Cloud-Riders

"We're not Marauders. We're allies. And the war has just begun."

- Enfys Nest on the Cloud-Riders

The Cloud-Riders, also known as Enfys Nest's marauders, were a pirate gang led by Enfys Nest during the reign of the Galactic Empire that rode swoop bikes. Nest inherited leadership of the Cloud-Riders from her deceased mother. At some point the gang encountered Han Solo. There, they revealed themselves as rebels that wanted revenge on the crime lords who persecuted the inhabitants of resource-rich planets and wanted to fight the Empire. Years later, whilst undertaking a job for Jabba Desilijic Tiure, Solo saw a Caelli-Merced Skyblade-330 and noted that he hadn't seen one since his run-in with Nest's marauders.

History
The Cloud-Riders were a group of pirates led by a woman who fought reprisal against the Galactic Empire, the Five syndicates, and Crimson Dawn. Around 12 BBY the Cloud-Riders' leader perished and leadership of the Cloud-Riders fell to her 16-year-old daughter, Enfys Nest who took up her mother's mantle, mask and armor. The cloud-riders carried with their mission of fighting back against the threats to the galaxy's safety.

In 11 BBY, six of the cloud-riders under Nest raided a Imperial spice cach on Gargon. They stole emergency packs and medical spice before they made their escape. The cloud-riders, posing as Crimson Dawn's leader, Dryden Vos, were able to trick Tobias Beckett into stealing a shipment of Identichips from Dvorad on Hovun IV. The cloud-riders revealed themselves to Beckett and his gang when they arrived on Munt Ontdal with the indentichips. Unfortunately, Beckett destroyed the indentichips and his gang made their escape.

The cloud-riders ran into Beckett and his gang when they attempted to steal a Coaxium shipment from a Imperial transport train on Vandor. The two gangs fought each other to take the coaxium. Despite killing Beckett's pilot, Rio Durant, the cloud-riders were unable to retrieve the coaxium when they were forced to drop it. Despite the setback, one of the Cloud-riders, Weazel was able to follow Beckett and learned about his plans to steal coaxium from the spice mines of Kessel. Weazel was then able to plant a tracking device on Captain Lando Calrissian's ship, the Millennium Falcon. Weazel informed Nest of this and the Cloud-Riders awaited Beckett's arrival on Savareen,. The Cloud-riders confronted Beckett, his gang and Qi'ra. After Calrissian escaped aboard the Falcon, Nest told Beckett, and his gang, and Qi'ra that the cloud-riders were not marauders, but freedom fighters.

Behind the scenes
In response to Phil Szostak about if the concept of the Cloud-Riders originated from the 1977 Star Wars Legends comic Star Wars 9: Showdown on a Wasteland World! or if it was just coincidental, Jon Kasdan, writer of Solo: A Star Wars Story, replied on Twitter that it was no coincidence, as when former directors Christopher Miller and Phil Lord settled on swoop bikes, Kasdan found the Star Wars Legends Cloud-Riders when browsing Wookieepedia, and the name stuck.

The red flags on the Cloud-Riders' swoop bikes were inspired by the Sashimono, banners worn by both foot and cavalry soldiers in feudal Japan, particularly the ones depicted in classic samurai movies like the 1985 film Ran. The swoop bikes' sawn-off X-wing vibe was a nod to the Alliance to Restore the Republic's origins.

Appearances

 * Star Wars Battlefront II
 * Beckett 1
 * Solo: A Star Wars Story
 * Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition
 * Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition audiobook
 * Solo: A Star Wars Story Read-Along Storybook and CD
 * Solo: A Star Wars Story: Train Heist
 * Solo Adaptation 2
 * Solo Adaptation 3
 * Solo Adaptation 5
 * Solo Adaptation 6
 * Solo Adaptation 7
 * Choose Your Destiny: A Han & Chewie Adventure
 * Flight of the Falcon, Part 1: Spy Games