Continued....
Han Solo's reputation as one of the best smugglers --and pilots-- grew proportionately as his more daring exploits made the rounds of the cantinas and the crime lords, and Han began taking on spice-smuggling jobs from Jabba the Hutt and others. Chewbacca's reputation grew, as well; his strength, head-sized fists, loaded bowcaster, and reputedly violent temper enhanced his ability to watch Han's back.
Moruth Doole was one of Han's spice suppliers, acquiring his contraband by skimming the drug from miners on Kessel. On one of Han's spice-smuggling runs to Jabba the Hutt, Imperials stopped the Falcon, and in order to avoid arrest, Han jettisoned his spice shipment, intending to pick it up later. Unfortunately, by the time he was able to return, the spice was gone. Solo and Chewbacca both knew Jabba was not going to be happy. What they didn't know --until years later-- was that Doole had set them up, getting paid a fee by the authorities, and keeping the price Jabba had paid in advance for the spice.
Han and Chewie eventually went to Tatooine to face Jabba, landing at Docking Bay 94 at the Mos Eisley spaceport. Before heading to see the Hutt crime lord, they stopped in at Chalmun's cantina. There, they picked up a job that would change their lives forever. An old man, Ben Kenobi, wanted a fast ship to Alderaan, carrying only himself, a smart-alecky young kid named Luke Skywalker, and two droids, C-3P0 and R2-D2. Han negotiated a 17,000 credit fee, for which Han wouldn't ask any questions. That would be enough to pay Jabba off and get back to business.
Before they could leave, Han was stopped by a Rodian bounty hunter named Greedo. Han had humiliated him years earlier on Nar Shaddaa, but now he was working for Jabba. Han distracted him long enough to shoot him, using a blaster hidden under the table. Even with Greedo dead, Han still had to face Jabba outside the docking bay.
The smuggler promised the Hutt that he would return soon with the money; Jabba warned Solo that if he disappointed him again, he'd "put a price on your head so large you won't be able to go near a civilized system for the rest of your short life."
Han and Chewie were rapidly swept up in much more than they bargained for. The two droids were wanted by the Empire, and their destination --the entire planet of Alderaan-- had been destroyed by a huge battle station known as the Death Star. The Falcon was pulled into the station, but Han and Chewie managed to hide themselves and their passengers in smuggling compartments. When the old man left to disable the tractor beams, things turned even more complicated.
Lured by the promise of rewards from a rich princess named Leia --who was being held captive on the station-- Han and Chewie joined Luke on a crazy rescue mission that almost got them shot, drowned, and crushed in a garbage compactor. Amazingly, the rescue worked . . . after a fashion. The Falcon got off the station and escaped into hyperspace, with the princess on board. Han soon found he liked the spunky aristocrat; he suspected she would like him, too, if she'd only admit to his brilliance.
Dropping Luke and Leia at the Rebel base on Yavin Four, Han would have been content to leave with his reward, but Chewbacca played to his conscience. So Solo brought the Falcon into the battle against the Death Star battle station, just in time to save Luke's X-Wing from certain disintergration. Luke's proton torpedo found its mark and destroyed the Death Star. Back on the moon of Yavin, Han, Chewie, and Luke were all feted as heroes.
Han didn't plan to stay with the Rebellion, although events would soon transpire that would lead him back to his new friends. On the way back to Tatooine to pay Jabba, the Falcon was attacked and boarded by space pirates. Led by Crimson Jack, they looted the ship and left Han penniless. Solo didn't even try to contact the gangster; with the Hutt's bounty on his head, the Rebellion suddenly seemed a safer place than the smuggling underworld.
He stayed with the Alliance for several years, adventuring, piloting, smuggling, and racking up an impressive rap sheet and bounty not only from Jabba, but also from the Empire. Han helped the Alliance scout out new locations for their base, and helped establish Echo Base on Hoth. Soon thereafter, Han had to aid in the evacuating the base when an Imperial probe droid found them. Taking Leia, Threepio, and Chewie, Han loaded the Falcon and barely escaped as the Imperials invaded.
Han used the Falcon for an incredible evasive run against several Star Destroyers and TIE fighters. He then travelled to Bespin, where his old ally Lando Calrissian was set up as Baron Administrator on Cloud City. Wanting Lando's people to repair the Falcon, Han didn't realize he had been betrayed. Darth Vader and the bounty hunter Boba Fett were waiting for Han, intending to use him as bait to lure Luke Skywalker to Cloud City.
Vader soon used Han for another insidious purpose: testing a carbonite-freezing chamber on a living person. Before he was lowered into the carbonite pit, Han and Leia said their good-byes. "I love you," she told him, tears in her eyes.
"I know," he replied. And then the intense, incredible cold came, and Han couldn't scream, couldn't move, couldn't see. Conscious but not conscious, Han almost went mad in the dark prison of carbonite, his mind playing the memories of his life.
And then he was freed, blind and sick from "hibernation," his own body betraying him. He had spent almost a year as a wall decoration in Jabba the Hutt's palace on Tatooine, until a bizarre rescue mission enabled Luke, Leia, Lando, Chewie, Threepio, and Artoo to rescue Han, killing Jabba in the process.
Han himself --still blinded from the carbonite ordeal-- had hit Boba Fett in the hunter's rocket pack, causing the armor-clad man to hurtle into the mouth of the carnivorous Sarlacc. Han knew that even the Pit of Carkoon would probably not be a match for Fett; they had met before, and would doubtless meet again.
After his rescue, Solo had changed. While he still had no use for government or authority figures of any kind, Han had a personal stake in the battle for freedom. Luke was like a kid brother, and Leia was . . . well, he wasn't sure what he wanted Leia to be, just yet. Along with Chewie, they were an extended family, though, and maybe that was what the Corellian finally needed.
Han accepted a general's commission from Mon Mothma and her Advisory Council. Leia was surprised with the news when she heard it while planning a mission; General Solo would lead the strike team to Endor to destroy the energy-shield generator that protected the second Death Star.