Chapter 19

Yet another town meeting-something that the natives of Tatooine were growing frustrated about.

Vader, too, if he was being truthful.

In front of the slug, his armed security force stood, blasters gripped into their hands.

There were also turrets and built-in guns, everywhere; a sign of upgraded security of the planet throughout the past weeks...

In front of the Hutt was a bunch of slaves.

Vader looked to his right, surprised to see Shmi with Anakin, who returned it.

Next to her, Cliegg and his family were also present, his son leaning onto his father's side.

The mighty slug who never ceased to be irritating began to speak.

"I had enough of my rule being called into question. It's time for this vigilante to be discovered."

Vader frowned, sensing the Hutt's amusement, despite the bitterness in his words. Not even he could be able to stop all these casualties without sacrifices.

One of the female humans was brought forward by Cuthus.

"I have been reluctant to do this for weeks," the Hutt continued, deceptively playing the role of the saddening authority figure, "but it is a necessary evil. If this foe reveals himself, no one shall die."

A collective gasp escaped the audience.

The girl shivered, but Vader didn't take any step. This was a predicament that he admittedly didn't see coming, and guards were watching them all.

None of the slaves wanted to die, especially not after hearing some of their own being freed by a liberator. Ever since they have been brought by Jabba's Empire most of them have never even had a chance to move without a slaver breathing down their neck and ordering them to do so - that going for those born in this life as well.

This was not Jabba at his calmest, but rather a frantic being who would do anything to lure out his competition and nip this in the butt.

Many of the spectators looked at one another, wondering if this Jedi would expose himself. Vader bit down from lunging forward and doing just that, damaging his Empire and disappearing in the shadows after his public persona had been exposed.

Before Vader could even move, the Hutt ran out of patience in only a few seconds, and he declared with a sigh. "Very well, your disobedience has led to this."

The majordomo smirked before firing the shot. Many within the audience grimaced, and parents such as Cliegg and Shmi hid their kins eyes, not wanting them to see this.

Vader moved her slightly to the right with a mere tilt of his left hand, the bullet flying past her.

"Ah, so you do care about these miserable whores?" Jabba asked. "You can't protect her forever. One last chance. Show yourself."

Vader's teeth brushed together.

Kriff, he had underestimated Jabba's intelligence. The Hutt was by no means smart as Sidious, but he still had his own source of lackeys who had minds for themselves.

Many of the slaves were shaking at the implications of what this could mean.

"Don't you see? All of them would die because of your lack of obedience." Jabba taunted, and Vader bit back on his hot white rage as turrets aimed at the slaves, prepared to fire at command.

He had no choice.

Later on, Vader could escape from any restraints Jabba held him. The Force within him simply couldn't be contained for long.

Vader moved forward, prepared to turn himself in as the majordomo and Weequays raised their blasters, ready to claim all of them if they must.

He opened his mouth and...

"Stop!"

It took Vader just a second to realize it had not been him. The speaker belonged to someone else, yet it was quite familiar.

He bit down on his lip and turned to the source of the voice, along with all else.

Even the Force waited...

The guards clicked their weapons and raised them in the direction of the speaker.

Jabba looked at the one who spoken too with intrigued, as all others spread as Vader was forced to do, allowing the man to move forward freely.

Cliegg Lars walked forward, his eyes closed seemingly regrettably. "No one should die."

"Cliegg, what are you doing?" Gredda asked, concerned for her son.

"No one should die," Cliegg repeated, walking in the middle of the spectacles. "There have been enough pain and suffering, Jabba, wouldn't you agree?"

Jabba seethed.

"And who are you?" Cuthus asked with a frown.

"The one who would help you take the vigilante into custody, for I am the one who knows his true identity." He grinned bitterly.

Vader stilled. He could sense the truth from the man. So he was going to betray his identity to him, let alone risk Anakin and Shmi be repossessed by the slavers?

How did he know anyhow?

Vader should have never trusted him.

"Speak now, and you will be compensated," Cuthus allowed.

"That would not be necessary."

Cliegg breathed, seeming to hesitate for a moment. There appeared to be a moment of confidence flashing across his face.

He finally stated. "I am the vigilante."

Vader snapped his head in his direction. What the kriff was the idiot doing?! When Jabba's lackeys take him into custody, he would not survive for long. His family would be placed in danger too.

"Cliegg! No!" Lef shouted feasibly after his son, running forward.

"Father, stay back and take care of my son!" Cliegg snapped sternly before he would have been taken into custody too.

Lef stiffened, his entire body going rigid at his son's tone.

Cliegg gave him a pointed glare before continuing to walk forward, to the cold and sharp glares of the audience.

"I feel I should explain myself. While I have been a moisture farmer for years," Cliegg began to explain as he turned to face the audience, "I have stumbled upon ways to use the Jedi's powers. In only a few weeks ago, I decided to use my powers to rebel."

Jabba looked at him with an unimpressed sneer. "And now you have been rooted out..."

"If you promise not to harm my family, in a week's time I will tell you where I have relocated the slaves," Cliegg said. "My weapons are with them as well," he quickly added.

Vader had been moving quickly, gripping his hand tightly before Cliegg could have moved further. "Lars, what are you doing?"

Cliegg replied stoically. "What I am suppose to do. No one else must suffer for my actions."

"You can't," Vader protested, knowing what Jabba and his dogs would do with him after a certain amount of time.

"I know I have sparked hope," Cliegg said with a worried grin. "I apologize I was deceiving you. The slavers could be underwhelmed. And my army would be coming for me soon."

He wanted to argue further, but the guards who have surrounded the man pushed him back, resulting in him being separated from the man. Cliegg continued to stare boldly at the Hutt.

The slaves who were standing in front of the Hutt have been moved as well. Guards were pushing the audience back.

"I want you to promise you wouldn't harm my family before I answer anything about where the slaves may be."

Jabba considered this briefly before nodding. "Your terms are bold, vigilante, but I accept. Your family would be monitored but they would not be harmed. You shall be held in a dungeon where you would be given a fair trial."

Cuthus walked forward with the assembled guards and snapped his hands behind his back far rougher than he needed to be before bringing him back up.

He was brought in front of them all, standing next to the mighty slug who smirked. Vader craved to wipe that dirty expression from his lips.

"Take this as an example for the rest of you," Jabba declared, but Vader ignored him, looking at Cliegg who was being escorted to the back of the speeder. "Any acts of rebellion would be severely punished. Jedi could even be stopped. And he would have a public execution."

Cliegg was roughly shoved in, and they aimed their blasters at him when the man adjusted himself but lowered them again when they saw he wasn't resisting.

With those final words said, the Hutt waved his hand, and they disassembled. Many whispers were in the streets, some of Cliegg's own friends surprised by this admission. They have already been prepared to hear about the man's death, knowing that crossing Jabba was suicide.

Owen got free of his grandmother's arms and ran forward only for Vader to put his hands on the young boy's shoulders, squeezing slightly in what he hoped to be reassurance.

"Uncle Vader, what's going to happen to my daddy?" Owen asked fearfully, no doubt knowing of Jabba's brutality after hearing the constant stories about the Hutts.

"He would be alright, young Owen," Vader found his voice, feeling nothing but guilt for those eyes appearing to pierce deep into his soul.

Owen whimpered as he looked at his father still restrained in the speeder, but Vader offered subtle suggestions through the Force to calm the boy's mind.

And speaking of the bastard, Cliegg was staring at him, that signature smile across his lips despite the circumstances.

The man offered a slight wink to him, and it didn't take Vader long enough to comprehend what it meant. What he had said about knowing who the vigilante was had been true...

Somehow...

Cliegg knew.

Within the underground fortress, the freedom fighter watched the Holorecorders with shock.

They had been planning to overthrow Jabba for days, have some of their spies making minor moves-nothing that gained unwanted attention but still nipping away at the Hutt's control.

Had Jabba planned this or felt his power decreasing and decided to do so?

They watched as someone - not Vader - came forward and confessed he was the vigilante. Who was that man? Many of them wondered.

That caused many of them to begin to speak about the predicament, asking questions about any possible connection that this man may have to Vader, and about what would happen now to the rest of them

In only a few minutes, the door to their fortress snapped open, as Vader stormed through, causing many of them to shudder.

"What had he done?!" Vader shouted and stormed up to the wall with a fury they didn't even know he had, shocking many with his uncharacteristic fury. "That blasted karking idiot!"

He dented the wall with every syllable it'd been amazing that he didn't shatter his prosthetic. It had been shocking to many of them to know that he had such a disability.

None approached him while Vader had been releasing his anger. Usually, they didn't fear him, but this had been the first time he broke his composed character and showed audible outrage.

"Vader, explain everything," Ann sighed.

Vader's eyes shot to them, and they all gasped as they looked at his golden eyes, barely contained by rationality and genuine affection for them.

"Cliegg Lars... he has been visiting my shop for weeks and has grown close to me. Just the other day when the man stayed too late, he was caught in the curfew. I saved him." Vader explained sharply.

They could feel a chill in the air, the slight shaking of the ground.

"And he saved you," Tann responded, walking forward and placing a gentle hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him down. "I think he knew what he was doing. If Jabba found out who you are, it would have left us leaderless."

"Relax, boss," Hakyrr said, "We can save him before Jabba does anything to him."

"Jabba might as well forget his "agreement terms" and kill him." Vader replied, and at that moment it occurred to many of them he was fearful. Whoever that man was, he clearly meant a lot to Vader.

"Not if we attack tonight," Mol suggested, receiving nods of agreement from all, and slight roars of courage.

The man looked at the Zabrak in question. Vader had initially planned a stealthy operation in taking Jabba out. He'd truthfully deluded himself into believing that he was patient enough to not interfere with Jabba's affairs in a public setting.

Now, stealth was simply no longer an option, not when wasting time could result in someone he cared about death. Vader should have forced him away weeks ago.

They had trained constantly for the past few days, two different units.

He would be the one who lead the attack on Jabba's palace evidently while others would for Mos Espa. Who hadn't been told to them yet, but Vader had watched the progress of each of them, waiting patiently.

The other former slaves were pleasant to interact with as they had their own personal experience about their times in slavery and different views. Some would have preferred judging Jabba alive and keeping him locked away while others wanted the slug's head.

In seconds, hundreds of them stood in a simple room, their armor matching one another, blasters gripped in their hands. Ironically, some of them belonged to bounty hunters and Jabba's cronies who Vader killed or stolen them from. He found it fitting in a way that the blasters that their former companions had used would now be utilized against them.

They were no Corellia-one of the few planets Vader actually feared in some way-but still formidable enough to rival them in the future.

Vader locked eyes with each of them, their expressions nothing but cold and determined as ice. Jabba would have no idea what would hit him tonight.

At last, Vader made his choice.

"Mol Zandarg," Vader stated, indicating with his right hand.

Once the Zabrak stood before him, Vader allowed a small smile despite the frantic emotions that surrounded him. "You have shown great strength and leadership before. Your accomplishments have attracted my attention. I believe you have the potential to lead them to victory in my absence."

His eyes widened with surprise and gratitude, his voice filled with a mix of humility and determination.

"Lord Vader, I am honored by your words. I only sought to free my people from the chains of oppression."

Ah yes, that running joke quite frankly annoyed him, but Vader didn't have it within him to demand for them to stop. They had been suffering for most of, if not all, of their life and it was about time they found hilarity.

Vader paced the room, his cape swirling behind him, his voice resonating with a tad bit of authority.

"Any system should thrive on order and control. However, this Empire abuses that power, exploiting the weak and the innocent. Your people, both slaves and not, now seek their own liberation. They need a leader who understands their pain and their struggle. Now you can give others that hope."

Mol raised his head, his eyes shining with a newfound resolve.

"I swear I will not fail them. I will lead them with honor and courage. We will fight for our freedom, and we will prevail."

Vader stopped pacing and stepped closer to Mol Zandarg, his voice filled with a mix of warning and encouragement. "Remember this, Mol. The path to victory is littered with sacrifices, but our people are strong. They will follow you, and you have to remember that a good leader listens to the heeds of their comrades, and never gives up."

Vader paused, more for dramatic effect if anything else.

Mol bowed his head once more. "I understand. I will not let you down. Our victory will be the beacon of hope for all who have suffered under the yoke of oppression."

Vader nodded, acknowledging his commitment. "Rise, Mol Zandarg, leader of the Liberation Company."

He rise, his chest swelling with a newfound sense of purpose. He met Vader's gaze with unwavering determination.

"Thank you, Lord Vader. I will not disappoint you. If you wouldn't mind, can I speak?"

Vader stepped away, his ominous presence filling the room as he walked in front of them all, his voice echoing through the chamber.

Mol Zandarg watched Vader for a moment, then turned to face his fellow former slaves, who were now looking at him with hope-filled eyes.

Many of them would not be accompanying Vader, and that terrified them, but watching the confidence that he had in them - especially Mol - was enough to convince many of them that they could make it through this.

"Brothers and sisters, by sunrise tomorrow will mark the beginning of a new chapter in our lives. We have been given an opportunity, a chance to fight for our freedom. Together, we will rise! We will prevail!"

The former slaves cheered, for they knew that the coming night would be the fight of their lives.

Meanwhile, Vader walked in the backroom and closed his eyes as he fell onto a nearby bed. His jaw clenched. He needed some time to regain control over his emotions.

Instead of a isolated room, when he opened them, he saw dense swamps, rolling grass plains, seas and verdant hills.

He approached the fields just above the sand, leading to the beach. A woman with dark black hair was sitting, her gaze directed to the sun, one hand below her leg, in a black nightgown.

Vader's heart pulsed, and he held his breath as he walked forward.

It wasn't just any woman.

It was her.

She turned to him and smiled. "Hello Anakin."

"Padmé?"

Force, he hadn't thought about her lately.

"It's been a long time."

'This can't be real, can it? Could the Force be trying to punish me again for my actions? …No, this feels different. It's… softer.'

She appeared to him many times as a Sith Lord, each of them just as agonizing as the last.

But now, this felt... peaceful.

"You look tired, Ani." Padmé said.

"I… I am tired. Tired of fighting. Of living sometimes."

"Here." Padmé pulled Vader close to her chest, and it felt just as warm as it did decades ago. "You can rest here for now."

'There's no doubt left. It's… her…'

"Padmé…" Vader's eyes started to water. "I failed another one I cared about. I allowed someone who trusted me to be taken from his family. This isn't the first time."

"Ani…"

"I choked you. I-I am a monster. And in the end, I may have failed another one I cared about."

"You fought for so long," Padmé responded, her voice angelic. "You are fighting to atone - nothing's never easy. You helped all those people as best you could have, even when it hurt. I am so proud of you, Ani."

Her words were powerful as he allowed tears to trail down his eyes. But he didn't care. Padmé was here, and she wasn't upset with him.

That was enough.

"I… I made some friends, Padmé. They're something else, but I think you'd like them."

"You'll have to introduce me to them one day!"

"Yeah." One day.

Vader turned away. As much as he wanted to stay with Padmé, there was Cliegg who needed him, and strangely enough he felt obligated to go back, despite how once he would have jumped at the opportunity at staying here.

"You are thinking about someone." It wasn't a question, and her hands were moving through his hair.

"Cliegg Lars... he's like my brother. Somehow... he just listens more than Obi-Wan, despite how I attempted to push him away multiple times."

"Even more than me," Padmé added softly, seeming remorse.

"Our relationship was both of our failings, Padmé, not just yours."

Vader closed his eyes as he wanted nothing more than to stay, yet he was unsure if he could ever live it down if he remained in this reality-either forged by his broken mind or this strange reality.

This reality disconnected from the rest of his friends who needed him, and Cliegg who would be suffering. He could hear screams from the man. Jabba...he and his allies were torturing him.

"I'll have to go back. Cliegg needs me."

"I know," she agreed sadly. "And you need him."

Was this a dream, or was it reality?

It doesn't matter, Vader decided.

He fought for so long a battle he possibly could never win. They would either arouse him from his escape within his mind when the time came or found themselves here.

Regardless, it didn't matter. Those soft hands held him as Vader allowed himself to fall into a peaceful bliss of sleep comforting embrace.

Arthur's note: This chapter wasn't going to happen, but I wanted to give Cliegg a bigger purpose aside from being comic relief, and so now every one of his interactions carries more meaning. Their relationship was also another thing that wasn't going to happen in the original draft as it was going to be centered much closer to the Phantom Menace before I scrapped that idea as I love writing things like this and grants me more freedom now and in the near future.

For anyone's who disagrees with Vader not getting with someone else, understand this. While he would have platonic love for his friends, his life as a Sith might be one of those things where he would move on, but it would just never go truly away. Trauma fucks up the mind like that. And Vader getting over everything is not something I'm going for.

The next chapter and the ones after that are going to be fun. This story has been slow paced but that's for a reason. Trust me.

May the Force be with you all always.