Rite of Passage Part 4

Obi-Wan and Anakin's lightsabers are working overtime as they are confronted by assassins on all sides -- a beautiful princess with a penchant for deadly toys and exotic martial arts; a radio-pathic alien with specially-constructed battle droids; and a crazed Dug on a speeder bike. Meanwhile, the two Senate Guards assigned to the case are making disturbing discoveries about the person who hired the assassins. For one of the Guard's, "family ties" may be a noose that drags him to death and disgrace!

While Jedi Masters Saesee Tiin and Plo Koon fight to prevent a fleet of ships from falling into Separatist hands, Obi-Wan Kenobi discovers that the Separatists are not without dissension in their own ranks! On board the drifting hulk of a massive research ship, Obi-Wan finds himself taking sides with dark Jedi Quinlan Vos-who is wanted for the murder of a Senator-against another foe. Vos was once his friend, and the other enemy is one with whom Obi-Wan has crossed swords before. But has Obi-Wan been too hasty in deciding the lesser of two evils? Has Quin become the heartless killer everyone believes him to be? And will he help Obi-Wan escape the apparent death trap into which they fall, or abandon him to save his own skin? As we enter the home stretch leading to next year's Episode III release, the events in Republic are coming to a collision point that is not to be missed! Available worldwide from Dark Horse Comics (available in the UK from Titan)

The action is fast and furious as the Jedi pull out all stops to prevent the Separatists from commandeering the mighty Rendili Fleet. Anakin Skywalker and renegade Jedi Quinlan Vos team up in their starfighters, Vos is finally captured and broght to justice for his crimes, and Anakin has what he hopes will be a final showdown with dark Jedi Asajj Ventress high above the dark alleys of Coruscant! Against the backdrop of the Clone Wars, dark deeds are made to seem right, so that even a Jedi might condone revenge! Available worldwide from Dark Horse Comics (available in the UK from Titan)

On one of the moons of Naboo, General Obi-Wan Kenobi and his troops make a horrifying discovery: the entire population of Gungan settlers has been wiped out in a genocidal chemical attack by a power-mad Separatist commander. Worse, Anakin discovers that the commander's next target is Naboo itself, the home of his beloved Padmé! Hopelessly out-numbered by Separatist forces, the soldiers of the Republic have but one hope for success -- but that hope seems shattered when General Kenobi is captured in battle! New worlds, new villains, and new heroes, as the epic saga of the Clone Wars unfolds!

On the witch-world of Dathomir, as Jedi Quinlan Vos continues his investigation into the disappearance of the planet Ova, Quin is forced to dig a little deeper by masquerading as a slave. When he uncovers the secrets of the Infinity Gate and the grotesque hag Ros-Lai, he takes a step closer to the truth about the planet's disappearance -- and a step closer to the dark side. Will he unearth the mystery? Or will he find out that some stones are better left unturned?

The Clone Wars are over, but instead of triumph, it is a time of tragedy. Events have come to pass so terrible that none foresaw them until it was too late. Now, the galaxy lies in the unmitigated grip of a new Emperor, and its former protectors are forced to hide in the shadows...

While the rest of the Jedi have become generals and are leading armies in the Clone Wars, Quinlan Vos has remained in the shadows. Sent undercover by the Jedi Council to spy on the Separatists, the Council now fears that Quin has gone too deep. Is he still an agent for the Republic, or has he turned traitor? When Quin disobeys an order to return to Coruscant, another Jedi is sent to bring him back--or end his treachery!

An all-Jedi strike force is assembled for a secret mission to infiltrate a Skakoan Techno Union base that is supporting the Separatists. Among those selected for the mission is Obi-Wan Kenobi, who finds himself teamed with several legendary Jedi Masters. Surrounded by so many powerful individuals, Obi-Wan feels there is little he can bring to the mission. But when the base turns out to be a trap designed to kill Jedi, Obi-Wan finds himself in a leadership position, fighting for the survival of the team! Jedi powers, Jedi sacrifices, and another surprising confrontation!

With the Battle of Geonosis, the galaxy is officially plunged into war. As the Jedi Council struggles with their new role as leaders of the Republic's clone army, other Jedi operatives have taken on the job of intelligence gathering. On a vast space station known as "The Wheel," Jedi knight Aayla Secura is searching for a notorious gun-runner who can help her intercept the Separatist's latest secret plans. But spying is a dirty business, and operatives are often more expendable than the information they possess. Is this what being a Jedi has come to? With this issue, Star Wars: Republic jumps into the as yet unrevealed events in the time period between Episode II and Episode III -- the Clone Wars! If you're wondering what happens next after Attack of the Clones, this is where you find the answers!

The galaxy has changed for the Jedi, their Order has been dealt a crippling blow. Now the dark times have begun, and individual Jedi are left to decide whether they will stay true to the duty they took on during the Clone Wars, cast themselves to the will of the Force, or abandon their beliefs altogether. None of the decisions is easy, and all of them are fraught with peril! Republic embarks on the first step into the "dark times" after Revenge of the Sith!

Ki-Adi-Mundi's first assignment after joining the Jedi Council will take him back to the fearsome deserts of Tatooine! The Jedi Council has tracked a long-wayward and powerful Jedi to the backwater world, and it's up to Ki to find him and convince him to return. Unfortunately, not only does he not want to return, but a powerful enemy has the Jedi in her sights, and a blaster bolt can travel a long way across the desert flats of Tatooine!

As Ki-Adi-Mundi prepares to return to the desert wastes of Tatooine in search of a wayward Jedi, he is stopped by an old friend and mentor. The Dark woman has news for the Cerean Jedi, and he's not going to like it! Once on Tatooine, Ki meets with the crime lord Jabba the Hutt. Despite the fact that the slimy crime lord had only recently threatened the life of Ki's daughter, Ki-Adi-Mundi has no choice but to ask for Jabba's aid in his search. Ki receives the aid, but nothing from Jabba the Hutt is ever free!

As the fires of revolution sweep across the galaxy, it's impossible to gauge the number of personal tragedies caused by the Clone Wars. But some tragedies are more calculated than others, and when they result in the deaths of a Jedi Master and his Padawan, they deserve a closer look. Jedi Ronhar Kim strikes up a friendship with a rising politician, never dreaming that, years later, the relationship will make him the target of one of the greatest evils the galaxy has ever seen!

A crisis within the government of the planet Ryloth necessitates a Jedi mediator. Master Tholme is dispatched along with the Twi'lek Jedi, Aayla Secura for a visit to the planet of her birth. While Tholme negotiates with those in the seats of power, Aayla goes undercover as a slave -- getting a taste of what her life might have been like had she stayed on Ryloth, and discovers a conspiracy that could topple the government and sever Ryloth's ties to the Republic! Aayla is on the cusp of graduating from Padawan learner to a full-fledged Jedi Knight, but stopping the evil plot may be a test beyond her abilities!

Obi-Wan and Anakin have their hands full protecting Senator Greyshade from attacks by droid assassins, sky-bike riding Dug assassins, and beautiful assassin princesses with diplomatic immunity. Meanwhile, Autem and Omin, the two Senate Guards who are also on the Greyshade assignment, discover a common link among the assassins -- a link that strikes a little too close to home for Autem. Action and adventure during the time that the Republic ruled the galaxy and the Jedi were the glue that held the Republic together!

There's an ugly rumor making the rounds in the squalid cantinas and dives in the lowest levels of Coruscant. They're saying that Vilmarh Grahrk has gone soft, that he's working with the Jedi, that Villie has gone...legit. Our Devaronian rogue wants to set the record straight and he gives HIS somewhat jaundiced side of what has happened. The Devaronian Version, first of two parts, is a fine place for new readers to come on board as well as setting the stage for the next year of stories. Oh, and if you actually BUY his side of the story, Villie has a nice moon called Nar Shaddaa that he would LOVE to sell you!

Two months after the Battle of Geonosis...w ith the forces of the Republic and the armies of the Confederacy of Independent Systems stalled in a series of indecisive battles, the Separatists risk a devastating strike at the heart of the Republic's war machine: they attack the cloning facility on Kamino! Their hope is to permanently destroy the Republic's ability to create new clones for its army. The Republic's defense rests on a squadron of Jedi Starfighters and a battalion of Jedi-led clone troopers within the facility itself. It's a battle fought on three fronts -- in space, on the ground, and underwater! A massive 64-page battle epic! Star Wars: Republic reveals events in the time period between Episode II and Episode III -- the Clone Wars! If you're wondering what happens next after Attack of the Clones, this is where you find the answers!

With a team of Jedi on her tail, the murderous Aurra Sing meets her next clients -- exiled Quarrens from the planet Mon Calimari. The Quarrens seek revenge on the one who caused them to be banished from their ocean homeworld. And Aurra takes a special interest in this new job when she learns that her next hit is on the one she once called "teacher" -- the Dark Woman! But Aurra's date with her former master gets put on hold when she is confronted in space by a Jedi cruiser! Make sure you don't miss this second thrilling chapter of "The Hunt for Aurra Sing"

Aurra Sing tracks her current target and former mentor, the Dark Woman, to a lush jungle world which is being bombarded by a seasonal meteor shower. On this beautiful yet dangerous planet, the Dark Woman seeks respite from the rigors of Jedi life and peace from her past, but her past failure has now been paid to hunt and kill her! Converging onto the same planet, Adi Gallia, Ki-Adi-Mundi, and A'Sharad Hett accompany a suspicious Quarren expedition from Mon Calamari to the surface, questioning the Quarren senator's motives and prepared to uncover the hidden reason behind his expedition! "The Hunt for Aurra Sing" continues in this exciting third chapter!

The Clone Wars kicks into high gear in this action issue! A Gungan settlement has been massacred, General Kenobi has been captured, and the Separatist's are planning to wipe out Naboo with a biological weapon! Only Anakin Skywalker and Alpha, a clone trooper specialist, can save the day--but that's only if they can get past Durge, Count Dooku's hired assassin who has a centuries-old grudge against the Jedi, and Commander Asajj Ventress, a mysterious Jedi with a dark past!

Obi-Wan Kenobi is alive, but maybe not for long. He and Alpha, the ARC Trooper, are prisoners in the castle of the Dark Jedi Asajj Ventress. Not knowing how the Republic forces on Jabiim are faring, or even if Anakin is still alive, Obi-Wan and Alpha make a bid for freedom. But their only chance lies in General Kenobi temporarily casting off his Jedi training and fighting Ventress with the same ruthlessness that she herself brings to the battle!

Fighting along side a squad of young Jedi whose Masters have been casualties of the Clone Wars, Anakin Skywalker is finally feeling at peace with himself and the anger he holds inside. So, of course, he receives new orders to report to a rear echelon position--just as the "Padawan Pack" is commanded to hold an indefensible position against an overwhelming Separatist attack! This issue depicts a major battle in the Clone Wars--and a turning point in the career of the young man who will one day become Darth Vader!

Quinlan Vos searches for his past -- and the Devaronian Villie is his reluctant helper. First stop, the home of Bib Fortuna, right-hand man to the nefarious Jabba the Hutt! Can Quin resist the pull of the dark side when dealing with lowlifes like Bib? His search for the mysterious woman, Aayla, will take him from a band of thugs to a stolen ship pursued by smugglers! Get on board and see if he makes it!

Aayla Secura is the Padawan apprentice of the mysterious Jedi Quinlan Vos, and Vos needs to know why she disappeared -- and that knowledge is trapped in the dark recesses of his lost memory. And as Vos searches for answers, he may not like what he finds, as those who appear to be friends turn out instead to be lethal enemies. Join Quinlan in his deadly quest for the truth in the third chapter of "Twilight."