Issue number two of the canon comic book miniseries Star Wars: Han Solo - Imperial Cadet is titled Han Solo - Imperial Cadet 2. Robbie Thompson penned the story, Leonard Kirk created the illustrations, and Marvel Comics released it on December 12, 2018.
THE HUNTER AND THE HUNTED! HAN SOLO finds himself with one final opportunity at flight school after spending the night locked up! Will Han become a top-notch pilot, or will he fail spectacularly? One of his main rivals hopes he crashes and burns! This mysterious rival is taken directly from the pages of CLASSIC STAR WARS COMICS!
Han Solo's (Cadet 124-329) case file paints him as an unpromising Imperial cadet who was apprehended after commandeering a TIE fighter and attempting an escape. He now owes the Galactic Empire the value of the stolen TIE and is slated for termination. Solo is held in the brig for approximately 15 days. Several Imperial Navy troopers approach him, and he tries to reason with them. Before they can shoot, an Imperial officer, Yurib Nakan, steps in and speaks to Solo.
Solo insists it was a misunderstanding, but Yurib responds with a slap. He reminds Solo that cadets are Imperial property and can only leave the Imperial Naval Academy on Carida as trained weapons. When Solo jokes about not wanting to be a corpse, Yurib slaps him again. Yurib clarifies that Solo is only alive because of his ability to quickly disable the TIE's security and evade the pursuing fighters. Yurib then reveals that he was the TIE pilot who shot Solo down.
Recognizing Solo's flying talent, Yurib inquires about where he learned to fly. Solo recalls memories of riding a stolen C-PH patrol speeder bike with Qira, escaping a brawl at the Gilded Descent Casino by catching a ride on Kablo's jetpack, and piloting a stolen freighter above Corellia with Qi'ra during an escape attempt. However, Moloch captures them. When Yurib asks again, Solo claims his flying skills are innate. Despite his dislike for Solo, Yurib acknowledges Solo's piloting abilities and reduces his sentence. He grants Solo another chance, warning him that death would be preferable to what awaits him if he fails.
When Training Officer Triosa Broog questions Yurib's interest in Solo, Yurib responds that Solo reminds him of his younger self.
Two weeks later, the twin brothers Tamu and Lyttan Dree are discussing Kanina Nico, a top-ranking cadet, and wondering how she maintains her position. They also notice Solo's name below theirs. Soon, Solo joins them, leading Lyttan to admit that Solo survived. He then pays Tamu some money, having bet that Solo would not make it.
Beilert Valance confronts Solo, expressing his disdain for him as a troublemaker. A fight ensues, and Valance punches Solo in the gut, causing him to drop his tray. Solo retaliates by kicking him from behind and slamming a tray on his head. An Imperial Navy officer and two Navy troopers arrive to investigate. Solo claims that Valance helped him up after he slipped on the messy floor. When the officer asks Valance if this is true, Valance also lies. Solo attempts to be friendly with Valance, but the other cadet rejects his offer, stating that he is only interested in being the best in the class.
When Solo complains about Valance's top ranking, Kanina makes a bet on how long Solo will last. The Dree brothers, in contrast, are more welcoming to Solo and befriend him. An Imperial report describes Solo as a difficult student but praises his flying skills, calling him one of the best pilots the Academy has ever seen. The report also notes Solo's lack of discipline and preference for working alone.
Solo goes through a class about TIE fighters, an underwater exercise as a Seatrooper, and a parachute jump. However, his real passion is flying starships. As his training advances, Solo climbs to third place on the leaderboard, trailing behind Nico and Valance, who are in second and first place, respectively.
Later, Yurib tasks the Imperial cadets with working in pairs to destroy a cannon's deflector shield and then the cannon itself. He stresses that destroying both requires precise timing. He instructs cadets to avoid flying above the cannon's energy shield. Yurib advises them to use the terrain and cooperate to survive the exercise.
Before the exercise, Solo and Nico remove the alternators from their TIE fighters. He also draws a copy of two dices as a symbol of good luck and a reminder of Qi'ra. During the training exercise, the Imperial cadets must evade laser cannons. Jarwen's fighter takes a hit, forcing him to eject. Meanwhile, Lytten warns Valance that he is flying too close to his brother Tamu. Valance responds that Lytten, not Tamu, is his partner and tells him to focus on keeping Valance at the top of the leaderboard.
Valance's fighter collides with Tamu's fighter, causing it to spin out of control. Solo tells him to eject, but Solo's wingmate Nico tells him to focus because they have a clear shot. Disregarding Nico's instructions, Solo destroys the cannon's shield. Though Tamu is clear of the shield, his fighter is still out of control. Solo puts his fighter on autopilot to land before ejecting. He enters Tamu's fighter to find the cadet unconscious.
While taking over the cockpit, the ship's computer alerts Solo to an engine failure. Following Kanina's advice, Solo pumps Tamu's fighter's accelerator and juices the movitor while bringing the fighter to land. During the descent, Solo's TIE scrapes the solar panel of Nico's TIE. Solo barely manages to land the TIE fighter.
Lyttan is thankful that Solo saved his brother Tamu. However, Valance is angry that Lyttan broke off before he could get a shot, causing them to fail. Yurib announces that all the cadets failed the training exercise. Solo suggests they receive partial credit since some cadets did work together. As a small celebration, Solo suggests a game of cards.
Yurib, revealed as the report's author, concludes that Solo has the potential to be the greatest pilot the Empire has ever seen, if his fellow cadets don't kill him first.
- UPC 759606091454; December 12 , 2018 ; Marvel Comics [1] 00211; Cover A; David Nakayama 00221; Cover B; Marcos Martin