This novel is set shortly after “A New Hope” (or as some of us remember it, simply “Star Wars”), which makes it rather unique. Few novels have bothered to delve into the timeline of the original trilogy, and to a certain extent, this effort demonstrates why. It’s a tricky time period to tackle because the characters cannot deviate much from their depicted motivations and personalities.
Zahn gets around this problem by using the established characters for only a third of the story, and it’s the least interesting aspect. There’s some exploration of Han Solo’s mindset after the Battle of Yavin, particularly his struggle between freedom and his growing sense of obligation, but it doesn’t go very far.
More interesting is the Hand of Judgment, a band of five stormtroopers forced into fugitive status when they find themselves uncomfortable with the tactics of the Empire. This brings up the subject of how the Empire’s supporters can overlook the less moral aspects of Palpatine’s rule. The changes seem to have been gradual for the bulk of the population, which meshes with the idea that Palpatine worked with the Senate for decades before taking things to the next level.
Concurrent with the rest is a plot thread involving a young Mara Jade as the Emperor’s Hand. Considering the events of the Legacy novel “Sacrifice”, this is interesting timing for such a story. The best element is the rivalry with Darth Vader, who has a minor role in the book, and makes sense considering her place in the mythos.
In the end, it was a pleasant book, with an interesting look at issues of loyalty for Han and the Hand of Judgment, but it was relatively short and the inability to introduce anything substantial left it without much dramatic tension. At this point, the real interest lies in the future of the timeline, where the writers actually have room to maneuver.
Rating: 7/10
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