Captain Phasma Star Wars Novel Reveals Mad Max-Type Origin Story
Captain Phasma is one of those fan-favorite Star Wars characters that we barely know anything about. But that's about to change with the release of a new novel in the Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi publishing program.
Delilah S. Dawson's Phasma will explain how the character played by Gwendoline Christie (also known as Brienne of Tarth on Game of Thrones) came to be aligned with the First Order. Phasma grew up as a warrior in the Scyre tribe on a low-tech world called Parnassos. Her tribe competed with rival clans to scavenge technological material from ships that crash-landed on her planet. But an opportunity comes up when Brendol Hux (the father of General Hux and the man who created the program to brainwash Stormtroopers) crashes on her world.
That's where we pick up in an excerpt released from the book, which will arrive on Force Friday II next week. Read a portion below, and check out the whole excerpt on StarWars.com:
Without a word, Phasma urged her people forward, motioning for them to be quiet and quick. When they stood on the edge of the plateau, behind the crowd of Claw folk so mesmerized that they hadn't even noticed the interlopers, Phasma and her people finally saw the miracle occurring.
The Claw's leader had pushed the man gently aside and reached for the next figure, a warrior wearing white armor streaked with gray sand over a thin suit of black. A gasp went over the Claw folk, and Phasma's warriors, too—such armor would've given anyone on Parnassos a huge advantage over the elements, and the solid helmet seemed an improvement over their light leather masks. Two more white-armored soldiers followed, and lastly came a droid. It was shaped vaguely like a human and made of matte-black metal, and it took the longest to haul up, due, most likely, to its weight and its inability to climb. The people of Parnassos had seen the component parts of hundreds of droids and even used droid metal for their weapons, but no one living had seen a droid stand of its own volition and hold up an indignant hand, as this black droid did when the Claw attempted to touch it.
The droid spoke to the man in black with a mechanized voice. It was hard to hear on the plateau, surrounded by whispering and the sudden gusts of wind, but the language seemed both familiar and different. The man in black spoke back to the droid, and the droid spoke again, this time much louder, its voice projected by some sort of strange machinery.
"My name is Brendol Hux, and I'm afraid my starship was shot down by an automated defense system over your world. My language is a little different from yours, so this droid will translate to your more primitive dialect.
"My emergency pod has landed very far from my ship. I have lost several of my own people in this horrible tragedy. But if you are willing to help me, I can offer you the kind of technology and supplies that your world has lost. I come from a powerful band called the First Order that brings peace to the galaxy. I am tasked with scouring the stars for the greatest warriors, that they might join our cause. Our people are well cared for and well trained. Ask my soldiers, here. Troopers, is that not so?"
The three soldiers in white nodded and barked, "Yes, sir!"
"Each of these warriors was selected from a distant planet and trained to fight for the First Order. If your people help return us to our ship, I will take whoever wishes to join me back to our fleet. These soldiers will live in glory and wealth, never suffering for want again. Now, who will help me?"
The Claw people stood to cheer, but a new figure appeared beside Brendol Hux, a warrior wearing a fierce red mask.
"I am Phasma, and I am the greatest warrior of Parnassos." Removing her mask, Phasma faced Brendol and waited for the robot to translate. "I will help you find your ship."
The novel Phasma will hit stores on Force Friday II, September 1. While you're out looking for it, be sure to use your Star Wars app to take part in the augmented reality experience.
