I don’t know how I stumbled on to this series, in fact, I didn’t even know that it was an entirely different series than the original “Galaxy’s Edge” series, but it is. Still, I’m very glad I found this book and will look forward to reading many more in this specific series if they can be as good as this book.
Special Forces Operators are some highly trained and unique individuals. I’ve never really know one so I can’t say how accurate this story is, but I can say it seems very, very detailed and would seem very plausible. Our operator is Kelkavan (Kel) Turner, Sergeant, Republic Legionnaire. He is a very highly trained expert in warfighting and beyond. I cannot image men (or women) being more dedicated to their craft than these guys. If this is really a sample of how a Special Forces Operator operates, then we should all be in good hands. Sgt Turner is one very competent soldier. His mission for this book is an individual mission, something he has done before, but no mission is exactly the same. This mission will require him to find out what is causing some major unrest on the planet Meridian.
As a Sergeant, you normally operate as part of a unit with subordinate soldiers below you for which you are directly responsible. You do have your superiors and usually very many of those. If you’re in a good unit, you’ll get orders that make sense, the time to carry them out, but very little instructions on how to accomplish your mission. The “how” is often up to you within given mission parameters. That’s the usual scene for a Sergeant, but not for a Dark Operator.
A single Dark Operator like Sergeant Tuner has been assigned to go to the planet Meridian and find out who is behind some recent terrorist attacks that seem to be getting out of hand. The planetary police, known as the National Police have asked for Republic help so you are sent as a direct representative of the House of Reason. You don’t seem to nervous doing this mission. You’re going to be part of an Embassy staff primarily assigned as responsible for security of the Ambassador and other embassy people and property. But, for your to find out what’s going on on this planet, you’ll have to figure out a way to get involved with the three different police forces on the planet. What is remarkable about this book is the details that you’ll read about what Sgt Turner does on almost a daily basis. He’s responsible for his on schedule for the most part. He doesn’t actually have to report to anyone and he has credentials that protect him from any kind of prosecution while conducting his mission. He also gets to benefit from some royal treatment while on the planet. Most Embassy people he will work with are civilians and as a Dark Operator he’s used to working out of uniform. No one is supposed to know who he is or what his mission is. He keeps that to himself, but he finds out that the General in Charge of the National Police can easily figure out who and what he is. While this could have been a problem, it turns out to be perfect for Kel and makes his mission accomplishment that much easier.
I really enjoyed the writing. The story seemed to just flow and was every interesting even though it covers things like Kel doing daily PT and making time for the firing range to ensure he and his equipment are in top shape. There is some fighting, but it’s more of police activity than an army fighting an known enemy. Kel finds himself deep into the process of advising the local authorities and even training those he observes when they are deficient. How he conducts his interpersonal relationships is very interesting. I don’t know any soldier that I have ever know who could have accomplished his mission as he did. His training as a Dark Operator makes him one very competent individual. When he operates with his 5-man kill team of Dark Operators, they would be supremely dangerous to anything or anyone that go after.
After read the book, I think you’ll agree that for a Sergeant to accomplish what he did is remarkable. I’m not so sure it could be done, but this is the far future and I don’t have any insight into how Dark Operators are trained although you do get to flash back and forth in Sgt Turner’s past to see how he became a Dark Operator in the first place. He was a very good Legionnaire, obviously. It’s good to know that his is the first book in a news series and it seems that Sgt Kel Turner will continue to be the main character in future books. I plan to read these as long as they keep being published. This was a very good book.