A Crash of Fate: Discussion with Zoraida Córdova

The Black Spire Outpost continues to fill in with details of new characters, traditions and easter eggs like a new, blank coloring book being ferociously decorated.

With her young adult Star Wars romance novel A Crash of Fate, Zoraida Córdova has basically melted down a few 64-count boxes of crayons and poured them into the expanding depth of Batuu—providing the soul and foundation of a large community of inhabitants.

The two most important new characters are 7-year-old Izzy Garsea and 6-year-old Jules Rakab—who we initially meet in the prologue, a part not originally intended for the book according to Córdova who does it as an exercise to help understand her characters better.

“I knew I wanted to keep it because it solidified the spirit of who they are despite the things that happen to them—and how they change 13 years later,” explained Córdova in an interview with TatooineTimes.com.

The children we meet during the prologue don’t get long to enjoy their youth together as that day ends with Izzy and her parents quickly leaving Batuu that evening—with no explanation—thanks, Oga Garra—and with Izzy taking only memories and a carved ring Jules gave her earlier that day as mementos of Batuu and their friendship.

And the ring is so much more than jewelry. It is Batuu. It was carved by Jules’ father from “smooth black stone with natural flecks of gold along the surface.” A piece of the Outpost refined into an heirloom—that Jules wanted to share with his best friend—that just saved his life.

“I wanted to give Jules’ family the tradition of ‘this is what we have. This stone came from Batuu—this is ours—from this earth,’” Córdova explained.

And as it journeys throughout the story—and Izzy’s journey—it is an anchor of sorts. “She thinks she doesn’t have a home but it’s literally with her the whole time,” Córdova said. “That’s why it’s not a metal ring—it’s carved from part of Batuu.”

She needed the return to the Black Spire Outpost—not just to reunite with her past and figure out her future—but also to face her present and a false family she thought she was growing into.

The leader of the crew Izzy and her then-boyfriend, Damar Olin, joined was Ana Tolla. She was a relentless and unforgiving smuggler that ran a tight ship and deemed Izzy expendable.

“I was just thinking—who is a bad bitch in the galaxy?” Córdova explained.

Drawing from episodes of The Clone Wars, Aurra Sing was an influence on the development of Tolla, as the author worked her way through the thought process of what people are willing to do to get by during the worst times in the galaxy.

“Ana Tolla will take advantage of people…and tells Izzy all the time—you and I are not that different—and that’s something that scares [Izzy],” Córdova said.

After facing Tolla—and surviving the experience—Izzy is able to take time to decide her next move, but not until after a night of celebrating with other characters from the story in Oga’s Cantina.

The heroine of the story enters the celebratory hub of the people of Black Spire Outpost—having found purpose, a home and a partner, possibly through the will of the Force—as Córdova shows her creativity and respect for the broader scope of the Star Wars canon.

In a subtle reference, Izzy notices blaster marks on the wall of the cantina. She doesn’t know they were intended for Anakin Skywalker while standing at the bar many years before. His new acquaintance—a Chiss from wild space who went by the name Thrawn—inadvertently pushed the Jedi out of the way as shots neared their target.

The burns in the wall—from Timothy Zahn’s Thrawn: Alliances—are referenced by Córdova, paying homage to an early portrayal of Batuu before most reference materials were available. This pair of blaster marks can be found in Oga’s Cantina at the Disney Parks in Florida and California.

“I always try to reference—if I can—another Star Wars book. I did it intentionally … and if you go to Batuu that shot is there in the wall,” explained the author who appreciates the access she had to background material that was kept very secretive.

“Before the park was complete it felt like a real place because I was given these documents I could access through a [secure network],” explained Córdova. “I was given these documents with the landscape, the lay of the land, the character profiles of the people there like Vi Moradi, Dok-Ondar and Savi—so it felt very real to me.”

And that sense of reality allowed both her and Delilah Dawson, author of Black Spire, to take a major step in world-building for all things Galaxy’s Edge through their stories, which is just another reason Córdova appreciates the approach Disney is taking with storytelling.

“The books dig into so much and that’s why I love them.”

We do too, Z.

Keep up with everything Córdova is up to by following her on Twitter, Instagram and her website. Incendiary, her newest novel, is available for pre-order and will be released on April 28, 2020 … and she’s working on something new for Star Wars but she couldn’t share that information (yet).