Darth Vader (2020) 24

Darth Vader 24 is the twenty-fourth issue of the 2020 canon comic book series Star Wars: Darth Vader. The issue was written by Greg Pak, illustrated by Marco Castiello and Carlos Lopez, and published by Marvel Comics on June 29, 2022.
==Publisher's summary==
Someone's been to Polis Massa. Someone's heard Padmé's last words. Someone knows Vader's deepest secret. What happens when the Dark Lord of the Sith finds out? Meanwhile, a colony of refugees from a certain sandy planet struggle under the rule of an Imperial governor. Will their connection to Vader's past be
their salvation – or their doom? Plus: the shocking return of two of Anakin Skywalker's oldest friends!''
==Plot summary==
===Battle plans===
A stormtrooper introduces Commander Sabé, who is dressed in a mixture of her own clothes and Imperial body armor. When Sabé asks if they can take on Governor Tauntaza, Darth Vader asks an Imperial officer to open a channel to the Super Star Destroyer Executor. However, the Governor's Imperial Star Destroyer is blocking all outgoing communications from Gabredor III. Vader asks that his shuttle be readied for departure. 
A balding male villager says that Vader can't destroy the flagship but Kitster Banai disagrees. The villager fears that the 33 villagers that the Governor conscripted are aboard the Governor's Star Destroyer. In response, Sabé asks ZED-6-7 to gather the names, expertise and skills of those conscripts and to extrapolate their locations. When Zed says he will do it soon, a stormtrooper reiterates the Commander's order. ZED-6-7 reveals that Governor Tauntaza is no longer aboard her flagship but had set up base at the old science colony about 300 klicks north of the Gabredor III colony about two days ago. 
===Rescuing the conscripts===
Shortly later, Governor Tauntaza is watching as her scientists and technicians test conversion machine, which a lieutenant describes as 323 percent stronger than the one used on Karolia. The machine has blown a hole in the dome. Before they can finish the extraction, klaxons ring. The lieutenant informs Governor Tauntaza that the facility is under attack. Believing it is a forest tangor, Tauntaza orders the lieutenants to deploy the battle droids. The lieutenant informs her that Darth Vader is leading the attack. In response, Tauntaza orders the crew to work faster while she requests reinforcements from Crimson Dawn.
Vader, Sabé and their stormtroopers smash through the battle droid guards and free the conscripts. Sabé reassures the conscripts that they are here to help. When Vader finds the Governor, Tauntaza offers to share her side of the story. Vader responds that she has sided with chaos and has chosen her fate. Before he can continue, Tauntaza orders her crew to unleash a prototype cannon, which shoots out an electrical current that stuns Vader. Believing that the weapon has worked against Vader, Tauntaza uses a prototype energy shield to deflect Sabé and the stormtroopers' blast. 
Several Crimson Dawn assassins arrive in an airspeeder and attack Vader and his forces. A B2-series super battle droid orders the assassins to evacuate the Governor while he handles the intruders. The Sith assassin Ochi of Bestoon arrives on a speeder bike and blasts the super battle droid and B1 battle droids. However, his arrival creates a distraction that allows Governor Tauntaza to escape. An enraged Lord Vader Force chokes Ochi. When Ochi says that he came to save Vader, the Sith Lord disparages Ochi for believing that the droids could kill him. 
===Pursuing the Governor===
Sabé reassures Doctor Aira and the other conscripts that they are safe now. Aira explains that Governor Tauntaza has been working on a new weapon that drains power from living things including planet. He explains that Tauntaza had already tested the weapon on Karolia, a densely forested planet in the Belderone system. Vader experiences a flashback of watching the destruction of Alderaan with Princess Leia Organa and sensing the millions of death through the Force. 
The conscripts feel guilty about helping Governor Tauntaza but Sabé reassures them that they are innocent of her crimes. Vader then experiences flashbacks of slaughtering Tusken Raiders to avenge the murder of his mother Shmi Skywalker Lars, killing Jedi Initiates and slaying the Separatist Council. Vader then experiences a Force vision where Padmé Amidala tells him that there is still good in him but is separated by an electronic gate. Ochi offers Lord Vader his speeder bike, which the Sith Lord accepts. The ricochet knows Ochi to the ground. 
When Ochi tells Sabé that he believes he has earned Vader's favor by bringing him the speeder bike, Sabé expresses disinterest. She instead orders the stormtroopers to secure any working vehicles, evacuate the conscripts and destroy the facility. She says that they will wait for Vader's return. As Vader experiences his vision, Vader rebuffs Amidala, believing that he is not capable of returning to the light. He shatters the gate with the Force. 
==Development==
Battle droids appear serving Governor Tauntaza's forces and Crimson Dawn in Darth Vader 24. When asked about the background of these droids, author Greg Pak did not recall the exact reasoning for their appearance and reflected it could have been as simple as they liked battle droids so wanted to use them in the story. 
==Media==
===Cover gallery===
File:DarthVader2020-24-cover.jpg|Final cover by Paul Renaud
File:DarthVader2020-24-solicit-cover.jpg|Solicit cover by Paul Renaud
File:DarthVader2020-24-Textless.png|Cover art
File:DarthVader2020-24-variant-Sprouse.jpg|Choose Your Destiny variant cover by Chris Sprouse
File:DarthVader2020-24-variant-Zama.jpg|Pride variant cover by Kei Zama
==Appearances==
==Collections==
*Star Wars: Darth Vader Vol. 5 — The Shadow's Shadow
*Star Wars: Crimson Reign Omnibus
==Sources==
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==Notes and references==
==External links==
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