Hard Contact (Star Wars: Republic Commando, Book 1)
As the Clone Wars rage, victory or defeat lies in the hands of elite squads that take on the toughest assignments in the galaxy€“stone-cold soldiers who go where no one else would, to do what no one else could. . . .
On a mission to sabotage a chemical weapon research facility on a Separatist-held planet, four clone troopers operate under the very noses of their enemies. The commandos are outnumbered and outgunned, deep behind enemy lines with no backup€“and working with strangers instead of trusted teammates. Matters don€t improve when Darman, the squad€s demolitions expert, gets separated from the others during planetfall. Even Darman€s apparent good luck in meeting an inexperienced Padawan vanishes once Etain admits to her woeful inexperience.
For the separated clone commandos and stranded Jedi, a long, dangerous journey lies ahead, through hostile territory brimming with Trandoshan slavers, Separatists, and suspicious natives. A single misstep could mean discovery . . . and death. It€s a virtual suicide mission for anyone€“anyone except Republic Commandos.