Shadows of the Empire ( comics ) Shadows of the Empire was a six - issue miniseries that was part of the " " multimedia campaign . While the events of the comic coincide with the events of the novel , the comic does not follow much the exploits of Leia , Lando and the mysterious villainess Guri , who here plays only a minor supportive role ; on the other hand it includes a generous amount of what Boba Fett was up to during that time , the rivalry with his fellow bounty hunters , and Jix ' s mission on Tatooine . Plot summary . Aboard the " Redemption " , Leia is informed that Imperials have spotted the Rebels , and Rogue Squadron led by Wedge Antilles begins defending the Rebel side in a space battle so that their point remains secret . Leia meanwhile understands that Luke is different after his encounter with Vader and wonders what happened between them . On the " Executor " , Sidious contacts Darth Vader and chastises him for his failure on Bespin . He then orders Vader to conclude shipping arrangements of the Death Star II plans with the Black Sun crimelord Prince Xizor . On his way out , Xizor explains to Guri , that he intends to kill Luke and improve his prestige to the Emperor , while also discrediting Vader . Guri has made her arrangements with bounty hunters and Xizor is ready to meet Jabba . Above Tatooine , Boba Fett who carries Han Solo in carbonite , exits hyperspace but discovers that a signal beacon - installed when he was on Cloud City - was activated ; he has a dangerous encounter with IG - 88D who intended to claim the bounty of Solo . Fett energizes the inertial dampers and finds himself behind the " IG - 2000 " , caught in a barrage of fire from the " Slave I " ; Fett is forced into hiding while IG - 88D managed to limp off to Ord Mantell to search for spare parts for his ship in the planet ' s scrapyard . On " Executor " , Vader tests his injured hand with an ASP - series droid while briefing Jix about his foresight that Luke will approach Jabba to rescue Han ; Jix is supposed to join Jabba ' s gang and try to capture Luke , and ensuring his survival . Finally , Vader concludes his meeting and arrangements with Xizor . Battle of Gall . When Lando Calrissian learns from Dash that Fett is on Gall , he meets Luke and Leia on Tatooine . They depart for Gall , where they meet up with Rogue Squadron and Dash . Meanwhile , the bounty hunters Bossk and Zuckuss attempt to join Boba and work together in order to share the bounty of Han , but he firmly refuses and shoots a sniper placed to shoot him , then his system warns him that " Slave I " has been breached . Dash Rendar , with " Outrider " , leads Leia on the " Millennium Falcon " with Lando , Chewbacca , R2 - D2 , and C - 3PO to the " Slave I " through the Grand Trench on Gall , while Rogue Squadron becomes entangled in a space battle against the dayside Star Destroyer . The " Falcon " reaches the spaceport , though Dash decides to leave since he was paid " only to guide , not shoot " . The Rogues ' luck could not last . Another wave of TIEs approached and a second Star Destroyer joined the battle . They decide to cut and run , preparing for a mock hyperspace jump . Plotting a course towards their base on the moon of Kile , Wes Janson ' s X - wing fires on Luke ; his astromech droid had taken control of his ship , and Luke was forced to disable his fellow pilot ' s fighter . Boba notices the " Falcon " approaching and lifts off . The " Falcon " was badly damaged and withdraws too ; the mission had failed . Eventually Luke finds that Janson ' s droid had been programmed by a technician to kill him ; the technician is shot by Wedge and discovered that she was paid by Vader ( actually by Guri ) . Leia decides to make contact to an underground organization in the hopes of finding out who is responsible . Unfortunately she decides to make contact with the Black Sun , unaware that Xizor is the one who wants Luke dead . Leia also asks Luke to go to Tatooine after Fett not knowing that Xizor expects so ; she also secretly hires Rendar to follow and protect him . On Tatooine . Big Gizz , while on the town with his buds , is challenged by a mysterious stranger , Jix , in Mos Eisley . When Jix steals Spiker ' s swoop , Gizz is impressed with his willingness to cheat . Jabba just got a transmission that interfered with Jix ' s instructions to ensure Luke ' s survival : that Luke is there , and he is more useful dead . After a discussion in Chalmun ' s Spaceport Cantina that Dash overhears , Jix and the gang race over to kill Luke . At Ben Kenobi ' s hut , Luke tests the new lightsaber he has constructed according to the instructions from a book he found inside . Once the swoop bikers arrive , Luke deflects several blaster bolts before he slashes aside one of the riders and steals a bike within the twists and turns of Beggar ' s Canyon with Dash coming behind . When Spiker gets a clear shot at Luke , Jix rams his swoop into Spiker ' s to keep Luke alive . Although Jix breaks a leg in the crash , Spiker is nearly dead . Gizz falls from his bike and levels his rifle at Luke ; he ' s struck in the skull with a rock by Jix . Meanwhile Fett hides in an asteroid field when 4 - LOM resumes operation . Before Fett disables him once more , Bossk picks up 4 - LOM ' s signal and finds " Slave I " stranded . Zuckuss and his team board the ship and apprehend Fett attempting to capture the carbonite slab . Furlag leads Fett to his cell but Fett opens a trapdoor under his feet . He keeps Zuckuss alive to communicate with Bossk and sends the shuttle back to him ; when Bossk looks inside he sees his fellows dead , along with a detonation device , when Fett jumps to hyperspace . Death Star plans . As Xizor suggests to the Emperor , Bothan spies discover that the plans are to be sent in a small computer onboard a fertilizer freighter , the " Suprosa " , en route to their home planet Bothawui . The Bothans send a message droid to Tatooine for Leia , asking her to come to Bothawui , which is received by Luke and Dash who take up the challenge . Along with a fleet of volunteer Bothans including Koth Melan , they intercept the " Suprosa " as it exits hyperspace . On the way to Coruscant . Koth Melan and Bothan technicians decode the Death Star plans on Kothlis when a Barabel bounty hunter raid , led by Skahtul , captures Skywalker and kills Melan . It is revealed to Luke that there are two rewards on his head , as he is wanted alive and dead . Unknown to him , it is Vader who wants him alive and Xizor who wants him dead . After much discussion , Leia agrees to go to Coruscant with Guri in the " Stinger " , taking Chewbacca with her . To allow the two to make it onto Coruscant without being identified , Guri helps them into disguises . Leia takes the guise of the Ubese bounty hunter Boushh , and Chewbacca is disguised as Snoova . For a time , Luke meditates and concentrates . After he gains much confidence with the Force , he influences the mind of his cell guard . Luke gets the guard to lock himself in the cell and take a nap , while Luke exits and then proceeds to increase his skills in the Force as he makes his way out of the stronghold . Lando , with information from Dash , makes his entrance and rescues Luke , and they depart from Kothlis on the " Millennium Falcon " for Tatooine , and in a hurry , as the " Executor " has just arrived . Darth Vader aboard the " Executor " , is sent to Kothlis to collect Skywalker ( as well as to make it appear as if the Empire was genuinely concerned with the loss of the plans ) ; the plans managed to reach the " Razor " over the planet . Then Vader finds Skywalker gone and learns from Skahtul that someone wants Luke dead . Xizor hosts Leia and Chewbacca at Black Sun , then provides them each with appropriate commodities . After an intense seductive experience with Xizor , Leia is reinforced by Chewbacca , eventually retakes control of herself , and knees Xizor between the legs . He is outraged , and sends her back to her room , while Chewie is intentionally let to ' escape ' ( although not so easy ) hoping that he would lead Luke to rescue Leia ; and into Xizor ' s hands . On Tatooine , Jix cleverly gets past security and makes contact with Vader on the " Executor " in order to inform him of the swoop bike incident with Luke and learns that Jabba , too , had a bounty for Luke dead , put by someone who used Vader ' s name . Luke , Dash , Lando receive a message from Chewie and head for Coruscant where they meet ; Chewbacca stealthily make their way through the sewers of Black Sun in order to enter Xizor ' s palace . Using the Force , Luke and his thoughts inform Leia that he and the group are close by and will soon rescue her from Xizor . After much blasterfire with security guards with Luke integrating his increasingly advanced lightsaber skills , the group finds Leia and begins to lead her out of the palace . They enter a hallway with Xizor , Guri , and several more of his aides , and a battle soon commences wherein Xizor and Guri are impressed with Luke ' s skills as a Jedi . Luke and Lando soon threaten Xizor with thermal detonators that they send down the garbage chute , causing everyone to frantically panic and scatter out of Xizor ' s palace . The " Millennium Falcon , " being driven by R2 - D2 and C - 3PO , wildly careens toward Luke and company , allowing them to escape onto the vessel above Coruscant . Battle of Falleen ' s Fist . Xizor boards his skyhook , then sends four of his own starfighters at the Rebels , with Dash defending them with flak from the laser turrets of the " Outrider . " The X - wing starfighters of Rogue Squadron soon join in , along with many TIE fighters , and a big space battle commences . Vader , via hologram on the " Executor " over Coruscant , confronts Xizor . Vader warned Xizor to stay away from Luke , but he willfully disobeyed those orders , and he thus orders the Imperial fleet to destroy Xizor ' s skyhook . There is a great explosion wherein the " Outrider " is thought to be destroyed when Dash actually makes a jump to hyperspace at the last moment , as he is convinced that his experiences with the Rebels have been too dangerous while there is too much money to be made elsewhere . On Tatooine , Fett fools the stalking bounty hunters with a disguised Zuckuss and a covered up 4 - LOM that would seem to be himself and a carbonite block speeding away from the " Slave I . " The real Fett gives the actual carbonite block of Han to Jabba , and he receives his payment . Meanwhile , Luke , Leia , Lando , Chewbacca , R2 - D2 and C - 3PO prepare to rescue Han from Jabba the Hutt . Media . As part of a cross - media promotion for " Shadows of the Empire " , Kenner released two abridged comic reprint issues of Dark Horse ' s " Shadows of the Empire " series within its .