Ciao folks! I'm elated to finally bring you the fourth and final installment of the endnotes written as an accompaniment to The Story of General Grievous. Part 1 and Part 2 uncovered the nature of the Kaleesh warlord's psyche and back story, developed exclusively for "Unknown Soldier" in Star Wars Insider #86, while Part 3 began the exploration of Grievous' war psychology and allies as documented in the Hyperspace supplement Lord of War. Now Part 4 wraps up the discussion on how the cyborg general does battle... and his resurrection, of sorts.

And with that, let's rock 'n' roll.


Comrades (continued)

N-K Necrosis
The Grievous-like robot clone N-K Necrosis is from the massive multiplayer online roleplaying game Star Wars Galaxies expansion pack Rage of the Wookiees (2005, Sony Online Entertainment). This is the first time the details of the droid's origin are revealed, a collaboration between myself and Producer on Star Wars Galaxies Julio Torres, who provided the basic story arc for this "reincarnated" Grievous.

Nycolai Kinesworthy, the scientist who spurred Necrosis to life, and his hideout on Kashyyyk were also introduced in that same source, though his first name was cooked up in "Lord of War" in order to give meaning to the initials in N-K Necrosis.

The Prophetess of the Dark Side Merili has a somewhat convoluted background. Officially, she was introduced in "Who's Who: The Imperial Grand Admirals" in Star Wars Insider #66 (2003, Paizo), and has since appeared in The Dark Forces Saga (2005, Wizards of the Coast) and most recently Evil Never Dies: The Sith Dynasties (2006, StarWars.com). However, she originally appeared in the gaming article "Prophets of the Dark Side: Villains for the Star Wars: New Republic Campaign, Part One" in Polyhedron #103 (1994, Paizo). Though Paizo obtained the license to produce official star Wars tie-ins early in the new millennium, that was not the case when this issue of Polyhedron was published, so the "officialness" of Merili's debut in that publication is ambiguous.

The NK-3 MagnaGuard wannabes appear alongside Necrosis in Rage of the Wookiees (2005, Sony Online Entertainment), though the specifics of their capture and their part in reverse-training Necrosis are new. Darth Zannah is Darth Bane's apprentice, as seen in the comic Jedi Vs. Sith #6 (2001, Dark Horse Comics). The revelation that Necrosis' double-bladed lightsaber once belonged to her is newly established information, based on the fact that when the droid is defeated in the game, it "drops" a lightsaber crystal called Bane's Heart.

How General Grievous (and by default, Necrosis) came to possess this double-bladed lightsaber is original material, though the rumored planets where this acquisition took place, Necropolis and Dica, refer to the stories Galaxy of Fear: City of the Dead (1997, Bantam) and "Dark Jedi" in Manga Star Wars Vol. 2 (2005, Tokyopop), respectively. Necrosis' Nightblade and Grievance Striker weapons are from Rage of the Wookiees (2005, Sony Online Entertainment), though the blade's origin as Utapaun and the latter's origin as Grievous' own refurbished blaster from Revenge of the Sith were suggestions provided by Producer on Star Wars Galaxies Julio Torres.

The looting of Necrosis at the hands of a ragtag group of spacers is an homage to the players of Star Wars Galaxies, who can band together to whoop the droid's butt; after its defeated, the droid drops "loot," items of value to the game players.

The idea that Necrosis/Grievous' mask might've been sold off as a work of art to a "high-ranking Imperial admiral" is an oblique reference to a cool idea that came up in the Story of General Grievous thread on TheForce.net. For fans who know their Star Wars trivia, the art-loving tactician Grand Admiral Thrawn is obviously the patron in question.


A Warlord's Weapons

Czerka Outland Rifle
The outland rifle was introduced in the feature "The Shaman" in Star Wars Gamer #4 (2001, Wizards of the Coast). Besides its name, most other specifics concerning the weapons are new. The Bitthævrians are an obscure species introduced in the excellent book Alliance Intelligence Reports (1995, West End Games). Though the story of their conflict with the Galactic Republic was told in that source, Kaleesh involvement in the cultural clash is new.

Lig Sword
Particulars of the Lig sword, introduced in "Unknown Soldier: The Story of General Grievous" in Star Wars Insider #86 (2006, IDG Entertainment), are entirely new, including its part in Kaleesh mumuu-fighting. The metals used in forging modern Lig swords, scatrium and impervium, are respectively from the roleplaying game feature "Droids: The Adventures of Artoo-Detoo and See-Threepio" in Polyhedron #170 (2004, Paizo) and the Dark Empire Sourcebook (1994, West End Games).

Shoni Spear
Shoni spears were also first mentioned in passing in "Unknown Soldier: The Story of General Grievous" in Star Wars Insider #86 (2006, IDG Entertainment). Among other facts, it is here elucidated that the weapon takes its name from the giant swordfish from which it is harvested.


Warcraft

Tsmeu-6 Personal Wheel Bike
The name Tsmeu-6 for Grievous' wheel bike and its origin of manufacture come from the Revenge of the Sith Incredible Cross Sections (2005, Dorling Kindersley). Its status as a converted civilian vehicle comes from "Ground Assault" in Star Wars Insider #83 (2005, IDG Entertainment).

The 48 Roller is a reference to a similar wheel bike that appears in the Droids cartoon series (1985, Nelvana). Most of the specs on Grievous' transport come from the Official Star Wars Website Databank (2005, StarWars.com), though the class of double laser cannon Grievous installed for a riding companion is new.

The Battle of Parein II 4 and the debut of Grievous' wheel bike there is new information, though the oddball planet name comes from Galaxy Guide 9: Fragments From the Rim (1993, West End Games). The Jedi General Sannen is from The New Essential Guide to Droids (2006, Del Rey), while Jedi Colonel Tyneir Renz is from the short story "Idol Intentions" in Adventure Journal #12 (1997, West End Games).

Soulless One (Belbullab-22 Starfighter)
The make, model, and specs of Grievous' starfighter largely come from the Official Star Wars Website Databank (2005, StarWars.com) and the Revenge of the Sith Incredible Cross Sections (2005, Dorling Kindersley).

The real kicker concerning Grievous starfighter is not only the revelation of the craft's name, but its creative employment by Obi-Wan after the events of Revenge of the Sith. The fighter's new lease on life in the N-K project relates to the fact that among the "loot" N-K Necrosis drops in Rage of the Wookiees (2005, Sony Online Entertainment) when defeated is the deed to Grievous' old ship. As a final treat, sharp-eyed fans will also notice a sly reference here to the comic "Old Wounds" from Visionaries (2005, Dark Horse Comics), in which a more-machine-than-man Darth Maul seeks retribution from his old pal Ben Kenobi. Born-again cyborgs tend to stick together, it seems. ~ Abel G. Peña
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You thought we were done? Check out the special addendum to the Story of General Grievous, The Making of Qymaen jai Sheelal to find out the real world inspirations used for creating the back story of the Revenge of the Sith villain!


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