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Darth Vader – Black, White & Red: 3

What is it ? : And 3 stories once again.

Hard Shutdown: part three
Syn, the son of the scientist who worked on Vader, calls for a report from his mercenaries who are still in the building with Vader, and none respond causing the Mercenaries outside with him to begin panicking. He decides that they'll just have to salvage what they can from Vader's remains and calls in a shuttle to bombard the building, which it does but then they lose control of the shuttle as Vader seizes control of it using the force causing it to crash into their group on the ground. As Syn crawls out of the rubble he sees Vader striding out of the building undamaged and finally understands what his father saw in Vader, declaring him magnificent.

Annihilated:
Star Destroyers have followed a Rebel transport back to it's base, but when the crew prepare to attack their commander tells them to stand down as "he" has been very specific that he will deal with them on his own.
Vader in his Tie Fighter goes up against Rebel X-Wings and A-Wings before landing in front of the artillery the Rebels have set up, and they open fire. He parries their blaster bolts and strides into combat, eventually using the force to throw the entire transport ship into the base with an enormous explosion. Dispatching the last rebel with his lightsaber who declares that one day there will be justice.
When the commander of the Star Destroyer calls for a status update, Vader simply responds, it is done!

Diplomatic Impunity:
Lieutenant Sulaco reports to Vader, she is to act as his escort on a special mission. As she accompanies him she thinks of the status this can bring to her and her family, as Vader doesn't need her as a pilot as he personally piloted his Tie Fighter across the galaxy with no droid help. But his opportunity could be great if Vader takes a shine to her.
As they arrive in his shuttle at their destination, Vader directs her to land on the third moon, something she questions, with Vader responding that he knows this is where she is from, which is why he brought her.
They land, and Vader asks her about the settlement, and she tells him of the constable and his deputies, asking why they are here, to which Vader tells her it is a diplomatic mission. She questions once again as the moon has no diplomats.
As they walk a lone sniper asks for permission to fire, but when he does, Vader ignites his lightsaber parries the blaster bolt and reflects it back killing the man.
As they arrive at the settlement, Sulaco comments that it wasn't a Rebel stronghold when she left, and a number of Rebel troopers man the wall taking aim. But Vader tears the wall apart killing them all.
As they walk into the settlement, Sulaco thinks to herself that she is sure there was a plan to deal with an Imperial assault, but there is no planning for Vader, as a Rebel fires a missile at them, which Vader causes to explode in mid air.
They arrive outside a house which Sulaco recognises as her familys, and Vader tells her there is a spy aboard his ship. He doesn't know for how long, or how much she has told, but it stops now. And Sulaco crumbles, promising Vader everything, that she will be a double agent feeding anything he wants back to the Rebels, she will endanger the lives of numerous Rebels to save her family, because Vader doesn't want to destroy the Rebels, it is important for the Empire to have enemies, but an enemy he can manipulate.
Vader gestures to the door to the house with his lightsaber, telling her that she should say whatever she needs to say, as she will never return as they have work to do. . .

High Points : The first two stories are extremely brief, with the first barely moving the story forward, but continuing to be pretty interesting. The second is a fairly pointless battle and nothing more. But the third story is solid, with Vader making it clear to Sulaco that her life and her family exist only if she serves him, turning her against the Rebellion. As a short story it works well, and makes you want to know what happens next. Lieutenant Sulaco will probably never show up in another story, but I really want to see more of what happens as she becomes a double agent.

Low Points : As mentioned above, the second story, Annihilated, is completely pointless, and part three of Hard Shutdown really doesn't move the story forward much at all. Vader was already dominating the battle against the mercenaries, and now he's mobile again, which isn't much of a step forward.

So what do you really think ? : While Diplomatic Immunity is a good story in it's own right, the other 2 really let this issue down, and there's not much to recommend here.

Final Words : So one more issue to go, and the final part of Hard Shutdown, although I don't really see anywhere interesting for the story to go, as Vader has already beaten the trap so unless Syn has an major surprises left in him, there can't be much left except his demise. But we might get a couple of interesting short stories alongside (or maybe the final issue will just be a longer episode of Hard Shutdown?)

Score : 7/10

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