Doctor Aphra #5 constitutes the fifth installment of the Marvel comic book series titled Star Wars: Doctor Aphra. This comic's narrative is crafted by Kieron Gillen, complemented by the artistic contributions of Kev Walker. Its official release date was March 8, 2017.
As Captain Magna Tolvan nears the Citadel of Rur aboard a Lambda-class shuttle, she announces to her officers that she seeks redemption. She instructs her snowtroopers to establish control over the space station and to engage with lethal force.
In a parallel scene, Chelli Lona Aphra and her father, Korin Aphra, are inspecting the remains of deceased Jedi. Korin takes offense at his daughter's cynical remarks, emphasizing the agonizing deaths these Jedi endured. He laments the tragic fate of those who dedicated their lives to peace, meeting such a gruesome end. Korin is further angered when his daughter starts to pilfer lightsabers from the corpses. Aphra defends her actions, arguing that archaeology is essentially grave robbing masked by "official documentation," and she emphasizes her need to settle outstanding debts.
Upon hearing Krrsantan's roar, Aphra clarifies that she promised to locate the individuals responsible for training him as a gladiator. She explains that his objection isn't to the gladiator lifestyle itself, but to being controlled by others. She quips that subtle, barbed aggression is her signature move.
The Aphras, alongside Triple Zero and BT-1 ("Beetee"), encounter a sealed blast door. They discover a generator surrounded by the bodies of organic beings and droids. Triple Zero engages in conversation with Beetee, confidently stating that their human superiors undoubtedly noticed the crystal shards scattered on the floor. He adds that their superiority is evident in every aspect, otherwise they wouldn't be in charge.
Aphra questions Korin about how to reactivate the generator. When her father produces crystals from his bag, Aphra inquires about their quantity. Korin replies that if he had gathered them on Yavin 4, they would possess a diverse collection. However, they only have a single crystal. Aphra suggests that she might be able to replicate its function and instructs Triple Zero and Beetee to retrieve a crystal modulator from the Ark Angel II.
During the droids' absence, Korin discovers a holographic image of Rur. He asks Aphra if she can access the logs from this location. Aphra acknowledges that the core is inactive but commits to attempting to open the blast door. Aphra succeeds in opening the blast door, revealing a sequence of crystal-covered walkways encircling a cylindrical core. En route back to the ship, Triple Zero and Beetee narrowly avoid a snowtrooper patrol led by Captain Tolvan.
The Aphras realize that the walkways lead directly into the vacuum of space. Korin explains that the Ordu Aspectu sought to instill in their followers an understanding of their insignificance in comparison to the vastness of space. He notes that civilians coexisted with the Ordu, validating the theory of Lupin Tutax. Aphra sarcastically comments that they all suffered painful deaths.
Aphra observes that the station has direct vents into open space. Given that they are still able to breathe, she deduces that the life support system must operate independently. Korin agrees, stating that this aligns with Ordu theories and suggests that it is likely integrated into the core computer. Aphra inquires about the location of the computer core, expressing her desire to uncover the events that transpired. Korin indicates that it is situated within the central sphere.
At that precise moment, the Aphras and Black Krssantan are ambushed by snowtroopers commanded by Captain Tolvan. While the Aphras and the Wookiee seek cover behind a sizable ice crystal, Triple Zero and Beetee report that they have neutralized two Imperials aboard the Ark Angel II and inquire whether they should secure the vessel and potentially eliminate any remaining threats. Aphra expresses her gratitude to Triple Zero for the warning. She instructs Krrsantan to delay the Imperials before retreating. She also directs Triple Zero to locate a secure extraction point.
Korin reminds his daughter that they must reach the core to access the Ordu Aspectu's records. Aphra contemplates the possibility of the Ark Angel extracting them and questions how they can traverse to the core. Captain Tolvan orders Squad Beta to outflank their targets and Squad Alpha to provide suppressive fire. Krrsantan successfully deceives the snowtroopers into believing they have eliminated him and discreetly escapes.
Concurrently, Korin and Aphra discover a Force bridge and evade blaster fire to reach the computer core. Triple Zero informs Aphra that Black Krrsantan is with them and that he will be departing. He adds that even if she survives this ordeal, Aphra will still owe Krrsantan a debt. Aphra angrily instructs Triple Zero to inform Krrsantan that even if he were romantically involved with a bantha, she would still be more attractive. Korin asks his daughter what their next course of action is while seeking shelter.
Korin instructs his daughter to prepare to flee as she targets an overhead structure, causing it to collapse onto one of the ice bridges, sending at least three snowtroopers into the abyss. Aphra and Korin ascend to the core via an elevator, which leads them to a crystal. Korin identifies the crystal as "Immortal Rur" himself.
Given that the computer lacks a crystal, Korin is unable to restart it. Aphra questions her father's unwavering devotion to the Ordu Aspectu. Korin responds that he was striving to restore light to the universe. Aphra mocks her father's ambition to save the universe, dismissing it as a frightening place. Korin reveals to Aphra that the Great Jedi Purge motivated him to revive the Ordu, aiming to establish a safer galaxy for his daughter to mature in.
He clarifies that Aphra's mother, Lona Aphra, disagreed because she believed in living without fear of consequences. Korin explains to Aphra that his decision to leave his wife was never about him. When he asks if Lona harbored hatred towards him, Aphra responds that her mother simply believed he was mistaken. Korin expresses regret that he and his wife were unable to reconcile their differences and apologizes to his daughter for her being caught in the crossfire. He apologizes that he and Lona were not good parents to Aphra.
Korin reveals that Toob-Nix, the Sava from whom she stole the Abersyn symbiotes, passed away the previous month. Before his death, he sought vengeance against Aphra for undermining his academic research by leaking information about her crimes to her own father, knowing that Aphra detested her father. She was under the impression that Korin also hated his daughter. Korin offers to reinstate his daughter's doctorate if they survive, as a gesture of reconciliation. Aphra asks her dad how he can be certain that she won't betray him.
Aphra unveils that she secretly kept the crystal required to activate the computer and returns it to her father. She explains that it restarts the computer and is the sole means of accessing the records. Aphra speculates that Rur perished while deactivating the system. She asks her father how eager he is to access the information on the Ordo Aspectu that he had sought for all these years.
Rur inserts the crystal into the computer, and they are confronted by a green holographic entity claiming to be Rur. The "Eternal Rur" inquires about the current time. When Korin remarks that Rur is deceased, Eternal Rur asserts that the shell was the false Rur. "Eternal Rur" seizes control of a derelict droid and identifies himself as Rur. Aphra remarks that the feeling "I told you so" is going to be awful lot less satisfying than she thought it would be.