Darth Bane: Rule of Two

Title: Darth Bane: Rule of Two
Author: Drew Karpyshyn
Copyright: 2008 (Del Rey); 320 pgs.
ISBN: 978-0-345-47749-1
Series: Star Wars Expanded Universe
Sensuality: None
Genre: Science Fiction
ERA: Sith/Republic – 1,020 years before the Battle of Yavin (Star Wars: A New Hope)

Spoilers for Darth Bane: Path of Destruction

Rule of Two picks up where Path of Destruction left off. The Brotherhood of Darkness is no more, completely destroyed by a thought bomb. The Army of Light has suffered huge losses, including its general, Jedi Master Lord Hoth. They are under the impression that no Sith survived. However, there is a lone survivor, Darth Bane, and he wants the Jedi to keep believing the Sith are extinct.

The book started off slow for me. Bane and Zannah, his newly acquired apprentice, spend much of the first nine chapters still on Ruusan, or trying to get off it. To be fair, the author had to set both Johun Othone — Hoth’s former padawan — and Tomcat — Rain’s cousin — on their respective paths before the main story could move forward. Johun is convinced that at least one Sith survived. He wants to pursue this, but the new leader of the Jedi — Jedi Master Farfalla — finds no credible evidence to suggest there were survivors. Instead, he gives Johun a different mission. As for Tomcat, having failed both as a Jedi and a Sith, he has no idea what to do with himself. He survives a run-in with Zannah and Bane and is left to make his own way on Ruusan. Both young men will encounter the Sith years later, with tragic results.

The story jumps ahead ten years. Bane has Zannah carrying out missions while he works on creating a Sith Holocron. On his orders, Zannah infiltrates separatist groups and convince them to strike out against the Republic before they are ready, thereby ensuring that they fail, but still draw the attention of the Senate and the Jedi. Zannah’s current mission is on Serenno, a planet known for its radical separatist groups. Though she carries out her tasks, Zannah questions the logic behind them. Bane has assured her that the time isn’t right:

“The Republic keeps the Jedi in check. It maintains control and imposes order across thousands of worlds. But if the Republic falls, a score of new interstellar governments and galactic organizations will rise. It is far easier to manipulate and control a single enemy than twenty.

That is why we must seek out radical separatist groups, identify the ones that have the potential to become true threats, then encourage them to strike before they are ready. We must exploit them, playing them off against the Republic. We must let our enemies weaken one another while we stay hidden and grow strong.

“One day the Republic will fall and the Jedi will be wiped out,” he assured her. “But it will not happen until we are ready to seize that power for ourselves.”

Even so, Zannah is still concerned. Ten years ago, when Bane first set out to learn the mysteries of the Sith Holocron, he became infested with a parasite. The orbalisk, as they are called, seemed to be a boon initially, giving Bane enhanced healing abilities and strength, and a body armor that blocks even lightsabers. But Zannah feels that the long exposure to them is taking its toll on Bane’s judgment. He’s failed several times to create a Holocron and he’s gone into destructive rages. Bane has much yet to teach her, and if dies before she’s reach her full potential, the Sith may truly be lost. Eventually, Bane agrees with her and Zannah’s new mission is to find a way to remove the parasites without killing the host.

I really enjoyed the story once it made the ten-year jump; it really pick up for me. Zannah is smart, but not overconfident as her future “descendants” (Maul, Dooku, Anakin). In fact, it was kind of refreshing to read about a Sith apprentice that knows she has a lot to learn, isn’t arrogant to the point of stupidity, and is patient. She can think on her feet — a couple of times she finds herself in less-than-ideal situations that she has to turn to her advantage and hope that Bane doesn’t think she’s betraying him. Her final dealings with her cousin are chilling. Even so, I actually liked her — but not as much as I liked Bane in the first book.

Started: 25 March 2010
Finished: 10 April 2010

Rating:

Enjoyed it!

Disclaimer: I purchased this book.

Path of Destruction

ERA: Sith/Republic – 1,020 years before the Battle of Yavin (Star Wars: A New Hope)

Summary: On the run from vengeful Republic forces, Dessel, a cortosis miner, vanishes into the ranks of the Sith army and ships out to join the bloody war against the Republic and its Jedi champions. There, Dessel’s brutality, cunning, and exceptional command of the Force swiftly win him the renown as a warrior. But in the eyes of his watchful masters, a far greater destiny awaits him.

Comments: This book is special: it is the farthest back on the novel time line, taking place years before Yoda was even born. And it is, to the best of my knowledge, the first novel that does not feature a movie character in some way.**

I thought Dessel — or Des — was a more sympathetic character than Anakin. Des is a miner, whose father hated him and abused him. The company that owns the mine owns everything else and can charge their employees outrages prices — they extend credit, of course, but you can never get ahead and if a family member dies still owing money, the debt carries over to the survivors. Des inherited his father’s debt and has no choice but to work every day.

Des is desperate to leave Apatros — he knows he destined for more than a life of a miner, he just doesn’t know what that might be. He doesn’t think very highly of the Jedi or the Republic — the fact that things on Apatros are the way they are is proof enough that the Republic cares very little of the oppressed in the Outer Rim. As for the Jedi’s supposed abilities, Des thinks they are exaggerated. He has no idea that he is strong in the Force, though he sometimes “see things before they happen.” For a future Sith Lord, Des is also surprisingly patient. He has anger and hate in spades, but he knows the value of keeping them in check, biding his time. Whenever the opportunity arises, Des gambles, hoping for the big win — but always knowing when to cut his loses.

Fate finally steps in to set him on his path. Des joins a card game against members of a Republic supply ship picking up cargo. Forced to flee because no one will believe the word of miner over a member of the Republic navy, Des finds his calling in the Sith army. His abilities allow him and his unit to earn a reputation as an elite group, used for only the most important missions. But this isn’t his destiny any more than mining was. He finally comes to the attentions of a Sith Master: he pulls off a near-impossible kill — one that only a person attuned to the Force could make. Des is offered the chance to attend the Sith Academy. He accepts, and takes the name Bane.

For awhile, Bane spends most of his time in the much-ignored library/archives — and gets the Hermione Granger Award for Archive Appreciation, in part for his belief that you can learn valuable lessons from the stories of the past:

Bane temporarily abandons his bookish studies when his star is on the rise. He quickly learns his initial instincts were right. After he suffers a humiliating defeat at the hands of the star pupil, he is shunned as a failure and he retreats to the library. It’s during this second exile that Bane begins to realize the Sith have strayed from their path, and he begins his quest to set things right.

I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed getting a different perspective of the Sith. Bane was not a fallen Jedi like Anakin or Count Dooku, and he wasn’t a child when he came to the Sith. He’s a man, trying to find his place in life, coming to terms with his destiny, and doing what must be done. Even after he has fully embraces his destiny, he makes a surprising decision not to kill an individual, someone the reader would have expected him to kill:

Bane’s first priority is to save the Sith from themselves, and preserve the order until the time is right to destroy the Jedi.

A couple of things:

– The Jedi in this book were too much Knights of the Round/Templar Knights instead of Jedi. The courtly behavior and habits of Master Valenthyne Farfalla were a bit off-putting. Fortunately, they weren’t in the book very much.

– Githany’s weapon: the way it is described in the book sounded like the one Shira Brie/Lumiya used in the Marvel comics. The picture of Githany in the Jedi vs Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force depicts it looking like a regular lightsaber, but with a bendy blade (Note: Don’t read this Guide if you haven’t read the Legacy of the Force novels and are trying to remain spoiler-free).

– Lord Hoth? So, was the planet named in his honor, or the other way around?

**The Stackpole/Allston X-Wing novels featured minor movie characters, and guest appearances of the major characters. The Jedi padawan in the Medstar duology has screen time in the movies and the Clone Wars cartoon. I don’t know much about the Republic Commando novels, Galaxies tie-in or the short-story anthologies.

Started: 5 March 2008
Finished: 16 March 2008

Liked A Lot

Rating:

On the planet Neimoida, Jed Knights Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker set out to capture a treacherous ally of the Sith. Though they come up empty, their daring efforts yield an unexpected prize: intelligence capable of leading the Republic forces to their ultimate quarry, the ever-elusive Darth Sidious, whom they suspect has been manipulating every aspect of the Separatist rebellion. In the escalating galaxy-wide chess game of sabotage and retaliation, Sidious stays one move ahead. Then the trail takes a shocking turn. For Sidious and his minions have set in motion a ruthlessly orchestrated campaign to divide and overwhelm the Jedi forces — and bring the Republic to its knees.

Era: Republic, 19 Years Before the Battle of Yavin
Author: James Luceno
ISBN: 0-345-47573-9 (Del Rey)
Finished: 21 June 2007

First thing I have to mention is the graphic proclaiming this book as the prequel to Revenge of the Sith: A prequel to a prequel? How perverse!

Now that I got that off my chest. . .

At last. Back in September, I started this book but put it aside to read others. Not because it didn’t hold my interest or anything, but I was juggling too many books at the time. Then I had planned on reading it earlier this year, but Outbound Flight (in paperback) came out and, well, it’s Zahn. And Flight does take place before Labyrinth of Evil after all. Funny thing, I almost put it off again, to read after Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Lo, and behold! I learned that Darth Bane: Path of Destruction (in paperback) was coming out this summer, and not November like I thought.

Even knowing how it all ends up in the movie and even knowing that, yes, Sidious and Palpatine are the same person, I thought the book was suspenseful. The Jedi come very close to learning the true identity of Lord Sidious. I felt tense when the Intelligence team was exploring Sidious’s lair, knowing that at any moment they’ll learn the truth and be killed mere seconds later. There were times when I wondered if Dooku knew they were the same person. Luceno continued to treat them as two separate people.

I got the impression that both Mon Mothma and Bail Organa knew about Padmé’s condition. At one point Padmé suffers a fainting spell and Mon Mothma gives her a knowing look. After Palpatine is kidnaped, Bail and Padmé have a conversation about the future and Padmé eludes to having other concerns than the Republic. Bail promises to help “you and those close to you.”

Anakin and Obi-Wan have quiet an adventure. Breaking people out of prison. Spending time in bars. Disabling tractor beams. Hmm. It sounds suspiciously like A New Hope.

I enjoyed the book very much and I only wish I’d read it sooner. Luceno is up there with Zahn, and I’m looking forward to reading Dark Lord. Too bad the Darth Plagueis novel was cancelled.

Favorite Quotes:
“Where are you going? Running will only make us appear guilty!”
“We are guilty!”
“He doesn’t know that.”
— Nute Gunray, Rune Haako, re: General Grievous

“Are we hit?”
“No.”
“Asteriod?”
“Not that, either.”
“Don’t tell me you’ve come to your senses and decided to surrender?”
“Tractor beam.”
— Obi-Wan, Anakin

“Any problems reaching the ship?”
“The usual close calls. Obviously you were successful at disabling the tractor beam.”
“Not a skill I expect to drawn on again, but, yes, thanks to Travale.”
— Obi-Wan, Anakin

“This has to be the fifteenth we’ve passed.”
“On this street. If we stop for a drink in each one, we’ll be drunk before we reach the bridge.”
“With any luck. Still, they’re likely to be our best source of information.”
“As opposed to just looking up her name in the local comm directory.”
“And a lot more fun.”
— Obi-Wan, Anakin

“Your relationship with females is an interesting one. The more jeopardy they’re in, the more you worry about them. And the more you worry about them, the more they worry about you.”
“You’re basing this on, what, exactly?”
“HoloNet gossip.”
— Obi-Wan, Anakin

As the Clone Wars rage, Jedi Master Yoda must once again face one of his greatest adversaries — Count Dooku. The Clone Wars have forced the Republic to the edge of collapse. During the height of battle, one Jedi Knight escapes the carnage to deliver a message to Yoda on Coruscant. It appears that Dooku wants peace and demands a rendezvous. Chances are slim that the treacherous Count is sincere, but with a million lives a stake, Yoda has no choice. The meeting will take place on Vjun, a planet steeped in evil. The challenge could not be more difficult. Can Yoda win back his once promising pupil from the dark side, or will Count Dooku unleash his sinister forces against his former mentor?

6th Clone Wars novel
Era: Republic, 19.5 years Before the Battle of Yavin/30 months After the Battle of Geonosis
Author: Sean Stewart
ISBN: 0-345-46309-9 (Del Rey)
Finished: 3 July 2006

One of the better SW novels, especially among those set in the prequel era. The author captured Yoda perfectly. Yes, Yoda is wise. Yes, Yoda is a skilled warrior. And yes, Yoda is an impish teacher who can lose his composure just as easily as a regular being. He makes mistakes, too.The silly moments in the novel are a joy. The Bard had comic relief in his Tragedies, and even the Original Trilogy had it’s funny moments. Two plot devices that stand out: “Jedi!”, the play and the actor who preforms Yoda, and Yoda disguised as an R2 unit. Yoda has always been a favorite, and so has R2. To have Yoda pretend to be one is one of the best moments in the Expanded Universe.

I thought Whie and Scout were believable, particularly Scout. While most Jedi are shown to be competent, one has to assume that there are students like her who do not have a deep connection to the Force and must struggle and compensate for her short-comings. There is sadness knowing that, regardless if they survive the story, their time is short. Whie’s visions have not shown him a older version of himself: he will die at the hands of Anakin when he invades the Temple in ROTS.

Some nitpicks/musings: Shouldn’t we be privy to Padme’s thoughts concerning her condition? She should be quite a bit along by this point. The title of “Grand Master of the Jedi” has never been used before and I’m not sure I really like it. Speaking of Yoda . . . once again, the author doesn’t get a handle on his syntax.

Favorite Quotes
“Grand Master of the Jedi Order am I! Won this job in a raffle I did, think you?”
— Yoda to Scout

“Another game?”
“I think not.”
”Are you sure? We could make it best nine hundred sixty-seven thousand four hundred and thirteen games out of one point nine million thirty-four thousand eight hundred and twenty-four.”
”I don’t feel like it.”
— Fidelis, Solis, regarding dejarik

“Regulations, ma’am. The Trade Federation is spreading madware through our droids. We start letting them skip the cleaners, one day you’ll wake up in your very own home and find it conquered by the Smartvac and the laundry droid.”
— Spaceport security to Scout, regarding the Yoda-R2

“What a horrible planet. I’d hate to be the minister of tourism here.”
— Obi-Wan Kenobi to Anakin, regarding Vjun.

“Don’t worry, Your Lordship — I’ll get a broom and knock it on the head.”
”Master Yoda may be small and old and shriveled up like an evil green potato, but he is my guest, and I would prefer you not hit him with a broom unless I particularly desire it.”
— Whirry,Count Dooku

Because of a shortage of available Jedi knights, the inexperienced Anakin Skywalker and the disgraced Nejaa Halcyon are sent to the planet Praesitlyn, at the head of a small fleet and army of clone warriors. Praesitlyn is under attack by a horde of combat droids under banker-turned-admiral Pors Tonith, and defended by freelance military commander Capt. Zozridor Slayke, who has a personal score to settle with Jedi Halcyon. Meanwhile, the Republic’s original defenders have left some tough survivors behind, such as fighter pilot Erk H’Arman and recon trooper Odie Subu.

5th Clone Wars Novel
Era: Republic, 19.5 years Before the Battle of Yavin/30 months After the Battle of Geonosis
Authors: David Sherman and Dan Cragg
ISBN: 0-345-46115-0 (Del Rey)
Tossed: 11 June 2006

Book was better than some of the earlier novels, but I still didn’t finish it. The authors write military fiction. Oddly, I found it easy to read and it’s not the reason I didn’t finish the book. It was the lack of character. Erk and Odie, a male pilot and a female recon scout, could have been more interesting, but the pacing never allowed for the reader to get to know them. I skimmed the book, and I know they spend most of the book together in near constant peril. We are never privy to their inner feelings, from what I could see.

Anakin got a bit of character development. He’s left at the Temple to study, while Obi-Wan is given a solo mission. He meets Neeja Halycron during one of his study breaks, and the pair become sparring partners. The Jedi Master is almost as easygoing as Qui-Gon and a friendship develops. Neeja and the Rodian, Grudo, help mold Anakin into a more involved field commander, instead of just reacting to events. The encounter with the quartermaster is humorous: Anakin listened patiently to the man and resolved to go back to his own quarters to re-read the reports.

I got far enough into the book to know that Neeja blurts out the fact he’s married with a son. Anakin, stunned, assures Neeja that he’s secret is save with him by telling the Jedi Master that he is married to Padme.

While the Clone Wars wreak havoc throughout the galaxy, the situation on the far world of Drongar is desperate, as Republic forces engage in a fierce fight with the Separatists. The threatened enemy offensive begins as the Separatists employ legions of droids into their attack. Even with reinforcements, the flesh and blood of the Republic forces are just no match for battle droids’ durasteel. Nowhere is this point more painfully clear than in the steaming Jasserak jungle, where the doctors and nurses of a small med unit face an impossible situation. As the dead and wounded start to pile up, surgeons Jos Vandar and Kornell “Uli” Divini know that time is running out. Even the Jedi abilities of Padawan Barriss Offee have been stretched to the limit. Ahead lies a test for Barriss that could very well lead to her death-and that of countless others. For the conflict is growing-and for this obscure mobile med unit, there’s only one resolution. Shocking, bold, unprecedented, it’s the only option Jos and his colleagues really have. The unthinkable has become the inevitable. Whether it kills them or not remains to be seen.

4th Clone Wars novel
Era: Republic, 20 years Before the Battle of Yavin/2 years After the Battle of Geonosis
Author: Michael Reaves and Steve Perry
ISBN: 0-345-46311-0 (Del Rey)
Tossed: 15 May 2006

Total waste. Not even the suspense of the spy’s identity or the few humorous moments/dialog could not make up for the tedious, drawn out plot. The authors expertly kept the reader guessing about the spy, but truthfully the whole thing could have been told in one book and been satisfying. I made myself read the whole thing, without skimming ahead. I wish I hadn’t. Most of the story lines were wrapped up neatly, except for the bird-like assassin’s fate. He just jumps into light-speed, giving me the impression that the bird might be back in a future story.

Rating:

:-(

A surgeon who covers his despair with wisecracks; another who faces death and misery head-on, venting his emotions through beautiful music. . .A nurse with her heart in her work and her eye on a doctor. . .A Jedi Padawan on a healing mission without her Master. These are the core members of a tiny med unit serving in the jungle world of Drongar, where battle is waged over the control of a priceless native plant.

3rd Clone Wars novel
Era: Republic, 20 years Before the Battle of Yavin/2 years After the Battle of Geonosis
Author: Michael Reaves and Steve Perry
ISBN: 0-345-46310-2 (Del Rey)
Finished: 5 May 2006

This is the kind of Star Wars story I like: character driven, interesting plot, some action, and witty dialog and observations. Since it is a two-part story, much is still left hanging at the end of the book. All that was accomplished in the first book was eliminating the possible spy suspects. The fact that I had not guessed the identity of the spy by the end of the book is a testimony to the authors’ mystery writing abilities.

Cheesy as it may seem, I still like the nod to the real-life USO and Bob Hope’s tours to entertain the troops. The authors choose to honor him by creating a character who travels from world to world, with his variety troupe. His name is ‘Robert Hope’ spelled backwards: Epoh Trebor.

There is another nod to a real-life, and fictional, organization. The medics in this story work in what is called a RMSU, or Rimsoo. It stands for Republic Mobile Surgical Unit, the Expanded Universe counterpart to the real Mobile Army Surgical Hospitals, otherwise known as MASH.

Not a keeper. Second book was a major let-down.

Rating:

Enjoyed it!

When the economically depressed government of Ord Cestus threatens to sell incredibly deadly battle droids to the Separatists, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine dispatches a team led by Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi to the planet.

2nd Clone Wars Novel
ERA: The Old Republic/Clone Wars. +1 year ABG/-21 years BBY
Author: Steven Barnes
ISBN: 0-345-45898-2 (Del Rey)
Tossed: 19 April 2006

I usually give SW novels a chance to “hook” me, so I try not to have an opinion before reading. Just because a die hard fan likes/does not like the book, doesn’t mean I will have the same reaction. In two days, I failed to reach page 50. The book was boring me. I decided to read some reviews. I looked at reviewers who gave detailed reasons for their low scores. As usual with the Expanded Universe, it all came down to how the author handled, or presented, the material. I don’t mind action and battles; and I don’t mind books that make me think. I’ve skimmed through the book and I agree that the ARC trooper’s story was interesting, but I just couldn’t make myself read the book.

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

Liked A Lot

Courageous to the point of recklessness, and possessing a wild independent streak, twenty-year-old Anakin Skywalker, apprentice to Obi-Wan Kenobi, is coming of age in a time of great upheaval. The attempted assassination of Senator Padme Amidala before a crucial vote thrusts the Republic enven closer to the edge of disaster.

Era: Republic, 22 years Before the Battle of Yavin/0 After the Battle of Geonosis
Author: R. A. Salvatore
ISBN: 0-345-42882-X (Del Rey)
Finished: 14 March 2006

Though I’m not a big fan of Salvatore’s writing style, I enjoyed his adaptation of AOTC. He handled Anakin and Padme better than George did when he directed the actors for the movie. There was more insight into Padme’s personal life and thoughts, how she truly tried to put her duty above her feelings for Anakin. Anakin fared well, too. The author did his best to supply character development and depth, to make the reader see Anakin as a decent person dealing with grief, confusion, and guilt. The extra scenes from the Lars homestead were a pleasure, as far as adding to the story. They were sad, however, because they depicted what Shmee had gained and lost, before Anakin returned to Tatooine.

I first approached this book with dread, knowing the writing style of the author and the fact that I was not happy with the movie. I’m glad to say that I enjoyed the book much more than I thought I would, and to me it is much better than the movie. The battle scenes were blessedly short, but it did have the annoyingly long speeder chase.

Favorite Quotes:
“Things aren’t very strict around here, usually. Just find a place to park it, then hope no one steals it while you go about your business.”
“As lovely as I remember it.”
– Anakin, Padme regarding Mos Espa and Tatioone

Enjoyed it!