Comic Review: Rogue One Adaptation #2

Jyn Erso continues her quest with Cassian Andor to help the Rebellion fight the sinister Galactic Empire. Following the trail to the ancient Jedha City to find Rebel extremist Saw Guerra, Jyn and Cassian get caught in a firefight with the Empire…only to then be taken prisoner by Saw’s followers! The Star Wars story continues!

The Plot:

Lah’mu, Erso family home. 15 years ago…

A shuttle has landed on the planet surface and a lone figure approaches the Erso’s burning homestead, he stops to pick up a piece of debris to examine it and continues to walk towards the nearby mountains.

A hatch opens, and young Jyn Erso looks up and a voice tells her that she has a long journey ahead of her.

Jeddah. Now…

Bodhi Rook is pleading his story is the truth, when an alien with long tentacles approaches. This is Bor Gullet, here to interrogate Bodhi. Bor Gullet attached its tentacles to Bodhi’s head and starts to reach through his past. Thoughts of his family, but importantly his recent meeting with Galen Erso are revealed to his captors.

Cassian and Jyn walk away from their U-Wing toward Jedha City. The city is a raised citadel with castle like ramparts for protection. They enter the market in search of their contact. The market is populated with every species you can name, trading goods.  Patrolling the City are Imperial stormtroopers seeking Bodhi Rook. Cassian and Jyn separate, then a stranger calls to Jyn and asks her about trading her necklace. The stranger is Chirrut Imwae, who is watched over by Baze Malbus. He asks Jyn what she knows about Kyber Crystals and she tells him that it was a gift from her father and he said they were the power behind a Jedi’s lightsaber. Cassian returns and takes Jyn away from the curious Chirrut. She asks Cassian who they are and he tells her they are Guardians of the Whills, protectors of the Kyber Temple.

An armoured Imperial hover barge carrying orange crates cruises through the market flanked by an armed escort.  An object is thrown to the ground nearby and seconds later a blinding flash and explosion rip through some of the strormtrooper escorts.  Jyn and Cassian take cover as chaos reigns around them.  Cassian takes out an insurgent on a balcony, but the dead man drops an armed detonator which lands in the square and another explosion rips through the market.  Jyn and Cassian break cover and make their move to escape the chaos.  They are quickly cornered and Cassian looks to surrender, but Jyn has her trusted baton at her side and attacks the stormtroopers that surround them. Skilfully and swiftly she takes down the troopers as Cassian can only look on.  Then, Jyn twirls around, draws her blaster and takes out an Imperial security droid.  Behind the downed droid appears another, but there is something different causing Jyn to pause, it’s K-2SO asking that if she knew it wasn’t him she had just taken down. They flee the scene only to run into a dead-end with more stormtroopers.

The troopers question where K-2SO is taking them and he replies ‘to imprison them’. The troopers sense something isn’t right and put binders on them, but then a solitary figure appears to ask for them to be allowed to pass in peace.  A trooper notices Chirrut is blind, but questions his hearing as he will not obey their commands to stop.  Chirrut pounces with a predator like instinct, his staff connecting with troopers dealing accurate and speedy blows to disable them.  Then from nowhere the blaster cannon of Baze Malbus cries out to take down the next wave of troopers approaching the melé.

K-2SO is sent back to the ship, while Jyn asks if they know the whereabouts of Saw Garrera.  Another group approach with weapons drawn and they find themselves captured again.  Jyn informs their new captors of her relationship with Saw and they are escorted away.

Later…

Bodhi Rook sits in a cell his mind still confused from his interrogation by Bor Gullet, through bars Cassian recognises him as the Imperial pilot and starts to question him.

Jyn is escorted into a room, where the familiar figure of Saw Garrera stands in the window. He is encased in an armour with life support built-in and now has a prosthetic right leg, supporting himself with a stick.  They discuss their past together through the early years of the rebellion when Saw was estranged from the cause and his abandonment of Jyn, then they get round to why they have been reunited.  Saw fears that Jyn has been sent to kill him, but it’s the complete opposite and he reveals that he has something to share with her.

The Death Star, in orbit over Jedha…

A silhouette passes over the surface of the planet.  On board in the command centre of the Death Star, Imperial officers huddle around in front of the view of the planet. Krennic expresses his disappointment that neither Darth Vader nor the Emperor himself are there to witness the first test of the fully operational battle station.  Tarkin believes that it is for the best to save Krennic from embarrassment should the test fail and orders only the destruction of Jedha City and not the planet as Krennic had hoped would be ordered.

A hologram of Galen Esro appears before Saw and Jyn.  The recording of Galen tells of his undying love for his daughter, but also reveals that he has built a flaw into the battle station that could lead to its ultimate destruction. Jyn and Saw are unaware as the Death Star eclipses Jedha’s sun, preparing to bring destruction to the nearby city of Jedha.

Krennic looks down on Jedha as the power of the super weapon rains down on to the surface.

Jyn looks on in tears as the message from Galen comes to an end, then there is an all mighty rumble and the ground starts to shake at what seems to be some sort of earthquake. The room around her starts to collapse.

To be continued…