277 My CO Stash #77 - Vader: The Goblins Bane by DWAR (StarWarsXGoblinSlayer)

-Repemption seeking Vader wiping out goblins is best Vader~ I find the author's portayal of Vader, the most pleasing!

Sypnosis: What happens when Darth Vader is transported to the Goblin Slayer Universe? Read and find out. Rating may be raised at a later point due to content.

Rated: T

Words: 37K

Posted on: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13211133/1/Vader-The-Goblins-Bane (DWAR)

PS: If you're not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can't copy links on mobile (´ー｀)

-I'll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan't more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)

Chapter 1-3 (exceptional)

Though it had been decades since that awful night in the wastes, the events of the past few days, which were far too similar in nature to that moment where he had first stepped into darkness, granted him a clarity that was almost as if it had only been yesterday since he held his dying mother in his arms.

Gone had been the strong, gentle woman that had comforted him whenever their master sought a convenient outlet to vent his frustrations of the day. For it had been replaced by a bruised, and broken creature whose only relation to his mother had been the strength of her spirit.

The man who had freed her from Watto had told him that Shmi had been missing for months, which meant that she had clung to life, far past what any other human being would do, just so she could see her son one last time.

He could still feel the calloused, but gentle touch of her hand as she tried to take in the image of her grown up son. But as he desperately tried to retain his composure as he sought to reassure her that she was now safe, she finally succumbed to her wounds, with her last words trying to tell him that she loved him.

For a moment, he had clutched her body to him as he stifled the urge to vocalize his pain at the same time he was broadcasting his emotions to the currents of the universe.

It was only after he heard the gurgled laughing of his mother's butchers that he allowed his emotions to take over and grant them the reward that they deserved.

All of them. Be they man, woman or child, they had all fallen to his blade. And while he told his yet to be wife that he was disgusted with his actions in order to try and prove that he was still worthy to be called a human being, in truth he enjoyed it for it reminded him of why he had become a Jedi in the first place.

To protect those who could not protect themselves.

Yes revenge had been a part of it, but before Sidious taught him that it was better to embrace these feelings rather than cast them aside, but he believed that he was doing the planet a favor by getting rid of those...creatures who survived by bringing misery to others.

And despite the years since that night when he lost the one person whose love might very well have surpassed his beloved wife, he was currently facing a situation that made it seem like it was only yesterday.

Albeit this time he had no personal ties with the victims of these monsters.

For like the people of Tatooine, the people of this society viewed these mutated raiders as an easily handled pest that were not only the concern of those who dwelt beyond the protection of the main settlements, but could be taken care of by even the least experienced of warriors.

And like the Tusken Raiders, these Goblins were a more dangerous, not to mention depraved adversary than they first appeared.

Ferocious in numbers. Natural ambushers. And a tendency for perverted cruelty that had their victims crying out for death.

They were animals. And he would enjoy slaughtering them like animals.

...

Chapter 2

Considering the list of crimes he had committed in his life, both as his tenure as a Jedi and then later as a Sith Lord, the man formerly known as Anakin Skywalker was hardly surprised that his death hadn't resulted in an escape from his pain.

For a brief moment after his death, his appearance resembled what it could have been if his body had been fully organic, but after fading from the view of his son, the Force had seen fit to punish him by transforming his spirit into the symbol of oppression that had bestrode the galaxy for over 2 decades.

And like his existence under the man he had been forced to call master, his current appearance was designed to not only instill terror in those who looked upon him, but also punish his body for his greatest failures.

Mechanical limbs that sent stabbing sensations into his ruined flesh every time he moved them, with his arms giving him the sensation that they would tear themselves out if they remained at rest.

The sensation that he would be crushed under his own weight if he took even the smallest step forward.

And the most memorable of all, the burning sensation that came with every breath of air that was artificially pushed and pulled into his charred lungs.

For the man who was complicit in the untold suffering of billions, spending eternity trapped in the Force's representation of his mobile prison was an adequate punishment.

However, while he was resigned to his fate, for despite his actions in saving his son he still had much to atone for, the man whose actions had influenced the entire galaxy, was mildly curious at the fact that his connection to the Force, rather than being severed or even expanded to increase his suffering, was exactly the same as it had been before his duel with his son.

Thanks to mutilation he had experienced at the hands of Kenobi, the former Jedi had been forced to compensate for his loss of nearly half his force potential by increasing his ability to control what was left to him. Of course it had been insufficient to free himself from Sidious's control, for he sensed that he had perhaps 80% of the Sith master's power, but it had nevertheless cemented his position as the most powerful apprentice the Emperor had ever commanded.

And as he sought to get a better understand of why in death he still possessed the abilities that had defined his career as both a Jedi and Sith, the armored man was hit with sensation that he had become most intimate with during the past 24 years.

Mounting terror.

Reaching out with his senses, he was able to pinpoint the disturbance with nearly surgical clarity. For while Luke might have caused him to experience the same selfless behavior that had defined his tenure as a Jedi, he was still more comfortable following the currents of the Dark Side of the Force.

And while this planet was teeming with individuals whose alignment was firmly entrenched within the light, there were also countless denizens, not unlike those that existed in front of him, whose actions served to strengthen the darker impulses of the universe spanning energy field.

Hate.

Anger.

These were emotions that could be easily felt by him, especially since they seemed to be generated by 30 sentient beings whose singlemindedness was admirable, if more than slightly feral in nature.

But these emotions were easily dwarfed by the one that appeared to be coming from those whose signature in the Force had previously been in the light.

Fear.

Curious as to what could inspire such a feeling, and receiving a gentle nudge from the Force to investigate, the black armored being picked himself off the ground and walked towards the disturbance.

It was only thanks to another subtle move from the source of his power that he turned his helmeted visage back to where he had fallen and noticed something that once again caused his former mentor's chiding tone to enter his head.

Scowling as he was forced to admit that Kenobi had at least had one valuable teaching, the Force user raised his arm to catch the currently deactivated weapon in his hand.

For he suspected that he would soon have need of it.

…

Cackling evilly as his equally malicious minions threw their latest captives at his feet, the goblin chieftain took his time to analyse his 'gifts' before making the decision that all leaders of his kind had to make.

Which captive would have the honor of being the first to receive his seed? And which ones would be used for the amusement of his men?

It mattered little in the grand scheme of things since all runts were treated the same, even those that were fathered by Goblin Lords and other high ranking members of their kind, but that wasn't the point.

It was his duty to increase their numbers with human women, and it was his privilege to be the first one to break the spirit of their captives with his desire for pleasure.

Of course he had every intention of 'sampling' the other 2 once his flesh had recovered enough to take what his spirit wanted, but since his position was secured by making it plain that HE was to get first pick, there was considerable pressure to ensure that his choice was worthy of his position.

'Lets see. The one on the right has most of her meat in the lower half, with almost none up top. Good if I wanted to take her from the rear, but I feel in the mood to grab a females tits while I'm inside her. The one in the middle, not too bad. Nice toned legs, decent sized chest, but that glare of hers means that it might be tougher to break her in. The one of the left….hmm…bit on the unripe side, but then, the young ones are always fun to watch when they scream in in pain'.

.

Gesturing with a dirty claw to have the youngest member of the trio brought forward, and idly noting that his boys were already howling in pleasure as they proceeded to position their leader's rejections in a manner that would be as pleasurable for them as it would be painful for the women, the middle aged goblin untied his loin cloth and advanced on the girl who smelt as if her body had only just recently become ripe for mother hood.

However, before he do more than spread her legs, for unlike his minions he enjoyed it when his toys had illusion of preventing what was going to happen, the breeding chamber was filled with the terror filled cries of one of his scouts.

Snarling at having his fun delayed, though he noticed with some satisfaction that the others had waited for him to take the first plunge before enjoying their own breeding partners, the goblin leader was about to yell at the babbling scout, whose position had ensured that he and others like him would never get first, or even 4th choice of the women they captured, when the unfortunate goblin went flying back into the darkened tunnel that connected his throne room to the twisting pathways of his kingdom.

And as he began to shout orders at his minions to deal with this magic using intruder, his voice was drowned out by the booming echoes of what could only loosely be described as breathing.

'KHOOOOH PUUUHRR'

…..

Though it had been some time since he had felt any emotion that reminded him of his former self, his fatherly instincts towards the last remaining link to his wife notwithstanding, the armored behemoth found it particularly amusing to cut down these stunted mutants in a fashion that was almost similar to how he and his former apprentice had dealt with the droid forces of the Separatists.

But unlike the battle droids of the CIS, these creatures were capable of feeling emotions as they found their efforts to overwhelm him end in failure.

If they had chosen to face him in the open, they might have stood a better chance, for he would have been forced to divide his attention towards his complete surroundings instead of just in front of him. But since they appeared to dislike fighting with the planet's sun shining over them, they had opted for fighting them in terrain that would have given them the home advantage.

However, with their primitive weapons and crude sense of tactics, they were no match for him.

Even without his lightsaber.

First he had dealt with the 2 creatures that had been standing guard outside their cave.

Due to the weakness of their mind, he could simply have used a mind trick in order to get them to leave and never look. But after delving into their thoughts, which was a simple chore for him to do since they possessed a simple mindedness that could put even his wife's Gungan ally to shame, he had quickly concluded that they deserved a much more permanent fate.

In his tenure as the Emperor's right hand, he had executed countless beings for crimes that were far less deserving that what these animals had committed. And it was precisely for that reason that he derived great satisfaction as he chocked the life out of the green skinned monsters.

For while he had no issues in using the force to weed out the virus of incompetence and treason within the ranks of his forces, the lingering elements of his Jedi training ensured that the act of killing those who behaved like animals served to fill him with a sense of righteousness.

A trait that was both encouraged, and mocked by his Sith Master.

After he had dispatched the 2 guards, the armored force user had proceeded to venture deeper into the cave, using his helmet and his senses to lead him deeper into the darkened passageways of this underground nest.

Unfortunately, his reliance on his suit's respiratory system had ensured that his descent was far from stealthy.

But that didn't halt his progress into the depths.

Every time he came across these creatures, who either charged at him from some cleverly concealed chamber, though from his senses there was no hope of hiding, or attempted to literally stab him in the back, his strength in the Force allowed him to brutally, yet efficiently deal with these abominations in a lethal fashion.

Force chokes.

Waving his hand to send their child sized bodies flying into the wall or ceiling.

And one particular incident where he had levitated 2 still living creatures to act as a shield before sending them crashing into their compatriots with a well-aimed force blast.

Unfortunately, while that last attack had managed to bring his kill count to around 24, one of the creatures, in a rare display of intelligence, had chosen to do the one thing that would delay its well deserved fate.

Running away.

However, since it had fled in the direction from where he could feel the justified fear of those he now suspected to be their captives, the former Jedi followed the creature with the same sense of purpose one would expect from a predator that had cornered its prey.

And since it had fled into an area that appeared to have more space for maneuverability, it was time to indulge in perhaps one of the few activities that could make his shell of a life have some semblance of pleasure.

…

As soon as he heard the echoing sounds of metallic breathing, for there could be no other way to describe what he was hearing, the Goblin leader's began to scream for his minions to attack this soon to be intruder.

But as the blackness of the cave was banished by the sudden ignition of fire that was blood red, the sense of encroaching doom grew stronger and stronger.

A sensation that grew worse as his steadily fearful eyes took in the appearance of the intruder.

As a member of a race whose height rarely exceeded that of a human child, at least when they weren't evolving into the hard to obtain/more evolved forms of their kind, the goblin leader was hardly surprised to find himself dwarfed by this new enemy, even if he was taller than most humans he had encountered.

He was covered in black colored armor that would have allowed him to blend with the nest's perpetual darkness if it wasn't for the blinking lights that covered the torso. Not that wouldn't have done anything since black armor or not his breathing, as well as a goblin's night vision would have robbed him of this advantage anyway.

But the personal appearance of this intruder, whose presence managed to scare even their latest breeders, was not enough to make the goblin leader and his minions believe that they were outmatched.

No, their growing sense of fear stemmed from the glowing blade that extended from his hand.

Usually, a sword of that length would be all but useless in the tight confines of a goblin nest. But a magical blade, for there was no other way to describe the blood red beam of light, was something that gave even the most inexperienced of humans an advantage that few goblins could hope to match.

And from the way his goons were butchered, it was clear that this human, if he could even be called that, was no inexperienced adventurer.

…..

Feeling an urge of satisfaction as he decapitated one of the few remaining creatures with a casual one handed swing of his lightsaber, an act that managed to inspire feelings of both relief and terror in those who had been on the verge of suffering one of the few fates that was worse than death, the former Chosen One turned his attention towards the remaining beasts whose perverse savagery matched those of the ones who had killed his mother.

And like the Tusken Raiders, these child sized mutants met their end on the tip of his light saber.

All but one of them.

Accurately suspecting that this last remaining animal was the leader of the soon to be extinct tribe, the prodigal Force user lifted his hand to keep the struggling creature in place as he turned his attention towards the fearful trio.

"Are you alright"?

Unsurprised to see them flinch at the sound of his voice, and filled with the previous discarded emotion of caring for those who were truly innocent, the former enforcer did his best to adopt a more soothing tone as he sought to reassure the clearly traumatized women that he was not a threat to them.

"I mean you no harm. I…am here to help".

Though his words cause the more youthful members of the trio to shrink in fear, the oldest among them managed to respond to his statement in a way that was both achingly familiar, and yet entirely opposite to the words he had spoken all those years ago.

"Ar…Are you a demon"?

Shocked though he was to have a replay, twisted though it might have been, of his first meeting with his wife, and pushing down his ever present feelings of self disgust since his past actions could be described as evil, the black armored warrior shook his head.

"No. No I am not. That distinction I believe belongs to this pitiful creature".

Turning his helmet so his struggling captive could look directly into the lens of his mask, the Force user felt his ever present anger growing as the young woman provided the information that he was lacking.

"Their not demons, their goblins. Most people view their kind as only a nuisance, a pest that can be taken out by even the most inexperienced of adventurers. But to those who live in small villages, where army patrols are few to non existent, they are the scourge of the earth. They steal and butcher anything that takes their fancy. And the girls…they…they….they use them to increase their num..".

CRACK

Though it was far less satisfying a death than his preferred method of execution, the former symbol of imperial might was far from sorry as telekinetic hold on the goblin's body went from keeping him in place to breaking every bone in his body.

Taking a moment to reign control over his more volatile emotions, for it would be unpleasant if he lashed out at the already terrified trio, the former Jedi fell back into the mindset of a military commander as he proceeded to bark instructions at the more composed member of the 3 women.

"Find something to cover yourselves. We are leaving this hovel".

Watching dispassionately as they hastened to obey his command, and using his senses to ensure that there were no more of these…goblins to deal with, the man whose life was divided between serving the light and dark side of the Force came to a decision that had been weighing on his mind since he had 'awoken'.

Though the actions he had taken this day had been in service of a goal that the Jedi would approve of, saving innocent lives from a gruesome fate, the manner in which he accomplished this served to remind him that despite his son's insistence, the Dark Side of the Force was still with him.

For he had revelled in the fear of the goblins as he struck them down. And his anger and rage had been fully stoked at the knowledge that this world treated these loathsome creatures with the same sort of dismissive behavior that the urban dwellers of Tatooine possessed towards the bands of monsters that had taken the life of his mother.

"Ex…excuse me sir. But what do we call you"?

Turning his head so that his red tinted vision could catch the nervous expression of the more vocal members of his rescued captives, it was only with the briefest amounts of hesitation that he answered the question that he himself had been debating over.

"Vader. You may call me Vader".

…

Chapter 3

Despite her best efforts to retain the professionally cheerful demeanor that she had been instructed to wear during her work hours, Guild Girl couldn't help feeling the familiar feeling of worry as the latest batch of rookie adventurers missed their deadline.

In itself, this wasn't a serious concern since few adventurers, even those who had managed to obtain the incredibly rare rank of gold, ever managed to complete their assigned quest within the standard time allotment the Guild judged to be appropriate for each mission. Though there were several instances when an adventurer returned far sooner than previously predicted, even if most of the time they returned without fulfilling their goals.

But for those who chose to take on a goblin quest, the golden haired girl had managed, with more than a little help from her goblin obsessed love interest, to work out a system that could tell her if the mission had been a success or a failure.

If all of the party returned the same day they accepted the quest, and held that mixed look of triumph and mild exhaustion, then it meant that the goblin menace had been both small in number and had occurred outside of their natural habitat.

If however they returned days, or even a week later than intended, and possessed clear signs that they had been in a struggle, which could range from visible injuries, missing party members, or that horrified stare that was always present, in some form or another, on female adventurers who had chosen to exterminate the 'lowest creatures of darkness', then it was clear that the mission was far more difficult than they had expected. It was usually at this time that adventurer's either made the decision to carry on, albeit with different quests, or pursue another career.

For apart for apart from Goblin Slayer, few adventurers willingly chose to go take on another goblin menace. And even fewer returned.

And then of course there were the quests that no one returned from.

Either they had been killed and used for food, or had endured the fate that every woman fears until there bodies finally gave out from the constant horror of being forced to increase the goblin population.

Of course more than one woman had been rescued from this fate, but even the blindest man could tell that for all intents and purposes they were dead in all the ways that mattered.

But since Goblin Slayer had decided to accept 2 jobs that morning, the likelihood of someone coming to that trio's rescue, for their continued absence left no doubt that they had, like many before them, been forced to spend the remainder of their days as toys before their bodies were turned towards a more...culinary purpose, was slim to none.

Sometimes, in her darkest moments, she wished that that the goblin population would attack a good sized town, for then it would reveal to the rest of the world that those creatures that most dismissed as a minor pest, were in fact an evil that should be wiped from the face of the other. However, such thoughts were always accompanied by a sense of guilt since such an occurrence would undoubtedly inflict more suffering on those who were truly innocent.

Which she suppose is why Goblin Slayer was so obsessed with his one man campaign.

It did not matter if the news only carried the barest rumor of goblin activity. The specialist silver ranked adventurer would pursue any lead that would prevent the goblin menace from growing.

But sadly, he couldn't be everywhere.

Which is why the guild kept losing an unacceptable number of rookie adventurers on what had been labelled 'simple goblin hunts'.

She wished they took her advice to treat their mission with the same seriousness they would show to a more physically imposing enemy, but her warnings largely went ignored by those who believed that their previous training would get them through any peril.

The last person to at least have the common sense to express some doubt over her chosen quest was that young priestess who had more or less been shanghaied by that trio of over confident rookies. She hoped that the young girl would be able to summon the necessary courage to act on her justified concerns, but considering the harsh dismissive attitude of the young wizard, and the blind enthusiasm of the groups only male, she highly doubted it.

But as her more pragmatic, and more than slightly dismissive superior kept reminding her, it wasn't her job to quests requests from those that wanted them.

Of course there was that rule about matching adventurers to quests that fitted their skill level, but since the leaders of the Adventurers Guild labeled goblins as the lowliest monster their was, they were deemed to be an acceptable, even easy challenge for those who had only recently been accepted into the guild.

Thus, it was with a heavy heart that she forced herself to regain the pleasant demeanor that all employees had to wear during their working hours.

However, judging by the way in which the roaring fire seemed to lose its ability to combat the unexpected draft of cold that seemed to descended on what had previously been a pleasant evening, she doubted that it would be easy.

….

Though it had been some years since he was forced to acknowledge that he was in someone's debt, his former master's occasional reminder of his 'rescue' on the lava banks of Mustafar notwithstanding, Vader was nevertheless grateful to the unlooked for generosity of the old farmer.

Yes he had acted as most beings did whenever they were in his presence, something which had no doubt been Sidious's intention when designing his mobile prison, but after using the force to calm the man's nerves, something which he had never bothered with in his position as the Empire's 2nd most powerful being, and the understandably nervous words of support from his rescued captives, the old dairy farmer had offered to use his cart to transport them to the nearest settlement.

He had been fully prepared to make the journey on foot, even if the trek would have painfully reminded him of the substandard design of his prosthetics, but since he was uncertain of his companion's ability to walk long distances, not to mention his unfamiliarity of the area, the armored force user was forced to concede that accepting the farmer's offer was for the best.

Even if his constant mechanical breathing unnerved the old man.

However, the uneventful journey into the large rural settlement gave him the perfect opportunity to extend his senses into the currents of the Force in order to get a better understand of his new found environment.

And for the most part, he was largely unsurprised by what he felt.

The farmsteads that dotted the country side where filled with the same sort of fear and acceptance that had existed in the wastes surrounding Mos Eisley. And while that didn't prevent the rural populace from carrying on with their lives in a safe, and relatively happy manner, Vader could nevertheless detect that their fear, while muted, nevertheless required little to bring it out.

The town itself was entirely different. Albeit in a way that caused him to question whether or not the women had been correct in their overall perception of the society they had sprung from.

Yes the atmosphere was much more lighter than that in the countryside, especially when compared to the areas that bordered the forests that, if not shouted, whispered with the Dark Side of the Force, but he could detect the same concern that he had experienced in the systems where the effects of the Clone Wars, while far enough away to ensure that they did not directly feel the cost of the war, were nevertheless felt by every being whose loved ones lacked the same sort of safety they enjoyed.

Of course while this new found knowledge wasn't enough to stoke the fires of his rage, it was sufficient to make him experience the same sort of disdain he had developed after watching the countless debates of the Republican Senate.

For with the exception of his wife, and perhaps the leaders of the Rebellion, few senators ever possessed the courage to play an active role in fighting what they viewed to be a credible evil. The Jedi of course had been of a similar mindset, even if they risked their lives on a daily basis. They knew what they needed to do in order to bring the war to a swifter conclusion, but their inability to do more than respond to a crisis ensured that countless billions suffered from their decision.

Directing his attention towards his surroundings, since he rightly suspected that his mood would worsen if he dwelled on those he had once called his comrades, even if a portion of them never reciprocated, Vader soon found his gaze drifting towards the silent conversation of the trio, which until this time had been muted as they came to terms with not only their narrowly avoided fates, but also the identity of their rescuer.

"Do you think he's going to hurt us"?

"No. If he wanted to do that he would have done so in the nest".

"Then what do you think he wants"?

"I head some adventurers ask for 'favors' after they've rescued a maiden from a horrible fate".

"Don't be an idiot. You saw what he could do. If he wanted to take advantage of us, he could have done it after he killed the goblins".

"That's true. But that still doesn't mean he doesn't intend to do something to us as soon as were cleaned up. I heard that most men prefer their girls to be cleaned up before they..do it".

"How do we even know he's a man? He could be a demon or some enchanted suit of armor that's leading us to his master".

Fighting the urge to scoff at this worlds version of the theory that he was nothing more than a droid, Vader decided to enter the conversation to clear up the misunderstanding.

'As I've already told your companion, I am not a demon, nor am I a construct that that has been given a degree of sentience. I am a human. One that has no interest in lowering himself to act like a more…refined version of those…creatures".

Of all the crimes he had committed as his tenure as Sidious's errand boy, the act of forcing oneself on an unwilling women was one that he had never condoned. Of course, he had also never accepted the offer, rare though it might have been, to engage in the more physical aspects of intimacy.

His regular medical examinations had informed him that he was still capable of reproducing should he ever wish to, but the injuries he incurred that day, both physical or emotional in nature, ensured that he would find no pleasure in the act.

However, he had no intent on sharing that, or any other detail of his tragic history. So before the women could press for more information, he directed the conversation to a more relevant topic.

"I trust that after today, you 3 will be thinking of choosing a more…worthwhile career. If your performance against those creatures, which you have stated rank amongst the lowest vermin, is anything to go by, I foresee that the lives that you have chosen will end in a manner that most would find to be…unpleasant".

Cruel though it might have been for him to mention what could have happened to them if he hadn't allowed his curiosity, and the prodding of the Force, to direct his actions, Vader nevertheless felt that his words had merit.

Something which to his great surprise also earned a nod of agreement from their previously silent driver.

"He's got a point ladies. I've known my share of folks who drove themselves into an early grave just because they couldn't accept the undeniable proof that they were unsuited for their chosen lifestyle. All 3 of you are still young, so take my advice, choose a profession that gives you a better chance to stay amongst the realm of the living. I know the abbeys are always looking for those who wish to lend a hand to those who need it. Sure it's a less glamorous job, but at least you don't have to worry about a goblin knifing you in the gut".

A kinder answer than he was capable of giving, but it still carried the same message that the armored Force user was trying to convey to the female trio.

They were not cut out for the life of an adventurer.

Of course as a child, he himself had been told that he wasn't capable of becoming a true Jedi, which he supposed carried some truth to it considering the nature of his fall, but the circumstances for these women were far different.

For unlike the Jedi, whose training standards ensured that only the most promising ever got a chance to become a full fledged knight let alone a padawan learner, these girls did not undergo a strict, supervised training regime that would prepare them for their first experience with the darker aspects of the world.

However, it appeared that his observation, tempered though it was by the gentle interference of the old wagon driver, had managed to get through to the trio of traumatized women.

"I…I suppose your right. Once the others find out that we failed a goblin quest, we would have been forced out of the guild anyway".

Though his own track record when dealing with failure had been well known amongst the upper ranks of Imperial society, though the rank and file respected the fact that he never ordered them to risk their lives for something he himself could not accomplish, Vader found himself fighting to keep his voice calm, or as calm as his suit's voice vocoder would let him, as he gave voice to his growing suspicion.

"Why? Surely your…guild would have simply excused your actions as novices who simply overestimated their skills. And from what I recall, the situation in the tunnels was something that even the most hardened solider would find…challenging".

Fighting the urge to roll his eyes, though no one but him would have been able to tell that he had done so, as the trio flinched at his observation, the former Jedi felt his anger begin to rise as the braver of the 3 women answered his question.

"Well, officially the guild wouldn't kick us out. Gods know that we wouldn't be the first party of adventurers to fail a mission. But to fail a quest that many adventurers believe can be accomplished by a single Obsidian class? Our reputations would be shot, which means that no experienced adventurer would ever hire us on for the more lucrative quests".

For a moment, the only sound that could be heard was the constant rhythm of his accursed respirator. However, that moment quickly passed as the former Jedi allowed a hint of disgust to enter his tone as he was confronted with something that reminded him of his own youthful career.

"So what your telling me is that these goblins, vile disgusting creatures that spend their days capturing women to increase their numbers, are allowed to exist just because the so called 'heroes' of your society deem them to be unworthy of their time"?

Hesitantly nodding her head at the armored Force user, and doing her best to fight the urge to shiver as the warmth of the summer evening steadily dropped with every word her rescuer said, the failed adventurer's sense of foreboding only grew as Vader turned his head so that she could see her reflection in the blackened lenses of his helmet.

"Then it appears that I must have a chat with those who fail to perform such necessary tasks because they are beneath them. I trust you have no issue in leading me to the center of this….agency"?

Receiving a single, albeit nervous nod from the girl's head, Vader found his already strained control over his more volatile emotions slipping as the girl pointed towards what appeared to be a large tavern.

"N…no issue at all. The guild headquarters is just up ahead anyways. Though I feel I should warn you, you're current…appearance might cause some of them to act rashly. Perhaps it would be best to find you a change of clothes so you don't provoke anyone"?

For a brief moment, the girl could have sworn she felt a slight pressure on her throat as the evening suddenly became as frigid as a winter storm. But the sensation passed as Vader, whose posture had stiffened at the mention of his armor, seemed to slightly relax as he uncurled his fist.

"That…is not an option that is available to me. And should your former compatriots have an issue with my…appearance, I am quite prepared to deal with them".

Getting the hint that it would be unwise to ask any further questions, and tightening their cloaks around their bodies in an attempt to help fight off the evening's unusually cold air, the soon to be former adventurers marched towards the entrance of the Adventurer's Guild. Doing their best to control their growing unease as their rescuer's nightmarish breathing reminded them that some heroes could be more terrifying than the very monsters they fought.

…

"OI ROOKIE. TOSS ANOTHER LOG ONTO THE FIRE. ITS COLD AS AN ICE BOX IN HEAR".

Though she agreed in principal to her often brash companion's shouted command, for the temperature was far from the comforting warmth that many had come to expect from the usually boisterous hall, Witch flashed the male spear user a chastising expression.

"That's rather….rude is it..not? If you wanted…to warm up….you could have employed….other means to do so. Our status as…silver ranked adventurers…does not mean that…we can treat those who are….less experienced as us like…servants you know"?

Having expected Spearman to either dismiss her words, or act with a degree of maturity that was more akin to children who had only recently escaped infanthood, the voluptuous spell caster found herself more than a little surprised by how quickly he accepted her way of thinking.

"Yeah I suppose your right. Far be it for me to set a bad example for those who wish to emulate my example. Still, you have to admit that the place does need to be warmed up though".

Pleased at how mature Spearman was acting, Witch puffed on her elongated pipe before commenting on the guild's shift in temperature.

"Your right. It is very…unusual for it to be…chilly this time of year. I wonder if perhaps….something unnatural is the cause….for this disturbance".

Frowning as he considered the possibility, the spear wielding adventurer's expression quickly gained a more irritated look as the door to the guild was thrown wide open.

"OI! SHUT THE DAMN DOOR. YOUR LETTING ALL THE HE…".

"KHOOOOOH PUUUUUHR".

…..

Though her position ensured that she was made perfectly aware of the dangerous challenges that faced each and every adventurer, as well as the fear of those who had been forced to pose a potentially lethal quest in the first place, Guild Girl had never before felt the same icy grip of terror that all adventurers felt when first confronting a monster.

Until now that is.

And judging by the nervous expressions that had come over most of the present adventurers, especially the magic users, the young receptionist could easily tell that she was not the only one to feel this way.

For in addition to the terrifying appearance of this black armored arrival, not to mention the inhuman way it seemed to draw its breath, this being radiated menace that could rival that of any monster.

A feeling that only managed to grow as it turned its helmet to speak to whoever was brave enough to walk in it's shadow.

"I see I was wrong in my expectations. Your….compatriots are far less impressive than I expected".

Though flinching at the deep, almost soulless voice of the large armored being, Guild Girl was nevertheless surprised by the slightly exasperated, yet still noticeably fearful tone of one of the girls she had only recently given up for dead.

"Everything is less impressive when compared to you. Though I doubt even you could handle the entire room if you did anything to provoke them".

Seeing the immense figure turn his head to observe the tense atmosphere his presence had created, the blonde receptionist could only pray that his next words would be lacking any sign of challenge.

She was wrong.

"Perhaps. But apart from a select few, none of these so called heroes possess the ability to become more than a irritating nuisance. Though I am surprised at your concern for them considering your impeding departure from this life. Its not as if…".

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU SAY YOU BASTARD"?

Though she knew that the Gods seldom answered the prayers of those who had not devoted the remainder of their lives to their service, Guild Girl nevertheless felt that she had inadvertently drawn the attention of one of the more chaotic entities as she watched one of her more persistent suitors interrupt the armored being.

"You think you can come in here, insult us all, and then threaten to kill an innocent maiden? Who the hell do you think you ar..GRKKKKK".

Eyes widening at the sight of Spearman's choking visage, for she had never seen magic used in such a way, Guild Girl quickly moved to defuse the already tense situation before it could lead to further violence.

"Ex…excuse me sir. But may I kindly ask you to release him? I know he has a bit of a mouth on him, but he's generally…harmless".

That last word came out as a squeak as the helmeted figure turned his concealed eyes towards her. And for a brief moment, the blond woman felt as if her soul was being examined. Thus it was with a noticeable amount of relief that the black armored giant acquiesced to her request.

"As you wish".

…

Releasing the foolish boy from his grip, and sensing that his necessary demonstration had served its purpose in cementing the perception that he was not to be trifled with, the former Jedi gestured with his head to the trio of women who cowered in his shadow.

Who thankfully possessed enough wits to understand what he was suggesting that they do.

"Par..pardon me miss, but if its possible, the three of us wish to fill out the form to cancel our membership with the Guild".

Pleased to see that his suggestion had been accepted by the depressed looking trio, Vader was somewhat surprised by the reaction the golden haired girl had to this announcement.

"I…I understand. If you would please give me a moment to collect the necessary forms, I will be back shortly. As…as for you sir, may I ask that you refrain from attacking any other member of the guild? While I know that it would be foolish to ask you to not to your defend yourself, I ask that you doing nothing to provoke such an occurrence from happening".

Amused at the fact that this girl, who couldn't be older than 20, was daring to do something that had resulted in the countless deaths of imperial officers, Vader crossed his arms before slightly inclining his head.

"Very well".

Pleased to see the girl rush to perform her assigned task, and ignoring the suspicious murmurings that had broken out amongst the rest of the building's patrons, the former Jedi was caught off guard when one of the more powerful individuals he had sensed approached him in a manner that was akin to how someone would approach a dangerous animal.

"Please forgive my...comrade for his harsh words. His concern stemmed from the….fact that he has seen….few people of your nature. Especially since….you appear to be in the…company of other guild members. May I ask….how you became…involved with them"?

Sensing only honest curiosity from the purple haired woman, though he noticed that her companion was currently sporting a stance that only a fool would fail to recognize as hostile, Vader answered her question in a manner that unsurprisingly met with both discomfort and dismissive expressions.

"I found them in the lair of the vile creatures you call goblins. Luckily I had arrived before the vermin could do more than rob them of their clothing. Which makes me wonder why an organization such as this would detail such a dangerous mission to those who were clearly unprepared for it"?

His question drawing a sigh from the voluptuous women, who was one of the few people he could sense who were either sorrowful or ashamed, Vader found himself surprised at the answer he received, though that did nothing to lessen his anger.

For it was a variation of the answer he would have received if he had asked that question during his tenure as Kenobi's padawan learner.

"Because there are not enough high ranking adventurers to deal with the missions that pose a greater threat to our lands than the goblin menace. It's a sad state of affairs, but since the danger, not to mention the coin, that is offered is significantly less than a necromancer, or even a demon horde, few adventurers wish to waste their time on something that's usually only a minor threat. And since I suspect that you're the one whose doing this, do you mind turning the heat back on? Its freezing in here".

Turning his head to regard the blonde female warrior, whose hand strayed close to her sword after she realized that she had just potentially angered a being who could choke someone with his mind, Vader reigned in his leaking emotions. Causing a sigh of relief to be felt by the adventurers before his less than pleased tone conveyed that he found the answer to be less than satisfying.

"I see. So because its neither challenging or rewarding enough, you choose to simply pass on the responsibility to those whose skill set makes it impossible for them to compete with you? A true standard of heroism if ever there was one".

If he had been anyone else, the former Jedi would have been afraid by the murderous looks that had come over the majority of the collected adventurers. But since he was well versed in dealing with those who hated to have their flaws pointed out, one of the numerous upsides to having a wife who wasn't afraid to criticize the self servicing policies of her coworkers, Vader felt only mild amusement at their attempt to intimidate him.

However, perhaps their ineffectiveness could be harnessed towards his advantage since it was obvious that the Force had some sort of plan for him. For why else would his first interactions with the inhabitants involve heroics that reminded him of his actions following his mother's death.

And even though his son managed to stoke the embers of light in his tattered soul, that did not mean that he was willing to give up the power of the Dark Side.

Yes Sidious was responsible for twisting him into the broken creature he was today, but that did not mean that his lessons were completely useless. For though he had achieved his long sought after victory against the aged Sith master, his chains were still in place.

But since they seemed to loosen ever so slightly while acting like his more naïve self, perhaps he would continue until they were broken.

And then finally, he would be free.

…