Star Wars Adventures: Chewbacca and the Slavers of the Shadowlands

Star Wars Adventures: Chewbacca and the Slavers of the Shadowlands is the sixth issue of the Star Wars Adventures graphic-novella series and was released by Dark Horse Comics on August 31, 2011.

Publisher's summary

Coming of age has never been this deadly!

Journey back nearly two hundred years before the events in A New Hope as Chewbacca relates a story from his youth on Kashyyyk. Determined to prove themselves eligible for the rites of adulthood, Chewie and his young friends venture into the perilous Shadowlands in search of adventure. But they find far more than they bargained for when they stumble upon slavers plotting a raid on the Wookiee village.

The accidental encounter becomes one of Chewie's most formative experiences—one he wishes hadn't happened at all!

Plot summary

As a child, the Wookiee Chewbacca refuses to attend a ceremony for his friend Tarfful, as he is doubtful that he will ever get the same opportunity. Another Wookiee tries to convince him to go, but he refuses, and instead tells him to accompany him into the Shadowlands, where he can prove himself. Tarfful arrives and tries to convince him not to go, telling him that he should accept help instead, but Chewbacca is offended by the idea that he might need help from anyone, and tells Tarfful that he can come with him or stay, but either way he is leaving. Eventually all the Wookiee younglings present are convinced to come with him, including Tarfful. This makes Chewbacca very happy, but Tarfful is extremely worried about the others, wishing they hadn’t come.

Chewbacca’s other friend Ralrra says this all is a bad idea, and Chewbacca tells him to quit worrying, just before they are surprise attacked by a giant leviathan. Chewbacca impales it with his spear, killing it instantly, and makes fun of Ralrra for being scared. Tarfful tells the group that they should turn back, but Chewbacca ignores him, and the two get into a fight, grappling and kicking at each other, before they both fall into the undergrowth and get tangled in branches and leaves. The group then comes across three slavers searching the forest for younglings to abduct, led by a female human who is bossing the others around.

The slavers are busy arguing about whether they should have landed closer to the Wookiees village, and the younglings debate whether they should stay and fight, or go back and warn the others. While they are arguing, one of them is grabbed from behind and held at knife point by one of the slavers, who is then jumped by Chewbacca, freeing the captive. The two combatants struggle to gain a foothold, kicking and punching each other ferociously as they splash around in the river. Tarfful tells Ralrra to watch over the others, then joins the fray, landing fierce blows on the enemy combatant, but is then punched in the face and sent reeling back as one of the younglings escapes and comes at the slaver with his spear.

The slaver dodges the attack, then snatches the spear, whirls around, and impales the youngling through the chest, killing him instantly. The other two slavers hear the sounds of combat and rush to their comrade’s aid, while Tarfful grabs him by the neck and attempts to strangle him. Before the Wookiees can kill him, however, they are interrupted by a blaster shot fired from an enemy weapon. The female slaver orders them to let her associate go, or she will kill all of them. The slavers debate whether to take these Wookiees and leave, or kill them and take others, and soon the female decides to shoot the other youngling, but before she can do so, Chewbacca leaps at her and grabs her blaster, sending the shot astray. Ralrra grabs the youngling and flees, crashing through the trees like a wild Bantha, while Chewbacca fights the slavers, hurling the female into the one they had captured earlier.

Meanwhile, Tarfful fights the third slaver, but is hit in the head and knocked to the ground by an elbow. The attacker attempts to finish him off with his blaster, but Chewbacca grabs him and wrenches his arms behind his back, breaking them both, then the two Wookiees flee into the forest after their friends. The Wookiees watch the slavers from above as they regroup, and vow to exact vengeance for their lost friend. Ralrra and the youngling head back to the village to warn the others, while Chewbacca and Tarfful stay behind and surprise attack the slavers as they split up to cover more ground.

The Talz slaver is attacked from behind by Chewbacca, and the two fight over the blaster, wrenching it back and forth and kicking and punching each other until Chewbacca is knocked back and the weapon is directed at his face. Meanwhile, Tarfful and the female have a tense stand off, until they both go for their guns simultaneously and Tarfful is wounded by a blaster bolt. He escapes into the woods while Chewbacca uses a nearby tree branch to whack his enemy in the face, sending the blaster flying. He then retrieves it and guns down the slaver in one shot. Simultaneously, the female hunts for Tarfful while he hides among the trees, but then the two Wookiees meet up and attack the two remaining hostiles, tackling them from behind.

The slavers end up tangled in tree branches, but manage to escape and aim their guns at the Wookiees yet again. Preparing to fire, they are caught by surprise when they are surrounded by a search party of Wookies wielding bowcasters, led by Ralrra. One of them escapes into the trees, but is eaten by a monstrous creature which had been disturbed by all the fighting. A funeral is held for the dead Wookiee, and the female slaver is taken by the Republic and sent to prison.

Appearances

Notes and references

External links

• Star Wars Adventures: Chewbacca and the Slavers of the Shadowlands (trade-paperback collection) on Dark Horse Comics' official website (backup link)