Author's note: I would like to mention that nothing is certain in this story. Remember the logistical issues the Rebellion had to face in ANH that they didn't have to in ROTJ or even TESB because the Empire messed up and made themselves look worse in the original timeline. The destruction of Alderaan didn't occur, meaning that the Empire is arguably a different beast and more unified. Even with recordings showing Tarkin's intent, it might not be as influential as the outright annihilation was. With Vader joining the Rebellion, it's going to make a lot of interesting changes for sure. But Alderaan's destruction was the catalyst for countless defections and planetary rebellions that started to diminish the Empire's hold on the galaxy as thousands of worlds decided they didn't want to be another Alderaan. There was a consequence that, unlike many other planets that had been bombarded by the Empire, which were mainly out in the Mid and Outer Rim, Alderaan was part of the Core Worlds and was one of the most respected planets in the galaxy. It had been an element of Galactic culture and membership for centuries. In many ways, the choice to destroy Alderaan really was one of the stupidest moves the Empire ever made. In reality, nobody would care if the Death Star destroyed Dantooine or any other random backwater Outer Rim world, but the destruction of Alderaan pissed off the Core, which again, didn't happen in this timeline. Instead, the war with the Hutts is happening, and there would be a lot of logistical building in the next few months, assuming Luke and Vader's warnings are heeded.

The Rebellion is in a bad spot, one that might actually become even worse than the original timeline. In this story, they can very well lose the Galactic Civil War and do so off the battlefield, perhaps on it as well. I most certainly won't be giving the Rebellion any leeway because they're the "good" guys or the protagonists. They will have to earn it, and even that might not be achievable. Or perhaps they can hang on long enough for Luke and Vader to give them the opening they need to more or less put their house in order for long enough not to LOSE the war, if not actually burn themselves out.

None of this is going to be overlooked.

Feel free to join my Discord server: . disc ord. gg /3b3B xdHQKG (delete the spaces). You can talk about whatever you want in there. SW and RDR channels are in there as well.

Chapter 20

The camera quality was so poor that only the Hutts' best technicians could salvage together an eligible enough recording.

"...We are envoys of the Galactic Empire."

"He wishes for you to surrender all of your supplies to the Empire and allow us to move without your approval from now on..."

"The Imperial Senate has been dismantled. If you do not surrender your resources and supplies, you will be eliminated. An example of for all who dare defy us."

The massive chamber on Nal Hutta was now filled with a piercing silence. The giant figures lounged on platforms made of precious metals and covered in rich fabrics, their eyes narrowing as they listened to the report one by one to get an idea of the masked attackers. The room, filled with the pungent aroma of exotic spices, the movement of dancers from across the galaxy, and the flicker of torches along the walls, was icy cold, to say the least.

At one of the thrones in the chamber sat Zorba Desilijic Tiure, Jabba's father. He was an ancient Hutt with a grizzled appearance, his skin an ashen gray, mottled with dark spots, and his eyes a piercing yellow. The heavy beads of his necklace, made of carved bone and metal, clinked together as teeth gritted together.

"My boy… my dear boy... dead. Killed like some common kriffing thug." Zorba's voice quivered with emotion. "And by the Empire? The very fools we aided in the Clone Wars when they were the Republic? They will suffer for this slight, for the blood they have spilled."

It was time for the vote.

The other Hutts did not react for a long moment until Gorga Besadii, a younger Hutt with a dark, emerald-green hue and long, curling tendrils extending from his face, chimed in next.

The anger wasn't shared by most within the chamber. At least not directly. It wasn't as if any of the Hutts particularly held any grief about Jabba's demise, save for his family and close friends. They wouldn't lose sleep over it. But the idea of them being next was an unpleasant thought that no one wished to think about for long. For the Empire to come after one of them and then let go of the rest was unlikely, as Jabba hadn't done anything provocative enough to result in this devastation, given his history.

Profit counted after all, as did common sense. While many didn't find any interest in engaging the now Empire in a war since its military was far stronger than the Republic's, there was also the issue of their image being tarnished. Without any retaliation, the Hutts' allies could rapidly turn on them until there was nothing left. The Empire had stretched the terms of their treaty multiple times to prove themselves the great superpower, though their matters in Hutt Space have been minor.

In all likelihood, they could have crushed the Empire in the early years of its rise.

"Zorba, usually I would disagree, for this is no small matter. War with the Empire is a dangerous prospect. They are powerful, perhaps too powerful, even for us. But to do nothing… to let this crime go unpunished… would be a sign of weakness."

The third Hutt, Gardulla Besadii the Second, who had a corpulent, golden-brown body adorned with jewels embedded in her leathery skin, leaned forward. By far, she was the youngest here.

"The Empire has always been treacherous. But to kill a Hutt and to destroy one of our palaces… they have declared war on us all! If we do not retaliate, we will be giving away everything we own to those madmen! We must terminate this fraking treaty and wage war. We cannot afford to lose our grip on power now."

Across the chamber, Oruba Anjiliac, a Hutt with sleek, obsidian-black hide and a crown of gleaming silver spikes atop his head, spoke even colder; far more calmly than Gardulla.

"The Empire has overstepped. They believe they can exterminate us without consequence. This is their mistake. Our resources are vast, our influence unparalleled. We can cripple them, turn their allies against them, and show them the true cost of crossing the us."

Wegho Skimdru, a Hutt lacking all of the jewels and unorthodox for his time, motioned. "We'll have to be careful with this attack. The Empire is far more united than the Republic."

Zorba's eyes flicked from one Hutt to another, his anger simmering just below the surface. He had lived for centuries, seen families rise and fall, and witnessed betrayals, but nothing compared to the anger that now burned within him. Jabba had been more than just his son; he was the embodiment of their power on Tatooine, a fortress that had stood for decades. Now that fortress was in ruins, and with it, a part of Zorba's legacy.

After this, he may be disgraced and laughed at by criminals and other Hutts alike.

"We must focus on the most important matter," Zorba hissed, the thought giving more anger. "The Empire believes they can make us beg, but they have only made us stronger. We will not cower before them. The full force of the Hutt Cartel will remind them who we were."

The room flared with renewed energy as the other Hutts voiced their agreement, and with that, the first step for a long conflict began.

"Gorga, you will send our finest assassins to Coruscant. Let them see that we are not so easily defeated. Gardulla, I want every smuggler and pirate under our control to disrupt their supply lines, choke the life out of their precious trade routes. Oruba, use your connections in the criminal underworld. Turn their allies against them, create chaos within their ranks." Zorba ordered.

Gorga, Gardulla, and Oruba each nodded. The Hutts were ready to make any war that the Empire was bringing to the table a miserable one.

"And we shall see to contacting the Bounty Hunters' Guild," Zorba added. "Put a price on the heads of every Imperial Officer we can find. Bring them before us if we must; make them slaves. Let the galaxy know that the Hutts do not forgive, and they do not forget."

The other Hutts chorused in approval, their massive bodies shifting as they prepared to perform their selective duties.

The Hutts had spoken, and there was no turning back. Revenge was coming, and the Empire would soon learn the true meaning of fear.

Less than an hour later, the Galactic Empire and Hutt Space were officially at war.

Darth Sidious scowled in distaste, his eyes narrowed at the screen just shown. The destruction of the Death Star was a significant blow, but the Emperor's mind tended to be elsewhere. The Rebel Base remained hidden for now, but Sidious wasn't concerned about that. Let the Rebellion rally their pitiful support; they were an irritant, nothing more. The Hutts, however, were a legitimate problem.

The Hutts' Rebellion would drain Imperial resources and distract from more critical objectives. Establishing control in the Outer Rim would require a significant loss of troops and resources. Ideally, Sidious would have found a way for this to backfire on both the Hutts and the Rebellion before the first shot was given. The breaching of the treaty and the Hutts' obliteration of the Imperial outposts, sending their corpses back to Coruscant as a threat, made it too late for the Emperor to twist this on the Rebellion.

They weren't going to listen.

Moreover, Sidious's thoughts kept returning to something far more unsettling—Vader's betrayal.

Vader was still alive, his presence a maelstrom of darkness. Sidious always was able to sense the lingering conflict within Vader, the remnants of Anakin Skywalker buried deep within his corrupted soul. But Skywalker, the Jedi Knight who once posed a threat to Sidious's grand plans, was gone. Vader was too consumed by the Dark Side, too broken by the loss of Padmé Amidala, whom he believed he had killed on Mustafar. There was no hope for Vader's Redemption. Skywalker was dead, and Sidious had nothing to fear from him.

His thoughts went to the Gentis Coup at the beginning of the Empire, and the Trachta's Coup a year prior.

Still, Vader's treachery was almost as much of a threat as Skywalker's potential return and the Hutts unleashing war on the Empire. Vader was intelligent, powerful, and dangerous, but he was also a broken pawn—obedient like a puppet, yet simmering with a resentment that Sidious had underestimated. The Emperor now realized he may have miscalculated. The Death Star's destruction; a superweapon that had taken decades of construction and untold resources, was a catastrophe. And the fact that Vader dared to defy him, to plot behind his back, meant that the Emperor should have ended him long ago, back on Mustafar when he was a burnt husk of his former self.

Vader had once considered using his secret Apprentice, Galen Marek, to rise against him. But Sidious had quickly squashed that rebellion by reminding Vader of the futility of such thoughts, courting him back into line. Vader had complied, seemingly loyal, but the seeds of betrayal had been planted, festering beneath the surface. And Tao as well. Another Apprentice of Vader who had seemingly been incapable of turning to the Dark Side.

The boy, still alive, would have to be haunted down, for he hadn't been seen since Vader's departure.

Did Vader train yet another secret Apprentice? Was Marek a bloody distraction for Vader to orchestrate the true Apprentice against him? Skywalker's qualities might have remained intact, where he grew to care about this new pawn as he did, allowing this Force Adept to twist the darkness against the Emperor.

For his actions on Tatooine, covered up and checked off in all bases, likely had other issues such as the innocents on world. If anything else, Sidious would have to arrange an orbital bombardment on Tatooine and demonstrate to the Rim what would be acceptable.

Without the Senate as a check, the Emperor found that ruling the galaxy had become routine. Dealing with the Moffs and Admirals, manipulating them into believing they had influence, was nothing compared to the challenges he once faced. The thrill of outmaneuvering the Jedi, of orchestrating the Clone Wars, was gone. Most times, Sidious despised the lack of challenge and his dominion's predictability. But Vader's actions had changed the game, injecting a new level of complexity that Sidious hadn't anticipated.

He had to give credit to Vader. The move was calculated, something Sidious would have expected from Count Dooku of all people. There were contingencies in place — plans among plans — but Sidious had dismissed the need for them once Skywalker murdered Dooku and fell to the Dark Side. Sidious hadn't anticipated that Vader, who had willingly diminished his own political influence among the Core Worlds, would become a threat.

But what had sparked this change in Vader? What had awakened this new defiance?

Padmé Amidala was long dead. Vader and the Emperor believed she had died by his hand on Mustafar. Her death, and the severing of their connection, had sent a ripple through the Force. Sidious had ensured that Vader knew there was no hope, no chance of redemption.

Sidious pondered. How could this boy have caused Vader to go as far as to remove the suit? How could he push Sidious out of the servant's head with barely any effort when someone his age should still be vulnerable to the Dark Side, trained or not? A leak to Amidala's relatives. Perhaps.

Pooja Naberrie, Padmé's niece, was an active figure in the Senate before it was dissolved. Sidious would have to send agents to track her down. Her, and the entire Naberries. Eliminating them could certainly come after, yet perhaps they could lure Vader out of wherever he was in the galaxy.

Then a thought struck him, freezing his blood in his veins.

Amidala's death had been public, her funeral a galaxy-wide event. But Sidious remembered the details—the embalmed Padmé still appeared pregnant. And...

Palpatine would never even consider that.

But what if...

After Kenobi and Yoda engaged the Sith...

Sidious's eyes widened as the pieces began to click into place. The Force guided him to an unexpected conclusion.

Now, the truth stared him in the face.

If what he suspected was true, then...

'Luke Skywalker...'

Biggs Darklighter was walking around the base. Everything here on Yavin IV was ten times better than Tatooine. Aside from missing and worrying about his friend still on Tatooine, Biggs had a feeling he would see Luke. He didn't know where it came from, but he knew...

And damn, he had quite the stories to tell.

Now, it was the end of his shift.

Just short of his room - shared with others - he heard footsteps darting up behind him.

"Biggs!" The familiar voice of Derek Klivian shouted, causing him to turn around. "We have to talk!"

Biggs turned around and smiled at his friend. "Yeah, Derek?"

"There's been talk..." The other man exclaimed eagerly, practically dragging Biggs inside the room and staring around to make sure no one was snooping, breathing off.

"Talk of what?" Biggs blinked.

The other man couldn't barely control himself. "Oh man! Oh man! Now the Emperor's going to get what's coming to him!"

"Take it from the top and try again," Biggs smirked at the other man's incoherent speech patterns.

"The Death Star has been destroyed, Biggs! That's why they've abandoned the mission!"

What madness was he going on about now? "Still not getting ya."

Derek stared at him as if something was wrong with him for his lack of reaction. "Have you ever heard of the Jedi?"

"A little bit," Biggs shrugged. "Noble knights who fought in the Clone Wars."

The locals talked about them from time to time back home. Luke was always excited when it came to them, having dreams that he would become one to help people. The existence of the Jedi and the Force was never unknown in the galaxy, just not something that everyone took seriously, with some actively regarding them with contempt due to their actions at the end of the Clone Wars.

Derek looked like he was unable to constrain his excitement. "Well, I heard that Chancellor Mothma was discussing with the Organas who lifted up a few of them. They'd apparently gone and rescued the Princess while exploding the Death Star."

"Yeah, right," Biggs scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"It's all been confirmed."

"Oh, really?" Biggs arched an eyebrow.

"Yes!" He bounced gleefully. "They had killed Tarkin and struck a major blow!"

"Hmph, if they were that powerful, they wouldn't have been wiped out."

Derek gave him an odd look. "They're different now, Biggs. Besides, they were betrayed."

He shrugged. "Even years afterwards, they were haunted down by Vade-"

"Vader's gone."

This had to be a prank. If so, it wasn't a funny one. "Say that again..."

"Vader's gone. It is rumored that the Jedi took him out."

Biggs blinked, "It could be deliberately raising our hopes... a trap... by the Empire."

At Biggs' dumbfounded look, the other man groaned. "Oh, come on! Don't be pessimistic! Think about it, Biggs! The Rebellion wouldn't be able to get that close to them! These must be the Jedi!"

Biggs nodded, allowing this information to sink in. Slowly, he was processing that this may not be a hoax. Such a trap would be too obvious and would have long-term implications if the Empire faked his death. And besides, the Rebellion HQ confirming things like the Death Star being destroyed was not something they would make up.

Just who were these Jedi... seemingly stealthy enough to sneak onto the Death Star and eliminate both Tarkin and Vader...

Oh, Biggs couldn't wait until Luke found out about this when he finally escaped that wretched dust ball hopefully soon.