I haven't read the other books in this series, but once you get into it then it works as a novel on its own.
Kal Skirata has been training clone troops, and comes to see them as his boys. They've started to have lives of their own, rather than just being mass produced copies of Jango Fett.
Kal wants to get them out of the army, and find a way to increase their built in limited life span. To this end, his troops have been hacking data from the Republic, building up a close unit of allies and siphoning money.
Palpatine has been building his own fleet of ships and getting his own clone army put into the action. When he sends out Order 66, telling them to kill all Jedi, its time for Skirata to try and get his troops somewhere safe.

Lots going on, sacrifices and bending the rules. Traviss writes good characters, making them more than a faceless representation of the Republic. An interesting read from the other sides point of view.

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Summary: On Dorvalla, a pair of rival ore mining companies compete for business. One company, Lommite Limited, has been suffering from "accidents" – sabotage – and plans to retaliate. Meanwhile, Darth Sidious dispatches Darth Maul to Dorvalla: he needs the Neimoidians to gain control of the shipping, so he can proceed with his own dark plans. The story sets the stage for the events in James Luceno’s Cloak of Deception.

 

Review: Darth Maul’s part of this story is mostly peripheral. However, his actions dictate the rest of the characters actions. He easily sabotages everyone else’s sabotage plans. In the end, the Trade Federation gets their contract. Luceno sets the stage for the events in the beginning of Cloak. It’s just as good as the novel, written with the same humor and unfolding plot.

 

Tarkin makes an appearance in this story.

 

Favorite Quotes:

 

"Compassionate and Neimoidian don’t belong in the same sentence, Monchar." – Jurnel Arrant.

 

"How is it that whenever tragedy strikes, the first ones I hear from are the Neimoidians?" – Jurnel Arrant

 

"The Neimoidians are greedy and weak-willed. I find them unworthy."

"You left out duplicitous and sniveling."

  – Darth Maul, Darth Sidious

 

(Cross-posted from my blog)

 

Note: I read this prior 2006, which was before I kept a formalized book journal, so I don't have a "read" date.  Though I used the e-book cover, I actually read the paper version included in Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter (Michael Reaves).  Also, I have a thing for Neimoidians.  They're so absurd, I love them. :-)