My Unfortunate Fate

chapter 22

Differences make us whole.

War was spreading like wildfire across the galaxy.

Upon our return to Coruscant, Anakin continued to fight alongside Master Kenobi, serving the 212th clone battalion as their commander. It wasn't new for us to be apart, but that didn't make it much easier. Especially since the separation happened soon after our wedding.

A week after our return from Naboo, I accompanied Master Yoda, a group of younglings, and Anakin on a mission to Ilum for them to collect kyber crystals to build their lightsabers.

It was my first mission to Ilum, but I'd have to admit it was funny to treat Anakin Skywalker—my husband—like a child. Especially since he used to treat me like one.

Being the only 20-year-old in a group of children, he was bound to complain a lot, annoying me. Luckily, he acquired a new crystal and built another lightsaber. I'm still surprised he was stupid enough to let his first one get split in half.

I was assigned to lead the 501st legion as their general. My first-in-command, Captain Rex, was brilliant and helped a lot whenever I hit a road block. It's weird to think about the fact that all the clones are much younger than me, even though I was only twenty years old.

Unlike some other generals, whom I don't care to name, I tried my best to treat my troops like people above all else. I never call them by their numbers, except if they were to specifically request that I do, but they don't.

Being assigned a number rather than a name feels so dehumanizing, so I chose to ignore them. Besides, the men of the 501st quickly became trusting of me, given how effective my strategies were and how likeable I tried to be.

About two months after the battle of Geonosis, Anakin was knighted and started serving the 501st alongside me as a co-general. We were told it was due to our success against Count Dooku on Geonosis, but surviving isn't exactly success, in my book.

Despite that, we also showed ingenuity and good partnership at the beginning of the battle, prompting us to be paired up again. I didn't mind the opportunity, but being in such close quarters might demand more... a lot more discretion on our part.

Which, thinking about it, would make it pretty difficult to hide our relashionship. I wouldn't be surprised if someone caught on. After all, Padmé did find out after about a week of knowing her. But a little effort couldn't hurt, right?

A little while into the war, Anakin was caught up in a battle with Asajj Ventress, Dooku's assassin apprentice, who slashed one of her lightsabers across his face; causing him to develop a scar around his right eye.

Ventress had only become a threat later into the war, leaving us with one more serious opponent. Other than her, the leaders of the Separatist alliance were Count Dooku, who I already knew well enough, and General Grievous.

Though I haven't had to deal with Grievous yet, the tales told about him were bone-chilling; describing him as a tall, merciless cyborg who stole lightsabers of Jedi he had killed. For fun.

Nevertheless, that means we have a lot to deal with.

Today, we've been sent to Christophsis with Obi-Wan and our legions to assist Senator Bail Organa of Alderaan and his troops, who have, alongside civilians, been attacked by the Separatists.

Me, Anakin, and Admiral Yularen join a hologram transmission from the senator, trapped on the surface. Though he has to oversee our operations on the Resolute, Yularen isn't exactly like us. Which sometimes plays at a disadvantage if he's the one in charge.

While Anakin is reckless, follows his own path—he does it well, if I might add—and usually disobeys orders, I've become a bit like that, but still kept things relatively by the book. The admiral, not being quite as adept to combat, often seems annoyed when we disobey orders, but we don't care all that much.