The Sith remained silent, staring at the coughing man, who still had not reacted to the situation.
Padmé remained silent, but her gaze was not on her almost-rapist; it was fixed on Vader. For the moment, it no longer mattered what the other man had done to her; her attention and thoughts were solely on the Dark Lord. What was the Sith about to do? She had heard of Vader's sick, terrible, and twisted ways, yet she had yet to witness the full extent of his wrath herself. She had seen Vader only once in confrontation with a man named Rush Clovis, and despite Darth Vader's fearsome reputation, Rush was still alive. So the question in her mind was: Would Vader allow this man to live as well?
It was a question that hardly lingered in her mind as she quickly found her answer. Without warning, Vader made his next move. Effortlessly, he lifted the man with the Force, his invisible grip tightening around the young man's throat as terror filled his eyes. The Sith approached him with a giant step, compelling the man to gaze into the eyes of Death itself.
"P… Pl…Please," the man begged as life began to slip away. It was clear he couldn't breatheand that he was unable to move, Vader being the stronger opponent. The only thing the man could do was claw desperately at the invisible grip around his throat, trying to avert his gaze from his murderer and hoping for a miracle.
It was clear that the sight pleased Vader. "I will take your life without a second thought," he whispered darkly, yet with an undeniable amusement in his voice. "Just as you would have taken the young girl's virginity."
Upon hearing his words, Padmé's head snapped toward the Sith, taken aback by Vader's announcement. She wasn't sure if it was the alcohol or the trauma, but a mix of anger and embarrassment surged within her, making her face grow hot. She turned her gaze away from both men, but surprisingly, mostly away from Vader. In that moment, it didn't matter that the black-haired man had stripped her of her clothes. That man had only exposed her physically, but Vader was doing something far worse. He had literally begun to strip hermaking her completely vulnerable. He had once again invaded her mind and exposed one of her most precious secrets, something she disliked revealing. Was nothing sacred to him?
"No second thoughts," Vader concluded, tightening his grip as a loud crack echoed through the alleyway, allowing the lifeless body to drop onto the cold Coruscant ground.
It was a move Padmé had anticipated, yet she found herself unprepared for its reality. Her eyes widened, and her breath became heavy with shock. "You just killed him..." Padmé gasped, her gaze fixed on the body in disbelief.
"Yes," Vader replied coldly, his response brief and icy as he advanced to inspect his kill.
"Dead," Padmé continued in shock, the scene still replaying in her mind.
His irritation flared at her comment, his body and hidden eyes conveying that fact as he shifted his gaze from the lifeless body to her. "I believe that's the definition," he replied before stalking forward, bypassing her and walking away from the distressed woman without further addressing the incident.
That action shocked her even more, her sudden fear consuming her as she realized his intention was to leave her alone. "Wait! Wait! Wait!" Padmé called out, chasing after the retreating black figure. "You aren't going to leave me!"
"I can and I will," he stated flatly. His icy response stirred feelings of anger, bitterness, and annoyance.
"After you saved me?"
Her question seemed to strike a nerve within him, causing him to pause before a sudden shift rippled through the air. "Don't be foolish!" Vader growled, a newly kindled anger erupting from his body as he turned toward the young senator and waved a gloved finger in her face. "I did what I had to do. Nothing more. Do not think you are something special–"
Vader continued his rampage, jabbing his finger in her face as he stepped forward aggressively. It could have been very intimidating– if Padmé hadn't been intoxicated and if his angry words hadn't begun to blur together. Deep down, she regretted her decision to make him pause, aware of the danger, but her intoxicated self felt satisfied that she had done so. It was a strange feeling; her reckless nature found a peculiar satisfaction for reasons she couldn't explain. It was almost as if she had to suppress a smile while the Sith Lord scolded her, his words becoming–though silent to herall the more heated with each passing second.
Even though she seemed aware, even in her condition, she wasn't entirely oblivious to her surroundings or the dangerous Sith before her. The proximity between them made Padmé shiver, and she wondered if anyone had ever stood so close to the Dark Lord of the Sith and lived to tell the tale. She doubted many had, aside from the Imperial personnel. It seemed suicidal for anyone to wish to be this near to him, particularly in such a state of rage.
Although it was amazing how much she could comprehend about the man- if he was a man- at this distance. Even from their close range, she still couldn't see beneath the hood. His face loomed over her, but instead of eyes greeting her, there was simply a black void. His overall presence was overwhelming, encasing and entrapping her, making her feel even colder than the Coruscant air. He was the definition of power and intimidation, overwhelming every single one of her senses. She had noticed his height before, but at this distance, she realized how massive he truly was. He wasn't just tall; he was colossal. He towered over her more than she had observed in their previous meetings. Darth Vader had to be at least two meters tall, and his broad shoulders only added to his imposing figure.
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