Between the years of 3 ABY and 4 ABY, the Galactic Empire initiated an extensive search for Princess Leia Organa and Luke Skywalker, which notably occurred on The Wheel. With assistance from the Freemakers, Princess Leia and Luke successfully evaded the forces commanded by Lieutenant Estoc and subsequently rejoined the Rebel Alliance.
During the Galactic Civil War, the Freemakers maintained a position of neutrality, focusing on earning a living through scavenging, building, and repairing starships. However, the paths of the Freemakers were soon to intersect with members of the Rebel Alliance. Sometime after the Battle of Hoth, Princess Leia Organa and Luke Skywalker found themselves in a convoy of rebel starfighters being pursued by TIE fighters. While navigating through a pinnacle planetoid, their A-wing escorts were destroyed. The two rebels managed to eliminate the TIE fighters that were chasing them. Nevertheless, their Y-wing sustained damage, which led them to seek repairs at the Wheel space station.
Leia and Luke went to Freemaker Salvage and Repair, a garage shop located on the Wheel, to get their repairs done. The Freemakers were experiencing financial difficulties and struggling to meet their rent obligations. The youngest Freemaker, Rowan Freemaker, had also commenced his Jedi training under Naare, who was secretly a Sith operative. Rowan was on a mission to locate the pieces of the Kyber Saber crystal, and Naare instructed him to keep his powers a secret from everyone outside of their group.
In an effort to generate income, Kordi agreed to fix Leia and Luke's Y-wing. She instructed Rowan to board their ship, the StarScavenger, to retrieve an ion stabilizer. Soon after, the local Imperial authorities, under the command of Lieutenant Estoc, discovered the rebels' presence and issued a wanted alert. Kordi nearly evicted Leia from her stall until the Princess offered to pay five times the standard rate. Kordi successfully concealed Leia just before Estoc and a group of stormtroopers entered the Freemaker Garage to conduct a search. Meanwhile, the startled B1-series battle droid Roger inadvertently took the StarScavenger on an unplanned trip to Felucia, with Rowan and Luke aboard.
Lieutenant Estoc and her stormtroopers were unable to find any trace of Leia or Luke. Kordi explained the StarScavenger's unexpected departure by claiming it was on a salvage mission. Leia sought refuge in a trash bin, and the Freemakers attempted to smuggle her out. However, Estoc noticed that they had passed by the trash incinerator. To avoid raising her suspicion, Kordi and Zander tipped the bin into the incinerator. This action satisfied Estoc and her stormtroopers. Kordi and Zander then took a turbolift and rescued Leia from the incinerator before she was burnt.
However, the Freemakers and Leia were spotted by stormtroopers, forcing them to escape. Zander separated from Kordi and Leia to allow them to flee. He then used a probe droid to launch canisters at the stormtroopers, incapacitating them. Meanwhile, Kordi and Leia took the lift to the Upper Ring, which was primarily inhabited by the wealthy and Imperials. Leia then confirmed her affiliation with the Rebellion. In the Upper Ring, Leia and Kordi, disguised, concealed themselves by pretending to be cleaners at the luxurious penthouse of the rich Wick Cooper. Leia exposed their cover when she attacked Cooper after he made an insensitive joke about the destruction of Alderaan.
With stormtroopers in pursuit, Leia and Kordi fled down the turbolift to the Middle Ring, where the Freemakers resided. The two sought refuge in a diner, but Lieutenant Estoc and her stormtroopers followed them. Leia hid among the hair of an alien customer, while Kordi was discovered hiding inside a pot. Before Estoc could apprehend Kordi and send her to a prison world, Leia emerged and knocked out the Imperials with plates. Estoc was then sucked into a garbage truck. After being picked up by Zander's speeder bike, the three returned to the Freemaker Garage.
The Freemakers successfully deceived the Imperials into believing that Leia and Luke had died by sending out their Y-wing as a decoy. Although Lieutenant Estoc did not believe the Freemakers' claim that they had been forced to assist the rebels, she was overjoyed at the prospect of receiving a promotion for eliminating two prominent rebels. Shortly after, Luke arrived with Rowan and Roger aboard the StarScavenger.
As a result of their encounters with Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker, the Freemakers developed a deeper admiration and respect for the two rebels. They also began to view the Rebel Alliance as a force for good. Out of respect for the Rebellion, Kordi sold a Z-wing to Leia and Luke at a significantly reduced price. Following the destruction of the Kyber Saber to prevent it from falling into the Emperor's hands, the Freemakers joined the Rebel Alliance.
The Manhunt on the Wheel constitutes one of the two central storylines in the LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures Season One episode "Crossing Paths," which premiered on July 11, 2016