In 2008, veteran Star Wars author Karen Traviss returns with an epic finale for the Republic Commando novel series. Hardcover Synopsis:
After the fierce combat of Hard Contact,
Triple Zero,
and True Colors
comes the spectacular culmination of New
York Times
bestselling author Karen Traviss's gripping Republic Commando series.
As a battle-scarred era nears its end, a shattering power play is
about to stun the entire galaxy... and set in motion events that will
alter destinies and resound throughout history. Even as the Clone Wars are about to reach an explosive climax, no one knows if victory
will favor the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) or the Separatists.
But no matter who wins, the stakes are highest for elite Special Ops
clones like the Republic Commandos in Omega and Delta Squads―and
the notorious renegade Advance Recon Commando clone troopers known as
Null ARCs. With Republic forces stretched to the max and casualties
mounting, the last thing these beleaguered warriors need to hear is
the Chancellor Palpatine is keeping vast armies of secret clone
troops in reserve. Sergeant Kal Skirata, a mentor to the clone
commandos, has no intention of standing idly by while Palpatine sends
them into battle like lambs to the slaughter. Skirata begins to plan
the clones' escape from the GAR, but his heroic effort will be in
vain unless he can reverse the clones' accelerated aging process.
Caught in the treacherous dealings of their leaders, and locked in
the battles of their lives, the disillusioned Null ARCs and Commandos
nonetheless fight with everything they've got, determined to wrest
victory from the Seps and save the galaxy. But even the deadliest
weapons may not be powerful enough to defeat the real menace. And
nothing will stop the apocalyptic horror unleashed when Palpatine
utters the chilling words: The
time has come.
Execute Order 66.
Translation: The Jedi have tried to stage a coup, and all must be
shot on sight. With their faith in the Republic and their loyalty to
their Jedi allies put to the ultimate test, how will the men of Omega
and Delta squads react to the most infamous command in galactic
history? All the breath taking action, suspense, and intrigue of
Karen Traviss's Republic Commando series comes alive in Star Wars: Order 66.
The 432 page novel opens with a first
person POV of Bardan Jusik, now a Mandalorian mercenary, debating
ethics with a Jedi over using a slave army. Then it goes back 50
years before Attack of the Clones to show how a kid named
Falin Mattran became the Mandalorian mercenary known as Kal Skirata.
It then jumps back to 736 days after the Battle of Geonosis where
Scorch, Sev, Kal, and Vau remember the fallen soldiers who didn't
make it out of Geonosis alive and then those who've died since. It's
the second anniversary of the outbreak of the Clone Wars. Scorch
mentions rumors of clones being produced on Coruscant because
Palpatine doesn't trust Kamino not to get trashed by the Separatists
again. On day 737, Besany Wennen is being trailed by an intel agent.
Ordo intercepts them and blows the agents ID and finds out just how
paranoid Palpatine is about people looking into the clone scandal.
Ordo kills the agent and, in the Mandalorian tradition, marries
Besany. On Mandalore 937 days after Geonosis, Fi and Parja visit a
cantina in Enceri and encounter Fenn Shysa who asks Fi to do his bit
for Mandalore. Meanwhile Darman, Atin, Corr, and Niner assassinate a
rebel leader on Haurgab and end up needing extraction via the 14th Infantry.
Meanwhile, Mij Gilamar and Kal Skirata
have been asking around genetic labs if they can look at the Fett
genome to see if the clones' rapid aging can be reversed. Jusik looks
at busting Ovolot Qail Uthan out of a Republic Asylum. EtainTur-Mukan arrives at the Kragget to see her son, Venku “Kad”Skirata. Fenn Shysa wants either Fi, Sull, or Spar to be the reigning
Mand'alor, leader of the Mandalorians and all three
decline. Etain, on Republic Fleet Auxiliary support vessel Redeemer,
talks Jedi Knight Commander Callista Masana about Jedi Master Djinn Altis
and his sect of Jedi; Callista reveals that Altis' Jedi can get
married and have kids, something that appeals to Etain. Tor and Ijaat Skirata call Kal and tell him their sister, Kal's daughter, is
missing. Kal's adopted the Nulls as family according to the
Mandalorian tradition. On Haurgab, Etain, leading Delta and Omega
squads, hunt down a group of rebels still putting up a fight. They
find them and Scorch goes ballistic after they try and bomb the
Forward Operating Base. Scorch lets none of the rebels live. Jusik
helps Fi heal while Zey suspects Kal of thieving from the Republic.
Etain tells Darman about Kad and he
gets angry and demands answers from Kal. Zey asks Vau to spy on Kal
in case he's working for the enemy and Vau promises to alert him if
that is happening. Darman punches out Kal for deceiving him like
this. 998 days after Battle of Geonosis, Delta Squad prepares to
insert themselves onto Kashyyyk with Etain. General Grievous launches
a surprise attack on Coruscant and certain units are recalled from
the field. Five days of non-stop fighting on Coruscant results in Kal
sending Jusik, Sull, Spar, and Fi to collect his daughter, Ruusaan
and extract Dr. Uthan. Kenobi and Skywalker show up and the events of
Revenge of the Sith are rushed over the next couple of days.
Sev is left behind as Delta pulls out of Kashyyyk as seen in RepublicCommando. As the entire
Skirata clan prepares to leave Coruscant, Palpatine sends out the
call: Order 66. Jedi are hunted down and killed everywhere. Etain
flees Kashyyyk and ends up on Coruscant. She is cut down by other
Jedi on Shinarcan Bridge trying to get to Kal. Darman, in shock,
stays behind to see that Niner gets medical help while the rest of
the Skirata clan take off. Ny Vollen, a commercial pilot, brings
Etain's body to Mandalore and Kal insists on giving her a cremation.
Darman and Niner adjust to life being in the 501st Legion of ImperialCommandos while Ny asks Skirata if he would take in a couple of other
Jedi: Tallisibeth “Scout” Enwandung-Esterhazy and Kina Ha. The
novel ends with the Empire beginning to build a garrison on
Mandalore.
A well crafted finish to the series with the left-over events beginning to wrap up in 501st: An Imperial Commando novel by Karen Traviss. Great prose, wonderful characters, great settings, believable situations make this novel worth reading.
