Written by: Stonegood
Introduction
As soon as I finished Thrawn I drove to my nearest bookstore and cruised the Star Wars collection they had. I knew I needed a break from the Empire and I definitely wanted a more standard adventure tale. Thrawn was certainly marketed to the older fan base and I was interested in what could hook a new or blossoming fan of the galaxy far, far away. The High Republic novels caught my eye and have been recommended to me by some trustworthy friends, but something about Force Collector by Kevin Shinick pulled me in. I brought it home, told my fellow Star Wars friends I purchased it, and then did not read it for two and a half weeks.
I finally got to crack it open last Friday and dive in after a long day of teaching. It was exactly what I was searching for. Easy to read and easy to digest! Karr is interesting and has a unique Force power, no Jedi to be seen – just conspiracy theories about them, and so many Easter Eggs. Just in time for the holiday too!
The Easter Eggs stem from the objects that Karr obtains. He collects them because of the Force ability he possesses that allows him to see into an object’s history (Psychometry). As of this moment, he cannot control it very well, and the visions cause him to have a searing headache and pass out. His grandma made him a pair of gloves to help mitigate random episodes from occurring. His grandma does explain the Force to him as best she could, but admits a Jedi would be more help to him. He now spends his time buying or trading for objects that may have links to Jedi in order to help him understand and control his ability.
Death Star Era Stormtrooper Helmet
Karr purchased this from a fellow student at school named Janu Blenn. Janu said it belonged to a family member and the owner had his mind manipulated by a Jedi. When Karr put the helmet on he had a vision of someone warning him not to stare directly into a “double-haloed Tatooine eclipse.” This is tantalizingly close to being exactly what Karr is looking for. We know that Obi-Wan mind tricked a stormtrooper on Tatooine, but apparently not this one.
Small Metal Drafting Tool
This object is handed to Karr by a Mirialan girl named Maize. Her father works for the First Order and she has recently been transferred to Karr’s school. They meet in the headmaster’s office and Maize asks what he did to be sent there. During his explanation, he opens up about his ability, and she understandably does not believe him and asks him to prove it. She passes him the small drafting tool and he has a vision when he touches it. In it he sees that the tool was actually part of something much bigger; connected to something that “felt like death” and was covered in ice and snow. Since we know her father works for the First Order, it can be inferred that he is stationed on Starkiller Base.
A99 Aquata Breather
This was another close, but no cigar artifact that Karr owns. He bought it from a fishing merchant who proclaimed it was used by Jedi for underwater reconnaissance, but no matter how hard he tried, the aquata breather did not send him a vision. This object may be a dud, but this could have been something connected to Qui-Gon or Obi-Wan, because we know they used this very item to meet with the Gungans during Phantom Menace.
Part of a Wooden Staff with a Silver Handle
This relic is the closest Karr has been to seeing a Jedi. In the vision, the person wielding this weapon was not wearing traditional Jedi garb, held the staff as if it were a lightsaber, and “mumbled something about the Force” during a large battle. This was Chirrut Îmwe’s staff! A Force acolyte and Guardian of the Whills! The battle he saw was the battle on Scarif featured at the end of Rouge One.
Neuro-Saav TD-Seires Electrobinoculars
This one was my absolute favorite Easter Egg so far. The object held no vision that we are aware of, but the merchant that sold Karr this relic recounted a peculiar story about Tusken Raiders. Karr believes this tale explains how the entire Jedi society vanished without a trace. The merchant talked about how the nomadic sand people needed to migrate due to bad conditions in their current settlement. A small group left to find a better location and when they did, one member of the party began the return journey to guide everyone to the new camp. It took him a whole season due to the harsh Tatooine weather, but when he arrived everyone had vanished. Even the women and children. All that was left was a “drawing of a mysterious figure etched on a stone.”
Karr doesn’t know how right he is. He assumed this story explains the disappearance of the Jedi and it does! Anakin Skywalker is the mysterious figure etched in the stone and caused the disappearance of the Tusken Raider tribe and the Jedi. He slaughtered the bulk of the next generation of Jedi in the temple of Coruscant, and then led the Inquisitors’ manhunt for the rest of the survivors of Order 66.
I cannot wait to continue reading the Force Collector by Kevin Shinick, and find even more fascinating Easter Eggs. Although I have not gotten too deep into the story, I am anxious and so excited to see what other artifacts Karr buys, trades, borrows, and maybe even steals to get the answers he needs about Jedi. I want him to succeed and fully recognize the amazing gift he has.
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