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Chapter 25

The arrival at Tatooine was without interruption.

But Luke knew that most of the time that was only temporary. He would never forget his roots and the amount of bull kriff things he'd witnessed which was exasperation-bound now that he looked in hindsight.

He activated the ship's heavy security systems. If any criminals or bounty hunters attempted to break into the ship, which was always a security risk in Luke's life, they would have a difficult time getting through security. He didn't park the ship too far from Mos Espa.

Luke had a proper picture of the boy by Shmi and with his own experience. Black hair colored, tan-skinned, dark brown, Luke owed Kitster Banai one for a lifetime.

For it had been he who crossed his sister and best friend on Tatooine and convinced Leia that there was more to Darth Vader than met the eye.

He felt guilty for honestly forgetting about him last time. With the spur of the moment type of situation, Luke had been expeditious in ensuring Anakin and Shmi's freedom, and speedily removing the Trade Federation's presence from Naboo.

Luke wore different clothing from last time. He couldn't take the risk of being recognized by anyone who might be a traveler in these parks. He wore lighter clothing, more like what Owen Lars wore in his memory. This would make him blend right into society as he searched for Anakin's friend.

The moment he was on the planet, the intoxicating power of the Dark Side rippled around him.

This was exactly what Luke had been referring to with the Jedi. Slavery in the Outer Rim gave the Dark Side a foothold, spreading its presence in the form of suffering. The slaves feared constantly that they were the next ones going to drop dead, angry on some days that no rescuer would be coming and that they had to answer to the Hutts or die, hated the lives they had been unfortunately born into or dragged to, suffering indignities such as rape, beatings, and so much more. The time traveler didn't want to imagine it.

His hand clenched into a fist. For that darkness tore at him, daring him to take decisive action, and make these bloody bastards pay for what they were doing with their lives. Sentient lives were to be welcomed and embraced, not chained by the Hutts.

What added to his anger was:

Slavery wasn't something the Jedi overlooked so much as they were happy to use it during the Clone Wars. After all, what were the Clone Troopers but slave soldiers raised to fight and die so that Republic citizens didn't have to? And there wasn't a single Jedi who cared about the situation. That added to his anger, and he couldn't wait to make changes to the Order and the Republic when he'd gathered enough support to do both.

Worst, unless everyone but the slavers were very lucky, the situation here and across Hutt Space was possibly to turn tragic. It was unlikely that either Luke or anyone else would be able to remove the chips from people who weren't owned by their owners they couldn't access them. Physically removing the device safely once disarmed was very much possible. Do the same with an active one? The most likely outcome was a tragedy. There was also the logistical challenge of getting the freed slaves off Tatooine or anyone else because if they were left behind the Hutts would capture them and make an example to the rest not fortunate enough for their defiance. While the situation wasn't exactly hopeless, it's not good either.

Luke breathed in and out, resisting the cries of Rebellion within him as he walked through town, allowing the Force to cleanse the thought. Outside of the palace, he found a boy. The boy seemed to be depressed and malnourished. Luke's eyes fell on the boy, who worked faster with the rug, wiping away the crust from the busted-up speeder which may be irreparable. Kriff, they were going to get him an illness. The boy obviously had a hard time not looking at the slaver, keeping his attention focused on the vehicle he was tasked to clean. It was just an excuse for the slavers to beat him... The Hutts didn't even have the decency to give him anything but torn gloves, and he looked like he was going to collapse.

"You better clean up that gutter, boy!" The Trandoshan slaver shouted behind him, a whip in one hand and a death stick in another. "Gardulla's going to make an example out of you yet!"

The Force trembled with rage. Suffice to say, the Force didn't cherish being ignored. Slavery was one thing that caused an imbalance in the Force.

Killing the slaver wouldn't lead to the Dark Side. No, the Force had an agency in the Outer Rim. It knew that one day slavers would be no more. The slavers weren't innocent, and keeping them alive was unnecessary, for all they would do was spread their suffering.

But what led to the Dark Side was the colder emotions, of one's wants, of what one really wanted to do. Luke wanted him to feel pain, and he was so, so close. He wanted him ALIVE and wanted him IN PAIN!

"I'm-I'm finished, Master," the boy managed weakly. Sweat coursed across his face.

"You better be! I'll whip the skin off your back if you're not!" The slaver grumbled, tossing aside the death stick in his left hand, and approached the vehicle with the boy backing away apprehensively. The Trandoshan did an observation over the vehicle, before he smirked darkly, finding crust and holding it in front of the boy. "Oh, oh, boy, how would Gardulla react?"

"No, Master, I didn't see it!" the boy exclaimed in a pleading tone. "I promise I will do better!"

The Trandoshan smirked, taking pleasure in the little boy's fears. The scene made Luke's eyes blaze. "It is unfortunate. But you earned this, Banai."

That was the moment Luke decided to take action. Tempting as it was, he didn't react with rage, allowing it to pass into the Force, but rather acted on the want to save that little boy. He gripped the Trandoshan through the Force, telekinetically squeezing down against the carotid arteries within his neck until he'd breathed no more.

Luke released him and stared at his corpse. In some ways, Luke could understand why the Jedi would be reluctant to do something about slavery. The countless deaths would force them to face the realities of the galaxy and often border on the Dark Side. But ironically, it would raise their students' awareness in the later stage. Through time, the Jedi's endurance and self-discipline would be hardened. It was not the mere fact that they went into war, protecting the Republic from the Separatists, that contributed to their downfall. It was more how politically involved they were, how the Sith tinkered with the Force to disastrous results, and how many friends they truly had that were other parts of it.

The boy looked surprised as Luke came next to him, taking in his smaller features and noticing the similarities to what Anakin described. The boy's eyes were wide with trepidation and fear, looking torn between running away or remaining still due to old obedience. His compliance demanded the latter.

"Kitster Banai?" Luke inquired gently, crouching before the small boy who flinched away and smiling pitifully. "It's okay, I'm a friend of Anakin's."

"Anakin?" Kitster repeated, looking like he'd wanted to run. "As in Anakin Skywalker?"

"Yes."

"But... But he's gone. Rumors said Watto killed him and his mother."

"No, I freed him," Luke dismissed gently. "He's a slave no longer, but he misses you terribly."

Kitster looked at him, remaining far too cautious for his age. "But the Hutts... they fried Watto for activating two slaves and lying to them about the Jedi. Someone else took over the shop too. The shop haven't been the same since, I think..."

Luke frowned at the mention of the Toydarian. While the slaver was someone who engaged in an art that disgusted Luke, he didn't treat them too badly and allowed them to eat, sleep, and drink. He viewed them more as merchandise that could do a lot than property.

Then again, "generosity" with slavers could easily be misconstrued as not wanting to lose their slaves.

Inside of him, Watto's death proved to be unsatisfying but inevitable. The slaves' lives were something Luke would truly mourn over.

Slavers and Hutts on the other hand...

"He's free," Luke said again, the next words coming forward: a vow. "And he will never be enslaved to another again. Neither will you."

Kitster fiddled with his thumbs, eyeing the corpse past him, before Luke... "Like Princess Arawynne? Ani always thought we would be free."

"He is right." It wasn't surprising that his father kept clinging to the fragile hope of freedom. He was likely mocked and taunted by slaves and slavers alike to make him lose that hope. But knowing Anakin Skywalker as he did under the Emperor, he never had. Luke wouldn't ever lose hope.

He'd made a vow to never abandon the galaxy.

"But I'm Gardulla's. I can't be sold without a good price."

"Perhaps I can negotiate with Gardulla," Luke said with a pained smile.

Bewildered, Kitster looked up. "How do you plan to do that?"

Luke smiled sheepishly.

He had a plan.

It was difficult to release his emotions into the Force. The idea of pulling out his lightsaber, cutting down slavers to the last, and never returning was so tempting that the Jedi almost succumbed to it.

He knew what that led to: the Dark Side was so ambitious that it gave you the delusion it would solve your problems. You just had to exchange everything that defined you as a person for power and not having a care in the galaxy. Luke knew the galaxy, in reality, wasn't as nuanced as the Force.

The Dark Side was deceptive. It granted you what you believed you needed, and especially, what you thought you desired, what you craved. Deeper and deeper with each deed you go, losing yourself to compromised emotions. There were no moral conflicts. You sleep at night amidst the ashes of millions, for there is nothing left.

He understood why so many Jedi were reluctant to accept their basic human emotions. He understood why they were often afraid to take action, though the Jedi seldom gave good reasons. After all, fear leads one to the Dark Side. While partially true, that was a duplicitous statement...

Even as Grandmaster, there were days when Luke contemplated how different the Jedi and Sith were. The Sith vowed death and destruction. They would burn entire worlds for it without any good reason and give rationalizations for it. But they weren't hypocrites. Most admitted that they wanted those things. The Jedi... too many of them allowed evil to flourish when they had the means to challenge it yet refused to take action. Their fear of the Dark Side was making it stronger.

That just wasn't something he could live with, not in the future, nor in the past. The New Republic had at least some excuses that weren't without merit. When the Republic opted to be selfish and careless, the Jedi had to be a beacon of hope that they should always be-from the normal people to those who lived in poverty to those who held powerful roles in the Senate. They were meant to guide and shield the people of the galaxy, not just those under the Republic. The Jedi should have a system to reinforce them, but they shouldn't answer primarily to that system, for all it would lead to would be the Jedi playing the role of a bunch of senators and accomplishing nothing.

He would have to think about that later. For now, Luke had his brown hood raised, keeping his face away from all, his hand close to his hilt.

Infuriated with this hornnest of cruelty, Luke's jaw clenched as he walked up to one of the guards at the gate. "I'm here to discuss this slave with Gardulla the Hutt."

Luke beckoned to the slave next to him at those words.

The guard, a Vodran in armor, with a heavy blaster rifle in his hands, scowled. "Explain your reasoning."

Luke's lips pursed into a scowl, and he waved a hand. "You will take us to Gardulla."

The guard's eyes glanced over. "I will take you to Gardulla."

Luke stalked through the halls, the urge to murder the Hutts in different ways never decreasing, letting go of years of control and dominance...

They reached their destination within minutes. A lavish audience chamber, guarded by a music band. His blood had been boiling in a way it hadn't since he'd seen Jacen injured. His patience tested, Luke's heart clenched at the signatures he felt.

"Gardulla the Hutt," came Luke's strong voice. "I have something to bring to your attention."

It would be a lie to say Luke didn't hold any ill feelings toward the Hutt. She had been a detrimental part of Anakin's negative growth. She had been nothing short of cruel to Shmi, who had also impacted her. It was almost irresistible, the mere idea of giving into his darkest feelings and striking her down.

Gardulla's eyes narrowed, not having yet noticed Kitster. "This better be good. My estate doesn't have time for lowlifes."

"Oh, it is," Luke said in not too difficult to say clipped tone. "One of your slaves is involved."

Gardulla sneered. "And why should I care?" He clenched his jaw at the Hutt with her large hand wrapped around the teenage human male lying against her stomach, on one of her thrones of power given to her.

How dare...

Luke gave her a pointed stare. "Is this how you treat potential clients?"

"What makes you so special?" Gardulla asked, focusing her full attention on him now.

Luke smiled crookedly. "Let's just say I am a very popular individual who is interested in merchandise. Would you have preferred if I had gone to Jabba?"

The Hutt scowled and recoiled as if struck.

"Who's the slave?"

"He is," Luke disappeared from his side, giving Kitster a full view.

"What did you do now, Banai?!" Gardulla demanded sharply, glaring at the boy.

The boy's grimace made Luke's jaw flex in anger, which he channeled into his acting. "This boy sabotaged my speeder."

Gardulla growled, her eyes piercing into Kitster, speaking as if she were talking to a rat. "You little brat, how many times have I warned you to be careful?! I will detonate your chip after this!"

"That will not be necessary," Luke assured.

"What do you mean?" the Hutt inquired.

"Perhaps I can find new ways to motivate him," Luke answered in a forced suggestive tone.

Gardulla paused for a moment, looking at him. She could press for termination. The Hutts were known to be backstabbers. Part of Luke mentally hoped she did. He didn't care about playing nice here. Not in the lowest parts of the galaxy, where the Dark Side of the Force ruled supreme, countless suffered while others lived in freedom, and the Republic deliberately ignored it all to maintain a treaty that would be temporary at best.

Until the Hutts grew bored.

Until the Hutts saw fit that they were to own the entire galaxy.

Finally, she laughed. "Ah, for you, friend, consider this a gesture of gratitude."

"His chip, please."

Gardulla nodded to one servant who moved up with a slave transmitter. Luke nodded in appreciation before glaring at the boy, this time with something truly forced, and the boy looked so afraid Luke wanted to hug him. The boy was young, just like Ben had been a lifetime ago. Blast! He missed his son...

"Mind your place, young one," he did his best not to cringe at the words, for the sharp words made the slave shiver, even though this was an act.

Speaking to a child that way, unless properly justified (which was only useful in the occasion of disobedience where all else failed), should be a crime in itself.

The time traveling Grandmaster waited for the chip to be in his hands before nodding in appreciation but his legs would not let him leave. He couldn't stomach leaving behind all of the slaves without at least a chance. The concept of freedom might be something lost to them but maybe if someone took charge and Luke trusted in the Force...

When Mara as the Emperor's Hand was sent to pose as one of Jabba's courtiers to kill Luke, she failed specifically because she couldn't convince Jabba to let her go onto the sail barge when they were going to execute Luke and Han.

He couldn't kill Gardulla now, not without a proper base, troopers, and supplies to sustain them. But he could still make a small difference rather than waiting for who knew how long for that crusade...

The Hutts were immune to the Force.

Their allies, however, weren't.

Luke tilted his head and sent out commands through the Force, breaking through all of Gardulla's allies easily. Weak-minded, they were unprepared. 'Free all of her slaves. Deactivate their chips and remove their transmitters. Take Gardulla's transports and help them find new lives on Corellia. And go home and rethink your lives. This is an order. Remain undetected.'

Slowly, all of the guards fell into a trance and evaded Gardulla's unsuspecting vision. She was too caught up in the party to even notice that her guards were out of the ordinary. By the time she'd noticed, Luke and the slaves would be long gone. Her guards would have no memory of what happened in their trance; though would likely face the wrath of Gardulla when she was humiliated by Jabba and the rest of the Hutts.

"Come on," Luke beckoned to Kitster.

Kitster nodded, his voice sounding small. "Yes, sir..."

He followed obediently behind him...

Some way away, Luke handed over his transmitter to him.

"You may deactivate your transmitter."

"I-I'm really freed?" Kitster asked.

Luke nodded, "Indeed you are, my little friend."

They'd arrived back at the ship, only to see Tuskens walking up around them. Some of them were trying to force the door open. When others spotted the two, they roared their familiar shouts and darted forward. Placing Kitster behind him, he used the Force and swiped a great number of them off their feet.

The few who were lucky enough to come close raised their staffs above their heads and brought them down upon him. Hand falling over his hilt, Luke activated his lightsaber and aimed, prepared to protect his young charge. He'd sensed Anakin and Shmi were still on board. They hadn't broken in yet. That made his life easier.

Or so he'd thought.

At that moment, two other sounds rang through the air. Green lightsabers activated and charged at him with blinding speed. In the last moment, Luke caught the sabers.

Staring at him was another Tusken, this one face-to-face. Luke pressed him back effortlessly. Their lightsabers met in fierce combat, and Luke twisted, pushing him back.

Luke stared at him as the Tusken lunged at him. Fully prepared, he caught each of his strikes with limited effort. While Luke operated on Soresu, the Tusken Force Adept continued attacking, and Luke maneuvered around him, lightsaber catching both before they could even reach him. Alas, Luke spotted an opening and decided to take it, kicking and disarming him in the gut.

The Tusken reached out through the Force to catch his two hilts, but Luke caught them and brought them floating into his hands in the air.

His attacker didn't give up there. He stabbed his palms out and released the Force. Luke effortlessly blocked the assault and gripped him through the Force.

"I don't want to fight you but you're in the way of my allies. Step aside."

A loud shout of "Suva!" reverberated through the air. "Fred not you're in no danger, Young Jedi," a humanoid voice rang out. "If you would release my son..."

Luke nodded, relinquishing his grip, and allowing his attacker to fall, catching his breath.

"We're merely confused by your presence. Moreover, we did not know Jedi brought slaves."

Behind him, Luke spotted Anakin and Shmi, the former of whom who just opened the door and heard what was said. The woman seemed relieved he was back while the boy's face was scrunched up in anger. "He's not our Master! He's everything to us!"

"Calm, Anakin," Luke enforced with a level of sternness barely used. Anakin nodded and backed down, still seething. "Not purchasing, but liberating, my friend," he diplomatically stated.

"You hope to start a revolt against the Hutts?" the Tusken inquired.

"No, not yet," Luke replied.

"Hmph, it's been a long time since anyone bested A'Sharad..." The Tusken raised his hand, and the rest fell back, including that said Tusken. "Since you have my son's lightsabers, I'm willing to engage in a trade."

"Our uninterrupted departure," Luke replied.

"Very well," the Tusken accepted.

When at his passenger's side, Luke gently positioned both lightsabers in front of the Tusken leader with the Force, allowing him to take them.

"Another arrangement. Not a word of our interactions is to be mentioned to the Council."

He had a meeting with them next week too...

"I don't refer to the Council," Luke replied with a sheepish grin.

"A Lost Jedi?" Surprise engulfed the Tusken.

"An Independent is the more appropriate term," he answered, nodding some.

"Anakin, it's really you!" The recently freed slave squealed, running up to Anakin and wrapping his arms around him.

Anakin felt the same happiness, "Kitster, I'm so glad you're okay!"

Luke and Shmi smiled at the scene, happy to see another light had been brought into their family...

"Ah, the innocence of children..." Even slight happiness surrounded the Tusken leader. "True to our word, you may leave..." He held out his hand in invitation.

"Luke... Luke Skywalker."

The Tusken nodded once. "Sharad Hett. This conversation will not be forgotten, Jedi."

If Luke was mentally a younger man, he would have groaned in frustration.

This encounter was going to leave another ripple, wasn't it?

Author's note: Remember, Aurra Sing died on Naboo so Sharad is still alive and well, raising his son, meaning she didn't kill him and Mundi never takes on A'Sharad. That whole Naboo arc wasn't pointless. It was introducing more ripples so I could make the story creative and not just have the Prequels with only Luke in it.

And there's more coming soon. ;)

May the Force be with you all always.