All the Debts I Owe
Sith!Anakin Skywalker x Reader
Summary: A routine Rebellion meeting goes horribly wrong when the Empire discovers the coordinates, but the Force has other plans for you besides death and chaos. Enter none other than the Sith Lord who's become a perennial thorn in your side.
Word count: 3.8k
A note from the author: Hello there! It's been a while since I've actually written anything (like, six months), so I hope this is good! This fic is a part of my Rebel-verse, where reader is a Rebel and Anakin is Darth Vader, just without the crispiness and chopped-off limbs.
(Also, there are a couple of little Easter eggs in here that you'll hopefully pick up on if you've read my other works in this AU. Let me know when you find them!)
I sincerely hope you enjoy, and if you do, I'd love to hear from you! Likes, comments, reblogs, and asks make my world go round :)
â...and the cost of fighter fuel will be supplemented by our trade alliance with Endor,â General Kessyk finishes reading from the tablet in front of her, and you have to hold in a sigh of relief when you realize that sheâs reached the end of her prepared remarks.
The clock ticking loudly on the wall in the meeting room of the Rebel base on Mandalore has been the only thing keeping you from zoning out during the last half hour of the special session called by General Kessyk. When you joined the Rebel Alliance, you pictured your life to be nonstop action, fighting battles and gathering intelligence in the fight against the Galactic Empire. And sure, thatâs been a good chunk of your time as a Rebel. But as youâve climbed the ranks and slowly earned your way into a leadership position, youâve come to the unfortunate realization that being in charge of the Rebellion involves a lot more administrative duties than you anticipated.
Including sitting through a boring budget meeting, of all things, to discuss how the Rebellion will be funded for the next half rotation.
Oona, your friend and second in command when your crew is out on a mission, nudges your side and slips a piece of paper into your hand. When you open it and look down to read the message, you have to hold in a burst of laughter. âShould I bring up the Generalâs shiny new robes and ask where the budget for that came from?â it reads.
âI donât know what would be the worse reaction, her getting upset at your insubordination or her pulling out a detailed expenditure report,â you scribble quickly and hand it back to her.
Oona shoots you a cheeky grin and starts to write her own response, only for you both to be startled out of your merriment by the general calling your name.
âYes, General?â you ask, pretending like youâve been listening the entire time and definitely not forcing yourself to count each tick of the clock to keep from dozing off.
âI was inquiring about the status of your requested budget for the Jedi recruitment mission in the Outer Rim, Commander.â Though the Togruta tries to look stern, you can see the way that her lips just barely twitch as she tries to hide the soft spot she has for your antics. Kessyk has a tough exterior, indeed, but she fiercely loves those under her command, and has to often remind herself that sheâs in charge.
âOf course.â You begin to pull up your (hastily completed last night) budget request when your heart seizes in your chest.Â
The Force screams danger! at you a split second before the unmistakable sounds of TIE fighters overhead ring in your ears. Red sirens alerting the base of adversaries start screeching, and everybody scrambles to well-rehearsed places to try and decipher whatâs going on. You unclip your lightsaber and ignite it, as do a couple of other assembled Force users. Itâs second nature at this point to assume command of a crisis situation, so you look to your trusted right-hand woman, already at a blaster cannon.
âOona, set blasters to fire and send out a distress signal to the fleet!â She nods, and you focus on the next order of business: getting out there and fighting whatever it is thatâs come to attack.
Unfortunately, bombs drop before you can even take a step, giving way to screaming and smoke and, eventually, silence.
â˘â˘â˘
In the years since he eschewed the Jedi Order and turned to the Dark Side, Darth Vader has gotten very good at compartmentalizing. Restoring peace throughout the galaxy and carrying out the Emperorâs wishes could often be brutal and bloody, so he had to make sure that he wouldnât crack under the strain of the horrors he both witnessed and carried out. It was a little like turning a switch on and off. Before a mission, the humanity that he held within him, that wish for no more death and destruction, was hidden away, instead replaced entirely by Sith values. He was then able to do what must be done without any hesitation.Â
(The aftermath of turning that switch back on and being faced with what he had done was horrific, but he secretly felt as though he deserved itâthat it was his penance for all of the pain that he caused.)
There were times when compartmentalizing was easier said than doneâkilling the younglings all those years ago at the Jedi Temple, for example, had truly tested his newfound ability to do so. But there are other times, such as when intelligence points the Galactic Empire to a meeting of the top forces of the Rebel Alliance, that make it easy to shut a more humane part of him down and focus on the victory ahead. And now, as he stands aboard his destroyer and stares down at the smoldering carnage of the Rebellionâs Mandalore base, victory tastes sweet.
âLord Vader, I have good news.â Admiral Batch, one of the few admirals not petrified of him, sidles up next to him. âThe Rebels were caught completely off-guard, and as a result, we can confirm there have been over 20 casualties of high-ranking members of the Rebel Alliance.â
âGood news indeed,â Vader speaks through the modulator of his mask. âAre there any confirmed names that we can take back to the Emperor?â
âNone for certain, until we can get down there and see identities for ourselves. We do know that General Kessyk was in the building, as well as a number of Force-sensitive Rebels.â
The moment that last fact actually registers with Darth Vader is the moment that his carefully constructed cruel facade collapses, allowing the Force to finally come screaming at him and tell him of the major mistake heâs made. How could he have not thought of the possibility that you, his Rebel, would be involved in this meeting? Through both Empire intelligence gatherings and the begrudging revelations from you that your responsibilities had been increasing due to your importance in the Rebellion, he should have made the connection that you were now one of those high-ranking members.
Instead, he allowed his anger and his passion to cloud his thinking until the only thing he could focus on was winning. Itâs a move that has brought him pain countless times in the past, and now, it seeks to do so again. Vader has to force himself to remain calm, lest he lose control of his emotions and allow his connection to the Force to wreak havoc on his surroundings.Â
He takes a couple of deep breaths before feeling like he can speak in a level tone. âThank you, Admiral Batch.â
The admiral bows his head in respect. âMy lord,â he says, turning and heading back to the command center on the destroyer.
Thereâs not a moment to spare once the panel to the observation deck seals and leaves him alone. He needs to get down to the surface of Mandalore before any Stormtrooper teams can beat him there and start confirming the dead and injured. Darth Vader hurries back to his chambers, where he sheds his bulky uniform and switches into a set of unassuming robes. Clipping his lightsaber to his belt, he pulls his hood up over his head and proceeds to sneak out of the destroyer and into a cruiserâan easy feat when one has the Force on their side.
The Rebel base, once so well hidden in one of the capitalâs abandoned industrial districts, is now completely exposed after the barrage of Empire bombs shelled through its defenses. Rubble and detritus are strewn in every direction, making his path to the coordinates of the meeting room that much more difficult to maneuver. Vader takes great care to stay hidden under any outcroppings of the ceiling still standing, hyperaware of the fact that he could be spotted at any moment.
When he finally reaches the room where the Rebellionâs best and brightest were meeting, he pauses as he takes in the carnage in front of him. Itâs nowhere near the first time that heâs stood in a room full of bodies, their injuries and deaths partially (sometimes fully) attributed to him. But it is the first time that heâs been so concerned for the welfare of one of the potential bodies. Vaderâs frantic eyes scan the faces of the dead and wounded, both hoping and not to see you among them. If he doesnât see you, it either means that youâre somewhere safe and far away from here or that youâre buried so far under the wreckage that heâll never be able to find you. Likewise, if he does see you, heâll have concrete proof that youâre either aliveâŚ
âŚOr dead.
A pit opens up in his stomach at the mental image heâs unconsciously created, and he forces his eyes to work faster, to take in more and more information until thereâs no doubt left for his mind to play with. Finally, in the corner of the room, he sees your face peeking out from behind a crumbling column. He has the briefest moment of deliberation, a ghost whispering in his ear that heâs gotten too wrapped up in this whole situation, persuading him to turn back now, cut his losses, and find something else to focus his attention on. Then thereâs a pop and a sizzle, a chunk of ceiling breaking off and hitting a pile of embers across the room, and the ghost disappears.
It feels like Vader teleports with how fast he makes it to you, though that is not a skill that the Force grants. Falling to his knees at your side, his hand shakes as he places two fingers on your neck, terrified of the potential outcome when he tries to find a pulse. After a stressful few moments, heâs relieved to feel your pulse beating steadily under your skin. With the knowledge that youâre firmly alive in mind, he takes a moment to actually look you over.Â
Youâre covered in blood and soot, making it difficult for him to determine where youâre injured. Your right arm is definitely broken, and it looks like your right ankle is, too. The extent of your injuries can be determined later by a medical droid. What matters now is that youâre alive, and that youâre stable.Â
Everything else is secondary.
â˘â˘â˘
The first thing you realize upon waking up is that you have no memory of how you came to be in a position where you would need to wake up. The last thing you remember, you were trading notes with Oona to pass the time during a budget meeting. Now youâre hereâŚif only you knew where âhereâ was.
Itâs more difficult for you to open your eyes than it normally is, and when you do finally pry them open, your blurry vision prevents you from discerning where you are. Picking a light source in the distance, you focus on that until the room finally comes into focus and you see that youâre surrounded by white. White walls, white floors, white counters. The logical part of your brain says that it could mean youâre in a medbay. But the logical part of your brain feelsâŚfuzzy, almost. Like thereâs a blanket of clouds settled over your consciousness and making silly notions like logic and reason fly somewhere far away
âAm I dead?â you ask yourself.
Somebody laughs at you from across the room, and you look to see none other than Darth Vader, sans mask and cape and all other vestments that he wears as a Sith Lord, strolling towards you. âNo, thankfully.â
Blinking rapidly doesnât get him to disappear in a mirage, but it does serve to dry out your already-unreliable eyes. âWell, now I really think that I might be dead.â
âNot if I had anything to say about it. Which, I did, and itâs why youâre not dead.â
A puff of air leaves your noseâitâs meant to come out as a laugh, but parts of your body seem to not want to cooperate today, so a puff of air is all you manage. The action makes your nose begin to itch fiercely, and as you jerkily lift your hand to alleviate the sensation, youâre stopped at the sight of the blue bacta cast that covers your arm from wrist to elbow.
âOh.â
âThe med droids did it,â he explains sheepishly, as though you might be mad at somebody attempting to heal what must be a significant injury. âYour right ankle is in a cast, too, as are your ribs. The report from the droid earlier said that your injuries are healing at the expected rate, so you should only need to be in them for a few more cycles.â
âWhat happened?â you mumble.
âWhat do you remember?â Vader asks.
âThere was a meeting, and I was getting called out by Kessyk for not paying attention. ThenâŚâ you try to think, but the blanket of clouds presses down on you further and makes everything scatter. âUgh, I feel funny.â
âPretty sure youâre on some heavy painkillers right now.â He grabs a tablet from the end of your bed and looks at it. âYouâre definitely on some heavy painkillers right now,â he amends.
âHow did I get injured enough to need enough drugs to take down a bantha?â
âThe Empire received intelligence that some high-ranking members of the Rebellion would be meeting on Mandalore, and the decision was made to carry out a bombing mission. I didnât even begin to think that you were one of those high-ranking members until after the bombs had been dropped.â
âWow, you donât think Iâm good enough at my job to be a high-ranking Rebel?â If you had full control over yourself right now, you would be slapping a horrified hand over your mouth and begging yourself to shut up. Instead, you giggle (oh, the horror) at Vaderâs panicked expression and bat at his hands with your own uninjured one. âIâm just messing with you. We both know that Iâm really good at my job.â
âWe do,â he agrees before continuing. âI couldnât just leave without knowing if you were there, so I commandeered a fighter and went down myself. When I saw you laying there, injuredâŚI wouldn't leave you to whatever your fate might have been if I hadnât interfered. So I brought you here, to my fortress on Mustafar, to recover.â
A med droid interrupts your conversation when it begins to do a routine round through the medbay and sees that youâre awake. You allow it to poke and prod you, checking your vitals and doing whatever scans it needs, aware the whole time of Vader watching you. His stare is unwavering, closely supervising the droid as though it might rebel against its circuitry and try to harm you instead of heal you. When the droid chirps at him, he glares.
âI am letting you do your job, 21-B,â he huffs.
More chirping, followed by a whistle.
âThatâs uncalled for.â
âYou can understand it?â you ask, watching the scene in front of you with amusement.
âIâve been able to understand droids since I was a young boy. For better or for worse.â
When 21-B beeps, even you can tell it's displeased. Vader rolls his eyes and proceeds to argue with the droid a bit longer before turning to you.
âYour temperature is starting to rise a little, and 21-Bâs worried itâs an early sign of infection. He wants to give you some medicine to combat that. Is that alright?â Youâre a little surprised that Vader is both taking the time to explain the droidâs requests to you and making sure that you consent to the care plan.
You nod, and 21-B begins to fiddle with the IV in your hand before injecting what you assume is the needed medicine into your line. There must be a sedative effect to this medication as well, because your body quickly begins to feel like gravity is no longer going to be able to hold you down anymore. You try to fight the way that your eyes flutter, willing yourself to keep focused on Vader. There are still so many questions you have that need answered!
âDo you know who died?â you ask quietly, using the stores of strength you still have within you to speak.
âNot for certain. There wasâŚa lot of carnage when I came to find you. I couldnât see who was alive and who wasnât.â
âOh.â Although such a revelation certainly warrants a better reaction, one syllable is all that you can muster.
Vader smiles just slightly at your struggle. âFocus on resting, and Iâll see if I can find answers for you, okay?â
You think you mutter an affirmative answer, but unconsciousness pulls at you before you can be sure.Â
Though it feels like you merely blink, when you open your eyes once more, the shadows in the medbay are much longer than they were when you last saw them. One glance around the room reveals Darth Vader sitting in a chair at the foot of your bed, watching something on a holocron. When he notices you struggle into a sitting position, he powers it off and tosses it on a counter behind him.
âHow are you feeling?â he asks softly.
âBetter,â you respond truthfully. You feel a little stronger than you did earlier; your mind is markedly clearer, too.
âGood. The droid said that your temperature returned to normal about an hour ago.â
âThatâs good.âÂ
Even though you should be focused on yourself, asking more questions about your own prognosis, your mind is with your team and your fellow Rebelsâor, you fear, whatâs left of them.
âDid youâŚlearn any of the names of the injured and dead?â you ask.
Vader nods and takes a deep breath (Does his face lose a little color? you wonder as you watch his expression for any clues). âI did. General Kessyk is dead.â
Youâre almost expecting that answer, but it doesnât make it hurt any less. And in a normal circumstance, you would hide that hurt until you could break down away from anybody. But this isnât a normal circumstance. Youâre hurt and thankful to be alive and probably still a little high on pain meds, which is why you have to stare intensely down at the cast on your arm to keep the stray tears that hit your blanket from turning into full-on crying in Darth Vaderâs presence. To his credit, he is incredibly patient with you, remaining silent and giving you the space to feel your feelings.Â
You manage to get yourself under control quicker than expected, sniffling a couple of times before you can meet his eyes again.
âMy second in commandâmy best friendâwas there with me.â Itâs hard to get the words out, as a selfish part of you wants to not ask, but instead live in this gray area where sheâs both alive and not. âDid you hear anything about someone named Oona?â
The control that you had been so proud of yourself for exercising crumbles the moment that you hear him say that Oonaâs injured, but alive. Tears that were vanquished mere moments ago return in full force until youâre sobbing.
Not just crying, no. Sobbing. Like, gross, heaving sobs. The type of sobbing that will most definitely leave you feeling embarrassed later for having such an emotional reaction. At the moment, though, sobbing seems like the only way to properly express your feelings. Relief, at Oona being alive. Grief, for your general and likely a number of others who have lost their lives. And something bittersweetâsome emotion you canât truly placeâfor yourself and the position youâve found yourself in.
After a few moments of indecision, Vader rises awkwardly from his chair and hovers inches away from you, unsure of what to do.
âIâm so sorry, Anakin,â you try to apologize in between sobs. âReally, Iâm justââ
âPlease donât apologize,â he insists uncomfortably as your breath gets caught in your throat, causing you to almost hyperventilate as you try to remember how to breathe.
Darth Vader is a Sith Lord, and youâre a Force-sensitive Rebel; enemies, that much is true. But first and foremost, youâre both human beings who possess human traits and tendencies. Vader canât help but sympathize with you, putting a comforting hand on your shoulder before heâs even fully aware of the action. Likewise, when your body recognizes another human whoâs willing to provide you comfort in a time of need, it acts by taking his hand in your own and beginning to pull him down onto the bed before logic can say otherwise.Â
âYou donât want me to hold you,â Vader tries to convince you while heâs climbing onto the bed with you and carefully avoiding your various bacta casts to slide his arms around you, somehow unaware that heâs the one taking the comfort further than just the simple hand-holding and proximity that you initiated. âIâIâm the reason for this. You should be sending me away.â
âShut up,â you mumble into his chest through hiccuping sobs.Â
Already, your breath seems to come a little easier, your tears a little lighter. And the Force, which is always humming around you with something to say, has gone contentedly silent.Â
When you find yourself calm enough to dry your eyes and lift your head off of Vaderâs chest, you have to fight a sudden bout of shyness to be able to actually look at him. âSorry for crying on you so much,â you mumble bashfully.
âI promise you, thereâs nothing to be sorry for,â Vader assures. âIf anything, Iâm surprised that you arenât angry at me.â
âHow can I be, when I would have done the exact same thing?â
He doesnât bother to hide his shock. âReally?â
âYes,â you admit with a laugh. âI absolutely would have bombed a meeting of Empire officials, and then belatedly realized you were probably there and tried to get you out safely against my better judgment.â
âJudgment seems to not be either of our strong suits right now. None of whatâs happening to us follows any rationale,â Vader says.
âNo,â you agree. âWe should be mortal enemies.â
âAbsolutely.â Vader tightens his grip around you. âOnce we figure out why the Force keeps doing this to us, weâre right back to trying to kill each other without any qualms.â
âSo glad weâre on the same page.â
Youâre so on the same page, in fact, that neither you nor Vader let go of the other. Better to keep the Force happy, right?











