Across the Stars [Star Wars|Anakin Skywalker]

14

Natalia woke up in the middle of the night, needing a drink really badly, she turned around to tell Anakin she was going to get some water, but he wasn't there. "Anakin?" Natalia asked quietly, there was no response. "Fuck." She whispered to herself, she walked around the house to look for him, but he was nowhere to be found.

Finally, she saw him on the porch, looking at the stars. "Anakin, what's wrong?" Natalia asked she saw him standing there, tears falling down his face. "Anakin!" She asked a bit louder, "We need to go back to Tatooine." Anakin said, his voice hoarse. Obviously, he had been crying for quite a while. "Why? You told me you were never going back to that place again." Natalia said as she took his hand. "My mother's hurt, really hurt. I need to save her." Anakin said, looking away from her. "Anakin, you can't save her, there's nothing you can do." Natalia said, this time Anakin snapped, "There are many things I can do! You don't understand!" Anakin snapped, causing Natalia to stumble backwards. "You're right, I could never understand losing family," Natalia said, walking away, tears streaming down her face.

She yelled at nothing as she left the house, "He's just toxic, he doesn't love you." Natalia yelled at herself, she ran as fast as she could, with no destination in mind, nowhere to go, so she went to her old home. The old home she shared with her mum and her brother, her brother was so sweet to her, he loved her very much. Sadly he was killed by a bounty hunter many years ago, he too was a Jedi Youngling, he was with Master Yoda and their ship was hijacked by pirates and many Younglings were killed, including her brother Thamos Schulter. She entered the home and saw things from her childhood, pictures, toys, Thamos' crib was still in the corner, "I love you, Thamos." Natalia said to the painting of her that he made when he was so young. "You were too young." She said, she slid down the wall and curled into a ball, she cried and cried, until warmth touched her arm. "Natalia." A young boy's voice spoke, "Thamos?" Natalia asked, wiping her tears, in front of her was a small boy with shoulder length blonde hair and brown freckles all over his face. In front of her was a four-year-old Thamos. "I miss you, Thamos." Natalia said, "I miss you too Nat. You need to run far, far from the Republic, far from the Jedi Order, far from Anakin." Thamos said in his squeaky voice.

"You need to run!" He yelled again before disappearing, she was left alone in her home, darkness surrounding the spot Thamos had appeared. "I'm going crazy, I'm going crazy!" She screamed, soon the screaming turned into laughing then into crying. "Why does it have to be this way! Why do the Jedi put everyone's lives at risk!" Natalia screamed, suddenly she heard footsteps, she saw Padme appear at the door, "I knew you'd go back home." She said quietly, "What happened to you? You're so different now." She said, while hugging her, Natalia sat there and watched Anakin appear from the dark. "Natalia, are you okay? I'm so sorry for yelling at you." Anakin said, Natalia ran up to him and hugged him tightly, "It's okay, I understand what you're going through." She said, behind Anakin, Thamos was looking at her, his eyes full of disappointment as he shook his head and disappeared.

"Let's go back to Tatooine and help your mum," Natalia said, Anakin smiled and they walked out of her house. "I'm never going back in there," Natalia said, she looked back to see Thamos standing there, his hand reaching out to her to come back, but she shook her head, she waved goodbye for the last time and he disappeared, for good. 

"Who were you waving at?" Anakin asked suspiciously, "Just an old friend." Natalia said with a small smile, Anakin asked no more questions as they walked to Padme's ship. "I wonder if Tatooine has changed at all." Natalia said with a small laugh, "Probably not, they're probably still slaving." Anakin said, clearly quite angry. Natalia nodded and watched Naboo as they left the atmosphere. "Tatooine here we come." Anakin said as the ship entered hyperspace, "I'm so excited." Natalia said blandly. "I wonder how Obi-Wan's doing." Anakin said while looking out the window, "Oh, he's just fine. He's fully capable... I think." Natalia said while rubbing the back of her neck.

Anakin laughed quietly as they exited hyperspace right above Tattooine, "Here, put on your robe and keep the hood over your face. Here's my extra robe, Padme, like I said, keep the hood up, there's a lot of scum on this planet and they don't have a lot of respect toward females." Anakin said as the ship landed, "This scene is very familiar." Natalia said while laughing. 

Anakin shrugged as they left the ship, the sand swirling in different directions, "I hate sand." He said as he walked toward Mos Eisley. Soon they came upon Anakin's old workshop, "Where's Watto, he's gotta be here somewhere." Anakin said to himself, Natalia was also looking for the nasty Toydarian. "Ah, there he is!" Natalia said while she pointed at Watto. Anakin walked towards him, he was fixing something and looked up, "Who are you three?" He asked, eyeing them up suspiciously. Anakin nodded at Natalia and Padme to take their hoods off, "Ani? Little Ani!" Watto said, flying up to Anakin's eye level, "It's good to see you three, business has been really bad these days, it's good to see some familiar faces around here." Watto said while rubbing his pudgy neck, "Where's my mother, where's Shmi?" Anakin asked, getting straight to the point. "Well uh, the thing is." Watto said, "What is it?!" Anakin yelled.

"Well, I sold her."