The Novels (and short stories):
A bbrief overview of the novels and short stories:
'The Republic Commando series (based on the video game of the same name) follows a colorful assortment of clones of Jango Fett as they navigate the terrors and triumphs of the Clone Wars. Trained by a Mandalorian soldier named Kal Skirata, these elite squadrons show readers the human side of fighting in the Galactic Army of the Republic.
Karen Traviss creates a complex Mandalorian warrior culture and tackles the themes of family and loyalty through the stories of the Mandos, clones, and their Jedi generals. Strictly speaking, the only media you need to have knowledge of are the Prequels!
These books are essentially an alternative timeline (the original PT-era timeline and lore) to the Clone Wars as opposed to the animated series, with a different set of core characters.
You don’t need to have read any other Star Wars books or have seen any of the Clone Wars animated show. Traviss’s Republic Commando series is beloved by many, and have a cult following of sorts. Traviss parted ways with Lucasfilm over creative differences regarding the direction of the Clone Wars and never finished her series. Between five full-length novels and a few short stories, there’s plenty of high-octane action and complex character development to be enjoyed.
The Republic Commando books get into the down-and-dirty underbelly of the Wars part of Star Wars. It paints the Jedi in a less-than-glorious light and shows how the clones were caught up in a system of oppression and were used by the Republic. It’s complex and layered with levels of character development unlike any other series in Star Wars.’
^ from the YouTini website - for all things Star Wars publications: https://youtini.com/series/republic-commando-series
'As the Clone Wars rage, victory or defeat lies in the hands of elite squads that take on the toughest assignments in the galaxy—stone-cold soldiers who go where no one else would, to do what no one else could….
On a mission to sabotage a nano-virus research facility on a Separatist-held planet, four clone troopers operate under the very noses of their enemies. The commandos are outnumbered and outgunned, deep behind enemy lines with no backup—and working with strangers instead of trusted teammates. Matters don’t improve when Darman, the squad’s demolitions expert, gets cut off from the others during planetfall. Even Darman’s apparent good luck in meeting a Jedi Padawan vanishes once she admits to her woeful inexperience.
For the isolated clone commandos and stranded Jedi, a long, dangerous journey lies ahead, through hostile territory brimming with Trandoshan slavers, Separatists, and suspicious natives. A single misstep could mean discovery … and death. It’s a virtual suicide mission for anyone—anyone except Republic Commandos’.
^ two excerpts from the ‘Republic Commando: Hard Contact’ novel.
‘A group of terrorists has taken a senator hostage on Coruscant, and it’s up to a crack team of clone commandos to defuse the dangerous situation’.
'Following the eruption of the bloody Clone Wars at the battle of Geonosis, both sides remain deadlocked in a stalemate that can be broken only by elite warrior teams like Omega Squad, clone commandos with terrifying combat skills and a lethal arsenal….
For Omega Squad, deployed deep behind enemy lines, it’s the same old special ops grind: sabotage, espionage, ambush, and assassination. But when Omega Squad is rushed to Coruscant, the war’s most dangerous new hotspot, the commandos discover they’re not the only ones penetrating the heart of the enemy.
A surge in Separatist attacks has been traced to a network of Sep terror cells in the Republic’s capital, masterminded by a mole in Command Headquarters. To identify and destroy a Separatist spy and terror network in a city full of civilians will require special talents and skills. Not even the leadership of Jedi generals, along with the assistance of Delta squad and a certain notorious ARC trooper, can even the odds against the Republic Commandos. And while success may not bring victory in the Clone Wars, failure means certain defeat.’
‘Omega Squad is separated, with Atin and Prudii on the planet Olanet, home to a Separatist droid factory. They silently break into the factory to adjust automated settings in construction of battle droids. Prudii substitutes a data wafer and does some additional wire cutting to trick the computer into adding too much carvanium to the durasteel used in creating the droids, making them brittle in combat but appear normal during inspection’’
'As the savage Clone Wars rage unchecked, the Republic’s deadliest warriors face the grim truth that the Separatists aren’t their only enemy—or even their worst.
In the Grand Army’s desperate fight to crush the Separatists, the secret special ops missions of its elite clone warriors have never been more critical…or more dangerous. A growing menace threatens Republic victory, and the members of Omega Squad make a shocking discovery that shakes their loyalty.
As the lines continue to blur between friend and enemy, citizens—from civilians and sergeants to Jedi and generals—find themselves up against a new foe: the doubt in their own hearts and minds. The truth is a fragile, shifting illusion—and only the approaching inferno will reveal both sides in their true colors.’
‘The Clone Wars rage to their bloody climax. Treachery reigns. Treason takes courage. Commandos, Jedi, and the entire Galactic Republic must face the end of life as they know it…and the dreaded dawn of a new empire.’
'The Clone Wars are over, but for those with reason to run from the new Galactic Empire, the battle to survive has only just begun….
The Jedi have been decimated in the Great Purge, and the Republic has fallen. Now the former Republic Commandos – the galaxy’s finest special forces troops, cloned from Jango Fett – find themselves on opposing sides and in very different armor. Some have deserted and fled to Mandalore with the mercenaries, renegade clone troopers, and rogue Jedi who make up Kal Skirata’s ragtag resistance to Imperial occupation. Others – including men from Delta and Omega squads – now serve as Imperial Commandos, a black ops unit within Vader’s own 501st Legion, tasked to hunt down fugitive Jedi and clone deserters.
For Darman, grieving for his Jedi wife and separated from his son, it’s an agonizing test of loyalty. But he’s not the only one who’ll be forced to test the ties of brotherhood. On Mandalore, clone deserters and the planet’s own natives, who have no love for the Jedi, will have their most cherished beliefs challenged. In the savage new galactic order, old feuds may have to be set aside to unite against a far bigger threat, and nobody can take old loyalties for granted.’
'In this followup to “Imperial Commando: 501st” the Clone Wars are over, and the Republic commandos now wear the white armor of the stormtroopers in service to the Galactic Empire. But not all those commandos are loyal to the Emperor, turning the fight against the rebels into a war between clone brothers! The newly-fledged Empire is strengthening its foothold on Mandalore, but Kal Skirata’s clan of clone deserters and fugitive Jedi face a new threat as an older, more insidious enemy emerges from decades in hiding.
The Death Watch is back. The loathed Mandalorian hardliners - the brutal nationalist faction that murdered Jango Fett’s parents - are now on the Imperial payroll, threatening to bring civil war to the Mandalore sector. As Clan Skirata prepares to settle old scores, knowing they may lose the battle, Imperial commandos Darman and Niner arrive on a covert mission that will put them on a collision course with their former brothers.
Their task: to hunt down and kill eccentric Jedi Master Djinn Altis, an unlikely ally of Clan Skirata. But Darman has plans of his own that he hasn’t even revealed to Niner. He’s come looking for his son, Kad. The galaxy is a dangerous place for a kid who’s half-Force user, half clone, and Darman’s set on getting Kad out of the reach of both the Emperor and the last of the Jedi any way he can - even if that means taking on the man he’s always called father.’
A little more on the novels and short stories:
'What other author can claim having created an entire culture and language from scratch, incorporating them into their books with such effectiveness that it becomes second-nature to the readers? No, not J. R. R. Tolkien, we’re talking about Star Wars Legends author Karen Traviss.
Known for her military science fiction such as Halo and Gears of War, she started her Star Wars run with Republic Commando: Hard Contact in the tie-in novel to the video game for the original XBox and PC. From there, she more than doubled the cast of its series, deepened the characters in truly remarkable ways, and established herself as a force to be reckoned with when it came to writing Star Wars.
For the mid-to-late 2000s, Traviss was a staple among Legends authors. She wrote her own 5-book series set during the Clone Wars, featuring a Mandalorian who adopts a squad of Clones as his sons. From there, she was one of three authors selected to collaborate on Legacy of the Force alongside Aaron Allston and Troy Denning — which she used as a golden opportunity to incorporate elements of the Mandalorian culture she had created in Republic Commando and to continue the tales of a few key characters.
In fact, Travis holds the illustrious honor of being one of only a handful of authors whose work has reached number one on the New York Times Bestsellers List, with Legacy of the Force: Revelation (though it was the Mass Market Paperback list)!
Her time in a galaxy far, far away was ultimately cut short as she went out in a blaze of glory.
As George Lucas, Dave Filoni, and crew were developing Mandalore for the (2008) Clone Wars animated series, they chose to go in a different direction. Thus she chose to depart from writing for Star Wars. That being said, we at Youtini think both versions of Mandalorian lore are incredibly strong and equally enjoyable! They overlap and dovetail in key ways, challenging your imagination to tie them together.
Her impact on the Legends universe as well as the fandom of the armor-clad was massive, making her a fan-favorite among many. In this guide you’ll find all five of her Commando books, her Legacy of the Force books, as well as Clone Wars: No Prisoners.
Beyond her books, Traviss wrote a significant amount of short stories, a novella, and a handful of articles for Star Wars Insider. “Boba Fett: A Practical Man” being the most substantial of the lot. Boba Fett made his long-awaited return to Legends after an extended absence, bringing in an army of Mandalorians to repel the Yuuzhan Vong. It is included in the paperback edition of Legacy of the Force: Sacrifice.’
^ from the YouTini website - for all things Star Wars publications: https://youtini.com/collection/karen-traviss
“If we don’t stand up for others, who will be left to stand up for us?”
a useful wookieepedia page for Omega Squad: https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Omega_Squad
Omega Squad:
^ image from the exhaustively good Clone Commando Omega Squad Respect Thread thread on ComicVine.
Personally, I think it is a great pity the Republic Commando book series will likely never be finished:
End of one era, start of another… - Karen Traviss announcement on her blog, in August 2009:
“I can’t discuss the canon issues because of the standard non-disclosure agreement that all writers sign. I’m not even going to discuss the ones that are public now, and I know little of the full detail anyway. So please don’t ask me. All I can say is that I was given enough of the detail in January to realise that changes in continuity were such that I wouldn’t be able to carry on as originally planned with the storylines you were expecting to see continued in my books. It would have required a lot more than routine retcon.”
Karen Traviss does go into more detail on various aspects in the ‘FAQ section’ on her own website, including answers to:
• How would you have wrapped up Imperial Commando #2 if you hadn’t pulled out of it?
• Why have you stopped writing Star Wars?
• Are you going to resolve Delta Squad’s story and tell us what happens to Sev?
www.karentraviss.com/information/FAQ/index.html
Or what Karen Traviss outlined here, in the ‘Behind The Scenes’ section, for the canceled Imperial Commando 2 novel:
https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Imperial_Commando_2