*Image from DarkHorse.com

Issues 7, 8, and 10

Vanquo is a mining colony out on the edge of Republic space, on the edge of where the Mandalorians are growing in strength and threatening.

One night, two guardsmen find a refugee running around the camp. The guards decide to let the refugee have some food when an alarm buzzes. Master Q’anilia appears and says that the other side of the planet has fallen under Mandalorian attacks and not going to make it. With some Force persuasion from the refugee and from an attack on the mining base, the guards quickly flee the area and the planet.

It turns out that the refugee was Zayne Carrick, Master Q’anilia is being impersonated by Jarael using Zayne’s lightsaber, and the attack outside was from Elbee, thinking that his traitorous master, Jedi Master Lucien, was inside. The team had done this to take the food and survival gear saved up at the mining base.

Upon gathering everything together, it turns out the Mandalorians are actually attacking and decided to drop right on top of the mining base. Jarael, who was still playing with the lightsaber, is quickly surrounded by Mandalorians and detained by them. The others quickly run back towards their ship, with many Mandalorians in pursuit. But when the team gets to the ship, one Mandalorian gets onboard and starts to take off. Zayne and the others do get on the ship and beat the Mandalorian back as they take off.

In orbit, Mand’alor coordinates the battle and is pleased to see the Republic fleet out maneuvered, opening a clear path all the way to Taris. As for the Republic, Captain Karath is helping oversee the battle when he is told about the Last Resort, the last known ship carrying Zayne Carrick, the Jedi Padawan killer. Before Karath can get the ship, it jumps to hyperspace toward Mandalorian space, making Karath conclude that Zayne Carrick was a Mandilorian operative and he states that he will deal with Zayne personally later.

Onboard the Last Resort, Zayne tries to get the Mandalorian to talk, but the soldier just refuses. However, when he hears that the ship is pursuing Jarael, the Mandalorian decides to cooperate. He tells the others that the ship is heading for Flashpoint, a research facility lead by Demagol, a Mandalorian biologist who is trying to learn all he can about the Jedi from captured Jedi. Since Jarael was using a lightsaber, they assumed she was a Jedi.

The Mandalorian, who reveals his name as Rohlan Dyre, is a so-called deserter. He was confused as to why the Mandalorians, who usually go headfirst into a fight, suddenly started to tempt the Republic, the most powerful government in the galaxy, into confrontation. When Rohlan asked about it, he didn’t receive an answer and decided not to respond when his next order came down. For being a deserter, by Mandalorian culture, Rohlan was sent to the front lines of the most dangerous place to either fight or die; that place turned out to be Vanquo.

Rohlan also tells that the direct confrontation on Vanquo was caused by the unrest on Taris ever since the Jedi Padawan massacre. With the unrest, Mandalore saw this as the time to take the planet, the key to the sector and a big slap in the face for the Republic.

At Flashpoint, Jarael meets other Jedi including Squint, all ambushed at Suurja. Jarael watches as Squint is taken back into Demagol’s research area to try and unlock the secrets of the Jedi.

When the Last Resort arrives at Flashpoint, Rohlan gets the ship landed and searched. Rohlan leads Zayne down as a Jedi prisoner from Vanquo while Gryph and Camper go into hiding on borad.

When it comes time for Jarael’s “appointment,” Rohlan leads Zayne in and convinces Demagol to look at Zayne next. Before Demagol can start experimenting on Zayne in his lab, Rohlan and Zayne beat Demapol back.

Rohlan and Zayne, now dressed as Demagol who’s knocked out in a closet, head out and start setting up their escape. While Rohlan talks to the Mandalorians on guard, Zayne uses the Force to place mines at key locations around the solar shield generator. With the mines placed and the help of Gryph, Flashpoint Station falls into chaos.

Rohlan directs the Mandalorians to escape, leaving the planet just for the captured Jedi and Zayne’s team. Before they all go their own ways, Squint talks to Zayne, trying once more to get him to come and join the Jedi to fight the Mandalorians, but Zayne once again turns him down. Zayne also mentions to Squint that regardless of what he hears about Zayne, to remember what he did here; Squint agrees.

And as the Jedi go one way and Zayne and company go another, Rohlan sneaks off the Jedi ship and stows away on the Last Resort going where ever the it goes.

(coming soon!)