Good afternoon all,
It's time for me to discuss the seventy-fourth issue of the first Star Wars comic book title. The cove showed Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia Organa, along with multiple unnamed humanoids, fleeing large waves of water and the holographic image of Darth Vader's head. The story was called "The Iskalon Effect." The issue had a cover date of August 1983.
The story started on the water world Iskalon, where the Rebels had just landed after leaving Lahsbane (last issue). Luke was amazed by how much of the planet's surface was covered by water, which was in stark contrast to the conditions on his homeworld of Tatooine. As they walked, Chewbacca saw something near the landing platform. He was then splashed by one of the natives who felt the large alien needed to cool off. It was meant as a joke, but the Wookiee was anything but amused.
Afterward, C-3PO discussed their mission with R2-D2. The Alliance instructed them to search for missing pilots Tay Vanis and Yom Argo. They'd located the wreckage of Argo's ship on Lahsbane, where Yom and his droid met their end. Vanis was rumored to be in this system, which was under Imperial control.
Lando Calrissian arrived, informing his friends that he'd arranged a meeting with someone who could provide more background. He then said hello to his old comrade Mone, who had splashed Chewie earlier. The Rebels then descended an elevator tube, which Lando assured was perfectly safe for droids.
On the lower level, the group walked forward before speaking with Primor, the leader of the Iskalonians. Primor swam along on the outside as his guest moved on inside the observation area, unaware that a stranger close behind them was listening intently to their conversation.
Luke looked up at one point and saw Imperial Stormtroopers who had been outfitted for the aquatic conditions. He put his hand on his blaster, only to be gently reminded by Calrissian of what would happen if he shattered the containment seals. Primor said that Vanis and Argo were from the planet Telfrey, which was in this solar system. Iskalon's twin world of Gamandar was taken over by the Empire. The Imperials built a fortress there and enslaved its citizens. Telfrey was not so lucky. That world had been bombed so frequently by TIEs and attacked so often by Imperial forces that it was doubtful that it could ever support life again.
A delegation from Iskalon was sent to Telfrey after hearing about the genocide. The delegates soon disappeared after reporting horrific news of mass executions there. It was later learned that the delegates' water tanks had been smashed, and they had been left to suffocate. It seemed that all efforts at peace between those planets would never happen.
Primor's associates pleaded for the Alliance's help. The Rebels learned that Argo and Vanis were among the freedom fighters who had been on Yavin before the destruction of the Death Star. Mone's mate, Kendall, informed their guests that Vanis had a K3PX droid in which he'd stored his knowledge of the Imperial plans in. Unfortunately, the droid was last seen leaving on a mission with Yom to the fortress.
It was then decided that someone had to go to Gamandar. Lando, Chewie, Artoo, and Threepio were selected. Mone volunteered for that journey because he had visited that planet before and thought that his status on Iskalon might be valuable. The group made their plans just before the spy was convinced that he'd heard enough.
The group said their farewells moments later, as the crew that was leaving prepared to depart aboard the Millennium Falcon. The spy was also leaving on his own ship, thinking of a juicy Imperial promotion.
Meanwhile, on the planet Gamandar, an Imperial commander received some interesting news. He thanked the informant, stating that Lord Vader would be pleased. He added that the action he was about to undertake would be appropriate and that he would give his informant adequate time.
Kendall bid her new acquaintances well after the Falcon took off. Primor then invited Luke and Leia to don air tanks so that they could explore more of Iskalon as they did. Primor guided them carefully on navigating their watery background and showed them how to use a stinger, which was more powerful than a conventional blaster but at a shorter range underwater.
Out in space, Lando thanked Mone for his assistance. He knew that it wasn't easy for his friend to leave his wife and family behind like he did. Mone was always looking out for the greater good, which was a quality that his companions admired. A short while later, the Imperial commander had just been informed by a subordinate that the spy had passed the halfway point between Gamandar and Iskalon. The commander smiled and pushed a button, releasing a missile into space.
Primor was leading Luke and Leia in an exercise against the pavilion when Skywalker noticed Kendle lying unconscious inside, with her water tank smashed. The two Rebels swam swiftly to the surface to save their new friend.
Chewie spotted the missile, and his quick thinking allowed the Falcon to evade it. Luke was the first to reach Kendle, followed close behind by Leia. Primor watched everything from the sea, moments before the missile struck.
Inside the pavilion, Leia and Luke watched the bomb's impact, which could be felt from far away before very long. Large waves began to rise. They drew nearer until they finally came crashing down onto the pavilion with devastating effect.
This was the start of a very interesting storyline. It focused more on Iskalon and Gamandar and less on the missing pilots who were the focus of the initial mission. It introduced us to several supporting characters that would play important roles in the series later on. This wouldn't be the first mission to Iskalon, either. My only concern was that we never got to see the planet Telfrey. It would have been good to see that planet, especially after the fall of the Empire, and have the Alliance try to rebuild that shattered world. I feel that this issue was rather appropriate for me to write about today, with all of the things going on in my country and around the world lately.
Well, that's it for this article. Next time, I'll cover the seventy-fifth issue of this series. We'll see what happened to Iskalon after the bomb struck, and meet a new character who knew why Kendle's tanks had been smashed. We'll also learn what Lando, Chewie, Mone, and the droids were able to accomplish on Gamandar. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another.
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