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Story: Timothy Zahn Writer: Michael A. Stackpole 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 CHARACTER Featured Mara Jade Skywalker Supporting pickpocket, Gorb Drig (dies), Jorshmin (dies), knifeman, Plattahr (dies) Other Black Nebula enforcer (Phorliss) (dies), Black Nebula enforcer 2 (Phorliss) (dies), Black Nebula enforcer 3 (Phorliss) (dies), Black Nebula enforcer 4 (Phorliss) (dies), pickpocket 2 Cameo Palpatine, Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker LOCATION Phorliss STARSHIP Tippler's Groan | ||
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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 R. Scott MacBurnie, Dave Curran, Dave Hutchin, Jana Huggins, and Conor Sheehan.
On board Death Star II, Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker fight for supremacy as the Emperor watches over them. They turn and come at him and his last warnings of 'death and danger' echo through Mara's dazed consciousness.
She then realizes where she is. Aboard a freighter, from Darsie to Phorliss. As she awakens she notices two-pickpockets working their way through the other sleeping passengers. As they attempt to lighten her pockets, she puts a blaster into their faces and tells them to return to their seats. She can't believe that she has fallen so low, to be running security on a refugee ship.
After landing on Phorliss, Mara hopes that Isard will choose to overlook her on this out of the way planet. But before she can leave, she'll need to get some money. She enters a local cantina and takes a position as the server from Gorb Drig, the owner. He also offered her a place to stay, upstairs over the cantina.
Mara realizes that the government center may hold some clues to the amount of resources Isard has put out to find her. But she avoids going, due to her fatigue and the work. And after a point she realized no one was looking for her.
One evening while serving Jorshim, one of her regulars, she breaks up a knife fight using her specialized fighting techniques. Jorshim is amazed that she didn't even knock over any tables. As she cleans up a group of dangerous looking aliens enter the cantina. Jorshim tells her that they are members of Black Nebula here to talk to Gorb Drig. Using her well-hones skills, she distracts them and manages to kill one, but not before Drig is killed.
She presses her attack but cannot hold off the Black Nebula agents from killing Jorshim. That's when Mara gets very angry. She pulls out her lightsaber and dispatches the agents, realizing that Dequc is still alive.
Seeing that there is nothing left here, she grabs the remaining money from the safe and begins thinking about the best place to hide. She comes to her senses and realizes that she is not a victim or prey. She is the ultimate predator, and she vows to find Dequc and kill him and destroy Black Nebula.