Visst är han
Förhållandet mellan Sith Master och Sith Apprentice ges tydligare behandling i canon-novellen Lords of the Sith . Enligt Palpatines lärdomar är mästaren bara att krossas när han inte längre är stark; Det här är något som på grund av händelserna i denna bok (som äger rum 14 år före Ett nytt hopp ) aldrig har varit ett problem:
Soon after destroying the Jedi, the Emperor had told Vader that he would one day be tempted to kill him. He'd said that the relationship between Sith apprentice and Master was symbiotic but in a delicate balance. An apprentice owed his Master loyalty. A Master owed his apprentice knowledge and must show only strength. But the obligations were reciprocal and contingent. Should either fail in his obligation, it was the duty of the other to destroy him. The Force required it.
Since before the Clone Wars, Vader's Master had never shown anything but strength, and so Vader intended to show nothing but loyalty.
Lords of the Sith Chapter 2
Det är värt att påpeka att Vader inte åtminstone trodde att han någonsin skulle vilja döda Sidious:
Perhaps Vader would attempt to kill his Master one day. Sith apprentices ordinarily did. They must, if they were trained well. An apprentice was unquestioningly loyal until the moment he wasn't. Both Master and apprentice knew this.
"But our relationship is different, Master," Vader had said then.
Lords of the Sith Chapter 2
Men senare händelser i romanen gör det klart att han känner frestelsen:
"The weak are found out and killed by the strong."
"As it must be," Vader said.
"As it must be, indeed," his Master echoed.
"But sometimes the strong mistake their strength," Vader dared to add. "And so
demonstrate weakness."
"Do they?" his Master commented, and Vader said nothing more.
Lords of the Sith Chapter 13
A thought flashed through Vader's mind, a stray thought, just for a moment: his Master dead, Vader ruling the Empire, the galaxy, unconstrained by the leash of an old man...
[...]
"Lord Vader," his Master responded, and chuckled. "Enjoyable, no? Did you consider allowing me to die to realize your own ambitions?"
Vader didn’t even attempt to lie. "I did, but only for a moment."
Lords of the Sith Chapter 16
Så, trots hans lojalitet mot kejsaren, tänker Vader definitivt som en riktig Sith bör, han är bara lojal så länge som hans mästare är stark - åtminstone tills han avvisar den mörka sidan när han blir disloyal igen.