"Red Sky, Blue Flame," a short narrative penned by Elaine Cunningham, saw its initial publication within the pages of Star Wars Gamer 7 back in 2001. The setting is a Chiss military training outpost situated within the Rata Nebula, unfolding a few years prior to the significant events of the Yuuzhan Vong War.
The narrative of "Red Sky, Blue Flame" centers on Jagged Fel's demonstration of his leadership skills to Shawnkyr Nuruodo and his Chiss peers. It details the origin of the distinctive scar he bears on his forehead, and the story of how the Fel family earned the trust of the Chiss.
The placement of "Red Sky, Blue Flame" within the broader Star Wars timeline presents certain challenges. Several internal allusions strongly suggest a timeframe shortly after Vision of the Future in 19 ABY, a placement almost certainly intended by the author. However, the narrative seemingly depicts the demise of Stent, who is alive in Timothy Zahn's subsequent novel, Survivor's Quest, which is set in 22 ABY.
Within "Red Sky, Blue Flame," Jag Fel's age is given as fourteen. The New Essential Chronology indicates that Jag Fel's birth occurred in 7 ABY, establishing that the story's events unfold in 21 ABY.
Upon realization of this discrepancy, LucasBooks editor Sue Rostoni initially proposed relocating the story to a point after the events of Survivor's Quest. However, the novel Dark Nest I: The Joiner King appears to contradict a key element of Rostoni's proposed solution, specifically the proposed equivalence of Jag's brothers Davin and Chak. Some fans find it simpler to reconcile Stent's survival and Jag's age than to retroactively alter the backstory of "Red Sky, Blue Flame" to align with the events depicted in Survivor's Quest.
The Essential Reader's Companion indicates that The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia addressed this issue by explicitly stating that Stent survived the attack on Rhigar. However, the relevant entries within the encyclopedia remain somewhat ambiguous in their descriptions.