The hunt for Rivas was undertaken by Captain Phasma, the First Order TIE fighter pilot TN-3465, and the BB unit BB-K8 to hunt down Lieutenant Sol Rivas for his alleged "treason" against the First Order. In truth, Phasma had initiated the operation to eliminate Rivas since he was the only one who knew that Phasma had betrayed the First Order to save herself by lowering the shields of Starkiller Base.
Following the Battle of Starkiller Base, Sol Rivas fled to the uncharted planet of Luprora where he was captured by the R'ora, a fearsome alien species indigenous to the planet. Captain Phasma, TN-3465 and BB-K8 followed Rivas on a TIE/sf space superiority fighter. Over the next four days, Phasma enlisted the help of the humanoid Lupr'or in attacking the R'ora stronghold. Using generators salvaged from an abandoned Lupr'or starship, Phasma and her Lupr'or army managed to electrocute the Tsw'ells in the lake guarding the R'ora stronghold.
While the Lupr'or fought the R'ora, Phasma executed Rivas following a verbal confrontation. Before departing Luprora, Phasma destroyed BB-K8 and killed TN-3465 in order to kill anyone who knew of her true role in Starkiller Base's destruction. Phasma then fabricated a report claiming that she had eliminated Rivas for his alleged treachery and that her comrades had perished in the process.
During the Battle of Starkiller Base, Captain Phasma, a leading First Order officer, was forced by Han Solo, Finn, and Chewbacca at gunpoint to lower the deflector shields protecting Starkiller Base; exposing the superweapon to a Resistance strike force. Phasma was then shoved down a garbage compactor but survived. After using an anti-armor acid compound to break through the garbage compactor's door, Captain Phasma returned to the console to delete all evidence of her malfeasance. However, she discovered that another First Order officer named Lieutenant Sol Rivas had already accessed the defense shield files. Resolving to hide her malfeasance, Phasma decided to frame Rivas for her crime.
As Starkiller Base collapsed due to the planet's ruptured fuel cells, Phasma pursued Rivas through the base and the planet's surface, narrowly escaping falling into magma. Lieutenant Rivas managed to flee to an auxiliary hangar on the surface where he stole a TIE/fo space superiority fighter. Phasma arrived at the hangar where she encountered the TIE fighter pilot TN-3465 and the BB unit BB-K8. BB-K8 was repairing TN-3465's TIE/sf space superiority fighter, which was not combat ready. Captain Phasma enlisted TN-3465 and BB-K8's services in hunting down Rivas for his alleged treason. The three escape Starkiller Base on the TIE/sf fighter before the planet was engulfed by the stored stellar energy it had drained from a nearby star.
While pursuing Rivas through space, Captain Phasma discovered that their TIE/sf fighter's armaments were inoperable since BB-K8 had not yet repaired them. Unable to shoot Rivas in space, Phasma ordered TN-3465 to tail Rivas. When Rivas' TIE/fo fighter ran out of fuel, he landed on Luprora, a remote planet in the Unknown Regions that was covered in mountains and ocean. Shortly after landing, Rivas was kidnapped by the R'ora, an amphibious alien species native to the planet.
Phasma and her team landed their TIE/sf fighter nearby. After inspecting the site of Rivas' fighter, Phasma ascertained that he had been captured by some creatures. Phasma subsequently discovered a nearby settlement across a lake. After changing into civilian clothes, Phasma, TN-3465, and BB-K8 waded across the lake to reach the settlement. However, Phasma was attacked by a giant tentacled monster known as the Tsw'ell but managed to kill the creature with her long knife. Her valor in combat impressed the humanoid Lupr'or settlers who inhabited the village.
Phasma and her team met Jair'i, the leader of the Lupr'or peoples on Luprora. He told them that his people were the descendants of offworld migrants who had abandoned technology in favor of fishing and farming. However, rising sea levels and the threat posed by the Tsw'ells and R'ora had forced them to migrate to their present settlement. Jair'i informed Phasma and TN-3465 that their "friend" had been captured by the R'ora. Jair'i sent a female guide named Dar'en to show Phasma and TN-3465 the R'ora stronghold in an attempt to convince Phasma of the futility of rescuing Rivas.
While studying the R'ora stronghold, Captain Phasma found that the water in the lake was less salty then expected. Dar'en then recommended that her guests depart due to the Tsw'ell monsters that inhabited the lake. Phasma subsequently learnt that the Tsw'ells slept in the early hours of the morning but not for long. Unable to blast the R'ora stronghold or the Tsw'ells, Phasma took an interest in a necklace worn by a young Lupr'or girl.
The young girl led Phasma, TN-3465, and Dar'en to her great grandmother Ali'ane, who informed Phasma that her people still kept technology on a ship in the mountains. With the aid of Ali'ane's great-granddaughter, Phasma and the others discovered the ship on top of a mountain. Returning to the village, TN-3465 tried to get Da'ren to bring everyone in the village but she only brought the men due to a translation error by BB-K8. Captain Phasma managed to impress the Lupr'or by donning her armor.
Captain Phasma managed to convince the Lupr'or to help her storm the R'ora stronghold by claiming that she had been sent to lead them to victory. In truth, Phasma planned to use the Lupr'or as cannon fodder while she carried out her true mission to eliminate Rivas for his purported treason. Using the salvaged generators, the Lupr'or electrocuted the Tsw'ells lurking in the lake, killing them. This enabled Phasma, TN-3465, and the Lupr'or to row their boats across the lake and climb the walls of the R'ora stronghold.
Descending down the battlements, Phasma and the Lupr'or attacked the R'ora in a fierce battle under the cover of rain. While the R'ora were distracted, Phasma and TN-3465 approached the R'ora tower at the center of the stronghold. Captain Phasma ordered TN-3465 to keep watch over their exit while she entered the tower to deal with Rivas. Inside, she found a battered and bound Rivas. Phasma tried to force Rivas to confess to his alleged treason but he instead confronted her about her role in Starkiller Base's destruction. To conceal her malfeasance and shameful secret, Phasma executed Rivas with her blaster.
Unknown to Phasma, her actions were witnessed by TN-3465, who tried to hide her knowledge of Phasma's role in Starkiller Base's destruction by expressing concern for the Lupr'or. Having eliminated the so-called "traitor", Phasma expressed indifference to the Lupr'or, claiming that they were colonists trying to seize Luprora from the indigenous population. Rationalizing that the Lupr'or were unsuitable to the planet's evolution, she abandoned them to the rising tide.
Before leaving Luprora on the TIE/sf fighter, Captain Phasma disintegrated BB-48 with her blaster before forcing TN-3465 to raise her hands at gunpoint. TN-3465 pleaded for her life but Phasma reiterated that she was a survivor who was determined to eliminate all loose ends. Phasma gave TN-3465 a quick death by shooting her through the chest. After laying her former comrade and BB-48 to rest, Phasma departed on the TIE/sf fighter.
Following the elimination of Sol Rivas and the potential witnesses, Captain Phasma filed a false report blaming Lieutenant Rivas for lowering Starkiller Base's shield. She claimed that she had been unable to return Rivas to the First Order alive for justice but had executed him for his crimes. Phasma also claimed that TN-3465 and BB-K8 had perished during the course of the mission.
After returning to the Resurgent-class Battlecruiser Finalizer, Captain Phasma reported to her commander General Armitage Hux, who asked her about her absence. Phasma told General Hux about her mission to hunt down Rivas for his alleged role in Starkiller Base's destruction. Satisfied wit her account, Hux allowed her to return to her divisional duties and praised her for her purported devotion to the First Order; unaware about the true events that had led to Starkiller Base's destruction.
The hunt for Rivas serves as the main plot element of Star Wars: Captain Phasma, a 2017 four-issue comic published by Marvel Comics as part of the Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi promotional material. This comic explores what happened to Phasma following the events of Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens. The events of the mission were created by Kelly Thompson, illustrated by Marco Checchetto, and colored by Andres Mossa.
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