Star Wars: Republic #73
January 2005
"Trackdown" part 2, 22ppg, $2.99

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

CHARACTER
Featured
Quinlan Vos, Tholme

Supporting
Saleucami native, Zao, Khaleen Hentz, Saljé Tasha, Tol Skorr, Oppo Rancisis

Villain
Sora Bulq, Count Dooku, Darth Sidious

Cameo
General Grievous (in hologram), Aayla Secura (in hologram), Viento (in Quin's vision), Finis Valorum (in Quin's vision), Bok

LOCATION
Bakura (in flashback), Saleucami, Coruscant

ORGANIZATION
Morgukai

SPECIES
Anzati

STARSHIP
Skorp-Ion

TECHNOLOGY
cloning

COMMENTS
According to the inside cover, the events in this issue takes place 6 months before Revenge of the Sith.

The Aurabesh around the picture of Palpatine on page 1 is, not surprisingly, "Palpatine".

The planet of Saleucami is the location where Stass Allie met her demise in Revenge of the Sith.
SYNOPSIS
Khaleen wanders through the lower levels of Coruscant when she is approached by Saljé Tasha, the Anzati assassin, who already knows that Khaleen is not the one seeking her, but Quinlan Vos. Vos steps from the shadows and demands the name of the person that hired her to kill Chancellor Valorum. She takes off through the underground maze, but Quin catches up with her and disarms her. He threatens her death if he has to sift through her mind to to get the information he seeks. She sees the darkness within him as he begins to draw the information from her. He sees Sora Bulq as the person he seeks, believing him to be the second Sith as well as the employer of this assassin. Saljé's proboscis extend ready to take Quin's "soup" but Khaleen saves him just in time. The assassin escapes but Quin has his answers. Now he just needs to find Sora Bulq, and kill him.

On the arid, outer rim planet of Saleucami, Master Tholme runs into his old friend Master Zao, who is serving soup to locals in the marketplace. Zao councils Tholme on the nature of loss and acceptance; evil and war. These words seem to put Tholme at ease finally after many years of living in tension. Zao, unfortunately cannot stay to help, but is blown further on by the winds of the Force.

Tholme finds the secret project that Bulq has been working on, raising Morgukai clones in the warm subterranean caves and having them train with Anzati assassins. He witnessed first hand Bulq's report to Dooku on the status of the project. While relating this story to Aayla, he is attacked by a pair of Morgukai, which he manages to strike down easily, but not before Sora Bulq joins the fight as well.

Tholme questions the Sora he thought he knew; the one that rescued him from certain death on Bakura after Dooku dropped a ceiling on him. It was this Bulq that was already aligned with Dooku and was attempting to turn Tholme as well. As the two fight, Tholme realizes that escape is sufficient and using a distraction, flees.

Later Sora Bulq is alerted that there is a disruption in the cloning tanks. he realizes that Tholme is hiding within the facility, disrupting their output. Skorr argues that he needs to be found, but Bulq believes that he cannot harm them before their plans come to fruition.

Back on Coruscant, Vos and Khaleen are preparing to set off to find Bulq, when Oppo Rancisis calls for the Jedi. He lets Quin know that Tholme was last seen fighting Bulq on Saleucami. Quin believes that Tholme is still alive and wrecking havoc on the cloning facility. Master Rancisis informs Quin that he will be in charge of a Republic Force sent to quell this new shadow army and he'd like Quin as his second in command.

Elsewhere, in a hidden lair, Dooku informs Darth Sidious that all is in readiness. The Jedi are becoming engaged in sieges in the Outer Rim. Sidious is pleased. His long laid plans are finally coming to fruition and the Sith will have their revenge!


Related Issues
Republic #72


Trade Paperbacks and Alternate Covers
Star Wars Omnibus: Clone Wars – The Republic Falls #3 Clone Wars Trade Paperback #8

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