"Welcome all scum of the streets to another exciting night of blood, violence and death! We've got quite the lineup for you tonight, so be sure to load up on death sticks and get those bets in tonight 'cause we’re in for a whole night of bloodshed here at Grakkus' arena!" The crowd roared in response to the voice playing over the loudspeaker. Honestly, Anakin didn't know why they bothered putting a speaker down below in the prisoner cages, though he assumed it was used to break the will of the prisoners before they were sent off to die. Nothing like hearing a booming loud voice announce the death of your cellmate and then call you up to the roaring delight of fans.

  Anakin leaned back on his hard, cold bed. It was more rock than bedding but was it really too much to ask for a more comfortable bed? It was the least they could do before trying to kill him. Would this be a new record for one of his fastest deaths? No, it couldn't be. It must have been when Anakin first got stuck in the loop, and Anakin, for some reason, thought it was a good idea to challenge Palpatine directly. Man, that was not a good idea. Lots of lightning, he could still distantly remember the smell of burnt flesh and popped eyeballs.

  Lesson learnt though. It seemed whenever he got sent back in time, he kept his memories, but he lost his experience in both The Force and his lightsaber. All that muscle memory or those hours he spent mediating were worthless if he didn't succeed because it would all be removed. Right now, if Anakin were to guess his current power, he would be around Ashoka's level when he first met her. A stronger-than-average new padawan but weaker than any knight.

  "This was supposed to be a break. A loop where I can just relax before Palpatine starts decides to screw over the galaxy." Anakin whispered to himself.

  "Oi keep it down in there boy! Save your breath for the screaming you're about to do." A guard said as he walked past Anakin's cell, slapping his electrically charged baton against it, causing sparks to jump when it collided with the metal. Bastard.

  "Could you at least take off the cuffs? Where am I supposed to run in this cell? It's a room with four walls?" Anakin asked, showing his back to the guard. Currently, his hands were stuck behind his back, cutting so deep into Anakin's wrists that the skin would tear if he moved too much. Definitely not legal in Republic space. They were very uncomfortable, and while yes, Anakin probably could dislocate his hands to get out, he wasn't really in the mood to deal with the pain. It wouldn't work anyway because if the guards caught you without cuffs, they might just cut off your hands entirely. He really had to lose his habit of losing his hands.

  "Your cuffs will be removed when it's your time to fight in the arena." Without a further word, the guard abandoned Anakin. Asshole. Anakin let out a deep exhale. This entire moon smelt of urine and smog. Every breath was like spinning a roulette wheel to see if you'd get ammonia poisoning.

  He thought coming to Nar Shaddaa, the smuggler's moon, would be a good idea. The moon was sort of a guaranteed get out of jail free card from the Jedi. They were too restricted by the Republic politics to come out this far into Hutt space. It made it perfect for loops when he leaves the order early. Thankfully, Nar Shadda was also a good place to get dirty money quickly to fund whatever army or scheme he was planning to defeat Palpatine without any Jedi intervention.

  What better place to earn enough quick and easy money to fund his life-long holiday? It had been such a good idea that not even alcohol could have ruined it. Well... it did. It seemed that Anakin's old habit of showboating came out while drunk and he just happened to win a little too much on the roulette wheel.

  Was it cheating to use the Force? Maybe. Was it fair because they were also cheating? Definitely. Unfortunately, the house didn’t like that agreement and put him in chains.

  "How'd you end up in here?" a voice called from the other side of his cell. He couldn't see the person, but he assumed it was an alien male but a weird accent and deep voice.

  "Got caught cheating at the casinos." While most people would get kicked out and potentially banned on most planets. On Nah Shaddah, if you cheated at the Hutt's casinos the price is a little more severe. Anakin was put in handcuffs and sent to Grakkus' arena to supposedly pay for his crime. Earn your freedom through paying in blood. However, when you place card counters against trained gladiators, more often than not it was your blood.

  The alien on the other side laughed at his reason, much to Anakin's displeasure.

  "Yeah, that will get ya. I myself am a death-stick dealer. You'd think you wouldn't get in trouble for selling in this shithole but turns out the Hutts hate drug dealers if the profit doesn't end up in their slimy pockets." Anakin held back the urge to say that the Hutts didn't have any pockets, but he understood what he was saying. To say planets in Hutt space are lawless was wrong. Sure, it was crime-ridden and filthy, but not lawless. The Hutts made sure to uphold the one rule they held the dearest. Do whatever you want as long as it benefits them.

  "What's your name, boy?" Anakin's roommate called over to him. He was probably older than him so being called a boy made Anakin’s eye twitch.

  "Vader." An old name he used from time to time.

  "Vader huh? I hope to see you back here after the first round. Let's hope that our fights aren't to rigged against us."

  “I doubt it.”

  ***

  "Master, I come bearing unfortunate news." Dooku knelt before his master's hologram. Dooku was currently in his quarters on his home planet of Serenno. It had been so long since he had visited his home world after being given to the Jedi by his parents. Dooku saw a little irony in him leaving his home to be a Jedi only to return as something far more powerful.

  He supposed he was technically a Sith now, after accepting the apprenticeship of his Master Sidious, he really had no choice. The Jedi had forced his hand, those corrupt morons were letting the Republic lead the galaxy into ruin. It was not that he had hated the Jedi but they had become unable to see the poison that had affected the Republic. Worse, they had let themselves become a symptom of its injustice.

  Peacekeepers, they called themselves. A foolhardy lie that only those morons could believe so much that they let countless plants suffer due to the Republic's corruption and still can pat themselves on the back and say they did the right thing.

  "I am busy Dooku. The board, is still yet to be set up and I do not have yet all my pieces. You are aware that the result of this game decides who will lead the Galaxy to salvation." His Master scowled. The habit of his as referring to life in the Galaxy as a game often irked Dooku, but he would have to shut his mouth less he be removed from the board as well.

  "I have been informed that the young Anakin Skywalker has abandoned the Jedi. Despite his inexperience, the Jedi are struggling to pinpoint his location. They suspect he has hidden in the outer rim. Perhaps this is our chance to recruit the young man, I believe the Jedi will do what they always do and talk about change while proceeding to do nothing." Dooku didn't particularly care for Skywalker, but he did care for Qui-Gon. Honestly, Dooku would have liked to recruit his padawan to join him, though it seemed his apprentice met an unfortunate end to his current master's now deceased apprentice.

  Dooku repressed a scowl at the thought of Qui-Gon's death. It was no secret that Sidious did not want Qui-Gon to join Dooku. When he had tried to suggest bringing him into their planning he was met with strong resistance. Had Sidious orchestrated his apprentice's death? Dooku didn't want to suggest that, but he was no fool. The weakness of the Jedi was their adherence to their code, which soon became adherence to the Republic. A Jedi like Qui-Gon who followed the will of the Force and the Force alone couldn't exist as he was too unpredictable in his Master's eye.

  Still... Qui-Gon died for the boy. Qui-Gon was many things, stupid, brash, overly-kind. But he was not a poor judge of character. A small part of him couldn't help the curiosity that boiled inside him when he wondered just what was so worth the life of his apprentice? Was the Skywalker truly worth it, or was it just Qui-Gon's inability to let the weak die?

  "Do not give long-winded explanations to me, my dear apprentice. I have long known of the boy's situation." Sidious glared at Dooku's bowed head. It must be so easy to look down on someone when your ego was so high.

  "The boy is none of your concern Dooku. If he wishes to hide from the Galaxy, then let him. Don't waste your and more importantly, my time for a child who does not want to be found. Concern yourself with the clone army and ensuring the allies for the Confederacy of Independent Systems."

  "Qui-Gon considered the boy the Chosen One. He saw something inside the child and clearly, the boy does not trust the Jedi as I did. To waste this opportunity wo-"

  "Quiet." Sidious did not yell, no, someone as powerful as him would never have to raise his voice to anyone lesser than them. That being everyone. But his voice, even from beyond the hologram, was saturated in the Darkside. It reeked of the cold stench that was so pungent that Dooku felt it prod at his Force shields, promising pain if it ever reached his core.

  "You forget who is the master and who is the apprentice Dooku. Do not lecture me on the prophecy of the Chosen One when you know nothing of its true origin. I have given you the knowledge of the Dark Side, but do not think I have taught you all there is to know."

  Dooku did not dare speak. For if he did and his master was not finished, he would remember the consequences. To a man of Sidious' calibre, even Dooku had to admit that taking a knee before him was not a sign of weakness but rather self-preservation.

  "Dooku, I sought you because you are not blinded by the way of Jedi thinking. You are sly, you are powerful, and most importantly, you are capable. I replaced my apprentice, Maul for you because I believed you were worth it. Do not fail me by worrying about some a piece that isn't even on the board, instead of following your instructions. I'll concern myself with the Chosen One, you do as I command." Did he think Dooku was an idiot? He did not replace Maul. Maul died like the dog he was because he tried to fight a man that was far greater than him, Qui-Gon didn't deserve the fate he got.

  "Of course, Master," Dooku said.

  Without a word, Palpatine's hologram disappeared, taking the blue illumination with him, leaving Dooku in the dark. The Sith let out a sigh that had been building in his throat, raising a shaking hand to his chest. His heart was beating faster than usual, too fast. At this rate he would die of a heart attack before the war he was planning would even finish. Next time he would up the beta-blockers he takes before answering another holo, it was just too much for his aging body.

  Standing up, Dooku brushed off his pants. A man like him having to bow was a joke, a joke he would have recited till he found his own apprentice. The rule of two, he knew of it as a Jedi, but using the knowledge Sidious provided on the Dark Side and the history of the Sith he came to truly understand it. 'Two there should be. No more, no less. One to embody power, the other to crave it.'

  Despite what Sidious thought, Dooku already knew what he needed. He knew his Master's plan to eradicate the Jedi, he knew that his Master would become the ruler of the galaxy, and he knew the Jedi who were so blinded by their love of the Republic that they would suffer for it. Plapatine's plan was... annoying perfect. Yet it did have one flaw. Him. To truly make the Galaxy a better place he would have to make one adjustment to it.

  Dooku activated his holoprojector, entering a number that he knew by heart at this point. The holoprojector once again sparked to life, but it wasn't the dark robe of his Master, but rather the shine of durasteel.

  "Jango Fett. A pleasure."

  "The pleasure is all mine, Count. Especially with my accounts filled with credits." Typical. A bounty hunter only thinking with his wallet. Jango Fett was different to the usual filth of their kind. He was an unparalleled killer whom Dooku himself had danced with on the battlefield while he himself was a Jedi. Jango could fight with the grace of a dancer and the viciousness of a womp rat. It was precisely why Dooku believed that a clone of Jango would be the perfect candidate for the republics secret clone army. He just wished it wasn't so pricey.

  "I need a favour of you Fett. A favour of which you will be paid generously for." As always.

  "I would never say no to a few credits, though my clones still need to be trained in the ways of a Mandalorian. I don't think I have the time to just leave."

  "Your precious Cuy'val Dar can continue to train them in your absence. Why am I paying for those mercenaries if not for that exact reason? If I am wasting my credits perhaps then they are better off in the pockets of another." Dooku watched as Jango Fett eye him. For a non-Force user, he was impressively hard to read. Yet a small hint of curiosity made it through his hard exterior, the Mandalorian couldn't help but be curious as to what could be more important the training an army of yourself for an upcoming war.

  "There is a boy in Hutt territory. His name is Anakin Skywalker, though I wouldn't be surprised if he went under another alias. I would like him brought to me. Alive and preferably unscathed, no permanent damage." Dooku continued.

  "I can find your man, though keeping my target alive is something I'm not accustomed to; I cannot be blamed if my prey does not want to be captured."

  "I do not care how you do it just that you do. Be wary, though the boy is Force sensitive."

  "You of all people should know that does not frighten me." Jango confidently boasted. Dooku of course knew, they had met a few times on the battlefield back when Dooku was still a Jedi.

  "You might find he is different to the average Jedi, do not underestimate the boy."

  "I am no amateur. I'm aware of the consequences of overconfidence, especially with those who can lift rocks with their mind. Consider it done."

  "See to it that you do not fail me." With that Dooku hung up the call. He trusted in Fett's ability to get results. He hadn't failed him yet. For now, Dooku needed to continue to proceed with his Master's plan. He had to seem loyal to Sidious. For the good of the Galaxy, he could last a few more years as the jester. He had sacrificed his life, his Padawan, Master Yadle, everything for the sake of the Galaxy. He would sacrifice Palpatine for it too.

  Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

  Originally, Dooku thought of searching for the witches of Dathomir to find an apprentice to help defeat his Master, though perhaps that would not be needed. Qui-Gon it seemed, would help his old master one last time in finding his replacement. Together, while Anakin hid in the shadows under his tutelage, he would grow in strength till the time came. After Sidious has removed the Jedi, the senate and any chance the Republic has at winning the war, Palpatine would be open to defeat at the hands of Anakin and Dooku.

  He almost could feel a smile forming on his lips.

  ***

  "With odds a hundred to one, our challenger a small-time casino cheater, the human, Vader! This scrawny little boy only 17 years old, is up against our local champion, the bloodthirsty, the bone-cracking one and only, you all know his name BLOOD DRINKER!" The crowd roared and started chanting blood drinking over and over.

  Yup, this officially sucked. Maybe he should just kill himself and do another restart, this run was already so messed up. No, this was supposed to be his break. He needed to have at least one loop where he wasn't dealing with any Sith, Jedi or Galaxy-altering war. Besides, it didn't really matter much as he was pretty screwed as it was. Death would come soon regardless.

  That realisation was abundantly clear as Anakin stood in the middle of the arena, beneath his bare feet was red-stained sand. Ugh, Anakin hoped he wouldn't contract any diseases with just his feet touching the blood-clotted sand. Anakin was still currently wearing the rags he was given by the 'gracious' hosts. They were oversized, itchy and still had blood stains he assumed were from the previous owner. When he was arrested, they took his clothes and his lightsaber, though Anakin doubted anyone this far out in the outer rim had ever seen a Jedi or Sith and wouldn't be able to know what a lightsaber is with just a look. If anything, it probably just looks like an expensive plasma cutter, nothing worth more than a brief look.

  Besides, Anakin had more pressing issues with the Trandoshan before him. The reptilian alien, apparently named Blood Drinker, was currently banging on his muscular chest to the roar of the crowd. The reptilian didn't wear armour, only a piece of fur. Wookie fur probably which if the Trandoshan earned in fair combat, then was quite a testament to his opponent's strength.

  "May both the challengers step forward and choose their weapon." The announcer called over the loudspeaker.

  Anakin rather begrudgingly obeyed the loudspeaker, dragging his feet through the sand and taking as long as possible to make his way to the weapon's rack that was in the middle of the arena, not wanting to be drenched in alcohol from the crowd, who were getting a little too antsy.

  The weapon's rack in the middle had a wide assortment of weapons though they all had the same theme. They were primitive. There were spears, large two-handed axes and swords, but no vibroswords. Bastards. Anakin knew this fight was rigged from the start, but this was ridiculous. None of these weapons would be able to get more than a shallow cut through the Trandoshan's thick skin. Gladiators are expensive, couldn't let them get too seriously injured and lose their investment against unknown fighters who existed solely to satisfy the crowd's blood lust. Better to lose some random than their little celebrity.

  And they were mad at him for being a cheater. The hypocrisy.

  "You look delicious boy." Blood Drinker hissed at him his tongue flicking through the air. Anakin didn't bother giving the alien more than a half stare. This was such a waste of his unlimited time.

  "You put that tongue anywhere near me and you'll lose it." The Trandoshan only laughed, causing spittle to fly everywhere,e including Anakin's cheek. Gross. Yup, he was going to kill him, or at least maim him.

  Over his years in the loops, he had tried experimenting with different weapons, of course, none of that really mattered, none of his experience with any weapons transferred over his restarts. However, he did remember one loop where he tried to rule Mandalore. Those Mandalorians are a violent bunch, that run got really bloody really quick.

  Anakin decided to stick with what worked. There were plenty of different types of weapons, but he decided to pick up a thin sword with a large hand guard. He forgot what it was called as he cared little for any weapon besides a lightsaber, but this was close enough to one for his current body to wield it without making a complete fool of himself. The second weapon he chose was a larger dagger that would help him in parrying any attacks his opponent threw at him as his thin blade was clearly made for thrusting and would shatter if hit by a strong attack.

  Predictably, Blood Drinker picked up the large two-handed hammer. A little unnecessary, as Anakin had full faith that the alien probably had the grip strength and the claws to rip him apart and using a hammer would just slow him down, but he wasn't going to help the reptilian as this fight was already fairly stacked against him.

  "Any last words?"

  "When I kill you, I'm making you into a belt." The lizard only laughed at him. Honestly, he couldn't blame him. The sight of a seventeen-year-old him wearing bloodied rags would have made even Jar-Jar consider him not a threat.

  "It looks like our combatants have chosen their weapons. Let the battle commence!" The commentator yelled, causing the crowd to scream even louder than before. At this rate, he was going to go deaf before he could even kill the alien.

  Blood Drinker swung his heavy hammer from the hip, his raw strength compensating for his lack of any grace or form. Anakin didn't even need The Force, instead he just leaned back and let the hammer fall a few centimetres short. The hammer collided with the blood-soaked sand causing it to fly into the air from the sheer force of the blow. Force users may be durable but a few hits from that and Anakin would be gone for.

  Well, it would be an issue if the Trandoshan could manage to land a hit. Swing after swing, the hammer either flew too high too low or too short on every attempt only managing to hit the open air or sand. At first, the audience roared with excitement every time Anakin dodged, seeing him dancing with death was something they probably hadn't seen, as most victims who weren't force-sensitive couldn't keep up with Blood Drinker's ferocity. Yet, after the eighth minute of nothing interesting happening the roar of the crowd had died down significantly. Some had even started to give their opinions on the fight, quite loudly.

  "Hit him!"

  "Aim you lizard!"

  "Stop dodging!" Anakin held back a scoff at this one. Why didn't he just stop breathing while he was at it? He ducked low under another swing. This one was significantly slower than the swing at the start and the puffing of Blood Drinker was a fairly certain sign that he couldn't keep this up for too much longer. The poor alien had been forced to run in the sand swinging a heavy two-handed hammer, only to be met with failure time and time again. Anakin would have felt bad if one, he actually cared. Which he doesn't. And two if his name wasn't Blood Drinker.

  "Looking a bit worse for wear, their buddy. Need five minutes?"

  "Go fuc- fuck yourself." Blood drinker heaved.

  Anakin shrugged, walking up to the reptilian lizard, getting close enough to his face that he could smell the lack of dental hygiene. Blood Drinker didn't move, though. Despite Anakin basically being so close he could hug him, he didn't dare move. For the last eight minutes, he had been close to him he needed to wait for the perfect opportunity.

  The audience was silent, mostly from boredom but still, not a sound was heard. Even the commentator who had been screaming his head off moments ago didn't speak. It was just him and Anakin.

  "I'll tell you what, kid, you're the longest newbie to last against me." The lizard huffed, his strained breath betraying any sense of intimidation.

  "I don't ca-" Before Anakin could even finish his sentence, Blood Drinker dropped his weapon and tried to wrap his arms around him, hoping to catch him in a hold and most likely try to snap any bones he could get a hold of.

  Yet he was in for a painful reminder that the best way to kill a Jedi isn't through combat. Precognition is a real bitch and a half to deal with if you don’t have it yourself. Anakin almost effortlessly flipped himself up and over his opponent when he went for the death hug and remained in the air using one arm to balance himself on the scaly head of Blood Drinker.

  As you could imagine, having a seventeen-year-old male do a handstand on your head isn't exactly easy to handle if not prepared for it, and the sudden weight brought the Trandoshan down face-first into the sand that he had spent so long tenderising with a hammer.

  Spitting out the sand, he looked up only to be met with the tip of Anakin's blade, the cold metal like a syringe being deeply injected through his right eye deep into his brain. His reptilian skin was too difficult to cut or pierce through. Thankfully eyes tended to be an exception to this rule that Anakin was fully willing to exploit to its fullest.

  "Well… I guess that's that. Um… next round?" Even the commentator didn't know what to say. The crowd was stunned, a Tandoshan losing to a human in melee combat was unheard of unless they were Mandalorian. Even then, the sheer genetic power difference was obscene, and this was a boy who was just finishing off puberty; how he had killed a top-tier gladiator was beyond them.

  ***

  "The master will be with you shortly, Please make yourself comfortable." The protocol droid bowed. Well, did the droid version of a bow, as it was too clunky to move any further down than an inch or else it threatened to topple over.

  "Whatever." Anakin dismissed taking a seat on the couch. Thankfully, no longer wore the filthy rags he was forced to put on his flawless body, and now fitted out with… well, they weren't nice clothes but they were better than the SDT festival that was his rags before. It was something that you'd expect a drug dealer to wear but at least they were warm and comfortable.

  The room he was in was a vast improvement to the cell he was in before. The room was well-furnished with expensive tables, couches and even a chandelier hanging from the roof. Clearly, whoever's room he was invited into had a wealth of some sort. He was just surprised he was even invited in the first place. Then again, it wasn't uncommon for gladiators to be invited into the rooms of the upper class, although they were treated more as prostitutes than celebrities.

  "Oh fuck." A moment of realisation hit Anakin.

  Nope nope nope he was getting out of here. Anakin has had his fun through his loops, but he had standards and he was not keen on meeting the wealthy benefactor who intentionally invited a seventeen-year-old to their room. Anakin stormed his way to the door, keen on leaving this awful place. Screw this planet. Maybe he should go back and hide on Tatooine. It worked for Obi-Wan. Then again, he would rather kill himself than deal with that annoying feeling of having sand in his shoes.

  Before Anakin could even reach the door handle, the doors exploded to the side as a large alien pushed his way through. The alien was clearly a Hutt demonstrated by his slug-like appearance although unlike his old slave master on Tatooine, this Hutt had metal leg prosthetics now making the alien look like the weird love child of a large slug and a metal spider.

  "Yeah no. There aren't enough credits in the world for me to sleep with you."

  "Excuse me?" The Hutt said confused. It was a weird expression to see on such a large and quite honestly, ugly face.

  "Master, this is young Vader. The gladiator you asked to be sent to your room. Personally, I find his attitude fairly lacklustre." The protocol gave a sideways glace to him.

  "Thank you, droid. You are dismissed. I would like to speak to the boy alone." The Hutt spoke. His voice was deep and gutteral, his throat was more fat then anything else and Anakin heard his thaot giggle with every word. Anakin had always considered himself quite tolerant but the Hutts had always disgusted him. If this Hutt was here for what Anakin thinks he is, then he is either going to be surprised when a glass of shard ends up in his or Anakin's own throat.

  "Of course master." The droid left the room, leaving Anakin and the large Hutt alone. The mere thought sent shivers down Anakin's spine.

  The Hutt strutted around the room, easily finding himself at the installed bar where row upon row of expensive alcohol sat.

  "Do you fancy a drink? I have quite the collection. I particularly enjoy this brand from the highlands of Naboo. It's rich and fruity which I know might seem like a strange taste for someone of my appearance, but this brand of wine is a particularly guilty pleasure of mine. I'm something of a black sheep in my family, though I suppose you wouldn't know anything about family would you Jedi?"

  "Jedi? What's that?" Anakin asked confused. In his many loops, he loses all muscle memory and force control, but he kept learned mental skills such as hacking or more preferably lying. He was capable enough that with a little force influence he could slow his heart rate and prevent perspiration. He was good enough to fool most lie detectors.

  "Why lie? Not even the scum of this crappy moon pretends to not know what a Jedi is, you underestimate our intelligence or maybe you underestimate the Jedi's influence." Shit. Perhaps this slug is smarter than he gave credit.

  "You see, Vader if that's your real name. It's not common for a street rat to win in the arena. In all honesty, you were supposed to be a warm-up for my real fighters. Yet, you, a child, won despite everything against you. Not to be racist but Trandoshans and Humans can't really be compared in combat. They are genetically superior, physically speaking of course. Yet here you stand unharmed after several minutes of not only boring your opponent to death but, quite frankly also the crowd."

  "And what do you expect me to do? Apologise?"

  "No, far from it. As I was saying before I am quite different from my family. As I'm sure you are aware, or maybe not due to being locked in a temple your whole childhood, the Hutts aren't exactly known for their heroism. When faced with a problem, we tend to throw around enough credits and bounty hunters till the problem goes away or tortured to death. I, however, admire the Jedi, their capabilities, their powers." Anakin saw the hum of pleasure in the Hutt's eyes. Disgusting. "Their ability to sense danger before it can even hit them or their enhanced agility. The Force."

  "Look I really don't care for your Jedi fetis-" Before Anakin could finish talking, an electronic shock shot through his system,m forcing his muscles to clench against his will. The boy collapsed to the ground, slamming through a glass table, sending shards of glass flying and several small cuts to cover Anakin's skin. Anakin tried to scream but his the electrical currents locked his jaw and emarrisingly his bladder to loosen. He HATED electrocution.

  Aakin with hate-filled eyes looked up at Grakkus who stood before him, wine in one hand, his other on some sort of remote.

  "Sorry, but only a moron would think they could beat a Jedi in combat. Jedi can only be defeated through trickery, for example, sewing electronic charges into conductive clothing. You're welcome to rip off your clothes, but I think pressing this button is a little faster than even you are Vader." Grakkus released Anakin from his own muscles by ending the electricity flow. His finger danced over the remote threatening to press it again much to Grakkus' delight.

  "Kiss my ass slug."

  Grakkus pressed the button again, but Anakin didn't flinch. His muscles clenched, but he didn't move an inch staring down the Hutt. Anakin had experienced far worse pain by far worse people. This was a joke.

  "Well, just look at those dead eyes. You really are something, I guess this is useless. You Jedi are a different breed. I truly am fascinated by you."

  "I am no Jedi." Anakin said. That was no lie, he had long long long ago abandoned the Jedi.

  "Really? Well, you'll have to excuse my scepticism as that doesn't make much because you had one of these on you." Anakin didn't know where the slug pulled it out from, as Anakin didn't see any clothes or potential pockets on the alien, but in his slimy and rough hands was his lightsaber. If Grakkus was expecting Anakin to act all surprised, he was sorely mistaken as his mask of ignorance never dropped. Mostly because Anakin didn't care, this was just one massive waste of his infinite loops. So what if a slug had his lightsaber, he could kill just as well without it.

  "You see, after watching your performance, I asked to fetch your belongings. You Jedi, despite claiming to have no attachments keep your lightsabers on you at all times, and while I wasn't expecting much, I was very happily proven wrong when I saw this." The Hutt ignited the blade.

  "An elegant weapon for a more civilized age." The Hutt swung the blade around, getting a feel for the weapon. With a single swing he sliced off half of the chandelier above them causing it to fall and crash onto the group with a loud bang.

  "Oops, I can see why those who aren't Jedi don't use lightsabers. They are more of a danger to the wielder than your enemy." The Hutt deactivated the lightsaber and quite surprisingly, threw it over to Anakin, letting the very dangerous weapon fall into the lap of his prisoner. A strange choice.

  "Oh relax, I'm confident you won't strike me down. After all, every exchange needs a little trust don't you think? If everyone was going to betray you then everything would get so boringly predictable."

  "What kind of exchange are you looking for exactly?" Anakin growled, pocketing his lightsaber.

  "As you can imagine from recent events many planets aren't exactly on good terms with the Trade Federation and are looking for resources in less respectable and cheaper means. My family suggested I take these planetary leaders on a large luxury leisure cruise ship. I would like someone of your calibre to join me if things go wrong. Normally, I wouldn't be concerned but there will be lots of animosity between planetary leaders. Having a Jedi would be a powerful deterrent from any… bloody events."

  "Once again, I am not a Jedi. And this is my main point, I really don't care about politics, or in fact living for that matter. So I don't care if you kill me right now, I'm not wasting my break dealing with pretentious royalty." Anakin dismissed. He was okay with ending this loop here and now; at least this couch was comfortable. All he really needed was a blaster and bang! He was off to another loop to retry this vacation that he had already screwed up.

  "I can make it worth your while."

  "I have little need for credits."

  "What about alcohol? Drugs? Women or men, if you prefer? It's a Hutt luxury cruise. Believe me when I say we can be very accommodating to any needs you might have. This will not be a mere diplomatic trip but rather a holiday where very occasionally I will have you step in wave your lightsabre around then you can go back and drink and fuck yourself to sleep. Not a bad deal right?"

  No... no it wasn't.