Knights of the Old Republic 26: Vector, Part 2
What is it ? : On the Mandalorian controlled world of Jebble Pulsiphers vessel is coming in to land, but the soldiers on the ground tell Pulsipher that he will have to land outside the facility as landing pads are only being allocated to real soldiers.
Aboard the vessel Pulsipher is outraged, because he has the Muur Talisman which he thinks will swing the war in the Mandalorians favour, that wars are one by brains and not muscle and armour. But he cannot yet control the artifact, but mentions that perhaps the instructions are stored with the Jedi financial records he captures, and a voice is heard from the air ducts expressing interest in the financial records.
Inside the duct, Celeste Morne clamps her hand over Gryph's mouth and they listen to Pulsipher reveal information about the artifact, before it squirms into life and clamps onto him, and he collapses. They watch as the Mandalorians take him to his laboratory on the base, and Celeste expresses her disgust for Gryph and Zayne.
They exit the ship but are caught my a Mandalorian guard who mistakes them for recruits and takes them to a large group of other non-Mandalorians, where they are recognised. But Gryph likewise recognises virtually everyone in the group, criminals who have been released by the Mandalorians from Republic prisons, and therefore have a grudge against the Republic and are willing to fight.
A Mandalorian reveals that they will all be given armor, and sent to invade Alderaan. This alarms Zayne, who then realises that Gryph is missing and spots Celeste sneaking into one of the buildings, so he pursues.
Celeste is angered by him following her, telling him that if he wants to get away he should just put on a set of the Mandalorian armor and they'll take him back to the Republic, but he tells her about the attack on Alderaan, and she expresses that it is defenseless.
As they squabble, a figure in Mandalorian armour pulls a gun on them, but it is just Gryph having been allocated his armour. He pretends they're his prisoners, and he talks his way past the guards to deliver them to Pulsipher, but he accidentally fires his weapon causing a collapse in the passageway they're in, seperating him from them. Celeste also loses her lightsaber and while searching for it they are spotted by actual Mandalorians.
However the Mandalorians collapse wracked with pain as they transform into Rakghouls. Celeste pulls her lightsaber to her and defends them from the Rakghoul attack, but the Rakghouls are biting and spreading the infection throughout the base.
They run outside, trying to work out how the infection has reached here, but Celeste comments that the Rakghouls here seem more organised than those on Taris, and when they get outside they see the thousands of conscripts lined up next to starships for transport to Alderaan and she realises that the Rakghoul plague may just be about to go galactic. . . .
High Points : So it's a really interesting use of the Rakghoul plague, the Star Wars version of Werewolves, that has always been quarantined in the lower city of Taris, but now it's out it's spreading quickly.
Low Points : But the story continues the flaws of the previous issue, with Zayne and Gryph being played heavily for comedy, and with the story jumping around without explaining anything (for example how did they get aboard Pulsipher's ship?).
So what do you really think ? : For a massive multi-title crossover event, Vector isn't really proving itself very well. I suppose a nice little story, crossing over the different eras works, telling the tale of the Artefact as it passes down through the years is an interesting enough idea. But Vector is really trying to sell itself as a threat to the galaxy, something which will require the power of all these heroes over the millennia to defeat, and so far it really isn't, especially as we know that it fails in at least 3 of the time periods as no one in the later ones has ever heard of the Rakghouls.
Final Words : And for a galaxy threatening event, we're getting our heroes played for laughs, they make silly mistakes (Gryph getting Celeste disarmed and the group split by not knowing how to fire a gun). I wonder if this is the same across all the titles, and we'll get a comedy version of Darth Vader in Dark Times?
Score : 8/10
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