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Cloak of Deception (Star Wars) Mass Market Paperback – June 25, 2002
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Mired in greed and corruption, tangled in bureaucracy, the Galactic Republic is crumbling. In the outlying systems, where the Trade Federation maintains a stranglehold on shipping routes, tensions are boiling over—while back in the comfort of Coruscant, the hub of civilized space and seat of the Republic government, few senators seem inclined to investigate the problem. And those who suspect Supreme Chancellor Valorum of having a hand in the machinations are baffled—especially when Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi foil an assassination attempt on the Chancellor.
With the crisis escalating, Valorum calls for an emergency trade summit. As humans and aliens gather, conspiracies sealed with large sums of money run rampant, and no one is entirely above suspicion. But the greatest threat of all remains unknown to everyone except three members of the Trade Federation who have entered into a shadowy alliance with a dark overlord. While the trio will be content with more money and fewer problems, Darth Sidious has grander, far more terrifying plans.
It is a time that tests the mettle of all those who strive to hold the Republic together—none more so than the Jedi Knights, who have long been the galaxy's best hope for preserving peace and justice. Yet despite their most valiant efforts, the meeting will explode into fiery chaos beyond everyone's worst fears . . .
- Print length368 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherRandom House Worlds
- Publication dateJune 25, 2002
- Dimensions4.11 x 0.97 x 6.83 inches
- ISBN-100345442970
- ISBN-13978-0345442970
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Editorial Reviews
From the Inside Flap
Mired in greed and corruption, tangled in bureaucracy, the Galactic Republic is crumbling. In the outlying systems, where the Trade Federation maintains a stranglehold on shipping routes, tensions are boiling over?while back in the comfort of Coruscant, the hub of civilized space and seat of the Republic government, few senators seem inclined to investigate the problem. And those who suspect Supreme Chancellor Valorum of having a hand in the machinations are baffled?especially when Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi foil an assassination attempt on the Chancellor.
With the crisis escalating, Valorum calls for an emergency trade summit. As humans and aliens gather, conspiracies sealed with large sums of money run rampant, and no one is entirely above suspicion. But the greatest threat of all remains unknown to everyone except three members of the Trade Federation who have entered into a shadowy alliance with a dark overlord. While the trio will be content with more money and fewer problems, Darth Sidious has grander, far more terrifying plans.
It is a time that tests the mettle of all those who strive to hold the Republic together?none more so than the Jedi Knights, who have long been the galaxy's best hope for preserving peace and justice. Yet despite their most valiant efforts, the meeting will explode into fiery chaos beyond everyone?s worst fears . . .
From the Hardcover edition.
From the Back Cover
Mired in greed and corruption, tangled in bureaucracy, the Galactic Republic is crumbling. In the outlying systems, where the Trade Federation maintains a stranglehold on shipping routes, tensions are boiling over?while back in the comfort of Coruscant, the hub of civilized space and seat of the Republic government, few senators seem inclined to investigate the problem. And those who suspect Supreme Chancellor Valorum of having a hand in the machinations are baffled?especially when Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi foil an assassination attempt on the Chancellor.
With the crisis escalating, Valorum calls for an emergency trade summit. As humans and aliens gather, conspiracies sealed with large sums of money run rampant, and no one is entirely above suspicion. But the greatest threat of all remains unknown to everyone except three members of the Trade Federation who have entered into a shadowy alliance with a dark overlord. While the trio will be content with more money and fewer problems, Darth Sidious has grander, far more terrifying plans.
It is a time that tests the mettle of all those who strive to hold the Republic together?none more so than the Jedi Knights, who have long been the galaxy's best hope for preserving peace and justice. Yet despite their most valiant efforts, the meeting will explode into fiery chaos beyond everyone's worst fears . . .
"From the Hardcover edition.
About the Author
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Luxuriating in the unfailing light of countless stars, the Trade Federation freighter Revenue lazed at the edge of Dorvalla’s veil of alabaster clouds.
Indistinguishable from its myriad brethren, the freighter resembled a saucer, whose center had been pared away to create two massive hangar arms and a stalked centersphere that housed the great ship’s hyperdrive reactors. Forward, the curving arms fell short of each other, as if in a failed attempt to close the circle. But, in fact, the gap was there by design, with each arm terminating in colossal docking claws and gaping hangar portals.
Like some gluttonous beast, a Trade Federation vessel didn’t so much load as gobble cargo, and for close to three standard days, the Revenue had been feeding at Dorvalla.
The outlying planet’s principal commodity was lommite ore, a major component in the production of transparisteel viewports and starfighter canopies. Ungainly transports ferried the strip-mined ore into high orbit, where the payloads were transferred to a fleet of self-propelled barges, tenders, and cargo pods, many of them as large as shuttles, and all bearing the Spherical Flame sigil of the Trade Federation.
By the hundreds the unpiloted crafts streamed between the Dorvallan transports and the ring-shaped freighter, lured to the breach in the curving arms by powerful tractor beams. There the docking claws nudged the crafts through the magnetic containment fields that sealed the rectangular maws of the hangars.
Safeguarding the herd from attacks by pirates or other raiders flew patrols of bullet-nosed, quad-thruster starfighters, wanting shields but armed with rapid-fire laser cannons. The droids that piloted the ships answered to a central control computer located in the freighter’s centersphere.
At the aft curve of the centersphere stood a command and control tower. The ship’s bridge occupied the summit, where a robed figure paced nervously before an array of inwardly inclined viewports. The interrupted view encompassed the distal ends of the hangar arms and the seemingly ceaseless flow of pods, their dorsal surfaces aglow with sunlight. Beyond the arms and the rust-brown pods spun translucent-white Dorvalla.
“Status,” the robed figure hissed.
The Revenue’s Neimoidian navigator responded from a thronelike chair set below the burnished floor of the bridge walkway.
“The last of the cargo pods is being taken aboard, Commander Dofine.” Neimoidian speech, while lilting, favored first syllables and elongated words.
“Very well, then,” Dofine replied. “Recall the starfighters.”
The navigator swiveled in his chair to face the walkway. “So soon, Commander?”
Dofine ceased his relentless pacing to cast a dubious look at his shipmate. Months in deep space had so honed Dofine’s natural distrust that he was no longer certain of the navigator’s intent. Was the navigator questioning his command in the hope of gaining status, or was there some good reason to delay recalling the starfighters? The distinction troubled Dofine, since he risked losing face by airing his suspicions and being proven wrong. He decided to gamble that the question had been prompted by concern and contained no hidden challenges.
“I want those fighters recalled. The sooner we leave Dorvalla, the better.”
The navigator nodded. “As you will, Commander.”
Captain of the Revenue’s skeleton crew of living beings, Dofine had a pair of front-facing red oval eyes, a prominent muzzle, and a fish-lipped slash of mouth. Veins and arteries pulsed visibly beneath the surface of puckered and mottled pale-green skin. Small for his species—the runt of his hive, some said behind his back—his thin frame was draped in blue robes and a tufted, shoulder-padded mantle more appropriate for a cleric than a ship’s commander. A tall cone of black fabric, even his headpiece suggested wealth and high office.
The navigator was similarly attired in robes and headpiece, though his floor-length mantle was solid black and of a simpler design. He communicated with the devices that encircled the shell-like pilot’s chair by means of data readout goggles that cupped his eyes and a disk-shaped comlink that hid his mouth.
The Revenue’s communications technician was a jowled and limpid-eyed Sullustan. The officer who interfaced with the central control computer was a Gran—three-eyed, with a hircine face. Beaked and green-complexioned, the ship’s assistant bursar was an Ishi Tib.
Dofine hated having to suffer aliens aboard his bridge, but he was compelled to do so as an accommodation to the lesser shipping concerns that had allied with the Trade Federation; small companies like Viraxo Shipping, and powerful shipbuilders like TaggeCo and Hoersch-Kessel.
Humaniform droids saw to all other tasks on the bridge.
Dofine had resumed his pacing when the Sullustan spoke.
“Commander, Dorvalla Mining reports that the payment they received is short one hundred thousand Republic credits.”
Dofine waved his long-fingered hand in dismissal. “Tell her to recheck her figures.”
The Sullustan relayed Dofine’s words and waited for a reply. “She claims that you said the same thing the last time we were here.”
Dofine exhaled theatrically and gestured to a large circular screen at the rear of the bridge. “Display her.”
The magnified image of a red-haired, freckle-faced human woman was resolving on the screen by the time Dofine reached it.
“I am not aware of any missing credits,” he said without preamble.
The woman’s blue eyes flashed. “Don’t lie to me, Dofine. First it was twenty thousand, then fifty, now one hundred. How much will we have to forfeit the next time the Trade Federation graces Dorvalla with a visit?”
Dofine glanced knowingly at the Ishi Tib, who returned a faint grin. “Your world is far removed from normal space lanes,” he said calmly toward the screen. “As far from the Rimma Trade Route as from the Corellian Trade Spine. Your situation, therefore, demands additional expenditures. Of course, if you are displeased, you could always do business with some other concern.”
The woman snorted a rueful laugh. “Other concern? The Trade Federation has put everyone else under.”
Dofine spread his large hands. “Then what is a hundred thousand credits, more or less?”
“Extortion is what it is.”
The sour expression Dofine adopted came naturally to his slack features. “I suggest you file a complaint with the Trade Commission on Coruscant.”
The woman fumed; her nostrils flared and her cheeks reddened. “You haven’t heard the last of this, Dofine.”
Dofine’s mouth approximated a smile. “Ah, once again, you are mistaken.” Abruptly, he ended the transmission, then swung back to face his fellow Neimoidian. “Inform me when the loading process is concluded.”
Deep in the hangar arms, droids supervised the disposition of the cargo pods from traffic stations located high above the deck. Humpbacked craft with bulbous noses that gave them an animated appearance, the pods entered through the hangars’ magcon orifices on repulsorlift power and were routed according to contents and destination, as designated by codes stenciled on the hulls. Each hangar arm was divided into three zones, partitioned by sliding bulkhead doors, twenty stories high. Normally, zone three, closest to the centersphere, was filled first. But pods containing goods bound for destinations other than Coruscant or other Core worlds were directed to berthing bays in zones one or two, regardless of when they were brought aboard.
Scattered throughout the hangars were security automata toting modified BlasTech combat rifles, some with dispersal tips. Where the worker droids might be hollow-bodied asps, limber-necked PKs, boxy GNKs, or flat-footed binary loadlifters, the security droids appeared to have been inspired by the skeletal structure of any number of the galaxy’s bipedal life-forms.
Lacking both the rounded head and alloy musculature of its near cousin, the protocol droid, the security droid had a narrow, half-cylindrical head that tapered forward to a speech processor and, at the opposite end, curved down over a stiff, backwardly canted neck. What distinguished the droid, however, was its signal boost backpack and the retractable antennae that sprouted from it.
The majority of the droids that comprised the Revenue’s security force were simply appendages of the freighter’s central control computer, but a few had been equipped with a small measure of intelligence. The foreheads and chest plastrons of these lanky commanders were emblazoned with yellow markings similar to military unit flashes, though less for the sake of other droids than for the flesh and bloods to whom the commanders ultimately answered.
OLR-4 was one such commander.
Blaster rifle gripped in both hands and angled across his chest, the droid stood in zone two of the ship’s starboard hangar arm, halfway between the bulkheads that defined the immense space. OLR-4 was aware of the activity around him—the current of cargo pods moving toward zone three, the noise of other pods settling to the deck, the incessant whirrs and clicks of machines in motion—but only in a vague way. Rather, OLR-4 had been tasked by the central control computer to watch for anything out of the ordinary—for any event that fell outside performance parameters defined by the computer itself.
Product details
- Publisher : Random House Worlds (June 25, 2002)
- Language : English
- Mass Market Paperback : 368 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0345442970
- ISBN-13 : 978-0345442970
- Item Weight : 6.4 ounces
- Dimensions : 4.11 x 0.97 x 6.83 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #43,546 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,313 in Space Operas
- #2,078 in Science Fiction Adventures
- #2,210 in Thriller & Suspense Action Fiction
- Customer Reviews:
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Customers find the book a delightful read with an interesting plot and information-rich story. They also praise the writing style as very well written and the character development as great.
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Customers find the book delightful and engaging.
"...It is definitely a good read for those who are fans of Star Wars novels." Read more
"...All in all, I think this book is a solid 4/5 and is worth a read if you want to know more about what happened pre-episode 1." Read more
"...Great book!" Read more
"...An enjoyable and entertaining read for Star Wars fans who like to delve deeper into the inner workings of the Star Wars universe." Read more
Customers find the plot interesting, well-written, and exciting. They also appreciate the descriptive powers and tasty tidbits for serious fans. Readers also mention that the book sets up the Phantom Menace very well, giving good insight to what led to the blockade.
"...Overall, the book tells a good story...." Read more
"...but I personally enjoy his writing style and the amount of detail and characterization he gives to surroundings and people within the story...." Read more
"...Darth Plagueis, even though it's from the same author, is that the plot is strong, all of the characters are portrayed well, and the convergence of..." Read more
"...His descriptive powers serve his story well and he leaves many tasty tidbits for serious fans of the EU to digest...." Read more
Customers find the writing style interesting and well written.
"...Luceno writes in a very descriptive style and does not take for granted that the reader has seen the Star Wars films, making for a stronger..." Read more
"Luceno writes with such easy detail that I would suspect that he's visited the Star Wars universe, if not lived there...." Read more
"...that the author, James Luceno, knows his stuff and has a writing style easy to follow, for even basic SW fans...." Read more
"...This book is set further back in the past than the movies. Very easy read, great page turner." Read more
Customers find the character development in the book great.
"...I did like Cohl and his crew and thought they were interesting characters. Some parts of the book drug for me, but not enough to ever get boring...." Read more
"...'s from the same author, is that the plot is strong, all of the characters are portrayed well, and the convergence of the plot elements sets up more..." Read more
"...needed to set up their blockade of Naboo, it gives some great character development into Chancellor Vallorum and Senator Palpatine and also explains..." Read more
"...read, awesome look into what leads to the phantom menace, character development is great, enjoyed it from the very first page" Read more
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Even though the novel is no longer canon, it ties into other storylines that are, including The Phantom Menace movie and the book Tarkin by the same author which is considered canon. This book also established Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon's relationship and fleshed it out a bit. Of course, this aspect of the book has basically been replaced by the canon novel Master and Apprentice which is also set prior to The Phantom Menace.
Overall, the book tells a good story. While some of the political subtexts that bogged down The Phantom Menace movie is in the book, it does not slow down the plot of the book. The book manages to weave in the action sequences between the slower parts that made it work. That is always one advantage of a book over a movie and it worked well here. And, as I said, parts of the book are kind of grandfathered into the canon based on the novels Darth Pleguis and Tarkin by the same author that made up a loose trilogy of novels about the events that lead up to and shortly after the formation of the Empire. It is definitely a good read for those who are fans of Star Wars novels.
Anyone looking to get more insight into the political landscape of the prequel trilogy would be smart to read this, Darth Plagueis, and Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter, as it gives the reader a lot more background into why the Trade Federation blockaded Naboo, how they acquired such a huge army, and why Chancellor Valorum was so disliked in episode 1.
Touching on Luceno's writing style, I do enjoy it. Some people may find him over-descriptive, some may think he spends too much time on detail, but I personally enjoy his writing style and the amount of detail and characterization he gives to surroundings and people within the story. I did like Cohl and his crew and thought they were interesting characters. Some parts of the book drug for me, but not enough to ever get boring. All in all, I think this book is a solid 4/5 and is worth a read if you want to know more about what happened pre-episode 1.
Cloak follows a few plot threads that merge beautifully by the end: Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan pursuing a mercenary smuggler named Cohl, who has joined up with a terrorist cell led by the enigmatic Havac; the manipulation of the Nemoidians by Darth Sidious, leading to them gaining significant control of the Trade Federation; and lastly, the expert diplomacy of Senator Palpatine as he makes the last bold move to undermine Supreme Chancellor Valorum, and cast light on the depths of corruption throughout the Republic.
What makes Cloak so much better than Darth Plagueis, even though it's from the same author, is that the plot is strong, all of the characters are portrayed well, and the convergence of the plot elements sets up more than just the over-arching story of Episode I's political elements, but also nearly every move the key secondary characters make -- Valorum, the Trade Federation, the other Senators of the Republic. Whereas the Plagueis novel gave us everything we need to know from Darth Sidious' side of the story through several snippets of events, with no other characters besides the novel's name sake being at all portrayed with any depth, Cloak's characters -- new and old -- all have personality and add to the story. For the "old" characters, you have the entire Jedi Council, several galactic Senators, Wilhuff (soon-to-be-Grand Moff) Tarkin, the Trade Federation's Nemoidian leaders, and of course Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon. In every case, the dialogue of each character reads just as if it had been said by the actors from the movies, almost eerily so. The new characters include mercenaries Cohl, Boiny, Rella, and Lope, plus a terrorist cell led by Havac. Though some of these characters have a short part in the book -- specifically Lope -- all are important, and each feels very different from the others, easily being able to carry a spin-off novel if necessary.
There's little else I can say, beyond the fact that this book would have been a better starting place for me than Darth Plagueis. Cloak of Deception is a necessary lead-in to Episode I: The Phantom Menace (whose novel I've just started, and already like better than the movie!), and provides an entertaining stand-alone story in addition to the excellent insights that will lead Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon to head out to that Trade Federation flagship, only to kick off what will soon become the fall of the Old Republic, and the rise of the Galactic Empire.
As an aside, I found having the Star Wars Character Encyclopedia very helpful during my reading of the novel, or -- if a computer is handy -- using Wookieepedia, the Star Wars Wiki. It helps me remember some of the less-well known Jedi council members, senators and so on. None of these are critical to enjoying the story -- Luceno does an expert job of describing all of the characters -- but it was useful for reminding me who Oppo Rancisis, Sei Taria, and folks like that were. A shining omission, I might add, was that Vergere shows up in this book with little description and only a small part, but I've since learned he's important later in the EU. It's not worthy of losing a star, but it's notable that this character shows up with little or no fanfare and shares an important scene or two with other characters, but otherwise is pretty much just "there."
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Il romanzo in se è interessante, soprattutto se si è fan dei prequel// dell'era della Repubblica in Star Wars.
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Very good seller.
Everything was smooth and without any problems.
I totally recomend this seller.