Darth Vader: Hero of Naboo

Vader was pragmatic.

There was a time to make an entrance, to make a statement. But there was also a time when one just had to use the most straightforward way of doing things.

Hence why he was currently making his way alone through the halls of the Executor; it was almost amusing the dichotomy between areas. Some looked entirely normal and operational, some had signs of battles being fought in them, and others were just malfunctioning with sparks from damaged walls and flashing lights.

He rounded a corner and ignited a lightsaber, raising it to deflect a shot.

"Damn clanker has a shield!" a Stormtrooper exclaimed as he kept firing at Vader.

Vader deflected every shot with suspicion as he noticed some very familiar blue marks on the armor.

"Dammit, where's my backup!? The Seppy sent some new kind of droids!" the trooper exclaimed as he hid behind cover.

Vader decided that was enough as he approached, using the Force to send the crate the man was behind flying, knocking the trooper over in the process.

"Krif!" the trooper exclaimed as he tried to grab his gun, constantly sliding away from him by an unseen power.

Vader put his foot on the gun, and there was a pause as the soldier looked up.

Vader half expected this to be more time-shenanigans. That this trooper was from the Shatterclone wars somehow.

But this was no time traveler. This was a Stormtrooper with blue paint crudely slapped on to poorly mimic the old style of the 501st before the Republic became the Empire. More than that, he could sense this trooper's mind. He was hallucinating.

"Stand down, Trooper. You are in the wrong war," Vader warned, wondering if he could reach this one or not.

"Beep all you want. You're scrap when General Skywalker gets here," the trooper warned confidentially.

Evidently not. With a single slash of his saber, he slew the clone.

As he deactivated his saber, he wondered if this was an effect of time traveling or if something simply happened to give this clone a breakdown. An answer Plagueis would love to dig into, he was sure.

But that was neither here nor there.

Vader continued his journey down the hallways. He could sense various others spread out, far and few in between…the Nutters no doubt.

He paused as he was about to pass a door. Someone was within. Not hostile, as far as he could sense. It was an admitted curiosity, but he desired to know just what range of insanity these people had undergone.

The door slid open and he peered inside at a peculiar sight.

The room was dark and there was a woman within, wearing Stormtrooper armor, but only on her legs and arms. She had some form of holographic device on a crate, made of various different salvaged parts. All around were pieces of machinery that had either been discarded or kept for spare parts.

She was instantly on her feet, pointing a blaster at Vader with shaky hands.

"I am an engineer and you need to leave," she said, her wild eyes truly not seeing who she was speaking to. "I must keep this device functioning and active at all costs."

Her voice felt forced with every word as if she was telling herself this more than Vader. He looked at the device again and saw that it was projecting a recording. A recording of a holoshow, some animated comedy for young ones.

"Why is it important, Engineer?" Vader asked calmly.

"I don't know, Sir. Orders, Sir," she answered, swallowing thickly.

"Orders from who?" Vader pressed.

"I don't know, Sir," she answered again, even as her eyes began to tear up for some unknown reason. "Please leave, Sir."

Vader obliged, allowing the door to close. He could have killed her, but there was no point. Her weapon had no ammo in it. These people would pose an interesting problem when it was over. Killing them all would be simpler and easier, but simple and easy solutions were rarely ideal for the long term.

He'd deal with them as he had to.

Eventually, he came to the intended goal of his journey.

His personal quarters.

Ozzel had attempted to lock out his codes, but this ship was Vader's through and through. Through his consoles within this room, he could gain access to much of the Executor systems. Assuming of course the damage to the Executor hadn't just completely cut off the digital connection from his room, but it was still the easiest boon to gain in this situation.

"Ozzel has not attempted to secure this location since I arrived," Vader mused to himself as he approached the doors to his quarters. The so-called Admiral knew Vader was here. Had Ozzel simply not anticipated Vader coming here, or was there something else blocking him from sending forces here? If so, Piett didn't know of it, but neither side had made much effort to take this area. Beyond his lair, nothing important was anywhere nearby.

With a few inputs of the buttons, the door slid open-

-And Vader found yet another blaster aimed at him with the Force telling him once again there was no danger.

"S-stay back!" the trooper said, and it was definitely a trooper this time. He seemed very on edge, but not erratic. "Lord Vader? Is that really you this time?"

This time? How interesting.

The soldier was pulled into the air, dropping the weapon as he clung to his throat.

"Will this suffice?" Vader asked firmly as he lowered the soldier to the floor again.

The Stormtrooper inhaled sharply. "Yeah. Yeah, that'll do it, My Lord," he said, rubbing his neck. "Apologies. Night terrors, Sir, vivid ones."

"How did you get in here, trooper?" Vader asked pointedly.

"Over here, Sir," the trooper said, heading to the back of the black room.

Vader followed him and took in the state of his chamber. It was all more or less intact and appeared to be in the same state he left it. If not for this trooper, he'd assume no one had been in here at all until now.

The trooper led him to a hole in the floor where it had clearly been blasted open to reveal the gap between floors filled with large amounts of cables and wires. Not enough to reach the next room under though, but large enough for someone to crawl out of.

"There's another hole a couple dozen meters that way, Sir," the trooper explained, motioning through the wall. "I...My unit was guarding a supply room. We got attacked, everyone else wiped out. I found the hole in the ceiling and crawled through. It's just barely big enough if you're on your belly. I got lost though. It's like a maze in there," he continued with a distant voice.

"How long were you in there, trooper?" Vader asked.

"Long enough to worry I might die without food and water. I piled up my grenades and crawled as far away as I could and still see them. Not my smartest moment, I admit. I fired my blaster and...you can imagine how surprised I was to end up here," he explained, glancing around the room. "I've been making runs for food and water ever since, and hiding in here. Things were getting crazy and I couldn't tell who was on my side anymore. Especially with the crazy ones running about. But, um...no offense, Sir? But this room freaks me out. I've been having night terrors ever since I started staying here. More than one was about you turning into a mass of insects."

Vader didn't react to that, because he was deep in thought. He wasn't surprised this soldier suffered such things in his chamber. This was where he meditated, where the Dark Side had been strong. It was natural to have this sort of effect over time.

Was that perhaps the cause of the insanity among the Nutters? Had the Dark Side seeped from his quarters and affected the few among his crew that had a stronger untapped connection to the Force? General insanity wasn't exactly what the Dark Side was known for- murderous, raging, sometimes terrified insanity was more of what the Dark Side liked to cause in those not strong enough to master it- but it was very possible.

Something to deal with later.

"Has anything happened in this room, Trooper? Any attempts to break in that you are aware of?" Vader asked pointedly.

"No, Sir. I've tried to access the communication terminals a few times, but it won't let me in. I...almost might have broken some things in your pod? I'm sorry, I've been sleeping in it since you don't really have a bed in here, Sir," the trooper apologized nervously.

"It is of no concern, trooper. I no longer have need of that," Vader remarked as he walked back towards the mediation pod and, more importantly, the terminals. "I only care if I can still obtain access to the rest of the Executor from here."

He paused as he found something...disgusting on the floor.

"Oh, umm, that's not what you think it is, Sir. I was too...scared to relieve myself in this room," the trooper explained, quick and nervous given the subject. "A garbage squid snuck in here recently. I shot it and, well, it left a present before it escaped."

Vader silently stepped over the mess and decided to spare the trooper any more fear and embarrassment. He'd concern himself with cleaning up the Executor later, after he cleared out the true pests.

Meanwhile

Qui-Gon was speaking with the High Counselor, their mission to guard the supply of Alberries was fulfilled.

Anakin, however, was doing his own snooping.

He wandered the halls of the Albingi's government building. If that entire lead to Oseon had been nothing more than a distraction, to keep them away from the Albingi, it was safe to assume they were being monitored by someone.

And a Jedi Padawan, all on his own, had to be a tempting target. Assuming they were bold enough to act against them directly.

"Ahh, Padawan Skywalker!"

Several heads turned at the voice in surprise, but most ignored it as Hego Damask greeted the young Jedi. "Magister? You are still here?" Anakin asked curiously.

"For now," Damask answered as he walked with the human. "I find my presence becoming unwanted as of late."

"What do you mean?" Anakin asked with interest.

"I can't truly say, to be honest," Damask answered. "But my requests and findings about researching this blight have been received with a distinct...negativity. I fear I may have stepped on some cultural toes in some subtle manner."

Anakin frowned. So, they weren't the only outsider that had been targeted in some way. Plagueis must have been getting close to something. "I don't suppose it could just be stress from lack of progress on this crisis?"

"I would have assumed such, I am not blind to how emotions would play into a situation like this. But they seemed very upset even by my attempts to cure the blight," Plagueis said with a troubled look.

Anakin was taken aback by that. "You...found a cure?"

"Not definitively, no. But it greatly resembles other plagues I have studied before. I believe it has mutated from a blight more common in the Outer Rim to the Galactic North, one that decidedly does have a cure," Damask remarked.

"Wait, but...wouldn't the disease have needed to have originated from here, or someplace with Alberries for it to affect them so heavily?" Anakin questioned curiously.

"Not necessarily!" Damask remarked in a teaching, almost grandfatherly manner. "All races, be they fauna or flora, have a different amount of compatibility to a given disease, regardless of where it comes from. Some are completely incompatible with certain diseases and what might be a mild illness for one breed might be fatal to another or a non-factor because the disease can't invade the body for whatever biological reason."

That all made sense to Anakin, it did. He just didn't often think about plagues on plant life like an epidemic attacking sentient life. Still, if someone was stonewalling the Magister's research, it was likely he was coming close to some truth.

"Hego Damask, Padawan Skywalker."

Their conversation ended as a handful of Albingi approached, wearing the green uniforms that Anakin recognized the Albingi security wore. "Yes, how may we help you?" Damask asked with a furrowed brow at the stern-faced officer.

"We need you to come with us, Magistrate," the leader answered in an almost cold tone. "We have some questions regarding your research into the Alberry Blight."

"I would certainly like to help more, but I believed my aid was no longer desired?" Hego asked incredulously.

Anakin narrowed his eyes at the group. They weren't strong in the force, but there were definitely some malevolent intentions among them. But anyone could tell that, just by looking at them.

"You are mistaken, Magister. Tensions are merely running high, and some of our scientists feel frustrated at an outsider making such...amazing progress in such a short time, compared to their own efforts," the leader answered.

Hego looked obviously skeptical. "If that is the case, then so be it. What questions might you have?"

"Those are better saved for less prying ears, Sir."

Plagueis carefully, delicately imitated a sense of dread with his Force signature. He watched as one of the officers laid a subtle hand on his blaster pistol and took that as an excuse to comply. "As you wish. Lead the way. Have a good day, Padawan Skywalker."

Anakin only nodded as he watched them leave.

Plagueis smirked in satisfaction. He enjoyed making a good plan that had two or more ways of succeeding, dependent on choices made by others. Now, would these fools lead him to their allies, or would the Jedi be on their trail thanks to Skywalker seeing them apprehend the Magister?

Either way, he should be able to get to the bottom of this soon enough.

Meanwhile

"Attention all crew members of the Executor. This is Darth Vader. I have returned, and I am putting this pointless infighting to an end. To all members of Ozzel's forces, I offer you this one chance to surrender and return to the fold. Those that refuse this mercy and continue to resist will be executed without hesitation."

"That is our signal," Piett said to himself as he held a communicator to his mouth. "All forces, begin to mobilize!"

The plan was simple, and typical of Vader, relying a good deal on psychological warfare. This would cause Ozzel and his men to go on the defensive and try to formulate a plan while trying to suppress or eliminate any deserters who attempted to take Lord Vader's offer.

A fifth of their own forces would move to guard and observe key locations, giving the impression that they were preparing to attack while being aware of any move into their own territory. Piett led his own group of squads deeper into the Executor, heading for the hyperspace generator. The rest of the troopers would remain on standby in case Ozzel just decided to charge head first in a moment of madness.

His forces were spreading out, making a perimeter around the area they knew had the turrets and traps. The reason for their numbers was partially to take out any enemy troopers. If Ozzel realized what they were doing, he might send a counterattack here.

But the more immediate issue...

"Sir, we fou-AHHH!"

"Burn you porcelain bots, boil and burn! HAHAHA!"

Were the nutters.

Piett sighed. "Ahh, The Flamer. It seems the chef is still as passionate as last time we encountered him," he remarked in distaste. "Senth Squad, you are the nearest with sniper capabilities, how close are you?"

"Close enough to hear the laughs, Sir. We'll deal with him."

"Good. Yirt Squad, how is that astromech-turret?" Piett asked.

"Out of ammo and deactivated, Sir," another soldier answered. "I'll give a full report later, but the droid itself is harmless, the turret is an independent factor."

Piett chose not to question that for now. "Received. You're positive it won't explode?"

"Defusing the bomb as we speak, Sir."

"..." Piett pulled the communicator away and rubbed his forehead. "Damn Nutters."

"Admiral! Admiral! This is Cherek squad! The Mouser Swarm is heading our way!" another soldier yelled over the line.

"What?" one of Piett's guards said in surprise. "That Mouser Nutter never sends his murderbots down here!"

"He has now," Piett countered calmly as he quickly thought of a response to this situation.

"Cherek squad," Vader's voice came over the line. "I am going to be sealing the blast doors around the swarm. Fall back, I cannot be sure which are operational and which are not."

Yes, Lord Vader having some remote control over the ship definitely helped some.

"Roger that!" the squad leader said, waving to his comrade. "You heard him! Fall back!"

The group ran as the sound of many wheels and crashes and blades rang out behind them, mouser droids climbing over each other and falling forth over and over again like one terrible creature of metal.

"Shit, shit, shit!" a trooper yelled in a panic as he kept hooting behind him, despite knowing it would do little good.

The leader heard and saw the blast doors closing down the halls as they passed. One started to close in front of them. "Right here- DUCK!" he yelled in alarm as the top half suddenly fell completely down to the halfway point while the bottom half stalled entirely. He and the others barely leaned down in time to keep running.

Except the one that had been shooting back, hitting his head before he could notice the obstacle; the impact sent him crashing to the floor, feet flying out from under him.

He was too disoriented to realize the horde was about to be upon him, groaning in pain as he clutched his helmet.

"Jopper!" another yelled before the leader grabbed him by the shoulder.

"It's too late, we can't save him!" the leader shouted back, the droids were already swarming the downed Stormtrooper who began to scream in pain and agony as the mousers set about killing him. Slowly.

The remaining soldiers kept running as they saw the mouser horde swarming toward them, treating their dying teammate like nothing more than a minor obstacle.

They continued running down the hall as another blast door began to close, one they prayed did not malfunction. Each ran and jumped through, the last one driving like he was leaping into the water as he made it through an almost too-small gap. The trooper went sliding across the floor as the door closed, the mousers crashing into it ineffectively, with some whirring noise that almost sounded like they were frustrated.

"I am never trusting another mouser droid again," the diving soldier said as he remained where he lay for a second to catch his breath. "Can we just make sure they never get made in this timeline? Please?"

"Lord Vader, is the mouser horde contained?" the leader asked hopefully.

"For now. With the damage to this ship, it may locate a path to escape the area," Vader remarked gravely. "I will join with the Admiral shortly. If the horde escapes, I will deal with them myself."

"Copy that, My Lord," the leader said.

The trooper stood up from the ground and chuckled.

"What's so funny?! Jopper is dead!" another pointed out in frustration.

"Sorry, sorry!" the trooper said, still chuckling. "I just never thought I'd be so reassured by Vader's "I will deal with them myself" line."

The others all calmed at that comment. It was true, after all.

"Yeah, I usually pity the poor Kriffer, but now?" the leader said, glancing darkly at the door. "I can't wait to see the scrap pile Lord Vader makes of those things."