Stars Collided

Eighteen

Anakin fluttered his eyes open, as he came to, it took a minute for everything to sink in, and the memories to flood back, and that's when he looked down, to the realisation that he really had lost his hand, as he saw the white bandages that wrapped around the stump of his right arm.

His chest ached, and his lip quivered, as he thought about the loss, he was the chosen one, how could he be a chosen one, with only one hand.

"Hey, Skyguy, welcome back." A familiar voice spoke, from his right.

He turned to see Ahsoka, sat in a chair, beside his bed, her feet kicked up on the mattress, as she leaned back in her chair.

"How long was I out?" He asked.

"Two days?" She answered.

He looked around the room, then his eyes fell on the other girl, beside him, how had he not felt her hand in his, until now.

Lovisa's sleeping head, rested on her fist, and he could tell that she hadn't fallen asleep, on purpose.

"She hasn't left your side, not once." Ahsoka shared, "She didn't want you to wake up, and wonder where she went."

Subconsciously, he had started to rub his thumb, along the back of her hand.

"Any updates, since I was out?"

"Well, the king has ordered for us to report to him, as soon as you're able to relocate, he demands to know how on earth his daughter ended up in Geonosis, in the middle of Battle, when she was supposed to be in the Lake District."

"Fuck." He sighed, woefully. "I'm dead."

"Lovey expects us to be silent, when she deals with it, says she has a way of getting us all out of trouble. She's also sent Obi-Wan, back to the village, on a mission to see the best blacksmith there is, with orders to build you a new arm, out of the finest materials."

He let out a huff of air, his jaw clenched.

Lovisa shuffled in her chair, and they watched, as she too, woke up from her uncomfortable slumber.

Ahsoka couldn't bite back the smile, as she watched Lovisa slowly realise that Anakin was awake.

She looked down to where she could feel movement on her hand, and it took her a moment to realise that Anakin's thumb was moving, and then her eyes travelled up, to see his pretty blue eyes, on her.

"Ani!" She rose from her seat, cupping his face, as she breathed relief, that he had finally woken up.

Lovisa couldn't stop herself, as she kissed his forehead, and then his cheeks, repeatedly, and then she slapped his left shoulder.

"Don't ever scare me like that, again!" She ordered.

"'m sorry, your highness." He weakly chuckled.

"I'll go get Sola." Ahsoka excused herself, getting up from her chair, and closing the door behind her, to search for the medic.

As soon as the girl was out of sight, Lovisa crashed her lips, into Anakin's.

He exhaled into the kiss, as he responded, just as passionately, his only hand tangling itself into her wild curls.

"You owe Ahsoka, an act of gratitude, by the way" Lovisa told him, in a low voice, leaning her forehead, against his, her eyes still closed, a hand on his chest.

"And why is that?"

"She stopped you from announcing your love for me, in front of Obi-Wan." She smiled.

His own smile instantly dropped.

"That would have been bad." He swallowed.

"Yes, it would've." She nodded, as she kissed him, again. "How are you feeling?" Lovisa asked him, brushing his hair away from his face, with her fingers.

"I lost my arm, and Count Dooku got away." His voice cracked.

"Its okay, I'm working on getting you a new one, a better one, and you'll get him again."

"But, what if he goes after you, again?"

"I'll be fine."

"Vis-"

"Yes! It's so good to see that he's awake, I was beginning to think he was never going to wake up!" They heard Ahsoka speaking in a loud voice, down the hall, and that was Lovisa's cue, to sit back in her chair, so to not get caught, in an compromising position, by Sola, the medic.

The door opened, and three balls of fur bounded into the room.

"As well as finding Sola, to dismiss you, I thought it was about time for a reunion." Ahsoka told them, as she picked up Seven.

Artoo leaped onto the bed, sprinting towards Anakin, who laughed joyfully, as his puppy licked at his face, excitedly.

"Hey, hi, buddy, I missed you too." He grinned.

"Mr Skywalker, how are we feeling?" Sola asked, a smile on her face.

"As good as I can, after losing an arm." He shrugged, petting behind Artoo's ears.

"I'm going to check it over, make sure you're recovering well, and then I'll redress it, and you should be good to travel to the Palace." Sola explained to him. "And, Princess, I want to check you over, too."

"Oh, no, I'm fine. Just focus on Anakin." Lovisa shook her head, picking up Threepio, as he had been requesting, by scratching at her bare legs.

"Nonsense, it won't take long. I'd hate to have to send you back to the King, with an infection."

"Then hopefully it takes me out, before I return." She replied.

"She's kidding." Ahsoka told the medic, who had paused the unwrapping of Anakin's bandaging, to nervously look at the Princess.

"No, I'm not."

"She is, she's such a jester." Ahsoka fake laughed.

"What happened? Why would you get an infection, did you get hurt?" Anakin examined her, closely, and that's when he realised her outfit, or at least the scraps of it.

"I won't, it's nothing, don't worry, how is his arm doing?"

"Well, it's not hot, that's a good sign, but it'll take a while to heal, completely, so I heavily advise that you take it carefully, Mr Skywalker, no Jedi activities, just yet. I'll give you a balm, to rub on it, every night, just before going to bed." Sola advised, as she redressed it.

Anakin bit the inside of his cheek, as he nodded along with her words.

"Perfect, I'll see about us getting back to the palace." Lovisa informed them, walking out the door.

That's when Anakin had realised the deep cuts along the bottom of her back, that were looking to just starting to scab over.

"What happened?" Anakin asked, his brows furrowing, when the door had closed.

"One of those big cats got her, during the "big show" when you were busy with the horned beast" Ahsoka explained.

"She refused to even let me treat it." Sola told the pair. "She spent hours in that hallway, walking back and forth, not being able to settle, all she could do was ask Captain Rex if he had any news, about the two of you, she didn't want to miss your arrivals, I had to beg her just to let me treat it. I never thought Princess Lovisa could ever care that much, y'know, I always thought it was her sister, Padme, that was so compassionate, and caring, but clearly, she is very loyal."

Sola then left, letting her words float in the air.

"Anakin, I don't want to think about Lovey all alone, if I come back with you to the Jedi Temple, we promised we would stick with her, and not let the throne get in the way, but it's the force that'd be tearing us apart, instead."

"Then we'll just need to make up excuses, to keep coming round." Anakin sighed. "I can barely breathe when she's not around, I can't go back to her being hours away, I wouldn't survive."

"I knew her longer, she's my best friend, It's not just about you, Skyguy." Ahsoka rolled her eyes at him. "She was right, you are full on."

"What- She said that?"