Republic 50 is the fiftieth issue in the Star Wars: Republic series of comics. It was published on February 26, 2003 by Dark Horse Comics.
Publisher's summary
Kamino under attack! 64-page special fiftieth issue!
Two months after the Battle of Geonosis… with the forces of the Republic and the armies of the Confederacy of Independent Systems stalled in a series of indecisive battles, the Separatists risk a devastating strike at the heart of the Republic's war machine: they attack the cloning facility on Kamino! Their hope is to permanently destroy the Republic's ability to create new clones for its army. The Republic's defense rests on a squadron of Jedi Starfighters and a battalion of Jedi-led clone troopers within the facility itself. It's a battle fought on three fronts—in space, on the ground, and underwater! A massive 64-page battle epic!
Star Wars: Republic reveals events in the time period between Episode II and Episode III—the Clone Wars! If you're wondering what happens next after Attack of the Clones, this is where you find the answers!
Plot summary
Brothers in arms
Standing atop a platform outside a cloning facility on Kamino, Anakin Skywalker has a vision of Obi-Wan crashing into the planet’s ocean during an aerial battle. He is interrupted by the man himself, who tells him not to trust his visions, noting that the Padawan has become distracted as of late. The two enter the facility and join a Jedi meeting.
With the information provided by Quinlan Vos and Aayla Secura, the Jedi are prepared for the coming battle. Obi-Wan has been granted leadership of the Republic’s forces due to his relative familiarity with the planet, while Oppo Rancisis has devised a strategy that will hopefully lead the Separatists into a trap. The limited ground forces are to hold off the Separatist fleet until the full Republic fleet arrives to flank them, which is one hyperspace jump away.
The meeting concludes and Obi-Wan instructs Anakin to remain inside, who objects on the basis of him being the best pilot. Obi-Wan counters that he senses turmoil within him, but Anakin is reluctant to share his dark visions and walks away. After confiding in Quinlan via hologram, where he believes himself to be failing as a master, Obi-Wan realises that he needs Anakin and decides to grant him his wishes. Anakin himself confides in Aayla, believing himself to be incapable of fixing his complicated inner turmoil, but she comforts him by saying that it is important to know when a thing is fixed and to leave it alone.
The facility alarms blare as the Separatist forces arrive. The Jedi enter their Starfighters and engage the Separatists in the skies above the planet, losing some of their forces during the battle. Anakin’s vision comes true as Obi-Wan’s Starfighter crashes into the ocean, but he survives and is attacked by various sea creatures atop his ship. Anakin attempts to help from the sky but his Starfighter is destroyed by a Saberjowl. He jumps into the water and joins Obi-Wan atop his ship, helping him combat the creatures. After some time they are rescued by a Kaminoan riding an Aiwha, who flies them back to the facility.
Jango's legacy
The battle rages across the facility as the Droids push further inwards. Deep inside the facility, Shaak Ti is informed by Lama Su of the existence of ARC Troopers, specialised clones who were trained by Jango Fett himself for critical missions. They are being kept in stasis due to their unpredictability, resulting in them being less controllable compared to regular clones.
Some of the ARC Troopers are released and they destroy almost all Droids within the room, but they are outgunned by Droideka’s, forcing Shaak Ti to destroy them with her lightsaber. The Droideka’s kill almost all of the ARC Troopers, leaving only one remaining, who helps escort some clone children to the lower levels as droids continue to flood the room. With the children now safe, Shaak Ti accompanies the ARC Trooper on a mission to protect the latest generation of clones.
On the way, they run into Anakin and Obi-Wan, who save them from being outgunned by a group of Droids. The trooper quarrels with Anakin, with the former saying he expected more from the Jedi. The group continues onwards and reaches the clone labs, where they are greeted by a legion of embryos being formed in tubes. The Jedi fight off the Droids as the trooper enters a code into a panel. When asked of his intentions, the trooper reveals that he had just entered a self-destruct code, which was ordered by Jango during such situations.
After being convinced by the Jedi that there must be another way, the trooper tells them to use the force to crush the tunnel leading to the room, flooding the droids before they can enter. Upon doing so, Anakin and Obi-Wan hold back the ocean as Shaak Ti closes the tunnel with metal to prevent the room from being flooded. With the embryos now safe, the trooper deactivates the self-destruct code and says that he was just following Jango’s orders.
No end in sight
On the planet Dac sometime before the battle, the Separatist Passel Argente is discussing strategy with a Mon Calamari Commander named Merai. He is ordered by Passel to take command of the forces at Kamino, risking everything in an attempt to turn the tide of war in the Separatists favor.
Later, in space above Kamino, Merai is engaged in battle with the republic aboard his Lucrehulk-class Battleship. Bombarded on all sides by Starfighters, Merai’s allies urge him to retreat, but he remains committed to the cause. He sends some Amphibious Fighters to the surface with the coordinates of the facility's main reactor, provided to him by the Corporate Alliance, but the fighters are discovered by the Republic and destroyed, forcing Merai to reach the surface in his own Amphibious ship. He makes it to the underwater coordinates but finds that there’s nothing there, upon which he realises that he has been tricked by the Separatists.
Merai attempts to destroy the facility’s shield from above, but his ship is shot down. With no hope remaining for victory, Merai and his allies use the Lucrehulk’s tractor beam to launch his Amphibious ship towards the Republic Starfighters, sacrificing himself with the ship’s self-destruct sequence and destroying some Starfighters in the process, which grants room for his allies to retreat.
Back on the surface, the Republic clears out the remaining Droids and celebrates their victory. Yoda is discussing the battle with Mace Windu via hologram, who wonders why a smart soldier like Merai would have attempted such an ill-planned attack. Yoda agrees and says that the future is darker and more clouded.
Meanwhile, Count Dooku is also discussing the battle with Darth Sidious via hologram. Dooku laments having to lose a talented commander, but Sidious reassures him that there are other talented men who can be more easily swayed. He concludes by saying that the Clone Wars will not end soon.
Media
Cover gallery
Collected in
- Star Wars: Clone Wars Volume 1: The Defense of Kamino
- Star Wars Omnibus: Clone Wars Volume 1: The Republic Goes to War
- Star Wars Legends Epic Collection: The Clone Wars Vol. 1
Appearances
| Characters | Organisms | Droid models | Events | Locations |
| Organizations and titles | Sentient species | Vehicles and vessels | Weapons and technology | Miscellanea |
Characters
|
Organisms
|
Droid models
Events
|
Locations
|
Organizations and titles
|
Sentient species
|
Vehicles and vessels
Weapons and technology
Miscellanea
|
Sources
Clone Wars Comics Begin This Week on StarWars.com (original site is defunct)- "War Factories: Inside Kamino and Geonosis" — Star Wars Insider 66
Notes and references
- ↑ Star Wars: Republic (2002) #50 on Marvel Comics' official website (backup link)
- ↑ The Official Star Wars Fact File Part 6 22 BBY 75-80: Dark Side Influence dates the Hunt for the Decimator, the Dark Reaper crisis, the First Battle of Kamino, the battle of Ohma-D'un, the battle of Pengalan IV, Jedi: Mace Windu, and the events of Star Wars: Clone Wars up until the Battle of Hypori to 22 BBY, in that order.
External links
- Star Wars: Republic #50 on Dark Horse Comics' official website (backup link)
- Star Wars: Republic (2002) #50 on Marvel Comics' official website (backup link)
