I do not think that there can ever be enough books about anything and I say that knowing that some of them are going to be about Pilates.The more knowledge the better seems like a solid rule of thumb, even though I have watched enough science fiction films to accept that humanity’s unchecked pursuit of learning will end with robots taking over the world.-Sarah Vowell

Friday, September 16, 2016

Star Wars: Smuggler's Run: A Han Solo and Chewbacca Adventure by Greg Rucka


Everybody's favorite nerfherder is back with his faithful co-pilot Chewie in another adventure. The first Death Star has just been blown up and the rebels have almost completed evacuation of their base on Yavin.  Leia has an important mission and the only person who can possibly do it is Han, who, of course, doesn't want to do it. Han just wants to take his money and go pay off Jabba the Hutt and get the price taken off his head before a bounty hunter kills him.  But, between Leia and Chewie, especially, and of course the promise of being paid more, Han takes the job.  A rebel named Ematt, who knows all the locations of the rebels as well as other sensitive information, is in danger.  The Shrikes are the ones who find locations where the rebels can put bases and Lieutenant Ematt's group was attacked and killed by the Imperial Security Bureau, but he was able to escape and is heading toward the planet Cyrkon, which is on the outer limits of Hutt space.  The Falcon is the fastest ship and the only one that can get there in time to save him. Chewie argues that they can pick him up and drop off the money to Hutt at the same time.  Outnumbered, Han agrees.

As Han is so famous for saying: What could possibly go wrong? Well, as usual, everything.  When they get there, a Star Destroyer is already there with Commander Beck of the Imperial Security Bureau, who is a cold woman with an artificial eye that has the ability to scan for heat signatures, infrared, heartbeats, etc..She is a formidable foe, quite evil, and highly intelligent.  Han gives the Destroyer a false ID and lands, which is where they meet a gang of bounty hunters who open fire on them. Luckily, Beck and some stormtroopers arrive looking for Han and his ship and he tells her the bounty hunters are the rebels and the stormtroopers attack the bounty hunters and Han and Chewie get away.

Their first stop is to a unique bar called Miss Fortune, which is actually a ship that can take off at a moments notice and set up shop elsewhere, when things get too hot.  Its run by a Captain Delia Leighton, a friend of Chewie's at least, and maybe Han's (who still owes her money for his tab).  She sometimes helps the rebels, so he asks her about Ematt and she tells them where to find him.  After they get Ematt, they walk into a trap.  It seems that Delia sold them out and now they're all in danger.  But, this is Han and you just know he will somehow find a way out of this situation, because he always seems to, even though the odds are really stacked against him this time.

This book is a really fun read, of course, probably because Han is in it with his smart mouth and fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants ways.  Beck makes a really good villain.  She scares me.  I wouldn't want to meet up with her in a dark alley, or frankly anywhere. Its also interesting to see the planet Cykron.  A city that became so polluted that they had to put a bubble up around the "city" area that has artificial air for the people to breathe.  Its crowded, filled with criminals who come to hide out or do business, and dirty.  You look at it and think, this could be earth someday. Many of the people there have never left that bubble or breathed real air. I guess it goes to show you that what can happen in a galaxy far, far away, can happen in this galaxy right here.

Link to Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Journey-Star-Wars-Smugglers-Adventure/dp/148472495X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1474032750&sr=1-1&keywords=star+wars+smugglers+run

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