Forgetting what matters chapter 26
Back on Naboo where Vader and Wraeththu's speeder had crashed some time ago and now the work crew who had been charged with cleaning up the area stood three people searching through the rubble. They had been at the site for days now searching endless for proof that the Dark Lord wasn't dead. For what ever reason these three beings even though never meeting the Dark Lord had pledged themselves to him. Each one of them had their own reason for doing so and thus came together under the name of "Acolytes of the Beyond." Kizra a female patoran, Oblivion a human male and the third who was wrapped in so many layers of clothing that neither Kizra nor Obilvion could make out his species. There were more of course, more than just the three of them but what set them apart from the others is that they believed the Dark Lord of the Sith to be alive.
"We've been over every inch of this place and we haven't found it, what makes you think it's here maybe it was destroyed?" Kizra asked as she stopped to rest her legs and catch her breath. "Because Kizra it has to be, I know it is here somewhere" Oblivion snapped back as he moved another large stone out of the way. "It could be anywhere maybe it fell out of the shuttle he was using" Kizra replied. Oblivion threw a rock he had picked up to the ground and turned toward the patoran woman "If your so sure it landed somewhere else then go look outside" he snapped. Kizra looked at him and shrugged before turning and walked out of the building outside. It's not that she didn't want to find the Dark Lord's weapon, she did she just didn't think it could have survived all the rubble that had fallen in the building and on top of that she was tired. They had been here for almost three days searching the building and came up with nothing but bent metal and a couple parts from a speeder.
She had never seen the Dark Lord before known as Darth Vader and probably wouldn't realize it was him if he stood in front of her. She shook her head and began to look around and it didn't take her long to notice more debris not far from the building so she began to head in that direction. When she reached it she realized what she was looking at was not debris from the building but the remains of a destroyed ship. It didn't look like a transport ship of any kind that she recognized but instead it looked more like some kind of fighter ship. A speeder wouldn't have any sort of lasers cannons on it so it made her wonder why it was here, why it was destroyed and who had it belonged to. She had to use the force to pry the remains of the ramp down before she could get inside and once she did she carefully made her way into the remains of the fighter.
The entire inside looked to the burnt and blown outward as if some something kind of explosive had been detonated inside of it, clearly it wasn't a large enough one for whoever was trying to destroy it. She made her way over to the cockpit of the shuttle but stopped when she saw a armored body laying there. She covered her nose to ward off the smell of burnt flesh before making her way toward the body. She kneeled down and started to look around "Looks like some sort of bounty hunter" she said thinking aloud. She started to move the body to get further into the cockpit but stopped with something fell from behind the body hitting the metal floor below making a bang. She paused only for a moment before reaching behind the body for whatever had fallen to the ground.
When her hand grasped around the object and she managed to pull it out her eyes widened as she stared down at what Oblivion had been so certain to find in the building. "Vader's lightsaber…" she said as her other hand brushed off some of the dust and dirt on it. The outer shell was damaged exposing some of the components inside but if Vader was as powerful as she believed and his lightsaber survived then it only strengthened her belief that Vader himself had survived.
Back on Tattooine Vader and Wraeththu landed there ship not far from Jabb's palace and were already making there way to the Hutt's home. Vader looked over at Wraeththu as the neared the palace's giant door "I thought after we had returned Jabb's son here all those years ago I'd never have to see his face again, much less set foot on this planet again" he said more so to himself. Reaching out with the force both Vader and Wraeththu began to lift the massive door open and then letting it slam shut behind them as they walked in. It wouldn't take them to long to find the Hutt because all they had to do was follow the foul smell and the sound of music.
Jabba the hutt was busy watching a twi'lek dance for his enjoyment and gorging himself on a klatooine paddy frog. It had been a rather productive day for the Hutt, he had enjoyed watching feeding time for his pet rancor, secured three hefty payments for a delivery of spices but was still waiting for Han Solo to reimburse him for the shipment of spices he had lost. Aside from that it had been a very good day that wasn't until he heard the clatter of something falling down the staircase. He heard the squealing of one of his guards who was attempting to crawl his way into the throne room before he was pulled back out of the door way and the squealing died out. The music stopped and everyone turned toward the staircase as two figures dressed in black walked in.
Jabba let out an angry roar and began speaking in huttese "The mighty Jabba demands to know why you killed one of his guards" the protocol droid next to him translated. Vader still wearing his mask "I am looking for a employ of yours by the name of Han Solo" Vader replied. Again Jabba spoke and the droid translated "The mighty Jabba wants to know why he should tell you" the droid said again. "Because he has had two things that are invaluable to myself and my partner" Vader replied. Jabba pondered this for a moment before speaking again "There is a price for that sort of information as giving you this information could put his employee at risk" the droid translated.
Vader crossed his arms "What's your price?" he asked "Ten thousand credits" the droid replied. "Tell me where Solo is!" Wraeththu snapped angrily not in the mood to deal with negations. Her hand moved toward her lightsaber but Vader reached out and gently grabbed her hand then looked back up at Jabba. "We don't have time for this" Wraeththu growled trying to reach for her lightsaber again but Vader tightened his hand on her arm. Wraeththu wrenched her arm free and pulled one of her lightsaber activating the crimson blade "Poodo Jedi!" Jabba yelled. Blasters were pulled from the guards and bounty hunters and trained them on both of them.
"Tell me where that bastered is tell me where he has taken my children!" Wraeththu yelled. Vader grabbed a hold of her arm and this time yanked her back "Calm down" he said "We will find them" he added softer before reaching for her other hand that held the lightsaber and turned it off. He stared at her through his mask and waited until she stepped back next to him placing her saber back on her belt and crossed her arms.
Vader tuned back to Jabba who now had a looking of curiosity on his face "We are no Jedi I can assure you of that and as it stands right now Han Solo has my daughters" Vader said. Jabba spoke and the droid continued to translated "Jabba wants to know why he should help you if you have nothing to offer in return" the droid said. "Because a long time ago you yourself lost a son Jabba who went missing and it took a warrior to get him back to you and it's time you return the favor" Vader said then let the statement hang in the air for a while.
"The warrior which you speak was known as the Anakin Skywalker a member of the Jedi order who fell during the purge of the Jedi" the droid translated once again. Vader nodded his head slowly, he was surprised that Jabba knew this as most if not all hutts only cared about their own endeavors. "Yes Anakin Skywalker the famed Jedi knight of the Jedi Order is dead" he said reaching up for the latch on his helmet. Don't he heard Wraeththu through their bond but he sent her a wave of reassurance through the force and pulled the helmet off.
"Anakin Skywalker Jedi knight is dead, I am Darth Vader dark lord of the Sith and Emperor of the Empire" he said as he pulled the mask off and sat it on the floor. There were gasp of shock through out Jabb's throne room and even the giant hutt looked surprised. "My son is the one who tried to kill me and my wife to take the throne and he is the one who has imposed the heavy taxes on the galaxy. Both of my daughters are being hunted by the Empire as we speak and they are in danger if we don't get to them soon. I once helped you long ago Jabba not just because I had to but because it was the right thing to do now Jabba I am asking you too help me" Vader said.
The hutt looked hesitant at first so Vader took a step forward "Help me Jabba and I assure you my son will pay for all the hardship he has caused you. Give me a way to find Han Solo and I will remove the taxes my son has put into place and I will allow your ships to travel the galaxy in peace without the fear of harassment from the imperial navy" Vader said.
The hutt sat there for a moment thinking about the offer before waving his hand and began speaking to the droid next to him. A wide smile spread across Vader's face as the droid walked over to him handing him some sort of tracker. "This will give you the location of captain Solo's ship" the droid explained. Vader nodded and took the device and looked back up at the hutt "Thank you" he said calling his helmet back to him with the force before turning and walked toward the stairs. He turned back before he reached the stairs "Jabba if you even think about tell my son of my whereabouts I will not hesitate whip you from the galaxy" he said before walking up the stairs leaving the palace.