Triple Zero: Star Wars Legends (Republic Commando)

Let me be frank. Even though I have read a fair number of Star Wars novels I am by no means steeped in the Star Wars geekery and minutia. I could not tell you the difference between the different classes of ships or most species that get mentioned or why some planet may be important if it did not make a major appearence in one of the films. Some things I can remember, but I will not be reading the Star Wars Encyclopedia. To be honest, I just don't care that much. I am entertained by the stories when they are well told and it is a real game of hit and miss. It is with this in mind that I can say that Republic Commando: Triple Zero is quite possibly the best Star Wars novel written. I only say "quite possibly" because there is still another 30 or so novels which I am working my way towards, but few of those stand up with general acclaim. But Triple Zero is not simply a standout among Star Wars novels, it would still stand out if it were not Star Wars. Yeah, it's that good. Karen Traviss's first entry into the Star Wars Universe was Republic Commando: Hard Contact and it was a very fine entry and even then, one of the best...but not necessarily head and shoulders above the entire series, just right up near the top. Triple Zero is good military science fiction, emphasis on the military. This is about the troops doing the dirty work and not getting the respect, not about the Jedi and not about the overview of the war. Delta Squad and Omega Squad are brought back to Coruscant to try to stop the war being from being waged on the homefront. To say the mission is to go undercover would be inaccurate because they are clones and commandos, there is no mistaking what they are. But they are still to operate in a vasty different and unexpected capacity on Coruscant. Still with them is Etain, a young Jedi we first met in Hard Contact. Now she is somewhat older and disillusioned but she fights not for the Jedi Order or the Republic, but for the commandos, those she knows as men and not just clones. What Karen Traviss does so well is get the reader into the head of the clone troopers and let us see them as men. They have distinct personalities and they know they will die young because the age at an accelerated rate and all they know is war. This is what they were bred for and trained for and the only thing they know how to do. What happens to the clones when the war ends? Is it fair that they have no future and are led out to fight and die with no one ever knowing or caring about them. We care for Darman and Fi and Ordo and Atin and all of the troopers we meet. We meet the man who trained the best of the best and learn why he cares for them and what he sacrificed taking the job. We see a different side of the Clone Wars and who the brutality truly affects and what the real sacrifice was. It isn't the Jedi who know what they are fighting, more or less. They can still choose the fight. It isn't the civilians who still get to live a

The reaction to this book has been...interesting, and Karen Traviss is fast becoming a source of controversy in Star Wars fandom. The interesting thing is, no one disputes her writing ability, but there seems to be an inability on the part of some to seperate what they "want" to see happen with what the author writes. Simple put, Karen Traviss writes excellent prose, and she writes dense prose, which means that there is always a lot going on. Despite those who claim that there is a lack of action when compared to HARD CONTACT, the first in the series, I'd have to respectfully disagree, in fact, there's quite a lot of action, and I'd hazard to say that the two books are rather equal in that regard. In HARD CONTACT people seem to forget that there was quite a lot of time spent dealing with Etain and Darman meeting and talking and the two coming to grips with each other as well as time spent on the squad scouting the planet before the battle at the end. Traviss does not spend the pages on lightsabre duels that some authors in the SW universe are known for, and her combat writing is quick and aggressive, and perhaps that is why some feel it lacks immediate action. However, there's quite a few battles and fights and a final confrontation that's fairly action packed and bloody. This isn't the story of a fleet battle or an epic conflict, but the story of special forces carrying out an urban anti-terror campaign in a heavily populated city. With the reintroduction of Kal Skirata we see more of the politics of black ops work, and we also see more of tha Mandalorian culture since Kal is one. This is another sticking point for critics. Look, Mandalorians are not Klingons, they weren't before Karen Traviss arrived on scene and they are not now. Their mercenary roots and tactics alone set them apart from those age-old Star Trek aliens. The Mandalorian culture and language is played up more in this novel, and not just because the author is writing the language and has a large input on the culture, but because it's been established that 75 Mandalorian's trained the clones as part of Jango's accellerated training program to produce the ARCS and Commandos. So, a group of men with the minds of children (remember, they barely have any life experience having been rapidly aged) are hooked up with a group of warriors from a culture that has no problems with adopting outsiders into their ranks. This is something that has been telegraphed for ages, and like Chekov's famous "gun on the mantle" in Act One being fired in Act Three, it's being fired. The book is an intelligent look into another side of Star Wars, a look that may be more "realistic" than some may like, but it's fully within the remit of the series (and anyone who played the game and watched the game features knows that the game developers wanted to show how a real special forces squad would act in the SW Universe, well, this is it). Will this be the book for every Star Wars fan? Probably not, but it's a book

Unlike most Star Wars books, this story doesn't center on the characters we already know so much about, and I like it that way. The Rogue and Wraith Squadron books (Michael Stackpole and Aaron Allston, respectivley), Outbound Flight by Timothy Zahn, and now the Republic Commando books. Don't get me wrong, I like the leads, but I was to see an expanded universe in the Expanded Universe. Karen Traviss's knowledge of the military helps make this a very easy read, a "realistic" book (you know, for SciFi). Anyone who's served will recognize the conflicts within a unit and the unity they show to the outside. With Hard Contact and now Triple Zero, Ms. Traviss has shown the fans what her boys showed the Star Wars universe: Clones are people too. Highest possible recommendation.

The cover blurb calls this book the "thrilling sequel" to Hard Contact. While many cover statements are truly nothing more than marketing hype, this one is spot on. Triple Zero is thrilling, exciting, exhilarating, and fantastic (I'm a writer so I could throw in a lot more adjectives but you get the idea...). The Nulls are unique, clones with the capacity to think outside the box even more than the elite ARC commandos. As we've seen with other books, all clones may look the same but they are hardly identical. I love the background and insight into this group of individuals, believable and unique characters all. Traviss's writing has also improved since the first book. Her passion for the materials really shines through. Beyond the entertainment qualities inherent to the Star Wars universe, she also manages to pull in some sobering and provocative moral elements without getting preachy. The use of genuine counterterrorism and surveillance tactics (updated with future technology, of course), adds a layer of realism and believability to the complex and interesting storyline. Mandolarian culture, history, and values are more thoroughly explored than previous books. Jedi's Jusik and Etain help hold the story together too, the latter having recently achieved knighthood and growing rapidly as a leader. The mark that sergeants Skirata and Vau left on their respective troopers is believable and fascinating. The opening sequence that covers Skirata's introduction to the Nulls as younglings is priceless, some of the best prose in all the Star Wars books (and I've read every one). All the clone characters (e.g., Ordo, Darman, Fi, Niner) have grown and matured since the first book. Their idiosyncrasies, interrelationships, and unique traits keep them fascinating even as their similarities help them remain believable as battle-hardened clone soldiers. And, the action scenes are first rate as we have come to expect from this author. The Omega Squad short story is a nice bonus too. Since this series evolved from a game, I'm continually impressed by the high caliber prose and plot, as well as by the thought-provoking themes. Highly recommended!

It may be damning with faint praise but this is quite possibly the best written Star Wars novel yet. There have been good, even great Star Wars novels before, albiet not a whole lot of them. However, the best of them are well told adventure stories and little else. Perhaps they give some insight into a central character or two but that is about as high as the bar is set. This novel is different. Certainly it is a fine adventure novel in its own right. However, it also touches on philisophic issues that don't typically make it into franchise tie-ins. In here we see the other side of the Galactic War seen in the prequels from the side of the clone troopers, those men bred for war and used up as easily and callously as one treats a piece of tissue paper. We've been told that the Republic before the fall was corrupt but we've really not seen much; characters simply announce that it is or was and we accept it as part of the backstory. Here we see the corruption of ideals and beliefs from the Jedi who shuck their treasured beliefs for an advantage in war to the government and supportive public who don't know much of the clones and don't generally care. Beyond that, the story is well told and possibly the most realistic of any Star Wars novel, if realism can be used in a story of clones and magic using warrior priests. The action works the way it would in the real world and the challenges and plans ring true. This book is a better primer for someone interested in the SAS or "Delta Force" than many of the Ramboesque Walter Mitty garbage that pollute the book stores. In addition, characters are engaging and actually develop and grow, something all to rare in a book like this. Simply put, this would be an excellent book without the Star Wars universe behind it. That it actually takes place in that universe and can stimulate discussion about the underpinnings of the prequels is extraordinary. Buy the book.