Pencils: Carlos Ezquerra Inks: Carlos Ezquerra Colors: James Sinclair & Chris Chuckry Letters: Michael Taylor Cover Artist: Kilian Plunkett
Mara Jade is demonstrating her usefulness to the Emperor by breaking into a safe owned by Grand Moff Tarkin. She shows her resourcefulness by first deceiving her hosts, then breaking into Tarkin's room, cracking his safe, defeating his guards and using the Force to detect the one real guard, sparing his life. She defends her choice by explaining that his loyalty is more useful than his death. She is then accepted as the Emperor's Hand and introduced to Darth Vader.