The one-shot issue Star Wars Adventures Free Comic Book Day 2019 belongs to the canon comic book anthology series titled Star Wars Adventures. It contains the story called "Droid Hunters," which is a tie-in to the miniseries Star Wars Adventures: Tales from Vader's Castle. This issue was penned by Cavan Scott, with illustrations by Derek Charm, and was released as a Free Comic Book Day title on May 4, 2019 through IDW Publishing.
The cosmos has aligned favorably: Free Comic Book Day and Star Wars Day occur simultaneously this year! In a race against pirates, Han and Chewie are searching for one of three identical droids, each holding a piece of the puzzle to a legendary treasure's location. Unbeknownst to our beloved smugglers, the other two droids are cleverly booby-trapped! Expect plenty of deception and betrayals in this original tale, which unfolds before the events of A New Hope! May the Fourth be with you!
Lina Graf was attempting to establish contact with Thom Hudd at Fortress Vader on the planet Mustafar. As Graf and CR-8R, nicknamed "Crater," were discreetly navigating Darth Vader's stronghold, Crater couldn't help but remind Graf of the numerous instances when Hudd's assistance had fallen short since his affiliation with the Alliance to Restore the Republic. This prompted him to recall the fabled lost treasure of Rane Mahal.
In a prior timeframe, Han Solo and Chewbacca were indulging in beverages at The Labyrinth on Kelada, engaged in cargo smuggling activities for Jabba Desilijic Tiure. During their conversation, the pirate named Makkeer unexpectedly encountered Solo and implored him for assistance. Gwarm pursued Makkeer relentlessly and ultimately apprehended them. Solo intervened in Makkeer's defense, delivering a forceful punch to the captain. Lorana, the proprietor of The Labyrinth, discharged her weapon at Gwarm, demanding his departure from her cantina. Intrigued, Solo inquired about the reason for Makkeer's pursuit, to which he revealed the allure of Rane Mahal's treasure. The coordinates leading to the treasure were concealed within one of three NP-unit droids, with one of them currently situated on Kelada.
Shortly thereafter, Solo successfully located and pilfered the droid. He summoned Makkeer, but upon his arrival, Gwarm's gang had already taken him prisoner. Solo cleverly hurled the food that the droid was originally intended to serve at the gang, enabling the trio to make a swift escape. Makkeer recalled the necessary password to activate the droid and promptly recited it. The droid acknowledged the password but unexpectedly triggered its booby traps. It turned out that the droid did not possess the sought-after coordinates. However, their actions inadvertently attracted the attention of Imperial stormtroopers. Chewbacca reacted swiftly, propelling the droid towards the stormtroopers, thus facilitating their escape.
The subsequent droid was located at the Droid museum situated on Nubia. Upon arriving at the museum, Solo, Chewbacca, and Makkeer embarked on a guided tour. When the tour guide reached the exhibit showcasing the NP-unit droids, they were conspicuously absent. Instead, Gwarm's droid, R5-P8, took its place and unleashed a barrage of fire upon Solo and his companions. Chewbacca pursued the droid relentlessly, eventually catching up to a Zygerrian pirate who possessed another NP-unit. As she and R5 sped away, she formulated plans to claim a bounty for herself. However, upon activating the droid, it released a knockout gas booby trap, causing the pirate to lose consciousness. Solo and the others managed to escape and set course for Ogem, where the final droid was believed to be located.
The droid was under the care of Gwellis Bagnoro, a renowned data forger. Upon Solo's arrival at the cave where Bagnoro resided, he was intercepted by Gwarm. Bagnoro was peacefully sleeping nearby, but Gwarm had cunningly managed to steal the final droid. However, Gagnoro's protective pet, Izby, launched an attack on Gwarm, allowing Solo to seize the droid.
Aboard the Millennium Falcon, Solo activated the droid, which projected a map revealing their next destination. Solo instructed Chewbacca to navigate towards Sakreen. Upon their arrival, they were confronted by Gwarm's Corona-class armed frigate, known as the Hand of Am-Shak. The ship pursued the Falcon towards the planet's surface but failed to intercept it. The treasure was located within Rane Mahal's galleon, but before Solo could land, the Hand of Am-Shak reappeared and launched an attack. However, aboard the Falcon, Makkeer revealed his true intentions, betraying Solo by installing ion scramblers for Gwarm, causing the Falcon to malfunction and crash. Gwarm and his associate, Thok, disembarked from their ship and ventured towards the galleon in pursuit of their prize.
They located the treasure chest but were thwarted by Solo, who had Chewbacca holding Makkeer hostage. Chewbacca hurled Makkeer at Gwarm, rendering him unconscious. Solo approached the treasure but was repelled by its defenses. Suddenly, a voice emanated from within the chest, which opened to reveal the pirate queen, Rane Mahal, who had been the treasure all along. She inquired about what had brought Solo to her, and he surmised that she required a ship. Solo suggested that Gwarm's ship would be ideal for her, but Gwarm vehemently disagreed. More of her crew materialized and seized Gwarm and his gang, intending to sell them to an enslaver. Solo and Chewbacca disapproved of this plan and attempted to retrieve Gwarm, but Mahal managed to escape. Solo permitted their escape, acknowledging that he was not a hero.
Aboard the Hand of Am-Shak, one of Mahal's pirates presented one of the NP-unit droids. Mahal opened the droid, but it deployed an ion scrambler, causing widespread panic and electric shocks. Solo had reprogrammed the droid to trigger this event upon being opened. The ship began to overload as the Millennium Falcon took off.
Back at Fortress Vader, Crater concluded his story, but Graf remained curious about the ongoing danger faced by Hudd. Crater believed that Graf was overly trusting, while Graf felt that Crater was excessively anxious. She expressed her belief that they had nothing to fear, as the Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Vader, was watching over them.
- UPC 827714017229; May 4 , 2019 ; IDW Publishing [1] 00111; Cover A; Derek Charm