Tales of Villainy: Trade Relations (Star Wars Adventures 8)

For other uses, see Tales of Villainy: Trade Relations.

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"Tales of Villainy: Trade Relations" is a comic story that was published as the secondary story of Star Wars Adventures (2020) 8. It was written by Danny Lore, illustrated by Arianna Florean and Ronda Pattison, and published by IDW Publishing on August 18, 2021.

Plot summary

On Rylorii Minor, a neutral mining planet in the Western Reaches, three clone troopers exit a gunship and a Republic Senator tells one that he seems quite tense. Another trooper tells the Senator that ‘Jumpy’ can’t help himself and has been told he’s too alert which is what gave him the nickname. The Senator, a female human, tries to reassure Jumpy that they have nothing to worry about as it’s only hammering down a trade agreement which involves materials from the planet’s mine in exchange for unimpeded access through Republic space. However, when the Senator thanks Mayor Lup for meeting her, he isn’t pleased about her being in a rush as Rylorii Minor supposedly isn’t important enough to the Republic. When the Senator tries to deny this, Lup states that he knows what their council has voted on and won’t go against his people.

As the two attempt to settle their differences, a cloaked man within the crowd activates an electro-baton, but when the clones get the Senator to safety, they realize that he was going after Mayor Lup and his associate. When the man flees through the crowd, Jumpy takes off in pursuit and shoots down a hovering droid carrying a load of rock from the mines which drops on the assassin and stops him in his tracks. This allows Jumpy to apprehend the man, and afterwards, he examines his cloak and determines that it is from Coruscant. Hearing this, Mayor Lup becomes outraged with the Republic Senator as he believes that a Republic assassin tried to execute him, and so he won’t sit and listen to her lies. While being tended to by a clone trooper, Lup’s associate tries to defend the Republic by saying that they did save them, and if they really wanted them dead then it seemed like a bad attempt. The Senator chimes in and says that the associate is absolutely correct, as the Republic has no reason to want him dead since they are currently attempting to open trade relations. When she tries to offer a clone to stay with Lup as a bodyguard, he refuses as this will only allow an “assassin to sit at his shoulder” and storms off frustrated.

Later, the three clones sit down outside of a building where the Senator and Lup are meeting, and the associate brings them all some water. She apologizes to them for things being so difficult, but it’s because Lup is frustrated that Rylorii Minor needs the deal for its economy. When clone CT2 brings up the fact that the Mayor doesn’t seem interested in the agreement, Jumpy points out that the timing is too convenient for Lup to be disinterested for another reason, and finds it weird that a professional assassin didn’t target either ranking politician. Just then, three cloaked assassins drop down from above and attack the group, with one taking the associate hostage and speeding off on a speeder. While CT2 and the other clone engage the two remaining assassins, Jumpy takes off after the captured associate on a speeder, and when he catches up with her, he asks if she can drive the speeder. However, she doesn’t comprehend his question amidst the chaos and so Jumpy resorts to shoving the assassin overboard and incapacitating him on the ground. Afterwards once the conflict is resolved, the three assassins are rounded up and the associate informs Lup that all of them are local, and she’s relieved that they have enough evidence to prove that the Republic wasn’t behind the kidnapping event, which will allow them to commit to the trade agreement. The agreement is eventually made and the Senator and clones leave Rylorii Minor, and meanwhile, the associate privately contacts Count Dooku, leader of the Separatists. She explains the situation with the enemy leaving and the agreement being made, and informs him of her new position as being placed in charge of the trade logistics. With this, Dooku instructs her to continue to use the encrypted channel to update him on the situation.