In a new preview for Doctor Aphra's latest tie-in to War of the Bounty Hunters, Star Wars has just confirmed the most powerful groups in the galaxy who didn't serve the Empire. With Han Solo having been stolen from Boba Fett while still encased in carbonite, Crimson Dawn is planning to sell the infamous smuggler to the highest bidder, and several important figures have accepted their invitation to attend their auction. This includes Doctor Aphra and Sana Starros on behalf of Domina Tagge, and the auction is a real who's who of the galactic criminal underworld.
Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #12 comes from writer Alyssa Wong and artist Minkyu Jung, seeing Aphra and Sana cloaked at the auction, hoping to avoid any unwanted attention. Prior issues have seen them working for the powerful Domina Tagge, a job that is as rewarding as it is dangerous. While Aphra and Sana had been looking into a rival company's claims that they had built a hyperspace path engine from the High Republic era, Domina has now sent them to Crimson Dawn's party instead of her traitorous cousin, wanting to know everything there is to know about their operations.
Now, the new preview sees Aphra and Sana doing a headcount and it's easy to spot Jabba the Hutt himself, representing his own interests as well as the Hutt Clans. However, they also see Gyuti of the Black Sun, which is interesting considering their past connection with the Shadow Collective, Darth Maul's precursor to Crimson Dawn during the Clone Wars. Additionally, both the Unbroken Clan and the Mourner's Wail are in attendance, which is a volatile situation considering the fact that they're brutal rivals in the criminal underworld. However, it seems as though Crimson Dawn's return and its subsequent party are just too tempting to pass up. Here are the synopsis and preview pages for the upcoming issue:
- STAR WARS: DOCTOR APHRA #12
- "PARTY TRICKS"
- A MYSTERIOUS INVITATION leads DOCTOR APHRA and SANA STARROS to an exclusive party... teeming with scum and villainy!
- Will Aphra and Sana be able to survive the underworld social event of the century?
- Or will their cover be blown by A FAMILIAR FACE with an agenda of their own?
While the presence of these powerful groups outside of the Empire's influence is interesting, it looks as though the Empire is just as interested in what Crimson Dawn has to offer as well, having sent the Emperor's advisor known as the Umbaran. As a result, it does make Aphra anxious about whether or not Darth Vader himself will be in attendance as well, seeing as how the two of them have a rather challenging history where he would most likely kill her on sight.
In any case, it looks as though Crimson Dawn's auction is going to be a major event, and Boba Fett hasn't even arrived yet to try and reclaim his bounty, nor the Rebels who will try and save Han which will no doubt create quite a bit of chaos in the next issue of War of the Bounty Hunters. However it all shakes out, it's a pretty good bet that Doctor Aphra will find the best way for her and Sana to survive the coming chaos and do their jobs when the full Star Wars comic releases soon from Marvel Comics.