A little background
Mission to Disaster is a middle-grade novel book in The High
Republic series and was released not long after The Fallen Star although the
storyline takes place before events in that book. As with most junior novels, it’s
a gentler, shorter story with greater enjoyment on a narrative that children can
engage with more.
As with all things book-wise so far, I’m consuming my Star
Wars via Audible.
This book is by Justina Ireland who has written previous “junior”
novels in this series and is narrated by Keylor Leigh as opposed to Marc
Thompson who does most of the main High Republic Books. This means that the
range of voices is considerably more limited and less distinct, but Keylor does
a decent job of adding some distinction. The usual background sound effects and
music are still there too but perhaps less polished and less advanced than in
the other main books.
The total length of the audible book is 5 hours and 6
minutes, although that’s including the intro and credits. This is around a
third of the length of the main books in the series thus also adding to that
younger audience appeal. Although technically there are 35 chapters (of about but
mostly 5 minutes each), there is also a prologue and epilogue.
The “Crawl”
“The Jedi think the dreaded Nihil marauders have been all
but defeated. Their leader is on the run and their numbers have dwindled. Jedi
Knight Vernestra Rwoh hopes this means she will finally have time to really
train her Padawan, Imri Cantaros—but reports of a Nihil attack on Port Haileap
soon dash those hopes. For not only have the Nihil attacked the peaceful
outpost, they have abducted Vernestra and Imri's friend, Avon Starros. The two
Jedi set off for Port Haileap, determined to figure out where the Nihil have
taken their friend. Meanwhile, Avon must put her smarts and skills to the
ultimate test as she fights for survival among the Nihil—and uncovers a
sinister plan. Can Vernestra and Imri find their friend before disaster
strikes?”
The story
Here's my overview of each chapter to show roughly how the
story flows:
Chapter 1 Avon Starros is working on creating a replica
kyber crystal of the one she stole from Imri. The facility she's at though is
attacked by the Nihil and she is captured.
Chapter 2 Vernestra and Imri are training on a planet with
Imri practising force jumps. Vern has a vision of Avon in trouble and the duo
head to her assistance after getting confirmation of the Nihil attack.
Chapter 3 Avon awakes to find herself locked in a cargo hold
with several other children who have been captured by Nihil. She quickly starts
to work on finding a way to get a message to Starlight asking for help.
Chapter 4 Imri and Vern arrive at the port attacked by
Nihil. Whilst Imri helps with the damage, Vern searches for Avon and meets up
with J6, Avon's Nanny Droid, who both continue the search.
Chapter 5 Avon devises a plan with the other children which
they put into action when a guard brings them food. Avon escapes the room and
searches for a Comms outlet but is apprehended by a strong Nihil who takes her
to meet the boss.
Chapter 6 Imri and Vern discuss options as they learn Avon
was kidnapped. They leave the port with the keen J6 to head to another outpost
recently attacked by Nihil and also reporting missing people.
Chapter 7 Avon is taken to meet the boss of the Nihil ship,
a one Lorna Su (name sounds like anyways). Avon gives little info about herself,
and Nihil boss suggests they are recruiting for new Nihil. A very short
conversation.
Chapter 8 Vernestra communes with the force and hears Avon
and the name of Nihil boss but no location. They arrive on Dalna and meet Jedi
master at local temple for dinner and discuss reports of missing people on the planet.
Chapter 9 The captured children are brought a box of games
which Avon instantly takes apart to work on a door release mechanism. Once
completed she gets to the corridor outside where a Nihil is waiting and instructs
her to help on a job.
Chapter 10 Back on Dalna, Vernestra, Imri and local Jedi
head into town. They stop at the government building as Imri waits outside and
meets Honesty who tells him there is something going on high up in the
government.
Chapter 13 - Vern and Imri meet up with Honesty and his
partner to discuss what the latter saw one night. They then head out in shuttle
along with a few temple Jedi to an area near the mountains where a Nihil ship was
seen.
Chapter 14 Avon is taken to the lab aboard the Nihil ship by
the resident Doctor and is put to work on helping create Nihil gas bombs.
Chapter 15 The Jedi deal with angry animals roaming about
and finding a child hiding in a building. Avon sneaks out of the lab at night to send
a message of help but is caught by a Nihil.
Chapter 16 The Jedi reunite the boy with his parents who are
in the government. J6 receives Avon's message. Turns out the signal is coming
from the planet!
Chapter 18 Very little happens other than Imri waking up and
going to where the investigation is being held and Vernestra asking him to go
to Starlight to get help to repair the broken relay orbiting planet.
Chapter 19 Officials and Jedi discuss the next options and
settle on all heading to a location known as a junction where they think it's
most likely nihil might place explosives. It's a two-day trip though ...
Chapter 20 On Starlight, Imri greats a concerned Senator
Starros over her daughter, Avon. Later, Imri has a disturbance in the force and
rushes to the Vice President of Dalna's room to find they are unconscious after
being attacked.
Chapter 21 Avon helps the Nihil scientist create synthetic
kyber crystals, albeit secretly flawed ones. She's then taken to see the ground
quake machine the scientist has been constructing.
Chapter 22 & 23
Vern, Jedi and officials experience a short ground quake before a young
boy runs out on them, hungry, and tells them he knows Avon. On Starlight, Imri
and a republic official are mystified over the attack on theVIP.
Chapters 24 and 25 Short chapters - Avon meets the other
children again and continues to put her plan into motion. Vernestra and the gang
finish quizzing the boy who escaped the Nihil before a few of them continue
onwards.
Chapter 26 The Nihil scientist starts the machine with the
flawed crystals Avon created leading to much disruption. Vernestra and Co
arrive to see off the Nihil but the scientist escapes.
Chapter 27 Everyone, including all the children, arrives
back at Jedi Temple. J6 reunites with Avon. The Jedi receive a distress call
from the capital city.
Chapters 29 + 30 Vern and co arrive at Dalna city to find it
already attacked and the President fled with Nihil. On Starlight, Imri
convinces Jedi to take Starlight to Dalna to help with the evacuation.
Chapters 31 + 32 Starlight Beacon arrives at Dalna as more
volcanos and earthquakes occur. Vernestra and Avon head in a shuttle to Starlight
where Avon is still troubled by her use of Imri's Kyber crystal in the Nihil
weapon. On Starlight Avon confesses all to Imri who comforts her. When Senator
Starros greats her daughter, Avon suspects something is amiss as her mum seems
to know a lot of information about her kidnapping adventure. Starlight Beacon
arrives at Dalna as more volcanos and earthquakes occur. Vernestra and Avon
head in a shuttle to Starlight where Avon is still troubled by her use of
Imri's Kyber crystal in the Nihil weapon. Vernestra meets up with Avir who
invites her on a mission to head to the Nihil base and end this conflict.
The end.
My thoughts
The main bulk of this book is centred on Avon. She’s an appealing
character due to not only being very chatty in her thoughts and to others, but
she’s also very clever and bright, as well as eternally positive. We see
probably most of this story more from her perspective because of the time taken
with her capture and her “aiding” and learning of the Nihil whilst she is stuck
with them. Venestra and Imri are the next central characters but really their story
doesn’t advance much as they play second fiddle as they learn about Avon’s capture
and then look to track her down. Probably Imri gets more character development
in this book due to the unique use of his force abilities to calm others and his
lead in discussions with authorities on Starlight.
I really enjoyed the time spent with Avon. As said before,
she is arguably the principal character in this book and is blessed with
bundles of plus-points for reasons to like her. If you don’t like chatty clever
children though you will probably struggle with this book because she’s just a
bundle of energy and creativity to levels of, well, almost Jedi degree in terms
of her knowledge of science and engineering. Her experiments and thoughts on
kyber crystals along with what the Nihil are doing is a prelude perhaps to the
Empire and the Death Star. She shines throughout this book and makes the time
spent with the Nihil seem rather like a trip to a holiday camp. The Nihil
Doctor she “teams” up with is also the most interesting Nihil as we learn more
of his past, his quest for science but also for destruction. The rest of the
Nihil in this group, even their leader, is really part of the furniture in
terms of the story.
Vernestra and Imri are a great padawan and master team – and
probably the one I personally have felt more like I have spent the most time
with due to them being in multiple novels so far. We also get a chance to see Vernestra’s
unique sabre whip in action! Imri is a good sidekick in many ways but he’s also
hard to work out at times as he dances between playing the complete juvenile in
this book to an almost elder stateman in another chapter. It’s a little odd in
that respect.
It feels interesting as a general mystery story – what are
the Nihil up to, who in government is turning a blind eye or working with them?
This is an interesting narrative to keep us going. The inside working of the Nihil
is made more interesting with Avon and the bonkers Doctor who warms to her
almost like a parent would and is totally taken in yet not totally surprised when
Avon sabotages matters. Can’t wait to meet the Doctor again in the future.
Pros: Avon’s personality and creativity is a blast. The
Nihil doctor is intriguing and the mystery of what exactly the Nihil are doing
is compelling.
Cons: It’s a simple story really but that’s no bad
thing and totally understandable as a junior novel. There is though much to
take from this story along the way. Imri’s characterisation I found a little
odd at times.
Rating
7/10 – Despite the gravity of the situation, a fun story
thanks tremendously to Avon.
