Darth Vader: Hero of Naboo

Chapter 3

Qui Gon Jinn, as a Jedi Master, was prepared to confront the Dark Side in many, many forms.

This was not one of them

Darth Vader stood near the closed exit ramp with an eerie stillness as he waited for them to land and disembark. No one dared stay near him for too long; partially to avoid him turning his displeasure on them, but primarily because the Dark Sider's mood was making it very chilly near him.

Working with a presently-impatient Sith Lord was definitely not something he was every trained for. Then again, he doubted Yoda ever trained Dooku for that either.

"If we hadn't arrive now, we might have had to step out into space to warm up," Qui Gon quipped as he braved the cold. Vader turned to him, slowly, his stare seeming to penetrate the lenses and convey what he thought of the joke...'I can honestly say, I wasn't scared of Vader until just now,' Qui Gon thought slowly, hoping to conceal his momentary terror, "Friend of yours?" He asked quietly.

The cold let up now, partially.

"No," Vader answered honestly, knowing what he meant. Maul's presence was hardly hidden, 'Does he want to fight the Jedi or did Sidious never teach the Assassin how to adequately cloak his presence while on the hunt?' He wondered to himself. Both made sense to him. Maul was a rabid dog out to prove his worth and an expendable tool to Sidious in all likelihood, "Believe that at your leisure, Jedi," He added on evenly.

Qui Gon nodded briefly, admittedly taking that with a grain of salt, "Since you have the experience with this world, any recommendations?" He asked idly.

Vader seemed to hum at that, "It has been many years since I have been here," He commented, which wasn't untrue. He hadn't set one durasteel toe on Tatooine when his forces were attempting to retrieve the Death Star plans, "It would be best if you search for a hyperdrive replacement while I search for parts to repair the null generator: It is simpler and safer to replace the system in its entirety than to fix or replace the generator," Vader recommended.

"Could we not just sell this ship and buy another?" Obi-wan recommended curiously.

Vader barely glanced in the Padawan's direction, leaning against the wall of the ship, trying and failing to seem casual.

"Too much attention and we risk the queen being discovered," Qui-Gon pointed out.

"And given the denizens of this planet, there is no less than a thirty percent chance that any ship would be sabotaged or tracked in some way or another and we do not have time to deal with such inconveniences," Vader added on warningly.

Their conversation halted at the soft but tell-tale jolt of the ship landing.

Vader was not even remotely surprised when Padme approached them with Panaka, before the ramp even let down, "I take it you shall be joining us, Handmaiden?" Vader asked with a small smirk behind his mask.

"The Queen wishes to know if this planet's state is as Darth Vader describes...and would like her handmaiden to accompany you," Panaka explained uneasily to the Jedi and Sith.

"It's too dangerous," Obi-wan spoke up calmly, "Even the average space port is less than pleasant. One like this..."

"There is a threat regardless of if she accompanies us or not," Vader said pointedly, getting their attention, "There are tribes of raiders in these deserts."

"So, a choice between near lawless brutes and completely lawless savages?" Obi-wan summed up dryly.

"In essence, yes," Vader admitted, "Captain, Padawan, a word of advice: if the Tusken Raiders attack, do not attempt to engage them all at once. They scare easily enough to be quickly repelled and we should be gone before they ever get too emboldened with numbers," He warned as the ramp opened.