[HARD CONTACT] Chapter 2: Names

|| Republic Commando: Hard Contact || 2004 || Book series || Military, Sci-Fi || 18+ for violence and harrowing themes || 

•───────•°•❀•°•───────•
Jusik stopped at a door at the end of the passage and turned to them.“I wonder if I could ask the rest of you to remove your helmets.”

Nobody asked why, and they all obeyed, even though it wasn’t phrased as the unequivocal order they were expecting. The helmet seals made faint ssss sounds as they opened.
•───────•°•❀•°•───────•

 “Do you have names? I don’t mean numbers. Names.”

Now, that was a very private thing. You kept your name to yourself, your squad, and your training sergeant. Darman was embarrassed for him.

“My squad called me Atin,” the wounded commando said.

Niner glanced at Fi but said nothing. Atin was Mandalorian for “stubborn.”
•───────•°•❀•°•───────•

Okay so I mentioned here in this entry how we see the Jedi as god-like entities through Darman's eyes but we arrived at one spot where Darman and even Niner and Fi is also draws the line at obeying: THEIR NAMES. 

We learn here that Skirata commandos treat their name something sacred, something only to be shared with close people. Darman also emphasised that it is only to be shared with their TRAINING SERGEANT. Therefor this rule doesn't apply to Jedi Generals, nor Jedi Commanders (Jusik), nor Kaminoans, other training sergeants or even other commandos. 

While you have Atin here and he just shares his name like it's the most natural thing in the world. We know that Sergeant Vau named his commandos, gave them names. Or more like, I want to imagine Vau a tsundere a man who says this is for practicality, like you would give callsigns to soldiers on the battlefield so they won't mistake each other, but under the surface he had the same idea like Skirata, giving them names and with it, giving them a chance to gain an identity. After all Vau also suggested for the paint for the Delta Squad too to boost moral if I know correctly. Vau was just more normal about it, less ritualistic, compared to Kal who is a hardcore fanatic Mandalorian.  

[HARD CONTACT] Chapter 2: Family

|| Republic Commando: Hard Contact || 2004 || Book series || Military, Sci-Fi || 18+ for violence and harrowing themes || 

•───────•°•❀•°•───────•

The commandos were focused on the weaponry, but Darman was also noting Jusik’s behavior with growing interest. The Padawan stood back to let the men get a closer look at the armaments but he was watching them carefully. “You’re nothing like droids at all, are you?”

“No sir,” Fi said. “We’re flesh and blood. Bred to be the best.”

“Like Advanced Recon Commandos?”

“Not quite ARCs, sir. Not like clone troopers, either. We don’t work alone and we don’t work in formations. We just look the same.”

“This is your unit of four, then? A squad?” He seemed to be recalling a hurried lesson. “Almost like a family?”

Niner cut in. “It is now, sir.”
•───────•°•❀•°•───────•

I am a bit torn because ultimately I want to talk about the things that interest me, so talking separately about Valaqil and Bardan Jusik for the sake of talking currently feels like a chore, but just mentioning him, Bardan is definitely someone who is already showing curiosity and interest toward the commandos, and not just as military assets, but realizing that they are actually people under the helmet. 

And I especially adore this part where Bardan tried to compare them to something another very abstract concept, something another unfamiliar thing to him - a family. Abstract, compared to a jedi, given they are separated from their families in their very early years. 

But also I like how Niner instantly confirmed: yes, they are a family now. Because due to Skirata, they DO have a concept of family. 

I don't know that Niner really just wanted to cut short this conversation, because he right away changes the topic to weapons, but given what we will know about his mindset and how much he looks up to Kal Skirata, I think Niner really decided, he wants to be a good sergeant/dad of this squad/family, whatever it takes. 

[HARD CONTACT] Chapter 2: FOOD

|| Republic Commando: Hard Contact || 2004 || Book series || Military, Sci-Fi || 18+ for violence and harrowing themes || 

•───────•°•❀•°•───────•
 Jusik gestured to the exit. “I’m your armorer,” he said. “Weapons and data. Follow me and I’ll show you what you’ll have at your disposal.”
•───────•°•❀•°•───────•

I thought I won't talk about Bardan too much, but I was mistaken. He didn't joke when he said he is their armorer. He really DID his homework, KNOWS his stuff regarding what toys he gives to the kids commandos. But he also did his homework regarding the clones too, because he knows about ARC troopers, and about the structure of the commandos too.

Boy is really eager to learn, but also how he talks about the weapons, I think he is fond of any tech-related things in general. He is definitely less professional than Zey, he asks question not related to the mission, and the commandos have to herd him into the "proper" direction of the conversation. 


Niner asked how much time do they get to prepare and I just loved Bardan's reaction. It's the "I'm so sorry guys, it can't be better for you."

•───────•°•❀•°•───────•
“Eight standard hours,” Jusik replied, almost apologetic. “Because that’s how long the journey to Qiilura will take. You’re embarking now.”
•───────•°•❀•°•───────•

Also I loved every instance where the weapons were compared to dishes. :D

•───────•°•❀•°•───────•
It was a cache of treasures. There were upgrades and boltons that Darman knew might fit his existing gear, and ordnance that he didn’t recognize but looked like Republic issue, and there were …  exotics. Weapons he recalled from his database as belonging to a dozen different species—and quite a few that he couldn’t place at all—were laid out neatly on trestle tables. It was inviting, almost as inviting as a meal.
•───────•°•❀•°•───────•
Jusik opened a case of Kamino saberdarts and held it out as if offering a tray of uj cakes.
•───────•°•❀•°•───────•

[HARD CONTACT] Chapter 2: Not gods after all

I'm still in love with Darman's social sensitivity. He noticed that the Jedi are seemed to be okay with questions, therefore he is more braver asking one too. And Darman is asking about the missing Master Fulier. 

•───────•°•❀•°•───────•
“What do you think happened to Master Fulier, sir?” Darman asked. He wouldn’t normally have posed unnecessary questions, but Arligan Zey had seemed to approve of his curiosity, and Darman was conditioned to do whatever Jedi generals wished.

Jusik opened a case of Kamino saberdarts and held it out as if offering a tray of uj cakes. “Valaqil believes he was betrayed by a native,” he said. “They’ve been known to do anything to earn food or a few credits.”

Darman wondered how a Jedi could be taken by anything less than an army. He’d seen them fight at Geonosis. His warfare was a science; theirs appeared to be an art. “Didn’t he have his lightsaber?”

“He did,” the Gurlanin said. “But Master Fulier has, or had, some discipline issues.”

Darman—a soldier able to withstand every privation in the field, and whose greatest fear was to wither from age rather than die in combat—felt inexplicably uncomfortable at the idea of a Jedi having failings.

•───────•°•❀•°•───────•

We get to know a little about Master Fulier's lore by the description of Valaqil. 

Love how the farmer Birhan and now Darman also points out the existence of lightsaber, and yet how it didn't help the Master in this fight. This absolute outsider perspective, who don't know anything AT ALL about the Jedi, only that these people are superhuman with flashing laserswords. Darman has to deal with the fact that maybe the Jedi are not as invincible and god-like entities how the propaganda painted them. That maybe these people have flaws too.  

[HARD CONTACT] Chapter 2: Animal husbandry of Qiilura

|| Republic Commando: Hard Contact || 2004 || Book series || Military, Sci-Fi || 18+ for violence and harrowing themes || 

•───────•°•❀•°•───────•
Despite appearances, this was the guest suite. Livestock wasn’t allowed in the barn at this time of year because animals had a tendency to eat the barq grain, and that was an awfully expensive way to fatten merlies for the table. The animals were allowed in the main house, and in the winter they even slept there, partly to keep the place warm and partly to protect them from prowling gdans.

The house had smelled like it, too. Nothing of the merlies—not even their body heat or their pungent odor—was ever wasted. “Keeps them bugs away,” Birhan had told her. “It’s a good stink.”

•───────•°•❀•°•───────•
Imbraani wasn’t Coruscant, not at all. The only infrastructure in the rambling collection of farmsteads was devoted to what it took to grow, harvest, and export its cash crops, and to the comfort of its commercial overlords. Etain had grown up in a world where you could travel at will and send messages easily, and neither of those taken-for-granted facilities was readily available here.

•───────•°•❀•°•───────•

Description of the rural environment of Qiilura is fascinating for me.

There are IRL farming communities where farming animals are actually treated like members of the households, yes, even with those animals that are raised for eventual slaughter for neccessities, like meat. Children formed connection with the animals too through caring for them, feeding them, but also the kids weren't spared from the animal's inevitable death. It teaches respect for the animal and its way to provide. 

Anyway. What we see here is not idillic rural life cottage core. This is poverty. 

What we see that they have a barn that farmers don't use for keeping the animals inside, but to protect the barq instead, so the animals slept in the main house with the owners. But they also did this in winter, because the animals provided enough bodyheat to make the house at pleasant temperature. Which means, the farmers didn't have proper way of heating (no electricity, no gas or other star wars sci-fi way of heating). Possibly the house couldn't properly keep the heat inside so chopping wood and keeping the fires alive was just a half-solution. Given the Neimoidian situation here, I bet the forests were also off-limit for personal usage, so if you wanted logs and firewood, you had to pay for them with the money you didn't have. Idk. I'm probably just brainstorming here at this point. 

[HARD CONTACT] Chapter 2: Fulier

 || Republic Commando: Hard Contact || 2004 || Book series || Military, Sci-Fi || 18+ for violence and harrowing themes || 

•───────•°•❀•°•───────•
“Didn’t he have his lightsaber?”

“He did,” the Gurlanin said. “But Master Fulier has, or had, some discipline issues.”

•───────•°•❀•°•───────•
“Master Fulier was—is a courageous Jedi,” Jusik said, almost losing his composed manner for a moment. “He is simply passionate about justice.”
•───────•°•❀•°•───────•

Master Fulier was probably dead: if he weren’t, he would have returned for her. He was—had been—brilliant, magnificently skilled when he was focused on being so. But he was also impatient, and inclined not to walk away from matters that weren’t his concern, and those were two factors that didn’t mix well with a covert mission.

He’d decided one of Hokan’s thugs needed to learn a lesson in how to respect the local population.

•───────•°•❀•°•───────•

This last quote was from Etain's perspective. I see resemblances between Qui-gon Jinn and Kast Fulier, someone who can't turn his face away from someone's suffering, only maybe Fulier has a slight hero complex? Vigilante? Space-sheriff?

[HARD CONTACT] Chapter 2: Etain

|| Republic Commando: Hard Contact || 2004 || Book series || Military, Sci-Fi || 18+ for violence and harrowing themes || 

•───────•°•❀•°•───────•
Zey picked up again. “And let me assure you that we’ve been searching diligently for them. We have a location for our targets, but no plans of the buildings. The lack of plans will make your retrieval and sabotage task more challenging, as will the communications situation. Questions?”
•───────•°•❀•°•───────•

A holochart blossomed into three dimensions in her cupped hands, then another, then another. She had layouts of half a dozen Neimoidian and Separatist buildings in the surrounding region, because Fulier hadn’t been the only one who was careless. After a few bottles of urrqal, the local construction workers dropped their guard.

Etain was neither a natural warrior nor a great charmer, but she was aware of her talent for spotting opportunities. It made up for a lot.

•───────•°•❀•°•───────•

GOOD GIRL. BEST GIRL. BESTEST GIRL. MY SMART GIRL. I LOVE YOU. 

It is really worth to pay attention to the POVs. Because Etain tends to talk down on herself and I wonder if these negative remarks also come from other character's pov as well, or only from hers. Because so far it seems, she really lacks of self-esteem despite the proof is THERE that she is very much capable. 

But also the literal shitshow just never ends for her, poor girl :DDD

•───────•°•❀•°•───────•

That quantity of barq was a week’s earnings for these people. “You shouldn’t have gone to that trouble for me,” Etain said, embarrassed.

“You’re a guest,” the woman said. “Besides, once I’d scraped the dung off, shame to waste the grains stuck to it, eh? Oh-ah.”

Etain’s stomach rolled but she kept a steady expression. Coruscant’s food hygiene regulations certainly didn’t apply here.

“Very kind of you,” she said, and forced a smile.
•───────•°•❀•°•───────•

[HARD CONTACT] Chapter 2: FINIIIIISHEDDDD

AND ZEE FINISHED WITH THE BLOGGING CHAPTER 2 YEEYYYY!!! It turned out, my comfort activity for the weekend was reading and blogging instead of mindlessly gaming. 


Yesterday I had a very bad experience on tumblr, because KT came up again regarding the topic of misogyny and I think this also made me bury myself in blogging, because if I didn't, I would have reacted to these posts. I think when I started blogging about the books first time years ago, my primary goal was to find my own answers to these questions as well: is the book really as misogynistic or anti-Jedi as it is said to be? And the more I delve into the English version, the more I come to the conclusion that hating on this book and the author is a community-building event in which I simply cannot and I am not willing to participate just to make people like me or my blog more.

Because the more I read, the more I realize that this book must be read CAREFULLY. It truly challenges your literacy, nothing is spoonfed to you, nothing had to be taken at face value. Narrator is just not present in this story, because the characters are the narrators. Ultimate case of unreliable narrators. 

Also this notion of "women who reads these books will suffer emotional damage" is the most fucking misogynystic take I've ever read. Because you will admit that you find women fragile little things who have to be protected from harmful media, and that is just one step from controlling what media women should read. You want Handmaid's Tale become a reality? This is how you get Handmaid's Tale becoming a reality. 

Anyway. Ultimately I'm here for lorehunting and for the characters, first and foremost. One another reason I moved my metas and bookblogging into this separate blog, because I don't want to be distracted what actually is the thing that makes me interested and invested in these books. 

Ahhh this turned out really ranty, I'm so sorry. But that post really pissed me off. People just cannot be normal about women. 

See you at chapter 3!  

Hypocrisy pisses me off

 Ultimately I hate this hypocritical attitude that fandom believes whatever the author puts on paper is not the representation of their IRL belief system. UNLESS it's something the fandom hates. Then it's suddenly a manifesto.