I’ve always thought Mustafar has this strange way of staying alive, even when everything on it seems dead. The heat, the lava rivers, the ash — all of it feels like the planet is constantly trying to breathe through fire. And somewhere on that burning world stood Vader’s Castle, a black fortress, where he spent his quietest moments when he wasn’t out spreading the Emperor’s will across the galaxy.
But peace never lasted long for him on Mustafar. The planet’s native people hated what he brought with him — the darkness that changed their world. They saw him as a curse, a demon in armor, and many of them would rather die than let him stay.
Turns out, one tribe didn’t plan to die quietly.
The Witch Of Clan Rrrt
The Mustafarians had fought Vader before, but Mother Sssl, the priestess of Clan Rrrt, took things much further. She knew her world’s secrets — old rituals, ancient powers, and ways to twist the Force in ways that only Mustafar could allow. When her people fell to Vader’s blade, she didn’t let them rest. She raised them.
In Return to Vader’s Castle #5, Sssl used her dark magic to bring back the dead and turn them into molten, plague-infected soldiers. Their skin burned like lava, their eyes glowed red, and they followed her command without question. The infection spread through bites, and once infected, the victims turned into mindless drones under her control.
When the time came, she sent her plague across the lava plains straight toward Fortress Vader. And while this horror was brewing outside, Palpatine’s Imperial advisors just happened to be visiting the castle. Their timing couldn’t have been worse.
The Night The Dead Rose
Inside the castle, Vader felt something shift. The dark side stirred — it was a warning. He ignored the advisor’s chatter and followed his instincts through the long, red-lit halls. Then the fortress doors exploded. Lava-covered creatures poured in, screaming, burning, and clawing their way toward him.
The Royal Guards fought by his side, their red armor clashing with the glowing firelight. Vader stood at the center, striking down anything that moved, using both his lightsaber and the Force. But the plague spread fast, and even his Lava Troopers started to fall.
One stumbled toward him, barely holding his blaster.
“Th-they came out of the lava fields. The sergeant… he was bitten. He… he went wild. Attacked me. I… uhh…”
The trooper’s voice twisted into a growl as his body convulsed. Vader watched as molten cracks spread across the armor.
“Infected. It is a plague.”
One by one, the Royal Guards began to turn too. Their screams echoed through the halls as the infection took hold. Vader fought them all — his own men and the lava zombies — until one of the infected bit into his arm. For a moment, everything went quiet.
The Fall Of The Sith Lord
The horde stopped. The flames dimmed. Vader stood still among the bodies, his red blade humming low. From the other side of the room, the Imperial advisors called out in panic.
“Lord Vader! What are you doing? Have you forgotten who you are? You serve the Emperor!”
He didn’t answer. His head lifted slowly, and he started walking toward them. His movements were heavy, unnatural, almost like something was pulling him forward. The advisors froze, realizing the unthinkable — Darth Vader was one of them now.
It looked hopeless. The strongest being in the galaxy had fallen to a plague born from Mustafar’s own fire. But this story wasn’t over yet.
The Witch’s Command
When Mother Sssl finally revealed herself, she was sure she had won. Wrapped in her ceremonial robes, she stepped into the fortress, declaring herself the protector of Mustafar’s secrets.
“I am Mother Sssl of Clan Rrrt. This is our world — a world with secrets I vowed to protect at all costs.”
She looked at Vader like he was nothing more than her puppet. She told him to kill the advisors and destroy the castle completely. She laughed as she commanded her “champion” — the very being who had once devastated her people.
But then Vader’s voice broke the silence.
“Only flesh and blood can be infected.”
That was the moment she realized what he’d done. The bite had landed on his mechanical arm. He’d never been infected. He’d only pretended to fall under her control to draw her out of hiding.
The Power Of Control
Sssl tried to escape, but Vader moved faster. He reached out with the Force and caught her mid-step, his hand tightening invisibly around her throat. The panels in Return to Vader’s Castle #5 show his glowing red eyes locked on hers as he crushed her resistance.
“Your will is mine.”
Sssl fought to resist him, shouting through the pain, claiming her master was wise and powerful. But the dark side pressed harder. Vader tore into her mind and forced her to obey. His next words sealed her fate.
“Your horde will drag you into the lava.”
Her own undead turned against her, their molten hands reaching for their creator. She screamed and tried to fight them off, but there was no way out. As they pulled her toward the edge, her last words trembled out:
“D-drag me… into… the lava! Into the… the…”
And then she was gone — swallowed by the same fire she once commanded. Her horde followed, their bodies melting back into the lava rivers of Mustafar.
The Quiet After The Fire
When the flames settled, Fortress Vader stood silent once again. The plague ended with Mother Sssl’s death. The dead she controlled turned to ash, their energy burned away in the lava.
From the balcony above, Vader watched the molten fields, saying nothing. He didn’t need to. The danger was gone. The witch’s magic had been broken, and Mustafar was quiet again. He turned to the surviving Imperial advisor and gave a simple order: report everything to the Emperor.
