Qi’ra escaped Coronet City’s Silo neighborhood to become a scrumrat serving the White Worms, earning the position of Head Girl. When her friend Han Solo faced a harsh punishment for a deal gone bad, Qi’ra risked her life to save him.

The two fled in a landspeeder that Han had acquired, evading the White Worm enforcer Moloch and Imperial troops. Han urged Qi’ra to leave Corellia with him, proposing that they bribe a spaceport official with a vial of counterfeit coaxium.

The ruse nearly worked. Han was allowed through, but the White Worms caught up with Qi’ra before she could follow. She was dragged away from her friend to an uncertain fate.

Qi’ra survived – and eventually managed to escape Corellia. She rose in the ranks of the feared crime syndicate Crimson Dawn, catching the eye of Dryden Vos. Qi’ra’s combination of martial-arts prowess and strategic smarts made her invaluable to Vos, and she became his most-valued lieutenant.

While visiting Vandor, Qi’ra was shocked to see Han aboard Vos’s yacht. Her childhood friend had become part of Tobias Beckett’s gang, and was seeking an audience with her boss. When Han proposed stealing coaxium from Kessel, Qi’ra vouched for his plan. Vos agreed to give Han a chance – but insisted Qi’ra accompany them.

The gang needed a ship for the journey to Kessel. Qi’ra had one in mind: the Millennium Falcon, owned by Lando Calrissian. After Han failed to win the ship at the sabacc table, Qi’ra convinced Lando to hire out the Falcon for a percentage of the take. The gang had their ship – but Kessel and its aftermath would change Qi’ra and Han’s lives.