Darth Vader Hunts Crimson Dawn In 'Star Wars: Hidden Empire #2'

Star Wars

Dec 10

The night is darkest before the dawn. Star Wars: Hidden Empire #2 picks up immediately where the first issue left off. Written by Charles Soule and featuring artwork by Steven Cummings and Victor Olazaba, Hidden Empire follows Lady Qi’ra, leader of the crime syndicate Crimson Dawn, as she enacts a plot to assassinate Emperor Palpatine.

This plot involves the opening of the Fermata Cage; an ancient dark side artifact containing the spirit of an ancient Sith Lord. But despite the efforts of the Archivist, Kho Phon Farrus, and the Knights of Ren, the Cage remained shut as the Emperor unleashed the full might of the Empire on Crimson Dawn, including his own Sith apprentice, Darth Vader.

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The second issue begins with the Archivist continuing to tell the story of Crimson Dawn’s fall to an unnamed pair of cloaked figures. With the help of the Orphans and their ship, the Siroto, Qi’ra flees from the Emperor’s onslaught and returns to Dawnfall Base; a secret base of operations where Qi’ra’s entire Crimson Dawn fleet lies in wait. After reassuring the Orphans of their strength, Qi’ra contacts the Archivist, who informs her that Kho found a way to open the Cage without the help of a Force user. When the Archivist says they’ll need to be cautious or else risk Palpatine discovering their plan, Qi’ra tells them she’d already informed Palpatine of their plan to instill fear in the Sith Lord.

Meanwhile, Vader informs his master that he located the Archivist’s previous installation, yet failed to find the Cage. Sidious reiterates to Vader the importance of the Cage, telling him that the Sith spirit was put there by Darth Momin; another ancient Sith whose spirit aided Vader in the construction of his fortress. As they’re talking, Kho manages to activate the Cage with their Ascendant technology. As the Cage activates, the resulting shockwave ripples through the Force to the point that Sidious, Vader, Luke Skywalker, and Yoda can all sense its power from across the galaxy.

Unfortunately, Kho and the Archivist abandon opening the Cage due to the risk of the Cage killing them. Though thanks to a star map, Sidious is able to pinpoint their exact location and sends Vader to wipe them out. Back at her base, Qi’ra learns from Margo that the rest of the crime syndicates have abandoned Crimson Dawn, hindering their ability to act publicly. In turn, Qi’ra has all her surviving agents relocate to safe houses. When Cadeliah asks Qi’ra if she’s upset about the people she’s lost, she explains that Crimson Dawn was always a means to an end and had served its purpose. Cadeliah then asks Qi’ra about her purpose, to which Qi’ra tells the child that she is her last hope. Qi’ra is then informed by Trinia that the Archivist has contacted her again.

When Qi’ra asks the Archivist if they opened the Cage, the Archivist says they couldn’t due to the Cage potentially killing them. Qi’ra then tells them to move to another world and try again, but the Archivist refuses, saying that opening the Cage will destroy them and the rest of Crimson Dawn. Their signal is then jammed as the Executor appears in the sky overhead. The Archivist and Kho attempt to hide, but they are soon discovered by Vader, who chokes them with the Force until Chanath Cha and her Orphans arrive. Determined to avenge the deaths of her parents at Vader’s hands, Chanath leads the Orphans into battle against the Dark Lord.

Hidden Empire #2 continues the momentum of the miniseries. Qi’ra’s endless overconfidence in the face of such heavy losses is equally amusing and exciting, as we know that her entire plan is going to ultimately backfire on her and Crimson Dawn. Kho and the Archivist’s struggles with opening the Cage are also fun and allow for further banter and characterization for each of them. I especially like Kho choosing to leave early on, but then deciding to stay when the Archivist gives them the raiment of the ancient Sith Lady Shaa, meaning Kho will even sacrifice their life if it means getting one more artifact for their collection. Seeing Luke, Yoda, Sidious, and Vader all react to the Cage’s activation is an effective way to demonstrate just how much power the Cage has stored inside, which only adds to the speculation of which ancient Sith is locked in the Cage. Hidden Empire #3 seems to be an issue focused on the Orphans and their struggle against Vader. We’ll have to see if Chanath can avenge her parents and prevent Vader from taking the Cage to the Emperor. If she can’t, then Qi’ra had better hope that Vader isn’t also a master of unlocking.

Rating: 8/10

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