Star Wars: The High Republic continues with Jedi Knight Keeve Trennis investigating the planet Sedri Minor. They checked out a Hutt ship taken over by the Nihil. The Hutt’s body is being examined on the station, the Starlight Beacon. The Jedi twin Terec corrupted Jedi Master Sskeer. His twin was captured by the plant-like Drengir connected to the Dark Side of the Force! Jedi Master Avar Kriss has severed the Drengir with her lightsaber, but it has just split into another Drengir. Now with Sskeer under the control of the Drengir! The issue’s cover is by Phil Noto and features Sskeer with his lightaber and arm reformed as a Drengir branch while Avar Kriss and Keeve Trennis hang upside in the Drengir vines! “Song of the Drengir” is by Cavan Scott and Ario Anindito.
It opens with a flashback, six years ago, at the planet Kirima in the Mid-Rim. It was a planet introduced in Legends and found in the Essential Atlas (2009), but made canon here. Padawan Keeve Trennis is there with her master Sskeer, she doubts a jump across a canyon with a moon in the background! Impressive colors by Annalisa Leoni with a purple and pink sky. Sskeer reassures her and she makes the jump. Then, falls short! Keeve is about to hit the canyon floor, but she is held by the Force! She is levitated back to the cliff edge by Sskeer and he has her make the jump again. A very nice Jedi lesson about failure and the attempt to keep struggling.
This leads to two page splash which has the captives of the Drengir, leading to Sskeer and the Drengir behind him, all coated with the blue of the underground lair. Sskeer has his severed limb reformed in a mass of vines from his Drengir corruption. Avar Kriss tries to argue with Sskeer and then a tentacle-like vine covers her mouth. The Drengir controlled Sskeer talks about the Song of the Drengir. We see this is a series of panels showing us glimpses of the Drengir feeding on the galaxy in The Harvest. They ally with the Sith, but are betrayed so they are corrupted by the Drengir. Still, they are able to cause the Great Progenitor, the first of the Drengir, to sleep. They are awakened by Jedi. A long history of a deadly threat to the galaxy.
On Starlight Beacon, Archivist Orbalin, helmeted on a floating platform, is observing the autopsy of the Hutt. He is communicating with Jedi Master Estala Maru also on the station. There is also Jedi Imri Cantaros and Vernestra Rwoh. The body suddenly starts moving, but it is Drengir tentacles that burst from the corpse! Gruesome. Back in the Drengir lair, Keeve Trennis tries to get her master back. Stil, the Drengir tentacles start to slip into mouths and nostrils! It’s dark voice repeats, “Feed.” Keeve pleads again to Sskeer and he wields his lightsaber! He has his new arm and was studying the Drengir and their weaknesses! He uses the Force and Drengir screech in pain. I like this complexity to the Jedi with Sskeer taking in the Dark Side and also fighting it.
Once freed of the Drengir, Sskeer tries to explain about the Battle of Kur, but Avar has the Jedi ignite their lightsabers and leap into battle. Very cool. They strike at the Drengir, but Sskeer feels pain at their connection. On the surface, the brutal Kalo Sulman strikes a Rodian with his massive fist. He is angry at what he thinks is their betrayal with the Jedi. The door smashes in and Avar Kriss appears with the other Jedi. Sskeer tosses him to the roof with his Drengir arm, his voice is the same as the Drengir, he is Dark Side and Light Side? Avar is contacted by Starlight Beacon since they are under attack by the Drengir! Then, Keeve notices that they have a new problem on Sedri Minor! The Jedi haven’t found the boy Bartol who was a captive of the Drengir. Avar has to also deal with the Drengir on Starlight Beacon. Star Wars High Republic keeps the action going with dangerous opponents and some nasty horror moments!
Four Lightsabers out of Five!
#StarWarsHighRepublic, #SongoftheDrengir, #ImriCantaros, #VernestraRwoh
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