"Bounty Hunters #21: Crimson Reign, The Corellia Gambit" by Ethan Sacks

"Bounty Hunters #21: Crimson Reign, The Corellia Gambit" written by Ethan Sacks, illustrated by Paolo Villanelli and Bryan Valenza

Full of action and very busy visually, this issue was more of a miss than a win for me. It was super straightforward without much of any intrigue or plot twists...just a whole ton of fighting. I guess it did advance the story forward in terms of dealing with a threat to Cadeliah's life, but the path we took to get here is a bit fuzzy for me. Last thing we knew (from the previous issue), Zuckuss severed 4-LOM's head from his body and used it to ping for mentions of Cadeliah on comms. The only info they came across was that Crimson Dawn was moving to capture Cadeliah...and suddenly in this issue we're on Corellia with a whole plan to do what exactly?? Just kill Vukorah?? Also, 4-LOM appears to be back whole and not just a head attached to the ship. When did this happen?? How were they able to control the newly murderous droid?? The flow from last issue to this issue was not good and I feel like I have more questions than answers... 

This issue opens up with T'onga having a nightmare that seems eerily similar to the situation she was in toward the beginning of the series--Boba Fett shooting her in cold blood and her escaping with her life, unbeknownst to him. But this time there's a twist...T'ongor, T'onga's brother appears and tells her she can't give up until she finds Cadelliah because saving the girl would make his death not meaningless. She wakes up in a sweat (see below--T'onga and Losha sharing a bed *heart*) and hears the sound of the comm going off only to find Syphacc, the guy who divvies out bounties, on the other end of the line. Turns out, Dengar is holding him up at gun point out of frame, demanding to know the whereabouts of T'onga's crew so he can eliminate them for Crimson Dawn. T'onga refuses to give Syphacc any information, but Syphacc tells Dengar that the woman doesn't have much of anywhere else to turn to...he might be wrong in that fact what with Bossk, Zuckuss, Tasu Leech, and her beau at her side!!

Then we see the crew in Lady Proxima's lair in Coronet City on Corellia. Lady Proximas is none to happy with the alliance between the Unbroken Clan and Crimson Dawn. According to the Grindalid, Vukorah has been "freeing" children in the White Worms Gang...but only so they will then work for her and the Unbroken Clan. T'onga and crew get intel on the Unbroken Clan's defenses from Lady Proxima and a plan is formed around the following: Vukorah's personal bodyguards are some of the best pit fighters in the galaxy, many Unbroken Clan thugs surround the perimeter, probe droids hover in the surrounding air, and snipers lay poised on the surrounding rooftops. They seem to be infiltrating just fine until at the very end...starfighters and a whole hoard of more cronies appear!! Dun, dun dun!!

One of their tacks is for Bossk and Tasu Leech to pretend to be members of the Unbroken Clan holding T'onga hostage and claiming she is a member of the Mourner's Wail Syndicate (the opposing criminal organization). Just before Vukorah follows through on T'onga's execution, the bounty hunter claims to have a message for the Unbroken Clan leader...but the message is simply, "Choom choom" a.k.a. Losha blasting away at everyone around her wife!! ("Always got your back, my love." see below) Bossk attacks and ends up under a pile of stuff, injured. Tasu Leech attacks an old "friend" from the gladiator pits, Rodrigu Battle--a Zabrak--, promising to not cut off his arm this time...and instead cuts off his leg!! (see below) Eventually, amongst all the crazy action, T'onga manages to inject Vukorah with a venom, perhaps Sarlacc venom??, and despite her bluster, the Unbroken Clan leader falls unconscious (see below). 

So, like I said, LOTS of action and not too much story. But I have tons of faith in this particular series so I'm looking forward to seeing how the story progresses, regardless!!