Chapter 11:
We all walk into the house and I find out that the ditch is part of it. We follow C-3PO, I stick close to Annie, hoping I don't split from him. "Master Owen. Might I present some most important visitors," 3PO says. A man and a woman come to us.
"I'm Anakin Skywalker," Annie says. The man looks at us and nods.
"Owen Lars," the man says. "This is my girlfriend Peru."
"Hello," she says.
"I'm Mara," I smile kindly.
"And I'm Padme," Miss Padme says.
"I guess I'm your stepbrother," Owen says to Annie. "I thought you'd show up someday."
"Is my mother here?" Annie says.
"No, she isn't," another man says. I look to my left and see a man in a chair. "Cliegg Lars. Shmi is my wife," he shakes Annie's hand. Owen looks at me and back at Annie, then back at me. I widen my eyes and suck in a breath, he sees the attraction. "We should go inside. We have a lot to talk about." Cleigg leads us to another room. I look at Miss Padme. She nods once, allowing me to go with instead of going back to the ship. I follow close behind Annie. They all sit and I sit by Anakin and by Miss Padme. Cleigg talks about Anakin's mother's kidnapping. She was taken by 'Tusken Raiders', as he says. Sand people by the common folk. "Tuskens walk like men, but their vicious," Cleigg says. Anakin's not taking it well. I place a hand on his arm, hoping to soothe him, but it's not working. "Forty of us went out after her, only three came back. I don't want to give up on her. But it's been a month now. There's hardly any hope that she's lasted this long."
"Stop, please," I say. Anakin looks like he's going to just have a tear drop at any moment. Annie stands up.
"Where are you going?" Owen asks.
"To find my mother," Anakin replies.
"Annie, that's suicide," I object.
"Your mother is dead, son," Cleigg says.
"No. Don't say that," I growl. Annie storms out. I sigh and look at Cleigg. "Do you see what you've done?" I look at Miss Padme. "I've got it." I stand up and try to follow where Annie went. I go up stairs and out into the vast desert land. I see Annie with his arms crossed and staring out. "There you are," I start walking to him.
"You're going to have to stay here," Annie looks at me.
"Annie no. I don't want to have to go out and find you, and find you dead," I sigh. "Let me come with you."
"You have to stay and protect the senator. I also don't want you hurt. I'll be fine," he says. I run and hug him tightly. I look up at him and I want to kiss him so badly. He looks at me with his wonderful blue eyes, "I'll be back, I promise."
"You better come back," I slightly joke. I pull back and he goes to a speeder. He zooms off. "I love you," I whisper the truth. I look at my feet and the sand. I've never really been around sand, I'm always around dark shiny buildings. I bite my lip and start to walk back into the house. Miss Padme is standing right in the way. "He left," I say.
"You didn't stop him?" she asks disappointingly.
"He wouldn't listen. He wouldn't even let me go with him. He doesn't want me hurt," I cover my face with my hands. "He better keep his promise."
"What promise?" she asks.
"That he'll come back. Miss, I think I love him," I look at her. I purse my lips together and I walk back up to where Annie departed. I sit on the side of the house and I watch the sun set. I bite my lip and hope that he'll come back anytime soon. I hug my legs and rest my chin on my knees. The sky has an orange tint in it, making it look very pretty. The sun sinks below the horizon and the two moons take it's place. Annie's been gone for a long while now. I hope he's okay. I fall asleep out here.
I wake up to the sound of a speeder. I shoot my eyes open and slip off a blanket Miss Padme obviously put on me. "Annie?" I yell. I stand up and run to the slowing speeder. The people from inside hear me, they come running up. Annie has something on the back of his speeder. It's his mother. He carries her past us. His mother died. I cover my mouth to hide my shocked face. He carries her into the house and I follow. "Annie!" I call. He ignores me. He puts the body down and looks at me. His eyes show anger and died tears. He looks away from me and goes down to a workshop like room. I walk quietly down and I stop at the steps. He's working on something, I don't even know what. "You kept your promise, you came back," I sigh.
"Unsuccessful," he mutters.
"Are you hungry? I'll get you something," I say.
"The shifter broke. Life seems so much simpler when you're fixing things," he says. "I'm good at fixing things."
"I know you are, you always have been," I say.
"But I couldn't fix one thing," he stops and looks at me. "Why did she have to die? Why couldn't I save her? I know I could've!" He walks to another side of the room.
"Annie, there are things that just can't be fixed," I reply kindly to him. I walk a bit forward. "You aren't all powerful."
"Well I should be!" he growls. "Someday I will be. I'll be the most powerful Jedi ever."
"Annie-" I try to stop him.
"I promise you. Someday, I'll be able to stop people from dying," he sort of yells. I can see the tears start to stream out. "It's all Obi-Wan's fault! He's jealous! He's holding me back!" he throws a part at a wall.
"Anakin," I get a bit closer to him. "What's actually wrong?"
"I... I killed them. All of them. They're dead. Every single one of them," he looks at me. I widen my eyes. "And not just the men. No. I also killed the women. And the children too," he says like it's something to be proud of.
"Do you hear yourself?" I ask.
"They're like animals! I slaughtered them like animals! I hate them!" he sounds angrier as he goes and I see his tears glimmer. He breaks down and sits. I sit right next to him and I put a hand on his knee.
"It's human to be angry," I sigh.
"But I'm a Jedi, and so are you. We're better than this," he looks up to me. I put my head on his shoulder, hoping it would make him better. I rub his arm. I feel him start to sob. I lift my head and comb my fingers through his short hair. Seeing him cry is almost bringing tears to my eyes. Almost.
