Death Star Pirates, a comic narrative in five parts, was penned by Henry Gilroy and visually brought to life by Glen Murakami. Its initial appearance was within the pages of #16-#20 of the Star Wars Kids periodical, and it was later compiled into Star Wars Tales 8. The story unfolds in the year 0 ABY.
The Rebel Alliance has concluded the complete evacuation of all personnel from Yavin 4 and are en route to Hoth. Following Luke's launch into hyperspace, Han, Leia, C-3PO, and Chewbacca initiate a scan of vessels amidst the debris of the Death Star. Suspecting the presence of Imperial spies in hiding, they opt to investigate. However, they are met by a waiting band of pirates. Red TIE Fighters emerge from behind them, disabling the Millennium Falcon's power systems. Subsequently, another pirate vessel reveals itself, initiating a docking sequence with the infamous Redkihl Rokk's's ship. Redkhil intended to seize their cargo, leaving them to perish slowly in the vastness of space, a fate he had inflicted upon others.
Unexpectedly, Luke materializes from hyperspace, neutralizing two TIE Fighters with laser fire. He had also scanned the pirates after their departure, and deducing that contacting Han would alert the pirates and negate his element of surprise, he refrained from communication. Redkhil retaliates, targeting Luke and setting his ship ablaze. Luke executes a dive towards the ship's hangar bay, crashing through its defenses. Thus begins the Battle of the Hungry Ghost.
With the Falcon now attached to Rokk's vessel, they deploy small spider drones throughout the ship's interior. The Alliance heroes retreat to the rear of the ship, seeking refuge and initiating repairs. A pirate arrives to report the successful docking of the Falcon, but Redkhil is preoccupied with a separate issue: Luke's survival of the hangar bay crash. He commands his crew to eliminate Luke, knowing that his arrival at the bridge would spell his own demise.
Aboard the Falcon, the drones are searching for cargo and Han. Their search yields only bombs. Han formulates a strategy to deceive the pirates into surrendering. Meanwhile, as Luke advances towards the bridge, he is confronted by the crew, leading to a skirmish. Luke swiftly dispatches three of them with a flourish of his lightsaber. One attempts a surprise attack from behind, but R2-D2 thwarts the effort with an electrical shock. Now alerted to the pirate's presence, Luke bisects him.
Han completes a holographic representation of himself and entrusts it to C-3PO to initiate their plan. C-3PO expresses considerable apprehension regarding the plan, but Leia offers reassurance, attaching a communicator to the box containing the hologram. He then exits, feigning surrender to the drones, who escort him away.
Upon C-3PO's arrival before Redkihl, he transmits a message from Han, asserting that the bombs seized by the drones are equipped with a detonator, and that he will detonate them unless Red surrenders.
Dismissing Han's threat as a bluff, Red refuses to yield. Luke then breaches the bridge, but Red swiftly directs his drones to fire upon him, inflicting wounds. Just as Red is poised to deliver the final blow, Han and Chewbacca succeed in restoring power to the Falcon. Red remains oblivious to Luke's approach, who is poised to strike. Luke attacks Red, then rushes towards a hatch connecting to the Falcon's hatch along with C-3PO and R2-D2, and jumps inside.
In a final, desperate attempt to eliminate them, Red redirects his weapons towards the Falcon. Han then triggers the bombs remaining on the pirate ship, resulting in the pirate's death. They then proceed towards Hoth, leaving the pirate vessel to join the other remnants of the Death Star, the fate Red had intended for them.