Star Wars #3 represents the third installment of the Marvel comic book series entitled Star Wars, acting as the third of six issues within the initial story arc, Skywalker Strikes. This comic picks up where Star Wars (2015) #1 and Star Wars (2015) #2 left off, unfolding in the narrative gap between the cinematic releases of Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope and Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back. Authored by Jason Aaron and visually brought to life by John Cassaday, the issue saw its release on March 11, 2015.
The narrative proceeds with the Rebel assault targeting the Weapons Factory Alpha located on Cymoon 1, highlighting the Rebels' desperate attempt to evade Darth Vader along with his Imperial forces. Luke Skywalker successfully destroys the factory, facilitating the Rebels' escape aboard the Millennium Falcon, while Vader sets his sights on corrupting Skywalker and transforming him into his apprentice. The consequences of this assault are further explored in Darth Vader (2015) #1 and Star Wars (2015) #4.
Amidst the chaos on Cymoon 1, Han Solo and Princess Leia Organa engage in combat against Imperial stormtroopers from within their commandeered AT-AT walker. They receive assistance from freed alien slaves, many of whom perish during the conflict. Luke Skywalker speeds through the battlefield on a stolen Imperial 74-Z speeder bike, eliminating stormtroopers along the way. Darth Vader enters the fray.
Princess Leia employs the AT-AT's laser cannons to destroy a TIE fighters. Leia intends to pilot the AT-AT walker towards the junkyard where the Millennium Falcon awaits. Solo acknowledges the Falcon's resilience but expresses concern for C-3PO. Simultaneously, tentacled aliens are looting the Falcon, seizing C-3PO, who has been disassembled into various components.
Chewbacca intervenes to rescue C-3PO, repelling the aliens. Upon hearing the Wookiee's voice through the comlink, Solo instructs Chewbacca to prepare the Falcon for takeoff. Leia and Han encounter a blockade consisting of several AT-ST walkers, Assault tanks, and Imperial combat speeders. Solo inquires about Luke's location, and Luke, pursued by stormtroopers on speeder bikes, responds that he is nearby.
One of the pursuing stormtroopers crashes his speeder bike into the leg of an AT-AT walker. Luke successfully fends off another stormtrooper using his lightsaber, causing his adversary to collide with the legs of an AT-AT walker. Solo cautions Skywalker to avoid the factory due to the impending reactor overload. However, Leia deduces that the Imperials must have prevented the meltdown.
At the same time, Overseer Aggadeen informs Lord Vader that he has managed to stop the reactor's meltdown, thus saving the factory. Vader grants the Overseer a chance to survive until the next day but commands him to dispatch additional troopers to his position. Vader then severs the right rear ankle joints of the AT-AT using his lightsaber. Solo contacts Chewbacca to inquire about the repairs and urges the Wookiee to expedite the process. A damaged C-3PO believes that their situation is hopeless and expresses gratitude to the Maker that his eye circuits are disconnected, sparing him from witnessing the carnage.
Skywalker slices off the laser cannons of an AT-ST walker. Meanwhile, Vader severs a second set of the hijacked AT-AT's ankle joints. Luke attempts to intervene, but Solo advises him to remain behind due to the extensive damage they have sustained. Vader proceeds to sever the remaining legs of the AT-AT walker, causing it to collapse. He commands his troops to advance for the final blow.
However, Skywalker attacks them with his lightsaber. This allows Solo, Princess Leia, and the freed alien slaves to fight their way into the junkyard. Leia implores Skywalker to join them, but he refuses to dismount his speeder bike.
Subsequently, Vader and his stormtroopers observe the rebels and slaves entering the junkyard. Before Vader can order his troops to pursue the fugitives, Skywalker attacks them with his speeder bike. Lord Vader pursues the rebel pilot through a tunnel in an Imperial combat speeder. Skywalker seizes the opportunity to destroy Weapons Factory Alpha's reactor, triggering an overload that obliterates the factory.
Skywalker barely survives the explosion. He laments that he will never attain the status of a Jedi like his father. Lord Vader observes the burning factory and the escaping Falcon. Aboard the Falcon, Skywalker has rejoined his rebel comrades and the liberated slaves. Solo instructs Chewbacca to activate the hyperdrive. Upon reaching the upper atmosphere, they encounter a fleet of Imperial Star Destroyers. The rebels successfully escape into hyperspace before the Star Destroyers can engage them.
Captain Kronn of the Star Destroyer Adjudicator apologizes for the rebel ship's evasion of their blockade. An irate Vader Force chokes him. Vader mocks his deceased mentor Obi-Wan Kenobi, asserting that Skywalker is untrained and that he will mold Skywalker into a weapon for the Empire and the dark side.
As the liberated alien slaves celebrate, C-3PO remarks that this was the most peculiar diplomatic mission he has ever encountered, while R2-D2 repairs him. Princess Leia reassures a disheartened Luke that his actions were reckless and insubordinate but that many people, including herself, are grateful to him. Leia draws parallels between Luke's exploits on Cymoon 1 and his heroic deeds during the Battle of Yavin. However, a despondent Luke retorts that he should be dead and that Vader was correct in his assessment that he is not and will never be a Jedi.
Simultaneously on Tatooine, two aliens transport the deceased body of a Rodian in a landspeeder. One of the aliens questions why they did not simply abandon him in the heart of Mos Eisley. His companion replies that such an action would attract unwanted attention from the Empire and incur Jabba's murder tax. They dispose of the body near Ben Kenobi's home, dismissing him as a deranged old wizard. Inside Kenobi's residence is a box inscribed with the words "For Luke."