| ||
Story: Timothy Zahn Artist: Carlos Ezquerra Colorist: James Sinclair Color Separation: Chris Chuckry Letterer: Michael Taylor Cover Artist: Kilian Plunkett Book Design: Kristen Burda Assistant Editor: Mike Hansen Editor: Peet Janes Publisher: Mike Richardson | ||
 | ||
| Related Issues | ||
      | ||
 | ||
| ||
| Trade Paperbacks and Alternate Covers | ||
   |
According to the inside cover, the events in this issue takes place 4 years after the Battle of Yavin.
The issue contains a letters page, Mara Jade Letters, and features letters from Anne-Elisabeth Moutet, Bill Atmore, Edward Lo, and R. Scott MacBurnie.
Seeing the Imperial Captain Strok in Black Nebula's hideout, Mara must act fast, She whirls a guards baton at him knocking him out, while telling Fitch that he's an Imperial spy. Fitch tells her that he is indeed a spy, but he was spying on the Imperials for Black Nebula.
Fitch takes her into Prince Dequc's throne room. Using her Force powers she sets up a believable demonstration of her device for cheating at the gambling tables. While Dequc's men review her device, she is escorted around the facility in a very in-depth tour. As they return towards the throne room, Mara runs into Strok again. She knock out Fitch and takes Strok down, accusing him of treason. He would prefer to work for Dequc, but Mara has other plans for him as she shoots him for being a traitor to the Empire.
With her cover blown, Mara makes her way past several Black Nebula guards. She blasts a simran hit-trap which lays down a cloud of smoke, allowing her to retrieve her hidden lightsaber. Hiding from the other guards, she works out a plan using her lightsaber and a bust of Xizor.
She allows herself to be captured and makes up a story about the statue in which one of Dequc's competitors wanted her to steal it as proof of her infiltration. She is brought before Dequc, and tells him of the hidden treasure map to Xizor's fortune, inside the bust. As he holds the statue closer to look for any hidden marks, Mara uses the Force to activate her lightsaber, skewering Dequc through his head.
She retrieves her lightsaber and makes her way through the remianing guards, and out a secret bolt hole in the wall. Later, on another planet, an Imperial Captain discovers the abandoned Black Nebula yacht, full of secrets on the criminal organization. They are unsure why it was abandoned, but will make good use of the data on it's computers. What they don't see is Mara Jade, the Emperor's Hand, is boarding another shuttle to places unknown.