Knights of the Old Republic I: The Jedi Civil War (comic)

Summary
The Jedi Civil War is the first episode of a comic adaptation of the award-winning Knights of the Old Republic video game and its sequel, Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords. The project was first started by JCarter426, a member of the Knights of the Old Republic Movie Trilogy forums. The team soon grew in numbers and the comic is now the fastest growing project on the forums. The project is currently a work in progress; the scripts for episodes I and II are nearly finished.

The story follows the life of Nik Starfall, a soldier for the Republic-turned Jedi Knight, as he searches for a way to stop Malak’s Sith Empire from conquering the galaxy. While heavily based on the two games, the comic features original characters, scripts, and storylines, as well as a surprise or two for those who have already played. The comic is divided into six episodes, and each episode is divided into three issues. Episode I covers the beginning of the first game, from Taris to Dantooine to Kashyyyk, as Nik is transformed from grunt soldier into Jedi Knight.

Opening Crawl
Four thousand years before the rise of the Galactic Empire, the Republic verges on collapse. DARTH MALAK, last surviving apprentice of the Dark Lord Revan, has unleashed an invincible Sith armada upon an unsuspecting galaxy.

Crushing all resistance, Malak's war of conquest has left the Jedi Order scattered and vulnerable as countless Knights fall in battle, and many more swear allegiance to the new Sith Master.

In the skies above the Outer Rim world of Taris, a Jedi battle fleet engages the forces of Darth Malak in a desperate effort to halt the Sith's galactic domination….

Part 1: The Search for Bastila
The Endar Spire, one of the Republic’s Hammerhead Cruisers, is ambushed by the Sith fleet as it escorts Bastila Shan, an esteemed member of the Jedi Order, through the Taris System. While the ship’s crew fight of the advanced boarding party, Bastila flees from the ship in one of the escape pods. Captain Carth Onasi and Lieutenant Nik Starfall are the only other survivors, their pod crash-landing in the Upper City. Before the Sith arrive to investigate, Captain Onasi manages to pull Lieutenant Starfall to safety, stumbling upon an abandoned apartment. Injured in the crash and haunted by confusing visions, Nik lies unconscious for several days.

Once Nik recovers, the two soldiers ask around in the Upper City, and soon discover that several Sith patrols are guarding the escape pods that have crashed into the Under City. However, all access to that area of the planet has been restricted. By happenstance, the duo rescue an Ithorian from a temperamental Sith interrogator, and are able to use the dead soldier’s armor to trick the elevator guard.

After fighting off some gang members, Nik and Carth befriend a Twi’lek girl named Mission Vao, and her Wookiee companion Zaalbar. Mission informs them of the situation in the Lower City, of the gang war between the Black Vulkars and the Hidden Beks. The two soldiers speak with Gadon Thek, the leader of the Beks, who tells them that Bastila has been taken prisoner and has been offered up as the Vulkar’s share of the prize in the annual swoop race season opener. Despite Carth’s objections, the two realize that the only way to rescue Bastila is to win that race. Gadon agrees to help the two if they sneak into the Vulkar base and steal a prototype swoop engine that will ensure a Bek Victory. Nik and Carth soon run into Mission, who pleads for their help; Zaalbar has been captured by Gamorrean slavers. Mission agrees to get them into the Bek base if they help her save Big Z.

Due to poor navigating on Nik's part, the trio encounters a rancor in the sewers and barely manages to escape. However, they eventually find Zallbar and take care of his captors. With the help of the prototype accelerator, Nik is easily able to win the swoop race. Before he is awarded his prize, the Black Vulkar leader Brejik exposes Nik’s use of the illegal swoop part, and withdraws the Vulkar share of the prize, sacred traditions be damned. However, Brejik’s plan is foiled when Bastila is able to free herself from her neural disrupter, a device enough to keep a normal person at bay, but no match for the strength of a Jedi’s mind. Shocked by his prisoner’s escape, Brejik orders his gang to kill everyone in sight. Despite unfavorable numbers, Nik and Bastila are able to fend off Brejik’s attacks. During the heat of the battle, Nik receives another vision, one of Bastila fighting the late Dark Lord Revan. After the fight is over, Bastila recognizes Nik as one of the 'Endar Spire'’s soldiers, and the two return to the apartment.

Part 2: Escape from Taris
Even though they have freed Bastila, Nik and Carth’s mission is far from over. The Sith have imposed a planet-wide quarantine, and no ship may land or take off. However, the group has a streak of good luck as Nik’s fame has sparked the interest of Canderous Ordo, a Mandalorian who works for Davik Kang, the leader of the Taris Exchange. Canderous tells Nik of his plan to steal Davik’s ship, the Ebon Hawk, which is fast enough to run the Sith blockade. Canderous takes Nik, Bastila and Carth to Davik’s estate, and the Exchange leader is most intrigued at the idea of employing Starfall. While Davik goes to run a standard background check, the group hatches their plot. Canderous asks around in the slave quarters and discovers that Trask Ulgo, the Hawk’s pilot, was caught stealing spice and has been imprisoned in the Estate’s “guest” room. While Ordo is out, Bastila discusses the visions with Nik, and informs him that he may be Force Sensitive. When Canderous returns, the group frees a grateful Trask, who gives them the ship’s flight codes. However, as they make their way to the hangar, Malak orders his fleet to bombard Taris, turning the entire planet into a pile of rubble. Davik and his leading man, Calo Nord, catch the group red-handed, but are soon struck down by the collapsing building. When Mission and Zallbar arrive, Nik and his friends blaze away in the Hawk.

Arriving on Dantooine, Bastila soon arranges a meeting with the Jedi Council. As the Jedi Masters discuss Nik’s Force potential in private, Nik and Bastila share a vision of Revan and Malak among the ruins of Dantooine. The next day, Bastila informs the Council of the developments, and they agree to accept Nik into the Jedi Order. Nik’s progress is extraordinary; as Master Zhar notes, he accomplishes in weeks what many can never do in years. After Nik constructs his own lightsaber, he is given one final task, to investigate a dark taint among the groves. Nik comes across a rogue Jedi named Juhani, who has taken up the dark side, and strikes her down in self defense. Nik is embarrassed to discover that he was meant to redeem Juhani, not kill her, but he nevertheless has completed his training, and is now a Jedi Padawan.

Nik and Bastila are sent to investigate the ruins they saw in their vision. Upon entering, they discover an ancient droid programmed to speak a variety of alien languages, one of which the two are able to understand. The droid informs them of the “Builders”, a species that ruled the galaxy over twenty thousand years ago. The apex of their empire was something called the Star Forge, which the two speculate may be a factory of some kind. In another part of the temple, they find an incomplete map that indicates several planets, including Kashyyyk, Tatooine, Manaan, and Korriban. When the two Jedi return to the Council, they are ordered to travel to these planets in search of similar maps, in hope of finding the Star Forge and some way to stop Malak.

Characters

 * Nik Starfall
 * Carth Onasi
 * Bastila Shan
 * Twitch
 * Mission Vao
 * Zaalbar
 * Gadon Thek
 * Trask Ulgo
 * Brejik
 * Malak
 * Saul Karath
 * Canderous Ordo
 * Davik Kang
 * Calo Nord
 * Vrook Lamar
 * Vandar Tokare
 * Zhar Lestin
 * Dorak
 * Juhani
 * Chuundar
 * Jolee Bindo
 * Freyyr

Locations

 * Taris
 * Dantooine
 * Kashyyyk

Shipts

 * Endar Spire
 * Ebon Hawk