Star Wars 48: The Third Law

Star Wars 48: The Third Law is the forty-eighth issue in the Marvel Star Wars series of comics.

Plot summary
Princess Leia Organa, C-3PO, R2-D2 and Rebellion finance minister Viscount Tardi arrive on the banking world of Aargau to complete the financing of a sale of X-wing fighters to the Rebellion. Also on the planet is Darth Vader and his entourage of paid assassins specializing in unarmed combat as it is forbidden for non-citizens of Aargau to carry weapons.

Vader's assassins make several attempts on Tardi's life, but Leia's quick wit succeeds in not only saving the Viscount, but destroying the assassins as well. Ultimately Vader is forced to play his hand and he cuts Tardi down with his lightsaber, but Viscount Tardi is actually just a droid made in his image and the real Tardi had died months ago. Leia had R2 record video images of the "murder" and transmit them to C-3PO who is waiting at police headquarters to prevent Vader from exposing their ruse to the authorities. Leia needed the fake Viscount to secure the loan, and she used the Crown Jewels of Alderaan as indisputable collateral, but knowing that the authorities would have discovered that Tardi was a fake when they passed through Aargau's security scanners as soon as they attempted to leave the planet, it was necessary for Leia to manipulate Darth Vader into destroying the duplicate.

Darth Vader has also been manipulating Princess Leia as he really has no interest in preventing her financial deal for the starfighters, he actually wanted to take possession of the priceless jewels. He bribed an officer at the local customs station, and succeeded in acquiring the treasure, and had only played along with Leia's plan to ensure he could leave the planet without the jewels being missed by the authorities.

Behind the scenes
Although this issue centers around a character named Viscount Tardi, the real Tardi had never made an appearance before this issue was published.

Collections

 * Classic Star Wars: A Long Time Ago... Volume 3: Resurrection of Evil
 * Omnibus: A Long Time Ago... Volume 2