Triple Zero (Star Wars: Republic Commando, Book 2) | 
 enlarge | Author: Karen Traviss
Publisher: Del Rey
Category: Book
List Price: $7.99
Buy New: $3.94
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Avg. Customer Rating:  52 reviews
Sales Rank: 10822
Media: Mass Market Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 448
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.1
ISBN: 0345490096
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6
EAN: 9780345490094
ASIN: 0345490096
Publication Date: February 28, 2006
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Product Description
Following the eruption of the bloody Clone Wars at the battle of Geonosis, both sides remain deadlocked in a stalemate that can be broken only by elite warrior teams like Omega Squad, clone commandos with terrifying combat skills and a lethal arsenal. . . .
For Omega Squad, deployed deep behind enemy lines, it’s the same old special ops grind: sabotage, espionage, ambush, and assassination. But when Omega Squad is rushed to Coruscant, the war’s most dangerous new hotspot, the commandos discover they’re not the only ones penetrating the heart of the enemy.
A surge in Separatist attacks has been traced to a network of Sep terror cells in the Republic’s capital, masterminded by a mole in Command Headquarters. To identify and destroy a Separatist spy and terror network in a city full of civilians will require special talents and skills. Not even the leadership of Jedi generals, along with the assistance of Delta squad and a certain notorious ARC trooper, can even the odds against the Republic Commandos. And while success may not bring victory in the Clone Wars, failure means certain defeat.
Also includes the bonus story Omega Squad: Targets by Karen Traviss!
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| Customer Reviews: Read 47 more reviews...
Good but something of a middle child November 16, 2008
This book is a solid sequel to the first republic commando book, hard contact, however it really is just setting up a lot of background for the third book, and while is entertaining it doesn't quite stand alone. That being said it is still a good book and if you enjoyed the first one definitely pick this one up.
 Another Thrilling Installment in the Republic Commando Series October 26, 2008
This is the second book in the outstanding Republic Commando series written by a fantastic author in Karen Traviss, who by the way has my heartfelt support for any book she decides to write in the Star Wars universe. The books written by her in the Legacy of the Force series, where easily the best ones out of all the authors who had written books in that series.
This book continues to tell the story of several clone troopers, a young female Jedi, Etain who becomes romantically involved with a certain clone trooper who shall remain nameless so as not to spoil the surprise, Sergeant Kal Skirata, who is determined to see that "his boys" get a lot better deal than the one that was handed them and a host of additional support characters, including; Vau and Lord Mird, Bessany, and Corr, just to name a few.
Like I stated in my review of the first book in this series, I am not going to go into great detail on the finer points of this particular book either, but I will say that it has been one of my most enjoyable reads from the "Clone Wars" era novels.
As you read this story (and the others in the series) you will share the experiences as a Mandalorian warrior becomes a father to a group of clone troopers whom he had saved from being terminated shortly after their "birth" from the cloning tanks, to the realization of a Jedi padawan that these clone soldiers aren't "wet droids," but real living breathing men under all that armor. Fascinating character development that really makes you believe in the characters and get into their individual stories.
There are some rather neat surprises in store for you as you read this book and you will want to make sure that you have the next two volumes in the series ready to go so that you don't have to wait to see what happens next.
If you want to really get into a great story with some very real characters, plop down one afternoon with this book and the other three in the Republic Commando series Hard Contact (Star Wars: Republic Commando), True Colors (Star Wars: Republic Commando), and Order 66 (Star Wars: Republic Commando) and time warp into another galaxy far far away! You won't be disappointed!
Shawn Kovacich
Star Wars Fan and Author of the Achieving Kicking Excellence series.
Great read! October 3, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
It's books like this one that adds validity and meaning to the Star Wars EU. With so many books pretending to be the movies, or books that add nothing or add something awkward, its nice to be refreshed by a book that delves into the depths of the Star Wars world. Triple Zero has nothing to do with any main Star Wars characters, but that is its biggest strength. The clones are not mindless drones willing to do whatever, but rather like children experiencing the world for the first time. Yes, they are battle hardened, but they no nothing of the intricacies of the real world. Much like any child would do, they rely on a father figure to help guide and protect them. Karen Traviss weaves a tale that is so deep and rich that the reader doesn't care that no main characters show up, we just care for the characters and the relationships between them.
Great read!
 Fun but annoying August 31, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
After reading Hard Contact, a fun book, I was excited to read Triple Zero. This book is the second of a trilogy and expands the storyline by introducing characters and concepts lightly touched on in Hard Contact.
Overall, the book was interesting for those who like to learn more about who Clone Troopers are and how they might be used in the Star Wars universe. Certainly we're introduced to Kal Skirata, the mentor so frequently hinted at in "Hard Contact". There is also an interesting perspective of the non-Jedi in this SW universe.
But at its core, this book is a failure for three main reasons:
1. The central plot of this book revolves around taking down a terrorist network on Corusant. But the author clearly did very little research into terrorist networks, military maneuvers, and generally how to write an anti-terror story. The entire story leads up to a central battle that takes up just a few pages. That's right, the entire book leads to a peak of something like 3 pages. We're to believe that this team of about 10 clones is this incredible fighting force, yet they go up against a team not much larger than their own with far, far less training and it's supposed to be "will anyone return home alive" material?
2. The core theme, that Kal Skirata loves his hand picked clone trooper "sons" is absolutely bashed on your head. Time and time and time again. The author has taken the easy way out and simply TOLD us that this is true, rather than showing us and assuming we can figure it out on our own. (If you've read "Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter", you'll recognize this massively repetitious plot device - hand it to the read on a silver platter rather than letting them figure out your character's personality on their own)
3. Several plot points build and build throughout the book, and like the key battle, unfold and finalize in a matter of a few paragraphs. One barked order and bam! problem solved. One quickie conversation and bam! problem solved.
Don't get me wrong - this was still a fun book to read. It had a enjoyable, if not poorly executed, build up to the conclusions. It's just that after 300+ pages, by the time resolutions came around, I was extremely let down. I could almost deal with the frequent plot holes that felt like pages were missing, but the biggest issue was that I just didn't get any sort of decent payoff at the end.
At the end of "Hard Contact", I was excited to keep reading about the team and learning more about who they were and where they came from. At the end of Triple Zero, I'm trying to decide whether to bother with the final book of the series.
 A big step down from 'Hard Contact' July 15, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Before starting the Republic Commando series, I had been a fairly avid Star Wars fan, but had read none of the EU novels. I was pleasantly surprised by 'Hard Contact,' especially in terms of pace, characterization, and the realistic atmosphere Traviss created through her own military experiences and research. However, 'Triple Zero' maintains little of these qualities: it actually expanded on some nitpicky issues I had with the first, as well as adding a few more of its own.
My major issue with this novel is the writing, namely the tendency to tell instead of show thoughts and emotions, as well as the author's refusal to let her story carry her message, and instead insert her opinion into the narration itself. There is little question that the novel is meant to portray clones, and by extension Mandalorians, as noble people downtrodden by the bloated Republic and the ignorant "civvies." This idea is reiterated a few times every chapter, not just by characters, but by the narration itself. I found this jarring to the point of grating--Traviss's tight writing in 'Hard Contact' becomes unbearably preachy in this book, almost berating the reader for even considering that clones/Mandalorians are anything less than heroes of the galaxy. Kal Skirata, who intrigued me in the first book, is little more than a mouthpiece for this idea.
In terms of plot, one of the biggest disappointments of this book was the complete lack of pace in the romance between Etain and Darman--there is nothing but a couple lines of dialog leading up to "the big moment." Also, I certainly wouldn't expect an explicit sex scene in a YA book, but the fact that no true moment of intimacy between the two is ever shown caused me to care less about their relationship (which should be momentous).
I have other issues with the book as well, but these stood out most to me. Not to say the book is irredeemable, however--from what I hear, the RC series is leaps and bounds better than most EU novels, and if you are a fan of the clones or the Mandalorians (like I am), there's enough in here to keep you going.
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