A reunion, and a chance to stretch his wings, gets cut short when Kaz and Poe receive a distress call in”Signal from Sector Six” and run into some lethal cargo!
An early morning awakening turns out to be just what Kaz needed in “Signal from Sector Six” when a secret trip with Jarek Yeager reunites him with Poe Dameron. Hopping back in the saddle of an X-Wing they head above the clouds and out of the atmosphere of Castilon. Discussing his recent success at gathering intel and practicing a few flying maneuvers is interrupted when the pair picks up a distress signal from a nearby damaged freighter.
Detecting life signs on-board Kazuda and Poe search for survivors but are soon attacked by a pack of wild Kowackian Monkey-Lizards and a much larger Kowackian Ape-Lizard. Managing to escape the derelict craft with a sole survivor – Synara San – the escapees have to fend off a band of pirates returning to the scene of their crime but manage to fight them off relatively unscathed. Needing medical attention they take Synara back to Colossus Station and register her there. The episode concludes with the revelation that Synara is not at all who she says she is…
In Space, No One Can Hear You Scream
Mysterious noises, the sound of a dead ship groaning in space and terror stalking Poe and Kaz around every corner…”Signal from Sector Six” comes off as a horror story set in the Star Wars galaxy. A first for Star Wars Resistance but not for Star Wars. Star Wars: The Clone Wars had several episodes that benefited from horror elements and Resistance here does so in the vein of the classic film Alien.
Instead of the Xenomorph here it’s a massive, and equally fearsome, Kowackian Ape-Lizard. A bulky variation of the traditional Monkey-Lizard, this one is much, much larger than its smaller counterparts with a fear-inducing roar instead of the maniacal cackle that is standard from its smaller brothers and sisters. It has already taken out the band of pirates raiding the freighter and gives both Poe and Kaz a run for their credits, just barely escaping with their lives. Synara, the lone survivor of the previous crew only managed to stay safe by hiding herself away in a storage container.
The traditional Kowackian Monkey-Lizard is infamous at this point, first appearing by Jabba the Hutt’s side in Return of the Jedi, and is typically more nuisance than menace. Star Wars Resistance puts a fresh spin on a recognizable creature from the archives and the result is not only effective but pretty dang cool.
Colossal Importance
Poe Dameron, voiced again by Oscar Issac, returns in “Signal from Sector Six” who hasn’t been seen since “The Recruit” two-part premiere. Kaz has gathered quite a bit of information during his short stay on Colossus Station and his hard work and determination has not gone unnoticed. He’s still unsure of himself, stating that he’s been trained as a pilot and not a spy, but Dameron thinks he’s doing a solid job so far.
The pair discuss Imanuel Doza and his business with the First Order and whether or not he will cut a deal with them. The First Order wants control of the platform but the “why” is still not known right now. At face value the Station and Castilon seem relatively unimportant, Colossus is a well armed platform, but being on the edge of the galaxy, it seems odd that it would even be noticed by the Order. Especially given the massive planet-sized weapon they are about to unleash on the New Republic; Starkiller Base.
So Colossus Station must hold some kind of secret; capabilities that haven’t been revealed quite yet or maybe it is guarding or containing something just below the surface of the sea. One guess is that it defends an entrance to one of Palpatine’s “observatories”. The observatories first appeared in Chuck Wendig’s Aftermath trilogy of novels taking place just after Return of the Jedi. These facilities housed artifacts, weapons and secrets gathered by Emperor Palpatine during his reign. It might be a long shot, but it is possible.
Taking place roughly six months before The Force Awakens the fact the First Order, about to make a major move towards dominance, are interested in Colossus Station has to mean something.
Hidden In Plain Sight
The sole survivor of the attacked freighter in “Signal from Sector Six”, Synara San, in a somewhat surprising twist turns out to be one of the raiding pirates herself. As part of the original band, she was sent along with others by head pirate Kragan Gorr to relieve the ship of its cargo, but ran into some unexpected trouble.
It’s possible that some may have caught on immediately that something was amiss with Synara’s story. Although helmeted in the episode “The Triple Dark” her face and recognizable facial markings were visible through the visor. It was interesting to learn however that the entire situation was not engineered as a trap to lure someone in but rather an actual raid gone wrong. Kragan sees that this can be turned around in their favor because Synara is now on the Station and registered as a resident with no one aware of who she really is.
Just as Kaz is a New Republic spy hiding out among the residents of Colossus Station now the pirates, and through them the First Order, have one as well.
Even though it doesn’t bode well for Team Fireball, or anyone else on Colossus for that matter, the galactic importance of the series has yet to be established. It doesn’t necessarily need to be; it could just be a fun adventure story set in the universe. But to survive long-term, it should connect to the larger story. In small ways, it has, and could just be a slow burn towards the end of the first season. By “Signal from Sector Six,” the series has done an effective job of establishing its style and pacing, though, and is well on its way to being a memorable piece of the galaxy far, far away.
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.