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Dark Forces Star Wars

Soldier For The Empire – Part I

Star Wars: Dark ForcesOn Sullun, one of the moons of Sullust, a Rebel uprising is violently put down by Captain Thrawn’s Imperial platoons. But Thrawn’s superior, a dark Jedi named Lord Jerec, has a mission of a more personal nature as he searches for a Rebel named Morgan Katarn. Katarn’s latent ability with the Force – and his steadfast refusal to use it for fear of misusing the power – has earned him the label of a coward in Jerec’s eyes, and when Katarn refuses to give up any information about the Rebellion, Jerec murders him in cold blood.

Ironically, Morgan Katarn’s son Kyle is enrolled in the Imperial Academy, on the fast track through officer training. But Kyle’s disastrous cadet leader mission reveals two things which could be his downfall in the Empire: he too has a latent ability to use the Force, and his distaste for meaningless killing has no place in the take-no-prisoners war the Empire is waging against the Rebels. Despite the high rate of casualties among Kyle’s own Imperial platoon, he’s decorated as a war hero for seizing a Rebel communications outpost and graduates from the Academy with honors – just before his commandant informs him of his father’s death, supposedly at the hands of Rebels. Kyle books a cruise in what little leave time he has between his graduation and reporting for duty, and on the cruise ship he spots a woman who he remembers as being among the Rebels from the outpost against which he led the assault. He’s eager to speak to her again, but he’s caught off guard when he discovers that she’s just as eager to speak to him – and to reveal the true nature of his father’s fate.

Order this CDwritten by John Whitman
based on the book by William C. Dietz and Dean Williams
inspired by the video game Star Wars: Dark Forces
directed by Peter Moore
music by John Williams

Cast: Randal Berger (Kyle Katarn), Mo Collins (Jan Ors), Bob Davis (Skorg Jameson / Lando Calrissian), Chris Forth (Mon Mothma), Christopher Bloch (Rosco Ross), Virginia Burke (Courier), James Cada (Sergeant Major Hong), David Chase (Morgan Katarn), Patrick Coyle (Nathan Donar), Gary Groomes (Governor Donar / Major Horst), Allen Hamilton (Jerec), Peter Moore (Meck Odom / Slyder), Tim Russell (Captain Thrawn, A-Cee / General Mohc), Ken Hiller (Narrator)

Notes: Recorded at Tom Voegli Productions (run by the producer of the original NPR Star Wars radio dramas), the Dark Empire audiobooks are full-cast adaptations – in a similar style to the radio dramas – of a series of novellas based on the popular first-person shooter video game Star Wars: Dark Forces. The game’s popularity was such that it even added a few action figures to the Star Wars toy line. The adaptation scripts were written by John Whitman, who generated “additional material” added onto the late Brian Daley’s scripts for the Return Of The Jedi radio series. Narrator Ken Hiller is the only voice common to the cast of the original NPR radio dramas and the Dark Forces audio plays.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Dark Forces Star Wars

Soldier For The Empire – Part II

Star Wars: Dark ForcesAfter learning what happened to his father, Kyle Katarn tells Jan Ors, the Rebel woman who he allowed to escape from the communications outpost, that he has changed his mind about service to the Empire. But before he can put any more thought into his defection than that, he discovers that he’s being watched – and so is Jan. Kyle throws his lot in with the Rebels as they make a hasty escape from the cruise ship, and winds up on the Empire’s most wanted list soon afterward. Jan takes him to meet Mon Mothma, a Rebel leader who assigns him to what may very well be a suicide mission – Kyle is to infiltrate an Imperial research facility and steal the plans to the Empire’s next doomsday weapon, a mobile space station called the Death Star. Mon Mothma also assigns Jan Ors to back Kyle up – or, if she sees anything that gives her even the slightest suspicion of betrayal, to kill him.

Order this CDwritten by John Whitman
based on the book by William C. Dietz and Dean Williams
inspired by the video game Star Wars: Dark Forces
directed by Peter Moore
music by John Williams

Cast: Randal Berger (Kyle Katarn), Mo Collins (Jan Ors), Bob Davis (Skorg Jameson / Lando Calrissian), Chris Forth (Mon Mothma), Christopher Bloch (Rosco Ross), Virginia Burke (Courier), James Cada (Sergeant Major Hong), David Chase (Morgan Katarn), Patrick Coyle (Nathan Donar), Gary Groomes (Governor Donar / Major Horst), Allen Hamilton (Jerec), Peter Moore (Meck Odom / Slyder), Tim Russell (Captain Thrawn, A-Cee / General Mohc), Ken Hiller (Narrator)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Dark Forces Star Wars

Rebel Agent – Part I

Star Wars: Dark ForcesFive years after the fall of the Empire at Endor, Kyle Katarn slips away on an unauthorized personal mission to Nar Shadaa, and quickly draws the wrong kind of attention – bounty hunters have been hired by Lord Jerec to literally bring Kyle’s head to the dark Jedi. In this case, they’re hired by a droid dispatched by Jerec to ensure that the job gets done. The droid has tried to enlist the best of the best, including Boba Fett himself, but when he turns the job down, less experienced mercenaries try to take Kyle out. Jerec’s droid taunts Kyle with a disc containing an encoded message from his father. Kyle takes reckless, death-defying risks to shake off or dispose of his attackers and reach the disc, but at a high cost. Fortunately, Jan Ors has taken on an equally unauthorized mission to follow Kyle in case he winds up in trouble. Remnants of the Empire quickly converge to capture Kyle, and even when Jan rescues him, he has suffered critical injuries.

Order this CDwritten by John Whitman
based on the book by William C. Dietz and Dean Williams
inspired by the video game Star Wars: Dark Forces
directed by Peter Moore
music by John Williams

Cast: Randal Berger (Kyle Katarn), Mo Collins (Jan Ors), Mark Benninghofen (Luke SKywalker)), Susanne Egli (Princess Leia), Chris Forth (Mon Mothma), Tim Glovatsky (Boba Fett, Bar Bouncer / Grentho), Virginia Burke (Norley), David Chase (Morgan Katarn), Patrick Coyle (Bounty Hunter 2), Nancy Crocker (Sariss), Stephen D’Ambrose (Pilot / Boc), Wendy Easton (Female Bounty Hunter), Jeff Gadbois (Doctor), Gary Groomes (Gorc), Allen Hamilton (Jerec), Tom Keith (Captain Jerg / Rolanda / Goon 1), Timothy Kuhlmann (Yun), Michael Levin (Duno), Peter Moore (Nij Por Ral, 8t88), Bob Otto (Majordomo), Cliff Rakerd (Pic / WeeGee), Martin Ruben (Maw), Tim Russell (Bounty Hunter 1 / Captain Zyak), Bill Slichter (Goon 2 / Orderly), Michael Tezla (Rahn), Ken Hiller (Narrator)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Dark Forces Star Wars

Rebel Agent – Part II

Star Wars: Dark ForcesMon Mothma begins an inquiry into Kyle Katarn’s unauthorized adventure on Nar Shadaa, and brings Luke and Leia with her. Jan reveals the disc containing a message from Kyle’s father, and Luke’s interest is piqued in the message’s mention of the legendary Valley of the Jedi, as well as the prospect that Kyle shares a talent with the Force. Leia and Mon Mothma protest that the search for this valley, and the immense power it’s rumored to hold, represents a new quest that the Rebels are stretched too thin to undertake. But Luke, who has also heard of the Valley of the Jedi, insists that Kyle should be given enough leeway to find it. Mon Mothma reluctantly agrees, but assigns Jan to follow Kyle – and, again, orders Jan to kill him if he shows signs of turning against the Alliance and using the Valley’s power for his own gain.

Order this CDwritten by John Whitman
based on the book by William C. Dietz and Dean Williams
inspired by the video game Star Wars: Dark Forces
directed by Peter Moore
music by John Williams

Cast: Randal Berger (Kyle Katarn), Mo Collins (Jan Ors), Mark Benninghofen (Luke SKywalker), Susanne Egli (Princess Leia), Chris Forth (Mon Mothma), Tim Glovatsky (Boba Fett, Bar Bouncer / Grentho), Virginia Burke (Norley), David Chase (Morgan Katarn), Patrick Coyle (Bounty Hunter 2), Nancy Crocker (Sariss), Stephen D’Ambrose (Pilot / Boc), Wendy Easton (Female Bounty Hunter), Jeff Gadbois (Doctor), Gary Groomes (Gorc), Allen Hamilton (Jerec), Tom Keith (Captain Jerg / Rolanda / Goon 1), Timothy Kuhlmann (Yun), Michael Levin (Duno), Peter Moore (Nij Por Ral, 8t88), Bob Otto (Majordomo), Cliff Rakerd (Pic / WeeGee), Martin Ruben (Maw), Tim Russell (Bounty Hunter 1 / Captain Zyak), Bill Slichter (Goon 2 / Orderly), Michael Tezla (Rahn), Ken Hiller (Narrator)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Dark Forces Star Wars

Jedi Knight – Part I

Star Wars: Dark ForcesLord Jerec, the Dark Jedi following Morgan Katarn’s map to find the lost Valley of the Jedi, sends an Imperial probe droid to the planet where the Valley is located – and it is promptly destroyed by one of the Rebels who was evacuated from Sulon by Morgan. Jerec dispatches his Dark Jedi to survey the nearest settlement to the probe droid’s final location – and then to lead an attack to flatten it. But Rebel help is already on the way, in the form of an Alliance capital ship, the Millennium Falcon, and eventually Luke’s X-wing and Kyle Katarn’s ship, the Moldy Crow. After a pitched battle in orbit, Kyle and Jan Ors go to the planet so Kyle can continue his own search for the Valley – and an inevitable meeting with the man who killed his father. But first, Kyle encounters his father’s fellow settlers, whose allegiances lie firmly with the Rebel Alliance – and the last time any of them saw Kyle, he was on the fast track through the Imperial Academy.

Order this CDwritten by John Whitman
based on the book by William C. Dietz and Dean Williams
inspired by the video game Star Wars: Dark Forces
directed by Peter Moore
music by John Williams

Cast: Randal Berger (Kyle Katarn), Christopher Bloch (Lt. Aagon / Bouncer), Mo Collins (Jan Ors), Mark Benninghofen (Luke Skywalker), James Gaulke (Han Solo), Susanne Egli (Princess Leia), Chris Forth (Mon Mothma), Patrick Coyle (Speeder Pilot / Imperial Co-Pilot), James Cada (Screamer / Imperial Pilot), Nancy Crocker (Sariss), Stephen D’Ambrose (Boc / Weapons Officer), Louise Enyeart (Lasko / Peeno), Gary Groomes (Major Vig), Allen Hamilton (Jerec), Emil Herrera (Obata), Jay Hornbacher (Grif), Tom Keith (Sergeant / Imperial Pilot), Timothy Kuhlmann (Yun), Peter Moore (Officer / Floater), Martin Ruben (Battle Droid / Maw), Sue Scott (Carole), Michael Tezla (Rahn), Jack Walsh (Mayor Devo / Pardy), John Wehrmann (Captain Trico), Stephen Yoakam (Dinko / Executive / Captain Tola), Ken Hiller (Narrator)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Dark Forces Star Wars

Jedi Knight – Part II

Star Wars: Dark ForcesKyle has to talk fast to convince the Rebels on the planet to trust him, but by the time he has gained their trust and continued his mission to the Valley of the Jedi, Lord Jerec has already taken control. But the Dark Jedi’s occupation of the Valley isn’t without cost – he hopes to tap into the residual power from the spirits of many Jedi who died in an epic battle there, but the spirit of a Jedi who befriended Kyle’s father is defying death long enough to help him – and to show one of Jerec’s proteges the power of the light side of the Force. Kyle’s unseen mentor warns him against using his hatred and joining the dark side, but when Jerec takes Jan Ors prisoner and calls on the Valley’s power to battle the fledgling Jedi Knight, can Kyle resist the lure of vengeance?

Order this CDwritten by John Whitman
based on the book by William C. Dietz and Dean Williams
inspired by the video game Star Wars: Dark Forces
directed by Peter Moore
music by John Williams

Cast: Randal Berger (Kyle Katarn), Christopher Bloch (Lt. Aagon / Bouncer), Mo Collins (Jan Ors), Mark Benninghofen (Luke Skywalker), James Gaulke (Han Solo), Susanne Egli (Princess Leia), Chris Forth (Mon Mothma), Patrick Coyle (Speeder Pilot / Imperial Co-Pilot), James Cada (Screamer / Imperial Pilot), Nancy Crocker (Sariss), Stephen D’Ambrose (Boc / Weapons Officer), Louise Enyeart (Lasko / Peeno), Gary Groomes (Major Vig), Allen Hamilton (Jerec), Emil Herrera (Obata), Jay Hornbacher (Grif), Tom Keith (Sergeant / Imperial Pilot), Timothy Kuhlmann (Yun), Peter Moore (Officer / Floater), Martin Ruben (Battle Droid / Maw), Sue Scott (Carole), Michael Tezla (Rahn), Jack Walsh (Mayor Devo / Pardy), John Wehrmann (Captain Trico), Stephen Yoakam (Dinko / Executive / Captain Tola), Ken Hiller (Narrator)

LogBook entry by Earl Green