*Image from DarkHorse.com

Issues #1-5

Darth Vader watches Emperor Palpatine receive reports from Pestage about smashing revolts around the galaxy. During this, Vader wonders if this is where power leads, and, knowing Vader’s impatience, Palpatine tells Vader an assignment will come in time.

On New Plympto, former Jedi Dass Jennir leads the Nosaurians in their last stand. Bomo Greenbark oversees the last of the evacuees, saying good-bye to his wife, Mesa, and daughter, Resa, before returing to the battlefield. As the few remaining Nosaurians retreat or are killed, Jennir and Bomo decide to go down fighting but a blast from a tank blows the ground out from under them and the two, by fate, escape the slaying of the remaining Nosaurians.

At the Clone camp, Commander Vill is told of the victory over the Nosaurians and knows the fighting is coming to an end. He wonders what happens to warriors when the fight is over.

After seeing the dead Nosaurians, Jennir and Bomo head to the space port to find all the ships still there. After boarding one ship to keep the whistle from being blown on them, Jennir and a furious Bomo learn from Captain Schurk-Heren that the evacuees were rounded up by the Imperials and sent off to be sold to slavers.

Back on Coruscant, Darth Vader grows restless and makes contact with Commander Vill about the battle. Vill informs Vader that the fight is over and no rumored Jedi were found. Vill also expresses his concerns about the future of the clones and Vader tells him the Emperor certainly has a plan. Vill concludes by telling Vader that one transport was sent to Orvax IV to sell the remaining Nosaurians, all females and younglings, into slavery. The mention of slaves makes Vader all the more restless.

Back on New Plympto, at the spaceport, Bomo wishes not to wait at all to save his family but the Imperials have grounded all ships and are searching them. Heren and his crew decide to get off planet and Jennir comes up with a plan to get all the ships to take off at once. To do this, Jennir sneaks into a clone fighter ship and “attacks” a ship Heren and his crew knows is worried about the Imperials. Heren then announces over the comms that the Imperials are going to destroy every ship at the port. The Uhumele, Heren’s ship, escapes in the chaos that follows.

Once the Uhumele is away and heading to Orvax IV, Mezgraf reveals that it is “the living hell of the galaxy,” lowering the spirits of Bomo but he wants to know everything. After the more horribly things are learned about the planet, Jennir tries to get Bomo to hold onto better hopes for tomorrow, wondering if he can even trust his words.

Once more on Coruscant, Vader meets with Palpatine to receive his assignment to deal with Jedi on Murkhana. Before leaving, Vader mentions New Plympto and Palpatine speaks up and apologizes for not remembering Anakin Skywalker’s connection to slavery, but tells Vader that the Nosaurians will benefit the Empire and themselves if they were sold into slavery than what should be done with traitors to the Empire.

As they near Orvax IV, Heren asks others in his crew about Jennir and Bomo knowing about their cargo, but the three decide that the two passangers are Separatist survivors. Jennir talks to Bomo about why the crew has been so willing to help them and conclude to keep an eye open. Everyone on the ship meets and pledges to help Jennir and Bomo after Jennir gets Bomo to calm down and realize the others involve in all of this conflict and not just Mesa and Resa.

On Orvax IV, the group move around in disguise looking for the Nosaurians. A reckless speeder gets a massive creature spooked and crash about, forcing Mezgraf into action by jumping onto the creatures back to calm it. When Mezgraf gets down, he is recognized as an escaped slave and armed slavers race over. Jennir steps forward and uses the Force to get the slavers to just walk away but tells the others he bribed them.

Ratty, a member of Heren’s crew, finds the Nosaurians and Bomo races to them shouting, catching the attention of other armed slavers. Jennir and the others arrive to take out the slavers, and Bomo learns that his wife was killed trying to stop the slavers from taking Resa who is now gone. Jennir tells the others to get back to the ship and have Heren prepare for immediate takeoff if trouble arises as Jennir searches for Resa.

Above New Plympto, Commander Vill and Appo prepare to head to Murkhana as Darth Vader walks the ship’s corridors. Back aboard Uhumele, Bomo tries to get off the ship but Heren tells Bomo to wait until Jennir’s midnight deadline before doing anything.

Late at night, Jennir climbs up the side of a building to look for Orso Meeto who Jennir has learned sold Resa. Jennir learns from interrogating Meeto that Resa was sold to Dezono Qua from Esseles. Before Jennir leaves, he debates what to do to keep Meeto from alerting Qua of his coming. In the end, Jennir decides to shoot down Meeto, departing from the Jedi way and starting down a new one. Jennir escapes from Meeto’s guards and returns to the ship, departing for Esseles.

Above Murhana, Vader talks once more with Palpatine learning about clone commandos who deliberately defied Order 66. Palpatine wants them dealt with so anyone who serves under Palpatine knows they truly serve the Emperor or are punished; Vader realizes this includes himself.

Once on Esseles, Jennir learns where to find Qua and he is a wealthy heir who uses his wealth to keep suspicion away. With the Uhumele, Jennir leads the others to Qua’s villa and blow the door open. Jennir goes his own way and intercepts Qua as Ratty shorts out the droid guards, brining everyone else to surround Qua. Qua reveals that he ate the young Nosaurian as he does with many of the children he’s purchased over the years.

Jennir fires three shots killing Qua to prevent Bomo from giving into the dark side and killing the man. Bomo unleashes his own words at Jennir, revealing him as a Jedi. Bomo leaves with Heren and his crew and Jennir decides to rid himself of his lightsaber for he is a Jedi no more but knows he can’t run from his past and returns it to his belt. Jennir decides to continue on the “path that leads to nowhere” “one step at a time.”

(coming soon!)