Dark Deceptions // a Darth Vader x Reader

2 - Sith

Piett tense up even more, looking away from the sight. Everyone else around us continues to mind their business, either leaving for the hangar or continuing to munch on their food.

Why was no one doing anything about this?

I pushed my chair back to stand, only to feel Piett's hand shoot out and grab my own, stopping me. He shakes his head, giving me a warning look.

"Don't, or he'll kill you, too." He whispers quietly. I glanced back at the trooper, still levitating about four inches above the ground as he was choked. Vader had an unforgiving look on his face as the trooper mumbled something incoherent.

I wanted to do something, to get up and try to stop this whole mess. But the look in Piett's eyes stopped me. I slowly sat back down, relaxing in my chair.

The sound of the trooper's body hitting the floor caused me to flinch. It was a loud, dull sound that rang out in the large space of the dining hall. Vader stood over the body for a moment, simply gazing at it, before glancing around to the remaining people in the dining hall.

"Does anyone else have any complaints that they'd like to share?" He asks loudly, a low growl in his voice as he speaks. No one comments or replies to his question. Vader huffs, scoffing and rolling his amber eyes.

"Didn't think so," he mutters, and with that, he heads out of the dining hall.

The whole moment was over as quickly as it started, with everyone continuing on as if nothing had even happened, as if this man wasn't just killed right in front of us. My eyes were glued to the lifeless body lying on the cold ground just a few feet from me.

Piett clears his throat, gathering my attention. I must've looked awful, because Piett handed me his water bottle and suggested I take a drink. I felt like I was going to be sick.

"Y/n, it's common around here. Him, doing that sort of thing. You have to get used to it." Piett reassures me quietly. While his voice was calm, his words were anything but. I took a small sip of the water, as well as a deep breath.

"Why is that common? People just.. let him kill others? Without much reasoning?" I asked worriedly. I was a little shaken up from the whole thing, evident by the slight shake in my voice. Piett nods a little, sighing deeply.

"He's Darth Vader. He's Sith. It's not like anyone can do anything, or they'll be killed by him, too," Piett explains, sighing. He reaches for his water bottle, setting it down between us on the table. "Just do as you're told and keep in line, and you'll be okay." 

The rest of our lunch was spent in silence again. But instead of awkward silence, it was tense silence. I couldn't finish my food, despite Piett trying to reassure me that everything was okay. A few stormtroopers came and disposed of the body, including the helmet.

Piett walked me back to the medbay, talking about the new planet the Death Star was currently headed to. I could tell he was just trying to take my mind off of what I had witnessed, but it was all I could think about. I had hardly listened to anything he was telling me, my gaze focused on the ground as we walked.

The sounds of the man choking, the sight of his body levitating in the air, the look on Darth Vader's face afterwards. It was a face of satisfaction. He had no remorse, no guilt for the life he had just so casually taken.

My day was filled with nothing, as I sat at the desk, looking at my data pad. I was thankful for the break I was receiving. If I had to actually treat people, I wouldn't be very hospitable about it, considering I was so uncomfortable about the death I had witnessed.

While I knew that being a caretaker would involve death, but I wasn't used to seeing death in this sort of way; a man just taking a life without a second thought in the galaxy. It was one thing when the person was sick or on the verge of death, and they succumb to it. But it's another thing when the life is stolen, taken in front of my eyes. 

It wasn't even the death itself that worried me anymore; it was the reaction the people had to it that horrified me. They all sat there, eating their food and minding their own business, quietly and attentively focusing on only themselves. And if it wasn't for Piett, I would've gotten involved as well. 

Once my shift was finally over, I went and clocked out, getting ready to head for dinner. This time, Piett was waiting for me outside of the medbay. He was leaned back casually against a wall, but once he saw me, he pushed himself off the wall and started to trail behind me.

"I was in the area, so I thought we could get dinner together?" He asks, walking next to me. I simply nodded, preferring Piett's presence more to being alone. At least he was being nice to me, now.

For  dinner, I got a salad with some fish and a water. Piett got some kind of sandwich with some fresh fruit. This time, we sat at a booth on the other side of the dining hall. I didn't want to sit in that peaceful spot by the window anymore. It was ruined for me by the event I had witnessed early today.

This time around, I tried to talk more to Piett. I felt bad earlier for being silent, and I wanted to make it up to him. He mostly talked about his day, and what it was like to be a young lieutenant. It was actually rather interesting, and I found myself listening to him very closely. He had a nice voice, a voice that was soothing and easy to listen to.

After dinner, Piett walked me back towards my room. He didn't come in or ask for anything, he simply waved me goodnight and headed off.

I took a nice shower and got ready for bed, changing into my pajamas and letting my hair down.

Now that I knew who Darth Vader was and what  he was capable of, I was scared to even leave my bed before curfew. If he choked that man over a simple complaint, he could choke me for anything.

Sleep came rather roughly, as all I could picture was the man, and Vader. His eyes, amber and glowing as he used the Force to choke the man. His tousled hair, slightly sticking up as if he had been running his fingers through it. His bionic arm, and the millions of stories that could be the cause of getting a mechanical arm at such a young age.

From what I could tell, he looked rather young. He certainly didn't look old or deformed as I had gossiped about prior to my arrival.

Eventually, I drifted off to a tough sleep, until I was awakened by the sound of the alarm ringing once again for the second day of work and my third day on the Death Star.