Doctor Aphra (2016) 2

Aphra finds herself in a predicament, owing numerous debts. Can she skillfully evade the Empire, a multitude of Bounty Hunters, and virtually everyone else throughout the galaxy?

The narrative of the second issue commences with a retrospective glimpse into Aphra's early years. Aphra's father returns to his residence, only to discover it ablaze and his wife deceased. A youthful Aphra castigates her father for his habitual absence during her and her mother's lives, accusing him of neglect.

Transitioning to the present, the storyline resumes from where the previous issue concluded — on Archaeo-Prime, a specialized marketplace facilitating the trade of archaeological artifacts, overseen by the Archaeological Association. Aphra's father resurfaces in her life, revealing that he orchestrated the suspension of her doctorate upon discovering her fabrication regarding the Abersyn symbiotes on Boothi XII. Much to Aphra's chagrin, her father seeks her assistance in his latest endeavor to locate the elusive Ordu Aspectu, a lifelong obsession of his. She escorts him back to the Ark Angel II to deliberate on the matter.

Aboard the Ark Angel, Aphra brandishes her blaster, aiming it directly at her father. She demands the reinstatement of her professional reputation. Aphra's father dismisses her threat, prompting Aphra to instruct Triple Zero to carry out the task. However, at the crucial moment, her conscience prevails, and she invites her father aboard to engage in further discussion. Within her vessel, Aphra's father commences the tale of the Ordu Aspectu.

A squadron of Jedi Penumbra-1 shattersprites converge upon a space station known as the Fortress of Garn. Rur, the leader of the Ordu Aspectu, implores the Jedi to halt their aggression. Rur's second-in-command, a man named Amon, informs his superior that the Jedi have already infiltrated the fortress. With reluctance, they prepare for battle, but Rur commands Amon to avoid taking lives whenever possible.

The "Jedi," clad in black attire and wielding red lightsabers, have successfully breached the fortress's defenses. The Ordu Aspectu, armed with blue lightsabers, confront them in combat. The "Jedi" have arrived to eradicate the Ordu Aspectu's "heresy," asserting that their unwavering pursuit of immortality has transformed them into adversaries of one another. One of the "Jedi," a Togruta, strikes down Amon amidst the chaotic fray. Rur, desperate to avert "another lost eternity," reaches out with the Force, causing the Fortress of Garn, along with both the "Jedi" and Ordu warriors, to be abruptly consumed by the void.

Returning to the present, Aphra's father elucidates his motivations for seeking the lost fortress of the Ordu Aspectu. He posits that Rur achieved his quest for immortality and that discovering the fortress could instigate a "spiritual renaissance, a [re]awakening of the Force." Aphra, however, holds a divergent interpretation of historical events...

Flashback to the Fortress of Garn, revisited. A squadron of Jedi vessels converges upon the space station. Rur, accompanied by his lieutenant Amon, both adorned in black armor, issues the approaching Jedi an ultimatum: retreat, or they will execute the Padawans they have captured. Subsequently, a massive explosion erupts as the Jedi, clad in white and wielding blue lightsabers, penetrate the fortress. The red glow of the Ordu Aspectu's blades illuminates the scene as they engage the Jedi in combat; lightning torments the captive Padawans. Amon activates a computer terminal, sacrificing himself in the process, and the Fortress of Garn, along with both Jedi and Ordu Aspectu, is engulfed by the void.

Back in the present timeline, Aphra and her father continue their debate. Aphra contends that the Ordu Aspectu's "heresy" had no connection to eternal life but rather pertained to the "possessive infinite," an age-old dispute among Jedi grammarians. She accuses her father of "chasing mist" — a metaphorical pursuit — yet reluctantly agrees to assist him, if only to demonstrate his error. Meanwhile, BT-1 suggests the possibility that the Fortress of Garn was, in reality, a colossal BT-1 assassin droid, a proposition that Triple Zero hesitantly dismisses.

The Ark Angel hovers in orbit above the gas giant Yavin. Aphra's father directs Aphra and her crew toward the fourth moon within the system. On the surface of the forest moon, Aphra, her father, and Krrsantan observe a complex of ancient temple structures from the summit of a rocky plateau. Utilizing a pair of binocs, Aphra identifies a contingent of stormtroopers, accompanied by a squadron of AT-AT's and AT-ST's, occupying the temple complex.