news

 

 

wednesday 31st may 2006  
>>>he was one of the most feared warriors of the post-empire era, and now he can be yours to own.  kir kanos will soon be available through starwarsshop to own, along with a mystery figure and a dark horse comic book.  immortalised in the crimson empire series of the mid 1990's, kanos was an expanded universe favourite and a deep and interesting new character.

kir kanos - loyal imperial...

kir kanos

 

a stalwart adherent to the tenets of the new order even long after the empire had collapsed, kir kanos' beliefs made him one of the most deadly fugitives in the galaxy. kanos was a member of the emperors royal guards, the elite red-robed sentinels that guarded the galaxy's ruler.  the best of his class at secret training grounds on yinchorr, kanos was an expert at the echani fighting form and in wielding a force pike. kanos' fanatical loyalty, though, was his greatest and most dangerous weapon. even after palpatine was defeated at endor, kanos and his fellow royal guardsmen remained true to the imperial ideal. as imperial moffs and admirals began greedily carving up the empire to fuel their own ambitions, kanos attempted to uphold the codes of the new order. years later palpatine returned in the form of a clone imbued with dark side energies, and the royal guardsmen flocked to his side with renewed purpose. this return was not to last, as palpatine finally succumbed to death on onderon. in an unthinkable display of treachery, it was a royal guardsman who was partially responsible for his demise. the treacherous carnor jax had betrayed his oaths and sabotaged palpatine's clones. as the remaining royal guards gathered on yinchorri to mourn the loss of their emperor, jax unleashed his stormtrooper forces. all but one guardsman was murdered: kir kanos.  bereft of purpose, kanos turned to vengeance. he was sickened by the self-styled imperials who were but usurpers to the forgotten ideals of palpatine. kanos targeted jax, killing the traitor, but he became the enemy of the entire imperial interim council. to better operate in the fringes of the galaxy, kir kanos adopted the name kenix kil, and posed as a bounty hunter. with this alias, he was better able to hide from the hunters pursuing him. kanos succeeded in killing would-be emperor xandel carivus. kanos' current whereabouts are not known.

tuesday 30th may 2006  
>>>setnin select reaches number 195 with a piece by jonathan hicks.  this shows a setnin freighter lifting off into orbit.  for more looks into the worlds of setnin, just click on the mini banner above and go through to the setnin select archive.
monday 29th may 2006  
>>>continuing preparations for the new underworld age era hitting the site and completing the restoration of Lightsabre we present to you the stories from the era that contains the start of the conflict - prelude to invasion. a curse made real  by jonathan hicks details the rise of dagger, son of arkin, as he builds his reputation in the ki-ki military…
sunday 28th may 2006  
>>>it's the showdown of the century - the japanese police versus darth vader.  but who will emerge as the victor?  watch and learn.

saturday 27th may 2006  
>>>it's finally official - celebration 4 is on its way.  coming to our galaxy between may 24th and 28th 2007, star wars fans finally get the chance to renew old friendships, enjoy the magic of the celebration conventions and, for the first time, enjoy the dazzling delights of los angeles.  director of content management and head of fan relations for lucasfilm stephen sansweet explains.  "generations of fans have loved star wars, many passing along the star wars gene to their children.  this is the first chance to celebrate all six movies in the saga - george lucas' complete story - as well as the vibrant future of star wars.  if you've ever been to one of our celebrations-or if you haven't been before-this is the one not to miss."
friday 26th may 2006  
>>>forty years after the battle of yavin, a dangerous new era in the star wars saga begins with the nine-book series, legacy of the force. here's a look at book three, tempest, by troy denning. star wars legacy of the force: tempest is scheduled for release in november 2006 from del rey books. The first book, betrayal comes out june 2006.
thursday 25th may 2006  
>>>was it really 29 years ago today that george lucas changed the face of modern cinema, and along with it the lives of countless millions?  happy birthday star wars, and here's to you george for making it happen.
>>>our look at selected characters of importance from the history of the setnin sector continues with heena, the twi'lek slave girl who murdered her master and carved her own destiny...

heena

 

This blue Twi’lek female was a rarity in the known galaxy- a free female Twi’lek. As most Twi’lek girls are doomed to slavery, Heena managed to get free of her master by murdering him. Unfortunately, murdering Jiga the Hutt brought about great repercussions, and Heena was forced to run ever since, pursued as she was by the two Hutt’s left in the clan, Renko and Halgutta. Hiding her headtails under a large hood, she wanted to simply disappear from public view and free herself of the pursuing Hutts to live a life of peace and quiet.  Brash and forthright, distrusting and generally rude Heena was very much her own Twi’lek.  Later, during the Ki-Ki/Setnin War she came into the employ of politician Mando Kerreet and worked as his bodyguard. 

wednesday 24th may 2006  
>>>it seems that not all of the star wars original posters were kept in the limelight.  a trio of lost star wars poster art has resurfaced in the archives, and have now been brought to light.   take a look at these fantastic examples of 1970's art, and revel in the warm glow of the original star wars.  click through to our posters section for this and more vintage artwork.
tuesday 23rd may 2006  
>>>setnin select reaches number 194 with a piece by louis turfrey.  this shows the approach to the setnin jedi academy on rai for more looks into the worlds of setnin, just click on the mini banner above and go through to the setnin select archive.
monday 22nd may 2006  
>>>continuing preparations for the new underworld age era hitting the site and completing the restoration of Lightsabre we present to you the stories from the era that contains the start of the conflict - prelude to invasion. holding on to failing power by jonathan hicks details the complexities of the invasion as they continue to mount.  chiefmind vasquid and lordmind estoor plot and plan their next step…
>>>it seems that star wars in 3-d may be a closer reality than was previously thought.  the june 2006 edition of popular scientist makes mention of the advances in technology and makes a very telling prediction regarding the first 3-d release.  "...lucas is expected to release a fully 3-d version of star wars: episode 1 - the phantom menace next spring.  the staffers put on pairs of thick glasses and watched as clips from star wars were played. suddenly the screen itself seemed to dissolve away, as scenes stretched out toward the audience. anakin skywalker and obi-wan kenobi's faces grew closer to viewers as the characters prepared to chase a would-be assassin. pod cars buzzing in the background really appeared to be hundreds of feet away...soon, the jedi master himself came in. george lucas sat down, put on the glasses and, within a few minutes, passed judgment: 'i'm sold! i'm sold!'"  from that report it seems that scenes from attack of the clones have already been prepared, so perhaps after the thrill of the original trilogy dvd's we won't have to wait long for prequel trilogy 3-d releases.
sunday 21st may 2006  
>>>great news for indiana jones fans, a new interactive game is set to hit the stores in 2007.  here's what the official indiana jones site has to say about this exciting new game.  "indiana jones returns in 2007 for his most incredible interactive expedition ever. set in 1939, this epic, original story -- written for the first time under the direction of george lucas -- puts you in the fedora of the legendary adventure hero as he unravels the clues found in ancient artifacts spanning the globe. from san francisco's chinatown to the world's most sacred ground, indy must use his fists, whip and trusty revolver to fight through ruthless opposition and piece together a mystery of biblical proportions. the as-yet-untitled indiana jones 2007 game is lucasarts' first internally developed project for playstation 3 and xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from microsoft, and it also represents the first collaboration of talents and technology between lucasarts and industrial light & magic, two companies now finally under one roof at the new letterman digital arts centre in san francisco's presidio district. 

coming 2007...

saturday 20th may 2006  
>>>it's coming september 2006, right alongside the original versions of the star wars trilogy on dvd - it's lego star wars-the original trilogy, and you can view the brilliant trailer right now.
friday 19th may 2006  
>>>george lucas finds himself the recipient of a very unusual and welcome award.  in light of his contribution to the toy industry, lucas is being made the sole inductee into the toy industry hall of fame.  president of the toy industry association robert paisin said of lucas "george lucas' devotion to timeless storytelling and cutting-edge innovation has resulted in some of the most successful and beloved films, and in turn, characters and toys of all time.  children and children-at-heart around the world have been enthralled and entertained, and will continue to be so through the classic toys and games based on his films."  high praise indeed, of which you can read more about here.

see, han did shoot first...

>>>can it really have been a year since revenge of the sith hit the screens of the world, breaking the all-time single day box office record with over $50 million and thrilling star wars fans worldwide?  now as we sit in the gulf between star wars projects its a great time to grab a copy of the dvd and remind yourself why the final star wars film was such an amazing experience.

thursday 18th may 2006  
>>>our look at selected characters of importance from the history of the setnin sector continues with jaina hollis, student of notami de'athe who fought to save the setnin jedi from the jedi purge...

jaina hollis

 

Young blond-haired female Jedi initiate under the tutelage of Notami De’Athe.  After De’Athe’s apparent death and disappearance Hollis spent the next year fighting in the Clone Wars, apprenticed to no one but standing beside many other Jedi as they fought to protect the Setnin Sector.  She later learned that De’Athe’s death was but an elaborate deception and fought to save many passengers aboard the Worldship Rinsome, the vessel designed to save as many force sensitives as possible by taking them into Wildspace and away from the evil attentions of the Empire.

>>>the countdown towards septembers release of the original versions of the original star wars movies continues apace, and to keep us eagerly slavering the official site has released these gorgeous images, showing the new dvd covers carefully designed to recreate some of the classic posters
star wars the empire strikes back return of the jedi
wednesday 17th may 2006  
>>>more artwork comes our way from the recent e3 show, this time bringing a stunning image of a fallen star destroyer with a lone, lightsabre-wielding character standing in its way.  as 2007 and the 30th anniversary approaches we can likely expect a glut of amazing artwork like this to come to light.  for more, go to our secrets of star wars '07 page, off the sidebar through assorted and into the various section.

a fallen isd poses a problem...

tuesday 16th may 2006  
>>>setnin select reaches number 193 with a piece by chris 'the starving artist' willliams.  this shows the shadow warrior malletta in a sticky situation.  for more looks into the worlds of setnin, just click on the mini banner above and go through to the setnin select archive.
monday 15th may 2006  
>>>continuing preparations for the new underworld age era hitting the site and completing the restoration of Lightsabre we present to you the stories from the era that contains the start of the conflict - prelude to invasion. what’s in a name? by jonathan hicks follows on many years after the glann cipple initiated project that spliced coryarthanax genes together with the trefnarian dna of goah galletti, a project that resulted in the galletti clone that worked for cipple throughout the setnin sector for over a decade
>>>it was the flannelled one's 62nd birthday yesterday, so a belated happy birthday to the maker, and here's to many, many more candles on your cake.

thank the maker...

sunday 14th may 2006  
>>>Lightsabre continues its webmaster interviews.  this week we interview the man who is making great headway with theforce.net, dustin roberts.  dustin gave us some top replies and his answers can be found here or by going through the sidebar and hitting interviews.  then discuss it at our forums or at smugglers rants on blogs.starwars.com.

dustin roberts

saturday 13th may 2006  
>>>well, come on, it's about time something went right for the poor fella...

friday 12th may 2006  
>>>2007 promises to be a landmark year for star wars.  not only is it the 30th anniversary of the release of the original star wars, but there is the promise of a whole raft of new projects designed to push the star wars legend forward into the future.  those projects shall be teased right here, in glorious technicolor, for your viewing enjoyment.  below are two pieces from the forthcoming darth vader video game.

vader fights on kashyyyk...

vader consorts with bounty hunters...

thursday 11th may 2006  
>>>our look at selected characters of importance from the history of the setnin sector continues with yyfekk talaihin,  friend of fellow jedi knight notami de'athe who believed his friend slain in a fight between the two and left the setnin sector in disgrace...

yyfekk talaihin

 

Highly respected Jedi Knight within the Setnin Sector and a lifelong friend of fellow Jedi Notami De’Athe.   During the time of the Clone Wars Talaihin and De’Athe, banished from the Jedi Order due to his interest in the Sith Holocron, travelled to Gista to locate the dark Jedi Garani, but swayed by her powers Yyfekk attacked Notami, believing he had murdered his best friend.  In truth, Notami, using his considerable Jedi Mind Trick abilities, used the attack as a ploy to disappear with his wife Seranomi aboard the Worldship Rinsome, away from Setnin and the rest of civilisation.  Not knowing this, and sickened by his actions Talaihin boarded his starship the T’Messek in disgrace and left the Mid-Rim.

>>>with 2007 being the 30th anniversary of star wars, the official site has already begun to tease us with what we can expect.  now added to our official links section at the foot of this page, secrets of star wars '07 gives hyperspace subscribers a sneak-peek at what is due next year.
secrets of star wars '07
wednesday 10th may 2006  
>>>not only is tim wann a friend of the site, contributing his amazing artwork to the Lightsabre gallery, but he has also drawn a wealth of other work.  check out his fantastic site, wannsworld, for a stunning tour through his imagination, but in the meantime check out this scene from return of the jedi - special edition.

rystall catches boba's eye in this piece by tim wann

tuesday 9th may 2006  
>>>setnin select reaches number 192 with a piece by louis turfrey.  this shows the mountainous setnin sector world of corvela, on the edge of the soluman delta gulf for more looks into the worlds of setnin, just click on the mini banner above and go through to the setnin select archive.
>>>concept uk is a fantastic site dedicated to those forgotten vehicles and figures of the star wars saga.  take a closer look at the infamous speeder the white witch from the droids cartoon, or check out the amazing custom work displayed therein.  for a great browse, drop by concept uk and enjoy, or check out our links section for a look..
monday 8th may 2006  
>>>continuing preparations for the new underworld age era hitting the site and completing the restoration of Lightsabre we present to you the stories from the era that contains the start of the conflict - prelude to invasion. injevido by jonathan hicks tells of the first appearance of injevido, a well-to-do character from the shattered zone.  teaming up with squiz, bad luck beon odiss dwarf friend, injevido aims to make a name for himself in setnin – at any cost…
>>>mission impossible 3 fell far short of both studio and critical expectations with a disappointing opening gambit of $47,743,273.  failing to ignite the box office, and standing as the first major blockbuster of the summer the $150 million dollar epic is sure to make a cool $100 million, but will fall far short of the expected dizzy numbers cruise and co were promising.  with x-men 3 - the last stand waiting to explode out of the blocks it seems set for an interesting summer.  will it live up to last years selection of revenge of the sith, war of the worlds and the like, or fail to shine.

the cruiser in mi-3

sunday 7th may 2006  
>>>we're excited to bring you our latest interview with the man behind max rebo and gartogg the gamorrean guard, simon j williamson. his answers can be found here or by going through the sidebar and hitting interviews.  then discuss it at our forums or at smugglers rants on blogs.starwars.com.

simon j williamson

>>>it's one of the classiest lightsabre battles you're ever likely to see.  it's ryan wieber vs michael 'dorkman' scott and it's just a click of your mouse away...

saturday 6th may 2006  
>>>speaking on may 2nd at the saturn awards rick mccallum announced that the forthcoming star wars live action series was still a couple of years away.  "star wars tv series, probably not for a couple of years.  george is starting to start the basic concept of it. ...we're interviewing writers. we're seeing a lot of people. but i'd say it's not going to be happening for another at least 18 months." rick denied the presence of any members of the skywalker clan, but did confirm that the show takes place between revenge of the sith and a new hope. "all-new characters," he added. "that missing 20-year period when luke is growing up...think bounty hunter. that's all i can tell you." he said, alluding to reports of daniel logans presence in the new show as boba fett.  " there's nobody else that you'll know [in it]. at the moment.  you know, it's still [in] really, really early stages. he hasn't really sat down to think about which direction [he's going]."  lucas is also planning a new run of clone wars animated shorts. "there's an animated series being done right now, so that probably also won't be ready for another year," mccallum said. "but, yeah, that's looking really good."

the engine behind lucas - rick mccallum, by mark raats

>>>rick mccallum also mentioned the possibility of star wars in 3-d.  "we're working on that," he said. "it's just a question of how many theatres will be out there. hopefully, by the end of this year there will be about 1,500 [3-d] theatres. we need about two or three thousand before it makes it, you know, viable for any of us to go out in 3-d. but that looks like it will happen sometime in the year 2007, so hopefully we'll be happy about that."
friday 5th may 2006  
>>>revenge of the sith has scored big at the saturn awards, taking home gongs in two categories, for best science fiction film and best musicstar wars was also honoured for best video game for battlefront 2, making it a satisfying night for all concerned.

the saturn award

>>>david willis is a hugely talented artist with a fine line in humour, as evidenced by this strip from his shortpacked series.  take a look at this, then click through and check out some more of his great strip, but be warned that some of the strips are adult in nature.
thursday 4th may 2006  
>>>it's star wars day, so (groan) may the fourth be with you...
>>>the formula: enriched is a fan film about four obsessive star wars fans making a fan film, before their obsessed leader gets lost in the process of creating the film and ruins it for everyone.  it's 51 minutes long, so get those munchies around the screen and sit back for some top fan film action.

>>>our look at selected characters of importance from the history of the setnin sector continues with nemec niern, gunshop owner and the man who sold the euphoria station to luschia arkensaw...

nemec niern

 

Owner of a number of gunshops and an acknowledged technical expert, Niern was put in charge of the base on Soluman by Glann Cipple during the deception surrounding the Devlin’s Island incident.  Respected by his peers, Niern enjoyed the taste of command and harboured ambitions to rise higher in Glann operation.  Despite this he still operated his shops, one of which being Dart Shooters, Force Pikes and Stun Guns Showrooms (Level 8, Northside, Unit 842) It was here that Jan Lomona asked Nemec to sell him a rare rifle - a LX-94B.  Niern refused to sell so Goah Galletti broke into his premises and found a stockpile of Imperial weapons, packed and ready for sale to the still active remnants of the Empire. Recovering from the disgrace Niern bought the massive Euphoria space-station orbiting Chinyard which he subsequently sold to Luschia Arkensaw for half a million negotiable stellar bonds – which Arkensaw initially believed to be fakes but were in fact genuine.

wednesday 3rd may 2006  
>>>finally, the pressure has paid off.  the official site has announced that lucasfilm and 20th century fox have bowed to immense fan pressure and has announced the release of the original theatrical versions of star wars, empire strikes back and return of the jedi.  from september 12th through to december 31st, the two disc versions of the original trilogy, comprising of the 2004 dvd editions as well as their original 1977, 1980 and 1983 counterparts will be available, allowing for a wealth of nostalgia to flood back to us as we enter 2007 and the cgi series.
tuesday 2nd may 2006  
>>>setnin select reaches number 191 with a piece by jonathan hicks and mark newbold.   this shows a glut of activity deep within ki-ki space as their push for invasion continues.  for more looks into the worlds of setnin, just click on the mini banner above and go through to the setnin select archive.
monday 1st may 2006  
>>>continuing preparations for the new underworld age era hitting the site and completing the restoration of Lightsabre we present to you the stories from the era that contains the start of the conflict - prelude to invasionthe fate of the valiant by jonathan hicks tells of the death of prime lord paol kreiden and the rise of arkin, one of the ki-ki's foremost warriors.  but what effect will this have on the path of the forthcoming conflict?
april 2006  
>>>Lightsabre continues its webmaster interviews.  this week we interview the compiler and creator of the completely unofficial star wars encyclopedia, bob vitas.  bob is a regular visitor to the site was nothing but fun to interview and his answers can be found here or by going through the sidebar and hitting interviews.  then discuss it at our forums or at smugglers rants on blogs.starwars.com.

bob vitas

>>>we're excited to bring you our latest interview with star wars actor rusty goffe. we had the pleasure of meeting rusty at last months memorabilia fair at the nec, and his answers can be found here or by going through the sidebar and hitting interviews.  then discuss it at our forums or at smugglers rants on blogs.starwars.com.

rusty goffe