:Crossed3-5.jpg|the artist is [[Judith Low]], from [[Crossed Sabers]] #3, Leia and Han's two-month old daughter, Ellie (1983) </gallery> == Often a Space Pirate or Jedi== {{Quotation| [[Cori Beckett|Cori]] was great. She's the only woman in Star Wars created by a fan writer that I've liked. Besides, although I detest female Jedis, I like female pirates. Why do I like one and not the other? Perhaps because I see female Jedis as militant feminists (which I also detest), but female pirates are only fantasy and therefore fun.<ref>from a [[LoC]] in [[Pegasus (Star Trek: TOS and Star Wars zine)|Pegasus]] #4 v.1</ref>}} {{Quotation| [[File:Twinsuns1-5.jpg| from [[Twin Suns]] #1, artist is [[Pam Kowalski]] -- Ama Epeel (sixty-year old rebel and grandmother) in "Ghost in Far Sector" by [[Susan Matthews]], digs a "bullet" out of her own leg |thumb]] Susan Matthews' Ama Epeel in "Ghost in Far Sector" (TS #1) is at the far end of the age spectrum covered here, a grandmother nearly sixty years old, acting as a spy and courier for the Alliance after years of freelancing. She is a pilot with her own ship, a fighter and a thoroughly competent individual who commands respect by her ability and performance. Escaping the Imperials with a vital tape, she was seriously injured and her ship was crippled to the extent that she now has power for either life support or a signal beam, but not both. She coolly chooses the beacon to ensure the tape's retrieval, and is nearly dead when Han almost accidentally locates her. <ref> from the 1982 essay [[Visible Women]]</ref>}} * All That Matters, story by Diana Piercy ("Brianne Cassel has joined the Rebellion and begun her training as a Jedi. But her separation from Luke Skywalker drives her to desperation; maybe even to the dark side!") (from [[Far Realms]] #6) (1984) <gallery heights="180px" widths="180px"> File:Mill1-8.jpg| from [[Millennium (Star Wars zine edited by Kelley Harkins and Lin Stack)|Millennium]] #1, [[Lin Stack]] portrays Ariel Solo (her persona) (1980) File:Childrenofthesith2-2.jpg|from [[Children of the Sith]] #2, artist is [[Linda Yamashiro]] -- "Caitlin Macavoi is a member of a small, secret corps of Jedi knights, who maintain peace through clandestine interference in world politics. She is "an impetuous female chauvinist in her late 20's, who alarms and charms her male counterparts by her refusal to take a subordinate role in anything." (1980) Image:crossedsabers3 Deception.jpg| from the story, "Deception: Shadows in Smoke", [[Carol Salemi]] portrays Cass Darmik, a young woman who dresses as a boy and joins [[Luke Skywalker]] and [[Han Solo]] on an adventure (1983) File:Commode4-14.jpg| from [[The Wookiee Commode]] #4, Jaa'net a Jedi healer: "Luke noted she was middle-aged, her dark gold hair streaked with grey. Her skin was pale with the sallowness of the long-imprisoned. Her face was too bony to be pretty, but her steady eyes were calm and friendly.... "There are other uses for the Force than war," she finally responded. "The Jedi also once produced fine physicians who used their skills to save lives."" (1987) </gallery> == Not Always a Space Pirate!== <gallery heights="180px" widths="180px"> File:Peg5-7.jpg|Saibra Michea (Luke's love interest) in "No Guts, No Glory" by [[Pat Gonzales]] is a mechanic. ([[Pegasus (Star Trek: TOS and Star Wars zine)|Pegasus]] #6) (1981) File:Completezeek5.jpg|from [[Pegasus (Star Trek: TOS and Star Wars zine)|Pegasus]] #5, [[M.R.O. Ludwig]] portrays Leia and Lady Varvari Wenlow (a royal peer) -- "The taller woman smiled and brushed back a strand of Leia's hair. "Yes, I do. Because I've missed <u>you</u> just as much." She shook the princess by the shoulders. "And I've been worried sick about you..." (1981) Image:networthcontraband.jpg|artist is [[L.C. Wells]], for the story, "Net Worth," in the [[Maeve Solo Universe]], portrays a pimp who sells young boys into prostitution: "Andahl was a cross-breed of Corellian and Flavein stock. A shrewd Corellian mind hid underneath a layer of fat, over-laced pick dress and heavy Astrian scent." File:collectedcircleoffire-oc.jpg|M.R.O. Ludwig is the artist, portrays Lythen Rimwar in [[Chinese Fire Drill]], a story in the [[Circle of Fire Universe]] by [[Anne Elizabeth Zeek]] -- "The woman was facing the door through which they had just come. She was casually leaning back with her elbows on the edge of the circular bar, and was half-seated on the tall stool. Her dark green dress, tightly sleeved and demurely high-collared, was slit to display a long and shapely length of leg in brilliant yellow thigh-high boots. Leia's eyes, unwillingly trapped by the vibrant color, travelled up the woman's very good figure to a pale, strongly boned face framed in fiery copper hair. Whatever Leia'd expected a notorious, high-priced thief to look like, this wasn't it." File:Commode3-11.jpg|from [[Wookiee Commode]] #3, artist is Sherry Charvat -- "I'm Nurse Turza, and I'll be taking care of you." She is described as "stout" and "burly, all-business, no-nonsense." (1986) </gallery> ==Self Insertion, Wish Fulfillment, and Personas== A fan was not impressed with one of the first female original characters, [[Cori Beckett]]. In 1979, she wrote: {{Quotation|I started "Attack on Logaria, and got not too far into it. I was so bored that I started skimming, skipping paragraphs, etc. In this case, the author ...simply cloned Han Solo (and Chewie to boot). Rather she created herself into the story in the image of a certain Corellian (vest & all, no less). Now I have been guilty of this myself ~ I used to do it when I was 13 and writing "[[Man from UNCLE]]" stories — but I just can't forget that when I'm reading this Logaria epic. That the author is right there in front of me, and she's not even very interesting! ... She can't even hold her liquor ... So far, the only thing which has held my attention about this story was the two-page illustration, which was done in shadow and showed Han and Cori at the table together. Cori looks in the drawing much better than she comes across in print — independent, head strong, mature, even a trifle mysterious. I'm seriously considering taking out that picture and framing it. It is GOOD.<ref>from a [[LoC]] in [[Pegasus (Star Trek: TOS and Star Wars zine)|Pegasus]] #4 v.1</ref>}} The focus of the [[Maeve Solo Universe]] was [[original character]] named [[Maeve Solo]] who is [[Han Solo's]] mother. Maeve, and her partner, Nila, work her freighter ship called "The Merlin." The character was Callahan's [[persona]]. Another character in this universe, "Dyannis Carmathan," was also a persona, but instead for the fan [[L.C. Wells]]. <gallery heights="180px" widths="180px"> Image:crossed3-9.jpg| from [[Crossed Sabers]] #3, [[Lin Stack]] for the story, "Death Dreams" - portrays two original characters, Raiah Areiana and Ariel Solo (Lin Stack's [[Corellian]] [[persona]]) -- both characters are students at The University of Koreenth (1983) </gallery> ==The Mary Sue Trap== [[File:Kessel4-27.jpg|thumb|[[Resolutions of a Star Wars Mary Sue]]: "This year in order to reduce the inevitable nausea suffered by my readers whenever they encounter me, I am making the following resolutions..." from [[Kessel Run]] #4, a list explaining to fans how NOT to make your original character a [[Mary Sue]] -- includes lots of [[Early Star Wars Original Female Characters#The Han Solo Vest: Who Wore it Best?|women in Han Solo vests]] at the bottom (1984)]] The enemy at the gate of fan-created love interests for canon characters is the specter of [[Mary Sue]]. ===The Cori Beckett Example=== In 1978, the author, [[Judi Hendricks]] of one of the first Star Wars original female characters, Cori Beckett, introduced her story, [[Assault on Logaria]]: {{Quotation|I realize that AoL is a [[Mary Sue|marysue]] story. I do not apologize for this; STAR WARS is probably the biggest marysue story in existence and nobody's groaning about that. <ref>from the author in the editorial for [[Pegasus (Star Trek: TOS and Star Wars zine)|Pegasus]] #3 </ref>}} Fans replied: {{Quotation| ...as for the Mary Sue syndrome, forget it! I'm sick of hearing about it!...I do hate the blatant Mary Sues, the perfect little misses who save the day without half trying, but your Logaria story ain't like that. She helps save the day, but at least she isn't absolutely wonderful. Yes, SW is Lucas' Mary Sue, but Luke isn't perfect — he has to grow up first.<ref> from [[Pegasus (Star Trek: TOS and Star Wars zine)|Pegasus]] #4 v.1</ref>}} {{Quotation2| Judi, Judi, Judi. You apologized in your editorial for it being a Mary Sue story. And you are right. You are also right about SW being a Mary Sue story. It's not perfect (who the hell am I to say) but it sure would have made a far better second book than [[Splinter of the Mind's Eye|Foster's infamous one]]. In my humble opinion, I think it is the best Mary Sue story I have read. Very well done.<ref> from [[Pegasus (Star Trek: TOS and Star Wars zine)|Pegasus]] #4 v.1</ref>}} {{Quotation| New characters were very interesting. ...after much deliberation I decided I really like her the best of any of the multitude of lady Corellian pilots that have cruised the fanzines lately ... If she's a Mary Sue (which I'm not sure is true), then she's the best. Cori is pleasantly constructed physically and emotionally. I like her because she's no Amazon, or gorgeous vision, or ugly duckling. She's an all-woman girl whose short stature, femininity and emotional bent make her a sympathetic type suited to the rest of the Lucas crew. <ref> from [[Pegasus (Star Trek: TOS and Star Wars zine)|Pegasus]] #4 v.1</ref>}} {{Quotation2| I wouldn't worry too much about Cori being a Mary Sue. For one thing, as you said in your editorial, Luke Skywalker is certainly a "Mary Sue" (though have you noticed - that when a woman writes a heroic save-the-universe alter-ego, she's a Mary Sue, but if a man writes exactly the same kind of character— but male — he's a hero. The story is a heroic fantasy of sorts, and its perfectly acceptable) and therefore no one had better make nasty comments about SW Mary Sues. For another, Cori isn't really a Mary Sue ... she is legitimately competent (that is, her competence is backed up by a history to support it and a time before that when she wasn't competent) rather than magically able to do everything she puts her hands to, and everyone doesn't fall head-over-heels in love with her. She also doesn't save the day all by herself. I like her, she could use a few more weaknesses to be more believable — for instance, it might be nice to maintain the tension between her and Leia — but on the whole, she's a good character. And dammit, it's about time we got some good strong women into space opera as heroes, not heroes' sidekicks. <ref> from [[Pegasus (Star Trek: TOS and Star Wars zine)|Pegasus]] #4 v.1</ref>}} {{Quotation| Granted, technically you can call "Assault on Logaria" a Mary Sue, but I kept saying, "It's too good to call a Mary Sue" when I read it.<ref> from [[Pegasus (Star Trek: TOS and Star Wars zine)|Pegasus]] #4 v.1</ref>}} ===More Comments=== Comments on a 1983 [[Catalyst! Universe]] story in [[Far Realms]] #4/5: {{Quotation|'All That Matters' had less of a positive impression on my interest. When all was said and done, this was another [[MarySue]] Jedi story which failed to sustain my interest less because of the concentration on Luke and exclusion of Han than due to the vapid characterization of the main character, Brianne. Piercy seemed to be attempting to create the perfect mate for Luke, but unlike your own Jessami in the 'Catalyst!' series, in the process concocted little more than a rather static female version of Luke without his spunk or resilience. The Adam and Eve bit in the woods, the swim and the instant sexual attraction between Luke and Brianne served little point to the story and seemed a bit gratuitous, slowing the narrative and embarrassing this reader almost as much as Luke. <ref> from a letter of comment in [[Far Realms]] #8 </ref>}} Comments on a 1984 story from the [[First Steps Universe]]: {{Quotation| The longest piece is by Samia Martz, entitled "The Learner, or "Ord Mantell -- A Nice Place to Visit, But..." Unfortunately, this story is a difficult read because it offers yet another SW [[Mary-Sue]] type: a 15-year old girl Jedi, student of Luke's, whose parents were killed by the Empire, whose father was a Jedi, loved as a younger sister by Han, loved by Chewie, saves the day, etc., etc. Even her name — Jeni Petersen — bears the mark of the MS cliche. (Oh, Ben talks to her, too.) The story simply doesn't succeed. It is over-sentimental, gushy, repetitive, overdone in almost all respects. Everyone speaks in slangy dialogue ('somethin'," 'nothin'," "an") and the scenes with Han and Jeni are forced and unconvincing. With tighter editing, it could have succeeded at least as a good adventure story, but the overwhelming attempts to make the reader care and feel fall flat. Ultimately, you just don't feel like continuing. <ref> from [[The Southern Enclave]] #6 </ref>}} In 1991, [[Kathy Agel]] wrote about her original character, Cara Solo" from her [[Starbird's Children Universe]]: {{Quotation | I agree, well-written [[original characters]] can be a wonderful addition to a story, but PLEASE don't refer to them as [[Mary Sues]]! A Mary Sue is a poorly-done original character, an exercise in self-indulgence for the author. I received a great deal of positive [[feedback]] for my own Cara Solo, and the original characters I've created for my [[Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea]] fiction have been even rare well-received, but they're not Mary Sues. Why? I've made them real people, with real feelings, real motivations, and real flaws. A Mary Sue has none of these. <ref> from [[Southern Enclave]] 30 (Autumn 1991) </ref>}} ==The Han Solo Vest: Who Wore it Best?== Han Solos iconic white shirt and dark vest was a popular outfit for the early original female characters. In fact, it looks like he got it from his mom and her partner! In the [[Maeve Solo Universe]], it's the outfit of choice. ===Characters=== Many original characters were portrayed dressed much like [[Han Solo]]. <gallery heights="180px" widths="180px"> File:Milleniumstarwars1 Lin Stack .jpg|from [[Millennium (Star Wars zine edited by Kelley Harkins and Lin Stack)|Millennium]] #1, portrays Ariel Solo in "To Kill a Solo": "Ariel Solo slipped into the control chair of her ship, the Dorian, and dropped her small black pet, Tiron into her lap. She reved up the thirteen engines of the small craft and sat still for a moment feeling the power of her tiny ship coursing through her body." (1980) Image:contraband1-1.jpg|from [[Contraband (Star Wars zine)|Contraband]] #1, L.C. Wells portrays Maeve Solo (Han's mom) and Nila File:ass-5.jpg|art by [[Judi L. Hendricks]] for [[Assault on Logaria]], from [[Pegasus (Star Trek: TOS and Star Wars zine)|Pegasus]] #3 (1978) File:Scum10.jpg| from [[...Scum & Villainy]], for [[Stowaway]], [[Cori Beckett]] and Han Solo, the artist is [[Martynn]] (1979) File:Market1.jpg|from [[A Marketable Commodity]], portrays Cori Beckett and Han Solo, artist is [[Martynn]] (1979) File:Nerf1-8.jpg| Maeve Solo, from [[The Nerfherder's Companion]], L.C. Wells is the artist (1981) File:Combiningforces1-8.jpg|original character, Selena, from [[Combining Forces]] #1, artist is [[Kim Gianna]] -- this is a somewhat unusual use of the Han Vest, as Selena is a romantic interest for Luke Skywalker File:Twinsuns2-6.jpg| for the story, "Some Call You Rebel: Tales from the Contraverse" by [[Jani Hicks]], from [[Twin Suns]] #2, artist is [[Paulie]] -- from a fan: "Keallani is an interesting character with a number of uniqueness -- for one, she refers to a daughter, Reenie, now living elsewhere with her old Captain -- and the glimpses into her background and training are vivid and fascinating." <ref> from [[Jundland Wastes]] #2 </ref> Image:kesselrun3highstakes-2.jpg|from the story, "High Stakes" in [[Kessel Run]] #3, artist is Bev Swan, in which a Corellian smuggler wins 11-year old Han in a card game, and becomes his adoptive mother (1983) File:Kesselrun3-22.jpg|from the story, "High Stakes" in [[Kessel Run]] #3, artist is Bev Swan -- "Sitting on a barstool and nursing a drink, Sybelle Solo mused grouchily about her fellow patrons. Like all daughters of Clan Solo, Sybelle was short... and had a perpetually suspicious squint. Her squarish, compact body was encased in her best planetside outfit--black trousers stuffed into pit shined boots and a bright red smoothcloth vest laced tight over a ruffled white shirt....Sybelle wore her braid-tail on the left side to show she was unmarried. Tonight, however, she had not twined into the plaits the tiny bells that signified she was looking for company.... Tonight, Sybelle had the profit from her last salvage job in her belt pouch, to the left of her blaster. Tonight, Sybelle was looking for a high stakes card game." (1983) File:Skywalker6-12.jpg| for the story, [[Return (Star Wars story)|Return]] in which Han's mom is constantly saving his butt, from [[Skywalker (Star Wars zine)|Skywalker]] #6, [[Scott Rosema]] is the artist, portrays [[Maeve Solo]], [[Han Solo]], and [[Lando Calrissian]] (1983) File:Kesselrun4vests.jpg| detail from a page in [[Kessel Run]] #4, the artist is [[Anne Davenport]], various [[Mary Sues]] and their outfits (1984) File:Contraband3-6.jpg|Maeve Solo, from [[Contraband]] #3, L.C. Wells is the artist (1984) File:Dockingbay5art3.jpg|from [[Docking Bay]] #5, art by [[Nancy Stasulis]] for a story in [[Starbird's Children Universe]] -- "Nancy Stasulis' full illos for Agel's story are a joy to look at and her rendering of Han's sister makes the character stand out more than she does in the story." <ref> from [[Southern Enclave]] #7 </ref> (1984) File:Farrealms7-14.jpg |"First Steps" by Samia Martz in [[Far Realms]] #7, Dani Lane is the artist, portrays Jeni Petersen in [[First Steps Universe]] (1985) </gallery> ===Zine Editors and Other Fans=== While they are not "official characters" in fiction, Han Solo's outfit and persona was also a fun topic in portrayals of fan eds and writers. This is not the same as [[cosplay]] and [[costuming]]. <gallery heights="180px" widths="180px"> Image:crossedsaber1personas.jpg|portrays Kelley Harkin and Lin Stack (Lin's persona is Ariel Solo, a Corellian pirate), detail from a [[flyer]] for [[Crossed Sabers]] #1, artist is [[eluki bes shahar]] (1980) File:Pegajudi.jpg|[[Judi L. Hendricks]] as portrayed by [[Gordon Carleton]], note the [[scrod]] in the background, printed in [[Pegasus (Star Trek: TOS and Star Wars zine)|Pegasus]] #3 (1978) File:twinsuns1-18.jpg|from [[Twin Suns]] #1, the editor, [[Jani Hicks]], bids good riddance to "that rotten lousy typer" -- the illustrator is [[Paulie Gilmore]] (1980) File:kesselrun3-1.jpg| from [[Kessel Run]] #3, "Ye Editor," ([[Michelle Malkin]]) as drawn by [[Eluki bes Shahar]] (1983) File:Crossed3-12.jpg|from [[Crossed Sabers]] #3, artist is [[Sharon M. Palmer]] (1983) Image:circleoflight4hall.jpg|from [[Circle of Light (Star Wars zine)|Circle of Light]] #4, [[S.C. Hall]] portrays herself (1987) </gallery> ==Brightstar Universe== The main character in [[Brightstar Universe]] is Mari Sevenstars, an [[original character]] created by [[Christine Jeffords]] for her [[Brightstar Universe]]. One of the stories in this series was co-authored by [[eluki bes shahar]]. Another character is Skye Amberson, a fugitive Jedi. {{Quotation|The main character is Mari Sevenstars, a recurring character in Jeffords' 'Brightstar" series. She is an "Azaeli" with -— we are repeatedly told -- a fierce and sometimes dangerous temperament. Han is her "swordbrother" and she sets about to organize a galaxy-wide search for Han, who is still in Jabba's clutches. <ref> from [[Southern Enclave]] #4 </ref>}} ==Catalyst! Universe== * Jessami Kenobi, Rebekah Nightrider-Skywalker from [[Catalyst! Universe]] by [[Jeanine Hennig]] ==The Cori Beckett Series== An early much commented upon character is Cori Beckett in [[The Cori Beckett Series]] by [[Judi L. Hendricks]] and [[Paula Block]]. * [[Assault on Logaria]] (in [[Pegasus (Star Trek: TOS and Star Wars zine)#Issue 3|Pegasus]] #3) (1978) * Stowaway (in [[...Scum & Villainy]] (1979) and reprinted in [[Pegasus (Star Trek: TOS and Star Wars zine)#Issue 5|Pegasus]] #6) (1983) * [[A Marketable Commodity]] (in [[Pegasus (Star Trek: TOS and Star Wars zine)#Issue 4|Pegasus]] #4 v.2) * [[Satisfaction Guaranteed (Star Wars story)|Satisfaction Guaranteed]] (in [[Pegasus (Star Trek: TOS and Star Wars zine)#Issue 5|Pegasus]] #5) * [[Ships in the Night]] (in [[Warped Space/Issues 41-50#Issue 46|Warped Space]] #46) From a fan in 1982: {{Quotation| Cori Beckett is a teenager when she meets Han in Judi Hendricks' "[[Stowaway]]" (SV). Personal slave to a particularly revolting individual with whom Han has business, she has a low opinion of Han also, but he does have a ship on which she can escape. Her first attempt fails painfully; the second time she manages to reach the FALCON—not knowing Chewbacca had seen her and that Han and Chewie were deliberately ignoring her presence until they were well away. Already trained as a pilot, she makes a bargain with Han: he'll buy her a ship and give her more training as a pilot and smuggler, and she'll pay him back as soon as possible. In "[[Assault on Logaria]]" (PEG #3) several years later, after losing her ship to the Imperials (her Wookiee partner being killed in the takeover) she works her way across the galaxy to demand Han's aid in retrieving the ship and avenging her partner. The fact that Han is already working for Leia and Luke does not impress her in the least, though she condescends to work out a way to take care of both jobs at once. She and Leia take a while to reach the stage of armed truce, but they eventually work well together and could possibly become friends. Cori and Han finally get around to a romantic entanglement, but while this is important in their relationship it does not dominate the story, Cori's existence, or their total relationship. Hendricks and Paula Block collaborated on "[[A Marketable Commodity]]" (PEG #4) , bringing Cori back as a rescuer of Han from a shipwreck and Luke from the slimy clutches of her former owner. While the story plays coyly with the chance of a sexual relationship between Cori and Luke, Cori is able to handle the situation (barely) and deal maturely with Han's childish reaction. Their overall relationship has been good over the years, they are real friends as well as lovers, and Cori is certainly capable of carrying a story by herself if the authors would let her.<ref>from the 1982 essay [[Visible Women]]</ref>}} ==Maeve Solo Universe== The [[Maeve Solo Universe]] is by [[Chris Callahan]] and [[L.C. Wells]] [[File:Crossed3-3.jpg|thumb|Maeve, from the story, "...it's the money!" in [[Crossed Sabers]] #3, the artist is [[Sharon M. Palmer]] (1983) -- Maeve appears to be the originator of the Han Vest!]] Its focus was an [[original character]] named [[Maeve Solo]] who is [[Han Solo's]] mother. The character was Callahan's [[persona]]. Another character in this universe, "Dyannis Carmathan," was also a persona, but instead for the fan [[L.C. Wells]]. Maeve's longtime parther, Nila, work her freighter ship, "The Merlin." After Nila is killed, Maeve gets a new partner, Rimi. The Maeve Solo stories take place over a long period of time and were not necessarily published in chronological order. For instance: In "Ghosts" (1983) Han Solo (and his twin sister, Val) are young children in the care of her own mother, Aine. From "Ghosts" in [[Contraband (Star Wars zine)|Contraband]] #1: {{Quotation| Maeve's mother now ran an import and fencing operation, and looked after the [five-year old] twins when Maeve and Nila worked — Maeve wouldn't allow the children on the ship she'd always considered a flying disaster area — but before the accident several years ago which had done just enough nerve damage to slow her reflexes dangerously, Aine had been one of the best pilots and smugglers operating off Corellia, and had instilled in her daughter and "adopted daughter" the ambition to be even better. At thirty, the two were well on their way.}} In "Return" (1983), Han is a grown man. That story's description from a flyer: {{Quotation|Thawing only makes it easier for Han to see he's in deep trouble back on Tatooine. He's got Jabba's goons shooting at him outside and a war of emotions going on inside. It's enough to make a boy grateful for his mother.}} ==ThousandWorlds== * Bethen Avay and Emme Kenobi in [[ThousandWorlds]] by [[Maggie Nowakowska]] and [[Dyane Kirkland]] ==Darth Vader's Relationships== "Sapphire Memories," story by Debra Vorgias in [[Far Realms]] #4/5 is told from Vader's sister's point of view. (1983) <gallery heights="180px" widths="180px"> File:Mec1-1-3.jpg|Vader leaves his wife to take up with [[The Bionic Woman]], cartoon by [[Susan Wyllie]], from [[Mos Eisley Chronicle]]#1 (1978) File:Mec2-5.jpg|Darth Vader's wife is a droid named Mylan, cartoon by [[Susan Wyllie]], from [[Mos Eisley Chronicle]]#2 (1981) File:Farrealms6-16.jpg|Darth Vader (without the mask) and original character, Rebekah (Luke's mother) from [[Seeds of Destruction]], in the [[Catalyst! Universe]], artist is Jenni Hennig (1984) </gallery> == References == [[Category:Star Wars: Original Trilogy]] [[Category:Original Fiction]] [[Category:Fanon Characters]]'