James Luceno 2005 – Del Rey 19 Years Before The Battle of Yavin Site Rating =  Buy Now from Amazon.Com

SPOILER ALERT: This Will Spoil The Plot of the Book!

It is the final moments of the Clone Wars.  Jedi Masters Roan Shryne and Bol Chatak, along with Padawan Olee Starstone are engaged in a battle on the planet Murkhana.  While they are attempting to secure a landing platform for the Republic attack, Salvo, the Clone Commander receives Order 66.  As they complete their mission the Jedi are ambushed by several Clones.  The attack, however, is thwarted by another trooper named Climber who does not entirely understand the order to kill all the Jedi.  Salvo arrives and reveals the order came from Palpatine himself.  Climber tells the Jedi that if he sees them again, he won’t let them pass.  After a few hours the Jedi receive a signal to return home to the Jedi Temple.  Unsure of what the signal means they decide to steal a transport once the other Republic ships arrive.  As they attempt to do so, a second beacon signal arrives telling them to stay away from Coruscant and go into hiding.  This delay results in their capture by the Clone troopers.

The Star Destroyer Exactor is in orbit around Murkhana.  It has been four weeks since the planet fell to Republic/Imperial control.  Vader is aboard the ship and communicates with Sidious.  Sidious tells him of the Clone Troopers that disobeyed Order 66.  He asks Vader to find them and make examples of them and find any Jedi that survived.  After the command, Vader reflects on his position with uncertainty.  He doubts his own abilities and reflects on what could have been had things not turned out as they have.  He is dismayed with his suit and runs over a number of defects that hinder his abilities.  He considers it solitary confinement.

Still being an unknown entity in the galaxy, Vader’s ship lands on the planet.  Some think he is a new type of trooper.  Salvo speaks with him and presents him with several dead Jedi.  Vader is displeased that not all Jedi are accounted for and wants to know who allowed the others to escape.  Climber steps forward and argues with Vader.  Shryne overhears the conversation and learns that several Jedi attacked Palpatine and the Republic is now an Empire.  He also realizes that Vader is a Sith Lord.  Climber and his men attack Vader, but he easily dispatches most of them.  Chatak decides to attack Vader and actually injures his arm.  Shryne comments on how Vader appears clumsy with a lightsaber, but seems very capable.  Nevertheless Vader kills Chatak.  All captives are loaded onto a transport.  Shryne uses force persuasion on the troopers and they allow him and Starstone to escape.

Back on Coruscant, Vader is questioning his abilities as he curses his injured arm.  He wonders if he has lost force abilities since he lost his limbs.  He is concerned that he has lost all the power that he sought and is now only a minion of Palpatine.  He thinks back to the events that lead him to this position and begins to blame Padme and Obi-Wan and their warped since of betrayal.  He was attempting to save Padme’s life and Obi-Wan from ignorance, but they could not see his side.  He would no longer be a servant of the Force.  It would now be subservient to him.  Captain Appo tells Vader that two captives are missing.  Vader says he’ll handle it personally.

Shryne and Starstone visit a smuggler named Cash Garrulan looking for help off the planet.  They learn the Clone Wars have indeed ended and the blame has been placed squarely on the Jedi and Count Dooku.  They also learn that most Jedi are dead.  Despite Starstone’s objections, Shryne strikes a deal with Cash to escape.  Vader enters Cash’s place, and Cash tells him where their ship is headed.   Imperial ships catch the ship in a tractor beam, but the two on board are actually unknowing decoys.  Vader decides to continue the hunt in his own ship.  He quickly locates the Jedi, but they escape with the help of a passing ship that drops off a booster ring allowing both ships to jump into hyperspace.

Palpatine tells a group of Senators including Bail Organa and Mon Mothra that they can debate all they want, but he has the final say in all matters of law.  He further slams his point home about the Jedi plot to take over.  The next step is to continue production of new ships and begin bringing all planets under his rule.  Organa and Mothra agree that the war is not over and make reference to the Delegation of 2000 against Palpatine.  As they leave they see Vader returning, and overhear someone calling him Lord Vader.  Organa nearly falls over from shock.

Shryne and Starstone dock with a ship called the Drunk Dancer.  Starstone is obsessed with finding other Jedi and suggests they use Shatak’s beacon to contact others that survived.  The Captain of the ship, Jula, enters the room and reveals that Shryne is her son.  Jula tells Shryne that she was never happy about him leaving for the Order.  It has his father’s idea.  She reveals she has some Force sensitivity.  She also asks him to stay on with her crew.  Starstone enters and tells them they have contacted other Jedi.  Jula agrees to help them reach them but she hopes they agree to join her crew afterwards.  Starstone and Shryne begin to argue bitterly over the suggestion that they let the Jedi Order die.

The Drunk Dancer arrives at the rendezvous planet, but is intercepted by Imperial ships.  Shryne knows the Clones tactics and they win the battle.  They meet up with the Jedi transport and jump to hyperspace.  On board the ship, the Jedi discuss what to do next and whether there is any other news about Yoda or Obi-Wan.  They question whether the prophecy is also dead.  Should they band together or split up?  Starstone clearly wants to rebuild the order and fight Palpatine.  They decide to access the Jedi Temple databanks and learn the last known locations of missing Jedi in hopes of finding them.

Palpatine tells Vader that he shouldn’t worry about the missing Jedi as he will have his chance to destroy them soon enough.  Vader is sent to the Jedi Temple.  He is haunted by his actions there.  He acknowledges that he didn’t really kill Jedi for Palpatine; rather he knew the Jedi would never accept that he killed Mace Windu to save Padme.  They would not allow him and Padme to control things by killing Sidious.  He regrets that he was never able to convince her that everything he had done was for her sake.  The Jedi would never allow him to have that power.  He is notified that someone is attempting to access the Jedi Database.

On the moon of Jaguada, the Jedi are accessing the Temple in an abandoned Separatist stronghold.  While working on the system, the crew inadvertently activates the entire base including all the deactivated battle droids that now begin attacking them.  After a brief fight, the system is again shut down.  At the same time a garrison of Imperial troops from Jaguada makes their way towards the base. Using a bit of trickery, they trap the troops in the base and reactive the droids inside as they sneak back to the Drunk Dancer.

Shryne and Starstone review the list of Jedi locations during the Order 66 attack.  They continue to argue on the next step.  The two agree to part ways and pursue their own agendas.  Jula tells them that Cash was killed.  She also tells them about Senator Fang Zar, who wishes to be smuggled off Alderaan and back to his home world.  Sidious has also heard about Zar’s plans and sends Vader to intervene.  He also recounts some Sith teachings from Darth Plagueis.

On Alderaan, several protests are occurring.  The planet is known as a place of political dissent and protests are common.  Vader lands on the planet looking to take Fang Zar back to Coruscant.  Organa does his best to keep his wife and Leia, along with C-3PO and R2-D2, out of sight.  During his meeting with Organa, Vader insists upon speaking with Fang Zar in person in order to take him back to Coruscant.  The Drunk Dancer also arrives on Alderaan seeking Fang Zar.  Shryne and two others use R2 and 3PO to access the Palace.  While inside R2 leads them the wrong way eventually setting off an alarm.  The alarm also alerts Vader to their presence.

The Jedi find Fang Zar about the same time as the Royal Guards and Vader.  Shryne acts as bait to distract Vader as the others drag Fang Zar to safety.  Vader begins attacking.  Meanwhile, Organa orders the Palace sealed.  Just as Shryne escapes, Vader realizes he is not going to make it out before the walls close in.  He hurls his lightsaber under the barrier and kills Fang Zar and also severely injures Jula.  Despite this, their ship escapes from Alderaan.  While onboard, Shryne deduces that Vader is indeed a Sith who is now working with Emperor Palpatine.  He is no longer interested in helping Starstone’s plan.

Sidious and Vader discuss Vader’s motives in serving Sidious instead of killing him.  After making veiled threats at each other, Vader admits that he knows that he can only achieve greater power through Sidious.  This pleases Sidious who recalls he felt the same way about his master.  He then sends Vader to Kashyyyk where the Jedi are now heading.

Vader meets with newly anointed Moff Tarkin.  Tarkin has a plan to expedite the building of the Emperor’s new weapon that has been plagued by delays of all sorts.  Vader is suspicious, but agrees that the two of them could partner up on this project.

The Jedi have indeed landed on Kashyyyk looking for Quinlan Vos, Luminara Unduli, and Yoda.  They meet with Cudgel, a Wookie translator, and several Wookies, including Tarfful and Chewbacca, who are not happy about them being there until they realize they are Jedi.  They tell them that two of the Jedi are presumed dead, but Yoda escaped.  They also tell them of a rumor that Yoda attacked the Emperor in the Senate and was killed.  Unfortunately, the Empire interrupts the meeting and a huge battle begins across the entire planet.   Vader instructs his men to round up as many Wookies alive as possible.  The Wookies are making use of much of the equipment left behind during the final battle of the Clone Wars and have the upper hand.  Starstone begins to regret her decision to lead the group forward without Shryne.

Once Vader arrives he begins to lay waste to any Wookie in his path.  Several of the Jedi attack Vader, but are all either killed or severally injured with relative ease.  This leaves Starstone alone with Vader.  She attacks but knows she is not capable of winning.  At that moment, Shryne appears from the Drunk Dancer’s drop ship to enter the battle.  He tells her to get on the ship, as he will take Vader himself.  She takes as many as she can on the ship including Chewbacca and Cudgel.  The Imperial attack begins now in earnest as an orbital barrage pounds the city, destroying everything in sight.  With no other pilot on board, Chewbacca volunteers to fly as long as he can return for his family.  It is too late, however, as the entire planet has been basically destroyed.

Still on the surface, Vader and Shryne square off in a fantastic lightsaber battle.  They trade verbal as well as physical jabs.  Vader begins to use the wood around the area to slam attacks into Shryne.  The floor gives way and Shryne catches himself, but only barely.  With Shryne hanging high above the Kashyyyk surface, Vader taunts Shryne.  He reveals the Sidious and Palpatine are the same person.  Shryne is shocked but begins to peace things together.  Vader also reveals he is Anakin Skywalker.

The escapees infiltrate a Clone War leftover Commerce Guild ship in hopes of getting past the blockade.  After a few tense moments, they are able to start up the ship and aim it at one of the main Imperial ships.  They are then able to meet up with the Drunk Dancer and get the refugees on board.  Jula and the crew are overwhelmed by the sight of all the wounded.  She and Starstone mourn Shryne.  At the same time the crew of the Imperial Detainer realize that the Separatist ship is now a bomb heading directly for them.

Vader stands over Shryne feeling invulnerable like he had never felt before.  The power of the dark side is surging through him.  Suddenly, the sky lights up with the destruction of the Detainer.  Shryne tells Vader that now he realizes that even if Vader kills every Jedi, the Force itself will never die.  Vader has now completed his submission to the dark side and he has accepted his place in the galaxy.  He knows that one day he will be an equal to Sidious and he will then find his own apprentice and they will topple the Emperor together.  Two hundred thousand Wookies were now slaves.

Starstone and Chewbacca decide to remain with the Drunk Dancer crew and search for what has happened to the Wookies.  The other surviving Jedi have all decide to join Imperial ranks in order to help disrupt things from within.  They all agree to never see each other again.

On the out of the way planet of Tatooine, Obi-Wan Kenobi hears the news of Kashyyyk, and the attack lead by someone known as Lord Vader.

Comments

At the time of it’s printing, this was clearly one of my favorite additions to the Expanded Universe. If you are a fan of Darths Vader and Sidious (and who isn’t), then there is plenty interaction between them to make this book satisfying regardless of the rest of the plot.

Shryne and Starstone are perfect opposites. Which path would you take? Rebuild or retreat? They’re struggle is played out very cleanly.

The main plot is engaging in and of itself, but ties to the trilogies are really what sets this apart. Things that you may have wondered (or didn’t even know you wanted to know) are revealed here in very small details that go along way.

First off, the description of Vader’s suit is first class. I actually told several people about it right after finishing it up. The details are drawn perfectly and I got a perfect feel for what it was like to be a newly suited Anakin. That alone is worth checking out.

It’s no wonder that the Sith controlled the galaxy. Sidious and Vader are both truly ruthless. The bits of Sith teachings we get are priceless, including the quotes from Darth Plagueis.

Playing Alderaan as planet of political dissent is a very interesting to what eventually happens to it.

Some people get tired of R2 and 3PO appearing (including me), but I felt that in this case it was handled just right.

Overall, this is a definite read for anyone wanting to fill in the gaps between ROTS and ANH.

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