Chapter 26
...As the explosion of flames crashes down around the two duelists, the more intense their battle is persisting.
He can feel sweat rubbing down his lips. Adrenaline flashes through the young Sith the more they continue to battle, his body as a whole appearing motionless except when he is attacking. Agony... Coursing agony not only physically but emotionally as well...
The more they continue to lock blades, the more it appears as if they are going to bend each other's crystals with each passing moment.
He can see...
…The blue eyes; the eyes of pain but little emotion observes him. To think, the owners of those eyes once were his father figure but now is nothing but someone who proved himself lacking when he needed him the most.
He will KILL him and save the remaining family he has left!
This is the family member that should be by his side through thick and thin, the family member who made promises to him which now are nothing but false hopes he has deluded himself into believing...
His world trembles and dims into the darkness which whispers only one word…
Betrayal.
The echo of the faint clashing lightsabers makes him stagger only slightly at the nightmare... no at the memory as another part of his mind clicks into place. His vision leaves him soaked with sweat, and the sustaining feelings from within haven't released his mind from the icy clutch. His clothes are glued to his body, emboldened by his own sweat. Animosity and the poisonous feeling of perfidy swell deep within his soul; a thousand daggers appear to stab into his spine. He inhales a long breath, attempting to preserve his thoughts despite his conflict.
It is not the first time. Every single night for the past years' nightmares tormented him, the masked man coming before him. Throughout all of it, that is the first time he felt as if he was actually fighting for his life. Each and every single night, the visions filled his consciousness less merciful than the last.
'HE WILL PAY FOR HIS INGRESSION!'
The voice brushes against Anakin's temple. Anakin pauses for a brief moment, seeing faint explosions of lava vibrating around him, darkness immediately filling him and appearing to amplify his frantic emotions to the point of rage, anger, and hatred, while also cleansing out his serenity, calmness, and love.
Anakin's orbs burn when he shakes his head when he remembers where he was.
'Tatooine.'
Sand... Oh how much he hates sand... appears to be brushing against his legs. He rather be off of this planet as of now - instincts are urging him to run from all the kriffing sand - but he refuses those temptations and stays himself.
It has been a long time since Anakin had ventured through the planet of Tatooine, but he would never forget the atmosphere, the sun that was merciless and shined over all without mercy including him and his mother. Let alone, there are memories from the depths of his mind from his life as a slave. The beatings from Watto whenever he has failed him or so much as looking at him in a manner Watto finds wrong, or the merciless exhausting nights that left him full of hunger along with his mother...
Vader, appearing to have previous knowledge of this horrible planet, knows precisely where the speeder vendor is located. Anakin notices the strained silence from Obi-Wan, though he can sense the conflict within him. He is drowning more and more in the suffering, a sudden flash of anger coursing through their bond at what is happening all around him.
Threepio doesn't appear to be moved (obviously since he is a Droid), following behind his master and those who he has been programmed to protect and serve. Vader is leading the group from the front, his eyes remaining centered on those who are surrounding him. However, it appears as if his droid knows him too much...
"Master Skywalker, are you alright?" Threepio asks.
Anakin can barely register the question before allowing a weak nod, coming up with a little fib that wouldn't bring the concern of his companions. "Yes, I am... it's just that this planet brings up too many bad memories."
The three Force Users and one droid walk into the garage, staring into the red eyes of the Duro, before observing the vehicles of all types before his eyes fall onto the four-seater that would be suitable enough to fit each of them.
"We wish to have a speeder to travel to the outskirts of Mos Espa," Vader demands, a slip of anger evident in his voice which isn't anything.
The Duro, obviously not intimidated by Vader's presence, something which isn't shocking to either Skywalkers, speaks. Of course, why would he be terrified of Vader, especially since Tatooine poses a planet of many ruthless figures? This poor fool has no idea that slavery would soon be abolished if the three men have anything to say about it.
"Sure, but it would cost ya."
Vader's presence flares with irritation. He has no intention to pay for any speeder no matter how this particular confrontation would end. He wonders if Vader would strike this Duro down and leave with the speeder without a word, but even so, there are still some parts of his father figure that possesses a moral compress.
In the end, his father figure says without even a wave of his hand, subtly allowing the Force to pour into the minds of the poor fool. "You would take my credits and forget that you have ever saw us."
Anakin can sense the Force nudging into the mind of the imbecile as can Obi-Wan along with the resistance that comes, but in the end, he is too weak-minded for a mind trick like Vader's caliber. In their time together, Vader's trickery of the Force hardly ever even failed, his experience in the Force outweighing even those abilities of Qui-Gon.
Absent-mindedly, the Duro accepts the credits before leaving behind the Force Users and the droid that has been trailing behind quietly.
Vader, suffice to say, is making sure that the ride is quiet endearingly slow throughout the streets where they see aliens and humans alike moving about together, trying to live the best life that they possibly can but it is obvious that many are miserable.
This appears to be no surprise to Vader. Unless they have been extremely lucky, they were slaves so thus they have a similar trauma to Skywalker. Anakin catches on to what Vader is doing: showing Obi-Wan more of the common life that is inescapable to the former Jedi and making him recognize the countless lives that they are saving.
"I didn't see this before," Obi-Wan murmurs, glossing over the scenes with disgust. "How could so many suffer such as this? How can we stop it?"
"Mos Espa is difficult to change especially with Jabba's minions creeping everywhere," Anakin declares knowingly, his cerulean eyes staring over the scene where species in armor all rallied up, blasters clutched in their hands whereas there are others wielding vibroswords. They are quite obviously planning something big.
"You were blinded by the ways of seeing the good in people by the Jedi," Vader adds, his eyes still focus on the road. "This, Obi-Wan, is what the Jedi Order and the Galactic Republic ignored despite their pity laws."
"And I have remained ignorant about this the whole time," Obi-Wan snarls, his eyes paled.
"Look," Vader commands, coming to a stop in the speeder before walking off. "Follow me. Allow me to show you what is allowed by the Jedi."
Slaves of all types and species watch as they enter the market. Children cringe away at the sight of the armored man, having been beaten many times and assaulted in different ways so they would only fall into line at the sight of someone powerful. Adults stare up tearfully at Vader, Anakin, and Obi-Wan, only making the latter feel worse and deepening his determination to bring slavery to an end once and for all no matter how the Republic would interpret them as a threat. There are horrifying scenes, namely with the elderly ones, who have no arms or legs, clearly having been cast aside and no longer needed.
So many innocents who could have accomplished wonders had they not been used as technicians, and namely the females not used as pleasure hounds, now never achieving those chances.
Vader returns their stare with determination, a promise that they are not able to understand for now. It would be understood when a new era of Tatooine rises: They would each soon be freed. A renewed hope may be too late for the older slaves but there is still hope for children and young adults to have a full and healthy life.
"And this is why Jabba the Hutt would have to be stopped," Vader speaks once they are outside, folding his arms across his chest as he stares into the eyes of the shorter men. "The Jedi could walk through this and show little emotion as possible, but tell me, Obi-Wan, can you do the same thing? Can you not care for the lives of others as long as orders dictate for you not to do so?"
Before either of them can respond, a young man walks up, wearing casual clothes, his hair pushed backward, but he appears quite familiar to Anakin, even though it seems as if he has never seen him before.
"Ani?"
Something about this man is familiar.
Anakin utters a single word. "Kitster?"
"Anakin Skywalker! It is you!" Kitster exclaims, regarding the men with him for a brief moment before staring at his best friend. "Look at you! None of those slavers would dare to mess with you right now! You have grown so wizard, Ani! Why are you here of all places after all these years?!"
Unknowingly to Anakin Skywalker, Vader feels remorseful for not being able to free his younger self's friend but that would have only placed him in danger since the Jedi are hunting them currently.
"Kitster, what happened to you?" Anakin deflects, keeping his presence here safely a mystery.
"I eventually freed myself with the money you given me helping out. Thanks, by the way, and now I am working in terms of engineering. I am doubting I would ever be allowed to leave this planet, Ani, but that doesn't mean I am not trying to make the best of it." Kitster replies, examining Vader for a moment. "If only I gotten lucky to have an ally like your friend here, hey there, how's it going?"
Vader decides to play this scene off without shrugging off his oldest friend coldly as he was the only one among those other pathetic brats that have treated him kindly and helped him become the person he is today. While that is not entirely a good thing, at the very least Kitster assisted him to free himself from slavery.
"We are in a stable environment currently," Vader responds, uninterested as of now with the only friend his younger self has had on Tatooine as a child. He knows freeing the slaves is of top priority as of now instead of memories of the past.
"So, what happened to the others?" Anakin queries, knowing their time here is short but shooting a pleading stare at Vader, a look that is returned with a slight nod.
"Freed... gone... I haven't been keeping up with them, you know?" Kitster replies, shrugging.
Anakin finds himself slightly longing for those brats that he had once called friends. Vader's emotions, although closed off, is nothing short of disapproval and disappointment at his younger self believing those idiots were his friends but it is understandable as Skywalker has been without independence for so long.
Now he is walking down a different path where he is not held on chains by others. His own path which Vader would follow down no matter which one it is
"Amee... she had a crush on you, you know. She wanted to marry you when you two got older." Kitster replies, sounding slightly humorous.
Vader quirks an eyebrow, memories of the richest girl on Mos Espa returning, always treating him wrongly like the rest beside the individual in front of him, but his heart would always belong to Padmé no matter whatever woman he crosses throughout his life. The same can be said for his younger self who has a Force Bond with the woman.
Anakin shakes his head at the thought as if trying to shake himself of such a thought before replying. "For Force's sake, that would never happen, and I have only some unfinished business to take care of. I have no intention of remaining here on this planet."
Kitster smirks. "You are reacting better than I thought you would."
"I have learned maturity in a life away from slavery," Anakin declares, narrowing his eyes at that statement. Vader's influence has been rubbing off him more than he thought, and he wouldn't allow himself to grow infuriated at the prospect of someone who once mistreated him wanting to marry him.
"I guess it's coming from your Master," Kitster responds, staring at the taller man among them. "He seems very quiet."
"I don't interact much with others so you have my apologies," Vader confirms in a blunt tone, dripped with slight sarcasm. "I am not Skywalker's slaver nor Master, child. What he chooses to do with his own life is up to him and him alone, and I am merely assuming the role as a mentor and father figure that he severely lacked. I am not someone who exploit my role of authority over the likes of a victim no matter how would many would view that."
Kitster chuckles, rubbing the back of his head, before replying. "I guess you have a good life, Ani. You deserve it."
"You don't deserve to be stuck here," Anakin replies. "How much it cost for a Republic?"
"Three thousand credits."
"Hey, Vader, big favor," Anakin replies sheepishly, knowing that Vader is capable of offering some assistance. "Can-can you lend over Kitster here three thousand credits?"
Vader knows that helping Kitster would only be right, not only because of his moral choice but because he owed Kitster for what he has done decades ago. He has committed many crimes, and he should lend as much curing to the galaxy as he possibly can. Just because he has messed up the timeline that he has known officially doesn't mean he shouldn't lend assistance whenever others need it.
He turns around and walks off to a shop, receiving raised eyebrows for that, before returning with a bag.
"These are five thousand credits with the added bonus of two thousand," Vader replies, throwing the bag towards Kitster, which he catches.
"Five thousand credits! Thank you! Thank you!" Kitster exclaims.
"Thanks, Vader. Hopefully you would be able to get him off his feet shortly." Anakin continues.
"Well, see you, Ani. As soon as the next flight comes, I'm getting the hell out of here." Kitster replies, walking off, prepared to live a new life full of light and peace.
Vader smiles. Hopefully, the Force would protect that one like a blanket. He has a natural instinct it would, but he hopes Kitster would be gone before the inevitable war breaks out on Tatooine.
"What is going on? Should you gentlemen be at Jabba's palace yet?" The woman of them all inquiries over the comlink.
Anakin answers it. "We are getting there, mom. We ran into Kitster."
"Oh?"
"We helped him out," Anakin replies.
Shmi is silent for a moment. "Well, I hope him well, but we have the bombs prepared. Qui-Gon helped me in planting them."
"Good," Vader takes over. "We shall be heading there immediately. Activate it when you hear my signal."
And the com drops.
Slavery has already been abolished by the Republic. The difference is that the Empire actually enforced the laws that they have established, a weakness that made Vader realize that any hope of a strong Republic instead of a sane Empire dying in his thoughts.
Back when the galaxy was in Jedi and Republic's control, planets like Tatooine were completely beyond the Republic's influence. Beyond the flagrant transgression of the Republic's anti-slavery laws, the Republic's currency is not accepted, implying that the galactic economy is in shambles - Republic credits aren't even worth stealing. Not only is there no official republic presence here like a console, but there also aren't even any people in those spaces sympathetic to the slaves, even though they could be able to do something. The Jedi do nothing to rectify this situation, either in the moment or afterward.
And it's not just Tatooine. When the Trade Federation invade Naboo, they send the people to camps for "processing." This isn't some rhetorical exaggeration, the people of Naboo were being mass murdered in death camps while the Republic does nothing. The Jedi don't even do anything, they simply allow the two Jedi already assigned to continue to defend Padmé when she chooses to go back and liberate her planet. Afterwards, Sidious gives the order to ethnically cleanse the Gungans as well so they have a reason to assist her.
In Vader's timeline, after Nute Gunray was stopped mid-genocide and brought before the Senate for trial, he goes unpunished. They don't even limit the trade federation's ability to make droid armies. Instead, a bunch of corporations decides to just secede from the Republic, and the central government spends its time debating not whether to use military force. Of course, when war does break out and the Republic mysteriously has a massive army, there is no investigation into how a galactic-scale military could be made without the oversight or even the knowledge of the government.
The Republic people are fools. The people are all too quick to hand over power to the Supreme Chancellor. Democracy dies to thunderous applause. People are happy the Republic has fallen, and a new totalitarian state has arisen because life was objectively terrible under the impotent Republic. The whole point is this new regime has the strength to prevent slavery, it has the strength to maintain a functioning economy, it has the strength to prevent genocide, it has the strength to hold the galaxy together. The Empire can ensure a safe and secure society if and only if the people give up their freedom.
However, despite its much potential, under the control of the Galactic Empire, things were even worse. The Empire is an awful place to live because its people lack individual freedom. Citizens of the Empire aren't secure in their possessions and property. They can't go where they want without being stopped by Imperial forces.
Always did Vader frowned in disgust when Jabba has a slave girl in his palace. Jabba is of course the kingpin of a massive crime empire. Just because it's happening in Jabba's palace does not mean it's legal; in fact, the context should generally imply the opposite. When Jabba has Luke and his allies all captured, he doesn't give Vader a ring to receive a handsome kickback, he's not in cahoots with the Empire, his little palace on this desert backwater is one of the last places in the galaxy where the Empire was not actively exerting its influence.
The Republic would not bend its policies and procedures to right obvious wrongs. The Empire fixed the big problems with an ends-justify-the-means attitude. Both systems are flawed as they are both indifferent to the individual and care little about systems that are not as high authority as they are.
The Republic hardly has any qualities that are decent aside from democracy, but the Empire has many qualities that have been swiped under the rug and ignored by those who are naive enough to believe the Republic had any shred of honor. Granted, while the Empire hardly have any virtuous advantages over the New Republic, there were still examples that were decent suffice to say.
One definite thing was that it provided security to all, however forceful that was. Its Stormtrooper Corps was occasionally corrupt, but under adequate leadership, it enforced Imperial law effectively. At the end of the Clone Wars, the Empire seized all private corporations, whether formerly Separatist or Republic, and integrated them into the Imperial war machine. This expanded the galactic economy, eliminated a powerful and dominant private sector, and increased the number of jobs.
The pressing need to "rule through fear," as exemplified by the Tarkin Doctrine, pushed technology forward and thus catalyzed important developments. The most infamous of these would, regrettably, be the two Death Stars, which broke borders with their super lasers.
But times have changed...
Now, that galaxy is all but extinct with a new one left at their fingertips, namely under the fingertips of Vader and the other Force Users that would come to understand the true side of the Force like Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Threepio is flanking from behind, the droid now prepared to show his potential and upgrades that have been programmed into him as of late. Whereas Qui-Gon understood why they are doing this, he was not willing to participate in their plans to exterminate the slavers so he reduced himself to the Falcon where he would be waiting for them.
The iron main gate of Jabba's palace scrapes opens harshly, oiled only with sand and time. A single, winding dirt-swept road curves up into the crook of a rocky canyon, leading to a lone structure in the desert wastes beyond the Dune Sea of Tatooine. Here stands the palace of Jabba the Hutt, an immense curving building of sandblasted metal and pitted stone. Inside, the dregs of the galaxy congregated to do all manner of illicit business, to curry favor with the grotesque crime lord, or to avoid his fickle wrath. Jabba reclines atop a stone dais within the throne room of his palace, a bustling chamber that overlooked a secret pit that contained his favorite beast, the vicious rancor monster.
Resolutely, the three Force Users stride into the arching hallway, scanning the building. Unsurprisingly, it is as despicable as during the time of the Empire.
"Threepio, set the bombs," Vader commands.
"Yes, sir."
Vader knows that he would have to be careful when concerning Jabba the Hutt especially since, while he is easily underestimated as a mere slug who could be easily disposed of, the Hutts are smarter than what any gives them credit for, Jabba included. That's the thing with Hutts. Everyone sees a giant, fat, slug monster and underestimates them. Hutts are far stronger and faster than most people give them credit for, with skin tough enough that you need a heavy blaster to ensure you get him. And for the most part, they are smart. Well as smart as any other species. Vader knows there are idiots among the Hutts as well, but if they are capable enough to rise to the top of a criminal Empire one can bet they are smart. Hutt society is so cutthroat that to survive one has to be cunning.
Showing how powerful Jabba the Hutt is despite how easily crushed like a bug he and others would be by the Force itself, two Gamorreans steps up, blocking their paths. One speaks in a voice that did not invite debate.
"No chuba!"
Vader raises his hand and points at the guards. Before either can react, they are both clutching their own throats, choking and gasping for dear life, but receiving no mercy as he refuses to lower his hand and walks on. The guards fall to the ground simultaneously, reaching up desperately to release the hold the Force User placed among them. They can't break free as they yelp one last time before their necks simultaneously snap.
Around the next corner, Vader is met by Bib Fortuna. Fortuna begins speaking as he approaches the Force Users and Droid, but neither never breaks stride, so Fortuna has to reverse his direction in mid-sentence and hurry along with them to carry on conversation.
"Joobah bu Hutt, Jee-jee sajo at eesgoo." "(Jabba The Hutt, we meet at last.)" At the commanding tone of his voice, all the music stops, the smirk on Jabba's lips at seeing a teenager little more than a child dancing fading. She looks fairly similar to Padmé, Leia, and the ladies. Images insult him where a lot of ladies who he cares about are being thrown around like a slut and being molested, causing a sudden overprotective fury within him to clench his right hand up into a fist to the point where the light inside the room nearly dimmed.
"Whooh uba?" "(Who are you?)"
"Someone whooh widd put end uta-sha miseroole existence." "(Someone who will put an end to your miserable existence.)"
Jabba roars a threatening laugh before hitting the lever, and that is the moment the Force itself ripples, as the ground below the young woman vanishes in a singular moment, sending her onto the floor helplessly, crying out helplessly as she lands among the Rancor who have been waiting for another feast to devour.
Vader's eyes can only go wide with the fact that Jabba the Hutt would dare to threaten another life, in front of him no less. Of course he would be this foolish, for this isn't the Empire's Enforcer he is encountering, but just another Force User who has just threatened him in his place of power.
Anakin Skywalker can only watch with terror. He has been silent the whole time, hoping this would be swift and without another life being left in danger, but again, he has watched as the entire galaxy appears to come crashing down among him like it did as he was a child, where in mere days, he has been on the run from the very beings he was hoping for years to be.
"No!"
All turn to the voice of the young man, seeing his cerulean eyes becoming wide with absolute terror, before at last, the Force itself surges from around him, a trembling difference of emotions of all types.
When Skywalker at last roars not a desperate cry for the poor woman who has become a victim but a haunting promise of vengeance, many within the throne room shiver, freezing in their spot. The boy-the one who has been the slave boy of Tatooine-at last breaks free of his chains. He isn't any longer fearful of what would happen should he break and at last unleash his rage on all around him.
They are the ones who are responsible for all that happened in Skywalker in his life and they would now be the ones running and hiding while the former slave boy is the one hunting them down like the animals that they are, showing little to no mercy until they are all dead.
Skywalker breaks.
He breaks far earlier than Vader has done in his timeline, his disgust with all of the recent events coming to light. Vader has long since accepted Skywalker falling as a possible consequence especially since the Force has willed it that he must encounter the dark side at some point in his life, no matter who was his trainer or how his destiny is morphed.
Vader didn't wish to see himself falling again, to be the production of his own fall, and to possibly cause him to become nothing but a beast like Sidious caused him to be during the ascension of the Empire and the fall of the Jedi and the Republic.
No.
No matter how far his younger self falls to the temptation of the dark side, Vader would be there to ground him, would be there to assist him, and lead him to a path full of happiness that if not himself then his younger self deserves. Whatever path Anakin Skywalker follows, unlike the Jedi who haven't been supportive enough for Skywalker and unlike the Sith who would only cause him to become a raving madman, Vader shall follow that path down with him and assure he is not led astray, and he shall assure he would have that anchor who he would be able to turn to when he desperately requires it.
Anakin's lightsaber hisses to life as he dashes forward faster than all sans Vader can blink, landing on the Hutt's throne before the Hutt or anyone in the room would be able to contain the boy and decapitating him into pieces, his arms flying clear off along with his tail before following up with his head. Even after he is long dead, Skywalker continues to hack away at his body, wanting to make certain that his body is nothing but a burning corpse when he is through.
Sensing the woman is still alive below, Vader reaches his hand out with the Force, focusing it onto her and bringing her up to the palace once more, her landing safely but clearly shaken at the reality that she was near death. Even with the woman evidently alive, Anakin Skywalker is still not giving a hoot as he continues his merciless strikes, slicing what is left of his body in pieces after pieces.
The once proud Jabba the Hutt is dead.
A throne that has been an anchor of power for the Hutt has been a burial for him, murdered by a former slave who many would think of as just a boy.
Silence passes through the palace at that singular moment, shocked at the death of such a powerful ruler being brought down in such a brutal manner by someone, someone who appears entirely remorseless for what he has done and wants more, his sanity appears to finally crack as the dark side howls in glee.
"You made a big mistake, Jedi."
Bib Fortuna, now in front of all the other bodyguards, mercenaries, and slavers, does not raise his blaster but glares at them, hitting his comlink. Vader can sense it before Anakin and Kenobi, his eyes widening as he realizes what is about to happen.
"STAND DOWN!" Vader bellows, pulling Skywalker and Kenobi back to his direction.
The consequence of what happens is immediate. Explosion vibrates from other corridors, screams hitting each of their eardrums, and the Force flares about. The execution of slaves whose lives were cut short as their implanted bombs detonate, causing bones to fly in every direction, bodies who belonged to people who could never be able to live the lives they all deserved now never being deserved.
Vader tilts his head slightly at the majordomo, the cause of so many ends, his cerulean eyes slowly transferring golden. The Twi'lek shrills out in agony as the red current from Vader pierces his heart. The muscle drains from his body, flooding Vader effortlessly. In the blink of an eye, the Twi'lek become nothing short of skin, cloth, and bone.
The participants of all species raise their blasters in their direction, falling into a battle position, as Vader simply arches an eyebrow at their direction. Blast doors slams across every exit. The control panel explodes in a shower of sparking wires, activating and frying through those who were unlucky enough to be by them, causing them to let out painful screams and collapse onto the floor.
This provokes all within the palace to open fire at the Force Users. Skywalker, still standing above the throne where one of the most powerful Hutts once resided, sends all of the bolts swerving to the side with only a mind's thought. Vader and Obi-Wan draw their lightsabers, activate them, and begin parrying blaster shots back at the bounty hunters, their deflected bolts hitting their heads, stomachs, and thighs. Litters of bounty hunters and mercenaries collapse to the ground almost instantly.
Within the headquarters of Jabba the Hutt they are dozens of combat droids There are armed and armored guards. There are automated defense systems.
None of them can penetrate past any of their defenses.
Those - both organics and not - with melee weapons are fighting forcibly. Vader and Skywalker are already hacking at them and showing no signs of holding back, slicing them into pieces and proving to be in perfect sync in terms of aggression, and pure raw power within their strikes.
The ones that fire at them finds their attention drawn to Obi-Wan. He is dealing with them fairly easily, batting away each of the blaster shots, or reflecting them back in their direction. Obi-Wan throws up tables and stools in front of him before blasting them at the droids, guillotining them along with his lightsaber singing in the air to them, decapitating them almost as if they are all to one.
Anakin swerves through a group of organics grasping their swords and blasters, chopping them in half in one swift succession before blasting a hand outward towards others who attempt to reinforce their duelist comrades when their throats are gripped by Vader, allowing Skywalker to send a blast of lightning which fries them into ashes. The dark side roars from within him and it allows him to send a course of power through the palace, causing many to grip their heads.
Vader intensifies the power within his younger self, having to admit feeling pride at what Skywalker's power has become despite his sanity still needing to be left in check, allowing his presence which is the dragon of the dark side to also crash and making intercourse with that of his younger self. Few had to collapse over due to the combined power of the Chosen Ones, and those who managed to remain standing are visibly disoriented missing their shots and hitting random areas of the palace. There is even one who shot his buddy unintentionally.
And then both are moving once more...
A young woman who has managed to evade the Force attack is firing from the corner, slowly backing up more and more. Her shots seem to quicken in pace after each successive step, but none of them found their mark. Vader and Anakin move past the metal grate in the center of the room, up the two simple steps that bring them onto her platform, and face to face with the bounty hunter. She raises her pistol straight to the oncoming juggernauts only to find that the weapon runs dry of bolts, and with one blow from Vader, the guns are destroyed. Her purple eyes widen in overwhelming fear as her brain comes to the swift conclusion that her luck just ran out. Skywalker raises his lightsaber and brings it down on her neck, slicing her throat in half before kicking her corpse across the ground.
As Obi-Wan is distracted by the droids whom he is still dealing with, several bounty hunters fire on him, but the former Jedi Padawan elevates his hand, and the blaster fire halts in mid-air before his hand tightens up and snaps their throats seconds later in an impressive demonstration of power, moving with such menace. What once has been full of overconfidence in the chambers is now replaced by horror as the Force Users are decimating every single bounty hunter inside of the room.
Vader and Skywalker completely immerse themselves in the dark side of the Force as one, both of their eyes burning a Sith golden.
Both of their head spins around to see the Cerean lead the other six bounty hunters, all leveling their weapons for one final volley.
With a satisfied smirk that appears to pass through the two Chosen Ones, leveling those others who will soon become their victims with mad stares. Some bounty hunters begin decimating onto the ground, their eyes popping out of their sockets before their heads begin growing enlarged as if they are grenades ready to pop before they squeeze, and their screams are shut short, evaporating into little dust of sand.
Like on his elimination of the Separatists on Mustafar, there are screams, and tears, and pleas for mercy all battering against Vader's senses. And like on Mustafar, none of them matters. The Force Users have come for vengeance from these pathetic individuals who fool themselves into believing they are dangerous.
A female Weequay scramble 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 her neck coming from Vader, causing a scar to form and making her grunt and gasp, trembling onto the ground. The lightsaber cut into and out from her skull, and her corpse sways. A negligent flip of the wrist from Skywalker slashes through her column of neck rings. Her brain-impaled head tumbles to the floor.
"Obi-Wan, remain out here and secure the woman," Vader orders sharply. Anakin notices how his mentor called her a woman, not a slave. Even when touching the dark side, he still isn't coldly disregarding the lives of others and shows capabilities of caring.
Obi-Wan nods and reaches down to the young woman, clearly suggesting peace suggestions through the Force which appears to work given how she calmed down and buries her head into his chest.
The only sound, then, is a panicky stutter of footfalls as Gamorreans along a hallway toward a nearby room along with bounty hunters in an attempt to hide and catch them off-guard.
The Force Users are in no hurry to pursue. All the exits from Jabba's palace are blast-shielded, they are sealed, and they have destroyed the controls beyond repair. The only one who could leave the palace is them and those who they decide will be able to leave.
The palace is a dead end and they would eventually follow the fate of the fallen.
Both Vader and Anakin leave nothing living behind when they walk from the main room of the palace. Casually, carelessly, they stroll along the hallway, scoring the durasteel wall with the tip of their lightsabers, enjoying the smell of disintegrating metal as both savors the smoke of charred slavers who have at last meet their makers.
The conference room is walled with transparisteel. The dead corpses left a smell across the room.
A human bounty hunter trips over a stool as he stumbles back, aiming his pistol at Anakin and Vader, and manages to fire once when the former simply grasps his blaster and pulls it to him. He falls to the floor, shaking like a grub in a frying pan, trying to scrabble beneath the table.
How pathetic.
Vader has little care for any pleads and simply swings at the bounty hunter's head, chopping his head off with a mere swing.
One Gamorrean attempt to lunge forward after Vader, preparing to decapitate the former Sith Lord's head off. Lightning extends from Vader's hand and crashes into the guard who begins screeching in agony before he is blasted against the wall and crashed onto the ground, disintegrated to an untimely demise. The other Gamorrean dashes forward and send a few strikes, but Skywalker blocks each of those assaults before impaling him clean through the brain.
To anyone else, it would have been sickening, and if Vader 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 is beyond broken at this point, and he allows himself to savor the moment as he begins moving, seeing some of the bounty hunters aiming their guns and rifles at him and knowing his younger self can take care of himself...
The devaronian bounty hunter gasps as Anakin's golden eyes lock onto his, frightened for the first time in his life. He raises his twin blasters and fires at him, to the point where only smoke is clouding him, but all of the bolts are reflected him without effort.
Alongside him, bounty hunters are letting loose. Suddenly, each of their guns falls 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 stare at the monsters that flames around them only intensify the intimidation.
Both outstretch their hands at the flames and, in a second, some sort of shield emerges around them while the flames appear to pass through them to the bounty hunters, causing them to begin screaming in agony, their shouts echoing through the palace as the flames burn them alive and cause them to collapse onto the ground, yelling and screaming, some rolling on the floor to attempt to take the fire off of them. Each is charred and toasted, black smoke emanating from their bodies to the point where their bones are sticking out, their bones black and nearly disintegrated.
Two bounty hunters, one a Twi'lek and another human, are on the ground, limping as they are cooked nearly alive. The Force Users walk past their bodies. It is of no importance. They will soon be dead anyway.
Reinforcements come from the hanger and begin blasting at him. Skywalker's eyes flash golden as he raises 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 lightsaber over his head, cutting off her shoulder along with her head.
Meanwhile, Vader hacks away at the others, decapitating them and leaving them lifeless in under mere seconds. The mercenaries immediately come inside of the palace and aim their guns at the former Sith Lord, causing him to merely raise his eyebrows and they turn their guns on themselves, firing at themselves without so much of a hesitation, their last expression being horror.
Guns are aimed at his back by the remaining bounty hunters - those who probably have been at the bottom of the palace - who take protection behind each other while also keeping the fiercest glare they possibly could at the former Dark Lord.
Seconds later, Vader reaches out a hand and each of the guns is lifted from all, him watching before he begins hacking away at the now rendered defenseless bounty hunters, assuring none of them would be able to leave this place alive.
Only 9 bounty hunters remain when there were over hundreds at one point, all struck down by Vader and Anakin Skywalker.
The fear in the other's eyes pleases both of them deeply. Only now, in the end, do they truly understand what it was like to stare death in the face and succumb to its unwilling might. Paralysis overcomes the bounty hunters who have clearly never encountered a Force User. Vader is not a normal Jedi nor Sith, he is someone... someone who is far more dangerous... and so are the Force Users flanking him.
Carelessly, Vader throws his crimson lightsaber at the cowering beings, hearing none of their final sounds as they are cleaved in two in different manners; a few by heads decapitation, and others by midsections up.
"Come," Vader says, sensing Skywalker lusting for more death as the dark side fuels through him, planting a hand on his shoulder which fills him with the lightness that has been removed the moment he murdered Jabba. "There are still those who are alive. They need us. Calm yourself and remember that we would have those in the city that we would have to deal with."
Skywalker appears halted in place before he nods, slowly calling off his connection with Vader and gaining control. He feels no remorse but rather a dark sense of glee.
Vader, Anakin, and Obi-Wan walk downstairs, not at all surprised at the dead bodies belonging to the slaves. Even Vader has to admit to feeling disgusted as he is surrounded by other carnages of dead bodies, and what's worst is the fact that most of the dead are nothing but little more than children, their young life that could have been freed being cut short barbarously.
To think, in the future timeline, they were alive but were most likely slaves of Jabba and the other participants within the palace. What could be argued as the cruelest fate is a debate for a later date, but Vader knows that there is still a chance for the slaves in the city to be saved before they follow down a similar path and are met with predictably tragic results.
Years ago, Vader remembers when he was Anakin Skywalker, mowing down the children of the Jedi Temple, and other children in other pure genocides which he had no conflict in committing. These young lives, while were not murdered by him, would always be on his hands.
The carnage of bodies has been a massacre, and to think, the Republic could have saved these slaves if they did something. If they wished to stop the Hutts and save others from future treatment, they could have, however, they are too ineffective and incompetent to do anything such as that.