Victory's Price #2

[colls]

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

This month’s book is Victory's Price by Alexander Freed
Chapters 9-16


Please use this post to discuss. I'll add in some talking points once I catch up this week - suggested questions are welcome!


All I ask is that you try to avoid spoilers for things past Part II of the book.

Comments

[brokenmnemonic]

How do you feel about the situation on the world where the droids have taken over and are running everything, and the organics are either employees or possibly slaves? Do you think it was intended in part to give our ex-Imperial characters a view of what it's like to serve under subjugation to another authority that's in no way required to be fair and reasonable?

How do you feel about Wyl's strategy of trying to talk to the pilots from Shadow Wing, and the way others in the rebel fleet started doing the same? Do you see any parallels between this and the famous encounter in WW1 where Scottish and German soldiers sang carols to each other and played football together in no-mans land one Christmas?

What are your impressions of Kairos' homeworld, and the society she comes from?

[colls]

(thank you for the questions! sorry that last week just got away from me)

1. The droid-run outpost was surreal, wasn't it? I don't know if it was intended to freak out the Imperials or just show us all what sort of upheaval is happening all over the place.

2. Wyl certainly leads with his heart and moral compass in ways that others don't, that's for sure. I wonder if that WWI Christmas was the inspiration for it? I think it's been used in war movies, etc since - why not in Star Wars?

3. I loved reading about Karios' and her past, very alien and I really like that so much of her is still mysterious.

[brokenmnemonic]

No problem - some weeks are definitely like that :)

1. I think it could be a bit of both? I think that one of the reasons that it was droids specifically is because of the idea that droids won't be swayed by emotional pleas or manipulation. And that's assuming they're regular robots - imagine a former Imperial colony being run by droids under the leadership of Creepio... Plus, it's also interesting to speculate about whether something like this could be happening on other worlds. I wonder how many other small colonies with more droids than sentients there are out there.

2. I'd like to think that the WWI Christmas moment was the inspiration for the idea, but I remember watching the scene depicted in the movie "Oh! What a Lovely War!" and that shows the interaction ending when British artillery started shelling again. I'm wondering how close a parallel that might be. I like how the novel is digging into the questions around how to try and deal with the consequences of wartime events and crimes, and whether there are options other than fighting to the death. It feels a little like exposing the questions that peace and reconciliation commissions here on Earth have to navigate. I also like how we're seeing Quell struggle with herself, and with seeing her former squadronmates, and trying to work out how to deal with all the feelings and consequences. As you can probably guess, I'm really enjoying this novel - and it's giving us some fun space fights, too.

3. Do you feel Karios and her chrysalis, and problems with being brought out early, and the way she can't rejoin her former culture are intended in part to be metaphors for the way wars change people in ways that make it impossible for them to fit back into their former lives?

[colls]

I love that you're enjoying it! I am, too (just sooooooo busy with the new role and brain space it's taking).


You bring up a fascinating point about peace and reconciliation commissions here on Earth. The parallel is striking. I remember reading a lot about the South African 'Truth and Reconciliation Commission' and discussion in a community group in Baltimore how it might apply to our country in helping heal wounds from slavery and it was just... so much. There are no easy answers and this book reflects some of that (fictionally, of course - but fiction is sometimes a safe place to explore themes like this). Anyway, it's definitely fascinating and thought-provoking, probably more so than one would think!