STARLIGHT. anakin skywalker

chapter one. to be a Jedi

Don't forget about the sun-dragon, Ani, is what Shmi Skywalker whispered to her son before hugging him tightly one last time. The odds were against him; a child with no training in podracing who hadn't even completed a race before. Yet, he proved everyone wrong and is now aboard the Naboo Starship, headed for Coruscant. He promised his mother he would come back and free her and he intends to stay true to his words.

Anakin has never seen a starship of this grandeur. The sheer size of the hull makes him feel so small and insignificant. Nestled on a cot in one of the multiple sections of the ship, Anakin contemplates and wonders what exactly he should expect from Coruscant. He believes that, perhaps, Arysa has an answer to that.

He doesn't know when she finishes her training session with Sevrin, so he is forced to spend his time alone. Padme occasionally talks to him and tells him bits and pieces about her life, but never enough to satisfy his curiosity. She seems to be distraught, much like himself, although for entirely different reasons.

His hands are freezing; he can hardly feel his fingers at this point. The only way in which he can preserve his body temperature is by adopting a fetal position and snuggling his hands underneath his worn out tunic. He was taken aback by the drop in temperature that occured when the starship left the orbit of Tatooine. If it weren't for Jar Jar's snoring not too far from him, Anakin would take a nap. The noise is too distracting for him to be able to shut down his hyperawareness and relish the realm of sleep.

Thankfully, the blast door opens and it is Arysa who steps inside. Anakin involuntarily finds himself smiling when he sees her. Desperate to close the distance between them she rushes to take a seat right next to him. Some of her body warmth is transferred to him when their arms brush, so his muscles begin to relax. He doesn't fail to notice the way some of her hairs, which have electrified, are sticking out from her neatly braided hair.

"I hope you didn't get bored while training kept me busy," Arysa remarks.

"I didn't," Anakin replies softly.

"You look upset. What's bothering you, Ani?" She frowns, trying to lock her eyes with his.

He leans back into his seat, his head hitting against the white wall of the ship gingerly. After taking a shaky breath, he opens his mouth.

"Besides the fact that I'm freezing?" he attempts to sound slightly amused, in spite of the clattering of his teeth.

"Besides that." Arysa takes off her brown robe, which is so large that it swallows her body entirely and still leaves room for at least three beings her size. "Here." She places the robe loosely on her shoulders and invites Anakin to snuggle next to her.

"Why is it so large?" Anakin asks, enjoying the sheer warmth and softness that the piece of clothing provides.

"My Master said I should get a larger one because I grow really fast," she explains while fidgeting with the hem of the sleeve. "I have to roll the sleeves all the time."

"And do you really grow as fast as he says?" He scrunches his nose at that.

"I do. I grew out of my first tunic in two months," Arysa lets Anakin know. "But enough about me. You still haven't told me and don't try to avoid it."

"It's just that...I'm wondering if I made the wrong choice," he reveals.

Both his voice and his ocean blue eyes are filled with insurmountable regret, as much as with a sense of dreaded uncertainty. He blinks rapidly a few times before trying to make himself clear. The quiver of his bottom lip is highlighted by the dim lighting in the chamber.

"I miss mum. But I've always dreamt of this." The pout of his lips becomes more prominent. "Maybe she needs me. Force knows what Watto's gonna do to her now that I'm gone. What if he disposes of her and she ends up dead or owned by someone else who's much worse than Watto?"