Star Wars (2020) 34

Star Wars 34

Publisher's summary[]

THE BROKEN SABER OF SKYWALKER! LUKE SKYWALKER searches for one of the rarest substances in the galaxy…KYBER – the living crystal that powers LIGHTSABERS! Does it hold the answer to the unpredictable thing the Force has become (seeHIDDEN EMPIRE #5!)? What long-lost secret is he about to uncover?

Opening crawl[]

In a desperate battle with the Killdroids, Lukeand the rebel heroes managed to get the Pathengine back to the ''Longbeam'', but Luke's handand lightsaber were crushed by one of themonstrous droids in the process.With a little help from Lobot and the KezaratColony, the rebels were able to use the Pathengine to get out of No-Space and offered tobring members of the colony along with them.Having made their way out of No-Space, Lukenow faces the reality that he's going to need toface Darth Vader again in the future, and he'sgoing to need a new lightsaber….

Plot summary[]

A faltering blade[]

Onboard the Rebel Alliance flagship,Home One, Luke Skywalker carefully disassembled his lightsaber. The vibrant yellow blade was gone, leaving only the hilt and its inner workings. Inside, he found a kyber crystal. "Every lightsaber has a kyber crystal as its power source," he explained to a worried R2-D2. His Jedi texts had a section on the crystals, but it was all philosophical. They mentioned how young Jedi would go to the planet Ilum as a rite of passage to find a crystal. He reminded R2-D2 that they'd checked the place out when he was looking for a new lightsaber after losing his at Cloud City.

"Yoda and Ben didn't teach me about this," he sighed. He felt a disconnect with his lightsabers, neither of them truly feeling like his own. The yellow one, in particular, had been a good tool, but he had no connection to it. It had been acting up ever since the crystal cracked, often cutting out and feeling unstable.

The Jedi texts, he lamented, were no help with practical issues like this; they were all about spirituality. But there was a note at the end of the section that mentioned Professor Huyang's technical manual as a source for more specific instructions.

Luke wondered where he could get a new kyber crystal. Ilum was off-limits, locked down by the Empire. His texts mentioned a few other worlds, and he asked R2-D2 if he was up for a treasure hunt. Just then, Leia appeared, her expression serious. "Is this the right time?" she asked. The Rebels were planning a major offensive, and they needed a pilot like him. Luke explained that the Force felt strange to him and he needed to fix his lightsaber.

The search for a crystal[]

Luke and R2-D2 flew to the planet Christophsis in his X-Wing. It was an Imperial world, but they had little presence there. Luke landed near a remote mining outpost, knowing the Empire would be looking for him. They set out on foot, ready for a long journey.

According to his Jedi book, Christophsis was one of the few places in the galaxy where kyber crystals could be found regularly. While they were still rare—and far less common than on Ilum—they did surface occasionally. Lando had told him about a black market for them, so Luke decided to pose as a buyer.

He entered a business and began asking about rare gems. Suddenly, a woman with green hair named Gretta gunned down everyone in the room. She dropped her blasters in front of Luke. saying she knew who he was.

She explained that anyone who came looking for kyber crystals was usually taken prisoner and sold to the Empire. Gretta had saved him, she said, because he might be the last Jedi. Luke was disturbed by the casual slaughter but intrigued by her offer to help. Gretta explained that her family was killed on Jedha by the Empire. When Luke destroyed the Death Star, he had avenged them, and she wanted to repay the favor.

Luke followed Gretta to her speeder bike. They were looking for a man named Cuata, an academic expert on kyber crystals who had fled to Christophsis when the Empire rose to power. She had helped him find sanctuary, and now they were going to find him.

As they sped along, a giant orange monster burst through the crystallized ground and attacked them, knocking them off the bike. "Use your lightsaber!" Gretta screamed. Luke tried, but his blade only fizzled. The monster smashed the speeder in its mouth and chased them as Luke fruitlessly tried to get his lightsaber to ignite.

He focused, trying to speak with the monster through the Force, but found it difficult. At the last moment, a massive explosion rocked the ground, hitting the monster and saving them. A mysterious hooded man with a long rifle emerged from the smoke. He looked at Luke and held out his hand. "May I please have your lightsaber," he said.

Media[]

Cover gallery[]

Final cover byStephen Segovia

Solicit cover by Stephen Segovia

Variant cover byPhil Noto

Return of the Jedi 40th Anniversary variant cover byChris Sprouse

Return of the Jedi 40th Anniversary variant cover "Rebels on Endor"

Solo: A Star Wars Story 5th Anniversary variant cover byLeinil Francis Yu

Action Figure variant cover byJohn Tyler Christopher

Second printing cover by Stephen Segovia

Second printing cover by Phil Noto

Collected in[]

• Star Wars Vol. 6: Quests of the Force

Appearances[]

This Appearances list is incomplete. You can help Wookieepedia byexpanding it.

Sources[]

• "Launchpad" —Star Wars Insider 218

Notes and references[]

External links[]

• Star Wars (2020) #34 onMarvel Comics'official website(backup link)