Reviews

Star Wars: The Clone Wars: In Service of the Republic by Henry Gilroy, Steven Melching

lostz's review

adventurous dark funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

rivulet027's review against another edition

5.0

I was really excited to read a Plo Koon and Kit Fisto adventure and then there was Wolffe in cold weather gear with his amazing stylized wolf head painted on his helmet. I really like Wolffe joking with Kit that Plo is old and that unit has a betting circle about how old. Plo finds it funny. What's not funny is how Captain Ozzel treats the clones. Plo wants to hold off an assault so that they can find and save the miners that are being forced into slave labor. Ozzel objects, telling him, "A direct assault is our only option, Master Jedi, I understand the Jedi Code is to protect life, but clones were created to fight and--if necessary die. Some will be killed and while unfortunate, we can always make more. Isn't that correct Commander 3636." If looks could kill Ozzel would be dead. Plo objects saying, "Captain Ozzel, your decisions in battle today were needlessly aggressive and revealed disregard for the lives of your men." Ozzel is all, "I saved your life and acted in the interest of the Republic, General. Need I remind you that I was awarded this commission by Supreme Chancellor Palpatine himself?" Plo reminds him of the chain of command. The storm clears to allow a Separatist ship through and then closes behind it. They realize there is a climate control device. Plo, Kit, and Ozzel's command unit go to find the climate control device while Wollfe and Master Taught stay with Captain Ozzel. Ventress kills Master Taught and Captain Ozzel immediately wants to go out and meet her in battle. Wolffe reminds him of Plo's orders and Ozzel doesn't pay attention. They lose and Ozzel wants to surrender. Wolffe reminds him that droids don't tend to take prisoners. Ozzel is shocked and asks, "Not even officers?" And then Ventress comes in and starts killing clones to get information out of Ozzel, telling him that once she runs out of "expendables" he's next. Wolffe tells him not to give her information. Ozzel does. The Warlord Dooku sent Ventress to work with insists on taking Ozzel and Wolffe as prisoners telling Ventress, "It is you who have much to learn about the Khormai. We do not kill beings who might be useful as slaves...or as food for slaves."

Meanwhile the captain of the commando unit Captain Ozzel sent is bewildered by the way the Jedi are doing things. His comm is distorted because he took a shot to the throat on Mimban and that Ozzel's orders basically boil down to "Finish the mission or don't come back" and the 44th special operation division is nicknamed Devil Dogs (is this a Marine reference? Possibly). The Khomani they are working with stops to bury several dead with Plo and Kit helping. The clone captain is worried that they are wasting time. Plo advised Kit to have patience with the clones, as they haven't the years of training or experience. To the captain Plo says, "We are at a disadvantage Captain, because we will not abandon our ideals to win. If we became the enemy in our hearts and minds then our victory would be nothing". The captain says, "I never though about it that way, Sir." He then asks Fixer and Jark to help.

I'm really interesting to see what happens next!