Review: Enjoyable, if unremarkable, stormtrooper tale.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 05 14, 2012
** Note: this story appears as a bonus in the paperback edition of Survivor's Quest. **Fool's Bargain is a short story featuring the stormtroopers of Aurek-Four, a unit of the Imperial 501st Legion of the Empire of the Hand.  It takes place shortly before the events of Survivor's Quest, but is probably best read after.The Empire of the Hand is involved in a war to rid the native Eickarie people of their latest warlord, but the 501st curious orders are very specific - take the warlord alive.  This story is tightly focused, with a couple of characters firmly at the center.  There's good detail here but for some reason it doesn't feel as well developed as other short stories I've read by Zahn.  Also,  those who look for big names in their Star Wars stories will want to give this a pass.  A couple of minor characters from Survivor's Quest show up in largely supporting roles, but there are no movie characters nor beloved favorites here.But despite these caveats Fool's Bargain is a good short story that gives further glimpse of Zahn's take on stormtroopers, which he touched on in Survivor's Quest, and would continue to explore in later novels (Allegiance and Choices of One).