AN: I don't own Star Wars or Kuroinu
Warning, this chapter will contain strong language, mentions of rape, and descriptions of gore!
Reader's discretion is advised!
Chapter 3
Introduction In The Kingdom
Cheers were heard loudly.
Drinks were being severed to rowdy crowds.
There was no stopping these ruffians.
In an unnamed tavern, located near the spider's nest, there was a dark-skinned woman with long ears who appeared to be in her twenties, serving drinks to guests and customers who would visit the bar frequently.
She's what you called an example of beauty, one with skin so pure and looks that never die. She wore a dark purple sarong, along with a top, covering her bust and physique.
This is Grace Campbell, a dark elf, one of the rarest species in the land of Eostia. She began working at several taverns and bars to help pay rent at her friend's cottage.
Despite her efforts to keep the positive attitude and demeanor she established in her work environment, Grace couldn't help but have a nagging feeling in her mind.
What would happen if she got caught in the war? Would her life be any different than how it is today?
She knew Feoh and Ur were conquered by those mercenaries. The same mercenaries she thought were the chosen warriors of this nation and were affiliated with the Goddess and the Seven Shield.
Now, they were demons who were on the brink of bringing chaos and unwanted debauchery to each of the villages in different parts of the kingdoms.
It honestly brought sorrow to her feelings for all the poor innocent civilians who were residents of those areas.
There were rumors that either Rad or Ansur would be the next kingdoms to fall and she was scared of what would happen to her and her friends, let alone her husband.
After the war began in a month or so, she traveled to an unknown region, close to where the Spider's Nest was, hiding in a refuge.
It was how she met her husband, Hugh in the first place. The only good thing that she had for the past years.
Before the war began, she lived with her husband in a peaceful village set in Bellmare. Despite their different races, the two found love in each other and gladly accepted to spend the rest of their lives together.
Her husband, of course, accepted her for who she was and loved her without a care in the world.
Grace smiled at that memory. The face of her precious husband always brightens her day and she wouldn't know what to do if something terrible happens to him.
"Hey, can I get a refill over here?!" A man with dark hair shouted with an empty glass.
Grace's ears picked up on the man's voice. "I'll be there in a second," Grace spoke out loud with a polite tone, serving a drink to a bearded man.
Grace walked over, grabbed a tray of empty mugs, and placed them on a counter to wash later. She filled another mug filled with ale and placed the drink gently on the table where the bearded man sat.
"Thanks, pretty lady." The dark-haired man took the drink placed in front of him and proceeded to give a wink to the dark-skinned woman.
Grace hesitantly laughed nervously, taking the empty mug from the table. As she was beginning to leave, the man called her out to ask a question.
"You… got a boyfriend?" The man asked curiously.
Grace stood silent, beginning to blush at the man's question. She responded to the man with an honest answer. "Well, in a way, yes. I'm… married." Grace confessed, noticing the change in the man's expression.
The man felt stumped after asking that question.
"I see…" The dark-haired man spoke, taking a sip of his served beverage.
After an awkward amount of silence, Grace gave the man a forced smile and retreated to her position, appearing to be glad to avoid an uncomfortable conversation with one of the patrons here.
Yep, she constantly had to deal with those kinds of customers every day.
Soon, after the dark elf finished serving the customers, she proceeded to clean all the tables and collect all of the empty mugs in a tray, washing them with the rag in her hands.
Grace told the owner to have a good night, and he replied the same words as well. Grace soon left the tavern and began to make her way home to where her good friend and her husband lived.
Arriving at a small cottage-like home, Grace was relieved to be home after dealing with the hassle of work.
Using a small key, she opens the door and enters the house, finally taking a breather for a relaxed afternoon.
There, who stood in the doorway was a pointed-eared woman with blue eyes and had blonde-hair, tied into a bun and a white blouse, covering her bust and wearing a green dress.
This is Anna Florence, a light elf and a close friend to Grace for many years together. Anna and her husband by the name of Ian have been allowing the dark elf to stay here in the cottage to have a place to stay for the night.
"Grace! It's good to see you again. How has work been so far?" Anna asked with good intentions, hugging the dark elf in return.
"It was… alright. Got busy a few times but slowed down once the owner decided to close the tavern. A few customers have asked me if I was in a relationship.
"And what did you say?" Anna asked with curious intent.
"And I said yes, to make it easier for myself." Grace finished her sentence with a smug look.
Anna chuckled a bit after hearing that response. "If only Hugh were there to see that, he would have torn that guy a new one."
Grace displayed a small smile, remembering how overprotective her husband can be sometimes. She wondered if he was okay during the war across the land.
That made Grace recollect something. "Oh yeah, that reminds me, where's Ian by the way?" Grace asked her friend.
"Oh, Ian. He's out chopping trees. He said he'd be back around noon."
Grace nodded in response, understanding that her friend's husband can be busy, supporting her in her home.
She did wonder where her husband was. She hoped he was okay.
One thing that Grace admired about him is that he always put himself over her anytime and wouldn't back down from a fight when forced to defend her honor.
But the one thing to fear about him is that trouble always comes to look for him and it's not pretty at best times.
Not urging to ponder into her thoughts, the dark-elf began to make tea for herself and hume a happy tune to herself.
After a hard day's work, it was time to have some peace and serenity to herself with a nice cup of tea after all.
Elsewhere on the outskirts of the land, Vader began to walk quietly through the woods after leaving Ledian.
The former apprentice of Sidious had been walking through the woods for hours,
The trip to where the kingdom called Feoh was met with a bit of a mixed bag. Supposedly, Vader learned more about the history behind its nation.
Feoh, the city where the invasion began where a proud nation once stood became a brothel for those scumbags, ridding the serenity and harmony that the kingdom once had before madness came.
The women here were just slaves and concubines, just sorts of playthings to these bastards. Vader's mind grew more in anger, remembering the memories of the mercenaries he massacred not too long ago.
These were not warriors of honor, let alone soldiers of a proud nation, these were tyrants.
Women were broken here.
Husbands were murdered in front of their wives.
Families were suffering due to the selfish goals of vile invertebrates.
No redeeming qualities whatsoever.
That's all that this world offers to Vader, a blooming terror.
The fact that these were the chosen heroes of the land left Vader flabbergasted, recollecting the rulers of the seven kingdoms, assigning them to bring back a wanted criminal to their domain.
Unbelievable. Did these rulers not do any background checks on their troops? Were they as incompetent as Vader could make it out to be?
What did surprise Vader was that there was no sort of rebellion or army to combat these dogs in the city, considering there were the rebels who were against the Empire from his original world.
This was coming from a man who influenced the Galaxy to fear his presence and be the face of Sidious's most powerful apprentice.
But it was one he would own up to. It was time for both his light and dark side to come together to help increase the dormant power of the Force and play the role of the plague that will purge the animals here.
The former Sith Apprentice was prepared to travel on foot, thankfully without the limitations of the suit to slow him down.
No more having to deal with the scorning pain anymore that irritated his skin.
The breathing coming from his mask interrupts the peaceful chirping of birds, creating a gloomy atmosphere around him.
Vader was in a bit of a hurry, knowing he would do whatever it takes to end another war in a swift conclusion.
That was the plan after all. To think that there might be an Empire worse than his former master's one.
While walking, Vader encountered more of those loathsome orge-like creatures, bringing an end to their lives with a couple of Force chokes and one courteous slash from his lightsaber.
Before killing the last creature, Vader used another one of his mind tricks to gain further information about the whereabouts of the closest domain near him.
Thankfully, this brute who lacked a brain did spill where the kingdom was located. It wasn't that far from where he stood.
After being no use to him anymore, Vader twisted the brute's neck as a loud cracking sound was heard, causing a ruckus in the dark forest.
No more would he spare anything that got in his way. He couldn't wait to test more on his further capabilities to the Force. Looks like the teachings of Sidious haven't abandoned him after all.
He was Palpatine's greatest creation and worst foe at the same time.
As the dark Force user continued to stroll in his path, the Force was alerting him of a nearby presence.
"BACK! BACK YOU ANIMALS!" A man shouted, swinging his sword against a couple of orcs.
"Come on. Tell us where that bitch is and we will spare your life!"
"Never! She and my wife are not your property!"
Vader quickly traversed to where the sounds were coming from. He could spot a light-brown-haired man wearing a red headband, carrying a weapon with him, swinging it against his enemies. There were three other figures, two were those ogre-like creatures and one of them was a humanoid man with dark hair, wearing the same armor as those bounty hunters Vader had slain not too long ago.
Vader took out his lightsaber in case things were about to go south for this man.
Or better yet, see what else the Force has offered him in terms of his raw power.
"Heh. Too bad. I was hoping we could compromise something but it seems I gotta do this the hard way."
A fourth orc slowly crept up behind the man, quickly pinning him down with its brute strength, nearly crushing the man's rib cage.
"Last chance. Where's the dark elf and her companion?"
In a heated glare, the brown-haired man spits in the mercenary's face, as he gives him a face filled with malice.
"Go… to hell!"
The mercenary slowly touched his face, wiping the spit off.
"Well, guys, you know what to do. Kill this fucker… nice and slowly."
Before any action could take a course, a chilling voice could be heard, the atmosphere changing into a cold one.
Each of the mercenaries was beginning to get chills, shuddering at the weather.
"Ah, why the hell did it get so cold out of a sudden?!"
"Khooh Phuur."
The mercenary and the orcs turned to face a bizarre sight. A shadow being covered by darkness. At that moment, two of the orcs who were pinning the brown-haired man on the ground began to clutch their necks, choking themselves as the sound of a bone cracking could be heard across from where they stood.
"What the fuck?!" The mercenary exclaimed, noticing the orcs lay dead on the ground.
As the mercenary swore out loud, their breathing grew louder, his fear was growing high as well.
Turning to face where the breathing came from, it was the last thing he would see as a gloved hand took hold of his neck, roughly clenching it around him.
"Arghh!" The mercenary began to choke aggressively, noticing Vader grabbing his neck as he began to slowly tap his arm, not breaking his grip away from him.
"Who… Who are... you?!" The mercenary questioned, fearing for his life.
"Death."
And with that, the man's neck was crushed, a bone popping through the right side of his neck, causing the nerve in the mercenary's body to lose feeling and nothing but a quick pain for his well-deserved demise.
Just like that, Vader proved that Palpatine's teachings haven't abandoned him… at the moment.
Vader slowly turned his head to face the brown-haired man, quickly grabbing his weapon and pointing it at Vader.
"Wh…W…Who are you?! You're not… with the Black Dogs are you?!" The light-brown man demanded, raising his weapon in fear.
Vader resisted the urge to scoff at that thought. He had just saved this man from these mercenaries and now was being questioned if he was affiliated with them.
"No. The only side I belong to is my own."
The brown-haired man raised a brow, before calming down. "I see… But how do I know you're not lying to me, just to get me to drop my guard down." The brown-haired man said, not lowering his weapon.
"As I stated before, if I were affiliated with these… animals, didn't you think I would have abandoned you to fend for yourself." Vader assumed, lending his right hand to the brown-haired man with the red headband.
"Right… Who are you by the way?" The brown-haired man questioned with skepticism, taking the masked man's hand, recovering from the attacks.
"You may call me… Vader." The former Sith apprentice introduces himself.
"Hugh. Call me Hugh." The brown-haired man introduces himself. "Are you with the… Seven Shield perhaps?"
"No. I am not." Vader spoke simply.
"Oh, I see. Well, thanks for saving me… These bastards had it coming." Hugh said with a venomous tone.
"It was no issue whatsoever. As you stated just now, these piles of dregs had their fate set on them once they encountered a real challenge upon them." Vader referring to the dead mercenaries.
Hugh chuckled a bit after hearing those words. "Yeah, you speak the truth. After what they've done to this country, there's no redeeming qualities from them. It's only a matter of time before they conquer the rest of the kingdoms, with no one coming to save them after all."
"Very well. Speaking of subjects of abandonment, you seem to be quite familiar with the area near this land." Vader spoke one's mind.
"Yeah, what… about it?" Hugh inquired.
"The nearest kingdom around here. Feoh, I seem to recall the name of it."
Hugh appeared shocked at the dark-masked man's words. "Feoh! Do you mean the kingdom that's been captured by those sons of bitches?! You want to go there?!"
"Yes." Vader simply responded.
"What… do you even plan to do there? It's a shithole, filled with scum, and the poor women there are just playthings to these bastards. Do you plan to fight back against them?"
"Yes, that's why I am inquiring about a guide there. When I first arrived in this land, the first thing I noticed was a threat that presented with nothing but disgust around my whereabouts."
"Where did you… even come from, stranger?" Hugh asked about the man's mystery.
"Someplace far, far away from here," Vader told half of the truth to the man wearing the red headband.
If it's one thing Vader will keep to himself, minus his identity, it was the more advanced world he came from instead of this backwater planet or wherever the Force sent him.
Another time, another day for that.
For now, he would keep a low-profile, especially since he hasn't found allies he could trust at the moment. Not that he need any at this time and day.
"Listen, buddy, I'd appreciate what you're trying to do but those… bastards have an army."
"An army is what you're telling me. What good is an army when they're not capable of hiring soldiers who are worthy of keeping a limb or two."
Hugh stood pale, beginning to sweat at the man's tone of voice. Hugh looked up at the sky and noticed the hour of twilight had arrived.
Shit. his wife was going to kill him.
"Look, it's getting late. I'm gonna be honest with you… I don't trust you… your broody appearance doesn't help you in this case… but you did save my life… and because of that, it gives me another chance to see my wife's face again. I have a small cottage located near this forest. You can spend the night just for today." Hugh said. "Just hope Grace and Anna are okay with it."
Vader knew he couldn't rest. Innocent people were at loss but maybe this man… can help him with the directions.
Maybe he knew something that Vader didn't. Vader could use a mind trick to help with his goals but felt conflicted about his choice. After what this man has been through, Vader shall wait another time to use this ability right shortly.
"Very well. Afterward, any information you have for me will be put in good aid."
"Yeah… I promise." Hugh spoke.
Vader soon accompanied the wanderer in the forest and began to walk back to the cottage. He hoped nothing would be delayed because a nation needed his help.
Plus, his dark side was craving more battle, a good excuse to put more of his unused skills for the perfect test dummies.
The former Sith Lord smiled to himself, walking into the distance where dusk lay.
Meanwhile, in the cottage, Grace has gotten up out of bed to check if her husband has arrived yet.
That's weird, normally, her husband arrives around before dusk arrives.
Anna's husband, Ian arrived around one hour after Grace had gotten home from her job, working at the tavern.
A good man. Grace can see why Anna had her heart set on him. And she was happy that the same had happened to him.
It's one of the positive things that happened during the war. She was able to meet her betrothed during these times of crisis.
Grace yawned, worrying as well when her husband was going to come home.
A loud knock was heard on the door. Finally, that'd better be Hugh. She was going to give him a piece of his mind.
"Finally, I was getting worried about you," Grace spoke, opening the door, expecting to see her husband in one piece.
Upon opening the door, Grace's expression changed from a seemingly one to a dire one.
Three orcs and four of the Black Dogs mercenaries stood at the front door.
She stood paralyzed, already dreading this situation.
In quick instinct, she used her strength to close the door, not without a huge hand, blocking the entrance.
"Awww, you weren't going to allow us. Come on, the boys and I were just discussing how elf pussy can be underrated sometimes." The main mercenary of the group questioned was a gray-haired man with a scar on the right side of his face as the chuckling from the rest of the mercenaries as their chuckling occurred background.
Grace shook her head in a frightful response and began to run, calling for her friend and husband to come to her aid.
Her right arm was grabbed by one of the brutes as Grace began to call out for her friends to hear.
"ANNA! IAN! HELP!"
Hearing all the commotion, Anna and Ian rushed to the main room in hopes of helping Grace. Ian was a dark-blonde-haired man dressed in a white shirt and dark pants sprinting with his wife in urgency.
The couple dressed in their clothes for sleep, stood in the room, horrified at a horrendous sight.
"GRACE!" Anna screamed for her friend, and tears began to stream down her eyes.
"YOU BASTARDS! LET HER GO!" Ian screamed, grabbing the axe that lay next to the fireplace.
"Hahaha! Sure, we'll let her go. After these boys are done creaming inside her, along with that other elf you got there, we'll consider it. In the meantime, why not join in on the fun after all?!"
"How dare you speak that way to my wife and her friend?! Like Hell, I'm going to commit those unspeakable actions, especially to the ones I care about!" Ian shouted, furious at these bastards assuming what kind of man he was. "You sick bastards are the reason why this war's still currently ongoing!"
"Hmph, and to think we could have worked out something. That's a shame. Boys, kill him, or better yet, hold him down and make sure to get his bitch in the process. We're going to give him one Hell of a show."
Both of the orcs rushed to the brown-haired man with their axes, hoping to pin the man off. Ian, fearing more for his wife rather than his life, told Anna to get away from her.
"ANNA! GRAB GRACE AND GET OUT OF HERE!" Ian yelled, anger in his voice. "I'll hold these bastards off!"
Anna shook her head in disagreement. "NO! I'M NOT LEAVING YOU BEHIND!"
Ian grunted in frustration. "Damn it, woman! This isn't a game! I'll take care of them! I'll get Grace out of their clutches and you guys run! If you see Hugh, alert him! Alert the rest of the villagers here!"
Ian with one swing, brought down his axe to free Grace from the orc holding her. The orc screamed in pain, letting go of the dark elf as Grace began to run into Ian's arms.
"Hurry! Get out of here!"
Grace hesitantly nodded, more tears streaming down her eyes.
"Go! I got this!"
Grace ran over to where Anna was, preparing to run through the back door of the cottage.
Anna turned her head to see Ian being grabbed into a choke hold by one of the orcs, nearly choking him to death.
Anna's eyes widened in fear. "IAN!" Anna screamed, running to her husband's aid.
Grace grabbed her friend's right hand, telling her that they had to go. Grace did feel horrible, this man was a close friend who took her into their home but he was risking his life to get them out of safety.
She didn't care what happened to herself but… she couldn't because her best friend died because of her careless mistakes.
"Anna! Come on, we need to tell the other villagers! People are going to die if we don't do something about it!" Grace reminded her friend that others were going to be in peril because of their stallings.
"NO! I'm not leaving him behind!" Anna yelled, concerned for her husband's well-being.
At that abrupt moment, two of the Black Dogs mercenaries stood behind both of the elves, covering their bodies with their shadows.
Grace and Anna turned to face both of the mercenaries, hoping to make a run for it. One of the mercenaries took Grace by the throat and began to pin her on the ground.
Anna, in fear for her friend's life, ran to free her from the man's clutches. Two arms took her from behind, grabbing her body as she began shaking and kicking, hoping to get some of her licks in to free herself to save her beloved ones.
"Let… let me go!" Anna pleaded, seeing Grace and her husband Ian, both pinned on the ground.
All of the mercenaries began laughing at the pity of this dark elf. "Hehehe! Shut up! You're gonna make me feel good right here and right now!" The mercenary smiled, pushing her body onto the table as he began to unbutton her shirt.
Ian, who had his back pinned by the orcs in armor, screams, telling those scums not to touch his wife.
Grace as well was beginning to scream for her friend, as the clothes on her body were beginning to be removed from her shirt, nearly exposing her bra.
Why? Why did this have to happen? What did she do to deserve this?
What would Hugh say about this? Would she even see him again? Those thoughts began to shed tears in her eyes.
'I'm sorry, Hugh. Please don't see me like this.' Grace mentally thought, hearing the screams of her friend and husband in the background.
Was there no hope for her?
In an instant, the environment began to get a cold feeling. A scream that didn't belong to hers and even to her husband occurred in the room.
The first thing that she noticed was blood. Blood was on the ground but it didn't belong to any of the owners of this cottage.
Instead, it was the blood of those mercenaries.
Grace's eyes widened at the realization of what just happened.
The mercenary's head was completely gone. Blown up from his body, pieces of his head scattered around the place, eyeballs rolled up on the carpet with brain matter staining the colors like a painting.
Her friend, Anna screamed at the sight behold her, causing Grace to be horrified as well.
Grace wanted to scream at the scenery but couldn't find her voice, due to one of the victims being one of the things she loathed in the world.
It was terrifying but in a way, satisfying at the same time.
A loud echo interrupted her questioning, repeating the anonymous sound over and over again as a shadow appeared with a red blade, cutting down two of the orcs that stood at the entrance.
Both of the orcs were cut in half like a tree stick being snapped.
The shadowed person with the red blade steps over the corpses of the orcs, giving Grace a better look at him.
Assuming it was a man in that attire. The shadowed individual had a black hood, along with some kind of mask, resembling a skull if Grace had to guess.
He had dark and black armor with a cape, hanging from his back.
It… It looked different from most armor she'd seen from other warriors and soldiers in Eostia. It was quite bizarre in a way.
In one word, she heard the person wearing that mask speak one word that was both reliving and chilling at the same time.
"Scum."
Disgusting brutes.
That's how the former Galactic right-hand man of Sidious would describe this predicament.
Vader with his crimson lightsaber, slain both of those orge-like monsters once more.
Everyone stood silent at the newcomer with the odd clothing, quietly walking with the mechanical breathing occurring in the background.
The mercenary holding the dark elf questioned who the hell this man was.
"Who… Who… the fuck are you?!"
The dark-masked man stood there in silence, creating an unnerving atmosphere, before responding. "The last thing you will see before you meet your departure from life."
An orc with a battle axe approached the former Sith Lord, hoping to get its licks in. How foolish his choice will be.
In a quick flash, Vader delivered a quick slash from his lightsaber, cutting the final orc's head clean off from its body.
That takes care of the animals, now the trash was left.
Two of the mercenaries with a little hesitation ran with their weapons, hoping to strike the former Sith apprentice down, knowing they wouldn't go down without a fight.
As if that were easy. Showing without the utmost care, Vader dashed ahead, blocking the attacks with his blade, and began slashing their bodies, pieces of their arms and legs were cut off, creating a rainshower of limbs.
The screams of those parasites were music to Vader's ears, encouraging the former Sith Lord not to hold back his full capabilities.
The last two of the mercenaries who were holding the elves stood in fear, questioning if they should risk their lives here.
No. This wasn't what they signed up for.
Letting go of both of the elves, they head for the backdoor, hoping to get away from this psychopath.
One of the mercenaries felt a rough tug, being pulled back, thanks to Vader using a Force pull. At that moment, Vader held his lightsaber, pointing it in the mercenary's direction as the back skull of the mercenary came in contact with the burning heat of the lightsaber. The red tip of the lightsaber poked through the socket of the mercenary's eye.
Ridding the body, Vader noticed the last mercenary was getting away, a far way distance from him.
Pftth, the coward didn't stick around to save his comrade.
Taking a hold of his lightsaber, Vader began to spin it, throwing the crimson blade like a boomerang through the window.
As the cowering mercenary continued to run the woods, safe from the masked maniac, his eyes noticed a red light coming directly at him.
In an instant, the lightsaber went through the neck of the mercenary, cutting his head clean off, and removing the last of this garbage in the former Sith apprentice's eyes.
He can now see why Palpatine loved using the dark side of the Force. It was a pathway to many abilities that some may consider unnatural. And Vader himself was no exception.
Returning from where the lighted blade came from thanks to the Force, it safely returned to Vader's hand, depleting the weapon and placing it in his holster.
Vader looked over to see all of his handiwork, all of the men and creatures he killed, memorizing the carnage he created in the cottage.
Hearing the screams of the swine bounty hunters gave Vader great satisfaction and began to put a smile on his face, behind his mask.
The last time Vader felt like this was the first time he came in contact with these creatures in this world and using his newfound power of the dark side, slaughtering these animals made Vader feel like he was in a trance. It motivated him to return to his Sith tendencies once again.
It was quite addicting and he wanted more.
A voice broke the silence.
"GRACE!"
Hugh came rushing into the cottage, ignoring the corpses laid on the ground, and began to embrace his wife.
"HUGH!"
Grace got up from the ground, and ran towards her husband, hugging him as she was happy to see her beloved once again.
The dark-blonde-haired man who was formerly pinned on the floor by those brutes stood, running towards the blonde-haired elf, giving his betrothed a hug in return.
The couple lovingly embraces each other with loving hands, quickly providing her comfort, and happily being reunited once more.
The sight begins to bring a memory back to Vader.
It was beginning to remind the fallen Jedi Knight of the times when he would see Padme, his beloved wife, always worry about his safety and put his life at risk to protect her from a tragedy.
He would remember the times when he wasn't out conquering the Galaxy or other planets, he would stop by the mausoleum.
The mausoleum, the area where his former wife lay in her final resting place. One of the few times where his Jedi self would show guilt and remorse, failing to save the one he loved.
Vader solemnly closed his eyes behind his mask, regretting he could have been a better husband and a better man to the one that gave birth to his children.
No! No more of that nonsense!
Vader mentally got a grip on himself, reminding himself this was not the place to be dejected. It was time for his hatred to come into place to show his scorn on these ruffians.
Vader turned to face both of the couples, questioning and terrified about what to ask next.
The dark-blonde-haired man asked with hesitation in his voice.
"Wh…Who are you?! How to do… you know Hugh here?!" Ian asked out of caution.
"Your acquaintance alerted me of your disturbance. I saved him and he escorted me to your home. It seems I was able to arrive at the right time."
Hugh nodded his head to confirm the answer. "It's true… I was in the forest when a couple of those mercenary bastards encountered me. They were going to kill me if I didn't tell them the location and this… man… this man saved me from them." Hugh confessed the truth to his wife.
Grace's eyes widened at her husband's story then gave a stare at the dark-masked man.
"Thank you… Thank you for saving him. Us as well too."
"It was nothing. The animals had it coming and did not deserve to be spared of their repulsive actions."
"At the same time… how will… I know you won't hurt us?" Ian assumed.
"Ian!" Anna chided her husband's choice of words. "Forgive my husband… it's just that we haven't had the best luck when it comes to meeting strangers." Anna apologized.
"Yeah, it doesn't help that you massacred those bastards not too long ago," Hugh said. "Not that they deserved it. Those assholes."
Vader appeared neutral to the couple's words. "Don't worry, I said to your acquaintance's spouse earlier, I won't harm anyone or your loved ones here. Only to the ones who dared challenge my power."
"Still… you did us both a huge favor. How can… we ever repay you?" Grace spoke out of kindness.
"Yes, you can tell me how I can get to the kingdom named Feoh."
The dark elf raised a brow at the masked man's words. "Feoh? You wanna go there?!" Grace questioned very abruptly. "Apologies for raising my voice but why would… you want to go there? It's where… the Black Dogs have taken control and captured many of the women there."
"Precisely. I wish to arrive there to free the kingdom… from its unfortunate slavery. I asked your spouse here if he knew any information that would be a good aid for my journey."
"But… It's… a long journey from here. And… you shouldn't be adventuring… on your own." Anna advised, slightly hesitant in her response, the ominous breathing in the background wasn't helping her case either.
"Yeah, my wife's right, buddy. Everyone needs help at some point in their life. Even with that… power of yours, you can't be everywhere at once." Ian spoke up, agreeing with his spouse.
"Hmmm. I suppose you are right… about that assumption. But… I'm not sure if you are comfortable witnessing death happen on the battlefield."
"Please! Let… let us aid you on your journey. It's not… like we can stay here anymore, with the Black Dogs knowing our trails." Grace acknowledged.
"Fine… but do not presume to have a say on my actions. The abilities that I possess are not for the faint of heart and are not to be taken lightly." Vader warned.
"Anyone else wants to comment on my mystery?"
Both of the couples stood silent, before nodding their heads in agreement.
"Very well, then I'll give you time to pack whatever accessories you shall require for this journey," Vader spoke, turning his attention away from the couple and heading towards the entrance of the cottage. "Also, don't forget, you're responsible for both of your spouses. Be sure to remember that."
Vader left the cottage, stepping over the corpses of the mercenaries, not caring about the mess he created on his entrance to the village.
Other villagers had gotten out of their homes to see what the commotion was. All of these townspeople noticed the dark Force user leave the Florence residence, quickly giving Vader attention.
Though he was used to people staring at him and quite didn't care for the attention both as a Jedi and Sith, it was the chatting that began to annoy him for a bit.
People began gossiping, already assuming theories about his presence and appearance.
Already exasperated with these thoughts, Vader lifted his right hand to put an end to it.
"You shall go back to where you reside and live in your homes quietly."
The villagers repeated the same words and began to walk calmly to their homes, forgetting the commotion already.
Hmmm, finally some quiet. The mind trick still had its uses after all.
"How did you do that?!" A feminine voice shouted, breaking Vader's serenity.
Grabbing the former Jedi's attention, Vader turned to see the dark-skinned elf, standing on the doorstep, curious about his means.
"Call it a parlor trick. A trick… from where I come from now."
"Listen, don't mind my friends back there… but thank you," Grace showed her gratitude once again as Vader raised a brow at the woman's words. "Thank you for saving us. It's because of you, I can live another day to see my husband's face again."
"As I told your spouse, it was no issue whatsoever. I did what I had to do. Just be glad those brutes are gone and you and your acquaintances are safe from those who wish to harm those who can't fend for themselves."
"Still… I should have the decency to thank you." Grace spoke out of her heart's content. "I do… have one question for you if you don't mind me asking."
"What is it?" Vader inquired calmly.
"Why do you… want to go… to Feoh? I remember it was because you wanted to stop the mercenaries there and free the kingdom as well but it still doesn't answer my questions… Are you trying to find something for yourself?" The dark elf questioned.
"In a way, yes, call it a self-discovery journey for… myself. A way to fight against the injustice in your land."
"I see. Then, we shall accompany you. After all, we can help you get to the kingdom quickly then."
"Hmmm, that shall be of good use to me. We better make the most of it then. Otherwise, more innocents shall fall into a refuge and no more shall suffer because of these swine."
"By the way, I didn't get your name, mister." Grace inquired about the man's name, noticing the man's stoic impression. "Excuse my manners and for not giving my introduction sooner but my name is Grace Campbell. And you are… good sir?"
"Vader. Darth Vader." The former cyborg introduced himself. "It is pleasing... to make your acquaintance. Your spouse has told me about you and your companions. It seems I was able to arrive in time before the situation could escalate further."
"Yes, Hugh seems to have a knack for mentioning me. Still, thank you, good sir, for your help. We promise we won't slow you down on your journey. You can guarantee it!" Grace promised, determination in her eyes.
"Hmph... Very well then. I look forward to what you and your acquaintances will offer in your experience of survival in this land. I hope… you are prepared for what capabilities I will show across this journey." The masked Force-user advised before turning his back to await preparation, leaving the dark elf alone to her thoughts.
'Vader… Are you perhaps the one that could end the war?' Grace thought to herself, wondering if this man was the one that could eradicate the Black Dogs and free the land from their tyranny.
The dark elf snapped out of her thoughts and quickly went back to her cottage to continue to pack the rest of her items.
Looks like she needed to move again but at least she was grateful that her loved ones were safe.
It was going to be a long trip after all.
Peace. When was the last time she had peace? In general, when was the last time this kingdom had any peace?
Despite her best efforts to wait for a new hope to arrive, she was close to breaking down.
For her, it was too late but in her kingdom, she prayed every day, again, and again as her people suffer because of her stupid decisions.
Feoh. Her kingdom has succumbed to tyranny. All the innocent civilians here were either killed, taken from their homes, or if women were forced to commit acts to perform their duties to the new country.
They were just livestock at this point. Fresh products, waiting to be used at a valuable price. That's all they were to these ruffians. Just objects for pleasure and nothing more.
A blonde-haired woman was trapped in a cage near the dungeon. Her clothes were nearly ripped off, leaving her blue skirt only as her armor and bra were removed completely.
Her purple-blueish eyes were almost lifeless, the color being drained after being a personal toy to the prime minister. A man who she thought was her ally, friend even but she couldn't be more wrong than that.
Alicia Arcturus, the former Princess Knight, and ruler of Feoh existed to be half of the shell of a warrior she originally was.
Ha! How can she be? She was just entertainment to these repulsive brutes. The Black Dogs were responsible for this mess in the first place.
Why? Why did fate curse her with a role like this? Why did she and her people have to suffer? Why couldn't she be strong enough to protect her cousin? Why… Did she lie to her?
Her people were just commoners who lived in the streets, waiting to be killed or violated if they were the opposite gender.
The nuns and priests didn't do anything wrong either. Nuns were slaves and the priests were killed due to rebelling against the mercenary company.
Where… Where was Celestine? Her Goddess. Her ruler of the entire nation. Did she forget about her? Did she… mean that little to her? Was she not worth saving?
No matter what she chose to believe in, it wouldn't break her inner cage, physically and mentally.
It was only a matter of time before she breaks completely and would be nothing more than a useless wench to these larkins.
Little did they know, a silver lining would arrive soon.
She just didn't know it yet. It would be a matter of time until she would see daylight soon in the future.
Before her mind would break completely, she would continue to endure it in hopes of seeing her cousin again.
She just wished she could have been her hero in the end and hoped that she was doing better wherever she was held captive.
Tears ran down her face as she heard footsteps getting closer to her location. No, she didn't want to deal with those pigs again! She just wanted to be free and see her people no longer suffer because of her careless actions.
Opening her eyes, she turned to face the man that has given her so much scorn in the past years.
"Ah, my dear Alicia. Are you happy to see me again?" A tender voice spoke well, sounding concerned but it had a malicious desire behind it as the shadow of a man began to cover Alicia's face her expression changed from a nervous one to a neutral one.
"Yes sir… I'm glad to see your arrival once more." Alicia lied, disgusted by the man's presence.
But for now, she would just stay and obey in hopes of saving her loved one and seeing her comrades rescue her once more.
The former Princess would be patient and wait for a miracle to arrive. During the chaos, she couldn't help but notice a nagging feeling catching on to her. She senses a dark presence, coming from afar.
Whatever it was, it both reassured but scared Alicia at the same time. And that's what terrifies her the most.
One thing that did question Alicia was would it be the savior of this land… or if would it be another bane to deal with, worse than the existence of these pigs?
It was one answer she would have waited for until she would catch sight of it with her own eyes.
AN: Hello Everyone! This was chapter two of my SW X-over!
Special thanks goes to Meraj Alimi (King 101) once again for helping me beta this chapter! Could have not done this without their help. Appreciate the support very much!
Apologies for the long wait! Been busy with school and other stories but I'm glad I was able to post this chapter for you guys!
So I've been reading in the comments lately and wow, I guess most people don't want Vader to get a pairing but that's to be expected in most fics, considering Vader's character and personality.
But hey, at least Vader getting his army in the future would be a cool addition to the story. Well… I don't want to ruin the surprise so stay tuned for that.
Also, yes, in this chapter, I introduced Grace and Anna who are from the spin-off supposedly, thanks to a couple of friends on Discord, explaining it to me. Supposedly, I heard there's a sequel to this series but probably won't delve into it for obvious reasons.
I also heard that in canon, these two had husbands but we never saw them nor heard about them so I've decided to make them a thing for this story, to make it easier for Vader to establish a better relationship with these characters.
To explain Vader's relationships in the story, yes, Vader is obviously against the Black Dogs and wants to eradicate them from existence but is not acquainted with the Seven Shields for obvious reasons as well.
Vader will be more of a morally gray character as the story progresses and will lead into more interesting dialogue with the rest of the cast when I get there of course. Let's just say Vader will have more on his plate to deal with than just creepy mercenaries and orcs.
Maybe in the future, we'll see a fitting pairing but for now, it's more refreshing to have a story on an MC who's not a self-insert harem protagonist and has an actual goal instead of trying to bone any of the women here. Mainly… Naruto fics, no hate to those stories or the authors of those said stories, I just want a new and original approach to a fic that hasn't been done much before.
I do hope this story offers something more unique for you guys, especially for a depressing series like this. And the many follows and favorites do prove that you guys enjoyed this.
With that said, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and please feel free to PM me with ideas or questions you have in the future. It's great to hear feedback as it helps the support going.
Follow me on my Discord link to Emerald Library and catch up on updates for future chapters and stories.
Speaking of that, I started to work on the second chapters of The Last Slayer and Hero's Hell and will post the third chapter of A Wizard's Second Academia soon. I will be releasing more chapters of those stories very soon! So be on the lookout for that!
I also started a Spacebattles account for my fics if you guys want to check it out, along with the Discord link, and should lead to my channel where I put the link to it.
As well, please feel free to leave a favorite, follow, and review this story and feel free to check on my other stories! It means well to me, guys!
All that being said, I hope the new year is treating you guys well and I hope to hear from you more. Stay safe, stay awesome and I will see you next time! Adios!