Attachments | Anakin Skywalker

chapter twenty two

Emptiness had never felt more enjoyable until this very moment. Falling into that dark abyss of numbness and solitude had me never wanting to leave the confines of where I was now being kept. A comfier cell then the last, but still as miserable and dark as can be. The bed beneath me was a nice welcome from the metal table I had been stuck on for what felt like years, but the threadbare blanket did little to quell my shaking body. 

Occasionally, my thoughts would stray to Anakin. The way his voice sounded when he talked about being a Jedi Knight. The way his smile was crooked on one side. His wavy hair and full lips that I dreamt about each night here. It was hard trying to not let thoughts of him consume me and so I had attempted my best to keep track of the days that had passed since speaking with Anakin and Padme, but with very little access to the outside world, it was difficult to surmise. So, I counted by the meals that were delivered at two different intervals. It had been six days. My heart ached and longed for them, but it had been far too long. They had either given up, or died trying to get me. I wasn't sure which one would be worse.

Tannis had left me alone for the last two days, but today had been yet another extensive session, where he had the trooper tie me to the shackles that were hanging by the door and begin his slow torture of ripping my mind apart, bit by bit, injecting in those wounded spots, the Dark Side. It was difficult to just not simply give in. It would be so much easier than withstanding the pain that now pounded throughout my head, radiating throughout my exhausted body. Tannis was now working hard in placing the Dark Side's ideals within me, squashing any and all Light.

I lay back in my bed, the threadbare sheets barely giving me enough warmth. I shivered pulling it closer to me as I reached out through the Force, my millionth time today, to see if I could reach anyone. A small thread of light seemed to reach out to me that had me almost yelping in excitement. Shooting up in bed, I yanked the Force back to me in surprise. It had been so long since feeling the presence of the Light Side. I lay back down and reached out another tendril of the Force, and that same, soft and gentle caress of someone responding with the Light had tears pouring out of my eyes. I never realized how I missed that warm and familiar feeling rather than the cold and unfeeling presence of the Dark Side.

I lingered there in that moment, on that tether, not sure who I could be communicating with, but all I knew was that I would never let this moment go. I reveled in it and it calmed my thoughts and made me sleepy. Finally, a sleep that wouldn't be fitful or my body giving out. Settling into the sheets, I made to finally allow my body to relax, when the door whooshed open and someone else stood before me, not Tannis, someone more darker looking. She wore dark clothes that fit tightly to her body, her braided hair pulled up onto her head. Her boots gave her an extra couple inches and she stood with all the confidence in the galaxy. Her eyes were a laser of pure evil. 

I yanked back my tether with the person, and felt them reach back out for me, but I stamped it down hard within my mind. I couldn't let them experience the pain I knew I would soon feel.

"W-Who are you?" My voice was almost gone. Destroyed from all the screaming I had already done that day. The girl smiled coyly, her black leathers shifting underneath her. An Inquisitor.

"Lumya Alem," Her smirk grew wider. "At your aquantience." I remained stock still and she chuckled. "Tannis allowed me some fun with you," She paused for effect, looking at her nails as if bored. "At least...if I have any say in it," Her eyes took a darkness to them that rivaled even Tannis. "If you want to reach out to you friends, I suggest being more intelligent about it."

"What--what are you going to do to me?" I was already bracing for the pain that would soon encompass me. I even stood to my wobbly feet to face her. She smiled in humor at my silly attempt to intimidate her.

"Oh, we're not doing that here. Your blood will stain the sheets."

+

Indeed, my blood did stain the sheets. It stained the ground, my face, my clothes, and the metal bed that had been used to tie me down. Every inch of my body had been prodded and bent in some way to inflict an infinite amount of pain. My ribs ached as if they were on fire, likely many of them broke in my time spent with Lumya. My hearing was a constant state of ringing and I could barely keep my eyes opened. My body didn't feel like my own as I was thrown in my cell harshly by the trooper who had to pretty much carry me the entire way. I was too delirious with pain to even try to remember the way we had come. My mind was scattered. My thoughts a jumbled mess.

I had fought against her, but in my weakened state she had only pressed harder and gotten angrier at my refusals. A shudder went through my body as the last few hours rolled around in my head. My mind was already trying to build a wall around itself to keep the memories of the pain from taking me over completely. I had begged her to explain why this was all happening, why was she trying so hard to break me but Lumya only explained that I had to be broken before I could be remade into the Dark Side's weapon. I had to give information about the Jedi Order to be trusted. She broke my wrist after that question.

I dragged my way over to the bed and counted to three before lifting myself into it. "I-I can...do this." Even my voice no longer sounded like mine. The pain was unbearable as I just remained on the ground, my body unmovable. 

I thought I could cry no longer, but still, tears found their way down my blood stricken cheeks. There could be no more hope to hold on too. There was no one coming for me. There was no hope. There was nothing left for me except to just accept the Dark Side.