Legacy #10 Trust Issues Part 2 Script: John Ostrander Art: Colin Wilson Coloring: Brad Anderson Lettering: Michael Heisler Cover: Dave Ross, Brad Anderson Released: 03/28/2007 Reviewed by: JF Boivin (08/26/2007) SUMMARY: Two spies are looking for Cade Skywalker on the Wheel space station. Jor Torlin works for Darth Krayt, and Morrigan Corde works for Moff Calixte without the Siths' knowledge. Corde has captured Torlin and brought him aboard his ship to suggest forming an alliance. But first, they decide to breaking negotiations between representatives of the Galactic Alliance and Roan Fel's Imperial Remnant by having one faction's shuttle attack the other one. Then they go to Ossus, one possible place where Skywalker could have gone to hide, and that's when Torlin decides to get rid of his unwanted partner. But Corde was prepared for that eventuality, and after disposing of Torlin she leaves the planet unable to come face-to-face with her son again.

[final cover] [preview cover]

THE STORY

There is a big revelation in this issue, which concerns one of the two Imperial spies. The issue concludes the two-part "Trust Issues" story and opens with the newly-come-out-of-retirement Imperial agent Morrigan Corde having captured the Sith spy Jor Torlin after he tried to kill her, and bringing him aboard his own ship the Raider. Corde keeps him tied down until she can convince him that they have the same goal and should join forces. Torlin reluctantly agrees, although I hope Corde doesn't trust a Sith even if he isn't very strong in the Force. Actually, at no point in the story do we see Torlin use the Force at all. Anyway, they debate on where would be Skywalker's most likely location as he apparently left the Wheel some time earlier. Corde suggests Hapes, Torlin suggests Ossus which is where they decide to go first since Torlin figures it's easier to verify. But before they leave, Corde makes Torlin aware of something else happening on the Wheel.

As detailed last issue, Admiral Gar Stazi from the Galactic Alliance and Captain Mingo Bovark from Fel's Empire are in discussions about a possible alliance (since, much like Corde and Torlin, both parties have the same goal). Corde says this is a perfect opportunity to sever a possible union which could be detrimental to the Sith Empire. I can understand why Torlin wouldn't hesitate to execute such a plan, but it is not specified why Corde is so loyal to the Sith-run Empire from which she left service years before. In any case, it wouldn't do to just openly attack them so Torlin suggests using his new toys: Command Override Limpet Droids, or C.O.L.D.s, which can take over a ship's main computer and let the user take control. Using this, the two agents manage to have the Imperial shuttle shoot down the Galactic Alliance shuttle which are berthed close to each other. The plan works and the two agents take off unnoticed.

Inside the station, Admiral Stazi receives word of this and immediately turns on Captain Bovark, attacking him with a vibroblade. But Bovark's two Imperial Knights come to the rescue, and the station's Kel Dor owner Pol Temm comes in with his security and declares that Roan Fel's forces are banned from the Wheel.

Back to the unlikely duo, they arrive at Ossus and land near a spot in the jungle where a thermal signature is detected. As soon as they disembark, Torlin turns on Corde and shoots her but he misses. Then there is a two-page pursuit in the jungle with absolutely no dialogue, and then Torlin keels over dead. Corde likes to talk to corpses, so she explains that she implanted some nerve toxin under Torlin's skin that she could activate remotely should the need arise. Smart of her to have a backup plan, but it would have been useless if Torlin hadn't missed his first shot. After that, Corde takes off her necklace and activates an hologram inside it showing her holding a baby and with a man beside her. After that, it's a two-page flashback scene harking back to the time Corde left her lover Kol Skywalker and their young son Cade to concentrate on her career as an agent for the Empire. Then she takes off, hinting that she could not bear to see her son again. We don't actually find out if Cade was actually there or if the sensors detected some other ship. Maybe he was never on Ossus, but it doesn't really matter in the story. What matters is the total change of character on Corde's part. At the end, her true motivation is revealed: she was never going to look for Cade to capture him, she was going to protecting him by getting the Empire off his tail. She might actually keep up this scam for a while, pretending that she is still tracking him down and reporting back to Moff Calixte. Maybe eventually mother and son will be reunited.

The issue ends on an up-note. It's not as much a shocking revelation as a cool addition to a cast of characters that we already know. And apparently this is nothing compared to what is to come, as Randy Stradley informs us in the letters page. There are also sketches of a Galactic Alliance Sabertooth-class shuttle and a support ship. It's nice to have more pages to print stuff on.

THE ART

This issue centers a lot more on Corde and Torlin, and Wilson handles them very well. He has a nice dramatic style to his artwork which creates suspense as we never know what to expect to see. My favorite scene is the suspensful shooting match and subsequent chase through the Ossus jungle. The starship designs are very cool, although I don't think they come from Wilson. The cover actually shows a scene from the story, although it is a very short scene, but the "No more negotiations!" tagline is very catchy.

CONCLUSIONS

Not a very important event on the galactic-scale of things, but it's a nice personal story about Cade's mommy!

Rating: 6.5 / 10