Republic Commando:Hard Contact

I had known about the Republic Commando video games for some time and it really never appealed to me.  I have enjoyed shoot em up games in the past, but have always strayed away from this particular title.
Several months ago, I had read just about every Star Wars title I own twice and borrowed the ones that I had not from friends- and was growing bored of the current selections. I have always chosen Jedi themed stories and novels because of my affinity for Jedi and their Order.  It also has always lent a support to Jedi costuming that I so used to love and enjoy. But eventually boredom sent me looking in a new direction.  I came across Hard Contact at the local library and was extremely intrigued.  A shoot em up adventure story?  Just what I needed!!
I want to include a short paragraph or two from the Wookipedia review, then give my own thoughts at the end.
Republic Commando: Hard Contact is a 293-page tie-in novel to the video game Star Wars: Republic Commando written by Karen Traviss. It tells the story of a squad of clone commandos on a mission to destroy a Separatist bioweapons lab. The commandos (Niner, Fi, Atin, and Darman) are aided by the Gurlanins Jinart and Valaqil, along with an inexperienced Padawan named Etain Tur-Mukan.
Four clone commandos; Niner, Darman, Fi and Atin; are united for the first time to form Omega Squad after the rest of their old squads were killed early in the Clone Wars. Meanwhile on Qiilura, JediPadawan Etain Tur-Mukan hides from the local warlord Ghez Hokan's militia after her master Kast Fulier was killed.


And that where it really gets interesting!! Karen Traviss really has a knack for writing believable characters who are showing emotions and thoughts that are totally what you would expect to see in that type of situation.  I mean, here is the first time that Clones are written with deep emotional feelings.  The kindred spirits that Omega squad becomes just sets up a thirst for what is to be shown in the next series of RC books.
I was instantly hooked when I finished this first in a series of 4 books and I went in search for the next in the series- Republic Commando:Triple Zero.  Little did I know that it would attach me emotionally to a bunch of fictional Commandos and change the way that I wanted to costume forever...