Skirmish on Kinooine

The Duel on Kinooine was a preliminary battle in the Nagai invasion of 4 ABY.

Buildup
"It's not much to look at, but there it is - Kinooine"

- Luke Skywalker

Kinooine was an uninhabited planet that inexplicably began to register lifeforms. These lifeforms disappeared equally suddenly, and the Alliance sent a 20 strong scouting party to investigate. That party never reported in, and so a further team, made up of Luke Skywalker, Kiro, and Dani, was sent to investigate. They depart just as Han Solo and Leia Organa head out out on their own mission to Kabray.

Unknown to the Alliance, the Nagai had chosen Kinooine to serve as a forward command base for their forthcoming invasion. The scouting teams had been captured, and all but one, the Rebel Cur, killed. Cur was interrogated by Lumiya and Den Siva in an attempt to discover the location of Princess Leia. What he did reveal was that Lumiya’s adversary, Skywalker, was his commander. Under this interrogation, Cur broke, and began to serve Lumiya and the Nagai.

Battle joins
"I wanted you alive—alive and without hope! But I'll kill you myself sooner than see you go free!"

- Lumiya to Luke Skywalker

The Alliance rescue team set up base, and then Dani and Kiro, lovers, left to explore and spend some quality time together. They were attacked by Lumiya—sporting a lightwhip—who left Kiro for dead, and took Dani captive. Kiro managed to stumble back to Luke’s camp where he collapsed saying: "Dani…you have to…save her…". Luke submerged him in water to recover, then went in search of Dani’s captors.



On a barren hilltop, he encountered Lumiya, who in a fierce battle disarmed him using her lightwhip, knocking him unconscious. She then brought him back to her base sealing him in a room. Believing there are things worse than death, she held back from killing him, wishing to torment him further, in revenge for the pain he caused her, requiring her to turn into a cyborg.

Receiving word of the foiled kidnapping attempt on Kabray, Dani was handed over to Siva to torture. He desired to know more about the race that had overwhelmed his superior force.

Meanwhile, Kiro had recovered sufficiently to attempt a rescue himself. Jury-rigging a helmet to provide water to breathe, he discovered the Nagai base. Eliminating three Nagai guards, Mendo, Rei and Taru, with only his knife and stinger, he infiltrated the base and roused Luke. Between them, they devised a strategy for defeating Lumiya. In the lull before the final battle, Luke promised to train Kiro in the ways of the Jedi; finally recognizing that Kiro deserved that opportunity.

Again on the barren wastes, Luke confronted Lumiya. Reclaiming his lightsaber from her side, he unveiled his secret weapon; a second blade—a lightdagger—jury-rigged from Kiro’s equipment. The two blades—one energy and the other solid—could counteract her lightwhip, also made of two forms. It was this combination that had overwhelmed Luke in their first confrontation.



Fighting hard, Luke’s lightsaber got entangled in the lightwhip, but instead of simply losing his weapon, he managed to cause both weapons to be lost. Now with one blade against an unarmed Lumiya, he easily overpowered her, ripping away some of her cyborg coverings. Her identity is revealed: Shira Brie, former Rebel pilot! Just then, a massive Nagai fleet emerges from hyperspace—the invasion fleet has arrived.

This brings a great urgency to Luke and Kiro, who know they must flee the planet quickly. Tying up Lumiya, they go in search of Dani who is being tortured by Siva. The final scouting party member, Cur, tries to prevent the torture but is killed by Siva. Kiro eventually breaks out Dani with Siva in hot pursuit. Luke, meanwhile, is hacking the Nagai computers for information for the Alliance. As Luke goes to rejoin his partners, Siva catches up to Kiro and the two duel. Both fall off a cliff into water; only Siva emerges, who releases Lumiya.

Both Luke and Dani flee Kinooine, believing Kiro to be dead.

Aftermath
"The Nagai invasion fleet is here!"

- Lumiya gloats to Luke Skywalker

While both Luke and Dani escape, the loss of Kiro weighs heavily on them both. The information Luke stole will prove vital to the Alliance cause, however, providing key information on the Nagai plans and capabilities.

Appearances

 * Marvel Star Wars 95: No Zeltrons
 * Marvel Star Wars 96: Duel With a Dark Lady
 * Marvel Star Wars 97: Escape