Star Wars Brings Back Princess Leia's Secret Nemesis (Before Return of the Jedi)

Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Star Wars #48

Summary Zahra, Leia's nemesis, resurfaces seeking revenge post-Hoth and pre-Endor.

Zahra set a major trap for Leia, while also hinting at a possible Survivor Fleet massacre.

Leia's rivalry with Zahra has officially been revived, adding key suspense to the Star Wars canon during this era.

Star Wars and Marvel just brought Princess Leia's secret nemesis back to the galaxy far, far away, and she's definitely looking for some major revenge. Set between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, one Imperial commander was tasked with hunting down the Rebels following the Battle of Hoth. However, she also formed a bitter personal rivalry with Leia Organa herself, one that's now been resurrected just before the Battle of Endor.

As seen in the new Star Wars #48 by Charles Soule and Jethro Morales, Leia Organa and Luke Skywalker are alerted to the disappearance of the "Survivor Fleet", a secret faction of the Alliance comprised of surviving Alderaanians who've remained in hiding since the destruction of their planet by the first Death Star. Investigating their last known location, it's revealed that a trap was laid specifically for Leia by none other than Commander Zahra, a former Imperial long thought to have been killed (who no doubt holds a major grudge against Organa):

Sporting scars and brand-new prosthetic limbs to replace the ones she lost after her last encounter with Leia where she was left for dead in a cave (Star Wars #24), it looks as though Zahra joined and seems to be leading a large band of raiders since the Imperial and Rebellion leaders last crossed paths.

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Commander Zahra Was The Protégé Of Grand Moff Tarkin

The Rebellion's Biggest Threat Post-Hoth

In the absence of Grand Moff Tarkin and Grand Admiral Thrawn, it was Commander Ellian Zahra who Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader chose to lead the Imperial Navy, specifically charged with hunting down the scattered Rebel Alliance in the wake of the Battle of Hoth. A protege of Tarkin himself, Zahra was distraught when the Grand Moff lost his life, having still been aboard the Death Star when the Alliance successfully destroyed the battle station. Zahra also blamed Princess Leia personally, making it her mission to demoralize the Rebel leader before eventually executing her in the name of the Empire.

Facing each other multiple times in the wake of The Empire Strikes Back, Leia and Zahra's rivalry seemed to have culminated when Leia left her for dead in a cave filled with giant creatures following the destruction of Zahra's Star Destroyer, The Tarkin's Will. However, Zahra apparently survived and managed to live on, still seeking revenge on Leia even if she's seemingly no longer with the Empire. To that end, Zahra's revenge may have already come to pass.

Did Zahra's Raiders Kill The Survivor Fleet?

Seeking Revenge on Princess Leia

Having found only one Alderaanian aboard a single ship rigged to blow, a trap was clearly set that was meant to lure Leia by Zahra and her raiders. To that end, the fate of the full Survivor Fleet still remains a mystery following the new Star Wars #48. Hopefully, these refugees from Alderaan still live, though it's quite possible that Zahra sought to complete the work of her mentor by wiping out the last remnants and survivors of Leia's world. At any rate, Leia Organa's major rivalry between movies has certainly been revived in the Star Wars canon.

Star Wars #48 is on sale now from Marvel Comics.