Warning: contains major spoilers for Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #12!
Marvel's Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #12 just gave the galaxy's least trustworthy character an extra excuse to pickpocket jewelry during her adventures. Star Wars has a broad universe, and there are lots of ways to hide information, but the issue reveals that some of the universe's most valuable secrets are stored within already valuable items.
Since her split with Darth Vader, Marvel has used Doctor Aphra's stories to explore the artifacts of the Star Wars universe and draw connections across the canon timeline. Jewelry hasn't played a prominent role in Star Wars films, yet in this series, two separate adventures reveal that there is more to wearing it than being fashionable. The series' first arc involved Aphra looking for the Rings of Vaale, which were said to be immensely powerful artifacts. But as Aphra finds herself caught up in the War of the Bounty Hunters, her interests are slightly more contemporary.
Created by Alyssa Wong, Minkyu Jung, Victor Olazaba, and Rachelle Rosenberg, Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #12 places Doctor Aphra at Crimson Dawn's auction of Han Solo. Aphra is surrounded by the most powerful crime syndicates of the Imperial Era, and while everyone is trying to get ahold of the carbonite-encased rogue, she knows most of them would also be happy to gun her down over past betrayals. While at the auction, Aphra notices Xet, a member of the Black Sun collective, who is wearing an intricate necklace - one that Aphra would love to get her hands on. But the archaeologist's interest isn't in simply selling the piece, but rather accessing the information on the data crystals that make it up.
Each "jewel" is actually a data crystal, all strung together to be hidden in plain sight. This explains how crime syndicates are able to trade intel so quickly without being noticed in large crowds and gatherings. Even though this is a noticeable item and it may be very dangerous to so openly wear valuable information, its placement makes it difficult to steal. Even Doctor Aphra's attempt to acquire it failed, proving that out in the open, secrets can be clearly advertised to those in the know while remaining comparatively safe.
While data devices are rather common in Star Wars, the idea of jewelry being used to store vast amounts of information helps to further emphasize the role of archaeologists like Aphra in the Star Wars universe, and makes it easier for her future treasure-hunting adventures and heists to play into the narratives surrounding the battle between the Empire and the Rebellion. Star Wars: Doctor Aphra not only connects ancient civilizations and artifacts to the modern era, it also reveals some of the hidden aspects of the galaxy that would be easily overlooked by mighty warriors like Darth Vader or more moral heroes like Luke and Leia - with Han Solo in carbonite for the foreseeable future, it's a good job Star Wars fans can trust Doctor Aphra to guide them through the clandestine side of the galaxy.