So there’s this story in Legends that I can’t stop thinking about – because it’s one of the few times someone actually trolled Darth Vader… and then Vader trolled them right back even harder. The guy’s name? Lieutenant Garil Dox. And trust me, it didn’t end well for him.
Table of Contents
Things Kept Going Wrong
Right after the first Death Star got destroyed, the Empire was scrambling to find the Rebel fleet. Vader had already gotten some hyperspace data out of a captured Rebel navigator, and he wanted more. His plan was simple: capture Rebel soldiers alive, get information, and follow it to the main fleet.
When the Reprisal found a Rebel base, Vader ordered Commander Demmings to bomb it just enough to weaken the defenses. But the gunners went way too hard. By the time Vader and the stormtroopers landed, everyone was already dead. No prisoners. No intel.
Demmings thought his crew had done their job well. I remember thinking how awkward that moment must’ve been, standing there on the bridge while Vader shouted his name in front of everyone. Vader wasn’t happy at all. He wanted prisoners – not a pile of dust.
Then It Happened Again
Not long after, the Reprisal (an Imperial Star Destroyer) intercepted a Rebel corvette. Vader gave the same order: disable the ship, don’t destroy it. This time, Demmings made it clear – only precision shots.
Everything was going smoothly until right before the tractor beam could pull the ship in. One shot – too strong – and the whole thing exploded.
I can imagine how silent the bridge must’ve gone. Someone tried to explain it, saying the gas cloud the ship was in probably triggered the blast. But Vader wasn’t buying it. He started force-choking Demmings right there, and the guy still didn’t back down. He said he was doing his job – killing Rebels – and no one could do it better than him.
What really caught Vader’s attention, though, was when Demmings mentioned Alderaan. That name sparked something in the Force. It made Vader stop and think. Something didn’t feel right.
Vader Sets a Trap
Instead of killing Demmings, Vader pulled him aside. The two of them made a new plan – quietly.
Later, they found another supposed Rebel base. Demmings was extra cautious this time and only ordered a single turbolaser shot. But still, the whole base went up. Everything was wiped out.
At that point, Demmings turned to one of his gunners and asked what happened. The guy said they must’ve hit a fuel depot. And that’s when something weird happened – Lieutenant Garil Dox had his back turned and looked like he was about to laugh.
Vader noticed right away.
Vader Calls Him Out
Vader said his name out loud – Garil Dox. Everyone went quiet.
Then Vader laid it all out. He knew Dox was from Alderaan. Through the Force, he could feel the anger, the hate Dox had toward the Empire. And now it all made sense. Dox was the one who had been sabotaging the missions.
Every overpowered shot? That was Dox. He didn’t want Vader to capture Rebels. He wanted them all dead – so they couldn’t talk. He was protecting the Rebel fleet. And he was hoping that Vader would keep blaming Demmings and eventually kill him.
And he almost did.
The Final Reveal
At that point, Dox couldn’t hide it anymore. He went off. He called Vader a monster. Said he was proud of what he’d done. That he was glad to help the Rebellion.
Then Demmings told him the truth about that last bombing run. That wasn’t a Rebel base. It was an Alderaanian refugee camp – one of the last places where survivors of Alderaan had settled after the planet was destroyed. People Dox might have called family.
And Vader? He confirmed it. He and Demmings had picked that target on purpose, just to see if Dox was really the traitor they suspected.
If Dox had been loyal, the light bombing wouldn’t have done much. But he wasn’t. He fired with full power. And he destroyed the last place he might’ve called home.
This whole story was shown in Empire #35, one of the darker and more personal issues in that comic series.
What Happened to Dox
I still remember Dox’s final words: “I don’t deserve to live. Kill me…”
But Vader didn’t kill him.
Instead, he sent him to an Imperial labor camp. No public execution. No dramatic end. Just a quiet punishment – and a mission finally back on track without someone sabotaging it from the inside.
