Chapter 3: Lars
Tatooine was everything Vader remembered it to be from space. It looked the exact same as the day he flew away from it on Padmé's ship. He had thought he would never see it again, but he was wrong, this was his second time. He sighed through his breather and it came out from his mask like a loud breath. It ended, the mask clicked and he breathed in again, involuntarily. The suit breathed for him if he did not, it heard for him and translated meaning to his brain, it took years of getting used to.
"Sir." The comm officer said.
"Yes?"
"The bounty hunter Aurra Sing requests to land."
"Tell her she may."
"Yes milord."
After one last glance at Tatooine's sandy surface Vader turned on his heel and headed to the hanger bay. The plan was plain and simple, a platoon of scout troopers on speeder bikes and himself in his own modified roofed swoop.
XxX
Vader sat on a hard chair in the passenger section of his personal shuttle, he was bumped up as it landed. When he heard the ramp lower he stood up and walked into the cockpit. Captain Kagi, his personal driver after the Emperor had no more use for Lambda class shuttles since he usually rode in a star destroyer, sat on in the pilots seat. He turned to look at Vader.
"Stay with the ship."
"Yes milord."
Vader turned on his boot, making a black scuff mark on the floor and walked down the ramp into the dry Tatooine air. His suit clicked and hummed as its auto cooling system kicked in and a filter started to take out the sand. He watched as two transports with the same wing type as Lambda class shuttles touched down and extended their ramps. Scout troopers poured out of one and speeder bikes were unloaded out of the other. Vader's modified grey swoop was last to come out. It had the look of a Jedi Interceptor about it.
He hopped in as the scout troops mounted their bikes. They all knew what to do, whatever Vader told them of course. He had gotten information from Aurra Sing, she expected the princess's shuttle had landed at Mos Eisley. The roof of Vader's swoop closed and sealed itself. Vader kicked the engines into gear and took off toward Mos Eisley.
XxX
The speeder stopped in the middle of a road, if you could call it that, by a cantina in Mos Eisley. Civilians rapidly cleared away, wanting nothing to do with the Empire. Vader hopped out of his swoop. The scout troopers dismounted their bikes and followed Vader's orders to sweep the city, there were more than enough men. Vader himself took two scout troopers into the cantina. Those were always the best places to start when you were looking for someone.
The cantina itself was rundown. Its walls were scorched and missing large chunks in places, the metal tables had corroded slightly, and the chairs were not very comfortable looking. There were several species here enjoying multi colored drinks, the majority were humans or Twi'leks, but Vader also spotted an Ithorian, a few Zabraks, a Toydarian, and a massive Wookie. He ignored them all and they ignored him, as much as they could try, a small group of Biths holding metal instruments began to play a classic tune as Vader stepped up to the bar and sat down on one of the metal benches, the scout troopers fanned out and began to ask questions.
The bar tender who was on Vader's opposite end mouthed ' I'll be right with you' as he poured a few cups of blue colored liquid, slowly, into five massive goblets and handed one after another to the Wookie who took one at a time back to a table where a shady young man sat. He wore a black vest, white shirt, and blue flight pants, and looked as though he was just old enough to drink. Vader didn't pay attention. A Twi'lek male sat down next to him and examined his armor.
"How are you going to drink in that thing?" He asked. "What does it do anyways."
"It keeps me alive, but it will not keep you alive so I suggest you move to a different section of the bar."
"I like it fine right here."
"Then you are a fool and you are starting to irritate me."
"Well do something about it then."
"I am warning you, I do not give second chances."
"I don't even need one chance, I can take on some old guy in a suit."
The Twi'lek reached for a blaster pistol, Vader didn't bother to do anything about it. The Twi'lek extended it out and pointed it at Vader's helmet. The bar tender looked nervously in that direction.
"Say good night."
He squeezed the trigger and a laser bolt erupted from the barrel, with lightning fast speed Vader raised a gloved hand, the bullet came towards it hit it and bounced back, the Twi'lek's eyes opened wide for a brief moment, and them floated up behind his sockets as the bolt burned into his brain. He fell down dead on the floor. Everyone looked at Vader for a moment, even the Bith band had stopped playing. He cast them a glance and as though life had recently been paused it went back into play and everyone returned to their activities. After another minute of stalling the bar tender finally approached Vader.
"What can I do for you your lordness." He said in improper grammar.
"Have you seen an Alderaanian woman around, dressed like royalty, around the age of sixteen."
"Can't say that I have, wish I did though, there are a lot of thugs roaming around the street, if you want to find her you should probably start digging."
"You think someone might have killed her?"
"It is possible, but more than likely did something before that. You'll know what I'm talking about if you find the undressed body."
"Are there any people around that might hide her?"
"Well I can think of a few moisture farmers on the outskirts of town that might. One in particular is Owen Lars. He has a son you see who likes to come into town and pal around with those friends of his. I heard once that they hid a man that had a bounty hunter following him in their farm."
"I see." Vader said. He knew who Owen was, his stepbrother and he was less than enthusiastic about going to their farm. "Good day then."
Vader stood up and signaled for his troops, the bar tender motioned a hand out in alarm.
"Wait a minute! The Lars are friends of mine, can you maybe give me some pay in exchange for information?"
"Your pay is your life."
Vader turned and walked out of the cantina with his troops behind him. It seems he was going to pay his step brother a second visit.