BEWARE THE MAD CITY! DOCTOR APHRA and her new team have tracked the RINGS OF VAALE to a mysterious planet filled with primordial horror. What's worse, the rings may be cursed…a malediction that could already be tearing Aphra's crew apart. Will they escape the terror of the cursed planet with the precious rings or succumb to the creeping madness pervading the ancient world?
Years ago, Chelli Lona Aphra and Eustacia Okka were students at the University of Bar'leth on the planet Bar'leth. Okka told Aphra that she must stop falling asleep during the lectures, to which she replied that she already knew the material front to back. Aphra teased Okka for reading off of her datapad during the lecture, an article titled "The Lost Legends of the High Republic". Aphra told Okka she worried too much about what others thought, and the two share a kiss.
Aboard the Ark Angel III, the group discussed the fastest way to Dianth. While on the ship, now-professor Okka received a holo from House of Tagge scion Ronen Tagge, who gave her a choice—join him in finding the Rings of Vaale or be destroyed with her current group for standing in his way. He asked Okka to give his regards to Aphra, which raised some questions from the group. Aphra informed the group that while working a job for Tagge, instead of letting him destroy the artifacts, she made the delivery, accepted her payment, and stole the artifacts back. The Ark Angel III landed on Dianth, and Okka and Yao spot the Lost City of Vaale. While exploring the city, Yao thought she saw a face on the wall move, while Lucky heard a high-pitched sound that no one else does. The group noticed that Okka had been separated from them, and found her stumbled upon the fabled Workshop of the Architects of Vaale, which also displayed a map on the ground. Okka mentioned that the workshop is underneath them and they enter through a trapdoor, where she explained the rings to them. The ring with the sapphire gem will grant the wearer eternal life but will also drive them to madness. The ring with the crimson gem grants the wearer immense fortune, but also quickens their eventual demise. They find the true workshop, which lay behind a locked door. While trying to figure out how to open the gate, a Zombie approached them, telling them to leave "this cursed place". Yao saw the faces on the wall again and wondered if the zombie and the faces are past architects that tried to find the rings. Aphra shot the zombie and tried to find a way to open the gate. Yao located a device hidden in a wall that she thought might be a key of sorts. The device began a loud ringing noise, causing Lucky and Krrsantan to shoot it. As they do, the floor began to crack, creating a large hole which Lucky, Krrsantan, and Okka fell through. Aphra reached out for Okka but Yao held her back. Agora and Yao are apprehended by Tagge's mercenaries, who tell her to lead them to the Rings.
- UPC 759606097241; July 22, 2020; Marvel Comics; First printing
- Star Wars: Doctor Aphra Vol. 1 — Fortune and Fate
- Star Wars: Doctor Aphra Omnibus Vol. 2