Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Star Wars #49Princess Leia Organa and Luke Skywalker embark on a deeply personal journey. It's also one that ends on a surprisingly positive note for those who shared Leia's homeworld.

In Star Wars #49 by Charles Soule and Jethro Morales, "Survivor Fleet", a secret sect of the Alliance made up of Alderaanian refugees. While Zahra implies that she destroyed the entire fleet before she's defeated, the issue's ending reveals the truth about Leia's people:

While Zahra did capture one ship for her trap and managed to destroy some of the Survivor Fleet, the bulk of the survivors escaped her raiders with Zahra having lied to Leia to simply cause her pain. Likewise, it's also revealed that the Survivor Fleet chose to disband and seek new lives with its people wanting to be more than simply survivors of Alderaan.

The Destruction of Alderaan Was Only The Beginning

The Empire's Wrath Went So Much Further

While the disbanding of the Survivor Fleet is a good thing at this point in the Star Wars timeline, it was certainly needed in the immediate aftermath of Alderaan's destruction. This was because the Empire had decreed that the planet's demise had to be complete. This meant Imperials were hunting down any Alderaanians who weren't on the planet at the time of its destruction and had been living as refugees, effectively making them fugitives as well.

Keeping that in mind, the need for the Survivor Fleet was absolutely crucial to keep the Alderaanians who remained safe, as well as the remnants of their history and culture. While they were technically part of the Rebel Alliance's military reserves, the Survivor Fleet was constantly moving, its location only known to a select few to maintain its secrecy from the Empire. However, it seems the time has come for Alderaan's people to actually start living again (something that should become easier with the Galactic Civil War nearing its conclusion with the imminent Battle of Endor).

Alderaan Isn't A Place In The Star Wars Galaxy...

It's A People

The decision for Alderaan's Survivor Fleet to disband and start living their lives somewhat resembles the ending of the MCU's Thor: Ragnarok. Despite Asgard's physical destruction, its people were saved. Likewise, they later began new lives on Earth as seen in future MCU projects.

Similarly, Alderaan lives on in the Star Wars galaxy, even without its physical planet. At the same time, it's decided that Alderaan can still survive even if its people choose to lessen their grip on the singular identity of being refugees to become more. It's a very compelling arc for Princess Leia and her people, especially as Marvel is nearing its end with this era of storytelling, seeing as new Star Wars comics are on the way which will be set after Return of the Jedi.

Star Wars #49 is on sale now from Marvel Comics.