Publisher's summary[]

The alliance between Darth Vader and Sabé has always seemed destined for disaster. After all, how long can the Dark Lord of the Sith and the idealistic handmaiden of Padmé Amidala find common ground? So as Vader and Sabé enter the final battle against a corrupt Imperial governor, something's going to break. Will it be Vader's cold resolve or Sabé's true heart? And how long until Ochi of Bestoon finally makes his move?

Plot summary[]

After hearing the plight of Kitster and
Wald's community, Darth Vader and Sabé
launched an attack on Governor Tauntaza,
a corrupt operative of Crimson Dawn.

Driven back by their pursuit, Governor
Tauntaza fled to her fortress concealed
within an artificial sandstorm. While
Darth Vader boarded Tauntaza's starship
and made contact with his own, Sabé was
left to the mercy of the deadly storm.

Haunted by losses in his past, Darth Vader
refused to abandon Sabé. Before ordering
his command ship to destroy Tauntaza's
fortress, Darth Vader rushed into the
storm and rescued his ally….

The Death Machine approaches[]

On Gabredor III, Ochi and several others including ZED-6-7, Wald, the balding villager and stormtroopers watch the Super Star Destroyer Executors's orbital bombardment scattering the sandstorm generated by Governor Tauntaza's "Death Machine". When Zed-6-7, Wald and the balding villager ask about Darth Vader, Sabé, Kitster Banai and the Death Machine, Ochi says that he can only see dust and haze. Em-Sevenbee and ZED noticed that they are able to pick up comm signals again. ZED thinks that the blast disabled whatever the Governor was using to jam communications.

Before Ochi can order the droids to contact Lord Vader, the Sith Lord arrives with Sabé and Kitster. Kitster tells Wald that they tried to destroy the Governor's Death Machine but were caught in a storm. Kitster credits Vader with saving him and Sabé from death. Em-Sevenbee and ZED slice into the death machine's databanks and discover that it is predicted to reduce the planet to desert within 48 hours. Under Vader's orders, Admiral Firmus Piett orders the Executor to fire another blast at Tauntaza's "death machine." However, the mobile fortress is protected by powerful deflector shields.

ZED-6-7 realizes that the Death Machine is draining the planet's energy to create a deflectors shield. When Sabé asks about the machine's weakness, Ochi thinks that the fortress is impregnable. Lord Vader agrees, prompting Ochi to submit. Based on information derived from Em-Sevenbee's hack into the local colonial databank, ZED discovers that the deflector shields protector the facility from above but that its underside is unshielded while it is draining Gabredor III.

Vader versus Tauntaza's "technological terror"[]

As the Death Machine approaches, Lord Vader enlists the services of Em-Sevenbee. As the R-series droid leaves with Vader, ZED explains that Em-Sevenbee is not in danger because the machine only absorbs organic life energy. When Sabé asks about Vader, ZED says that Vader is special but warns that the villagers are in danger. Sabé orders that the Gabredor III colony be evacuated. Kitster tells Sabé to come along since she cannot help Vader. As Vader and Sevenbee approach the Death Machine, it drains the life energies of several six-legged horned creatures.

As the Death Machine approaches, Vader and Sevenbee stand below its tracks. They draw the attention of Governor Tauntaza and her crew. Though Tauntaza thinks that Vader is being protected by some protective shielding, an officer thinks that Vader is gone once the machine gets on top of him since he is flesh and blood. At Vader's signal, Sevenbee fires up Darth Vader's lightsaber from one of his head sockets. The machine slices through the Death Machine's motors and extractor. Vader uses the Force to levitate his lightsaber through the juggernaut, causing more damage.

Sabé and several stormtroopers prepare to storm the Death Machine. In the command bridge, an officer reports that Vader has disabled the extractor and carved his way inside the fortress. Upon learning that Vader is in Sector B Hallway Twelve, the Governor realizes that he is heading for the energy center and decides to face the Sith Lord in a prototype armored suit. She convinces one of her technicians to plug her into the energy tanks.

Tauntaza attacks Lord Vader with her armored power suit's laser cannon but Lord Vader is able to deflect her blasts with his lightsaber. He taunts her that she has taken too much energy and that she has overplayed her hand. Tauntaza counters that Vader has too much power and too little control. After Vader uses his lightsaber to knock her laser cannon out of her hand, Tauntaza says that Vader has proved her point and says that he only destroys himself. As she escapes in her powered armor suit, Vader counters that he has destroyed all that she has built.

Aftermath[]

Meanwhile, the Death Machine begins exploding from within. Sabé survives the explosions but two stormtroopers are caught amongst the explosions and falling debris. The explosions also short-circuit Darth Vader's armor. Upon discovering him, Sabé debates whether to kill Lord Vader. After experiencing a flashback of a young Anakin Skywalker telling her that he had come to farewell Padmé Amidala in case he did not see her again, she decides to trust Amidala's judgement and uses an energy tank to power up Vader's armor.

As the Death Machine explodes, Em-Sevenbee meets with ZED-6-7 with new data that he had sliced before the fortress' destruction. Based on the data, ZED deduces that the Governor had been receiving instructions directly from Emperor Palpatine on Coruscant. Meanwhile, Vader and Sabé walk together. When Vader asks why she smiles, Sabé responds that she knows why she saved him.

Media[]

Cover gallery[]

Final cover by Rahzzah

Solicit cover by Rahzzah

Cover art

Variant cover by Giuseppe Camuncoli

Variant cover art by Giuseppe Camuncoli

Choose Your Destiny variant cover by Chris Sprouse

Appearances[]

This media's Appearances list is incomplete. You can help Wookieepedia by expanding it.

Collections[]

• Star Wars: Darth Vader Vol. 5 — The Shadow's Shadow

Sources[]

• The Story of the Ronin Continues and More from Marvel's September 2022 Star Wars Comics – Exclusive Preview on StarWars.com (backup link)
• "Launchpad" — Star Wars Insider 213
• A Quest for Revenge in Marvel's Star Wars: Darth Vader #27 – Exclusive Preview on StarWars.com (backup link)
• Darth Vader (2020) 43

Notes and references[]

External links[]

• Star Wars: Darth Vader (2020) #27 on Marvel Comics' official website (backup link)

Dark Heart of the Sith: 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 Into the Fire: 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 · 11 War of the Bounty Hunters: 12 · 13 · 14 · 15 · 16 · 17 Crimson Reign: 18 · 19 · 20 · 21 · 22 · 23 · 24 The Shadow's Shadow: 25 · 26 · 27 Return of the Handmaidens: 28 · 29 · 30 · 31 · 32 Unbound Force: 33 · 34 Target Aphra: 35 · 36 Dark Droids: 37 · 38 · 39 · 40 · 41 Rise of the Schism Imperial: 42 · 43 · 44 · 45 The Razing of Exegol: 46 · 47 Phantoms: 48 · 49 · 50 Trade paperbacks 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 Related media Darth Vader (2015) · Darth Vader (2017) In Service to the Empire · Revelations (2022) · Tool of the Empire The Curse · Phantom Menace Special
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