Doctor Aphra (2016) 3

Doctor Aphra 3

Publisher's summary[]

*Aphra's hunt for the Ordu Aspectu has led to the last place she wants to be…''*…an Imperial encampment!'*The good doctor, her deadly droids and her Wookiee companion are in for trouble…'

Opening crawl[]

It is a period of opportunity. In a galaxy oppressedby the cruelty of Imperial forces, there is little hopefor the future. But for those used to operating onthe fringes, there is much potential for profit.Rogue archaegologist Aphra is back to doing whatshe does best: locating and liberating rareartifacts. By her side are a pair of homicidal droidsand Wookiee bounty hunter Black Krrsantan,looking to collect on Aphra's debts.Aphra's plans are suspended when her doctorate istemporarily revoked--on a tip-off from herestranged father. Now, in order to regain herstature, Aphra is forced to go along on his foolishsearch for a spiritual sect on an isolated moon. Butwhen they arrive, enlightenment is nowhere to befound--instead, the moon is crawling with Imperialforces...

Plot summary[]

Arriving on Yavin 4[]

After arriving onYavin 4,Aphra and herarchaeologist fatherKorin Aphra find that their plan to enter theGreat Temple is complicated by the presence ofImperial patrols. Aphra deduces that the Empire is still cleaning up after theRebel Alliance. Korin, who has not kept up with current affairs, is perplexed that the rebels once had a base on Yavin.

Aphra briefly recounts theBattle of Yavin to her father. Korin is perplexed that the Empire had aplanet-destroyingsuperweapon. Aphra confirms that the Death Star also destroyedAlderaan. Not sharing her father's "obsession" with theJedi, she questions whether he believed theofficial story aboutJedha. Korin regards the deliberate destruction of theTemple of the Kyber as an outrage. He admits that he was too distracted by his research into theOrdu Aspectu to realize that millions had died.

Triple Zero, who was overhearing their conversation, asks Aphra if she supports tight Imperial control as the best way to protect people. Aphra responds that if she was interested in moral instruction from an emotionless killer, she would have kept working forDarth Vader. Korin is surprised to learn that his daughter worked for Darth Vader.

Diversions and infiltrations[]

Meanwhile, anImperial officer informs the ImperialCaptainMagna Tolvan that they have picked up a coded low-level pulse transmission, which he believes to be a rebel code. He traces the signal to a temple structure fiveklicks away. Tolvan orders her troops to send a speeder patrol on a standard route and then to change course when approaching the signal. She wants to spot the intruders without alerting them to the Empire's presence. Tolvan also issues orders for everyone else to be put on standby.

An Imperialscout trooper patrol approaches the source of the signals. However, theWookieeKrrsantan is lying in wait and shoots down the scout troopers'74-Z speeder bikes with hisbowcaster. Black Krrsantan kills the surviving scout trooper. Seeing the explosion, Captain Tolvan orders her troops to assume full combat engagement. However, Aphra has sent out Black Krrsantan as a decoy to drawn the Empire's attention affair. Aphra's father thinks this is not fair, which his daughter agrees.

Captain Tolvan leads a stormtrooper patrol, ordering them to loop around the northside and to prepare for combat. Meanwhile, Krrsantan ambushes a scout trooper, hiding within the forest undergrowth. Aware of Krrsantan's fierceness is combat, she remarks that the Empire can always recruit more people. Krrsantan then sends Triple Zero and hisastromech droid companionBT-1 to infiltrate the Imperial base.

The psychopathic Triple Zero grumbles about not being able to kill. Using Aphra's father's instructions, Triple Zero and BT-1 find their way to the hangar where they encounter an ImperialRA-7 protocol droid inspecting an abandonedY-wing starfighter. Not wanting to make small talk, Triple Zero tells BT-1 to open the ventilation hatches.

This allows Aphra and Korin to abseil up the hatches. While climbing, aMassassi piece drops out of Aphra's father's pocket. Aphra catches it and asks her father how long he had been planning the expedition. Her father responds that it's his life work since the universe needed saving.

Meanwhile, Black Krrsantan ambushes the scout troopers, pinning them down with fire. Captain Tolvan dispatches anAT-ST walker to the scene. Krrsantan lures the walker into a swamp where the walker is attacked by angiant worm.

Finding the crystal chamber[]

The Aphras rejoin Triple Zero and Beetee in the abandoned rebel command room. Triple Zero greets anIT-O Interrogation Unit, saying that he is big fan of his work. Korin says that the destination they are looking for is situated above the main hall. He is shocked that the rebels established their base in an important historical site and is relieved that it was not destroyed by the Death Star.

Aphra is dismissive of her father's research. Korin thinks this place was important and raises the topic of theMassassi. Aphra says she studied the Massassi and knows they have been extinct for millennia. Korin believes there is a connection between the ancient Aspectu and the Massassi. He finds the place they were looking for, a large room with celestial symbols etched onto the floor. Korin tells Aphra to place the crystals into the matching indents.

Korin remarks that these symbols were identical in shape to the temple structures here and recognizes them as Ordu artifacts. He believes this will give them the location of the Ordu Aspectu'sCitadel of Rur. When Korin asks how much time they have left, Aphra reassures her father that Krrsantan has a "knack for this kind of thing."

Meanwhile, the scout troopers stumble upon the site of the fallen AT-ST walker. However, Krrsantan has removed the walker's88i twin light blaster cannon and ambushes the troopers. Back at the Great Temple, Korin inserts the crystals into the grooves. Triple Zero observes that the archaeological adventure had proved anti-climatic.

Korin realizes that he is missing a piece. However, Aphra takes the opportunity to criticize her estranged father for causing her motherLona Aphra to leave for theOuter Rim. She criticizes her father for prioritizing "dead things" over her family. Korin disagrees but Aphra responds that this archaeological expedition was another thing that miss. At that point, sunlight enters the chamber, startling Triple Zero and Aphra. Korin is pleased but Aphra remarks that he has five more seconds of smug time before they have to run for their lives.

Media[]

Cover gallery[]

Cover byKamome Shirahama

Textless cover by Kamome Shirahama

Droids variant cover byDavid López

Star Wars 40th anniversary variant cover byJuan Giménez

Star Wars 40th Anniversary textless variant

Collected in[]

• Star Wars: Doctor Aphra Vol. 1 — Aphra
• Star Wars: Doctor Aphra Vol. 1
• Star Wars: Doctor Aphra Omnibus Vol. 1

Appearances[]

Sources[]

• The Marvel Art of Star Wars

Notes and references[]

External links[]

• Star Wars: Doctor Aphra (2016) #3 onMarvel Comics'official website(backup link)

Aphra: 1 ·2 ·3 ·4 ·5 ·6 The Screaming Citadel: 7 ·8 The Enormous Profit: 9 ·10 ·11 ·12 ·13 Remastered: 14 ·15 ·16 ·17 ·18 ·19 The Catastrophe Con: 20 ·21 ·22 ·23 ·24 ·25 Worst Among Equals: 26 ·27 ·28 ·29 ·30 ·31 Unspeakable Rebel Superweapon: 32 ·33 ·34 ·35 ·36 A Rogue's End: 37 ·38 ·39 ·40 Trade paperbacks 1 ·2 ·3 ·4 ·5 ·6 ·7 ·The Screaming Citadel Other Annual 1 ·Annual 2 ·Annual 3 ·Hardcover 1 ·Omnibus Related media Doctor Aphra (2020) ·Doctor Aphra – Chaos Agent Audiobook Original(script) ·Epilogue
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