Deception | Anakin Skywalker x Reader

|16| The devil's debt

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2.5k words

Warning: mentions of past and present torture

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Vader's POV

The absolute fucking audacity of that rebel in the archives.

Even after a couple of hours I can still feel the rage simmering within me.

I won't admit it, even to myself, but his words affected me. They weren't supposed to. Becoming Vader was meant to shut all of that away but sometimes these feelings find a way into my brain.

This consciousness to emotions other than anger spark a reminder of Anakin Skywalker but Anakin Skywalker is no more.

He will never again be more than a faint reminder of the weakness I used to possess. I snuffed out his light, just as I did to the rebel.

When my lightsaber had slid into his stomach and he collapsed forward, I realised I couldn't remember a time when I had been as satisfied with my work for the Empire as I had then.

I don't know why I let him live as long as I did, why I had let him talk to me the way he did. But it was done now. He was dead.

And now I have to report my findings to the Emperor.

I march down the hall to my chambers and slam the door shut behind me. I try not to glance around the room too much, try not to think of which Jedi had this room before me. I don't regret the decisions I made to get to where I am now but I would prefer not to be reminded of them, which is the same reason why I didn't return to the room I had when I lived here.

With a deep sigh, I open up my holoprojector and place it on the floor. I press the button on the side of it, contacting the man who helped me survive the betrayal of so many of my so called 'friends'. And even though things have gotten tough recently, especially with him being the leader of the entire Empire, he was still like family to me.

I kneel down as the flickering image of the Emperor appears before me. The hood of his cloak is down, just as mine is, and his disfigured face looks directly at me. It's contorted into a condescending sneer which, in the years after the clone wars, has become his resting face. That kind old man that I used to know is long gone but it doesn't matter anyway because I now know that was all a ruse. The only thing real about that period of time was our friendship.

I guess one could say I too have undergone change to reveal my true self. After all this version of me is the only version that can survive now.

"Hello, my master." I bow deeply, my head almost touching the floor, the curls of my hair falling into my face.

"You've got news for me, Lord Vader?" The Emperor asks me, looking impatient, like he has better things to be doing than talking to me.

I keep my expression stoic, not letting any emotion betray itself on my face. By signing up to the side of the Imperials, we are practically agreeing to leave our humanity behind in our old lives. It's a small price to pay for peace and prosperity throughout the galaxy.

"Yes, master. I have." I pause, thinking for a second.

"And?" The Emperor asks, clearly becoming more and more irritated.

"I have found out what was happening in the archives."

"I assume you removed the problem."

"Yes, master. It appears a rogue rebel had gotten into the palace and was searching through the files, wanting something to take back to the others. I killed him before he had a chance to tell them anything."