Following the trail blazed by the former Force Hound Xesh, the armada of the Rakatan Infinite Empire has attacked the Tython system—home of the Je’daii. The Je’daii and their allies from the Settled Worlds manage to stall the assault.
Under the command of the now-redeemed “Mad Je’daii” Daegen Lok and the off worlder Xesh- who has no memory of the part he played in targeting Tython—the Je’daii armies are slowly gaining the advantage. Or so it seems…
But the Rakata are focused on a goal beyond mere conquest—an ancient Infinity Gate far below one of the Je’daii temples on Tython—and this goal remains as much a mystery to the Je’daii as Xesh’s past is to him…
The Review
Continuing the frenetic pacing of the previous issue, this latest installment begins with Xesh engulfed in a nightmare whose meaning he fears signals his ultimate betrayal of the Je’daii. Fortunately, he is awakened by Shae Koda, and fortunately for both of them, Je’daii look like CW models and wear about half as many clothes to bed. Citing the ongoing war and ever present possibility of death looming around them, the two finally give into their feelings. Shae admits she loves the former Force Hound, and while Xesh states he is not sure he understands the true meaning of the word, he decides he does feel for her in some sense and shares with her his real name, Tau, which means “soul” in his native tongue, the language his people spoke before he was kidnapped by the Rakatan. Then the two work on some, shall we say, Je’daii grappling techniques, possibly the Bow Chicka Bow Wow Style.
Cut to a meeting of the Je’daii council. Vonos Ryo, a clan leader of some influence, is debating whether to side with the invading Rakatan forces or not. He has been told that the Rakatan want only Force wielders, and that if the Je’daii are surrendered unto him, all others will be spared. Xesh knows better, and as he explains what the Rakatans do with the vanquished, Tash Ryo, a Je’daii seer, has a vision to be heeded as a warning. Feeling hopelessly outnumbered, the Je’daii decide to follow Xesh plans to turn the tide in their favor. Being familiar with Rakatan hierarchy, he knows that if he kills the current leader, Predor Skal’nas, the ensuing infighting to name a new leader will leave the army in disarray. Xesh then uses his unique Force Hound abilities to trace the location of Skal’nas. Locating him on the world of Ska Gora, the Je’daii mount an immediate attack to hopefully end the war quickly and decisively.
Unfortunately for them, it turns out the whole enemy base was a yet-to-be-sprung trap awaiting the defenders of the realm. Save a small few, the Je’daii fall one by one. Drawing upon his new found feelings for Shae, Xesh largely destroys anything that crosses his path in the awaiting battle with Skal’nas’ armies. Utilizing the same bond, Shae makes short work of her enemy combatants, as well. Her squad leader points out that she is in danger of falling too far into the dark side of the Force, perhaps a storyline that will play out more in future issues. Xesh is nearly shot by Trill, his former Force Hound companion whose memories of her he has lost, and he thinks perhaps she has some Force ability of her own, but she quickly covers herself by saying she thought she saw an enemy nearby. Xesh buys the explanation, and the two enter Skal’nas’ fortress, only to find all the remaining Je’daii in some sort of cocoon prisons. With his back turned to her, Trill completes her treachery and knocks out Xesh by way of Force Lightning.
Issue 2 in no way disappoints. Fights aplenty, a bit of romance and the plot keeps moving forward steadily. I’ll say it again–Force War quickly is shaping up to be my favorite story arc yet in the Dawn of the Jedi series.
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