A Perfect 'Sea' Storm (Star Wars: The Clone Wars)

Anisoka - Ships in the Night ^^^ (Video and Anisoka pairing have nothing to do with this story, just listened to the song while writing it)

A Perfect 'Sea' Storm

ANAKIN'S POV

The boat gave an almighty lurch to the side as a large jagged beam of light ignited the swirling black sky above, causing the equally dark waters to swirl as violently as it's serrated edge struck, sending turbulent waves flying. In an ounce of a milli-second, an explosion of sound cracked over the heavens, causing the ocean to roar, vibrating the boat to its very planked surface. Anakin clutched at the rails desperately, his legs wobbling with the immense effort, the savageness of the seas causing his stomach to convulse monstrously with each tedious sway, drenched to his bones with sweat, salted water and pouring torrents of rain. His head was bowed low over the railings as he strained to keep himself upright...and from throwing up the bile that frothed ceaselessly within his gut...feeling the sensation of heavy droplets cascading down his neck, causing his entire body to tremor with feverish shivers.

Obi-wan had given him a firm order to take refuge below decks when the storm had struck, which he had intended to do before he realised with that 'knowing' sensation of dread settling at the pit of his stomach that he couldn't move, frozen with the seasickness slowly bubbling within his stomach and he knew with panicked realisation that the moment he released the railing was the moment that it would truly overcome him. So he remained where he was, too weak to move yet too weak to even stand, pleading with his own sense of gravity and the railing to keep him from becoming a crumpled heap of himself on the sea and rain splattered floors.

Another growl of thunder clashed in the sky, causing Anakin's shoulders to give a tremble of fear as he swallowed harshly, his breaths shallow as the rain water dribbled into his already salivating mouth. The ship groaned on its hinges, giving another violent tilt, causing Anakin's feet to slip slightly, yet he clung to the railing for dear life, his hold so tight that his knuckles had turned purely white. His abdomen contracted with another wave of nausea, and Anakin gulped deeply, trying to force the sensation back down.

"Anakin!" He heard Obi-wan's voice cry over the hailing sound, yet Anakin didn't even raise his head to acknowledge it, not even by a fraction, fearful of what the sickly consequences might be for his slight action. The flow of the Force was so devoured by illness that he could barely even sense Obi-wan's presence within it.

With the illness-consumed Force blinding his senses, Anakin was startled by a hand falling onto his shoulder, his entire body becoming even more rigged if it was possible, the small movement causing his stomach to twist sickeningly. Out of the corner of his glassy eyes, he could see Obi-wan's concerned face hovering over him, followed by a blur of sunset hues which he could only assume in his frazzled and disoriented mind was Ahsoka. Obi-wan merely observed him for several moments, his cloud-grey eyes fluttering over Anakin's form at such a speed that Anakin lost track of them, becoming a flurry of meaningless movements in his sickness glazed sight.

"Are you alright?" Obi-wan asked softly into his ear. It's seemed like a rhetorical question, for the answer was obvious, yet Anakin gave a slight shake of his head, causing the already swirling world to spin more profusely, his stomach giving a spasm of agitation in the process. Anakin felt rather than saw Obi-wan nod grimly. Within a second, Obi-wan's blurred features disappeared from view as a second hand braced down on his other shoulder. Obi-wan's gentle voice came from behind him this time as he murmured, "We should move you to a more comfortable place."

Panic-stricken, Anakin shook his head more sharply, knowing how much of a bad idea it was. He didn't quite catch what Obi-wan said next, but when he felt Obi-wan's hands began to pull him insistently away from the railing, Anakin's eyes bulged, using all his strength and will to keep himself beared to the ship's outer wall, feeling his entire body quivering with the effort. In any other shape, Anakin would've been stronger, yet weakened by the cruel stir of the sea, his strength had been minimised to the feebleness of a pure child. He struggled for as long as he could, yet soon he felt his fingers slide away from the slippery beam, as well as his ability to stand.

The instant the railing fell from his grasp, he felt his legs give an almighty quake before they collapsed beneath him and he sank against the wall, becoming nothing but a moaning, nauseous mass of himself on the wooden floor below. He curled up like a kitten that was attempting to curl itself inside-out, wrapping his arms tightly around his convulsive abdomen in the process. He had become so dizzy that he could hardly see Obi-wan and Ahsoka's slight forms kneeling over him, so disoriented that he felt like crying...

Obi-wan and Ahsoka spoke in such a foreign tongue that Anakin couldn't even comprehend a word they were saying, choosing to just lie their and close his eyes, hoping they wouldn't attempt to move him again, or even better, just leave him alone. He couldn't even conjure the memory of why they were on this boat to begin with - some mission that had evaded them of the right to use their Starfighters, or something like that without sense or meaning. The last and only time he'd been on a boat before this was when he was twelve years-old; he'd become so chronically ill from the ordeal that the Halls of Healing had become his temporary home for almost two weeks. He blamed it on his desert upbringing and the stupid slavers who only seemed to dwelled on sand-ridden worlds.

Anakin was drawn away from his fragmented thoughts when he felt a warm palm touch his forehead. At first he flinched, yet soon he surrendered to it, melting into its warmth and the soothing pulses of comfort sent through it. He was even more pleasantly surprised when he felt an arm curl around his quavering form and drag him gently into a comfortable lap. His stomach gave a cruel churn, causing a strained moan to slip past his lips as he fought to drive the sensation away.

He felt the calming voice of Obi-wan speak through the Force, resonating through his ill assaulted body as he murmured, Just relax, Anakin. The more you fight it, the worse it will become... For once, he heeded his former Master's words, trying to regulate his erratic breathing as it gulped in and out at a disturbingly fast rate.

Anakin sensed another wall of nausea about to collide and he felt himself tense, yet before it struck, a soothing wave of relaxing pulsations were sent through the bond he shared with Obi-wan, maybe even a hint through Ahsoka as well, and channeled into his body, ridding him of all tension. The sickening pain dulled, at least for a moment, causing Anakin's breathing to steady slightly, feeling himself relaxing further onto the person's knees, which he assumed were Obi-wan's. He was eternally grateful for the help his friends were kindly providing without a need for anything in return. The bonds warmed towards both of them, blossoming into something much higher than just an emotion.

He indulged in their comfort and despite the storm roaring above, waves of ocean water toppling onto the deck and the rain cascading down in vaporised sheets, he felt himself sliding away from consciousness, relieved that his Master and Padawan hadn't left him to deal with his affliction by himself, as he'd once hoped. He was thoroughly surprised by how exhausted he had become, yet he merely allowed it to overcome him, too weak to question it.

He sent one last message wordlessly through the bonds that settled the three of them into a triangle of connected energy. It wasn't a phrase he divulged often, yet now it was the moment to be uttered, even if it wasn't necessary, but it made each bond flutter with happiness and understanding.

Thank You...

And then he fell gradually into the clutches of peaceful slumber, the seasickness evading him completely...well, at least for the time being.

~~~~

Hey guys!

I hope you're having a great day! I wrote this story for the 'Perfect Storm' Contest for Wattpad FanFic, which I hope I win, fingers crossed! Although winning isn't the important part; I'm just so excited to be entering my first Wattpad contest (although I've been on here for two years, haha).

So, I have read a small amount of stories about Anakin getting seasick, which have all been pretty awesome. But I really wanted to put my own spin on it, so I did! Poor Ani though; I think everyone loves torturing him for some reason ;)

Anyway, please fav and review!

M. Elyse Lynch