Mission to Muunilinst

With Alderaan destroyed, a large percentage of the Rebellion's monetary funds were eradicated. Fortunately, a portion of the wealth was deposited on the banking world of Muunilinst. General Jan Dodonna entrusted Leia Organa to retrieve the datacard containing their financial access codes. Together with Luke Skywalker and their droid companions, R2-D2 and C-3PO, they were to make contact with Mak Luunim and recover the reserves. Han Solo and his partner Chewbacca volunteered to transport the party to Muunilinst.

The Millennium Falcon made the jump from Yavin Prime to the Muunilinst system, and was immediately assaulted on reversion. Experiencing a failure with the offensive weaponry, the Falcon was at the mercy of its attacker, a single TIE Fighter. A Preybird-class starfighter came to the aid of the Falcon, and destroyed the Imperial fighter. In the conflict, the Preybird was damaged, and made an emergency landing on one of the moons of Muunilinst. Feeling an obligation to aid their rescuer, the crew of the Millennium Falcon followed him down. They followed a blood trail to a cave, where they found a badly wounded man who introduced himself as Tobin Elad. While trying to help the man, the resident of the cave returned home. The reek detected intruders and immediately attacked. In a moment of ill-advised blaster fire, Han Solo collapsed the entrance to the underground chamber while killing the beast. Realizing that time was a factor for the survival of Elad, Luke employed his lightsaber to bore a hole in the landslide, and liberated the party.

After nursing the wounded man back to health, the crew determined he could be an asset on their mission, so they made planetfall on Muunilinst to continue their task. After visiting Mak Luunim's apartment, the group was informed by Luunim's assistant that his employer had recently been put to death. It was then that a band of stormtroopers entered and attacked the rebels. Fighting their way to freedom, the party made an escape to the fringes of Pilaan. They entered a cantina on the outskirts of the city in the hope of uncovering information to complete their assignment.

In the cantina, they discovered that Luunim owed many individuals money, especially a well respected Muun known as Nal Kenuun. When the party heard that Keenun had been to Mak Luumin's abode, they assumed the datacard was in his possession. The rebels needed to contact Nal Keenuun. After leaving the cantina, the crew encountered a Dug, introducing himself as Grunta. He had overheard that they were looking for Keenum and offered to take them to him. On the way, he and his three companions ambushed Leia and her associates, trying to earn a few credits, the hard way! A melee ensued in which Grunta was killed, and the three remaining Dugs retreated. At that time, a squad of stormtroopers, using poison darts, arrived to apprehend the rebels.

The party awoke to find themselves captors of the Muun they were seeking, Nal Keenum. They learned that Keenum held the datacard they sought. Unfortunately, the Dug they eliminated was an employee of Keenum's, and was the favorite to win the Podrace two days hence. In order to retrieve their property, the rebels had to replace the pilot they terminated, and win the race in order to recover the missing datacard. Not knowing what to do, Luke blindly offered to take the place of the Dug.

The day before the podrace, Luke Skywalker was permitted to make a practice run in the pod vacated by Grunta, a Plug-2 Behemoth manufactured by Collor Pondrat. Unfortunately, due to a defective current filter, one of the pod's engines overheated and flamed-out, causing it to enter an uncontrollable spin. Luke had to eject and allow the pod to crash, destroying it for the race. The young pilot returned to his tent to mend his wounds and study maps of the race circuit, while Leia and Elad petitioned Kenuun to relinquish another of his many podracers, so Luke could practice. They were able to attain a Keizar-Volvec KV9T9-B Wasp in time for Skywalker to make a practice run the same afternoon.

On the day of the race, Leia Organa attempted to dissuade Luke from entering the race, but he was determined to start. He realized he would not be able to compete without the aid of the Force. Not allowing thoughts to become a factor, young Skywalker felt his way around the course, He entered the first leg of the race with confidence, negotiating the paths of the narrow gorge, passing two other pods and setting his sights on the leader.

The second leg wound through a labyrinthine network of underground caves and tunnels, known as Aliuun Gorge, ending in a near ninety degree climb. Luke gained on his competition, as he exited the ravine, and embarked on the final leg of the race. Entering the wide plains for the final straightaway, the novice podracer challenged the Bin Gassi for the lead. The Nuknog piloting the pod veered to block his young challenger and careened out of control, allowing the Wasp to make the pass and assume the lead. Luke Skywalker maintained his advantage and won the race, making the Imperial assassin, X-7, posing as Tobin Elad, wonder if the young rebel was in fact the pilot who destroyed the Death Star, and the one whom he was sent to eliminate.

Back at Kennun's home after the victory, Han, Luke, and Tobin Elad were granted the datacard as promised. However, Nal Keenun discovered the bounties placed on the heads of Han Solo and Tobin Elad and refused to let a profit slip past. After a standoff trying to arrest the pair, Elad said he would gladly go with the Muun if he agreed to let his friends go free. It was then that Leia entered with the pet Krayt dragon, belonging to Nal Keenun, threatening the goodwill of the serpent. Seeing no other option, Keenun was forced to see the Rebels safely off planet.

On the Millennium Falcon after lift-off, Leia Organa confided in Elad, and invited him to join the rebellion. After this meeting, he contacted his master, informing him that his Target may be Luke Skywalker, due to his surprising victory in the podrace.