David's Review of X-wing: Solo Command

4/5 Rancors - Solo Command is the seventh book in the X-wing series and the third one by Aaron Allston after four by Michael Stackpole. In Mr. Allston's books, we travel primarily with Wraith Squadron, a group of highly capable, but possibly not yet well trained, pilots put together by Wedge Antilles with the specific goal of finding and destroying Warlord Zsinj and his ship Iron Fist. The members of Wraith Squadron are a mixed band representing a multitude of different skills. Each one also appears to have been somewhat of a misfit along the way. Additional characters play major roles in this tale. Flight Officer Lara Notsil is a woman with a hidden background, varying loyalties along with a multitude of names and identities with appropriate backgrounds to match. Rogue Squadron also gets to help out in this book. It's good to have them back.

General Han Solo has been leading the efforts to find and deal with Warlord Zsinj. However, all efforts so far have failed to flush out Zsing in an attempt to win a final battle. So after hearing a joking suggestion from a pilot in Wraith Squadron, Solo agrees to the construction of a fake Millennium Falcon that will be flown on various missions. The hope is that Zsinj will be unable to resist a possible opportunity to capture his nemesis Han Solo. Along the way, we are also introduced to a nefarious plan of Zsinj's to biomedically transform various sentients into vessels who will perform specific attacks upon receipt of a codeword. A major battle takes place on Saffalore at a Binring Biomedical facility where Piggy of Wraith Squadron underwent a biological transformation.

The plot of this book wanders aimlessly a few times, but the conclusion and the various battles taking place during the wandering make up for it. Wraith Squadron is an interesting band of unusual pilots, and their adventures are well worth reading.