Star Wars: High Republic continues with some sci fi tension and a mystery! The first issue introduced us to the Jedi Padawan, Keeve Trennis, undergoing her Jedi Trials. It also showed us the Starlight Beacon, a communication hub to the galaxy, we haven’t seen it in the rest of Star Wars so it’s fate might be sealed! Issue #2 features a cover by Phil Noto which has the Trandoshan Jedi Master Sskeer holding his blue lightsaber to attack a guard with a large blade! “There is No Fear Chapter II: Tomb in Space” is by Cavan Scott and Ario Anindito. There is a ship racing through the Galactic Frontier. On board, Keeve is distracted by two aliens, Ceret and Terec (nice dual names with reversals) dueling and complimenting each other. Keeve notes that they are Kotabi, “identical bond-twins” who share the same mind. Sskeer asks “Jedi Trennis”, she takes notice of his formality, about the arrival time. She counts down the reverting to normal space and this shocks everyone in close-ups!
Keeve explains that they were sent on a distress signal by Starlight Beacon in the Kazlin system. What they find there is kinda shocking for Star Wars. It is smashed ship with bodies floaiting in space. Keeve and one of the twins detect survivors through the Force. Master Sskeer notes that the main hull is pressurized and has Keeve dock there. She confuses one of the twins, kinda funny, it makes me think of aliens in Star Trek. Ceret uses a docking tube to enter the station and once they enter they find gas filling up the corridor. Master Sskeer orders rebreathers, we saw Qui-Gonn and Obi-Wan use rebreathers in Phantom Menace (1999). This is basically a breath mask more than tiny, portable tubes in TPM. If they activate the life support systems, they could probably vent the gas, but it is great atmosphere for the danger and mystery of this incident. As they activate their lightsabers, one of the twins brings up the threat that Keeve has heard about, the Nihil. They were introduced in the novel, The High Republic: Light of the Jedi. Keeve knows that Master Sskeer fought against the Nihil in the Battle of Kur which also was in the novel. It was when he lost his arm!
Sskeer is all business and sends Seret and Keeve to the flight deck while he checks out the other parts with Ceret. It is horrible to see the bodies scattered around the corridor. Master Sskeer explores the ship and suddenly flashes back to the injury to his arm! Seret notes to Keeve that Ceret has sensed his trauma. The injury is strong in Sskeer’s memory. He reminds Keeve to use the Force to clear the heavy gas. She’s awfully sarcastic in her thoughts about his suggestion. Not appropriate when someone is going through pain. Keeve is stunned at what she sees. Good use of tension with the art. Then, we get a two page spread at what they see, a dead Hutt, shot several times, and bodies of his guards around the room. This lit by the lightsabers of the two Jedi. Seret detects Nagnol poison that is lethal to Hutts. Master Sskeer steps on some grain and on the other side, Seret notes that it could have been transported because of the Great Disaster. Light of the Jedi detailed the Great Hyperspace Disaster. Ceret is struck by several spike projectiles from a weapon, Master Sskeer swipes with his lightsaber. Terec feels the pain, but Ceret says they will survive.
Sskeer takes off his rebreather to pick up the attacker’s scent. He moves through the gas with his lightsaber. Sskeer is hunting the attacker in the old Trandoshan way like his ancestors with Frist Wolves. If you like Trandoshans or would like to see one in action, this is the issue for you. He sees a blaster on the floor with blood droplets. Above him is an alien with a large blade weapon. Master Sskeer is unaware since the Nihil can’t be sensed in the Force! In a splash page, Sskeer takes care of the Nihil with his lightsaber! The savagery of the Nihil reminds me of the Reavers in Firefly. He continues slicing the Nihil’s body, taking out his anger?, until Keeve checks on him. At Starlight Beacon, Marshall Kriss, who was promoted last issue, gets the report by Master Sskeer. He explains that the Nihil was abandoned by the others and that there were no other survivors. Also at the station, Maru has analyzed the grain which he says is a component of bacta. This is of course the common medical chemical that is used to heal patients by the time of Empire Strikes Back (1980). Keeve is binding Terec’s wounds hoping for some bacta.
Ceret has worked on the sabotaged navidroid, I like that it is not the navicomputer that is in the Original Trilogy, this shows along with early bacta, the time of High Republic. The ship was traced to the Sedri system. Marshall Kriss sends Sskeer and Ceret to Sedri. Keeve wants to go along, but Sskeer wants her to stay behind, reasonable since it is his order and also she was not included by Marshall Kriss. They land on the agricultural world of Sedri Minor, some younglings are excited to see Jedi, still an adult, Kalo Sulman walks up. He says they don’t want the Republic there, Sedri Minor is independent, also interesting since we saw the Confedrecy of Independent Systems with the Prequels. Ceret’s attention is drawn by a Rodian, Greedo’s people, in the long Vratixian Barley stalks. He wanders into the stalks. At the ship, Marshall Kriss investigates the ambush. Keeve brings up the Nihil injury and Kriss admits that she should not have sent Master Sskeer and listen to the Song of the Force. Good tension throughout the comic, a mystery of the Bacta, and the threat of the Nihil!
Four Lightsabers out of Five!
#StarWarsHighRepublic, #TombinSpace, #Nihil, #Sedri
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