Chapter 4
"You are not allow access to this planet," a Trandoshan Guard hisses, blaster clutch in his hand, along with his comrades' hands, obviously meant to be a means of intimidation.
The least the unsuspecting fools suspect is the Trandoshan's head immediately decapitating from his shoulders and sent across the ground by a crimson lightsaber, headless body collapsing along with his blaster onto the ground.
The other guards raise their weapons, but their bolts are simultaneously blocked by the crimson lightsaber until the wielder of the lightsaber reaches out with the Force and throws the human guard off, his screams echoing through the streets of Nar Shaddaa before falling silent.
The blaster shots fly at the armed being, each of the blaster shots being intercept with little complications until a calm swipe cleanse them of their weapons, and the guards who survive their blaster fire is immediately cut down by the skill of a lightsaber, limbs decapitating consisting of their shoulders, legs, and heads sprawl across the ground.
The last Evocii guard sneers and throws a bomb but it is lift off the ground as is the Evocii and the bomb is planted in his mouth before the wielder of the bloodshed is thrown away, the bomb going off within the fool's body, pieces of limbs falling around.
The figures make a sound that noticeably appears to be a rueful snort before deactivating the weapon and planting it on their belt.
Nar Shaddaa is tidally-locked to Nal Hutta, which results in the fact that only one side of the moon always faced the parent planet, while the other side is faced towards the empty space.
Ancient refueling spires and loading docks reach out from the native soil and some built in the upper atmosphere. In between these ports, massive vertical cities grows. The urban areas on Nar Shaddaa were known as vertical cities since new layers of housing and entertainment buildings were built on top of older layers, like Coruscant and Taris.
While much of Coruscant is filled with gleaming apartments and well-maintained skywalks, the entire moon that was Nar Shaddaa is dominated by decaying urban landscapes and congested, polluted cities. The moon was protected by planetary shields. Anything illegal elsewhere can be bought and sold on Nar Shaddaa, and many young smugglers, pirates, and criminals started their careers on the Smugglers' Moon. Various sections of Nar Shaddaa are controlled by the Hutts and other criminal organizations.
Despite the criminal activities on the Smugglers' Moon, it is known that many of the galaxy's most advanced technologies are actually developed on Nar Shaddaa. Corporations that want to avoid regulations that prohibits testing often developes such dangerous and even valuable technology within the lower levels of the city of the moon.
After months of avoiding patrols, acquiring ships from lowlives, and the very rich which required a few aggressive negotiations Vader finally is taken off of the Emperor's radar.
He has been hiding away from planets that the Emperor would never expect for him to be on, avoiding communication with a lot of people out of fear that people loyal to the Empire or aware of the stormtroopers would discover him and turn in such information.
Part of him have been tempted to remove the suit for months, but he decided not to; each night of suffering, pain, agony, and hiding away from those who are hunting him, he feels deserving of all of the pain in his life. Notably, there is a brown cloak around his suit and a hood covering his helmet in order to conceal himself from those who would only view him as an armed bounty hunter.
On Nal Hutta, he has been thinking for months about how he can overthrow the Empire. At first, he was conflicted and angry, incredibly so, burying himself in deep isolation, hating the galaxy, hating the Empire, hating what-no who he has become.
Then, one day, the machine who had once been a man stop being angry. He was just heartbroken and ashamed, thoughts of Amidala, Kenobi, and Tano hunting him ruthlessly, burning his soul as much as he was burned when he lost and his legs were guillotined by Kenobi on Mustafar.
The voices of the past frequently and continuously echo in his head. He misses the fullness, the acts of his innocence, harboring gratitudes such as friendships and family which he had forgotten feel like, given it has been two years since the beginning of the Empire and the fall of the Republic. It appears the Force is punishing him.
Rumors of a Rebellion is heard deep in the outer rim but Vader needs to discover this first in order for him to gain assistance in order for him to overthrow his former Master not to rule the galaxy but to crave pure vengeance against the Empire as there are countless fleets and apprentices and acolytes who Vader would begrudgingly admit be able to overwhelm him so he would need allies or to wipe them out from the shadows to the point where Sidious is valuable.
After the death of his former Master, he would just disappear, leaving the galaxy opening for the taking. The remaining Jedi who are dugged deep in their metal hill may come out of hiding and return to Coruscant to seize control.
Decapitating the head of the Emperor and watching his dying eyes would be quite a satisfying moment. What happens in the aftermath is of no concern to him.
He is aware that out of all the places, the Empire wouldn't track him down here. The planet rarely listens to reports of the Empire, and in some sort of twisted way, it is probable that this planet is up to the safest planet in the galaxy if one wishes to hide from the Empire.
Hutt Space is an allied region to the Empire. The Hutts give the Empire slaves and information about Rebel cells, in exchange for the Empire letting them do their thing. Some people in Hutt Space even pay taxes to the Empire.
And if the Empire did invade Hutt Space, all of the Hutts' resources and credits would go directly to the Rebellion. Imperial ships would be harassed anywhere in the Outer Rim, whereas the Alliance would have free passage. The entire Outer Rim would become Rebel Alliance territory.
The Hutts had a massive influence. Many had private fleets and armies. They controlled hundreds of thousands of worlds. If the Empire invaded Hutt Space, all of these assets would be turned against the Empire.
Unlike the other systems that were glassed by the Empire which harbors secret Rebels supporters though failing at each attempt, this system isn't to be discovered.
And what gain would the Empire be at their deaths? What gain would the Empire receive? More territory? They would likely lose territory the secrets of Rebels that would blossom following the invasion of Hutt Space. More tax revenue? Rebellious worlds in Hutt Space wouldn't pay taxes. All invading Hutt Space would do is give the Empire a powerful enemy.
So he marches on the street, no one batting him a second eyelash nor no one apparently recognizing him and frantically rushing off to reporting him to the Hutts in which they will report him to the Empire. His ship is out of fuel so it is thanks to the Force he managed to arrive here without dunking into space - or that would have been a good thing had he crashed and died instead of surviving.
Death is something deserved for someone like him who turned against everything he had sworn himself in, slaughtered innocent children, and choked his own wife. It is too late for him.
Vader's leather hand clenches slightly by his side before it is replaced by a deep loathing hole. What purpose does he have in the galaxy? Besides being a dead machine walking through the streets for perhaps for the rest of his days.
As he strides through the streets, regarding the lowlives with a look of disgust behind his mask, lowering and reducing his breathing that normally lured many others during his time as the Supreme Commander in order to not attract attention on himself.
The last thing he needs is for a bounty hunter who is well-aware of his identity to recognize him as the Emperor's Supreme Commander.
Unsurprisingly, Nar Shadaa is the same as it had always been, as it have been when Skywalker been here at one point. Mainly because it is never taken by the Empire.
Nar Shadaa is in "Hutt Space" Like Nal Hutta and a few other worlds. The Empire, or to be more specific Emperor Palpatine, is not willing to challenge the Hutts. One because the Hutts have a sizable fleet of their own, and second because Palpatine knows that having the Hutts on his side is better than owning a few more worlds.
Palpatine, having learned his lessons from Darth Plagueis, know that the criminal organisations are better to have on your side. Better to allow criminals to operate at a very small loss to the Empire's revenue than try and remove them completely from the Empire when they could be so useful. And the Hutts being one of the most powerful criminal organisations in the galaxy, only second to Black Sun who is also in the Empire's pocket, is a smart move. Obviously, there is an outward appearance of attempts to stop criminality. But if a criminal organisation can not afford to have an operation spoiled by Imperial operatives they would pay the right people. Palpatine was perfectly fine with this. Even an imbecile will be surprised if he had not requested or even co-funded some criminal operations with criminal organisations himself.
Some Hutt worlds had Imperial governors, but they are simply there as a contact for the Hutts. They hold very little if any power. And naturally, being in that environment, most governors on Hutt's own worlds are corrupt and get paid quite a few credits from the Hutts to look the other way on certain matters.
Vader tracks down a medium size hanger and still his breathing as he scans the ship in order to not gain simultaneous attention to himself by these people who can potentially recognize him but also tracking down a ship. Maybe he can just steal one but he rather not have powerful people after him right now, even though he can definitely claim all of their lives.
These are smugglers and slavers who he cannot trust easily. Then again, he doesn't trust anyone in this broken galaxy.
He spots five Trandoshans and three humans, a gang undoubtedly. He can sense their greed through the Force, and he knows that he must continue to detect them, less he can kill them when he arrives at his desired destination.
Without hesitation, he approaches and he can sense their confusion. They don't recognize him, doubtlessly having not to keep up on the Empire's reports. They probably haven't even keep up on the Republic.
Vader speaks. "Which one of you is the captain of this vessel?"
Part of him loathes remaining in the position of asking instead of seizing control, claiming these pathetic lowlives lives, and just piloting the shuttle when is far more capable of doing so.
The largest of the gang steps forward as Vader comes to a stop, not intimidated by a specimen of his type. This is Nal Shaddaa after all. They probably encountered many who is intimidating as himself on this greedy planet.
"I am the captain. What do you want, cyborg?" The captain inquires, staring him over, checking to see if he has anything that would be of any importance to him that can be of any wealth to him.
'Fool.'
"Transportation off this planet," he replies ominously, wishing to Force Choke the captain for speaking to him like this, revealing his sack that is clip protectively ahead of his cape. "My shuttle is out of fuel and I require assistance. I will pay you five thousand credits."
"Five thousand," one of the thugs replies with a scoff. "Ten thousand is more of a compelling source."
The dark side of the Force intensifies around the hanger and he feels hatred for these fools. How dare they attempt to make demands?
"Very well," he replies darkly, glaring at them underneath his visor, vowing to kill them upon their arrival. "My destination is..." he thinks about it for a moment, pondering where he should go.
The entire galaxy is out there and now that the Empire and his former Master isn't searching for him as much as he did months ago. Vader can go somewhere, a planet his former Master least expects and where he can hide until he becomes powerful enough to destroy his former Master, the man that had taken everything from him.
Still, it is paramount that he tracks down a planet where he can meditate, where he can track down who is part of this secret Rebel Alliance and somehow manages to steer clear of the man who he had been forced to call Master for the last two years and his former Master's committed agents who have been able to hunt down Jedi and Senators who proven betrayal to the Empire.
It will be beyond satisfying to recruit many to his side, run Sidious through, and disappear. The thought of ruling a broken galaxy no longer satisfies him. He cares little for the Empire or the Republic, two overly flawed systems that Vader shall not participate in.
"Take me where I can disappear."
He severed the bond between him and his Master upon leaving and has learned to cloud himself in the Force so his Master wouldn't be able to sense him on wherever he goes.
The Trandoshans exchange glances, mentally asking each other if they should carry through while speaking in an unknown language that Vader pretends he doesn't understand.
Very few understand Dosh. Dosh is short for Trandoshan and is the official language of the Trandoshan species from Trandosha. It is composed mainly of harsh grunts, hisses, and growls, and has a written form that used alphabetic glyphs. During his training after the rise of the Empire shortly after Kenobi abandoned him, however, the Emperor has trained him in all languages. Not absolutely a benefit but at least he can understand when there is a threat.
"You have yourself a ship," the Trandoshan responds, a smirk on his lips. "We will leave in twenty minutes. Be ready."
Twenty minutes later, the ship is in the air, the pilot piloting, and the Dark Lord can sense the danger on board the second he came on board the ship.
He enters the ship's storage room and sees many sets of binders and chains. In his time as the feeble Anakin Skywalker, he would have been disgusted, but to be blunt, he isn't surprised, having witnessed worse, participating in the biggest purge possible with the Jedi. Nar Shaddaa is a planet full of slavery and corruption that goes beyond limits.
He sense the threats behind him and he lowers his sack, sensing their thoughts as footsteps approach; they have no plans to bring him to wherever he can disappear. They would take him to the slave trade and seize all of his credits.
These insignificant slavers would soon learn the wrath of Darth Vader.
As the ship enters hyperspace, he hears the sounds of footsteps, not having to avert his gaze to the slavers, whose blasters are all aim at the Dark Lord.
"You are foolish, robot. We will sell you to the Hutts. Your credits would be taken. We are approaching Tatooine. Prepare to suffer, machine." one of the humans says, two blasters poised at the Dark Lord.
There is a crimson humming, followed by the ignition sound of a lightsaber, Vader lunging forward with inhuman speed, and the Trandoshan captain's head fall clears off brutally, his head landing in another Trandoshan's hands, staring up at him with lifeless eyes.
The Dark Lord moves as he chops off another Trandoshan's arm before impaling him in the abdomen, eyes widening and a fragmentary gasp escaping him before he falls onto the floor.
One of the human fire but Vader rebukes the blaster shots before seizing him with the Force and bringing him to him, utilizing his body to protect him by his companion blaster fire before launching his lifeless and full of bolts body into the wall.
Simultaneously, he strikes down three Trandoshans, beheading one, disarming the other, and impaling the other into the stomach, and he merely alters the grip he has over his lightsaber before raising his hand, blocking the blaster shots by his bare hand before clenching his hand up into a fist, squashing the being's body up horrifyingly until an audible snap produces itself known in the room.
The final Trandoshan and human both still are firing and he blocks with his lightsaber before clenching his hand up and throwing him against the wall which barrels the Trandoshan onto the ground, several snaps producing from the limp body.
Most notably, Vader had left the human who mocked him alive.
The final human aims his guns nervously, hands trembling as he still fires, staring down at his fallen companions every-so-often but continuously firing but the Sith deflects the blaster bolts each time before striking him in the shoulder with a blaster bolt.
His first blaster flies elsewhere and the other blaster is destroyed by his lightsaber, brutally cleaved in two. And the monster approaches, the human anxiously fallen onto his knees and pleads. Never before has he encountered such a monster in his time, but this-this thing has managed to butchered through his allies and there is no chance in stopping him.
"Please don't kill me! I will do whatever you ask!" the man pleads. "I don't want to die!"
"You are suppose to be a thug," the monster replies in a calm and slick tone, mocking him. "You are nothing, just a fake bounty hunter who believes himself strong but a fool."
The monster clutches the sobbing man by his throat, squeezing mercilessly, lightsaber elevated by his form.
"You have subserved your purpose," the Dark Lord continues calmly, squeezing harder as the man's face becomes blue due to lack of oxygen and he begins kicking fruitlessly at the man who is strangling him with his bare fist.
Vader brings the wheezing man closer to his visor, relishing in his victory as he glares at the man. This filth has dared to challenge him and now he is learning the consequences.
"You shouldn't have taken my compensation for granted."
*SNAP.*