Title: Republic Commando: Triple Zero
Author: Karen Traviss
pages: 418
Type: Military thriller
Time: 21 BBY

Novel quality
The second novel in the Republic Commando series was finally there! After enjoying the first novel and the video game I was really looking forward to reading more about the commandos. This time the story takes place on the most important planet in the galaxy Coruscant (aka 000). The group of commandos we know from the previous novel is teamed up with the group we know from the video game and with a "null" trooper named Ordo. This whole team is led by the two Mandalorian mercenaries named Kal Skirata and Walon Vau. Ad two Jedi into the mix and we're ready for a spectacular adventure. There is a group of separatist terrorists who plan and execute strikes on targets on Coruscant and our group of fighters is put on the case. The first thing I noticed was the complete absence of classic Star Wars material and thinking. Ms. Traviss really does a great job in changing our perspective. Normally we have a birds-eye point of view on things and are constantly reminded of the Jedi/Sith power struggle, this time however we get right into the thick of the war and we forget about the larger picture. The focus is on the military issue, even more so than in the first novel. The story itself feels kind of slow, there is a lot of attention to detail in the story and at times it feels like a little too much. There are several parts in the story that could have been left out or have been made a lot shorter. In the last review I asked for a longer novel, but I have to take that back. This novel would have been a lot better if it had fifty to a hundred pages less. What I really like is the covert nature of the operation. It's really great to read about people just going on with their lives, oblivious of the things happening right beside them. It's sad to think that there are many unsung heroes like that in the real world as well, people who risk their lives in order to keep us safe but who will never get any credit for it. Really good point made in the novel. What's also nice is the way we are, just like in "Hard Contact", faced with the cruelties of war. Forget about releasing the prisoner, just kill him. He might become a liability for us in the future. It nasty and it may even be wrong, but it is the way of things in wartime. It's very easy to connect all this to a rising of the dark side portrayed in other novels about this period. The characters then: The Mandalorian way is very important in this novel. Both Skirata and Vau have trained their troops according to this philosophy and it becomes clear that all the troops have adapted to it and are basically Mandalorians fighting for the republic for a change. This provides for some interesting reading and gives some great insight into the minds of true warriors. In addition to their Mandalorian heritage the clones are once again faced with their own unique situation. They were bred for war and they will never really experience anything else, especially considering their shortened life-span because of the accelerated growth. This, in situation of war, isn't a problem but becomes more important when the clones see "normal" people going on with their lives. The questions the clones ask and their psychological "issues" on the matter are really well written and give some food for thought. The characters Walon Vau and Kal Skirata provide for an interesting team as well. They have very different philosophies and have a lot of trouble dealing with each other. Their Mandalorian background is the basis on which the troops have been trained and their relationship with the troops is a direct result of that training. On the one hand we have the feared and hated Walon Vau; on the other hand there is the loved and respected Kal Skirata. I can imagine that differences like this are common in the real military as well. The character Ordo is one of the "null" troopers, troopers who have retained most of the character of Jango Fett. Ordo is a dangerous and volatile character and is fiercely loyal to Kal Skirata. He is clearly superior to the "normal" clones and he has a lot of psychological problems within the hard shell of his body. Perhaps he is portrayed a bit too powerful, but his character is very interesting nonetheless. Last come the two Jedi: Etain Tur-Mukan and Bardan Jusik. Their worshipping of Kal Skirata is a bit extreme and the connection between their lives and that of the clones is a bit far fetched. Their inclusion in the story does give the whole thing a more "complete" feeling and it does make for some fun reading, but they don't really feel like the Jedi we know. They are a bit weak and easily persuaded from their path. Not the way a true Jedi is. Overall this novel was good; however it is not as good as the previous one. It's a tad bit too long and some things just feel a bit "out of place". If you like military novels or if you want a more in-depth view of the Star Wars galaxy, pick this up. If you just want to read another fun Star Wars adventure, skip it.
Rating: 82/100

Personal tilt
It took me a long time to finish this novel. The pace of the story was quite low and somehow the story doesn't really feel important to the Star Wars galaxy at all. It is just a very (very, very) small part of the giant Star Wars story and it just doesn't ad that much. Another point is the weakness of the Jedi in the novel; they have completely lost touch with almost everything the Jedi stand for. I can understand that a person changes when faced with the horrors of war, but in this novel it all just seems a bit too much, especially so since we are talking about Jedi. I did like the novel however. The clone-psychology and the effects war has on people are both described really well and there are some very nice characters in the novel. It's also interesting to see the Mandalorian view on the Jedi and their skills; they feel the use of the force is some kind of magic and trust on their worldly skills. All this provides for an interesting read, but not as great a read as I had hoped for.
Rating: 75/100


Overall rating 79.2/100

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For an overview of al reviews and a ranking see my Book review summary