Chapter By Chapter> Star Wars: Shadows Of The Empire ch. 9

Chapter by Chapter features me reading one chapter of the selected book at the time and reviewing it as if I were reviewing an episode of a TV show or an issue of a comic. There will be spoilers if you haven’t read to the point I have, and if you’ve read further I ask that you don’t spoil anything further into the book. Think of it as read-along book club.

While writing the ending to yesterday’s article I realized that I won’t be doing normal posting next week due to Christmas week. It will be all Christmas videos until (hopefully) my Video Review. So rather than be behind with 32 chapters I still have to read through you get a second Chapter By Chapter this week.

As you may recall from Monday, Luke and Rogue Squadron had done all they could with their distraction while the Millennium Falcon crew had bogeys on their tail and Boba Fett in their sights. If we can keep to events important to this event and leave the other stuff for after the fight (like more of Xizor being pompous scum or Vader sparing with a droid) this could be really good.

Yes, that’s exactly what happened and the chapter is better off for it. We have two important events going on that doesn’t need Xizor’s eating habits interrupting us. The main plot of the story dogs Luke as one of the Rouges, Wes, has to deal with an out-of-control R2 unit taking over his X-Wing during the fake getaway to shoot at Luke. What’s worse is one of the TIE Fighters decided to chase them, putting Luke in the crossfire of friend and foe alike. Using the Force Luke manages to shoot out the TIE and damage the X-Wing. This was a very intense scene. I will get on a guy when he does wrong but I will praise when he does right (look what’s happening with Simon Furman’s Dreamwave Transformers versus his Marvel and IDW work) and Perry really earned praise with this segment.

And how are the others doing? We’re only at the ninth chapter of a book taking place before the movie Han was rescued during. So as you can guess they didn’t do very well, as the Falcon was just too outgunned and sustained too much damage, including the communications system so they can’t call Rogue Squadron to intercept Slave 1. Again, Perry does a good job portraying everyone’s frustration. As a bonus C-3PO is a voice of reason, that they have no proof Fett didn’t stash Han’s Carbonite prison somewhere else and they can still go ahead with the original plan on Tatooine. I like when a writer can put Threepio to good use.

Back with the Rogues, they learn that the R2 unit was programmed to kill Luke, not a malfunction. They don’t have time to continue the mystery since first Luke has to get on Dash’s case for leaving them behind. However, when you’re a Jedi you need to be wary lest the Dark Side claim you. Luke notices it and gets himself back under control, and admits that Dash was right that he was only hired as a guide, not a wingman. Luke and Wedge return to the mystery but the R2 unit is in pieces and the culprit is easy to find…since the crew chief is holding a gun at Luke!

You know what this means, folks? Cliffhanger! If you own the book of course you get to continue on but this is a good way to end a chapter, to make you want to continue onto the next one. If you have time you get to keep going, like marathoning a TV season or movie serial (serials being one of George Lucas’ influences in creating both Star Wars and the Indiana Jones series). If not, then you have to wait and see how Luke gets out of this. You know he will but there are a bunch of ways for him to do so. Which will it be? Find out in chapter 10 on this website…in two weeks! Not on purpose, kids; that’s just how it happened.