Marvel Comics Star Wars Thrawn Issue No. 3: Political maneuvering in the Empire
Arihnda Pryce is the star of the third installment of Thrawn from Star Wars Marvel Comics, as the story of her Imperial career is told.
The third issue of Thrawn from the Star Wars Marvel Comics variation of the canon novel focuses on Arihnda Pryce, who many fans know from the animated series Star Wars Rebels. In this issue, we follow the Governor of Lothal from her days in a mining family to her ascent to Imperial Officer.
It’s a character-defining arc in which we discover that even someone with noble intentions can be changed in a corrupt system.
A noble daughter of Lothal finds out how the Empire truly works.
Photo Credit: [Thrawn comic] Marvel, Star WarsArihnda Pryce starts her story as a daughter determined to save her family’s mining operation in Lothal. The Empire, as it has done in every system throughout the republic, has laid claim to Lothal’s most valuable resources. With the local appointed Governors looking to profit, systems like Lothal are held hostage while their people suffer.
When Arinhda’s mother is falsely charged with embezzlement in the Governor’s attempt to blackmail the Pryblackmailout of their mining operations, she decides that she must take her as far up the chain of command a solid possibility.
She takes a position as Senator Renking’s assistant so that she can plead for her cause on Coruscant. However, once she enters the Imperial political arena she quickly becomes a pawn in a game, she’s Just beggining to learn to play.
While running an errand for Senator Renking, Arinhda is blackmailed into delivering a data card that will incriminate the Senator by Moff Ghadi. With Senator Renking facing allegations, Arinhda is left on Coruscant to fend for herself. It’s at this moment when she runs into some old friends who offer her a position in an Advocacy group and a chance to get some martial arts training.
Some fires have to be fought with fire.
Marvel; Lucasfilm
It’s in these training classes that Arihnda comes to make Captain Thrawn’s acquaintance. It ’s a relationship that will serve her well in the future. After receiving another threat from Moff Ghadi, Ms. Pryce seeks out Thrawn’s assistance to take out Ghadi, in return, she would help Thrawn’s military aspirations through her political connections. Their discussions lead Arinhda to one of the Empire’s biggest fish, Moff Tarkin.
Marvel; Lucasfilm
In her discussions with Tarkin, Arihnda lays out the price of her information. Advancement for Thrawn and his aide as merited, and position as Governor of Lothal. Her information proves to be worth what she bargained for, only she had to betray her friends in the process. It seems her good friends just happen to be a Rebel spy cell.
A good outing from the Thrawn adaptation, providing great character insight.
A solid issue in this Thrawn mini-series, it really gives the readers a sense of how cutthroat both the Imperial military and politics were in Hebron years leading to A New Hope. It’s a fine character study in how even a person with the noblest intentions can be corrupted by a system where it’s the only way to survive.
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Even though Arinhda Pryce is a completely unlikable character on Rebels, you can’t help but root for her a bit here. A great piece of writing by Timothy Zahn adapted beautifully by the team over at Marvel Comics.