Biggs Darklighter and the EU

[Jedi Master Spock]

One thing I got curious about after the argument over at ST.com was the question of what exactly the EU says about Biggs.

We know the novelization tells us that Biggs isn't going to wait to be conscripted and is serving as first mate on the freighter Rand Ecliptic. Biggs tells us as much. This is G canon, and overrides any EU source in any case.

I pointed this out.

Meanwhile, my opponent was asserting that Biggs, as an Imperial Academy graduate, was serving on the frigate Rand Ecliptic, as asserted in some EU source, and already was an Imperial military officer per the terms laid out in his going to the Academy, and lying through his teeth to Luke Skywalker, who was thinking about going to the Academy himself and almost applied. No explanation was given as to why Biggs would lie, of course, and I attacked this sharply.

I thought I would take a look at what various EU sources actually say, since I was taking my claim that EU sources conflict on the story basically from Wookieepedia rather than looking at the sources themselves.

Galaxy Guide 3: The Empire Strikes Back, by Michael Stern: (also available on Hyperspace under the title "Mutiny on the Rand Ecliptic.")

This source has a nostalgic Luke prying Biggs' full story from Hobbie, who tells him that Hobbie (Derek Klivian formally) and Biggs served together on the Rand Ecliptic. Hobbie is the friend of Biggs who knew someone in the Alliance (Lindy), and the two of them defected while the Rand Ecliptic was bringing in a load of rubindium ore to an Imperial navy yard. They actually hijacked the ship and piloted it out of the system, using half the cargo to slow down TIEs trying to intercept them; the captain was secretly complicit in this operation.

Conclusion: Rand Ecliptic is a freighter and part of the Imperial merchant marine. Imperial service, but not military service. Published 1989 originally, republished 2007.

Star Wars Empire: Darklighter, from Dark Horse Comics:
This comic book has Biggs in Imperial Navy uniform on the "Class II Frigate" Rand Ecliptic, which is clearly a military vessel. However, it agrees with the above that Biggs and Hobbie led a mutiny on the Rand Ecliptic, in this case because Biggs had too much integrity to serve the Empire after seeing atrocities committed.

Conclusion: Rand Ecliptic is a frigate and Biggs was an Imperial military officer, but of great personal integrity, and therefore shouldn't be lying to Luke.

The conflict is clear, as is the fact that the sources placing Biggs in Imperial military service also imply that he is of (as I pointed out) impeccable character and would not be lying to Luke about something like that. The comic books tend to be relegated to S ("secondary") levels within the EU in any case, and the most recent publication as well as the highest canon (novelization) are in perfect agreement that the Rand Ecliptic was a freighter.