Star Wars 70: The Stenax Shuffle

Star Wars 70: The Stenax Shuffle is the seventieth issue in the Marvel Star Wars series of comics.

Plot
Following the revelation in the previous issue, Lando Calrissian, Chewbacca, R2-D2, and Luke Skywalker make their way to the planet Stenos in the Millennium Falcon, hoping to find the bounty hunter that worked with Boba Fett during the search for the Millennium Falcon. The group hopes that the search will lead to Fett, who is still in possession of Han Solo, frozen in carbonite. Both Calrissian and Chewbacca's search for Bossk and Skywalker and Artoo's search for IG-88B have led them to the same location. Lando is uneasy about both searches ending up in the same place, and he expects a double-cross. Skywalker jumps on the mention of deception and begins to recount a story about how he and Han had been double-crossed on Stenos right after they joined the Rebellion.

The story segues to several years ago on Stenos, where Leia Organa, Chewbacca, Han Solo, C-3PO, Luke Skywalker, and R2-D2 have just arrived in the Millennium Falcon. The group is on a mission to make contact with a Rebel outpost that had dropped out of communication with the larger Alliance. As the group makes their way to the rendezvous point, they spy Imperial Governor Quorl Matrin, a former contemporary of Princess Leia in the Imperial Senate. The group duck out of sight of the Imperial commander, and eventually make their way to the Rebel outpost. However, when they arrive, they are greeted not by Rebels, but by the Rik Duel gang, a group of smugglers, former acquaintances of Han Solo. Rik Duel, Dani, and Chihdo explain that they have joined the Rebellion as well, to the disbelief of all around. However, Rik is able to convince the group by mentioning the name of the commander the Rebels had been sent to contact, Colonel Kindar. Duel claims that his group was left on Stenos to search for the statue of Vol, a sacred artifact to the native Stenaxes. Rik claims that finding the statue will earn the Stenaxes' eternal gratitude and that the Rebellion hoped they could recruit them as allies if they found the statue.

Duel organizes the group in clearing away the rubble from the Rebel outpost, claiming that the statue is buried somewhere within the ruins. After a long day of digging, the group finally discovers the statue. However, Duel double-crosses them and reveals that he had been working for Governor Matrin, who hoped to add the statue to his personal collection. As the gang leave the Rebel outpost to rendezvous with the Imperial Governor, a large group of stormtroopers, sent there by Chihdo, arrive to attack the Rebels. The group is hopelessly outnumbered but are miraculously saved by a group of Stenaxes who have come to claim their idol. Solo sends them in Rik Duel's direction, and the Rebels prepare to leave the planet, lucky to be alive. As the Millennium Falcon departs Stenos, Rik Duel and his gang arrive at Duel's ship, the Moonshadow, hoping to escape with the artifact, and sell it to someone who will pay more than Matrin. However, the Imperial Governor had predicted the double-cross and cuts off the smugglers at their ship. As Matrin prepares to execute the traitorous con artists, a swarm of Stenaxes descends upon the Imperials. As the spears of the natives began to cut down the Imperials, Duel looks up into the sky to see the tiny silhouette of the Millennium Falcon, knowing that they were responsible somehow for his misfortune.

Back in the present, Luke Skywalker finishes his tale by telling Lando that he assumes that Governor Matrin and the Rik Duel gang were all killed by the rampaging Stenaxes. Calrissian asks Skywalker if he thinks the Stenaxes will be thankful and help the Rebels find the bounty hunters they are looking for. Luke responds with a wry look, causing Lando to respond with, "Uh&hellip;maybe we'd better park the ship out of sight of the city."

Characters

 * Lando Calrissian
 * Luke Skywalker
 * Chewbacca
 * R2-D2
 * Han Solo
 * Leia Organa
 * C-3PO
 * Quorl Matrin
 * Chihdo
 * Rik Duel
 * Dani
 * Pejanes Kindar

Species

 * Human
 * Wookiee
 * Stenax
 * Rodian
 * Zeltron

Locations

 * Stenos
 * Bespin
 * Cloud City

Ships/Vehicles

 * Millennium Falcon
 * Moonshadow

Equipment

 * Blaster pistol
 * Lightsaber
 * Bowcaster

Droids

 * R2-series astromech droid
 * 3PO-series protocol droid

Organizations

 * Alliance to Restore the Republic
 * Galactic Empire
 * Stormtroopers
 * Imperial Senate

Miscellanea

 * Piracy
 * Vol
 * Carbonite

Behind the scenes
This story is primarily a flashback that takes place shortly after the events of Episode IV: A New Hope. The character, Colonel Kindar is only mentioned in this issue. His full name, "Pejanes Kindar" was eventually given in the Star Wars Gamer 1 article, "The University of Sanbra Guide to Intelligent Life: The Marvel Series".

Collections

 * Classic Star Wars: A Long Time Ago... Volume 5: Fool's Bounty