Aftermath II: Life Debt

​The book does a fantastic job of not overly praising the New Republic while also not purely demonizing the Empire like the movies. It has legitimate criticism​.

Our heroes from the first book return: Norra + Temmin Wexley, the bounty hunter Jas Emari, the ex-Imperial Sinjir Rath Velus, and the rebel Jom Barell. They are working together for the New Republic to capture/arrest Imperials (typically ones who were high up or funded the Empire). 

They are all going through their own identity crises.

After capturing an ex-Imperial but leaving a slaver in their seventh mission Jas asks: "what good did we do?" To which Job replies, "we had an order", and Jas has a great argument: "sounds like the Empire."

This book is showing a lot more of the New Republic on Chandrila, where Mon Mother is the Chancellor. Leia (who is pregnant) is also on Chandrila and a Senator. Meanwhile, Han and Chewie tried to rescue Kashyyyk but failed. Chewie was captured and Han is out in space searching for him. This leaves Leia very worried. On a side the way the writer describes Leia! She has been a Princess, a rebel general, and a New Republic Senator. She is a legend and treated as such.

Grand Admiral Rae Sloane is the defect leader of the Empire but still, someone is above her: Gallius Rax, a Jakku orphan who met Emperor Palpatine when he was 12 years old and became the only one privy to The Contingency (more on that later). 

Gallius wants Rae Sloane, Brendol Hux at Arkanis Academy and his son (Armitage Hux from the films), Grand Moff Randd, General Hodnar Borrum (Clone War veteran), Ferric Obdur (propagandist) to be his Shadow Council. It is very important for him to have children join the Empire right now. Rae is increasingly becoming suspicious of him.

"The New Republic is ousting the Empire system by system" and they are willing to "play the long game and secure a real victory not a ceremonial one." Except Leia and Mon Mothra have different ideas of how to do this. The issue is not every planet has a representative! And the ones that do vote in favor for their planet + people and often to the detriment of others. "Beholden to the whole, to the machine of government which is slow but effective in compromise."

A New Republic Commodore Kyrsta Agate says something profound: "War is mostly this: destruction and death. We are killers. ...[]... [she wants people who] hate what we do and don't want to do it again. ...[]... No won wins a war. They best you can do is stop fighting."

Leia asks the team to help Han. They all go to Kashyyyk to liberate the planet. There are a few planets that are still held in a tight grip by the remaining Empire. 

Mon Mothra doesn't want them to help Han or Kashyyyk. Ackbar outright orders the Team not to look for Solo. Norra says no. This is her identity crisis! "I'm a soldier, I'm a pilot, I am a rebel." Rebels don't make good soldiers. They spend their lives fighting an Empire that "didn't care about individuals" and Norra "wants to care about people again. Not orders. Not government." Rebels rebel! The rebel against an uncaring regime of the Empire and now it's the New Republic who is uncaring and turning their backs on a planet in need. 

They liberate Kashyyyk and prisoners on planet. Many are taken back to Chandrila. 

Oddly enough they find Brentin Wexley... Norra's long lost husband and Temmin's father. 

Turns out the prisoners had behavioral chips inserted into their heads which Rax controls. 

On Liberation Day, a day of peace talks (a huge celebration on Chandrila; Rae Sloane is there to 'surrender') Rax has the freed prisoners (including Brentin) attack people. Mon Mothra is shot! 

Norra shoots Rae Sloane. Rae gets away with Brentin, they escape to Jakku as does the remaining Imperial ships. 

In the end the Team comes together for one last mission: Rae Sloane.