In 3 ABY,[1] a skirmish was fought on the jungle planet Lowik after the bounty hunters 4-LOM and Zuckuss tracked the bounty hunter Beilert Valance to a rebel base on Lowik. Valance had traveled to the base after being wounded[2] by Zuckuss aboard the Spur Orbiting Market[4] and sought the help of his former lover Yuralla Vega to help protect Cadeliah,[2] the heir to the Unbroken Clan and Mourner's Wail Syndicate.[5] Valance and Cadeliah were the subject of a bounty placed by the Unbroken Clan, and General Vukorah hired 4-LOM and Zuckuss to bring in the pair dead or alive.[4]
Once Valance arrived at Vega's house, a 2-1B-series medical droid was called to help stabilize Valance as he suffered from a loss of blood. During this, Zuckuss and 4-LOM arrived on Lowik with a group of B2-series super battle droids, and noticed that the planet hosted a military installation and was not in the records of the Galactic Empire. Zuckuss informed his partner that the Empire would pay them generously to add it to their records, and they then unleashed the battle droids. Once Valance was stable and awoke, Lieutenant Kondra received a message that they were under attack. In response, Kondra had his men ready their blasters and set out to expel the invaders to their base. Valance informed the lieutenant that it was just a diversion, and that the two hunters were really after Cadeliah, to which Kondra responded that whilst he respected what Valance had done for his predecessors at the base, he should leave the war to the military personnel. As he left with other rebel troopers, Kondra informed Valance a guard would be posted outside the house to prevent anyone from getting in or out.[2]
After Kondra left, Valance put a table up against the door in an attempt to buy more time for Vega and Cadeliah to escape, and asked if there was another way out of the house. Vega then revealed to Valance that as they lived in fear of being discovered by the Empire, they had tunnels placed in every hut for escape, and Valance told her to take Cadeliah and head to the tunnel as he believed the hunters were already there to capture Cadeliah. With this, 4-LOM killed the guard outside and destroyed the door to the hut, demanded that Valance turn over Cadeliah, and in return his death would be swift and merciful. Valance rejected the offer, destroyed 4-LOM's blaster with his own and told Vega to leave as he could not hold the hunter off for long. 4-LOM struck Valance with his blaster, and in response, Valance punched the droid. 4-LOM then picked up Valance and threw him against a wall, adding that whilst he was not programmed to enjoy it, his receptors analyzed the incident as a positive experience. Sick of listening to 4-LOM, Valance told him to shut up and fired his palm blasters at the droid, damaging his plating. 4-LOM noted that as he was still operational, Valance had failed, before smashing his face against a wall and moving in for a killing strike. Valance drew a knife and stabbed the droid, severing his motor circuits. Whilst defeated, the droid began to laugh, which confused Valance and he asked why he was laughing. 4-LOM then informed Valance that the battle droids had only been the first distraction and that he partnered with a Gand, referring to his partner Zuckuss, for a reason. Valance realized what this meant and headed out to find Vega and Cadeliah.[2]
As Vega and Cadeliah came out of the tunnel, they believed they were in the clear, but Zuckuss had sensed they would make their way there and had already arrived to take Cadeliah. Zuckuss told Vega to hand over Cadeliah and he would let her live. Vega proposed a counter proposal of drawing a blaster and firing at the Gand, telling him to slink off and she would let him live. Zuckuss informed Vega that there was no surprising a Gand and used his rifle to hit Vega in the head and knock her out, before he stunned Cadeliah and took her. Meanwhile, Kondra and his men were fighting against the super battle droids, and as they destroyed one of the droids, the troopers declared they were no match for the Rebellion. Kondra noticed something was wrong, and set out for Vega, his wife. When he arrived he discoverd Vega laying and wounded but alive. Valance arrived shortly after and declared he would not lose her again and that did not want her to pay for his mistakes. Kondra informed Valance that Cadeliah had been taken, and that Vega was alive, adding that she would be alright as he was there for her. Valance then left to find Cadeliah.[2]
Valance eventually caught up with Zuckuss, who was surprised to see the hunter as he had not expected Valance to survive against 4-LOM, to which Valance replied that the Gand moved slowly, and that the extra weight of carrying Cadeliah must have been murder on his lungs. He then told Zuckuss that he could not let him leave with Cadeliah. 4-LOM arrived and informed Valance he would not let Valance stop Zuckuss from taking Cadeliah. Frustrated, Valance expressed his hatred for droids, adding that he had hoped it would have taken longer for 4-LOM to repair himself after Valance had stabbed him with the knife. 4-LOM simply responded that Valance had miscalculated several times and had also left the rifle of the guard behind. Valance then stated they could all walk away from the incident, but that Cadeliah was to stay and he would make it worthwhile for the two hunters. Zuckuss responded by telling Valance the bounty for both him and Cadeliah, dead or alive, and that if they reneged on a bounty, it would be bad for the reputations of both him and 4-LOM, before asking Valance what he was offering to them and what he wanted. Valance then presented a fire ruby and stated that it was invalueable to him but would be extremely valuable to the hunters. He then informed the two all he wanted was a head start on an escape. 4-LOM confirmed Valance's appraisal of the value of the fire ruby, and added that it coupled with the sale of the base's coordinates to the Empire would be more than worth a slight delay in their attempts to collect the Unbroken Clan bounty.[2]
Zuckuss accepted Valance's terms and gave him three standard rotations before they began their hunt for him and Cadeliah once again. The two hunters then departed from Lowik, telling Valance they would meet again soon. With the hunters gone, Valance returned to Vega and Kondra and informed the two of the agreement he had made with 4-LOM and Zuckuss. Once Valance mentioned that the hunters would be informing the Empire of the base's location, Kondra questioned if Valance knew how hard it would be for them to evacuate the base, which Valance simply responded by saying that he had better get packing. As he left, Kondra told Valance that he was less than impressed with having to clean up Valance's mess, even if he had helped to set up the base, and that he now owed him a favor, one he intended to call in. Vega then promised Valance she would Cadeliah safe, and the two former lovers said their final goodbyes. As he left, Valance asked Vega to hide Cadeliah in a place even he could not find, and when Vega asked what he would do, he told her that he would lure hunters away. Valance also asked Cadeliah to look after Vega as he believed she deserved a better life than he could give her, and then departed aboard his ship.[2]
Appearances[]
- Bounty Hunters 7 (First appearance)
- Bounty Hunters 8 (Indirect mention only)
- Bounty Hunters 9 (Indirectly mentioned only; in the opening crawl)
Sources[]
Time's Up for Beilert Valance in Marvel's Bounty Hunters #7 – Exclusive Preview on StarWars.com (backup link) (First mentioned)- Star Wars: Timelines
