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Writer, Editor: Archie Goodwin Artist, Cover Pencils: Carmine Infantino Artist, Cover Inker: Terry Austin Letterer: John Costanza Colorist: Janice Cohen Consulting Editor: Jim Shooter CHARACTER Featured Han Solo, Princess Leia Organa Solo, Luke Skywalker, Chewbacca Supporting Dragon Lord elder, Jolli (dies), space pirate 10 (with brown beret), space pirate communication officer 2 (different outfit than previous appearance) Villain Crimson Jack (dies) Cameo Jolli's mother (in flashback; dies), Jolli's father (in flashback) CREATURE sea-dragon DROID R2-D2 (Artoo Detoo), C-3PO (See Threepio) LOCATION Drexel I ORGANIZATION space pirates STARSHIP Crimson Jack's Cruiser, Millennium Falcon, Y-wing starfighter, TIE bomber (see Comments) TECHNOLOGY breath mask VEHICLE hydra-skimmer, wrecker city-ship | ||
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Though both listed as artists, Carmine Infantino is primarily a penciler and Terry Austin is primarily an inker. The cover art is done by Carmine Infantino and Terry Austin and is signed by the two.
One of Jack's spacecraft looks interestingly like a TIE bomber, with the bent wings of a TIE fighter, but with two belly pods. It is unknown if this is a coincidence or taken from some pre-production art from The Empire Strikes Back, the ships first appearance.
Orbiting above the unnamed water planet in the Drexel System, the pirate cruiser of Crimson Jack has been freed from the sonic jamming device that held them prisoner. Rather than depart, Jack wants every inch of the planet scanned for that slippery Corellian, Han Solo. He wishes to payback this particular smuggler for past wrongs, and promises Jolli she can do the same.
On the vast city-ship below, the elder dragon-lord thanks the star warriors for helping them overthrow Governor Quarg. Han is worried that Crimson Jack will be sending ships after him, and asks Threepio how the repairs are going. Before Threepio can complete his answer, a rogue Y-wing barrels down on the Falcon and begins blasting at it. Han, Leia and Luke, who can't swim, dive overboard and make towards the floating smuggler ship, while Chewbacca and Threepio use the dorsal turret to blast the marauding fighter.
Once aboard, the Millennium Falcon blasts off with Han and Luke manning the two turrets against the Y-wing and two other spacecraft. Jolli, who is flying the Y-wing, remembers another time when her father left and her mother was killed, and hardens her resolve to kill Han Solo. She and the other ships herd the Falcon towards Jack's cruiser and a tractor beam.
Using the ships thrusters, the wookiee co-pilot engineers a full reverse and sends the Corellian corvette in a u-turn back towards her assailants. They are able to blast two of the ships out of the sky, but the Y-wing scrapes the top of the Falcon and damages the gyro control module. Jack's cruiser bears down on them, threatening to blow them out of the sky.
Solo informs the red-bearded pirate that he has stolen all the navigational maps from his ship and will strand him here in the Drexel system. He will however trade them for a gyro control module. As Jack and Solo suit up for space walk, Jolli informs her captain that she is floating dead in space. Without mercy, Jack tells her she has to find a way to make it back on her own.
Floating in space outside the cruiser, and protected by it's magnetic field, Han and Jack make their trade. But the pirate has other plans and opens fire on Han as dozens of other pirates swarm from the vessel. Suddenly a lone Y-wing limps into the fray, blasting the bloodthirsty pirates, before turning her ship towards the munitions deck and destroying herself and the chances that the pirate vessel will ever fly again.
Angered Jack turns to face a still living Han Solo, but is quickly pierced by a well placed laser blast from the Corellian's pistol. Prior to leaving Han and Leia search the wreckage and find the dead form of Jolli, whom Han gives a first -and final - kiss to.