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.
Panaka nodded, taking the advice, "And if it's not Tuskens...?" He inquired.
"Thankfully, our uniqueness plays well to us there," Vader said with a hint of smugness.
"Hmm?" Panaka asked, Obi-wan looking confused while Qui Gon and Padme had looks of comprehension.
"The more organized outlaws here are smart enough not to attack a potentially high ranking individual pacing through, a status that the Nubian ship conveys," Qui-Gon guessed.
"Because doing so would risk the Republic getting more involved here, the last thing the Hutts really want," Padme finished.
"Indeed," Vader confirmed, recalling dealings that went on between the Hutts and the Empire. Despite the non-human discrimination in the empire, one of Vader's least liked policies, the Hutts had incredibly cunning in keeping the Empire's desire to get rid of them to a minimum. Partially due to them not interfering with Imperial operations, partially due to their willingness to work with the empire, "I have no issue with the Handmaiden accompanying us. Jedi?" He asked, looking to Qui-Gon.
The Jedi Master sighed, "If you hadn't mentioned these bandits, I would be more reluctant. As it is, I see less reason to not allow it," He relented with a nod.
"Jar Jar? Aren't you coming?" Padme asked, drawing Vader's attention to the Gungan, who smiled nervously.
"Mesa comen, just nosa sure now if it'd be safer stayin hair on the Skeebeetle or goen to disa city," He assured nervously.
Despite the smiles that got, Vader couldn't help agreeing with Jar Jar on that. It was Tatooine after all. Right up there with Mustafar and a few other horrid planets that made even him feel a bit regretful about sending troopers to.
As they walked down the ramp, there was one final interruption, "Vader," Panaka called, getting the dark figure to pause, "Not to be insulting, but won't you stick out and draw attention?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.
Vader almost scoffed at that, "You obviously have never been to Mos Eisley before, Captain."
Meanwhile
The Jedi Temple.
A place that was said to be the very embodiment of peace and tranquility. Like a calm, familiar rock in the vast and rapid sea of politics and traffic that made up Coruscant. The serenity of that was only slightly disrupted by the occasional chaos that the younglings, as children, were prone to make.
That was not the current state of things.
The Temple had a heavy atmosphere about it, an unease that was not only palpable, but almost tastable with how thick it was in the air. So great was the dark weight on the Force that had so abruptly revealed itself to the galaxy.
Younglings were confused and frightened, finding they felt somehow less safe in the shadowed rooms and dark corners. It was no longer irregular for them to awake, crying into the night in terror.
Padawans were distracted, nervous and jumpy when brought out of their daze. They were skilled and old enough to comprehend the presence, but not disciplined and wise enough to keep their minds off it.
Jedi Knights were much like their students, only more anxious and less obvious. They were being looked to for answers that they did not have while waiting for the other shoe to drop.
The Masters, on the surface, seemed unphased, but anyone of their own and many Knights saw through the act. Many of the masters were angry at the idea that they somehow missed the return of the Sith, or the rise of another great force of the Dark Side. Some were wondering more about how they had stayed hidden and why reveal themselves now? Others still were trying to search through the force to find where this new enemy was and perhaps how to beat him.
But a few of the greatest and wisest did the last thing that was expected of them; they ignored all of that. They ignored all commotion and worry over how, where, why, and everything else. They instead, chose to focus on the who and the what.
"What Do You Mean We Will Do Nothing?" The usually calm voice of Jedi Master Eeth Koth called loudly into the High Council Chamber.
"Koth, please calm yourself," Master Mundi urged to the Zabrak, who rubbed his hand against his high forehead.
The long haired male looked at the larger-headed one in irritated confusion, "I Am Calm...Am I Shouting?" He asked, looking genuinely confused.
"Just short of it," Plo Koon answered from behind his breathing mask.
Koth took a breath as he sat back in his chair, "Apologies, but all my senses feels a bit...numbed, at the moment, hearing included," He elaborated with a grimace.
His explanation received mixed looks of understanding and concern, "On Naboo, a watchful eye, you have kept," Yoda commented knowingly.
Koth nodded with a scowl, "I was trying to sense if Master Qui-Gon and his Padawan were in danger, but...from nowhere, that dark presence appearing and flooded my senses," He explained.
Mace Windu and Yoda shared a look, as did many other Jedi Masters. Eeth Koth had both a very strong connection to the force and a high pain tolerance, partially due to being a Zabrak. If he had been overwhelmed to this point, it did not bode well for what they might be up against.
"Are you saying this being is on Naboo?" Adi Gallia asked, a slight bit of alarm in her voice.
"I cannot say," Koth informed with a sigh, "Whatever and whoever it is, they seemed to be cloaking themselves with range rather than concealment. His presence in the force is vast enough that it makes pinpointing his location almost impossible through that method."
"Fret not, Master Gallia," Yoda said after a moment, "Alive, Qui-Gon yet is. That much, I still sense," He assured.
"With all due respect, Master Yoda," Oppo Rancisis started, his snakelike form just a bit tense around his seat, "Master Koth raised a valid question earlier: We are to do nothing?" The royal Thisspiasian asked with a scowl.
"Patience, we must have," Yoda said with a troubled look of his own, "What and who this presence, we know not. Their intentions, we cannot discern, nor their location. Naboo may hold the clue, but for Qui-Gon to return, time is still needed."
"What's more," Mace Windu brought up, "We sensed no other great disturbance in the force," He pointed out.
"I'm sorry, Master Windu, but I don't think I follow," Mundi commented with a raised brow.
"Sith or not, reveal itself, a great force of the dark side has. Yet, no warning, does the Force give, of current or future events, this one will cause," Yoda pointed out.
"In other words, we have a dark sider that apparently revealed themselves for no reason?" Gallia asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Or...," Koth spoke up speculatively, "If it is the Sith, there are always two...perhaps it is a student or a master, calling the other out to battle?" He proposed.
"Possible but too early, it is to be certain. For now, a watchful eye, we must keep, on this new being," Yoda acknowledged.
"What should we say to the others?" Sifo-Dyas asked with a sigh, "This presence has disturbed everyone, down to the younglings."
"Pass it will, but stay strong, they must," Yoda said with a sympathetic sigh, "Harder to accommodate, a sudden change, than a gradual one. Adjust, they will, until resolved, this issue is, but focus on this presence too much, they should not," He forewarned.
A slowly rising darkness was easy to miss and once it was revealed, it was simpler to comprehend and see in hindsight. But a sudden appearance of a Sith with seemingly no previous origin? The jarring change in reality would make anyone uncomfortable.
Mace Windu raised an eyebrow, noting that Yoda left out the oddest tidbit: as dark and cold as this presence was, it was hardly hostile. One would expect a Sith to violently eject anyone and everyone that tried to read too deeply into his force signature. Instead, it was more a mix of pushing others away and keeping hidden in its own immenseness.
Revealing its existence while hiding its location.
Mace Windu wondered if that was Sith cunning or just stupidity.
Of course it was neither, but no one knew that and few would believe the truth if they knew it.
Meanwhile
Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith...was brooding.
He would deny it, but the fact that his mood-influenced force signature made it cool enough for Jar Jar Binks to risk walking a bit too close to Vader's person said something about his feelings.
'If those Younglings don't stop wandering into my Force-space, I'm going to flood their nightmares with images of a Mustafar-Feculia hybrid world,' Vader thought darkly as they walked through the streets with his companions. He got a few looks, ranging from curiosity to fear to wariness, but was otherwise blending in.
That a giant, black, durasteel cyborg with a skull-like mask could blend in on Tatooine was a testament to the people it harbored.
Normally, Vader wouldn't be as annoyed and dramatic by such things, but since this was Tattooine, everything seemed just a hair more annoying than it otherwise would be. And annoyance didn't nearly have as much payout as rage when it came to fueling the dark side.
Back on the topics of Younglings, Vader was honestly getting just a bit annoyed now. When he first arrived in this timeline, he was...realigning to the Force, making his ability to perceive the galaxy through it a bit hazy…hazy enough that he didn't really notice the surplus of Jedi signatures running around the galaxy in this Pre-Empire era for the first few hours. Not to mention the overall turmoil bubbling beneath the surface of the Republic due to corruption, inefficiency, and the like; or from the manipulations of Bane's Order. True, the Empire had the rebellion, but that was nothing compared to this.
Darth Vader may not be Sidious's biggest fan, but that didn't mean he wasn't proud of the Empire they both made. Despite all the "tyranny" the Rebellion ran on about, the truth had been that the average imperial planet had less crime, an improved economy, almost constant job opportunities, overall more effective aid than the Republic ever produced, and a distinct lack of higher ups cracking down on local populations. Until rebels or corruption was suspected, then they sent in the hounds- or worse, himself.
Unfortunately, the old man had clogged it up with Doomsday Weapons and making nonhuman discrimination an all but written galactic policy. The Jedi Slayer never did get that, why human Sith tended to be bigoted like that. He also never saw the point in the Death Star, but understood at least that the Emperor had loved using fear tactics a bit too much- After all, Vader haddn't chosen his mask, even if he approved of it.
The Dark Lord was brought out of his mental musing as yet another force-user intruded into his presence. But this one wasn't Maul, which was odd. This one wasn't a Jedi either though...this one was untrained in the force. Wait, this wasn't himself, was it? Somehow, shoving off your younger self's force-signature as it tried to observe your own didn't feel like a good idea.
No, it wasn't Anakin the Younger, it was...
"Ohhhh," Jar Jar groaned as they walked on, "Wheresa the nice air gos...," He commented, drifting away from Vader.
Qui-Gon took only three seconds to catch the implications, but didn't react or even turn to look at the Sith Lord. In Vader's defense, there was no way he could have prepared for finding this out
"Are you okay?" Padme asked after a moment of looking at him, noticing a slight revived energy in his movements, leaving her wondering what had happened.
"Perfectly fine," He answered offhandedly, "I just sensed someone I didn't think was still alive," He added vaguely.
'That can't be good,' Qui-Gon thought to himself, 'Then again, him being happy about someone being alive makes about as much sense as the rest of his...'
"We should separate here," Vader advised as they came to a fork in the road. He saw Qui-Gon glancing down one way intently, the way to Watto's Shop. Unless he was wrong, this should play out the same as the original timeline, more so without him around. He'd decide to interfere with things beyond that after he accomplished his other short term goals here.
"Business to attend to?" Qui-Gon asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Hardly," Vader assured evenly, "Tar Mass is one of the least pleasant sides of this cesspool, but contains one of the best markets on this planet for something as odd as a replacement for our generator," He explained, waiting to see if Qui-Gon would protest the splitting up.
'In hindsight, maybe bringing a Sith that obviously dislikes this planet into a populated area was a bad idea,' He mused, biting his lip, 'Then again, he knows this planet and I don't have a reason to not let him come along, or for him to split up. Not to mention, he's telling the "handmaiden" to come with me...' After a tense moment, the Jedi Master nodded, "We should meet back at the ship in-"
"Tomorrow," Vader stated flatly to their surprised expressions.
"Why tomorrow?" Padme inquired with a raised eyebrow.
"A sandstorm will be rolling in later. And we will not make any progress if we turn back in time to return before then," He elaborated.
"Did you...sense that?" Padme inquired curiously, seeing Qui-Gon was a bit interested and confused.
"No. That is from my unwanted experience on this planet mixed with an appropriate amount of eavesdropping," He answered simply, just a bit smugly. Best part was that he wasn't lying: He heard some people talking about feeling a storm coming in as they walked, "Qui-Gon should be able to tell who would provide you lodging out of sympathy and courtesy rather than various nefarious ulterior motives," He assured, mindful not to let the public know there was a Jedi around, before turning to leave.
"Well, he seems to be in better spirits," Padme noted idly as thy made their way down the other street- glancing over her shoulder at what looked like a crashed spaceship imbedded in the ground, towering and tilting over other buildings.
"Meesa no likes Dar Vada mad, but meesa likes it when hesa cold here," Jar Jar commented, fanning himself with his hand.
Padme smiled briefly before turning serious, "I heard once that the coloring of your...weapon has a meaning to it?" She inquired, deciding to do a bit of fishing.
Qui-Gon nodded, not giving away if he knew what she was doing or not, "There once was, yes; the simple way of putting it was that blue was for the physical Guardians, green for the mystic Consulars, and yellow for the Sentinels between them. This fell out of practice when other colors became more accessible, making the color a more personal choice. There's still some meaning read into them at times, but it's one of the less strict of traditions," He elaborated idly, remembering using a lightsaber of almost every color: his old master, Dooku, thought it would be wise to be used to each glow- it would be unfitting if his Padawan fell in combat because he found a glow annoying.
Qui-Gon really wondered if that had every happened before.
"And what does red represent?" She inquired. She concluded, by his lack of reaction, that he already knew where she had been going with this.
"I imagine it means something a bit different to him than it does to us," He answered vaguely, to Padme's displeasure.
'Jedi love being cryptic, it seems,' She decided in her head.
As they approached a shop, both couldn't help pondering: What puts a man like Darth Vader in a good mood?
Meanwhile
Darth Maul all but growled from on top of his speeder bike as he looked over the vast deserts that covered this entire planet, Mos Eisley not far in the distance. Neither the heat, nor the sand, nor any other element of this unforgiving world was the cause of his foul mood. He, like a majority of the force sensitives in the galaxy, felt the great darkness emerge onto the Force. He felt it, in all its vastness and coldness, standing between him and his prey.
Not even that was what infuriated Maul. No, he welcomed a challenge, a chance to prove his power. It was the mere existence that filled him with rage and suspicion.
Another Sith…a third Sith.
Something was very wrong; the Rule of Two stated there was only meant to be two Sith at any time: A Master and an Apprentice…one to have power and one to crave it. His master, Darth Sidious, Darth Lord of the Sith, had dubbed him Darth Maul as his apprentice.
So who was this!?
A failed student of Sidious, or even Sidious's own master, who manage to fool him into believing them dead?! A rouge Sith Order that remained unseen to the Order of Bane?! A Jedi that had dreaded into the Dark Side on their own, aided by holocrons?!
His master had doubtlessly sensed this presence as well, possibly even before Maul had left on his mission, but the old Sith had said nothing. Nothing!
Something smelled rotten to Maul and he was going to confront it soon.
He scowled as he saw a sandstorm in the distance, pointing his vehicle in the direction of a nearby cave. Soon would have to come later than he'd like. It didn't matter, being patient was one of the few things the Sith and Jedi had in common- even if it fit the Jedi better. But one way or another, he'd uncover exactly what was going on in the Dark Side of the Force and an answer to this mysterious other Sith, one way or another.
He doubted he'd like any answer he'd get.
Meanwhile
Obi-wan was, inwardly, a bit intimidated. But it was more of an instinctive fear than rational. Really though, he doubted Qui-Gon blamed him: he was literally between a rock and a hard place.
Out there in the desert, he could sense yet another Sith and he sincerely doubted this one was like Darth Vader, who was in the city, the opposite direction. And despite the fact that Vader was protecting the Queen and the other Sith was likely here to assassinate her, the young Padawan got the distinct impression that both Dark Siders were looking right through the ship and crew here and eyeing each other through the force.
To be perfectly honest, it felt quite oppressive, smothering even, sensing those two; like the heavy feeling before a great storm rolling in. Though, it might just be him adjusting to Vader's presence, but he honestly felt they had a better shot against this new Sith than their current, unsithlike one.
"Any sign of anything?" Obi Wan asked to Panaka, at the base of the ramp.
"Sand, rocks, the occasional small desert animal," Panaka answered with a shrug, "Other than that, nothing."
"Well, I suppose no news is good news," Obi-wan decided.
"Padawan...Kenobi, right?" Panaka remembered vaguely, getting a nod, before his expression turned serious and troubled, "May I ask what exactly is going on?" He asked with a pointed frown, still looking out over the desert.
"I'm afraid I don't follow your meaning," Obi-wan commented, confused by his question.
"I've seen enough to know when someone is being cautious of something completely unknown and when they're suspicious of something they believe is dangerous," Panaka answered idly.
Obi-wan kept his face neutral at that, or he hoped he did, "Do you trust him, Captain?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.
"No," Panaka answered bluntly, "He's a stranger with unknown motives. It is my duty to protect the Queen and that means suspecting ulterior reasons in situations like this," He explained before turning to face the Padawan, "That said, all he's done so far has won him some trust on the part of the Queen and I. If he truly is on our side, I'll personally shake his hand when Naboo is free again."
"Then what's the issue?" Obi-wan asked, not seeing where this was going.
"The issue is, unless I'm mistaken, it is currently your duty to protect the Queen as well," Panaka pointed out with an edge to his voice, "And keeping us in the dark of things regarding our mysterious ally is not aiding anyone."
"...To be perfectly honest, Panaka, we're confused," Obi-wan answered carefully, "Darth Vader claims to be one thing, but doesn't behave how we would expect him to if that were so."
Panaka rose an eyebrow, staring at the Jedi-in-training critically, "And when was the last time you or any Jedi encountered one of these "things" he claims to be?" He countered pointed. At Obi-Wan's small frown, he pressed on, "A long time, I take it than. Meaning these "things" have had a long time to change."
"They don't change, Captain," Obi-wan countered, a bit of heat in his voice.
Panaka, while not bearing the Jedi Order any hatred, was a bit amused that he was getting under a Jedi's skin, "Everything changes, Kenobi. Especially to survive," He countered as he turned back to look out of the ramp, towards the settlement, "...The Armpit of the Galaxy," He muttered, remembering a nickname Vader had mentioned.
Obi-wan hummed a bit before shrugging, "Guess there are worse anatomies to be compared to," He mused offhandedly.
Panaka had to admit, he almost lost his composure at that one.