Empire 6
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Publisher's summary[]
The time: days just prior to the events inStar Wars: A New Hope. On a visit to a planet about to be enslaved by theEmpire,PrincessLeia comes to the fateful conclusion that impassioned speeches and diplomatic missions may not be enough. Sometimes, in order to prevent the death of innocents, one must pick up a weapon and fight—and kill, if necessary—those who would use force to exert their will over the helpless. A crucial moment in the life of everybody's favoriteStar Wars heroine—and one that very nearly ends theRebellion before it has even begun!
Plot summary[]
Rescue[]
On the planetKattada,CommanderKarg's second in commandLieutenantSpilik orders his troops to stop wasting their firepower on theTantive IV and to instead power up theirSentinel-class landing craft's shields and guns, and get ready to launch missiles. He asks ascout trooper if he has seen Karg. The trooper responds that Karg did not retreat with them but that he might still be with the princess. Spilik calls for his Commander.
Aboard theTantive IV, a gunner informsCaptainRaymus Antilles that the Imperials are retreating. When Antilles asks aboutPrincessLeia Organa's whereabouts, a second gunner spots her. Antilles orders the gunner to swing the turret. Under Antilles' orders, the gunner fires at Commander Karg, scorching his arm and face before he can shoot Organa with hisblaster. Antilles and his troops evacuate Organa, MadamMia Ikova and Karg.
While Alderaanian soldiers evacuate the wounded, Antilles with Organa's permission orders his gunners to target the Imperial landing craft's landing gear and communications array. This prevents the Imperials from sending a message toFleet Command. While Antilles wants to continue thebattle, Organa overrules him and insists on tending to Ikova's wounds and moving theTantive IV out of harm's way. Meanwhile, Spilik orders the surviving Imperial forces to activate theirshields to full strength.
Interlude[]
After theTantive IV lands away from the battlefield, Ikova's retainers led byher father visit the ship. Ikova's father tends to his dying daughter, who accepts her fate but hopes her passing will bring overdue change. Organa regrets coming to Kattada but Ikova reassures her that she did the right thing in seeking help for theRalltiir underground. In her final moments, Ikova convinces her father to Honor her pledge to help Princess Leia.
Organa then tends to the grievously wounded Commander Karg, who is upset that he has been told he is going to die. When Karg demands that he be placed inBasso'sbacta tank, the nurse disagrees because his wounds are too extensive. Karg protests that he is a Commander and that hisfather is anAdmiral. The nurse tries to calm Karg down but he blames Organa. Antilles warns Organa that her actions on Kattada have made her an enemy of the Empire. With the Imperials using their shields to hold out until reinforcements arrive, Antilles proposes a ground assault.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Spilik and his troops have dug in for a siege and set up gun emplacements in the spaceport. Spilik notices that the locals have not attacked and believes that the enemy leadership lacks military training. Aboard theTantive IV, Organa seeks Basso's advice on ground operations since Antilles is only familiar with ship-to-ship combat. While Organa is unwilling to risk the lives of her crew and the enemy, Basso explains that death and casualties are the natural result of war. He says that she needs to accept that people will die in combat but that theRebellion's ideals will prevail. He says that if she is not ready to pay that price, she should walk away.
Organa accepts Basso's reasoning and fears that Ikova's people will suffer if Imperial reinforcements arrive and discover that Kattada is supporting the Rebellion. While her crew cannot take on the Imperials alone, Organa is reluctant to ask the people of Kattada for help. Basso reassures Organa that Ikovaa's people are ready to fight for the Rebellion or their fallen leader. Basso urges Organa to accept her role as a military commander. Organa thanks Basso. When he volunteers to join the battle, Organa advises him to rest until her doctors on Alderaan can unlock his hypnotic implant and retrieve the secret information inside his brain. Organa hopes to lead her people to a better future.
The battle[]
At the spaceport, Spilik tellshis aide that the Imperial Fleet Command would have them listed as overdue and should dispatch another patrol ship by mid-day. The aide spots movement and a gunfight breaks out. Both the Imperials and the Kattadan-Alderaanian forces set up improvised trenches in the spaceport. The Kattadan commander orders his troops to use the enemy's muzzle flashes to pinpoint their targets. Basso also takes part in the assault. This has the effect of taking out several Imperial stormtroopers.
Princess Leia accompanies Captain Antilles and Ikova's father at the improvised command center. With Organa's approval, Antilles orders the Kattadans and Alderaanian troops to charge the Imperial trenches. Spilik orders his troops to take out the snipers but the enemy succeeds in storming the trenches. Both sides engage in hand to hand combat. Organa wishes she could join the battle but Antilles explains that the soldiers are doing their job and that her presence would only distract them. He explains that she is not a soldier but a leader and a symbol whose death would demoralize her forces.
Spilik is hit by a sniper and collapses. Following his death, the Imperial forces surrender and are taken into custody. The Alderaanian and Kattadan forces celebrate. A Kattadan official tells Organa that their people will dismantle the Iperial ship and hide all traces of the battle before the next Imperial patrol arrives. Organa apologizes to Ikova's father for his daughter's death. He tells her not to weep for Mia because she died for a cause that she believed in and that Organa made her proud.
Homecoming[]
As theTantive IV approaches Alderaan, she speaks with Basso and reassures him that their ordeal will be over. Organa says that she cannot bear the thought of more nights like the Battle of Kattada but asks if this is the beginning. Basso says that his people's struggle began some time ago. At the bridge, Antilles tells Organa that they are approaching Alderaan. Organa thanks Antilles and asks him not to inform her father about the events on Kattada. She also says that they will attend to Basso when they land on Alderaan. Organ says that she would like to walk through the hills and experience flowers before returning home.
Appearances[]
| Characters | Organisms | Droid models | Events | Locations |
| Organizations and titles | Sentient species | Vehicles and vessels | Weapons and technology | Miscellanea |
Characters
  Full cover art.
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Droid models
Events
Locations
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Sentient species
Vehicles and vessels
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Weapons and technology
Miscellanea
Collections[]
- Star Wars: Empire: Volume Four: The Heart of the Rebellion
- Star Wars Omnibus: At War with the Empire Volume 1
- Star Wars Legends Epic Collection: The Empire Vol. 8
Notes and references[]
- ↑
Star Wars: Empire (2002) #6 onMarvel Comics'official website(backup link) - ↑Empire 6 takes placedays before the beginning ofStar Wars: Episode IVA New Hope, which corresponds to0 BBY according toThe New Essential Chronology.
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