Vader had changed.
Anyone could see something different in the village.
Not his troops who trained daily, not the strange armaments Vader had created for them, nor the peculiar armor.
None of that has changed, not even the Dark lord's plans.
But he changed.
Something in that cave had changed him from the inside, even though many didn't know what and how.
The way he walked, it was much more relaxed than in the firm and authoritarian way before, his punishments were suddenly much lighter than normal for those who made mistakes due to lack of skill or simple bad luck.
But for those who made mistakes on purpose or committed a crime, it was painful just to see, he no longer killed with his shiny weapon, he destroyed their minds with his strange magic, and took everything that made them a normal living being.
It was a fate worse than death itself, they were humiliated and split from their personality, becoming practically walking bodies.
He had become more kind, but much more ruthless too, it was strange but fascinating.
He created exclusive equipment for these servants, as their minds were almost non-existent, they had no ambitions, and there was no way for them to betray the Lord. Extremely resistant black armor with a mask that could only be described as cursed, a hood followed with black capes. Anyone who approached them could only feel the aura of death and suffering that came from them.
Vader surrounded himself with this ' Undead', who came to have various types of nicknames, but one name was the one that stood out most of all.
The Forsaken Executioners
This had an immediate effect on the village, crime became almost non-existent for fear of the punishment of being forced to become soulless bodies without any feelings or self-love, that the sole purpose of living was serving the dark lord.
And even with that, Vader had no backlash for his actions, the more time he spent with them, the more he realized that his followers saw him as a truly real living deity, even if this was not uncommon for the Lord.
He was already carried like a god by indigenous tribes of Tusken Raiders in Tatoinne for some reason, on a planet he was hailed as a saving angel when he exterminated a gigantic monster.
However, his followers were different, they followed him out of genuine admiration, even though some questioned, the things that Vader achieved in this short period of reign only sowed his power base with his followers.
His introduction of ancient handmade firearms on the basis of the oldest still powder to humans made him acclaimed as a master of the forge, his teachings of combat techniques and tactics to the young and introducing them to a chain of command made him be acclaimed as a visionary, and his powers and his arrival by the stars gave enormous credibility to the claims that he was of divine origin.
And not only did that change, but Vader also changed his appearance as well.
His original armor had been changed.
Before, it was completely smooth, and of a material that was unknown to many mixed with what could be deduced that it was woven, had been exchanged for iron, several layers of pure steel, and dark and menacing armor that remembered him the knights of old, of an era of war at the time when Equestria was still warmongering tribes, forged by the dark lord himself, his old display did not exist more, replaced by simple cuts on his helmet that seemed to make him see, his helmet now covered most of his face.
And above all, he shocked Thorax even more, Vader, who had done so much to Changeling, who had saved him from suffering at the hand of his own people, who had accepted him on his land as his own, had done something even more extraordinary for the insectoid creature.
Everyone around the circular table gaped at the figure who was unraveling in the middle with his black armor and flanked by his soulless guards.
"My Lord with all due respect, you can't be serious!"
Darth Vader, who remained at the center, seemed unfazed by the indignation of his advisers, while Thorax remained completely shocked beside him.
"My decision is final, and I don't appreciate being questioned by my OWN Council."
The Guardian got up, banging hard on the table, scaring even some councilors and making others jump in surprise, while Vader hadn't moved an inch, she had an angry expression while gritting her teeth.
"Of course, we question that, my lord! What will our people think when you took one of Celestia's old puppets as a student??!"
"Apprentice"
She only looked more irritated by her lord's correction, but she controlled herself.
"It doesn't matter, my lord! You have to reconsider-"
She suddenly was silenced, she started panting, desperately trying to get air, which refused to enter her throat, she held her collar in desperation while looking at Vader who made a gesture with his hand as if to squeeze the air.
"I care little what they think of my actions or not, having an apprentice will not change their lives nor yours and so, it is none of your business, do we understand Guardian?"
She nodded in desperation as her face contorted and she watered, suddenly, Vader released her, making her make a huge sigh of relief as she breathed again.
"I did not come here to ask your permission but to inform you all that I will be going on a pilgrimage with my new apprentice to train him. I expect that the journey will take a few months."
Everyone in the county would look at each other, gaping, Stalker then protested.
"My lord! You can't do this! What will we do without your guiding hand??"
Vader then slowly rose to his feet, while his dark guards quickly made way for him.
"I trust that you all will manage to maintain the operations we planned for these months and manage the village and my army in my absence."
He slowly walked out of the room, before pausing at the door and looking at the shocked councilors in the county.
"I created our chain of command exclusively so that everything would work out even without my permanent command, and also, take this as a test, a test to see if my expectations in each of you were not an illusion."
He then left the room, being followed by his executioners and Thorax, leaving a room with only shocked councilors.
Thorax quickly accelerated his steps to reach Vader, passing by the Executors who ignored him completely.
"My Lord! My Lord! Wait up!"
The Dark Lord stopped suddenly and slowly looked back, looking down and meeting his gaze with Thorax, who was just dry-faced when facing the Sith, slowly.
With a long sigh after a few awkward moments of this exchange of looks, he gained the courage to speak to the lord.
"My lord.... Why? Why take me as an apprentice...?"
Vader was just silent, looking at the smaller insect, which was sweating bullets and VERY nervous.
"If you don't want to take the mantle, I won't force you."
Vader's soft tone behind his mask only surprised Thorax even more, who shook his head and side to side negatively, while smiling weakly.
"Of course not! I will do anything to pay for everything you did for me!"
He changed his expression to a determined smile while making a firm fist for Vader sympathizing with what he felt
"So why are you so hesitant about my declaration of your new title and status? Aren't you happy or excited about so much power that you will gain from it?"
Thorax's smile disappeared immediately, and his determined look changed to one of sadness, he slowly embraced himself while looking to the side.
"That's not it.... Don't get me wrong, my lord, I'm honored..... Though..... I don't think I'm worthy..... Or that I'm decent for the job....."
Vader seemed amused by this and dismissed it with a wave of his hand.
"Your hesitation only strengthens my opinion that you are the right choice- "
"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!"
Vader was taken back by Thorax's sudden outburst, who would yell at him with specks of tears coming out of his eyes.
"That's what they thought of me when they proclaimed me as king of changelings! I did everything I could to not let them down! To make them happy! And I just managed to bring them misery thinking that I was doing the right thing!"
He suddenly yelled at Vader as he cried, he held on to the dark lord's armor so as not to lose his balance while threw everything out of him, all the pain and frustration off inside of him.
"And for everything I did.... They just threw me aside from the chance they had..... They treated me like complete trash, like an outcast..... And my own brother.... He...."
He hesitated a lot, holding tighter and tighter Vader's armor as he lost more and more of his voice.
"I am a disgrace! Simple manure that brought nothing but disappointment to my mother the day I was born! I don't even deserve to share and breathe the same air as you! You have brought freedom to thousands! And hope for millions! I don't deserve an ounce of your attention!"
He screamed, and as he let Vader go, he fell to his knees on the floor, slowly hugged himself while sobbing.
"I am a disgrace, a disgrace, a disgrace."
The Sith Lord only remained silent, inside, he was shocked and completely confused, he never had to deal with such a situation with anyone else, but he could not feel anything but sympathy with Thorax, he could look at Changeling and only remember himself.
Remember his enormous fear of failing with the Jedi Order, the enormous pressure he had to not fail his masters, and always doing everything he was told even if he did not agree with the orders.
He remembered all the times he was frustrated by the Order, all the times he had huge problems inside him and the only thing he could do was meditate, the only company he had in his problems was himself.
And when he needed them most, they did nothing, and when he remembered the Order throwing him aside, as if he were just a pushover, and worse when he was almost killed by what he once called his brother.
When he was abandoned.
Slowly, he knelt in front of Thorax, and hesitantly, he took a hand from the Changeling, and pulled him into a hug, surprising the insectoid, who slowly accepted the hug, wrapping his hands around Vader, and crying even more.
Vader remained completely silent, he didn't know how to comfort someone very well, and he did, however, he remembered when his mother hugged him and said that it would be okay whenever he had a problem with his childhood and that always helped him.
He stood there, hugging Thorax for a long time, letting Changeling's tears run down his shoulder.
Thorax had a path similar to that of Vader, however, unlike the Sith lord, Thorax was still pure, he was still a good soul, a soul that could still be saved, different from him.
I promise you Thorax, i will not let you fall in darkness, i will not let you become like myself.