When Darth Vader uses his ability against a ship with sheilds up, do you apply the damage ( the critical )to sheilds first? Does the same apply to the two damage that you need to apply to your own ship? Use sheilds first?

I am looking for something specific in the rules/faq about that card and can't find anything. Can you point me to a reference?

Thanks in advance.

Damage is always applied to any shields first unless an effect says to deal a damage card.

More precisely, if an effect says it "deals a damage card" then it is not inflicting damage in the game sense. "Damage" always hits shields first and then any left is converted into damage cards, but "damage" and "damage cards" are not the same thing.

Except for proton bombs

Except for proton bombs

No, not except for proton bombs. Proton bombs do not cause damage, they deal a damage card. Although we tend to think of those things as the same thing, they are actually completely different things in the rules.