When an Imperial Governor Snitched on Darth Vader to Palpatine [Canon]

We usually think of Darth Vader as untouchable—the Emperor’s right hand, feared across the galaxy, and answerable to no one but Palpatine himself. But there was one time, early in the Empire, when that image cracked.

I’m talking about the moment an Imperial Governor didn’t just question Vader’s actions—he straight up reported him to Palpatine. And what’s wild is that Palpatine actually took the Governor’s side. For a while, Vader had to obey someone he clearly hated.

This story takes place in Star Wars: Age of Rebellion – Darth Vader #1, and it reveals one of the rare times Vader was officially disciplined. But of course, it wouldn’t stay that way for long.

When Vader Blew Up the Mission Objective

At the start of the comic, we learn that the Empire has tasked Governor Ahr with leading an assault on the Mid Rim world of Namzor. The objective? Secure the planet’s supply of coaxium, a rare and highly valuable resource. But Ahr realizes that bombing the rebel base might destroy the very thing they came to collect. So, he orders his V-Wing starfighters to pull back.

But one of those V-Wings is being piloted by Darth Vader. And in the Empire, Vader doesn’t take orders from anyone except Palpatine.

Vader ignores the retreat command and blasts the coaxium depot, wiping out both the rebels and the resource.

Problem was, this mission wasn’t just about crushing resistance. The Empire actually needed that coaxium. And Vader had just destroyed it.

Governor Ahr, probably realizing he was in way over his head, did the unthinkable—he reported Vader’s actions directly to Palpatine.

Palpatine Takes the Governor’s Side — And Forces Vader to Kneel

After the disaster on Namzor, Governor Ahr does something no one in the Empire would ever think of doing — he reports Darth Vader to the Emperor.

Through a hologram call, Ahr tells Palpatine that Vader showed up without warning, disobeyed a direct order, and destroyed the very coaxium he was sent to secure. Vader tries to defend himself, saying the rebels were about to escape and he acted to stop them.

But Palpatine isn’t interested in excuses.

He cuts Vader off and asks a simple question: did you know the mission’s objective was to secure the coaxium? Vader says nothing.

Palpatine reminds him that while no one in the Empire outranks Vader—aside from himself—that doesn’t mean Vader gets to do whatever he wants. If Palpatine puts someone in charge of a mission, even a lowly governor, then obeying them is obeying him.

Then comes the real sting: Palpatine orders Vader to kneel. Not to him, but in front of Ahr, who’s standing right there.

And Vader does it.

For one brief, humiliating moment, Darth Vader—Dark Lord of the Sith, the Emperor’s enforcer—is made to kneel before a bureaucrat.

Governor Ahr Sends Vader on a Suicide Mission

Now that Palpatine had put Vader under Ahr’s command, the Governor wasted no time rubbing it in.

Their next stop was a place called Ahn Krantarium, a planet overrun by rogue droids that had been rebuilding and evolving for decades. These weren’t old Clone Wars leftovers — they were monstrous, hyper-lethal machines that had wiped out every stormtrooper squad sent down before.

Ahr’s own officers warned him it was suicide. So naturally, the Governor’s solution? Send Vader. Alone. It was the perfect power move: treat Vader like a disposable weapon and hope he doesn’t come back. But Vader did what Vader does.

He dropped into a mechanical hellscape and tore through it — slicing, crushing, and demolishing the droids one by one with the Force and his lightsaber. Hours, maybe days later, he returned to the Star Destroyer, battered but alive. Ahr was stunned. And visibly disappointed.

But he wasn’t done.

For their next mission, they moved to the moon of Phelzepham, where an entrenched group of insurgents was giving the Empire serious trouble. Mid-battle, Ahr recalled every single trooper — except for Vader.

Once again, the Dark Lord was left completely alone. And once again, Vader powered through. He crushed the resistance by himself and returned to the Governor with his cape literally on fire, having won the battle with nothing but rage, discipline, and sheer brutality.

At this point, it was a game. Ahr was trying to push Vader to the edge — and see if he’d break.

Spoiler: he didn’t.

Vader Turns the Tables and Delivers Justice

Ahr was drunk on power. He’d ordered Vader around, sent him on suicide missions, and watched him kneel like a broken dog. But deep down, Ahr knew one thing: as long as Vader was still breathing, he was playing with fire.

So, he tried to end it

For his final “test,” Ahr ordered his Star Destroyer into a restricted Imperial zone — the Kankalo Belt Containment Zone. Even his own officers warned him this was a bad idea. That zone was off-limits for a reason. There was a space monster out there — a crustacean-like beast so dangerous that Imperial law forbade even going near it.

Ahr didn’t care. He sent Vader into the asteroid field and ordered him to destroy “the greatest threat he could find.”

Vader complied — but not in the way Ahr expected.

He flew straight toward the massive creature, circled it a few times… and then turned around and headed back to the Star Destroyer.

The Governor lost it. He dragged Vader to the bridge and demanded an explanation. When Vader didn’t respond fast enough, Ahr ordered him to kneel again.

So Vader did.

And then the space monster came crashing through the bridge window.

It grabbed Ahr in its claws and dragged him into the vacuum of space. The force of the breach also pulled out several stormtroopers and officers. Chaos erupted. Screams, alarms, glass shattering.

Soon after, Palpatine felt the disturbance through the Force. And instead of being angry, he was pleased. Vader had learned his lesson: obedience doesn’t mean bowing to fools who endanger the Empire for their own ego. It means serving the Emperor’s will — and eliminating those who don’t.

With the Governor gone, the surviving crew didn’t hesitate. They turned and knelt before Vader.

And just like that, the comic ends — with Darth Vader no longer the dog on a leash, but the one holding the chain.