Doctor Aphra (2016) 4
Doctor Aphra #4 represents the fourth installment in the comic book series Star Wars: Doctor Aphra, published by Marvel. Kieron Gillen penned the script for this issue, while Kev Walker provided the artwork. Its release date was February 8, 2017.
Official Synopsis
- Naturally, Aphra's father has guided her directly into harm's way.
- With her Yavin 4 endeavors concluded, Aphra embarks on a journey…
- …in pursuit of an incredibly potent weapon! [1]
Detailed Summary
Imperial Conflicts
On the planet Yavin 4, Captain Magna Tolvan observes the intense activity originating from the Great Temple's summit and deduces that the Wookiee, Krrsantan, served as a diversion. She commands her forces to converge on the Great Temple with the objective of apprehending the intruders.
At the temple's peak, Chelli Lona Aphra expresses her impatience to her father, Korin Aphra, urging their departure. Korin replies that he is currently taking readings with his device. Aphra instructs BT-1 to inform Krrsantan of their imminent departure aboard the Ark Angel II and to prepare the ship for takeoff. Before they can escape, Aphra is confronted by an Imperial officer accompanied by several stormtroopers.
Korin expresses his desire to retrieve the kyber crystals, but Aphra insists on immediate escape. BT-1 successfully delays the pursuing Imperials by deploying explosives, resulting in their deaths. Triple Zero commends his astromech droid counterpart for neutralizing the opposition. Aphra and her team attempt to flee through the main hall, only to encounter additional stormtroopers. Aphra engages in combat while her father and the others retreat.
Beetee activates deployable ramps, allowing Triple Zero to ride on him. They manage to exit the main hall, but unexpectedly find themselves in the path of an AT-AT walker. Captain Tolvan orders Aphra and her companions to surrender their weapons and demands an explanation for their presence in an area under strict Imperial control. Aphra and her father comply by dropping their weapons, but Captain Tolvan orders her stormtroopers to open fire upon them.
Escape from Yavin 4
However, Krrsantan arrives aboard the Ark Angel II and initiates fire upon the stormtroopers, enabling Aphra and her companions to escape via the ship's ramp. Aphra is the last to escape, clinging to the ship's ramp. Her father assists her in boarding the ship, remarking that had she remained in academia, she would now be on the tenure track. Krrsantan pilots them away from Yavin, leaving a frustrated Captain Tolvan behind.
Following their escape from Yavin 4, Aphra and Korin reconcile their differences. Aphra informs her father of her willingness to overcome any obstacles to reach his Ordu Aspectu. Korin assures her that he possesses the precise coordinates to the Citadel of Rur. Krrsantan then guides the ship into hyperspace.
Captain Tolvan's Debriefing
Returning to Yavin 4, Captain Tolvan transmits a hologram report concerning the "rebel" incursion to Admiral Ozzel. Tolvan suggests that the rebel actions aimed at disrupting their operations indicate that the Rebel Alliance may have left something behind at their former base. She posits that the Imperial mission may not have been entirely futile.
Ozzel suggests that discovering something would have greatly disappointed the late Grand General Cassio Tagge. She reminds Tolvan that her assignment to Yavin 4 was a punitive measure for her security lapse on Eadu. When Ozzel inquires about the rebels, Tolvan claims that she only possesses preliminary data that is not yet worth sharing.
Ozzel reminds Tolvan of her past potential for greatness and advises her to be grateful for Tagge's command. Ozzel further cautions that Lord Vader is less tolerant of failure. He warns Tolvan that her performance still falls short of Imperial expectations. Captain Tolvan and her troops subsequently depart aboard a Lambda-class shuttle.
Journey to the Citadel
Upon exiting hyperspace aboard the Ark Angel II, Korin expresses his astonishment at the reality of the Citadel of Rur. The city is constructed upon a floating asteroid. After landing within the ruined city, Aphra, Korin, Krrsantan, Triple Zero, and BT-1 encounter the skeletal remains of deceased Jedi.