𝐰𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞. | a. skywalker

𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐞

The gentle hum of the ship was more than enough to keep my mind at bay. Exhaustion had never been my strong suit, but it was even more crippling now that I finally had some sense of my surroundings. In The Void, there never was a true night or day, therefore I had become quite accustomed to being alert at all times.

But now, as I rested my body against Anakin's strong frame, I realized that it was not only the soft vibrations of the ship that were comforting. My eyelids fluttered on and off as I tried to drift into a sleep.

"You can sleep, you know," Anakin whispered. "I'll make sure we don't crash or anything."

I snickered. "Well, that's reassuring."

My eyes may have been closed, but I could practically feel the eye roll I earned from my comment.

"I am the best pilot in the galaxy," he huffed under his breath.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, flyboy," I murmured, as I felt myself slowly succumbing to the sleep I had been so deprived of.

I felt a gentle kiss placed upon my forehead just as the world started to fade away. I think I smiled.

—

The solace of my sleep did little to ease the anxieties that coursed through my veins as I awoke to a descending ship. The busy skyline of Coruscant was coming into view, and while I typically relished at the sights of the large buildings and twinkling lights, it brought a dread that I would have to resume life as normal in the midst of a deadly war.

And the looming conversation with the Council was inevitable, though I thanked my lucky stars that we came into orbit at nightfall. It would save me from the words that I had not yet strung together, if only for a day.

"Well, well, look who finally decided to join us from her peaceful slumber," a joking Anakin laughed.

I narrowed my eyes at him, my vision starting to return to me. "And you don't look like you slept a wink."

"Someone had to get us back safely," he shrugged.

"Autopilot exists, you know."

"What's the use of that when you have-"

"-the best pilot in the galaxy, yeah, yeah, I know. But seriously Ani, you've got to start sleeping."

His expression darkened ever so slightly. "I just don't seem to sleep well these days."

My heart sank at the mention of his plagued sleep. I vividly remembered nights from the years prior, with Anakin seeking comfort in my presence in the dark of night, when nightmares crippled his ability to rest.

"More nightmares?"

He looked down, brushing off the question still lingering in the air. "We're approaching the docks. Preparing landing sequence. Hold on."

I sighed, wanting to press further into his discomfort, but I knew all too well that his pride was not to be shaken before he was ready to admit to it. 

The lurch of the ship made my stomach sink, and though I had grown more accustomed to landings throughout the years, I still did not enjoy the feeling of changing pressures that encompassed my body.

Within moments, our fate had been sealed- we were home.

I had to admit, I did miss the Temple in all of its grandeur, just as I had missed the feeling of the cool, Coruscanti night air on my cheeks. As we disembarked from the ship, I paused briefly to take in my surroundings. Being on Coruscant was a luxury these days, and I savored any moment to adhere to the serenity of it, though one could argue that this metropolitan was anything but peaceful.