"There's always a bigger fish." - Qui-Gon
"I don't think flying it is going to work anymore," Anakin muttered, his eyes narrowing skeptically at the destroyed controls.
Rain watched Coruscant grow larger and larger through the viewport. As they neared the planet's atmosphere, a knot of anxiety tightened in her chest. "Ani, any time now!" she urged, her voice tinged with rising concern.
"I'm trying!" he snapped, frustration evident as he banged on the unresponsive controls.
There was a loud bang from behind them, and the ship tilted slightly, as though something vital had just been ripped away. Rain turned to Obi-Wan, who was staring out the window with a grim expression.
"Is it bad?" she asked, already dreading the answer. Obi-Wan turned to her, his face unreadable.
"Well, it depends. Did we really need the back half of the ship?" he quipped, trying to inject a bit of humor into the dire situation.
Rain gaped at him, her voice rising in disbelief. "Half of the ship?"
He nodded solemnly, and she felt her heart skip a beat.
"Rain! Get over here and help me land this thing!" Anakin called, breaking her out of her shock. She hustled over to the co-pilot's chair and strapped herself in.
"Just tell me what to do," she said, looking over at him with determination.
With Rain's assistance, they managed to stabilize the ship somewhat, but they were still descending far too quickly. As the ground rushed up to meet them, Rain could just make out the runway, lined with ships spraying water on their flaming descent. The controls felt sluggish under her hands, every second a battle to keep the ship from spiraling out of control.
The jolt of the landing threw Rain forward in her seat, and then she was jerked back as they began to skid along the runway. She winced as one of the control centers was obliterated in their path.
"I really hope they didn't need that," she muttered, casting a regretful glance at the destroyed building.
The ship finally ground to a halt, and Rain let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. Relief washed over her, but it was quickly followed by a wave of exhaustion.
"Another happy landing," Obi-Wan remarked with a small smile.
The two padawans snapped their heads in their masters direction, giving him identical dirty looks. The tension broke, and Rain couldn't help but giggle, soon joined by the others, the laughter a welcome release after their brush with death.
* * *
They took a shuttle back to the Jedi Temple, where a large crowd awaited the Chancellor's return. Obi-Wan stayed behind in the shuttle, citing his distaste for politics, which earned him knowing smiles from Rain and Anakin. As they joined the crowd, Rain found her mind wandering, her usual sharp focus dulled by the persistent dizziness she'd been experiencing lately.
She hadn't mentioned it to Anakin yet, but she could tell he was starting to suspect something. Still lost in thought, she didn't notice the column in her path until someone pulled her back just in time.
Rain looked up to see Anakin, his soft laughter quickly fading when he saw the worry etched on her face. She tried to force a smile, but it came out strained and unconvincing.
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Bittersweet Devotion [Star Wars x Anakin Skywalker]
أدب الهواةWhat if it was not a senator who Anakin Skywalker loved, but one of his own: a Jedi? And what if that Jedi chose to side with evil rather than lose him forever? [This is a completely new take on Anakin's story. It begins in Attack of the Clones and...