Hero of Naboo, Chapter 7 Preview

The silence that had fallen over the group was oppressive at best.

*Kuuuuuuh Kerrr*

Minus the ever present breathing of the source of the foreboding feeling. Before, they had grown used enough to the sound in order to tune it out with ambient noise or their own conversations.

*Kuuuuuuh Kerrr*

But there was nothing now to block it out. They could not find the right words to break the ice, and all in and around their path stared at them without a sound.

*Kuuuuuuh Kerrr*

"Must that be so loud?" Padme questioned in the most passive-aggressive voice possible.

*....*

Padme and Shmi almost tripped at the abrupt end to Vader's breathing; Qui-Gon glanced at the Sith with a raised eyebrow while Anakin tried not to laugh, even if the image of-

-his arms failing, blood flying, screaming even as his lungs were shredded to mince meat-

Sebulba's fate remained fresh in his mind.

"You were just doing that to disturb others?" The Jedi Master questioned with distaste and strained civility.

"Hardly. It's merely less effective for my health this way," Vader explained without missing a beat. "Qui-Gon, I believe you and the boy have business to attend to?" he prompted.

Qui-Gon almost let his surprise show. He had been worried about leaving Vader alone with Anakin after that...display, concerned the Sith Lord might try to plant seeds of temptation into the youngling's mind. Instead, here he was, suggesting the boy go with him instead? He had to know that almost any Jedi would try to use that as an example of why one should never touch the Dark Side.

'You are a slave no more, Skywalker.'

...Unless, of course, the seed had already been planted.

Qui-Gon registered and quelled his mental conflict in the same instant before nodding. "Yes, I suppose it's time to collect our winnings," he answered as an excuse.

Vader nodded as he steeled himself for this next part. "Madam Skywalker, I will need to retrieve my belongings from your home," he explained without turning towards her.

There was a question in there. It wasn't if she took issue with him coming into her home. The question was if she would rather stick with the Jedi Master and her son.

"It's fine, I'll go with him," Padme assured at the slave-woman's hesitation.

The mother nodded thankfully before turning to Vader with a look of conflicted gratitude. "Darth, I....thank you, for saving my boy," she said with a teary smile.

Vader looked and it nearly destroyed him right then and there. He only survived by keeping his eyes secretly on his younger self. He still looked....uncertain how to feel. Vader didn't blame him.

Anakin the Jedi had been weak. Anakin the Slave was and still is just a boy. Perhaps, just perhaps, this version of him would be better than the man he used to be.

"You are welcome," Vader granted before he turned to leave. The group watched him go before heading in their own direction towards Watto's shop as Padme sped up her walk to catch up with the cyborg.

Padme stayed silent for a few minutes before she gave a suffering sigh, "Turn it back on."

*Kuuuuuuh Kerrr*

She could almost feel some form of smugness in the renewed breathing sounds as they made their way to the slave district. "So, are you going to pretend you didn't just do that?" Padme asked with a scowl.

"I am not pretending anything, Handmaiden, I am merely continuing past it. If you wish to address it, by all means," he invited simply.

"Address? You just sadistically murdered someone in front of everyone!" Padme reminded with a glare sent his way.

"No."

"....What?" Padme said slowly, not sure what he was denying. "No, what?"

"I protected the boy that just won not only our means to leave this waste of a planet, but his own freedom. Would you have preferred if I had allowed him to die? Was that concern before the race mere show?" Vader returned as they reached the slave district.

"You know it wasn't," Padme responded, struggling not to seethe despite the baiting question. "But you didn't need to take it that far."

"No, I merely thought it was fitting considering who I was killing," Vader agreed, idly tilting his helmet as he counted the doors until he found the right one.

"What are you talking about?" Padme asked with a scrunched brow as Vader went up the steps and paused to look down at her.

"Sebulba is infamous for cheating and violence, injuring and killing many of his competitors. It was considered a dull race if he was involved and there wasn't a body count," Vader explained flatly.

Padme looked taken aback by that. "But why was he-" Padme stopped herself as she realized the answer.

"He was never punished by those in charge of the races because he was too popular to penalize. He was never arrested because there is no republic and seldom law on worlds like this one, let alone a world run by Hutts," Vader elaborated.

Padme sighed deeply in defeat. "And because of that, there was no authority to turn him over to," she summarized bitterly.

"Precisely," Vader answered with a nod. "Had I spared him, he would have continued on as he always had. Had I crippled him, he would have retired in luxury with his fame and fortune," Vader explained with a hint of anger in his voice. "I didn't feel like allowing him such pleasant fates. I chose to kill him with his own vehicle simply for the irony," he explained as he opened the door and walked in.