Tatooine's orbit, aboard the Infiltrator, 32 BBY
Darth Vader observed the dust ball from the pilot's seat of the Infiltrator. The harsh deserts, sand dunes, mountains and canyons of the worlds sprawled beneath him dotted by small clusters of lights in the Northern Hemisphere, marking the location of the two largest towns on it. Calling them towns was generous, both settlements would easily fit in one of Coruscant's levels. Miserable hives would be a far better term.
Why am I here?, he thought. He had repeated the question to himself an hour ago after he had meditate once again, looking for any insights that the Force would give him. During his mad dash to escape the City Planet, Tatooine seemed like a good option. It was in fact the only option that he had contemplated, thoughts of his mother, the mother that he had vowed to protect five years ago, flying to his head and guiding his thoughts. And then he remembered what had prompted the impressive display in the Force that had killed his Master.
He used my mother to belittle me, to anger me, to make me feel weak and powerless. To control me.
From there, the deception was laid bare as he looked back on all the times that the mother that he barely remembered had been used as a chain, a ploy to keep him compliant. Either the promise of her eventual rescue or a thinly veiled threat at her safety were enough to cow him into submission or ensure his compliance. Sidious, in a twisted, ironic way what taught him during their private lessons that attachment was a powerful tool against the weak willed, one that he should use without remorse. The lesson has been learned, old man. Belatedly yes but it has been learned. Vader decided then and there that this wasn't the place that he should be. If Shmi Skywalker couldn't help herself out of her predicament, then it wasn't his business to help her.
"Should we land, sir?", the droid besides him asked.
"No, 11-4D. There is nothing of value to me here", he spoke with the finality of a person that had an absolute conviction in his actions.
"In that case, I have compiled the files that you requested of me. I am afraid that they are not as detailed as you would like. Our escape was…"
"Rushed, yes", Vader cut off the droid, fully turning his seat to face his mechanical helper. His Master's droid had been in the service of the Sith for decades, starting life as a medical droid. It had been upgraded and enhanced throughout the years and as it had been ingratiated in the dealings of their Order, it knew much more that its appearance initially belied. "Still, some information is better than none at all."
"Quite right, Master Vader", 11-4D replied happily. "Now let's start with the Sun Guards"
"The golden boys?", Vader commented while he got more comfortable in the pilot's seat.
"Yes, Master. Officially the Sun Guards are a mercenary group, and one of the most feared military units in the galaxy. They are centered on the planet Thyrsus in the Thyrsus system. Unofficially they are a Sith cult that swore complete loyalty to Darth Sidious."
"I see, so they usually work for money but they would work for me for free"
"An accurate assessment but there is a large probability that they are reeling from the death of your shared former Master. I can contact them at your leisure, whenever you would wish me to. I handled all of the relevant communications in the past."
Vader nodded his understanding. Funny how he failed to mention them to me all these years, he thought. What else had he failed to mention? What secrets did he keep from me? How much did he hold me back?
"Alright. Do we have any friends left on Coruscant?", he asked
"Sidious' circle of people that knew of his, and by extension your, double nature was very small. Sate Pestage, Kinman Dorianna and Sly Moore were of absolute confidence…"
Vader winced at the mention of the Umbaran's name. "Of course, she would know…", he said, cutting off the droid. A few years older than him, Sly Moore was a permanent fixture of his life during the last five years and one that he absolutely loathed. The pale ghost of a woman was positively devious, the direct opposite of his Master's other paramour, the kind and sweet Danil. The one I killed. Vader long suspected that his Master had instructed her to bully him and degrade him in order to teach him restraint, when it was necessary to kill and when to smile and wave. Oh and how much he wanted to kill her, slam her onto a wall, choke the breath out of her until she stopped moving, throw her out of a window, the manner was irrelevant. Only the result mattered. The fact that the Umbaran was also strong in the Force was another sore point between them. The unspoken implication that Sidious was instructing her in matters of the Force, blatantly breaking the directives of the Rule of Two and holding her up as a possible replecement should Vader prove a failure fueled his hate in her person. And now, I may come to need her services. Doesn't the Universe have a sense of humor?
"As I was saying, sir, they were instrumental in Sidious' plans. You may wish to procure their services again", 11-4D continued undeterred.
"Dank Ferik. Who would follow me?", he threw the question to nobody in particular. He was becoming keenly aware of the problem that his age would be. 11-4D remained silent on that front. Vader growled at the silence, hitting his fists on the armrest of the pilot's chair. "What about the artifacts that we managed to grab?", he asked, deciding to move the conversation forward. "Can we sell them?"
"I am afraid that most of them were known to be in the possession of the late Senator. Selling them so soon after his death will attract attention, either by the authorities or the Underworld. The Mon Calamari pearls gifted by Senator Tikki present the best anonymity/profit ratio of them all while Nar Shaddaa presents the best profit retention opportunities", 11-4D explained using the clinical terms of a banker. "They won't know who is selling and you will keep most of the credits", the droid rushed to explain, sensing his momentary confusion.
Vader nodded once again, preferring to listen instead of talk when the issue wasn't his expertise, a useful lesson that any member of the Youth Assembly Program learned early. "Do you think we could hide there as well? We could buy an apartment large enough for our needs with the funds from the sale. Some training droids too and a berth for the Infiltrator", Vader proposed. The Smuggler's moon possessed a well-deserved reputation for ensuring the anonymity of those with enough credits. That was exactly what he needed at the moment. A lair to hide in for a while, a place to hone his abilities and prepare for the future.
"It is a viable idea. The moon's status as a major economic and trade center will allow us to also collect information about the Galaxy at large. I will amend my calculations", 11-4D said.
"Good, droid. Now help me with the navicomputer", Vader said, turning his chair to the controls. Through the window of the cockpit, he saw Tatooine below. The brown, sandy orb carried its two hundred thousand people around its two suns.
Darth Vader didn't care about a single one of those souls.
Not anymore.
Nar Shaddaa, Besadii kajidic Auction House, Corellian Sector, 31 BBY, two months later
Darth Vader sat at one of the corner booths of the Auction House, silently observing the various beings and droids that were arrayed around the bidding floor. His boots were polished to perfection, reflecting whatever little light was produced from the dim lamps of the establishment that he was in. He was wearing a clean, black shirt and pressed trousers, weaved from the finest fabric that credits could buy. His face was covered by a breathing mask which he used to obscure his features and deter any curious bystanders from approaching him. Draped around his shoulders was a plain black cloak, a gift from one of the Auction Houses that had handled an earlier sale, its hood covering his head. It was as expensive as the rest of his clothes but it sported no ornamentation or jewelry. Its cost came from the armorweave threads that comprised it. Vader was confident in his abilities to sense a hidden attacker but his Master's demise was an abject lesson in being prepared for everything. The cloak would stop an attack from a blaster, giving him enough time to dispatch the weapon's wielder. Sidious' spare lightsaber hung from his belt, hidden behind the cloak. On a more civilized world he would have taken the time to properly hide it within his sleeve but this place, while wearing the mask of civilization, was far from being civilized. The cloak will suffice.
"One million credits by the Duros gentleman", the Twi'lek auctioneer shouted. "Do I have more than one million? One million two hundred by Countess Ashanti, thank you…"
"Not that high, sir. Not that high at all", commented 11-4D. "The previous pearl sold for at least 4.75 million"
"Patience, droid", Vader said, his voice sounding harsh and mechanical through the mask. "Remember that we can influence the price if need be", he reminded the droid. They kept observing the procedures just like they had for the last two months. Two of the three pearls that he had retrieved from Sidious' apartment had netted him a neat profit, allowing him to focus on other things without having to worry about day to day survival.
Vader spent his days training with the help of a four reprogrammed HK droids while also studying the Book of Sith, trying to unlock its secrets and learn from its pages. The stories of the first Sith, the visionary pioneers that had braved the tides of Hyperspace to reach Korriban and subdue the local primitives, turning them into an interstellar Empire based on conquest and the collection of power to the hands of a select few, the campaigns of Darth Malgus during the Great Galactic War and the basic tenets of the Rule of Two filled his thoughts. Sidious had taught him only the surface, insignificant drops of the ocean that was the knowledge of the Dark Side. If I hadn't reached out and taken what was mine, I would still be blind.
"2.50 Million going once…", the auctioneer shouted.
"Master, I think…"
"Yes", Vader said before pushing the mind of one of the attendants, a Kuati noblewoman surrounded by an army of male concubines. More, now!
"3 Million", she shouted. Surprised gasps rose around her as she raised the price once again. Not to be outshined, other patrons jumped in to raise the price themselves.
A few minutes later, the last pearl was sold for 4.2 Million credits. Even with the commission retained by the Auction House, Vader had come out of the procedure significantly richer. 11-4D confirmed the transfer and they were off, quietly and without attracting too much attention on themselves.
Author's notes:
-And now, for the first time I think, we see how much the Dark Side has compromised Anakin and his priorities. Shmi went from someone that had to be protected to a burden, a tool that his Master used to keep him down. The fact that this Anakin has little to no memory of Shmi, having being taken from an earlier age is also a large factor. He didn't possess the same level of attachment as before
-I sneaked a breathing mask in there, even if he doesn't need it just yet. It doesn't cover the entirety of his face but slowly, the iconic look is coming together.
-11-4D is an existing character and perhaps one of the most important characters nobody has ever heard of. Thanks to Audible's version of "Darth Plagueis", I was introduced to it.
-The Infiltrator is the ship that Darth Maul used during the Phantom Manace. It belong to Plagueis and then Sidious
-I saw a few familiar names favoriting this story and I couldn't feel more happy. Thanks for returning.
-As always, I appreciate all feedback
-Till we meet again.