Warning! Spoilers ahead for Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters #4
Lady Qi'ra (Han Solo's first love), clearly has grand plans as leader of this impressive organization, though it's possible those plans were founded with the groundwork laid out by none other than Maul himself, to be received in the event of his death.
After Darth Maul survived The Clone Wars and Siege of Mandalore, he set to work on founding Crimson Dawn, a large criminal organization that was as well connected as they were ruthless in their endeavors amongst the shadows. However, Qi'ra took the reins as Maul's second-in-command after killing Dryden Vos in Solo: A Star Wars Story. While the details after that are largely unknown, it was revealed in the animated series Star Wars: Rebels that Maul was on a quest of his own to get revenge on Obi-Wan Kenobi, facing him on Tatooine before meeting his ultimate (and permanent) demise.
However, it seems as though Lady Qi'ra kept Crimson Dawn together in the shadows, as they've since remerged after the event of Empire Strikes Back to auction off Han Solo, whom they stole from Boba Fett. Now, Darth Vader's duel with Qi'ra in the previous issue. The preview sees Qi'ra having retreated to her private quarters, revealing her possession of a Sith holocron that could very well carry some sort of will or instructions from Maul himself. Here are preview images and a synopsis for the issue:
- THE WAR CONTINUES!
- The true machinations of the theft of HAN SOLO from BOBA FETT become clear, as one-time love of Solo QI'RA has returned her terrifying criminal organization, CRIMSON DAWN, to the galaxy.
- Qi'ra used Han to bring the most powerful players in the galaxy together, and now the pieces are moving toward their endgame.
- DARTH VADER, LUKE SKYWALKER, LEIA ORGANA, VALANCE, APHRA, THE HUTTS - all are vying for the ultimate prize, while Boba Fett's stuck in the middle, a simple man just trying to get what's his!
Qi'ra's possession of a Sith holocron is a big deal, especially if it contains any information from Maul himself, offering instructions and guidance from beyond the grave. Interestingly enough, Qira did mention to Vader during their duel that her master knew quite a bit about him and his master Darth Sidious, a reminder that Maul knew Palpatine's true identity as a Sith Lord as well as Vader's former life as the Jedi Anakin Skywalker. Is it possible he shared this knowledge and more, storing it within this holocron for Qi'ra to use to ensure Crimson Dawn's survival, along with a potential means of finally getting revenge against his old master and his dark apprentice?
However it all goes down when the full Star Wars issue releases, Maul's presence (even a message from before his death) would certainly be a dynamic addition to the already action-packed epic that is War of the Bounty Hunters. While Darth Maul's plans for revenge against Sidious were ultimately thwarted during The Clone Wars, perhaps Lady Qi'ra will honor his legacy during the original trilogy with a new attempt as she strives to secure Crimson Dawn's place in the galaxy. War of the Bounty Hunters #4 releases September 8th.
