Darth Vader: Issue 27: The Shadows Shadow: The Queens Heart
What is it ? : Governor Tauntaza's device continues to drain the planet of it's life, which will kill everyone on it, so Vader orders the Executor in orbit to bombard the device, but it's shields hold out bolstered by the energy it is draining. ZED-6-7 reveals that the devices only weak point is from below where it is draining the energy, but even Vader would be destroyed if he ventures underneath.
So he takes the colonies Astromech, and stores his lightsaber inside it much like Luke does in Return of the Jedi, getting it to travel under the device, as the device only drains life force, so the Astromech is not effected. It launches the Lightsaber upwards, and Vader activates it, and the device is disabled, allowing Vader to retrieve his lightsaber and cut his way inside.
The Governor dons a set of Dark Trooper like armour, energising it with all of the power the device had already drained, and engages Vader. As they fight, she calls him traitor, mocking him for betraying the Empire, but is forced to flee as he overwhelms even her energised weapons. The power systems explode damaging his armour, and Vader collapses as the governor escapes.
Sabe enters the room, and stands over Vader, prepared to kill him, before remembering that Padme said that there was good in him, and she connects up his armour and restores his life support.
Outside, ZED-6-7 hacks into the Governors systems, and discovers she was receiving instructions directly from the Emperor himself, as Sabe helps Vader outside, telling him she knows why she has saved his life. . . .
High Points : The revelation that this is all just another set up by Palpatine is pretty good, he is just keeping Vader distracted, and testing his apprentice, although why he is still doing this after 20 or so years, I'm not entirely sure.
The Power Armour the Governor uses is really cool looking, although it doesn't seem to last long.
Low Points : The flashbacks which are the signature of this series, this time are Sabe's, and all show things we've seen before, and while they do show why she decides to let Vader live (showing us times as Padme's double she interacted with Anakin when he was young, so she remembers him being an innocent), they don't really offer us an real deep insight into the characters.
So what do you really think ? : While we do get some forward movement in the plot, Vader chases the Governor from the planet, and we discover she's a loyal Imperial officer, it's only a set towards the resolution of the story rather than any real closure to any plotlines.
Final Words : While the story feels like it's supposed to be Vader confronting the Governor and her new technology, I wonder if that is me misunderstanding the story. Perhaps her role is already over, as we now know she is a loyal imperial officer, and she was just acting against Vader under Palpatines orders. So skipping completely past her and confronting Palpatine is perhaps the next logical step rather than spending time chasing an eliminating an irrelevant character. Especially as I've pointed out numerous times, that we are severely limited in time as all of this is happening between The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi. . . .
Score : 7/10
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