Chapter 3

Soon after taking in the Skywalkers, Vader adopted a simple style of clothing to blend in with the locals and avoid drawing attention to himself. He now wore a black desert-colored tunic, robe, and pants, with a pair of sturdy boots. His garment was akin to the black traditional Jedi garb, but more practical for living in the harsh desert environment. Now no one shall be able to distinguish the differences, his lightsabers concealed in his boots.

In truth, Vader had no idea how Obi-Wan was able to live on this desert planet for so long, yet he'd respected his former Jedi Master's efforts and survival skills. Aside from the countless reminders of his past, Vader was plagued by nightmares of his past; the ragged defeated form of his mother, the Tuskens as they were cut through. Being on a planet who one hated surrounded by those who you live was poetic in some ways suffice to say.

However, there had been moments of... peace, even on this sand-wreck planet. In the first few days of his arrival to the mother, Vader soaked in the presences of Anakin and Shmi Skywalker, merely watching as the latter was allowed to be the mother she'd always wanted. He couldn't remember in his foggy memories if he'd ever seen his mother that happy, that... free. There were certainly scars both physically and mentally, that much obvious by the scar on the back of her neck as well as her young son due to their respective surgeries.

Vader knew that sustaining the Homestead would come with hard work. After some time - like with his own Toydarian master before him - Vader built his own junkshop. Contrary to what he once believed, his time as a slave taught him a lot of survival mechanisms that he'd even used during the Clone Wars and throughout the era of the Empire.

Watto's shop was a dilapidated structure made from salvaged materials and scrap metal. In his foggy memories, the shop was constantly expanding, as the Toydarian was always bringing in new junk and expanding his inventory. In that regard, Vader would be different, making sure the stocks was properly organized.

Initially, he was tempted to go to Watto's shop and claim it for himself but he knew that would be unwise and may tip off unnecessary conflict so instead he began his own business in an abandoned spot just outside of Mos Espa, quickly finding ways of advertisement to attract the natives of Tatooine. It was no secret that Watto's shop is regarded as the best on this dust ball and he would have to be patient. This shop was a testament to his resourcefulness and entrepreneurial spirit.

It took weeks with having to watch over the Skywalkers and ensuring that the Hutts doesn't try to re-enslaved them, but customers began piling in once the shop gained the attention that he wanted. While Tatooine was known to be disdainful in the Outer Rim, there were some decent folks who are just trying to make a living.

While there were similarities between his and Watto's shop like living quarters in the back that Vader also established himself and a huge section in the back for the bigger parts, no one would be able to distinguish the similarities besides maybe the Toydarian himself, that mere thought filling the former Sith with a bit of amusement.

Though even Vader would admit, as far as cruelty goes, Watto ranked low on the list compared to other slavers. Unlike Gardulla who wanted every task she demanded done, some downright life-threatening and stealing much sleep from his mother and eventually himself, the Toydarian at least had the decency to allow him and his mother to sleep... much more occasionally. Despite Watto's slimy ways, Anakin Skywalker have been with Watto countless times to know that the Toydarian knew how to run one of the best shops in Mos Espa if not outright the best on Tatooine no doubt due to the Skywalkers, precisely why he was never targeted for assassination in the other timeline - along with his favor with the Hutts.

The soft sound of a door chime caught Vader's attention and he stood up. It felt refreshing not having those bulky legs and instead being able to walk like a normal human. There had been times where Vader often touched his own hair though he would definitely wipe someone of their mind if they caught him doing something so... goofy, but he couldn't help it. He was so in awe of his now fresh as foolish as that may seem - sans his prosthetic right arm.

He moved behind the counter, looking down at the man. Something about the man was strikingly familiar. He had short brown hair which appeared to have seen better days as well as a somewhat unkempt facial hair.

"Can I help you?" Vader asked in Huttese, scrutinizing him with narrowed blue eyes. Where has he seen this man before?

"Welders and plasma cutters, please," the man responded in the same language, albeit it sounded slightly butchered compared to the common natives on Tatooine. Odd...

Although he didn't sense any ulterior motive on the older man's behalf, Vader still was keeping his senses up. He immediately complied, collecting each of the parts after briefly rummaging and returning to the counter, before giving him his price.

After the payment was paid off, he began speaking yet again. "I heard things about this place."

Vader tilted his head down at him, nonverbally telling him that he was listening. Typically, transactions go smoothly with small talk being out of the question, yet this man... was different than the rest. Whilst most who came before were individuals that Vader knew to watch intently, a murmur in the Force told him that this man can be trusted. Yet, decades of betrayal and hypervigilance was still immersed within him. People in this galaxy were untrustworthy and would betray one another for credits or other methods of currencies to gain a extra buck...

He trusted the Force to will the galaxy into the right path without the Sith kriffing things up of course, yet not everything always would proceed as the Force planned. Even now, the future was always in motion.

Hmm, Yoda... as always having to be right in his just wisdom...

"My friends has come here," the man continued. "Other shop owners is known for boosting up the prices, however they told me you give reasonable prices as well as guarantee functional products. It appears that I don't have to worry about being swindled."

Vader wasn't the type to conversate much, except when it came to his mother and touching upon the Force with his younger self. He would try to keep this short and straight to the point.

"You need not concern yourself about my products," Vader responded without care. He made sure of that personally. What other way to gain more money - rather credits, peggats, or other such currencies than to go against what was viewed as the status quo on this Force forsaken planet?

It also provided light in such darkness, possibly showing that there was hope on this dust ball...

The man's lips curled. "I would see that for myself."

Vader remained phlegmatic. "You will not be disappointed."

"Hmmm, for the time being, I believe we should have a proper introduction." The man extended a hand to Vader. "My name is Cliegg Lars."

Vader's breath caught in his throat, having to fight a strange instinct within to snap his hands up to his chest. Force, he had not been expecting that! His thoughts go to Owen and Beru, the people who raised Luke despite the dark shadow of the Empire looming over the entire galaxy.

He did received the report after the Stormtrooper squad found the Lars having been in possession of both Artoo and Threepio. Mod Terrik, a ambitious Stormtrooper Captain responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Rebels, ordered the termination of Owen and Beru. It had been a shock at the time about him dying in the crossfire between them and Captain Solo, given his mastery in tactician and having survived worse.

Yet, he couldn't fault the man for following his own orders. Despite how he hadn't been directly responsible for their deaths, Vader felt a wave of anger consumed him directed at himself yet again, remembering the turmoil that surrounded his son when he saw him cut through Obi-Wan on the Death Star, doubled by the lost of his adopted parents. For so many years after Shmi Skywalker's death, they kept her gravestone intact and made sure her memory was remembered, as well as giving her a loving home for the last years of her life. Undoubtedly, his son wanted to know about his grandmother growing up, and the Lars most likely answered his questions to the best of their abilities.

Snapping out of his intrusive thoughts, he could see the older man's hand was still outstretched to his direction.

"...Vader," he replied, accepting the hand, only half in mind as he contemplated. What would happen now that he had interacted with Cliegg Lars? Was this the result of his time traveling to the past?

Say something, a voice murmured in the back of his head. No longer was he that intimidating force of power, a giant towering above all others like a dark god casting judgment on those who dare to doubt his power, his ever-booming voice serving as a factor of producing results. This reminded him of the early days of the regime of the Empire where there were instances when Vader struggled with his communication skills, particularly when it came to expressing emotions or dealing with interpersonal relationships. He often found it difficult to communicate with his subordinates and was just as frustrated by their inability to understand his commands. Just as often, he'd took out his anger out on the enemies as well as his allies.

But this was even more complicated because Vader had been voided from any source of decent human conversation for two decades. Even now on Tatooine, he'd tried to keep interactions at a bare minimum and as simplistic as possible with each purchase. Each individual seemed to had a non vocal respect about that, likely summoning it up to the fact that this was Tatooine and even socializing could lead to unwanted conflicts. Even so, Vader wasn't the type to be deceived and would ensure that they pay off to completion.

"So are you the only worker here?" Cliegg asked now in galactic basic, narrowing his eyes in interest.

After a moment of reflection, Vader considered him with a sharp expression. "I work satisfyingly enough alone."

"You done all this work by yourself?!" he exclaimed, disbelieving.

Vader almost actually smirked at that. "Engineering is a feat that comes easily to me."

Cliegg hummed, "Tatooine is full of people looking for jobs. You can find assistants quickly."

Vader scowled at that. "I don't require assistants. Hard labor is the natural way of life when it comes to planets like Tatooine."

"Excuse my bluntness but the other shop owners have assistant workers, some..." he struggled to found a appropriate way to continue his sentence, "unwilling so we say-"

Vader glared at him, gritting his teeth at the obvious implication that he was giving, albeit he sensed no disrespect intended from the man. "I do not owe, need, or approve of slaves. Those who do are weak and foolish. They take away another's independence in order for them to feel strong when they can hardly even know how to wield a weapon themselves."

"Well, that's a interesting opinion," Cliegg replied, looking at him as if he had grown a second head, "and what about their slaves?"

Vader looked at him in the eyes, feeling uncertain about how should answer this question. The man was seemingly kind enough with the young Anakin Skywalker and have given his mother some of the best years of her life, but this is before he met his mother and people can change if Rebel and Imperial defectors is anything to go by.

For all he knew, Cliegg Lars could be - at least the Cliegg Lars at this point in this timeline - another slime ball. Or, perhaps he was being negativistic and allowing his cynicism of others to motivate him even now, despite how the Force itself was telling him that the man was all but harmless currently.

"They're meritorious," the former Sith retorted, evidently bemusing the man in regard.

"What?" Cliegg inquired, arching his left eyebrow.

"Unique," Vader declared, mentally cursing at his authoritative speech patterns, knowing that he would have to adjust his idiosyncratic vocabulary eventually - most of all on this dust ball. "Remarkable."

"Remarkable?" Cliegg asked with no small hint of incredulity.

Vader folded his arms across his chest. "There is a hope within all slaves. Despite being embedded in a life of pain and suffering, they adopt survival methods and could in actuality receive freedom through time. All they need is something that sparks off that hope. On the contrary, the foolish slavers are animals hounding for control. They know nothing of independence and are insignificant worms."

Cliegg's lips curled as he tilted his head to the right, apparently trying to read him. "Well, my friend, that is a unexpected sentiment."

Vader probed him through the Force, finding no argument on his lips nor... disagreement, despite his astonishment radiating around him. Perhaps he should have gotten to know the man in the other timeline then.

"...You don't disagree about the slavers," Vader stated simply.

"I admittedly don't," Cliegg replied after a moment, nodding in acknowledgment. "Not every one of us who live here agree with nor support the slavers, but we have to respect the laws of Jabba, the Hutts, and the slavers. I hope you understand that."

Vader's eyes burned intensely. "Respect them?" His eyes looked as if he was burning holes into the man. "No, tolerate them yes. I do not respect the Hutts and their imprudent laws."

Cliegg's eyes go wide. "Are you insane? They can make anyone enslaved, and the possibility of freedom will be out of realm-"

"You underestimate the slaves and their will," Vader interjected simply, already shaking his head, "they know that there is a galaxy out there, they have the humanity within them to fight on for the lives that they care about. Remove the slave chips, and they united can overthrow this tyrannical system. The slaves do not fear the slavers because they already know pain and abuse of all type, but rather the slavers fear the slaves because they know that the slaves care little about the possibility of death if their loved ones are allowed freedom. Daily risk of death already enlightened that some of them may never be freed but their off bringing, perhaps..."

Cliegg opened his mouth to respond, only to close it yet again, soon settling with another response after a minute. "You better hope that they don't hear you say such things, let alone someone who support their ways," he stated, looking around them and finding no bystanders who seemed to be in ear-shot. Upon seeing none, the tension in his shoulders dissipated.

"The Hutts do not intimidate me," Vader replied flatly. He can kill them all, even though that is not preferable right now. Time...

"With all due respect, sir, I have family and I don't want them to be targeted because of disagreements," Cliegg said in a severe tone, obviously not taking the threats of the slavers lightly.

Vader looked pointedly at him. "Will you turn me into the Hutts, Cliegg Lars?"

Cliegg returned the look, although he didn't seem to fear him, but rather a distant respect in his eyes and shrugged. "What the Hutts don't know won't hurt them. Me turning you in would take away what is referred to as a decent shop."

Vader actually felt his lips curling, almost into a smirk that could be presumed as arrogant. "Excellent, you are a wise man." he retorted, briefly glancing at his concealed lightsabers in his boots.

Cliegg's lips curled up into a grin at the almost biting comment. "Ha, you are one of the first people to say that."

"Assumptions can be called into question however." Vader blinked. By the Force, what was wrong with him? Was he now quipping with the man who his mother married in the other timeline and doesn't even know?

Cliegg murmured a curse under his breath before stating. "Blast my big mouth."

"You should leave now," Vader took the moment of silence to end the conversation, not wishing to continue this discussion with him.

"Oh, I was enjoying our conversation," Cliegg replied, sounding a tad bit disappointed. "Surely, you don't have-"

Vader fixated him with a pointed stare, telling the man he was being serious.

"Okay. Okay. I'm going." he picked up his parts with what would be a impressive show of strength had Vader not witnessed plenty of spectacular things in his life. Time traveling was impressive alone.

He stopped and turned to look at Vader with observing eyes, "But I am not lying in saying that I hope we can become friends. You are someone with a interesting outlook."

Vader looked at him, attempting to give him a cold front, whilst recalling what happened to all those who he have been close with. It was one thing to protect Anakin Skywalker and his mother, yet allowing others close to him may only cause more pain for them. As Anakin's powers grew, it would be difficult enough to protect both of them from Sidious or any other possible threat in the galaxy.

"I do not need friends, Cliegg Lars. I am simply doing a job as a shop owner." Vader responded stoically, though he wondered what should happen if Cliegg met his mother.

Cliegg stared at him for a few more seconds before he was gone.

The Force sang as always in silence, and Vader closed his eyes, clenching his hand up into a fist, fighting against the warmth feeling that being around the man brought.

Arthur's note: One thing that bothered me about the OT was that Luke nor Leia ever mentioned their adoptive parents. EU novel: Tatooine's Ghost had Leia go through a journey of her forgiving Anakin, lashing out at his Force ghost and saying that Bail Organa would always be her real father, despite later doing so with her naming her third child after Anakin. But not even the EU mentions Luke thinking about his adoptive parents aside when he traveled to Nam Chorios in the year 13 ABY and called himself Owen Lars, to hide his true identity from the local population. The Organas are remembered, but the Lars are pretty much forgotten and that's just a tragedy.

In Ultimate Star Wars book which is apart of the Disney Canon and conflicting EU material "The Rise and Fall of Darth Vader" by Ryder Windham it is explicitly stated and shown in the latter Vader ordered the Lars to be killed in retaliation for their alleged involvement in aiding the Rebel Alliance and anger for them not being able to protect his mother. In older EU material; "Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina", specifically the short story "When the Desert Wind Turns: The Stormtrooper's Tale" by Doug Beason, it was a Stormtrooper Captain by the name of Mod Terrik who ordered their termination - but from the perspective of an Imperial Stormtrooper named Davin Felth. I went with that because it fleshes out a narrative that needs to be known...

Stormtroopers are people just like the Clones. They have their own thoughts and feelings about matters. From while there are obedient soldiers like Terrik, Cody, and Bacara, there is always troopers like Felth and Rex who has independence and realizes when they need to put their weapons down and realize when it is right to say "No". Not all obedient soldiers are bad people, just have different interpretations. It's all about interpretations.

May the Force be with you all always.