Star Wars (2025) #4
SHOCK AND AWE
After investigating a raid on New Republic supplies, LUKE SKYWALKER, RYNN ZENAT and their squadron tracked down the pirates responsible to the edges of the Fenril sector, only to be ambushed.
Luke then learned that the Nagai are being exploited by a group of treasonous pirates colluding with the villainous Zantarrk gang that Valance and Han Solo have been tracking.
Meanwhile, Princess Leia and Mon Mothma are still contending with the complications of a tense meeting with the Pirrosi delegation–who refuse to join the New Republic. Elsewhere, the crew of a New Republic trading vessel has gone missing….
Writer: Alex Segura
Artist: Phil Noto
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Colorist: Phil Noto
Cover artist: Phil Noto
Editor: Mark Pannicia
Publication date: August 20 2025
We open the fourth issue of the immaculately crafted Star Wars flagship title with a serene scene on Kaltrais in the Fenril sector as we see a vessel land and delegates from the Fenril Consortium congregated as they wait for its passenger to disembark. The mysterious pilot is none other than Reyna Oskure, the Anzati mystic and member of the Acolytes of the Beyond who quickly asserts her authority when Prefect Walzor gets in her face, questioning her motives before a swift moves sees her brought to her knees with what appears to be a broken arm as the others watch on silently.
We switch to Chandrila and Luke Skywalker as he holds in his hands the Crown of Verity, a Jedi artifact that makes those wearing it tell truth from lies, but also makes them unable to speak anything other than the truth. As he ponders on the state of the Jedi he is called by Leia’s aid Alaytia, and quickly we switch to a Chandrilan landing platform as Mon Mothma tries to persuade Leia not to leave on a mission to reunite with her friend President Shoirin to find out exactly why Kaltrais – once a valued member of the Republic – won’t join the New Republic. Mon says there are other worlds they can approach to trade for resources, but Leia is set – despite Luke making the short journey across to greet her, she is going to meet Shoirin along with Alaytia, and asks Luke to wait for Han who is on his way back from Bespin.
Kaltrais, and we see Leia and Shoirin reunited, the masked president clearly pleased to greet his friend, but as she explains why she is there and how the resources of Kaltrais would be a huge boost to the New Republic, stormtroopers rush the room and arrest Leia and Alaytia as we quickly return to Chandrila as the Millennium Falcon arrives and Han learns that Leia has already left for Kaltrais, and Luke and Han swap information, both of them having known or heard of the now slain Nagai Garlev. Luke knew of him as a freedom fighter, while Han feels like he (himself, Lando and Valance) failed him. They swiftly realise the danger Leia is now in and head right back to the Falcon to take to the skies and roar their way to Kaltrais.
Back in the prison cell Leia fakes an illness, drawing in one of the troopers and knocking them down as she grabs the weapon and with Alaytia starts to make their way around the corridors. She frees President Shoirin who is full of apologies and together they fight their way as she asks Shoirin what’s really going on. He explains that Almovar and the Pirossi leader are, along with Praetor Koyon (aka Reyna Oskure), working with the Zantarrk, who themselves believe Luke knows too much. It looks like it could be another trap for Luke, but Leia knows they need to find a way to bring down the defences keeping them there. Covering Shoirin, they fight the troopers as he makes his way in the opposite direction, and a firefight breaks out.
Cut to orbit of Kaltrais, and the Falcon arriving only to be ambushed and surrounded by Imperial TIE’s of all types, boxing them in as we see back in the installation Shoirin make his final play, taking down the defenses and dying in the effort. The Falcon is being battered by shots, and will surely be destroyed unless they can come up with a plan, when suddenly the defences stop and the fleet is grounded, even turning their own weapons on themselves. They make contact with Leia and Alaytia who are now in the air themselves, and as Leia asks Han to return home to Ben to make sure he’s safe, a holo comes through; Reyna Oskure, who tells Leia that not only is Shoirin dead, but that Kaltrais now stands as part of the Fenril Consortium, not the New Republic. Leia coldly tells Oskure that all she sees are her ships scurrying away in retreat, something we see Almovar recoil at.
Cut to the Falcon as Mon Mothma and Han converse. Instead of returning to Chandrila, they’re to head to Loradil, where the crashed New Republic ship landed. They know some are still alive, but the sounds of their report tells them a shocking truth as we ‘hear’ battle droids on the attack and a shocked Luke, Han, Valance and Rynn look on.
Plot-heavy and at times tricky to follow given the many players at this early juncture of the storyline, this still manages to develop into a tidy issue as Leia once again shows her resourcefulness and grit as Luke struggles with the legacy of the Jedi resting on his young shoulders. We do need to remember, at this point we’re only a couple of years after the events of Return of the Jedi, which means Luke and Leia are around 25 years old, so phrases Leia uses like ‘old friend‘ when talking to Shoirin don’t quite ring true. Doubtless she is already a seasoned leader and hero, but she’s barely in her mid-twenties, but apart from that we have a flowing script and plot from Alex Segura and gorgeous artwork from Phil Noto which keeps the plot developing in this post-Jedi era as the New Republic attempt to recover the glory days of the Republic in the aftermath of the Galactic Civil War and set the galaxy on a path towards a peaceful future. As we know, heroes of wars aren’t always the best keepers of peace, and following the path towards the sequel trilogy is going to be a fascinating journey for us all.
