A Better Tomorrow Anakin Skywalker x Reader ON HIATUS

Episode 1: Hope of a Better Tomorrow

In a galaxy far, far away...

The sun beat down heavily on your back as sweat trickled from the tip of your nose and fizzled into the scrap metal. Sighing, you wiped your brow, rendering your arm drenched in sand and sweat.

Tattooine's weather was ever persistent, and working for Watto was always a thankless job.

"Oí girl, you done with that droid yet?"

You could hear Watto buzz his wings behind you, quite like the flapping wings of an insect. Your arms were on either side of the metal on the table, your figure was hunched over, sweaty, exhausted...defeated.

"No Watto," you replied unmoving, "we'd need to order more parts to fix this one."

"Tch," he clicked his tongue, "useless girl! You're no better than Shmi and that insufferable son of hers! I should sell you to the merchants, you know how many come in here throwing money at me to have you all to themselves! You ungrateful brat, you're lucky- Oi! Where you going, ah?!"

You brush past him, arms hanging at your sides. This wasn't the first time Watto would threaten to give you away to those horrible men, and it certainly wouldn't be the last.

"I just want to go home Watto."

"Eh?!"

You looked at him over your shoulder, "oh, and don't ever insult Shmi again," you stated.

"Why you insolent little brat." He reached in his pocket. You knew what he was searching for.

Shit.

Maybe that thought was better left unsaid.

He moved towards you, close enough to where you could breathe in his vile odor, yet you didn't move.

he waved the remote in front of your face, sneering behind it, but your eyes never left his.

"I could press this button anytime and blow off that pretty little head of yours. You should be so lucky I haven't done it already. I should've done it long ago..." There was a silence as he scanned your figure in disgust, "be back before sunrise."

You let out a breath you didn't even realize you were holding, and turned away to take your leave.

Finally home.

If you could even call it that. It was Shmi's old place. When Watto bought you as a child, Shmi was kind enough to take you in. you exhaled as you plopped down on the bed. You didn't care that you were dirty, you hardly had the energy to even stand.

Your eyes traced the bright and colorful drawings that hung on the wall, so different from the sad beige tones of Tattooine...

*
*
*

"They were Ani's," Shmi had said with a longing gaze.

"Who's Ani?" You looked up at her curiously.

Your question seemed to pop her out of her trance and she smiled gently down at you. "He's my son," she answered, tucking a braid behind your ear. Shmi would do your hair most days. You often wore two braids in the front with the excess hair pinned on either side.

She cupped your face with her warm hand, "you remind me so much of my little Ani..." she trailed off, eyes welling with tears. You had held her hand in that moment, promising to yourself that you would do anything to never see her this way again.

*
*
*

But that was years ago...

You clutched the necklace she gave you the day Watto sold her. A silent tear managed to fall, burning your cheeks with the sting of the memory. You never knew why she gave you that necklace...it was the one her son gifted her. You had promised Shmi you would give it back when you saw her again, but the weight she bore in her eyes that day nearly stopped your heart.

"You keep it," She only said, closing your palm around the ornament, "That is your hope of a better tomorrow. That you will escape this place just as Ani did."

You turned to your side, curling into a ball and letting the tears fall. You spent most evenings this way, wishing to be away from this place. The sand, the people, Watto... you wanted better for yourself.

That night you cried yourself to sleep, clutching onto the hope of a better tomorrow...