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Flashback: Clone Wars – Shatterpoint

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Shatterpoint The jungle planet of Haruun Kal, the homeworld Mace barely remembers, has become a battleground for the Republic and the renegade Separatist movement. The Jedi Council has sent Depa Billaba – Mace’s former Padawan – to the planet to train the local tribesmen as a guerrilla resistance force to fight against the Separatists. But Depa has vanished. The only clue to her disappearance is a cryptic recording that hints of madness and murder.

1st Clone Wars novel
Era: Republic, 21.5 years Before the Battle of Yavin/6 months After the Battle of Geonosis
Author Matthew Woodring Stover
ISBN: 0-345-45574-6 (Del Rey)
Finished: 2 April 2006

First novel, though not the first story, of the Clone Wars Era in the Star Wars Expanded Universe. Shatterpoint is the Star Wars version of The Heart of Darkness. Having never read Darkness, or seen Apocalypse Now, I only knew the roughest premise of the story. The first time I read this book, I lent it to someone before I completed it. I had to start over.

I enjoyed Stover’s NJO book, and was expecting to like this one just as much. And on the first attempt to read it, I was. But the second time, I wasn’t nearly so happy with the book. I noticed that I was impatient with the fight scenes, and I was skimming over them. I prefer character and story development, for sure. I don’t mind fight scenes, but I don’t not need a play-by-play. This book had pages of Mace fighting.

I liked Mace in this book. Mace “sees” the downfall of the Republic, the destruction of the Jedi, and the Vong invasion. Stover gave us insight into the Jedi Master’s personality and background. He made it very easy for me to picture Samuel L. Jackson as I read the book. Nick Rostu, Mace’s sidekick and guide is a hoot. Mace wants to strangle him most of the time. Ends up making Nick a major in the Grand Army of the Republic.

Stover also provided plenty of witty dialog, and the book has many of my favorite quotes, mostly spoken by or about Nick Rostu.

Favorite Quotes:
She was the chattiest spy he’d ever me. When she eventually stopped for breath, Mace told her so.
– Mace meets his contact on Haruun Kal.

“We get to be wide awake while we burn to death? Great! How can I ever thank you?”
– Nick Rostu, to Mace

Mace’s level stare was a humor free zone.

“Do you know that I disliked you the instant we met?”
“Is that Jedi-speak for ‘Thank you so much for saving my lightsaber-waving butt’? Shee.”

– Mace Windu, Nick Rostu

“What’s the matter, Windu? Depa says you got a great sense of humor.”
“She must have been joking.”

– Nick Rostu, Mace Windu

It occurred to me, on reflection, that Nick Rostu can be regarded as a test to my moral conviction. A Jedi might conceivably fall to the dark side from the simple desire to smack the snot out of him.
– Mace Windu’s diary entry.

“So: What now? You didn’t dust off the most dangerous man in the Korunnal Highland just to come and have a chat with the president of Rostu Jungle Nannies, Inc. You have a move to make.”
– Nick Rostu, to Mace Windu

“What am I supposed to fight with then? My rapier-like wit?”
– Nick Rostu, to Mace Windu

“Be quiet. Don’t draw attention to yourself.”
“Great idea. Maybe they’ll forget I’m here.”

– Mace Windu, Nick Rostu

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