The widespread and significant disturbance known as the War of the Bounty Hunters erupted across the criminal networks of the galaxy when crime lord Jabba Desilijic Tiure, under the false impression that bounty hunter Boba Fett had double-crossed him by selling the carbon-frozen Han Solo to a rival group, put a bounty on Fett's head. The truth was that the criminal syndicate Crimson Dawn, led by Solo's former paramour Qi'ra, had intercepted and stolen the smuggler from Fett on the crime moon of Nar Shaddaa. Solo's capture had made him a valuable asset to several galactic powers, who intended to exploit him to draw the major factions together, revealing Crimson Dawn's resurgence. On Nar Shaddaa, Fett was ambushed by the bounty hunters 4-LOM and Zuckuss, but he overcame them both, extracting information about the bounty from 4-LOM's head. Qi'ra extended invitations to various influential entities to gather in the Jekara system aboard the Vermillion for an auction for Han Solo. Representatives from the Galactic Empire, the Alliance to Restore the Republic, and a multitude of criminal organizations all convened.
Fett pursued them and triumphed over fellow bounty hunter Bossk'wassak'Cradossk outside the Vermillion. At the auction, Jabba emerged as the victor with a winning bid of one million credits, only to be interrupted by the arrival of Sith Lord Darth Vader, who demanded Solo's handover to lure out his son, Commander Luke Skywalker of the Rebel Alliance. Upon Qi'ra's refusal, she engaged in a brief duel with Vader before he commanded Solo's retrieval to his flagship, the Executor. Jabba conceded his loss and retreated to his palace on Tatooine. However, secretly acting on Qi'ra's instructions, the Hutt leader Bokku mobilized the remaining members of the Grand Hutt Council to attack the Executor in an attempt to reclaim their prize. Amidst the ensuing chaos, Rebel operatives under Solo's love Leia Organa sought to rescue Solo, as did Fett. With the assistance of fellow bounty hunter Beilert Valance, Fett succeeded in delivering Solo to Jabba on Tatooine. Meanwhile, Vader personally boarded the Hutt Council's war barge and eliminated the council members to quell the assault.
Valance, left behind by Fett, fought his way through the Imperial flagship and was nearly extracted by T'onga's crew, who had also rescued Zuckuss and Bossk. However, Vader intercepted Valance and compelled him to rejoin Imperial service. Ultimately, the conflict thrust Crimson Dawn back into prominence, enabling Qi'ra to initiate her war against the Sith. Despite Jabba's belief that relations would normalize, Bokku's attack on the Executor strained the relationship between the Hutts and the Imperials, which allowed Qi'ra to begin the Syndicate War to distract the Empire. Later, a repaired 4-LOM and Zuckuss would reunite aboard a Hutt freighter, and 4-LOM became a member of T'onga's crew.