The Lucky One ⋆ Anakin Skywalker

𝖎𝖛. The Bounty Hunter

            Thalia scoffs. "Traffic. And Anakin is a poor driver."

            "Thalia couldn't find a speeder she really liked," Anakin fires right back. "With the open cockpit and the right speed capabilities." There's her name again. Did he have to be the only one to listen to her when she asked them to call her that?

            "I fear the fact that there are two of you now," Obi-Wan says, still slightly out of breath. He then turns to Thalia, realizing that she is, in fact, here. "Your Highness, you shouldn't have come!"

            She hates that sense of protectiveness both of the Jedi have. "This is my speeder, and with Anakin's driving skills, I have to keep an eye on it."

            Anakin tails the speeder that shot the droid. "Your speeder will be fine, your Majesty."

            And with those words, he nosedives after the other speeder. She feels the hot hair blowing and making her hair fly out of their teal bow as they zoom past speeders, flying right through traffic, perpendicular to the other speeders.

            Below them, getting closer and closer, is the shape of a round building that they're about to smash into.

            "Pull up, Anakin," Obi-Wan tells him, gripping his seat. "Pull up!"

            Anakin laughs as he does, almost scraping the building in doing so. A scream is caught in Thalia's throat. She thinks she can and will murder this Padawan, the first chance she gets.

            "You're completely insane," she breathes out when she's sure her voice won't waver.

             Anakin is still laughing. "Sorry, your Highness. I didn't know you didn't like flying."

            "Flying is alright when one doesn't nosedive to our deaths." He flies them into the furnace that powers the planet, fire and sparks flying everywhere they look. "I can't die like this."

            She feels the heat as he slaloms between the fires, unable to focus on everything ahead of them until it's too late. The bounty hunter has shot down one of the power couplings, and purple electricity travels through the other, creating a barrier.

            "Anakin!" Obi-Wan cries out. "How many times have I told you–!"

            He can't finish his sentence as they fly right through. Thalia can feel her muscle tense up painfully, mouth shut tight with the pain, and the next second, it's over.

            She shivers. "If we lose them after that, I'm going to kill you."

            "Duly noted," Anakin answers.

            The bounty hunter goes straight ahead, but he swerves right. "Are you sure you did? Because they went the other way."

             "Your Highness, if we keep this chase going any longer, that creep is gonna end up deep-fried, and, personally, I'd very much like to find out who he is and who he's working for."

             She considers his plan. "It makes sense. Carry on."

             Anakin resists the urge to roll his eyes. "This is a shortcut. I think."

            Obi-Wan spares him a dubious glance as he stops a bit further away, waiting for the bounty hunter to show up again.

            They stay like this for a handful of minutes, until Thalia heaves out a sigh. "A shortcut is supposed to get us to the guy, Anakin."