Star Wars issue number 4 represents the fourth installment of the Star Wars comic book series. It also marks the fourth of six parts within the initial story arc, entitled Skywalker Strikes. This issue was penned by Jason Aaron, the artwork was done by John Cassaday along with Laura Martin, and it was released by Marvel Comics on April 22, 2015.
THE GREATEST SPACE ADVENTURE OF ALL TIME CONTINUES! Luke Skywalker isn't a Jedi—at least, not yet. He's only encountered a single Jedi in his entire life…and that Jedi died. Consequently, Luke's journey takes him back to Obi-Wan's home…located on Tatooine.
Bib Fortuna, a Majordomo, greets Darth Vader upon his arrival at Jabba's palace on Tatooine. Vader, showing little patience for formalities, immediately presses for negotiations with Jabba. Jabba observes that Vader's reputation as a skilled negotiator is well-deserved. Jabba brings up the recent Imperial setbacks at Yavin 4 and Cymoon 1, but Vader dismisses these as fabrications propagated by the rebel forces. He then inquires whether Jabba is willing to accept the Emperor's conditions.
Jabba reminds Lord Vader that the resources he controls, however limited, are ultimately subject to the Empire's authority. Jabba expresses his desire for adequate compensation for supplying the Empire with essential resources for constructing Star Destroyers, providing sustenance for his stormtroopers, and combating the rebels. Lord Vader declares that Jabba will be subject to whatever payment the Empire deems appropriate, prompting Jabba to caution that pirate interceptions or consumption by massive space slugs could jeopardize the Empire's shipments.
Vader retorts that the Empire is not susceptible to intimidation by stubborn Hutts. He commands Jabba to ensure the uninterrupted delivery of supplies in exchange for maintaining his position of power. As Vader prepares to depart, Bib Fortuna interjects, explaining that Jabba prefers to finalize business agreements by witnessing a death. Jabba then proceeds to devour a gorg.
Han Solo is at the Alliance Fleet in the vastness of space, and he is providing some crucial feedback regarding the repairs Chewbacca is doing on the Millennium Falcon. Chewbacca lets out a loud, grumpy roar, and Solo tells him to quiet down because his head is still hurting. Solo claims that he was not the one who crashed the AT-AT walker on Cymoon 1, and that Vader was the one who brought it down with his laser sword. Solo then asks Chewbacca to give him a macrofuser.
Meanwhile, C-3PO is thanking R2-D2 and calling him a "cowardly tub of grease." C-3PO also insists that the aliens on Cymoon did not mess up his personality circuits.
In the briefing room, Admiral Ackbar is informing Princess Leia Organa, Mon Mothma, and General Jan Dodonna that the Rebel Alliance has launched more than a dozen attacks on various worlds, including the Imperial shipyards on Kuat and the supply base on Imdaar. He also expresses his gratitude to Leia for destroying Weapons Factory Alpha on Cymoon 1, describing it as one of the largest Imperial factories in the galaxy.
Leia states that they have only inflicted a wound on the Empire and that they must capitalize on their advantage, or everything they have accomplished will be in vain. She explains that the Empire relies on gangsters from the Outer Rim to maintain their supply lines. Leia warns that if the rebels give them time, they will replace everything they have lost. Admiral Ackbar responds that they cannot sustain that level of offensive while they are not on the run.
Mothma agrees with Admiral Ackbar and suggests that the majority of their resources should be focused on keeping the rebel fleet in constant motion. She emphasizes the need to find a new world to establish a base of operations. Leia tells Mothma that she can accomplish a lot with her own team. Mothma responds that they barely escaped Cymoon 1 and cautions her against pushing her team too hard. Leia disagrees, but Mothma questions whether she can speak for all of her team.
Luke Skywalker, blindfolded, is practicing with a couple of training remotes, which sting him. Out of frustration, Skywalker uses his lightsaber to slice them in half. When Leia enters, Luke informs her that he is not interested in any mission she has come to recruit him for. Leia tells Luke that he is being too critical of himself and that she has witnessed him perform incredible feats that only a Jedi could accomplish.
Skywalker counters that he is not a Jedi and poses a danger to everyone around him. Leia disagrees, reminding him that General Kenobi recognized something special within him. Luke responds that Ben is dead, just like his father. He says that when he attempted to avenge Kenobi, Vader dismissed him like an insect. Lacking confidence in his abilities, Luke asks Leia to let him go. Leia asks where he would go and tells Luke that this is what he was born for.
In Mos Eisley, a masked woman is offering a bounty on Han Solo to four Rodian bounty hunters. She wants their help in locating Solo, but the Rodians are insistent on taking on the bounty hunting job themselves. Their leader aims a gun at the masked woman, while the other Rodians are armed with vibro-axes. The woman responds "in that case... knees", which activates a voice-activated smart-targeting scatterblaster that blasts them in the knee caps. The woman boasts that she acquired these weapons on Nar Shaddaa.
Despite their injuries, the lead Rodian remains determined to take the bounty and points his blaster at her. The woman uses the scattergun to shoot off his right hand. The woman reveals that she had lured them into a trap to gather information about Solo. Since she has attacked them, the Rodian leader refuses to cooperate. The masked woman is about to activate the scatterblaster to target his lips, but he convinces her to relent by revealing that Solo fled offworld after murdering their brother Greedo.
When the Rodian demands a reward for providing her with information on Solo, she tells them that she spared their lives and that Solo belongs to her.
Jabba's sail barge Khetanna is hovering over a herd of banthas. Watched by stormtroopers, Jabba's bounty hunters are shooting the herd, killing and wounding many. Jabba's pet Kowakian monkey-lizard Salacious B. Crumb laughs maniacally. An annoyed Lord Vader tells Jabba to restrain his pet if he values that creature's life. Jabba admires Vader's ruthlessness and says they are good friends now.
When Vader disagrees, Jabba points out that he has helped Vader in the same way that the Sith apprentice has helped the Emperor in his time of need. Vader responds that he only lives to serve the Emperor. When Jabba asks if he has found the services of his bounty hunters useful, Vader refuses to consider hiring bounty hunters. Jabba clarifies that they are merely listening to the sweet song of dying banthas.
Vader says that the Wookiee bounty hunter Krrsantan's mission is simple enough and that the other's mission is to capture the "boy" who blew up the Death Star. Vader asks Jabba what he knows about Kenobi. Jabba describes Kenobi as an "old wizard" who was a torn in his side. Bored with the dying banthas, Jabba orders his crew to take them to the sarlacc, describing it as one of the few treasures on this desolate world. Jabba is amazed that a barren world such as Tatooine could produce a hero like Luke Skywalker who destroyed the Death Star.
Despite Leia's pleas, Luke departs with R2-D2 in his X-wing fighter. Unable to reason with Luke, Leia tells him to stay safe because the Rebel Alliance needs him back in one piece. Han Solo thinks that Luke's solo journey is a bad idea because the Empire is searching for the pilot who blew up the Death Star. Skywalker thinks that the Empire does not know who he is. Skywalker says that he still has many unanswered questions and needs to return to Tatooine, the one place where he can maybe start to get these answers.
In the meantime, in Mos Eisley, the leader of the Rodian bounty hunters tells Boba Fett that they have no idea where Solo has run off to. Fett responds that he is interested in a man named Kenobi. The Rodian describes Kenobi as a crazy old wizard who lives out of town in the Dune Sea. When the Rodian asks why Fett is looking for him, the figure replies that Kenobi is dead and that he will be asking the questions.