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In Star Wars: Darth Vader #17, a character who appeared to be a ally to the Sith Lord is revealed to have been working with the Crimson Dawn.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers from Star Wars: Darth Vader #17, on sale now from Marvel Comics.
Over the course of the Darth Vader comic series, Emperor Palpatine has tested his apprentice multiple times to see if he would remain loyal. On one of those occasions, Palpatine sent Ochi of Bestoon to kill a broken and Force-deprived Vader on the lava planet of Mustafar. During that incident, Ochi was defeated by the Sith and the two have been allies ever since. However, in Star Wars: Darth Vader #17 (by Greg Pak, Raffaele Ienco, Alex Sinclair and VC’s Joe Caramagna), Ochi showed his true colors, hinting at a future betrayal.
Since their initial meeting, Ochi of Bestoon has been working for Vader and doing all of his dirty work. In return, Vader has kept him safe from harm. During their time as allies, Ochi investigated Bokku and found out that the “Buff Hutt” was secretly working with Crimson Dawn, and he also confronted Sly Moore about trying to kill Vader and fought her with a vibroblade.
The Darth Vader series has crossed over with the War of the Bounty Hunters event, wherein a resurgent Crimson Dawn stole Han Solo’s carbonite-frozen body from Boba Fett. Since then, Qi’ra put Solo up for auction so that crime lords from all over the galaxy could come and bid on the Rebel captain. Vader took particular interest in Solo and, ignoring the auction results, took the frozen rebel with the intent of using him as bait for Luke Skywalker.
However, serious revelations are uncovered by the conclusion of Darth Vader #17. First, it was established that Crimson Dawn literally had moles in every corner of the galaxy. Second, Palpatine was aware of the presence of spies within the Empire, and tasked Vader with tracking down the Crimson Dawn members who had infiltrated their ranks. To do so, General Romodi provided Vader with an army, but Vader also wanted something a little more subtle.
Vader told Ochi to inform his contacts in the Assassin’s League that they would now be working for the Empire with no questions asked. When Ochi arrived, his associates were pleased to see him and said that they had a surprise. Upon entering their hideout, Ochi discovered that his three friends had actually captured Qi’ra as a gesture of goodwill to Vader and the Empire.
It is at this point that Ochi begins to reveal his true allegiance by gunning down his three friends. After freeing Qi’ra, it is made clear that Ochi is secretly a member of the crime syndicate. Now the question remains of how long Ochi will be able to keep his true loyalties a secret from Vader, and what repercussions will come when his betrayal is eventually discovered.
That, of course, is where the danger comes in, and what may make Vader more powerful than ever before. Although their traditions are steeped in treason, Siths don’t typically respond well to traitors. When Vader finds out what Ochi has done, and with whom he has allied himself, Vader’s rage may boil over and make him the most powerful version of himself we’ve seen yet, especially as his anger simmers because of factors elsewhere in The War of the Bounty Hunters.
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