Victory's Price Part 3

[colls]

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

This month’s book is Victory's Price by Alexander Freed
Chapter 25

Victory's Price

1. How are Quell's relationships with her mentors, Soran and Hera, similar, and how do they differ?

2. What do you think the future holds for Nash & Wyl's friendship? Or the other survivors of Alphabet Squadron?

3. There is an overarching theme of the cost of war on those who fight on both sides of a conflict. Does it change your perceptions about either the Imperials or the Rebellion?

4. What would you do with the Emperor's data if it were up to you?




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

[brokenmnemonic]

1. I think Soran's relatinship with Quell was more formative, but I think both Soran and Hera want ... I don't know if I want to say "what's best for Quell" but I think they do both care about what happens to her. I think Quell would argue that neither sees her clearly, but I think she also feels an obligation to each. I'd actually really like to hear Quell compare the two...

2. I'm very curious if we're going to lose any more members of Alphabet Squadron. I'd like to see Wyl and Nash repair their friendship, but from hearing Nash's thoughts, I think that perhaps the fact that Wyl doesn't know more about Nash will be a long-term block. Nash has responded to the war by becoming cynical and mercenary, keeping a distance between himself and others and playing what he feels is a role; Wyl's not got a coping mechanism like that, and is instead becoming increasingly worn down. I think that Wyl and Kairos are maybe both likely to leave after whatever the final confrontation is with Shadow Squadron - I don't think either wants a long-term role in the Republic. Nash might though, if they pay him enough. I'm still not sure if Chass is going to self-destruct, but I think what happens for her - or to her - may depend on Quell, or maybe Kairos. I don't think she knows what she wants, but I think that without Alphabet squadron, she wouldn't have a purpose.

3. I'm enjoying the way the book is digging into how the war is weighing on all of the pilots. It should be easy to say that all of the Imperials should pay for their crimes, but at the same time, leaving someone with no way out and no future is a recipe for findng out just how hard they'll fight. Soran is convinced that there's no way out for his pilots unless he destroys that data bank, and I think to a certain extent he's right. At the same time, I can't help but feel sympathetic when the story shows us glimpses of some of the Imperials who don't fit the mould of moustache-twiring Imperial villainy.

4. I think that at some point, the Republic is going to have to declare some kind of general amnesty to Imperials who committed lesser crimes, but I keep thinking of the way all Ba'ath party members were banned from serving in any kind of government post in the government in Iraq after the second gulf war, and the way it led to sectarianism and a host of problems because being a member of the Ba'ath party was basically a requirement for working in government. At the same time, the Empire did promote a lot of dodgy people. I think my inclination would be to keep it, but to use it to go after senior Imperials, while pushing through some kind of truth and reconciliation commission to review intermediate cases, and to provide advice on crimes that should effectively be pardoned or punished with administrative punishments.

[colls]

1. Agreed, hearing more of Quell's thoughts on comparing them would be fascinating to read.

2. Nearly all of them feel like they're at the end of their roads. I wonder if that's meant to parallel the end of the war and Kairos' theme of chrysalis and becoming something different extends to all of them? I hope we don't lose any more of them, it feels like there's been so much loss already.

3. I am too! I'm so accustomed to Star Wars having clear villains that showing some ambiguity has been rather interesting.

4. I also get the feeling that not everyone in the New Republic would be in the best position to be objective - someone in power there could use the data for nefarious purposes, perhaps thinking they were doing it for some greater good (stability, revenge, etc) but then finding themselves on a slippery slope. I feel it would almost need to be published or destroyed so as to become powerless - and neither option sits well with me.

[brokenmnemonic]

4 - funnily enough, my first thought was "I wonder what Yoda would recommend"!