Star Wars 54: Starfire Rising is the fifty-fourth installment of the comic series Marvel's Star Wars. It picks up where the previous issue left off.
On the world of Shiva IV, General Sk'ar takes Aron Peacebringer and Princess Leia as prisoners. While the two heroes are struggling against their restraints, Aron learns that his own student, Ygal Delois, has betrayed him and is now allied with Sk'ar. Delois explains that the General is planning to annihilate the Calian Confederacy using an anti-matter explosive device. Sk'ar then gives the order to move Aron and Leia into a detention cell. Once inside, Leia attacks and eliminates the guard. Aron is able to break free, and together they discreetly exit the holding area and commandeer an air-ship.
Aron and Leia pilot the air-ship in the direction of General Sk'ar's battle cruiser. To intercept the Rebels, Sk'ar dispatches a squadron of TIE Fighters. The Princess manages to shoot down the attacking fighters. However, their own ship sustains damage, forcing them to make an emergency landing on the lower levels of Sk'ar's cruiser. Aron and Leia disembark and engage in combat with Imperial stormtroopers.
Soon after, Luke Skywalker, Chewbacca, Lando Calrissian, and Kéral Longknife make their entrance to provide assistance. While the others are occupied fighting the Imperials, Leia is searching the ship for Sk'ar's anti-matter bomb. As she begins the process of disarming the bomb, Lando directly confronts Sk'ar. He discharges his blaster at the General, but the energy bolts are deflected by Sk'ar's personal force field. Sk'ar then flees, making his escape in a small shuttle. Chewbacca seizes a discarded gun mount and hurls it at the escaping craft. The shuttle is destroyed in an explosion, resulting in Sk'ar's death. Simultaneously, Leia successfully deactivates the anti-matter bomb.
Everyone then goes back to the Calian capital city, Illyriaqüm, for a celebratory event. During the course of the festivities, C-3PO alerts Leia to the fact that an Imperial Star Destroyer is rapidly approaching Shiva IV with the intention of seeking retribution. The heroes board the Millennium Falcon and set a course to intercept it. They lure the Star Destroyer into chasing them toward the outer reaches of a black hole. Luke employs the Force to maneuver the Millennium Falcon safely around the perimeter, but the larger Star Destroyer is unable to slow down in time. The ship flies directly into the black hole and is obliterated.