Star Wars (2020) 46

Publisher's summary

OPERATION: RESCUE MON MOTHMA! The fate of the REBEL ALLIANCE has become intertwined with accused traitor LANDO CALRISSIAN – if he falls, so will the Rebellion. LEIA ORGANA must mount a desperate rescue mission if there is any hope of defeating the evil GALACTIC EMPIRE!

Opening crawl

In order to help his friend Lobot, Lando was forced
to make a deal with the Talky droid that helped
them once before, as well as confess to his
traitorous misdeeds in the past involving the
droid and secrets that were sold to Jabba the Hutt.

As Lando stood trial for these crimes before a
committee of top Rebellion leaders, a mysterious
group captured Mon Mothma from her remote
location!

But Lando recognized the kidnappers as Scarabi
mercenaries he once worked with, passing that
information on to Chewbacca and the rebels. Now
they must find a way to rescue the kidnapped
senator….

Plot summary

Mon Mothma of the Alliance to Restore the Republic sits stuncuffed in her cell in a Scarabi stronghold. Scarabi mercenary Hachi enters, asking to have a conversation with Mothma. The latter interprets this as an impending interrogation, but Hachi insists that she enjoys chatting with each high-profile individual who she kidnaps. Mothma accepts the invitation, and Hachi asks her why she threw away her comfortable position in life to take on the Empire. Mothma opens with a philosophical point about freedom being a something beings only should lose when giving up bits of willingly, such as for employment. She goes on to say that every rebel has two moments of clarity. First, recognizing the grim reality of the Empire. Second, that the Empire is so intolerable that they must be stopped. For her, that awakening becan with a watervine peach.

On Home One, Leia Organa, General Crix Madine, Admiral Gial Ackbar, and Chewbacca inform Pathfinder Commander Kes Dameron of intelligence the Wookiee had brought about the kidnappers being Scarabi. Dameron is wary of the Scarabi's fierce reputation for professionalism and deadliness. Nevertheless, High Command gives the go, with Chewbacca joining for support, but Leia and Chewbacca advocate that Lando Calrissian should also join in spite of being on trial. Madine collects Calrissian from his cell.

Mothma tells the story of the watervine peach to Hachi. She loved the fruit as an adolescent, but after the rise of the Empire, an Imperial officer decided he wanted all of the fruit for himself and his cronies. When the farmers who cultivated the peach refused exclusivity, the officer burned all of the orchards, making the fruit extinct. Mothma explains that the peach was a microcosm of the Empire: Those in power make the choices for everyone else.

Dameron's team, Chewbacca, and Calrissian approach a Scarabi cave safe house Lando knows of. They cannot detect any life signs, but the mineral composition of the cave would make it difficult. They decide to enter the cave, only to awaken a droideka. The group engages in a fight with the battle droid. Unarmed, Lando decides to take the binoculars from Dameron to search for life signs past the droid. One pathfinder throws a thermal detonator, exploding the droideka. Lando was scuffed up from the explosion, but returns to the group with news that the cave is empty.

As the pathfinders search other safe houses, Mothma and Hachi continue their conversation. Mothma engages Hachi in a thought experiment. She gives her a Hachi a new name, reassigns her from a mercenary to a mining job, and explains that she can no longer have her knife or wife anymore. When Hachi scoffs at the unrealistic nature of the concept the Empire would go for her, Mothma simply retorts that they just had not gotten around to her yet.

Meanwhile, the Rebel strike team finds the safe house Mothma is located within, and they observe the conversation through thermal scans. Hachi, still obstinate, still protests that she is free, that the Empire's oppression does not apply to all. But Mothma insists that nobody is important to the Empire, that to the Empire Hachi is a nobody, just like everyone else. Just like the people of Alderaan. This moves Hachi, and she realizes that her gambit may have been a mistake. Before she can act, however, she is shot and killed by a fellow Scarabi mercenary who was unwilling to let Hachi jeopardize the mission. Just then, the mercenary receives the reports of the Rebels' attack and runs to support the other Scarabi.

Mothma, locked in the cell, goes for Hachi's blade, only for the door to open to Lando Calrissian, much to her surprise. Chewbacca is there too, and points his bowcaster and Calrissian to ensure he does not hurt Mothma. Lando, however, explains to Mothma that he wants to be a Rebel in spite of his bad deeds in the past and is choosing to save her to hopefully have a chance at redemption. He then releases her binders.

Back on Home One, Mothma goes straight to resuming the court proceedings instead of resting. She hopes for a resolution to it all soon.

Media

Cover gallery

Final cover by Stephen Segovia

Solicit cover by Stephen Segovia

Textless cover by Stephen Segovia

Action Figure variant cover by John Tyler Christopher

by Mike Hawthorne

Variant cover by Mike Hawthorne

The Phantom Menace 25th Anniversary variant cover by Chris Sprouse

Textless The Phantom Menace 25th Anniversary variant cover by Chris Sprouse

Master & Apprentice variant cover by Phil Noto

Collected in

• Star Wars Vol. 8: The Sith and the Skywalker

Appearances

This Appearances list is incomplete. You can help Wookieepedia by expanding it.

Sources

• "Launchpad" — Star Wars Insider 225

Notes and references

External links

• Star Wars (2020) #46 on Marvel Comics' official website (backup link)
• Star Wars (2020) 46 on the Aurebesh Wiki