A junior novel titled Smuggler's Run: A Han Solo & Chewbacca Adventure was launched as a component of the Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens series of books. Penned by Greg Rucka, the novel details the escapades of Han Solo and Chewbacca in the period between Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope and Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back. Disney–Lucasfilm Press released it to the public on September 4, 2015, and it contains 192 pages.
Nestlé produced an animated comic adaptation of the novel as part of a Star Wars–themed promotional initiative under license. The animation is accessible on the Nestlé Comics website by inputting a digital code printed on each Nestlé cereal box.
Han Solo and Chewbacca are back for a brand-new adventure!
This tale, which unfolds between Star Wars: A New Hope and Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, sees Han and Chewie piloting the Millennium Falcon on a highly classified assignment for the Rebellion, all while dodging relentless bounty hunters and a persistent Imperial operative.
After the destruction of the Death Star in the battle of Yavin, Han Solo and Chewbacca have taken their payment and intend to use it to settle their debts. Leia asks Han and Chewbacca to carry out a secret mission for the rebellion. Their task is to extract Caluan Ematt from the planet Cyrkon. Ematt was a member of the Shrikes, a specialized reconnaissance unit of the Alliance to Restore the Republic, who were being pursued by Alecia Beck. After some initial reluctance, the pair decides to accept the mission.
Upon arriving on Cyrkon, using a false identity for the Falcon, Solo and Chewbacca are met by bounty hunters. Beck and her stormtroopers then appear, but Solo manages to trick her into believing that the bounty hunters are the rebels she is looking for, allowing Solo and Chewbacca to get away.
They made their way to a bar inside the Serendipity, a vessel piloted by Delia Leighton, who also works as a bartender. They managed to find Ematt at a local hotel. After subduing the bounty hunters and uncovering their objectives, Beck managed to track Ematt down as well, by coercing Delia into revealing his location. Solo and Chewbacca were about to depart with Ematt when the bounty hunters showed up at the hotel. After successfully escaping (with some subtle assistance from an undercover stormtrooper), the trio made it to the Falcon's docking bay.
Beck and her stormtroopers laid an ambush for Solo, Chewbacca, and Ematt in the docking bay. After Solo created a diversion and disabled the magnetic field above the ship, Delia provided covering fire from her own ship as the trio made their escape. Evading TIE Fighters and tractor beams, both ships were able to flee the system, leaving Beck frustrated and determined to capture Ematt in the future.