Star Wars: Republic #63
March 2004
"Striking from the Shadows", 22ppg, $2.99

Script: John Ostrander
Penciler: Jan Duursema
Inker: Dan Parsons
Colorist, Cover Artist: Brad Anderson
Letterer: Michael David Thomas
Cover Artist: Brian Ching
Book Design: Dave Nestelle
Associate Editor: Jeremy Barlow
Editor: Randy Stradley
Publisher: Mike Richardson

CHARACTER
Featured
Quinlan Vos (also as Zac'ryah Vos)

Supporting
Tol Skorr, Khaleen Hentz, Palpatine, Viento (Senator; dies), K'kruhk, Senate guard [Blue], Bail Organa, Mon Mothma

Guest
Yoda, Tholme, Mace Windu

Villain
Count Dooku

Cameo
Sheyf Tinté Vos (as spirit), Darth Andeddu (as image in holocron), Mas Amedda, Yarua (Senator), Orn Free Taa (Senator), Supi (Senatorial aide), Ister Paddie (Senator)

CREATURE
Sith hound

DROID
protocol droid

LOCATION
Korriban, Coruscant

STARSHIP
Geonosian solar sailer

TECHNOLOGY
Sith Holocron

VEHICLE
airspeeder

COMMENTS
According to the inside cover, the events in this issue takes place 16 months after the Battle of Geonosis.

The location of Dooku's fortress may still be Antar 4 as seen in Jedi - Count Dooku but there are no specifics.

Up until the actual death of the Senator, this issue is written and drawn to give the reader the idea that Dooku has sent Quinlan to kill his master, Palpatine.

The location that Quin and Dooku meet at the end of the story is the same place that Dooku met up with Darth Sidious at the end of Attack of the Clones.
SYNOPSIS
On the Sith graveyard planet of Korriban, Quinlan Vos is in a mad race to retrieve a Sith holocron before Tol Skorr can. Quin thinks to himself, how well he is fooling Dooku and his men. He is not of the Dark Side, but just deeper in the shadows.

He recovers the holocron from Skorr, avoiding a giant demon Sith hound, who apparently was the beast that gave Skorr his scar. They tussle and Quin leaps up out the top of the pyramid into Dooku's waiting ship. Skorr makes a last ditch effort to grab Quinlan, but falls from the ship.

Dooku uses the Force to grab Skorr and pull him aboard. Quin hands over the holocron to Dooku, who congratulates him on becoming one of his most trusted lieutenants.

Back at their base, Quin decides to meditate, rather than sleep. During this meditation he is haunted by the spirit of his dead great-aunt, Tinté, who calls him a murderer and insists he has gone over to the dark side. A vision of Dooku appears as well, telling Quin that he has never been deceived. That he knew he was disingenuine.

Quin draws his lightsaber to him and wakes, just seconds from igniting the blade through Khaleen's heart. He insists it was a nightmare, but she knows it was more. They are interrupted by a call from Dooku for Quin.

Dooku is reviewing the holocron of Darth Andeddu, and philosophizing about the nature of the Sith's one master, one apprentice rule. He admits that the other Sith is someone in great influence in the Senate, and smiles when Quinlan believes him to be a Sith. He gives Quin the red saber crystal from the Holocron and a mission to kill an individual on Coruscant.

Disguised as General Zac'ryah Vos, Quin and Khaleen infiltrate a Senatorial party. He has a brief confrontation with Bail Organa that draws the attention of K'kruhk, but proceeds on to meet with Palpatine and Senator Viento. By that point, Quin knows who his target is and leaves.

He and Khaleen move on the target at the senatorial quarters, but his plan needs to be slightly modified as K'kruhk is standing guard outside. Using his Force talents, Quin becomes invisible to all, sneaking through the apartment; avoiding the laser grid. He ignites his saber which is the moment that K'kruhk realizes that something is amiss.

K'kruhk is too late and Quin succeeds in killing -- Senator Viento! He realizes he has been duped and leaps out the window, K'kruhk hot on his tail. They fall through the Coruscanti airways, before landing on a hover train, K'kruhk expressing his displeasure in the number of Jedi that have gone to the dark side lately.

Quin tells the Whipid that he has no idea what Quin's motives are before pitching off the vehicle, where he crashes onto a roof. At the warehouse district, Quinlan receives more answers from Dooku, who apologizes for the misunderstanding. Quin was not to kill a Sith, but remove a Senator that was pressuring Dooku. Quin realizes this to be another test, and reassures himself that he has not really gone to the dark side; that he is only deeper into the shadows.

In a Jedi medical center where K'kruhk floats in a bacta tank, Yoda, Mace Windu, and Tholme discuss whether they can continue to trust Quinlan in his mission to infiltrate Dooku's organization. Tholme believes they can, as Viento was a corrupt politician and Quin had every opportunity to kill K'kruhk and did not. Mace having lost his own padawan to madness is not so sure. Yoda suggests that Tholme must meet up with Quin and gaze into his heart. Only then will they know the truth.


Related Issues
Jedi – Count Dooku Republic #68


Trade Paperbacks and Alternate Covers
Star Wars Omnibus: Clone Wars – The Republic Goes to War #1 Star Wars Legends Epic Collection: The Clone Wars Trade Paperback #2 Clone Wars Trade Paperback #4 30th Anniversary Collection #5

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