Book Review: Star Wars: X-Wing: The Bacta War SPOILERS!

In 1997, Michael A. Stackpole polished off his X-Wing saga with The Bacta War. This time, Rogue Squadron's deprived of New Republic resources as they take back control of Thyferra--the biggest manufacturer of bacta galaxy-wide--from the hands of Ysanne Isard. Synopsis: While the Alliance fleet mounts a major campaign against a deadly warlord, Ysanne Isard has seized control of Thyferra, intending to use its precious supply of bacta to destabilize and destroy the New Republic. It falls to Rogue Squadron--undermanned, deprived of Alliance support and even weapons--to oppose Isard's dangerous designs, defeat her powerful complement of Star Destroyers, and free Thyferra from her iron rule. But when Isard discovers the Squadron's secret base, its ragtag group of pilots must scramble for survival in a winner-take-all battle against Isard's overwhelming and seemingly superior force.

The novel opens with Corran Horn and Mirax Terrik talking about their new found freedom. Meanwhile, Wedge Antilles and Tycho Celchu check out an abandoned station in the Yag'Dhul system and begin to set up operations. During that, M-3PO (Emtrey) arrives as surplus along with the squads X-Wings and Iella Wessiri. On Thyferra, Ysanne Isard demands to know how Erisi Dlarit's fighter wing in the Thyferran Home Defense Corps is doing; the two get into arguments throughout the story with Flirry Vorru defending Erisi to Isard. Corran and Mirax, now on Tatooine to try and buy supplies from Huff Darklighter--Gavin Darklighter's uncle--but the man proves resistant. Corran meets Booster Terrik--Mirax's father--and he begins to threaten Corran, but Mirax steps in. Booster berates Corran, for saying that his coupling with Mirax would kill his father and nearly kills him (Booster) because his daughter is in love with CorSec.

Mirax puts her father in his place and, with Huff still refusing, starts to give up. Booster, giving up, demands that Huff hand over the supplies to Wedge, which Huff does despite being angry about it. On a trip to Elshandruu Pica, Wedge manages to convince Captain Sair Yonka to defect from Isard's service by promising him credits and a chance to strike back. He agrees and goes into hiding with his ship Avarice (now called Freedom), his crew, and the local Moff's wife. Wedge convinces former ally Tal'dira to join Rogue Squadron. He also gets word from old comrades Elscol Loro and Sixtus Quin and that they plan to join him. Talon Karrde appears briefly to help out, but one of his people, Melina Carniss, sold them out when the convoy was ambushed by Captain Ait Convarion's Star Destroyer Corrupter. Wedge and his Rogues repulse the attack. Karrde discovers her betrayal and wants to kill her, but Booster manages to convince Karrde to use her to live long enough to feed misinformation to Isard in exchange for a gravity well projector.

Bror Jace also shows up, reveals that he didn't die, but secretly snuck back onto Thyferra and helped set up the local resistance. Isard threatens to kill Thyferran Vratix civilians if resistance to her regime hadn't ceased in one month. No longer keeping their base at Yag'Dhul secret, the Rogues bring in the next supply convoy--including Carniss. Carniss leaves a beacon in the system and the Star Destroyers Virulence and Lusankya and begin to destroy the station; Rogue Squadron and its fleet of freighters appear to be fleeing the system. Booster powers up the gravity well projector and locks Lusankya in place with dozens of tractor beams. Captain Joak Drysso attempts to complete the destruction of the space station, but three hundred proton torpedoes launch into the path of Lusankya, however, Captain Lakwii Varrscha of Virulence selflessly moves her ship in front of Lusankya; Drysso thanks Varrscha for her sacrifice and flees back to Thyferra. Booster, aided by the arrival of a Cracken's Flight Group, led by Captain Pash Cracken, was able to convince Captain Varrscha to surrender Virulence without a fight. Booster proceeds to load it up with his people and Cracken's fighters.

With aid from both Iella and Winter, Elscol and Quin, and the entire campaign stratagized, the Battle of Thyferra kicks off. Vorru flees the battle, with Erisi promising to find him and start a life. Corran tracks Isard's fleeing Lambda-class shuttle and, after sufficient warning to Isard, blows it up; the pilot is revealed to be Erisi; Isard has disappeared. Booster and Cracken's Flight Group arrives and convinces Drysso to surrender. Upon inspecting Lusankya, Corran discovers that General Jan Dodonna, Urlor Sette, and the rest of the prisoners were stored elsewhere; Corran vows to never give up looking for them. General Airen Cracken tries to convince Booster to surrender Virulence, but Booster refuses. Corran and Talon suggest that Booster be allowed to keep the Star Destroyer, just minus a few turbolasers to which Cracken eventually agrees. Corran and Mirax marry, then, with Wedge, they tell Booster who gets angry, but calms down eventually. The novel ends with Wedge leading Rogue Squadron back to Coruscant to reintegrate with the New Republic and continue in the hunt for Warlord Zsinj.

All in all, a very great finale to Stackpole's main arc in the popular X-Wing saga. It's too bad that it was followed by the dreck that was Aaron Allston's childish contributions to the series. Great characterization and wonderful battle descriptions make this the perfect book to fully grasp how rich the Expanded Universe truly is. Plus, this book further solidifies the Timothy Zahn-Michael A. Stackpole saga which the fans love. 

Book Review: Star Wars: X-Wing: Wedge's Gamble SPOILERS!

In 1996, author Michael A. Stackpole returned to pen a second Star Wars X-Wing novel. This time, the Battle for Coruscant is the deciding blow against Imperial Forces as Rogue Squadron takes center stage ont eh metropolis world. Synopsis: Sleek, swift, and deadly, they are the X-wing fighters. And as the battle against the Empire rages across the vastness of space, the pilots risk both their lives and their machines for the cause of the Rebel Alliance. Now they must embark on a dangerous espionage mission, braving betrayal and death on the Imperial homeworld to smash the power of a ruthless foe! It is the evil heart of a battered and reeling Empire: Coruscant, the giant city-world from whose massive towers the Imperial High Command directs the war. The Rebels will invade this mighty citadel in a daring move to bring the Empire to its knees. But first Wedge Antilles and his X-wing pilots must infiltrate Coruscant to gain vital intelligence information. Capture means death, or worse--enslavement by the vicious leader known as "Iceheart," Ysanne Isard, now Emperor in all but name. And one of Rogue Squadron's own is already her slave, a traitor hidden behind a mask of innocence, working to betray both colleagues and the Rebellion itself.

The novel opens with Corran Horn and two Y-Wing bombers of Champion Squadron as they battle Imperial TIE-Fighters and the freighter Vengeance Derra IV above Borleias. The Imperials are a scouting team from Warlord Zsinj as he assesses the New Republic's forward base in the push for Coruscant. The Imperials lose and Vengeance flees. Cmdr. Wedge Antilles welcomes Capt. Aril Nunb and Lt. Pash Cracken to Rogue Squadron. Corran's suspicious of Tycho Celchu, believing him to be a spy for Ysanne "Iceheart" Isard when he was captured and imprisoned on Lusankya. The Rogues and the Katarn Commandos, led by Lt. Judder Page, break some high risk prisoners out of Kessel to aid in the taking of Coruscant: mainly Black Sun members such as Zekka Thyne, Fliry Vorru, and others, including Inyri Forge, sister of recently deceased Lujayne Forge. The Rogues are told, in groups of two, about the Coruscant campaign. Corran's paired up with Erisi Dlarit. On Coruscant, Kirtan Loor and General Evir Derricote concoct the Krytos virus and figure out how best to distribute it so that when the New Republic takes Coruscant, the aliens all die. Kirtan wants to do so without harming every species to encourage the dissident aliens to join the fledgling Galactic Empire. Gavin Darklighter, Nawara Ven, Rhysati Ynr, and Aril Nunb learn from the Bothan Asyr Sei'lar and her friends that Imperials are capturing aliens for unknown reasons. The Imps raid the place where Asyr and her friends are about to kill Gavin for being a bigot. Gavin saves Asyr from death but Aril Nunb is captured. Everyone regroups and Thyne's wounded. Corran voices his suspicion about Tycho, but Wedge tells him to leave it. Loor threatens Derricote over the fate of all Sullustans. The Imps storm Rogue Squadron's hide-hole and Thyne dies, but not before revealing to Corran that he and a Rogue Squadron member betrayed them to the Imperials. Corran suspects Tycho even further. Tycho arrives and tells Wedge that they have 48 hours to take out Coruscant's shields. The shields fall and the Battle for Coruscant begins. During the battle, Corran is shot down. The battle ends and Tycho is arrested for Corran's murder. In Lusankya, Isard taunts Corran about breaking him like she did Tycho.

One of the best X-Wing novels by Stackpole. It vividly details that entire operation to take Coruscant away from Imperial forces. A great read for anyone interested in the X-Wing series and ship fighting and stealth operations in general.

Book Review: Star Wars: Scourge SPOILERS!

The first Star Wars novel by Jeff Grubb, Scourge takes place in the New Republic era, when Bantam Spectra had reign of the Star Wars Expanded Universe novels. It takes place in 19 ABY. Synopsis: In the heart of crime-ridden Hutt Space, a Jedi Scholar searches for justice. While trying to obtain coordinates of a secret peril-packed but potentially beneficial trade route, a Jedi novice is killed--and the motive for his murder remains shrouded in mystery. Now his former Master, Mander Zuma, wants answers, even as he fights to erase doubts about his own abilities as a Jedi. What Mander gets is immersion into perilous underworld of the Hutts as he struggles to stay one step ahead in a game of smugglers, killers, and crime lords bent on total control.

The novel opens with the death of Jedi Knight Toro Irana on Makem Te. His Master, Mander Zuma, an archivist, has been dispatched by the Jedi Academy on Yavin IV on behalf of the New Republic. Mander is at a loss for his apprentice's death. Mander blames himself for Toro's death. Toro's sister, Reen, blames Mander, but quickly comes to his aid when he identifies that poison was used to kill her brother. The local Swokes Swokes and Rodians are trying to kill them. Koax, an aide to the Spice Lord, receives Toro's lightsaber from Dejarro. Dejarro is a Tempest--a hard spice--runner. Koax kills Dejarro for his failure to stop Mander and Reen. They identify the poison as Tempest. It's a new spice that showed up in 18 ABY and it's suddenly all over the galaxy. Toro's mission was to get coordinates for the Indrexu Spiral. The Hutts hold the answers so Mandar, Reen, and a Bothan named Eddey Be'ray head to meet with the Anjiliac clan's head, Popara Anjiliac Diresto. They talk to his aide Vago Gejalli Thokka and learn that Popara is willing to give the New Jedi Order the coordinates so long as Mander serves the Anjiliac clan. Things go awry, especially when the Bomu Rodian clan and Koax get involved on the plague-ridden planet of Endregaad. The Corporate Sector Authority also gets involved. Mika Anjiliac Chiera helps Mander and his allies by capturing two Tempest addicts during a fight. The CSA locks Mander and his allies, except Mika, up. Mander and his allies take Mika to Nal Hutta. Popara dies and Zonnos Anjiliac Priare accuses Mander, Reen, and Eddey. The trio escapes to Nar Shaddaa with Angela Krin, Lt. Cmdr in the CSA. Zonnos puts a price on their heads. Mika passes them info on the Tempest. They find out that Zonnos killed Popara. Mander kills Zonnos and Mika takes over the Anjiliac clan then demands that Mander and his allies leave Hutt Space. The Spice Lord is unimpressed with Koax's recent dealings. Through a couple of contacts, Mander, Reen, Eddey, and Angela head to Dennogra and confront Koax. Koax dies and the last of the Bomu clan die. The information leads them to Varl and Vago. It was a set up. Mika is the Spice Lord and has been behind the whole thing, including the death of his father. Mander fights Mika which results in Mika's death. The novel ends with an agreement between Vago Gejalli and Mander Zuma about the Anjiliac business model.

A great first Star Wars novel by Jeff Grubb. Considering this is based on the Tempest Feud game product for the Star Wars Roleplaying Game, from Wizards of the Coast which was written by Jeff Grubb and Owen K. C. Stephens. Very well crafted, great characterizations of the main characters from the RPG, and great prose. Grubb has demonstrated that he knows the Star Wars Expanded Universe as well as the World of Warcraft universe which he also writes in.