With just one month left until the release of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, we have been
given Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel!
In this video I’m going to start with a spoiler free review just to tell you if it’s
worth your time and money, and then I’ll get into spoilers and the major takeaways
from the book.
Let me start by saying that Catalyst is not an absolutely required read before you see
Rogue One.
You’ll be able to go into the film and understand everything.
But I am very happy I read it.
I honestly think by experiencing this story I’ll have a much better connection with
some of the characters, most specifically Galen Erso and Orson Krennic.
Most of the story follows them, their relationship, and their involvement with the Death Star.
The timeline starts about a year into the Clone Wars and takes us through the events
of Revenge of the Sith and two or three years beyond that, it’s not quite clear.
And this is the most transitionary piece of Star Wars content we’ve had so far.
It’s connected to both the original and prequel trilogies and the Clone Wars and other
books.
We actually get to see the Empire phasing out Venator-class star destroyers for Imperial-class.
We get to see clone troopers in stormtrooper armor.
We hear about the first TIE Fighters to come off the assembly line.
And we get to see how the Empire manipulated just about everyone in the galaxy to get what
they want.
What I think is most impressive is how engaging the story is despite basically knowing how
it will all end up.
I mean these are all new characters, but we know from the Rogue One trailers that Galen
and his family go into hiding and that Krennic finds him.
So this story backtracks from there, much like Rogue One will be backtracking from Episode
IV.
But James Luceno makes perfect use of dramatic irony and takes full advantage of our knowledge
of future events to help us sympathise with or scorn particular characters.
Yet at the same time, he writes Krennic to be just charming enough.
It’s kind of like those early scenes of X-Men: First Class between Charles and Eric.
You know they’re going to end up enemies, but you can’t help but enjoy their friendship.
I would say a major theme of this book is what it means to serve the greater good.
In a strange way, Galen Erso is kind of a foil to the entire Empire.
Galen believe his work is noble, and will provide a great service to the entire galaxy.
In a way, the Empire believes the Death Star will also serve a great purpose in keeping
peace and stability.
But when it comes down to it, the Empire will do anything and sacrifice anyone to achieve
their goals.
Galen sacrifices time with his wife and daughter in the name of providing them with a better
future, but comes to learn that future isn’t worth having if they aren’t together.
So do I think this book is worth your time?
Yes I do.
I think Catalyst is going to really enrich Rogue One and give you a greater appreciation
for the Erso family and a better understanding of Krennic and his motivations.
And by the way, if you want to check the book out for free and help out the channel at the
same time, there is a link in the description to start a trial on Audible!
Go to www.audibletrial.com/starwarsexplained and you can listen to Catalyst for no charge!
Okay I’m going to get into plot and spoilers now so if you do want to read the book, you
have been warned!
Not surprisingly we get a lot of new information about the Death Star and its development.
I was surprised to learn how early construction began, which was less than a year after the
Battle of Geonosis, but also that it was a Republic weapon pretty much from the start.
It was my understanding that it was a Separatist weapon and the Republic just took over when
the Clone Wars ended.
Well here is how all that really played out.
At the end of Attack of the Clones, Dooku takes the plans for the Death Star to his
master where he claims they will be safe.
Well sometime after the second Battle of Geonosis and the capture of Poggle the Lesser, which
is seen in the Clone Wars show, the plans are revealed to a select group of people known
as the Strategic Advisory Cell.
Palpatine theorizes that if these plans exist, the Separatists are certainly working on a
superweapon, and the Republic had better build one first.
Krennic then negotiates with Poggle the Lesser and secures the Geonosian workforce in exchange
for his release, and voila, the Death Star begins construction.
The Strategic Advisory Cell members agree that building the station will be a huge undertaking,
but is totally possible...except for the superlaser.
And that’s where Galen Erso comes in.
Galen studies crystals, and he is specifically interested in kyber crystals.
He wants to harness their power to provide sustainable energy for developing worlds,
but the Jedi are protective of them, so his only option is to, get this, create synthetic
ones.
So synthetic crystals kind of come back to canon, but they don’t work.
I think it was still nice that they were acknowledged though.
Krennic and Galen were old friends back in what equates to college for us, but Krennic
knows he can’t just ask Erso to build him a superlaser.
So he spends months, maybe even years, slowly manipulating Galen into a position where he
will work for the Empire.
Yeah, the process takes so long the Clone Wars have ended.
Well with the Jedi gone, Krennic is able to entice his old friend with their real genuine
kyber crystals.
The whole manipulation plot was probably my favorite thing to read in this book.
It was fun seeing Krennic play the long game to get what he wants.
And at the same time it was kind of nice seeing Galen get what he wants, even though it was
at the cost of the Jedi.
This book made me feel so vindicated because I’ve been guessing that Galen’s work would
be meant for good and that the Empire would take his work and twist it for the Death Star.
I even guessed he’d work on sustainable energy.
Sorry for the tangent, I just wanted to pat myself on the back.
Because that’s exactly what happens.
Galen works in a facility made to create energy.
His research is then sent to an identical one where scientists there try to weaponize
it.
But they clearly don’t understand kyber crystals like Erso, because in one test they
blow up an entire city, killing tens of thousands.
Of course Galen eventually discovers what his work is really being used for, and he
escapes with his family, which tarnishes Krennic’s name a bit.
I think that’s going to make for a very interesting reunion.
So that’s the plot down to its barest bones.
The basics of what you’ll want to know for Rogue One.
But there is still more I’d like to talk about.
We’ve only seen one shot of Jyn’s mother from the films so far, Lyra.
She is a significant part of this book.
And she’s great.
I think maybe the biggest service this book does is provide her with so much life and
character, but I didn’t want to talk about her before because I’m guessing she just
won’t survive very long in Rogue One.
Having read this book, assuming I’m right, that’s going to hit me much harder.
People have also guessed she might be Force sensitive because she has what’s most likely
a kyber crystal.
Well those people would be right.
But it’s like crazy light Force sensitivity.
More of a general connection with and passion for nature.
So I don’t think we’re going to see any Force abilities passed onto Jyn, but we could
absolutely see her believing in the Force or at least a power greater than herself.
There is this whole subplot that involves Krennic and a group of smugglers framing different
mineral-rich planets so the Empire can take over and take all their resources.
Well that leads to some insurgency led by a man named Saw Gerrera.
I was pleasantly surprised to see him pop up, and he is actually the man to take the
Ersos into hiding from the Empire.
So he and Jyn actually go way back!
Which brings me to some speculation.
Jyn is born about one year into the Clone Wars, making her about twenty one at the time
of Rogue One.
In the trailers Mon Mothma says Jyn has been on her own since the age of fifteen.
But this does not look like a fifteen year old girl.
So either she’s older than she looks, or she spends some time with someone else after
Krennic finds her family.
Well Saw gives the Ersos a comm card in case they ever need his help.
I’m betting Jyn was raised by Saw for a bit.
The final topic I want to cover is the rivalry between Krennic and Tarkin.
They were a lot of fun together.
Krennic is pretty much in charge of the entire Death Star project as we see it.
He seems himself as confident and a real go-getter, but everyone else sees him as cocky and shortsighted.
Yet he gets results and despite his methods being annoying, Imperial leadership forgives
him time and time again.
Except Tarkin.
Tarkin has his eyes set on controlling the Death Star project himself, and seeing the
two of them play off each other was so much fun.
The games they play and the moves they make to frustrate and occupy each other...it was
classic Imperial officer stuff.
Backstabbing and always on the lookout for self-advancement, especially on Krennic’s
side.
But of course we know who wins that battle.
I really look forward to seeing them interact in Rogue One, assuming Tarkin makes an appearance.
Okay I think I’ve gone on long enough about Catalyst, and I’ve covered all of the major
revelations and things you’ll need to know going into Rogue One.
Remember, if you’re interested in checking it out for yourself, you can get it for free
by going to www.audibletrial.com/starwarsexplained and you’ll be helping the channel out!
I’m sure I’ll be covering more of this book in the very near future, but if you haven’t
already please like and share this video, subscribe to the channel to see new Star Wars
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As always, thank you for watching and may the Force be with you!