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By Various (Dark Horse Books)
ISBN 1-84023-837-2
The dark and nasty corners of the Star Wars universe get an outing in this grim war story originally printed as issues #54-59 of the monthly Star Wars: Republic comic. The conflict, set on the eponymous monsoon planet, becomes one of the most fiercely contested prizes of the civil war instigated by Count Dooku. Both Imperial and Separatist forces desperately need the resources of the rain-soaked mudball, leading to an entrenchment situation identical to the trench warfare of Earth’s Great War. But slowly the balance of power is shifting…
With the loss of their Jedi leaders, the Padawans, led by Anakin Skywalker, are increasingly pressed by Jabiimi natives and their droid enhanced Separatist allies. Falling back to a last-ditch position they can only fight on and pray that a rescue mission will evacuate them in time. Skywalker’s subsequent – and unwitting — manipulation by the nefarious Palpatine is one of the final triggers that will lead to his inevitable rebirth as Darth Vader.
This grim and powerful tale of betrayal and regret is one of the better Star Wars adventures to spring from the second round of films, and one of the very few to create a truly epic resonance out of all the derring-do and glittery swash-buckling. This actually reads like a real war story, thanks in no small part to the deft scripting of Haden Blackman and low-key illustration of Brian Ching and Victor Llamas
© 2004 Lucasfilm Ltd & ™. All rights reserved.