Doctor Aphra 33 is the thirty-third issue of the canon comic book series Star Wars: Doctor Aphra. It was written by Simon Spurrier, illustrated by Wilton Santos, Caspar Wijngaard, and Andrea Broccardo, and published on June 19, 2019 by Marvel Comics. The issue features the story "Unspeakable Rebel Superweapon Part II," in which the Rebel Alliance capture Doctor Aphra and reveal their plan to construct a superweapon.
Publisher's summary
"UNSPEAKABLE REBEL SUPERWEAPON" PART 2! Counting the cost of her incorrigible thievery, sticky-fingered archaeologist DOCTOR APHRA is at the mercy of REBEL HIGH COMMAND. But things are about to get stickier. What's the one thing every galactic treasure hunter knows for sure? EXES NEVER MARK THE SPOT.
Opening crawl
| UNSPEAKABLE REBEL SUPERWEAPON Part II |
|---|
Plot summary
Bittersweet reunion
On Unox, Chelli Lona Aphra expressed relief that her former lover Magna Tolvan is alive. Tolvan is angry that Dr Aphra used the Mairan Bor Ifriem to plant false memories that she murdered Aphra in a tantrum. Aphra says that she had to in order to convince Darth Vader that he was dead. Tolvan appears to reconcile with Aphra but then says that this will never happen again. Tolvan stuns Aphra with her blaster.
Flashback
Nineteen years earlier, a younger Aphra complains about a nuna, describing it as an evil and dumb "fartbird." Her mother Lona Aphra does not believe in evil. When Aphra asks about the Sith and the dark side of the Force, Lona replies that the dark side is not evil but secretive. She says that the Sith kept their knowledge and identities secret because they thought it made it easier for them to impose order, which they believed ti be the right thing.
Lona opines that the history of the Jedi was about purists calling each other heretics and cherry-picking good and evil. Aphra says that she wants to learn more about this history instead of getting pecked by birds. Lona is dismissive about Sith and Jedi history, saying that there is no good and evil. She defines existence as dominated by power and strength. She believes that idealists are too blinded by their ideas of righteousness to realize that their ideals are shifting.
Lona believes that the ends justify the means and that evil is a measure of how much one's choices take away from other people's choices. When Aphra asks if her mother is a "baddie" for taking them to a dull place, Lona explains that she took them to somewhere she believed would be safe. As she hugs Aphra, Lona opines that protecting loved ones overrides ideals about good and evil.
Rebel custody again
Aphra wakes to find herself lying on a metal arm chair. Rebel personnel including the RA-7 protocol droid TZ-2 and Tolvan have finished searching through her belongings. Tolvan takes an interest in the lightsaber that Aphra had obtained from Accresker Jail and an Imperial System cell. When Aphra asks about Vulaada Klam, a male rebel officer reassure her that she is safe. Tolvan thinks Aphra kidnapped the kid while TZ-2 discovers a hidden pocket inside her bag. The officer tells Tolvan to run a field test on the artifact while he meets with their guest Senator Mon Mothma.
Lookg through the window, Aphra is surprised to see Mothma. The rebel officer warns Aphra that she is up to her neck before introducing himself as General Airen Cracken. TZ-2, who is of the Rebel Alliance Intelligence Service, informs Aphra that he has removed the explosive device from her neck. While Aphra touches her neck plaster, she notices that their hideout smells of animals. Cracken explains that they are inside a livestock market, which he describes as a con Venice place for the Rebel leadership to meet and the rest to conduct their operations.
When Aphra asks how the rebels found her, TZ-2 explains that the Alliance took an interest in her after discovering that the Galactic Empire had cast Aphra as a public enemy. Cracken explains that Aphra's heist aAt the Red Mist migration shrine has angered the Slinani, who were in the process of negotiating an alliance with the Imperials. The Empire has allocated significant resources to capturing Aphra and the Farkiller gun she stole. Aphra asks if Cracken sent her ex-lover to rescue her without telling her who she was after. Cracken responds he withheld that information to test her loyalty.
TZ-2 and Cracken explain that the former Imperial has formed a special rebel hit squad called Strike Team Misericorde, which has foiled Imperial assassination plots and exposed Imperial double agents including Imperial Intelligence cells. TZ-2 thinks that Tolvan buried herself in work to deal with her grief, believing that Aphra was dead. When TZ-2 expresses concern that she was a turn coat, Cracken vouches for Tolvan's honesty and sincerity. He adds that Mothma was beguiled to learn that an Imperial careerist could be turned by love. He says that he prefers to know that Tolvan will do her duties irrespective of feelings.
The Farkiller weapon
Aphra quips about the Rebellion getting darker. Cracken responds that the Rebel Alliance is not interested in her but the Farkiller weapon. When Aphra says that the data core was a joke, TZ-2 responds that the information was outdated. The droid briefs her about the history of the Farkiller weapon. Following the Corsair Wars, Jedi Master Oo'ob broke from Jedi doctrine to pursue a preemptive approach to threats. He recruited the crystallist Var-Whill to modify lightsaber technology for offensive purposes, leading to the development of the Farkiller weapon. Armed with the Farkiller, Oo'ob assassinated several hundred would-be despots. Alarmed by his methods, the Jedi Council excommunicated Oo'ob and Var-Whill. Listening to TZ-2's briefing, Aphra reflects on her late mother Lona's advice that there is no good and evil but merely power and domination.
When Aphra asks General Cracken about whether he has decided to break with Rebel doctrine by launching preemptive attacks, Cracken credits Tolvan with coming up with the idea. With Cracken's approval, Tolvan uses the Farkiller to launch preemptive laser strike on a barn sheltering several Imperial operatives including stormtroopers. The attack succeeds in incinerating the barn, killing the Imperial operatives. While Cracken is pleased by the test run, Aphra questions the weapon's dependence on lightsabers as its power source. When TZ-2 suggests it can be reversed engineered, Aphra says that would wreck the relic. Cracken reveals that the rebels plan to use the Farkiller to assassinate Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader, whose Force powers make them otherwise invulnerable. Aphra recalls her mother's criticism of the wheel of power.
Since they cannot get close to the Sith Lords, Cracken says that they have to strike them from afar. TZ-2 suggests a high-energy reactor arrangement, which reminds Aphra of the Death Star. Cracken toys with the idea of using the stolen Death Star plans to build their own superweapon. Aphra responds that would go against the Rebellion's values and would cost too much to build such a weapon. TZ-2 agrees with Aphra's criticism and proposes a scaled-down energy weapon consisting of a reactor incorporated into a single starfighter. Cracken thinks that the payload would be less efficient and that targeting will be difficult. When Aphra suggests reverse engineering the focus rig from the old gun, TZ-2 suggests that they can fire it from half the galaxy away. Cracken likes the idea, saying that would avoid having to destroy worlds and cities.
TZ-2 says their enemy will have no chance of any warning. Below a hologram display, Cracken says that a simple palace would do a trick. When TZ-2 calculates that the collateral damage would fall within the several thousand range, Cracken thinks that this would be an acceptable strategy for ending the Galactic Civil War that Mothma would approve. Aphra reflects on her mother's saying that evil is a measure of how much one's choices take away from others.
The job offer
Shortly later, Tolvan contacts General Cracken via comlink. She informs him that her team searched the wreckage of the Imperial safehouse and discovered that the Imperials were searching for the Farkiller artifact and Aphra. Cracken speaks with Aphra, warning that the Empire will not stop searching for her and would eventually send Darth Vader. Cracken offers Aphra a place in the Rebellion, describing her as a "capable sneak." TZ-2 compliments her for attaching several slicing units to their technology including himself while walking.
Cracken says that the Rebellion can protect her and invites her to help them put their superweapon together. He asks her to use her skills to save the galaxy instead for a change. Shortly later, Tolvan returns on a speeder bike. Klam sits with two male human rebels. Aphra reflects on her mother's view that ideals, righteousness and evil are used to motivate people to fight. The late Lona says that the best that everyone can hope for is to do right by the people they love. After Tolvan hisses at Aphra, Aphra tells Klam that they are leaving with Gurtyl.
Media
Editions
- UPC 759606086290; June 19, 2019; Marvel Comics[1]
- 03311; Cover A; Ashley Witter
- 03321; Cover B; Paul Renaud
Cover gallery
Collected in
- Star Wars: Doctor Aphra Vol. 6 — Unspeakable Rebel Superweapon
- Star Wars: Doctor Aphra Omnibus Vol. 1
Appearances
| Characters | Organisms | Droid models | Events | Locations |
| Organizations and titles | Sentient species | Vehicles and vessels | Weapons and technology | Miscellanea |
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Organisms
Droid models
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Events
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Locations
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Organizations and titles
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Sentient species
Vehicles and vessels
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Weapons and technology
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Miscellanea
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Notes and references
- ↑ 1.0 1.1
Star Wars: Doctor Aphra (2016) #33 on Marvel Comics' official website (backup link)
- ↑ Star Wars: Timelines dates the events of issues 32 to 36 of the Star Wars: Doctor Aphra comic-book series to around 2 ABY. Therefore Doctor Aphra 33 must take place around 2 ABY.
External links
