Across the Stars [Star Wars|Anakin Skywalker]

32

"Death is inflicted by the Force, and the Force never makes a mistake. No matter how hard it is to put your loved ones behind, you must remember to think about the Jedi. Not your attachments." -Natalia Schulter, Jedi Master

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"Master, I'm dead? What about Anakin?!" Natalia asked, her eyes full of tears. Qui-Gon looked at her with a sad expression, "I'm sorry, Natalia." Qui-Gon said as he grabbed her hands. "Look, it does get easier the longer you're gone." Qui-Gon tried to reassure the young Jedi. Natalia nodded as she appeared by her bed, where her cold body was lying. "Anakin?" Her shimmering ghost whispered, he turned to see the blue figure of his wife. "Natalia?" Anakin whispered as his eyes widened, Obi-Wan and Caleb turned around to see her shimmery ghost. "Anakin, I'm sorry." She said as she grabbed his hands, "Natalia! I'm gonna get you out of there!" Anakin screamed. Caleb covered his mouth with his hand as Obi-Wan looked at her in shock. "Anakin-" Natalia started but Anakin continued to babble. "Look. I'll bring you back, this has to be a mistake!" Anakin yelled. But Obi-Wan and Natalia shook their heads.

"Anakin, the Force never makes mistakes, it was my time to go." Natalia said as she looked into his eyes sadly. "Let me go, Anakin." She said as she let go of his hands. A tear rolled down his cheek as his the light in his eyes disappeared and was replaced with anger and grief. "Anakin, don't do this." Natalia said as she grabbed his shoulder, but he shook her hand off and ran out of the room, Obi-Wan looked at her, his eyes full of grief. "Obi-Wan, you were like a brother to me." Natalia said as she looked at her body, "Thank you." She continued. Obi-Wan expressed a sad smiled as he looked down at Caleb, who was pale and shaking. "Master, what happened?" He asked quietly.

"Caleb, don't worry. We'll see each other again, I promise." Natalia said as she crouched down to Caleb's eye level, "The Force will reunite us." She said as she grabbed his hand and smiled at him, Captain Rex came running at after he heard the news of Natalia's death. "General Kenobi, what happened?!" Rex asked frantically, not being able to see Natalia's Force ghost. "General Schulter has passed." Obi-Wan said as he looked at the ground. Rex looked at her and fished something out of his pocket. "This is the old blaster scope I had when I was still a cadet, General Skywalker and I carved our names into it back on Crystophsis." Rex said as he showed it to Obi-Wan showed the small ring to Obi-Wan and Caleb, he walked over to Natalia and placed it in her hand, closing her fingers around it. "General Skywalker would want her to have it." He said as he got back up and removed his helmet. "I know how much Skywalker loved her." Rex said suddenly.

"They got married on Naboo, he always told me he was afraid this would happen, that eventually we were all going to die." Rex explained. Obi-Wan nodded, "She told me about the wedding, it was right after the battle on Geonosis." Obi-Wan said as he looked at her Force ghost, tears were falling down her cheeks as she watched Anakin walk back into the room. "I best be off, I'll leave you two alone." Rex said as he walked out of the room while putting his helmet back on. "Caleb, let's go, we must tell the Council about Natalia's passing." Obi-Wan said as he lead the shaking Caleb out of her room. "Natalia, I've figured it out." Anakin told her. She looked at him in confusion as he crouched down and looked at Natalia's cold eyes, fresh tears sprang out of his eyes, landing on Natalia's cold arm. "I should've come with you." He said as he started sobbing. Natalia suddenly disappeared and appeared in front of Qui-Gon and her mother again.

"For the first time ever, Natalia. The Force has made a mistake." Qui-Gon said with a smile. "What do you mean, Master?" She asked as she tilted her head. "You're not supposed to be dead, not yet anyway." Qui-Gon said as he grabbed her hand again, "It's not your time, Natalia." Qui-Gon said as everything started to disappear, she was back in her room, but instead of being a ghost, she was herself again.

She gasped for breath as her eyes shot open and the world stopped spinning. She looked beside her to see the Council, Caleb, Rex, and Anakin. "Anakin!" Natalia whispered as she placed her hand on Anakin's cheek, his cheek was still wet from his tears. "Natalia." Anakin whispered back as he kissed her hand, "It's good to see you again." She said with a slight smile. Obi-Wan smiled and left, with everyone except Anakin behind him. "I saw Master Qui-Gon." She said quietly, Anakin looked at her in shock and looked beside her, where Qui-Gon's ghost was smiling at her before disappearing. "That doesn't matter right now, all that matters is you're alive." Anakin said quietly.

Suddenly a medical droid appeared around the corner and looked at Natalia and Anakin. "I apologise for interrupting but General Schulter here needs rest, she'll be able to leave the medical wing tomorrow morning." The medical droid said, Anakin nodded and kissed Natalia's cheek and left the room, the droid disappeared again and Natalia was alone in her dark room. She opened her hand to reveal a blaster scope, she looked at it and saw Rex's and Anakin's names carved into it, Natalia smiled and put it in her pocket. She sat up and looked at her room, it was small and dark. "It's good to be back." Natalia said as she sensed Caleb hiding in the corner. "Master!" Caleb whispered. 

"Caleb, come sit." Natalia said as she scooted over and left room for Caleb to sit. "Master, tell me everything." Caleb said excitedly as he clapped his hands silently, she laughed and scratched her chin to remember the events of her 'death'. 

"Okay, it all started with the explosion."