Star Wars: Hidden Empire #3
PART 3
“I AM CHANATH CHA”
Dreaming of a freer galaxy, Lady Qi’ra and her organization, Crimson Dawn, have waged a secret war against the Empire. Qi’ra activated operatives across the galaxy to cause havoc and distract the Emperor while she sought a power capable of deposing the Sith Lord.
Qi’ra learned the means of prevailing against the Sith from her predecessor, Maul. His teachings led her to the Fermata Cage, an artifact that sealed away an ancient Sith Lord suspended in time. Qi’ra tasked the Archivist with freeing this Sith to serve as a weapon against the Emperor.
Aware of Qi’ra’s schemes, the Emperor destroyed her flagship, the ”Vermillion”. This forced Qi’ra to escape to her stronghold Dawnfall, where a Crimson Dawn fleet prepares to strike against the Empire.
Joined by Kho Phon Farrus, the Archivist’s work on the Fermata Cage remains the key to Qi’ra’s plan. The disturbance in the Force the artifact produces served as a beacon to Qi’ra’s enemies and a hasty second attempt at using it guided Darth Vader to its location. Chanath Cha and the Orphans arrived to defend the Fermata Cage, but Darth Vader fears no opponent….
Writer: Charles Soule
Penciller: Steven Cummings
Inker: Victor Olazaba
Letterer: Travis Lanham
Colorist: Guru-eFX
Cover artist: Paulo Siqueira
Editor: Mark Paniccia
Publication date: February 8, 2023
After our classic scroll-up and a brief recap, we join the Archivist as she lays out the situation, with Darth Vader on the attack once again and her life in danger, she explains how Chanath Cha took on Vader, allowing her to live and we step back to the ‘past’ as Vader and Cha face each other, Chanath revealing the reasons for her long-held hatred of the Sith Lord, how he slaughtered her family and how she has planned revenge ever since. Vader clearly cares not a jot, and as he swings to end Chanath, she calls in Ladybright, a droid that appears to hit him with an EMP pulse that scrambles his systems enough for Cha to attack with searing acid. Clearly in pain he lashes out, destroying the Fermata Cage and walking into the ocean to counter the effects of the acid. Cha and her orphans regroup, finding the Archivist and Kho Phon Farrus and gathering them to leave immediately, until the Archivist insists they take what remains of the Cage with them – in Vader and Palpatine’s hands, it would be the end of them. Also, Kho makes clear how the cage is potentially deadly for organics to touch, so Ladybright steps up to lift the heavy object as Vader walks back out of the ocean.
Playing for time, Chanath insists her orphans take the Archivist and Kho away as she remains with Sears to take on Vader, who in classic style senses that Qi’ra survives and then defends himself from acid attack, snipers and Cha’s ingenuity. It’s a flurry of activity as Vader takes them down one by one, killing Sear by throwing her into a rock and Imara Vex by using the Force to tilt the ship she was sniping from and hurling her into the forest. This leads to a fascinating moment; it’s the droid Ladybright who refuses Qi’ra’s order to leave Cha and her people stranded and instead swings back in the Sirota to assist, despite the obvious risks.
Here lies the deadly twist – as the ship wings back into view much to the shock of Chanath Cha, it once again veers away and we cut to inside the vessel as the Archivist takes control, Ladybright smashed to pices and Kho pleading that she wants no part of this. As Cha watches in satisfaction, Vader runs her through and we end on Dawnfall Base, the secret headquarters of Crimson Dawn as Qi’ra asks Cadeliah if she understands why she refused to send in the dawn fleet to help Chanath. Cadeliah gives the logical reason – Qi’ra wants to keep what ships she has for a later attack, but we conclude with Qi’ra coldly explaining that while Chanmath had her own story and destiny, she was simply a bit-part player in Qi’ra’s own tale. A cold end to an action-packed issue that progresses the plot with a number of characters holding, folding and showing their hands. Chanath is no more, as are most of her Orphans, while Kho has realised the cold determination of the Archivist and we all see just how charmingly calculating Qi’ra has become, very much in the mold of her slain predecessor Dryden Vos.
The art is consistently attractive, the scipt both snappy and pleasingly melodramatic where required, and the stakes high as they can be, and while Hidden Empire isn’t getting the push and attention that the previous two entries in the trilogy (War of the Bounty Hunters and Crimson Reign) that makes it no less enjoyable and essential to read. Two issues remain before Soule takes us into another crossover event, and given the quality of the main issues and the crossovers we’re in for another fascinating ride.
