Insurrection

Ghosts of Old - Chapter VII

Stale air. Putrid skies. This planet was bellowing filthy toxins and odours into the atmosphere - it was almost as if it was bloated with a horrible sickness which tore through its surface. This planet was truly a place where all things beautiful wither and die. Distant screams fractured the air and distilled Anakin with a staggering fear; a fear which ruptured him from his very soul, a fear which broke his will and brought him to his knees. Facing down in the dirt, he knew he had to regain his strength. He had to get up, and walk. He told himself of his responsibilities 'Padme... Republic... Jedi...' Yet it was not enough, as much as he tried to usurp power from his loves, they were not enough. Then, he told himself of his fears and weaknesses 'Losing Padme... Losing my Mother... Losing the Republic... Losing everything I've sworn to uphold...' Anakin found himself becoming aggressive in tone, clawing away at this reality with his anger, this - bellowing fear which manifested inside him like an uncontrollable rage. Pushing his feet firmly into the ground, clenching the mud between his fingers, as it found escape through the small gaps between them; he forced himself to his knees, his arms tensing and his mouth gritting, his voice began to wake and increase in volume, until he released a final, long roar which released him from his frozen state; it strengthened him and he could feel its power emboldening him...

'Through victory, my chains are broken. The Force shall free me.'

Sweat caressed Anakin's face, and he opened his eyes to relief; He was home, in his bed; he had never been more relieved to be on Coruscant, in his simplistic bed, in his simplistic room. He took a moment to refocus himself to the sudden change, and to slow down his harsh breathing, and was silent for a moment's pause. Once he has distinguished himself from the real-and-unreal, he climbed out of his bed and into the bathroom. As he always did, he gazed into his mirror and sought an inner answer to himself. His gaze was long and penetrating, and delved straight into his very soul - he looked for an answer to his nightmare, an explanation... but there was none, and he was left with no answers.

'I wish I was still on Naboo with Padme... Two days without her and I already feel lost.' Anakin admitted to himself. Without Padme, he felt but a child, ignorant to understanding his own emotion. Padme was always the wisdom and insight he needed to understand himself, a beacon within his own, dark mind. He broke this conflicting thought, with a splash of cold water to his face, and then he grabbed the towel which draped over his refresher to dry his face with. He then returned to his bed, and sat down on its side, and placed his face into the grasp of his metallic hand, which gently pressed the nerves in his face, which replied with slight movements to the metallic cold. Anakin knew he had to sleep, the Jedi Council had summoned him, and he wouldn't want them to see right through his weak state of mind - and so he shifted himself under his cover, and rested his head, attempting to sleep; the veil of darkness, soon covered his mind...

"Anakin... Remember why I chose you... There is no Emotion, only Peace..."

Morning had arrived on Coruscant. Its omnipotent sun peered across the city-scape world and brought light to most of the planet's narrow streets and alleys. It also slid its way into Anakin's room and breached its dark crevices, highlighting them to view. The sudden incursion of the sun awoke Anakin from his slumber, and he forced open his eyes to inspect the change; they burned from the intense light, and he shut them again in protection, to which he counter-measured by opening them again, this time slowly. Once he had battled the sun, he rose out of bed and guided his cup from across the room into his hand using the Force, to which he cleansed and filled, in the kitchen refresher. He was dehydrated and the water was a beautiful greeting to his parched throat, and it was welcomed throughout the rest of his body. Anakin continued his morning regime, by showering; Anakin removed his robe and climbed into the shower, turning the nozzles so that they provided a perfect luke-warm heat to his water-deprived body. Anakin reached out, and placed one hand on the tile, and rested his head against the wall; this provided him with some comfort, and he rather enjoyed the sound of the water hitting his back, it distilled him with a sense of peaceful ambience and that is something he found comforting, in such a dull surrounding. Once Anakin had finished his shower, he climbed out and dried himself off - only to notice in his peripheral vision, a figure. Turning quickly to confront the phantom, he found himself staring at the wall mirror at himself... And immediately, conflicting emotions broke through his solid resolution.

'Now you find yourself chasing phantoms and ghosts? You are a failure to yourself, and the Republic.'

Anakin did his best to hide these thoughts, but he knew they only lay dormant in the back of his mind. He tried to change his current worry by replacing it with another; he had to get ready for his council meeting, and so he made haste in properly equipping his tunic and preparing himself for the day ahead. Once he was ready, he climbed into his speeder on the extending platform, and buzzed the inanimate machine to life, which emitted low wallowing sounds as the engines suddenly changed temperature and bore blue beams. Anakin pulled the ship up, and headed through Coruscant's ever-flowing city streets and air-traffic, taking note of the direction Padme's apartment was, and feeling a potent ache in his chest... He missed her dearly.