Star Wars: The Chosen One || An Anakin Skywalker Story [COMPLETED]

Twenty-One || Who Was Kyla Valero?

"Last time I tried to negotiate with her, she listened. And she didn't kill me," argues Anakin, stepping into his fighter, his wife sobbing before him.

"Please, Anakin, don't go," she cried. "If you die, I... I can't - "

"I'm not going to die, my love, I promise you," he says reassuringly, starting up the fighter. "I'm going to try and talk to her, that's all. If she won't listen - "

"She's the most powerful being in the galaxy, Ani! You can't talk to her, she won't listen! Does Obi-Wan know you're doing this?"

Her sudden mention of Obi-Wan made Anakin grind his teeth and clench his fists on the fighter's handles. His old anger towards Obi-Wan was barely showing again, as he couldn't stand the thought of his former master re-involving himself in Anakin's personal life. He didn't want Obi-Wan to have anything to do with his wife or his children, although he needed his support sometimes. This was different, though... this was his former padawan.

"No," exhales Anakin, letting some of his anger go, "Obi-Wan doesn't know I'm doing this. And he can't know, Padmé. It won't be long."

"She isn't going to listen to you, Anakin, she's going to kill you!"

With his anger rising in him again, he couldn't help himself. He locks eyes with her, staring motionlessly as he snaps, "You don't know her like I do. Nobody does."

Leaving his wife crying on the balcony, he shuts the fighter, locks it securely, and takes off. He was infiltrated now; he hadn't been this angry since he killed the Chancellor. He felt like his old self; the padawan Anakin who felt like he could never do anything right and wasn't ever given his own tasks or responsibilities because he wasn't trusted. Nobody believed him when he said he could help Kyla; so now he was going to prove to them that he could.

He had to help her, and finally, he was going to.

Meanwhile, up in the spacious cruiser situated in front of the Death Star construction, Darth Demetrious stands in front of the main control room's windows again, watching expressionlessly yet again. The progress was increasing day by day, and she was proud to think her moon-sized ball of destruction was almost finished, ready to take its toll at last.

She felt hopeless, watching the Death Star. She hadn't felt hopeless in a long time. Normally, she felt proud to watch it reign, watch the laser be formed, something so purely evil. But now, she felt hopeless. She felt... trapped. She couldn't explain to herself why she felt so trapped, though, but she thought maybe she figured out why at last.

In her right hand's grasp, she held something that used to be near and dear to her heart. She unclenched her fist, holding her palm out before her. In her pale hand lied the silver heart-shaped locket her brother gave her many months ago. It lies facing up, both sides of the locket opened, revealing two pictures. One of her and her brother years ago, the other of her parents.

She stares at it, praying she'll just feel something. But, like any other coldhearted demon, she feels nothing, staring at the pictures with saddened, yellow eyes. For a moment, a split second, she almost felt... sadness.

"My Lord," suddenly a Clone trooper says from behind her. Startling her, she whirls around instantly, hiding her hand with the locket in her black cloak.

"What?" she snaps back, but her heart completely freezes at the sight two Clone troopers are standing side-by-side with. It's... Anakin Skywalker. Handcuffed. His lightsaber in one of the Clone's grasps.

She steps forward, inching her way towards him. Her thoughts begin to sadden again, her old sappy self getting the best of her, seeing Anakin again... No. She wouldn't let that happen. She requested him be tracked from Naboo... they couldn't have retrieved him already, could they?