Luke Skywalker returns to his homeworld of Tatooine, questioning his commitment to the Rebellion. Unknown to Skywalker, the bounty hunter Boba Fett knows who he is and is determined to capture him. Fett kills the Rodian bounty hunters before jetting off in his jetpack.
Fett travels to Chalmun's Spaceport Cantina in Mos Eisley, seeking information on Skywalker. Fett is about to question an Ithorian when he is taunted by a six-armed alien, who calls him a "boy" and challenges him to a fight. Fett however bests the alien in combat, ripping off one of his arms and breaking two others. Fett demands information on Skywalker and breaks a third arm to prove a point.
Wuher recalls that Obi-Wan Kenobi came here with a kid that looked like a farmer's brat. A young moisture farmer turns to flee but Fett traps him with his Whipcord launcher. Fett proceeds to torture the lad.
Meanwhile in the Alliance Fleet, Han Solo tells Princess Leia Organa that he needs a hyperdrive regulator, two laser power cells, and three degaussers to repair the damaged Millennium Falcon. Leia does not understand Solos attachment to the ship and is preoccupied with gathering resources to establish a new rebel base. Solo, who has feelings for Leia, tries to get her to say that he doesn't want her to leave.
Leia tells him to leave. When Solo asks for the spareparts, she reminds him that she is not running a charity and that everyone aboard this fleet works for what they get. Leia offers to help Solo get the parts that he needs in return for serving as her co-pilot for an upcoming mission. Solo reminds Leia that he helped her to destroy Weapons Factory Alpha but Leia tells him that was days ago. Solo accepts her offer but jokingly tells Leia to stop living in the future.
Back at Chalmun's Cantina, Fett tortures the moisture farmer with daggers. The lad tells Fett that Luke Skywalker is the name of the person he is looking for. He tells Fett that Luke is a farmer and a bush pilot who used to hang out at Tosche Station with Biggs Darklighter. The lad tells Fett that he saw Skywalker with Kenobi in Mos Eisley trying to get offworld. The lad tells Fett that he only wanted a drink. Having outlived his usefulness to Fett, Fett kills the lad.
Meanwhile, Skywalker and R2-D2 travel across the Jundland Wastes to Ben Kenobi's home. Skywalker admits to R2-D2 that he does not know what to expect at Kenobi's home. He says that Kenobi has taught him everything that he knows about the Jedi. Still, Skywalker senses that Kenobi still has something left to teach him. He says that he hears Kenobi sometimes even though he is dead but is uncertain whether it is actually Kenobi's voice.
Just then, Skywalker is attacked by a Tusken Raider with a Gaderffii stick. Skywalker fights off the Tusken with his lightsaber. He discovers several Tusken Raiders raiding Kenobi's house and charges at them with his lightsaber. R2-D2 flashes his Electro-shock prod.
Meanwhile, Princess Leia and Han Solo travel in a stolen Imperial shuttle on a mission to find a new base for the Rebel Alliance. Solo describes Ganath Cloud, the Trindello system, and the Moons of Ovise as scenic locales. Leia reminds him that it is not a sightseeing tour and that they are scouting for a rebel base in an isolated location.
Not sharing Leia's commitment to the Rebellion, Solo asks if Leia could take him to somewhere with a nice beach. Leia is unhappy at Solo's lack of fervor. When Solo remarks that Leia is not captaining the ship, Leia reminds him that this is not their ship but is a stolen Imperial shuttle. Solo responds that he did not steal the Millennium Falcon but won it in a game of sabacc. While chatting about the Falcon, they pick up two blips on the scanner.
These blips turn out to be two TIE fighters, which order the shuttle to identify itself. Princess Leia is unhappy that Solo let the TIE fighters stroll up right behind them. Solo tells Leia to give him the controls so they can fly out of here but Leia tells him to relax because they are in a stolen shuttle.
Leia tells the TIE fighters that their shuttle is the Invictus and that they are operating out of the Blackfel system on a classified scouting mission. She transmits the clearance codes. Han and Leia realize that the Empire is reaching deeper into the Outer Rim and that it will be harder to find a new base. However, Solo grabs the controls and takes the shuttle on an evasive maneuver.
Leia fights for the controls and tries to tell the TIE fighters that the shuttle's engines misfired. The TIE pilots don't believe her and tell her to prepare to be boarded. Solo tells her that he was right and takes the shuttle to the Monsua Nebula in the Moddell sector. Solo and Leia encounter an uncharted planet covered in cyclones and electrical super-storms.
Solo flies the shuttle into the stormy planet. Fearful of the cyclones and storms, the Imperials retreat. Princess Leia is angry that Solo has led them to a dangerous world and chides him as the worst smuggler she has ever met. As their shuttle passes by, they are picked up by a homing beacon, which reports their movements to a masked figure on a freighter. The figure remarks that the dog always returns to its favorite den.
Luke Skywalker manages to frighten the Tusken Raiders with his lightsaber. Luke admits that he struggles with anger and frustration, which he recognizes are not the path to becoming a Jedi. He tells Artoo that he needs answers. Upon seeing Kenobi's house in a mess, Luke doubts that he will find the answer that he needs.
He realizes that the Sandpeople have not made off with much since there was little to begin with. Luke wonders why Kenobi chose to hide on Tatooine. R2-D2 notices a box inscribed with the words "For Luke." However, Boba Fett throws a flash grenade into the living room, blinding Skywalker.
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