Happy Saturday, folks!
It's time for me to talk about the one hundredth issue of Marvel's first Star Wars title. The beautiful cover, illustrated by the late Tom Palmer (who inked multiple issues during its run) showed the faces of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, C-3PO, R2-D2, Bey, and an Imperial Stormtrooper against the backdrop of a planet. Around that world, TIE fighters, TIE interceptors, X-Wings, and Y-Wings engaged in battle. The story was named "First Strike." The issue had a cover date of October 1985.
The tale began on Endor. Admiral Ackbar was instructing his Alliance pilots on the importance of their upcoming mission before allowing them to begin a flying simulation exam. Luke, Han, Nien Nunb, and Fenn Shysa were among the pilots in attendance. Solo scoffed at the need for such a test, but his selections proved to be quite unusual.
Afterward, the Correllian was quite confident that he'd passed with flying colors. He went to find Leia, thinking that she was the one who'd ordered the examination. However, she was preoccupied in conversing with Shysa. Han discussed the matter with Lando Calrissian, wondering who came up with the idea of the exam in the first place. All Lando could do at the time was look away and whistle.
Luke joined his friends, and they talked about the half-Correllian named Bey, who had now joined in the conversation with Shysa and Leia. Right after Chewie joined them, Luke talked about hearing about Bey's exploits when he was a farmboy on Tatooine. Solo grew up with Bey. He didn't know much about his friend's parents, except that his father was mad that Bey's mother had left them and sometimes took it out on the child. He then thought back to earlier times, from when the two boys were getting into fights with other children, to Bey teaching him a few defensive moves, Bey showing Han the Correllian bloodstripe that he'd earned, and finally watching his buddy recover from losing an eye in a battle that saved many lives.
His reverie was broken by the arrival of the Zeltron teens Rahuhl and Marruc, who told him that Ackbar and Mon Mothma were at the tracking station and wanted him and Luke to report regarding the results of the flying examination. Luke was in the middle of a lightsaber training session and joined as soon as it was over. On the way, Han asked him about the second saber. Luke explained that he'd built it to deal with a former Imperial associate known as Shira Brie, or Lumiya, back on Kinooine. Han admitted that the more he learned about the Nagai, the less he liked.
A short while later, the Alliance leaders announced the detection of a small fleet gathering near the sanctuary moon. There had been no communication from those vessels, which were now assumed to be hostile. All available pilots except for Solo and Skywalker were to take to their ships. Lando would manage the fighters and Leia would monitor the situation until all ships had departed.
When asked, Ackbar explained that there was a bit of a computer error that prevented Luke and Han from flying for the time being. Based on their test scores, it seemed that they both flew in ways that no other pilots on the Alliance would dare to attempt. Han explained that was because he'd once been a smuggler and that Luke often relied on the Force.
Leia relied on Ackbar to straighten things out. It was then revealed that Lando had been responsible for administering the computer test. He was looking for a nice teaching job considering the recent downtime. Solo and Skywalker sat together as the ships were being readied. Han said that he'd tried to enter the Millennium Falcon, but was locked in a tractor beam by the ground computer until Chewbacca and Nien Nunb took over. He hated missing out on all the action, but Luke said they might not be missing everything. He mentioned something nearby that he'd spotted during his saber practice, and asked his comrade if he wanted to take a speeder bike and check it out.
The two reached the Ewok Tippet before long, and moved in for a closer look. Meanwhile, the Alliance fleet was now in space, and gathering in defensive formations against the Nagai ships. Lando was commanding the squadrons from the tracking station.
Several Nagai, including former captive Knife, were standing in a clearing alongside several larger beings known as Maccabees. They were well aware of the impending space battle. Some of them headed toward the Alliance base, while Luke and Han stayed behind to take on some of those who'd stayed behind.
Luke took to his bike to warn the others. Han remained where he was to ensure the Ewoks' safety and to make sure that there were no other threats. He'd downed one of the Maccabees with a well-placed shot, but the being rose up moments later. He eventually destroyed the intruder by crashing his speeder bike into it.
By then, the space conflict had begun. The Alliance fleet was being outmaneuvered early on. Lando didn't know that it was Lumiya who was commanding those enemy forces. Artoo, Threepio, Leia, Ackbar, and Mothma observed everything from the command station. Leia and the four male Zeltrons were also watching until a large arm broke through the wall and grabbed one of the teens. Leia bashed the arm, setting her friend free, but the glass broke, and the two Maccabees burst into the room.
Luke arrived to warn Mothma and Ackbar of the Nagai ground forces at about the same time. He informed them that Knife was among the enemies and that he'd personally heard the orders to attack. Luke assumed that Han had returned by then to warn Leia and the Zeltrons.
Unfortunately, Han was still on his way. As he ran toward the headquarters, he was met by Bey, who dropped from a tree to talk. Solo explained that he had to warn the others about the Nagai, but Bey was about to do no such thing. In fact, it was Bey who had brought their foes there.
Han reached for his blaster, but Bey knocked it from his hand. The two began a brief fight for the first time since their younger days. When Han asked why, Bey explained that in one of his journeys, he'd traveled to a place past the galactic perimeter. There, he learned that his mother, who had been an advance scout for the Nagai, had returned to Correllia to observe. Once the Rebellion was over, the Nagai could go to her homeworld and gather up the remaining side. He lived among the Nagai and found them to be much kinder than many others that he'd encountered. His mother welcomed him back, and he even had a half-brother about Han's age.
Just then, Knife emerged from the brush and pointed his pistol at the two friends. Bey rushed him, and Solo shot him. Bey went to Knife's side before stating that Knife was the brother he'd just talked about. Bey stayed there to help Knife, while Han resumed his objective.
Ackbar was communicating to the fleet that they were abandoning Endor, since the enemy was among them and knew all of their secrets. The space battle was improving for the Alliance, now that they were using Han's tricks. Meanwhile, the Maccabees were being battered by the Zeltrons, before Luke figured out their weak point. The robotic beings then took to the stars, right before Han made his way up to the station. Luke told the remaining crew to start packing, noting that the Alliance of Free Planets was now at war.
For those who had been waiting for a battle with the Nagai, this issue was your payoff. I'm still not impressed with Cynthia Martin's pencil work, especially the doodly Nagai ships. This was the Alliance's last stand on Endor, and it was finally time to move on, now that their base had been effectively compromised. I wasn't expecting the news about Bey's connection to the Nagai, which would be surprising to anyone in the Alliance, most of all his boyhood companion Han.
Despite what I just said in the previous paragraph, we will see Endor one more time in the next issue. The story in the one hundred and first issue of this series takes place a bit before the events that occurred in issue #99. Han, the droids, and a few Hoojibs set out to investigate a strange natural phenomenon and find themselves embroiled in a dispute between two sides on another planet. I'll discuss that tale a little later on today. Until then, have a great day and don't forget to be kind to one another.
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