38 BBY: Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan: The Aurorient Express

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan: The Aurorient Express is a funny little Star Wars comic adaptation of Agatha Christie’s 1934 novel Murder on the Orient Express. However, the only similarities between this story and the original are a varied cast of characters all involved in a mystery. Instead of detective Hercule Poirot attempting to solve a murder, we have Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan trying to figure out why the Luxury cruise liner The Aurorient Express is being targeted for destruction.


At the end of the day it wasn’t the eco-terrorists who destroyed the ship; rather, it was the vessels own disgruntled crew.

Anyway, I really don’t have much to comment on with regards to this source. I enjoyed it. I thought it was a fun little read with spots of humor here and there. The art was ok and the story moved at an adequate pace. My favorite character was the smarmy Saul Moegantz, a gambler and criminal gangster. Maybe I’ll mental-note this guy and include him in my own fiction in the future.

The only aspect of this story I’m having trouble with is the discussion of utilitarianism at the start. Helvetius and Jeremy Bentham would be proud of Count Dooku for ingraining such important philosophy onto his pupil Qui-Gon Jinn, for now it is Qui-Gon who is trying to convince his apprentice that ‘the ends justify the means’. As Obi-Wan asks of his master’s former teacher: “He actually believed that certain despicable behaviors can be conscionable?” Qui-Gon responds with: “If it is overshadowed by a greater outcome, yes”. What I’m struggling to figure out here is if this conversation had anything to do with the events of the story. I’m not sure it did, but maybe I missed something? Was there a reason utilitarianism was evoked at the start of this tale that I can’t see?

As it is, I’m not surprised it was Dooku who convinced Qui-Gon of the validity of utilitarianism, as it flies in the face of the Jedi’s virtue ethics.

For my next post I’m going to look at the following story in the Rise of the Sith omnibus Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan: Last Stand on Ord Mantell. Until then my friends, may the Force be with you.