THE ARC OF SKYWALKER | a star wars story✔️

5 | memories

—I WANTED TO STAY IN THIS SHOWER FOR ETERNITY.

Feeling the hot water scald my grimy skin and loosen the knots enough in my hair for my fingers to comb through felt heavenly. I so desperately needed this and I was...somewhat thankful the Mandalorian was merciful enough to let me bathe. He wasn't wrong when he said I smelled like a bantha. After all, it had been five years of sweating and bathing in a brown freshwater lake with makeshift soaps. The soaps didn't make me smell good. Then again, who was I trying to impress on Dagobah? The bugs and animals wanting to kill me?

I loaded my hair with shampoo and conditioner, my eyes closed as the soap and hot water ran down my face. It burned the sensitive skin on my face, but I didn't care. I wasn't getting out until every part of my body is cleansed and scrubbed free of dirt.

As I stood silently, I let myself get lost in the Force. I let it flow through me and envelope me in the light, happy memories of my younger years coming back. Some of the happy memories took place in my time with the Empire. I remember the glee of being able to build my lightsaber; getting my first kyber crystal; piloting my own TIE fighter.

But there was one memory where Darth Vader actually showed his fatherly side to me when I was a Padawan.

It was a training day and Darth Vader was helping me learn techniques with my double sided saber. In one maneuver, I stabbed myself in the leg and, in my panic, burned my hip. It was a stupid mistake; stupid enough where I would get shouted at or punished for my clumsiness—there was never room for error in the Empire. Vader had stopped what he was doing and saw the mess I was in. Thirteen-year-old me sat on the training mat, resisting the urge to cry. Silent tears streamed down my face when I tried standing up and putting pressure on my leg, but I remained on my feet and had my lightsaber in hand. I was about to ready myself for more training when Darth Vader spoke

'Sit down', He ordered and pointed to a resting bench against the wall.

I became uneasy when he approached me with his saber still ignited. Usually my punishments for being clumsy or foolish ended with a threat or a little tingle of the Force being used on me.

I immediately obeyed Vader's orders when he told me to sit. I remember how difficult it was to hobble over to the bench and sit down carefully. He followed me, sheathing his saber, and bent down to examine my burns.

'I'm sorry, Master. It was a stupid mistake,' I had apologized in a shameful way. I did feel embarrassed and like an idiot for what I did. I was a powerful Sith apprentice trained by Darth Vader, for the Force's sake!

Then he did the unthinkable: he bandaged my leg and helped me put bandages on my hip. I couldn't believe my eyes as I watched Darth Vader, destroyer of civilizations and leader of the Empire, loosely bandage my leg. It was one of those a 'you wouldn't believe me unless you saw it' moments. All I did was stare at him in shock.

While he didn't say another word to me after that, I could sense in the Force he genuinely wanted to help me. However, my training began to get more gruesome and intense once my leg healed. Sidious trained me from then on and until I got my title.

Darth Axcia. Vader's right hand and the executioner of our enemies.

The Force faded from me and I was greeted by the hot water of the shower again. The soap had completely rinsed from my hair and I was clean. Not wanting to use all of the Mandalorian's hot water, I turned off the water and got out. I wrapped a brown colored towel--damn this thing was soft!--around my naked body and quickly went to the crate Mando had said clothes were in. My fingers gripped my towel to make sure it wouldn't fall from my small frame, my hair dripping water on the floor. Mando can clean it up later.

I opened the crate and dug through the many option I had. I settled on a black t-shirt, dark brown capris, and I'd just settle on being barefooted for the time being. I grabbed a hooded jacket too to keep myself warm (the ship was a bit cold) and a new pair of socks.

A thud resounded from behind me and I spun around, my hand still gripping my towel but my other hand balled into a fist. The Mandalorian turned to face me from where he had jumped down from the cockpit ladder but quickly looked away.

"Sorry! Didn't mean to scare you!" His voice was higher than usual.

Did he sound embarrassed?

"Whatever. You mind keeping your gaze that way? I don't exactly have anywhere to change in private." I said as I glanced around to find a suitable spot for privacy.

"Y-Yeah...I mean, yes, I'll keep my eyes looking this way."

I stayed still for a moment to make sure he would keep his word before quickly changing into the clothes I got. They were a bit big since I was smaller and petite, but feeling the soft cloth of the shirt and the warmness of the jacket I slipped on made me smile blissfully. The socks though? I didn't want to take these things off.

"Okay, you're good." I informed him and began to towel dry my hair.

He slowly turned around and didn't move for a solid minute. It was like he was staring at me in a trance of some sort. My brows furrowed as I gave him a questioning look.

"Make a hologram. It'll last longer." I said sarcastically to him.

"You smell better than before." He said as he approached, stopping a few feet in front of me. "That's a plus in traveling with you."

"Everything about me is a plus." I responded as I split my hair into twin braids. I carefully twisted my hair to form the long braids, my fingers working quickly.

"I came down to tell you we'll be arriving on Arvala soon. And since you're out of the shower, I'll put these--" he held up the cuffs-- "on. I don't trust you without them."

"I sense paranoia, but if these give you a sense of security, then whatever."

I held my arms and watched as he approached to put them on. The Mandalorian was almost ecstatic in his actions since the cuffs were shoved down and tightened painfully around my wrists. Feeling the pain made me glare at him and use the Force to choke him a little. I could see him struggle to breathe for a moment before I lifted my hold.

"Go to hell." He spat, his gloved hands shoving my cuffed wrists away from him and he turned to climb the ladder up to the cockpit. I smirked at him as I leaned against a few crates and shouted my response so he could hear me up there.

"Been there! Wasn't for me!"

~*~

*EDITED AND SLIGHTLY REWRITTEN*