Star Wars ABCs is a fun 26-part series that partners Star Wars with your ABCs to introduce you to characters, droids, places, and creatures from every era of the franchise, including the newest venture into a galaxy far, far away — The High Republic.
Q is for Qi’ra
Disney
Qi’ra was a human female slave, criminal, and later one of the top lieutenants of the Crimson Dawn crime syndicate during the era of the Galactic Empire. Born on the planet Corellia in 31 BBY, the young Corellian girl grew up on the streets barely surviving until she was eventually taken in by the White Worms gang as a scrumrat; a child taken in by the gang and provided with food, shelter, and protection in return for work.
It was in the White Worms gang that Qi’ra first met fellow scrumrat Han Solo — simply known as “Han” at the time — who quickly became one of Qi’ra’s chief rivals within the ranks of the children serving the Worms. As the pair of child thieves grew into teenagers, they became lovers and their rivalry turned into a fierce romance. Eventually Qi’ra was promoted to Head Girl within the gang and she used her position to save Han from the gang leader Lady Proxima’s wrath on more than one occasion. When the pair were fortunate enough to steal a vial of coaxium — an extremely rare and valuable substance used for hyperspace fuel — they made a daring escape attempt from Coronet Spaceport, and while Han was able to escape, Qi’ra was caught by the White Worms’ chief enforcer Moloch.
Following her escape attempt with Han, Lady Promixa was furious with Qi’ra and opted to sell her to the slave dealer Sarkin Enneb. After a miserable period with Enneb, the slave dealer sold her to Dryden Vos, the leader of the infamous and extremely dangerous crime syndicate Crimson Dawn. Following a year of failed escape attempts, Vos offered Qi’ra a position within the ranks of Crimson Dawn and specialized training, demanding lifelong loyalty in return. On accepting Vos’s offer, the former White Worms scrumrat found herself as a rising star within one of the most dangerous criminal organizations in the galaxy, and had their symbol tattooed on her forearm and the back of her neck.
In 10 BBY, Qi’ra was unexpectedly reunited with Han Solo for the first time since their forced separation when Solo joined the crew of Tobias Beckett, a criminal associate of Dryden Vos who had been hired by the leader of Crimson Dawn to retrieve a large quantity of refined coaxium. By this time Qi’ra had become one of Vos’s top lieutenants and as such she was trusted enough to be sent along with Solo and Beckett to ensure that their mission was a success. Ultimately Solo’s mission was successful, but after an encounter with the freedom fighters of the group Cloud Riders, he decided to betray Vos and give the coaxium to the Enfys Nest, the leader of the freedom fighters.
Vos discovered Solo’s treachery aboard his flagship yacht — the First Light — due to a betrayal from Beckett, and attempted to kill Solo as a result. Qi’ra intervened on behalf of Solo, whom she still loved, and dueled Vos, ultimately killing him in a duel of Teras Kasi; a form of martial arts that the leader of Crimson Dawn had trained Qi’ra in. Following the duel with Vos, Solo left his former lover to rescue Chewbacca from the hands of Beckett, after she told him that she’d be right behind him. Ultimately Qi’ra decided to contact the true leader of Crimson Dawn, former Sith Lord Maul, who ordered her to join him on Dathormir, which she did. As far as we know, this was the last time she ever saw Han Solo.
You can follow Qi’ra on her adventures in the Solo: A Star Wars Story on Disney+.
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