dynasty ~ anakin skywalker/darth vader (BOOK 1) ✔️

there is always hope

"Now tell me, how did all my dreams turn to nightmares? How did I lose it when I was right there?"

It was early morning and the first light just started to shine through skyscrapers on Coruscant, when Aaliyah decided to get up and find him. He was not next to her when she woke up which was not something she was not used to. He had trouble sleeping, he didn't sleep for long and she usually found him on a balcony looking on the horizon of the busy planet. Just sitting lost deep in his thoughts. But this time she found him at the edge of the balcony, standing rigidly with his arms behind his back.

She felt his confusion, what might have possibly caused it, she didn't know, but he was in conflict. Aaliyah came closer to him and wrapped both arms around his torso from behind, her head positioned between his shoulder blades. Almost instantly she felt him relax under her touch when his own hands found hers. "Couldn't sleep?" she asked even though she didn't have to. She knew the answer.

He chuckled. "No, you kept kicking in your sleep." After his answer, she knew that another sleepless night was not caused by insomnia but perhaps another nightmare. About his mother, who tragically died or maybe about his violent past he doesn't want to talk about, and she never pushed him, just hoping that one day he will find peace with his struggles and tell her what happened to him. Until then, she had o be patient. Sarcasm he used gave him away, he always used sarcasm to deflect from things he didn't want to talk about.

"Right." She mumbled and kissed his shoulder through the thin material of his black shirt. She enjoyed another minute of him in her arms but eventually released him and stepped back. Turning around she knew what was coming, he knew it too. It was always the same. A couple of hours in each other's presence and then goodbye, only force knows for how long. "I have to go." She hated those words, every time leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. And every time she was afraid of seeing him for the last time. But she shouldn't be scared, it's not the Jedi way, but having a relationship was also not the Jedi way and she exactly knew why. She understood why attachment was forbidden because she felt everything she was warned about. She was scared of losing him, jealous of people who could spend more time with him than she could. She understood but can't do anything to stop herself from falling deeper and deeper while watching his expressive, blue, ocean eyes. She was doomed from the start and at his mercy, yet didn't mind at all.

With his front now facing her, she could see the distaste and almost anger at her words. He hated them more than she did. Yeah, Jedi business, he would say with sneer forming on his lips and today was not any different, except he didn't say anything. It was like he wanted to convince her to stay by staring at her, but she couldn't stay, not yet.

A small smile found a place at her face when she came as close to him as she could. With her arms on his broad shoulders, she watched the tall, sandy-haired man. "Anakin, it will be different soon." She told him and meant every single word. His only reaction was a small snort, but his hands still wrapped around her waist to hold her closer. "I mean it. I will leave the order to be with you. But you know I can't right now. Not when the war is raging, and they need me more than ever."

An emotion she couldn't quite put a finger on crossed his face but was gone as quickly as it appeared. "You can mean every word but if something happens to you..." His voice was hard and hoarse, and he rested his forehead against hers without finishing the sentence.

"Nothing is going to happen to me." She assured him, or herself or maybe she lied because no one can possibly know what is coming.

And he was not naive. He, himself, saw a lot of dirt throughout his years in the galaxy. After all, he was a pilot that traveled to almost each and every corner. "You don't know that."

"Just trust me when I tell you, that I will always come back to you." She whispered and pushed up on her toes to reach his lips with hers. The kiss was gentle, just a brush against each other but was full of promises. Promises none of them was able to keep.

With a violent jolt, she woke up from a dream that brought her happiness and pain at the same time. She remembered as if it was yesterday when she was in his arms and he keeps haunting her to this day. His memory is something she didn't want and wasn't able to erase. She wanted to remember him because the pain assured her that he was real.

She kept laying on her small bed and didn't even realize that her cheeks were wet from the tears. It wasn't anything new. After these types of dreams, she either woke up screaming or crying. The only thing that pulled her from these thoughts was sound coming from the kitchen which meant the only person she shared her hut with, was back. 

Her bare feet were making no sound as she strolled from her small room to a slightly bigger room that was used as a kitchen. And with back to her she watched auburn-haired man clothed in cream and brown robes. He didn't change, only his eyes were not as hopeful as they used to be. His smile was less present, yet he was the one who always made sure to catch her when she felt like falling deeper into her sorrow. Just like the real Jedi master he was and will always be, Obi-Wan Kenobi put everyone else before him.

"You could have wake me up," she said, and her voice was still husky from the sleep.

Obi-Wan turned around with a cup in his hands and tired eyes. "Why would I do that when I know how much you need sleep?" his lips curled into a gentle smile and Aaliyah could feel his light filling the hut. He was her rock in times when she felt like sinking. Thinking about it, he was her rock from the moment she arrived at the Jedi temple, and then when he became her master and taught her everything he knew.

"I'm fine." She mumbled and with a grateful smile took cup he offered her. "But you look like you need good rest yourself, master." Her remark was met by a quick nod of head and tired sigh when he sat on a chair at the small dining table.

"Another one is gone." His eyes were closed when he silently said the words.

"I know. I felt it." Aaliyah nodded and she could almost feel the pain she felt yesterday when another force-sensitive person and Jedi in exile was killed.

Obi-Wan pinched the bridge of his nose and through his mouth released another heavy sigh. "He will never stop. Not until every Jedi is dead and his fireplace is decorated with our lightsabers." He didn't have to say the name. Everyone in the galaxy knew who hated the Jedi the most. It was not the Emperor; sure, they were in his way, but it was his apprentice that swore to destroy every single one.

Darth Vader.

His name put fear in everyone. Even people on Tatooine were whispering and gossiping about his dark deeds, yet no one knew where he came from or who he was. He just appeared and started the Jedi purge, while Chancellor, now Emperor, executed Order 66. Darth Vader was Emperor's secret weapon, his killing machine he released one day and used against the Jedi order. 

"He was on Mandalore, you know?" said Obi-Wan and watched Aaliyah's reaction. "He showed up on Mandalore, to Satine and her people just to make sure they were still loyal to the empire. Just to stir up the fear."

Each day, the Empire was stronger and had more allies, yet someone like Satine and Mandalore or Naboo and Alderan was simply faking their alliance to protect their planets and people and to be somehow helpful to the Rebellion that was slowly yet surely rising in the shadows of Empire and Darth Vader. It was a small group of people that wanted change, but this small group gave hope.

Hope was what they needed.