"You must be Anakin." His voice was dark and rich and his eyes were a piercing dark brown, nearing black. Hadn't fallen completely to the Darkside and earned his Sith eyes, yet there was a coldness to his pupils. Dooku's very presence was suffocating. The Force loved to pick it's favourites and Dooku was by far one of them as it hung around him like an abused lover. Each force signature had its own feeling and allowed Jedi to feel individuals but Dooku had a similar stench of someone who dabbled in the Darkside to him. Anakin felt as if he was suspended in a sea of ink. Thick enough that he could barely move and slowly making its way down his throat, causing him to gag.
It seemed that even non-force users were aware of the presence of Dooku as his sheer power was causing even non-force users to break out in a sweat. The girl next to him, despite not being in tune with the force seemed to have a better connection than most people as she fell back onto her chair unable to stand. She looked familiar... where did he recognise her from? His vision was too blurred to make any connection in his head, though. Turns out there were actually some downsides to alcohol.
"Vader," Grakkus whispered to the ex-Jedi. His voice was hoarse, and he looked slightly paler green. It seemed even one of Anakin's least favourite slugs couldn't handle being near Dooku while he was like this.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm on it." Anakin waved off the Hutt, picking himself off his seat. The chosen one groaned, walking through the invisible sludge that Dooku was excreting with his presence in The Force. With every step, the feeling of fear, hatred, loneliness and the overwhelming sense of betrayal got stronger. It was a familiar feeling, one that seemingly embraced him. The Darkside missed him, craved him just as much as he craved it. For someone who wasn't openly a Sith Lord, yet he sure wasn't concerned about holding back his presence.
"Okay, Dooku, chill out with The Force equivalent of overcompensation," Anakin growled, taking a drink off a nearby table. Gross, water.
As Anakin started to approach Dooku he felt that inky flood of power slowly dispersed. A part of the looper was glad he didn't have to deal with the nauseating feeling of being drenched in the Darkside, another part missed the nostalgia the feeling brought. Though that arrogant smirk still sat on Dooku's face. Why was he was bloody happy?
"You are quite crass for a padawan."
"Do you see a braid dumbass?"
The smirk quickly disappeared, instead being replaced by confusion. Anakin had never really been close to Dooku through his loops, and if he had he had long forgotten what it was like to be his friend. The Sith lord probably expected Anakin to be some rebellious soul much like himself who found the Jedi order to be corrupt and evil. While that wasn't completely untrue, Dooku forgot one major thing. That he was born into royalty and was raised by a Jedi while Anakin was raised by slavers.
Dooku had grown up around politicians, Jedi and royalty. He was a master of spoken combat able to swing around words just as well as a lightsaber. He was used to fencing with two-faced compliments and pretentious, overly complicated insults that politicians liked to use. Being straight-up called a dumbass was something Dooku had never experienced or knew how to counter.
"No… I guess I don't." Dooku murmured, looking over at Anakin. "I must say, I expected… more of the rumoured chosen one."
It took him two seconds to figure out his real identity. That was concerning. Dooku shouldn't even know what he looks like yet unless he had gone out of his way to find some holos of him. Leaving The Core clearly wasn't going to be enough, if he survived this miserable cruise, he would have to dye his hair or something.
"Yeah, the reality of a situation is often disappointing. Sometimes we hope for a chill holiday with drinking and whores but we end up having to tell a grown adult not to Forcce choke people in public as if he was some kinky teenager. We don't always get what we want now do we?"
Dooku just stood there, glaring at Anakin. The boy was half sure Dooku would just ignite his lightsaber and cut off his head right then and there, but it never came. There was no searing pain or death. Maul would have never lasted this long in a conversation with him without attacking.
"Perhaps I did act a little immaturely."
What? A Sith admitting he was wrong. Was something wrong with the loops?
"Excuse me?" Anakin asked in slight shock.
"The Force isn't some toy to play around with. You are correct, I did act immaturely." Dooku turned away from Anakin and looked over at the man he had just near stranggled to death. The poor alien was still trying to catch his breath and could barely stand, he was probably going to need therapy after this.
"You have my apologies." Dooku bowed. The alien didn't seem to have the air in his lungs to respond. Instead the alien could just let out lained coughs as tears streamed down his face. Even if Dooku apologised there was no doubt in anyone's mind that he was someone to just agree with.
"Ha ha ha. Bravo!" A deep voice bellowed through the ship. It seemed Grakkus regained his confidence now that he had his prized Jedi next to him. Though it seemed Grakkus didn't fully understand just how outclassed Anakin was. The Hutt might have thought that since Anakin and Dooku were both ex-Jedi their skills should be at least comparable. He couldn't be more wrong on that fact.
"I was going to wait till later tonight for my dear audience to get a little bit more wasted, but it seems there is no point. My dear kings, queen and senators, I would like to introduce my good friend Vader." The Hutt slapped Anakin's back, not realising the sheer weight difference between the two causing Anakin to lurch forward.
Dooku raised an eyebrow at Anakin at hearing his name.
"Vader here will be in charge of security along with my armed guards." What he meant was gangsters but Anakin didn't bother to mention that fact. "Don't let his age fool you, much like my dear Count he is an ex-Jedi himself!" Grakkus smirked widely when the crowd began to whisper. To the non-republic senators, seeing a Jedi was something they'd never seen. To the Republic senators, a Jedi leaving the order was something they have never heard of. While certainly, ex-Jedi did exist they were still a rarity.
"I thought we were keeping that a secret." Anakin hissed at the Hutt in a hushed voice.
"We were till a seventeen-year-old boy just stared down the leader of the newly formed CIS. I'm doing you a favour boy, don't think I didn't hear Dooku call you Anakin, I don't know what that means but I know you don't want people to know that." Grakkus hissed back at him.
Anakin only scowled at Grakkus' antics. As much of a pain as it was Anakin needed his real name to remain a mystery. Even if the Jedi and Palpatine did assume Vader was him, the false idenity would still buy him enough time to create a new identity and find a new planet to spend his break on.
"A Jedi? Why would a Jedi be so far away from the core systems?" A voice called out to him from the crowd. Judging from the fact that the woman wasn't one of the Republic races he assumed it was one of the royalty from the outer planets.
"Well-" Grakkus started but Anakin wasn't going to let this become a question-and-answer segment of his history.
"I'm not a Jedi." He interrupted. "I was a padawan who left the temple, never even made it to the rank of knight." However, Anakin doubted that it would mean much to the people who had never seen a Jedi.
"As my 'good friend'," Anakin continued, holding back the vomit rising in his throat calling a Hutt a 'friend'. "Grakkus had said. I am merely here to make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible on this trip, ideally, you won't be seeing me at all tonight."
Anakin waited for any more questions, but none came. It seemed that was enough to satisfy their curiosity. Now they could all go back to their business and drink and bitch and most importantly leave him alone.
"What's your relationship with Count Dooku of Serenno?" Anakin whipped his head around to an annoying voice that dared to ruin him, trying to end the conversation. Of course, it was a certain Queen from Naboo. So that was who the girl was. This whole situation was starting to sober him up.
"You two seem to know each other," Padme asked, placing a hand on her hip. If it wasn't for the fact that they were technically strangers in this loop he would walk up to her and strangle her. Hell, he might do it anyway.
"Ahhh, I believe I can answer that." Surprisingly it was the Count who spoke up. "Truth be told I've never met… Vader," Dooku used his fake name. That was surprisingly not awful of him. "Though I did hear he left the temple. But his old master was something of a friend of a friend. Not many leave the order so meeting someone even with a very basic connection to the force really only meant one thing."
That he was the person Dooku was looking for. Dooku never cared for Anakin in the loops when he remained in the order. Maybe it was because Dooku didn't care for a Republic dog. But, for some reason whenever Anakin left, Dooku looked for him. Maybe the Count suspected Anakin saw the same injustice in the republic that he did or maybe it was something else, but sure enough, whenever Anakin left the order, the older ex-Jedi always sought him out.
Padme for some reason didn't look pleased with the Count's logical answer, but she knew she had nowhere to call him out on.
"Though I will not deny the fact that you do interest me greatly, young Vader. I would love to speak with you in private when given the chance. Preferably when you are less inebriated." Hah! Jokes on him, Anakin had no plans of ever being sober for this whole trip.
"Please forgive my outburst Grakkus." Dooku bowed. Which Grakkus huffed arrogantly at. He must be loving this, the idea that Dooku was bowing to him was probably going to the topic of all conversations he was going to have on this cruise, and if it wasn't he was going to bring it up reguardless.
"Do not let it happen again Count. I would hate for the CIS to enter a skirmish with the Hutts so soon after its creation, we all know how it will end after all."
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Many of the Outer Rim aliens nodded with approval, as many of them were allied or rather more accurately enslaved by the Hutts. Though Anakin had tried using the Hutts against the CIS in previous loops and it just ended with Palpatine manipulating the Republic and CIS into a truce to wipe out the Outer Rim. Just another failed loop like so many before it.
Dooku narrowed his eyes at Grakkus, clearly tempted to Force lightning the slug into a crispy dessert, but it seemed he was more merciful than Anakin would be as he merely laughed alongside Grakkus.
"You are too kind." Anakin could almost hear the murderous urge in Dooku's voice but clearly, Grakkus didn't, as he beamed with pride. Moronic slug.
With apologies in order everyone went back to partying. A few senators tried to approach Anakin, thinking the boy was some sort of freelance security. Their minds were quickly changed when they realised, after ten minutes of speaking to the boy that he was more likely to protect a cheap bottle of alcohol than them if the situation ever occurred.
However, there was one senator who wasn't so unpersuaded. A certain girl from Naboo who despite her common sense decided to follow the ex-jedi boy. At least he would provide her more entertainment than her fellow Republic senators. Being stuck in a rancour cage would be more fun than spending an evening with them.
***
Padme woke up the next day with a splitting headache. Her mouth felt dry, and the lights in the room hurt her eyes. The last thing she remembered was deciding to follow the boy around all night making sure he wouldn't drink himself to death but in the end, he actually managed to convince her to take a shot with him. How she didn't remember, but all she did remember was taking a shot… and then another… and another. Shit.
Padme dug her face into her palms in embarrassment. She had gotten drunk last night trying to follow the antics of an ex-Jedi. She thought Jedi were supposed to be anti-sex and drugs, but the boy just wouldn't stop at all last night. She would turn away to discuss the economic situation of the Republic and when she looked back, she would see Vader upside down on the chandelier. Was he making up for all the years of abstinence in the Order in one night?
That boy was not worth the trouble, but at least he kept her away from politics. It was hard to discuss the future of the Republic or possible trading when you were stopping a boy from challenging every single alien to a game of beer pong. It was even worse when he kept trying to start race wars between the Rodians and the Neimoidians. She didn't even think he was racist, he just that much of an idiot.
At least she was done, and by some miracle, she had made it to her bed while drunk and passed out. She recognised her bench where plenty of drugs sat, she also saw her floor, which was littered with empty bottles. Oh, and how could she forget her lightsaber that sat in a pile of her dirty male clothes?
This wasn't her room.
This wasn't her bed!
She wasn't even alone!
She raised the blanket on top of her, noticing that she was still wearing her dress so at least she knew that nothing had happened last night. A small relief.
Next to her was a boy on his side with brown, slightly curled hair. The blanket was halfway down his abdomen so she could see his body and despite his awful diet, she saw that his past of being a Jedi had served him well. His back, while not on the level of a bodybuilder, still had noticeable muscle and definition. His body was more like that of an athlete, lean yet still defined. To any of the senators in the Republic, he would have been considered a God to men and women alike.
But what piqued her interest the most wasn't his muscles. Though she certainly couldn't complain. Not that she would ever tell him that. No, rather what drew her attention the most was the several white scars that covered his body. There were so many on his back. It was like a starry night, but instead of stars, it was small white lines. She even noticed some small burn scars.
What could have caused all these scars? Surely the Jedi weren't this rough with their own? She knew they were warrior monks, but this was too far. Scarring children like this was not something that should ever be considered okay. Was this why he had left? She would need to bring this up at the next senate if these are the kind of people who act as their police.
Padme knew she shouldn't, but she reached out, her fingertips barely brushing his skin. Still it was enough to feel his warmth.
The next second was a blur as Vader swung around his back no longer facing her as he forced his body onto her with one hand around her throat and the other held out to his side. Like magic, the lightsaber from the disgusting pile of clothes shot out and landed in his hand illuminating the room in a dark blue glow.
He looked like death.
His eyes were half glossed over, unconcentrated yet angry. Still not fully awake, but enough for his grip to feel like iron around her throat.
Padme tried to let out a scream but his hand was too firmly pressed against her windpipe. She clawed at his wrist but he didn't seem to notice when her nails bit into his forearm even drawing the smallest droplets of blood. It took a second for his glossed over eyes to concentrate and when they did she noticed his eyes were wide, dilated to the extreme, but Padme didn't think it was drugs but rather fear.
"Va-V-Va." She gasped, tears started to prick at her eyes as her lungs begged for oxygen. It took a few seconds, but Vader shook his head out of it and unignited his lightsaber. Padme felt air rush back into her lungs as Vader flopped, despite her gasping for breath just as she did.
"W-w-what the fuck was that!" Padme yelled through her coughs. He didn't look like he was faring much better as he was clutching his starry scared chest. He looked as worried as she was.
The two lay there in silence both trying to catch their breath. Although only a few seconds must have passed it felt like it had been minutes and the awkwardness only seemed to linger.
"Soooooo. Did we have sex?" Vader finally asked.
"You tried to kill me!"
"With orgasms?"
"No, just a few seconds ago!"
"Ah, yes. I remember that." Of course, it happened only moments ago! "In my defence, though you really shouldn't wake people while they are sleeping."
"Waking someone up and attempting murder really isn't comparable." She growled at the Jedi.
Vader merely shrugged and got up to the closet where he found some trousers and a black shirt to put on, by some miracle or rather, the poor workers on the ship. The boy managed to have some clean clothes.
Padme herself got out of bed. Her dress which had cost a small fortune, had alcohol stains all over it. Just wonderful. If the paparazzi ever saw her like this they would have a field day dragging her name through the mud. She can imagine it now, 'Nabooian senator sleeps with Hutt security'. Hell, if that was the best, then she would be lucky.
She could stay here and not be seen but... that would mean spending more time with her attempted murderer. She would rather the public slander.
"You're not going to leave looking like that, are you?" Vader asked her, raising a brow at her appearance.
"Well, I'm not going to stay here." She sneered, looking around the room.
"I can't decide what is worse, if this is yours or if it isn't." The Queen said, using a nearby pen to pick up a bright pink bra with its very flimsy strap. How this was supposed to provide any back support was beyond her.
"Well, your majesty. I hate to explain how this whole thing works for you, but there is this little thing called a walk of shame. Otherwise known as a slut walk. One planet I went to called it Okur'kaur. It translates to the 'woman who should be stoned'. Wasn't very progressive, but affective."
Padme rolled his eyes at his antics. Sure she was in the upper class, but she knew what a walk of shame is … oh crap. If anyone saw her then every politician from all these different planets would think she got drunk and threw herself at the nearest person. No doubt her rivals in the republic would use it as ammunition against her.
"Well, I don't have much choice," Padme grumbled, it seemed she would have to be sneaky as possible.
"Well… you are not completely choiceless," Anakin said picking up a very very short crop top. A leftover from of one of his conquests. The smirk on his face made her want to walk up to him and break his stupid nose.
"No! I'm not wearing the clothes of your one-night stands. Who knows what STDs could be crawling on them?"
"Hah! We are way beyond caring about germs. I didn't exactly cuddle in the bed you slept in."
"Ugh, you're disgusting. When I get back to my room, I'm taking a shower with bleach."
"Well, you could wear my clothes."
"That would look just as bad!" Not to mention, she would barely fit.
"I have one more idea. But you're not going to like it."
He was right. Padme hated this. The queen was currently stuck hiding in one of those room service trollies as Vader pushed her through the ship. It seemed that he really did have free rein on the ship as after ordering room service, the maid didn't even argue when he told her he was taking the trolley.
"Drive better you arse!" Padme banged her head on the roof of the trolley. It was far too small and cramped for a grown person to be inside. All those times she said she'd do yoga tomorrow were really coming back to bite her.
"Not my fault. It feels like I'm pushing a moon," Vader grumbled.
"How dare you!" She didn't get a response. Instead, she slammed forward, hitting the metal with her face.
"Oops. Sorry." She could tell he wasn't.
She didn't know how long she was in that trolley. She wouldn't put it past Vader to intentionally take longer than usual. He took pleasure in hearing his own voice and he enjoyed it even more hearing other people whine about him. Having Padme trapped like this was probably the highlight of his day. Padme was so annoyed she almost missed the sound of approaching footsteps.
"You, boy. You are the Jedi, correct?" That voice was so pretentious. Padme wanted to gag just hearing it, though; there was something familiar about the voice.
"Not a Jedi." She heard Vader groan.
"Ex-Jedi then. The specifics aren't really what we wished to talk to you about. Rather, we have an interesting proposition for you." It took a few seconds but Padme realised where she recognised the voice. It was her fellow Republic senators, the ones she had spent the night with before she became Vader's babysitter.
Padme waited for his answer. It never came, Vader didn't bother to answer the senators. Maybe he thought it wasn't worth his time. She felt the trolley start to move again, but she heard something kick against it, stopping it from moving any further.
"Get out of my way," Vader growled. His voice was a far cry from the usual mocking that she was so used to hearing.
"We'd just like a moment of your time."
"You're not worth that long."
"How much exactly is worth your time, mercenary?" One of the senators asked. "Let's face it I doubt an ex-Jedi would ever come to Nar Shaddaa to open their own security business. To put it bluntly, we are more than happy to pay for your time."
"What would a senator want with a mere mercenary exactly?"
"Well, because of your position, it must be easy to get into any room you want. You could hypothetically enter someone's room and-"
"Bug it. I assume you're going to want me to place the recorders in the rooms of the CIS senators." Republic Senators, that's why the voice sounded so familiar.
"Exactly. Look at you mercerenary, you're smarter then you look." The voice was sickeningly annoying.
Padme couldn't believe what she was hearing. This was beyond illegal. If the senate heard what they were proposing, they would be stripped of their position before the media could grab hold of it and tear them apart with anti-republic nonsense.
"You realise you're risking your career by trying to spy on different political heads. The tension might be rising between the Republic and the CIS but even you morons know that being caught spying on currently neutral systems will be career suicide."
"Perhaps. But that's only if the bugs were found. Even if they were there is no proof it is ours, even then we were found out, then who cares? This news will never reach The Core planets. Whom are the people going to believe? Just mentioning you're from Nar Shaddaa is enough for us to tell the media you're nothing but a liar who would do anything for some attention."
"Hah! Maybe we should let the news get out. If we could blackmail Dooku, then we'd be treated as heroes." Another senator agreed.
Disgusting. It was one thing to spy on your enemies. It was underhanded and immoral, but during the war, many lives could be saved by blackmail. Though to do it against currently neutral politicians just so they could blackmail them just when they 'potentially' pose a risk was just disgusting.
"Get out of my way before I show you just how much lenience I get as security. This is a cruiser-class ship, It's too big to have security cameras everywhere."
"We don't want any conflict, Jedi. We are just offering you credits that you can spend on all the alcohol you want. If you don't want to I'm sure we can find someone else too. The only person who loses is you."
"I'm not a Jedi." Vader hissed at the men before Padme felt the trolley start moving again.
The two remained in silent for most of the trip. The only sound were the wheels rolling against the metal floor. Vader didn't seem to be in the mood to talk which was a first and Padme was too embarrassed to say anything. Although Padme could only remain silent for so long.
"Thank you for not taking the bribe. That was surprisingly moral of you."
"I didn't do it because of morality. I did it 'cause I hate the Republic."
"We aren't all like that. We are less corrupt than the Hutts you work for."
"Justifying corruption by saying someone else is more corrupt is pathetic." Padme didn't disagree.
