The Tragic Jedi | Anakin Skywalker

𝓢𝓬𝓮𝓷𝓮 𝟏𝟑

❝𝑫𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆. 𝑹𝒆𝒋𝒐𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒔𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒄𝒆.❞ -- 𝑴𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒀𝒐𝒅𝒂

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Astrid awoke with a low groan, and as her eyes fluttered open, she found herself in a sort of tent reinforced with mud-caked walls. Animal furs lined the floors, and a hot fire roared in the center of the single, small room in which Astrid sat bounded in chains against the wall. 

Her head was a dull ache, but it throbbed with sharp pain as she lifted her head from where she'd been slumped over. Her vision swam for just a moment, and Astrid became aware of several aches around her body as if she had been beaten repeatedly by a certain bladed club. 

She licked her lips and tasted blood.  

Astrid tried to shift her body, but her legs were chained to the wall at an awkward angle, making it impossible for her to move. Suddenly, the cloth covering the tent's entrance shifted to the side and two Tusken Raiders entered the tent. 

The creatures were bound in rough wrappings from head to toe, and their eyes were covered with some sort of black coverings that hid their eyes from view. Their mouths were covered by a mask through which their buckish teeth protruded.   

They looked terrifying. 

Astrid squirmed as the two Tusken Raiders approached her, gaderffii sticks in hand. They stopped before her and spoke to each other in the choppy Tusken language. Finally, one turned towards her and brought its club back to smack her again, but Astrid quickly harnessed the Force and halted the club's progress in midair. 

The Tusken struggled to free itself from the Force's grip, but Astrid was so focused on maintaining the Force, that she didn't take notice of the other Tusken Raider until they hit her in the head with their gaderffii stick. 

Astrid collapsed to the ground with a shout of pain as her head blossomed with fresh pain. She squeezed her eyes shut against the pain as she curled herself into a ball. The Tusken Raiders jabbed her in the side a few times with their clubs before one of them hit her once more on the head, knocking her out. 

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Anakin paced before Astrid's starship as Obi Wan Kenobi reasoned, "Anakin, I'm sure Astrid can handle herself wherever she was taken. She is a Jedi, after all." 

Anakin kicked at the infuriating sand as he whirled on Obi Wan. "Those Tusken Raiders took her, Obi Wan." He held up the scrap of cloth he had found in their wrecked starship when he had first noticed Astrid's disappearance. 

The cloth was the very fabric custom of Tusken clothing. "Those animals took her," Anakin seethed. "Who knows what they're doing to her!" 

Obi Wan settled a hand on Anakin's shoulder, stilling his Padawan as he spoke gently, "Anakin, be mindful of your emotions. It will not do you well to get caught up in your anger and passion. You must remember the Jedi Code." 

Anakin flung out a hand as he argued, "How can you be so calm? Do you not care for Astrid?" 

Obi Wan only sighed heavily as if he was already exhausted with this conversation. "I do care for Astrid, Anakin, but I am able to let people go if I must. I am able to accept the will of the Force. The Force took Astrid from us for a reason."