New Year, Old Battles

Welcome in Kyber Squadron! The new year has begun and we are faced with something that some people thought would never happen—a second Trump term. No matter what you thought of Rise of Skywalker, Poe Dameron’s “Somehow, Palpatine returned,” quote has more relevance now more than ever. With that in mind, this newsletter is a reminder that even with all the work ahead, we have plenty to take solace in and even celebrate!

Our Mission Log for this week is pretty sparse as most of the episodes released were focused on some year-end traditions. As usual, I released the “Updates from the Illumination” episode that informs listeners of what they can expect from the podcast this year. I am very excited for this year because I have made both the intro and outro myself which was a big personal milestone. Now, I’ll have an entire year to create next season’s intro and refine the outro as I see fit, but everything from the graphics to the audio bumpers are mine which any creative will tell you is something worth celebrating. On the policy side, I tried my best to make Tariffs interesting by covering the history of them and how Trade Wars played out in Star Wars when the Trade Federation blocked goods from entering Naboo. Finally, I ended last year with a new tradition for the podcast which I am calling Final Order, after Palpatine’s short-lived endgame, and the episode will be a final deep dive of one Star Wars story that captivated me that year. The inaugural episode is dedicated to the Acolyte, which will always have a special place in my heart as a High Republic nerd.

With the start of the new year comes plenty of changes that will reverberate throughout the year. Before we even made it to the first lunch break of 2025, there were two separate attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas that raised questions about Mental Health, (falsely) Immigration, and tapped into the general anxiety in the US with the incoming administration. Keeping Immigration in mind, I am looking forward to seeing how local officials and state elected officials respond to whatever happens after the inauguration. Particularly, pay attention to Florida and State Representative Anna Eskamani, who will be running for Mayor of Orlando after her current term ends. Opposing the worst outcomes of the next four years will require us to learn quickly from the people who have been fighting in Red states like Florida. These issues will not go away, and it does not bode well that we started 2025 with multiple instances of violence of a blatantly political nature. However, people like Rep. Eskamani give me hope because it is a reminder that hope is a discipline and the future is lost the moment we start pretending that there isn’t a future to fight for.

To end this newsletter, I wanted to ask you to share any of your Star Wars Holiday hauls! I was a good Sith this year (is there such a thing?) and was able to get both a Kylo Ren Corkcicle and Vader long sleeve from the annual Star Wars x Columbia collaboration. A new year means a new chance for new books, comics, and merch overall, so if you didn’t get any new gear for your collection last year, let me know one thing you would like to get or see this year for fans to collect! Next month, I’ll share some of your hauls, and talk about one of my favorite collectibles, the trading card game Star Wars Unlimited!