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Star Wars: Scoundrels (Star Wars - Legends) Hardcover – January 1, 2013
| Timothy Zahn (Author) Find all the books, read about the author, and more. See search results for this author |
| Price | New from | Used from |
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But even he can’t do this job solo.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
Han Solo should be basking in his moment of glory. After all, the cocky smuggler and captain of the Millennium Falcon just played a key role in the daring raid that destroyed the Death Star and landed the first serious blow to the Empire in its war against the Rebel Alliance. But after losing the reward his heroics earned him, Han’s got nothing to celebrate. Especially since he’s deep in debt to the ruthless crime lord Jabba the Hutt. There’s a bounty on Han’s head—and if he can’t cough up the credits, he’ll surely pay with his hide. The only thing that can save him is a king’s ransom. Or maybe a gangster’s fortune? That’s what a mysterious stranger is offering in exchange for Han’s less-than-legal help with a riskier-than-usual caper. The payoff will be more than enough for Han to settle up with Jabba—and ensure he never has to haggle with the Hutts again.
All he has to do is infiltrate the ultra-fortified stronghold of a Black Sun crime syndicate underboss and crack the galaxy’s most notoriously impregnable safe. It sounds like a job for miracle workers . . . or madmen. So Han assembles a gallery of rogues who are a little of both—including his indispensable sidekick Chewbacca and the cunning Lando Calrissian. If anyone can dodge, deceive, and defeat heavily armed thugs, killer droids, and Imperial agents alike—and pull off the heist of the century—it’s Solo’s scoundrels. But will their crime really pay, or will it cost them the ultimate price?
Praise for Scoundrels
“Rapid-fire adventure [that] adds yet another dimension of enjoyment to a rousing galactic romp.”—Library Journal
“Highly entertaining . . . excellent Star Wars . . . There are many twists and turns [and] Zahn manages to find ways to twist them one step further than you’d expect.”—Examiner.com
“[Scoundrels] brings freshness to the franchise.”—USA Today
- Print length464 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherDel Rey
- Publication dateJanuary 1, 2013
- Dimensions6.4 x 1.61 x 9.6 inches
- ISBN-100345511506
- ISBN-13978-0345511508
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“Highly entertaining . . . excellent Star Wars . . . There are many twists and turns [and] Zahn manages to find ways to twist them one step further than you’d expect.”—Examiner.com
“[Scoundrels] brings freshness to the franchise.”—USA Today
About the Author
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
The starlines collapsed into stars, and the Imperial Star Destroyer Dominator had arrived. Standing on the command walkway, his hands clasped stiffly behind his back, Captain Worhven glared at the misty planet floating in the blackness directly ahead and wondered what in blazes he and his ship were doing here.
For these were not good times. The Emperor’s sudden dissolution of the Imperial Senate had sent dangerous swells of uncertainty throughout the galaxy, which played into the hands of radical groups like the so-called Rebel Alliance. At the same time, criminal organizations like Black Sun and the Hutt syndicates openly flaunted the law, buying and selling spice, stolen merchandise, and local and regional officials alike.
Even worse, Palpatine’s brand-new toy, the weapon that was supposed to finally convince both insurgents and lawbreakers that the Empire was deadly serious about taking them down, had inexplicably been destroyed at Yavin. Worhven still hadn’t heard an official explanation for that incident.
Evil times indeed. And evil times called for a strong and massive response. The minute the word came in from Yavin, Imperial Center should have ordered a full Fleet deployment, concentrating its efforts on the most important, the most insubordinate, and the most jittery systems. It was the classic response to crisis, a method that dated back thousands of years, and by all rights and logic the Dominator should have been at the forefront of any such deployment.
Instead, Worhven and his ship had been pressed into mule cart duty.
“Ah--Captain,” a cheery voice boomed behind him.
Worhven took a deep, calming breath. “Lord d’Ashewl,” he replied, making sure to keep his back to the other while he forced his expression into something more politically proper for the occasion.
It was well he’d started rearranging his face when he did. Barely five seconds later d’Ashewl came to a stop beside him, right up at his side instead of stopping the two steps back that Worhven demanded of even senior officers until he gestured them forward.
But that was hardly a surprise. What would a fat, stupid, accidentally rich member of Imperial Center’s upper court know of ship’s protocol?
A rhetorical question. The answer, of course, was nothing.
But if d’Ashewl didn’t understand basic courtesy, Worhven did. And he would treat his guest with the proper respect. Even if it killed him. “My lord,” he said politely, turning to face the other. “I trust you slept well.”
“I did,” d’Ashewl said, his eyes on the planet ahead. “So that’s Wukkar out there, is it?”
“Yes, my lord,” Worhven said, resisting the urge to wonder aloud if d’Ashewl thought the Dominator might have somehow drifted off course during ship’s night. “As per your orders.”
“Yes, yes, of course,” d’Ashewl said, craning his neck a little. “It’s just so hard to tell from this distance. Most worlds out there look distressingly alike.”
“Yes, my lord,” Worhven repeated, again resisting the words that so badly wanted to come out. That was the kind of comment made only by the inexperienced or blatantly stupid. With d’Ashewl, it was probably a toss-up.
“But if you say it’s Wukkar, then I believe it,” d’Ashewl continued. “Have you compiled the list of incoming yachts that I asked for?”
Worhven suppressed a sigh. Not just mule cart duty, but handmaiden duty as well. “The comm officer has it,” he said, turning his head and gesturing toward the starboard crew pit. Out of the corner of his eye he saw now that he and d’Ashewl weren’t alone: d’Ashewl’s young manservant, Dayja, had accompanied his superior and was standing a respectful half dozen steps back along the walkway.
At least one of the pair knew something about proper protocol.
“Excellent, excellent,” d’Ashewl said, rubbing his hands together. “There’s a wager afoot, Captain, as to which of our group will arrive first and which will arrive last. Thanks to you and your magnificent ship, I stand to win a great deal of money.”
Worhven felt his lip twist. A ludicrous and pointless wager, to match the Dominator’s ludicrous and pointless errand. It was nice to know that in a universe on the edge of going mad, there was still ironic symmetry to be found.
“You’ll have your man relay the data to my floater,” d’Ashewl continued. “My man and I shall leave as soon as the Dominator reaches orbit.” He cocked his head. “Your orders were to remain in the region in the event that I needed further transport, were they not?”
The captain allowed his hands, safely out of d’Ashewl’s sight at his sides, to curl into frustrated fists. “Yes, my lord.”
“Good,” d’Ashewl said cheerfully. “Lord Toorfi has been known to suddenly change his mind on where the games are to continue, and if he does, I need to be ready to once again beat him to the new destination. You’ll be no more than three hours away at all times, correct?”
“Yes, my lord,” Worhven said. Fat, stupid, and a cheat besides. Clearly, all the others involved in this vague high-stakes gaming tournament had arrived at Wukkar via their own ships. Only d’Ashewl had had the supreme gall to talk someone on Imperial Center into letting him borrow an Imperial Star Destroyer for the occasion.
“But for now, all I need is for your men to prepare to launch my floater,” d’Ashewl continued. “After that, you may take the rest of the day off. Perhaps the rest of the month as well. One never knows how long old men’s stamina and credits will last, eh?”
Without waiting for a reply--which was just as well, because Worhven didn’t have any that he was willing to share--the rotund man turned and waddled back along the walkway toward the aft bridge. Dayja waited until he’d passed, then dropped into step the prescribed three paces behind him.
Worhven watched until the pair had passed beneath the archway and into the aft bridge turbolift, just to make sure they were truly gone. Then, unclenching his teeth, he turned to the comm officer. “Signal Hangar Command,” he ordered. “Our passenger is ready to leave.”
He threw a final glower at the aft bridge. Take the day off, indeed. Enough condescending idiocy like that from the Empire’s ruling class, and Worhven would be sorely tempted to join the Rebellion himself. “And tell them to make it quick,” he added. “I don’t want Lord d’Ashewl or his ship aboard a single millisecond longer than necessary.”
“I should probably have you whipped,” d’Ashewl commented absently.
Dayja half turned in the floater’s command chair to look over his shoulder. “Excuse me?” he asked.
“I said I should probably have you whipped,” d’Ashewl repeated, gazing at his datapad as he lazed comfortably on the luxurious couch in the lounge just behind the cockpit.
“Any particular reason?”
“Not really,” d’Ashewl said. “But it’s becoming the big thing among the upper echelon of the court these days, and I’d hate to be left out of the truly important trends.”
“Ah,” Dayja said. “I trust these rituals aren’t done in public?”
“Oh, no, the sessions are quite private and secretive,” d’Ashewl assured him. “But that’s a good point. Unless we happen to meet up with others of my same lofty stature, there really wouldn’t be any purpose.” He considered. “At least not until we get back to Imperial Center. We may want to try it then.”
“Speaking only for myself, I’d be content to put it off,” Dayja said. “It does sound rather pointless.”
“That’s because you have a lower-class attitude,” d’Ashewl chided. “It’s a conspicuous-consumption sort of thing. A demonstration that one has such an overabundance of servants and slaves that he can afford to put one out of commission for a few days merely on a whim.”
“It still sounds pointless,” Dayja said. “Ripping someone’s flesh from his body is a great deal of work. I prefer to have a good reason if I’m going to go to that much effort.” He nodded at the datapad. “Any luck?”
“Unfortunately, the chance cubes aren’t falling in our favor,” d’Ashewl said, tossing the instrument onto the couch beside him. “Our tip-off came just a bit too late. It looks like Qazadi is already here.”
“You’re sure?”
“There were only eight possibilities, and all eight have landed and their passengers dispersed.”
Dayja turned back forward, eyeing the planet rushing up toward them and trying to estimate distances and times. If the yacht carrying their quarry had just landed, there might still be a chance of intercepting him before he went to ground.
“And the latest was over three hours ago,” d’Ashewl added. “So you might as well ease back on the throttle and enjoy the ride.”
Dayja suppressed a flicker of annoyance. “So in other words, we took the Dominator out of service for nothing.”
“Not entirely,” d’Ashewl said. “Captain Worhven had the opportunity to work on his patience level.”
Despite his frustration, Dayja had to smile. “You do play the -pompous-jay role very well.”
“Thank you,” d’Ashewl said. “I’m glad my talents are still of some use to the department. And don’t be too annoyed that we missed him. It would have been nicely dramatic, snatching him out of the sky as we’d hoped. But such a triumph would have come with its own set of costs. For one thing, Captain Worhven would have had to be brought into your confidence, which would have cost you a perfectly good cover identity.”
“And possibly yours?”
“Very likely,” d’Ashewl agreed. “And while the Director has plenty of scoundrel and server identities to pass out, he can slip someone into the Imperial court only so often before the other members catch on. They may be arrogant and pompous, but they’re not stupid. All things considered, it’s probably just as well things have worked out this way.”
“Perhaps,” Dayja said, not entirely ready to concede the point. “Still, he’s going to be harder to get out of Villachor’s mansion than he would have been if we’d caught him along the way.”
“Even so, it will be easier than digging him out of one of Black Sun’s complexes on Imperial Center,” d’Ashewl countered. “Assuming we could find him in that rat hole in the first place.” He gestured toward the viewport. “And don’t think it would have been that easy to pluck him out of space. Think Xizor’s Virago, only scaled up fifty or a hundred times, and you’ll get an idea what kind of nut it would have been to crack.”
“All nuts can be cracked,” Dayja said with a shrug. “All it takes is the right application of pressure.”
“Provided the nutcracker itself doesn’t break in the process,” d’Ashewl said, his voice going suddenly dark. “You’ve never tangled with Black Sun at this level, Dayja. I have. Qazadi is one of the worst, with every bit of Xizor’s craftiness and manipulation.”
“But without the prince’s charm?”
“Joke if you wish,” d’Ashewl rumbled. “But be careful. If not for yourself, for me. I have the ghosts of far too many lost agents swirling through my memory as it is.”
“I understand,” Dayja said quietly. “I’ll be careful.”
“Good.” D’Ashewl huffed out a short puff of air, an affectation Dayja guessed he’d picked up from others of Imperial Center’s elite. “All right. We still don’t know why Qazadi is here: whether he’s on assignment, lying low, or in some kind of disfavor with Xizor and the rest of the upper echelon. If it’s the third, we’re out of luck.”
“As is Qazadi,” Dayja murmured.
“Indeed,” d’Ashewl agreed. “But if it’s one of the first two . . .” He shook his head. “Those files could rock Imperial Center straight out of orbit.”
Which was enough reason all by itself for them to play this whole thing very carefully, Dayja knew. “But we’re sure he’ll be staying at Villachor’s?”
“I can’t see him coming to Wukkar and staying anywhere but the sector chief’s mansion,” d’Ashewl said. “But there may be other possibilities, and it wouldn’t hurt for you to poke around a bit. I’ve downloaded everything we’ve got on Villachor, his people, and the Marblewood Estate for you. Unfortunately, there isn’t much.”
“I guess I’ll have to get inside and see the place for myself,” Dayja said. “I’m thinking the upcoming Festival of Four Honorings will be my best bet.”
“If Villachor follows his usual pattern of hosting one of Iltarr City’s celebrations at Marblewood,” d’Ashewl warned. “It’s possible that with Qazadi visiting he’ll pass that role to someone else.”
“I don’t think so,” Dayja said. “High-level Black Sun operatives like to use social celebrations as cover for meetings with offworld contacts and to set up future opportunities. In fact, given the timing of Qazadi’s visit, it’s possible he’s here to observe or assist with some particularly troublesome problem.”
“You’ve done your homework,” d’Ashewl said. “Excellent. Do bear in mind, though, that the influx of people also means Marblewood’s security force will be on heightened alert.”
“Don’t worry,” Dayja said calmly. “You can get through any door if you know the proper way to knock. I’ll just keep knocking until I find the pattern.”
According to Wukkar’s largest and most influential fashion magazines, all of which were delighted to run extensive stories on Avrak Villachor whenever he paid them to do so, Villachor’s famed Marblewood Estate was one of the true showcases of the galaxy. It was essentially a country manor in the midst of Iltarr City: a walled-off expanse of landscaped grounds surrounding a former governor’s mansion built in classic High Empress Teta style.
The more breathless of the commentators liked to remind their readers of Villachor’s many business and philanthropic achievements and awards, and predicted that there would be more such honors in the future. Other commentators, the unpaid ones, countered with more ominous suggestions that Villachor’s most likely achievement would be to suffer an early and violent death.
Both predictions were probably right; the thought flicked through Villachor’s mind as he stood at the main entrance to his mansion and watched the line of five ordinary-looking landspeeders float through the gate and into his courtyard. In fact, there was every chance that he was about to face one or the other of those events right now.
The only question was which one.
Proper etiquette on Wukkar dictated that a host be waiting beside the landspeeder door when a distinguished guest emerged. In this case, though, that would be impossible. All five landspeeders had dark-tint windows, and there was no way to know which one his mysterious visitor was riding in. If Villachor guessed wrong, not only would he have violated prescribed manners, but he would also look like a fool.
And so he paused on the bottom step until the landspeeders came to a well-practiced simultaneous halt. The doors of all but the second vehicle opened and began discharging the passengers, most of them hard-faced human men who would have fit in seamlessly with Villachor’s own cadre of guards and enforcers. They spread out into a loose and casual-looking circle around the vehicles, and one of them murmured something into the small comlink clip on his collar. The final landspeeder’s doors opened--
Villachor felt his throat tighten as he caught his first glimpse of gray-green scales above a colorful beaded tunic. This was no human. This was a Falleen.
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Product details
- Publisher : Del Rey; Reprint Ed. edition (January 1, 2013)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 464 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0345511506
- ISBN-13 : 978-0345511508
- Item Weight : 1.53 pounds
- Dimensions : 6.4 x 1.61 x 9.6 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #1,274,528 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #14,985 in Space Operas
- #22,342 in Science Fiction Adventures
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Timothy Zahn is the Hugo Award-winning author of more than forty original science fiction novels and the bestselling Star Wars trilogy Heir to the Empire, among other works. He lives in the Pacific Northwest.
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Having said all that, there were a number of minor things that I feel the story could've done without. As I mentioned above, this story didn't have any Force-sensitives, and while I have no doubt many people liked that most about it I prefer stories that include them because to me that's what seperates average sci-fi novels to Star Wars. Change a few character names and some techno-babble and this story becomes garden-variety science fiction. Then there's the timing of this story and the inclusion of Lando. Scoundrels takes place shortly after the events of ANH, and before Zahn's other two novels during this time: Allegiance and Choices of One. Having Lando present in this story is a little too close to ESB for my taste, with a mention of Bespin no less, and I doubt Han would be parted from Leia for even the length of this story. Zahn already has two novels around this time, why not place this one before ANH?
Another feeling I couldn't shake while reading this is that I don't consider the plot of this very plausible, particularly the twist at the very end. I realize this is the EU, but too often it just felt like fanfiction to me, especially when shoe-horning in other characters like Revan and Malak for no other reason than to mention them. Finally we get to what has become a pet-peeve for many Zahn readers; his writing style. Zahn tends to overuse words/phrases such as growled, winced, grimaced, murmured, and bit out to the point that it's difficult to not notice, but being the professional writer he is one has to wonder why he continues to do this and not simply use a thesaurus. It's nice to see he no longer uses the word 'point' by itself anymore, but it appears he's replaced that habit with an odd use of the word 'other' when referring to another person; by odd I mean not normal to the English language as I know it, not grammatically incorrect.
It may seem like I'm being quite critical of this book and its author, and I do admit to a tendancy of being nitpicky, but I still very much enjoyed Scoundrels, giving it a solid four-star rating, and I would recommend it to not only SW fans, casual and hard-core alike, but also general sci-fi fans and those who enjoy crime novels as well.
I have read all of the Zahn SW books, and all of them are excellent. He knows how to keep the "movie" characters "in character", and he introduces new characters that fit into the stories well and in many cases have (in my mind, at least) become just as much a part of SW as the original characters. He (as well as other authors) have kept SW fresh and growing. Disney take note: as you start making SW films, Zahn's books are the best place to start.
In the end, I have read a lot of Star Wars novels over the years, some I've like and some I have not. This one by Zahn is more in the not like direction. The Han Solo Adventures trilogy by Brian Daley being on the top of the like pile. If anyone can ever point me in the direction of more novels like Daley' s (that I have not already read and that consists of the original characters) I would be grateful.
Top reviews from other countries
The plot is obviously that of a heist movie and this novel is unashamedly ‘Ocean’s Eleven’ in the Star Wars universe (Han Solo and Lando Calrissian virtually filling in for George Clooney and Brad Pitt). Most of the usual elements of a heist based plot are present but of course come with a Star Wars twist. As opposed to having to deal with the mob or the police Han’s team are pitted against agents of Black Sun and the Empire. The setting and atmosphere are somewhat gleaned from ‘Shadows of the Empire’, the novel that really establishes Black Sun. Although neither Vader nor Xizor appear in this novel their presence is felt throughout, as is their vying for power.
The idea doesn’t entirely work because a large part of what makes heist stories interesting is in how the team performing the heist/con pulls it off. When it involves technology far in advance of what exists in our real world rather than actual wit and forward planning the achievement of what they are doing is somewhat devalued and appears to lack ingenuity. A heist isn’t so impressive if a safe is opened by a magic wand or a sonic screwdriver for example.
There is obviously a lack of character development for Han, Chewie and Lando because of circumstances and setting in the Star Wars universe; between ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ and ‘A New Hope’. It is also probably not the best idea to cover the relationship between Han and Lando at this particular time. At this time their relationship cannot be allowed to develop into what it becomes so as to maintain the tension in ‘The Empire Strikes Back’.
With too large a cast really for the confines of the story, some of the other characters are a bit bland. Equally some of the good haven’t really got the space to develop. The twins are, perhaps, the most unique and add a different operational aspect to the general heist plot.
The twists are minimal and a bit predictable. The main revelation is a good one but it is easy enough to guess. A process of elimination will allow most Star Wars’ fans to work it out.
The book also includes a novella that acts as a prequel to the main novel. I’m not sure how much the novella has to do with the main story other than it features four of the same characters from ‘Scoundrels’ working together on another job. It might have more of a link but my edition is missing the last few pages so I can’t really tell. It looks like this is a publication issue so there is probably a whole batch of misprints. Be aware of this when purchasing.
As many other reviews have pointed out, Scoundrels is basically Ocean's Eleven in space. As always with Zahn, it is a plot with twists, turns and multiple layers...the final twist is particularly well done and surprising. The usual key Zahn characters are left out of this one with the focus very much on the saga favourites of Han, Chewbacca & Lando, but there are one or two guest appearances and a couple of new characters also.
The book is well written, if not a bit obvious in places, and the beauty of a Zahn book is that he gets Star Wars and it's characters better than possibly any other EU author. Particularly well written is Han Solo and his relationship with Chewbacca...it takes you back to the partnership we see in the films; Han has not been so well understood and written since Brian Daley's excellent novels back in 1979.
I'm not sure that this story fits particularly well into the Star Wars "canon" but it's a very enjoyable read and a blessed relief from the long multi-book arcs that have been seen in the EU of late.







