Republic Commando: Triple Zero

Republic Commando: Triple Zero is a novel written by Karen Traviss and set one year after the Battle of Geonosis. It tells the story of Omega Squad, Delta Squad, a unit of Null ARC troopers, and their Jedi Generals Etain Tur-Mukan and Bardan Jusik as they pursue a Separatist terror group along the skylanes and underworld of Coruscant, known to clone troopers as Triple Zero for its galactic chart coordinates.

The book contains a short glossary defining Star Wars, Mando'a, and military terms. It also contains the short story Omega Squad: Targets, originally published in Star Wars Insider #81, and a preview of Betrayal.

Editions

 * ISBN 0345490096; February 28, 2006, Del Rey, 427-page paperback
 * ISBN 8324127631; Amber, 488-page Polish paperback

Publisher's summary
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&hellip;.

''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.''

Plot summary
The novel starts off with a flashback eight years before the Battle of Geonosis when Mandalorian soldier Kal Skirata goes to the rainy planet of Kamino to observe the the developing army for the Republic. He finds out that they are using clones from Skirata's friend, Jango Fett, and that the clones are having their age factor doubled; if they have been created a year earlier, they will look and feel like they have lived for two years, two years created and they will look like they are four years old, etc. Skirata figures out that the Kaminoans dealing with the clones are having trouble with them since they are being hard to cooperate with. Before the clones could be executed and killed as mistakes, Skirata protects them and takes it upon himself to train some of them.

Fastforwarding five days after the Battle of Geonosis, Skirata is on Coruscant and has just heard about the conflict, as well as Jango Fett's death by Jedi Master Mace Windu, who had killed Fett by decapitating him with his lightsaber.

The story finally settles one year after the Battle of Geonosis, and the Republic celebrates its first anniversary on its first battle against the Separatists. Unfortunately, the Republic later figures out that there are terrorists from the Separatists who have infiltrated Coruscant and are spying on the Republic. Therefore, Skirata is hired by the Republic to track this threat down. Joining him is Omega Squad, consisting of three of Kal's personally trained clone soldiers; Darman; Niner; and Fi, and a fourth member who was originally trained by Walon Vau; Atin. Helping them is an information broker from the Republic whose name is Besany Wennen. Also joining them is Jedi Master Arligan Zey, Jedi Knight Bardan Jusik and Jedi Knight Etain Tur-Mukan, who is introduced by Omega Squad to Kal, since the squad, especially Darman, were with Etain during the mission to Qiilura. Kal's Wookiee companion Enacca joins the mission, as well as Null ARC trooper Ordo, and a clone trooper named Corr. But things get more complicated as Vau himself and Delta Squad, consisting of Boss, Sev, Scorch, and Fixer, join in, and Skirata and Vau have a rivalry since the two of them have had different methods of training clone soldiers; Skirata trained Omega Squad like a father figure, but still made them hard fighting soldiers; and Vau trained Delta Squad through beating them. Atin even has a hard history with Vau since the latter used to beat the clone so many times. Despite all this, Etain and Darman's relationship grows stronger. Etain becomes pregnant with Darman's child but does not tell him.

Eventually, during the mission to track the terrorists down, Jinart and Valaqil join in to remind Omega Squad and Etain that they still owe the Gurlanins a debt after they helped the clones and Jedi back on Qiilura. Etain and Omega Squad promise they will repay their debt eventually, but they ask the Gurlanins if they will help out in the mission. They agree.

The spies in the Republic are figured out, their information they would send back to the Separatists are destroyed and the terrorists themselves are killed by everyone involved in the mission. Unfortunately, the rivalry between Omega and Delta Squad is still strong, and Atin and Vau get into a brutal fistfight that is quickly called off by Bardan Jusik. Later, after the celebration of the squads' victory over their mission, Etain reveals to Skirata that she is pregnant with Darman's child. Skirata is angered by this because he believes Etain used Darman. Nevertheless, the two agree to keep this a secret from everyone else, except from Jinart and Valaqil, and that the child will be a Mandalorian like his father, not a Jedi like his mother. Etain is promised by Skirata that she will be able to go to Qiilura and spend some time with Darman. Meanwhile, Ordo figures out Etain is pregnant but decides to keep it a secret with Skirata.

Cover gallery
This is a gallery of the different cover variation of Republic Commando: Triple Zero.