Assault at Selonia by Roger Allen McBride is the second book in the Corellian trilogy and the original trilogy heroes are now responding to the danger set up in the last book with new allies at their side. This book had me on the edge of my seat waiting for what happens next. The author is Roger Allen MacBride.
Where we left off – this is also summarized at the start of Assault at Selonia
We left our heroes with Luke and Lando on the way to Bakura seeking aid of their fleet. Han was imprisoned by his cousin, Thracken Sal-Solo, head of the Human League, and Leia was imprisoned in Governor’s Residence. Chewbacca, the children and the tutor, Ebrihim with Q9 were fleeing Corellia when the interdiction and jamming fields went up. The book was all suspence, leading us to the time for our heroes to start acting and stop reacting.
Assault at Selonia Synopsis
Now its time for our heroes to escape and take action. Leia and Mara, thrown together in the crisis, work to escape together, Han joins forces with a Selonian while Chewie and the others have found temporary safety on Drall, at the home of Ebrihim’s Aunt Marcha. She is an interesting character in her own right and has ideas on where to seek answers right there on their planet. They require young Anakin Solo’s special abilities, and much is at stake.
Luke has to convince the Bakurans, starting with his one time crush Gaerial Captison, to lend their special ships to break the blockade.
My thoughts
Leia and Mara’s escape plan is exciting and harrowing (although I was left wondering what happened to Mara’s lightsaber.) Han and Luke are both out of their element, Han because he has to trust someone else of uncertain motives. Luke because he has to playa role outside his normal realm of Jedi or military commander. Assault at Selonia and Ambush at Corellia are really Anakin Solo’s first chance to really be old enough in the stories to shine and this certainly continues that. Jacen and Jaina have a bit of growing to do as well, as suddenly only they can handle him with their parents missing.
The new characters of the Drall and Selonians have their culture expanded on in Assault at Selonia. Ebrihim and his Aunt Marcha know their is a place on Drall that might have answers, but only Anakin Solo’s special abilities might unlock it’s secrets.
With all the characters so fully involved, there is a lot to take in. Lando and the droids take more a back seat in this middle story of the trilogy although they are still there, and there are hints more a role may be there for them in the final book. The new technology introduced has the virtue of being an ancient discovery rather than new. The enemy is still almost a total mystery, as we know that Thracken Sal-Solo is only one small component of this plan.
But this is only the middle book. As things heat up with the enemies plans (if not identity) revealed, our heroes still need to find a solution.
Assault at Selonia Continuity Tie Ins
In the Clone Wars era, Dooku secretly hid on this world and was pursued by Sora Bulq and Tholme, he nearly killed the latter before fleeing.
Gaerial Captison and Bakura, and Luke’s relationship with them, are detailed in Truce at Bakura. The world also has a brief appearance in the Jedi Academy game as a playable level.
The Selonians description of fur color in Assault on Selonia book don’t sound much like those in SWTOR. But then, we only see a small segmant of the population in SWTOR and the ones in the book are mentioned as being varied. The technology hinted at here is mentioned again much later in the New Jedi Order era. It’s been awhile since I’ve been to Corellia in game, but I do think in that the Drall where some clothes, at least in so far as when working as engineers. In this story,much like wookiees or ewoks, they don’t.
Mara’s ship, the Jade’s Fire, does show up in other books such as Specter of the Past and Vision of the Future
