Considering the list of crimes he had committed in his life, both as his tenure as a Jedi and then later as a Sith Lord, the man formerly known as Anakin Skywalker was hardly surprised that his death hadn't resulted in an escape from his pain.
For a brief moment after his death, his appearance resembled what it could have been if his body had been fully organic, but after fading from the view of his son, the Force had seen fit to punish him by transforming his spirit into the symbol of oppression that had bestrode the galaxy for over 2 decades.
And like his existence under the man he had been forced to call master, his current appearance was designed to not only instill terror in those who looked upon him, but also punish his body for his greatest failures.
Mechanical limbs that sent stabbing sensations into his ruined flesh every time he moved them, with his arms giving him the sensation that they would tear themselves out if they remained at rest.
The sensation that he would be crushed under his own weight if he took even the smallest step forward.
And the most memorable of all, the burning sensation that came with every breath of air that was artificially pushed and pulled into his charred lungs.
For the man who was complicit in the untold suffering of billions, spending eternity trapped in the Force's representation of his mobile prison was an adequate punishment.
However, while he was resigned to his fate, for despite his actions in saving his son he still had much to atone for, the man whose actions had influenced the entire galaxy, was mildly curious at the fact that his connection to the Force, rather than being severed or even expanded to increase his suffering, was exactly the same as it had been before his duel with his son.
Thanks to mutilation he had experienced at the hands of Kenobi, the former Jedi had been forced to compensate for his loss of nearly half his force potential by increasing his ability to control what was left to him. Of course it had been insufficient to free himself from Sidious's control, for he sensed that he had perhaps 80% of the Sith master's power, but it had nevertheless cemented his position as the most powerful apprentice the Emperor had ever commanded.
And as he sought to get a better understand of why in death he still possessed the abilities that had defined his career as both a Jedi and Sith, the armored man was hit with sensation that he had become most intimate with during the past 24 years.
Mounting terror.
Reaching out with his senses, he was able to pinpoint the disturbance with nearly surgical clarity. For while Luke might have caused him to experience the same selfless behavior that had defined his tenure as a Jedi, he was still more comfortable following the currents of the Dark Side of the Force.
And while this planet was teeming with individuals whose alignment was firmly entrenched within the light, there were also countless denizens, not unlike those that existed in front of him, whose actions served to strengthen the darker impulses of the universe spanning energy field.
Hate.
Anger.
These were emotions that could be easily felt by him, especially since they seemed to be generated by 30 sentient beings whose singlemindedness was admirable, if more than slightly feral in nature.
But these emotions were easily dwarfed by the one that appeared to be coming from those whose signature in the Force had previously been in the light.
Fear.
Curious as to what could inspire such a feeling, and receiving a gentle nudge from the Force to investigate, the black armored being picked himself off the ground and walked towards the disturbance.
It was only thanks to another subtle move from the source of his power that he turned his helmeted visage back to where he had fallen and noticed something that once again caused his former mentor's chiding tone to enter his head.
Scowling as he was forced to admit that Kenobi had at least had one valuable teaching, the Force user raised his arm to catch the currently deactivated weapon in his hand.
For he suspected that he would soon have need of it.
…
Cackling evilly as his equally malicious minions threw their latest captives at his feet, the goblin chieftain took his time to analyse his 'gifts' before making the decision that all leaders of his kind had to make.
Which captive would have the honor of being the first to receive his seed? And which ones would be used for the amusement of his men?
It mattered little in the grand scheme of things since all runts were treated the same, even those that were fathered by Goblin Lords and other high ranking members of their kind, but that wasn't the point.
It was his duty to increase their numbers with human women, and it was his privilege to be the first one to break the spirit of their captives with his desire for pleasure.
Of course he had every intention of 'sampling' the other 2 once his flesh had recovered enough to take what his spirit wanted, but since his position was secured by making it plain that HE was to get first pick, there was considerable pressure to ensure that his choice was worthy of his position.
'Lets see. The one on the right has most of her meat in the lower half, with almost none up top. Good if I wanted to take her from the rear, but I feel in the mood to grab a females tits while I'm inside her. The one in the middle, not too bad. Nice toned legs, decent sized chest, but that glare of hers means that it might be tougher to break her in. The one of the left….hmm…bit on the unripe side, but then, the young ones are always fun to watch when they scream in in pain'.
.
Gesturing with a dirty claw to have the youngest member of the trio brought forward, and idly noting that his boys were already howling in pleasure as they proceeded to position their leader's rejections in a manner that would be as pleasurable for them as it would be painful for the women, the middle aged goblin untied his loin cloth and advanced on the girl who smelt as if her body had only just recently become ripe for mother hood.
However, before he do more than spread her legs, for unlike his minions he enjoyed it when his toys had illusion of preventing what was going to happen, the breeding chamber was filled with the terror filled cries of one of his scouts.
Snarling at having his fun delayed, though he noticed with some satisfaction that the others had waited for him to take the first plunge before enjoying their own breeding partners, the goblin leader was about to yell at the babbling scout, whose position had ensured that he and others like him would never get first, or even 4th choice of the women they captured, when the unfortunate goblin went flying back into the darkened tunnel that connected his throne room to the twisting pathways of his kingdom.
And as he began to shout orders at his minions to deal with this magic using intruder, his voice was drowned out by the booming echoes of what could only loosely be described as breathing.
'KHOOOOH PUUUHRR'
…..
Though it had been some time since he had felt any emotion that reminded him of his former self, his fatherly instincts towards the last remaining link to his wife notwithstanding, the armored behemoth found it particularly amusing to cut down these stunted mutants in a fashion that was almost similar to how he and his former apprentice had dealt with the droid forces of the Separatists.
But unlike the battle droids of the CIS, these creatures were capable of feeling emotions as they found their efforts to overwhelm him end in failure.
If they had chosen to face him in the open, they might have stood a better chance, for he would have been forced to divide his attention towards his complete surroundings instead of just in front of him. But since they appeared to dislike fighting with the planet's sun shining over them, they had opted for fighting them in terrain that would have given them the home advantage.
However, with their primitive weapons and crude sense of tactics, they were no match for him.
Even without his lightsaber.
First he had dealt with the 2 creatures that had been standing guard outside their cave.
Due to the weakness of their mind, he could simply have used a mind trick in order to get them to leave and never look. But after delving into their thoughts, which was a simple chore for him to do since they possessed a simple mindedness that could put even his wife's Gungan ally to shame, he had quickly concluded that they deserved a much more permanent fate.
In his tenure as the Emperor's right hand, he had executed countless beings for crimes that were far less deserving that what these animals had committed. And it was precisely for that reason that he derived great satisfaction as he chocked the life out of the green skinned monsters.
For while he had no issues in using the force to weed out the virus of incompetence and treason within the ranks of his forces, the lingering elements of his Jedi training ensured that the act of killing those who behaved like animals served to fill him with a sense of righteousness.
A trait that was both encouraged, and mocked by his Sith Master.
After he had dispatched the 2 guards, the armored force user had proceeded to venture deeper into the cave, using his helmet and his senses to lead him deeper into the darkened passageways of this underground nest.
Unfortunately, his reliance on his suit's respiratory system had ensured that his descent was far from stealthy.
But that didn't halt his progress into the depths.
Every time he came across these creatures, who either charged at him from some cleverly concealed chamber, though from his senses there was no hope of hiding, or attempted to literally stab him in the back, his strength in the Force allowed him to brutally, yet efficiently deal with these abominations in a lethal fashion.
Force chokes.
Waving his hand to send their child sized bodies flying into the wall or ceiling.
And one particular incident where he had levitated 2 still living creatures to act as a shield before sending them crashing into their compatriots with a well-aimed force blast.
Unfortunately, while that last attack had managed to bring his kill count to around 24, one of the creatures, in a rare display of intelligence, had chosen to do the one thing that would delay its well deserved fate.
Running away.
However, since it had fled in the direction from where he could feel the justified fear of those he now suspected to be their captives, the former Jedi followed the creature with the same sense of purpose one would expect from a predator that had cornered its prey.
And since it had fled into an area that appeared to have more space for maneuverability, it was time to indulge in perhaps one of the few activities that could make his shell of a life have some semblance of pleasure.
…
As soon as he heard the echoing sounds of metallic breathing, for there could be no other way to describe what he was hearing, the Goblin leader's began to scream for his minions to attack this soon to be intruder.
But as the blackness of the cave was banished by the sudden ignition of fire that was blood red, the sense of encroaching doom grew stronger and stronger.
A sensation that grew worse as his steadily fearful eyes took in the appearance of the intruder.
As a member of a race whose height rarely exceeded that of a human child, at least when they weren't evolving into the hard to obtain/more evolved forms of their kind, the goblin leader was hardly surprised to find himself dwarfed by this new enemy, even if he was taller than most humans he had encountered.
He was covered in black colored armor that would have allowed him to blend with the nest's perpetual darkness if it wasn't for the blinking lights that covered the torso. Not that wouldn't have done anything since black armor or not his breathing, as well as a goblin's night vision would have robbed him of this advantage anyway.
But the personal appearance of this intruder, whose presence managed to scare even their latest breeders, was not enough to make the goblin leader and his minions believe that they were outmatched.
No, their growing sense of fear stemmed from the glowing blade that extended from his hand.
Usually, a sword of that length would be all but useless in the tight confines of a goblin nest. But a magical blade, for there was no other way to describe the blood red beam of light, was something that gave even the most inexperienced of humans an advantage that few goblins could hope to match.
And from the way his goons were butchered, it was clear that this human, if he could even be called that, was no inexperienced adventurer.
…..
Feeling an urge of satisfaction as he decapitated one of the few remaining creatures with a casual one handed swing of his lightsaber, an act that managed to inspire feelings of both relief and terror in those who had been on the verge of suffering one of the few fates that was worse than death, the former Chosen One turned his attention towards the remaining beasts whose perverse savagery matched those of the ones who had killed his mother.
And like the Tusken Raiders, these child sized mutants met their end on the tip of his light saber.
All but one of them.
Accurately suspecting that this last remaining animal was the leader of the soon to be extinct tribe, the prodigal Force user lifted his hand to keep the struggling creature in place as he turned his attention towards the fearful trio.
"Are you alright"?
Unsurprised to see them flinch at the sound of his voice, and filled with the previous discarded emotion of caring for those who were truly innocent, the former enforcer did his best to adopt a more soothing tone as he sought to reassure the clearly traumatized women that he was not a threat to them.
"I mean you no harm. I…am here to help".
Though his words cause the more youthful members of the trio to shrink in fear, the oldest among them managed to respond to his statement in a way that was both achingly familiar, and yet entirely opposite to the words he had spoken all those years ago.
"Ar…Are you a demon"?
Shocked though he was to have a replay, twisted though it might have been, of his first meeting with his wife, and pushing down his ever present feelings of self disgust since his past actions could be described as evil, the black armored warrior shook his head.
"No. No I am not. That distinction I believe belongs to this pitiful creature".
Turning his helmet so his struggling captive could look directly into the lens of his mask, the Force user felt his ever present anger growing as the young woman provided the information that he was lacking.
"Their not demons, their goblins. Most people view their kind as only a nuisance, a pest that can be taken out by even the most inexperienced of adventurers. But to those who live in small villages, where army patrols are few to non existent, they are the scourge of the earth. They steal and butcher anything that takes their fancy. And the girls…they…they….they use them to increase their num..".
CRACK
Though it was far less satisfying a death than his preferred method of execution, the former symbol of imperial might was far from sorry as telekinetic hold on the goblin's body went from keeping him in place to breaking every bone in his body.
Taking a moment to reign control over his more volatile emotions, for it would be unpleasant if he lashed out at the already terrified trio, the former Jedi fell back into the mindset of a military commander as he proceeded to bark instructions at the more composed member of the 3 women.
"Find something to cover yourselves. We are leaving this hovel".
Watching dispassionately as they hastened to obey his command, and using his senses to ensure that there were no more of these…goblins to deal with, the man whose life was divided between serving the light and dark side of the Force came to a decision that had been weighing on his mind since he had 'awoken'.
Though the actions he had taken this day had been in service of a goal that the Jedi would approve of, saving innocent lives from a gruesome fate, the manner in which he accomplished this served to remind him that despite his son's insistence, the Dark Side of the Force was still with him.
For he had revelled in the fear of the goblins as he struck them down. And his anger and rage had been fully stoked at the knowledge that this world treated these loathsome creatures with the same sort of dismissive behavior that the urban dwellers of Tatooine possessed towards the bands of monsters that had taken the life of his mother.
"Ex…excuse me sir. But what do we call you"?
Turning his head so that his red tinted vision could catch the nervous expression of the more vocal members of his rescued captives, it was only with the briefest amounts of hesitation that he answered the question that he himself had been debating over.
"Vader. You may call me Vader".
…
Annnnnnnd I think that's enough for now XD.
Once again pleasantly surprised by my writing speed when the creative mood takes me XD.
Believed that I managed to portray Vader rather well. From the limitations/experience with his suit, to his personality. Just because Vader decided to sacrifice himself for his son, though only after Luke had been subjected to around a minute of force lightning, doesn't mean that his personality has undergone a great shift. Willing to sacrifice himself for his family…yes. Willing to change his conduct on the battlefield….extremely doubtful.
This is the angle I'm going for at least.
Anyway, to clarify some things that have been asked of me.
YES Vader will be in his suit for this story, although I have some ideas to improve his health later on.
Now to questions
Austin:
When does Vader appear in the world of goblin slayer will he be immune to the god's meddling due to the force technically being his god in a way.
The Goblin Slayer timeline will be before GS joins up with High Elf Girl, Lizard Priest, and Dwarf Shaman, but after he joins up with Priestess. Vader of course coming from just after his spirit viewed the Ewok celebration. Unsure of how the gods, or the Force, will meddle though. To be worked out lol.
Will Vader get attacked by the members of the church if they think he is a demon due to said armor, same for the adventurers whether first timers, or the arrogant ones thinking he is demon again due to his dark looking armor?
Won't say too much since it would spoil my vision, but I can say this, the initial reaction will be similar to how Ventress was first treated when she got into Bounty Hunting.
Another question if he does appear when goblin slayer was a kid...will he take said boy as an apprentice?
Because I would love to see lightsaber wielding goblin slayer who knows the force. Plus I can see goblin slayer seeing Vader as a father figure while learning under said Sith lord.
So far, I have no real intent to give Vader an apprentice. That being said, I recognized early on that the potential for a mentor relationship is possible, with Vader noting similarities between himself and GS, and offering advice on how to avoid the mistakes he has made.
Another question will Vader use both the light and the dark sides of the force as he is both anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader?
He's more Vader than Skywalker. BUT, I picture him being influenced by his former persona to the point where he is somewhat less…Vadery. I.e. Vader with a conscience.
Another is are you gonna follow the rule in goblin slayer where all the characters' names in said anime are literally just goblin slayer, guild girl, priestess, spearman, etc, etc. Or will they have names that fits their personality and will it publicly or will it be very private for only those that are family or spouse's ears only as in public it's just their titles that is being called?
Following the series structure as far as names are concerned. HOWEVER, will be using that whole intimate relationship trope where true names are known between people who have a deep relationship/connection, but wont use it unless for emotional moments.
Anyways, hope you all enjoyed this chapter.
PLZ review to tell me what you think. No flames of course.
And til next time.