(Every character depicted in the story below is a consenting legal adult over the age of 18)
A/N: Grievous POV!
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Grievous flicks the blood from his metal talons as the holocall comes in. Plucking the communicator from his waist, he places it on the console in front of him and accepts the call, unsurprised when the visage of Anakin Skywalker greets him.
Except… it’s not Anakin Skywalker. This is Darth Vader, Lord of the Sith… and if he is calling, then it is almost certainly done.
“Sidious is dead then?”
Vader nods.
“Yes. I just left Dathomir as well. Sev’rance Tann will survive… not even Dooku’s final act of spite will have any lasting impact on the galaxy.”
That brings a rumble of pleasure from deep within Grievous’ chest. While he could not say to overly care about the blue-skinned alien woman in any way, he certainly appreciated that one of his would-be slavers’ last actions had been entirely undone. And to know that even Dooku’s Master was dead… it fills him with a deep sense of satisfaction.
“And on your end?”
Grievous chuckles darkly and pulls back, allowing Vader to see his grisly work. The blood and gore probably doesn’t translate well over holocall, but the eviscerated remains of the Separatist Leadership within the bunker hidden on Mustafar is visible, nonetheless.
“Taken care of. It was all too easy, just as you said it would be. They ran to this little hole the moment I told them to, fleeing with their tails tucked between their legs. Upon arriving, it was quite simple to… clean things up.”
He’d used his sabers for most of them, but for those such as San Hill, chairman of the IGBC, who were directly involved with his maiming and reconstruction… he’d used his claws. And he’d relished every last scream.
Vader’s foreknowledge had been as impressive as ever though. Not only had the Sith Lord been able to provide Grievous with access codes to the droid armies that gave him unilateral control over all robotic Separatist Forces, but he’d also known about all of the Separatist Contingency plans, including this one that brought all of the Separatist Leadership together and put them in one spot for him to murder.
There was technically still a Confederacy to be fair. They even had their own Senate. However, it was these individuals that Grievous had just finished slaying who had bankrolled the movement and kept the droids flowing in a constant stream to keep the Republic from overwhelming them.
And it was Grievous himself who had led that charge. Without him, without the credits, without the army… the Confederacy was as finished as the Separatist Movement was.
“You’ve done well, General.”
Grievous tilts his head to the side, humming thoughtfully.
“What now, Lord Vader?”
The ensuing silence makes Grievous twitch a bit. In the end, he breaks it.
“You once told me I would not have to set aside my vendetta against the Jedi or the Republic. That they were as complicit in slavery as any other due to the nature of the clone army. Has that changed?”
Vader is quiet for a moment longer before speaking.
“I will not lie to you, General. In some ways, yes. In other ways, no.”
Grievous narrows his eyes at that… but if nothing else, Vader has earned the right for him to listen. Few men have gone so far for him as the Sith Lord has. So he will hear him out if nothing else.
“The Republic will be gone within the week. The deaths of Dooku, Palpatine, and the Separatist Leaders will push things over the edge perfectly. A new Galactic Empire will be born from the ashes of both the Republic and the Confederacy.”
Grievous grunts.
“The Jedi will not allow it to happen that easily though, will they?”
Vader is once again quiet for a moment before shaking his head.
“The Jedi Order has already ceased to exist, General. They just don’t know it yet.”
What? Grievous would scowl if he still had the facial muscles to do so. Instead he’s forced to simply narrow his eyes again, trying to glean understanding from Vader’s words. But then, Grievous is no fool… he has always had a quick mind. When it finally dawns on him, he still struggles to believe it, however.
“You cannot be serious.”
Vader chuckles.
“I’m afraid I am. The Jedi… they could not accept what they have become. They’ve Fallen, each and every one of them. The Order is already set to collapse in on itself without us lifting a finger. However, I won’t lie to you General… I am intending to step in and salvage what I can from its remains.”
On the one hand, Grievous can’t help but be a little furious. It feels like he’s being robbed of his satisfaction, his justice. The Jedi do not deserve to simply… drop gracefully into Vader’s outstretched palm like this. To go from being those faux peacekeepers who failed his people to… whatever Vader intended for them.
On the other hand, it is deeply ironic, isn’t it? For them to have proclaimed themselves peaceful mediators and ambassadors and diplomats for so long, to preach on and on about their Light Side of the Force… only to be abandoned by it due to their own failings. There is a certain poetry to it… but it’s been a long while since Grievous had the time for poetry.
In fact…
“What do you intend for me then, Vader? If not to help you secure the destruction of the Republic and the Jedi, what is to be my purpose? I am a weapon… and you have put me at the helm of a mighty army. The droids answer to me and me alone now. I cannot imagine you would give me such power without an idea of how I should wield it.”
Of course, Grievous didn’t believe for a second that Vader had no contingencies in place. Should he turn against the Sith Lord, he imagines even his absolute control over the Separatist’s remaining droid armies will suddenly not be so absolute anymore.
Perhaps that’s why he’s asking for clarity just this once, rather than doing what he does best and going on the attack. He knows full well that making Darth Vader his enemy is a losing proposition. And yet, if he has nothing better to do…
“There are other slavers in the galaxy, General. Prominent slavers with hundreds of planets under their sway, if not their outright control.”
Again, Grievous doesn’t need to spend long to figure out who Vader is talking about.
“You speak of the Hutts.”
Admittedly, Grievous had always detested the Hutts and everything they represented. While it was less of a personal disgust and hatred compared to what he felt for the Huk, there was no denying that the entirety of Hutt Culture was despicable at the absolute least.
“I do. Once the Empire has been formed and everything has settled down, I fully intend to turn my eyes onto them and see about excising them from this galaxy once and for all. In the meantime however, if you are looking to start the purge early… your help would not go unappreciated.”
Grievous lets out a low chuckle at that.
“Would it not? I must wonder… I do not have a good reputation among those in your soon-to-be Empire, Lord Vader. If I were to attack the Hutts now, it might damage your own reputation when you finally turned your sights on them later.”
Tilting his head to the side, Vader scoffs.
“I have never known you to care overly much about what others think of you before, General. In this case, I can assure you that the Empire we will be creating will not listen to the bleating of such sheep any longer either way. If anything, I will be happy to use your actions to rehabilitate your image… and make sure everyone knows the true story of what was done to you.”
Grievous can’t help but twitch a little at the idea. His story, plastered across the holonet? He didn’t really like it… he didn’t want anyone to pity him, truth be told. He wasn’t even sure he wanted anyone to venerate him as some sort of hero. He was no hero… he was a warrior. Or, as he’d already told Vader once before in this conversation… a weapon.
However, one thing does make him reconsider. His people. Long had his people been erroneously declared the aggressors in their long war with the Huk. All because they’d finally risen up and overthrown their Huk Oppressors but ultimately been too successful in doing so when they managed to conquer the Huk’s homeworld in turn.
The Republic and the Jedi had come in late, forcing his people back and leaving them to starve. And as far as anyone in the rest of the galaxy knew, the Kaleesh deserved it for being warmongers. Grievous, admittedly, had not helped that image by becoming what he was now. And yet… the idea that his people would forever be known as the aggressors didn’t sit well with him, he had to admit.
Only now does he have this option though… the option of rehabilitating his people in the eyes of the galaxy. Even if he would rather not have said rehabilitation happen through him… it wasn’t like there were any better options.
“I suppose if nothing else… the Hutts are a worthy target to meet my eventual end against.”
He would throw himself and the droid armies at the Hutts and burn as much of the slugs and their territory to ash as he could. He would destroy their wealth, break their nonexistent spines, and annihilate entire clans. And yes, he might fall in battle in the process. But for the cause of ending slavery… that was an acceptable outcome.
Looking to Vader, Grievous grunts.
“I will entrust everything to you then, Lord Vader. The destruction of the Republic, the collapse of the Jedi Order, and the rehabilitation of my people. You have not failed me yet. You will not fail me now.”
A mild threat at the end there… more of a promise than anything. Vader just chuckles, not seeming to take offense.
“I will not fail you, Grievous. Justice for your people has been a long time coming… but it is coming. That, I assure you. However, the galaxy will never be at peace until we stop focusing on our own personal justice… and seek justice for all, everywhere. That is why the Hutts flourish, because entities like the Republic are too afraid or too selfish to do something about them. Together, we will stop them. Forge the way forward for me… and I will join you soon on the battlefield.”
Grievous inclines his head in acknowledgment and a moment later the holocall winks out. Leaving the bunker of corpses behind, the cyborg General returns to his flagship in orbit over Mustafar.
From there, he begins to send out orders to the fleets under his control. A battle plan will have to be made up, something that takes full advantage of the element of surprise he currently has. After all, as far as the Hutts are concerned, they have no part in the war between the Republic and the Confederacy.
Little do they know… that war is over. And a new one is just about to begin.
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Vader feels some of the tension flow out of him as his conversation with Grievous comes to an end. Obviously if the alien cyborg had pushed the issue, he was prepared to do what he had to do. But as much as treachery was the way of the Sith, it would not have been Vader’s preference.
No, he preferred this outcome a lot more. So long as Vader did destroy the Republic and the Jedi, Grievous would turn his attention elsewhere. And given his plans called for both entities to cease existing, everything should work out fine.
Meanwhile… yes, the Hutts were very much his primary target once the Empire was established. But first, of course, said Empire had to be established. Fortunately, he was coming out of hyperspace over Coruscant in just a minute more.
That said, he now had a choice to make. Did he go to Padme’s side immediately and ensure a smooth transition of power? Or did he leave that in his wife’s capable hands and go to handle the Jedi first?
Both options had their risks…
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A/N: Remember to Vote, leave a Like, and let me know what you think!
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Google Doc Link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RHFIG-tMl_vuwlYbdfdp1AlsgZEPhm9kWNicaLRRjvI/edit?tab=t.0