Allegiance Part 2

[colls]

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

This month’s book is Allegiance by Timothy Zahn
Chapters 7-12

Allegiance Part 2

1. How long do you think it will take Mara to connect the Reprisal commanders, the two ISB agents assigned to her, and the missing Stormtroopers?

2. Are the political machinations of Chivkyrie and Governor Choard's Chief Administrator (Disra) independent of each other or are they in cahoots?

3. With so many people targeting the pirate gang, who do you think will reach them first?

4. Any other thoughts?



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 2 of the book.

Comments

[brokenmnemonic]

I'm sorry for the slow response. My week got hijacked by work, particularly as I'm on leave from tomorrow,and it seems to be more work handing something over than just doing it myself...

1. My feeling is that Mara will put together the two ISB agents and the commanders aboard the Reprisal pretty quickly, but I think it'll be that which will prompt her to investigate further and find out about the deserters.

2. I think Disra is using Chivkyrie. I think his intentions are to find a way to either set the Rebels up to take the fall for something he has planned, or lure them in so that he can capture/kill them and use that to allay any suspicions against him.

3. I think it would be hilarious if everyone arrived at the same time, but I suspect it won't work out that way. I think that it'll probably be Mara Jade arriving first, followed by either the deserters or the Reprisal, possibly with impeccable timing for causing havoc in any schemes Mara has running.

4. I find that I'm feeling a lot of anticipation for when Luke and Han get to have a conversation with the deserters, once they know that they actually are deserters. I think it could be interesting seeing how Han and Luke's inevitable negotiations go in comparison to Leia's...

[colls]

No need to apologize for a slow response - one of the beauties of DW is that it's still here to comment on when you get to it - there's not the tweet-it-and-miss-it of other platforms. ;) Also, I run behind myself sometimes, no worries.
(like this week!)


I wouldn't be surprised if Mara does put it together rather quickly. I do think several people's schemes are going to be sent spinning when they all do finally find the pirate gang.

[astromech1138]

Ah I am so far behind! But I have been reading!


1. How long do you think it will take Mara to connect the Reprisal commanders, the two ISB agents assigned to her, and the missing Stormtroopers?

Probably in the last quarter, as part of the climax. Boy is she going to be pissed when the ISB agents try to get one over on her! Her reaction to the ISB was interesting and surprising to me (not knowing very much about it)--signs of early cracks in her relationship to the Empire?

2. Are the political machinations of Chivkyrie and Governor Choard's Chief Administrator (Disra) independent of each other or are they in cahoots?

This was Leia's meeting, wasn't it? Honestly I kind of glazed over this part. Whoops. But there are a lot of different things happening in this book, a lot of different interests, that all seem connected/to be converging...which is one of my gripes with the Disney productions. The galaxy is a big place: why is everyone interested in the same people, the same system?


3. With so many people targeting the pirate gang, who do you think will reach them first?

I'm guessing the rogue stormtroopers, with Han/Luke/Chewie in tow...I'm curious to see more of this uneasy relationship, and how the three heroes manage to disentangle themselves from this one. I'm guessing at some point the stormtroopers sacrifice themselves for them (or do something else as extreme), just based on Ben's advice to Luke when he was in the quad well.

4. Any other thoughts?


I'm mostly really liking this, aside from the way that it makes the SW universe smaller. It's cool to see Mara Jade in action as the Emperor's Hand, for instance, but I'm apprehensive about how her path will cross Luke's. The stormtroopers are my favorite part, surprisingly. They're just the right level of unhinged and morally upright, lol.

[colls]

No worries! I just noticed I'd forgotten to comment myself last week (doh!) and I'm heading off to read the next section now - so am a little behind myself ;)


1. I don't know if it's signs of cracks in her relationship with the Empire (could be) or just the general distaste inherent in ISB-types who think they're above everyone else. But I'm looking forward to when she finds out about them.

2. It was part of Leia's meeting, but also part of the 'Governor' and there's a thread that we haven't seen yet to the pirates. There's some twists here that I'm sure will be ineresting.

3. I suspect you're right, although it would be sad to lose all of them.

4. They're just the right level of unhinged and morally upright, lol.
That's well said - I like them for not being able to stand by and let crime happen, but find their actions to be a bit bonkers.