Chapter 15: The Attack On The Palace
The iron main gate of Jabba's palace scraped open harshly, oiled only with sand and time. Standing outside in the dusty gale, staring into the black cavernous entranceway, was Anakin Skywalker.
He was clad in the robe that was over the armor—a cassock, really—but bore neither gun nor lightsaber which was usual for him these days. He stood loosely, without bravado, taking a measure of the place before entering. He was a man now; ever since he had accepted the darkness, he felt as if he has grown more experienced. Wiser, like a man—older more from loss than from years. Loss of illusions, loss of dependency. Loss of friends, to war. Loss of sleep, to stress. Loss of laughter. Loss of his hand. Loss from his title in the Jedi Order
But of all his losses, the greatest was that which came from knowledge, and from the deep recognition that he could never un-know what he knew. So many things he wished he'd never learned. He had aged with the weight of this knowledge.
Knowledge brought benefits, of course. He was less impulsive now. Manhood had given him perspective, a framework in which to fit the events of his life—that is, a lattice of spatial and time coordinates spanning his existence, back earliest memories, ahead to a hundred alternative futures. A lattice of depths, and conundrums, and interstices, through which Anakin could peer at any new event in his life, peer at it with perspective. A lattice of shadows and corners, rolling back to the vanishing point on the horizon of Anakin's mind. And all these shadow boxes that lent such perspective to things…well, this lattice gave his life certain darkness.
Nothing of substance, of course—and in any case, some would have said this shading gave a depth to his personality, where before it had been thin, without dimension—though such a suggestion probably would have come from jaded critics, reflecting a jaded time. Nonetheless, there was certain darkness, now.
There were other advantages to knowledge: rationality, etiquette, choice. Choice, of them all, was a true double-edged sword; but it did have its advantages.
Furthermore, he was skilled in the craft of the Sith now, where before he'd been merely precocious.
He was more aware now.
These were all desirable attributes, to be sure; and Anakin knew as well as anyone that all things alive must grow. Still, it carried a certain sadness, the sum of all this knowledge. A certain sense of regret. But who could afford to be a boy in times such as these?
Resolutely, Anakin strode into the arching hallway, scanning the building.
Hutt Castle, often simply called Jabba the Hutt's Palace after its owner, was a large sandrock and durasteel complex located at the fringes of the Northern Dune Sea on the planet of Tatooine. Originally erected as a monastery of the B'omarr Order, the buildings eventually fell into the hands of two major crimelords: first an outcast and gang leader called Alkhara and later Jabba the Hutt, a notorious crime lord from Nal Hutta.
While the structure underwent many additions in the way of fortification and technological advances, the basic structure of the complex remained the same throughout its existence. Composed of a central rotunda and a taller spire adjacent to it, the ridge-side retreat also boasted an underground hangar and maintenance bay. Deep in the monastery's subterranean chambers, Jabba the Hutt made a throne room that sat on top of a pit that housed pet rancor. The Hutt used the beast for a dual purpose: protection and entertainment. At the flick of a switch, a concealed door in the floor of the chamber could deposit a threatening guest into an inescapable pit while onlookers could watch as the rancor made short work of its meal.
The strict religious Order of the B'omarr monks commissioned the construction of this monastery on the fringes of the Northern Dune Sea on Tatooine. Far from any other settlements so as to amplify the monks' detachment from the universe, the environment of Tatooine allowed the Order's members to concentrate on their studies, furthering their goal of complete disconnection from all external sensation. The monks' lifestyle of solitude meant that the monastery seldom had visitors, trading occasionally with the nomadic Tusken Raiders that roamed the region, some of which may have had a hand in helping build the palace.
Nearly a century and a half after its original construction, the monastery was discovered by the outcast Alkhara and his band of thieves. While prepared to lay siege to the monastery, Alkhara was surprised when the monks opened up the monastery to the army, allowing them to make the complex their home of operations. Because the monks were few in number and otherwise concerned with their own business, Alkhara was free to use the monastery for his own needs, such as a stronghold against the Tuskens, and a staging ground from which his people preyed on the moisture farmers of Tatooine. Alkhara continued to improve his hideout over his thirty-four-year span as its steward, augmenting its corridors and great halls while his followers upgraded the living quarters and added a set of dungeons and underground chambers, with the monks' approval. He cut a road from the citadel to the Western Dune Sea and Pit of Carkoon, during this time, also adding battlements to the building, and the renovation of a nine-story tower to which he gave his name.
It wasn't until 400 to 500 that Jabba discovered the citadel and ousted Alkhara and seized the monastery. Like Alkhara and his predecessors, Jabba maintained a good relationship with the monks, adding onto their monastery and generally avoiding the strange religious people. Along with plating the exterior walls with ditanium, Jabba built an expansive hangar and garage for his fleet of ships and swoops. Erecting a throne room in the subterranean bowels of the citadel, the Hutt transformed the complex into a palace.
As Jabba's criminal empire grew in reputation, more and more miscreants began to occupy the palace. Jabba employed many Gamorrean guards, allowing their families to reside in a wing of the palace in exchange for security. The Hutt occupied the palace for centuries, dividing his time between this retreat, and his home on Nal Hutta.
When the Clone Wars erupted between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems, Jabba began to scheme, plotting ways to profit from the war. Jabba's son, Rotta, was kidnapped by an unknown assailant, causing Jabba to turn to the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic for aid. Hoping that the Republic could win over Jabba's support and his invaluable knowledge of secret trade routes, Chancellor Palpatine dispatched Obi-Wan to negotiate with the Hutt, while Anakin and his new Padawan at the time, Ahsoka, sought out the missing Huttlet.
As the Republic investigated, Dooku approached Jabba and convinced the Hutt that the Jedi were responsible for kidnapping the Huttlet. Dooku made Jabba suspect that the Jedi were using the Huttlet as a way of bartering with the crime lord and eventually toppling his regime, when in fact Dooku was responsible for arranging the kidnapping in the first place. An enraged Jabba was led to believe the Jedi killed his son, despite the fact the Jedi had rescued him, and ordered that the Jedi responsible be put to death. As the Jedi arrived back on Tatooine to return the infant Hutt to its parent, Dooku and his forces engaged Anakin and Ahsoka, however, they were driven off. Having forced Dooku to flee, Anakin turned over the Huttlet to Jabba, who graciously granted the Republic forces safe passage through Hutt Space and the Arkanis sector.
After Darth Maul and Savage Opress allied themselves with Death Watch, they invaded Nal Hutta to force the Hutt Grand Council in joining their Shadow Collective. Some council members escaped to Jabba's palace, and Maul's attacked it. Jabba's forces were easily overcome, and the Hutt decided to join Maul's army.
Almost immediately two Gamorreans stepped up, blocking his path. One spoke in voice that did not invite debate. "No chuba!"
Anakin raised his hand and pointed at the guards. Before either could draw a weapon, they were both clutching their own throats, choking, gasping.
Anakin refuses to lower his hand and walked on. The guards immediately fallen to the ground simultaneously, reaching up desperately to release the hold Anakin Skywalker had placed among them. They couldn't as they yelped one last time before their necks simultaneously snapped.
Around the next corner, Anakin was met by Bib Fortuna. Fortuna began speaking as he approached the young Sith, but Anakin never broke stride, so Bib had to reverse his direction in mid-sentence and hurry along with Skywalker in order to carry on conversation.
"You must be the one who is behind this siege of the city. His Excellency will not see you and you should leave."
"I will speak to Jabba, now," Anakin spoke evenly, never slowing. They passed several more guards at the next crossing, who fell in behind them.
"The great Jabba is asleep," Bib explained. "There shall be no negotiations—"
Anakin stopped suddenly, and stared at Bib. He locked eyes with the major-domo, raised his hand slightly, took a minutely inward turn. "Negotiations are far from what would happen. You will take me to Jabba, now."
Bib paused, tilted his head a fraction. What were his instructions? Oh, yes, now he remembered. "I will take you to Jabba now."
He turned and walked down the twisting corridor that led to the throne chamber. Anakin followed him into the gloom.
"You serve your master well," he whispered in Bib's ear.
"I serve my master well," Bib nodded with conviction.
"You are sure to be rewarded," Anakin added.
Bib smiled smugly. "I am sure to be rewarded."
As Anakin and Bib entered Jabba's court, the level of tumult dropped precipitously as if Anakin's presence had a cooling effect. Everyone felt a change.
All gazes whirled to him once Anakin reached the final step of the staircase. He could feel the confusion set in among the band and bounty hunters, but the disgusting Hutt was asleep. One thing that did dissatisfy him was that they didn't feel fear just yet, but they shall. Sound continued to circumvent him, providing him no other alternative than to rely upon his eyes and the Force to tell him where each victim stood.
"Mighty Jabba, allow me to be the first to introduce-"
It was then everyone in the palace noticed the tall cloaked figure, slim but broad-shouldered, face shadowed by a heavy hood, who stood not far from the doorway.
"Very well. You will be the first." He was the first one to spoke, interrupting the majordomo from speaking to his boss to introduce him.
Fortuna began to gag now as his throat as if in the grip of invisible talons, began to constrict. Seconds later, the horrifying sound of something snapping was heard that echoed throughout the room.
The cloaked figure stepped inside and made a gesture with a black-gloved hand. Blast doors slammed across every exit. The control panel exploded in a shower of sparking wires.
In a swift move, the twenty-two-year-old removed his hood so the last face they saw was their executioner.
Jabba the Hutt recoiled, his hands flapping like panicked birds sewn to his wrists.
He had time to gasp, ("You're—you're- a member of the Jedi Order, Anakin Skywalker! I demand to speak to your Council!") He motioned Greedo forward, ("for this unexpected arrival, we shall lock you in a cell, Skywalker, and await your Council for an explanation and why you killed my Majordomo.")
Anakin was suddenly clipped with handcuffs behind his back and he was brought down.
"Oh," the former Jedi chuckles. "I am not among the Order... not any longer. If you don't get my logic yet, Jabba, I am here to stop you. You will pay for enslaving people, Jabba the Hutt." Anakin declared coldly. "Your people are turning against you."
Jabba appeared dumbstruck at first before actual amusement crossed his face, intensifying his anger. ("Hahaha, I recognize you now, Skywalker, your mother was a slave here, wasn't she?" Anakin's eyes widened. "Yes, I can see the pain and anger in your eyes; the pain I have seen into many. How did it feel for your mother to be thrown around like a slut?") Jabba taunted, laughing as Vader was brought to his knees by the feel of his legs giving out.
Vader allowed tears to leave his eyes as he remembers Gardulla beating his mother with a metal whip, leaving marks all over her body but mainly her back. She wasn't showing any mercy! In fact, his mother was bleeding repeatedly, the cruel Hutt forcing him to watch with tears in his eyes, knowing that it would break him enough to do his will unless he risk another mistake which would lead to punishment by torture of his mother!
Vader had enough! He was going to destroy this miserable creature and give him the most painful death he could ever imagine! He shall suffer and he shall devour his own blood!
He would go after Gardulla and all of the Hutt clans! Each of them would perish!
But first...
The bounty hunters watched in shock as the cuffs broke off before in frozen horror as the corpse of the head of one of Jabba the Hutt's most skilled bounty hunters, Greedo, collapsed like a depowered protocol droid by a sword no less.
"The resemblance of me being Anakin Skywalker," Darth Vader said, "is deceptive."
At first, many of the bounty hunters appeared certain, but surprisingly as they all opened fire, expecting to see a dead corpse, Darth Vader raised a sword and throw it at the bounty hunters, cutting off many of their heads before returning it to him like a lightsaber, spinning in the air, shouting as he had cut down each of the bounty hunters.
His golden eyes flashed as he swings the sword around. Limbs fell onto the ground along with the lifeless bodies.
Grenades were sent at Vader, causing the Sith Lord to seize each of them before throwing them back at their owners, provoking many explosions to form.
Within the headquarters of Jabba the Hutt they were dozens of combat droids who Jabba must have constructed personally. There were armed and armored guards. There were automated defense systems.
The droids fired at Vader and he raised his hand, throwing up tables and stools in front of him before blasting them at the droids, guillotining them.
A young woman raised her gun and fired. Her shots seemed to quicken in pace after each successive step, but none of them found their mark. Anakin moved past the metal grate in the center of the room, up the two simple steps that brought him onto her platform, and face to face with the bounty hunter. She raised her pistol straight to the oncoming juggernaut only to find that the weapon ran dry of bolts. Her purple eyes widened in overwhelming fear as her brain came to the conclusion that her luck ran out. Vader raised his sword and brought it down on her neck, slicing her neck in half.
As Vader was distracted, several bounty hunters attempted to fire on him, but the Sith Lord raised his hand and the blaster fire halted in mid air before it was sent upwards before he begins to hack away at them, sword being the last they have ever seen before they collapsed onto the ground.
What once was full of overconfident in the chambers were now replaced by horror as Vader was decimating every single bounty hunter inside of the room.
Cerulean eyes transitioned into a golden-orange-amber tint as Darth Vader completely immersed himself in the Dark Side of the Force. His head spin around to see the Cerean lead bounty hunter along with the other six bounty hunters, all leveling their weapons for one final volley. Enraged, Vader's palm shot outward then faced up and as a result, the Cerean who was about to shoot him down began to levitate, grasping at the invisible grasp around his throat. With a satisfied smirk, Vader snapped his neck before he fixated his glares at the others, the others who would soon become his victims.
Vader outstretched his hand, and some bounty hunters begin decimating onto the ground, their eyes popping out of their sockets before their heads begin growing enlarged as a grenade ready to pop before he squeezed, and their screams were shut short, evaporating into little dust of sand.
There were screams, and tears, and pleas for mercy. None of them mattered. The Sith had come for vengeance from these pathetic individuals who fooled themselves into believing they were dangerous.
A female Zabrak scrambled like an animal through a litter of severed arms and legs and heads, both metal and flesh, whimpering, fluttering her hand until a bar of lightning flash-burned her own head free of his neck.
"Jabba promised a reward for all of us,'' she gasped. "An h—h—handsome reward. We are innocents just like the slaves! We only wanted paymen—"
"I am your reward," the Sith Lord said, smirking as he grabbed a short dagger from his belt and aimed it at the sniveling Zabrak. "You don't find me handsome?" A cold cackle and then a chuckle. "These are the consequences of your actions."
"Please!" she screeched through her sobbing. "Pleee—" The deceptively short dagger cut into and out from her skull, and her corpse swayed. A negligent flip of the wrist slashed through her column of neck rings. Her brain-impaled head tumbled to the floor.
The only sound, then, was a panicky stutter of footfalls as Gamorreans and the two scampered along a hallway toward a nearby room along with bounty hunters in an attempt to hide and catch him off-guard.
The Sith Lord was in no hurry to pursue. All the exits from Jabba's palace were blast-shielded, and they were sealed, and he had destroyed the controls beyond repair. The only one who could leave the room is him.
The room was, as the expression goes, a dead end.
Darth Vader left nothing living behind when he walked from the main room of the palace beside the Hutt who he plans to deal with later. The fool would not be able to escape him. Even if he does reach his sailor, Vader shall chase him to the edge of the universe just to end his repugnant existence.
Casually, carelessly, he strolled along the hallway, scoring the durasteel wall with the tip of his blade, enjoying the smell of disintegrating metal as he had savored the smoke of charred alien flesh.
The conference room was walled with transparisteel. The dead corpses leaving a smell across the room.
A human bounty hunter tripped over a stool as he stumbled back, aiming his pistol at Vader, and managed to fire once when the Sith Lord simply grasped for his blaster and pulled it to him. He fell to the floor, shaking like a grub in a frying pan, trying to scrabble beneath the table.
How pathetic.
"Stop!" he cried. "Enough! We surrender, do you understand? This is breaking the treaty you yourself have signed with returning his son! You can't just kill us—"
The Sith Lord smiled. "Can't I?"
"We're unarmed! We surrender! Please—please, you're a Jedi!"
"You have assisted in the death of many innocents. Your death was a long time coming." Vader stood above the shivering bounty hunter, smiling down upon him, then fed him half a meter of durasteel. "Congratulations on your success."
The Sith Lord stepped over the bounty hunter's corpse to where another bounty hunter aimed his blaster at Vader and he fired but he dodged, turned at his approach, cringing, arms lifted to shield his faceplate from the flames in the dragon's eyes. "Please, I'll give you anything. Anything you want!"
The blade apparently flashed twice; the young bounty hunter's arms fell to the floor, followed by his head. "Thank you." Darth Vader turned to the other bounty hunter.
It was then Vader noticed he had allowed himself to move too fast as he was knocked over by a butt of an axe, leaving Vader who glared up at the Gamorrean as he raised his weapon over his head, ready to cut Vader's head off. Lightning extended from Vader's hand and crashed into the guard who begins screeching in agony before he was blasted against the wall and crashed onto the ground, heavily scarred. The other Gamorrean dashed forward and send a few strikes, but Vader dodged before punching him in the face before he grabbed the sword with the Force and slammed it into the Gamorrean's brain, plunging it inside his face deeply to the point where the tip and almost half of the sword was sticking out on the other side, him dying immediately and leaving a small part of his brain onto the sword as Vader pushed him away.
Smirking, Vader stared down at the sword which was stained with blood and his brain. To anyone else, it would have been sickening, and if he was still a Jedi, he would have been disgusted by such atrocities he is committing and probably would have vomited. But their leash over him was broken, and he had allowed himself to savor the moment as he begins moving, seeing some of the bounty hunters aiming their guns and rifles at him.
The devaronian bounty hunter gasped as he begins to stagger back as Vader's golden eyes locked onto his, frightened for the first time in his life. He raised twin blasters and fired at him, to the point where only smoke was clouding him.
The other bounty hunters seized this opportunity as well, firing at the smoke in hope that they have gotten their attacker, but when they finally stopped firing, each of them watched with horror as the smoke cleared, and the blaster bolts that should have hit him was seized in the air. Suddenly, each of their guns fallen from their hands and onto the ground, along with their grenades and any other sidearms that they have on them, leaving them mainly defenseless as they helplessly stared at the monster.
Flames burned from his hand, and his hand twitched before the flames expanded from his hand onto the battle hunters directly where the bounty hunters begin screaming in agony, their shouts echoing through the palace as the flames burned them alive and caused them to crash onto the ground, yelling and screaming, some rolling on the floor to attempt to take the fire off of them. Each was charred and toasted, black smoke emanating from their bodies to the point where their bones were sticking out, their bones black and nearly disintegrated.
Two bounty hunters, both Rodians, were on the ground, limping as they were cooked nearly alive by the flames. Vader walked past their bodies. It was of no importance. They would soon be dead anyway.
Reinforcements came from the hanger and begins blasting at him. Vader's eyes flashed golden as he raised his hand, pausing each of the blaster bolts in mid-air before casually throwing them outside of the window, before approaching a woman bounty hunter and raising his sword over his head, cutting off her shoulder off along with his head before he hacks away at the others, them being decapitated and lifeless in under a second.
The mercenaries immediately came inside of the palace and aimed their guns at the Sith Lord. He dashed forward to Jabba and aimed his staff at his throat, knowing that if he pushes forward, he may die but he was all but willing in taking Jabba down with him.
"Surrender and you may get a merciful death," Vader declared calmly. It felt so good. Why did he kept the dark side away from him for so long? It provided him with answers and so much more.
Free from the limitations of the Jedi, Vader felt so powerful, so strong, and free. The restrains held over him was broken.
Jabba spat. "Boscka!"
The floor suddenly dropped away, sending Vader and one of his guards crashing into the pit below. The trap door immediately closed again. The remaining beasts of the court rushed to the floor-grating and looked down.
In the pit below, Vader picked himself up off the floor. He found he was now in a large cavelike dungeon, the walls formed of craggy boulders pocked with lightless crevices. The half-chewed bones of countless animals were strewn over the floor, smelling of decayed flesh and twisted fear.
Twenty-five feet above him, in the ceiling, he saw the iron grating through which Jabba's repugnant courtiers peered.
The guard beside him suddenly began to scream uncontrollably, as a door in the side of the cave slowly rumbled open. With infinite calm, Vader surveyed his surroundings as he removed his long robe down to his armored tunic, to give him more freedom of movement. He backed quickly to the wall and crouched there, watching.
Out of the side, passage emerged the giant Rancor. The size of an elephant, it was somehow reptilian, somehow as unformed as a nightmare. Its huge screeching mouth was asymmetrical in its head, its fangs and claws set all out of proportion. It was clearly a mutant, and wild as all unreason.
The guard picked up the pistol from the dirt where it had fallen and began firing laser bursts at the hideous monster. This only made the beast angrier. It lumbered toward the guard.
The guard kept firing, forgetting Vader, who simply raised his hand and thrown him to the beast carelessly. The guard attempted to fire at the beast, but he couldn't make contact. Ignoring the laser blasts, the beast tightened his hold around the hysterical guard, popped him into its slavering jaws, and swallowed him in a gulp. The remaining audience above cheered, laughed, and threw coins.
The monster then turned and started for Vader. But the Sith Lord leaped eight meters straight up and grabbed onto the overhead grate. The crowd began to boo. Hand over hand, Vader traversed the grating toward the corner of the cave, struggling to maintain his grip as the audience jeered his efforts. One hand slipped on the oily grid, and he dangled precariously over the baying mutant.
Two jawas ran across the top of the grate. They mashed Vader's fingers with their rifle butts; once again, the crowd roared its approval.
The Rancor pawed at Vader from below, but the Sith dangled just out of reach. Suddenly Vader released his hold and dropped directly onto the eye of the howling monster; he then tumbled to the floor.
The Rancor screamed in pain and stumbled, swatting its own face to knock away the agony. It ran in circles a few times, then spotted Vader again and came at him. Vader stooped down to pick up the long bone of an earlier victim. He brandished it before him. The gallery above thought this was hilarious and hooted in delight.
The monster grabbed Vader and brought him up to its salivating mouth. At the last moment, though, the young Sith wedged the bone-deep in the Rancor's mouth and jumped to the floor as the beast began to gag. The Rancor bellowed and flailed about, running headlong into a wall. Several rocks were dislodged, starting an avalanche that nearly buried Vader, as he crouched deep in a crevice near the floor. The crowd clapped in unison.
Vader tried to clear his mind. Fear is the path to the dark side, Yoda used to tell him. It makes the cold colder and the dark darker, but let it rise and it will dissolve. So Vader, deciding that he shouldn't do anything reckless for once, let it rise past the clamor of the beast above him, and examined ways he might turn the sad creature's rantings on itself.
It was not an evil beast, that much was clear. Had it been purely malicious, its wickedness could easily have been turned on itself—for pure evil, Anakin had said, was always self-destructive in the end as he slowly was becoming. But this monster wasn't bad—merely dumb and mistreated. Hungry and in pain, it lashed out at whatever came near. For Anakin to have looked on that as evil would only have been a projection of Vader's own darker aspects—it would have been false, and it certainly wouldn't have helped him out of this situation.
No, he was going to have to keep his mind clear—that was all—and just outwit the savage brute, to put it out of its misery. At least, Darth Vader hasn't consumed him entirely as the Force apparently didn't want him to fall to the dark side.
Most preferable would have been to set it loose in Jabba's court, but that seemed unlikely. He considered, next, giving the creature the means to do itself in—to end its own pain. Unfortunately, the creature was far too angered to comprehend the solace of the void. Vader finally began studying the specific contours of the cave, to try to come up with a specific plan.
The Rancor, meanwhile, had knocked the bone from its mouth and, enraged, was scrabbling through the rubble of fallen rocks, searching for Vader. Vader, though his vision was partially obscured by the pile that still sheltered him, could see now past the monster, to a holding cave beyond—and beyond that, to a utility door. If only he could get to it.
The Rancor knocked away a boulder and spotted Vader recoiling in the crevice. Voraciously, it reached in to pluck the boy out. Vader grabbed a large rock and smashed it down on the creature's finger as hard as he could. As the Rancor jumped, howling in pain once more, Vader ran for the holding cave.
He reached the doorway and ran in. Before him, a heavy barred gate blocked the way. Beyond this gate the Rancor's two keepers sat eating dinner. They looked up as Vader entered, then stood and walked toward the gate.
Vader turned around to see the monster coming angrily after him. He turned back to the gate and tried to open it. The keepers poked at him with their two-pronged spears, jabbed at him through the bars, laughing and chewing their food, as the Rancor drew closer to the young Sith.
Vader backed against the sidewall, as the Rancor reached in the room for him. Suddenly he saw the restraining-door control panel halfway up the opposite wall. The Rancor began to enter the holding room, closing for the kill, when all at once Vader picked up a skull off the floor and hurled it at the panel.
The panel exploded in a shower of sparks, and the giant iron overhead restraining door came crashing down on the Rancor's head, crushing it like an axe smashing through a ripe watermelon.
Those in the audience above gasped as one, then were silent. They were all truly stunned at this bizarre turn of events. They all looked to Jabba, who was apoplectic with rage. Never had he felt such fury. Vader saluted at him in satisfaction and this increased Jabba's anger even further. Harshly he snapped at his guards: "Send all mercenaries down there and neutralize him and bring him to me. He will suffer."
In the pit below, Vader stood calmly as several of Jabba's henchmen ran in, but they couldn't do anything as Vader grabbed a henchman and aimed at his throat warningly. "Yes, take me to Jabba."
Each of the henchmen didn't know what to do. They can't just capture him and this is the best they could do to follow their boss's orders.
Vader drew a knife and stabbed one who tried to neutralize him with a stunner, ignoring the Rancor keeper running in and checking on his pet. The Rancor keeper wept openly and threw himself down on the body of his dead pet. Life would be a lonely proposition for him from that day.
Vader rolled his eyes. If he had stopped the battle, he would have still had his pet, but Vader, giving into the dark side, felt little regret as he ushered to the guard who's he holding at knife-point.
The Guards brought Vader before Jabba, but not in the terms he had wanted. He had the Guard at knifepoint, able to kill him, and since the Rancor is dead, Jabba would have to try another method.
"You forget, Jedi scum," Jabba's protocol droid said from beside Jabba, though he didn't need the translator as he could understand Huttese perfectly. "You are going to die after killing most of Jabba's Bounty Hunters."
Vader suddenly felt the blaster at the back of his head and could hear the Hutt giving him the command.
Slowly, Vader nonchalantly stared at him with his peripheral vision, and the man holding the blaster begins hacking away desperately at his throat. Back then, he would have surrendered, and Ahsoka or Obi-Wan would have to save him, but being a Sith and able to touch the dark side fueled his power and had progressed his strength. Vader's hand twitched, and the man's neck snapped. Seconds later, Vader reached out a hand and each of the guns was lifted from all, him watching before he cut the man's throat and begins hacking away at the men, all of the remaining bounty hunters, and his court, assuring none of them would be able to leave this place alive.
Only 9 bounty hunters when there was almost 100 at one point, all struck down by Vader. Certainly, Kitster and even Ventress have been hesitant in allowing him to come here alone, but Vader did not allow it to slow him down as no one is able to hold him back any longer.
The fear in the other's eyes pleased him deeply. Only now, in the end, did they truly understand what it was like to stare death in the face. Paralysis overcame the bounty hunters who had either never confronted a Force user or one of his power. He was not a normal Jedi, he was someone... someone who is far more dangerous.
Carelessly, Vader threw the sword at the cowering beings, hearing none of their final sounds as they were cleaved in two by different manners; a few by head's decapitation, and others by midsection.
Vader brought it back to his grip before turning to face Jabba the Hutt. He noticed the protocol droid attempting to type in frequencies quickly for Jabba and brought Jabba's protocol droid to him and chop its head off before turning back to the Hutt.
Nothing shall interfere and no one shall attempt to call for reinforcements since Jabba the Hutt shall pay for reminding him of his mother and enslaving all of those innocent people!
Vader and Jabba was the last one who was inside except for the slaves who Vader shall free personally and the Rancor keeper.
"You have crossed me for the last time, Jabba," Vader declares, eyes flashing golden.
Vader outstretched a hand and suddenly Jabba was seized from his throne before thrown to the other side of this barge. The Sith Lord approached and kicked him in the face before unloading punches after punches on the Hutt's face, each time his blow making contact adding more adrenaline to the young man before kicking him in the stomach.
Vader pulled the arm socket off of a dead Gamorrean Guard and smirking as he places the limb at the Hutt's mouth, quickly placing his sword at his throat in warning.
"Swallow," Vader ordered darkly and softly, but the Hutt was struggling with the young man. "Swallow or I would cut your kriffing abdomen up and force it down your kriffing mouth!"
The Hutt still resisted, causing the Sith Lord to kick him in the torso before slicing him in his abdomen, though not far enough to kill him, there was blood coming out, and the once Great Jabba the Hutt begins coughing green slime.
Vader placed it back into his mouth, and now the Hutt had little choice but to swallow as the man shoved it down his throat.
Vader watched with a coldness that the Masters would have banished him for as the Hutt swallowed, attempting to spit out the arm that he had just devoured. The Klatooine paddy frog was one of Jabba's favorite snacks. In his palace, Jabba kept a special aquarium to the left of his dais in which the creatures were kept along with other amphibious delicacies. As with gorgs, the Hutt preferred to keep these creatures alive for consumption.
"U can't killya je!" Jabba cried.
"Oh but I can," Vader replied calmly before grabbing the Hutt with his cybernetic hand and holding him in mid-air, pressing down as tightly as he could without killing him instantly, causing him to squirm. "Time to die, Hutt. A new era of Tatooine shall begin shortly but you would never see that era."
And the next thing that was heard was the Hutt's throat snapping, his head lolling forward and collapsing onto the ground, and Vader stared down at the dead Hutt's head. He grabbed the Hutt's head and placed it into a container, knowing that many people of Tatooine would love to see his head as a gift for many family and friends that were lost thanks to this Hutt.
Vader's golden eyes hadn't changed.
And suddenly, on the throne that Jabba the Hutt had once ruled, Darth Vader breathed heavily. It felt so good. He had managed to fulfill his childhood wish.
One day, he would free all of the slaves across the galaxy. He couldn't believe that all he had needed to use his power to accomplish what he had longed for on this planet.
Suddenly, a Force Presence made itself known from behind him, causing his body movements to go tense as he could sense a Jedi Master entering and staring at him, disgust radiating off of the Force along with pity and some sort of sadness. It didn't matter anymore to Vader as sympathy wasn't necessary from anyone but his wife who had remained loyal to him until the end.
"You shouldn't have come here," Vader declares sharply, his voice cold as ice.
The hooded figure of Master Ferroda approached, grabbing the lightsaber hilt from his belt and activating the green blade, angling it at Vader.
"The Jedi Council wants a word with you. Surrender, Skywalker, and I wouldn't have to subdue you by force." Ferroda proclaimed impassively, grabbing a few cuffs that could likely dull his sensitivity to the Force from his belt and approaching slightly, awaiting for him to listen to his commands.
Vader scowled. "And that is the problem with you Jedi. If you acted sooner and free these slaves, many more lives would have been saved, but as always, you Jedi refuse to act until it concerns you. Such examples are what happened to Naboo and many other planets. You warmongers wonder why the public don't respect you; this is why."
Ferroda winced slightly but remained determined as he assumed a Makashi type of stance not all to different from Count Dooku. "And you have given far into the dark side. The Jedi only wanted to help you, but unfortunately, if you do not willingly accept this, one such as with your magnitude cannot be persuaded. We both know I would be the victor if you do not surrender."
"I don't require help from anyone, most of all from you Jedi. I would give you a chance, out of the kindness of my heart that you Jedi attempt to destroy for 10 years, Master Jedi, leave." Vader stated bluntly, turning to face him, eyes flashing between golden and blue, demonstrating his conflict between the dark side and the light side of the Force.
"I can't do that," Master Ferroda declared sharply. "I have been given orders by the Jedi Council, and naturally, I must obey."
Vader paused for a moment as he glares at the Jedi Master. His chaotic yellow eyes making contact with the Jedi's calm blue ones, their orbs appearing to be in a duel that would never end. There was no way to convince the other to leave and that meant this was either going to be a fight to the death or until Anakin is defeated.
"Then you will die."
Vader grabbed his sword and aimed it at the Jedi Master. He had noticed an Electrostaff that was among Jabba the Hutt's materials on the throne, seized it with the Force and brought it to his grip, and assumed a fighting stance, poised to strike.
Many things can fight without lightsabers against lightsabers; any weapon made from Cortosis Lightsabers and the various lightsaber variants; any weapon made from Phrik, including Electrostaffs; any weapon made from Songsteel; any weapon made from Mandalorian Iron; Force Weapons; and Amphistaffs.
"Don't do this," Ferroda warned.
Placing the weapons down, Vader grabbed his mask and placed it on his face, covering him but his amber eyes were seen through the visor.
Vader grabbed the weapons and got into a fighting stance, standing prepared to fight. Instead of wildly moving as he would have done before and attacked which could potentially leave an opening, all Vader did was wait; the dark side of the Force was fueling his power, and he was calling off of it.
Master Ferroda dashed forward and swipe at his arm with his green lightsaber, but the Sith Lord brought the Electrostaff up and parried the blow before bringing up his sword as well and also interlocking weapons, thankfully not breaking and proving that store was not a pitiful scam.
This was leaving the Jedi Master and the former Jedi Knight in the middle of Jabba's Palace, their blades intertwined, and them glaring deep in each other's eyes.
Although Anakin Skywalker deep within Darth Vader was hesitating in killing Master Ferroda, Darth Vader wants blood.
When he is done, everyone would be his; Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka Tano, and Padmé Amidala would be a part of his family and they would live a thrilling life without the ways of the Jedi to hold either of them back. The four would be able to travel the galaxy together and visit any place they want!
For now, so that dream can become a reality, the threats-the Jedi must be destroyed.
Darth Vader wanted to have his revenge.
Arthur's note: Now, we are reaching the final! The next chapter is going to be as bloody as this! I assure you all of that!
Now that Jabba is dead, did you honestly believe I would just stop it there and have a happy living long after ending? I'm afraid that cannot happen as Vader fighting a Jedi has been a story concept and all of these months have led to this.
May the Force be with you all always.