As the mastermind behind Qi’ra’s return, telling this story has been surprisingly personal for Soule. Reflecting on the experience, he’s both appreciative and excited. “This whole storyline's been a gift, honestly,” he says. “It's given me a chance to write some deeply resonant stories that connect with the particular moment in the Star Wars timeline in which they are set, as well as prominent characters across the galaxy. It's been a very rich experience for me as a writer, and I'll be sad to say goodbye to Crimson Dawn, Qi'ra, and the rest of this corner of Star Wars once I'm done. This kind of story doesn't come around that often, and I'm glad I've been able to build it alongside Steven Cummings, Luke Ross, and the other amazing writers and artists working in Star Wars right now. I think the fans are in for a treat.” Witness the next step in the legacy of heroes and scoundrels in the galaxy far, far away as MARC GUGGENHEIM (HAN SOLO & CHEWBACCA) is joined by a ragtag team of artists to bring you an explosive tale you won’t soon forget! While this chapter of Qi’ra’s journey is closing, I hope it isn’t the last we see of her. I’m sure there are still plenty of stories to tell. This journey was worth the twists and turns it took us on. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Until next time… AWAIT THE DAWN! The Fermata Cage can freeze time, events, and event people and store it in itself. But as Qi’ra says, like anything that can be frozen, the contents can be “thawed.” Furthermore, seeing that Qi’ra survives Hidden Empire is a relief. Based on the forces she was up against and details from other canon stories, her survival seemed unlikely. There is still so much of her character and her story that need to be explored and it would’ve been disappointing for her to die so soon after her thrilling return to Star Wars.

Vader and Palpatine want to reach the Fermata Cage so they can defeat the ancient Sith Lord or whatever else Qi’ra will attempt to unleash from it. This trap is not the only thing Qi’ra has up her sleeve as Doctor Aphra arrives to face Vader. Aphra is possessed by the Spark Eternal and wielding the Null Blade, a weapon that is designed to neutralize a lightsaber and kill Sith.Some of the conflict involving the Knights of Ren felt somewhat contrived, but when working with characters as well fleshed out as Palpatine and Vader, sometimes it has to be. Their direct involvement enhances her importance. Her survival enhances her legacy. I couldn’t be happier she is still alive. It was always going to be a tragic ending, but there is some beauty in the tragedy presented by Hidden Empire. Qi’ra ultimately achieved what she set out to do, and her final acts with the power she still wielded gave a young girl the future she always wanted for herself. It’s poetic. The dialogue between the two was perfect. Through their conversation, we learn that while Qi’ra may have felt her plan to destroy the Sith failed, it didn’t. It may not have happened according to her design, but the effects were the same. Two of her agent brought the Rebellion the news of the second Death Star’s construction. Her syndicate war also distracted Palpatine so much that it gave the Rebel fleet time to regroup and grow in size. She nodded. "Yes my Lord. I wish to request access to the Rakatan archives, so that I may confirm if that region was once part of their empire."

To me this is HUGE! I really hope it’s not a red herring and Qi’ra eventually fails. Also her mention of the Rule of Two narrows down the list of Sith this could be. Since Darth Bane instituted the Rule of Two the Sith Qi’ra mentions its logical to think that this Sith will be no older than he is.Qi’ra pulled off what was seemingly impossible by outsmarting Palpatine and Vader and successfully imprisoning the Sith Lords in the Fermata Cage.