Shield of Lies: The Review

The following review was submitted by amara z.  Thank you so much for the contribution!  I know it's not Sunday, but I'm sure you all won't mind. 

This is the second book of The Black Fleet Crisis. It's a little odd in it's setup since there are three sections to the book, one for each character of focus – Lando, Luke, and Leia. Since we are concerned mostly with Han and Leia goodness, I went through Leia's section in its entirety and through Luke's section to look for references to Leia or training her as a Jedi.

Leia's section opens with Nil Spaar returning to N’zoth as practically a god. Females are ready to breed with him and males are ready to die for him. Spaar certainly laps up all the attention. It's really warped and very cold blooded and I ended up looking him up on Wookiepedia. By the feel of this part of the book I almost expected someone reptilian and I wasn't far off in terms of look

We next switch to the Fifth Fleet arriving at the Koornacht Cluster. General A’baht is not sure what to expect and he’s prepared for the worst. But there is no sign of the Yethevan fleet and they end up sitting and waiting.

We finally get to Han and Leia and they are, of all things, on vacation. Yep, you read that right – on vacation. Han decided he needed to get Leia away from everything that's been going on and took her and the kids to Rathalay. Finally, someone with some sense!  They are enjoying time on a secluded beach. The kids are having a ball – Jacen wants to see the narkaa, Jaina loves floating in the water, and Anakin is fascinated by the waves. There's a cute scene between Jaina and Han when she asks if she and Jacen can go look for sea motes.

"Okay," he said. "But don't go out of sight. If you can't see me, I can't see you."

For a moment she gave him her impatient I-know-that-Dad look. But Jaina was learning not to throw away her victories, and said nothing more than a breezy "Thanks!" as she ran away to where Jacen waited.

I liked that and it's always been the rule in my house too. But what is Leia doing during all of this? Standing down the beach talking on her comlink with Admiral Ackbar. Ugh. She's apparently the only blemish on the whole thing. I’m beginning to wonder if the woman can ever relax. I guess I wouldn't either with everything that's been going on, but I really wish she'd catch a break or take one. But not to worry, Han notices and when Leia mentions she's expecting another call later, Han quickly rectifies the situation by throwing her comlink into the sea. Leia's, of course, not happy.

"Han!" Leia's tone carried both puzzlement and rebuke.

He turned back toward her. "I had to do it. It was trying to kill you."

"What?"

"Look at us. We're on vacation, for the first time in who can remember," Han said, slowly returning to her. "We're walking on a beautiful beach, hand in hand, with no kids climbing all over us--and we're talking about politics."

He assures her there will be plenty of work for her to do when she gets back and continues on.

Han stopped and turned her toward him. "Leia, you've given them enough of you. Can't you give your-self--us--these few days? If this isn't where you want to be, or what you want to be doing with this time, tell me, and we'll do something about it. And if I have to take you farther from the castle to break the spell the Wizard of Duty laid on you--"

I love that and isn’t that what we’ve been saying? She admits “kind of new to this 'having fun' business” and we get a little glimpse into her past as she explains Bail’s idea of fun as she was growing up was rather stodgy and more about learning to which Han comments that she must have “taken family vacations at drill school." She also went to Coruscant as a senator at seventeen and tells him that she missed out on the fun, carefree time growing up. She then realizes how long she’s been on Coruscant, over half her life, and admits that she doesn’t like it that much. Han tells her she doesn’t really know Coruscant, at least not from outside a room or Imperial City. That’s a pretty sad state of affairs to me.

Leia and Han return to Coruscant and in a bold move, Leia approves a bunch of emergency petitions for membership in the Republic. She feels it is the right thing to do and it sets things up so that the Republic can help the planets the Yevetha are intent on invading.

Leia meets with her friend and ally Behn-kiln-nahm, also know to her as Bennie, to discuss how things are in the senate and how she is perceived by the senators. She still has some opposition and there is a possibility others will try to recall her presidency. Leia even suggests resigning, but he nixes that idea. They also talk about using the Fifth Fleet against the Yevetha, but Leia won’t do it without approval of the Defense Council. The senators in league with Nil Spaar fixed it so she feels she can’t just order it without it raising questions.

I wanted to include this next bit since it’s one of our favorite topics – the fact that Ackbar had a key to Han and Leia’s house. During what’s been going on, scattered through several scenes, Ackbar has been watching over the injured Plat Mallar from Polneye. Not sure why the interest in him, but he stays with him in the hospital, keeps an eye on him while he recovers, and even tries to help him join the Republic forces. But Plat is rejected because his planet is not a member of the Republic and Ackbar decides to get Leia to approve Polneye’s emergency request to join. On his way to see Leia, Ackbar thinks about how he used to be in Leia’s inner circle and had easy access to her before the escalation of the current crisis.

But Ackbar had been jarred by the discovery that he was locked out of the President's residence, his key disabled, his status as a member of the family suddenly withdrawn. So he had chosen to approach the President's suite on level fifteen through the front door, and tried to prepare himself for another rebuff.

Huh? Seems like he’s really upset that his access has been revoked. Maybe it’s because he doesn’t need to be entering their house at all hours. Just a thought. But Leia welcomes him easily and we come to find out that Ackbar’s access to the house has been reactivated.

“Then you haven't seen Han, either? I told him to tell you it was fixed. And here I thought it was me you were avoiding," Leia said, coming to where he stood and hugging him. "I can't stay angry at you for long. And besides-- you're one of the few people I've told myself I have to keep listening to, even when I am angry at you."

Oh, boy. It’s nice that she and Ackbar are playing nice again since they seem to like and trust each other and evidently Anakin misses Ackbar, but come on. He really doesn’t need access to her house. Just saying.

Ackbar does get her to approve the application from Polneye. He does it by quoting things she said at the beginning of the New Republic. There’s has also been some criticism that Alderaan really isn’t a planet any more and shouldn’t be a member of the senate because there’s only so many Alderaanians left. Ackbar uses that to his advantage as well. There is one interesting line when Leia asks if Plat has considered some of the offers to become a member of other planets.

"In the days after Alderaan was destroyed, how would you have looked on an invitation to become a citizen of Lafra or Ithor?"

I just thought that was interesting. There are some scenes of Plat training with Ackbar later, but I didn’t think they were too crucial to Han and Leia so won’t really mention those.

The next segments are mostly politics. We also get to see one of the spies that Nil Spaar has on Coruscant, Ourn, a counsel from Paqwepori. He tells Spaar about all of the applications that were approved and how people feel Leia has overstepped her bounds.

Engh and Bennie try to convince Leia to convene the cabinet so that she can give them a “go, team, go” speech.  She finally agrees and it seems to go well. But after the meeting, Engh tells her she might need to buff up her public image and that she might want to listen to the opinion from other worlds about what’s going on in the Republic. It’s not good and misinformation is going around after her approvals of the new applications. Engh tries to get her to understand it’s more about informing people about what’s going on and clearing up any misconceptions. We get a nice quote from Leia.

"Now you want me to give interviews? What next? Preside over spaceport openings? Endorse a line of little Leia dolls? Let myself be recorded dancing for Han in a Huttese slave-girl costume?"

I’m thinking Han would enjoy that dance a lot, except for the recording part.

Engh tells her to think about it and Leia is still fuming when she meets Han and the kids for lunch. Aww. Yes, they meet for lunch just like we like to imagine and hope they do. Leia fills Han in on her talk with Engh and it sets up a nice exchange.

She expected his sympathy, but Han's face acquired an uncomfortable expression as she talked.

"What? What is it?"

"Nothing. It's nothing--go on, I'm listening."

"No, I know that look," Leia insisted. "It's your 'I'm not going to say this because it'll just make things worse' trying-to-bite-your-tongue look. Except you always have to let me see how hard you're working to be nice. I don't know how you ever won a single hand of sabacc with that face."

"Just like I know that speech," Han said, his mouth twisting into a wry, crooked grin. "That's your 'I'm going to poke at him until he's just mad enough to blurt out what he's thinking' speech. And it doesn't work anymore."

Love the banter here and it fits with the fact that they understand and are comfortable with each other after being together for some time. Very funny about winning sabacc with that face.

Han tells her that an old smuggling buddy has been in touch with him. He sent Han a commentary and letters from a local newsgrid and it’s not very flattering to Leia and talks about her believing in the “divine right of monarchs.” Han isn’t forthcoming with what his friend said, but Leia finally wheedles it out of him.

"Well--he didn't have much to say, actually. After the last of the letters from the Banner, he just added a short note. 'Is there something in the water there on Coruscant? She seemed like such a nice girl."" Han shrugged. "It doesn't mean anything, except that now I have to kill him."

"No, you don't."

He nodded, deadpan. "Do. Insulted my girl. Have to kill all of them."

So cute Han wanting to defend his girl. Leia realizes the kids might hear people talking about her this way and after sampling some of the messages, she gets Engh to work on her image.

Leia eventually goes in front of the Defense Council. It doesn’t seem that exciting. Mostly Leia shows them an attack on Morning Bell (Doornik-319) and there’s a lot of arguing and politics about validity of the evidence and the urgency of taking action. But there is a description about her clothes I liked.

On the recommendation of Engh's image specialists, she had forgone the flowing robes of Alderaan's royal house in favor of what Han had called street-fighting clothes--a simple garment suggestive of a flight jumpsuit. But she wore just one of the medals and honors she was entitled to: the small blue-fire crystal talisman of House Organa.

I thought that was neat. It shows her in something different and I kind of like anything that hints at her previous life before the Rebellion, like the talisman of House Organa.

The Council agrees to deliver an ultimatum to the Yevetha and Leia sends out announcement on several channels for the Yevetha to desist and withdraw from the planets they have invaded. They don’t ever really get a response, but they soon receive video of the Yevethan fleet preparing to invade Doornik-319. In an effort to stop the invasion, Leia and the others decide to set up a blockade of the planet. The Fifth Fleet doesn’t find the invading force when they arrive and even though they held back some of the ships for later, it ends up a complete disaster and many lives are lost. It didn’t help that the Yevetha were broadcasting messages from hostages saying that they will be killed if the Republic attacks. And quite a few Republic fighters wouldn’t attack because of the broadcasted messages. Very cold blooded.

As a result, the Ruling Council is convened. Its sole purpose is to act as a check of the president and the council can recall a president or void a presidential election. The Council has rarely met and has never been used, but there is currently a call for a vote of no confidence against Leia. When you pair this with the questions about Alderaan’s legitimacy earlier, this just basically sucks. Leia’s just as much a hero of the Rebellion as Han or Luke. You would think that would earn her a certain level of respect or gratitude, but apparently not.

For once Fey’lya isn’t gunning for her, not yet, and the motion for a vote of no confidence fails. But Bennie warns her she’s not out of the woods yet in terms of challenges to her presidency and next time she might not survive.

After some discussions with others, including General A’baht, they set up concurrent recon missions of the entire Duskhan League and thirteen other planets the Yevetha may have attacked. This ends up as a debacle as well. They expected to lose about sixty percent of the twenty-four recon ships, but ended up losing all but four drones. All piloted ships are lost. Some ships scanned about three quarters of their targets and the news is not good. The Yevetha are out in force and they even spot the Super Star Destroyer Intimidator. They have a wall of screens set up in the War Hall on Coruscant to watch the missions and while they are waiting for things to start, Han gets on Leia’s nerves a little bit.

"It kind of reminds me of a tout board I saw at a million-credit betting parlor on Bragkis," Han said, "and everyone standing around waiting for the race to begin. 'Who's got a favorite?" 'What odds will you give me on Wakiza? "" Leia usually found Han's irreverence refreshing. But she had no patience for it just then and walked away after shooting him a hot sidewise glare.

I thought that was interesting and not sure it’s something we see all that often.

The next part is rather predictable given how the EU is. With all the data they amassed, they make plans to reinforce the Fifth Fleet finally. Two guesses who they are tapping to lead the combined force. Yep, Han. Don’t they have anyone else that can do this? But Fey’lya and the Defense Council are insisting they approve the choice and Han is the compromise.

"You can't begin to know how absurd it was at times," Ackbar said, turning away from the viewscreen and approaching the table. "Senator Cundertol actually supported you on the grounds of--and I quote the great man verbatim-- 'He's not doing anything else, is he?""

Wow. As Han says, what “a heart warming recommendation.” Han doesn’t sound happy about it, but eventually accepts the challenge.

"For a while there, Leia dear, I actually let myself think that we'd have a chance for that normal life you told Luke you wanted. I let myself believe that we were through with this sort of thing. And I have to tell you--leaving the uniform in the closet really agreed with me."

Leia and Han exchanged rueful smiles at that. "Well--seems like going all the way back to Yavin," he added, "I've made you coax, wheedle, guilt, and shame me into volunteering for dirty jobs. I won't make you do it this time. Fact is, the Yevetha disgust me--and they scare the stang out of me, too. If we don't control them now, the future could get very messy. So I'll take this job, because it needs to be done."

Of course, we know there is so much more to Han than just being a scoundrel, but it is nice to see him willing to pitch in and do the hard work. Maybe Leia’s been a bad influence that way. I love how he gives her a bit of a hard time about heading out again and his reference to their early days.

In a funny twist, they are going to make Han a commodore for the duration of the mission.

“Commodore, eh?" He tried a cheerful smile on Leia, but she was no more persuaded by it than he was. "Does that come with a hat?"

Unfortunately, Spaar’s spies are still active and Tig Peramis informs him about the mission and Han’s flight to join the Fifth. Han is captured and he’s brought in front of Spaar. I certainly don’t want him in Spaar’s hands, but it’s a pretty great scene.

"You are the mate of Leia."

"I guess that secret's out," said Han, deciding to try to take his captor's measure. "And you're Nil Spaar. I've heard a lot about you, all of it bad. You've moved right to the top of my least favorite people list. I had to drop Jabba the Hutt off to make room for you. It's only fair to tell you that my number one goal in life is to outlive everyone on the list. I was halfway there before you replaced Jabba."

The Yevethan ruler did not seem to take any notice of Han's goading.

"What sort of vermin are you?"

"I think the word you're looking for is 'scoundrel,' as in 'Corellian scoundrel,'" Han said. "I've also answered to 'rascal,' 'pirate,' 'smuggler,' 'wretched scum,' 'toad-licker,' and a few others. Not all of those are considered polite where I come from, though--so I don't always answer politely. Just so you'll know, 'vermin' probably counts as impolite."

Oh, man, is there any wonder why we think Han is so awesome? Definitely quotable. And even though he’s in danger, Han still defends his girl.

"You are stronger than she," Nil Spaar said, cocking his head. "Why do you follow her? Why do you not lead?"

Han answered with a contemptuous gaze and a shake of his head. "I was gonna tell you that grabbing me was the biggest mistake you ever made," he said. "Now I see it's the second biggest. You've misjudged Leia from the beginning. Day in and day out, she might just be the strongest person I know. And you're gonna find that out the hard way now."

The scene ends sadly though with Han getting beaten pretty severely.

As if Han being captured isn’t enough for Leia to deal with, Ackbar and Bennie come to see Leia while she’s trying to comfort Jaina. The Ruling Council is summoning her again. This time it’s Doman Beruss. He’s afraid that with Han’s capture, Leia might do something rash/precipitous.

"Oh, he knows me--I'd like nothing more than to send the Fifth in to burn the Yevetha off the face of N'zoth. But how can I? How can I do anything, Bennie?" she asked, her voice pleading for an answer. "The Yevetha have my husband. My children's father is in the hands of Nil Spaar."

This part really burns me. Beruss was a friend of her father’s. And he’s supposed to be an ally of Leia’s. For him to do this is just scummy, but that’s just me. This ends Leia’s section and the book.

Looking through the Luke section of the book, I didn’t find much. Nothing about training Leia or the children as Jedi. And it sounds like he has an alias which was odd to me because sometimes the book makes it sound like he’s two different people.

At one point he’s asked about the relationship between the Jedi and the New Republic and what the Jedi will do if called upon.

“That isn't the way it works," Luke said. "Leia doesn't give orders to the Jedi. She can ask us for help--one of us or all of us--but we can refuse. And sometimes do."

I don’t know. That came across as snotty to me. I get Luke’s point that they can refuse to help. But it’s too reminiscent of the previous book where he refused to help Leia with the kids. Kind of like he’ll help if he feels like it. Just didn’t sit right with me.

There are also a few moments where he does think that Leia might have been right about his search for their mother or at least understands her viewpoint.

You may have been right, Leia. If I do find the truth, I may not find it to my liking-

And there’s a discussion with Akanah.

"I think Leia's been afraid to look for our mother. Maybe if I were Leia, I would be, too."

"Why?"

Luke considered for a moment before answering "Her memories of our mother--few as they are, and little as they've told us--are very precious to her. They're a child's memories, innocent, idyllic. And she's protecting them."

\"Protecting them? From what?"

"Reality," Luke said. "There's nothing Leia could possibly learn about Mother that could improve on those memories--and a lot she could learn that could damage them. Leia's never had to consider our mother in her full complexity. What kind of relationship did she have with Vader? Why did she have his children? Why did she give us up? When you start letting yourself ask questions like those, you risk getting an answer you don't like."

On his adventures, Luke stumbles across a bar that seems very familiar called Jabba’s Throne Room.

The same fiction was carried through everywhere else—an Ortolan keyboardist leading a jizz-wailer trio on the bandstand, the roaring of the rancor underfoot, an annoying Kowakian monkey-lizard skittering around the room stealing food and cackling rudely, even a carbon-frozen Han Solo hanging in the display alcove.

Shortly after his meal arrived, Luke's consciousness was pricked by hearing a familiar name spoken at a nearby table: Leia's. He looked up, fearing that the evening's entertainment at Jabba's Throne Room would be a dance by a slave-girl-Leia look-alike. But the band was on a break and the transparisteel dance platform over the rancor pit deserted.

Thought that was pretty funny. There’s even a Bib Fortuna look-alike and a waitress named Oola. And what’s with the references to Leia in her slave girl bikini? That makes two different references. Did she save it and store it somewhere we don’t know about?

I’d probably give this a 3 or a 3.5. Only a third of the book, about 140 pages, is dedicated to Leia and not all of that section is about her and Han. All of the political fighting and back stabbing don’t sit right with me either. Leia is still having a hard time in this book because of it. But at least people like General A’baht and Han are showing some common sense and seems like Leia is pulling herself together a little or at least showing some of her strength. The moments that Han and Leia have together are nice and Han has some great lines. I am definitely interested in the next book to find out how they rescue Han and to see Nil Spaar get what’s coming to him.

Thanks so much for helping out with this!  We will take care of the next few reviews but we will let you all know if we need some more help.  Though as always, any contributions are welcome.