Star Words: Episode V, Part 30

[matril]

Having witnessed a wondrous use of the Force, we transition to the brutal contrast of the Dark Side's tactics. After the Falcon's strange disappearance, Captain Needa proclaimed that he would claim full responsibility and apologize to Vader personally. We all knew what would happen. I believe Needa knew it as well. It's intriguing to see, even among the cold, unfeeling ranks of the Empire, someone who is apparently willing to sacrifice himself to protect his underlings. It would be fun to explore Captain Needa's motivations via fan fiction.

Meanwhile, Vader dispatches him with a sardonic one-liner.

"Apology accepted, Captain Needa."

There's no one else around, unless you count the nameless officers scurrying forward to dispose of Needa's body. Needa himself is obviously in no condition to appreciate Vader's humor. As far as I can tell, he says this only to amuse himself. While I'm repelled by the chillingly gruesome humor, I think it also illuminates Vader's truly pathetic nature.

In this solitary grim joke, you can glimpse the snarky kid who used verbally spar with Master Obi-Wan. He has no sparring partner now. His current master hardly seems the type to appreciate witty zingers. Vader has hundreds of Imperials ready to jump at his every order, even dragging off the corpses in his wake, but he has no one at his side, no companion, no friend.

Next time, a quiet exchange between Han and Leia....

Comments

[krpalmer]

I'd been wondering if we'd get to this line. It's memorable, certainly, but I do have to admit to suspicions it can be taken a little too lightly amid dark jokes about Vader constantly choking subordinates for the slightest failing, victims of accusations of a "hair-trigger temper"... (Maybe this ties up with old half-wishes of seeing "the Thrawn trilogy" critiqued, although perhaps in the end somebody could make a subtle argument "Thrawn's smug explanations he's more subtle than Vader in managing his subordinates might make him 'better,' but still not good enough to defeat our heroes.") Your pointing out "Vader can't be taken as just 'cool' for this, but you can link it back to his past self" does seem more appealing to me.

[matril]

I've never had an interest in reading the Thrawn trilogy, but any character who's touted as smugly superior to the original character has all the markings of a Gary Stu to me. I mean, sure, Vader is definitely a poor leader for killing his subordinates on a whim, but that's not what makes him compelling to me.