Mass Market Paperback, 336 pages
English language
Published Sept. 30, 1999 by Bantam Books.
Sleek, swift, and deadly, the famed X-wing fighters have earned their reputation as the Rebel Alliance's ultimate strike force the hard way—first in battle, the last line of defense. Now they must make a deal with the devil herself—an enemy whose ultimate goal is their total annihilation.
It's the kind of mission only Wedge Antilles and the Rogue Squadron would dare to undertake. Against impossible odds they will stage a daring raid into an enemy stronghold—only to be rescued from certain destruction by an unexpected ally. Ysanne Isard, the ruthless Imperial commander, has appeared on the scene seemingly from out of nowhere. Now she proposes a most unusual alliance, offering to help Wedge rescue his captured comrades from Imperial Warlord Admiral Krennel's sadistic prison camp. But her offer is not without a price. Wedge must lead Rogue Squadron in Isard's deadly struggle against an enemy made in her own image. …
Sleek, swift, and deadly, the famed X-wing fighters have earned their reputation as the Rebel Alliance's ultimate strike force the hard way—first in battle, the last line of defense. Now they must make a deal with the devil herself—an enemy whose ultimate goal is their total annihilation.
It's the kind of mission only Wedge Antilles and the Rogue Squadron would dare to undertake. Against impossible odds they will stage a daring raid into an enemy stronghold—only to be rescued from certain destruction by an unexpected ally. Ysanne Isard, the ruthless Imperial commander, has appeared on the scene seemingly from out of nowhere. Now she proposes a most unusual alliance, offering to help Wedge rescue his captured comrades from Imperial Warlord Admiral Krennel's sadistic prison camp. But her offer is not without a price. Wedge must lead Rogue Squadron in Isard's deadly struggle against an enemy made in her own image. It's an offer Wedge would love to refuse, for Isard is certain to betray them. But how can they leave their comrades at Krennel's mercy? The answer is: they can't—even if it means being caught between Krennel's ruthlessness and Isard's treachery.
The time Allston spent at the controls of this series seems to have made Stackpole better. His dogfight scenes are still snappy and exciting, but he's given up some of his repetitive tics and vastly improved the emotion with which he writes each character. I still think he is a bit weak on voice, but this book is one of my favorites from the series now.
