One of the things I really like about the Zahn books- especially the ones that have become to be known as the Thrawn Trilogy, is that there's no giant orb death machine. There's no big end all game changer super weapon that will single-handedly threaten all of species everywhere if you don't do what we say. Nothing.
There's strategy, there's conniving, there's evil, there's plans, there's motives, there's battles... but none of it is around the evil guys building a uber weapon and the good guys finding out about it and trying to figure out how to stop it.
I actually think that's a major bummer about The Force Awakens. Never mind that it's a slightly retread albiet much more energetically shot version of A New Hope (maybe 70% worth... more on that percentage in a future post). It could have been more about Kylo Ren, more about Rey, more about the First Order becoming evil and having star destroyers and the will to use them... instead of this already gigantically impractical another planet killer type weapon. Oh, and this one is actually a real planet, too.
The cool parts of Star Wars is that things are worn, things break, it's not a perfect future. It's not even the future, but that's another angle. The point is that it is a worn world. It's dirty, it's harsh, etc. So, in a sort of way, it's realistic. Yes, yes, I know... But still, in this fashion, it's realistic.
So, building a super weapon would be expensive. Really, really expensive. So there's that. And then there comes Starkiller base, which is honed out of an actual planet. So it's big. really really really big. And it's also very shiny and pretty and works great, etc.
But it's also impractical. Dare I say it but I will anyway- it's not 'realistic' in a Star Wars way. Like in a 'that wouldn't happen' kind of way. Yes, I know none of this is actually real, but you have to design for the parameters you've established for yourself and this world. As soon as we've got the ability to 'beam' ourselves to a planet without having to climb on board a ship to take us there, we've gotten out of Star Wars and into something else. So, for me, Starkiller base was really pushing the limits of what is a Star Wars thing.
I may be getting off topic a little here, but I guess my point is a super weapon is sort of unnecessary. That, an evil empire with Star Destroyers- that opening flyby in the beginning of all these movies- that was HUGE! So, the scary bits about the Empire are there already. The cool bits, too. Star Destroyers. TIE fighters, AT-AT walkers, stormtroopers... it's all so cool already. They have lots of scary stuff. Plus, they are scary all by themselves. It's enough.
Then a new movie comes out, like Rogue One fore instance, and we MUST SELL more toys! I know George made a killing off the merchandise rights for the original trilogy and kudos to him for that, but I'm not sure that profit model is still viable. (duh, of course it is, and now it's Disney...). So, even though we have movies that harken back to the early Star Wars days (and they did do a great job with that aspect) we still have to have new Empire and Rebellion ships and walkers and other things that we've never seen before... just because we need to sell toys.
So, personally, I hope the next few Star Wars movies, especially the 'episodes' won't have any more uber weapons. Let the Jedi's, the characters, the good vs. evil be the story. The ships and weapons can be just that- the things that carry the story and the people along.
One of the best things about Empire Strike Back?
There is no Death Star.
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