Fulfilling these three goals could not have been easy as Vector involved the writing talents of four writers: John Jackson Miller, Mick Harrison, Rob Williams and John Ostrander; as well as numerous artists and inkers; so the question is, have they achieved these goals?
This review will examine each of the four Chapters of Vector, each written by one of the aforementioned writers, and measure them against Dark Horse Comics' own criteria, and see how they perform.

A brief story synopsis:
Vector was Dark Horse Comics' most ambitious Star Wars project ever. It spans more than 4,100 years on the Star Wars timeline; is told through four Chapters; is spread across four eras: The Old Republic (Chapter One), The Rise of the Empire (Chapter Two), The Rebellion (Chapter Three) and Legacy of the Force (Chapter Four) and crossovers all four of Dark Horse Comics comic series': Knights of the Old Republic; Dark Times, Rebellion and Legacy.
Beginning 3,963 years before the Battle of Yavin, it tells the story of Jedi Knight Celeste Morne, a member of a secret covenant dedicated to preventing the return of the Sith, and her encounter with a mysterious Sith artefact known as the Muur Talisman. This artefact contains the spirit of a Sith Lord, Karness Muur, and through it, the Sith Lord can control its bearer. It also imbues its host with the power to transform at will almost any sentient life-form into a mindless, savage beast known as a Rakghoul. Vector follows Celeste, her battle to control both the Talisman's power and the spirit of Karness Muur, and the lives of the people she and the Talisman affect as she journeys through four millennia on the Star Wars timeline.

Chapter One
Published as issues Knights of the Old Republic #25 thru #28; written by John Jackson Miller

Vector begins in the 25th issue of John Jackson Miller's successful Knights of the Old Republic series, a series that has already established its main protagonists: Jedi Padawan Zayne Carrick, wrongly accused of the murder of his fellow Padawans; and his con-artist friend Gryph; and in terms of new readers to the series, the first issue does well to establish the series' main antagonist, Lucien Draay. Although a bit disorienting to begin with, the introduction of Vector's principle characters, Jedi Knight Celeste Morne and Sith Lord Karness Muur, is handled well and by the last issue (Knights of the Old Republic #28) the reader has a full understanding of Vector's premise and the threat to the galaxy the Muur Talisman presents.
However the development of Zayne, and in particular Gryph, who as a comedic side-kick in previous stories seems to have been magnified two-fold, in determining Zayne's innocence is placed on a back-burner as their presence in the story is used mainly for exposition. Their encounter with Celeste and the Muur Talisman seems to be more coincidence than providence and it is only towards the end of this Chapter that their presence is apparently justified.
By the end of the Chapter, Celeste voluntarily agrees to enter a stasis chamber to prevent the spread of the Talisman's powers, while Zayne is supposed to get help from the Jedi Order. However their plan is scuppered when Zayne witnesses the planet's annihilation by the Mandalorians with Celeste still encased in the chamber on the planet's surface.
Overall Chapter One succeeds in achieving both goals #2 and #3 as character introductions are handled well, even if a bit disorienting to begin with and readers do not need to be over familiar with previous stories from the Knights of the Old Republic comics. However, whether Vector changed the course of Knights of the Old Republic significantly is debatable, as Zayne was already on his quest to clear his name and it is only at the end of this Chapter that his encounter with Celeste bears fruit. Therefore Chapter One fails to achieve goal #1.

Chapter Two
Published as issues Dark Times #11 and #12; written by Mick Harrison

It would be fair to say that for new readers the opening of Chapter Two could be considered confusing as it is a direct follow on from the events depicted in the Parallels storyline. However Harrison attempts some exposition to explain the mysterious crate using a series of flashbacks, but where Chapter Two fails, especially for new readers, is the lack of character development of Dark Times' protagonists: Captain Heren and the crew of the Uhemele. In this short two-issue story, the reader cannot fully emphathise with their situation nor their fate, even when one succumbs to the Rakghoul plague and Heren is forced to kill one of his own crewmates.
Nearly four thousand years have passed since Chapter One and the highlight of this Chapter is definitely Celeste's "awakening" after four millennia in stasis by Darth Vader. Her realisation and disappointment that Zayne has failed in his promise to free her of the Talisman; her understanding and anger that the Sith once again control the galaxy; and her duels, one inside her head, one inside the cavern, with two Sith Lords, Vader and Muur. By the end of her confrontation with Vader, Celeste is a prisoner of both her location, stranded on a desolate nameless moon, and of the Talisman's evil spirit; while Vader and Captain Heren and his surviving crew make their separate escapes.
It is difficult to see in this Chapter how their encounter with Celeste and the Talisman actually had a lasting effect. Previous issues of Dark Times had already established the premise of the mysterious crate, the Vector issues merely opened it. While this led the Uhemele's crew into direct contact with Celeste, the Talisman and Vader, its effect was really only the deaths of at least two crew members (of which we cannot overly empathise with) and possibly it will ensure that Captain Heren will never again transport an unknown cargo! Thus Chapter Two also fails to achieve goal #1.
However It achieves goal #2 because Harrison's exposition of the mysterious crate's history ensures that new readers, Dark Times readers and non-Knights of the Old Republic readers are aware of its relevance. And it achieves goal #3 only in the sense that some readers wouldn't purchase further issues of Dark Times as there is no real interest in discovering the fate of Captain Heren and his crew!

Chapter Three
Published as issues Rebellion #15 and #16; written by Rob Williams

To be fair, Williams probably had the easiest task of character introduction as the story features as its principles Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo and Chewbacca not long after the Battle of Yavin (and who isn't familiar with these characters?). Williams also includes other characters created in the Empire comic series, however the importance of the Vector storyline to all of these characters is not apparent to begin with. All of them, with the exception of those who lose their lives, do not benefit from their encounter with Celeste and the Talisman, and all we get is a premonition from Celeste during her encounter with Luke: "There is darkness in you, little Jedi. It's in your blood. In your past and your future." Once again we have a Chapter that does not develop enough in its short two-issue span. Instead what we have is more of a side-mission for our Rebellion heroes in which their encounter with Celeste could almost be a story that never occurred.
This lacklustre Chapter ends with our film heroes, minus a few of their comrades, escaping Celeste and the Talisman's powers, and in doing so Celeste makes the realisation that she can be both a prisoner of the Talisman as well as a prison for Muur's spirit. And so, thanks to Han rescuing the Rebels in the Millennium Falcon, she can escape the moon in the Rebels' abandoned transport craft.
Chapter Three is certainly "reader-friendly" if only because the majority of readers would be extremely familiar with the majority of characters, but explanation for Celeste is left late in the Chapter and so feels like it is more of a direct sequel to the events in Chapter Two, particularly as a conclusion to Vader's quest to acquire the Talisman. For these reasons Chapter Three fails to achieve all three goals.

Chapter Four
Published as issues Legacy #28 thru #31; written by John Ostrander

Ostrander's Legacy series, like Miller's Knights of the Old Republic, is a well-established comic story spanning 27 previous issues with all-new Star Wars characters in a time where all of our film heroes are dead. Of all the Chapters, Chapter Four has the best continuation with an ongoing storyline. For new and non-Legacy readers this is a confusing issue with little or no exposition from Ostrander on his characters, but the use of just two flashback sequences clearly establishes Celeste and the Talisman's raison d'être for Legacy fans not following the rest of the Vector story. Without a doubt, Ostrander's menagerie of characters are the most diverse of all those encountered in the Vector storyline. Our hero, Cade Skywalker, is more of an anti-hero than hero: a self-confessed drug addict, trying to escape his destiny as the last of the Skywalker Jedi dynasty; is a man who, seemingly caring for no-one but himself, is actually the most loyal and self-sacrificing of people, especially towards his fellow comrades-in-arms.
Over a hundred years have passed since Celeste's encounter with Luke Skywalker and for the last ten years she has imposed on herself an exile to the hyperspace lanes of the Deep Core when her path crosses with Cade's (who is on a mission to kill the Sith Emperor). Once again Celeste discovers that the galaxy is under the control of the Sith and agrees to join Cade in his quest.
Of all the Chapters, and perhaps because this is the last Chapter and is thus Vector's conclusion, it stands best as a stand-alone story. However, it can be argued that since Cade's mission was already underway by the time Celeste was encountered, were her and the Talisman actually necessary in this particular Legacy storyline? Would Cade have succeeded without Celeste's assistance? At points it felt like Celeste was just another member of Cade's unlikely group of bounty hunters, Jedi and Imperial Knights; all determined to kill the Sith Emperor. However, Ostrander's development of his characters within the context of Celeste and the Talisman early in the Chapter is superb. We can clearly see what the Talisman's powers mean to each individual in Cade's group, and in this Chapter it really does affect them, and it is for this reason that Chapter Four just achieves goal #1.
Unfortunately, whilst Chapter Four achieves goal #2 in terms of long-term Legacy readers, it also fails as new readers could find themselves looking at previous Legacy comics to better understand Cade's story. Certainly it achieves goal #3, but with reservations as to understanding the pre-existing context of the Legacy storyline.

Conclusion
As Dark Horse Comics' first Star Wars crossover story, Vector had a great premise: a Jedi Knight of the Old Republic trapped with the evil spirit of a dead but powerful Sith Lord, who encounters and interacts with the characters from four different time periods and four different comic series. It's then a shame that Dark Horse Comics have failed to achieve more than half of these goals over the four Chapters.
However this shouldn't distract too much from the accomplishment that Dark Horse Comics has achieved: the first true crossover story in Star Wars' history. Certainly for the continuing comic series: Knights of the Old Republic, Legacy and Dark Times; Vector's repercussions will be felt on their characters as those series progress through 2009.

Vector has been collected into two graphic novels: Vector: Volume 1 collates Chapters One and Two and Vector: Volume 2 contains Chapters Three and Four.

© 2009 swbooks.co.uk

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