The Slave Boy

Chapter 2. Echoes

The young slave scurried into the kitchens, flinching when one burly male human snapped at him about being late. As a young child the boy would have tried to defended his actions, but he was a quick learner when it came to what was now expected of him under this roof.

The boy was not fragile, but he was smaller than most boys. Submissive and easily frightened. But the boy had a deep reason for such fear.

He went about his chores since Lord Vader had made no requests yet, and the boy thought perhaps he wouldn't make many. The Sith could not eat or drink, those were the rumors anyways.

"Hurry up Wormie!" Called an annoyed feminine voice as a young, dark green Twi'lek slave moved towards the boy, who was about done washing dishes.

Wormie quickly turned towards the slightly older slave with a questioning look. "You're supposed to have cleaned my costume." The woman said in disgust that covered her urgent fear just barely.

Wormie nodded quietly and led the way to the laundry room, bring out a rather revealing black costume for the dancer.

"Thanks." The woman said before she ran off, if she wasn't on time Jabba would punish her harshly for not being dressed and ready to dance for the night performance. It was a sort of show for their Sith guest after all and if something wasn't perfect they would all be in trouble.

The boy nodded quietly before ducking his head and continuing on with his chores, setting up platters before he was sent to clean the floors with a few other young slaves.

And then as evening settled over Tatooine, Wormie was sent to Lord Vader's room to take him to the celebration.

* * *

Darth Vader was all the more grumpy when Jabba sent the slave boy with a written note to come and attend the evening show. Vader would have loved to decline until morning when business could be discussed and arranged, but it was best to go with it. And so Vader found himself following the faceless boy.

Faceless boy indeed, the slave dropped his head so low that from behind a small being would have thought the slave was headless, and Vader had yet to really see the boy's face. But, Vader did not try too hard. The boy was probably under command to keep his head low and mouth shut. If Vader did anything to make this boy disobey those orders the poor thing would probably have a panic attack.

They soon came upon the main room, where female slaves were already dancing in the middle of the floor to loud and rowdy music. The boy led Vader to a spot beside Jabba, a chair present incase Vader decided to sit. Vader preferred to stand however as the boy hurried off to start serving refreshments now that he was no longer needed by the Sith Lord.

Jabba turned his fat head to Vader with a lopsided grin. "Enjoy yourself, Lord Vader. Perhaps you could socialize with my hunters, it is a festive night and you should enjoy it before we begin our business." The Hutt said as he yanked on the green Twi'lek's slave chain for mere fun, just barely off balancing the woman as she danced and somehow kept her feet even if she had missed a step or two.

Vader sneered in disgust. Lower himself to make conversation with these fools? Not a chance. He only recruited bounty hunters when Imperials proved too incompetent. Boba Fett was his favorite bounty hunter, but they didn't talk like friends. There was merely business and respect between them and nothing was going to change that.

"I find my current view of your performers pleasing." Vader replied shortly, though he found himself looking towards the boy as the slave served the guests and bounty hunters while maneuvering around the dance floor at a steady pace.

Vader wasn't sure why, but his curiosity towards the child suddenly rose, oh he wished he could see more clearly. Even though his lenses had adjusted to the lighting of the room it did nothing to help him see the boy's face clearly. Long blonde hair and a carefully ducked head kept the boy's face fully obscured from sight.

The slave was coming back to the dais when one inconsiderate hunter pushed the boy for getting too close. The small child was caught off guard and fell, the platter and drinks slipping from his grasp and spilling out on the dance floor as the performers cried out in surprise and moved away quickly to avoid the liquid and shattered glass.

Vader resisted the urge to strangle the hunter for doing such a thing, his gaze fall on the boy who pushed himself up on his hands and knees. The boy's fists balled and Vader senses a wave of frustration and then overwhelming fear wash over the slave as Jabba's voice boomed in Huttese.

Slaves came forward to pick up the mess quickly while a gamorian guard came to the boy, grabbing him by the shoulder and dragging the submissive slave off. Vader frowned as he watched them leave, knowing full well what would happen to the slave now.

Within an hour, strangely enough, Vader strongly sensed the boy crying out in pain as he was punished for dropping the platter and bring unnecessary attention to himself. Vader resisted the urge to intervene. He was a Sith Lord. That boy was just a slave, he was none of Vader's concern. He had no business with the child except that the boy serve him til he could go back to Coruscant.

The boy was nothing to him...

"You're a slave?"
"I'm a person and my name is..."

Vader cut the memory off and blocked the cries of the slave boy out from his mind.
He was just a slave...

Author's Note.
Honestly I just don't know, my plans are so sad, and this is just the beginning... *soft crying*
I hope you enjoyed, chapters will get longer soon I'm sure. Vote and comment your thoughts, feedback is much appreciated and thank you for reading!
May the Force be with you!