New Novel Synopsis Reveals the Relationship Between Jyn Erso, her Father and Director Krennic!
James Luceno’s upcoming novel Catalyst, which serves as a prequel to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, has just received a synopsis by Del Rey revealing lots of interesting new details about the relationship between the main characters from the highly anticipated first Star Wars spin-off movie. Check it out…
Catalyst by James Luceno Official Synopsis:
War is tearing the galaxy apart. For years the Republic and the Separatists have battled across the stars, each building more and more deadly technology in an attempt to win the war. As a member of Chancellor Palpatine’s top secret Death Star project, Orson Krennic is determined to develop a superweapon before their enemies can. And an old friend of Krennic’s, the brilliant scientist Galen Erso, could be the key.
Galen’s energy-focused research has captured the attention of both Krennic and his foes, making the scientist a crucial pawn in the galactic conflict. But after Krennic rescues Galen, his wife, Lyra, and their young daughter, Jyn, from Separatist kidnappers, the Erso family is deeply in Krennic’s debt. Krennic then offers Galen an extraordinary opportunity: to continue his scientific studies with every resource put utterly at his disposal. While Galen and Lyra believe that his energy research will be used purely in altruistic ways, Krennic has other plans that will finally make the Death Star a reality. Trapped in their benefactor’s tightening grasp, the Ersos must untangle Krennic’s web of deception to save themselves and the galaxy itself.
Many might have assumed that this novel would take place shortly before the events in the film, so it’s interesting to see that the bulk of the story is actually set during the Clone Wars. We knew from the initial Death Star reveal in Episode II on Geonosis that construction on the station began during the Clone Wars with most of the framework being completed by the end of Episode III, so it makes sense that this be the setting for the book.
What appears to be potentially the most interesting aspect of this story is the relationship between Galen Erso and Orson Krennic, whom we know to be the main villain of the upcoming film. The fact that they were once friends adds a whole new dynamic to the eventual interaction between Krennic and the Ersos in Rogue One.
Also of note is that Jyn’s mother’s name is also revealed in the synopsis, leading one to wonder what exactly happened to Lyra Erso (played by Valene Kane according to IMDb) between Catalyst and Rogue One. The fact that she has not appeared in any of the promotional material for the movie and that Jyn has been on her own for some time seem to indicate that she is no longer in the picture when the movie rolls around. Perhaps Orson Krennic is somewhat responsible for her absence? We’ll have to wait a couple more months to find out.
The novel will be released on November 15, 2016, just one month before the movie. You can pre-order the book HERE.
Source: StitchKingdom
Founder of SWNN, MNN and The Cantina forums.
Born on April 24, 1980.
Watch Lyra be a ballet choreographer…
Sounds pretty neat and more of a tie-in than I expected.
If this is a prequel of a prequel, that’d make this book Episode 3.25? Also, we could asume Jyn is around 20 years old in the movie?
Does this mean the shots we’ve seen of Death Troopers in Iceland took place in the Clone Wars? The Death Trooper design hasn’t changed in the intervening 20 years?
If that’s the point at which Jyn ran away we know she’s 15 which would put her in her mid 30s in Rogue One. Of course she could run away later or that scene could be set later.
Actually more like 2.5, since it’s between Episode II and III.
I stand corrected
They have a “young daughter” during the Clone Wars so assuming that means 5-10 it puts her around 25-30 in Rogue One. 20 seems too young both for Felicity Jones and the nature of the character.
Felicity is 32, but to a lot of people she looks like she could pass as mid 20s. Not sure how old she is supposed to be yet.
That’s my point. She could pass for mid to late 20s but I don’t think any younger.
Sorry if a naïve question, but how long did it take to build the death star? Pretty sure it was shown at end of episode 3 half built so did it take 20 years to become operational?
The reason it took 20 some years is because they couldn’t make the laser function properly. I believe Pablo Hidalgo confirmed this in one of his tweets.
Furthermore, it’s been hinted at that this is what Galen Erso was working on. Something to do with crystals, which could be found on Scarif iirc.
Thats some good reasoning but I think the real reason is because they just don’t care what the prequels say
And what do the prequels say?
I think it says what the fox says.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jofNR_WkoCE
Hey Like any construction project, there could have been delays plus the imperials were keeping the space station a secret.
Imperials’ union workers went on strike, demanding higher pay & better shielding/protection of the thermal exhaust port(s) – sadly they only successfully negotiated 1 of those in their final contract before returning to work.
Jimmy Smits as Bail Organa begs to differ. All the Geonosians had was building plans.
Well, let’s stop and think for a second here, Evan. They showed it in episode 3, but it was still never used until A New Hope.
So, one can easily imagine there were some issues.
It sounds like you don’t care what the OT says.
And it might be worth mentioning that we don’t really have a solid frame of reference for when that scene with the Emperor and Vader looking at the frame of the Death Star at the end of E3 actually takes place. I know it’s followed with a scene of Obi-Wan delivering Luke to Tatooine, but I never saw those scenes as happening necessarily chronologically.
This is also a good point. It’s just some point in time.
For some reason, my mind always placed that scene a few months after the main sequence of events.
Hidalgo said the Death Star we saw at the end of Episode III was scrapped and rebuilt.
In Rebels they go to Geonosis to find all sorts of constrution debris, but no Death Star.
There you go.
The point is, since it wasn’t used UNTL Ep 4, it’s clear SOMETHING was holding things up. What that was isn’t as important.
I just assumed it took so long to build because it’s absolutely enormous. Hell, the LEGO Death Star took me nearly 20 years to build. : )
Exactly. And the exact why doesn’t matter. It’s needless nitpicking.
Lord knows there’s already more than enough needless nitpicking in regards to Star Wars.
If Hidalgo really said that, that’s stupid. It’s a gigantic space station. The Empire could have kept using the Death Star as a port for Imperial Cruisers and other ships of theirs to dock and refuel at, until they get its main weapon functioning. 20 years between Episode III and IV is not that long. We have battleships in the real world that are over 50 years old and still in service.
In the context of creating a weapon that can destroy planets that fails to work, no, it’s not stupid.
If it went from concept to almost done in like 3 years then it is utterly asinine to believe it took another 20 to finish it. JJ clearly ignored the prequels and it looks like Gareth is following suit. It’s nice that Pablo and Filoni are Prequel fans but I suspect that they really have no power when it comes to the films.
This is a silly comment. It wasn’t used until ANH, so clearly something was keeping them from using it, otherwise they would have been blowing planets up long before then. The movies alone refute you.
JJ didn’t ignore the prequels at all, that’s a lie. There were a reference to the Force being in balance and clone armies.
You don’t know enough to say whether Gareth is following suit, but because you’ve made up your mind already, you will continue to hold that position.
What you “suspect” and what is real are two different things.
JJ hates the prequels so much that when he found out about he reference in the flags at Maz’s castle he took it out before the DVD release. And Gareth is always talking about his affinity for the OT, he has never brought up the prequels. I’m not saying whether I agree or not with what I believe is their opinions I’m just saying what I think it is.
That’s completely wrong. JJ left some of them, but he said “”I don’t want to be too about podracers,” he says. “I’d rather come up with our stuff.” He wanted them to make up new symbols and make the galaxy seem larger than just podracers from Tatooine. And yes, he isn’t a fan of the prequels, but Lucasfilm (the people in charge of Star Wars) are.
As for Gareth, maybe he likes them, maybe he doesn’t, but doesn’t seem relevant since he is making a movie that ends minutes before the OT starts. It’s a non-issue that people bring up to complain about.
The fact is that Lucas’ own movies had the Death Star not being operational until ANH.
Yep – isn’t it half that time for the 2nd Death Star, but then its half built. I’m more concerned with what resources the First Order had after the Empire crumbled to build something the size of StarKiller in 30 years. Yes its not a small moon sized battle station, but that’s a big conversion on a planet (even a small one).
I’m sure Rogue One will explain things more on the construction process of the Death Star so we will have to wait till it comes out to get the full picture
Galen’s research involved using Kyber crystals (the same ones used to power lightsabers) to deliver energy across space. His original idea was that this technology could be used to deliver power to outer planets and stations. The Empire took his work and turned what was meant to be used for good purposes into an energy weapon.
There are vast caverns beneath the planet surface of Jedha which are rich with Kyber crystals.
This is all just my speculation.
DIRECTOR ORSON KRENNIC
As director of Advanced Weapons Research for the Imperial military, Orson Krennic is obsessed with the completion of the long-delayed Death Star project. A cruel but brilliant man, Krennic has staked his reputation on the delivery of the functional battle station to the Emperor. starwars.com
So much more boring than the Geonosians, Count Dooku and Palpatine. Zero Dark Thirty boring.
Read and find out
It took 30 years for Boston to build a highway tunnel.
Very cool… Looking forward to it! I hope Marc Thompson is doing the narration for the audio book. Been listening to him for so long now that it was such a disappointment when he didn’t do Bloodline.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZpZzGOjRrc
Noice.
This doesn’t have to be set during the clone wars.
There is no real reason for palpatine, not to continue the illusion that the seps are a threat.
He still needs an outside threat to continue with the military buildup.
It says chancellor palpatine, because the rest of this new empire doesn’t see him as an emperor.
Remember that Palpatine is the good politician from naboo, who just want what’s best for the republic. His alter ego Darth Sidious was never revealed to the public however.
I am guessing that in the eyes of imperial citizens, the rebellion IS the separatists under a new guise.
“young daugher Jyn” – the acress is now in her 30s. Occam’s Razor.
You have a point there. There will be flashbacks in the film, or so i’ve heard. I just tried to share my views on how I believe the state of the galaxy at that time is.
For example Palpatine doesn’t disband the senate until A new hope, so he must still play that “role”.