WALK AWAY || a.s.

16

the next morning, marwen had awaken with anxiety riddled within her spirit. she could hardly sleep, and her eyes had remained on the barred window, illuminated with the never ending lights of the city below. somewhere along the lines, she blinked away the dryness, and didn't open her eyes again.

pulling herself up to load at the docks was a task she felt was too extensive for her current mental state, but had she voiced that perspective, master yoda would have shut down the flight immediately. hiding the visit under the guise of guardianship was already difficult enough with the council feeling weary about the dynamic shared between anakin and padme, taking into account that freya was still an active member of marwen's life would have only pushed them farther away from the idea all together.

anakin noticed marwen's demeanor when he had made his way towards the landing pad. her exterior was somber, but something else felt like a buzzing sensation. because of their encounter the evening before, anakin had extended a link towards marwen in attempt to comfort her in a moment of weakness. in doing so, the force creates a line of emotional communication that remains intact for as long as both participants are alive and active within the force. through that line, anakin could tell marwen was struggling to keep her anxieties down. she tried to hide them and put on a strong face. it was something padme did often, he noticed. despite the energy of the situation at hand, anakin couldn't help but stifle a huff of amusement. he saw so much of padme within her.

"i'm unsure of how much longer i can tolerate standing idley on this platform." marwen confessed as anakin approached behind her. he crossed his arms, wanting to offer a pat of reassurance, but deciding against it in fear of the watchful eyes of the loading droids.

"we'll be leaving soon, don't worry about it." he told her in a kinder tone than she had been expecting. her blue eyes turned to his at this. she was unsure, that much was obvious. not only that, she was afraid. the fear wasn't something anakin had to reach out through the force to feel. he could see it in her face, plain as the day. "senator amidala has made sure of a quick and swift arrival. patience." anakin tried to reassure her. his gaze turned back towards the ship. things will be alright, things will be alright, anakin could almost hear her repeating to herself. her thoughts were fast and unstable, rushed, but still loud. marwen and anakin were friendly with one another, that much was clear. they were connected through a woman who loved them both dearly, and through that mutual compassion, an awkward and unsure kinship was forming. and yet, the shakiness of the force connection anakin had extended didn't seem to stifle the sheerness of marwen's thoughts. perhaps it was an illustration of the earnest demeanor the girl had gained since training as a jedi, perhaps it was the trust she placed in anakin's possession because of his ties to padme--- perhaps it was because she understood what he felt and how he felt things before he had even truly given her an opportunity to understand where he had come from and how he became the person he was. their paths in growth were eerily similar, something that obiwan had pointed out to marwen almost every chance he got.

the ride to naboo was quiet. a few clones from the 200th had accompanied anakin and marwen as an extra means of security. some of them tried to make small talk, but it was clear neither of the two jedi were really in the mood to engage.

the planet was still as green as marwen remembered it to be, but something felt hazy in her head. she didn't like the way the planet looked, not without her mother waiting strongly for her return. now, she was weak.

padme greeted anakin and marwen at the landing dock, anxiety leaving a leaviness on her brow. her fingers tapped idly within her own grasp, trying to maintain her poised demeanor. but as soon as marwen had stepped out of the mouth, she could feel the tears begin to prick at her eyes.

marwen, unsure of what to do, regressed to an instinct she had carried since she was a child--- and ran to padme. the heaviness in her stomach finally reached into her throat, the sob only being silenced by the fabric of padme's gown. the senator held onto marwen, her heart breaking for the girl. it was not looking good.

anakin approached the two, a sadness in his eyes that he hadn't felt openly for many years. he let out a sigh as he watched the aching sight before him. a young woman, a child, was staring in the face of death. not only that, but the death of her only family. the ending for this story only seemed grim.

padme had comforted the girl to her best ability, trying to hide the tears of her own. she pressed diligently on the girls hair, stroking her face.

"she's been sleeping for a few days. the doctors say that she is stable for now, and should be waking in a few hours." padme said in as soft of a voice as she could muster. the girl nodded, trying to regain her composure. "they moved her from the medic wing back to her bedroom where it's comfortable for her." she explained.

the group walked into the palace, the only sounds being the echoes of boots on stone flooring. marwen's jaw was wired shut. it was the only way to keep herself from crying again. anakin and padme walked behind her, occasionally sharing a few glances, solely to reassure one another that they were still present and feeling the same hurt as before. the only physical comfort anakin could offer was a quick brush of their hands in passing. padme wished he would hold her.

when they arrived at the door of freya's quarters, marwen took a hesitant breath and turned to anakin and padme. her eyes were more stable, a sure feeling set in her face. she was gearing to be the strong one in the encounter that would follow, anakin could tell. she gave them both a nod, clearing her throat, but deciding against saying anything after that. padme gave her a soft look in return as she moved to face the door once more.