Hope Reborn - Chapter 25

Ventress clicked her tongue and shook her head.

"What?" Iden asked.

They were fifth in line before they could land. Ord Mantell was a busy place with legitimate shipping companies, smugglers, and everything in between. Luke wasn't in that much of a hurry to get down to the planet. They knew that Barriss was somewhere below and there were just as many ships leaving as there were arriving. Anyone trying to get off-world would hit the same slow process they were stuck in.

"She felt me." Ventress replied with a lazy shrug. "She's running."

"You two have history?" Luke asked.

"We've tried to kill each other a time or two." Ventress gave him a small smile. "The Clone Wars were an interesting time."

Luke shrugged. He closed his eyes and reached out in the force. Her signature was skillfully hidden among the underlying noise of the various lifeforms on the planet. She was good at masking it but hadn't come up with the same tricks he had.

"She knows the planet better than us." Luke shifted his attention to Iden. "Do you know a way to speed up the process?"

"Not on this planet." Iden sighed. "Ord Mantell is an industrial planet, they don't care about the Empire, Rebellion, or any of that. I can't flash my old credentials and intimidate some poor dock worker."

"It looks like the only thing we can do is wait." Luke slumped into the co-pilot's seat.

~§~

Lord Revan, formerly Darth Vader, formerly Anakin Skywalker, waited for the ship to land. He hadn't realized how much he missed this side of things. As Darth Vader he was a nightmare, the product of fear filled with whispers in the dark. His time as Anakin Skywalker showed him he was a man of action. Working in the shadows as some sort of boogey-man was never his preferred approach. His place was at the vanguard of his troops.

"Commander." Kicker spoke as she stepped up beside him.

This was the first real mission for his new clones. Physically, the clones were roughly the equivalent of fifteen-year-old humans. Chronologically, they were two Galactic Standard years old. The Kamino Cloners knew their craft.

Information placed the Rebellion being active on Hoth. His people had placed misinformation through the Imperial Intelligence to send them chasing down shadows. A few specifically targeted targets of opportunity hit by his Covert Operations.

Kicker, Lord Revan made sure to learn and use their names, had her hair shaved into a short mohawk. The armor he had chosen was for increased mobility, speed, and had plenty of options for modular adjustments. Unlike the Clones, or the Stormtroopers, different squads had different colors as well as sigils. This was to foster cohesion between the troops and give them a stronger sense of belonging. The clones would be released from service, and he made sure they all knew that. They would be given the option to re-up or cash-out. Each Clone was trained in a variety of skills beyond combat. They were not slaves, tools, or weapons. Lord Revan made sure that the fact was very clear. They were paid for their time and rewarded for excellent service

"Our arrival hasn't sent any alarms yet." Kicker reported. "Teams are ready to drop on your signal. Communication jammers are primed."

"Begin." Lord Revan commanded.

The droid controlled ships spread out around the planet in a grid to prevent an attempt at escape. With that in place, the drop-ships began their descent. Lord Revan closed his eyes and felt the movement of the ship. It brought an old, familiar rush that he had missed for so long. The fact wasn't lost on him that free from Palpatine's influence his emotions were much easier to control.

Lord Revan shifted his stance to adjust for the ship's movement as it picked up speed to be among the first to land. He unlatched his lightsaber from his belt. It was a work of art; one that he had put all of his hope into. The blade was white rather than blue, green, or red.

It was time for Lord Revan to truly step out onto the Galactic Stage. He had taken the interaction with Lady Kryze to heart. Anakin Skywalker had a face that people would recognize. This led him to selecting a helmet to mask his identity. It covered the top half of his face, he refused to wear another helmet that encased his head again. The operation was the first true introduction of Lord Revan, not the revival of Anakin Skywalker. Hopefully, that day would come soon.

The sound of blaster fire greeted him as the doors opened. He had returned to Tatooine to handle this operation personally. Jabba's criminal syndicate had spread across the planet with ruthless efficiency. The only spaceports not under his 'protection' were few and far between. Those rare ones were also frequently attacked. The operation wouldn't have been nearly as big if Jabba was the only target. It was a collection of Hutts that worked as a network to control the planet. They didn't work well together and often used independent crews to sabotage each other, but they supported each other when needed.

Lord Revan stalked through the battlefield toward Jabba's palace. The automated exterior defenses were overpowered by his troops. A smattering of guards worked to stall for time until the blast doors could close. The few survivors surrendered when it was clear how outclassed they were.

Kicker and her squad kept close to Lord Revan acting as his personal guard. The battle outside the palace was over before all of the ships had landed. It wasn't overkill, they needed the numbers to take control of the planet. Destroying the Hutt Syndicate on Tatooine would cause a power vacuum that someone would be happy to fill.

Lord Revan came to a stop in front of the closed off palace. The blast doors looked like they had been taken from a dreadnaught.

"Fuse." Kicker called over the comms. "Prep this to blow, grab a few sisters from other squads to help. It's going to be a big bang."

"No need." Lord Revan stepped forward.

He raised his hand, closed his eyes to focus, and examined the door through the Force. It truly was a marvel of protection, thick enough so that his lightsaber blade would only reach about half-way. The process would take some time. He hated it when the molten metal inevitably dripped onto his arms. It was annoying when his arms had been mechanical. He wasn't going to risk losing one of his arms now that he had them back in working order.

Lord Revan shifted his exploration. The door may have been too thick for his lightsaber blade, but the wall beside it wasn't. He stepped closer and drove his blade into the stone. The sand on Tatooine made excellent building material when processed correctly. Still, it had little to not resistance from his lightsaber. A series of precise stabs connected by broad slashes created a door that led to the guard station beside the blast door.

The Gamorrean guards squealed in fright at the sight. Lord Revan lifted one with the Force and tossed it out into the sand for his troopers to deal with. The other rushed at him with its ax raised over their head ready to split him in two.

Lord Revan sliced the ax in half before launching the green-skinned creature against the wall. A spider-web of cracks spread out from the impact. The guard shook the stars from its eyes and charged again. Revan dipped to the other side, his blade flashed down and up at an angle, slicing one of its legs off. He swung his lightsaber in a practiced arc, half-turning to follow the guard as it fell. The blade of compressed energy slowed a brief moment as it cut through the falling guard. Two clumps of its body kicked up a bit of dust as they hit the floor.

Without a look back he stepped up to the door controls. He trusted his troops to secure the area. The controls were simple. One button for open, another for close, and a third to raise a viewport. The large blast doors let out a horrible screech as they began to rise.

Revan opened the door and stepped out into the entryway. He raised his free hand as a barrage of blaster fire raced toward him. A cluster of red stretches of energy hovered frozen in the air a few feet away from him. He tilted his head to the side to see around the shots. A wicked smile crossed his face as he pushed back with the Force. The beams launched backward along their original paths. Most of the defenders had the sense to get out of the way. Those that didn't either had their blasters explode from the return shot or died.

"Squad, Advance." He ordered.

He watched with pride as Kicker led her sisters forward. They dispatched the criminal defenders, pausing only briefly to stun those who surrendered, and moved deeper into the palace. Revan kept pace. He made sure the stunned prisoners were, in fact, unconscious.

The screeching sound of the blast doors opening finally stopped. Another few squads entered the palace. They spread out, removing the prisoners, and making sure the path was clear for the heavy equipment. A vanguard of battle-droids took positions arranged around the palace perimeter. Their advanced scanners were tasked with searching for secret passages and localized communications.

Jabba had been removed from his throne. The slug was face down against the trap-door grate that so many poor, unfortunate souls had met their end.

"Ah, Jabba." Lord Revan held his arms out as thought he was greeting an old friend. "It's good to finally meet you. Have to say, I expected more from this place when people called it a palace. The lighting is horrible and the air smells like moist slug." The wicked smile from earlier still played along his face. "Let's fix that, shall we?"

Revan stepped up onto the throne platform. He casually walked over to the control panel near where Jabba usually lounged. The slug let out a panicked scream as the trapdoor underneath him gave way. Revan paid no mind to the sound of the scene below.

"Make sure the Rancor is treated well." Revan ordered. "There should be a keeper. Give him the option of selling the animal to me or leaving the planet. If neither of those options are to his liking, kill him."

"Understood." Kicker nodded.

Revan scanned the throne room. The criminals taken prisoner, non-combatants, and the prisoners from Jabba's dungeon were brought in under guard. Revan stepped down from the 'throne' as the troopers took defensive positions.

"Status update?" Revan asked the nearest trooper, Sparky, if his memory served.

"Seven out of twelve compounds are secure." Sparky replied. "We've lost one-hundred and four droid, two injured troopers, and two ships were lost with no survivors."

Revan clenched his fist. He knew there would be loses. It was inevitable. Still, it didn't mean he would simply accept it.

"Gather their information." Revan kept his voice even. "None of our people will be forgotten."

Sparky nodded. She motioned to one of her squad mates, who stepped away. Revan turned his attention to the gathered crowd.

"Slaves and prisoners' step over there." Revan ordered. "Staff over there." He waited for a moment to get everyone situated then turned to address the slaves. "I am Lord Revan. Tatooine is now mine. All slavers will be hunted down. The crime of slavery is punishable by death. You are free. Processing stations will be in place shortly to deactivate trackers and find a place for those who need it." He looked to the prisoners. "You will be assessed for your charges." Then he addressed the staff.  "Staff should approach the Processing stations as well. If found acceptable, you will be offered continued employment. Those found wanting will be dismissed."

Revan paused to allow the three groups he had addressed to split off. After a moment, it was only him and the prisoners. He let the silence stretch as he studied them.

"You have two options." Revan finally spoke. "Present yourself for assessment or be executed."

~§~

Sometimes Qi'ra wondered if she should have left the Crimson Dawn. There were days, like today, that made her think back on her time on Corellia almost fondly. Almost. It had taken years, but she had guided the syndicate away from slavery and spice, focusing their operations on mercenary work, acquisitions, money lending, and a vast information network.

The information today was Tatooine. This specter, Lord Revan, had been the subject of whispers. Nothing more than a potential new player in the Galactic stage. He, assuming Lord Revan maintained naming convention and was a male of their species, had been gathering resources. Clones, droids, ships, and the equipment to arm them. He had earned a reputation as a strict, but fair leader who abhorred slavery and apparently had some serious funding. She would have painted him as an Imperial asset targeted at the various criminal syndicates. That theory fell apart when his people targeted Imperial bases with the intent to spread misinformation. His goals didn't appear to align with the Rebellion, but he clearly had no love for the Empire.

Lord Revan now ruled Tatooine. He had decimated the Hutts, executed all the slavers that weren't lucky enough to escape the planet, and had begun to secure various locations. The settlements that passed for cities and towns soon found the streets patrolled by a mixture of troopers and droids.

It had been a couple of weeks since the initial incursion. They woke up to see new supply lines established, laws were enforced, and their living conditions improved daily. Lord Revan was went from a wraith spoken of in whispers to practically a god in the view of the people of Tatooine.

The other planets in the Outer Rim were getting nervous. Hutts on Nar Shaddaa were trying to gather support, but they had plenty of rivals who were happy to see them fall. So far, Lord Revan hadn't made any moves to expand. Logically, Hutta would be his next target, that would prevent a concentrated counter-attack.

Currently, she had to wait to see how things developed. Her operation didn't appear to have any conflict with his interests. She needed more information. Luckily, she had a few people on Tatooine.