Good morning,
It's time for me to tackle the fifty-ninth issue of Marvel's first Star Wars series. The cover depicted Luke Skywalker and Lando Calrissian running from a giant red and pink slug. The story was called "Bazarre." The issue had a cover date of May 1982.
The tale began on the floating marketplace platform in space known as Bazarre. Lando and Luke had no sooner arrived on the market floor when they were surrounded by armed beings. One individual even tried to assess Calrissian's trade value.
Moments later, Orion Ferret arrived with a trio of associates at his side. He was the man that the Rebels had come to see, and were soon ushered into his private quarters. Ferret had the TIE fighters that they wanted, but had stored them on the nearby planet of Patch-4 for safekeeping. He had a shuttle ready and waiting that would take them there.
Lando was skeptical because of his previous dealings with the merchant, but paid him before they set off for their ships. On the way out, he introduced Ferret to the third member of their party, the Wookiee Chewbacca. Chewie would remain there to ensure that Ferret didn't try to trick them.
After Luke and Lando left, Ferret's subordinate P'lor informed his master that an emergency transmission was coming in from someone named Leia. He asked if it was urgent, but Ferret decided not to make things more complicated for himself and ordered P'lor to ignore it. A short while later, Lando and Luke arrived on the muddy planet Patch-4. It appeared to be a world that was covered in refuse.
Luke soon spotted the ships they'd purchased, and the duo set off for them. However, there was a giant obstacle in their way, namely, a gigantic slug that burst out of the ground before them. The beast's body was impervious to blaster fire, and Luke's lightsaber only caused minimal damage.
Back on Bazarre, Ferret was silently plotting as Chewbacca stood watch over him. Luke learned that his transceiver was dead, moments before he and Calrissian ducked into a cave to evade another attack by the slug. They soon discovered they were not alone.
Inside the darkened cave, they found a group of hobos who had been forced to vacate their planets because of the Empire. They'd also been double-crossed by Ferret and provided the heroes with information on the slug called Caesar. While they were conversing, P'lor interrupted his leader with news about a phony concern. Ferret then went to a console that released liquid over Chewie that froze instantly into solid crystal, imprisoning the Millennium Falcon's co-pilot in a matter of moments.
On Patch-4, Lando, Luke, and their new acquaintances set out to face the slug once more. A sonic pacifier could subdue the creature, but it was on the shuttle that Luke and Lando had arrived in. While they were traversing a canyon, Chewie was busy bursting out of his prison. He was rather peeved and set out for the slimy merchant as he fled in terror.
Skywalker made a beeline for the shuttle, and Lando fired at the beast with his pistols to serve as a momentary distraction. He continued firing until the slug slumped onto the ground before him. Calrissian thought that he'd defeated his foe, until Luke announced that he'd found and activated the sonic pacifier.
By that time, Ferret had made his way to a small shuttle that had been stored in his private hangar. He didn't see Chewbacca take several components from his pouch, which he assembled into his bowcaster rifle. The Wookiee fired a single shot, which disabled the craft before it could even move.
Chewie then went to the cockpit to retrieve its pilot and pointed out that the hour Luke and Lando gave him was up. Just then, Chewbacca's companions returned. They had the TIEs safely moored to the underside of the station, and Luke explained that the hobos on Patch-4 were using the sonic pacifier to keep the slug at bay.
Chewbacca then tossed the merchant into the remains of his shuttle before the trio left. They arrived back on Arbra a short time later, with the Imperial fighters in tow. Princess Leia and Shira Brie welcomed them and announced they were throwing a party in honor of their accomplishment. Leia just asked that Luke change his uniform before the first dance.
The events in this issue took place at the same time as the incidents in the previous issue. It was a fun little yarn, and Ferret proved to be a rather sleazy businessman. It's a shame that this was his one and only appearance thus far. I would like to learn how he got so many guards to be loyal to his cause, even though they probably saw him for the dishonorable person that he was.
Next time, I'll cover the sixtieth issue of this series. That story gives us some insight into Shira's past, and a mission that she embarks upon with several of her fellow Rebel pilots. We'll also see one reason why the Alliance wanted a set of TIE fighters. It's the first part of a larger storyline that remains one of my favorites from this title. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another.
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