Chapter 13 – Return

One week had passed on Remnant while Vader was getting his suit repaired and making adjustments to the Empire's method of conquering the planet. Troopers were on the way to assist in his mission. The Dark Lord was unimpressed with the disorder of Salem's ranks. Vader was bringing a small battalion of 100 stormtroopers. The troops had six elite leaders from his 501st legion, or, as they were more commonly known, 'Vader's Fist.' The Dark Lord did not need to worry about the troops he selected. They followed orders without question and had extended knowledge of advanced tactics.

The bacta tank emptied and Vader had his suit put back on him. The damages sustained were gone and the suit was back in full-functioning order. He went to the wall of the room and clicked a button on a panel, which connected him to the Emperor. After waiting for the call to connect, a blue hologram of the Emperor filled the room. "My Master." Vader said, bowing.

"Lord Vader, have your preparations been completed?"

"Yes. We leave for Remnant soon. If I may express concern regarding the mission?"

"You may."

"Salem know a great deal about the Dark Side of the Force. How has she obtained this knowledge?"

"Salem is an ancient being. She has lived on the planet of Remnant for many, many generations. It is not folly to believe that she would come to know the Force after all this time."

Vader went silent, he was pondering his earlier suspicions. He pushed it away, "…She knows of Anakin Skywalker. How does she know?" Palpatine was silent for about five seconds.

"When she requested that I send someone, she wanted to know all about them. 'An act of trust' she said! It does not matter Anakin Skywalker is dead; you killed him along with the Jedi Order." He stated, chuckling at the last sentence.

"Furthermore, I do not believe that the planet of Remnant serves a purpose for planetary warfare. Is there something on the planet that you want?"

"Yes. The warriors of the world would be excellent aids to our fight against the rebellion. These Huntsman and Huntresses can be powerful tools to have on our side. When they submit, the Rebellion will be crushed. Salem tells me you captured the Silver-Eyed girl Ruby Rose."

"I have. Salem is forcing her to work alongside us. However, she remains persistent."

"She will break eventually. I have only heard of a small amount about her power, however, it was enough to subdue the Fall Maiden. She is of great interest to me, however, if she becomes a threat, put her down. That is an order. Be on your way, Lord Vader."

"Yes, my Master."

With that, Vader was off to the hangar where he met with the battalion of stormtroopers who would accompany him. He entered the hangar and met Admiral Elatar at the entrance. "The troops are waiting for you and your personal briefing… Also, the droid is accompanying you." The small droid flew up beside Vader, "Lord Vader, sir! Ready to serve." The Dark Lord hid his annoyance, "Very good, follow me. Elatar, back to your post." The Admiral agreed and left quickly.

Vader approached the group of troopers who all stood at attention. He spoke without stopping or even looking at them, "I will give you the details on the ship. Move." They obliged and entered the ship. The 501st legion rode with Vader, and the others occupied the other transport ships. There were four seats on each side, and a cockpit at the front. An officer filled the seat and waved at them as they entered. Each trooper took a seat and placed their weapons on their laps, backs or the floor of the ship. Before long, they were on course to Remnant. Not one of the occupants had said anything. That is until Vader gave them their briefing, connecting his communicator with the rest of the ships. "We are on course to Remnant. This planet has creatures known as Grimm. They are dangerous and are soulless beings that are under the command of one known as Salem. We are working with her. She works with and demands the loyalty of these people." The droid projected pictures as well as the names of Tyrian Callows, Dr. Arthur Watts, Hazel Rainart, Cinder Fall, Mercury Black, and Emerald Sustrai. "These three" Vader highlighted Cinder, Mercury, and Emerald, "attacked me. If they do so again, they will be executed. I have made that clear. That being said, do not trust them." Vader then showed a picture of Salem, "This is Salem herself. We may be working under her; however, your orders come from myself and myself alone." Vader instructed, "The Grimm are attracted to negative emotions such as anger and sadness. Suppress these emotions and you will not be attacked." He stood looking at them. None said anything. "Your objectives will come from me and you will have a communication link to me at all times even if we are separated. Also, you will have to kill beings known as Huntsman. All of them have Aura and a Semblance. An Aura is the manifestation of one's soul. A Semblance is an ability unique to a Hunstman. If you have any questions, you may voice them on the ride over." With that Vader stood at the cockpit watching the rest of their journey.

They landed on the planet in the same spot as Vader before, each trooper exited first as they landed in an open field and drew their weapons. The normal stormtroopers followed suit, exiting their ships. On the 501st, the captain had two K-16 blasters that hung at his hip if not in use. He also had two thermal detonators at the sides of his belts. He stood out in front and the top of the half-circle formation around the ship's ramp with the second trooper.

The second was a heavy trooper, useful for taking fire and control over points of interest in the battlefield. He was bulkier than the rest, due to his size and the armour he wore, holding a DC-15. The blaster he held had a high fire-rate but low accuracy. He had two impact grenades on his belt and a shield on his arm, only large enough to protect himself.

The third was a scouter and sniper. He had a pair of scouting binoculars and a IQA-11 rifle. The rifle had a low fire rate but made up for it in its accuracy and power. It also sported a dual zoom scope allowing for farther distances to be covered. Useful for taking out unsuspecting enemies. Also held was a long-ranged scan dart, which detected enemies through walls, allowing them to map out a plan of attack.

The fourth was an assault trooper, holding a modified CJ-9 Bo-Rifle. The rifle was modified so that the fire-rate was faster, the cooling power rose quickly with it so more vents were put into the weapon, allowing the rifle to breath easier. The rifle also had a deadly melee weapon in the front, useful for dispatching enemies in the melee distance. She also sported a short-ranged Vanguard shotgun, useful for taking down enemies at a short range. On her belt was a stun grenade that electrified enemies.

The fifth was a demolitions expert. He carried mines, grenades, detonators, timed-explosion charges, and even a controllable droid that could sneak into places and create an explosion useful for breaching a wall. He carried a simple EE-4 blaster, small enough to not get in they way, but also enough to dispatch enemies if they got the drop on him.

The sixth and final trooper was a jet-trooper, able to reach high distances, and fire rockets at the enemy from above. The jet-pack was useful for making quick dodges. She also had an A280, a three-round burst rifle, which was good for maintaining accuracy in the air.

The other troopers had a wide variety of classes, ranging from shock troops, to shadow troops, scout troops. Their weapons were of variety also, from close to long range weapons. Overall, Vader was satisfied with is stormtroopers.

They all exited and aimed their weapons on a man in the centre of the field, who simply whistled and admired the weaponry of the troopers. "Very nice." Tyrian Callows said, "Very nice indeed!" The Stormtroopers still pointed their weapons at the insane man. "Lord Vader, an ally?" the captain asked. Vader walked past them, "Yes. Unfortunately."

Tyrian greeted his ally, "Long time no see!" Vader sighed, "Move." Tyrian turned around and began skipping towards the field. After passing the forest, Vader and the troops stopped at the centre of the field. Stepping through, all of the troopers found themselves in a land that looked cursed. The red sky bathed the ground in the same eerie colour unnerving some of them. Tyrian began sprinting, leaping over rocks and boulders that littered the land. "Race ya!" he said as he flipped over some more rocks. Vader simply began walking towards the palace. The walk was faster than any of the troopers thought as they had reached the doors before they knew it. None said anything. Vader marched up to the doors, very much the same as when he marched on the Jedi Temple to destroy the Order. The march echoed throughout the Castle, notifying all of their presence. The Dark Lord stopped and instructed the 501st heavy troop and Captain to accompany him. Vader turned to the battalion, "I will meet with them, you will stay out here until further instructions. You two come with me." They obliged, "Yes, Lord Vader." Before long, they reached the door.

Vader threw open the door and stepped in with the two stormtroopers. "Lord Vader." Salem greeted, a smile on her face, "I see you've brought friends."

"Merely troops who know how to follow orders" He looked at Cinder and her companions, "without question." He turned back to Salem.

"What is the update on Ruby Rose?"

Salem extended a hand to her left, "See for yourself…" She called out in the same direction, "Come out, my dear."

A red figure stepped out from behind her chair. The figure was hooded, and the now tattered cloak draped over her shoulders and, thus, the rest of her body. Vader could feel the brokenness of her. This is what was left of Ruby Rose. She raised her head, just enough for her Silver eyes to be seen. They were hollow, lifeless. Dead. "Ruby Rose." Vader said, earning a grunt and a shuffle from the shell of the girl. "She does not speak yet. If she does, it's minimal." Salem said, "Watts is going to have to address it when he returns from Mistral."

Vader turned his attention back to the Dark Goddess, "What is it you would have me do?" Salem arose from the table and began walking. "Cinder, Watts, Mercury and Emerald will be going to the home of the Branwen Tribe. There they will establish a plan of action and attack on Haven. Also, the Spring Maiden is being housed by them and we need her to open the Relic inside the Academy." She stopped and looked at Ruby, "Your sister is there now. With your friend the heiress, Weiss Schnee." She twitched at the names, Salem continued, "How does that make you feel?" Rose simply said, "…Angry." Salem stepped towards her, "That's right… They left you. Schnee ran away and your sister was too cowardly to fight. Look at what has become of you now." She stopped in front of her, her face inches of hers, "Would you like to kill them?" Ruby Rose took off her hood revealing a cursed version of her former one. Black veins formed around her eyes and connected to her temples. Her eyes themselves were black except for her irises, which were still Silver. Her hair now had a streak of white down the left side, the black and red engulfing the rest still. She simply nodded at her new Master's question. A sickening grin found its way to Salem's face, "Good." Vader was reminded briefly of his pledge to the Emperor.

Salem turned back to Vader, "You will take her with you." He responded, "Very well. What is this relic?" Salem explained, "Don't worry about the relic, Lord Vader. It is my concern." Vader simply responded, "Good."

The Dark Goddess turned her attention to the trooper at his side, "And you are?" the captain looked at Vader, who simply informed, "A soldier under my command. Their orders come from me. They will be helpful in taking Haven academy, what they lack in abilities such as Semblances and Aura, they make up for in technological and weapons expertise." Mercury scoffed, "So they're just infantry soldiers?" Vader ignored, and Salem nodded, "Very good. They will accompany you to the Branwen tribe?"

"No, they will lead the assault with the White Fang."

"Good."

"I will go with your underlings to Branwen and we will take the academy quickly." Vader finalized.

"Excellent." She turned to Cinder, her expression turning grim, "Be on your way." Cinder got up and bowed. "Go with them, Ruby." The Dark Goddess said to the puppet, who said nothing in response. She walked and stood next to Cinder. Vader turned and left to instruct his troops. Tyrian flipped over the table and balanced on the end. "My Queen, will I be accompanying them?" He said with a grin. "Of course. You're last mission was a success. Run along." He skipped down the hall, presumably to grab his equipment.

Now outside, the Dark Lord stood in front of his troops. "You will all be working alongside an organization called the White Fang." They said nothing. The Dark Lord continued, "I will be inside, facing the Huntsman alongside Salem's forces. For now, you are under the temporary command of this trooper." He gestured to the commander at his side. He turned to him, "You report to me, and only me. While under Taurus' command, I will allow you to use your own discretion and follow his orders if you deem it acceptable. If you find yourself questioning his orders, contact me and verify the command." The soldier saluted and said, "Understood, sir."

All the troops stood at attention and rose one foot, and then slammed it onto the ground, creating a threatening noise of a one-stepped march.

Vader was joined by Salem's pawns and they walked past the troops, who then filed inside the building. The rest of the Huntsman and Huntresses who stood in the Empire's way would be struck down. None would stand in their way.

In response to guest's question: no, Luke is alive and well. This story does not change the Star Wars story at all. Darth Vader thinks of himself as a completely different person from Anakin Skywalker. He legitimately believes himself to be someone who died during Order 66. This might call into question for his feelings for Padme. I like to believe that he still loves Padme (like deep, deep down) but still refuses to see himself as the person before; The Jedi Anakin Skywalker. I can't remember what comic it was in, but Vader was shown an illusion of Padme and he attempts to kill himself in sheer sorrow and shame (I don't think this is canon anymore, but Star Wars Theory provides information in a video on his YouTube channel).

In regard to N's comment: Who knows what the end will hold for our heroes? Maybe the end will not be the end. ;)

For the other comment regarding to Stormtroopers, I like to think that they are a better fighting force than what we see in the movies (haha!) They will serve as a staple in the fight at Haven Academy.

And yes, those classes are from EA's Star Wars Battlefronts 1 and 2! :D