Star Wars: Allegiance #4 Review

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Leia and her team escape a trap and finally get their fleet as the Resistance continues to grow in Star Wars: Allegiance #4.

Warning: This article contains plot points for Star Wars: Allegiance #4.

Allegiance #4

Writer: Ethan Sacks | Artist: Luke Ross | Colorist: Lee Loughridge | Letterer: VC’s Clayton Cowles | Cover Artist: Marco Checcheto | Assistant Editor: Tom Groneman | Editor: Mark Paniccia

Star Wars: Alleganiance #4 concludes Marvel’s initial contribution to the Journey to The Rise of Skywalker. Leia brought a team that consisted of herself, Rey, Rose, Threepio, and Chewbacca to Mon Cala with the goal of acquiring support from the old allies of the Rebellion. However, old wounds proved slow in the healing, and she met resistance and antagonism from some of Mon Cala’s factions when she got there. Perhaps the opposition took a step too far when they attempted to assassinate Leia as she tried to depart the planet. Allegiance #4 concludes the story and proves that even when faced with the most terrible consequences, good people will still do the right thing.

Putting Aside Old Grudges

The assassination attempt that concluded Allegiance #3 was foiled by quick action from Rey. Using the Force in a manner that brings thoughts of Anakin Skywalker or Kanan Jarrus to mind, Rey contained the explosion. She then sprung into action, and with an assist from Rose, hunted down their would be assassin. The scene appears to have taken at least some inspiration from Rey’s pursuit of Finn at Niima Outpost, only Rose got the drop on their attacker.

With the assassin in hand, they return to the King Ech-Char’s chamber and confront Chakdol Gee. The assassin was working with him in the hopes of currying favor with the First Order, who just brought a fleet into orbit around Mon Cala. Leia uses the opportunity to set aside old grudges and convince King Ech-Char to honor alliances of the past and commit a fleet to the Resistance’s aid. The only issue is that the First Order’s arrival makes getting that fleet away from Mon Cala difficult.

Making Amends

There is a solution to Mon Cala’s problem. They need a distraction. Although he did not support Leia in her request for Mon Cala’s aid, the Quarren Nossor Ri takes responsibility for the actions of Chakdol Gee’s subordinate. Chakdol was his protege after all. So, Nossor flies a ship in to space to provide the distraction they need. It works. He sacrificed himself and provided the Resistance with just enough of a window that they could escape with the fleet.

Despite their escape, there is a price to pay. As demonstrated in prior issues of this series, the First Order punishes those that would support the Resistance severely. It is no different for Mon Cala in Allegiance #4. As the issue concludes, General Hux notes that Mon Cala has forfeited its neutrality, and it shall serve as an example for the rest of the galaxy to those that oppose the First Order.

One can’t help but think of Leia’s line to Grand Moff Tarkin in A New Hope. When brought aboard the Death Star, Tarkin threatened Leia with the power of the station. Leia was defiant and taunted him that the more he tightened his grip, the more systems would slip through his fingers. It is true. The atrocities committed by the Empire purchased allies for the Rebellion. Something similar seems to be a possibility here.

Poe and Finn

The other story of Allegiance #4 comes to a close as well. Their mission to Base 354-23X on the Moon of Avedot was intercepted by Kendoh and her band of mercenaries. They are hoping to collect on the bounty on Finn’s head. When they finally discover that Poe is there as well, they see an opportunity to double the score. However, through resourcefulness, Finn and Poe manage to make their escape, even if it does mean that they ended up blowing up the base and some of the weapons they were hoping to retrieve.

The best parts of the story was that Finn had the opportunity to fly an old Rebellion T-47 Snowspeeder, and when it was destroyed, his ejection and subsequent rescue by Poe was pretty cool. However, this story never really developed into much. While fun, it doesn’t seem like there is much that the reader really needed to know. This series was only four issues long, and perhaps with another issue, more could have been done with secondary plot. Perhaps this space would have been better used enhancing the primary story about Leia’s team on Mon Cala.

When it became apparent to Kendoh that they weren’t collecting on these bounties, she tells what is left of her team that they are “onto the sword blade heist.” This is an obvious reference to the Galaxy’s Edge series, also written by Ethan Sacks, which also helps to ground both stories in the sequel trilogy timeline.

Final Thoughts on Allegiance #4

Allegiance #4 was a neat and tidy end to the series. There never was any doubt that Leia would convince King Ech-Char to aid the Resistance. That said, it was clever that Ethan Sacks was able to create a story that added some tension to the negotiation. Allegiance is one part of an overall effort by Marvel, Del Rey, and Lucasfilm to let Star Wars fans in on how the Resistance managed to rebuild from a single cell aboard the Millennium Falcon into a force capable of fighting the First Order in The Rise of Skywalker. Justina Ireland’s Spark of Resistance and Rebecca Roanhorse’s Resistance Reborn also detail steps in the rebuilding process.

It is unclear why this series as limited to four issues. It certainly could have benefited from at least one more. The characters that serve as the face of the First Order received little attention. Kylo Ren and General Hux were present, but only barely so. Granted, focusing on them likely distracts from Leia’s story, but then so did Poe and Finn’s adventure. Overall, though, this was a good story, and fun supplemental material for Star Wars fans as they prepare for The Rise of Skywalker.