Chapter 20:
– Silas –
"Death to the slavers!"
"Rise up and kill them all!"
The rallying cries echoed through the dusty streets of Mos Espa, punctuated by the frantic sounds of violence erupting all around me.
Former slaves, human and alien alike, stormed through the town, unleashing years—decades—of pent-up rage on their former masters. Knives stabbed, fists beat, and stolen blasters fired wildly, leaving no doubt that the slave rebellion was in full swing.
I felt a smirk curl beneath my mask. Seriously, having one master control station to disable every slave chip on the entire planet was monumentally stupid, even for a slug-brained gangster like Jabba the Hutt.
But hey, his idiocy made my mission a lot easier, so no complaints here.
"It's the Liberator!" voices shouted excitedly.
"Make way! The Liberator is here!"
"Bless you, Liberator! Bless you!"
Gratitude flowed toward me from every direction, a flood of hopeful faces praising me as if I were some kind of hero-god.
Honestly, it was a little embarrassing, but also pretty damn cool.
I nodded awkwardly as I strode forward in my battered Nightingale armor. Thankfully, I'd spotted earlier that the armor had begun repairing itself. Tiny fibers and threads were weaving slowly together, closing blaster holes and mending slashes. A few more hours and it should be good as new.
Navigating Mos Espa wasn't tough, especially with my enhanced speed. After pausing briefly to ask for directions from an enthusiastic former slave, I quickly found my way to Watto's junk shop.
Missy had to be around here somewhere, and this place seemed like the best lead I had.
As I stepped inside, I found the shop already crawling with freed slaves who were eagerly looting anything remotely valuable. Mechanical parts, weapon pieces, and starship components were swiftly disappearing into eager hands.
Immediately, the slaves recognized me, halting their looting to stare in awe.
"It's him," a young Twi'lek woman whispered reverently. "The Liberator."
An older Rodian man stepped forward cautiously. "Liberator," he said, bowing his head slightly. "What brings you here? How can we help you?"
I raised a hand reassuringly, trying to keep things calm and straightforward. "I'm looking for Watto. Anyone seen him around?"
One of the slaves grimaced, jerking his thumb toward a gruesome heap on the floor. My stomach turned slightly as I stepped closer, confirming my suspicions. Yep, definitely Watto—or what was left of him.
"Gross," I muttered, trying not to gag.
Seriously, that was nasty.
"He was like that when we arrived," the Rodian said hurriedly. "I swear it."
"I believe you…" I didn't really care either way. Shaking off the unsettling sight, I focused on my next priority. "Does anyone know where the Skywalkers live? If my friend is following the plan, she should be there. A younger girl, blonde, wearing green. Probably with a Jedi named Qui-Gon, a girl named Padmé, and a droid."
Immediately, the slaves around me brightened with recognition.
"The blessed child!" a human woman exclaimed excitedly. "She's staying with the Skywalkers!"
I raised an eyebrow beneath my mask. "Blessed child?"
"Yes," the woman continued earnestly. "She's been removing slave chips from all of us for hours, even before you disabled all of them! People are still going to her for help. She's been at it nonstop."
That made me grin beneath my mask. Good for her, she was making her own legend on this alien world too. "Can someone take me to her?" I asked quickly.
"Of course, Liberator," the Rodian replied with a fervent nod. "It would be our honor. Follow me."
He led me swiftly through the chaos-filled streets, the rebellion raging fiercely all around. It wasn't long before we reached a small, modest home nestled among others like it. Dozens of freed slaves stood around outside, anxiously waiting their turn.
As soon as they spotted me, the murmurs started up again.
"It's the Liberator! He's here!"
"Make way for him!"
The crowd parted immediately, allowing me through. I stepped inside the small home, my eyes quickly finding Missy kneeling beside a tired-looking woman, one hand stretched out carefully, a tiny metallic device suddenly popping into her palm. The woman cried in happiness before moving out of the way.
Missy looked up, her eyes widening in relief when she saw me.
"Silas!" she called with a tired sounding sigh. "Took you long enough! What have you been doing?!"
"Hey, someone had to start the slave rebellion," I shot back…
Missy stomped right up to me the moment she spotted me, her eyes blazing with indignation. She planted her hands firmly on her hips and gave me her fiercest glare.
Which was more adorable than fierce.
"THIS WAS ALL YOU AFTER ALL!? I can't believe you started a slave rebellion," she snapped, practically vibrating with irritation, "WITHOUT ME!"
Awwww, she was mad because she felt left out....
"I can't believe you squished Watto into paste," I teased, smirking beneath my damaged mask.
…Yeah, I had figured out it was her on the run over here.
Her cheeks flushed deep pink, embarrassment swiftly overtaking her earlier annoyance. She crossed her arms defensively. "I didn't mean to kill Watto! It just… happened."
I laughed again, shaking my head slightly. "Yeah, well, seeing his remains kinda gave it away. You know, it looked like he got compressed from all directions at once. Didn't think you could bypass the Manton limit like that. Pretty terrifying stuff for a space girl." I grinned. "Bet your power rating just skyrocketed."
Missy's face turned an even brighter shade of red as she sputtered out a half-hearted protest. I reached over and lightly ruffled her hair, earning a playful swat in return.
"I'm serious! It was an accident," she mumbled.
Qui-Gon approached slowly, his expression shifting from concern to mild exasperation as he eyed the burned and torn sections of my armor.
"Silas," he began carefully, his voice carrying a hint of reprimand, "I'm relieved you're mostly unharmed, but did you really find it necessary to start a full-scale slave rebellion?"
I smirked beneath my mask and flicked my wrist, summoning my system screen into view right in front of Qui-Gon. He was able to read the mission I had received, although I kept up the ruse on where the mission was coming from.
Cuz it was funny...
"As you can clearly read, this was the Will of The Force!" I declared cheekily, dismissing the screen with a casual wave of my hand.
Qui-Gon puffed up indignantly. "For the last time, Silas, that's not how the Force works! It doesn't hand out missions in literal, written form! It works in much more mysterious ways than that!"
"Sucks to suck, I guess. Seems like the Force just likes me more than you Jedi..."
Missy shivered nearby before she burst out laughing. "I swear, the Force just laughed at that! At least, it felt like a laugh I think..."
Qui-Gon visibly shivered, his brow furrowing as he glanced around warily. Clearly, he'd felt something as well. He just pursed his lips.
"I'll just take your word for it," I said with a shrug to Missy.
Turning away from the annoyed Jedi, I spotted Padmé nearby, standing beside a small blond kid with wide eyes. Anakin Skywalker.
Well, wasn't this a surreal moment.
"How it do?" I greeted casually.
Anakin immediately lit up like I'd just announced Christmas had come early. If this hellhole planet had a christmas of course.
"Oh my gosh, it's the Liberator! He's real! This is so wizard! Mom, he's in our house!"
"I can see that, Ani," Shmi Skywalker replied gently, her expression filled with the same awe and reverence I'd seen from the freed slaves outside.
Padmé sighed heavily, looking distinctly uncomfortable. "Listen, it's fantastic the slaves are free, really. But we need to get back to the ship now…"
Missy raised an eyebrow at her. "Yeah, we could have left earlier, Padmé, but someone insisted we stay before that sandstorm hit!" she gave Padme a pointed look.
Padmé blushed at that.
I had no idea what they'd been arguing about, but frankly, I didn't care. From the sounds echoing outside, the slaves had everything under control now. Their former masters didn't stand a chance against the overwhelming odds. From what I heard, they outnumbered them around 20 to 1.
"Alright," I announced decisively. "Sounds like the rebellion's handling itself. Did you manage to snag those repair parts for the ship?"
Missy nodded confidently, giving me a bright grin. "Yup! R2 found exactly what we needed. We're ready to roll."
"Great," I said, clapping my hands together. "Let's ditch this sandy hellhole and head back to the ship. Mission accomplished!"
Before we could even start leaving the Skywalker's home, a bright blue screen suddenly appeared in front of my eyes, floating in mid-air.
"Great," I mumbled, already worried about what my system was going to tell me now.
"What's wrong?" Missy asked, quickly moving closer to see the screen. She read out loud: "The Path of the Liberator Side Quest—The Finale! Darth Maul is going to Jabba's palace to turn on and explode every slave chip on Tatooine! He wants to turn your moment of heroism into one of tragedy. To draw out Silas Thorn and Missy Biron so he can kill them!"
Missy gasped, her face turning pale. "Oh no! We have to stop him!"
Qui-Gon stepped up next to us, looking serious. "Darth Maul? The Sith have truly returned then? And they're here now???"
"Get with the times, old man," I said, trying to sound tough. "Are you helping or not? We have a Sith to deal with."
Qui-Gon straightened up immediately. Suddenly, the friendly man we knew turned into a serious warrior. Missy and I glanced at each other nervously. "I am with you," Qui-Gon said strongly.
"R-right on," I said, a bit surprised by how serious he was.
Missy quickly turned to Padmé, Anakin, and Shmi Skywalker. "I'm going to use my powers to send you all back to our ship with R2-D2 and the spare parts," she explained. "Anakin, you can install the hyperdrive so we can leave as soon as we're done saving everyone."
Padmé opened her mouth like she wanted to argue, but after seeing Missy's determined look, she sighed and nodded. "Okay, be careful."
Anakin jumped forward eagerly. "Wait! I want to fight too! Let me help!"
His mom grabbed his shoulder gently but firmly. "Absolutely not, Anakin. You need to stay safe."
"But Mom—" he started, looking upset.
Missy knelt down beside him, smiling softly. "Anakin, you're the best mechanic here. I know I can count on you to install the hyperdrive."
Anakin blushed bright red and nodded. "Of course! I'll do it…for my angel!"
I nearly choked trying not to laugh, looking quickly at Missy, whose cheeks were now bright red. She gave me a look begging me not to tease her about it later.
I was definitely going to tease her. I had...questions, and she definitely had some answers!
"Alright, let's go," Qui-Gon said, sounding very serious as he headed for the door.
Missy stood up quickly, turning to the freed slaves who were waiting anxiously. "I'm really sorry," she called to them. "I can't do anything more for you all. I hope all of you stay safe!"
The crowd murmured quietly but nodded, understanding the urgency.
Missy stepped outside, raising her hands with intense focus. I felt a wave of power ripple around her as she called upon the Force and her spatial manipulation abilities. The air shimmered, twisting visibly in front of us. She swiftly opened two distinct paths: one portal led directly back to the Naboo starship for Padmé, Shmi, Anakin, and R2-D2, while the other portal warped space directly toward Jabba's palace, where Darth Maul was heading.
Both groups stood facing their respective paths. Anakin eagerly waved at Missy, his blue eyes shining with excitement. "This space portal is wicked! You're the best, angel!"
Missy's cheeks flushed bright red, and she offered him a shy smile. "Thanks, Anakin. Stay safe, okay?"
Shmi placed a gentle hand on Anakin's shoulder, guiding him toward their path. "Thank you again, Missy. You're truly amazing."
Padmé paused briefly, concern etched on her young face. "Be careful, all of you," she said sincerely. R2 beeped nervously as they stepped through the shimmering gateway, quickly vanishing from view.
Qui-Gon glanced solemnly at Missy and me, his expression calm but determined. "May the Force be with us," he murmured, stepping confidently through the portal that led to Jabba's palace.
Taking a deep breath, Missy and I followed Qui-Gon, emerging instantly in the grim shadow of Jabba's palace. My stomach twisted violently as I took in the horrifying scene around us.
Dozens of recently freed slaves lay scattered across the palace grounds. Their bodies were brutally cut apart, limbs severed cleanly by a lightsaber. Their expressions were frozen in terror and disbelief, eyes wide and mouths agape in silent screams. Blood pooled darkly around their still forms.
"Oh my God," Missy whispered, covering her mouth in shock, her eyes filling with tears.
Anger surged hotly through me. These people had just tasted freedom, only to have it ripped away so cruelly!
Qui-Gon's voice snapped me from my dark thoughts. "Silas, we must hurry. The Sith is already inside!"
Missy regained her composure first, calling out urgently, "Come on, Silas!" She raced after Qui-Gon, both disappearing swiftly through the palace entrance.
I took one last sorrowful glance at the fallen slaves, my jaw tightening. But as I turned to follow, I hesitated. The slave chip control tower that Darth Maul intended to use to massacre every freed slave on the planet was located at the very top of Jabba's palace.
If I could reach it first and destroy the control station, I could stop Maul's plan before he even began.
Decision made, I crouched low, muscles coiled with newfound strength from absorbing the Krayt dragon souls. With a powerful leap, I shot into the sky, easily soaring fifty feet upward. But I wasn't finished yet.
"WULD NAH KEST!" I shouted, and my body accelerated dramatically. My vision blurred momentarily from the sheer speed, the palace rushing toward me alarmingly fast! "Oh shit!" I gasped, realizing too late how fast and uncontrolled my ascent had become.
I smashed directly into the side of the highest tower. Stone bricks exploded around me as I crashed straight through the wall, tumbling onto a pile of rubble and dust. Coughing and waving away the debris-filled air, I pushed myself painfully upright.
"Well… task failed successfully," I grumbled sarcastically, examining the control room I'd unintentionally crashed into. Consoles lined the walls, filled with blinking lights and alien script. Massive screens displayed readouts of countless slave chips all over the planet. The old man had been the one to work all the equipment earlier...but he was dead now. Amongst the bodies in front of the palace.
I let out a solemn prayer to the force that he finds peace in his next life.
And then I called on the lightning inside me, always ready to be unleashed and run wild. And then I started breaking shit...
It was only thirty seconds later that I heard angry footsteps pounding their way up the stairs. Each heavy stomp echoed louder and louder, my heartbeat quickening with each sound.
Then, he appeared—Darth Maul. His yellow eyes blazed with fury, burning beneath skin covered in sinister red and black tattoos. Sharp horns protruded from his skull, and the air around him seemed heavy with pure hatred.
The dude clearly had anger issues to say the least.
"You!" Maul snarled, glaring at me before shifting his gaze to the wreckage of the control room. Sparks flickered from broken screens, and wires hung limply from shattered consoles. "What have you done!?"
"Stopped you from committing genocide, you horny evil asshole," I retorted.
…Admittedly, it wasn't the best insult I'd ever delivered, but after the insane day I'd had, I was just working with what I could muster.
"I hate HOPE!" Maul roared, igniting his double-bladed red lightsaber with a menacing hiss. Heat radiated from the glowing blades, instantly raising the room's temperature.
A bead of sweat trickled down my brow. I really didn't want to test if my Nightingale armor could hold against a lightsaber. I quickly summoned the Nightingale Blade into my right hand, feeling the reassuring weight settle comfortably. My left hand began to spark with crackling electricity. There was no way I was letting the raging Sith make the first move.
Raising my left hand, I unleashed a torrent of lightning straight at Maul.
With an angry growl, Maul rapidly spun his lightsaber, expertly deflecting the initial bolts. "My master uses lightning almost exclusively! That won't work on me!" he sneered.
"Let's see about that!" I shouted back defiantly, channeling even more energy into my attack. The air around me crackled with intense power, my skin tingling as the lightning surged and intensified.
Maul's eyes widened in sudden panic. He staggered back, visibly straining to block the overwhelming electrical assault. His confident sneer vanished, replaced with desperate struggle. My heart swelled with pride—I was actually overpowering a Sith!
"Damn, I'm awesome," I muttered with a smirk.
But Maul wasn't ready to give up. "I will not be defeated so easily!" he roared, diving sharply to the side, narrowly evading the stream of lightning. In one swift movement, he slashed his saber across the floor, leaving molten scars on the surface.
For a brief moment, I stood there in confusion, wondering what the hell he was doing. Then the tower began to shudder and sway beneath us.
"Oh, you bitch," I glared at Maul.
He just cut through the tower's key support pillars! The entire top floor trembled violently as it started to collapse around us.
Maul sprinted toward the nearest window and crashed through it, glass exploding outward in shards.
I quickly moved to follow, but as I took a single step forward, the floor beneath me gave way completely.
"Shiiiiiit!" I shouted, plummeting downward amidst falling debris and chunks of stone.
I was falling, and fast. The ceiling, or at least what was left of it, was coming down right on top of me in massive chunks of stone and metal. My heart was pounding wildly in my chest as I fell. Without time to think, I instinctively summoned my ghost bike.
The black motorcycle appeared instantly beneath me, already roaring to life.
Swinging my legs over its seat, I slammed my hands onto the controls and immediately activated its flying and intangibility functions. Not a second too soon—the debris crashed through me harmlessly, and I could feel nothing but a faint, chilling sensation as I became "a ghost."
Around me, Jabba's palace shook violently as its largest tower finally collapsed, sending clouds of dust and smoke billowing outwards.
My ghost bike surged forward, passing effortlessly through walls and rubble. I heard sounds of fighting echoing through the halls—shouting, crashing, and the unmistakable hum of lightsabers clashing.
I pushed the accelerator and sped through another wall, the scene unfolding before me causing me to slam on the brakes sharply.
Qui-Gon Jinn was locked in fierce combat with Darth Maul. The Jedi master's green lightsaber clashed furiously against Maul's double-bladed crimson weapon, their movements a blur of speed and precision. Their blades sparked and hissed with every impact, illuminating the room with brief flashes of green and red light.
Qui-Gon skillfully ducked under one deadly swipe, counterattacking swiftly with an upward strike aimed at Maul's torso. Maul barely twisted away, the blade slicing through the edge of his dark robes. Snarling, the Sith responded by leaping high into the air, flipping acrobatically and landing behind Qui-Gon, who spun instantly to block another furious barrage of attacks.
Nearby, Vista was shouting angrily, her hands outstretched as she struggled to crush Maul with her spatial powers. "Where is he, you monster?!" she screamed, voice raw with fury and desperation. Her green costume fluttered around her, the air shimmering as space distorted dangerously close to the Sith warrior. "Tell me what you did with Silas!"
Maul was clearly overwhelmed. His tattooed face twisted into a hateful snarl, eyes blazing with fury as he barely managed to keep Qui-Gon at bay while simultaneously resisting Vista's powerful attempts to crush him. "You meddlesome brat!" he spat venomously. "I'll rip you apart!"
I couldn't help but let out a loud whistle to get their attention.
Vista's head snapped around immediately, her eyes wide and wild, panic quickly replaced by sheer relief and joy upon seeing me safe. "Silas!" she shouted, her voice cracking with emotion. "You're okay!"
Hopping off the ghost bike, I gave her a reassuring grin. "Of course I am. You didn't really think some angry Sith jerk could get the better of me, did you?"
Vista pouted up at me, her eyes wide and clearly upset. "I really thought you got hurt, or even worse, when the whole palace shook! And then that evil Sith said he killed you!"
I laughed softly, trying to ease her obvious worry, and gave her a quick hug. She let out an embarrassed squeak, her cheeks turning bright red. "Come on, Vista. You really think I'd let some pathetic side villain take me out of the game?" I teased, pulling back to look down into her relieved face.
A loud crash snapped our attention back to the fight. Darth Maul, his face twisted in rage, was pressing Qui-Gon Jinn hard. With Vista distracted, Qui-Gon was forced to fight defensively, sweat pouring down his forehead as he narrowly dodged Maul's vicious strikes.
"Oops," Vista muttered, eyes wide with guilt as she realized her distraction nearly cost Qui-Gon dearly.
"No worries," I assured her, summoning my Nightingale Blade from my inventory with a confident smirk. "I've got this. You ready to finish off this Sith trash?"
She hesitated for only a moment before nodding firmly, her determination returning in full force. "Let's do this!"
With a loud battle cry, I charged forward, my blade shining brightly in the dim light. Vista raised her hands, her green costume rippling as the air shimmered dangerously around her, clearly focusing her spatial powers once again.
"Fuck all of you!" Maul screamed, his voice echoing with fury and desperation. He was struggling badly, sweat mixing with the blood from fresh wounds Qui-Gon had already inflicted. He was barely managing to block Qui-Gon's expert strikes while using all of his force powers just to avoid being crushed by Vista's invisible grip.
Seeing an opening, I lunged forward, swinging my blade at Maul's legs. He twisted away, but not quickly enough—my sword sliced deeply into his thigh, drawing out a roar of pain. At the same instant, Qui-Gon's green lightsaber flicked out expertly, grazing Maul's upper arm and burning through skin and muscle.
Maul staggered backward, his yellow eyes wide with panic and pain. He glared between Qui-Gon, Vista, and me, realizing he was trapped. Vista's hands trembled slightly from the strain as she tightened her hold around him, her eyes fierce and focused.
"This is it, Maul," I growled, raising my blade once again, ready to strike the final blow. "You messed with the wrong heroes."
"No! I will not fall here!" Maul roared, gathering the last of his power in a desperate bid to break free.
Vista's eyes narrowed as she pushed even harder. "Oh yes, you will," she hissed, her voice tight with effort. "You're done hurting people."
I pressed forward aggressively, swinging my Nightingale blade with every ounce of dragon-enhanced strength I had. Each powerful swing echoed loudly as my magical sword clashed against Darth Maul's red lightsaber. Normally, a regular sword wouldn't stand a chance against a lightsaber, but the enchantments of my Nightingale blade kept it intact. Sparks flew each time our weapons collided.
"You can't win, Maul!" I growled through gritted teeth, putting all my energy into each strike.
"I will crush you!" Maul spat back furiously, his tattooed face twisted with rage as he desperately fought to defend himself.
"That's MY line!" Suddenly, Vista screamed loudly from behind us, focusing her powers even harder. "I've got him now!" she yelled.
Maul let out a pained grunt as the space around him seemed to squeeze tighter and tighter. He began to struggle visibly, his movements slowing and becoming more restricted as Vista's powers crushed him from all directions.
"Keep it up, Vista!" I encouraged her, sensing our victory was near.
Qui-Gon was still at my side, blocking any chance of Maul trying to escape.
Finally, Maul's resistance snapped. His legs and arms froze completely, immobilized by Vista's crushing spatial powers. His angry yellow eyes widened in terror and panic as he realized he was trapped, completely helpless. "No!" he roared desperately, trying in vain to break free.
But it was too late for mercy now.
I swung my sword horizontally with all my might. The enchanted blade sliced cleanly through the air—and through Maul's neck. His head flew from his body, landing heavily on the floor with a sickening thud, rolling to a stop nearby. His body collapsed, lifeless, onto the stone floor.
– Sidious –
Darth Sidious sat quietly in his dimly lit Senate office, his gaze fixed coldly on the sprawling city of Coruscant below. Suddenly, the Force trembled violently, causing him to gasp sharply. The sensation was powerful and unmistakable.
A surge of the Light side had erupted as a significant piece of the Dark side was snuffed out.
He clenched his fists, knuckles white with rage. "No!" he hissed furiously, the word dripping with venom. He immediately knew what had happened. His apprentice, Darth Maul, had been killed. His carefully laid plans were falling apart, and he despised nothing more than failure.
"Incompetent alien trash!" Sidious seethed, slamming his fist onto the polished desk, sending small items clattering to the floor. Maul's defeat was more than just a lost apprentice. It was a devastating blow to his carefully orchestrated strategy. Without Maul, capturing the incredibly powerful girl—whom the Jedi already foolishly believed to be their legendary Chosen One—had become nearly impossible.
Sidious's rage burned hotter as he paced the office, his robes rustling angrily around him. Before he could calm himself, his communicator began beeping insistently, further fueling his irritation.
Glancing sharply at the device, he saw the caller ID: Hego Damask. A name known to others as a respected financier, but known secretly to Sidious as Darth Plagueis—his master. Sidious gritted his teeth in frustration, knowing full well Plagueis must have sensed Maul's humiliating defeat through the Force.
He took a deep, steadying breath before activating the communicator. The holographic image of Plagueis shimmered into existence, his expression unreadable yet filled with cold disappointment.
"You sensed it as well," Plagueis stated bluntly, his tone icy and unforgiving. "Your apprentice failed spectacularly. His defeat brings shame upon both of us. But mostly you, as YOU were the one who trained him. I expected BETTER…"
Sidious forced himself to keep his voice steady, hiding his internal fury. "Maul's failure is indeed regrettable, my master. I underestimated our adversaries, the Jedi."
Plagueis narrowed his eyes, his expression darkening further. "Underestimation is a weakness, Sidious. One we cannot afford. One you WILL be PUNISHED for. Later, at a time I deem appropriate."
Sidious cringed, Darth Plagueis' punishments were horrifying. IT had been years since the last time his master punished him for failure and Sidious still dreaded the memories…
The hologram vanished abruptly, leaving Sidious alone in the oppressive silence of his office. He slammed his fist down again, eyes blazing with pure hatred.
"Damn those anomalies!" he cursed bitterly, voice shaking with anger and humiliation. "They will pay dearly for this humiliation. Mark my words! I will have my revenge!"
XXX