Growing from an orphaned thief on the streets of Corellia to one of the top crime lords of the Crimson Dawn syndicate, Han’s former lover Qi’ra has led a life full of drama and change, but you’ll find that large chunks of this tale are missing from the recent Solo: A Star Wars Story.
In the Ron Howard-helmed film, Alden Ehrenreich’s title character reluctantly parts ways with his companion on their home planet and doesn’t see her again until their unexpected reunion on Dryden Vos’s yacht, leaving the events in between largely to the imagination. But if you’d like a little more info on how Qi’ra first came under Dryden’s compulsory employment, StarWars.com has released an excerpt from the upcoming novelization, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition, which offers some fresh context in an ominous passage of dialogue.
Having been sold to a slave trader, Qi’ra eventually finds himself in the company of her new master, and it’s from here that the passage picks things up:
“‘What do you want, Qi’ra? What were you looking for when you were trying to leave Corellia?’
She nearly laughed in disbelief. Was he really asking that? ‘Why does any trapped animal run for an open door?’ she asked. ‘Freedom.’
‘Freedom,’ he said, nodding. ‘But you will never be free. You will be with the Crimson Dawn—with me—or you will die. But you did gain something, or have you not noticed?’ She frowned in confusion. ‘You made it off Corellia. You don’t have to cater to those disgusting sewer dwellers. You can have the finest things. You can work with me, Qi’ra, not just as my slave. There are opportunities here if you just open your eyes to them.’
Qi’ra narrowed her eyes. ‘Why?’ she asked. ‘Why would you suddenly trust me? As you said, I’ve cost you quite a bit in guards and property. Why now?’
‘The dead guard in your room is precisely why,’ he said, stepping toward her, flexing his fists. ‘Let’s talk about your potential.'”
Now imagine those lines delivered by Emilia Clarke and a sinister Paul Bettany and you have a pretty good picture of how their cynical relationship started off. If you’d like to read more, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition, written by Mur Lafferty, is out on September 4th, and the film itself is coming to DVD and Blu-ray on September 25th.