St sO WINICKOPRAUL GANIUITEN 4writen by SUDD WINICK ittastated by PAUL CHADWICK color by KEN STEACY everett SASON HVAM. —coverartby PAUL CHADWICK v editor assistant editor designer publisher DIANA SCHUTZ JEREMY BARLOW LIA RIBACCHI MIKE RICHARDSON ‘Special thanks to CHRIS GERASI and LUCY AUTREY WILSON at LUCAS LICENSING. Talk about this issue now online at: wwwdarkborse.com/community/boards Send comments to the Star Wars leters column to: starwars@ darkhorse.com Orwrite to: Star Words o/o Dark Horse Comics, 10956 SE Main St., Milwaukie, OR 97222, USA ‘The events in this story take place © three years after Star Wars: A New Hope Avertsng pes Spee mre he ew prs i ‘ett raceme ns yeas ad oo (a hdl mts wale nat, TED CL1G TIME AGO, Tyee viene Bie ‘A SOVEREIGN Teaver. THEY HAD DEALT A CRUSHING BLOW 70 THe EMPIRE THAT WAS STIFLING THEIR GROWING REBELLION. DISCOVERED SOMETHING ELSE, AMIDST ALL THIS Strife, THROUGH THe BATTLE THAT TUEY FOUGHT--THEY WAY LANE TUMBLED THIS PAIR MAY Have FOUND THE BEGINNINGS OF Love, TOGETHER WITH THEIR SMALL ARMY, THEY DISPATCHED UPON THE MOST. THEIR DARK ENEMYS CHERISHED OF HUMAN GREATEST EMOTIONS. WEAPON THEY SUCCEEDED WHEN ALL HOPE WAS LOST. THEY FOUND STRENGTH IN THEIR. RESOLVE, THE POWER OF THEIR wie.ONLY AN IDIOT DIDN'T SAY YOU WERE INCOMPETENT, 1 ‘SAID YOU WERE AN IDIOT. (OH, WELL, THAT WAKES ALL ‘THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD, YOUR ‘EMINENCE! If THAD REALIZED THAT YOUR WORSHIPFULNESS WAS DOLING OUT THE COMPLIMENTS, T WOULD HAVE DRESSED FOR TT! GOT SOME PADS FOR “ALL THE ENEELING!, 3 HAVE NEVER NET ANYONE MORE ARROGANT, WORE YEAH, YEAH, YEAH MORE / YOU OUGHTA GET OUT MORE! YOU'LL MEET A LOT OF KEN WHO AREN'T SNIVELING RICH BOYS! YOU HEARD. ME! ALL OF THOSE ‘SOFT, POLITICAL DANDIES OR THOSE WAND SERVANT FLACKS THAT YOU'VE ORDERED AROUND YOUR WHOLE LIFE! Tay IT IN THE REAL WORLD SOMETINE, YOUR, HIGHNESS, NHERE ‘YOU MAY HAVE To GetSie Hite LIKE A SPOILED RICH GIRLE SHE'S PROBABLY MORE. USED TO THICK-NECKED MINIONS RUNNING AROUND A PALACE AND “NESS THAT WE WERE GOING 70 LAUNCH THE LAST TEN SUPPLY VESSELS DOWN TO HOTH A DAY EARLY. CAME IN AND TOLD HER. YAL HIGH-AND-MIGHTY- THE STORM'S CLEARED, es HOW SHOULD J KNOW? T SalD SOMETHING ABOUT CHEWIE AND ME REPAIRING THE MILLENNIUM FALCON AT THE BASE AND WE'O BE OUT OF HERE IN THEN Sie SAID TWAS RUNNING AWAY FROM My AND THE GENERAL WANTS THOSE SHIPS ON THE GROUND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THAT BASE. ISN'T ANYWHERE NEAR OPERATIONAL. ‘ANVTING COMING IN EARLY WOULD BE WELCOMED. HOW DID THAT GO, EXACTLY, 0 THE YELLING ‘AND THE HITTING IN THE STOMACH? TND £ SA, HEY? I'VE GOT A PRICE ON IY Head, LITLE LaDy! “My BIGGEST RESPONSIBILITY 16 10 KEEP THAT HEAD ATTACHED 10 THe REST OF AND T'VE NEVER. RUN FROM ANYTHING| IN MY LIFE MOTHING, WeLL, eXcePT THESE BOUNTY HUNTERS WHO WANT My HEAD~ AND I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO PROVE! UNLIKE SOME PEOPLE WHO MIGHT FEEL THAT THEY DON'T DESERVE THEIR PLE OF RICHES AND NEED 10 SUSTIFY IT BY PLAYING ‘SOLDIER WITH US. GROWN-UPS,THEN 1 SAID SOUTING HWA THEN SHE r r ‘S82 SOMETHING HER HAIR ‘STUPID ABOUT THe FALCON, NOTHING. 1 THINK You AND LEIA SHOULD PROBABLY JUST ‘STAY AWAY FROM EACH OTHER. ae eS ANYTHING HAVING 10 00 WITH AIRE WELL, KiD-. POR ONCE T AGREE winWELL, WE DO NEED TWO TWIN, M-CLASS FIGHTERS DOWN THERE. BLT ONE OF THEM HAS, ABUSTED NAVICOM, AND THE HYDROBOOSTERS AREN'T ‘ON ALTO. IT NEEDS A CO-PILOT. TD SEND ONE (OF THE PLIGHT CREW, BLT WE CAN'T SPARE THE PILOTS, SIR. FINE. CHEWIE AND T WILL TaKE Just WE Wi ABLE 70 GET. ESE our LNTL TOMORROW. We WERE PLANNING ON RIDING. ALONG IN ONE OF THESE We si ‘RedLiy Ger coun ON THE SURFACE BY, TONIGHT. SINCE THE FALCON'S OUT OF COMMISSION UNTIL REPAIRS ARE DONE, WHAT SHIP CAN T FLY OUT OF HERE WE SHOULD KEEP THE TWIN Figurers TOGETHER, ean TUINK THAT'S NECESSARY, YOUR HIGH TILL SEE oe ae Bae WASTE TO SEND. ae YOU IN LAUNCH Bay el IN TEN, MINUTES,T KNOW yOu FLY ALONE, REALLY Oi A BiG WALKING CARPET. cuewle, 1 7 WANT TO HEAR ABOUT I. IF you'r WANTED TO RIDE WIT THE PRINCESS,Bic wae CULT HAT, TM ac at rine ean Wexmee OR DID you JUST NEED ANOTHE EXCUSE TO BE NEAR MA YOURS ONS NOT CREATE ‘A GRAVITATIONAL Pull, YOUR HEAD Is YOU'RE EASILY THE MOST UNMITIGATED, BOORIGH, SELF-IMPORTANT NaN Te EvERTM NOT SURE IF T CAN MAKE THIS ANY CLEARER 0 YOu TWILL BE THE F/RST 70 ADMIT THAT YOu HAVE BEEN ALMOST INDISPENSABLE. T ADMIRE THE BRAVERY YOU HAVE SHOWN, ‘i YOU'VE PROVIDED THe ALLIANCE. YOU ARE A MERCENARY, YOU'VE FALLEN IN WITH THE REBELLION ANI RISEN 10 THE CCASION, BLT IT DOESN'T CHANGE WHO oR WHAT YOU ARE, 7 CouLD BE NOTE 10 A FARIA Gi Do wind ON TATOOIN STATION. ee WOULDN'T CHANGE How T PEEL.WOULDN'T, KNOCK THe FARM GIRLS ON TATOOINE, GHEWIER! WE COTTA FLYIN Low, OR WE'LL NEVER MAKE IT 10 THe BASE! HGH! COULD YOu POSSIBLY BE ANY NORE REPUGNANT? ANOTHER, Hou Wit You, SISTER AND TM ‘SURE TLL Be SETTING RECORDS! WATCH YOUR “ONTROLS-— WE'RE COMING. WN.Not Fast ENOUGH \5 HORE LIKE If THE WIND SHEAR 1S SLOWING US! WE'RE NOT LOSING ENOUGH ALTITUDE! WE CAN MAKE IT TO BASE IF WE JUST HOLD ON FOR THE NEX’ CHEWIE! TURN ON YOUR DIRECTIONAL ‘BEACON! IF you GO DOWN, /E CAN STILL GET TO yOus= CHEWIE!TL CANT GET HIM ‘ON THE SCOPE, HAN! His COMLINIC 1S DOWN. HE-- of T KNOW! HAVE TO COME BACK FoR HIM! WE HAVE TO GET TO THE BASE FIRST. HAN, WEE Sust LostCHEMIE!HE DONT. TURN ON Hl BEACON! TT WOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED iF YOU HADN'T INSISTED ALONG. WE CANT TRACK UIs SHIP: SNOW IS. COMING DOWN BY THE WON'T BE aBLe 10 FIND THE ‘SHIPL We, CAN'T. WATT FoR, THE STORM 70 LIFT? WE'D HAVE BEEN FLYING TOGETHER, BUT, WO-- YOu HAD 10 COME RU "THE NAVICOM, HE COULD Be ut, NECIO BLEEDING 0 DEATH ME AND CHEWIE. NOT Me AND YOLI--| AND CHEWIE FLYNG BY HIMSELF. DAMN IT-= J COULD Have FLOWN AND HANDLED THE NAVIGATION MYSELF.WHAT DIFFERENCE. YOu BOTH T WOULDVE WOULD THAT HAVE WOULD HAVE FIRED THE TOW CABLES MADE? BEEN FLYING ‘AND FLOWN US IN, ALONE. IN TANDEM, T COULD HAVE FLOWN UNDER HIM AND FIRED A BOOSTER THAT WOULD'VE Buovep His SHIP BEFORE FT CRASHED. WOULDN'T, euTT COULDN'T Tat wind You, ON BOARD. DON'T BE. IT'S My OWN WE NEED TO RATION OUT POWER, AND THE TEMPERATURE 1S GOING TO DROP.I IGNITEIF you're YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN TOGETHER A TONG TIME, HUH? / 20 ou KNOW THAT YOU RAN ALMOST 300 METERS TROUGH WHAT T CAN ONLY GUESS I5 ONE HUNDRED DEGREES ‘BELOW ZERO? YEAU. T THOUGHT T DON'T WANTED HIM TO KNOW HE WASN'T CHEMIE AND T HAVE BEEN THROUGH A\ LOTTA SCRAPES. WELL, HE'D. HAVE DONE THE THERE'VE ‘SAME FOR BEEN A ME LCT...‘ONE TIME, we WN” vou ever oce ANYWAY, We WERE” MY 276477 oF WERE MAKING 4 ANY UP CLOSE? § | RAIDED BY THe NATALON RUN OF BARCARIAN CORE BANDITS. CLAW SALT, > ILOOKS LIKE EVEBALLS-- WHICH 15 BAD ENOUGHA- BLT THE SMELL. THEY HAVE A BETTER SENSE (OF SMELL THAN Humans, WELL... Tey Bear THE WELL Our OF THe ulP, SHACKLED Us Bom UP IN THE SALVAGE HULL, AND DESTROYED THE LIFE suproRT RELAYS,CHEW... CHEWIE BROKE HS WRIST...KNIFE FIGHT. Missed, MY NOSE. YOU PLAY THiS PART... THE PIRATE. LIKE you DON'T CARE ABOUT ANYONE OR ANYTHING, BUT, YOU SEEM LIKE... LIKE ‘SOMEONE A PERSON COULD ACTUALLY COUNT ON.I Lanpep THs SHIP, VA BiG Bas OF FURR Ou... HEH-HEiL. TM GLAD 70 SEE YOU ¢’ NOW, CHEW- PUT ME DOWN. you're CRACKING iy RIBS.$0, 1 See THAT REPAIRS ON THE FALCON ARE ALMOST COMPLETE. TD PITCH IN, 70 KEEP ANy- BODY FROM GETTING. FINESSE. cHEWIE AND T KNOW (ou WAY AROUND THERE PRETTY GOOD... WE'RE NOT QUITE. THAT INCOMPETENT, BUT YOUR ASSISTANCE ‘MAY BE WARRANTED. Irs very GENEROUS. OF YOU. TMA GENEROUS Guy, YOUR HIGHNESS.a MADE & BROUGHT TO YOU BY SKOTINKA