Darth Vader V. the Rebel Alliance!
I got this storyarc on its single comic book issues but I chose to make the review using this TPB edition to make a better overall review. The story is set after the events of “Star Wars IV: A New Hope” but before the events of “Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back”. This TPB edition features “Star Wars: Vader Down” #1, “Star Wars: Darth Vader” #13-15 and “Star Wars” #13-14, in its new Marvel Canonic run.
Creative Team:
Writers: Jason Aaron & Kieron Gillen
Illustrators: Mike Deodato & Salvador Larroca
FEAR THE DARK SIDE
…three squadrons? That’s dozens of fighters. You’ve gotta get outta there!
--/--
I am a Lord of the Sith. They are the ones who should be running.
Darth Vader is following an information got by Dr. Aphra (infamous rogue arqueologist and droid expert) about the current whereabouts of Luke Skywalker, former Tatooine’s farmer boy, young Jedi-in-training (aka Padawan), the Rebel Alliance pilot who destroyed the Death Star and…
…Oh! Of course! Silly me! The son of Darth Vader! (but hush, hush, since not many people know about this at the time of this story!).
Good news: The information was accurate. Luke was where he’s supposed to be. Vogras Vas, a planet where used to be a Jedi Temple (and Luke’s eager to find anything of value to increase his sparse (for not saying almost not existent) Jedi training).
Bad news: Luke isn’t alone. Three X-Wing Squadrons are with him, in orbit around Vogras Vas, doing training maneuvers.
Of course, the bad news are really for the poor three X-Wing Squadrons, since they aren’t match for Darth Vader and his Advanced Tie Fighter!
Blue Squadron? Kaput!
Yellow Squadron? Kapow!
And when Vader is right over Red Squadron…
Red Five (aka Luke Skywalker) breaks formation and makes a reckless, imprudent but effective maneuver. Not stylish (at all) but it does the job.
Vader is down! (That isn’t a spoiler since is basically as the storyarc is named. Duh!)
But so is Luke! (as I said, it wasn’t a well-thought maneuver)
In Vogras Vas, there is a secret refueling Rebel facility with troops there. So they are ordered to movilize to take Vader.
Also, the Rebel Fleet is alerted of the situation and Princess Leia ordered a battalion to go with her to support the operation of taking Vader.
Yes, those poor souls don’t know in what they’re getting into! With slim chances of getting out alive!
Since Leia is only focused to take Vader and considering Luke’s rescue not a priority (don’t be so harsh on her… she doesn’t know yet that Luke is her brother!), well the good ol’ Han Solo decides to take the Millenium Falcon to look for his buddy, Luke.
But hey, Vader isn’t on his own, really. Dr. Aphra, fearing the wrath of Vader due her info lead him to find a whole Rebel army instead of only Luke Skywalker, decides that her wisest move is to go there and help his current employer. So, she goes along with 0-0-0 (Triple Zero) (a protocol droid who enjoys to torture) and BT-1 (Blastomech with a deceptive look of astromech). And since Aphra’s mommy didn’t raise any fool, she also calls a reinforcement in the shape of Black Krrsantan (a Bounty Hunter Wookie of dark fur).
And if you hadn’t enough, this trap was set by Commander Karbin (an Imperial agent who is a Cyborg Mon Calamari with a cute lightsaber collection), so he isn’t taking any chances about Vader’s death, and bringing his own Imperial Destroyer and deploying Tie Fighters and Stormtroopers, loyals to Karbin.
You know? For a deserted planet like Vogras Vas, where none kind of indigenous lifeforms existed, certainly it will turn to be a too crowded world!!!
THE FORCE AWAKENS… EARLY
Lay down your weapons! You are surrounded!
All I am surrounded by is fear… …and dead men.
There was a Jedi Temple in Vogras Vas, so you can guess that The Force is strong there.
And all Force-users there, will be affected by it.
The Force is strong in Skywalker’s family…
Vader has it.
Luke has it.
And…
…Leia has it too!
Vogras Vas will prove to be a place, provoking uncertain and unpredictable visions, in all of them!
Through the Force, things you will see. Other places. The future… the past. Old friends long gone.
(Yoda)
Taken from Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back.
What are you waiting for?
Everybody else are in Vogras Vas already!
Go there, you too!