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Mild spoilers for Queen’s Peril by E.K. Johnston in this episode! I’m on record as saying that I think the whole taxation of trade routes thing is a perfectly fine entry point for The Phantom Menace. After all, the dispute happens off screen, and we jump right into blockades and invasions and Jedi action.
Well, speaking of off screen … since the events of Queen’s Peril take place in the months leading up to The Phantom Menace, you can see how taxation issues might be brought into play. But lest you think Johnston would avoid them in favor of something more obviously dramatic, I’m here to applaud her for the fact that she committed to the deal, so to speak. Multiple scenes in the book address the topic, and a diplomatic undertaking by Queen Amidala pushes that taxation clash forward.
I’ll be talking about those scenes on today’s episode, and they feature some surprise guest stars in the book. Punch it!