Fatal Alliance (Star Wars: The Old Republic, #3)

Title: Fatal Alliance (Star Wars: The Old Republic, #3)

Author: Sean Williams

Published in: 2010

Date read: 13th August 2013

Score: 3/5

Genre: Science fiction, Thriller, Fantasy

Plot: (Warning, may contain spoilers):
"Fatal Alliance" by Sean Williams is a Star Wars Legends novel set during the tumultuous era of the Old Republic, serving as a prequel to the Star Wars: The Old Republic massively multiplayer online game. It throws together an unlikely ensemble of characters from various factions in a race against time to prevent a galactic catastrophe.

The story kicks off with a highly anticipated auction held by the Hutt crime lord, Tassaa Bareesh, on the planet Nal Hutta. The prize is two seemingly innocuous chunks of an exploded star cruiser. However, these fragments are believed to hold the key to immense wealth or power, attracting representatives from all corners of the galaxy, each with their own secret agendas.

The central characters who converge on this auction include:

Jedi Padawan Shigar Konshi, grappling with self-doubt after being deemed unready for his Jedi Trials.
Sith Apprentice Eldon Ax, ambitious but also somewhat disillusioned with the rigid Sith hierarchy.
Jet Nebula, a cynical but capable smuggler and captain.
Larin Moxla, a disgraced but determined Republic Blackstar trooper.
Dao Stryver, a mysterious and enigmatic Mandalorian warrior with her own hidden motives.
Ula Vii, an Imperial agent posing as a Republic envoy, navigating treacherous political waters.

None of these individuals intend to simply bid for the prize; each plans to steal it. However, what they uncover is far more dangerous than mere wealth. The fragments are revealed to be connected to a powerful, ancient device known as the "Desolator," capable of wiping out entire worlds, or, as later revealed, a prototype for self-replicating droids known as "hexes."

As the various factions clash and betrayals mount, the true threat of the "hexes" becomes apparent. These droids are incredibly resilient, able to absorb energy attacks, cloak themselves, and combine into larger, more formidable units. They represent a danger so profound that it forces an unprecedented and fragile alliance between the Republic and the Sith Empire.

The characters are compelled to work together, despite their inherent animosities and mistrust, to track down the stolen components and prevent the hexes from being fully unleashed upon the galaxy. Their journey takes them across various planets, leading to intense battles and difficult moral choices. The novel culminates in a desperate struggle to destroy the droid-making device and the hexes themselves, highlighting the thin line between cooperation and self-interest, and the terrifying consequences of an ancient evil reawakened.

Comments:
Great book, but 12 years on, I cannot offer anything more specific. I had to go through the plot in detail to awaken dormant memories.

Books that we've read by Sean Williams (1):
Fatal Alliance (Star Wars: The Old Republic, #3) (2010)