Chapter By Chapter> Star Wars: Shadows Of The Empire ch. 12

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.

When last we read, Luke had returned to Ben Kenobi’s to resume his training and lightsaber building while Leia, Lando, Chewie, and Threepio went searching for the party responsible for the price on Luke’s head, not realizing that’s exactly who they were going to talk to. Xizor manipulated Vader to get him out of the way and deal with a rival who happened to be helping the Rebels. And so we continue with our review, with the 12th chapter.

The first scene has Luke testing out his newly completed lightsaber. It’s a good and needed scene but not much else to say here. There’s a nice segue to Luke’s friends as they talk to Lando’s contact with Black Sun. He agrees (while talking like Sylvester the cat from Looney Tunes) to make the connection and offers them rooms. Also, Greedo’s uncle isn’t too concerned since his nephew was an idiot, Solo is frozen, and Obi-Wan is one with the Force, which Leia notes in her head is rather cold. They’re in a casino and Leia notes that she doesn’t gamble but Lando corrects her. It’s just she wagers her neck instead of her wallet, which she had to admit is true. It’s the little moments that make this story interesting when all the big stuff is happening, connecting us to the characters so when events do happen we care about what happens to them.

Meanwhile, Vader and his fleet of Star Destroyers (and when it comes to Star Destroyers three is enough to be a fleet) head to the Rebel equipment base. The most interesting part of this scene is not Vader’s preference to fight one-on-one with the Rebels or that he’d rather be hunting Luke than a garage, but that we learn the soldiers have to take lots to see who will have to tell Vader anything. I guess they’ve seen enough of their fellows get Force-choked to not be a little wary, even when it’s good news or just a simple progress report. It’s not intended to be funny, being meant to show Vader is feared and likes it that way, but it still is.

Back with our travelling heroes in the final scene we learn a bit more about intimidation. Only this time it’s using Lando’s bluffing at a card game for Leia to explain to Threepio how appearing strong is sometimes more effective than being strong. I’m hoping this comes up later and Threepio learns to bluff his way into scaring some guys off. I like when Threepio is in badass mode.

C-3PO, master of Droid-Fu.

For example. That ends this chapter. What will happen when our heroes finally make contact with Black Sun? Will Luke continue his war on defenseless rocks? Does Vader prefer Galaga or Galaxian? Some of these questions may be answered next week in chapter 13.