Princess Leia 2

• When PrincessLeia Organa was captured by the Empire as a Rebel spy, she never betrayed her convictions, even in the face of the complete destruction of her home world, Alderaan. When her rescue came, she grabbed a blaster and joined the fight, escaping back to the Rebel Alliance and helping strike the biggest blow against the Empire—the destruction of the Death Star. But in the aftermath of that victory, the question remains...what is a princess without a world?
• Writer Mark Waid (Daredevil, S.H.I.E.L.D.) and artist Terry Dodson (Avengers & X-Men: Axis, Uncanny X-Men) bring us a story of Leia's quest to help her people and find her place in the galaxy.

Aboard a T-1 shuttle bound for Naboo, Princess Leia Organa sits down to a meal of boiled ruica as the pilot Evaan Verlaine watches on. Organa insists that Verlaine join her and the former Royalist reluctantly agrees. While eating the boiled ruica, Organa sniffs the food, causing Verlaine to wonder if Organa likes ruica. Organa thinks back to a memory of her as a young girl on Alderaan, and of her adoptive father, Bail Organa, who urges young Leia to finish her ruica so she can grow big and strong. Leia tells Verlaine that she "…likes it all right" and continues eating.

Organa thinks back to another memory from Alderaan where she is sparring with a redhead, female instructor on a mountain cliff. Young Organa knocks down her instructor and flexes, bragging that she is strong because she eats her Ruica. Bail Organa arrives and scolds Leia for not being at her language lesson. Leia protests, saying she wants to be a queen of action, not of talking. As Bail takes her back home aboard a shuttle, he tells her that while a princess is sometimes able to think of herself, she must always be thinking of others. He reminds her of the way they trade for Ruica seeds and how Alderaan must continue to share its beauty and culture with the galaxy. "Whatever happens, Leia," he tells her, "you must keep Alderaan alive." Back in the T-1 shuttle, Leia Organa sits alone at the table and quietly apologizes for failing her father.

Meanwhile at Club Deeja in the Naboo city of Keren, the club's manager asks Uwa Pareece, the leader of the Melodic Order, to play in person. However, Parecee says that would break her band's cloister vow of not polluting their music with outside influences. When the manager says he understands that it is not easy, Parecee struggles with keeping the destruction of Alderaan a secret from her musicians. Pareece reluctantly coughs up the money for the manager while regretting betraying everything she has known.

When their T-1 shuttle exits above Naboo, Princess Leia tells R2-D2 to transmit the entry beacon, which identifies them as Imperial auditors. Verlaine thinks that it is risky for Princess Leia, who has a bounty on her head, to walk into the Emperor's homeworld of Naboo. However, Leia is determined to rescue members of an Alderaanian cloister on Naboo and get them offworld.

After landing in Theed, Princess Leia manages to bluff her way through Imperial customs by posing as First Minister "Solo." While passing a glass painting of her late mother Queen Padmé Amidala, Princess Leia sees Amidala turn to face her momentarily. However, Verlaine notices nothing. Leia thinks it is an illusion.

Shortly later, Leia and Verlaine are greeted by Lord Junn, an old Alderaanian friend. The two embrace but Verlaine reminds Leia to keep her hood up. Leia introduces Verlaine to Lord Junn. At Lord Junn's opulent apartment, Lord Junn offers to help Leia find the Melodic Order before the Galactic Empire does. He tells her to make herself comfortable while he makes a call. While Leia feels comfortable with her old friend, Verlaine and R2-D2 remain suspicious.

When Verlaine reiterates her concern about the bounty on Leia's head and the false name she gave at the spaceport, Leia reassures her that R2-D2 is here to handle it. Returning, Lord Junn tells Leia that he has managed to reach Mul Sanaka, the owner of Club Deeja in Marina District, who has an arrangement with the Melodic Order. He tells her to use his name because Mul Sanaka is already indebted to him. Junn tells her not to underestimate him.

Elsewhere, Pareece receives a transmission from Sanaka telling her that trouble is coming and not to organize more holo-shows until he says otherwise. Tace then enters the room and says that she needs to send an urgent hologram to Alderaan. Unable to break the news about Alderaan's destruction, Pareece denies her request until Tace masters the new Ruuscan song she had asked about.

Disguised as Imperial auditors, Princess Leia and Verlaine travel on their T-1 shuttle to Club Deeja. They are confronted by Mul Sanaka and his Besalisk henchwoman Snes, who demand that they hand over their weapons. Pareece recognizes Leia despite the disguise. Snes, who has recognized the wanted Princess, tries to lead Leia into a trap but gives herself away when she calls Leia Princess. Leia and Verlaine fight and subdue Snes and the other Besalisks enforcers. Sanaka tries to finish off Leia and Verlaine but is instead knocked out by Pareece.

An apologetic Pareece tells Leia that she is unworthy of being rescued because she has done a terrible thing. With Leia, Verlaine, and R2-D2 present, Pareece addresses the Melodic Order and tells them the truth about Alderaan's destruction. Leia calms the musicians by telling them not to cast blame and instead to stick together because they have lost their loved ones and homeworld. She tells them that their creativity is keeping Alderaan alive and vows to reclaim every lost orphan of Alderaan.

Realizing that Lord Junn betrayed her, Leia confronts him in his apartment. When Leia asks how he knew that she would be at the starport, he replies that her stolen Imperial signal gave him away. Junn explains that he did not kill her inside his palace to avoid becoming a rebel target. He gambled that getting her killed behind a sleazy nightclub was a better idea. To placate Leia who is armed with a blaster, Junn allows Leia to take his luxury ship to transport the Melodic Order.

Leia's T-2 shuttle and the pleasure craft Lord Junn travel to the Sullust system in the Outer Rim Territories. While Pareece flies the shuttle, Tace talks to her sister Tula and tells her that she is quitting the Melodic Order once she has gotten off the ship. However, Tula tells her that she must not because her duty is to serve Princess Leia. When Tace tells her sister she misses him, Tula promises to stay in touch and tells her to keep her informed about her location.

Unknown to Tace, Tula is an Imperial officer whose loyalty has been put into question. A stormtrooper points a blaster at Tula's head.

• UPC 759606081424; March 18, 2015; Marvel Comics

• Star Wars: Princess Leia
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