Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Star Wars #49Star Warshas revealed the true fate of the planet Alderaan, radically changing its destruction by the first Death Star as seen inA New Hope. In Marvel’s canonicalStar Warscomics set betweenThe Empire Strikes BackandReturn of the Jedi,Princess Leia Organaand Luke Skywalker embark on a deeply personal journey. It’s also one that ends on a surprisingly positive note for those who shared Leia’s homeworld.
InStar Wars #49by Charles Soule and Jethro Morales,Leia and Luke face Zahra, a personal rival of Leia’s who’d once been Grand Moff Tarkin’s protege. Despite losing her Imperial command following their last encounter, Zahra began leading a band of raiders who helped her set a trap for the Alderaanian Princess involving a targeted strike against the recently revealed"Survivor Fleet", a secret sect of the Alliance made up of Alderaanian refugees.While Zahra implies that she destroyed the entire fleet before she’s defeated, the issue’s ending reveals the truth about Leia’s people:
While Zahra did capture one ship for her trap and managed to destroy some of the Survivor Fleet, the bulk of the survivors escaped her raiders with Zahra having lied to Leia to simply cause her pain.Likewise, it’s also revealed that the Survivor Fleet chose to disband and seek new lives with its people wanting to be more than simply survivors of Alderaan.
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The Destruction of Alderaan Was Only The Beginning
The Empire’s Wrath Went So Much Further
While the disbanding of the Survivor Fleet is a good thing at this point in theStar Warstimeline,it was certainly needed in the immediate aftermath of Alderaan’s destruction. This was because the Empire had decreed that the planet’s demise had to be complete.This meant Imperials were hunting down any Alderaanians who weren’t on the planet at the time of its destruction and had been living as refugees, effectively making them fugitives as well.
Keeping that in mind, the need for the Survivor Fleet was absolutely crucial to keep the Alderaanians who remained safe, as well as the remnants of their history and culture. While they were technically part of the Rebel Alliance’s military reserves, the Survivor Fleet was constantly moving, its location only known to a select few to maintain its secrecy from the Empire.However, it seems the time has come for Alderaan’s people to actually start living again(something that should become easier with the Galactic Civil War nearing its conclusion with the imminentBattle of Endor).
Alderaan Isn’t A Place In The Star Wars Galaxy…
It’s A People
The decision for Alderaan’s Survivor Fleet to disband and start living their lives somewhat resembles the ending of the MCU’sThor: Ragnarok. Despite Asgard’s physical destruction, its people were saved. Likewise, they later began new lives on Earth as seen in future MCU projects.
Similarly,Alderaan lives on in theStar Warsgalaxy, even without its physical planet. At the same time, it’s decided that Alderaan can still survive even if its people choose to lessen their grip on the singular identity of being refugees to become more. It’s a very compelling arc for Princess Leia and her people, especially as Marvel is nearing its end with this era of storytelling, seeing as newStar Warscomicsare on the way which will be set afterReturn of the Jedi.
Star Wars #49is on sale now from Marvel Comics.
Leia Organa
The daughter of Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala, Leia inherited her mother’s political skills and her father’s Force power. She was raised on Alderaan as a member of the royal family, and followed in her father’s footsteps by becoming a senator who secretly worked alongside the Rebel Alliance. Alderaan’s destruction changed everything, and Leia became a leader in both the Rebel Alliance and its successor government, the New Republic. She served there for decades, eventually leaving to found the First Order when she sensed its darkness growing. Leia gave much for her ideals, but eventually gave her life to redeem her son Ben.
