Previously: Leia and Vader have a temper. Vader has an existential crisis. Leia just wants to breathe.
In this chapter: Piett gets caught up in Skywalker drama and has to guess what's going on, just like the rest of this crew.
Piett POV
His comm beeped.
With a long-suffering sigh, Piett rolled over in his bed and squinted against the brightness of his comm readout. Who was calling him? He was off-duty! If it was anyone short of Lord Vader, he was going to…
It was Leia's number. The comm he had left her.
Piett groaned and sat up. If the Princess was calling for room-service, Piett was quitting his job. Well, he would if that was possible, really.
No, he'd just take his own sweet time doing whatever she wanted, as a sort of passive-aggressiveness that wouldn't get his neck snapped by Lord Vader.
Piett opened the comm, struggling to sound composed and polite, not irritated in the least.
"How can I help you, Leia?"
Nothing.
Piett frowned down at the comm.
"Leia?"
Silence.
Anxiety rising, Piett stood and started getting dressed, putting on his pants with one hand as he continued to try to get a response.
Maybe she pressed the button by accident. Maybe she's trying to aggravate him. Maybe…
Piett slid the comm in his jacket pocket, still activated, and strode quickly down the corridor, tucking in his shirt.
-000-
"Kark, kark, kark," Piett muttered to himself, falling to his knees next to Leia.
She was face down on the floor and she wasn't moving and Lord Vader was going to kill him.
Piett carefully turned her over and paled as he saw her neck.
"Kriff," he said loudly.
He had seen plenty of bodies with marks just like this. Lord Vader had…
Piett sucked in a deep breath.
Why? What was Piett supposed to do now? Did he try to get her treatment before it was too late? Did he leave her to die? Which would get him punished by Lord Vader?
Piett raised a hand to his throat and shuddered.
She was Lord Vader's guest. He had said she was to be safe and provided for. Lord Vader had ordered her clothes!
Surely this was a mistake.
With trembling hands, Piett raised his comm and called Lord Vader.
He didn't answer.
"No, no, no," Piett said, practically hyperventilating.
Leia was still cradled in his arm, head fallen back, throat exposed.
She was small. Smaller even than him, and he was not a large man.
Her braids had unraveled and her hair (so long!) cascaded across the floor.
Her quiet wheezing was irregular now, and Piett knew he had only moments to decide.
Closing his eyes, he pursed his lips and lifted Leia into his arms.
Her head pressed into his jacket collar and he ran, hoping he had made the correct decision. Hoping that this kind woman (girl, Princess) would live.
Hoping that he would live, too.
-000-
Luke POV
Luke sat up, his eyes snapping open.
Leia, Leia was hurting! She was angry, afraid. She was in pain!
Vader! What had he done to her? What was he doing to her?!
Luke jumped out of the too soft bed and scrambled across the room, crashing into the door.
"Leia! Leia!" he cried, slamming his fists against the metal.
"Stop hurting her, you monster!"
Luke yelled, his voice cracking.
She had traded herself. She had gone willingly. Leia wouldn't fight him, not while Luke was still in Vader's grip.
But Vader was hurting her anyway.
Luke swept away angry tears.
Vader was hurting her and Luke couldn't help. Couldn't stop him.
Minutes later Luke felt the dark cloud that was Vader move further away.
He leaned his head against the cold metal door, hands bruised.
Vader was gone, for now, and he couldn't hurt Leia anymore and…
Luke froze.
Leia… Leia's light was flickering.
"No," Luke breathed.
Not like this. It couldn't end like this!
"Leia! Leia!" Luke shouted, his cries growing more desperate as her light dimmed.
Luke tried to send her something; part of his light. Surely if he could feel her light then she could feel his and she could use it and he could help her and…
Leia's light flickered out.
"No!" Luke screamed, pressing his hands against the door. The door shook and things broke and Luke screamed.
-000-
Piett POV
Piett slumped against the wall, his eyes closed. He hoped he had gotten her help in time. He hoped it wasn't too late.
His hands fisted as he remembered how Leia went heavy in his arms. He's carried the dead before. He knew how heavy they were.
His comm buzzed and he remembered it buzzing before as he ran through the corridors and he knew he couldn't stop and what if it was Lord Vader and he had ignored his call and he had taken Leia to get help and he…
It was Luke.
Piett's hands shook as he answered the call. He didn't want to be the one to tell Luke about his sister. But who else would?
"Piett here," he said, trying to keep his voice steady.
"Tell Vader to come here. Now," Luke ordered; his voice cold. Piett shivered. The boy suddenly sounded…
"I have not been able to contact Lord Vader," Piett said, moving the comm a bit further away from his face. He had the sudden sensation that the ice he heard in Luke's voice would crawl through the comm.
"Find him. Let him know that I have some information for him."
"Yes, I-I will do that," Piett responded. He half-hoped that this information would be enough to save his life should Lord Vader be unhappy with his actions.
"Luke, about your sister… Leia is…"
"I know," Luke said, cutting the call.
Piett blinked down at the comm, nonplused.
Before he could think too much about it, Piett attempted to contact Lord Vader once again.
"What?" Lord Vader snapped.
Piett raised an eyebrow. If he didn't know better, he'd say Lord Vader sounded unnerved rather than angry.
"My Lord, Luke has requested your presence. He says he has information for you."
There was a long pause.
"I will go to him."
"Also, my Lord," Piett attempted to continue but the comm went silent.
Piett looked up with a sigh. It just wasn't his day.