Darth Vader #11 represents the eleventh installment of the canon comic book series, formally known as Star Wars: Darth Vader (2017). Charles Soule served as the writer, with illustrations provided by Giuseppe Camuncoli. Marvel Comics released it to the public on February 14, 2018.
Darth Vader, along with the Ninth Sister, journey to a bar located on the Colonies world of Cabarria. This visit is prompted by reported events of someone using the Force and brandishing a lightsaber. The Ninth Sister inquires about the reason for visiting the cantina. Lord Vader responds that it is an absurd question, causing her to clarify that she meant the reason for him being there. The Ninth Sister believes the report may be false and suggests that it is her role to confirm it, implying Vader's presence is unnecessary.
Vader retorts that she should be pleased he is present, as he believes the Inquisitorius are not yet capable of independently hunting Jedi. The Ninth Sister sarcastically asks if he's there to remind her of her lost eye or in case they find a Jedi. The Ninth Sister posits that different Jedi possess varying strengths, such as lightsaber skills and manipulation. She tells Lord Vader that her strength lies in reading emotions, which has grown since she connected with the Dark side of the Force. She senses that Lord Vader desires to engage in combat with another Jedi.
Lord Vader instructs her to remain outside on their speeder bike and only enter upon his command. After Vader's departure, the Ninth Sister remarks that the Sith Lord is eager to fight and perhaps even seeking death. Inside the cantina, Lord Vader announces his arrival and asks about the reported Jedi sighting. Bhada Cha, a bounty hunter, recognizes Vader and instructs his daughter Chanath Cha to do her part in their plan.
Chanath employs a tractor rifle to attempt to seize Vader's lightsaber, but the Sith apprentice retrieves it mid-air. Guided by her mother Ramat Cha, Chanath uses an ion grenade to create a diversion. However, the combined force of the tractor rifle and Vader's counter-pull shatters the lightsaber, breaking it into pieces. The kyber crystal then dislodges. The ion grenade also disables the other weapons and blasters within the cantina.
From a balcony, Bhada urges everyone to remain calm, stating that they are only after Vader, whom he calls a "Jedi." Ramat adds that all other weapons, including blasters, are non-functional, leaving the Chas as the only ones with operational blasters. Bhada clarifies that their aim was to avoid a firefight and any innocent casualties while capturing the "Jedi." A Twi'lek and a Mon Calamari voice their disagreement, causing the Chas to activate their personal energy shields.
As they launch their attack on Lord Vader, the Sith requests assistance from the Ninth Sister, stating that he is under attack by bounty hunters who have used an ion pulse and destroyed his lightsaber. He asks her to bring him hers, but the Ninth Sister feigns communication failure, hoping Vader will be killed in combat as revenge for his treatment of her.
Meanwhile, Vader uses a table and the bodies of at least one patron to defend against the blaster fire from the Cha family. Concerned about the collateral damage and the depletion of their shield batteries, Ramat convinces her husband and daughter to retreat. As they escape, Lord Vader recovers his kyber crystal.
The Cha family flees to the parking area and hijacks a green speeder bike after holding the Ninth Sister at gunpoint. When Chanath asks her parents about the identity of their adversary, the Ninth Sister replies that they will soon discover it. A furious Lord Vader exits the cantina and accuses the Ninth Sister of fabricating a Jedi sighting and hiring the bounty hunters to assassinate him.
The Inquisitor denies hiring assassins to kill Lord Vader, stating that she is neither intelligent nor foolish enough to do so. When Vader suggests the other Inquisitors were responsible, she reminds him that the Inquisitors were once Jedi and now serve those who killed Jedi. If he is seeking traitors, the Ninth Sister implies that he need not look far. When the Sith Lord threatens her with her own lightsaber, the Ninth Sister insists that she did not orchestrate the assassination attempt. Lord Vader orders her to remain behind while he pursues the bounty hunters, threatening her with death if she disobeys.
As Ramat drives the green speeder bike, she and Bhada discuss the identity of their "Jedi" target. They doubt that their target was a Jedi since he was using the innocents as fodder. Lord Vader catches up to the hunters on a black speeder bike. He deflects Bhada and Chanath's blaster bolts with the Ninth Sister's lightsaber. Bhada considers using ion grenades, but Chanath reveals that she left them behind. Vader manages to block their path by damaging a nearby hovertruck, causing it to collide with their speeder bike.
The Cha family survives the crash due to their personal energy shields. However, they are trapped by an enraged Lord Vader, who uses the Force to levitate Chanath and holds the Ninth Sister's lightsaber to her neck. When he demands to know who hired them, Bhada replies that it was an anonymous job they found through the Hunter Net. Ramat adds that they were motivated by their need for money. Vader says that is unfortunate before threatening to kill Chanath.
Seeking to save her daughter's life, Ramat offers her skills as a slicer to trace the job back to its source. Vader demands she do it immediately, but Chanath's parents request that he release their daughter first. They threaten to withhold their cooperation if Vader kills their daughter, with Bhada stating that she is their reason for living and that they are willing to die with her. Moved by their familial bond, Vader relents but demands proof that they can fulfill their part of the deal.
Ramat says she can access the Hunter Net and track down the system where the kill order originated. She discovers that the contract originated in Coruscant, the galactic capital. Honoring his agreement, Vader releases Chanath. Bhada tells Chanath that she must leave to survive, but tells her to swear to Lord Vader that she will take no revenge. He adds that this was just business, part of their family's line of trade. He pleads with Chanath not to give Vader any reason to hunt her down. Ramat pleads with Chanath to make the pledge.
Chanath swears not to seek revenge and says that nothing happened there today. Vader accepts the deal and demands that Ramat continue her search. While slicing through the encryption, Ramat discovers that the contract originated in the Republic Executive Building in Coruscant's Senate District. She deduces that the kill contract originated at the top of the Galactic Empire's hierarchy.
The printed version of Darth Vader 11 incorrectly attributes the cover art to Giuseppe Camuncoli and Francesco Mattina, when it should have been Camuncoli and Elia Bonetti.
- UPC 759606086665; February 14 , 2018 ; Marvel Comics [1] 01111; Cover A; Elia Bonetti, Giuseppe Camuncoli 01121; Cover B; Rod Reis