Though he was well used to having people stare at him with either apprehension or out right terror, a reaction that was no doubt intended by the man responsible for desiging his mobile prison, it had been a long time since he had been confronted with an indivdual who possessed the courage/lacked the survival instinct, to treat his presence as an annoyance.

Though considering the more identifable purpose of his suit, as well as the natural abilities of his new...teammate, Vader supposed that such an occurrence was inevtiable.

"Khooooh Puurrrr. Khooooh Puurrrr"

"CAN YOU CUT IT OUT FOR 5 MINUTES? SERIOUSLY! How are we supposed to sleep when you keep breathing like that"?

Managing to summon the will power to not treat the pointy ear girl in the manner that he treated insubordinate officers, the armored Force user was prevented from offering a verbal reply to the much smaller adventurer thanks to the intervention of one that resembled, at least in spirit and skin color, the former head of the Jedi Order.

"Now now. There is no reason to get upset. As comrades embarked on a dangerous mission, now is the time to develop more amicable relationships instead of fostering ill feelings".

His words earning a grumbling acceptance from the pointy eared female, Lizard Priest found his smile widening as his fellow adventurer supported his opinion.

"Scaly's got a point Long Ears. When it comes to combat in the dark, you want to be on good terms with those around you. Otherwise you might find yourself without a helping hand when you really need it. Or has this never occurred to you in the last 2000 years"?

Agreeing with the Dwarf's stance regarding relationships, even if it did dredge up memories when he had enjoyed a less…hostile relationship with his Jedi Master and Apprentice, Vader turned his helmet so that he was staring directly and the annoyed looking girl as he voiced his curiosity.

"You are not what one expects for a being who is 2 millennia in age".

Though he had not intended for his comment to inspire feelings of amusement, or hostility considering the glare that was currently being leveled at him, the former Jedi's observation managed to derive a round of boisterous laugher from the only 2 members of the party that didn't treat him with annoyed hostility, fear, or indifference.

"Wise words my friend. Immortality is wasted on those who can't make the most of it. Though it is possible that the elven puberty cycle is somewhat…slowed when one has nothing but eternity to look foward to. Or that the spirits chose to bless her with a body that was more suited to her personality. Flat and unyielding as an anvil".

Tilting his head in confusion at this observation, though he found the information regarding the existence of a race of immortals to be quite fascinating, Vader remained silent, or as silent as he could be with his respirator, as the youngish looking girl launched into an anger filler tirade.

"Wha….HOW DARE YOU. SO WHAT IF I DON'T LOOK LIKE THOSE BARRELS YOU DWARVES SEEM TO PREFER. I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW THAT I'VE BEEN PRAISED FOR MY LOOKS BY HUNDREDS OF MEN".

"BARRELS? YOU MEAN VOLUPTOUS. MOST MEN PREFER TO HAVE THEIR WOMEN WITH SOMETHING TO HOLD ON TO YOU. THE ONLY MEN WHO'D BE INTERESTED IN AN ANVIL LIKE YOU WOULD BE THOSE WHO PREFER STRAIGHT LINES TO CURVES".

Feeling out of his depth for this conversation, for he had only ever been attracted to one woman in his life, Vader allowed his attention to be directed elsewhere as someone else decided to bring an end to their bickering.

"Come now friends. Surely it is better to eat before the day's end than quarel amongst ourselves? I have brought meat from my homeland, and I am sure there is enough to go around if we chose to adopt this more…amicable way to pass our time".

For a moment, Vader thought that the two adventurers would choose to ignore the suggestion of their reptillain comrade. But to his surprise, Elf Archer and Dwarf Shaman gave up their petty food to accept the invination to dinner.

"Your wisdom continues to impress me Scaly. For how can any Dwarf pass up the opportunity for food. Though I confess, despite my extensive experience, I have never before seen meat of that type before".

Pleased at having successfully convinced his comrades to give up their petty argument, for having chosen his path he was no longer interested in the desire go spread his bloodline, Lizard Priest held forth his mentioned prize with a look of respectful fondness.

"This meat comes from the swamps that exist within the ancestral lands of my people. Its uses are many, for the creatures hide can be made into the sturdiest clothing, but its meat is both good for long periods of travel, and also for filling an empty belly. So please help yourselves".

Declining to accept the offered meal, for his…condition made it impossible to sample anything but the disgusting paste that had been his primary food source for decades, the armored Force user was saved from having to explain his refusal to partake thanks to the somewhat condescending tone of the girl who, while older than Yoda, nevertheless appeared younger than his one time apprentice.

"Sorry Scaly, but my people don't consume flesh like the bearded youngster here. Our diet consists of what we either find in nature, or what we can coerce the spirits to grant us".

Rolling his eyes at this rather Jedi attitude, though most members of the deceased order had chosen to supplant their diets with meat, Vader chose to ignore the developing conversation as he considered the nature of his…unqiue companions.

The…Elf if he was remembering her species correctly, reminded him of oddly enough of his younger self before that fateful day on that Force forsaken planet. Yes she lacked the undeniable concern that had been a part of the enslaved Skywalker family. But the desire to travel, seeking adventure and doing good for those who were unfortunate enough not to be blessed with the means to escape their situation? That was present in the pointy eared female, nearly as much as it had been before the Order had tempered some of his youthful day dreaming.

The Dwarf, oddly enough, put him in mind of something he knew, or at least highly suspected to have never graced the galaxy with its presence. A selfless Hutt. For while the bearded man possessed many of the qualities of those disgusting slugs, most notable being the appetite and business savy, the stunted man was more than willinging to put these qualities towards the benefit of the group instead of focusing soley on himself.

The Lizard….of all the beings he had come across since the Force had deposisted him on this technological backwards planet, the Lizard was the one that bored the strongest resemblance to a Jedi. Albeit an unconventional one. For while the giant reptile continuously displayed acts of selflessness, the manner in which he did so was more reminiscent of a youngling than those who professed to follow the Will of the Force.

The one they called Goblin Slayer on the other hand, while largely remaining silent since the group had embarked on their quest, nevertheless possessed a focus that would earn praise from either the judgemental members of the Council, or even the Emperor himself. That by itself wasn't enough to draw his attention. Rather it was how the armor wearing adventurer appeared to him in the Force.

Everyone, especially the girl who couldn't have been older than when his Padawan had been assigned to him, remained more or less firmly secured with the Light Side of the Force. But unlike the rest of the group, himself included though his connection to the Dark Side remained, Goblin Slayer's connection was almost as muted as a droids.

The Force wasn't strong with him, neither was it weak. It was as if he existed just as an afterthought to some larger game.

Puzzling as this mystery was however, Vader did not let him concern him. All that mattered was that the Force, both it's aspects, wished for him to undertake this journey as a member of a group. And while he was uncertain as to why this was, the armored Force user knew from personal experience that it was better to follow the Will of the Force than to resist it.

Doing his best to block out the memories of what had happened the last time he had tried to prevent such an occurrence from happening, Vader was pulled from his musings by an event that would have caused the Rebels to break out into hysterics, and the Imperials to wet themselves in fear.

Thunk

Shocked though he was at having an object make contact with his helmet, the former Jedi was not one to repeat his mistakes. And thus was able to telekinetically catch the second projectile before turning a hidden glare towards the one responsible for this…incident.

"Is there a paritcular reason as to why your throwing acorns at me girl? If you wished for my attention, there are less….irrtating ways to do so".

His cold tone managing to draw an unmistakably apologetic look from the 2000 year old elf, though it lost some of its potency due to the unusually flushed nature of her face, Vader found himself rendered speechless by the answer he received to his question.

"Was…hick…asking if you had anything to share with…hick.. the rest of us? Scaly provided the meat. Priestess and the Dwarf gave us vegetable stew and…Dune Gears Grendel".

"Its called Duergars Grundel Elf. Probably should have taken a smaller sip. When one's body is lacking in…size, one tends to be a bit more susceptible to its potency".

Turning his head slightly to catch sight of the Dwarf sipping from what appeared to be a barrel of alcohol, Vader soon experienced the twin emotions of amusement and annoyance as the Elf continued her slightly drunken rant.

"Who…hick…cares what its called? This..ar…hick…armored asshole hasn't given us anything. Even that ot..hick…other armored asshole gave us cheese. Now its hi…hick…his turn".

Failing to recall the last time he had to put up with such cheek, though his association with that irritating archeologist was probably close to what he was experiencing now, Vader allowed a hint of his bitterness to enter his tone as he addressed the drunken Elf.

"Since I am…unable to eat as you do, I do not carry around such supplies. My apologies girl if my lack of consideration upsets you".

Expecting the pointy eared girl to react negatively to his comment, the former Jedi found himself nearly flinching as their heavil\y drinking companion partially identified the reason for this.

"Is it because of the metal in your body"?

The Dwarf's words causing the rest of the group, even Goblin Slayer, to pause their actions and stare at the most intimidating member of their group, it was Dwarf Shaman who answered the unspoken questions that coursed through each of their minds.

"Though I am a spellcaster, I am first and foremost a Dwarf. And all Dwarves have the ability to sense the presence of metal. Though I must say, you are the first being I have come across whose limbs have been fashioned in such a life like fashion. The one that crafted them must have been truly gifted in the art of shaping met….did it just get colder"?

Unsure if his rage stemmed from having part of his…condition exposed to those who had barely known him a day, or from hearing someone praise the person responsible for designing and installing his shoddy cybernetic limbs, Vader fought the urge to vent his very present rage as he pointed a finger at the currently shivering Dwarf.

"You would be wise to drop the subject Dwarf. While we are allies in this current..endeavor, that does not emean that I will tolerate questions of such a…personal nat….".

"Does it hurt"?

Eyes widening in surprise at this unlooked for interruption, though he couldn't decide if it was because nobody had ever asked that question before or because of the one responsible for asking the question, the former Jedi stared into the understandably nervous expression of the young priestess while voicing a response that would hopefully put an end to this particular conversation.

"Yes. But its something I've come to terms with".

Doing his best to control his anger as the less inbreviated members of the group shot him mixed expressions of shock and pity, Vader's grip on his already volatile emotions almost loosned as the Elf asked him a question that no one had dared to ask after he had been formally recognized as the Emperor's chief enforcer.

"What hap…hick…happened? I mean, were you cu…hick….cursed by a witch to spend the rest of your life trapped in that armor. Or did y….hick….you get your ass ki….hick…kicked in a battle and can't….hick…take it off cause you'll be def…hick….defenseless without it".

Shocked by the Elf's audacity, accurate though it was, Vader was already in the process of giving into his darker impulses when the hesitant voice of the youngest member of their group brought an end to such murderous thoughts.

"If your in pain…I…I can try and heal it. The Earth Mother's blessed me with the ability to use 3 miracles a day, and considering that it will take another day to get to our destination, I might as well use one of them to try and help you".

…..

Though her eyes had momentarily drifted towards Goblin Slayer during the final part of her explanation, Priestess had nevertheless managed to keep her attention focused on the intimidating adventurer as she offered her help. Thus she was able to catch the minor change in his posture that told her that his rage had, at least for the moment, subsided.

"Though I do not doubt the…sincerity of such an offer, I respectively decline. I have long come to terms with my…condition, and despite its discomfort, the nature of my armor provides me with some benefits that would be hard to do without considering our upcoming mission".

Frowning as she considered her intimidating teammates words, for to her it sounded as if Vader believed that he wasn't worthy of being healed, the blond haired cleric was prevented from voicing such a suspicion thanks to Dwarf Shaman's attempt to change the mood of the group to something that was more uplifting.

"Speaking of our current mission, I'm curious to know why you all decided to embark on the life of an adventurer. My decision was of course influenced by my desire to sample as many different cuisines as possible, but I doubt that is the case with the rest of you, except perhaps Scaly".

Stifling a giggle as she watched her reptilian teammate cheerfully consume yet another piece of melted cheese, Priestesses adopted a thoughtful expression as she tried to explain her reasons for adopting this life.

"Well, as a child growing up in the temples, I was always helping to provide aid towards those who found themselves needing medical attention. And since a good deal of those who sought our help were adventurers, I started to wonder if perhaps I could one day play a more active role in helping those who risked their lives everyday to combat evil. The Earth Mother agreed with my unspoken prayer, giving me both the chance and the ability to not only work as her earthly agent, but also as someone who can provide aid when they need it most".

Her cheeks tinging in embarrassment as she revealed this information, for she was afraid that it might cause her teammates to laugh at her obvious naivety, Priestess was pleased at the support she received from the green scaled cleric.

"A most worthy reason to embark on this path young cleric. I too wished to take a more active role against the forces of evil, though I confess my reasons are perhaps a tad more…selfish in thought. For my people say that those who devote themselves to a path of righteousness will one day evolve into divine dragons, whose strength and wisdom help to maintain the ever delictate balance between good and evil. A task that I too wish to fulfil one day".

Humming in thoughtful consideration, for Lizard Priest's story was similar to other tales she had heard about how pure hearted indviduals could one day serve as angels for the Gods, the blond haired cleric was unsure if she should laugh or sigh as Goblin Slayer provided his reason for becoming an adventurer.

"I want to slay Goblins".

Having expected her savior/mentor to be his usually focused self, Priestess found herself nodding her head as Elf Archer voiced her opinion regarding Goblin Slayer's answer.

"Gee. Who could have gue….hick….guessed? At least my reasons are…hick…more fun. Seeing the world. Exploring an…hick…ancient ruins. Fighting monsters. That's wh…hick…what adventuring's about".

Though disagreeing with her fellow female, for her own experience as an adventurer had been anything but fun and exciting, Priestess nevertheless possessed enough tact to keep such comments to herself.

The same however could not be said of the man trapped within the terrifying armor.

"Time and experience will soon rob you of that perspective girl. Hardship and loss will not doubt temper that idealism of yours. That is of course if it doesn't destroy you first".

….

His words earning a look of disapproval from the youngest member of their group, as well as a look of outrage from the still inebriated Elf, Vader had to raise a non existent eyebrow in amusement as the scaled member of their party tried to prevent another fight from breaking out.

"And what about you my friend? What motivated you to partake in this life? Riches? The desire to test your strength? A desire to perform heroic deeds"?

His amusement fading at the last of the reptile's options, for it was a subtle reminder of what the citizens of the galaxy had called him during the Clone Wars, the former Jedi took a moment to consider the question before providing an answer that he hoped would prove sufficient.

"2 things master lizard. The first was my disgust at arriving in a land that dismisses a very real threat to its continued survival. Having previously been in a position where I was unable to do something against a clear injustice, I thought it proper that I do something to address this issue now that I lack the….restrictions that I once did".

Frowning as memories of the failings of the Jedi Order flashed through his mind, for if they had taken a more active stance in the Galaxy instead of subordinating themselves to a corrupt Senate much could have been avoided, Vader considered the best way to explain the second reason for his decision to partake in this more…mercenary type of lifestyle.

"The second reason stems from the….prompting I received when I entered this..country".

Seeing the frowns of confusion his words had caused, Vader resigned himself to expanding his answer. Only to have Priestess ask a question that, while incomplete, nevertheless provided him with a way to limit his explanation.

"Are you saying that you took up this life because of the gods"?

Amused by the primitve way in which the girl used to describe the prodding of a oddly unified Force, the armored Force user nevertheless nodded his head as he answered her question.

"That is correct. When I first came to this...land, I was uncertain about the course of my future. However, after receiving a..prodding to investigate a disturbance, one which I am sure both you and your first companion are intimately familiar with, as well as discovering the the apathetic nature of some of your compatriots, my purpose became clear".

His words managing to earn an approving nod from his teammates, though he could sense that the Elf was irritating at acknowleding that he was capable of performing a 'good deed', Vader allowed his respirator to drown out the continuing conversation as he used the Force to gain a better sense of the obstacles they would soon face.

It didn't take long to pinpoint their adversaries.

And apart from the one individual presence whose power was nearly equal to the average member of his Jedi hunters, the fallen Chosen One could detect nothing that would be an immediate threat.

At least to him.

And though this it had been many years since he was placed in a position where he did not possess the role of leader, his efforts on Shu-Torun being the closest he had come to following the orders of those who were not his superiors in the Force, Vader was certain that his...teammates possessed enough competence to accomplish this mission.

For unless he had to, he would complete this task as he had done others after his failure on the plains of Mustafar.

Alone, and without expecting those to help him.

…...

ANNNNNND I think that's enough for now.

Believe I provided you all with plenty of material for this chapter. Will take MUCH longer to write the combat scene, but had enough campfire bonding here to HOPEFULLY...tie you all over XD.

Hope you all enjoyed this.

Reviews/Beta reader applications are welcome (flames not).

Til next time 😀