Star Wars: Allegiance #3 Review

1.5K

Nostalgia and old traditions hold the fate of the galaxy in their hands as the Resistance fights for the support of Mon Cala in Star Wars: Allegiance #3.

Warning: This article contains plot points for Star Wars: Allegiance #3.

Allegiance #3

Writer: Ethan Sacks | Artist: Luke Ross | Colorist: Lee Loughridge | Letterer: VC’s Clayton Cowles | Cover Artist: Marco Checcheto | Assistant Editor: Tom Groneman | Editor: Mark Paniccia

The old ways and nostalgia dominate in Star Wars: Allegiance #3. While Leia attempted to negotiate for an alliance with the Mon Cala in Star Wars: Allegiance #2, rogue Quarrens attacked Rey, Rose, and Chewbacca on their landing platform. As this issue begins, Leia and her allies are called to answer for their transgressions in a politically charged atmosphere. Call backs to the past and tradition control the destiny of the Resistance on Mon Cala. Elsewhere, Finn and Poe deal with another threat as Allegiance #3 continues the story of the Resistance’s efforts to gather resources and allies.

Echoes of the Past

There is an indignity and injustice to the proceedings in the Court of Justice on Mon Cala. At the beginning of Allegiance #3, Rey, Rose, Chewbacca, and Threepio are made to answer for defending themselves from an angry mob that attacked them. The Quarren prosecutor misrepresents the series of events by claiming the Resistance launched an unprovoked attack. There are no witnesses to this event presented at the trial. Regardless, the proceedings get sidetracked quickly.

Leia and Aftab Ackbar, Admiral Ackbar’s son, act as the defense counsel. Before any evidence can be admitted, Chadkol Gree, the Quarren prosecutor then distracts the session by proposing the Ancient Rite of Challenge, which is another way of saying “trial by combat.” Rey, having grown impatient with the proceedings, quickly accepts before she fully understands what she has gotten herself into.

What exactly Rey has gotten herself into is a duel to the death or submission. The cards are stacked against her. Although Chadkol issued the challenge, he is permitted to have his security droid, a restored relic from the Clone Wars, fight in his place. This is a minor flaw in this issue unless the intention was to demonstrate corruption inside the Mon Cala government. Why would a droid be permitted to fight as a champion? It can simply be programmed to not submit, which is an unfair advantage.

The trial, short as it was, evoked memories of Padmé Amidala. She preceded her daughter by decades in appealing to Mon Cala for their allegiance during the Clone Wars. Also, Rey echoed, intentional or not, language famously utilized by Padmé when she appealed to the Galactic Senate for help on Coruscant. Rey declares, “We don’t have time for endless debate,” in the middle of her trial, and follows it up with, “I am not going to let my friends suffer while I can do something about it.” Her statements echo those of Padmé’s declaration that she could not allow her people to suffer and die while the Senate debated sending Naboo aid in committee. Rey, like Padmé, elected decisive action, rash as it may have been.

Finn and Poe

The other storyline of Allegiance #3 concerns Finn and Poe as they attempt to elude bounty hunters on the Moon of Avedot while retrieving weapons from a secret Rebel cache. Kendoh’s band of mercenaries are after the bounty placed on Finn, and they would prefer to take him alive. However, after eliminating the Resistance operatives that accompanied them to the base, they are unaware that Poe is still with Finn. The weapons at the base are crucial to the Resistance, so the pair concocts a plan to distract Kendoh and escape. Naturally, not everything goes according to plan.

There is nothing particularly wrong with this story line, but in comparison to the main plot, it seems a bit unnecessary. More specifically, it simply isn’t as important despite Poe’s insistence that the Resistance needs these weapons. Thus far, there is no real opportunity for a character arc for either Poe or Finn. They are simply on an adventure. While there is nothing wrong with an adventure, this space might have been better devoted to the main plot line featuring Leia, Rey, Rose, and Chewbacca. There is much more intrigue and opportunity for character growth there.

The Arena

When Allegiance #3’s story returns to Rey, she is in the arena fighting Chadkol’s droid. She fights well, but perhaps she is a bit overconfident. The turning point comes when the droid begins indiscriminately firing upon Rey regardless of the citizens in the area. When Rey realizes this, she begins warning the observers. Rose then takes matters into her own hands and shoots the droid in the head, ending the threat. However, this interference is deemed as a violation of the rules of the challenge, and the law prescribes exile as a punishment.

On the one hand, this is a clever bit of maneuvering on Chadkol’s part to get rid of Leia and her allies. There are two issues with this. First, there is no allowance for Chadkol’s rogue droid causing the interference. If the intention was to highlight Mon Cala’s rigid laws and customs, then this is well done. Otherwise, it is something of a mockery of an alternative dispute resolution system where one party can force the hand of the other to violate a rule in the service of saving innocent lives without consequences. In addition, Chadkol benefitted from his recklessness. On the whole, this scene provokes outrage in the reader, and it is successful in that regard.

Final Thoughts on Star Wars: Allegiance #3

Allegiance #3 is a good issue that highlights Rey’s character arc, the corrupt political atmosphere on Mon Cala, and the difficulty of remaining true to one’s ideals. Rey’s impatience and eagerness to fight for her friends short circuited the trial. If she had been more patient, perhaps proper evidence would have exonerated them. She will need to learn some modicum of patience in order to succeed as a Jedi. The trial and resulting challenge highlighted the corruption in Mon Cala’s traditions, noble as they might have been. Rose apologizes to Leia for ruining the negotiations by shooting the droid, but Leia quickly assures her there is nothing to apologize for. Leia reminds Rose that “[n]o warships are worth the cost of losing sight of what we’re fighting for.” Their ideals aren’t for sale.

The First Order is on its way to Mon Cala. The timing is a little unfortunate for Chadkol considering he just managed to get Leia and her companions exiled from the planet. That exile though has its own complications as someone blew up Leia’s shuttle before they could board. There is a single issue for the momentum to shift on Mon Cala. The sabotage of Leia’s shuttle and the arrival of the First Order likely has a lot to say about what happens next.