This 4-issue story centers around Lieutenant Shara Bey, and for a few moments on her husband Kes Dameron. They are mentioned to have a young son named Poe, who you might know grows up to be Oscar Isaac's character in The Force Awakens. Shara is introduced more naturally than the new characters in Aftermath since she directly assists Han, Leia, and Luke on various missions. She flew in Green Squadron during the Battle of Endor and decides to help push back against the remnants of the Empire before settling down with her family. Kes was on the ground with the Pathfinders, the group who helped Han Solo destroy the Death Star's shield generator.
Soon after Shara and Kes reunite on Endor, Solo brings them on a mission to hit an Imperial base on the other side of the moon. A few weeks later, Shara participates in a battle on the planet Sterdic IV alongside her alien friend L'ulo, then acts as Leia's pilot to Naboo. In the city of Theed, they help the queen in a fight to overtake some Imperial satellites that create severe weather that threatens the entire planet. Then in the final issue, Luke Skywalker gets Shara's help, with her dressed as an ISB agent, to retrieve something stolen by the Empire from the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.
One of the best things the Disney-owned Lucasfilm has done with the Star Wars franchise is to add more female characters, whose gender has been sorely underrepresented in the six films to date. Norra Wexley from Aftermath and Shara Bey from Shattered Empire both happen to be mothers, though that doesn't stop them from pulling off badass maneuvers in dogfights. Then there's Ciena Ree from Lost Stars, who may be on the side of the Empire but has a strength of will unmatched by many. The trade paperback of Shattered Empire includes the first issue of the Princess Leia comic, in which the rebellious royal is assisted by Evaan Verlaine, a fellow Alderaanian who is equally as admirable. Added to the fact that Daisy Ridley's character Rey appears to be the lead of The Force Awakens, the galaxy's gender imbalance may soon be less egregious.
I liked that this miniseries touched on the larger story of the Rebel Alliance's efforts to maintain their status after the Endor victory alongside the more personal story of Shara and her husband yearning to be done with the war and have a life at home. Any fan would do well to pick up this volume. Along with the aforementioned preview of Princess Leia, it also includes the first issue of Marvel's original comic adaptation of Star Wars, published July 1, 1977. The most interesting aspect of that is that it restores parts of the screenplay that didn't make it into the movie, like a deleted conversation between Luke and Biggs Darklighter about the latter joining the Rebellion, and Vader referring to the Force with the added adjective "Cosmic".
You may be interested to read this interview with the writer of Shattered Empire, Greg Rucka.
