Join the Crimson Corsair and his crew in a race to uncover treasure from the past!
This article contains minor spoilers from The Crimson Corsair And The Lost Treasure Of Count Dooku.
“Every pirate in the sector is after the lost treasure of Count Dooku! Will Captain Ithano and his crew beat his rivals to the prize?”
Back on December 1st, 2015, four short stories were released in the Journey To The Force Awakens series, as eBooks by author Landry Q. Walker. These are Walker’s first stories set in the galaxy far, far away, past works include titles at Disney and DC Comics. These are very quick reads, I finished this one in about an hour, and at only $1.99 are cheaper than a cup of coffee!
The story opens in the past, during the Clone Wars to be precise, on the bridge of a Confederacy battle cruiser the Obrexta III. The ship has just come under fire in an ambush by Republic gunships, and the ships droid captain is under strict instructions not to let Count Dooku’s treasure on board become comprimised. In a last ditch effort, the ship blindly jumps to hyperspace, and crash lands on a remote planet in the outer rim to never be heard from again.
Until now.
In present day, the author introduces the crew of the Meson Martinet and her captain, the Crimson Corsair himself, the Red Raider the Blood Buccaneer Sidon Ithano. Rounding out the crew, are more new characters. Quiggold, his second in command, Pendewqell, a female Twi’lek named Reveth, even a friendly Gamorrean named Squeaky. The crew picks up a coded signal from the old Separatist ship, detailing the important cargo that was en route to Serenno to be received by Count Dooku. Quickly, they set course for the ship, but unbeknownst to them, they were not the only ones to intercept this transmission. Several other gangs and treasure seekers (scum and villainy) are setting out with intent to be first to nab untold riches from the long dead Count.
The story is primarily all action, which in my opinion fits well as it is a very short story, and is fast paced right up to the end. It is a fun story with elements of old westerns and pirate films, complete with boarding and ship to ship blaster fire on the high seas, although the “sea” in this case is sand. The Corsair and crew get to the treasure first, but it is not quite what they, or I for that matter, expected it to be. Instead of credits, lightsaber crystals or ancient Sith artifacts is a lone Cryo-Cycle Stasis Pod with a single inhabitant. A Republic Clone Trooper. Alive! The trooper is CT-6116, Kix, and was featured in multiple episodes of The Clone Wars. The story he relays ties in heavily to the bio-chip arc. This chip was implanted in all clones, and is what was directly responsible for Order 66. During the arc, a chip malfunctions causing a trooper to kill his Jedi general. An investigation ensues, and trooper “Fives” learns of the chip and the plot behind it that leads back to Palpatine himself. Fives was never able to relay the information back to the Jedi, and was killed while on the run. Kix, who did not believe it was a virus that made the trooper defective, uncovered the truth, but was captured by the Separatists. He was being transported to Count Dooku while being interrogated, and that is when the ship was ambushed and was forced to make an emergency maneuver. Now, decades too late, he is awakened with information that is of no use.
The stand out scene for me is near the end as the ship is crumbling around them due to an explosive sand storm. The crew makes it’s way to the only working escape pod, and clearly will not all fit. Without hesitation Captain Ithano shoves his crew inside along with the clone, and slams the activation switch launching them away from the doomed ship. This scene was great because it adds another layer to this already mysterious character. It sets him apart from other pirates and mercenaries that inhabit the galaxy, as one who was willing to sacrifice himself for his crew, and not solely out to save his own skin. No dialogue needed. His crew is also very loyal to him, and waited three weeks on the planet in hopes that he did not perish aboard the sinking ship. Strolling into the local bar, slightly worse for wear, is the Crimson Corsair alive and well. The pirate crew was also able to swipe the memory core from the Separatist cruiser, and with Kix’s help will be able to decode the information and locate every hidden Separatist base and weapons warehouse in the galaxy!
The Crimson Corsair and First Mate Quiggold on the far right!
The Crimson Corsair is an extremely interesting character, a stand out from the Vanity Fair alien bar photo, and there is much not known about him. He is a member of the Delphidian species, however his face is never revealed beneath the Kaleesh mask he wears, and he has almost no dialogue in the tale. Why does he wear the mask? Maybe scarring from previous battles? These only deepen the mystery behind Sidon, and I can’t wait to learn more!
Again, a very fun and fast story from a seemingly minor background character. That has always been a staple for Star Wars, giving everyone you see onscreen a moment in the sun. It was well worth the $1.99, and I will be reading the other 3 stories by the author. And just like the old “Tales from…” books, these stories and 2 unannounced stories will be released on April 5th, 2016 as Tales From a Galaxy Far, Far Away Volume I: Aliens.
Mike Harris hails from the suburbs of Chicago and has been a fan for most of his life. Working as an industrial radiographer and raising a family with his wife take up most of his time, but there’s always room for Star Wars books and podcasts! Just looking to give back to Star Wars and the fan community, it’s been a source of fun and learning for him for so long.