Born To Die ✸ Anakin Skywalker

Chapter Seven

BORN TO DIE
CHAPTER SEVEN
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Anger.

Pain.

Suffering.

The three strong emotions were the only thing Tahlia sensed at the moment. It all came from Anakin. She knew it was coming from Anakin.

She stood in the kitchen with Padmé and Beru, the three woman preparing for breakfast. While Beru was cooking, Tahlia and Padmé were pouring blue milk in cups. The sound of an engine roaring was heard, and Tahlia was the first one to stop what she was doing. She stormed out of the homestead with everyone else following her.

When she reached outside, a relieved smile formed on her face when she saw Anakin getting off the speeder, but the smile disappeared when he picked up a body wrapped in a sheet.

Tahlia felt her stomach drop as she watched him carry his mother inside the homestead, not sparing a glance at her or anyone else. She glanced over at Cliegg, noticing his eyes watering.

An hour passed, and Tahlia stepped in the garage where Anakin hid himself in to grieve over his mother's death. She stood there, watching him fiddle around with a part from a speeder.

"She would've loved you." He spoke, sensing her presence. "I know she would've."

Tahlia was silent as she continued to stare at him.

"The shifter broke. Life seems so much simpler when you're fixing things. I'm good at fixing things. Always was. But I couldn't..." He paused, turning around to face her and Tahlia noticed the tears in his eyes. "Why'd she have to die? Why couldn't I save her? I know I could have."

"None of this is your fault." Tahlia told him softly. "You're not all-powerful, Ani."

"Well, I should be!" He exclaimed, his voice slightly breaking. "Someday I will be. I will be the most powerful Jedi ever. I promise you. I will even learn to stop people I care about from dying."

"Anakin—"

"It's all Obi-Wan's fault!" He cut her off angrily. "He's jealous. He's holding me back!"

Anakin chucked the wench he was holding across the room, his sniffles being the only thing being heard in the garage.

In that moment, Tahlia knew something else happened when he went after the Tusken Raiders.

"Ani, what did you do?" She asked him softly.

"I killed them. I killed them all." He told her after a moment of silence. "They're dead. Every single one of them. And not just the men, but the women, and the children too."

Tahlia didn't know what to do as she stood there. He stared back at her, waiting for her to say something, but she remained silent.

"They're like animals, and I slaughtered them like animals!" He continued, a single tear leaving his eye. "I hate them!"

He crumbled to the floor, and Tahlia didn't hesitate to rush towards him. His body trembled as he sobbed uncontrollably. Tahlia kneeled beside him, his arms immediately going around her waist and pulling her closer. She began to run her fingers through his hair.