Bittersweet Devotion [Star Wars x Anakin Skywalker]

23.

"The force is strong in this one" -Yoda

After what seemed like several hours, Rain was certain she couldn't endure another minute cramped inside the hot, claustrophobic ship. The Wookiee's guttural roars echoed in the confined space, and the constant, biting remarks from the pilot, who seemed to take pleasure in mocking every word that left her mouth, grated on her nerves. The tension in the small ship was suffocating, and the memories it triggered only made it worse.

Finally, the pilot, whose name she'd learned was Han Solo, said something of actual worth.

"We're approaching the system."

"Thank the Force," Rain muttered, releasing a long sigh of relief. The suffocating atmosphere inside the ship had become unbearable. Solo's sharp glare met her words, but she shrugged it off, pushing her way to the star map to see their position.

"Wai—what the hell!" Rain's voice cut through the cabin, sharp with alarm.

"What are you yelling about now?" Han barked, stepping up behind her, his irritation barely concealed.

"Look! We're here, but there's no planet. Where is it?" Rain's voice was rising, a hint of panic creeping into her tone.

"What are you two howling about in here?" Obi-Wan's calm voice interrupted as he entered the cockpit, Luke close behind him, his youthful curiosity shadowed by a growing sense of dread.

"There's no bloody Alderaan!" Han yelled, followed by an agitated growl from the Wookiee, who seemed to sense the growing tension.

"What do you mean?" Luke asked, his voice trembling with confusion and fear.

"The map says we're right in the center of Alderaan, but take a look outside, kid! You see a planet out there?" Han's temper flared, frustration and disbelief written across his face.

Rain stared out the viewport, straining her eyes against the vast emptiness of space. But no matter how hard she looked, the sight that greeted her was the same—nothing. The cold, empty void where Alderaan should have been. The planet, with all its life and history, had vanished into the abyss.

Alderaan was gone. It had completely disappeared.

* * *

"Where did it go?" Rain's voice trembled, a sharp edge of desperation slicing through her words.

Her thoughts raced, trying to make sense of the impossible. What had happened to Leia? Was she alright? The terrifying thought that Leia might be gone, that she might never see her daughter grow up, lodged itself in Rain's chest like a blade.

"Destroyed." Obi-Wan's voice was so low she almost missed it, the word hanging in the air like a death sentence.

"What?" She turned to him, her heart hammering in her chest.

"The Empire. They destroyed it." Obi-Wan's gaze was fixed on the viewport, his expression a mask of grim resolve as he stared at the floating remnants of what had once been a thriving, vibrant world.

Rain's mind reeled. "But... I would have known. They aren't capable of anything like this."

Obi-Wan turned to her, his eyes heavy with sorrow. "Maybe you were wrong. What if the Emperor knew you weren't to be trusted all along? What if he never really told you everything?"

His words sent a cold chill down Rain's spine. Could he be right? Had she been nothing more than a pawn, kept in the dark about the true extent of the Empire's power? All these years, she had believed she knew their capabilities, believed she was in control. But if they had destroyed Alderaan—an entire planet—what else had they hidden from her? And what did that mean for Anakin? Had he known?