Darth Vader (2020) 46

Publisher's summary

THE RAZING OF EXEGOL, PART ONE! DARTH VADER and the SCHISM IMPERIAL launch their boldest challenge to the power of PALPATINE with an assault on EXEGOL, the home of the EMPEROR'S greatest secrets and treasures! But if sheer brute force can't overcome the defenses of the SITH CITADEL, what terrifying new resources will the DARK LORD draw upon? Also: CAPTAIN ENRIC PRYDE faces his greatest test!

Opening crawl

Sly Moore's Schism Imperial, a covert group
of Imperials determined to overthrow the
Emperor, has continued to grow. Darth Vader
has now led the group on missions from the
Outer Rim to Tython, all building toward a
final assault on the Emperor's regime.

Meanwhile, Sabé, former handmaiden to
Queen Amidala, has teamed up with Jedi
pretender Warba in an effort to find Luke
Skywalker, the son of the man she once knew
as Anakin Skywalker….

Plot summary

On the Inner Rim planet Sergia, Sabé, former handmaiden of Naboo and former associate of Darth Vader, meets with Jedi pretender and thief Warba Calip at Sergia Seven Spaceport Bay Twelve. The two had previously arranged to collaborate in locating Luke Skywalker. They board Sabé's H-type Nubian yacht and take off into space, where they discuss Luke and the risks they take in seeking him out in light of Vader.

Near the Red Honeycomb Zone, Captain Corleque of the Schism Imperial prepares for a cargo drop-off with the Sith Eternal on Eta-class supply barge SW-0222. The Sith Eternal approach in a few of their starships to collect the cargo. As a few of the acolytes approach him, they look deeply into Corleque and see his intense anger towards Vader.

After the Sith Eternal leave, Corleque calls Administrator Sly Moore about the exchange, how they saw his hate for Vader. Overhearing, Senior Lieutenant Enric Pryde chimes in to say he should have been the one chosen for the exchange. Moore scoffs at the idea since Pryde does not understand the ideology of the Sith; they are all one another's enemy, so someone so devoted to Vader would have inadvertently revealed the subterfuge. Sending someone like Corleque would help keep the Sith Eternal's guard down.

Moore and Pryde, aboard a Lambda-class T-4a shuttle enter the Red Honeycomb Nebula en route to Exegol. Within, they find a massive subspecies of summa-verminoth with psycho-venomous abilities. Although the gargantuan creature sleeps and the shuttle is plated with kyberite, the proximity of the creature caused significant pain to all aboard except for Vader. This includes the four cyborgs of M.A.R. Corps whose executive function has been overridden by Vader's droid brains. After passing through the nebula, Moore asks Pryde what the summa-verminoth showed him, and he reveals it was a vision of him dying on Exegol.

The shuttle lands on Exegol, and the cultists angrily approach the unwelcome ship. Vader leads the M.A.R. Corps members, armed with his electrostaff, to attack the cultists. The cultists send a cadre of powerful Tankers to cover, but Vader shocks a number of them. Eventually, however, the Tankers overtake Vader and pin him to the ground. In victory, the cultists celebrate Pryde's grief at Vader's defeat and direct their workers to finish unloading the shipment so they can observe Vader's imminent death.

With all of the cultists and Tankers distracted, a large group of Vader's droids burst from the shipping crates to attack the cultists. To the Sith Eternal's relief, though, they recognize that the only individual strong enough to claim the kyber of the Kyber Temple is the incapacitated Vader. The Tankers gaze at the fallen Sith, only to see that the split helmet reveals droid components.

Finally revealing his deceit, Vader slices open the container in which he hid and storms the Temple of the Kyber. Using the Force, he stimulates the large pile of kyber crystals, releasing a massive amount of energy that takes out many cultists. He then raises one large crystal, only for the temple to collapse. Pryde rushes to the scene in grief, grabbing Vader's helmet, which was really that of the decoy. He soon sees Vader emerge from the rubble with the massive crystal in tow on a repulsorlift.

Nevertheless, Vader's enemies are not yet fully defeated. The Rebel cyborgs were freed from their servitude by the energy burst and a cultist, though impressed Vader learned to deceive, manages to trigger a massive laser before being defeated by Vader. Pryde assumes the laser was meant to hit their location and that Vader managed to deflect it. In reality, the blast was aimed at the summa-verminoth who now awakens.

Media

Cover gallery

Final cover by Leinil Francis Yu

Solicit cover by Leinil Francis Yu

Variant cover by Bjorn Barends

Variant cover by Bjorn Barends

Variant cover by Tom Reilly

The Phantom Menace 25th Anniversary variant cover by Chris Sprouse

The Phantom Menace 25th Anniversary variant cover by Chris Sprouse

Master & Apprentice variant cover by Phil Noto

Collected in

• Star Wars: Darth Vader Vol. 10 – Phantoms

Appearances

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

Sources

• "Launchpad" — Star Wars Insider 225

Notes and references

External links

• Star Wars: Darth Vader (2020) #46 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 · 25 · 26 · 27 Hidden Empire: 28 · 29 · 30 · 31 · 32 Unbound Force: 33 · 34 Target Aphra: 35 · 36 Dark Droids: 37 · 38 · 39 · 40 · 41 42 · 43 · 44 · 45 The Razing of Exegol: 46 · 47 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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