Catalyst: A Rogue One Story

我已經好久好久沒有看書了。現在再翻開書本，看著密密麻麻的小字，就忍不住呵欠連連了。

這一次，好不容易把一本書由頭到腳看過一遍，也算是個小奇跡了。

能推動我下這個決心的，也大概只有Star Wars小說了。

今次讀完的小說，正是去年一上映就震撼了無數星戰迷的Rogue One之前傳小說。

當然，我看的是台版漢化小說，要我看英文小說的話，那可是讓我睡得更快更甜。

說到故事內容了，那可就要拜托Wookiepedia了：

During the Clone Wars, the Republic begins working on a moon-size battle station based on a Separatist design, hoping to complete its construction before the Separatists potentially finish their own station. However, the Republic finds that building the primary weapon of the station will entail a breakthrough in energy enhancement. Lieutenant Commander Orson Krennic offers to recruit one of the finest scientists in the galaxy, an energy scientist named Galen Erso, to provide the breakthrough. Krennic has a personal connection with Erso, becoming friends while studying at the same university.

Meanwhile, Erso, a neutralist, is working on the planet Vallt doing energy research for Zerpen Industries, when the planetary government is overthrown in a coup sympathetic to the Separatists. Erso is imprisoned in a bid to force his loyalty to the Separatists. His pregnant wife Lyra is also imprisoned and gives birth to a daughter, Jyn.

Galen, Lyra and Jyn are rescued by Krennic, masquerading as a Zerpen representative, making an exchange for the Ersos. Safely off-planet, Krennic reveals he is working for the Republic, and a Republic battleship destroys the government complex of Vallt while Krennic and the Ersos watch. Krennic takes the Ersos to Galen's home planet of Grange, where they witness a major battle between the Republic and the Separatists.

Returned to Coruscant, Galen remains idle while Krennic and other members of the military work to subtly persuade him to join the battle station project under construction in orbit around the planet of Geonosis. The station is being built by drone members of the planet's population after Poggle the Lesser has pledged allegiance to the Republic and its project. Galen is cleared of suspected treason by Wilhuff Tarkin, at the instigation of Krennic, who proposes a non-research position for Galen at Helical HyperCom on the planet Lokori.

Galen and his family move to Lokori, which comes under regular Separatist attack. At the end of a major offensive which has very nearly conquered Lokori, the attack is suspended. It is learned that the Clone Wars are over, the Separatist leadership was killed and the Jedi Order destroyed. The Ersos move back to Coruscant, where Krennic has set up Project Celestial Power for Galen to continue his energy research with kyber crystals, ostensibly to provide power sources to Empire worlds, but secretly a cover project for the weapon construction of the battle station, which continues to be constructed, despite the war being over.

Krennic hires Has Obitt and his smugglers to drop decommissioned weapons to the planets Samovar and Wadi Raffa. The weapon drops are a ruse for the Empire to enter on the pretext of suspected anarchist activity. Once the weapons are found, the Empire uses the circumstances to set up occupying forces on the planets, taking over mining corporations on the worlds. The pretext gives the Empire the chance to exploit the two worlds' resources, overriding the environmental protections in force on the two "Legacy" worlds.

Unknown to Galen, Krennic has set up a satellite facility on the planet Malpaz where Erso's former colleague Dagio Belcoze is attempting to test the energy output. The experiments on Malpaz blow up and kill ten thousand on the planet. The damage is attributed to anarchist elements opposing the Empire. Krennic becomes suspicious of Lyra's intentions and influence over Galen and arranges for her to lead a survey team of the planet Alpinn looking for kyberite and the possibility of kyber crystals. After the survey is over, Obitt shows Lyra and Nari Sable the planets of Samovar and Wadi Raffa, protected planets that were mostly destroyed by the Empire's mining for the battle station project.

Lyra returns to Coruscant to find Galen absorbed in his research, and the Celestial project now under tight security. Galen was developing serious suspicions about the use of his energy research, but chose not to discuss it with Lyra without stronger proof. Galen continued to make breakthroughs with a boulder-size kyber, learning how to use its properties to amplify energy beams. His work led to a breakthrough and Krennic arranged to have a Star Destroyer set up with a twin laser array, which was tested successfully in deep space.

Meanwhile, Krennic had set up another smuggling mission for Obitt to the Salient system. In secret, Obitt has arranged with Saw Gerrera to warn the Salient system of the Empire's intentions, letting them prepare for an Empire invasion. After the drop, Tarkin brings a Star Destroyer to demand access to Salient, as was done on Samovar and Wadi Raffa. This time, the system starts fighting with the Empire, and destroying any facilities that the Empire can use. Tarkin's forces are tied down in battle, and he suspects that Krennic has allowed Obitt to warn the Salient system, likely as an attempt to further his career over Tarkin's.

Krennic's research team, who are unaware of the true purpose of their energy research and questions Krennic, demands to be released from the program. Krennic promises them full releases from their contracts, but instead kills them all, destroying their facility on Hypori with turbolaser blasts from his Star Destroyer. He returns to Coruscant, where he finds more evidence of suspicious behaviour by Galen and Lyra. He threatens Lyra with prosecution, which only leads to Lyra forcing a talk with Galen in secret, where they both reveal their suspicions about the project.

Tarkin is finally successful in subjugating the Salient system and captures Obitt. Obitt was severely injured in the battle, but wakes up on Tarkin's Destroyer fully healed. Under interrogation by Tarkin, Obitt reveals all of his recent activity with the Ersos and Krennic. Tarkin decides to use Obitt to strike back at Krennic.

On Coruscant, Krennic is confronted by the Ersos. Krennic leaves them, worried about their intentions when he learns that Obitt's ship has been tracked coming to Coruscant. Krennic believes that Obitt may be helping the Ersos to escape and orders the project security to hold them, but it is too late. Krennic arrives at the spaceport to confront Obitt and prevent the Ersos escape. However, Obitt has arranged for Gerrera to arrive in another ship and the Ersos leave Coruscant.

Obitt continues to work for Tarkin, reporting on Krennic's activities, while also looking for the Ersos for Krennic. Tarkin is assigned to the bases of the battle station construction to supervise security, plotting to take control of the battle station project, while Krennic is demoted for losing Galen Erso. The Ersos, meanwhile have escaped with Gerrera to the planet Lah'mu.

本作的時間點設定於Clone Wars末期至17BBY，很有趣的時間點。有趣的是這段時間正值共和國與帝國的世代交替，在電影中，這段歷史也只是輕輕帶過，描述這段動蕩時期的小說及漫畫也不多。所以，在本作中，能夠以平民的角度看待這個交接時間，實在很有趣。

本作的故事其實不算複雜，就是以Galen一家作為主角，由一開始保持中立，後來因才華被「好友」Krennic看中而不停受到戰火的逼害，終於一步一步被逼上參與死星計劃之路。在故事的前半部，劇情都在描寫戰爭的可怕。在Clone Wars被Jedi當作生菜般砍殺的分離分子機械人，在一般百姓眼中，其實是可怕的死神，在大規模的戰爭中，不是人人都如Jedi般，容易躲開攻擊，並在電光火石間消滅敵人，一般人要保命就已經耗盡力氣了。Galen一家就是體驗過這些恐怖的經驗。

同一時間，充滿野心的Krennic一心想成為皇帝的寵兒，希望接管那個驚人卻難以實行的超巨型戰鬥基地計劃，那誰也知道就是我們熟悉的死星。只是缺少了Galen對於Kyber Crystal的掌握，主炮遲遲未能完成。加上與Poggle the Lesser的背叛，使得進度嚴重受損，於是Krennic的希望就都放在Galen身上了。

戰鬥基地計劃不只影響到Galen與及Krennic的命運，無數星球也因此受到牽連。為了收集建造基地所需的資源，而這些資源往往都是位處於被指定為遺產級星球的地方，帝國出盡了下三流的手段巧取豪奪。由於當時銀河系剛取得和平，不能亂生事端的帝國最愛用的方法，就是私下聘請走私客把軍火運到目標星球上，再指責當地勢力有叛逆之心，於是帝國便出師有名，堂而皇之的剝削當地的天然資源了。

當中帝國最為看中的走私客，就是曾在Clone Wars時期參與過營教Glaen一家行動的外星人Has。一開始，他並不知道帝他走私的任務目的，當知道已有兩顆星球在這個陷阱中被帝國踐踏後，良心有愧的他號召了一群志同道合的走私客伙伴，期望至少能拖一下帝國的後腿。當中的一員，就是我們都認識的Saw Gerrera。

同一時間，Krennic為了使Galen協助他完成利用Kyber Crystal的技術以建設死星的主炮，出盡了各種手段，終於在一次使開了疑心重重、立場站在Jedi一方的Galen太太Lyla後，成功誘使Galen協助他得到相關技術資料。雖然資料不夠完全，但已足夠向皇帝邀功，讓野心滿滿的競爭對手Tarkin大為不滿了。

而在Lyla被支開的過程中，她重遇了Has，終於得知帝國的野心和計劃，回到Galen身邊後，二人決定帶同女兒Jyn一起逃亡，讓帝國無法得到最重要的Kyber Crystal技術資料，務求使可怕的死星永遠不能發揮最大的威力。最終，協助他們逃亡的不是那個正義的老朋友Has，而是他的新相識Saw，但也是能夠付託生命的好人。一行四人最終都能夠避開帝國的追捕，開始平淡安穩的生活……直到我們所鐘愛的電影Rogue One。

雖然沒有很多激烈的戰鬥場面，但我認為本作也是一部很不錯的小說。原因是，有關Clone Wars完結後的故事不算多，能夠了解更多當時的環境局勢、帝國的政治、軍事安排，實在很新鮮。

此外，Poggle the Lesser、Darth Vader等等有名角色在本作中粉墨登場或被提及，也是很有趣呢！這也是只有擁有龐大世界觀的Star Wars 故事才能提供的樂趣呢，天知道我還有多少彩蛋因為我功力不足而錯過！

說到底，由於我實在太喜歡Rogue One這部電影了，也許因此愛屋及烏也說不定。可惜的說不是本STAR WARS小說都有機會被漢化，想到家中囤積了大量的英文小說，也不知何年何日才能都讀完……希望尖端會加緊努力，多做幾本漢化吧，我一定會支持的！

85分。