Star Wars (2020) 18

Publisher's summary

"COLLISION COURSE" Reeling from the events on JEKARA and forced to confront the reality of her own choices and losses, LEIA ORGANA meets QI'RA to discuss the person they both have in common – heroic smuggler HAN SOLO! How has he influenced their lives to that point? And how will it change their fate moving forward?

Opening crawl

Bounty hunter Boba Fett completed his
mission by bringing Han Solo to Jabba
the Hutt.

After their failed attempt to save the
carbonite-frozen Solo, Leia Organa,
Chewbacca, and Lando Calrissian plan
their next steps aboard the ''Millennium''
''Falcon''….

Plot summary

The Crimson Dawn encounter

Following the tense events on Jekara, a distraught Leia and Chewbacca are with C-3PO on the Millennium Falcon. Observing their distress, C-3PO expresses his concern to Lando Calrissian, who simply says they need time to grieve. Leia is particularly saddened, reflecting on how close they were to rescuing Han. She confides in Lando, feeling that she hasn't been herself lately. Lando tells his copilot Lobot that their priority is to get Leia and Chewbacca back to the Rebel fleet, and then they can investigate whether Jabba’s people have picked up the Talky droid.

Suddenly, a massive Crimson Dawn' starship appears, blocking their path. Leia frantically tells Lando to jump to lightspeed, but he confirms the systems aren't responding. A comms opens, allowing Qi'ra to speak, her voice calm as she explains she knows their hyperdrive is disabled. She proposes a meeting aboard the Falcon, promising to come alone and tell her crew to stand down. She just wants to talk. When Leia defiantly says they have nothing to discuss, Qi'ra replies, "We have much to talk about, after all, we both loved the same man."

Upon her arrival, Leia orders Lando to search Qi'ra for weapons. Lando finds a bottle, which Qi'ra presents as a gift, and a datacard. Qi'ra explains the datacard holds the code to reactivate their hyperdrive. She then asks to speak with Leia alone.

A past revealed

Leia confronts Qi'ra, accusing her of betraying Han by setting him up at the auction. Qi'ra clarifies that she never intended for anyone to actually take him. She wanted him back with Leia and reveals she tried to distract Vader to help them. She admits she's a manipulator, but contrasts herself with Leia, who she says is an inspiration. Qi'ra, a self-proclaimed "scumrat from Corellia," expresses her hatred for the Empire. She then shares a story from her and Han's past.

She recounts their time in a gang on Corellia led by Lady Proxima. When a group of older kids ganged up on a smaller boy, Han stepped in to fight them alone. He was badly beaten, and when Qi'ra asked why he did it—since there was no profit for him—Han said, "I thought maybe for a moment that things could be different."

Han is alive

Just as Leia prepares to take Qi'ra to face an Alliance tribunal, Qi'ra reveals a shocking truth: Han Solo isn't dead. She explains that Boba Fett caught him before he hit the ocean. Fett took him to Tatooine, selling him to Jabba the Hutt exactly as he intended to do from the start. Qi'ra says Jabba now has Han displayed as a trophy.

Qi'ra then warns Leia to "keep an eye on Lando," suggesting he might be working his own angles with Jabba. At that moment, a stunned Chewbacca arrives, dropping the handcuffs he was holding as he hears that Han is still alive. Qi'ra looks at Leia and says she can be a valuable ally, and that Leia will need all the help she can get.

Media

Cover gallery

Solicitation cover

Final cover

Textless final cover

Textless Yu Gho variant

Textless Action Figure variant

Textless Handbook variant

Carbonite variant

Textless Carbonite variant

50 years of Lucasfilm cover by Chris Sprouse

Textless Lucasfilm cover

Collected in

• Star Wars Vol. 3: War of the Bounty Hunters
• Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters Omnibus

Appearances

Sources

• War of the Bounty Hunters Alpha 1
• The War of the Bounty Hunters Comes to a Shocking End in Marvel's October 2021 Star Wars Comics – Exclusive on StarWars.com (backup link)
• Leia Loses Hope in Marvel's Star Wars #18 – Exclusive Preview on StarWars.com (backup link)

Notes and references

External links

• Star Wars (2020) #18 on Marvel Comics' official website (backup link)

Alpha · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 One-shots Jabba the Hutt 1 4-LOM & Zuckuss 1 · Boushh 1 · IG-88 1 Crossover Star Wars: 13 · 14 · 15 · 16 · 17 · 18 Bounty Hunters: 12 · 13 · 14 · 15 · 16 · 17 Darth Vader: 12 · 13 · 14 · 15 · 16 · 17 Doctor Aphra: 10 · 11 · 12 · 13 · 14 · 15 Collections War of the Bounty Hunters · Companion Omnibus Crossover: Star Wars Vol. 3 · Bounty Hunters Vol. 3 Darth Vader Vol. 3 · Doctor Aphra Vol. 3 Related media Crimson Reign · Hidden Empire
[edit]