Star Wars 80 : Ellie Star Wars 80 : Ellie is the eightieth issue in the " Marvel Star Wars " series of comics . Publisher ' s summary . " The search for Tay Vanis ends ! C3PO " [ sic ] " finds true love at last — but there ' s a tragic twist ! " Lady " written by Jo Duffy , pencilled by Ron Frenz and inked by Tom Palmer , is the untold tale that takes place right before . Plot summary . The search for Tay Vanis continues . On an unidentified planet that has been depopulated by the Empire , Luke Skywalker , Leia Organa , and C - 3PO have landed on the world in the " Millennium Falcon " posing as moisture processor traders . The last message from Vanis had led them directly to the dead world , but their search had gone cold . The Rebels decide to ask the hangar bay manifest droid , LE - 914 to search for Tay Vanis in her database . However , the search triggers an alarm in the computer , sending a detachment of stormtroopers to capture the Rebels . During a firefight , LE - 914 is able to save C - 3PO from being destroyed by stepping in front of a blaster shot , absorbing the energy from the blaster bolt . Skywalker and Organa are able to fight off the Imperial troopers , and the group escapes with " Ellie " back to the " Millennium Falcon " . LE - 914 tells the Rebels Vanis ' last location , at a castle on the planet . However , on their way , they spy Vanis ' crashed X - wing starfighter . Skywalker searches the wreckage and finds a holographic recording from Vanis . The Rebel pilot begins to tell his story of how he was fleeing from Darth Vader and had left the datatape s regarding the Empire ' s secret weapon with his droid , LE - 914 . Vanis states that the droid had been ordered to destroy the datatapes if no Rebels had found them in two days . The Rebels are shocked that they had the tapes with them all along . Especially since the two days have obviously passed , and the tapes have likely been destroyed . However , during the playing of the message , " Ellie " has disappeared . Although puzzled that the droid and the tapes have gone missing , the Rebels decide to go on to the castle and find Vanis . After infiltrating the building , the Rebels overhear an Imperial officer informing his friend of the campaign against the people on the planet , eventually eliminating them all . As the two friends split up , Skywalker takes the Imperial officer hostage , demanding that he bring them to Vanis . The officer claims that there is information on Vanis in a locked room , and he uses his keycard to open it . The opening of the door triggers a hologram of Darth Vader . As the Rebels stare in awe of the Dark Lord , the Imperial officer is able to grab Leia ' s blaster . However , Leia is able to grab Luke ' s blaster , killing the Imperial . Vader ' s hologram begins to speak , telling Skywalker that he knew he would come , using the Force . Vader had captured Vanis some time ago , having kept him in the castle , concealing his location from everyone but his troops in the facility . Vader had led the Rebels on a fruitless quest in order to keep them out of the way . At the same time , he had kept several of his more ambitious officers out of the way searching for the same man . Although Vader ' s plan to keep the Rebels out of the way and harmless has succeeded , he gives the Rebels the contents of the locked room . Inside is Tay Vanis , tortured by Vader and left in a persistent vegetative state . Distraught over Vanis ' condition , Skywalker claims that they should bring him back to the Alliance Fleet , hoping that they can do something to save him . However , at just this moment , LE - 914 appears once again . " Ellie " claims that they cannot take Vanis with them , as the Imperials are on the way , and there is no time , especially since LE - 914 claims that saving his life while he is in this state would not be a kindness . Before the Rebels are to depart , " Ellie " gives them the datatapes . She had kept them intact despite Vanis ' orders to destroy them , since she had believed rightly that the Rebels would eventually come along . As the Rebels watch , LE - 914 goes to her master , embracing him and self - destructing , killing the both of them . Skywalker and Organa are depressed over their friend ' s death , and they begin to leave . However , Skywalker decides that Vanis and LE - 914 deserve a monument , and he goes to the castle ' s power station , setting the building to self - destruct . The castle explodes as the Rebels make their way back to the " Millennium Falcon " , and Skywalker contacts Admiral Ackbar to tell the Rebel commander that Vanis was gone before they had arrived but that they had obtained the tapes . In the last shot of the comic , a close - up is given of C - 3PO who stares at the wreckage of the castle as the rain falls upon his metal frame , giving the illusion of 3PO weeping … perhaps reflecting his own personal feelings . Behind the scenes . This is the final comic in the Tay Vanis arc that began in " " . This is also the first mention of Admiral Ackbar in Marvel Star Wars . This is the final issue taking place before , as the next comic , " " takes place following the film . Originally , " Ellie " was entitled " Lady " and was intended to appear in the , but it was pushed back when " " was published in . This issue was originally scheduled to feature " , " which appeared in the . " The New Essential Chronology " placed the search for Tay Vanis after " " . In this issue Luke has and uses a lightsaber , despite having lost his in " The Empire Strikes Back " . The same is also true of issues 45 , 49 and 51 of this series . Issues 51 and 59 show a hilt that resembles that of his original his first lightsaber , while the art in this issue shows what might be his second lightsaber , although the blade color is a very light red instead of blue or green .