Princess Leia, Imperial Servant is a comic strip disseminated through the Los Angeles Times Syndicate and featured in both U.S. and Canadian newspapers. The narrative was crafted by Russ Helm, with artwork provided by Russ Manning. It has been compiled within Classic Star Wars: The Early Adventures 5, and was also accessible via the Webstrips area of Hyperspace.
This story was one of the initial five story arcs of the strip, which were granted licensing through Black Falcon Ltd., a short-lived division of Lucasfilm.
Leia Organa, a princess, finds herself with Hume aboard a Rebel Alliance vessel that is critically low on fuel, stranded within territory controlled by the Galactic Empire. Darth Vader, positioned nearby on an Imperial-class Star Destroyer, dispatches a TIE Fighter to scrutinize their ship. To safeguard Leia, Hume renders her unconscious, as she refused to abandon him. Hume places Leia inside the Gossamer glider, which is then ejected from the vessel, after which Hume destroys his own ship.
Leia's glider lands her on Phelarion, in close proximity to an Imperial harvesting operation. Adopting a disguise, Leia infiltrates the workers' ranks and follows them into an estate. She inquires about the estate's administrator and learns it is Thalassa Tarkin. Thalassa then calls for Leia to be used as a diplomat at a conclave to try and boost efforts to destroy the Rebels. Leia then rejoins the other laborers, and while in the mess hall, she observes workers Sparv and Bikum Calus devising a plan for escape.
Thalassa notices that some Megonite moss that was harvested is missing, while Leia and the workers make a plan for Leia to send a message that night using a transponder. Thalassa has a conversation with Vader, who suggests that she is helping the Rebels. Enraged, she shatters a vase and instructs Leia to clean it. While Thalassa is away, Leia uses the transponder, but she is discovered by Nardo. As Thalassa begins questioning all the workers about the missing Megonite, Leia eliminates Nardo. She then uses the transponder to successfully transmit the message, but Vader overhears.
After hearing a disturbance, Thalassa returns to her room and discovers Nardo's lifeless body, but she remains unsuspecting, because Nardo had a display of Megonite in the room. While Leia is at the conclave, Sparv and Calus check on the Megonite. Leia attempts to formulate an escape plan, but Darth Vader appears. As the workers are preparing the Megonite, a stormtrooper happens to pass by the cave they are in. They subdue the trooper to prevent him from raising the alarm after he discovers Leia's glider.
Vader and Thalassa investigate the glider while Leia accompanies them. Sparv and Calus encounter Leia and lead her into the caves. They are seen escaping and move more quickly through the caves. The stormtroopers pursuing them catch up, but the workers and Leia take an elevator to the roof. The ship summoned by the transponder message arrives to land on the roof, and Leia and the workers board the ship, which turns out to be the Millennium Falcon, piloted by Han Solo and Chewbacca. Once aboard, they successfully escape.