"Of Possible Futures: The Tale of Zuckuss and 4-LOM," a short story penned by M. Shayne Bell, made its debut in December 1996 through Bantam Spectra as part of Tales of the Bounty Hunters. The narrative delves into the background stories of the bounty hunters Zuckuss and 4-LOM.
The narrative commences right before the bounty hunter sequence in Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back, depicting Zuckuss in a state of meditation. Through this practice, he gains insights into potential future events. The concept of varying futures and the potential for change forms a key theme: the characters encounter survivors of the Battle of Hoth, which drives the story forward. The author intentionally avoids a definitive conclusion, preferring instead to create ambiguity, with the story serving as a personal reflection on the repercussions of actions.
The theme of perception is interwoven with the idea of counter-epiphanies, emphasizing how perspectives can shift.
In the film The Empire Strikes Back, Princess Leia Organa instructs a male controller in the Echo Base command center to "give the evacuation code signal. And get to your transports!" However, the story presents a slightly different version of this line: "Give the evacuation code, and get to the transport!" Furthermore, the story identifies Toryn Farr as the controller issuing the retreat order to the troops still fighting, suggesting the command was specifically directed at her, rather than the male controller.
The final transport to depart the planet, known as the Bright Hope, is described as being located inside a hangar within the base, in contrast to Organa's explanation during the film, where she states that it was assembled on the South Slope prior to the battle while debriefing Rogue Squadron.
The story creates ambiguity regarding whether "F4-7" is a distinct medical droid from FX-7, as the writer, M. Shayne Bell, appears to use both names interchangeably when seemingly referring to the same droid. Later, The Essential Reader's Companion clarifies that F4-7 is simply a misspelling of FX-7.
"Of Possible Futures" is among the sources that imply the Rebel Alliance leaves the galaxy at the conclusion of The Empire Strikes Back.
Additionally, the story introduces a character named Darklighter who escapes on board the Bright Hope. It remains uncertain whether this individual is related to the Darklighter family that includes Biggs and Gavin Darklighter.