I N W H I C H . . .
Jedi padawan Sylvie Kryze and Qui-Gon Jinn meet two force sensitive slaves who's future choices turn the galaxy upside down.
-Full description inside-
[DISCONTINUED]
The speeder hummed as it came to a halt in front of the Lars house. Owen came out of the house with Padmé not far behind him. Anakin moved to pick up their mother's body from the back of the speeder. Owen paused at the sight of the body and Alina who was still covered in blood despite her and Anakin's attempts to wipe it off. Cliegg and Beru joined them outside as well. Aline noticed them looking at the blood "It's not mine" she muttered before following after her brother who carried the body into the house, not making eye contact with the others who were staring at the two siblings.
The first thing Alina did was enter the shower, near desperate to get the blood off. The water that flowed had bits of sand in it and it was far from what she was used to having on Coruscant. If she could she would have turned the water an almost scalding hot just to get the feeling of the crimson liquid off her body. She didn't realize how much she missed Coruscant until now. But she could make do with it.
The downside was that it gave her time to think about their mother and the Tusken Raiders. About everything she could have done to stop it. If she'd just listened to the very first nightmare and come back to Tatooine maybe she could have saved her. Maybe then she wouldn't have lost control. Then she wouldn't have killed those Tuskens... But what if she'd stayed on Kamino? Did her duty as a Jedi instead of running off?
Anakin would have still come. Their mother would have still died. But she wouldn't have the blood of two living creatures on her hands. She screwed her eyes shut tightly as she envisioned the two Tusken Raiders, staffs raised to strike. She'd snapped. She'd torn them apart from the inside. The thought made her feel sick. She didn't even know she could do something like that with the force. Not until she did. Oh how she wished she hadn't made that discovery. The part that hurt the most was the one that enjoyed it. It felt so wrong but so right...
And Anakin too... The way he'd cut down each and every Tusken Raider in that camp... Did he even feel remorse? She could sense nothing but his hatred for the creatures and grief over their mother. Whatever that was, whoever that was that had come to play, that had caused her and Anakin to take the lives of the innocent 'Not innocent, they killed your mother and so many others' she reminded herself.
Whatever it was it had left her the moment the two Tuskens were dead. It abandoned her to toil with her actions on her own. She switched off the shower, taking the clothes that Padmé had offered her as she hadn't had the foresight to bring her own and the ones she did have were stained with blood.
The clothes were loose and somewhat big for her but they were comfortable enough and either way she couldn't really bring herself to care as she made her way up for her mother's funeral. They'd buried her a little way away from the Lars house. Two other graves were already there. Alina stood beside Anakin, pressed against her older brother for comfort.
Beru stood on her right next to Owen and Cliegg while Padmé stood on Anakin's left with 3PO, they did their best to ignore the pieces of sand and rubble that floated up all around them.
Cliegg had decided to speak for her mother first "I know, wherever you are it's become a better place. You were the most... loving partner a man could have. Goodbye my darling wife... And thank you" Anakin stepped forward, moving his arm from around his sister's shoulder he sat down in front of their mother's grave. He picked up a fistful of sand "I wasn't strong enough to save you, Mom" he murmured
"I wasn't strong enough. But I promise, I won't fail again... I won't let the same thing happen to Alina" she looked up from the ground at her brother as he stood "I miss you so much" he said. Alina moved to stand next to her brother, lightly squeezing his hand. Anakin turned to her, squeezing it back "I won't let anything hurt you, ever" he said telepathically. 'I know' Was her first thought, and it was true, she trusted her brother with her life. He was her one constant, from the time she let out her first cry he was right by her.
His grip on her hand grew tighter, she knew what he feared "I won't leave you" she promised "I'll stay by your side, no matter what, now and always. To the bitter end" The two leaned closer to each other "To the bitter end" He agreed.
The moment was broken as several short beeps filled the air. "R2? What are you doing here?" Padmé asked. R2 whistled a reply "It seems that he is carrying a message from an Obi-Wan Kenobi" 3PO said, turning from R2 to the others. Alina frowned, exchanging looks with Anakin as they made their way closer. "Master Ani, does that name mean anything to you?" 3PO asked.
"That's Anakin's master" Alina answered "What happened R2, what did he say?" She asked. R2 let out a mix of beeps and whistles. "He says that this Obi-Wan Kenobi has an urgent message he needs to be retransmitted to the Jedi Council" 3PO translated. Both she and Anakin nodded, making their way toward the ship with Padmé. "Anakin, my long range transmitter has been knocked out, retransmit this message to Coruscant.
Alina moved towards the ship's controls, retransmitting the message to the Jedi Council as Obi-Wan began speaking "Me and Master Kryze have tracked the bounty hunter Jango Fett to the droid foundries on Geonosis. The Trade Federation is to take delivery of a droid army here and it is clear that Viceroy Gunray is behind the assassination attempts on Senator Amidala" Then Sylvie spoke
"The Commerce Guild, Techno Union and the Corporate Alliance have both pledged their armies to Count Dooku and are forming-" she cut herself off as both she and Obi-Wan ignited their lightsabers, blocking blaster bolts from an unseen enemy, moving back as a droideka came into the picture.
Alina's eyes widened, well that answered her question on what would happen if she hadn't chosen to come to Tatooine. The destroyer was replaced with Master Mace Windu, Alina double checked to make sure she wasn't in the frame or she'd get one hell of a lecture when she got back. She was already going to get one but better it was just Obi-Wan and Sylvie who knew and not the council
"We will deal with Count Dooku. The most important thing for you is to stay where you are" Master Windu instructed. "Protect the Senator at all costs. That is your first priority" Anakin nodded "Understood, Master" The hologram disappeared "They'll never get there in time to save them" Padmé pointed out "They have to come halfway across the galaxy" She turned her chair to the navicomputer "Look, Geonosis is half a parsec away" she said. "If they're still alive" Anakin retorted. Alina frowned "And what if they are?" She challenged.
"We can't just sit here and watch them die!" The older Skywalker let out an exasperated sigh "She's right, Obi-Wan and Sylvie are your friends, your mentors" Padmé said. "They're like my parents!" Anakin snapped "But you heard Master Windu, he gave me strict orders to stay here" Alina crossed her arms "And since when do we do what the Jedi Council asks us to?" She asked "I promised to keep you safe and that's what I'm going to do" he responded.
"He gave you strict orders to protect me and you promised to protect Alina and we're going to help Obi-Wan" Padmé retorted, turning back to the controls. "If you plan to protect us, you'll just have to come along"
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