The Lucky One (a Star Wars fanfic)

Chapter 5

Anakin's pov

As I walk back from the room that the boy is occupying, I can't help but wonder what Rider and I are going to do about him. I was planning to give him to The Council to show them that I am capable of taking on a Sith without their help, but now that I am almost positive that he isn't as Sith, I can't just bring him back to be put on trial.

After another minute of being absorbed in my thoughts, I reach the control room to see Rider piloting the ship, a large smile on his face. For not being force sensitive, he is an extremely skilled pilot.

I can't help but smile once I see his, enjoying seeing him happy.

"Did the Sith wake up yet?" Rider asks as I sit in the seat beside him, his smile being replaced by a scowl as he said the word 'Sith'.

"He has woken up, but he isn't a Sith, Rider," I say firmly, believing that the boy isn't a Sith.

"How do you know? Did he just tell you that he isn't a Sith?" Rider asks in a frustrated and sarcastic tone, the opposite of his usual calm and collected demeanor.

"No, he told me that he is a Jedi Padawan. I believe him, and I hope that you can too," I say I try to meet his eyes, but he doesn't even glance at me, making me feel a little worried.

After a few minutes spent in tense silence that I spend worrying how Rider is going to react, he finally asks in a quiet voice, "Are you sure that he isn't a Sith? I don't want either of us to get hurt."

"Yes, I am positive," I say confidently, ignoring the voice in the back of my mind that tells me the boy is lying about being a Padawan, just like he did when he claimed that Rider is a Sith.

"I hope that you are right, Anakin. If not, hopefully we will find out soon, that way we won't start trusting him only to be betrayed," Rider whispers in a bitter tone, his jaw tight, seeming like he is trying extremely hard to keep his emotions hidden.

For several minutes, we just sit in silence. As we do so, I debate asking him if he was betrayed by a Sith. Normally, I would never think to ask that, but between what the boy said and Rider's last comment, there is a good chance that he has spent some time around a Sith.

Finally, in a quiet and nervous tone, I hesitantly ask, "Rider, does a part of your past involve a Sith?"

Afterwards, I watch him closely, worried about how he may react. Typically, when I ask about his past he pushes me away. I always worry that one day he might push me away and never let me back in. Over the past three years, he has been such an amazing friend. I don't want to lose him because I keep asking about his past. After all, bringing up his past isn't worth ruining our future together.

"Anakin, please, don't make me talk about it. I understand that you want to know and that we shouldn't keep secrets from each other, but some things are just too painful to talk about. Maybe one day I will be able to tell you, but as of right now, I don't even want to think about what happened," Rider whispers, the pain in his voice instantly making me feel guilty for acting so selfish. I am a Jedi, I shouldn't be acting this way, especially since doing so meant hurting Rider.

"I'm sorry. I won't ask about it anymore," I say with a heavy sigh, feeling so frustrated. Not with him, but with myself for hurting him. What kind of friend am I?

As we spend the rest our trip in silence, I just look at the sand that stretches on for miles, not understanding how someone could hurt him so badly that he can't talk about it with his best friend. Why would someone do that to him?

After a few more minutes that crawl by like hours do, he lands the ship beside our base, causing a flurry of sand to blow in the wind before it falls back to the ground, resting there as if it never even moved in the first place.