Resistance Reborn Part 3 of 4

[colls]

Welcome to our third of four check-in and discussion posts for our Book of the Month.

This month’s book is Resistance Reborn (Journey to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker) by Rebecca Roanhorse
Part III Chapters 19-26

Resistance Reborn Part 3 of 4

1. Dross Squadron has just encountered an obstacle in their mission on the salvage planet. Do you think Shriv leaving Zay behind as their fail safe will turn out to be their ace in the hole?

2. Wedge's team has made it to the records office and encountered Yama, who has apparently been telling anyone who will listen about the datapad leak - from the First Order Colonel Genial to Nora. Do you think she'll team up with the Resistance or go her own way after this incident?

3. What do you make of Poe and Finn's undercover mission?

4. Do you think Rey's "intuition" for any specific mission, or for all of them at once?

5. Any predictions for the ending?



FYI - There's no need to answer all (or any) of the questions above - they're just talking points to get us started. Informal chatter is more than welcome! In-person book clubs often veer off topic, it's okay if we do as well. :)
All I ask is that you try to avoid spoilers for things past Part III of the book.

Comments

[colls]

I have less investment in the Dross Squadron than I do in any of the other teams at this stage. They're interesting, and they highlight how desperate the Resistance is, going after scrap. But I don't know any of the characters enough to have an emotional investment in their story yet.

Yama is only 15!?!? I found Officer Bratt to be an idiot before this part of the story, but his beating of her sealed the deal for me - I hope Officer Bratt doesn't make it out of this book alive.

Poe and Finn undercover as a couple is everything that is good about the sequel series in general. I like Rose and enjoyed Canto Bright bits in TLJ, but oh how I wish we could've seen this on-screen.

Much like Poe's speech earlier in the book showed how he hasn't quite found his footing (but that's he's on the right path), I feel like Rey is in a similar place with her Force training. She knew long before the scene where she discusses it with Leia, but was unsure and held back. The attack coming in just as she'd sought guidance from Leia seems like ironic timing.


As for what's next.... I have a bad feeling about this.
Someone isn't going to make it out, and the cynic in me says it'll be someone from each of the four missions. I hope I'm wrong.
1. Either Zay or Shriv - because the last interaction between them as Shriv was leaving the shuttle seemed laced with the whole "I may never see this person again" vibe.
2. I'm unsure about this one. Perhaps it's Yama. I really don't want it to be Nora.
3. Either Suralinda or Charth are the likely candidates - my money is on Charth since Suralinda is a character created in another installment and the author might not have the freedom to kill her off.
4. If anyone dies on Ryloth, it'll be Yendor as the other characters here obviously survive to the movie.

[brokenmnemonic]

I think Bratt's days are numbered, one way or the other. Either he's going to get executed by the First Order, or someone else is going to kill him - maybe one of the prisoners.

I rather like Dross Squadron, although I'm not particularly attached to them as individuals. I think for me, they feel a little bit like a nascent Twilight Company in the making; no big-name heroes or big wins, but lots of small missions as they secure people and ships and resources to help the resistance rebuild. A bit like

[colls]

I'm perfectly ok with Bratt's days being numbered. He's written as an insufferable schmuck and good riddance.

I like your analogy to Twilight Company.

[brokenmnemonic]

Maybe Bratt's destined to be one of those people force-chocked into oblivion by someone more seriously evil than himself?

[colls]

That (and the fact that I'm still at work) made me think of this meme...

[brokenmnemonic]

1. I hope that Zay has a part to play; it feels like the story's set up so that she'll have a more active opportunity to contribute to the mission (one that satisfies her desire to do something) but I'm a little nervous that she might die in the attempt.

2. I think that Yama's in a lot of trouble, one way or another. I think if she tries to carry on working for the First Order, she's going to end up being a scapegoat for someone. I'm not sure she's ready or willing to join the Resistance yet, but I think that she may well get swept along with them during the mission, and end up with no choice.

3. There's a song that purplefringe used to vid Dr Bashir, that has the refrain "I wish I was James Bond, just for a day". I had that running through my head the moment I started reading the undercover mission plotline.

4. I'm not sure yet. I'm hoping that what we'll see during this book is Leia working with Rey to start developing that intuition, as part of building up to the training we saw in RoS...

5. I think that overall, it's going to be a win for the Resistance, but I think they're going to have to run again, and that at least one of the missions is going to cost them one or more people.

[colls]

1. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Zay.

2. I didn't really care much about her until the point where she decided to help Wedge and Nora - then she became kind of interesting to me. Her age and experience so far tells me it's likely she'll get swept along, but on the other hand - unlike Monti, maybe she actually has some reason to choose the First Order.

3. aw.... I remember that vid!

4. I think even if we don't see the training, the foundation for it will be laid here.

5. Agreed.