Star Wars: Jedi Knights #7
A NECESSARY EVIL
Jedi Knights Mace Windu, Qui-Gon Jinn, and Aayla Secura have traveled to the agricultural planet of Mina-Rau to bring back the remains of their fallen comrade, Jedi Master Fondar Etzis.
But Etzis’ death was orchestrated by the mysterious Corlis Rath as a gambit to draw Qui-Gon out as part of his mission of vengeance. The two men fought a challenging duel in the fields of Mina-Rau that culminated in Corlis fatally stabbing Qui-Gon.
Now Qui-Gon lies helpless and very close to death….
Writer: Marc Guggenheim
Artist: Madibek Musabekov
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Colourist: Luis Guerrero
Cover artist: Rahzzah
Editor: Mark Paniccia
Publication date: September 10 2025
Last issue, we ended with Qui-Gon Jinn stricken on the top of a harvester on Mina-Rau, felled by Corlis Rath and whispering the word ‘Sinsara’ as he passed out, and we open issue 7 with Mace Windu and Aayla Secura knelt beside him, quickly assesing that he’s been dealt the same poison that killed Master Etzis, the violet residue looking familiar. Qui-Gon stirs and once again whispers ‘Sinsara’, and as they move him to the shuttle and Mace stabilises him, Aayla searches the database to learn that Sinsara isn’t a person but a planet in the Anoat system, and with time against them they hit hyperspace and arrive to a less than warm welcome. Indeed, they’re told to leave but they persist, chancing on their customs not turning away strangers and learning that the poison is something called emubara, and that they canot help them, but a group of wanderers known as the Banished can.
Mace and Aayla set out into the wilds to find the Banished, and as they search they suddenly freeze, igniting their lightsabers as dozens of banished leap from the trees like ninjas, and a battle begins that continues through the trees until Aayla does the unexpected and surrenders, bringing the fight to a close. Soon they’re standing before King Gara, wisely surmising that to surrender the Jedi must need their help enormously, and for that help he can charge a heavy price. Here we learn that an enourmous kaijura was brought to their world as a gift to one of his predecessors, but it grew to a titanic size and each season kills many of their numbers. Kill that, and the Banished will give the antidoite to save Qui-Gon.
We see Mace and Aayla stand on the edge of a range, watching an enormous native creature stalking through and minutes later Mace is waking another titan, drawing it out with his lightsaber as Aayla steers the other towards it, the two clashing and the unfortunate kaijura running directly into its jaws, bitten and falling to its death. Such a deception isn’t the way of the Jedi, but as they often do they justify their actions (the creature was lost and alone, confused and in pain so death was a release), and we quickly step back to Coruscant where Qui-Gon Jinn lies in a med center, the antidote flushing his system of the emubara but the damage to his body so severe the medics have induced a coma to give him time to heal.
Lavishly illustrated, knowingly scripted and while low on plot, this is another kinetic, fast-paced and insightful issue that shows the Mace we know (quick to anger, fast to react, not too hot on diplomacy) and Aayla (wise, insightful, but every bit as effective as Windu). It also shows the distain with which the Jedi are regarded in many parts of the galaxy as well as the thinly-disguised civility the Jedi employ in certain negotiations (combat and mind tricks are always just a moment away).
Plot light but insight heavy, capturing the characters in all manner of situations, this is a series that would be very welcome as an ongoing rather than limited series.
